Jillian Chantal

This week’s word prompt for Tuesday Tales is cabinet. I am still working on the thriller with the human trafficking element.

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I was right about how much worse the stench would be inside. I’d smelled many a dead body in my time and I was sure there were few in this place. It broke my heart. These were children. Children who never even had a chance at a life. Even those who were still alive probably had seen so many things and been mistreated in so many ways they would never have a normal psyche. It made me furious. I wanted to hurt someone.
Settling for punching a wall, I didn’t even feel the pain nor notice the blood flowing from my fist until I saw droplets land on my khakis.
“Come in here and check this out,” Ben said.
I wanted nothing more than to sit beside some of these children and try to comfort them, but I needed to get hold of my temper first, so I walked past some pitiful little boys who were huddled on mattresses and watching us as if we were going to be the next to victimize them.
In a room at the far end of the house, there was a bed, a series of computers and video equipment. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. “Dear God, they’re making internet kiddie porn?” The words tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Looks like it.” Ben pulled out his radio and thumbed it on. “Dawn, call the local authorities and our contact at the FBI. We got kiddie porn. We also need social services for these children.”
I pulled some latex gloves on and moved to the closest cabinet. Looking for evidence that would take these demons down, I opened the door.
“Hang on, Kev. We need to leave that to the crime scene folks,” Ben said.
“I know, I know. I’m not going to taint anything. I’m merely seeing if there’s film in here that will nail these jerks to the wall.”
“Be careful. We don’t want to mess up any chances of conviction.”
Now he was just making me mad. Did he think I was some kind of rookie? I whirled around, determined to confront him but realized in time I was aching for a fight. And he was the wrong guy. He wasn’t who I was livid at. It was the monsters who would steal a child’s innocence for a few bucks.
The red of rage almost blinded me in the moment before I got hold of myself.
Chagrined, I smiled at Ben. “Sorry. I’m a little testy but this makes me crazy.”