Chapter Eighteen

Xander pulled up in front of the team house, trying to think of anything to calm Matt's nerves. Honestly, there was nothing he could say because he didn't know any more than Matt did. He hoped that if Bryon felt the need to call them in this way, he would have some good news.

"You okay?" Xander asked, putting his cigarette out, then turning to Matt before they got out of the car.

"Yeah, I will be. I just hate not knowing, wondering." Matt pushed the passenger door open. "Let's go see what is going on."

Xander followed, fisting his beard nervously as they walked into the house, surprised when Bryon met them near the front window.

"I'm assuming you two were together since Xander wouldn't have had time to pick you up and get here this fast?" Bryon raised a brow.

"Save it for later." Xander snapped, not in the mood to deal with Bryon playing authoritarian. "Be glad I was. He wasn't in any shape to drive after your veiled request for him to come in."

"He wouldn't have assumed it was about Faith if you hadn't run off and told him about it, would he?" Bryon glared back at him.

"You know what, Bry? Just fuck off. You're not our father. You're just part of the team. We give you respect because you're the oldest member, but we don't need you telling us how to live our lives or deciding what is right or wrong. I'm sick of you playing god." Xander shoved past Bryon, glad to see Beau, Dyson, Becca, and Carter in the living room.

Matt followed, turning to Bryon once he was in the room. "Do you have news or not?"

"Kasey should be here any minute and we'll talk. Everyone needs to hear this." Bryon turned and headed down the hall to the geek cave.

Xander sighed, reaching out and pulling Matt to the couch by his side.

As he rested his hand on Matt's thigh, he ignored the looks from the others as they watched them. "Does anyone know what this is about?" Xander looked at Carter, who was the one who would know the most out of the group.

"There's a lot to go over. It's best to wait." Carter looked at Matt. "It's good news," he said in a lower voice.

Beside him, Matt blew out a long breath, some of the tension leaving his body, but he still fisted his hands in his lap and tapped his foot nervously.

No one said a word as they waited, and when the front door opened, and Kasey walked in, the tension in the room increased.

"Bry, everyone's here," Carter called.

A few seconds later, Bryon and Trenton walked into the room.

"Thanks for coming on short notice." Bryon glanced at Trenton, then at the file in his hands, then back at Matt. "I'm sorry for being vague, but I needed you in a controlled environment when you heard the news. Faith is alive, and we know where she is being held."

Matt stood up. "She's alive?"

"She is, but that's all we know. We don't know her condition or what has happened to her." Bryon smiled. "But, we've confirmed it's her."

"Where?" Matt's hands shook.

Xander reached over and braced a hand on Matt's back, needing to support him somehow, though he doubted Matt even noticed.

"There are two other children with her. We were able to use some of our government programs to look at heat sources. It looks like two adults and three children. The building is alarmed and secure, but we can gain entry."

"Just call the police on this one, Bry," Becca spoke up.

"We've thought about that, but they won't act on a random call. They'll send out officers to investigate the home, but they won't be able to get a warrant or anything without solid information. We could give them that, but then we put the team at risk when they try to figure out where it all came from. That's why I wanted you all in for this meeting. Faith is Matt's daughter, and if we need to get the police out there now, we can, but it's going to be a slower process than if we act on our own as if this was just another sting." Bryon stepped toward Matt. "If you want us to call the police we can, but I honestly think us going in is faster, but there are conditions if we go in."

Matt was shaking so badly Xander thought he was going to collapse.

Xander looked up, speaking for Matt. "What conditions?"

"We do it tonight, just like we do any other sting. I'll send two in, you take care of the perps and call the police. You don't bring Faith or the other children out. We leave them for the police just like we do with any other case. We let the police call you to meet them at the hospital. You act like you had no idea this was going to happen."

"You can't leave her—" Matt started.

Xander stood up, turning to Matt. "She'll be safe. We'll make sure. If they are in danger we'll get them out, I promise, but it's better for the case if the police deal with the children and not us."

Matt shook his head.

"If we let the police do this, we give them information, and we have to wait for them to verify it all before they will act on it. They may send a detective out to ask questions, but this will just give the perps warning that something is up, or someone is on to them. I'm sorry, Matt, but I can't go in and change up how we do things for even one case. It puts all of us at risk, not to mention the future of the team. I won't do that, even for your daughter. If she was in danger between the time we handle the perps and the time the cops get there, we would do everything we could to get her out, but this way, the team stays safe. The cops are used to how we work, there won't be any surprises if we stick to our M.O., and I promise we will have the house under surveillance until the police arrive."

Matt sank back down onto the couch. "How do you know for sure it's Faith?"

Bryon glanced at Carter, but it was Trenton who spoke. "We have hacked into the computers on site and they have uploaded photos of Faith and the other girls they are holding."

"Fuck," Dyson cursed.

Xander sat back down beside Matt, his hand going to his back. "One step at a time. Let's get her home, then we can deal with the rest, okay?"

Tears fell down Matt's cheeks as he nodded. "How soon can we go in?"

"Eleven tonight." Bryon glanced at his watch. "That will give the guys eleven hours to learn the layout of the house and everything they need to know about the perps. I'll send Dyson and Kasey in the moment it's safe. I don't dare go any earlier."

"I want Xander to go." Matt reached for Xander's hand. "He needs to be the one."

"I don't think—" Bryon started.

"This once, don't think, Bry, let Xander go in my place. I'll stay here with Matt." Dyson glanced over at Xander. "If Matt wants Xander to handle this, he has his reasons."

"Can you disconnect your personal feelings on this, Xan?" Bryon narrowed his eyes as he stared at Matt holding Xander's hand.

Xander fought back his anger. "The same way I disconnect with every case, Bry. The same way we all find a way to keep from feeding the perps their own balls every time we go in, knowing what they've done to the children."

"Bry, you know we are always professional. Give Xander a break.

Today is not the time to hound him on whatever is going on between the two of them." Kasey smiled at Xander and Matt.

"Thanks, guys." Xander glanced back at Bryon. "I've got this. If Matt wants me in, then I'm in, if he wants me here with him, I'll stay."

"I want you to go." Matt turned to him, wiping tears with the back of his hand. "Make sure she's safe. Make sure you get them all, so they can't hurt her anymore."

"I promise. Kase and I will make sure it's secure before we walk out.

We won't leave anyone there to hurt her. We'll wait outside until we know the police are there, then I'm coming right back to wait with you for that phone call, okay?"

Matt nodded. "I'll really get to see her tonight, won't I?" He buried his face in his arms and sobbed.

Xander couldn't imagine what Matt was feeling. His emotions had to be all over the place. As much as Xander hated waiting the long hours to go in and get her, it was for the best. There was no way that the police would act as fast as they could, and the police wouldn't make sure that the perps never hurt another child again.

"Here." Becca was suddenly in front of them, handing Xander a box of tissue and two bottles of water. "We're behind you no matter what you need."

"Thanks." Xander smiled at her, even though her words were meant for Matt.

"I'll be at the hospital when they bring her in. They'll bring her to Children's Hospital. I'm not working tonight, but since I'm part of the child sexual assault team, if I'm there, they'll call me in on Faith's case. This way, I can get you honest and straightforward information. You won't have to

deal with all the bullshit, at least from the doctor's side. There will be a million questions and a ton of offers of help, but that can all wait."

"We have a counselor for the team if you wish to speak to her in time,"

Bryon said.

Xander held up his hand. "All this can wait. Let's give him time to get used to what is going on now and tonight." He leaned in close. "Do you want to be alone for a bit? We can go to the guest room if you want."

Matt shook his head. "No, I want to see the file you've got, Trenton. I want to know what I'm going to be dealing with once Faith is home. I need to know everything that you know."

Xander bit his lip, not sure that it was the wisest move, but then again, he'd have to know sooner or later. At least letting Matt see the file, Xander wouldn't feel as if he was keeping things from Matt. They would both know everything.

"You're sure you want to do this now? It's not going to be easy,"

Trenton warned him.

"I'd rather break down here with you guys than in front of Faith. I need to be strong for her." He glanced at Bryon. "I'm going to need some time off."

"Already planned on it. You take as long as you need. The team is here for you no matter what. You just have to call." Bryon nodded to Trenton.

"Let him look through the file, and get Xander and Kase the information they need to be studying."

Matt stood, his eyes red and swollen, his face pale. "Thanks." He took the water Xander handed him and went to the kitchen, sitting down at the table.

Xander wanted to go with him, but something told him that this was something Matt needed to do alone.

After watching Trenton hand Matt the main file, he took the files that were handed to him and Kase. "Anything major we need to know?"

Carter sighed. "More than you're going to want to hear about, but not the worst we've seen."

As Kasey moved over to sit on one side of him, and Carter the other, Xander forced himself to focus. He needed a clear head for tonight. This case mattered more than any other because, for the first time, he'd see the after results happening right before his eyes.

"Okay, first security systems." Carter opened the file and demanded they get to work.

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