Two days had gone by since they'd rescued Valerie from that nightmare. The physical and psychological cost of their rescue operation had left them all bruised, but Valerie's injuries had been the most severe. Dehydration, malnourishment, and trauma had left her barely standing on her own two feet.
She lay slowly recovering, tucked in Dante's apartment, blankets covering her body and a haze of weariness over her eyes, yet a flame burned within her that was not extinguished. She wasn't just thankful for the life she had been given—she was intent on ensuring the other people still living in that nightmare didn't meet the same end she had.
Dante sat across from her, silently observing as she took a sip of the cup of tea he'd prepared for her. Raven and Lucas were preparing in the living room, their faces set with determination. The burden of their next step hung heavy, the lull before the storm. Valerie had already demanded that they dismantle the trafficking ring—and that was something Raven and Lucas couldn't disregard.
When the room door opened, Valerie's words froze them dead in their tracks.
"Javi. he sold me out," she muttered, her hoarse but distinctive voice full of deep-seated rage she hadn't yet brought forth. "He—he betrayed us. He was the one who betrayed us to them. The entire op. everything, it was all his idea."
Raven stood motionless for an instant, her hands gripping more tightly the straps of her pack. Dante, who had leaned back in his chair, jerked upright.
"That son of a bitch," he muttered into his chest, eyes flashing angrily once more.
Lucas shared the same scowl. "I guessed that he was responsible. That rat always seemed like he had the look of one."
Valerie dropped her head, struggling to maintain control. "I didn't want to believe it, but. the more I saw, the more I knew. The way he stared at me—like I was property." She shook her head, paused. "He sold us all out. And not just me, Raven. Women, children. some only sixteen months old. They've been doing this for years."
Raven shared a look with Lucas. Their brains had already been whirring about the next thing: how to infiltrate the center of the trafficking ring, how to reveal all, how to dismantle it. But to hear Valerie speak—to hear her tell of the unimaginable atrocities—made it seem that much more pressing.
She moved forward, her hand on Valerie's shoulder. "We've already dealt with Javi," she said softly. "We don't have to worry about him anymore."
Valerie looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Dante handled it," Raven said, her tone abrupt but unyielding. "He's not going to hurt anyone else."
For an instant, relief glowed in Valerie's eyes, before something else darkened it. The ghosts of what she'd been through—what they all had been through—weren't going away overnight, but at least Javi wouldn't be the one to hurt someone else.
She nodded, still trying to wrap her head around the sheer size of it all. "Thank you. Thank you both."
Raven smiled at her, but it was a small one, and it was laced with sadness. She wasn't doing this for gratitude. But the honesty in Valerie's eyes made the burden of their mission a little easier to bear.
Valerie's face changed, now more serious, as she glanced from Raven to Dante. "But you have to bring them down. You have to stop them, before more people are hurt—before more children are taken. You have no idea how many families are being destroyed.
Dante let out a deep sigh, moving towards the couch and placing a hand on the upper back. "We will. We'll try everything. But you're not going with us, Val. You're not in any kind of shape for that. You need to be here.
Valerie resembled a person eager to protest, but her weariness soon overpowered her. "I can still assist," she stated more quietly now. "I understand where the operations are—where they've relocated some of the girls. I can assist in planning."
Raven could sense the resolve blazing in Valerie's eyes, but she understood Dante was correct. Valerie wasn't ready to be on the front lines—not yet, at least. They needed to keep her safe, but they needed her inside assistance as well.
"We'll leave you with Dante," Raven said, her voice easing a little. "You'll lead us from here. Get us in, get the information. Tell us where to go. We're going to save as many as possible."
Valerie nodded slowly. "I can do that. I'll be your eyes outside. Just. promise me you'll rescue the children."
Raven smiled reassuringly. "We will."
Two days of rest had elapsed, and the burden of the operation weighed heavily on their shoulders. The morning of their next action dawned with a clear sense of purpose. The team had spent the previous few days preparing—scouting the location, planning entrances, and collecting supplies. Now, it was time to move.
Lucas and Raven waited by the door, ready to go. Dante had already prepared the truck, and they were all geared up in tactical wear, fully ready for the job at hand. But before they departed, Raven faced Dante and Valerie, the determination in her eyes as evident as the air outside.
"Keep her safe," Raven told Dante, her tone low but fierce.
"I will," Dante said, his voice rough but resolute. "Be sharp. Don't get sloppy."
Raven nodded, offering Valerie a gentle but firm glance. "We'll be back before you know it. Just… remain concealed and keep us posted on the comms."
Valerie nodded once more, her eyes sparkling with gratitude and terror. "Good luck."
With that, the door shut behind them, and the two of them—Raven and Lucas—headed into the center of the trafficking business. The mission was clear: to rescue as many as possible, dismantle the operation, and ensure that no one would ever have to endure what Valerie had endured.
The warehouse rose before them, its dark, ominous form standing like a testament to years of oppression. But this time, they were not going to let the guards distract them. They were not going to play according to someone else's rules. They were going in for one reason: to rescue.
And if that meant eliminating every single one of them, so be it.