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Trenton thought of the guy still in the other room who had been beaten. He needed to be careful no matter where he was. Until he figured out a way to escape or somehow get word to the team so they could come for him, he had to do everything he could to stay alive. They would come for him. He was sure of that. He just needed to focus on surviving until they did.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ben swallowed the last gulp of his coffee and set his cup on the table as he looked over the cages. He'd slept like shit, tossing and turning all night, wondering how much more of this he could put up with. They needed more names, more proof of who was involved. It wasn't easy to get. Security was tight, and even with his access, he couldn't just whip out his phone and snap photos.
He'd come too far, given up too much of his soul to quit now. He'd do everything he could to put a stop to this and bring the evil men and women who used Isaac's services, even sacrifice his own life if he needed to.
"You're up early." Wade, one of the other guys walked over to him.
"Couldn't sleep. Figured I might as well be here." Ben ran a hand over his two-day beard he hated, but wore as part of his cover. "Anything new?"
"Nah, same shit. Drugged them all around midnight and had a quiet night other than some of the kids crying. I'm tempted to bring in some Benadryl to knock them out since we can't drug them the way we do the adults." Wade reached back and tied his long hair into a ponytail.
Ben glanced at the kids' cage, grateful Isaac refused to drug the kids. It was bad enough drugging the adults. The kids were usually too scared to cause a scene, but they did cry a lot. The older kids tried to comfort the younger ones, but it didn't always work. Seeing those kids and knowing what was happening to them was the hardest part of his job.
Everything in him wanted to stop this now. He hated he had to let it play out so they could take down everyone involved. It was so much more than Isaac. They needed to stop the people who bought the men, women, and children. If they simply took down Isaac, someone else would just take his place. The demand for sex slaves was extreme in the area and they needed to shut it down.
He knew others were working upstairs undercover, and he knew of one agent undercover with Isaac's personal security team, but they couldn't simply give names and have people arrested. They needed proof of everything. Hard proof that would put these assholes away for a very long time.
One thing was for sure, once he finished this job, he was done. He couldn't see himself doing anymore undercover work. This job had nearly broken him. He'd never be able to get the things he'd seen from his mind, let alone some of the things he'd had to do to maintain his cover.
"New guys give you any problems?" Ben asked.
"Not really. That one cries a lot, but I've kept him drugged. The other has hardly moved." Wade shrugged. "He's alive. That's all that matters. Dr. Frank will be in around nine. The guy Stan beat died this morning," Wade informed him.
Ben kept his emotions hidden, but he felt a wave of remorse. He always did when a life was lost. He could stop this now. He could kill everyone here at the mansion, but that wouldn't give them Isaac or the other leaders. They would just set up someplace new. This was an international sting, and he had to hold the line to make sure they got everyone involved. He prayed they were close. He was so deep undercover that he had very little communication with anyone. He'd been at it for three months. In his mind, that was more than enough time to find out who all the big players were.
When this unfolded, it would be headline news. Actors, congressmen, and other elites took advantage of what Isaac offered. He knew there were other locations throughout the country as well, not to mention the trafficking trade with Mexico and Canada. He'd seen hundreds of people come and go through the holding cells over the last few months. Mostly children. He was glad he didn't have any of his own kids to worry about because he'd end up being the most protective father they'd ever known after the things he'd seen.
"Stan's not going to be happy." Ben sighed. "I'll get the men over there for their exams. Doc can see them first. If anyone is going to give us problems, it's them. Besides, the girls take forever. I'm not completely sure exams are all Doc does in there with them."
Wade gave him a nod. "I'm sure of it."
Ben turned away, not wanting to think about what the doctor did to the small girls he was brought into exam. They were supposed to be virgins when sold the first time, but there was a lot a person could force a child to do. He couldn't think about that. He'd learned quickly that it only made his job harder if he visualized the children being hurt.
He unlocked the gate, and with a quick glance to make sure Wade was still watching for security reasons, he went over to one of the new guys. He glanced down at the man's naked form and nudged him with the toe of his shoe. "You awake?"
The man's eyes opened slowly, no sign of aggression in them.
"You need to get up. The doctor wants to see you."
The man didn't move.
"We can do this the hard way or easy way. I know you're not too drugged to stand." He hated playing the tough guy, and as much as possible tried to treat the captives with respect. It all depended on who was watching them. He had to stay in character or his own life would be on the line.
The man sighed, then sluggishly pushed up so he was sitting. It was clear he was still weak and feeling the drugs they'd pumped into his system.
"Don't puke on me," Ben warned.
"Nothing left in my stomach to puke." The man took a deep breath and stood.
There was something about his voice that cut deep into Ben's emotions. He didn't know the guy, but the sound of his voice hit him with a feeling of warmth and possibly desire. It was crazy. He couldn't find himself attracted to one of the captives. He knew what was in store for them. He had to push the thought and feelings from his mind. Ben gripped the guy's arm, surprised to find it firm. "Not going to fight me?"
The guy shook his head. "Not unless you try to hurt me."
Ben hid his cringe because he couldn't be sure Doc wasn't into men as well as females. He could easily be leading him in for his first rape. "You're safe with me. I'm just taking you to see the doctor and get some pictures taken. Any medical issues we need to know about? Diabetic or anything?"
"I'd probably be dead by now if I needed insulin." The guy stumbled.
