No Trust
"I thought you didn't have friends." Punk said, having taken AJ into the living room to speak in private whilst Tara sat out in the kitchen.
"Well I don't but… I knew Tara on the streets and I came across her business not that long ago." AJ said, "You can trust her. If I can trust her, you can too." AJ nodded.
"And what is she here to do?" Punk questioned, "Isn't it best we just keep this between ourselves? Why do we need to involve other people?"
"Because we don't know what we're up against here, Phil." AJ said, "Yes, it's your mom and your sister but what if there's other people? Plus, I'm gonna get Tara to be on the look out, see if she can pinpoint their whereabouts. It's an unfamiliar face." AJ nodded, "They probably know who everyone is around us." AJ nodded as Punk ran his hand through his hair.
"Why do you think she's even doing this? Targeting us?" Punk asked.
"Well strictly speaking, she's not targeting us. We were digging into their business. I was thinking they were victims but… now they're just protecting their business." AJ nodded, "I want my hands on her." AJ looked across at him, "She was gonna take Raimy." She shook her head, "I want to see her face."
"Well that makes two of us." Punk nodded, "So you're gonna send Tara out to spy on them and then what?"
"Once we find out where they go, when the house is empty, we'll make our move. Tara is good… she… she helped me out on the streets. She's smart." AJ nodded.
"She's terrifying." Punk whispered as AJ smiled.
"She's fine." AJ nodded. She felt like her head was all over the place with so much emotion. They both did. From going through such terror and fear with their children, to now finding out that everything wasn't what they thought, and that their enemy was a little closer to home than usual.
"I'm sorry things can't be simple with this." Punk shook his head.
"You do not need to apologise to me for anything." AJ nodded, walking over to him and taking his hands in hers, "We're complicated people, that comes with… with a price I guess." She nodded.
"A lot of prices." Punk shook his head, "We were just… we were supposed to settle down. Properly. We've been saying that since Raimy was little. Nothing seems to last forever until the next… psychopath comes along."
"Did you just call your mother a psychopath?" AJ smiled a little.
"Well what would you use to describe the woman who… hasn't met me yet but has taken our children away and wanted to kidnap our daughter." Punk said as AJ nodded, her smile fading. She knew it had to be extra difficult on him. Even though he didn't know the woman, it was still his mother, and there had to be a lot of feelings involved.
"I get it if this is different for you. It's not like it's some random stranger." AJ nodded.
"Well it is." Punk nodded, "Biologically, she's my mom but… she's a stranger. I don't know her, and I don't want to. And if she is involved with using these girls, sending them out to make money, trying to make a business out of that… there's no other place for her other than prison." He shrugged.
"I'm sorry she couldn't be… a better person." AJ sighed, "And I'm sorry in advance when I punch her head off." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.
"Hey, go ahead." Punk nodded, "No one touches our kids. And if she… if she was taking Raimy for what I think she was…" He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, "It's not worth thinking about but… you can claw her eyes out if you want." Punk nodded seriously as she looked up at him.
"Hey." Tara walked into the living room as Punk and AJ turned around, "Sorry to interrupt the love but… can we get on with thinking of a plan for me. I get what's going on but… what do you actually need me to do?" Tara asked.
"Stop smoking cigarettes in our house." Punk tutted, taking the cigarette from her hand as Tara raised her eyebrows, "If you wanna smoke, go to the back door." He nodded, walking off into the kitchen as AJ smiled to herself.
"What is he? A doctor or something?" Tara smirked to AJ, nudging her as AJ smiled. Tara wrapped her arm around AJ and walked back into the kitchen where Punk had put the cigarette out, "Ok, what do you guys need me to do?"
"We need you to spy on Hilary and Michelle, and the house." AJ said, "I need you to let us know when the house is empty, what time, and where the girls all go. I reckon they'll be sent to a motel and… it'll be over the phone business type thing, you know?" She said as Tara nodded.
"So you want me to find out where the girls are going and when the house is empty?"
"Empty with Hilary in it." Punk nodded.
"Couldn't either of you just done that." Tara laughed, "You're literally the female Mike Tyson." She turned to AJ.
"It needs to be someone they don't know. They've been watching us." AJ said, "And maybe there's other people involved, other people in charge. It's your job to find out. C'mon, this stuff is a breeze compared to what we used to do." AJ reminded her.
"Yeah and I'm not seventeen anymore, April." Tara scoffed, "I get back ache." She teased as AJ just smiled.
"Once you get the information, come back to us and let us know so we can figure out when to go see Hilary and when we can get the girls who are being used to safety." AJ nodded just as there was a knock at the door, a rapid knock.
"Inviting more friends?" Punk turned to AJ who rolled her eyes.
"No." AJ said curiously, walking out of the kitchen and down the hall as she opened up the door, looking on as Michelle stood on the doorstep. Punk walked down the corridor behind AJ, pausing as he saw the girl from the picture.
"Please… please help me." Michelle nodded as AJ looked across, turning around to Punk who had his eyes fixed on what was his little sister. It had crossed his mind a few times if he had any siblings out there that he wasn't aware of, but he never thought he'd ever meet them if he did.
"Why should we?" AJ spat as Michelle looked at her.
"Please, I'm not like her." Michelle nodded.
"Let her in." Punk nodded as AJ stared at Michelle, stepping aside and letting her in as she quickly walked into the house. Punk watched her avoid his eye contact whilst AJ closed the door over and locked it.
"What are you doing here?" AJ spat, walking up to Michelle, getting close to her as Michelle gulped, "Huh?" AJ shoved her, "Did you know what your mother was up to?" She questioned, "Did you know she was going to take our daughter?" AJ questioned, grabbing her by the throat and pushing her down to the ground as Michelle fought back, grabbing AJ by the hair as AJ bit her hard on the arm, rolling around the narrow hallway as Punk grabbed AJ up.
"Enough!" Punk yelled whilst Michelle crawled back on the floor, her back hitting against Tara's legs as she jumped and turned around.
"Hi." Tara smiled.
"Alright alright." AJ calmed down, breaking out of Punk's grasp, "You knew." AJ pointed as Michelle got to her feet.
"I didn't. Not everything." Michelle said, "She… she thought you were going to ruin the business." Michelle said.
"The business?!" AJ exclaimed, "You mean your illegal business of forced prostitution. That business?" AJ questioned.
"It's not her fault." Michelle shook her head, "Honestly. She's brainwashed." Michelle nodded as Punk looked across at her, "She only took on the role because… because she wanted out of it herself, and it meant keeping me safe too." She nodded as Punk looked across at her. He never thought he'd be meeting his biological family like this. It was unfortunate, but for some reason, he saw good in his sister.
"She could call the cops." Tara suggested as Michelle shook her head.
"He has connections with the cops. Just like he did with social services." Michelle nodded.
"He?" Punk questioned, "Who is he?" He asked.
"I…" Michelle gulped, looking at all three of them.
"Cat got your tongue?" Tara exclaimed as AJ folded her arms and looked across at the woman.
"It's not just my mom who… who is in charge." Michelle said, "She isn't even in charge, not really." She said as Punk and AJ stared at her.
"Who is in charge?" Punk questioned as Michelle sighed.
"If we're gonna talk I wanna talk when you guys are a little bit calmer." Michelle said, "You all look ready to pounce on me." Michelle said.
"Well, we're getting there." AJ nodded.
"What is your problem with me?" Michelle questioned, walking over to her as AJ walked towards her, "Huh?"
"My problem is your psycho mother trying to hurt my children. Oh and that thing called taking away human rights from people. Those girls in that house." AJ spat as Michelle looked at her, "So I'll talk to you how I want to talk to you." She made clear as Michelle shoved her, both of them starting to fight again.
"Quit it!" Punk yelled angrily, "Stop it." He narrowed his eyes at AJ who made a face at him stubbornly whilst brushing her hair from over her face. Punk turned around, looking down at Michelle who looked up at him.
"Not exactly how I wanted to meet my big brother." Michelle admitted.
"I'm not your brother." Punk said as Michelle's face faded, "You're gonna go into that kitchen with us and you're going to tell us every damn thing you know. Everything about your mom, the man who is really behind all of this, about the girls who are there… every rotten thing you know. You're gonna tell us."
"Yeah?" Michelle smirked, "Or what?" She asked.
"I'll leave you with my wife and her friend. Their methods are a little different from mine." He said as Michelle turned around to Tara who smirked and waved to her whilst turning to AJ who was glaring at her.
Michelle nodded, turning around and walking through to the kitchen.
"Good decision." Punk nodded, following her into the kitchen as AJ and Tara followed in. He could almost see the same devilish, troublesome look in his sister's eyes that his wife sometimes had. She had no filter, she would scrape and claw for as long as she had to, and there was fight in her.
"I can't tell you everything because I barely know anything. I don't get told things." Michelle said, sitting down at the kitchen table whilst Tara stood behind by the fridge and AJ and Punk stood in front of her.
"What's your role in all of this?" Punk asked her.
"I know her role." AJ spat, "You're the one who plays those girls. You meet up with them, you spike them, you take them back to that hell house and you trap them there." AJ nodded, "That's your job, isn't it?" She nodded as Michelle looked up at her.
"You're a smart one." Michelle nodded, "But I do what I have to, to protect myself."
"Oh, really?" AJ laughed to herself.
"Yes, really. So does my mom." Michelle nodded, "She was just like those girls. Trapped." She said, "The only reason she got out was because my dad is the one who runs the business." Michelle shook her head, "She got pregnant and he wanted her to keep me, and that meant that she didn't have to work for him anymore… not like all the other girls had to." Michelle nodded, "And it meant I wouldn't be hurt either. He's our protection in all of this."
"He sounds like the fucking devil." AJ got up into Michelle's face, "The devil." AJ nodded.
"He is." Michelle nodded calmly, "But my mom does as he says and it means we don't get hurt. She's the one who makes sure everything runs smoothly and no one finds out about the business… so… you snooping around, she had to take action." She said.
"By action you mean taking our children from us? And planning to take our eldest daughter into that… house?" AJ spat with disgust.
"That was his idea." Michelle shook her head as Punk ran his hand through his hair.
"Wait a minute." Punk paused, "Why are you even here? You're sounding very much like you're defending your mom-"
"I want you to help us." Michelle nodded, "I do. I want to have a normal life. I want those girls to have normal lives. And my mom." She said as AJ looked across at her.
"I don't trust you one bit." AJ spat as Punk looked across at Michelle.
"We're trapped there just like those girls." Michelle nodded.
"What's his name?" Punk asked, "Your dad."
"Paul." Michelle nodded as AJ looked at her.
"What do we think?" Tara smiled, "I don't think I trust this bitch." She shook her head as AJ looked at Michelle.
"You're gonna help us get to him." Punk said as Michelle nodded, "And you're gonna tell us everything we need to know about that house."