Out of Darkness

Bill of Sale

"It's done," I said, collapsing into one of Mr. B's black leather armchairs. After spending my day darting in and out of the Sorensen house, avoiding the slime balls that live there, and setting up surveillance while remaining invisible, I was beat. I tossed my bag over to him, "I hope I got everything, because I so do not want to go back there." I sank into the plush seat a little further and closed my eyes. I heard him open the zipper and then the rustling of everything inside.

"Mr. Taylor, would you mind telling me why half of this bag is filled with candy?"

I kept my eyes closed, but smiled.

"Sang's never even had a pudding cup before, Mr. B, but that bitch of a mom had an entire drawer full of chocolate. It wasn't fair. I fixed it." I cracked open my left eyelid and glanced at Mr. Blackbourne to see if I was in trouble, but he had that tiny little lift at the corner of his mouth that told me he was amused instead.

"As much as I applaud your sense of justice and fair play, Mr. Taylor, that was a bit risky, and will surely be noticed."

I groaned and sat forward. "You don't get it, Mr. Blackbourne, that house is filled with indulgences like expensive alcohol and jewelry and her sister is spoiled rotten. But Sang had NOTHING! She didn't even have bedding, Mr. B. Just a bare mattress and an old beat up footlocker!" I got up and started walking around the furniture. "There's a padlock on the outside of her door, and then there's that box that they put her in. I couldn't take it...being in there with them and not doing anything!" I knew I was getting louder, but I couldn't seem to help it. "I may not have been able to hurt them, but I could take away something of theirs that would be missed. I found every damn piece of candy in the entire godforsaken place. Every sweet treat. Every freakin' sugar cube, and I TOOK THEM ALL!"

Mr. Blackbourne put a gentle hand on my arm, making me pause in my frantic rounds through his living room.

"Luke, it's okay. I merely meant that I didn't want you to risk your own safety, not that you weren't justified in your actions."

I sat back down, the wind taken from my sails.

"Report, please, Mr. Taylor."

I told him about the boxes. That they were meticulously filled with accounting information for Salvatore Ferriola, and that a lot of it looked like duplicate books with different numbers. I had taken pictures of everything I could, so we downloaded those to Mr. B's computer.

Victor and Dr. Green arrived while we were waiting for the files to transfer.

"Holy hell, is that Salvatore 'the knife' Ferriola? The supposed head of the Chicago crime family? Owen, tell me that we didn't just put ourselves in the middle of a Mafia investigation!"

Doc was gripping Mr. B by the shoulders and shaking him back and forth. His eyes were wide and his breathing was erratic. Doc had always had a bit of a fascination with reading about organized crime, but had to stop when he started suspecting everyone he met of nefarious underworld ties.

"Owen, tell me that our Pookie isn't hiding from THE FREAKING MOB!"

We were all a little startled at this nugget of information. Mr. Blackbourne peeled Doc's hands away and guided us all back to the conference room.

"Sean, I know as much as you do at this moment, as Mr. Taylor has only just returned with recon photos." He looked at me. "Anything else to report?"

I ran back to the living room to grab my bag and pulled out the small stack of diaries and my flash drive duplicator, which I handed straight to Vic.

"There were half a dozen flash drives in one of the boxes, so I copied them and then put them back. The metal prison box thing was still in the garage, so I sprayed the seams and lock with the corrosive Kota gave me that will make it too weak to be used again. It won't even be able to latch shut." I took a breath and pulled out a small child-sized shoebox that I hadn't had time to investigate yet. "This was inside the safe, and I think it has something to do with Sang."

***

Mr. Taylor handed the small box to me. When I lifted the lid, I found that it contained a stack of photographs, as well as a lock of hair and a small journal, much like the ones from Miss Sorensen's bedroom. I started to thumb through the pictures, however I must have grown still.

"What is it, Owen?"

I unfolded a yellowed piece of paper and read it. I swallowed back the instinct to be sick.

"Sean," my voice cracked. I handed the paper to him. "It's a $6,000 bill of sale. Dated almost eighteen years ago. For a teen-aged girl." I had to sit down before my knees gave out. Mr. Morgan and Mr. Taylor looked like they were trying to decipher what I had just said, as though I had been speaking another language, or in code.

Sean had tears streaming down his face, and his hands were shaking so badly, I was afraid he might rip the paper. I watched realization dawn on the boys' faces.

***

Intellectually, I knew that human trafficking existed, but emotionally? I wasn't prepared for what Owen had just handed me. I don't really think that anyone ever could be. Is six thousand dollars all they think a human life is worth? My mind was racing in fourteen different directions while trying my best to focus on my brothers in front of me. Who were these people, who thought that lives could be bought and sold as commodities? If I killed these monsters, would I be in violation of my Hippocratic Oath, or would it be considered upholding the vow? I'd be getting rid of a virus to humanity, and that's preventative medicine, right? Where was this girl who was sold into slavery? Does she have any family members who are looking for her?

I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked at the others. They were all in shock. So was I.

REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING

I needed to make sure that they were okay. Owen was unusually pale and trembling. Luke was turning red.

"No," Victor whispered. He was completely still, and his eyes were an inferno of rage.

"What are you saying, Mr. B? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Luke was out of his chair and storming around the room. Owen grabbed one of the pictures from the stack and tossed it out onto the table for us to see. It was dated seventeen years ago, and it was of a girl about their age. She was naked and shackled to a wall, and except for her height, she looked just like Sang.

***