Page 9 of Wed
Bryon stood and went to the small desk across the room. He opened the drawer and pulled out the complimentary stationery the hotel offered. He found a pen, then took a thick tourist directory book back to the couch. He set the paper on the book to give him support. "I'm going to take notes about the things you tell us so that we can remember things that will help us find Andy." Bryon smiled.
"Did the same policeman take Andy?" Becca asked.
Lenora shrugged. "I don't know. We were staying at a foster home with three other kids. The police officer and a woman came and made me go with them but left my brother there. I tried to tell them we had to stay together, but they didn't care."
"What can you tell me about the foster home? Do you remember anyone's name or where it was located?" Xander asked.
"It was off Decatur Boulevard. I only know that because I remember the big sign as they drove us there. I don't know anymore. Mr. and Mrs. Benton were the foster parents, and there was another girl named Tera, and two boys besides my brother, Eric, and Geo. The girls had a bedroom and the boys had one. Each room had two bunkbeds in them. I was only there three days before they took me." Lenora leaned against Becca.
"What's your last name?" Bryon asked. He needed as much information on this girl and her brother as he could get.
"Rogers."
"Good, that will help us search. Now tell me about the policeman and the woman who took you away. Do you remember their names?" Bryon asked.
"The policeman called the woman Candance, but I don't know his name."
"Did they have a police car or another?" Xander asked.
"A car. A blue one. It was like my dad's, but I don't know what kind it was." Lenora glanced at Faith as she walked back into the room.
"That's okay. We'll figure it out. All this helps. Where did they take you?" Bryon made notes as they talked.
"I don't know where. It didn't take long to get there. It was a house. A big one. It had gates that automatically opened so we could drive down this huge driveway. They took me inside and made me go downstairs. There were other boys and girls there about my age." Lenora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It wasn't bad at first. There were couches around a large room where they made us stay. We could play games, watch TV, and I thought about how much nicer this place was than the other foster home. I wanted Andy to be there with me."
"How many other kids were there?" Becca asked as she wrapped a protective arm around Lenora.
"Um, maybe twenty. There were more girls than boys. I think there were only like six boys."
"And do you know how long you were there?"
"I don't know for sure. A few weeks maybe. They had two women there who would take care of us. They gave us food and made sure we were okay. There was a bathroom, but we all had to share it. Four other kids were brought in after me. We slept on the floor, but it was kind of fun. Like a big slumber party. I was sad I wasn't with Andy, but I liked it better than where I had been. At least at first."
"What changed?"
"One day the women came down to check on us and told us that we were going to get showers. I was glad because I hadn't had one in days, but when it was my turn to go shower, this woman took me upstairs to a big bedroom. She watched me shower. I tried to tell her no, but she insisted she had to watch to make sure I got clean. Once I was done, she wouldn't let me get dressed. She dried and combed my hair, using the curling iron and everything, then she put some makeup on me. I tried to tell her my mom said I couldn't wear makeup until I was fourteen, but she said that didn't matter. That I needed it for pictures."
Bryon's gut clenched. He knew what was coming. He'd seen it play out over the dark web too many times. He hated he had to make Lenora say it out loud, but he needed to hear all of it if he was going to know how to move forward. He was glad the other guys had left the room. This had to be hard enough for her to tell the few of them that remained.
"Then what happened?" Becca urged.
Lenora bit her lip and a blush flushed her cheeks. She shook her head as her eyes again filled with tears.
Xander leaned forward. "Would you be able to tell Becca what happened if we step away? I know sometimes it's hard for girls to talk about stuff in front of guys. Faith is my stepdaughter, and sometimes she'd get really embarrassed talking about stuff to me or her dad."
Faith laughed. "It's true. I'd go talk to Becca because I didn't want to let my dads know about some things. Becca is really good at listening and understanding. If you want to talk to her alone, I'll take Xander and Bryon into the bedroom and show them all the stuff I bought this afternoon."
Lenora nodded. "Please."
"Okay." Faith stood. "Yell to us if the food comes." She led Bryon and Xander into her bedroom, gently shutting the door behind them.
"I should ground you for life for doing what you did." Xander turned on Faith the moment the door was closed. He spoke in a hushed voice, but the tone left no doubt how angry he was. "What were you two thinking?"
Faith glared at him. "I'm too old for you to ground. We did what we had to. If we hadn't, she would be off with some pervert right now and you know exactly what he'd be doing to her. Becca and I did the only thing we could. We talked about calling the police, but couldn't even be sure they'd get there in time. We had an opportunity, and we took it. Becca and I are fine. No one got hurt. Don't be pissed at us. You guys would have done the same thing."
Bryon sighed. He was just as angry as Xander, but Faith was right. The girls had done the only thing they could. "Faith's right. If they hadn't acted, Lenora would be facing much worse right now. What we need to focus on is what the hell we are going to do now. We're in the middle of fucking Las Vegas. We don't know anyone. Don't have resources. As of right now, we're the ones with a kidnapped girl. At least that's the way the authorities are going to look at it. We have to have a plan." He walked over and sat on the foot of the large bed. "We can't stay here. Those men are going to be looking for Faith and Becca. If they have connections with the cops, the girls aren't safe out there at all."
"There are cameras everywhere in Vegas. It's only a matter of time before these assholes hack into the hotel cameras and see Faith walking Lenora to the elevators. From there, they'll just have to figure out what room she's in." Xander paced.
