Tony: Alvarez Security Series (34 page)

Terrance nodded and handed the large purse that was in Sherrie’s car to his boss. Tony took it and said, “Show me.” Since he had not closed his door, they group outside could hear sniffles inside and papers being shuffled.

“You can’t see them without some help,” Sherrie said, wiping her tears. Tony had ripped her a new one with some of his team right outside the door. She was furious and hated crying when she was mad, thinking it made her look weak.

Tony took the art pad from her hand and walked out of the room with it. Not knowing if he wanted her to follow or not, she decided that she did not care.
I know what I saw and want to see his face when I’m right.

Looking up, she realized that the group had grown; Gabe and BJ were there as well. Her face flaming, she held her head high and stormed over to the table where Tony had taken the pad. He had laid it flat against a white tabletop, with a strong light above. BJ sat at a computer station and with a few clicks had the pad projected up on one of the whiteboards on the wall. The group, intrigued, moved closer.

Determined to not give in to her tears again, she asked BJ to focus on the eyes and enlarge. He did so and the script came into focus. “I don’t know what it means other than possibly the names of the kids she was drawing.”

During the argument with Tony in his office, where he alternated between hugging her and threatening to paddle her ass, she had explained what she had discovered and why she had gone to the laundry.

Tony rubbed his hand over his face, torn between being furious at her for trying to play detective, and impressed at what she had found. He turned the pages slowly as BJ enlarged and focused on the eyes. Coming to the name Alecia, he stopped immediately, his heart rate zooming.

Sherrie looked around in confusion as the air in the room began to crackle. “What…what is it?”

BJ pulled the focus off of the eyes and the full face of the young girl filled the screen. “Goddamn,” Vinny exclaimed.

“Is there one of Elizabeth in here?” Tony asked, his voice forced.

Licking her lips nervously, she nodded as she leaned forward to flip several pages ahead. Another young girl’s face appeared on the wall. “Tony?” she asked tentatively. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

He turned his face to her but before he answered, he growled, “Get Matt and Shane.”

From the side, she saw BJ pick up his phone and make a call. After the call was placed, Tony said in a gentler voice, “Sherrie, where is the picture of the laundry?”

With now shaking fingers, she flipped through the pages until she came to the one she was looking for. Tony still had not answered her question, but she knew that he would when the time was right. Something major was happening and she wisely let it happen without pelting him with questions. She pointed to the window.

With the high illumination and magnification of BJ’s program, it was clear to see that the swirls in the window pane were actually tiny, nondescript faces peering out.

“I…I thought maybe she was trying to tell me that someone was trying to escape or get out or…I don’t know.” Her words sounded silly to her now. If there was someone there, their presence would have been seen as intrusive and Tony had been right—she would have been in danger. Tears threatened to fall and she swallowed hard several times to hold them at bay.

Tony took two steps and enveloped her in his arms. Cradling her head against his chest, he breathed her in.

Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to speak. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to help.”

Pulling her tighter into his powerful body, he kissed the top of her hair, letting his actions speak volumes. Tony saw Shane and Matt arrive with Lily and take in the scene, before moving toward Gabe and Jobe to find out what was going on.

Sherrie quickly wiped her tears and spared a glance up. Tony’s eyes were no longer angry but caramel warm again. Giving her a squeeze, he let her go and they walked over to the screen again.

“Baby, you’d better fill them in on everything you’ve told me and then we’ll let you know what’s going on.”

Sherrie told about her CASA work and Betina, starting from the first time she met her to her latest contact. She left out nothing, telling of her suspicions of Hernando, to following Betina to the bus stop, to her analyzing the art pad for clues.

When she stopped, Tony picked up the discussion as he described the cameras they had installed knowing that Sherrie would sometimes be there.

“That’s how you knew where I was?” she asked incredulously.

“Babe. Later,” he said tersely.

Pulling her lips in, she kept quiet, but knew that the conversation was only tabled for now—definitely not over.

Then he landed his bombshell and all other thoughts flew out of her head. “We’ve been looking for an Elizabeth and Alecia for the police because their grandparents came to us and asked for help. They have been missing for about three months. The grandparents admit that the girls ran away after their dad was abusive.”

Matt quickly had BJ flip through the other drawings, several he recognized. He and the others began to talk excitedly, comparing notes. Sherrie sat in the middle of the group feeling lost.

Tony felt her fear before he glanced over to see it written on her face. He had been so angry before, but only out of fear. “Babe,” he said softly in her ear. “I think you’re onto something that’s a helluva lot bigger than you bargained for.”

She turned her pale face towards his and pleaded, “Please tell me.”

Sitting at the large conference table, Matt began by bringing them up to date on their investigation into human trafficking. Stunned, Sherrie listened, each word making her feel sicker.

“I talked to you all about human trafficking earlier, but some of you weren’t there?” Matt asked.

The shocked looks from those around the table only matched the silence that greeted the detectives.

“Isn’t that where women are kidnapped and then sent to foreign countries for sex slaves?” Vinny asked.

“It’s modern slavery, but is more than just sex slavery,” Matt countered, “and it’s happening right here in Virginia. What we’re investigating is the child trafficking.”

This statement captured the attention of the group.

Shane picked up the report in front of him, reading, “It can be child sex trafficking or child labor trafficking. Children make up twenty-six percent of the trafficking in the United States and many of them are in our schools.”

“Then why can’t they get out? Get help? Tell someone?” Vinny asked.

“These victims are kept in bondage through a combination of fear, intimidation, abuse, and even psychological control.”

Lily spoke up again, “Like the children who are kidnapped and stay with their captors even when it’s physically possible for them to walk away?”

“Exactly,” Matt agreed.

“We’ve gotten some intelligence that there is a large ring here in Richland, but we’re not getting very far in finding out much. We’ve been tasked to investigate, but so far these kids have really disappeared. I know Lily was looking into the disappearance of the two girls whose grandparents contacted you. With Sherrie’s information, this may all be linked.”

“Seems they do a lot of recruitment in the schools. We’ve got a school counselor in a downtown high school that’s working with us. She’s had some suspicions and after hearing about this in a conference she went to, made contact with us.”

The group nodded, the idea of children being systematically used and abused not sitting well with any of them.

“Jesus, fuck,” Gabe exploded. “I thought getting out of the Army would be boring. At least over there I felt like I knew who the hell the enemy was. But here? Goddamnit, the depravity of some people.”

The others nodded, but it was Tony that spoke. “That’s why we do what we do. We protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

Sherrie had been quiet during the entire discussion, but could no longer hold back. “Betina. She’s the recruiter, isn’t she?”

“From what you’re telling us, it sounds like she is. But remember, she’s a victim too,” Matt answered.

Her breath caught in her throat as she gasped out loud. “The club. Oh my God, the club. Do you think that’s what Hernando is holding over her head? If she recruits, then she stays out of the club? But the dancers and waitresses have to be over eighteen years old. I mean I know club owners can do what they want, but there’s enough adult girls who want the jobs, they’re not going to risk hiring young teens.”

Sherrie noticed the men around the table all looking at each other as they avoided looking at her. “What? What am I not getting?”

“The sex clubs will have rooms,” Tony said gently. “Rooms upstairs or in the back where underage girls…and boys…will be kept for…um…customers.” He started to take her hand but she was faster.

Jumping up, she knocked her chair over. “Oh, Jesus,” she said, clasping her hand over her mouth. “No, no,” she cried as she bolted from the table.

This time Tony was faster, wrapping his arm around her waist he picked her up and cradled her against his front. “Shhh,” he murmured against her neck.

“I thought I’d seen it all in the dives I was around and even though Charisse sold her body to whoever would buy her drugs at least she was never held captive. Oh my God.” She began to struggle to get loose, but Tony held her tight.

“Let me go!” she screamed. “I want to kick his ass! How dare he use Betina like that. She tried to escape but was described as a troubled teen and sent back to the viper’s den. Tony, let me go.”

“Not doing it, baby. You’ve got to calm down. You’re no good to her like this. That’s why we’re here. Baby, listen to me,” he said, giving her a little squeeze. “We have to get all our intel and then plan. We go in half-cocked and we lose the kids.”

She was no longer struggling but her breasts heaved with fury as he continued to hold on to her until she was under control. Nodding, she felt his arms loosen slightly, but he held her until she was steady on her feet. Turning to the group she blushed at her outburst, but Vinny just walked over and gave her a hug.

“Darlin’, that kind of passion to right a wrong is what we do.”

Turning to Tony, she said, “I want to help. What can I do?”

“Nothing, baby. It’s too dangerous. Watching Vinny pluck you from the side of the wall today was enough for my heart to take.”

“Tony, you can’t keep me out of this. It’s too important. And anyway, I’m the only one she trusts. She won’t talk to any of you,” Sherrie argued.

Tony’s patience blew again and forgetting they had an audience, he shouted, “No! I’m not going to fuckin’ lose another woman in my life!”

The words hung out there as everyone in the room froze. No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed.

Sherrie began to shake as she looked into Tony’s ravaged face, feeling the weight of what just happened. She knew he never spoke publicly about his loss. Her next words could make or break the man in front of her.

She put one foot in front of the other until she was toe to toe with him, her head leaned way back. His eyes were dark and she longed for the warmth in them that she always saw when he looked at her. Reaching up to cup his jaw, she said, “Okay. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to do. You’ve rescued me twice and I never want to put you through that again. I love you.”

His black eyes warmed to caramel as his breathing slowed down. “I love you too, baby,” he said, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her into his chest, wishing she could be even closer.

The group stayed still for another moment, allowing the couple to have their healing, then began to talk softly about the investigation. She lifted her head from his chest as he wiped her tears. Leaning down, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. One that spoke of forever.

They turned back toward the group and resumed their seats. In control, Tony took charge, determined to erase the look of fear from Sherrie’s eyes.

T
ony lay in
bed the next morning, staring at the woman who held his heart as she rested in his arms. Her long, blonde hair spread across the pillow as her hand rested under her cheek. When she dressed for work, she looked every inch the professional woman that she was. But asleep? She looked like a china doll with porcelain skin and rosy cheeks.

He smiled at her sleepwear, his large t-shirt hanging off one shoulder. She had abandoned the flannel pajamas and stole his t-shirts now to sleep in.
Nothin’ sexier,
he thought, as he leaned over to kiss her shoulder. She made a small moan, but stayed asleep.
She was exhausted last night.
After a long meeting in his conference room, the group had finally created a plan.

He knew that the wheels of justice could turn slowly, but Sherrie had had a hard time being patient. Matt and Shane, with Betina’s art pad and BJ’s enlargements, were going to report to their chief and see if they could get search warrants for the grocery, the laundry, and the club. They were also going to see if they could get one for Hernando’s house. They wanted him, but only because he was just one more cog in the wheel. If they could get him to roll over on the men above him, it would help shut down at least a part of the organized human trafficking in Richland.

Sherrie had wanted them to go immediately last night. Becoming frustrated, the only way she gave in was when Shane finally told her that going in now meant that nothing would hold up in court and Hernando would get away and hide his evidence. Pursing her lips she had remained quiet, but Tony knew it had been hard.
Hell, it’d been hard for all of them.

Not knowing where the club was had them at a distinct disadvantage. They had no idea if it was already established or not yet opened. Lily and BJ were working around the clock to try to find out more. Jobe and Gabe were working with some of the new employees on surveillance to keep track of where Hernando was going at all times.

Sherrie stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Crystal blue ones met his and he leaned in for a kiss.

“Hey, you,” she said sleepily.

“Hey back,” he replied.