Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
CARTER
Benji provided us pictures of the property ahead of time, so it wasn’t a surprise to find the house surrounded by a tall cement wall. There’s a small black gate, but it locks from inside.
I hand my bow to Killian.
“Hold this.”
There are trees all around the property, so I glance around before deciding on my approach.
I walk over to the one that’s about six feet away from the wall and put my foot on the lowest limb and climb until I can move to the cement.
Jumping to the tree across from me, I lower myself down and dart my eyes around the property before walking over to the gate and opening it.
Bones has at least a dozen men with him besides his brothers, Reaper and Psycho.
“Behave,” I mouth to Heather. She draws a circle over her head with a finger.
“Twisted angel.” Killian says as he hands me my bow.
Bella loops her arm around Heather’s and we walk around the property.
According to our girl, they will be conducting their evening prayer in a special room before selection.
After they finish praying, the men will choose which girl they want for the night. They aren’t women. They are girls.
Fucking children.
The goal is to finish these disgusting pedophiles before any of these kids are touched tonight.
I can’t think about what these assholes have been doing to them because I know from experience what it’s like.
The way you pray for it to stop. A complete inability to understand why, as if there’s an acceptable answer when there’s not.
Everyone has reasons why they do things.
Sometimes people have good excuses for their bad behavior but when we are talking about violating a child, there are none.
If you touch a child sexually, death is the only acceptable consequence.
We approach the back door, knowing from Benji's floor plan, the other rooms are on the other side of the house closer to the front door.
Psycho looks to the open window as he shakes his head.
“This is either a trap or these are overconfident morons.” Bones says with a concerned expression. It’s quite unbelievable to leave a window wide open knowing that a killer is looking for you. It could very well be a trap.
Glancing at Heather, I spot her and know she wants to go through the window. She chews on her bottom lip, her hands balled into fists, obviously working hard on restraining herself and keeping her word to us.
Bella lets go of her arm.
“I’ll go in and let you in. Pace yourself. We are going to get them.”
Heather nods her acceptance as her eyes fill with unshed tears. Before meeting us, she would’ve handled this on her own with absolutely no regard for her own life. This is a struggle for her, and I’m so fucking proud of her my heart could explode.
Knox smirks at me, and I can’t help but grin in response. Bella climbs through the window, gracefully, barely making a sound before she comes to the door and opens it for us.
We walk in and take in the space. Standing in the kitchen, I glance around the dingy space, dishes piled high not even rinsed.
Heather freezes, fear visible in her eyes as she shakes.
Bella squeezes her hand and Heather blows out a cleansing breath.
“If the Prophet sees this mess, the punishment will be severe. It makes me wonder if they aren’t expecting him.”
Killian takes her hand and kisses her knuckles.
“This first. The Prophet next.”
We walk into a large living room and go left down a long hallway and hear a woman talking.
“Lord, we thank you for the gift of love. As women, we will make ourselves available to our men according to your word.”
As we get closer her voice becomes louder.
“The Lord came to our Prophet and issued a new order. You cannot enter a marriage until age twelve. Training will now begin at eight years old so you are ready to be an obedient wife when you reach physical maturity.”
Bones puts his hand on the doorknob and glances at each of us, one by one we nod and he opens the door. We flood into the room, guns drawn as we spot the woman who was speaking.
Heather’s mother.
The room is filled with prepubescent girls, all kneeling, several of them obviously pregnant. The sight before us is disgusting.
Bones holds a gun to the woman’s head. Her eyes are wide as she trembles slightly.
Knox walks behind her as planned and zip ties her hands behind her back.
“Where are the men?” Heather asks and her mother remains silent.
Bones slides the barrel of his pistol along her jaw.
“Answer her question or I’ll blow your fucking face to pieces.”
Close to sixty innocent children glance around the room, tears falling down their faces. Small hands shake as one brave girl cries out.
“Please don’t hurt the Prophetress.”
The what? So now she’s a prophet too?
“Jesus Christ.” Heather says under her breath as we all assume the Prophetress is her mother, a female prophet.
It’s all bullshit piled on top of bullshit.
Yet these kids believe it because we only know what our parents teach us.
Those are the people with the most control.
Children are innocent and easily molded.
These poor kids are completely brainwashed.
It never occurred to me before that they wouldn’t want to be rescued until now.
They aren’t relieved to see us, Heather included.
They are petrified. For these children we aren’t heroes.
We are the monsters.