“Has anyone mistreated her?” Julio asked.
“No. The hands and Delaney have befriended her,” Matthew admitted. “Some of the aides and social workers from the hospital, on the other hand, seem to lift their noses at her.”
“Shit. I’ll have Leo talk to Kassie about her staff,” Julio said, writing a note to himself.
“I’m not here to discuss Rachel. When’s the last time you’ve spoken with Rebecca?” he asked.
“I attempted to speak with her today. She avoids me like the plague. Did she meet with you and answer all your questions?” Julio asked, curious to see what she divulged to his teammate.
“Yeah, we talked,” Matthew said glumly. “Before you ask, it’s not my story to tell you. I’m using the information she gave me to track down some of the transporters. In the meantime, Sparky and Bear sent me the route they believe the traffickers used. Everything’s come to a halt since our raid, but there’s chatter about a new auction happening soon.”
Julio sat back in his seat. “Why hasn’t Jameson called me?”
“Who knows? I found this on the dark web, and I’m sure it’s the same group. The intel follows the same patterns,” he explained. “We need to move on this as soon as we get confirmation. Do you want me to contact Leo?”
“No,” Julio said. “My cover’s still intact. With everyone who attended the last auction arrested or under surveillance, I can demand another first preview. I want to get my hands on Gerard. He’s one sick bastard.”
“You can’t go in without Jameson,” Matthew argued. “Don’t act like an idiot.”
“I’m not. If Jameson makes contact within the next couple of days, we’ll go in together. In the meantime, I’m borrowing a few of Ivan’s men. They’ll blend in with the others. Do you have any ideas on how many people they plan to auction?” Julio asked.
“It’s the males and a couple of women. I don’t have an exact number, but I’m guessing about twenty,” Matthew informed him.
“Where will it take place?”
“They’re holding it in Boston. They skipped Norfolk, Virginia. I’m guessing they hoped whoever watched them focused there, and they plan to reroute back later,” Matthew said, pulling out a map.
“Did Rebecca give you this information?” Julio nodded toward the red-marked cities.
“Yeah.”
Julio felt sick to his stomach, knowing each city meant more nightmares, abuse, and trauma. Rebecca must’ve visited each one to give Matthew such precise locations.
“She’s skipping the therapy appointments and avoiding calls from Claire Meyers and Kassie Winters,” Matthew informed him, interrupting his thoughts.
“What?” he asked, barely believing him. Rebecca encouraged all the women to take part in the therapy sessions, and he knew she personally walked Kara to hers. Why didn’t she attend for herself?
“If someone doesn’t step in, she’ll self-destruct,” Matthew advised.
“I can barely get close to her,” Julio said, rubbing his forehead. “I assumed she kept her appointments because she insisted the others get counseling. When I take a patrol shift, Rebecca disappears.”
“How long will you let this continue?” Matthew asked.
Julio frowned. “We’re down a man tonight for guard duty. I’ll cover the cabins,” he said, changing the subject.
“When Rachel showed up here, I wanted to pull my hair out. The woman lived to torment me,” Matthew said, chuckling. “A lot of things might’ve turned out differently if she confessed about her dad’s ultimatum earlier. Then again, they may have turned out differently if I admitted my feelings for her and stopped torturing myself. Communication goes both ways.”
“What the hell do I do?” Julio exclaimed. “I’m gathering information on these assholes to make each one of them pay. She’s dug her heels in on staying with Kara in the cabin. The other teens went home. Damn it,” Julio swore and pounded on the desk. “I’m at a loss on how to reach her or even get her to speak about her feelings.”
“Why don’t you call Dr. Meyers? She may have some ideas for you,” Matthew suggested. “The longer she dwells on this, the bigger it’ll seem. I’m not saying she didn’t experience something horrific, but she doesn’t act like a victim. Rebecca’s still on the job.”
Julio’s gaze met his friend’s. Matthew hit the nail on the head. Instead of facing her trauma, she continued her job by protecting the women and ensuring they received care.
“Excuse me,” Julio said. “I need to make some calls.”
Matthew rose to leave when Julio stopped him. “And Matthew? Not a word about this auction goes beyond my doors.”
“Understood,” Matthew agreed.
