Page 48 of Wed
"That's a great idea. Just write down a list of what you need, then I'll have you and Geo get online and pick out stuff you like. Get a toothbrush, stuff for your hair, anything you think you might need for a week here." Bryon reached for the carton of orange juice and poured himself a glass.
"What happens after a week?" Tera asked.
"That depends. Do you have any family around?" Bryon asked.
She shook her head. "Grandma died. I lived with her. Mom died when I was three and I don't know who my dad is. When Grandma got sick, I lived with the neighbor for a while, but when she died, the neighbor said I had to go into foster care."
"Okay, why don't you give me your full name and I'll look into it? We'll find you a safe place to live. I promise. We're doing the same for Lenora, Andy, and Eric." Bryon met Geo's stare. "Becca actually found a friend of Lenora's parents who might be taking Lenora and Andy in to live with them."
Geo smiled. "That's good. As long as they treat them good."
"We'll make sure they're good people before we let them go," Bryon promised, then refocused on Tera. "Did the policeman who took you tell you what he had planned to do with you?"
"He kept saying I'd be worth a lot of money. I don't know what he meant." She bit her lip. "He said he wanted to keep me, but his boss wouldn't let him."
Bryon nodded. "Did he mention any names?"
She shook her head.
Not wanting to push her too hard, Bryon smiled. "Okay, that's good. I've got some work to do today so you guys can just hang out and play games or watch movies. I'll get with you later to place the order from the store. If you need anything, Geo knows where to find me. Don't hesitate to knock on the door."
"Tera wants to talk to Lenora. Can we call her?" Geo asked.
"Sure. When you're done eating, come find me and I'll call for you. They're probably just waking up too. We'll give them time to get breakfast and then you can call and talk as long as you want to. I know she'll be happy to hear you're safe."
"Are you going out again tonight?" Geo asked.
Bryon shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I'm waiting on the rest of the guys to wake up so we can talk about it. I'd like to if it's safe. Carter's been up all night digging through information they found last night. Once I know what he's got, I'll be able to plan." He finished his cereal and stood. "I have to get to work. You two have fun. Yell when you're ready to make that call." He rinsed his bowl and left it in the sink.
"Thanks." Geo smiled.
Tera just stared at him.
He made his way to the office, not surprised to find Carter and Archer sitting behind the computer. "We find anything good?"
"A lot of porn. This guy liked taking pictures. The stuff on the laptop alone should keep him locked up for life. Then you've got the images in the basement. This guy was a piece of work. Glad we got him." Archer ran his fingers through his hair.
Carter handed Bryon a file. "He had a lot in his chat history. Named a lot of names. If the police follow up on this, it's going to bring a lot of people down."
"The question is, will they follow up?" He opened the file and looked through some of the pages. He paused on one name. "So the police chief is involved."
"Up to his neck. The sheriff is clean so far though. We've got two judges, the assistant district attorney, a handful of big businessmen, the mayor, and one congressman involved. There's enough proof here to investigate all of them." Carter leaned back. "We'll forward this information to people we can trust, but so far, it sounds like the police are keeping things silent. There isn't a single media report about last night. In most towns, a police officer being attacked at home would make front-page news. We'll wait and see, but as of right now, I think they're trying to find a way to cover it up. Just seems to me there's too much here to keep it hidden. They could pay off the first responders and doctors, but I doubt all of them. A nurse or doctor would speak out I'd think."
"We'd hope." Bryon sat down. "So what about tonight? Are we a go?"
"Let Xander and Kacey decide. I think it's safe enough, but anyone involved is going to be on high alert. You want to go after the CPS worker, right?"
"Yeah, Ron Croatz. He was sharing images of him with children with Jerome, the foster parent we killed. Images are horrid. No doubt of his guilt. Lives alone in a home on the North side of the city. Easy access. We could be in and out quickly." Bryon sighed. "We need a Vegas team."
"We need teams in every damn city. Got reports today out of Salt Lake again, and another from Illinois. It's getting worse, not better." Archer shook his head. "It's in the news almost every day, yet people won't take it seriously. They refuse to admit it's happening in their areas. Not with their leaders, not with their friends and neighbors."
"More groups like Noam's are popping up around the country. They might just name and shame them for the most part, but it's all drawing attention. If we could get the police to take them more seriously, and the courts to stop slapping hands and give real sentences, we might get somewhere." Bryon set the folder aside. "Anyway, we need to discuss what we're going to do with these kids. I spoke with Becca last night. She thinks Lenora and Andy might have a place in Michigan. She'll confirm today. That leaves us with Eric, Geo, and Tera. I promised Geo he could stay here in Vegas if he wanted to, but he hadn't decided yet. Tera Ferguson lived with her grandmother until she died, then was placed in foster care. Unknown father, mother died years ago."
"I'll give Parson a call and give him her information." Carter made a note on a pad beside the computer.
"Sorry, we're late." Kacey walked in followed by Noam.
"You were up late. Figured you might sleep till noon." Archer grinned.
