Chapter 25

"I saw in Samantha's mind, that there was a large pen that was used to house almost 27 of you. I think we will take a little trip and see what we can do about this. If you haven't guessed by now, I take exception to people hurting others for fun."

"That is somewhere around Leitchfield I think," said Patty for the first time.

"Thank you Patty. We should be there in a few minutes."

"Mom can you piece the views each of them has of the area and other information to make a good guess as to where it is?"

"It will be difficult because they were all taken in a truck. But I cannot even assume that it was the shortest route. The name given may be a diversion."

"I agree. If we can't find it, I guess I will have to swim in the septic tank again, and fish the information out of our guest."

In the end, I did have to awake our guest. This time, I took a doc unit to him and before he awoke, I put him under again and was able to access his mind. "Mom you better take over here and record all you can. I feel like puking."

A fairly modern farming operation was found, with the guards living in the house, and the slaves in the barn. At present, they were mainly all in the house, so the guards could make use of any slaves, pleased their eye.

Tom and Patty readily agreed that this was the place, and I saw many horrifying things, that they saw happening while there. They began to shake with all the memories and I thought of a way to help them recover.

"Mom can you make some knockout gas to make this job easy"?

I can, but it would be easier to just use one of my tools onboard to put them to sleep. It uses special frequencies and intensities of audible and inaudible sound. If the warehouses were not so large, we could have done that there to. We have had to deal with unruly animals before, and this was the most humane."

"Will the suits protect us from the sound?"

"Yes, Henry. The effect only lasts as long as I have the device trained on them. If you remove them, you will fall asleep too."

"Well, give me two containers, that look like knockout gas."

"Patty, Tom, would any of you like to put on a bulletproof suit, that will make you invisible. I would like to put some sleeping gas into the house, and then bring the cops over to find them."

They stopped shaking a little, and I tried my best to get them to take my offer. Before the police came, I explained to them, we could get you to forget us. I hoped in this instance, to assist them in recovering from some of the ill effects, they had got since being captured. I used my aura shamelessly, to get them to help, even though Mom could place the canisters or beam the sound much easier than we could.

Nova and Blue gave their shield generators, and I activated them. We were dropped a few hundred metres away because I wanted them to feel good about sneaking up and destroying this operation.

Tom hid behind bushes and trees forgetting that he was invisible. Patty did the same. Only the small containers they carried were seen. What was I to ruin their game? So I just remained quiet and let them be commandoes.

It was getting quite dark and they ran to the side of the house that the soft wind was blowing. "You stay here Tom. In exactly thirty seconds release the gas."

"Ok Henry," he said with more pride than usual, and I could see the start of a smile in my mind.

Patty and I ran to the barn and as I counted down to 30 she gleefully released the contents of the cannister. The air silently entered the open window. Mom overhead just turned on her sonic generators and all the inhabitants went to sleep.

"We get everybody Mom?"

"Yes we did. I have been doing some scanning of the surrounding property, and see what I believe, are graves."

This stopped the game for me, but I tried to keep going for the sake of Patty and Tom.

The barn contained individual cages for about thirty people. Eleven were now full. Mom's probes came in and inspected each of the captives. Physical and sexual abuse was the most common, but also the usual drug dependencies and venereal diseases were common. My plan called for all of them to remain sleeping, till the police came. This would force us to give only some of the help they desperately needed.

Medical probes came next to do what they could, to make the rest of their lives less of an ordeal. All the older girls and even the two wounded captives came to see what was happening. Our young, less mobile gent, was in a grav chair pushed around by Samantha. Samantha was wide eyed so, her sight must have been repaired to.

There were two guards here, one was sleeping, while another had been watching TV. Samantha walked over and then held back by Blue. "He is not worth it. He will get everything he deserves. Henry would not let it happen any other way." Samantha must have been getting the hang of mind speech for she let Blue lead her out the door to the house.

The house was very big and looked very comfortable. It looked quite tidy for men, till I saw many naked children and young women chained to certain areas. The men, about seven, were in the large kitchen watching a football game and drinking when they went to sleep. One young boy was asleep in the crotch of a naked man, as he drank his beer.

The girls went around the house and counted ten others. Many were beaten very badly, and one had sores that were festering. Usually when this happened antibiotics were given, and if the person did not recover fast enough, he or she was disposed of in the back field.

I descended the steps to check the basement, and when others started to follow, I sent them to the top floor. The basement was made up like a Hollywood tortures chamber and had served the same purposes for I could smell burnt flesh and old blood all over. It would be better for me to check this place first. Turning a corner, I saw another room with an old time oak door with black iron on the hinges. Inside on one wall hung a boy of eleven or so. The door was unlocked and I rushed in. He was badly abused.

"Mom! I need some medical help here now," I said almost as if I were yelling aloud.

This time the girls did come down with the help required and just stood outside the room. I looked for keys and didn't remember seeing any. "Chris, you and Secric look for a large key. The rest of you go search upstairs. It may be in one of the men's pockets."

Chris brought me a large ring of keys, and I had to keep trying till I found one that worked. The shackles around the boy's thin arms and legs finally parted. There was no way a young boy like this could put up a fight. What use would there be to do this?

Getting the last manacle undone, I raced through the house and then outside with the boy in my arms. We were immediately hoisted into sick bay. Mom worked on him with all of her resources, while I paced back and forth. The boy was going to make it, but I was sure he would grow up, a warped individual.

He had many small burns all over his body, reminiscent of cigarette burns inflicted on prisoners. There were no areas left untouched in their quest for pain at the boy's expense. Susan came in with Nova and looked at the child.

"I am going to look some more. I know he won't wake up soon, but have someone stay here just in case."

Susan said, "I will stay. You go and finish up."

The room in the basement proved to have a cut out wall, that had hidden professional quality cameras behind them. I could see now how some sick pervert would buy this type of... I had no name for it. This was evidence and I did not want to disturb any of it.

When I compared the house above to the foundation walls, I knew that there was no hidden rooms here. Upstairs I found nothing special, except the computer.

"Mom will you see what you can do with this computer. It would be nice to see who they have been communicating with."

Mom searched the minds of the sleeping men to get the passwords. It was a good thing, because explosives were hidden inside the machine to destroy it, if even one mistake was made.

"I am done Henry. There are many leads to other groups that kidnap the people, and distribute the films and DVDs. A well encrypted file tells of people that will buy the children, if they are not too abused."

"The printer is on now. Print all the instructions for the police to get at the data safely. How is the boy coming?"

"His wounds will heal soon Henry."

"The visible ones anyway. Mom is there something we can plant on all the captives so that we will know where they are all the times, without Earth technology finding them?"

"There are many, some can transmit a lot of data, while some will only give location. What would you like?"

"Use the ones with the most feedback. I think after we bring this ring down, we are going to have to rescue them again from Earth's best intentions." Taking the ring down did present a problem. The local law enforcement was paid not to visit, and anything found would be hushed up. I was in favour of just calling government officials and make all kinds of threats. It wouldn't take long till we had and army of different government law enforcement agencies here trying to take me into custody or shoot first and ask later.

Susan's idea of calling TV news show hosts, and tell them about it, would get the ball rolling too, but seemed a little slow for the captives, and our schedule.

With the trade-offs between each kind of response I could only see a mix that would work. "Mom will you use the computer to search the internet for the major networks news shows. I want to send pictures of what is happening here and mention kidnapping, so that the FBI will be forced to get involved. With pictures of the farm, it's location and the hidden graveyard, it would be hard for anybody to say they didn't know. If you can find personal telephone numbers, then the story will even be better."

"I will try, but the connection is very slow."

"I know Mom, but I don't want the military here looking for us too."

"Why can't we just free these people?" Susan demanded.

Mom stepped in and tried to help me, "Henry is trying to get the authorities to clean up this mess. Very few societies condone slavery and absolutely none of the civilized ones do."

"Susan, we are treating them where they lay and though not the best, it is considerably better than what our hospitals can give them. When the police finally come, I just want it to be impossible to put a lid on this affair."

None of the others really agreed with me, and I couldn't blame them in a way. I just went through the house trying to do the best job I could do, for the slaves on the floor. At least now, they were disease free and could start on the long process to healing. The wounds would have to leave, so they could heal naturally.

I walked outside and after a five minute walk, Mom showed me the lonely graveyard. There were no markers and I would have to assume the diggers would not be too sure of the particulars. Only Mom's sensors would ever let me know they were here. In a way, it was a nice setting for a final resting place. The trees were old and majestic, and the grass was thick and rich, even now in October. The air was clean with only the scent of wood smoke. The place reminded me of life, and not the abrupt end it. There was just no place to morn, for the young individuals interred just within the edge of the wood lot.

"The information was transferred Henry. Would you like the phone numbers now?"

"No, I just need you to call those numbers, and if the responses are good tell them personally what is happening here. Tell them how some people will try to covered this up. The cellphones can be used for this and to inform the state police of kidnapping and murder. It shouldn't take more than a half hour to get their attention."

Mom made the calls and they were treated as a joke till Mom told them to check with the Kentucky state police, and see if there was a call.

I sadly helped Tom, Samantha, Patty and the wounded Michael into separate cages in the barn. All of us were a little heartbroken and having to abandon our friends, but this was the only way. This was best done quickly and before they could cry more. I deactivated their shields and they fell asleep. The probes entered the cage and manoeuvred around their heads for about two minutes, till Mom said, "It is done."

The young boy, I picked up in my arms, and hugged him to me. It was hard to leave him to what was going to happen soon. I put him back in the room, but only placed the manacle intended for his ankle on his wrist. Only the scarring internally and externally were evident to me, but they were so very clear.

The rest of the captives were re-chained in the basement. The air might not be too healthy, on the main floor soon.

Three local and one state police cars came up the drive. Two officers in kevlar vests approached the house. Mom shut off her generators only seconds before.

As they approached the open door, I fired a shot out an open window to give them cause to enter and search. The gang was just coming to their senses when they were tackled and cuffed. A search for the shooter, found the naked captives in the basement instead.

I watched Lt. Mulford the highest ranking local cop present. His mind came clearer and clearer, he wanted to destroy the contents of the computer. He had been getting a monthly paycheck to keep this place safe. He had even come here on occasion to get his rocks off, and knew just what to do. This couldn't be allowed to happen. His Sargent, actually gave me the answer when he looked at the children that looked near death in some cases.

"Mom will you make a hologram of a young girl, and accuse Mulford of being one of the bad guys. If he gets the computer to himself, it will disappear."

"I have the projectors ready. Tell me how you like this performance."

As the computer finished booting up a small dark haired girl with a bloodless complexion entered the room clad in a small torn cotton nightdress. She walked up to the lieutenant and asked, "Why are you trying to destroy the story of how all the children are killed?"

The cop was a little upset at being caught but decided to brazen it out. "Mac, will you take this little girl away, and put her with the rest."

"Sure." The man came forward to help his superior, while the man tried to trip the software into destroying the machine.

The little girl yelled, "No!" Her hand came up, and Mom's tractor from the open window behind her. She shot the lieutenant through the room and out, into the hall, to crash into the far wall with a resounding crash.

The cops stopped everything they were doing and looked at the cute ten year old girl. "He is a bad man, trying to make the computer explode. The other bad men here paid him to help. Protect the computer, and it will show you where we are all buried." She finished her monologue and walked toward the distant graveyard, and right through a chair and into the wall. I think most of them caught the word 'we' when she uttered it.

This was done so well, that even I got the shivers. The state police ran over to the computer, and shut it down, before taking charge of the computer. Instructions were then given to lock the device up in the trunk of their car. A guard was even placed on it.

The captives were being brought up from the basement, and given water for their dehydrated condition. Sheets, old clothes or anything that could be found, was used to wrap them up. Frantic calls went out for ambulances and more important people to handle the situation. The captives were all dazed and clustered around each other for protection.

Mom called to say, "The two men in the barn were able to escape, and are now running toward the river, where they can ford it easily at a train bridge."

"Just bring the little girl back, and have her tell the state cop about it."

The girl appeared outside the room, so as to not frighten the already petrified young people. This time she slowly descended an invisible elevator and walked over to a stunned Sargent Driscoll. "There are two bad men running to the old train bridge. You should send somebody to catch them. They like hurting the people, while they were in the cages." At least four other cops saw and heard her before she simply disappeared like the ghost she portrayed.

Sargent Driscoll and his partner ran outside to report the escape and probable destination. Being a devote Baptist, he knew the value of faith. Now was one of the times he called all of it to him, to try to cope with the little girl. She was as strong as a horse and could walk through walls and disappear.

Mom decided to speed things up. The girl appeared between the two men and her tractors picked them up, as if a strong girl did the duty. They flew no more than one minute, and the men stopped before the train bridge. The sound of running feet made them forget their mode of transport, and they hid behind some large trees nearby. The men from the barn stopped dead, at seeing the spectral form of a little girl, and brought up their guns.

The girl said, "Give me your guns," and Mom's tractors again wrenched them from their hands. The cops were right behind now, and the thugs gave up now, because their opposition was armed. A very strong ghost of a little girl factored in very prominently. The cops were uneasy about getting another ride, and the little girl just disappeared, frightening the two fugitives much more than the state police officers.

I saw that the situation was well in hand now. In the distance, I saw a long line of cars approaching, with lights flashing and sirens screaming their urgency. "Susan, do you want to call it a day? I think most of you are sleepy now. Let's have the birthday supper tomorrow?"

Susan had glassy eyes from all the excitement, in the last eleven hours. She had killed a few animals and did not seem too worried by the consequences. Secric was a little more subdued about her actions, but I felt would not loose much sleep over the incident.

"Yes, I am a little bushed. When this is cleared up a little. Why go home? We can sleep here, whether we are parked in the base or not."

I had just killed 83 employees of Mecholov and his patrons. There was no problems with my conscience at all. It was just like calling in an air strike on an enemy position. There would be a giant yellow, and white light from the napalm. The end result was the same. The cleansing fire did help my soul.

Chris was the only one that was feeling bad still. She had recovered some by helping her new friends, but it felt bad to be leaving them after such a short time.

Mom kept watch as we got ready for bed. In our large bedroom I made love to Chris first, for she was the one that needed the attention most. The rest of the girls, even those asleep, woke up to enjoy the feelings of love and continuation.