"Spit it out Sanders, what was the purpose of you selling your own flesh and blood?"
"For a sacrifice."
I stumbled back at his words, I don't know what I'd expected, but that wasn't it.
Realistically I knew that I'd saved her that she was home in our home safe and protected but my heart went somewhere else. I pulled my phone and walked away even as my men murmured among each other. I felt the shift in the room, I'm sure Sanders did too.
"Hi sweetheart what're you doing?" I had to clear my throat of the fucking horror. Stay solid Gideon she must never know of anything that went on here today. At least she’d been spared this, she never knew what they had in store for her, so don’t give anything away, nice and smooth.
"I’m watching Steel magnolias with your mom." She sniffled or at least it sounded like it.
"Hey are you crying?" My heart started pounding in my chest and I started charting a map in my head of the fastest route home.
"It's just so sad." I closed my eyes as my pulse calmed down a little.
"Baby if it's making you cry just turn it off."
"No no it's okay I'm fine I promise."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, when are you coming home I miss you." Straight to the fucking gut.
I looked at her piece of shit sperm donor as I answered her. "I'll be home soon sweet Blossom, soon as I finish here. Give me a kiss." We exchanged smooches, I love you and goodbyes, and I could give a fuck that six grown men were in the room with me right now. Sanders didn't count, fucking insect.
"Carry on." I walked back over to him. I noticed that my men were no longer on the wall but getting closer. Emotions were running high; you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
"What? That's it."
"That's it? That's it you fucking bastard?" It was only as Gage was pulling me away that I realized I was choking the fuck out of him. He fell to the floor retching and clutching at his throat.
"Get up you piece a shit."
"Easy boss easy."
"I'm cool brother, just give me a minute." I walked it off, I had a feeling I was going to be pissed a hell of a lot more by the time this fucker was through telling his tale. Sick fucks.
"What do you mean as a sacrifice, what kind of sacrifice, sacrifice for what?" I was back in control but barely. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach just kept growing the more I stood there looking down at him, knowing what he’d done to her.
"I don't know how they do it okay I just know they promised me that if I sacrificed her life I'd get my wife back. All I had to do was wait until she turned eighteen and keep her pure."
"And you believed that shit?" What the fuck?
"I already said my head wasn't straight back then." He kept eyeing me as if he expected me to come after him again which I very well might if he didn’t start making some fucking sense.
"And what were they getting out of this deal or were they just doing it out of the kindness of their hearts?"
"I can't talk about that." I didn't even bother talking to this fuck. I just pulled my piece and blew his kneecap out. The sound was loud and harsh in the abandoned building, his screams more so.
"Fuuuuck, how am I going to explain this?" That was his first thought after the agony abated a little bit. Total sociopath. The thought of my blossom at the mercy of this man was almost too much for me to bear. How the fuck had she survived?
"What was their part of the deal?" I was past caring now, this asshole was getting closer and closer to death.
"I didn't know, I swear I didn't know when they approached me, I only found out later."
"What?"
"They made a deal with the dark side."
"Come again?"
"They believe that if they sacrifice a virgin on her eighteenth birthday that it will gain them certain powers and wealth."
"What the fuck, is this thirteenth century Europe? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I'm telling you..."
"Wait wait wait." I held up my hand. "You're telling me that a United States senator is involved in a cult, in some sort of dark craft?"
"That's what I found out, by that time it was too late I'd already gone too far to turn back. Please you've got to get me some help I'm going to bleed to death here." He clutched at his fucked up knee.
"Just one more thing, what about the kids, the babies and toddlers they've been snatching off the streets of America?"
"Oh, you know about that huh, that's another branch of the organization."
"Come again?"
"I don't know too much about that side of things, I started digging but then I stopped, I only found out that they uh, you know."
"No I don't know why don't you tell me?"
"It's like this some of them are sold into brothels or to individuals all over the world. But I found out that some of them are handpicked and that's when I had to stop. I was getting too close, strange men started showing up in town and I knew it had to be because of my digging only thing is I was doing it secretly so I don't think they ever figured out it was me doing it."
"What do you mean handpicked?"
He took a deep breath and touched his wounded knee gingerly, I didn't even tie it off to stop the flow of blood, let the fuck bleed to death for all I care.
"I mean that some people go shopping for pets and some go shopping for humans and according to their taste it could be man woman or child."
"What the fuck are you saying?"
"I'm saying that if you have the money and you see little Susie or Jimmy riding their tricycle on the sidewalk and you want them, all you need is a picture, the general area or location of the home and someone will acquire them for you for a price. From what I gathered the senator and the doc liked to oversee those special acquisitions themselves if the price was right."
I think I'm going to be sick to my fucking stomach. "Is that it, anything else, do you know times and names, places?"
"A few but my information is old, I stopped like ten years ago."
"I want everything you've got, where is it?"
"Fine, then can I go to the hospital?"
"Sure where is the information?"
"It's at my house but you can't find it. Can I go get this looked at now?"
"Give me a minute, I'm trying to figure out if I should let you live or just sever you limb from limb and feed you to the fucking wolves."
He started laughing like he'd just heard the funniest thing in his life.
"What's so fucking funny?"
"That's rich, that's how I got mixed up with these guys in the first place."
"What the hell are you talking about now?"
"Keith, he introduced me to them, he made some kind of deal and now he can turn into a wolf whenever he wants, it's the freakiest fucking shit you've ever seen."
Okay now I'm in the fucking twilight zone. "Are you kidding me Sanders?" I looked at my men who were all looking at him like they each wanted a piece.
"I wish I was but I have evidence, I videotaped him once when he didn't know. I've been holding it as insurance just in case you know, now with you grabbing that...your wife." He spat the word out and I thought; why don't I just kill the fuck and be done with it?
"Now that you've soiled her I'm not sure what my life is worth."
"I hope they gut you and leave you in the desert somewhere for the wild animals to pick over your carcass. Get your own ass to the hospital. Gage, search this fucker’s house; make sure you find everything there is to find on this shit. I find out you're holding out on me Sanders I'm coming back and when I leave you won't be breathing. You’re only alive because of her, isn’t that ironic? I know if I kill you it’ll hurt her and I’ll never hurt her. Not even to rid the world of a piece a shit like you. But if you ever in your life cross my path again I’ll end you. Oh and by the way she’s happy, she doesn’t even talk about you you’re nothing but a distant memory. If you survive them, one day when you least expect it, when enough
time has passed and she’s forgotten that you ever existed I’m going to kill you.”
I left the building with my men trailing behind me.
"How am I supposed to drive with this fucked up knee?"
I didn't even bother to answer fuck him.
Chapter 26
I'm sure my wife was wondering if I'd lost my damn mind, but for the rest of that day after I returned home I stuck to her like glue. My parents were gone and my guys were turning the Sanders residence upside down looking for anything they could find that would help in our quest to find and return those poor unfortunate kids who had fallen into the clutches of these demons.
We all agreed that time was of the essence, most of the victims had been gone for years already but that didn't mean it was too late, or at least that's what we were hoping.
"Is everything alright Gideon?"
"Yeah baby why?"
"Well, you've been acting strange since you got home."
All I could do is look at her beautiful face and just enjoy the fact that she was here and safe and mine.
"I missed you that's all."
Her face broke into one of her amazing smiles and my heart felt full and warm. She'd come so close, every time I thought of it my blood ran cold. She'd come so close to being destroyed, I would've never have gotten to know her, her beauty, her warmth. What would my life be like without that? In the short time that we've known each other she's come to mean so much, she'd become everything. I picked her up from the bed and sat her on my lap so full of love for her at that moment.
"What would you like to do today? You've been cooped up for days now, would you like to go out somewhere babygirl?" I held my breath as I awaited her answer.
"No I don't think so, not until we have figured everything out at least, maybe I can sit out on the balcony though that would be nice." Thank heaven for that, I wasn't sure how I would've survived an excursion, but the thought of her being afraid didn't sit well with me either.
"Are you afraid baby?"
"No, because you won't let them hurt me."
"That's my good girl."
We sat like that for what seemed like hours just holding each other. Me reliving the horror of her father's words while giving thanks that I had her and my Blossom was just enjoying being close.
I finally sat her outside wrapped in a light blanket with her magazines and iPad and anything her little heart desired to pass the time. I sat at the desk I'd set up in the bedroom so I could still keep an eye on her as I caught up on work. My business had been neglected a lot lately, something I would never have done in the past but had no qualms about doing now. Where she was concerned there wasn't much I wouldn't do consequences be damned. At least I was sure things were running smoothly under the watchful eyes of the men I had in place for just such an occasion.
I didn't spend too much time on my own business as I was drawn more and more to the mystery of just what the senator had been up to for the past thirty years or so. I had a program running on my computer, it was kind of like connect the dots type of thing. What it did was find similarities and compared them, so far there were hundreds of them popping up, which meant this mess was going to take a while. Hopefully the guys will find something helpful in Sanders' reports, I was almost tempted to get the Feds involved but as things stood I didn't trust anyone. This shit, if Sanders was to be believed seemed to reach very high up in society, I know how these people think, there's nothing they won't do to hide up their shit. Human life meant nothing to these animals.
My phone went off with a text the guys were heading back. I'll have to meet them in the office downstairs again. I took a peek at my babygirl and she was dozing in the warm sunshine. I should just leave her there, there was no way for anyone to get to her up here, but somehow I didn't feel comfortable leaving her out in the open.
I walked outside and picking her up as gently as possible I laid her back in the bed. She hardly stirred as I covered her and kissed her brow. "I'll be back soon baby nice nap." She mumbled something before cuddling into her pillow and falling into sleep.
"What have you got?" That was my greeting for Gage and the others as I entered the room.
"He kept good records it looks like, before he just stopped like he said. The good thing is he was able to get ahold of newspaper headlines about some of the missing kids so we might be able to link them up if we're lucky enough to find them."
He threw a thick folder on the desk and some pictures and old faded newspaper clippings fell out. There were notes with times, dates and places going back almost fifteen years.
"Get your shovels boys, let's try to get through some of this shit before the day is over. I want to get started on finding these people as soon as possible, I'm sorry but it looks like some of you might have to do some traveling in the not too distant future, I can't go right now for obvious reasons...."
"There's something you should know boss." Stefan cut me off.
"What's that?" He gave the others a look before clearing his throat and turning back to me.
"The senator's in town."
"Excuse me?"
"He landed this morning after we brought Sanders in so we don't know exactly why he's here but according to his office he doesn't have any official business in these parts, he's on personal leave."
I hit the buttons on my computer that would pull up the bedroom so I could see for myself that she was just where I'd left her, safe and unharmed.
"Okay I think we pretty much know why he's here, looks like he's going to force my hand. I want to help all those kids that these sick fucks fucked over but my wife comes first, if he comes anywhere near her I'll kill him plain and simple." My wife would have no sentimental attachment to this fucker at least; him I can off without compunction.
My phone rang again my dad was on the line which was surprising since he'd been headed to the hospital after leaving here.
"Dad?"
"Son, Cliff Sanders is dead."
"What?" I looked up at my men.
"Seems he came in claiming to have been attacked in some sort of ambush, had a gunshot to the knee. The docs here patched him up and were planning to keep him overnight for observation but when the nurse went back into the room he was dead, shot to the head. It had to have been a silencer because no one saw or heard anything."
"Ok thanks dad." I hung up the phone with a heavy heart, not because that fucker was dead, good riddance I say, but because if the senator was eliminating threats then Ashley was in even more danger than before.
"It would appear the senator has already struck, Sanders is dead." There were a lot of grumblings following my announcement.
"Boss if a United States senator is going around offing people himself then this shit might go higher than we thought, this could get really ugly."
"I hear what you're saying Maurice but none of that changes anything, it doesn't matter who's involved I'm going to bring them all down one way or the other. Right now my main concern is my wife and child, making sure that any threat to them is taken care of quickly."
"You want me to nix the fucker I have no problem offing him if he's guilty of half the shit we've uncovered."
"I'm with you there Gage so let’s figure out how to get to him before he gets to her, if he walked into a hospital full of people and capped Sanders I’m thinking there’s nothing stopping him from coming after her next." I watched on the screen as my Blossom turned over in her sleep with a frown.
"Excuse me gentlemen I have to go tell my wife that one of her tormentors is dead."
I know Ashley well enough to know that for all that he was a monster, the death of her father will affect her deeply. She'd just become an orphan and although I was secretly glad as fuck the piece of shit was no more, I hated that this would hurt her. I’d wanted to spare her this heartache, and it fucked with my head that she was going to shed even one tear for his undeserving ass, but that’s who I’d fallen in love with, a girl with a heart of fucking gold.
; "Hello baby, short nap huh?" I climbed onto the bed and pulled her close.
"Had a bad dream." She rubbed her face in my chest.
"You did, what about?"
"They were here and they were looking for me, don't let them get me Gideon." She clung to me in fear and tore the heart right out of me.
"No one is going to touch you ever again I promise." There's no way in hell I'm telling her about her father after that, it'll have to wait right now I had to get her mind off of her fear.
Chapter 27
For the next few days I kept her close to me at all times, I was so fucking paranoid I slept with a gun under my pillow, that's when I did sleep that is. I'd spent the last three nights watching over her as she slept in peace, my wife and kid all snuggled up against me safe, and I'll make damn sure they remained that way.
She knew everything now, about her father's death, everything including my suspicion and almost certainty that the senator, the monster from her childhood nightmare, was the one responsible. She now knew about the others as well, it was the hardest thing I’d ever done but in the end there was really no way to keep it from her. As I expected it hit her hard to learn about the other children. I didn’t tell her about the sacrifice bullshit that was a horror I will take to the grave with me. She'd been afraid at first when I told her that the senator was here in the city but I explained the security measures I’d taken to her and that had calmed her down a little.
Thankfully the school semester was almost at an end and she could finish up on time online, which we’d opted for. I’m going to make sure she finishes her education after the baby, my girl is too damn smart for anything less and I had no doubt that she could handle it all, motherhood and school. When this shit was over I plan to start looking into a few private colleges in the area since going away had never been an option. As long as she got the same caliber education I was happy with that. She could even take online courses if she chose to since that seemed to be the new in thing.
The Billionaire Page 15
