Page 13 of Two Hearts' Christmas Homecoming

“What are you going to do with us after we tell you where the farm is?” Lex asked, sounding belligerent, but at the same time on the defensive. He was suddenly scared since their future was so uncertain.

Gabe shrugged. “You guys aren’t going anywhere until you’re on the mend. And that means in every way possible. Your health—both physical and mental, your schooling, and even making decisions on what you want to do with your futures will all be considered. Harry’s planning on joining the Air Force, but that’s what he wants. If it was up to Lucy, he would never leave home at all.” Pursing his lips, Gabe studied Lex. “You can even stay here and help with establishing the family winery if that’s what you’d like to do. Although I’d prefer you wouldn’t sample the wine until we know you’re of age.”

Suddenly, Lex was smiling, looking sheepish, and Harry grinned, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

It was at that moment that Lex knew, and probably Zane did too, that Gabe was far more aware of everything going on around him than he pretended with his absentminded professor routine. But that made sense, Lex decided, since Gabe had once been a special agent.

Gabe looked at Zane. “I hope that’s what you wanted to hear? Although I have a feeling you might be one of the first ones to leave the nest if Danielle has her way.”

Zane nodded, smiling wryly. “Yes, sir.”

He looked at him sternly. “Gabe.”

“Gabe,” Zane echoed.

“Of course, you’ve only been here with us for one whole day. I’m sure there are a lot more secrets that you’re not ready to talk about yet. If it makes any difference, there’s nothing that would surprise me, guys.” Gabe heaved a sigh. “But both Izzy and I have always been pretty good judges of character, and Harry was your friend. He would have never gone along with Izzy and brought you to our home if he didn’t trust the two of you, even though it’s been a few years.”

Lex was fidgeting, staring down at the floor before looking at Jake. “What happens once you get the DNA test results?”

“If there are any familial matches, I’ll be personally checking those people out before I come to you. And that also goes for any data that shows up in the criminal system. I’ll be the only one who knows the results, by the way, and then I’ll fill you in. Having been forced to survive the situations that you were in, there are plenty of extenuating circumstances that could be forgiven as long as you don’t hesitate to tell us the truth if you think that there’s more trouble coming our way,” Jake observed, turning to the image of the map of Milwaukee on the large computer screen behind Gabe. “Let’s get started. Shall we?”

All three boys nodded their agreement as they went into detail about their experiences at the farm. They already seemed to know quite a bit about the place from Harry, even though he’d been unable to fill anyone in about where the farm had been located after he began living here in Crystal Rock. He’d been heavily drugged when he’d been taken away, unlike Lex, Zane and Caleb who’d escaped on their own. The same couple who ran the place when Harry lived there had continued to do so after Harry had been taken away. But something had seemed to change after that. Not only were there fewer kids being confined, but they were being fed less frequently, so Zane got that impression that maybe everyone was being transferred or sold. Zane had bided his time, waiting for their best chance to escape, since there were fewer jailors watching over them.

Eve and Izzy were talking as they all marched back into the solarium another thirty minutes later. Caleb was asleep again on the couch, this time surrounded by sleeping dogs while Amy sat on a chair nearby, trying hard to stay awake as she watched a movie on TV.

“Uh, oh,” Izzy said, glancing at the couch from where she sat at the table. “I hope that the dogs won’t need debugging too.”

Mrs. Giordano rolled her eyes. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Lex grimaced at her words before he sat down at the table along with Harry and Zane.

“Even though I never want to see them again, I was hoping that we were going to be able to go along when you arrested that couple who were in charge at the farm,” Zane admitted, continuing their conversation with Jake and Gabe as he sat on a wooden dining room chair opposite Izzy.

“I hate to disappoint you, but things might have changed since the three of you escaped,” Jake said, following Gabe into the room. “Someone’s going to give me a call sometime soon. Danny and I won’t leave until I hear back from my contact. We thought it would be better to check out the place after dark first and then sneak in on them at daybreak if the operation is still going strong. But my agent was doing some surveillance in advance, and he’d like to show us some video of the property to make sure we have the right place.”

“Remember what I said,” Zane muttered. “I’m pretty sure that there were some local cops who were in on it. They stopped by the old house where I used to live with some homeless people before I was snatched and taken to the farm along with Lex. One of the cops was asking me a lot of questions but never hauled me into social services. The three of us went back there when we escaped the farm and holed up for a while before we left town since the house was deserted by then.”

Gabe nodded. “If the place at the farm was able to survive in the same location for so long, having cops involved makes sense. These trafficking-prostitution rings tend to spread a wide net. As soon as Jake and his team shut one down, another one seems to pop up somewhere else. Usually not too far away.”

Jake’s phone rang as he was joining everyone at the dining room table.

“This is him now,” Jake said grimly, switching on his cell phone and holding it to his ear.“Loughlin here.” He nodded distractedly after a moment. “Okay, we’ll get online now, and we can check out the link to see if it’s the right place.”

Jake hesitated, jerking his head at Gabe and then waving his hand at the two younger kids.

“Amy?” Gabe called out.

“Yes, Dad?”

“Why don’t you wake Caleb and take him upstairs for his bath? I don’t think he’s seen the tub inside the bathroom attached to Izzy’s bedroom where they’re going to sleep, has he?”

“Nope,” Amy agreed.

“Just get the water running, dear, and help Caleb with his clothes,” Lucy said. “I’ll be up in about ten minutes to supervise. Don’t put too much water in the tub.”

“Alright, Mom. We might not even be up the stairs by then,” Amy replied, shaking Caleb gently.

This time when he woke, he smiled.

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