Innocent Guilt

Chapter Twenty- A Seemingly Innocent Task

Arriving at the destination, Jennifer was mortified as she saw the location hers son was supposedly in. A run down house that was small and unsanitary, Colin held onto her tight as her knees began to buckle.

"He's here." Her voice became shaky as she moved behind them suddenly. Her expression turned to fear as she refused to enter the house.

"What is it?" Jennifer asked.

"I would just rather wait."

"Okay."

They entered the house to find it even more horrific then it had looked outside. It smelled of raw vomit and ripe laundry. Jennifer gagged as she walked through as Colin clenched his jaw to resist the urge to get sick himself. As they walked further in, as woman sat on the couch asleep as at least two dozen kids were about. Raging from the ages of two to fifteen, they all were anxious to see Jennifer. None of them were clean and all of them appeared starving and dehydrated.

"Where is he?" She asked as she began to lose hope. Walking through the house, they saw how there had been more kids. The young ones were in cribs and car seats in the back of the house. Looking at each one, none of them looked like their son. They were desperate to see him, to hold him.

Jennifer began to lose hope completely and walked outside to find Leelah on the ground on her knees. She had her hand wrapped around her stomach as a man towered over her with a lustful look of power on his face.

"Why are you back huh?" He asked with a great southern accent. Colin noted how he had a pistol in the back of his pants and rushed him, knocking him to the ground and taking it.

"Where the hell is my son?" Jennifer yelled to him. "He wasn't supposed to leave here..."

"If you couldn't tell we aren't truly up to technology. He was sent out a week ago."

"How do you know him?" Colin asked Leelah with the gun pointed at the man.

"That's Joe."

"Just Joe?" He said with a chuckle. "That's how you'll introduce your husband?"

"Husband? You're fifteen!" Jennifer said with a look of complete shock.

"Mom married me off when I was young. I left with her when she met Thomas and here we are."

"Where is my son?" Jennifer repeated, looking to Joe.

"Tokyo...Spain...Thailand....California...Yeah that's right...California."

"Tell them where...Come on..."

"I already said sweet cheeks."

"Tell us!" Colin said, placing the gun on his chin.

"Here's the address..." He said giving him his phone with the address written in a text message.

"I guess we are headed to California..."

Pulling Leelah to her feet, Colin left with her and they headed for the city of dreams.