“We’re going to talk to the representative from youth protection. I’m sure we can work something out. And I don’t think they’ll let you leave the hospital anytime soon. As you said, there’s still tests to run, and this place is also safe.”
“You think they’ll come after us?” Greg’s eyes narrowed.
“To be honest, it’s a possibility.” Andi reached for Kathy’s hand. She didn’t flinch away, so he took it to soothe her. “But we don’t think they will. What we’ve seen so far is an organization that calculates with a certain amount of loss. The higher-ups probably don’t even know yet that you didn’t arrive at your destination. Don’t worry. You’ll have a guard in front of your door day and night.”
Kathy visibly relaxed, as did Greg, although his gaze was still alert. George sat down next to his bed in a silent offer of reassurance. “We do have some questions for you. Do you feel comfortable answering them, or do you need more time?” A part of George hated offering the two time, because with this case, it was the one thing they didn’t have, but they were basically traumatized children, even though both Greg and Kathy seemed to be in their late teens.
Greg looked at Kathy, who nodded. “Ask. If anything we can tell you helps you get those assholes, it’s worth the pain of reliving this nightmare.”
“We can take a break anytime you need it. Just say the word.” Andi was still stroking Kathy’s hand. The girl was beginning to relax, which strengthened George’s conviction about Andi being a decent man and a great cop. After everything Kathy and the others had endured, Andi still managed to gain her trust by simply being calm, even though she probably didn’t view men favorably. The only reason he and Andi had decided to visit the two without a female officer present was because of Greg. From the interaction between Kathy and Greg during the previous night, Andi had concluded—and George had agreed—that the two were each other’s comfort. When they had talked to Mia and Rose, one of the nurses had been there to reassure the two girls, which had had the desired effect, though they hadn’t been able to contribute anything valuable.
George pulled out his cell and set it on record. “This is Detective George Donovan, conducting an interview together with Detective Andrew Hayes about a possible human trafficking ring operating in Charleston. Our witnesses are Greg….” George looked at Greg. “What’s your full name?”
“Greg Smith.”
George turned to Kathy.
“Kathy Sacks.”
“Our witnesses are Greg Smith and Kathy Sacks, both freed in a raid after a tip from Taylor Vance.” George shifted in his chair. “Greg, how old are you?”
Greg stared at the ceiling. “I turned seventeen on January the tenth.”
George managed to hide his horror by shifting the cell in Kathy’s direction. “Kathy, how old are you?”
“I’ll be eighteen on August twenty-third.”
“Do you remember when you were kidnapped?” George kept his gaze on Kathy. The girl squeezed Andi’s hand and then jutted her chin forward in a stubborn move.
“That was three years ago on September the fifth. I was on my way home from a friend’s birthday party when a dark van stopped next to me and I was yanked into it.”
“Where did you live?” George couldn’t believe it.
“I’m from Spartanburg. As I said, my mom’s an alcoholic. We lived in one of the poor areas where people tend to keep to themselves.” She laughed bitterly. “Not that anybody saw my abduction. It was dark. Nobody was there.”
“I’m so sorry.” Andi kept gently stroking her hand. “We’re going to find you a safe place. I promise.”
Kathy looked at the point where their hands were connected. “I’m not so sure if that’s going to help,” she whispered in a broken tone.
George opened his mouth to tell her that yes, it would most definitely help, and shut it again. This was counseling territory, not his forte. All four victims needed to talk to a pro to help them through this trauma. He settled on, “It’s your decision, of course,” before he turned to Greg. “When were you taken?”
“I’m not so sure. It was December 2016, but I don’t remember the exact date. I was living on the streets, you see, and dates weren’t as important as not starving and finding a safe place to sleep.”
George didn’t know what to say to that, so he asked the next question. “From where were you taken?”
“Actually from here. Charleston. I grew up in Summerville, and when my parents kicked me out for not being the son they wanted to have, I came to Charleston because it was the closest bigger city I could easily reach.”
There was a wealth of tragedy and pain in this sentence alone, not to mention all the horrors Greg had endured afterward. That he wasn’t broken, that he had managed to keep his fighting spirit, spoke of an inner strength George deeply admired. He had no doubt that if given even half a chance this boy would make his way in life.
“I know this must be painful, but can you tell me what happened after your abduction? We don’t need details you’re uncomfortable talking about. What we’d love to have are descriptions of people and places, something to help us identify those responsible for your suffering and catch them.”
Greg and Kathy shared a look. Kathy’s shoulders slumped. “We were drugged most of the time. They gave us sedatives to keep us pliant, and my memory of most of the places is hazy at best.” She shrugged. “They looked all kind of the same. Rooms and good beds, I guess because the customers were rich?”
That was something to work with. “What made you think your customers were rich?”
Kathy stared at her hands again, seemingly at a loss for words.
Greg chimed in. “For me it was the way they talked. The clothes they wore. Most of the time the people who used us had masks so we couldn’t recognize them. You see, we always knew when something was up when we started getting clear heads. Apparently the customers didn’t like playing with drugged-up zombies, so they would sober us up, and after whatever perversion took place, they would pump us full again. The only reason Kathy and I weren’t as zonked out as Mia and Rose last night was because they didn’t have enough drugs left. They argued about it quite some time before they decided Kathy and I weren’t dangerous enough to cancel the transport.”
