Page 93 of Knot Your Pawn

But since the pack has formed, he’s gotten comfortable enough to fall asleep on the floor in the living room, right out in the open, while there’s extra security inside and outside the house because we’re in danger.

None of that matters.

Because of the pack, he can just sleep wherever now.

Things really have changed, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

9

Mathew

The house is quiet. The rest of the pack is asleep and so are most of the people from the organisation. There are a couple of security guards on duty, but I only hear them from time to time.

The rest of the time it’s quiet, too quiet.

I’ve only got the single light on in the library, near the table, just enough to see the laptop and the papers in front of me. I don’t need anything else, this is more than enough light when it’s only me in here.

The raid is two days away.

All the plans are in place.

The only thing that would change anything right now is if the Hearts suddenly do something we didn’t expect or if we have to abort it for some other reason, but —barring that— we’re done with the planning stage.

It feels strange.

I’ve been wanting to take the brothel down for nearly a decade.

When I first got here, I was mostly worried about surviving and keeping my head above water. Learning the tricks of the trade as quickly as possible so I’d be able to stay alive in this brand new world.

But, once I’d found my feet, dreams of taking the brothel down started to come up more and more often.

Only, I knew that to pull it off, I was going to need not only a bigger team, but also connections with other groups of people and organisations that I didn’t have yet.

I couldn’t just barge in and take the kids out if I didn’t have a way to protect them. Taking them out without a plan of what to do next would put them in even more danger.

Of course, I’ve rescued people when it was possible. But that was usually only a single person at a time, two at most, and they were all in their late teens or older. Old enough to mostly take care of themselves.

Providing them with a roof over their heads, clothes and some money was usually enough for them to get a new start in life.

But, this time, we’re dealing with a lot of young kids, young teens, people who need a lot more care than what we can provide here.

Plus, the Hearts will be looking for them, and we can’t protect that many kids here, we don’t have the space or manpower to hide them away.

Staring at the maps of the brothel, I run my fingers through the hallways, up the stairs, to the room I used to share while I was there.

I still remember how the room used to smell, filled with terrified pheromones. And the sounds people made when they had nightmares. The crying, the begging, the screaming.

And also, the tender moments we shared.

Tender moments that were at the same time stark reminders of our horrible situation. Treating cuts and burns. Teaching each other make-up tricks to hide our dark circles and bruises.

Holding each other tightly at night to hopefully keep the nightmares away, nightmares where we relived our worst memories.

I swallow hard as I wipe the tears from my eyes.

No matter how long it’s been, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget those things.

I hope that the younger kids won’t have to live with these same memories, that they’ve not been hurt that badly yet.