Chapter Two-Hundred and Forty-Six

Chapter Two-Hundred and Forty-Six
“Even now, if Dad is home Chris is in his room,” London continued. "Like I said before, Dad is a mean drunk. I don’t know how many times I’ve come home and Chris would be all bruised up.”

“He’s bruised right now and some of them are fresh and some are not so fresh,” Boots told her. 

London growled and her hands curled into fists. “That man deserves more than just a beating. I guess when the chips fall and they will fall, Chris and I will finally be free of him.”

“But before that happens,” Titan spoke up. “We have to get evidence of what those guys are doing and a list of their cohorts, one that will stand up in court and nail their asses to the wall.”

“I have some evidence,” London admitted reluctantly. “Working for the police does have some advantages after all.”

“Would Chris have maybe seen anything?” Wilder asked.

London shrugged. “He might but he might not know exactly what it meant. I never asked him as he’s just a kid but yeah he might know something. You can ask him, but I doubt he’ll protect our dad. He’s been afraid of him most of his life. Which is sad because the old man is supposed to be our parent. But when Mom died, something inside Dad just shattered. I think up until that point, he tried to care but after that, he didn’t.”

“Let’s talk to the boy,” Kota suggested.

London walked back to the table and sat down next to her brother. She began to sign, asking him if he knew anything about what their dad had been doing. Chris got scared and pursed his lips together and that told London he knew something. She glanced over at Hawkins and for some reason, she looked at Boots. She turned to Chris, signing again.

Chris stubbornly shook his head and refused to answer her. 

Cat got up and walked over to the boy. She knelt and cupped his face with her hands, then she signed to him, “Chris, I know you’re scared but we need your help. We have to stop whatever is going on with your dad and these nasty men. They are breaking the law and hurting people. We can’t let them do that anymore. The truth needs to come out. Please help us. Everyone here will protect you and your sister but we need your help to do that.”

Chris had tears welling in his eyes and he gazed down at his lap for a moment. Then he turned and signed his answer.

London gasped and signed something back at him. 

Chris nodded.

London looked angry as she nearly growled. “Damn him.”

Cat shook her head sadly.

Hawkins grunted. “Are you talking about your dad?”

“Yes. Chris just told me he heard a recent argument Dad had with Ronnie.”

Chris then reached for his phone. He tapped London’s arm and played a recording of the exchange as he showed her the screen. 
London watched in horror as the argument played out. 

No one else could see it but they heard the voices and the men were grumbling at the threats they heard. When it was over, they could all see London was very upset.

London looked upset as she wrung her hands together. “Ronnie was making more and more demands from Dad," she explained. "And he said he wouldn’t do it. Then Ronnie said he could force the old man to do what he wanted and Dad said no. So Ronnie told him maybe they would just take me hostage and hold me until my dad changed his mind. Dad told him he couldn’t do that and Ronnie said it would be legal as he fully intended to pay for me and that if he had paid my dad he could and would do everything he could to make Dad regret being stubborn. Then he punched my dad and took Chris. Before he punched my dad though, he threw some money on the floor and told Dad I was now his… if Dad changed his mind he could call him and negotiate a new contract.” Shaking her head she added, “Chris ran for his room and Ronnie caught him there. That's when Ronnie hit him and then he woke up in the tunnels.”

“So it was Ronnie that carried him up there?” Hawkins asked.

London nodded as she wiped her tears away. “And he thinks he just bought me. He’s gonna come looking for me either way to keep my dad in line.”

“But he doesn’t have you,” Boots pointed out. “You are here of your own free will.”

London shook her head. “But right now, my dad doesn’t know where we are or what really happened.”

“And you think he’s gonna do what Ronnie wants, just to get you back?” Hawkins asked.

London shrugged. “I don’t know, he might but then again, he might not. If he goes looking for Chris and can’t find him… either he might figure we’re together somewhere or he might think Ronnie has both of us.”

“And what would he do about that?” Hawkins wanted to know.

London shrugged. “I don’t know. On one hand, I don’t think he cares about his family, while on the other, I would hope he cares a little. But honestly, I don’t know if he cares enough to do anything.”

Hawkins ran his hands down his face. “What a fucking shitshow,” he muttered.

Kota nodded at him. “So what are we gonna do about it?”

“Well, if you guys aren’t going to do anything about this mess, we women will,” his wife, Luna spoke up. “We aren’t going to abandon London or Chris. They need our help and by God, we're gonna help them.”

“You hush your mouth girl, we never said we wouldn’t help them,” Hawkins growled at her. “But we got to verify all this shit and come up with a plan that won’t get us all killed.”

Rosabel huffed then turned and walked down the hall. 

Hawkins watched her.

Luna smirked.

Kota and Boots both shook their heads.

When Rosabel came back she had her shotgun in her hands. She cocked the slide and growled as she looked at every man in the room. “You boys can do whatever you want but if any of those lowlives come looking for London or Chris, they’ll get their big asses full of buckshot.”

“Now Rosie…” Hawkins tried to calm her down.

She wasn’t having any of it. “Don’t you, Now Rosie me. These kids need our help and I’m gonna help them. Any of you get in my way and you might catch some buckshot too.”

A giggle came from Chris.

Surprised, the group looked over at him.

He signed to his sister.

London shook her head and said with a smile, “Chris likes her. He says she makes him feel safe.”

Rosabel gave the kid a wink. 

Hawkins shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “I never said we weren’t gonna help them, Rosie girl. I just said we have to verify what she has told us and come up with a plan.”