ANA


As Taylor ducked into the secret passage, I hopped onto the desk. I wanted to know what was down there, what my husband hid from me. I want to know if that door is the reason there's a recording of this room instead of live feed. I wanted to know if Elena ever went down there. If that's the safe Mia mentioned. If this house held any other secrets.

He wasn't gone more than five minutes when I heard him running up the stairs. "Do not go down there. Gotta get forensics in here, clear out that room. Lots of evidence you don't want to see. God, I wish I hadn't see it." This moment was the first time I ever saw Taylor flustered. Then he spoke. "Can I ask you a random question?"

Like he even had to ask that. "Yeah, sure."

Taylor took a moment to align his thought train before asking, "If you had the ability to piss on the parades of those who hurt your husband, would you go for it?"

Oh wow. Something something great minds thinking alike? "You know, I've been thinking about it, but I don't know where to even begin." Is that why he brought up getting me deputized? So I could actively destroy the world that created the monster my husband became?

"What if I told you that you have a level of access that the FBI would be denied if we went through regular channels?" He spoke hesitantly. I could tell he was carefully choosing his words.

"Why, because of Christian?" Money, politics, corporations… Christian had ties to them all.

"Well, in part. Also because a lot of the people your husband and his family invited to your wedding were in Elena Lincoln's little black book."

I held back the shudder I felt echoing in my bones. "Ewww. I could have gone the rest of my days without knowing that." Thankfully there weren't children at our wedding.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Mental Clorox shower for one. I gotta make a call. But afterwords, I'd like to discuss the possibility of going after everyone in that black book and what exactly that would entail. Can say this: it'll be ugly. Dangerous. Most likely will make a lot of enemies. I'd like you to think about it before giving your final answer. That way, Fergus can't knock the shit out of me for endangering you."

I smirked. "He's like the best big brother ever."

"You say that now. Give him time and he'll piss you off, too."

"Everybody pisses everybody else off at one point or another. That's the human condition."

"Whatever you say. Give me about ten minutes to make a call. Expect a visit from the FBI to clean out that room for evidence."

Cannot deny that my curiosity ate me alive concerning that room. Taylor ducked out of the office and I could hear him speaking, but only make out some of the words as he walked away.

"I need a forensics team…Grey mansion…evidence…photos…computer…"

I didn't dare go stand by the office door and eavesdrop anymore than I already had. Photos of what? His subs? Was that another playroom, but because of its location, darker more gruesome happenings occurred in its walls? If getting deputized would allow me to legally go down there, then I'll do what I gotta to solve this. Fuck it. This is my home. I'll go down there when I damn well please. But not right now, out of respect of what Taylor said. If what he saw down there had him anxious, then odds are I really really don't want to see it. I'll go down there once the FBI is done doing it's thing. And maybe I'll fill in and bury the room once this is all over or maybe convert it to my batcave. Or super awesome Beauty and the Beast-like library.

Taylor came back into the office. "Gimme a minute or two. Be right back." And he ducked back into the secret room. True to his word, he was back shortly, a black thumb drive in his hand. "If you want to take down the assholes behind this all, then I advise not informing anyone I made a copy of the computer's hard drive down there. Gotta love new technology." He held up the thumb drive. "This can copy a terabyte in thirty seconds and strip any encryption. One does not fuck with the FBI."

"I guess. So what's going on?"

He took a deep breath and said, "I suggest you sit down. Like, in a chair."

I took the computer-throne and looked to Taylor to explain himself.

"What I am going to tell you is classified information. But I swore to the Viking I'd explain the lay of the land to you. He pointed out that we're taking precautions to protect you. I fear it may not be enough, if it were found out you assisted the FBI. I've been in deep cover for years with your husband to keep an eye on Elena Lincoln due to her ties to an international pedophile ring. Members of this ring include several senators, congresspeople, two on the Supreme Court, and a couple work in the White House. Hollywood is a huge recruitment center. Managers will submit head shots of their clientele to various producers, casting agents. They in turn sell them online in avenues, like Ebay. Those portraits aren't salacious. But they demonstrate how easily a kid is sold.

"What if I told you that there's a block in DC that is pedo-central? A storefront that hides a terrible secret? The man that runs the storefront also tends an Instagram account that regularly posts questionable content hinting at paid sex with kids? Why does a bookstore gear toward kids have a room named after a French slang term for party which features a Saturday fetish night? Or that a newly-selected campaign manager for a major contender in the upcoming election and said manager's brother look identical to two men tied to a well-publicized kidnapping in Europe? A member of that same campaign was arrested in Europe with a couple buddies. INTERPOL found a ton of child porn, machetes, and guns. And that same guy is a tech guru who is tied to a certain foundation and pioneering digital currency that leaves no trace of transactions. Or that the major contender I mentioned earlier is tied to that same certain foundation that is associated with a woman known to traffic children? Or that this stuff is known by the CIA because they play a part in it all? And because the CIA is running the show, other agencies have to fall in line. Which means those who would be in charge of prosecuting these offenders are also knee-deep in the same shit? And that it's not only here in America, but stretches overseas? Funny how there was a guy busted in Belgium for kidnapping and raping girls, who had ties to the government. Funny how America's ambassador to Belgium got busted for soliciting the prostitution of a young boy. Funny how it's all covered up because World War III is on the horizon, and if the world knew the extent of trafficking kids for sex happened and condoned by the American government, utter chaos would arise from all sides."

As he laid out the scope of corruption rife within a system I knew to be damaged, it shocked me to know just how damaged it happened to be. This can't continue. This can't keep happening.

"I want to kill the system. I want to put an end to it. Can we do it?"

"We could be killed for trying."

I scoffed. "My husband killed a woman. He could have easily killed me. There were times I thought he would. If there are people who do fucked up things to kids and get away with it because there's a system in place to keep that system going, then yes. Help me destroy it. We all die one day. I could get hit by a car while crossing the street or something. If I get killed for trying to fix a broken system, then at least I died for something."

"Are you willing to fund a rogue venture into putting an end to it?"

I nodded. "Oh yeah. Christian kept depositing money in my bank account, so it's mine outright to spend. There's a lot of money in there. Until the estate goes through probate, I don't want to spend his billions. So we'll spend the millions he's given me."

Taylor smiled in a way I never seen before. "Thank you, Ana. Thank you. I will start some planning." He clenched the thumb drive in his hand. "And go through the contents of the hard drive from down there. FBI will be here within the hour. I suggest going out for dinner. Take the Viking and Gail, have fun. I'll handle things here."

"Okay. And thanks for giving me the opportunity to do something."

"Oh, things are going to get ugly. Don't thank me yet. Thank me when this is all over, assuming we survive."

I survived Christian. I'll survive this, too.
I have to survive.