You Do What You Have To - 16

 

Once inside the church, they went down a hallway and through a set of doors into the nave. It was empty, except for a few people close to the front who were apparently seeking solace of one sort or another. Going to the back, Micky and Robin sat in one of the pews.

 

"Now can you tell me what's going on?" Micky asked quietly.

 

"Some of it." Robin stared toward the altar for a long minute. "Okay. Mackenzie is a business man. He owns an accounting firm and a nightclub, and as far as I know, they're both legit. It's his side business that isn't."

 

"Which is?"

 

"Prostitution. He heads a ring that runs across state lines, using girls and guys they pick up off the streets, some as young as eight or nine. All of them are under twenty-one."

 

"Good lord." Micky shuddered in disgust. "What about…Darren?"

 

"He works for a woman, Olivia Hummel, who has her own prostitution business, primarily focused on catering to gay men. She's trying to stop Mackenzie. Not for any altruistic reasons. She wants complete control over the boys who sell themselves on the streets. Mackenzie isn't going to let that happen, if he can help it."

 

"Damn! And I…" Micky bit off his words before he could admit he'd had casual sex with Darren.

 

"Slept with the bastard? Yeah, I'm aware of that."

 

"How?"

 

"I work for Mackenzie and was at the bar the night Darren picked you up. Before you get up and leave, I'm undercover. He thinks I'm—okay I am one of his boy toys."

 

"God damn! How can you do that?"

 

Robin lifted an eyebrow. "If you want to stop a sleazeball like him, you do what you have to."

 

"No way I could…" Micky froze when he heard footsteps behind them.

 

Robin put a hand on Micky's leg, turning slightly to see who was there. "It's just an old lady parishioner," he said softly, squeezing Micky's thigh before moving his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let them find you. I promise."

 

"How can you? I could walk out the door and find Darren standing there. What would you do? Shoot him?" Micky frowned, looking at Robin. "Do you even have a gun?"

 

"Yeah, but I wouldn't use it in public, any more than Darren would."

 

"Uh-huh. Somehow I don't believe that. If he's looking for me… If those other guys are looking for me… Well, like you said, it's not to invite me home for dinner."

 

"Actually—" Robin grinned, "—I said to a frat party. But same difference. However, we're not going out the front door, or even the one we came in. We'll wait it out then leave by the back door. They might be canvassing the area, while trying to avoid each other, or more likely, to beat each other to finding you. Sooner or later they'll give up."