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Trenton closed his eyes. "Me too."
"I need to get out of here. I can't do this. I'd rather be dead than have that happen again."
"I know, and I'm trying to find a way to get out." Trenton knew better than to make any promises. The place was secure, and so far, he hadn't found a way to escape. He could tell by the way Ian looked that he was close to breaking. Once that happened, he'd either just allow this all to happen to him or he'd find a way to kill himself.
Watching the others around the cage, he guessed most had reached the breaking point already. They were like zombies, not aware of anything going on around them. Several had been drugged because of causing problems, but he was pretty sure the men had wanted the drugs and caused issues just so they could get them.
"We're going to die in here. There isn't a way out." He started to cry harder. "I can't take being raped again."
Trenton agreed, but what could he say? There was no stopping it. They'd just drug them and do it. He figured the people who used them wouldn't care if they were alert or even awake for any of it. He didn't want to tell Ian that at any time, he could be taken upstairs and raped again. "You need to stay strong and help me find a way out of here. We can't do that if we panic. If you don't calm down, they'll just drug you again."
"Why are they doing this? Why us? Why did they pick us?"
The question Trenton wanted to know was who was doing this? Was it someone he'd researched before? He'd come across large operations before and knew a few names involved in the international trafficking trade. If he knew who, then he might have a better idea how to fight them. "I don't know why us. I guess they wanted men about our age or who looked like us. I don't know why they pick who they do."
"I thought this only happened to women."
If people knew how many men were sold into sex slavery every year, they'd be shocked. "No, actually, men make up a huge market of the sex trafficked. They can use them for heavy labor and sex."
Ian's eyes widened. "Is that what's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know. I think we'll be here for a while as long as we don't cause problems. Being here is better than where they'll send us, so do everything you can to stay here and not cause any trouble."
"Where do they send the troublemakers?"
"Could be anywhere, but usually Mexico or Canada. Both have a huge trafficking business."
"How do you know all this?" Ian asked.
"I just read up on it," Trenton lied. He wasn't about to admit the truth to Ian and give him hope that he might do more to help them get out than he could. Right now, things were looking very bleak. Unless the team managed to find them, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He refused to think this was how his life would end. He'd spent most of his life fighting against people like these. He hunted the bastards who raped and killed children. No way would he let his life end because of them. He would not go down this way. He'd take most of them out with him if it came down to that. He just had to figure out how.
"Are they going to kill us?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. We are worth more alive. As long as they can sell us, we're safe. At least from dying." He didn't want to tell Ian just how bad the torture and sexual abuse might get. God, right now he wished he didn't know. Wished he didn't have all those dark web videos he'd had to sit through playing in his mind as he wondered about his own fate.
Ian tried to sit up and cringed. "I'll never be able to sit again."
"The pain will ease. He was rough. Probably caused some tearing. It's going to burn and sting for a few days."
"How do you know this?"
Again, he didn't want to tell Ian he'd seen too many men raped, even if it was mostly on videos he'd had to collect to hunt down the rapists or use for evidence. He decided on a half-truth. "I'm bisexual and have had some pretty rough sex with men before. Not as rough as today, but enough to know the pain will last a few days, especially if there was any tearing."
Ian cried more. "I can't do this. It hurt so bad. I never… I'm not gay."
"I know, but they don't care. They're going to use us however they want. The more you fight, the more they are going to push you and hurt you. If you try to just do what they ask, it should be easier on you. I know none of this is good. It fucking sucks, but right now survival is what you need to be thinking about. Escape if we can, but survive until we can escape."
"I can't." Ian sniffed.
"You can. It's that or die, and I don't think you're ready to die."
"Both of you need to shut up." The guy named Wade called from the other side of the chain-link fence. I hear anything more and I'll drug you."
"Fuck you," Ian yelled, suddenly jumping to his feet. "Just fuck you. I don't give a shit what you say. Fuck you!"
Trenton grabbed for Ian's leg, but it was too late. Wade was already working the lock of the gate open and calling for Ben to come in and back him up.
"What's the issue?" Ben asked.
