7 yrs, Gone and Forgotten

Chapter 16: Their Own Kind

       The next morning, we were up early and sitting in front of what looked like a modern-day prison in the middle of nowhere. The place gave a cold, dark, evil aura and I couldn’t help but shutter as I looked up at the windowless walls.

       “Scott, what is this place?” I whispered.

      “I haven’t seen anything like it, but it’s supposed to be a housing facility for those needing protection.”

      “Protection from what?” I whisper yelled.

      “Oh, you know, all the things that go bump in the night.” A loud voice rang out from the doorway as a middle-aged man stepped out, with his black suit and tie and salt and pepper hair to match. His cold dead eyes looked each of us up and down until he came to me and that’s where they stayed, locked on me. “So glad you all could make it, if you will follow me, I will show you around.” He stood to the side and motioned us in the door.

      Scott turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, “I want you to do a walk about outside here. Take your notes and access the situation and we will rendezvous here in an hour, okay?”

     I was relieved I didn’t have to go in the coffin looking building and gave him a smile, “No problem.”  I looked over at Eva and was fixing to ask if she could go with me, but I quickly decided against it when she shook her head violently to tell me know, like she knew what I was going to ask. I shrugged my shoulders, evidently, she would rather go in the building. I turned quick on my heels and made my way around the corner.

      The building was approximately a hundred feet long, there was no flower beds, or decorations at all in front of the building. Turning the corner, I quickly realized the building was a rectangle shape and was relieved when I saw that the sides and back had windows. From the way the windows were situated it looked to be about six stories tall. The back had a large patio with several lounge chairs setting out, and the view was beautiful with all the trees lining the border.

       I made my mental notes about the things that needed to be done to get it in tip top shape and like a fortress from the outside. I took a seat on one of the loungers and stared out into the thick trees whose leaves were just starting to turn all the beautiful fall colors. I felt drawn to them and before I knew it, I was running through the grass until I reached the trees.

      Standing beneath the thick colorful foliage I took one look back toward the building before I grabbed a limb and began my climb. Something felt alive deep down as I went from a simple climb to swinging and jumping from limb to limb until I found the right one that suited me. I straddled across it, and closed my eyes breathing in the fall air, the cool air licked at my bare skin and left in its wake an enthralling sensation.

        “You know this is not the place you think it is?” A voice whispered through the trees, and I opened my eyes, turning my head sharply only to see Jake sitting on a limb parallel to me. “I see you like trees too.”

       I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and smile, it wasn’t the time or place to talk about me, “What do you mean about this place?” I pointed back toward the building.

       “Used for human trafficking.” He shrugged, “Been after them for years, and they know how to cover their tracks well.”

       I squinted my eyes and tilted my head, my he helped put me in witness protection. “Cop or something else?”

      He laughed, “Something else entirely.”

      “Why are you telling me this?” I didn’t understand, I wasn’t a cop or anything, so there really wasn’t anything I could do about it.

      “Because the evidence we were looking for is finally here, and they are fixing to get raided. I don’t want to see you, or your friends caught in the crossfire.”

      “So, the cops are going to raid and take them to jail?”

     “Well to put it point blank, cops are of no use for these people. This matter will be taken care of by their own kind and justice will prevail.”

      “Well, no offense. But these are my clients if I have to protect them that’s my job. If someone is raiding best to do it once we are gone.” I didn’t waste any more time on the conversation as I stood and jumped down swinging to the ground.

       “You haven’t changed a bit.” He shouted, which caused me to come to a complete stop and look back, but he was gone.

        What did he mean by that? Hadn’t changed a bit, did he really know who I was, where I came from, my story. He had to have, and I was going to get it out of him one way or the other.

         Checking the time, I noticed it was time to meet everyone back out front, I shook off the conversation with Jake and made my way back to the front where everyone was waiting for me. I took my place in the line up and listened as Scott went over the notes of changes that needed to be made inside of the building. There weren’t many things as I suspected just from looking at the outside, but they were good points and would take little time to make the changes. After he was done, he called me out to give my notes. I went over all the mental notes I had made and pointed out what could be done to fix them, there was more work to be done to the outside than the inside and that would take a little more time to be done. The whole time that we were speaking I couldn’t get Jake’s words out of my head; human trafficking, the raid, their own kind; none of it made any sense to me, and I only hoped that we didn’t get caught in the crossfire and one of my friends got hurt. Just the thought of it made my blood boil, and I could taste the anger on the tip of my tongue.

      Theo clapped his hands, and it was enough to drag me away from my thoughts, “We can retire for the evening, we will begin making the changes in the morning, and then tomorrow we have the formal welcoming event here at eight. So go, have a good evening and we will see you all in the morning bright and early.” Everyone started to disperse as Theo walked over to me and Eva. “You two need to go back to the hotel and find dad, he is waiting for you.” Eva and I nodded in agreement and quickly made our way back to our driver.

          We found Arthur waiting for us at the hotel and set out on the adventure of shopping. I remained quiet the entire trip only answering a few things while I listened to Arthur and Eva chat like two busy bodies. In all honesty my brain felt fried, and I didn’t think I could really take anymore. I was starting to feel like my world was in a spiral and it scared me at the thought that as out of control it seemed to be going, I was embracing it without a second thought.