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  COPYRIGHT

  © 2019 by E.M. Leya

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  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or author. Requests for permission to copy part of this work for use in an educational environment may be directed to the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons or locales, living or dead, is entirely coincidental

  Cover Art by SJ York

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  As always, I have to thank my beta readers, editor, cover artist, and writing partners. Without you, I'd never get anything done. You are the best!

  I also want to thank my family who sacrifices so I have time to write and focus on the stories. Without their support, none of this would be possible.

  I also want to again thank the real life pedophile hunters who risk everything to keep the kids safe. You and the decoys do what the police and courts can't. No matter the resistance, never give up! The world is safer because of the work you do!

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALSO AVAILABLE FROM E.M. LEYA

  CHAPTER ONE

  Dyson glanced around the mobile home park, making sure no one was around. It was almost one in the morning, and except for the moonlight and a few porch lights, everything was dark, which suited him just fine. He was at home in the darkness, hiding in the shadows, sneaking around without anyone seeing him.

  The one thing about mobile homes were how easy they were to get inside of. Breaking into one, even without using his lock picking skills, was simple. The problem with them in most places was they sat so close together that the slightest sound alerted the neighbors you were there. If there was a barking dog, all bets were off.

  There wasn't much Dyson hadn't seen over the years of breaking into places. Nothing ever went one-hundred percent perfect. There was always a snag of one kind or another. Usually, it was nothing he couldn't deal with.

  Going in solo to take down a fifty-year-old church leader wasn't a big deal. It was the larger stings that tended to get sticky. The ones where the whole team would go in and take down six adults while trying to keep a group of kids who were being held captive safe. Those were the hard ones.

  Tonight, he'd get in, finish the job, and be home in a little over an hour. If he was lucky, he'd find some middle of the night hook-up to entertain him and help him work off the adrenaline rush that always hit him after a sting.

  Confident that no one was around, Dyson got out of the vehicle, his hoodie over his head and the ski mask covering half his forehead. He wouldn't pull it down until he was about to go inside. The last thing he needed was for a neighbor to see him and report a masked man in the area. At least now, he might look suspicious, but hopefully, if anyone saw him, they wouldn't think right away that he was out causing trouble.

  He'd already sent a text to the team letting them know he was headed in. Now it was all up to him until he sent them a message back, letting them know he was finished. Then he'd call the police once he got out of the area. Usually, he didn't wait, but this location wasn't a place he wanted to get stuck in if police arrived quickly, too many narrow roads and dead ends. He wanted to make sure he was well away before he called them in.

  The supplies weighed down the front of his hoodie, but that brought comfort. The knife, torch, and other supplies he needed were like a part of him, so was the gun that was at his side. His life depended on these things. He glanced around as he stepped up onto the small porch of the mobile home. There was no way to fully hide, no back door to sneak in, no shadowed windows to open.

  Trying to look like he was just using a key to get in, he quickly used his lock pick to work the lock open. It only took a few seconds, but if someone was watching, those few seconds could be the difference between life and death.

  The door squeaked as he opened it, and he paused, making sure he didn't hear anything from inside. It wouldn't mean the end of the job for him, it just meant more risk. If he could take the man while he was in bed, it would be so much easier.

  When no lights came on or any sound came from the back bedrooms, Dyson closed the door softly, not letting the latch click into place. He lowered his mask, hiding his face from the sick fucker he was after. Each footstep he took toward the back of the trailer creaked, and he held his breath, aware of everything around him.

  The single-wide trailer was cluttered and messy, and he had to step over several things in his path before coming to the bedroom door. The man's snores filled the room, giving Dyson the reassurance that this job would be easy.

  The neighbor's yard light shined through the window, allowing him to see the man, passed out naked on top of the bedspread.

  Dyson grinned. This was going to be easier than he thought. With no clothes to deal with, he could get to business quickly.

  As quietly as he could, he made his way to the bed, careful of the beer bottles and other junk that littered the floor. The place smelled like something had died inside, a mix of sweat, unwashed body, and even sex. It was enough to make Dyson want to gag, and he usually tolerated smells well.

  Carefully, he pulled the syringe out of his pocket and uncapped it. Without hesitation, he stabbed the needle into the man's neck, not giving him any warning of what was happening.

  The man's eyes flew open. "What the fuck?" His hand went to his neck as he started to sit up, but the drugs worked too quickly. Unable to move, his body slumped back on the bed as his eyes filled with fear.

  "Hello." Dyson smiled. "Welcome to your worst nightmare."

  A rush of air came out of the man's mouth, but no sound.

  "Don't worry. It's just the drugs. They'll wear off soon enough and you'll be able to talk and move again. First, we have to take care of some business. Some friends of mine came across some pictures of you. They were taken inside the church. You know the ones, little girls and boys wearing choir robes and nothing underneath."

  The man's fear seemed to grow as he tried to eit
her speak or scream, Dyson really couldn't tell.

  "I don't like men who hurt children. Don't like you at all." Dyson pulled out the zip ties and put them on the bed. Taking one, he wound it around the man's wrist, tugging his arm hard, stretching it down, tying it to the frame of the bed. Then he grabbed an ankle and did the same. "Can't have you getting away once I finish with you." Dyson smiled as he forced the man's legs farther apart. "Having you already naked will make this easy."

  The man blew another rush of air from his mouth.

  "Don't worry. I'm not here to rape you. I'm not a sick fuck like you are. I don't take without permission, and I sure as hell don't use children for my pleasure." Dyson pulled out his curved knife and set it on the bed. "I'll make this quick, I promise."

  He pulled two pieces of string from his pocket, tying one around the man's balls, the other around the base of his cock.

  The man stared, his breathing heavy, his chest rising and falling as panic really set in.

  "You didn't think we'd let you get away with raping children, did you?" He lifted the strings, extending the cock and balls away from the man's body. "I'm told this hurts like a bitch." Dyson slid the knife through the flesh separating the balls and cock from the man's body.

  Quickly, Dyson used a catheter tube, pushing it into the man's urethra to keep it from clotting, then he used his small hand-held torch to cauterize the area and stop the bleeding.

  "Stinks, doesn't it? Burning flesh really is the worst smell." Dyson smiled as he lifted the man's balls and let them dangle beside the man's face. "You won't be hurting any more little kids, will you?"

  He bagged the knife and torch, shoving them back into his pocket. Pulling out a thumb drive, he set it on the nightstand beside the man, making sure it was far enough away that the man couldn’t reach it if he regained use of his muscles and rolled since only one side of his body was tied down.

  "I'm going to leave now, but you just relax and wait. I'll send help. I wouldn't want you to die. I want you to live and suffer for your sins. You claim to be a man of God. What does God think of you now?" Dyson checked to make sure he had everything. "See you in Hell, asshole." Dyson turned, leaving the room, again careful not to trip over any of the mess.

  He made it to the front door, lifted his mask up so it sat at the top of his forehead, then opened the door and stepped outside. The cool air felt good after being in the stuffy trailer. He couldn't wait to get home and grab a beer or find a nice, tight man to hold.

  Dyson glanced around, seeing nothing as he started down the steps, his car in view. He stepped off the last stair and froze at the sound he heard.

  "Freeze, put your hands up."

  His heart pounded as he slowly turned, praying this was a joke, but it wasn't. Two police officers stood three feet from him, both with their guns pointed directly at him. Slowly, raising his hands in the air, he blew out a long breath.

  He always knew the night would come when things would crash down around him, but he was sure he'd have more time. He sure the hell didn't think this simple job would be the one to take him out. Refusing to run or fight, he did everything the police told him to do, praying that he had nothing on him to link him back to the team's location or identity.

  Hopefully, Carter was listening to the police scanner and was aware of what was happening. He would do his best to keep the rest of the team safe. His luck had run out, and as the cop pulled the bag with the knife and torch from his pocket, and the other cop walked into the mobile home he'd just left, he knew he was fucked. There would be no getting out of this. His worst fear, the team's worst fears, had finally come true.

  As the handcuffs clicked into place, Dyson wondered how the hell he'd been caught.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Bryon listened to the police scanner as his world fell apart. He stared at Carter and Trenton as they sat across from him in the computer room of the STK house.

  "Suspect in custody," the officer said over the radio.

  "Fuck!" Bryon paced the room, his heart pounding as he tried to stay calm. He knew this would happen sooner or later. They had plans for when it did, but hearing Dyson's name come across the police radio as the officers called in to run a search for priors was hitting him hard.

  "Bryon, we'll handle this." Carter sounded calm, but Bryon saw the tension in the lines around his eyes.

  "Call everyone. I need everyone aware of what is going on. Send out code silver. They all know what that means." Bryon stared at the computers, wishing they had some sort of video to hack into so they could see what was happening. The one time they needed someone in the area to have home security cameras, none of them did.

  "On it." Carter started texting the rest of the team members, sending out a group alert.

  "How did this happen?" Bryon fisted his hands at his sides, wanting to punch the wall. It was his job to make sure the team stayed safe. He prided himself on the fact that they did this without getting caught. It had been years, and not once had this happened.

  "Neighbor called it in. Said it looked like someone was breaking in. Police parked in the lot, not near the trailer. Dyson wouldn't have seen the lights flashing. I don't know where he was when they caught him or what he was doing. I'm not even sure he finished what he was there to do."

  "Did he have time?" Bryon asked.

  Carter nodded. "He should have been done and on his way out if I timed it right. I mean, I'm always a little off. Shit happens in there I can't expect, but going from Dyson's other times, he had time to finish the job, just not enough time to get out."

  "Fuck!" Bryon pinched his brow. "Carter, do we have everything ready to deal with this?"

  "Yeah, if it works. He's going to have to deal with a couple days at least in there with no contact. I can't risk doing anything right away. They'll be watching for anyone connected to him."

  "I know." Bryon sat down in one of the chairs. "Fuck!" He hated leaving Dyson on his own. It wasn't as if it was Dyson's first visit to jail, but this was a lot heavier than a drunk and disorderly or a fight at some club. This was a prison sentence waiting to happen. A long prison sentence. "Let's hope his car and home are clean. We all get comfortable and leave stuff around." He trained the guys not to have anything connected to each other anywhere that the police could find it just in case they were caught.

  "I've already sent a signal to his personal phone and the STK phone he has on him. I've sent a virus into the phone that should delete and scrub everything, then another that should fry the phone so no one can pull any information off them. As for his home, let's hope. I've never been to Dyson's, so I have no idea what he does there."

  "Not much." Bryon gave a half laugh. "He sleeps, eats, plays basketball at the rec center, and has sex. Since Xander got married, Dyson hasn't really had much motivation. If it wasn't for the team, I'd hate to see where he ended up. The man is dealing with demons."

  "I've always figured that all the sex was a way to deal with something," Trenton said as he swiveled his chair to look at them.

  "He's had a tough life." Bryon sighed. "Anything new?"

  "Police are on the scene. They're on radio silence about what was found at the home, but that's normal with all our castrations. I've hacked in and am following all the information coming from the scene and he did finish the job. They have called for an ambulance, and have the thumb drive. I guess at least we know he got him before he was arrested. Not that it's going to help his case. He's going to face charges for every damn castration that's happened since we started doing this."

  "We'll take care of it, Bryon," Carter insisted.

  "Yeah, but he's not going to like it." Bryon hated the thought of one of his guys going through this. He'd sacrifice himself and take the charges if it kept his team safe. These guys were like brothers to him.

  "It's better than facing life in prison." Trenton went back to typing on his computer.

  "I'm not so sure for Dyson it will be." He stood and walked out of the room, needing to get away f
rom everything for a few minutes.

  This couldn't be happening, not to Dyson. He was so careful. The others, they sometimes got careless, but Dyson was focused, he knew his job. He was good at it. The best.

  Bryon pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and leaned against the counter trying to figure out a way to save Dyson from his fate. He hated he couldn't contact him in jail, wouldn't be able to get him messages and let him know the team was there for him.

  The door burst open and Noam and Kasey rushed in, both turning into the kitchen when they saw Bryon there.

  "What happened?" Kasey asked.

  Bryon hated looking into Kasey's eyes. It was like he'd let the team down. Deep down, he was sure Kasey didn't blame him, but that didn't matter, it was his job to keep the team safe. "I don't know. A neighbor was up, saw him through a window. Thought he was breaking into the trailer next door."

  "Now what?" Noam asked.

  Kasey sat down at the table. "He sits there until things calm down, then we will try to help him."

  "So he just sits there? You don't get him a lawyer or anything?" Noam looked shocked.

  "He doesn't need one." Bryon waved him off.

  "What? Of course, he does." Noam looked angry.

  "Noam, just wait. Let us deal with this tonight. I'll explain everything later." Kasey stood, grabbing his arm gently before looking at Bryon. "Did he complete the sting?"

  "Yeah, but I'm not sure if that's good or bad for him. I'm glad he got the asshole, but it's another charge against him."

  "He's going to face time for all of us. There's no way around it. I just wish there was a way we could let him know he's not alone. I mean, he knows the deal. We can't put ourselves in danger, and anyone who goes to see him will be under suspicion. He's just got to wait."

  "I can go in," Noam said.

  "No way." Kasey shook his head. "I'm not letting you put yourself in danger."

  "I wouldn't be. Think about it. The police know I'm hunting pedophiles. They go with me to make the arrests. It would make sense for me to want to talk to Dyson and find out his sources, how he gets his information. No one would think twice about it." Noam stared at Bryon. "You know it would work. I can talk my way in there, then once I'm there, I can somehow let him know we're working to get him a lawyer or whatever it is you guys have planned."