Chapter 12 #2
He took a deep breath. “I was the admiral’s hunter, that’s why he called me Hound.
He’d tell me what kind of a little girl he wanted, usually for a customer who was going to pay him thousands, and I go and find one.
Sometimes it took me several countries.” Rippe looked down at his chained hands.
“I can be very persuasive when I want to be. I promised these girls they could be actresses, models, whatever worked. On the plane, we let them drink, smoke weed, and eat as much as they wanted. They were always hungry. The first few times, the private jets we used belonged to his clients. It didn’t take long until he was able to buy his own jet.
The pilots were pedophiles and more than happy to accompany me on the hunt. ”
Looking up, his gaze bounced between Kam and Trevor.
“Sigrid was different. We were in Sweden picking up blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls. Usually, we got kids off the street. We were in that section of Stockholm, and she offered me a blowjob for five bucks. She said she hadn’t eaten in three days and looked it.
She was a bit on the younger side, but her eyes, they’d seen too much. I felt like I was looking into my own.”
Taking a deep breath, he looked away at the blank wall.
“I broke the rules. I took her hand and we walked to a fast-food place about two blocks down. I bought food for both of us. Her English was pretty good. She told me that her parents had both been killed and she’d been sent to her mother’s brother.
She said he was a bad man and into all kinds of bad things.
He’d get drunk and make her touch him sexually.
When she told her aunt about it, the woman just laughed and threatened that when she got a little older, he’d do a lot more than that.
“I had to help her.” He lifted his hands as far as the chains would allow.
“She kind of understood insurance because the lawyer told her that she’d have money to go to private school and a good college when she got older, but until then she needed to live with her uncle who would use the money for her.
That’s why she stayed with him. But he didn’t send her back to the private school she’d been going to, and he didn’t use the money for her.
He beat her if she didn’t do exactly what he said. ”
Rippe shook his head. “Big Daddy doesn’t let the men smack the girls around.
They get tossed out for that. But nobody was there to protect Sigrid when he smacked her so hard she fell on the floor and hurt her wrist. I’m pretty sure it broke because she holds it weird, even now.
That night, she ran away. She’d been living on the streets ever since.
Some of the teenage girls took her under their wing and showed her how to survive.
She’d heard that we were in the area looking for young girls to be models and put on TV.
She hoped that we would take her far away from her uncle. ”
Pleading, he begged, “Please don’t send her back to Stockholm.
I brought her home on the plane then took her to my house.
I’m not a pedophile.” He dropped his head.
“I’m a voyeur. I like to watch but I don’t want anybody to touch me.
” His head popped up. “I never touched Sigrid. She’s like a sister to me.
Until Halloween night, she’d never been to the club.
I never took her to the training camp. I don’t know how, but Admiral Finger knew that I had her.
He forced me to take her to the club that night.
I didn’t know how, but I was going to get her out of there before he was able to sell her virginity. ”
Kam’s face blanched before it reddened. “That fucker.”
Joseph Rippe chuckled. “Actually, no he doesn’t.
He’s not a pedophile, nor did he fuck any of the girls.
Not even once they grew into women. He hated it when the girls grew up.
A few years ago, he started an online auction for them, selling them as fully trained.
” He looped back to his original statement.
“Big Daddy prefers adult men, the more masculine the better. He also likes little BDSM but never keeps a lover. Use ’em and lose ’em was his motto. ”
Shock number two hit Trevor. Never had he pegged Finger as homosexual.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re willing to help us bring down Big Daddy, who you claim is Rear Admiral F.X. Finger, and all I have to promise is that Sigrid will not be deported back to Stockholm?”
“Well, if you could get her placed in a good home, that would be perfect. One that would let her be a little kid, grow up to be as normal as she can be at this point.” He nodded.
“If you agree, right now, I’ll tell you where the new club is in Los Angeles.
It just opened this week. Then I’ll tell you about his island. ”
Kam had closed her eyes. Trevor could tell she was fighting a slew of emotions.
When she met Rippe’s gaze, she nodded once.
“I guarantee you that we will not deport her back to Stockholm or anywhere in Sweden. I can get her into a program here in the United States where she’ll get the counseling that she needs.
I will personally make sure that she’s placed in a loving home where they’ll let her grow up safe and secure. ”
“I’d ask for that in writing, but we all know pieces of paper don’t mean shit.
Rumor has it that you are engaged to Commander Mike Gallagher.
From what I know, he’s a good man. I’m going to trust that you’re a good woman.
Take care of my little sister because that’s the way I think of her.
” A tear ran down the cheek of the former big, bad SEAL.
“Is it possible for me to see her one more time before they take me off to jail?”
“We can arrange that.” Kam assured. “Now, what about that address in Los Angeles?”
“What about my phone?” Rippe countered. “I want to prove to you that big Daddy and Rear Admiral FX Hamilton are the same person.” He stared right at Trevor.
Kam reached into her back pocket and passed Rippe his phone.
“You’re going to want to download these videos yourself, for proof in court.
My code is 95273.” He punched the numbers carefully in front of Kam then showed her where to find the pictures and videos.
The first picture he pulled up was a smiling Rear Admiral Finger standing in front of the Play House in Washington talking with two former SEALs that Trevor recognized.
The following series were of him walking in.
Next, Rippe pulled up a video of Finger going through a list of descriptions and ages. “Here, the admiral was putting in his order for our next hunting trip.”
There were more than two dozen pictures of Finger, dressed in a custom-made suit, his hair styled completely different from military requirements, inside what looked to be several different clubs. It was obvious they were taken covertly.
Trevor had seen enough. “Mr. Rippe, thank you for helping Sigrid get out of a bad situation. I believe I can adequately identify the man in those pictures and video as F.X. Finger. Kam, I’m sure you’ll be in touch with the Chief of Naval operations before you arrest Rear Admiral Finger. Am I needed here any longer?”
“Yes, sir.” Rippe tried to stand once again.
“You’re going to need SEALs to rescue the girls he’s already taken to the island.
And to arrest him. His bug out plan was to get to the island as quickly as possible.
His entire security team are former SEALs who are dedicated to him.
He pays extremely well and has developed his own team.
They’ll defend him, and what’s his, to the death. ”
Letting out a deep breath, Trevor asked, “Where the fuck is this island, and I need to know everything he’s done to defend it.