Hey! I'm back from my Dad's! Did you miss me? I hope you did, or at least my story! I just got back and I'm already updating! Aren't I wonderful? Oh well, here's chapter seven!

NUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RS

Lexo walked back from dropping off the envelope at Charlie's house and smiled as he imagined the reaction Don and his father would have when they saw it.

He heard some distant yelling, but brushed it off as kids playing nearby, He peered down at his watch, three hours to go until he could fufill his revenge. He thought ironic that Don hadn't noticed he was keeping his little brother right next door.

He walked casually into the house and made himself a sandwich. Munching on it he walked toward the basement to taunt Charlie with the food. He knew it would make his mouth water and Charlie would beg and plead for some.

Lexo chuckled to himself, but stopped abruptly when he saw the door to the basement was ajar.

He looked down into the room and called out, "Charlie!"

Hearing no reply from his captive, he rushed down, taking the stairs two at a time. He saw the cot empty, the hancuffs still there. He knew only one person who would take Charlie in this manner. His eyes narrowed and he hissed to no one in particular in realization, "Alex!"

He quickly took the cuffs off the bed, knowing he would need them and called Todd on his cell phone.

"Alex took him, if you want him you're gonna have to do some killing," Lexo told him.

"What? You can't do it?"Todd asked.

"I told you, I dont kill," Lexo replied a matter of factly.

"I'll meet you there,"Todd answered and hung up on him.

Lexo closed the phone and left the house through the front. About a block away, he saw the police cars heading toward the Epps's home or possibly his hide out. He was glad for the stroke of luck, that he wasn't there now. However, he had a score to settle.

NUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RS

Don raced toward his little brother's neighbourhood as fast as he could, barely noticing the car that he had just passed, what mattered right now was getting Charlie back home.

He didn't bother pulling into the driveway, but pulled over on the side of the road. Immediatly, agents filled Charlie's neighbour's house, on the slightest chance someone who knew where Charlie was, was there.

"Clear!" David yelled and Don's heart sank. He ran next door for a moment to find his dad. On the front stoop he found a small white envelope addressed "Donnie."

Tentively, Don picked up the envelope and emptied the contents into his hand. A poloroid photo and a small piece of paper fell out. His eyes went to the photo first.

Don's eyes watered as he saw it. His baby brother, handcuffed to a cot, bloody and bruised.

"It should be me," he whispered sadly, then his eyes ran over the words written on the note.

"Not long left, Donnie. Find us, if you can? Oh, and did I neglect to mention that Charlie hasn't eaten at all since I obtained possession of him. I bet he's hungry."

Don's eyes narrowed, "That Bxxxxxxd!" He voiced angrily.

NUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RS

From in the trunk, Charlie wondered what was going to happen to him. Would Don be able to track him down? Would Lexo come get him so he could get his money, or would Alex be able to keep him?

The thought sent shivers down his spine. Whatever Alex had planned for him, it wasn't good. The engine stopped and Charlie braced himself for the sudden burst of light.

Alex reached into the trunk and lifted him out and again put him over his shoulder. He was brought into a warehouse this time.

Upon entering he saw at least ten other young men inside. They were in a large cage made of fence wire. Another man opened the door to the cage and Charlie was thrown in there, the door slammed shut behind him.

Immediatly the other men untied him and helped him sit up, "What is this place?" Charlie asked, confused.

"A slave ring," one of the men told him.

"A prostitution ring," Someone else said at the same time.

"Not a great place to be," Another man finished, summing up both answers.

"Greeeeeeat," Charlie answered sarcastically.

"So, new guy, what's your name?" The first guy asked.

"Charlie Epps," he rasped, as he was still dehydrated.

"I'm Mike Yoke," Mike told him.

Their talk was interupted by Alex letting someone in. It was an older man and Alex led him toward the cage, "Take your pick," He said.

The rest of the men retreated to the back of the cage and Charlie tried to make himself small from where he was. The older man looked around and pointed at the guy who had said this place wasn't a great place to be.

"Sam, that's you," Alex called out and Sam relunctantly went toward the entrance of the cage; where he was grabbed and dragged out. The older man took him buy the arm and pulled him toward on of the doors that lined the walls. That's when Charlie realized it wasn't a warehouse, but an abandoned hotel.

Sam was forced into the room and they lost sight of him, but they still heard him.

"Yeah, that's what happens here. You'll be lucky if you last the day before it's your turn. The record is serving 7 clients in one day. That guy is long gone now, though," Mike told him sadly.

"Yeah, Jake was a good guy, too bad for him all the clients liked him," someone spoke up.

A while later Sam was dragged back out of the room in tears. He was thrown into the cage again and Mike asked, "A bad one, huh?"

Sam only nodded through his tears. All Charlie could do was give him a sympathetic look. He couldn't empathize with the man, at least not yet.

The silence didn't last long, apparently everyone was used to this, although he doubted that it made it any easier. "I'm hungry," one of the younger men complained in a tentive whisper. He could only have been at the most sixteen, a boy, not a man.

"I haven't eaten in days," Charlie added.

"You're exagerating!" The boy replied quietly.

"No, I'm not," Charlie answered, "I haven't eaten in almost two days. If I could've, I would've"

"Damn," the boy said sympathetically.

"Yeah. Anyway, what's your name?" Charlie asked.

"Tommy," Tommy told him in a voice barely more than a whisper. Charlie felt a connection with the young boy, but he wasn't sure why. The kid sat down beside him and continued, "I was taken from my foster home during the night. I'm fourteen."

" I was taken from my basement in broad day-light," Charlie informed him, "I was held in my nextdoor neighbours house for two days and still no one found me."

Tommy asked, "That's when they didn't feed you, right?"

"Yeah," Charlie sighed.

Alex again interupted them, but it wasn't for a client. It was, thankfully, for food. It was only a bunch of dinner rolls and ten or so bottles of water. Each of them grabbed a roll and a bottle of water. Tommy was nice enough to get Charlie's for him, since he doubted he could walk yet.

"Thanks Tommy," he said as he accepted the roll and water.

"No problem," Tommy replied, almost timidly. It was obvious the boy was battling his demons. The demons that came with being kidnapped and rented out like an object.

Everyone ate in silence and soon after another client was allowed in. This one was about 45 and again, eveyone but Charlie, retreated. The client looked around the cage and to Charlie's horror, pointed at him.

"Charlie, c'mon lets go," Alex called to him and Charlie tried to get up, but failed, "Don't make me come in there," he added dangerously.

Charlie swallowed thickly and tried again, when he failed, Tommy and Mike helped him up and supported him to the door, "Thanks," he whispered to them.

Alex grabbed Charlie and handed him over to the client, who dragged him toward one of the rooms. "I'm gonna have lots of fun with you," the man whispered evilly in his ear.

"Leave me alone," Charlie pleaded quietly.

"Afraid I can't do that. I paid for a half hour and I'm gonna get my time," the man smiled as he turned the doorknob.

Just as the door to the room opened, the door to the hotel opened and someone familar yelled, "Charlie, get down!"

Charlie used what strength he had, to wrench himself out of the client's grasp and dropped to the floor as bullets erupted into the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hope it was long enough! READ AND REVIEW!

Love: Nicole LeQuant