When No One Else Will

Arriving home, dropping her bags and kicking off her shoes. She grabs a beer, pours a tall shot and lights a smoke. Plopping down on the couch, heavily putting her feet on the coffee table. She stares at the blank TV screen, feeling overall good about the trip, but also melancholy. Her 4D sense has turned into a burning monster. It sits somewhere between her belly button and sternum. A relentless ball of fire, a constant reminder. Pushing her to do more, make a bigger difference, gnawing away at her, telling her penalties must be paid, retribution due making her nerves as tight as a guitar string vibrating a constant tune. In the many hours it took to get home, the fire never let up. Only urging her to move faster, it became a conversation in her head.

Fire: Those kids are going through hell right now.

Casey: I know, you can stop reminding me.

Fire: What are we going to do about it?

Casey: I am doing what I can.

Fire: Are you? Are you sure about that? How many people need to be involved to move a million kids worldwide? You killed 2 out of what is most likely hundreds of thousands of people?

Casey: It’s a start.

Fire: More traffickers are probably “accidently” killed in 6 months, than your contribution.

Casey: Just shut up, I need to rest. There is nothing more I can do right now anyway.

Fire: I will not stop nagging you.

Casey: I get that.

Fire: Who is going to help them? Mainstream media will not even cover it. Why do you think that is? Do you see how the public is ignoring what is put out there? Nothing is going to change for the kids they have now OR the ones they don’t have yet. They want to make it easier to get children, they are already conditioning them with this non gender movement, it’s the first step. You know that right?

Casey: I am one person, against a whole secret sex trafficking ring. I don’t know what I know right now. So shut up.

Fire: You know how they are feeling.

Casey: Shut the Fuck up.... Beckey!

At home the fire has not waned, although easier to deal with now or was it the fact that she has not slept in over 24 hours? She downs her beer, gets up pours another healthy shot.

Fire: You called me Becky.

Casey: Yeah, I know. I’m losing my mind.

She does the shot and gets ready for bed.

Casey wakes up in the afternoon feeling better. Damian and Dave are the only ones that know she is home early; she plans to keep it that way. While finishing off the job of unpacking, she finds a sealed blank letter sized envelope. Opening it up she sees stationery from the hotel on the island; In neat print it says THANK YOU. Flipping it over, nothing, blank. She wonders who is thanking her; for what; she has an idea. After she finishes unpacking, she sits down to call Dave.

They spoke for several hours, she asked him if he knew about the thank you note. He did, he told her there was someone in housekeeping that had a particularly hard time when Jeffery was there alone. Hearing this seemed to satisfy the fire called “Beckey” and fan it also. Without realizing it she began to grill him with questions. He answered what he could patiently. She finds out that they do have a lead on a compound in the Mediterranean Sea; a waystation that holds children until they can be loaded on a ship. They did not know who was funding this yet. They were working on the intel. She told him; she is ready to go anytime. Dave took the opportunity to explain that an operation like that was not a solo job, and for the desired results it is best to have as much intel as possible. Casey told him she wanted another target and there was no reason why the three of them could not coordinate something bigger. Dave told her he would think about it, right now things needed to stay the way they are. He told her he would let her know about a target, and changed the subject by asking her if she was having any trouble with the car or phone. They spoke on that for a bit, satisfied that he’s ending the conversation on a light note Dave tells her he has a meeting staring soon.

After hanging up with Casey Dave Calls Damian. “Hey Dave, What’s up?” He answers. Dave rehashes his conversation with Casey and asked for his thoughts on a bigger mission. “I think that is something possible in the near future with some recon training.” “Ok, good” Dave replies “Let me know when." Damian agrees and suggests giving her a mission involving two targets. Dave tells him that is his next phone call. “Jester?” Damian asks and continues “Tell him I am still waiting for the keg he owes me. A bet’s a bet, I won fair and square.” Laughing Dave says “Good luck with that, he’s so tight he squeaks when he walks.” Damian laughs “I can’t believe it’s been almost 5 years already. It’s quite a story.” Dave agrees and replies “Maybe someday we can write a book about it. I’m going to make that phone call; I'll call you after I hear something.”

Damian leaves his office and goes to the basement of the gym. He goes to the back storage room and moves a tall filing cabinet. Slides a false wall open containing several guns and a set of black clothes and gear. He pulls out each gun doing a safety check and function test. Satisfied he slides the wall back in place and replaces the filing cabinet. He was feeling pretty excited about an opportunity to go on a mission again especially for a good cause.

Casey was sitting in the living room watching TV, she had just finished an hour work out on her home gym. She was feeling good and relaxed, thinking she might even go to bed early. There was nothing good on TV anyway. She shut off the TV and starts to head to bed, when there is a knock on her door. She reaches for her gun, knowing not many people know she is home and at this time of night they would have called or texted her. She approaches the door silently as she holds her breath, looking out the peep hole she sees Damian. Relived, she opens the door saying “You could have gotten hurt, why didn’t you call me?!?” Damian rushes in past her telling her to get dressed they have to leave now and he would explain in the car. She sees he is dressed for a job, no questions she quickly gets dressed making sure she has her Karambits.

In the car Damian tells her there is at least 2 targets available tonight in Las Vegas. They will be landing at McCarren airport in 5 hours. Casey looked at him puzzled; it took 7 hours to get to Vegas driving. Damian continued; Dave had arranged a private jet to fly them there, they would get there with enough time to corner them. Arrangements had been made for 4 disposable girls ages 12-14 to be taken to The Private Hotel. The targets were Mark Senton the social media brainchild and James Portman a Chair on the Department of Education. There was also mention of a possible third person, Helen Clemments she is the head of the local youth intervention charity. Casey asked about the private hotel as they pulled into the local airport to board the jet. The Private hotel is a chain of underground rooms, directly under Los Vegas. The fire called Beckey roared inside her, her nerves tighten for action, her vision widens to the 4D version. Her heart remains slow and steady along with her breath.

After they boarded the jet, Daimian explained they would be traveling underground from the time they arrive at the airport until they returned. There are tunnels connecting the whole city underground. He gave her a map of what intel had provided and a compass in case they got separated. For the next hour they reviewed the plans and maps. When the pilot announced they were 20 minutes from landing, Damian went to the bench seat on the plane and pulled the cushion off and lifted the lid and motioned her over. Damian told her to take her pick; looking down she saw several handguns, a handful of rifles, shotguns, and about a dozen knives. She decided to strap a hunting knife on her left thigh and a .45 on her right, she grabbed a 9mm carbine and all the mags for it.

There was a golf cart waiting in the hanger for them. In the golf cart was a GPS already set for directions. Following the directions, they arrived at a shed behind the maintenance building. It had a high voltage warning sign on the fence surrounding it. The gate needed a passcode typed in to gain access. Damian typed in 6 numbers, Casey’s heart started to beat faster as the gate squeaked and groaned open. She notices all the details of her surroundings, the early morning sky clear; lit by a bright half-moon, the breeze light against her face, the crickets chirping.

The shed had no windows, the door needed a key card again Damian had one. They heard the lock click open; guns drawn they enter. They stood in the middle of the shed in shock, it looked like a sports club; there was a bar fully stocked from the looks of it, video games, 4 TVs silently mounted to the walls and an old elevator that has the gated entrance. Casey sees a bottle of Crown Apple, grabbing two shot glasses fills them to the rim and motions Damian over. Speechless they drink the shots. Casey sees the remotes for the TVs, grabbing one hitting the power button the TV on her right snaps on. They look at the TV and then at each other. Casey can see the same fire burning in Damian’s eyes, as Beckey takes hold of her body. “What the fuck!” she says looking at Damian. The TV shows a bed with a set of shackles at each corner, on the wall is various sex toys and on the bedside table there is a tray of assorted surgical tools. Damian grabs a second remote the TV across from the bar comes on; they see a room with a table with 3 straps that would go across the chest, waist and legs. There was a large drain under the table and a sickening amount of cutting tools, everything from a chainsaw to a razor blade knife. Damian says “What the fuck, sick bastards.” Damian pours two more shots, they down them and he says “Let's get down there.” Casey replies, “I want to see if there are already kids down there.”

After pulling the gate closed Casey hits the down button. The elevator lurches into action with a metalic sounding screech not too different than running your fingernails down a chalkboard. The elevator ride lasted longer than they thought it would, as if finally groans to a stop Damian draws his AR-15, Casy draws her .45. There is nothing but a long tunnel straight ahead the torches gave it a creepy feeling. Slowly they walk down the hallway, until they come to a huge open area, the ceiling is 25-30 feet high, stone pillars carved with hieroglyphics, a podium, a stone slab table with a thick leather strap about halfway down. Behind the podium were 3 more hallways lit with the same torches. Damian pulls out the map, the first tunnel has several rooms adjacent to it. The second and third have a main room and hallways that continued off the map. Casey Points towards the first hallway, crossing the room they pass the stone slab. Obviously for some kind of sacrifice and blood collection holes were drilled through the rock, the top of the rock was concaved slopping towards the holes. Beckey’s fire rages inside her, outwardly she is calm and functioning.

The first door down the hallway was open, there was a bed, a toilet and a sink. The room had soundproofing panels on the walls. Casey looked at Damian shaking her head, he nodded in agreement. The Second door was also open, this looked like the room on the TV. The next door was locked; there was a slot for a keycard. Damian tried the key he had, it worked. They pull open the door. There is fresh blood on the floor and on the wooden chair in the middle of the room. Damian brings two fingers to his eyes and then turns them towards the hallway, the next door was locked also. This time the keycard did not work. Casey went to the 2 remaining doors all locked, Damians card did not work. They start back down the hall way to check the other pathways, when they hear a voice and echoing clomping footsteps. As the sound drew nearer, they duck into the first open room. The person is heading towards them. Casey realizes that the person is actually singing, not in any language she could understand. Damian draws his knife as the person walks by, steps out of the room and grabs them and throws them in the room with Casey.

The face that turns and looks at them has no teeth, dozens of scars from their chin to forehead. Their Hair shaved too nearly nothing, dirty from head to toe, smelling worse and dressed in rags. Casey takes a step towards them asking “Do you speak English?....What is your name?” The reply was timid and without eye contact. “I am Snot, your room is not ready yet. It is my fault because I am worthless.”

Damain and Casey look at each other, Damian said firmly “Take us anyway, NOW!” Casey looked at him shocked, as Snot walked past them, he made a motion like inserting a keycard in a door. She understood. They followed Snot to the last door, his keycard opened the door. Snot motions for them to go in and follows behind them. The room was already set up with 4 cameras, there was meat hooks hanging from the ceiling, chains hanging on the wall and a stone slab table in the center. Damian turned and told Snot to give him the keycard, Snot shook his head Damian stepped closer Snot backed up. Damian said, “We can help you get out.” Snot yelled “Lies! I will not fall for that again!” Damian turns and looks at Casey, she steps forward and says “We can, I promise.” Snot yells “Lies!” Casey asks “What can we do to prove to you we do want to help you?” Snot mumbles to himself in that unknow language again. Walks up to Casey looking her in the eyes and says “Just kill me.” Casey takes a step back and says “WHAT?!? No, that’s not what we are here for.” “I can tell.” Snot continues “You do not act the same as the others, you do not scare me like they do.” He walks towards Casey with his arms open for a hug. Casey sets her handgun down and reaches for him. Instead, Snot grabs her gun pointing it at Casey stepping backwards he says “I will shoot you, I will. I do not want saved. I cannot be, too many things.” he begins speaking in that strange language again. While they are distracted with Snot, a figure appears in the door, pulls out a gun and shoots Snot.

Damian and Casey dive to the floor at the sound of the shot, their ears ringing from the sound of it. Damian draws his gun and aims at the figure in the door. The figure laughing says “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I saw he had your gun.” The figure walks in the room towards Damian who still had his gun aiming at him. Casey recognized the face immediately. It was Mark Senton, he was completely ignoring her, perfect opportunity. She pulled her knife out of the scabbard quietly coming up behind Mark as he was saying “Put the gun down partner, it’s ok now.” Damian replies “Yes, yes, it is going to be just fine.” as he lowers his gun. Casey steps up behind Mark raises the knife and sinks it hard into the side of his neck. The nine-inch blade sticking out the other side. Mark drops his gun, turning to Casey eyes wide as he gasps for air. Casey reaches up grabs the knife and says “This is for every child you put in harm's way.” Twisting the knife as she quickly pulls it out. Mark falls to his knees looking at her struggling to breath as his life runs out of him. She grabs the back of his head and slams her knee into his face breaking his nose. Casey looks at Damian smiling as he yells out “GET DOWN!” she drops instantly as Damian fires towards the door. Casey turns and sees someone dropping to the floor with a lot less brains the they were born with. “Damn, Thanks.” she replies. Someone down the hallway yells “You will pay for this with your life!” Damian and Casey look at each other and say “Hellen!” Damian takes the lead out the door, just as the Helen clears the hallway. He runs after her as she heads for the elevator. As she is pulling the gate closed, he takes aim, exhales and eases the trigger back. Helen screams out and drops to the elevator floor. Damian runs the remaining way to the elevator; he sees she is still breathing. At that moment Casey appears behind him, he asks “Do you want to finish her? I just winged her.” Casey sees how the skin was pealed back from Helen skull above her ear as blood pooled around her head.

Casey looks at Damian “Let’s take her back to that room.” she says as she grabs Helen’s arm. Damain shrugs and grabs Helen’s other arm. They drag her across the floor back to the room and over James Portman’s body. Casey goes to the wall and cranks down the meat hooks, she sticks the hook into Portman’s back and stomps on it to make sure it sticks.

Damian looks at Casey nods his head and comments “Wicked.” He drags James over and follows suit. They hear Helen starting to moan and wake up some. Casey walks over to Helen and kneels down. Slapping her face saying “Hey, hey, time to wake up.” Helen moans as she turns her face to look at Casey. She takes her knife and runs it across Helen’s forehead. Helen tries to push Casey’s hand away but does not have the strength. Damian hands Casey a meat hook. She looks at Helen and says “A meat hook is too good for you, you know that?” Helen moans and cries repeating “No, No This isn’t right.” Casey grabs the belt off of James and wraps it around Helen’s wrists and runs the meat hook through it. She motions to Damian to crank them up. After Helen is suspended Casey takes her knife and cuts off her dress and covers Snot with it. A tear rolls down her cheek while she covers his small malnourished, beaten and abused body. A switch flips inside her and she stands up, walks back to Helen and slices her torso open letting Helen’s intestines spill out of her. Helen screams in agony, then passes out. Damian puts a hand on Casey’s back and tells her they have to go. Stepping off the elevator Casey turns to Damian and says let’s burn it down. Damian nods in agreement. Casey looks back at the shed as they ride towards the hanger, she can see smoke starting to seep out between the roof and walls. With a smile on her face, she tells Damian “That felt good.”