Things had been quiet for a while. If there was one thing in the world that I hated, it was sitting around waiting for something to happen. This was especially true in a city like Vegas. There’s always so much hustle and bustle and I was stuck sitting around on my ass as I waited for the people I was watching to make their next move.

I was enjoying shots of Fireball and was about to turn in for the night when an anonymous text message popped up on my burner phone. The text, which showed it came from 9999 contained only the link to a .onion web address.

If I would have clicked directly on the link, it would have simply taken me to an error page. Instead, I had to connect to the dark web, the part of the internet known for its notorious nature.

In order to access the information, I had to switch to a virtual private network in order to hide my location and identity, load up a special browser specifically designed for the dark web, as well as several other security measures that were necessary to ensure that my connection to the feds remained private.

This wasn’t the first text message of this type that I’d received and I was sure it wasn’t going to be the last. Still, I was disgusted each and every time I went to take a look at the latest advertisement.

Just reading those words on my screen was enough to make my blood boil, but I knew I had to continue in order to collect information. It was my job and I knew that if I did it well, the scum behind the entire operation would be taken down.

Once I clicked the link, I was taken to a page that listed the names of the girls that would be available at the auction. Each name was a clickable link that led to the profile of the victim being auctioned.

The first 9 names were obviously foreign and had either been abducted overseas or, more likely, while they were visiting America as a tourist.

It looked the standard auction that I’d received info on numerous times, but this time there was one difference. There was one name that stuck out on the list like a sore thumb.

I knew the name instantly. It was the same name of the woman that I’d seen around Vegas since I arrived. Surely it would have to be a coincidence because the woman I had looked up wasn’t a tourist and she sure as hell didn’t fit the mold of the naive foreigners that are usually involved in sex trafficking.

Normally, I’d never click on any of the links because I like to keep myself separate from my work, especially because I’m not actually able to save any of the girls individually, but this was something I needed to know. I clicked on Hannah’s name and her picture appeared along with her bio.

The ad read way too much like a department store ad and I Couldn’t believe they were describing  a person in the same way that they’d describe a necklace or a wool sweater.

Suddenly, I felt infuriated. I didn’t even know this girl personally, but I somehow felt responsible for her. I knew that she needed to be saved and I could be the only person at the auction who wasn’t one of the bad guys. If there was anyone with the ability to help her, it was me.

I grabbed my phone, knowing that if I was going to put a plan in motion, I had to do it quickly. I made a call to Victor Campbell, the head of the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force.

“Yeah?” he answered, sounding less than happy to hear from me so late at night.

“I just got an email about a new auction,” I told him. “I need to discuss it now. Can you meet me at your office in an hour?”

“Christ, can this not wait until morning?”

“No, time is important for this. Just meet me at your office.”

“All right, but this better be good.”

I grabbed my FBI assigned laptop and phone and raced towards the FBI field office located just east of the Las Vegas airport. I knew I’d get there before him, but the extra time would allow me to prepare my argument.

* * *

“Evans, what is so urgent that this couldn’t wait until morning?” barked Victor the second he burst into his office.

“I got a link to a new auction this evening.”

“Okay? Isn’t that the kind of thing we handle in a morning briefing? I’m not sure why you had to drag me away from my wife for this.”

“With all due respect, this auction is a little bit different than what we normally see.”

“Yeah? What’s different?”

“There’s an American citizen in this auction.”

“What?” he asked, surprised at this new piece of information.

“Yes, a local girl by the name of Hannah Sullivan. By the looks of it, they’re expecting her to fetch over a million dollars at auction.”

“That is an interesting development, but it still doesn’t tell me why we have to do this now instead of in the morning.”

“Are you being serious, Victor? This is an American who has obviously been abducted. We need to put a plan in motion to save this girl!”

“Look Reed, understand your concern and I appreciate your passion, but you know there’s a process in the way we do things.”

“I knew you were going to say that, Victor, but Jesus Christ man! This is an American citizen about to be sold and sent to God knows where!”

“We’ll keep tabs on her just like we do the others. They’ll all be rescued. You know this.”

“Do I know that for sure, though? Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve not heard of any of the girls being rescued. Do we really know where they are?”

“Yes, we know exactly where everyone is.”

“So we’re just letting their captors do whatever they want with them? When do they come home? We’ve never had an American at one of these auctions and I’ll be damned if I let her get away.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, I really do, but you know that we have a protocol to follow here. Are you willing to jeopardize our entire mission for just one girl? What about the rest of the girls out there who are praying to be saved on a daily basis.”

“Evans, listen to me. I really want this to sink in. You have to understand that you’re here as a contractor. You’re here to assist us. With that said, we make the rules. I hate to sound cold, but we could give two shits about a single girl. We are here to bring down the people behind this organization.”

“Why can’t we do both?”

“This conversation is over. I’m going home. Feel free to address any of this in the morning, but my mind isn’t going to be changed. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it works. This girl will be tracked just like the others. Try to have a good night and don’t get too worked up over this.”

* * *

My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel hard during my drive home. I couldn’t believe that they weren’t willing to step in and save an American citizen because it would put the mission at risk. That’s not to say that she is any more important than anyone else just because she lives in the United States, but after serving this country, I’ve always believed that you never leave one of your own behind.

Over the years, I’d saved most of the money I’d made through my mercenary work and had actually invested quite a bit of it in Bitcoin on the advice of a girl I once knew. I had no idea how much it was worth, but if it grew like they were predicting, I might have a decent amount.

Upon arriving home, I decided to login to my cyrpto wallet and see what I was dealing with. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I discovered my investment was worth $2.3 million. I’d invested several hundred thousand, but even at that rate, the growth was nearly unbelievable.

That was when I decided that if the FBI wasn’t going to step in to save Hannah, I would.

Old thoughts that I’d kept buried away started to creep back into my mind. Thoughts that I never dreamed would ever enter my head again. Not only could I save Hannah Sullivan. I could own her.