Cascade by Claudia Hall Christian Page B

had one Dad. He’s dead.”
    “ Ok, ok, sorry Sandy,” Seth said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to think about how to talk to you
about this. I’m not good at talking. Especially when I’m pissed
off. Why do you think I have so many ex-wives?”
    “ Ok, Seth,” Sandy said. “This
international task force. What do they have to do with the
prick?”
    “ He came up on their radar. He’s
got a website with videos for download or play. He has a supplier
in China. The videos are shipped from China through Canada,” Seth
said. “He’s got distributors throughout the world.”
    Sandy nodded.
    “ I made some quiet inquiries when
Jill brought me the cash he’s been giving you,” Seth said. “You
knew she did that right?”
    Sandy nodded.
    “ And… well… I promised your Dad
that I would keep you out of the news and out of harms way. I swore
to him on his death bed. But… I can’t keep you from
this.”
    “ Why?”
    “ This international group… they
contacted Vice about the prick. Vice has been following him for a
few months. They think he’s trying to recruit new girls. He’s
spending a lot of time around schools. They haven’t seen anything
they can pick him up for and the international group wants the
whole chain, not just your… I mean the prick.”
    “ The videos on the website… Those
are…”
    “ Yes,” Seth said. “They are of
you. I couldn’t look. My buddy in Vice said they go back to when
you were…”
    “ A toddler,” Sandy said. “Had to
work off the child support.”
    Not speaking, they sat with the discomfort of
their own thoughts. They drank their coffee.
    “ Aden’s son was beaten up on
Monday. Some kid said he has a video of me,” Sandy said. “Sounds
like he probably does.”
    “ He probably does,” Seth said.
“Sick fucker. Do you know his name? It’s illegal to have that crap
on your computer or in your home. We’ll bust him…”
    Sandy began to visibly shake. Seth pulled her
to him. He held her until her shaking slowed.
    “ You have to tell Aden,” Seth
said. “Sandra, you need to tell him.”
    Sandy shook her head with such violence that
the car rocked.
    “ I’ll tell him if you don’t,” Seth
said. “That man loves you. He’s got to know. He can help you
because…”
    “ What?”
    “ There’s going to be a trial.
Unless the prick gets more girls, they plan to move on him after
the first of the year. They’ll need you to testify. Grand jury
first, then…”
    “ Why would I do that? Destroy my
whole life? I should take the money and move to Paris or Rome
or…”
    “ Sandra, he’s recruiting other
children,” Seth said. “It’s only a matter of time. You can stop him
and put him away once and for all.”
    “ What about Mom? This will kill
her.”
    “ Your mother will have to live
with what she’s done,” Seth said. “She’s stronger than you
think.”
    Each caught in their own worries, they fell
silent again.
    “ I need to get to work,” Sandy
said. “I have a client in forty minutes.”
    Seth put the car into gear and drove toward
her home. Pulling to the curb, he stopped the car.
    “ I’d do anything for you. You know
that,” Seth said.
    “ I know,” Sandy said. “Thanks,
Seth. I appreciate you giving me the heads up. I’m just not sure
what to do.”
    “ You need to tell Aden,” Seth
said. “Tell him by Friday or I’ll tell him Saturday
morning.”
    “ What?” Sandy said. “That’s too
soon.”
    Seth held out ten tickets to the Denver
Zoolights.
    “ Let the girls take the kids to
the Zoolights,” Seth said. “You can tell him while they are
out.”
    Sandy took the tickets and got out of the
car.
    “ Love you, Sandy,” Seth said.
“I’ve done everything I can to make this go away. I’ll do anything
now to make it…”
    “ Better,” Sandy said. “I know.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time to stop running and face it. I
can’t allow another little girl to go through what he did to
me.”
    “