Page 44 of Wed
Walking in silence, they made their way down the block to the house that sat directly behind the one they were going to enter. The lights in the neighborhood remained off and only the sounds of cats fighting a few blocks away filled the air. Kacey moved confidently, secure in what he was doing. Once the decision to go in was made, the rest was done without a second thought. What they were doing might not be legal, but it was justified. Any human being who could rape and hurt small children deserved punishment. There was never a reason why sexually abusing a child was okay. And repeat offenders like Roger Carson had to be stopped.
Xander lifted a hand and Kacey froze. He trusted Xander more than anyone else in the world, which was saying a lot. They'd been through hell and back together. If Xander sensed something, he had to heed the warning.
Looking around, he didn't notice anything, but when Xander motioned him to move behind the side of a vinyl fence, he didn't hesitate. He moved quickly, moving out of sight of the street they'd been walking down. He wasn't any more comfortable hiding along a driveway like he was now, but what choice did he have?
A few seconds later a man walked by where they were standing, obviously drunk by the way his steps faltered and the half-empty bottle of vodka in his hand. They stayed silent as the man made his way down the sidewalk, not moving until he'd turned the corner and was out of sight.
Thankful Xander had noticed the man, he gave him a nod before moving back out onto the sidewalk and walking to the other side of the house. This side of the house wasn't blocked by a fence and gave them easy access to get to Carson's home. They watched their step, making sure they weren't leaving footprints, and quickly got to the small three-foot chain link fence that surrounded Officer Carson's home. They both jumped it with ease.
They'd been over the plan several times, mapping out where they would enter and how they would maneuver through the home once inside. But things didn't always go as planned. It didn't look as if they'd need their lockpicking skills tonight. The sliding glass door was wide open, with only the screen closed. Even if it was locked, it would be easy to cut that and enter unheard.
All the lights were out in the home, which hopefully meant Roger Carson was asleep. With a simple nod to one another, they moved forward, careful to make sure neighbors around them weren't watching. That had been how Dyson had been caught and they all were extra cautious that it didn't happen again.
At the screen door, Xander tested to see if it was locked. The door was secure and didn't budge as he tried to open it. Kacey pulled his small knife from his hoodie pocket and quickly sliced the screen, then pushed it aside and climbed into the house, thankful to be out of the yard where they might be seen.
Xander followed him in.
It was dark inside the home and the only light was from the numbers illuminated on a small desk clock in the corner. The home smelled of onion and garlic, causing Kacey to wonder what the man's dinner had been. The house wasn't big. A simple two bedroom with a living room and kitchen.
After giving themselves a moment for their eyes to adjust, Xander pulled out a small penlight and they made their way down the hallway to the bedrooms. The first room looked like it was mostly used for storage. While there was a bed in the room, boxes and other clutter sat on top of it and along the floor. They moved on, focused on the room at the end of the hall. The door was open, but it was silent inside.
Having preplanned everything in advance and knowing who would do what, Kacey pulled out the syringe filled with the paralyzing liquid that Beau had invented that would make it so the person couldn't move, but was alert and would feel all the pain that they had coming to them.
Moving past Xander, Kacey crept close to the bed. He frowned seeing what looked like a second person beside the figure he thought was Roger Carson. The second figure was smaller, and Kacey's chest tightened as he realized it was probably a child. He glanced over at Xander and saw he'd realized it as well.
Xander nodded again and gestured to the adult form, silently telling Kacey to continue. Without hesitation, Kacey pushed the needle into the man's neck and injected him with the medication. The man only had a second to react to the slight pain of the needle by lifting a hand to his neck before he was suddenly unable to move.
"Turn on the light," Kacey whispered. They had to know what they faced. If it was a child, they'd have to change their plans.
Xander flicked on the light and they both stared at the figure of a small girl lying naked in the bed beside Roger Carson.
"Hell." Kacey sighed.
The small girl woke up, her eyes instantly filled with fear as she stared at the two men standing beside the bed. The sight of them had to terrify the young girl. She looked to be maybe nine or ten and Kacey wondered if she was the missing girl who had been kept with Lenora and the others at the foster home. Geo had told them the officer had taken her. They now knew why.
"Easy, don't be scared. We're here to help you. He won't hurt you ever again," Kacey told the girl gently. He took a chance. "Were you with Lenora, Geo, Andy, and Eric?"
She nodded as tears filled her eyes.
"They sent us to help you." Kacey ignored the paralyzed man on the bed who stared up at him.
"Lenora?" Tears fell from the girl's eyes. "Where is she?"
"She's safe," Xander said.
At the sound of Xander's voice the girl shrunk back as she pulled a sheet up to cover her body.
"What do you want to do?" Kacey glanced at Xander. "We should probably follow protocol."
"Probably, but something tells me we can't trust anyone. I'm not leaving her to end up with Diaz. We'll take her back with us." Xander's voice was firm. "She's safer with us."
The girl sobbed. "I want my grandma."
"I know, but right now, we have to get you away from this man." He glared down at Roger before looking back at the girl. "Are you hurt?"
She blushed and closed her legs tightly but shook her head. "I'm okay."
Kacey doubted it, but he didn't see blood so that told him any injury could probably wait to be treated and she didn't need immediate attention. "Do you have clothes?"
