CHAPTER SEVEN

With most of the team gone to bed, Miller, Trak, Ian, Ghost, Nine, Gaspar, and Ivan sat around the fire, staring into the flames. Ian shook his head, looking at the other men.

"A girl with no problems, no enemies that we know of, is randomly taken from the side of the road, beaten, abused, raped, and murdered. I'll never understand."

"I don't think we're meant to understand," said Trak. "We're meant to stop it."

"We will stop it. Wherever they are, we're going to stop it." Nine looked intense and determined. "We found their home. They'll be looking for a new place. If they're from that area, they may try to find something in the woods again, especially if they're stupid. Let's set up some cameras in the trees, see if we can find anything."

"I'll take care of it tomorrow," said Ivan. "If we're lucky, the other hair strands will show DNA of other missing victims. Maybe we can give some families peace of mind."

"I keep thinking about all the things that had to happen for us to be drawn into this. Tracy had to find a way to escape and walk toward the ballfields. Sterling had to offer to help that girl and call 911. And those kids, those cute damn kids had to bring their savings to us and beg for help," said Miller.

"It was meant to happen," said Trak solemnly. "We were meant to get this case."

"I do think it was pure coincidence that Sterling was still at the ballpark. Obviously, if Tracy was able to escape, they didn't ever expect that anyone would find her. Which means, if they have other victims, and we're sure they do, they're out there somewhere," said Ghost.

"I wonder," frowned Ivan. "Maybe they didn't know the park was close. I get that it's kids hitting balls, but what if some kid wandered back there to find foul balls and collect them?"

"It was pretty far into the woods," said Trak, "but it's possible. If they didn't know how close they were to the park, they might not be from the area."

"A great point, Trak. That only expands our search to see if any other crimes like this have taken place. We can check with Code and Sly tomorrow to see if they can help with that part of the problem," said Nine.

"I think I might ask Victoria to go with me to UNO and walk around," said Ghost. "If anyone stops us, we can just say we're on a college visit. We'll tell people that Tracy was a friend of ours."

"If you can get her off this property, you're a better man than I am," said Gaspar. "That kid is afraid to move from here, and it breaks my heart. She doesn't know it, but it might be the one thing that pushes Hayes away from her."

"She just needs time," said Trak. "Don't push her."

"We're not pushing her, Trak, but her fear of the outside world is going to prevent her from experiencing the world," said Nine.

"You mean the world that just murdered an innocent girl in a wooded area and left her for dead?" he snapped. He stood, staring at the other men. "If that's the world you intend to send her out to, let her go through training with our men. I want her prepared to kill anyone who comes for her."

"Trak," whispered Ghost. Trak stilled, opening and closing his fists as he let out a long sigh, turning to face his friends.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I didn't mean that. But I cannot let that child go out there when there are people like this on the loose."

"There will always be people like this on the loose, Trak. It's why we do what we do. Victoria will be protected by all of us. By Ghost, by you, by me. In fact, you could go as the concerned uncle."

"I will agree to that," he nodded. "I think I should check on Alvin. He was depressed earlier."

"Depressed? What the hell is he depressed about?" asked Gaspar.

"Animals get depressed like humans," said Trak. "He hoped to have a mate this season, but she has rejected him for a younger alligator." Gaspar stared at his friend, then around the fire at the rest of them.

"No. No, you cannot bring another alligator here just so Alvin can make whoopie! We'll have dozens of babies running around this place, and they might not be as well-behaved as Alvin. No!"

"It's a shame he has to be alone," smirked Miller.

"Pierre, I will beat the shit out of you if you take that damn alligator's side in this," said Gaspar.

"He has a point," said Ian. "I mean, he's what, thirty or forty years old?"

"I didn't ask him," said Trak.

"Didn't ask him? You didn't bother to ask the alligator his age before creating a dating profile?" Trak cocked his head at Gaspar, a hint of a grin at the corners of his mouth. "Can't he just put out a call for a female? Isn't that what they do?"

"That's an excellent idea, Gaspar," said Trak. "I'll have him do that immediately." Trak walked away, and Gaspar sat dumbfounded. He opened and closed his mouth several times. Miller stood, kissing the top of his brother's head.

"Sleep, mon frére. You're going to need it."