Page 29 of Under Rusted Stars

Marcy is already gone by the time we get to the truck. I am incredibly nervous as we drive, and it makes it worse when Bodhi starts driving in circles and making loops around town to make sure we aren’t being followed before we start down Highway 16.

When we stop on the side of the road, he pulls through the weeds until it opens up beside the barn. There is a blacked-out Chevy of some sort back here, also. When we walk into the barn, we look up when we hear a floorboard creak.

“That you, Marcy?” Bodhi calls out.

“Yep. Sorry,” she says, peeking over the railing.

Rhett goes first up the ladder before I do, and then Bodhi. With Marcy is a man. “Hey, guys,” Marcy says sweetly. “This is Tim Chambers. He is the lead over sex crimes.”

“This is Rhett McDonald. He is a cop, but his father is the sheriff here in Willow Creek. We are bypassing him because who we have issues with is way too close to Dan right now for us to talk to him,” Bodhi says. “I am Bodhi Jensen, and this is Olivia Monroe.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Tim says warmly. “I’ll admit, I’ve never met in a barn for intel before, but it works.”

“First,” Marcy says. “Simply, but directly, what is this regarding?"

“Uhm…” I say, my voice trembling as tears surface. I turn, and Bodhi hugs me. “I’m sorry. I’m trying.”

“Hey. Shh. You’re doing amazing, Liv. I’m so proud of you, okay? Everything is going to be okay,” Bodhi says softly. I nod, and he wipes away my tears before I look back at Marcy.

“Don’t rush yourself,” Tim says softly.

“Uh… A trafficker that goes by the name Miguel,” I say quietly. Marcy’s head snaps to Bodhi and then to her boss.

“Shit,” Tim sighs. “Yeah, I’m familiar with him.”

“I was married to Jason Hayes for ten years,” I say. “Monday, I have to be in court in Dallas to testify about everything I know because Jason is trying to say I am the ringleader, when he used me as… currency… he rented me out… hundreds of times… Miguel was just in my cabin and threatened to kill me if I named him. He made it sound like Jeramy, the detective, is relaying information to him… My old phone has all of the evidence as far as… I have all of Jason’s files. I have hundreds of clients' names, pay accounts, referrals, what they did to me, and just… Everything. It directly links Jason and Miguel to selling me hundreds, if not thousands, of times.”

“Holy shit…” Tim says. “And it’s gone, isn’t it?”

“The phone is,” I say. “I have a few backup copies, though.”

“How many?” he asks, but I don’t say anything. “Fair enough… What format is it in?”

“A microSD card,” I say. “I refuse to go to jail for the man who tortured me for a decade. If this doesn’t clear me, I…”

“If it is what you say it is, it will clear you,” Tim says. “But I need some kind of assurance that you are the victim you say you are.”

I set my bag down and pull off my shirt, leaving me in just a bra. “Oh, Liv,” Bodhi says softly, sweeping my hair off my back to see the scars. I turn to face him so Tim can see, and Marcy gasps.

“Jason is telling them that I did this to myself… That I whipped myself with a metal rod…” I say. There is hardly a single spot on my back that isn’t covered by scars. They’re layered, and the scar tissue is thick. I pull my leggings down and turn, letting him see my thighs. There are dozens of little round scars where he put a cigarette out on me. They’re hideous, and I hate them so much.

“Jesus Christ,” Tim says. “May I?”

“Mhmm,” I say. He squats down and gently rubs his fingers across one of the worst scars on the inside of my thigh by my knee.

“This is… I’ve never seen someone alive with this much harm done to them,” Tim says as he stands. “You mean something to Miguel. It’s the only way he’d keep you alive long enough to endure all of this. And the fact that you are still free and not locked in a cage? That’s unheard of. You know that, right?”

“No,” I say. “I don’t know how things work for any other person being trafficked, but when I was taken to a party, I was the only woman there. I literally never came in contact with another woman, but I know they were out there from what Jason and Miguel would talk about.”

“I wonder if Jason is the brother we’ve been trying to identify?” Marcy asks.

“I’ve heard them refer to each other as brother,” I say. “I never really thought much of it just because it’s not abnormal for a man to refer to a man as his brother when he isn’t.”

“Alright,” Tim says with a heavy sigh. “Would you be willing to hand the SD card over to me?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Just know that if anyone tries to fuck me over, I’ll give it to the media.”

“Lord, don’t do that,” Tim laughs. “I respect you holding your ground. Not many survivors can go this far with getting justice.”