Before Vera and Caleb arrived, he’d never have fallen asleep in a vulnerable place like this.Never.Hell, he’d make sure nobody was on the upper floors when he slept in his bedroom.He trusted his team but he still didn’t want them around when he slept.
Even when I stayed over, he wouldn’t sleep for more than an hour or two at a time.He did seem to be able to sleep better with me there, but he’d still not feel safe enough to sleep through the night.I’d often stay awake, just to try to get him to sleep longer.
But since the pack has formed, he’s gotten comfortable enough to fall asleep on the floor in the living room, right in the open, while there’s extra security inside and outside the house because we’re in danger.None of that matters, because of the pack, he can just sleep wherever now.
Things really have changed, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
9
Mathew
The house is quiet,the rest of the pack is asleep and so are most of the people from the organisation.There are a couple of security guards on duty, but I only hear them from time to time.The rest of the time it’s quiet, too quiet.
I’ve only got the single light on in the library near the table, just enough to see the laptop and the papers in front of me.I don’t need anything else, this is more than enough when it’s only me in here.
The raid is only two days away.All the plans are in place.The only thing that would change anything right now is if the Hearts suddenly do something we didn’t expect or if we have to abort it for some other reason, but —barring that— we’re done with the planning stage.
It feels strange.
I’ve been wanting to take the brothel down for nearly a decade.
When I first got here, I was mostly worried about surviving and keeping my head above water.Learning the tricks of the trade as quickly as possible so I’d be able to stay alive in this brand new world.
But, once I’d found my feet, dreams of taking the brothel down started to come up more and more often.
Only, I knew that to pull it off, I was going to need not only a bigger team, but also connections with other groups of people and organisations that I didn’t have yet.I couldn’t just barge in and take the kids out, I didn’t have a way to protect them.Taking them out without a plan of what to do next would put them in even more danger.
I’ve rescued people when it was possible, but that was usually only a single person at a time, two at most, and they were all in their late teens or older.Old enough to mostly take care of themselves.Providing them with a roof over their heads, clothes and some money was usually enough for them to get new start in life.
But, this time, we’re dealing with a lot of young kids, young teens, people who need a lot more care than what we can provide here.Plus, the Hearts will be looking for them, and we can’t protect that many kids here, we don’t have the space or manpower to hide them away.
I stare at the maps of the brothel, running my fingers through the hallways, up the stairs, to the room I used to share while I was there.I still remember how the room used to smell, filled with terrified pheromones, and the sounds people made when they had nightmares, the crying, the begging, the screaming.
And also, the tender moments we shared.Tender moments that were at the same time stark reminders of our horrible situation.Treating cuts and burns.Teaching each other make-up tricks to hide our dark circles and bruises.Holding each other tightly at night to hopefully keep the nightmares away, nightmares where we relived our worst memories.
I swallow hard as I wipe the tears from my eyes.
No matter how long it’s been, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget those things.
I hope that the younger kids won’t have to live with these same memories, that they’ve not been hurt that badly yet.And I hope that the older kids will be able to find people who’ll make them feel safe and protected, to ease the pain from their memories, to create new happier memories.That they’ll get the help they need as soon as possible, instead of having to struggle through it on their own, like I had to.
That’s all that I really want from the raid, to give those kids better lives, better futures.
Taking that one brothel down won’t do much to harm the Hearts.
Sure, they won’t like it and some people are going to get punished for letting it happen, but it ultimately won’t be a big deal to the Hearts as a whole.
Still, taking down that specific brothel will feel good on a personal level, because of my history with it, because of Luca’s history with it.And it means that we’ve cut off at least this particular part of their income and businesses.
But my main reason for needing to do this is so that I can hopefully prevent more kids from going through what I went through.So that they won’t end up in my situation, so that they’ll have more and better choices in life.
I don’t mind my position, my job.But I’m an outlier.I pretty quickly caught on that I’m good at running an organisation, that I’m good at making deals, reading people and getting shit done.That I have no problem with intimidating people and if that doesn’t work, making good on my threats.
That’s me, that’s who I am, it’s why I’m good at my job.
Most people, I would say the majority, aren’t like that.They would not be able to live like I did.
I went from one precarious situation to another one, the danger was different, but it still wasn’t a safe place, especially not when I first took over.Before Derrick and the others joined me.
