Elijah

On the way home, I paid close attention to the side streets, knowing that Morgan was out there, watching. I made sure I kept my cool to not let Dawn know. I was afraid she would panic after such a great day.

It was the best day I could ask for.

My dad and brother, of course, had to bombard me with questions as they could see Dawn and I were getting closer. Dad wanted to know my plans for the future, and I gladly told him that I wanted to make Dawn my wife but knew it wasn’t the right time yet.

We had everything put away and Lizzy in bed shortly before the news came on. I had taken to watching it nightly, sometimes even in the mornings, to keep up to date with what they’d found out about the brothel that was taken down. I had to make sure our names were kept out, since I didn’t want to be tied to it in any way—at least, not yet. There were still a few men around who needed to be caught.

Dawn and I were on the couch covered by the soft blanket she’d made me. The baby monitor was set up on the side table so we could hear Lizzy if she woke up.

"New tonight is the upcoming trial of Galvin Holt, the leader of the brothel recently taken down in Seattle. He was taken into custody November 1^st at a client’s home where he was trying to sell a girl for her services. We have yet to get a name of the client, who is under FBI protection to bring this mafia family down. The girl in question has not been identified, although a number of other women have stepped forward against Galvin and his workings,” the newscaster said. The TV was filled with random pictures of Galvin, a few of his men, and a few other women who had been sold. I hadn’t seen any of the women, but they were all placed around the states in protective services.

“The Bench Trial is set to start January 5^th, at nine a.m. We have not been able to talk to Galvin himself, as he is requesting that no one comes to interview him until his lawyer is able to be present,” he concluded before they went to another story about the current train derailment in Colorado that was spilling oil into the Platt river.

The same story was on the rest of the week, with no new information. I wasn’t taking chances and kept Dawn and Lizzy home most of the time. Dawn didn’t ask why, so I didn’t say anything, although she was smart, so she probably knew my reasoning without me having to say anything.

Kaleb and I were some of the last to arrive at the courthouse a month later. A few news crews were poised and ready to shoot pictures of anything and everything they possibly could about the case.

We stayed quiet as we entered the courtroom, filled with a number of people. No one spared us a glance as we took our seats up near the front of the room. The people were talking among themselves, too quiet for me to really hear anything. I wore a beanie over my hair so I wasn’t too recognizable. I also hadn’t shaved for a few days.

“Any luck on getting the judge to talk to you?” I asked. Kaleb had wanted an idea on what to expect during this trial, since Morgan had many charges against him and was still missing.

“No. I don’t think he even knows yet for sure,” Kaleb replied as the guards came in, telling everyone to rise as the judge entered.

“You may take your seats,” Judge Garrett Johnsville spoke as he took his own at the high podium. His sandy hair was pulled back so it wasn’t in his face as he took his time looking over the papers lying on his desk.

In the front row of the pews sat Galvin in orange scrubs next to his lawyer, who wore a nice suit. It was strange seeing Galvin in something other than his normal attire.

"Seattle County District Zone three, The Honorable Judge Garrett Johnsville will be hearing the testimony here today to determine the verdicts for Galvin Holt in the first Human Trafficking jury trial in this district,” said the bailiff in a bored tone.

From here, I could see Galvin giving the judge a displeased look that said more than any words possibly could.

Galvin’s lawyer, who had greased back hair, a very pale face, and seemed to be coming down from a high, began with a strong voice. “You are here today because of charges of alleged human and child trafficking, along with charges of assault and kidnapping. Is that correct, Mr. Holt?”

“Correct,” Galvin replied, keeping his eyes on the man.

Cory turned back to Galvin. “Mr. Holt, do you know any of the women in these photos?” He laid out a number of pictures on the table.

Galvin considered for only a short moment before denying any knowledge of them.

“What do you plead against the charges after seeing those women?” Cory asked, removing the photos.

“I am innocent. I only admit to selling and buying illegal drugs,” Galvin said.

“I’m done,” Cory said with a shrug as he made his way back to his seat. Galvin was not pleased by this, as he glared at the man.

“I bet he’ll turn up dead by the end of the week,” Kaleb mumbled to me. I couldn’t agree more.

“Do we have any witnesses?” the judge asked calmly.

“Not at this time, your honor,” answered the Assistant District Attorney as he stood.

“Mr. Jake White,” the judge said. “Child sex trafficking is a silent in all communities across our nation. The victims of human trafficking suffer long-lasting psychological and physical violence at the hands of their traffickers.”

Mr. White had tanned skin and dressed nicely. He was here on behalf of the women who didn’t want to face Galvin, as he had caused enough pain.

"Any other questioning?” the judge asked, looking over at Galvin.

“Let us recess, and I will be back with my ruling,” the judge said, standing and leaving the courtroom when no one had any more questioning. Galvin continued to sit there, whispering to his lawyer, who was even paler from what he was being told. I halfway felt sorry for the poor druggy.

“Hey,” Jake said, turning around to face us, as we sat behind him. “I’m pretty sure Galvin will be held accountable for everything, since he has a very crappy lawyer with him.”

“Yeah, I figured he would have had someone better represent him,” Kaleb said, leaning forward so their voices wouldn’t carry.

“Yeah, I am surprised, but considering how the mafia isn’t happy about his choices, I’m really not expecting much from them. The big shots are very against human trafficking. They’re the ones who usually bring it down, so if Galvin gets out, he will be killed within hours,” Jake said. “He won’t even make it in prison.” A pause. “Still no word on Morgan?”

“No, nothing,” I answered, shaking my head. “He’s been keeping an eye on me and my girls, but otherwise, we can’t get close to him. He’s a step ahead, and he will make a mistake soon.”

"Erick Martin was taken and proven guilty easily, so there will be no trial for him. He cried like a baby when his lawyer and detective got his statement,” Jake said.

“All rise,” said the bailiff as the door opened and the judge entered fifteen minutes later.

* * *

Dawn

It was strange, being home without Elijah nearby. Sure, he had left before to run to the store, which would be an hour at the most. This time, he would be gone for at least four hours, possibly more depending on the verdict of the case and how long it would take.

Kelly was with me, keeping me company as our girls played next to each other. I was quieter today, mostly lost in thought. I wasn’t worried, knowing Galvin wouldn’t be set free. They had more than enough evidence against him to put him away for life.

“So, then, this guy came up to me and was like, acting all hot, when in reality he was not that great looking,” Kelly said, telling me a story about a college experience she’d had at a frat party. “And you aren’t even listening. What’s up, Sug?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I can’t shake the feeling something’s wrong.” I had woken up this morning with a weird feeling.

“I’m sure everything is fine. Kaleb and Elijah should be back this afternoon, if not earlier.”

“I don’t think it’s them. It’s something else.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“That’s just it; I don’t know,” I said, aggravated.

“Zack is home today, I think. Do you want me to give him a call and see if he can come hang out? Would that help?” Kelly asked.

“No, I’ll be fine,” I said, shaking my head. I didn’t want to bug him if it really wasn’t anything. There could be a number of reasons for my feelings.

Pushing it to the back of my mind, I turned my attention to the girls, watching them play.

Lily was now able to sit by herself, and she was slobbering on a toy that played music. The two didn’t pay much attention to one another, but as they grew and aged, they would.

It was shortly after we got the girls down for a nap after lunch when the boys arrived back home. Elijah seemed worried, but he schooled his face once he saw me. Kaleb, on the other hand, was fuming with rage.

“Morgan followed us,” he said as he took a gentle seat on the couch next to Kelly, who leaned into him. “That little twat. What does he think he’s playing at?”

“He’s waiting for the time to strike, and we’ll be ready,” Elijah said, trying to soothe the nerves in the room. I was in his arms instantly, seeking his familiar warmth.

“How long has he been following us?” I asked, looking up at him with worry.

“Weeks. We can’t catch him; he seems to be one step ahead. I don’t know what he’s playing at or trying to accomplish, but we will get him. In the meantime, we’ll be staying at home more, just to be safe. I don’t truly think he’ll try to do anything to get past the gate,” Elijah answered. “He’s not too bright, but he is smart enough to not push me.”

“Do you think maybe he wants to know if Dawn is still staying here? Or wondering if maybe she went to the hearing today with you?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah, it crossed my mind. Of course, Morgan not seeing her with me the last few times I’ve gone out should give him more than enough to know I’m not taking chances. Maybe I should give him a call, but he may know who I work with,” Elijah said.

“I wouldn’t call,” Kaleb said. “He most likely knows about everything by now. He was bailed out of jail for a reason.”

“So, what was the verdict?” Kelly asked, changing the subject.

“Galvin was sentenced life in prison, with no possible parole,” Elijah answered, leading me to sit down on the loveseat. “His lawyer was just getting off a high, so he wasn’t the best.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Kaleb laughed.

I was just happy he would no longer be an issue I had to deal with. The lifted weight was refreshing, and I knew things were going to start looking up for us.