Page 93 of Twisted Road

Stark was a puzzle that Czar had tried to solve. Code had presented the evidence to all of the Torpedo Ink members in their meeting, and no one could think what would prompt Stark to suddenly get into a criminal activity as vile as human trafficking.

In the back of his mind, as he approached Stark’s house with Czar, Savage and Reaper, Keys continued to try to put the pieces together. Money? That was a big one, and most people succumbed to the temptation of money. But the militia lived simply. They needed money for stockpiling weapons, but for the most part, they were woodworkers and sold other popular items online. He didn’t think Stark would turn his soldiers into traffickers over the lure of big money.

Power? Stark had no interest in power. He’d shown that over and over throughout his long career in the army. He’d been approached more than once to run for office and had turned the offer down each time. So it wasn’t power. Blackmail? Sex? Sex wasn’t likely. Code would have discovered it if Stark had a penchant for cheating on his wife.

Czar, is it possible the owners of the casinos somehow got to Stark and forced him to comply with their orders? It would make sense.

Maybe. I considered that, but not one of his sons was in those caves with those women.

There was a quiet fury in Czar. He wasn’t a man to flare up with temper. He didn’t posture. He was a thoughtful man and a careful one. He was also the most ruthless man Keys had ever known. There was no backing off in Czar. Once he was on your trail, you were as good as dead. If you needed finding, and Czar was looking, you got found.

They surrounded the house just before nine. Stark and Dawn had their feet up on the low railing of the porch, both drinking their morning coffee. Stark slid his hand down the side of the chair when the four of them converged on them from different directions. Keys had gone through the house, making certain the couple was alone. Now, he stood directly behind Stark, in striking distance, easily able to kill him.

He couldn’t discount Dawn. The women in Torpedo Ink were lethal. Right now, Lana was covering them with a sniper rifle. Stark and his wife could see the four Torpedo Ink members who had revealed themselves, but they couldn’t see those surrounding the cabin. They were smoke. Air. They blended into the terrain.

“You touch that gun and you’re a dead man,” Czar said. He sat on the railing directly in front of Stark, almost daring him to shoot. “Not only you, but your wife.”

“You’ll be just as dead,” Stark said.

Czar shrugged. “I don’t think so. My man is fast. All of them are. We trained for this shit from the time we were little kids. Doesn’t negate your training, but it does give us an edge.”

“What do you want? Because if you’re here to threaten me, I think I’m about done with your threats. Any problems you have with the way things are being handled, take it up with Roscoe. He’s taking your money.”

“He’s dead. Every last one of those fuckers is dead. You want them, you’ll have to retrieve them yourself. I was going to lay them at your door, but I felt the less contact with them, dead or alive, the better.”

Dawn looked puzzled. Stark didn’t look in the least upset over the deaths of his men. That just added to the confusion. Keys glided a step closer. If Stark was going to try to kill Czar, he would be doing so in the next few minutes.

“I felt that way myself,” Stark said.

Czar nodded toward Savage. He handed Dawn a paper and moved back. He was close enough to put his body in front of Czar, and shove him backward off the rail when he did so, if Stark made a move for the gun.

Dawn did a quick scan of the paper. She went pale and her hand trembled as she handed the paper to her husband. Anger crossed Stark’s face, and then he was once more under tight control. That told Keys a lot about the man.

“You have the names of my children and grandchildren and where they live.” Stark made it a statement. “I presume this is another threat.”

“It’s an ultimatum. I’m only here talking to you because nothing added up when we looked at your history and what you’re doing now. Human trafficking isn’t something I would ever have associated with your name, and yet you’re running the operation. Had I thought otherwise, you’d be dead right now and so would your wife.”

Dawn drew in her breath sharply and turned her head to look at her husband. “Sean. That isn’t true. That can’t be the truth. Human trafficking? You look me in the eyes and tell me they’re lying.”

Shame washed over Stark’s face. “I didn’t tell you what was going on because I didn’t want you to look at me just the way you’re looking at me now.”

Dawn pulled in a deep breath. “Why would you do this terrible, vile thing, Sean? You’ve always stood for everyone’s rights as human beings.”

Stark turned his face away from her and didn’t answer.

“They threatened to chop your wife and daughter into little pieces, didn’t they?” Czar said. “That’s their favorite threat.”

For a moment Sean’s faded blue eyes went liquid. “Not just Dawn and Janelle. Every woman here in the compound. Their female children. They sent me a video of Jeanne Miller screaming. All cut to pieces. Gang-raped. I’d seen that kind of violence overseas, but it was a long time ago and I thought I’d come to terms with it. But I hadn’t. I didn’t know who they were. We didn’t have anyone here good enough to find out. I reached out to some friends who have good computer skills and we still couldn’t find them.”

“How did the men up in those caves, doing what they were doing to those women, find their way to your compound?” Czar asked.

Stark sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face. Dawn sat stiffly, silent tears tracking down her face. Her skin had seemed clear of wrinkles, but now she looked older.

“I don’t turn away men suffering from PTSD. They served. They had proof they’d served. We didn’t know them. But many of the men who came to me weren’t men I’d served with personally. I should have sent them away when there were complaints from the business owners in town, but I thought I could help them learn to get along.” He shook his head. “The arrogance. I was so certain, and women and children paid for my mistakes.”

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze sharp as it rested on Czar. “Several of those newcomers went into the hills and didn’t return. Things have been tense ever since.”

Czar didn’t take the bait.