“Yeah. Some sort of flu, I think.”
“Well, flus can take weeks to clear up. So if you get a party invite anytime soon, you can say you’ve caught that. Then you can hide out here while you’re faking sick, and I can get Ms. Flores to deliver all your classwork.”
“I guess.” She let out another sigh and lowered her voice to a mutter. “Maybe I should’ve just listened to you when you told me the plan was fucking crazy.”
I stuck my fingers under her chin and lifted it. “I’ve told you a million times before—nothing is gonna happen to you. I won’t allow it,” I said sternly. “And yeah, I thought your plan was insane at first, but it worked. We got video evidence of all the shit the Network does, along with the other stuff we already had, and now the fucking FBI is gonna swoop in and take them down. You remember what Armstrong told us, right? It’s gonna be the biggest sex trafficking bust on the east coast in decades.”
She managed a small smile. “That’s true.”
“It’s all because of you,” I said. “You wanted to take them down, so you came up with a plan, and you made it happen. Adam, Trina, and I were just along for the ride to help out.”
“I couldn’t have done it without any of you.”
“It was still your plan, and you had to assume the most risk to make it happen.” I lifted her chin higher, making her look me right in the eye. “You might not believe it, Laney, but you’re the bravest, most bad-ass person I know, and I fucking love that about you.”
“Thanks,” she murmured. “Sorry for being so whiny and annoying. I just can’t stop worrying about everything.”
“I get it. You don’t need to apologize.” I picked up the chemistry test and showed it to her. “Here’s a decent distraction while we wait for something to happen. You can help me balance all these equations.”
Her smile grew wider. “You call that a decent distraction?” she said, playfully elbowing me.
I grinned back at her, glad that she was already feeling a bit better after my pep talk. I hated seeing her scared or upset. It fucking killed me, especially when I thought about how much shit I put her through this year to add to all of that fear and angst.
We worked on our school stuff for an hour or so. Just as I decided to get up and grab us a snack and some drinks, my phone buzzed on the table beside my bed.
I didn’t recognize the number. Frowning, I picked up the call. “Hello?”
“Hi, Hunter. It’s Agent Rob Armstrong here, from the Manchester field office. I interviewed you last week.”
I sat up straighter and put the call on loudspeaker, mouthing ‘listen’ to Laney. “Hey. What’s up?”
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. “Before I say anything else, I need to make something very clear to you. This call needs to be completely off the record,” Armstrong finally said. “My boss will have my ass if he knows I’m telling you about any of this. But I wanted to let you know what’s going on, seeing as you’re the one who brought the case to us.”
“You can trust me,” I said. “Just so you know, though, Laney is here, and she can hear you.”
“That’s all right. I was going to call her next,” he said. “This way I can kill two birds with one stone.”
My pulse raced with anticipation. “So what’s happening? Are you getting anywhere with the case?”
“Yes. Things are moving at light speed down here, and we’ve got people working on it day and night. It has to happen that way, because once this all gets out to the media, the public won’t be happy if it looks like we dragged our feet with an underage sex trafficking ring. You can imagine the uproar.”
“Yeah, I can.”
“Anyway, we wanted to get every single Network member’s name before we thought about bringing any of the men in,” he went on. “Because if we only charged the fifteen unmasked men from that video you shot, and none of the others whose names we don’t know yet, it’s pretty safe to assume the unknown ones would flee. So even if one of the fifteen cracked and gave us a list of every single other man in the Network, it’d be too late to nab ‘em. They’d all be halfway to a non-extradition country before we even got the arrest warrants.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed. We have our ways of getting things done,” Armstrong said with a light chuckle. “We decided to target the girls instead, and you made it easy for us by giving us those photos of that book of theirs. Full names, contact details, and everything else we could possibly need.”
I frowned. “How would that work?” I asked. “The girls are all brainwashed. They’d run straight back to the Network and warn them about the investigation, wouldn’t they?”
“We were worried about that, yes, so we had to choose carefully. We figured the older ones were less likely to crack, seeing as they’ve endured years of brainwashing, and the youngest ones simply wouldn’t know enough,” he said. “So we needed someone young enough for us to easily crack, but at the same time, they had to be able to provide us with the information we wanted.”
“Who did you pick?”
“The current president of the so-called Medusa Society. We brought her in a few days ago.”
My brows shot up. “Camila Valmont?”
“That’s the one.”
“But she’ll never tell you anything. She’s one of the worst ones.”
“You’d be surprised how easily we can get people to talk once we’ve convinced them that they’re totally safe,” Armstrong said. “She resisted at first. Stubborn girl. But after a few sessions with our deprogramming therapists, she started to cave.”
“Deprogramming therapists?”
“They’re kind of like psychological exorcists,” he explained. “They’re trained to reverse the effects of brainwashing and return people to their old identities and belief systems. It’s very effective with people who’ve been forcibly indoctrinated into cults or criminal organizations.”
“Right. And it worked on Camila?”
“Yes. Like I said, she was very stubborn at first, but our therapists got through to her in the end. They convinced her she was completely safe—that’s a very important part of the process—and they also managed to convince her that it was all going to be over soon, especially if she provided us with everything we needed from her. She really needed to know that she didn’t have anything to lose. So as soon as we gave her that feeling of security, the dam burst.”
“How do you know she isn’t just faking it?” I asked. “She could run right back to the Network and tell them everything as soon as you cut her loose.”
“Not possible. We’re keeping her in a witness protection house while this is going on, and she has no way of communicating with the outside world. We had to take those measures just in case.”
“So that’s where she’s been this week,” I said, looking at Laney with an arched brow. “Everyone thinks she’s sick.”
“Yes, we sent some messages from her phone to explain her absence.” Armstrong coughed and went on. “Anyway, she’s been extremely helpful. She was able to name every single male member of the organization, and we matched all the names to the list of initials in the society ledger photos you gave us.”
“But she could’ve been making up fake names, right?” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“No. She provided the same names that you did for the fifteen unmasked men in the video, so from that alone, we were quite certain that she was cooperating and identifying everyone correctly. Just to be sure, we traced the burner phone numbers in the ledger and confirmed their locations. Every single one could be traced back to the homes or offices of the men she named.”
“Wow.” My brows lifted. “So she really cracked.”
“Yes. It was the exact breakthrough we needed,” Armstrong said. “And now we know the identities of every single male member.”
“What about Vera and Lindsay, and the possible murders?” I asked, forehead creasing. “Did Camila say anything about that?”
“No. She actually seemed confused when we brought that up with her,” he replied. “When we told her what you told us—about that threat she made to Laney—she said we had it all wrong.”
“How? She literally said: ‘you don’t even want to know what happened to the last girl who ran out of chances with us’. Sounds like a death threat to me.”
“Yes, and she admitted to saying that. But apparently Laney misinterpreted it. It wasn’t supposed to be a threat of violence.”
“Then what was it?””
“She explained what happens to girls who cross them, and it’s more like psychological warfare rather than anything physical,” he said. “That girl she mentioned to Laney was a member who joined the society a couple of years ago. Last year, while she was still a senior at RFA, she decided she wanted out. The Network allegedly offered her a large sum of money in return for her silence, but she refused and told them she was going to expose them.”
“What then?”
“The men in the Network systematically destroyed her life. They spread rumors about her to ruin her reputation, took away her scholarship, and blackballed her at every single college in the country so she couldn’t get in anywhere after graduation,” he said. “She works at a small office filing paperwork now. Only job she can get, despite her brains and talent.”
“So they didn’t hurt her at all?”
“No. Camila told us that she was absolutely certain that nothing physical happens to girls who turn down the hush money and get on the Network’s bad side. Instead their lives are wrecked, opportunities are taken away, and their reputations are shot to hell. That way they have zero credibility, so even if they try to tell anyone about the Network, no one will believe them.”
“Right. But what about everything they did to Laney?” I asked. “Like the thing they did with the floor in that abandoned building. She could’ve been seriously injured. Same goes for my brother, seeing as they attacked him too. And there’s also the video they posted of Laney’s assault to convince her to join them. That’s not just fucking horrible—it’s illegal as all hell. They had to know that.”
“Camila denied any knowledge of those events. She said they never bullied Laney into joining, and they never threatened her in that building, either,” he said. “She told us that if a girl doesn’t seem interested in joining after the first meeting, the Medusa girls are meant to gently encourage them in the hopes that they’ll change their mind, and if they remain uninterested, they’re simply written off as a lost cause. They aren’t meant to bully them or threaten them in order to trick them into joining.”
“But they definitely did all that shit,” I said. “Who else would want to do that to Laney?”
“I’m not saying they didn’t do it. I’m just telling you what Camila told us.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand why she would tell the truth about the other stuff and lie about this.”
“Frankly, I don’t think she’s lying,” Armstrong replied. “I’d say it’s more likely that she genuinely doesn’t know anything about those things, and she doesn’t know anything about any possible murders that the Network could’ve been involved with, either. They trusted her enough to tell her certain things, but none of that.”
“Fair enough.” I scrubbed a hand across my face and sighed. “So what’s actually happening with the murder stuff, then? You believe us about that, don’t you?”
He was silent for a moment. “There’s currently no evidence tying your father or any other Network members to Vera Everett’s death. Nothing tying them to your sister’s death, either,” he finally said. “But once they’ve all been arrested for the sex trafficking charges, we’ll be launching a secondary investigation into the matter.”
“So Vera Everett was definitely killed, then?” I asked.
Armstrong let out a short sigh. “We don’t know. She vanished with her older brother in 1995 during a family camping trip in the national park that borders RFA. At the time, it was assumed they got lost on an afternoon hike and eventually succumbed to the elements,” he said. “But like I said before, we’ll be reopening that case and launching a full investigation, because now that we know about the Network and their association with Vera—and possibly your sister too—there’s definitely some suspicion there.”
“Right.” I rubbed the back of my neck and looked over at Laney, who was listening to the whole conversation with wide eyes. “What’s going to happen with the other charges?”
“That’s actually the main reason I called. The arrests are happening today. I figured you and Laney would want to know.”
My brows shot up. “Today?”
“Yes. Most of the men are in Royal Falls right now, but there are three in New York on business trips, and two in Chicago as well, so we’re coordinating with the field offices in those locations to make sure the arrests happen at precisely the same time. That way none of them can warn any of the others. They’ll all go down together.”
My lips twitched with amusement as I pictured fifty-plus men being arrested at the exact same time. It was like what Laney said the other day—they were cutting every tentacle off at once. “That’s gonna be huge.”
“Yes, it is. Our field office is too small to handle it alone, so we’re getting help sent up from Boston,” he said. “There are going to be arrests made at your school, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. As I said earlier, Camila Valmont has been a goldmine of information for us,” he replied. “Turns out the headmaster at RFA—Gerald Sanders—and several members of the school board are involved in the Network scheme. They aren’t actually members of the society, but they’re aware of it, and they’ve been taking massive bribes to help them keep it all covered up while they operate at the school.”
“Fuck…” I shook my head and exhaled deeply. “That’s crazy.”
“Yeah, this whole thing seems to go pretty deep,” Armstrong said in a grim tone. “But it’s over now. At four o’clock this afternoon, your whole town is going to be crawling with federal agents.”
I gritted my teeth. “Good.”
There was another pause. “I can trust you to keep all of this to yourself, right?” he said. “If it gets out that I’ve shared information with someone outside the case, that’s my whole career down the toilet. Plus it could jeopardize this entire operation.”
“I promise we won’t say a word,” I replied. “Honestly, I’m just grateful that you called and told us anything at all.”
“Well, I figured you might be wondering what’s happening. Also figured you deserved an update, seeing as we wouldn’t have even known about the Network if it wasn’t for you two.” He hesitated and cleared his throat. “You really should be proud of yourselves. Without you, this organization could’ve continued to run and take advantage of countless young women for years to come.”
“Could’ve continued to kill them, too.”
“Possibly, yes.” There were some voices in the background, and then Armstrong spoke up again. “I have to go. My partner needs me for something.”
We ended the call, and then I reached over and pulled Laney into my arms. “There you go,” I murmured against her ear. “That’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”
I felt her lips curve into a smile against my chest. “I can’t believe it,” she said breathlessly. “Just a few hours from now, it’ll all be over.”
“Yup.” I drew back and kissed her on the forehead. “All those girls are gonna be safe and free now, and it’s because of you.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Stop giving me all the credit, Hunter. I really couldn’t have done it without you or the others.”
I grinned. “No, I know you. I think you could’ve found a way if you needed to.”
We lay down for a while, relaxing in each other’s arms and stealing each other’s warmth. Then we finally returned to our homework, filled with newfound enthusiasm thanks to the good news Agent Armstrong had delivered.
At four o’clock, I peeked out my window. Two cars were on their way down the driveway—one black sedan and a Royal Falls police cruiser.
“It’s happening,” I said, reaching out to take Laney’s hand.
We crept downstairs and stood on the right side of the double staircase. From there, we had a clear view of the mansion’s main entrance hall.
Adam joined us a moment later. “I saw the cars outside,” he whispered. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Yup.”
He snorted. “Wish I brought a bag of popcorn.”
One of the maids answered the front door and stepped aside to let in two FBI agents wearing navy-blue jackets with yellow lettering. An officer from the Royal Falls police department followed closely behind.
The maid hurried down the hall, presumably to let my father know that he had company. He appeared a few minutes later, forehead wrinkled with confusion.
“Hello,” he said with a polite smile as he stepped into the entrance hall. “If this is about the case at Larimer Corp, you should know I already spoke to the guys from the SEC, and they—”
“Charles Connery, you’re under arrest.” The female FBI agent loudly cut him off and started reading him his rights.
Dad’s eyes bulged as she spoke. “What?”
The agent kept reading his rights as her partner pulled out a set of handcuffs. “We can do this the easy way, and you can come quietly,” she finally said. “Or we can do things the hard way. Up to you.”
“This is preposterous!” Dad shouted, taking a step back. “I know my rights, and I know I’m entitled to be told what the charges are!”
The male agent smiled tightly, as if he’d been waiting to hear that. “We’re arresting you on suspicion of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sexual exploitation of minors, and creation and possession of child pornography.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Dad’s face had turned purple now. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Give it up, Dad,” I called out from the staircase landing. “We know about the Network.”
Shattered Kingdom: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Royal Falls Elite Book 2) Page 16
