Page 43 of Edge of Desperation

“Wow.”

“Lykos is pretty smart,” Yazzie brags. “I have no doubt he’ll pick it up in no time. He will become aggressive during training, but that’s what he’s supposed to do. Give him the command to settle and wait him out. Once he’s calm, slowly approach, praise him, and give him a treat.”

“You think I can do this?”

“Definitely,” he confirms. “If not, Jaxson ca?—”

“I’d like to keep this between us for now, if possible,” I say, the words coming out in a rush. “I’ll eventually tell him, but for now, this is something I need to do for myself.”

Yazzie's eyes soften with understanding. “I’ll forward you some training videos I have.”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

“Call me if you have any other questions.” He gives me a mock salute before hanging up.

I rub Lykos’ head. “Looks like you and I have some training to do, buddy.”

Lykos gives a soft bark and licks my hand in response. “First, we’re gonna do our research.”

My fingers dance over the keyboard as I use the program Willow installed on my computer the last time she visited. She’san extremely talented software engineer. It encrypts all of my files and allows me to search anything on the internet without leaving any trace in my history of what I was looking for.

Thank you, Willow!

The first article I uncover is a bill introduced by Senator Timothy Briggs on human trafficking and how tougher laws need to be instituted to prevent or reduce the growing threat within our nation.

The bill stipulates that the government will boost support and protection for human trafficking victims by increasing law enforcement, providing more services for recovered victims, and strengthening the laws to ensure that both buyers and sellers who engage in sex trafficking are held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

In one of his speeches, Senator Briggs also pledges to raise money to build rehabilitation homes for victims around the country.

Bile rises up the back of my throat, and I race to the bathroom, crashing to my knees in front of the toilet. I gag between bouts of retching into the bowl. Lykos whines and nudges me with his nose until I lay my hand on his fur. I inhale deeply through my nose and blow out through my mouth until my stomach settles.

That stupid low-life son of a bitch! He’s a goddamn fraud.

After a few minutes, I feel well enough to stand with Lykos’ help. He presses his body against my wobbly legs, steadying me while I grip the counter. I wash my face and rinse out my mouth before returning to my computer.

The more I read, the more my blood boils. Everything the senator claims to stand for, written in black and white in front of me, is a farce. I’ve seen his true colors and bled for him and his cronies. Hell, I was probably even bought and paid for by the American people’s tax money.

A picture in a local paper catches my eye in the corner of my screen. Standing next to the senator, are the remaining assholes who were in that room the night I wasbroken.

They didn’t break you. Remember what Jaxson said…Don’t let them fucking win.

I grab a piece of paper and pen and jot down the names of the five men staring at me.

Kill List

1) Senator Briggs

2) Terry Potts

3) Cal Jameson

4) James Dows

5) Patrick Tyson

Ping. Ping. Ping.

I glance around for my phone when it goes off again and scoop it off the bed to read.

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