-28-

Chet and Aimee sat in a meeting room on the second floor of the Winchester Medical Center. When Fenton met them upon arrival, he recommended that they not be seen with him in a public area. It was important that they maintain their identities as Walt and Brandy. Fenton took Rhiannon to seek medical attention and promised he would be coming up to give them a status update.

Chet sighed heavily as he recollected the evening's events. He was very concerned about Rhiannon and wondered how Madeleine was getting along. If she had befallen the same fate. Aimee rubbed his back with one arm sympathetically.

"We've seen so much tonight. I know it's hard, baby." Chet looked down at the table they were sitting at. His head bobbed up and down slightly.

"Yeah. That poor kid. All she has been put through. Being so intensely groomed to just automatically default to some mode where you sexually please whoever. I feel dirty just having been undressed in front of her."

"Me too. But, we weren't exactly undressed willingly or in anticipation of her see us that way. These people are sick! I hope Rhiannon is going to be ok. They seemed to have injected her with something that made her forget. I hope the doctors can figure it out and get the poor child some help. She has a big enough road to recover mentally." Chet took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"That's for sure. I checked and Rhiannon is 14. Same as Maddie. But, she was acting like she was maybe 9 years old."

"Yeah." Aimee closed her eyes. "I noticed that. Probably why she was able to be groomed in that way. If she in some way...not sure the term to use. I mean if she is on some kind of limited level. You know, mind of a 7-year-old, even if she is 14. Just makes me all the sicker. The way she called us mommy and daddy like she was only 7 years old."

"Yeah." Chet muttered with a shudder. "I wouldn't even like it if Cal called me that. Something just gross about that reference when used that way." He got up and stretched his arms. "Those conference chairs are hard." He looked around and noticed a sofa nearby, and walked over at flopped down. "Might as well be comfortable." Aimee got up and watched him. He pensively shifted about. She walked over.

"I think you are very tense, babe. That causes the muscles to tighten and pain usually follows. Here, let me help." She sat down on the end seat of the sofa and gestured towards her lap. "Here, lay down and stretch out. Chet was more than willing. He laid his head onto Aimee's lap and stretched himself. Aimee slowly ran her fingers through his hair. Delicately running her finger tips around his temple.

"Does that help?" She asked with concern. Chet closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

"Yes, that feels so very nice. Thank you for taking the time to help me relax." She smiled down towards him.

"Well, babe. I just want you to feel better. I am also kind of fond out you, if you hadn't noticed." His eyes opened and he smiled.

"Indeed, I have. Your kindness is equal to your beauty. I thank you for that." Aimee smiled broadly. She had found herself in uncharted territory with men since meeting Chet. His appreciation for more than her body was something very refreshing to her. Their connection seemed genuine.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." She bent over and kissed him on the forehead.

At that moment the door swung open. Callie and Fenton entered. Callie looked down at the sofa and watched as Aimee's face flashed a look of surprise at her. Callie herself was a bit surprised.

"Hey, guys. I'm not disturbing something, I hope." Chet, by this time had also been surprised and sat bolt upright. Aimee cleared her throat and shook her head dramatically.

"No, Cal. Of course not. I was just... I mean Chet was feeling tense and stressed. I was just making him feel better." She closed her eyes as she realized that the explanation didn't exactly imply an action which was all that innocent. Chet looked sheepishly over at his wife.

"Hi, Cal." He said, avoiding eye contact

"Hi, hun. Well, did she?" Chet's eyes shifted from side to side.

"Uhm, did she what?" Callie smirked.

"Did my good friend, Aimee Lynn, make you feel better?" Chet looked down, clearly embarrassed.

"Well, I guess." Aimee rolled her eyes. She stood up and approached Callie.

"Relax, Cal. As you could clearly see, I gave him a peck on the forehead. He was feeling tense." She leaned in and kissed Callie on the lips. Cal, forgetting where she was for a brief moment, smiled and kissed her back. Running her hand along Aimee's bare midsection. Aimee looked into Callie's eyes and perked her eyebrows briefly. "Now, that is a kiss. And hopefully I made you feel better." Callie looked down as a shade of red covered her face. She had enjoyed the kiss and the touch that she hadn't known in several days.

"Yes, much better. Thank you." The exchange was interrupted as they heard Fenton's throat clear.

"If you are all done marking your territory..." Chet, Aimee and Callie all briefly reddened.

"Sorry, Fenton." Callie said pulling out a chair for herself. Aimee smiled meekly at Fenton.

"Yeah, sorry about that." She took a seat next to Callie. Chet glanced to Fenton and was about to explain himself. Fenton rolled his eyes.

"Chet, I think for now, less is more. Don't sweat it." Chet nodded his thanks and proceeded to take a seat. Fenton found a chair at the head of the table and sat down.

"So, what's the news on Rhiannon?" Aimee asked with concern. Fenton looked at Callie. They were given an initial report which was fairly disturbing.

"Well, Callie and I were given the initial exam workup a while ago. Rhiannon Stevens has shown clear physical evidence of being repeatedly raped." Chet and Aimee both lowered their heads in sympathy.

"Do..do we know what they injected her with?" Aimee asked. Fenton shook his head.

"Not as yet. The initial tox screen didn't show anything. But they are broadening their testing for less conventional drugs. They should get back with me if something turns up."

"Well..." Chet said thoughtfully. "It seemed like the child was reasonably cognizant when we first met her. I mean she was able to identify us as her new parents. We assume the creep told her to call us mommy and daddy. But, she was clearly so groomed by this guy. When they screened us for wires they made us remove all of our clothes. Before we were allowed to put them back on, Swanson brought her in. And uhm, she..." Chet reddened at the recollection.

"She what?" Callie asked. Chet cleared his throat. Aimee looked over to Callie.

"Rhiannon made commentary about Chet's rather large endowment." Callie raised an eyebrow. She smirked at Aimee, but said nothing. Chet closed his eyes and covered his forehead with his hand at the recollection.

"Uhm, yeah. Then a few minutes later without even asking she takes a pillow off the bed and drops it at my feet. She tosses her clothes off and drops to her knees. I jumped back so quick I almost left my body. It's like this child had it in her mind that the minute a naked guy is in the room she has to instantly perform." Fenton looked at him.

"Did you do that in front of Swanson? Because if you are trying to present yourself as lecherous the last thing you are going to do is jump back." Chet and Aimee both shook their heads.

"No." Aimee clarified. "They had just left like ten seconds before and before Chet or I could bend down and find our clothes, Rhiannon just did that. I immediately tossed Chet his clothes and dressed myself. We told her to get dressed as well. The poor kid seemed so confused that we weren't going to have sex with her that she did something wrong. She seemed fearful. Like we would beat on her like I guess this guy we are after did." Fenton nodded.

"Alright. That makes more sense."

"I'm just grateful that Swanson and Horton didn't stick around and make us or the child do something that involved actual interaction." Chet recalled. "Because I don't know what I'd have said to get out of that kind of test, and still keep my cover."

"You guys got lucky." Callie said. "You two must have felt embarrassed enough being naked in front of each other the two times you were over there with them." Chet shifted his look to Fenton. He had admitted to the detective when questioned after the first meeting that he and Aimee were forced to engage in oral sex as a test. He was quite embarrassed with having told Fenton Hardy all the details. But had assumed that Fenton would have quite possibly conveyed that bit of information to Callie. And there would be some kind of reckoning later. But, as Chet looked at the detective, Fenton gave him a slight sign that he had not informed her of that aspect.

"Oh, yeah, Cal. For sure." Chet said with a forced bit of sincerity. Callie laughed briefly.

"No offence, hun. I was more saying it for Aimee being in an awkward spot like that. Being nude in front of three men was probably not comfortable. Especially if you are more into women." Aimee looked off to the slide.

"Oh, yeah. It was kind of difficult being in that spot. But, I made it through." Aimee was also grateful that Callie had not heard about what went on that day in Swanson's motel room. Much less her own.

"So, Fenton, with adding Rhiannon into the mix, are we still going to be able to keep things on the QT for 72 hours?" Chet inquired. Fenton nodded.

"Yes. Agent Spalding was happy to hear we were able to secure the release of Rhiannon Stevens. But, did caution that we were still on the clock for how long all this can be suppressed."

"Are her parents coming?" Chet asked.

"Yes. They were notified and advised a pair of undercover private investigators were able to secure her release. They were out of state, but are on their way."

"Good! She will hopefully recognize them." Aimee said with relief. "You need your parents during times like this." Chet glanced to his side at her when she said that. He sensed a look on her face that indicated she was thinking about her own past. He subtly placed his hand on her leg under the table for a few moments. He offered her a kind expression.

A moment later a knock came on the door. It opened and a balding man wearing a lab coat entered.

"Doctor, so good to see you." Fenton said. The man, who was thin and about 45 came over to the table and sat down. Fenton gestured to the others. "These are our investigators, Chet Morton and Aimee Davidson. And of course, you have already met Callie. This is Dr. Morrison." The doctor nodded to each of them.

"Very nice to meet you all. I wish it were under more pleasant circumstance."

"Do you have any news, doctor?" Callie asked.

"Yes. We were able to identify a substance in our expanded screen of Miss. Stevens. It is called Zestol. Which is a brand name of Demazopam. We believe this is what is causing the transient global amnesia."

"What kind of drug is this?" Fenton inquired.

"It's a cousin to the benzodiazepine class of drugs. It has a primary use of treatment in cancer. It is known to take the edge off of chemo."

"Is it an amnesiac?" Callie spoke up. Dr. Morrison nodded.

"Oh yes.

"What is transient global amnesia?" Aimee asked. "I've only heard of just plain amnesia."

"Transient global amnesia is a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that can't be attributed to a more common neurological condition, such as epilepsy or stroke. You generally remember who you are and perhaps people you know well. But it can wipe our short-term memory. Sometimes for extended periods. But usually it is temporary. We are trying to speed things up a bit by trying to flush it out by other drugs which can counter it."

"Is it possible that this was also given to Emma Salinger?" Callie asked. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, we have started treatment with her as well and hope we can stir the reaction we are hoping for. Since it has potentially been in her system longer, it may take more time to counter its effect."

"So, this can explain things with Emma." Chet mused aloud. "She may have been given the drug on the off chance she was discovered alive."

"Yes." Fenton agreed. "So, he was not being quite as sloppy as we originally thought. He gave her something to induce this form of amnesia, and if found, would have little recollection about where she had been."

"How long until we are aware if this countering treatment works, and these girls are able to give us some information?" Callie asked with some impatience in her tone. The doctor held up his hands in a gesture of uncertainty.

"I can't answer that with any accuracy at this time, Mrs. Morton. It's a very individual response. Some people can be given the countermeasure treatment and be back to themselves in a matter of hours. Others, it's less certain. It also depends on the dosage they were given. If he dosed them heavily, there is more effect to counter. We have to wait and see at this point. But, it is good news overall since this form of drugging can be reversed more so than others." Chet leaned back in his chair thoughtfully.

"So, with Rhiannon, it was not meant to alter her in any permanent way. Just buy our sick friend time in the event we happen to be undercover feds. We would have a girl with no short-term memory for an extended period of time. But one who would still be able to function enough so I couldn't go back and cry damaged goods and decline further business."

"That's what it amounts to." Fenton concurred.

"Why is Emma unconscious then?" Aimee asked, still a bit confused by how the drug worked on its victims.

"Well..." Dr. Morrison offered. "We feel with Miss. Salinger, that she had also suffered a couple mild blows to the head. And while the CT scan didn't pick up any actual brain injury, it's quite feasible that if she got a huge dose at or around the time she suffered the injuries to her head it would cause her to fall into the unresponsive state she is in."

"So, she was given an elephant dose, and then pistol whipped around the same time?" Chet asked. Fenton slowly nodded.

"The blows to her head are consistent with that of the blunt side of the average pistol. There is also an indentation mark on her temple. It clearly indicates that the perp took great effort in nearly grinding the barrel of the gun into the side of her head. The mark is very clear."

"Yes." Dr. Morrison nodded his agreement. "This girl has been victim to some very violent trauma in both a physical and sexual manner. To say nothing of the mental trauma! We believe that all of it compounded with a near lethal dose of Zestol is why she is in the condition she is presently in. But, with any luck we will see a positive reaction to things within 24 hours. I am cautious with this outlook though. I am speaking in general average response times. Since we do not know what kind of dosage he used, it's impossible to say for sure how long this might take." Fenton reached over and shook the doctor's hand.

"Well, doctor. We won't keep you any longer. Please alert me when you know anything. It will help us greatly with this investigation." Dr. Morrison nodded.

"Of course, Detective Hardy. I will certainly be in touch." The doctor nodded to the others and took his leave from the room.

Callie rubbed her temples and shook her head.

"What kind of sick person are we after? Who rapes children and then gives them drugs to make them forget?" Aimee reached over and rubbed Callie's back.

"This guy is nuts. But, we are going to get him. And we are going to get Maddie back safe." Callie did her best to keep it together. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, we are."

Chet was about to lend a supportive statement to his wife when his phone went off. Chet grunted with aggravation and fished into his pocket. He looked a bit surprised when he realized he had both phones in his pocket. And that the phone that sounded an alert was his burner phone. He activated the screen and looked down at it. A moment later his eyes widened.

"What's up?" Aimee asked when she saw his expression.

"That was Swanson. He will be sending pictures and video soon and wants me to see 8 girls. That they will be $50,000 each except the one he touts as the perfect girl who has never been touched by a man. She is $150,000." Fenton looked over.

"Half million for the set of eight. That's a nice round figure." Chet nodded.

"Yeah. He upped the numbers a bit. But, that was to be expected once he determined we were exporting to Arab clientele." Callie held her hands together and said a prayer.

"Please, Lord. Let them send a picture of my baby!" She breathed deeply, trying her best to avoid hyperventilating. Aimee placed an arm around her.

"It's going to be ok. They will send her picture. Because we know the same guy has her. He has to!"

Fenton looked over at Chet and gestured for him to come closer. Chet complied and edged over closer to him.

"Yeah?" He whispered.

"I just want you to know that they might send you photos of the girls nude. You might just want to mentally prepare yourselves..."

"What are you saying over there, Fenton?" Callie spoke up, noticing he and Chet were exchanging words in a low voice. Fenton looked over to her. He supposed he should also tell her since she was obviously going to see all the photos anyway.

"I was just telling Chet that you all should be prepared in the event the kidnappers send pics of the girls nude. I don't want you to be shocked if you see a photo of Maddie that way." Callie shrugged.

"Fenton, I don't care about that. I've seen my daughter nude plenty of times. Though her father might get a little disturbed by that just because it would likely make him uncomfortable as a dad." Chet nodded.

"Yeah, well, if I accidentally opened the bathroom door at the wrong time I might get red in the face. But, I just want to get my baby back." Fenton nodded.

"I know. I just wanted to remind you two that it was a possibility." Chet and Callie nodded. Before either could say another word, Chet's phone buzzed again. Chet picked it up.

"Here goes nothing." He activated the screen and looked down. The others gathered on either side of him to get a view as well. The message read: GIRL #1. Then a photo popped up after. It was a girl of about 16 who had reddish brown hair and freckles. She was, as Fenton predicted, standing against a wall nude.

"That is one of the missing girls!" Fenton stated. "Lisa Maddox."

"I recognize her from the list." Callie said calmly. "Poor kid looks scared." The phone buzzed again. GIRL #2. They waited on the photo. A moment later it popped up. This time a blonde girl of about 12. Slightly chubby. Also standing nude against a wall.

"That's another known victim." Fenton confirmed. "Mary Conrad." Aimee sniffled.

"Damn, I hate this. These kids look so scared!"

The group watched as the next four girls popped up in the text. All girls were known kidnap victims from the middle eastern seaboard.

"That's six." Callie said tensely. "Where is she?"

"Patience." Fenton advised. "He is hopefully saving the proverbial best for last. I am not attempting to take anything away from the girls we have seen. But, your daughter is clearly in a class above them when it comes to looks." Callie nodded nervously.

"That is true. Yet another reason why beauty can sometimes be a curse,"

Again, the phone buzzed and all heads turned downward. GIRL #7. The photo that popped up was a girl with short brown hair and green eyes. She appeared to be around 14.

"Megan Rhodes." Fenton commented. "From Greensboro I believe."

"He knows how to pick them." Aimee observed. Callie nodded.

"Yeah. He passed over several photos that Jaime sent him from the bowling alley. He puts his mind on a certain look. While I agree that Maddie is more attractive than any of the girls we've seen, I must say that these young women still have something going on. Something remarkable in some way compared to many other girls. Which is hard to find considering he was fishing in places like bowling alleys."

"He has an eye for them." Fenton conceded. "But yes, by virtue of where he does his hunting, he is clearly not looking for an articulate girl."

"That became apparent with Rhiannon." Aimee reflected. "Poor girl seems well under her age in her intellect."

BUZZ-BUZZ

All eyes fell to Chet's phone. As Fenton predicted, the textual context was not surprising. AND BEST FOR LAST, WALT. THIS GIRL IS THE ONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN WITH A MAN. COMPLETELY SMOKING HOT. AGAIN, SHE IS $150K AND ABSOLUTELY NO HAGGLING. A SPECIAL VIDEO OF THIS ONE FOLLOWING PHOTOS.

Chet gulped hard. Callie, also tense, reached over and grabbed her husband's hand as they prepared themselves. The first image appeared.

"Oh my God!" Callie shrieked. A facial portrait of Madeleine Morton appeared before him. Chet's eyes began tearing up upon viewing the photo.

"My baby girl!" A cluster of photos were sent in a batch file. Fenton cleared his throat before Chet hit the view button.

"Be prepared." He cautioned. Chet and Callie both nodded. His thumb hovered over the view button for a few moments. With one last hard swallow he tapped the screen. A series of photos appeared of Maddie standing in a room in various states of undress. Then a few more completely nude. The end photo being a shot of their daughter bent over revealing her backside, among other things. Chet dropped the phone and bent over the side of the table and started dry heaving. Both Aimee and Callie supported him from either side. Trying their best to calm him. He took several breaths.

"Take it easy, baby." Aimee soothed. Callie raised an eyebrow at Aimee's intimation, but said nothing. She was far more worried about Chet not choking than reading into a something said in reaction.

"Chet, honey. Sit up." She said softly. Chet finally sat up with a glazed look on his face. Aimee grabbed a nearby bottle of water and handed it to him.

"Take a drink." She encouraged. Chet took the bottle and looked down at it. Still a bit dazed.

"Think I'm going to need something stronger than this." He took a deep breath. He opened the bottle and took a long drink. "This guy is one sick son of a bitch!" He grunted. Callie picked up the phone and looked down at it. She examined the photos of her daughter.

"She's scared. But also, kind of pissed. I know that look."

"Sounds like she had the composure the comply with his requests for poses. Even if she likely determined them to disgust her." Fenton commented. "That kind of composure probably saved her a beating. At least I would like to think." A moment later the phone buzzed again. Callie picked up the phone after noticing Chet wanted little to do with the phone. She looked down and took a breath.

"A video file is loading." She observed with a surge of anxiety.

"I'm not sure I can look." Chet said slowly. Aimee rubbed her hand along his back.

"You don't have to..." Chet nodded.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I do." He looked over at Callie. "Let's get this over with." Callie, also quite hesitant to view the video slowly nodded.

"Yeah." She looked at Aimee and Fenton. Chet was looking in the other direction. He slowly turned towards them and looked down towards the phone screen.

"Ok, Cal." Callie tapped the screen. A video started with a girl sitting in a bathtub.

"Hey, that's Rhiannon." Aimee observed. They watched the video continue. A moment later their daughter entered the screen, also nude. She stepped into the bathtub and sat in front of Rhiannon. They watched, wide eyed as Rhiannon proceeded to fondle and kiss Maddie. Chet looked on, biting his lip, fearful of what he would see next.

"My God." He muttered under his breath.

A few minutes along in the video they noticed that Jaime then entered the tub and stood in front of Maddie.

"Jaime!" Callie rasped. "That's the girl who helped take Maddie."

"My God! What is Maddie doing?!" Chet asked as he watched the video continue. They watched as Rhiannon stimulated her from behind and Maddie was giving Jaime oral sex. A pale look crossed Callie's face.

"I know what she's doing. I'm just totally blown away that she knows how to do that!" She looked sharply at Aimee. "Did we ever, you know, accidentally do that in front of her?!" Aimee blinked several times and shook her head.

"Well, no. I can't remember any occasion when it might have happened." They continued to watch. It was apparent that Maddie knew her way around with what she was doing. Chet's brow wrinkled as his eyes grew wider.

"I'm just blown away here. How does one that young perform with that kind of comfort and ease? With that kind of experience?" Fenton cleared his throat. Callie paused the video and looked to him.

"Do you have input, Fenton? Because I could sure use some about now." Fenton took a breath and sat back thoughtfully.

"Yes. Mind you, this is purely speculative. But, I got a look into her eyes. I would suspect she had been drugged. Now, we learned already that this guy has used drugs to his benefit. In the act of abducting her, he had Jaime spike her beverage. With Emma and Rhiannon, both were given a benzo cousin drug. I would suspect in this case that he simply gave her something that would remove her inhibitions. Probably a milder benzo. Perhaps Xanax or Ativan."

"But...but..." Chet stuttered. "How did she get to perform like that. And with other girls?" Fenton gave a wry smile.

"Chet, she was performing a sexual act. Most humans who have their inhibitions lowered, naturally or by chemical means, are generally wired to have sex with some degree of knowledge. I know you don't want to think of her that way. But even innocent and virginal girls can occasionally look at online pornography. They can also read about sex. Sexual positions and techniques. Chances are, Maddie has probably explored herself and been quite curious." Chet shook his head back and forth.

"Oh, ugh! No! Fenton, I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that, man!" Callie rubbed Chet's back.

"Easy, babe. I know your protective daddy DNA is kicking in here. But, Fenton is probably right. I just didn't think she would be so familiar or well, functional with another girl." Aimee gave an audible grunt. Callie flashed her a look. "You have something to add?" She snapped. Aimee nodded.

"Uhm, yeah. It was just over a year ago when you and Iola introduced me to the world of girl on girl sex. You two were my first. And as I recall that night, you all seemed pretty impressed with how I took to it."

"Also." Fenton added. "Maddie has observed you and Callie, her mother, for over a year. Her perception of what a relationship is and the sexual context is not likely gender specific. She observed the two of you being a couple. She didn't have to see you having sex to understand that it is an acceptable and normal thing in your household. If I can draw you back to the here and now, I think it's more important to address how to remove Madeleine from this man's power. You can have your debate on sexual orientation down the road. The reason she appears so comfortable on that video is because she is very likely drugged. And two, quite happy she is at least being forced to have sex with other girls she can relate to. Even appreciate. Compared to the man who is holding her, and how terrible that experience could be. She has her virginity protecting her from at least overt direct rape from her captor. I am not at all saying what we saw wasn't traumatizing for her. As well as her parents. But, it could be far worse. She is protected by the virtue that has raised her sale value." Chet nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Man, my damn brain hurts! All I know is I just saw my little girl in a way no father should have to! And I want to hunt that evil bastard down!" Callie sat in her chair. Still absorbing what Fenton said. Reflecting back about what she may or may not have known about her own child."

"I really don't care about what I just saw. I know she is alive. And that's all that is important for now. Chet, I'm guessing this guy wants a reply to his messages. I suggest we make a deal for these girls and get our baby back." Chet nodded.

"Yeah." He picked up his phone. Looking to Fenton. "Any instructions?"

"Just tell him you will meet his terms. But, you would like to make a transaction quickly because you need to meet your quota for your next export. Do you have access to get half a million quickly?" Chet nodded and shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. It's in the car." Fenton blinked several times.

"You have half a million dollars in the car?" Chet nodded.

"It's secure. Fenton, the last thing I'm caring about right now is money." He looked down at the phone and started tapping his message out.

"Time is of the essence." Fenton reminded him. Chet gave him a sideways glance.

"Lest we forget." He finished his message and placed the phone down. "Ok. We will see what Mr. Swanson has to say."

"Where is Frank?" Aimee asked. Not that she particularly missed his presence in the room.

"He was bushed." Callie said. "He is in a staff suite catching up on rest."

"I'm bushed myself." Chet yawned. "But, I am not likely to get any kind of rest. I have those images too fresh in my mind."

"I wonder about Jaime." Callie mused aloud. "Why didn't he offer her? She is quite pretty."

"He probably likes having her to help facilitate his acquisitions." Chet said with a shrug. Fenton looked over at them with a thoughtful smile.

"Very true, Chet. But, I wonder what would happen if he gave her up?"

"What are you thinking, Fenton?" Callie asked with growing interest.

"Well, he has clearly preferred using Jaime more often than not to help get new girls. Which is a nice arrangement. He pressures her to help him and she takes all the risk. If something bad were to happen, she would get caught. Not him. Now, in the video he shows Jaime incidentally. So, he has opened himself up to at least having Chet express some interest in her. He probably knows she doesn't have much value beyond the average girl because she is most likely of seasoned virtue. So, she is worth more to keep than just deal away. But, suppose Walter shows a strong interest in the brunette in the bathtub video?" Chet perked up and nodded.

"Hey Fenton. That's not a bad idea. So, you want me to ask him how much she is?" Fenton nodded.

"Yeah. Let's see what his price point is. If we take Jaime out of the equation then he is likely to have to surface more if he wishes to get more girls."

"Or maybe just train another girl." Aimee speculated.

"I'm not sure that would happen, Aimee. You see, Jaime has a sister. Jesse is her little sister and I would bet that he is strongly leveraging her against Jaime to make her go out and hunt for her. So, she does have value to him that other girls would not." Chet's phone buzzed, causing all to look down at it. Chet picked it up and looked.

"Looks like he will check with the main guy. But Swanson speculates they could probably get them together soon enough. Which is not very specific. But, I guess he has to check with the boss. I will ask him about Jaime."

"Be sure not to use her name." Fenton cautioned. "Just mention you liked the video and wonder if the brunette is available." Chet nodded and started tapping on the phone. A few moments later he set it down.

"Ok, done. We shall see."


Reese sat at the metal desk inside his makeshift office. He looked down at his phone.

"Good to hear that Rhiannon was moved along without issue."

"Yeah!" Swanson's voice came over the speaker. "He liked her. He also liked the photos and video we sent. He agreed to the terms. But, he did have a question."

"Oh?" Reese's tone remained calm. "What might that be?"

"Well, he saw Jaime in the video. He wants her, too." Reese tiled his head and looked towards the doorway thoughtfully.

"That could be problematic. I have plans for her."

"Well, what if he insists?" Reese blinked, feeling somewhat aggravated.

"Is he really in a position to do that? I think not." He heard Swanson sigh.

"Well, what if he insists using a stack of cash?" Reese sighed deeply.

"It would have to be quite the stack. Because if I move her along, little sister is going too. By herself, Jesse doesn't hold much value to me. And Jaime would not go quietly without her. So, you feel Walt out. But, unless we are talking a chunk, I'd be just as content keeping Jaime. She is good at finding new girls. I might also add, that she would be strictly for export. As in out of the United States. She knows where this place is. I can't risk having a girl that could spill that bit of information. She would definitely have to be a play thing for one of them Arabs with no way to ever return back to this country."

"I hear ya. I think he liked the video. He figures he has one of the three in the tub already. The other he has agreed to. I bet he wants to complete the trifecta. Probably be a good advertising video to his clients. Obviously, it worked for him."

"Probably. He's likely be disappointed with Jaime anyway. She is a cold fish in the sack. She was good the first few times. Then she stopped fighting. I'd gladly pass her along if she didn't have other value to me. But if an international destination is in the cards, I will entertain Walt's offer. "

"Well, let me dialogue with him. He might be feeling generous." Reese grunted.

"Yeah, well you do that. But don't waste my time if he offers 50 for the pair."

"I'll get back to you!" The phone disconnected. Reese sat back. Something was bothering him. He wasn't able to put his finger on it.


Swanson put his phone down and looked across the table at Horton. They sat in Swanson's second story apartment which sat just a couple blocks away from the Sands Motel.

"Well, he's open to offers. But he won't be giving Jaime away." Horton gave a snort.

"Guess not. That kid is good bait and listens well. But, for the right amount she is expendable. You just better hope that Reese doesn't find out you are sticking it to old Walt for something extra and not cutting him in." Swanson waved him off.

"What's to worry about? I am the middle man. The broker. There would never be a reason for Walt and Reese to meet, or even talk directly. If I make us a bit extra on these girls, it's to our advantage. Plus, you never know how long the party is going to last. Reese gets the girls, for sure. But, he is one step away from being caught. Tying both those girls to trees up in the mountains. No reason to bring that kind of heat to this area. Whenever they discover Emma's body it's going to mean we have to lay low. Damn feds will be crawling all over the place again. I'm not too worried about the sheriff's department. They know when to let a sleeping dog lie. I can also find out anything which may be coming on that end. But those feds will be back at it. Just like when they found Heather. Reese isn't thinking good when he does shit like that. No, I'd rather we kick some extra money back for ourselves. If we have to bug out on short notice, it will be good to have the extra cash." Horton shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess you are right. I just don't want the psycho to find out you are skimming more than the known percentage he thinks you're getting." Swanson gave him a sullen look.

"Well, aint no damn way he can find out. So, relax."

"Ok, ok. Just chill yourself. So, what are you going to try to get Walt to pay for Jaime and her sister? I guess the young one is a virgin. But, she is just not too appealing. Not the way that Madeleine girl is! Man, she is smoking! That video always gets me going."

"That's why I marked her up to $150,000. Ok, I'm gonna test the waters with our friend Walt and see if he is serious about Jaime."


Chet and Aimee had taken Fenton's advice and opted to use a staff suite at the medical center to get some much-needed rest. They had been through a lot that evening. Chet was not relishing a late night drive back to the motel. And they also wanted to hang out to see if Rhiannon was going to be alright.

Aimee watched as Chet rolled around restlessly on his bed in the dimly lit room.

"You ok, babe?" She asked from her own bed. Chet sighed and flipped over again to face her direction.

"No, not really."

"Anything I can do?"

"Well..." He said quietly. Aimee knew. She got out of her bed and walked a few steps over to his. She slid in next to him. It was a small bed, so the fit was tight.

"Glad to help. It helps me too. So, what part of this dreadful night is keeping you awake?" Chet gave an audible sigh of relief as he felt Aimee's finger tips running gently through his hair.

"That feels nice. I don't know where to start as far as answering your question. Maybe the fact that I just saw a video of my minor daughter taking part in a threesome. That is tough to process."

"Well, I know it probably doesn't matter much. But, wouldn't it be worse if she were in a threesome with two men. I mean at least somehow being able to see it as she was with two other girls her own age." Chet grunted.

"I don't know. Maybe...in some way it may be a bit easier to swallow. I mean if it were a video of her captor participating, I dare say I'd be loading up the shotgun right now. But, I just feel that no matter who it was with. Her innocence...She deserved something different. Something meaningful. Something private and between just her and the person of her choosing." Aimee wrapped her arm around him.

"I know she did. I agree. But, with any luck we will be getting her back very soon. We just have to finalize this deal with Swanson."

"Yeah." Chet muttered. "Hope he agrees to the offer I made for Jaime and her sister. Fenton seems to think it would help to get her. Then that may smoke him out into the open."

"Yes. Did he ever text back?"

"No. I offered him an extra hundred grand. He said he would run it by the man in charge and get back to me." She ran her hand along the side of his face.

"Well, no sense in worrying. He knows where the money is."

"Yeah, I know. I have to tune him out. If I think too much about him, all I want to do is beat the crap out of him and Horton. But my mind just keeps racing from one thing to the other."

"What else is keeping you up?" Chet sighed.

"Not sure where to start. Lots of things I guess. But, I know what happened earlier in the meeting room made me think."

"Are you referring to when Callie walked in and saw you and I?"

"Yeah. She saw you being sweet on me." Aimee gave a nervous laugh.

"Great timing, huh? I had to think a bit when that happened. I don't know what to think of all this. I love her. At least I think I love her. We've been through a lot. I am breathing today because of her. But..." She hesitated. Chet looked down."

"But what?"

"Well, I feel something for you, too. I hope that doesn't make you nervous. I don't know. I gather she doesn't think there is anything really between us. I'm very glad to know that Fenton didn't give her all the details of what happened that first day in the Sands Motel."

"Yeah, I know. Cal puts up a good front. But, I suspect if she knew there was something genuine or intimate between us... Well, it would be hard on her. With the dynamic of our relationships as they are, I am not sure how to look at what is going on. But, for the record, I feel something for you, too." Aimee leaned closer and they shared a kiss. They snuggled together.

"Goodnight, baby." Chet ran his hand along the back of her head.

"Goodnight, sweetness."