Page 100 of Knot Your Pawn

“Erika and the others?” I walk beside Luca, whose eyes keep shooting all over the place, like he expect people to jump out from every shadow. If I can distract him even a little, that should make things easier on him.

“They left only a few minutes before you arrived, to make sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be.”

The plan is to create a relay system.

Luca and the others are the first part, they’ll wait for the kids in the alley next to the building.

Xavier and his pack will guide the kids from Luca to Erika’s group, keeping them protected.

Then Erika and the others will split the kids up into smaller groups, get them into cars, and bring them to yet other people who’ll keep them safe and hopefully help them find more permanent places to stay.

This way, we keep the most vital information, people’s exact locations and such, confined to as few people as possible, only need-to-know and nobody else. That will help keep both us and the kids safer.

“Did you get any new information about potential numbers?”

Luca was in the brothel until about two months ago, so he has some idea of how many people should be inside. But since none of us have been inside since then, we don’t know the exact current numbers.

Luca shakes his head. “Two of the lookouts filmed the people in the front room earlier, and everyone I expected was there. Nobody new, nobody left. But that’s just the people who work in the front room. That doesn’t give any idea about who they’ve got in the back. There could be ten new people in the back, or maybe half the kids who were there two months ago are now gone. I have no idea.”

“Still useful information to have, even if it doesn’t provide us with anything new.” I want to reach out, put my hand on his shoulder.

He looks miserable, and I know it’s not going to get better any time soon.

“Information that confirms what we already know is still important.” I try to sound positive, but I know how it sucks when you desperately want new information but the only thing you’re getting is confirmation of what you already know.

Sure, it is useful to know that it’s still right, but also makes you feel like you’re not making any progress.

“You can wait in the alley, out of sight of the brothel, if that makes you feel safer.” I don’t want to put him through more than he really needs. The guy is broken enough as it is.

He shakes his head, resolute. “I want to see that place taken down. I want to see it ripped apart. Burned to the ground, metaphorically, if not literally.”

I glance to the front of our group, where Mathew is talking to Vera and Jorge, his body stiff, his face unreadable.

I’m pretty sure that Mathew feels exactly the same, that he needs to take that place down, no matter what it takes. And we’re going to help them with that.

That’s what a pack is for.

That’s what family is for.

To take down your enemies and burn them to the ground.

And, tonight, we’re going to do exactly that.

12

Riley

Leaving Jorge and Luca behind feels strange, but they’ve got their roles and we’ve got ours.

Our role is inside, getting the kids out. Their role is outside, bringing the kids to safety.

The first two of Derrick’s teams took out the security outside of the brothel while we were still on our way, leaving us free to be the ones to breach the back door.

Two guys from Erika’s team swing a big beam to break open the back door, quickly jumping aside to get out of the way of anyone potentially shooting at them from inside.

When that doesn’t happen, we’re free to go in.

Strangely easy, but okay…