What was supposed to be a three-day job, had turned into two weeks. On Deeks' second day with the Mason's ring, they ran into an issue with one stage of the transportation plan. Which meant that most of the victims were still in a location Deeks didn't have access to.

In that time, Deeks had been shown around the "facilities" where Mason kept the trafficking victims, in a secluded part of Nevada. The first day he'd walked through the dilapidated structure filled with terrified girls and women, it had taken all his power not to show his horror. None of the other trafficking cases he'd worked had been this bad or required him to play such a hands-on role.

Mason had everyone take shifts to keep guard over the building. At first, Deeks had been paired with one of the other men, presumably so they could keep an eye on him, but then they'd backed off after a few days, and left him to guard on his own from time to time. Thankfully, he'd had minimal interaction with Baker since the knife incident.

The only way he got through each shift was by leaning into Max's persona as deeply as he could.

Aside from Jason Baker, there were only two other men Deeks had met so far Adrean Torrin and Michael Westman. Torrin was a wiry man in his mid-30s, who Deeks figured Mason kept on for his loyalty, because he certainly didn't bring intelligence. He filled most of his and Deeks' shared shifts making lewd jokes.

Westman was a few inches taller than Deeks, and the more desirable of the two, if only because he spoke less. He rarely tried to engage with Deeks outside of what was absolutely necessary. He smoked day in and out though, and the smell of the cigarette smoke mixing with the stench of the dank building was nauseating.

Tonight, Deeks was on his third shift in a row, in the middle of walking through the cells. Torrin walked beside him, waving his automatic rifle menacingly, occasionally clanging it against the bars, and snickering when it got a response from one of the younger girls. Deeks suppressed the disgust that rose up in him at Torrin's clear enjoyment at bullying helpless, scared little girls.

Instead, he kept his expression neutral as he scanned the cells, making sure none of victims looked sick or hurt. He did it every pass through; some quickly dipped their heads, refusing eye contact, while a couple looked at him pleadingly. One young woman, probably the one of the oldest of the group, glared back at him, her eyes gleaming with hatred. Just like they did every time she saw him.

"As soon as this bunch is gone, I'm going somewhere with a beach, lots of booze," Torrin announced without promoting, his voice too loud and grating. "I wouldn't mind taking one of these ones with me." It wasn't the first time he'd made similar comments, and once again, Deeks had to hide his revulsion behind a mask of indifference. Torrin nudged his shoulder, grinning lasciviously. "What about you, Maxie? I could hook you up."

"Thanks, but I've never had any trouble finding lady friends," Deeks replied, grinning knowingly.

"I bet you don't." Torrin laughed obscenely, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out an untraceable phone, and put it to his ear, swearing under his breath a moment later. "Damn, signal never gets through here." He started back down the hall. "I'll be back in time to feed 'em."

"Yeah, that's what you said last time," Deeks called after him. He waited a couple minutes, making sure he didn't hear any further signs of movement, the retraced his steps to the third cell, and unlocked the door.

There were three girls who Deeks guessed to be somewhere in their early teens, and the young woman who had glared at him. Paola, his mind supplied. She stood up, putting a barrier between him and the younger girls, her stance defensive. One of the girls behind her whimpered.

"Hey, it's going to be ok," Deeks said, trying to infuse the whisper with as much reassurance as he could without raising his voice.

"Stay away from them," Paola said. Despite her thin build, Deeks had no doubt that she'd fight tooth and nail to protect the other girls.

"I don't want to hurt you."

She scoffed, her lips curling up in disdain. There was something about her that reminded him vaguely of Rosa. The thought made Deeks wince and close his eyes briefly. She had a similar accent too, her long dark hair strewn around her shoulders.

"I heard what you were saying to the other man. That Torrin. You're just like him and all the others."

Sometimes he wished he wasn't so good at playing Max. He'd known this part would be hard, but unfortunately, time wasn't on his side. Deeks paused with his hand on his rifle, debating what could turn out to be an extremely stupid decision. Then, before he could overthink it, he tugged the strap over his head, and set the rifle behind him.

Paola's eyes widened and he saw her eyes flick to the rifle. He wondered if she was considering making a run for it.

"Your name's Paola, right?" Deeks asked. She leaned away, clearly confused that he knew her name. I know I've done and said a lot of really terrible things since I came here, but I promise I'm not a bad man. I'm only pretending to help these guys so I can figure out a way to get you out of here."

There were a few whispers among the younger girls, and he heard one of the them translating into what he thought was Vietnamese.

"Why should we trust you?" Paola asked, lifting her chin. "You men like to play games."

"Because my name isn't Max, it's Marty Deeks." It was another risk, but knew it was worth it when Paola stance shifted a little. "I'm an undercover agent, well sort of, and I was sent here to get all of you out of here," Deeks explained. "I know that's probably still hard to believe after everything you've been through, but it's the truth."

"What proof do you have?" Paola demanded, and Deeks couldn't contain a soft smile. He was oddly proud of her tenacity.

"No, I don't have any proof. That would be too dangerous. But I can tell you that I'm married, and I, um, have a daughter named Rosa. She's from Guatemala. She just graduated high school and wants to study law, like I did. And I have twin babies, who I miss more than anything in the world."

With that last bit of information, Paola's expression softened, and he knew he'd won her over.

"You left your family," she said, shaking her head slightly in apparent disbelief. Following her lead, the younger girls had retreated slightly, seeming less afraid.

"I didn't want to." He shook his head. "It's one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but once I was asked to help, I couldn't say no."

"How are you going to get us out of here then?" she asked. "It will be hard to sneak all of us out without someone noticing."

"I do have a plan," Deeks assured her. "Admittedly, it's still a work in progress. When I tell you, I need everyone to be ready to leave. Make sure they know, but that they have to keep it a secret. If Mason or any of the others find out…" he shook his head, trailing off, and Paola's eyes widened again with sudden understanding."

"You're afraid of him too," she realized.

"I think anyone would be." Deeks reached out, moving slowly enough that Paola could stop him if she wanted. She watched him cautiously, yet didn't move or try to prevent him from squeezing her hand. She shuddered at the contact, her shoulders caving in after a moment, and a few tears leaked down her cheeks.

"Hey, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep all you of safe," Deeks whispered. "I promise."


A/N: I know others have written similar stories before, but hopefully my take is still enjoyable. Also, I know this is a bit of a darker story.