Chapter 21 Retribution #3
Glasses started talking about codes and encryptions for several minutes, and Tristan tuned out, not understanding most of what was said. Finally, Tag said, "Got what you need?... Okay, good."
Cade spoke again. "Who else has data on the operation?"
"No one," Glasses replied.
"Are you sure?" Cade pressed, his voice low and threatening.
"Y-yes."
"Who else is at the top level?" Tag asked.
"No one," then Handler answered. "Just the two of us and the Broker."
"No one else? Lieutenants?"
"Nah."
"Altogether, how many people were involved?"
"I dunno. Around forty."
"Who? Where are they?"
"Most of them are dead now. Because of you," the Handler spit out.
"Tragic," Tristan heard Tag snark.
"Who else besides the guys at the houses?"
"A few drivers, a couple of enforcers, a cleaner."
"Is that it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"I want their info."
"It's on my phone. Your guys already took it."
There was no immediate answer, and Tristan heard some shuffling. "Show us," Cade commanded.
A few murmurs that Tristan couldn't make out followed, then he heard Cade again. "And that's everyone?"
"Yeah."
"So without you two and the Broker, without the guys in the houses and these few stragglers, no more girls will go missing? No one's going to take over your business?"
"No."
"And you're sure about that? There's no one else?"
The Handler murmured, "No, no one else."
Tristan dragged in a breath, acutely satisfied and relieved that these people would not be able to hurt anyone ever again.
"Anything else?" Cade asked in his normal voice.
Tag answered, "No. I think we're done."
"Okay, so what's in the bag?" Cade asked conversationally.
"Mostly the usual, but I did get a new cordless drill."
"Cool. What should we start with?"
"I cooperated!" Glasses yelped indignantly, just as the Handler shrieked, "You said you were going to put us down easy!"
Cade growled with barely contained rage, "Yeah, well I lied. Wanna know why? That man you took? That you sold? He's mine. The moment you messed with him, you sealed your fate."
Tristan's breath hitched when he heard, He's mine.
No one had ever claimed him like that, and though it sounded primitive and maybe even a bit toxic, he had to admit that the possessive declaration made his pulse race, made him believe that maybe he and Cade could have something when this was all over.
Cade continued, "I'm going to kill you slowly, make you writhe in agony. I'm going to enjoy your screams and laugh when you beg for mercy. I'm going to take you apart, piece by piece, and watch you bleed.
"I will make you pay for what you did to my man, his sister, and those hundreds of girls you sold to creeps who raped and tortured them. And while you suffer, the only thing I’ll be thinking is how you earned it by destroying all those lives for money."
A gasp tore from Tristan's throat. He had asked for this retribution and still believed these men deserved it, but for a split second, he questioned the rightness of torturing someone before taking their life.
But then he thought of Natalie and so many other victims who'd been torn from their homes, sold like merchandise, turned over to men who raped them and committed other unspeakable acts, and he decided these monsters deserved everything they got.
He heard the Handler sneer, "You talk about torture? You're no better than me."
Cade's voice was venomous. "I am nothing like you.
I don't prey on innocents, I don't sell children to sexual predators, to men who rape and abuse them.
I freely admit I'm a killer, and I will have no remorse when I exterminate you.
When I go to hell for it, at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I sent you there first."
A few silent seconds ticked by, then the Handler started screeching, wildly cursing them, calling them nasty names, throwing out obscenities. When the screaming stopped, and a smothered hum took its place, Tristan thought maybe they stuffed something in his mouth.
"What should we do first?" Cade asked calmly.
Tag answered conversationally, "I thought we could use my new drill to remove their kneecaps."
"Hmm, that's good, but I was thinking we could hack off their dicks with a blunt saw."
"Ahh, I like that. We'll start with your idea, then move on to mine."
"Sounds good."
One of them closed the door to the garage, dampening the sounds from behind it, and Tristan was relieved that he could barely hear the muted noises — faint wails, the low purr of a drill, muffled clangs of metal against concrete.
He closed his eyes tight, fighting a tinge of nausea as he tried not to imagine any details of what was happening.
Pangs of sympathy and bouts of repulsion surfaced a few times, but when he imagined his sister's torment, multiplied by hundreds or even thousands of victims, he suddenly didn't care if those monsters suffered; all he felt was satisfaction that they would never hurt anyone else.
Maybe that made him a horrible person, maybe it meant he was fucked up, but he didn't care.
He was unsure how long he waited there on the sofa, but when the noises trickled to whispers, Tristan strained to hear what was happening in the garage. Eyes still closed, he made out soft rustling, running water, and murmuring, hushed voices.
After several minutes of quiet stirrings, Cade returned to him, looking serious and tired. He had changed clothes, his hair was wet and disheveled, and his face was drawn into a deep frown.
To Tristan, he looked perfect.
Cade told him, "It's done."
When Tristan only nodded, Cade stepped closer and looked down at him. "Are you okay?"
Was he okay?
Those pieces of shit who trafficked his sister and tried to sell him would never hurt another soul, would never profit from someone else's torture.
Yeah, he could live with that.
"I'm okay. Thank you, Cade, for doing that for me. For keeping your promise."
Expression softening, Cade said, "I'd do anything for you, Tris."
Tristan knew in his heart that Cade meant it, that he wouldn't have said it otherwise. The simple, earnest statement felt like a declaration of love, and it filled Tristan with warmth.
Lip wobbling, he teased, "You can't just say stuff like that."
"Like what?" Cade asked, looking confused.
Tristan snorted softly. This man had no idea of how sweet those words were, how deeply they affected Tristan, how they made him feel valued and made his heart flutter.
"Nothing. I'll explain later. Are we ready to go?"
Cade held out a hand. "Let's get out of here."