Observing the computer, I noticed three folders and moved the cursor to the first one. Before clicking, I glanced at Kai and opened it to reveal a sequence of images depicting a place. One image, displaying a royal blue gate with black walls, struck a familiar chord. My mind was transported back to the day when we celebrated our eighth birthday at the park. We were heading home, fatigued from the celebration, my sister asleep, while my mother followed in another car laden with party supplies. However, my father took a detour, driving us through a wooded area under a rainfall, until we arrived at a location identical to the photo. I watched as my dad handed a battered woman a box, who accepted it just before another man forced her back inside. I pretended to sleep as my father climbed back in the car, gave us a look, and we all returned home. As I continued browsing the photos, my eyes met Kai's.
Ali: That place seems familiar to me.
Kai: To me as well.
Exiting the first folder, I entered the second, with "Gato" and Kai still by my side, and while Jimmy looked on expectantly.
A video began to play, showing a party awash with colorful lights and abundant alcohol, while drugs, smoking men, and nearly naked, intoxicated women filled the scene. The camera then focused on Jennie, being force-fed methamphetamines as men held her down and began tearing her clothes off, surrounding her with every imaginable sexual act. The imagery was too disturbing and perverse for words.
The terror in their eyes was palpable, and I recognized some of the faces among the men as familiar figures: the general, the mayor. I saw Kai tense up and throw a chair in a burst of anger. Nevertheless, he attempted to compose himself to continue watching. I felt just as enraged, and upon seeing another girl who lay drugged in ICU undergoing the same abuse, my fury and helplessness peaked. If not for my strong stomach, accustomed to the demands of my job, I would have been ill. Human trafficking - how could they commit such acts? I tried to contain my emotions, glancing at Kai, who appeared as shaken, or worse, than me.
Gato: If they find out we have this information, they'll come after us. We're loose ends they'll want to silence, just like the girls.
Kai: You're right; we need to act fast. (holding Ali in embrace while she stares at the screen, frozen in shock)
Ali: That man... That man is my father. Those were the only words I could muster.
What has my father done? How could he allow such things? I started crying, clinging onto Kai, overwhelmed with rage and helplessness, frustration clouding my thoughts. The only thing clear was my anger towards my father; no wonder he always wanted me out of town.
Kai: We'll seek justice for your sister, Jennie, and those girls. We'll find out which among them is the killer. Ali, you're not alone; we stand with you.
Wiping away my tears, I played the video to the end, noting a woman's silhouette, her face indistinct.
The third folder contained the coroner's reports on the dead and missing girls from the area and neighboring towns - the same information from the missing coroner's agenda that I'd found at his place. However, at the end, there was an address where we might locate him, on the outskirts of town, in a wooded zone. We all fell silent. Then, my phone rang; it was Tian.
I answered and was told that the girl had awoken from ICU. I told him I'd be right there. If we could get her to talk, she could be a key witness in the case. I knew we had to keep under the radar. Revealing the evidence publicly would prevent them from hiding away like the vermin they were...
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