Hey Guys, just in case you didn't get the edit I put on the last chapter, I've put up a poll on my profile and I wanna hear what you guys think, and how I should end off this story.

Cheers.


Chapter 28; Dirty Secrets

Billy led her down to the basement without so much of a hitch, Erica being no-where in sight. She also learned a little bit more about the boy, how his mother had died when he was young, and his father had died a year ago, leaving him here. She also discovered he was 14, and at an age where he had no hope of being adopted, or at least that's what Erica had said.

"This is where they went through." His voice broke through her thoughts as she looked at the basement door. She tried the knob but it was locked, of course. The door was steel and she wasn't going to try and kick it down, not with her leg. Her next choice was clear. She kneeled down and pulled out a small kit. Billy looked on curiously as she began to pick the lock. After a few moments the lock clicked and Maria opened the door a fraction. She stuffed away her kit and stood back up looking over at Billy. He gave her a look to which she shrugged and smirked.

"You pick up a few things." Was the only explanation she offered before pushing open the door and stepping through. What she didn't anticipate that Billy would follow her through the door onto the staircase.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"He's my friend." The boy said simply before flicking on the lights and starting down the staircase. Maria groaned softly and hurried after him. That boy was going to hurt himself. She caught up to him just as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The light overhead flickered as Maria reached behind her to pull the gun out from the back of her jeans.

"Stay low and stay quiet." She said in a hushed whisper. "Someone's been here recently." She lowered herself slightly before beginning her way along the wall of the dark corridor that stretched out in front of them. Billy followed behind her silently, though she could tell he was questioning the gun. They made their way to the end of the corridor to a door with a small bared window. Maria stood up beside it and glanced in. She whipped her head back at the sight she saw.

Billy looked at her in confusion as she pulled out her phone and dialled a number.

"Holmes…it's a smuggling operation. They claim their moving the kids to other orphanages when really their selling them off for slaves. I can see some of them now." She said in an undertone into the phone. There was a pause before he spoke.

"Maria…" He warned, seeming to know exactly what was going through the woman's mind. "Don't try anything until I get there."

"But Sherlock I can take these guys." She said itching to get in there and beat some guys up. If there was one thing Maria hated more than people who abused animals, it was people who abused innocent kids.

"I'm warning you…"

"Sorry gotta go!" She said hurriedly shutting the phone. She looked down at Billy.

"Was that your partner?" He asked quietly and she nodded. She glanced again through the window, taking in the cages at the centre of the room along with the few guards around it. She could take a couple of guys easy. She turned the knob and opened the door without a sound, Billy slipped through first hiding behind the boxes stacked right near the door, Maria following after him. They had the element of surprise as they moved around the large room, the darkness at the edges hiding their existence until they got in a little closer.

Maria pulled Billy to a halt when they were close enough to attack, however she was stopped by the fact the men had pulled one of the children from the cage and tied him to a chair. A small fire was crackling beside the chair. One of the men walked up to the boy as Billy whispered into Maria's ear.

"That's Alex."

Maria watched as the man inspected the orphan before pulling out a long rod from within the fire. Her mind clicked into place as she grabbed Billy's head and pulled it into her shoulder, covering his eyes.

"Don't watch!"

The scream of agony that followed was the most terrifying thing she had heard in a long time. She felt Billy flinch and clutch onto her shirt as Alex cried out for God and his mother. Billy was shaking and she knew he would be a danger to himself if she let him help any further. She pulled the boys head into her hands

"Billy…Billy listen to me…You gotta stay here for a moment…you will only leave this spot when I tell you alright?" She whispered, her voice hidden by the pained whimpers of Alex. Billy finally seemed to gain some control and nodded at her, tears dripping down his face. She let him go and pulled out her gun again before leaping out from their hiding spot.

BANG!

The first man she shot in the knee, crippling him. The other men swore loudly, shouting as she shot at the next man, hitting him in the shoulder. The third man ran at her, ducking and weaving as to not give her a clear shot. She was forced to dodge as he lashed out at her, grabbing hold of the ends of her coat, pulling her in to punch her hard across the face. She hit the ground, her gun sliding away from her. The man picked her up again by the throat, choking her.

"Billy!" She cried out in a desperate attempt. Billy sprinted out of hiding, running straight for the hot branding iron and grabbing hold of it. He turned to find Maria on the ground choking, the man advancing on him. He swung wildly at the man, trying to distract him as best he could. The man finally was close enough to take the branding iron from the boy before punching him hard. He didn't get a chance to strike again, as blood began dripping out of his chest from the bullet Maria had just put in him.

She was panting and her first instinct made her run right over to Billy. He groaned softly and she sighed before pulled him to sit up before beginning to check his slightly burnt hands.

"Stop it Mum," He muttered pulling his hands away before he realised what he'd said. "I-I mean Maria…"

Maria looked up at him for a moment.

"It's okay, really," She said before standing and going over to the unconscious Alex and untying him.

"All the other children must already be gone, but I can at least get some help for Alex," She said, looking down at Billy, who stood up and nodded. Just then the door burst open and in ran Sherlock. He saw the state of the place and made his way down to Maria. Maria opened her mouth to explain but Sherlock simply engulfed her in an unexpected hug.

"I swear you will be the death of me woman." He said before pulling back to inspect her bruised cheek. "There's an ambulance outside, you can clean yourself up there," He said before stepping away and finally noticing Billy standing there with his big brown eyes and tussled brown hair.

"Who's this?" Sherlock asked as Billy glared.

"My name is Billy."

"You brought a child down here to help you?"

"I didn't really have a choice."

She walked over to Alex and picked him up easily like a small child with one arm.

"Let's get you boys cleaned up," She said wrapping her free arm around Billy's shoulders and walking towards the door with him. Sherlock hurried after them.

Ten minutes later Sherlock and Maria were standing off across the parking lot as paramedics tended to both the boys wounds. She watched Billy carefully, making sure that he was attended to properly.

"Maria," Sherlock's voice brought her out of her trace a she turned to look at him. "You did well. After we go home we'll draw our picture sending friend's attention to this and see what they say."

Maria silently agreed, looking up to see Billy pushing off paramedics and looking straight at her. Those lost puppy dog brown eyes staring straight at her. Billy hopped down from the ambulance and ran over to Maria, who took a few steps forwards to meet him, and slowed down only so to not knock her off her feet when he collided with her and hugged her tightly, his face pressed into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him firmly.

"Thank-you for saving my friend and me…" He said, his voice muffled by her shoulder. She smiled and pressed her face into the young boy's hair.

"Just promise you'll stay out of trouble?" Maria asked pulling away to look at him and push his hair off his forehead.

"Promises are rules though, and some rules are made to be broken." He said with a grin. Maria had to laugh quietly.

"That's right, but in this case, you stay safe you hear?" She said before pulling out a slip of paper from her top pocket. "Take this. If you ever need me, I'm always here to listen…" She said handing it to the boy, who clutched onto it.

"Goodbye Maria." He said before turning and walking back over to Alex and paramedics. Maria watched him go before Sherlock stepped up beside her. She looked at him, the sadness in her eyes before she looked back towards Billy. Sherlock thought for a moment.

"The boys an orphan right? Maybe, after all this is over, the boy could come and stay with us-"

Maria didn't let him finish. She'd already engulfed him in a hug to which he responded by hugging her back. She pulled back after a moment and cast one last look upon the boys.

"Let's head home."