The monster under my bed

Chapter 13: Gone

TW!
mention of child trafficking

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Yuichirō glowered at Boogie, who squatted in front of him, playing with the boy's hair. The men caught them in Shinjuro's car, and carried them off to their van. Muichirō passed out on the way. They were bound up and taken to the back of a gas station.

"Aww! So mean! You look so mean! I like that."

The boy spat in his face and kicked him in the groin.

Boogie fell back with a grunt, resting on his elbows. "You're a really bad kid," he growled seductively, grabbing Yuichirō by the face.

"Come on. Spit at me again."

Yuichirō spat at him, and Boogie slapped him hard across the face.

"Aha! Ahahahaha! Wanna try again?" he laughed maniacally, wiping the spit off his face.

Yuichirō's cheek stung, and anger boiled up inside him. How long was Muichirō enduring all this? And he never told anyone? This is hell! "Where's Muichirō?! Where did you take him?!" he demanded.

"Calm down child," Boogie said a-matter-of-factly. "Dutch went to the security room to call our boss. They'll be right out."

Yuichirō kicked his feet and screamed.

"Shut it!" Boogie clamped his hand over the boy's mouth. "Or I'll gag you."

Yuichirō pouted and turned away. The rope around his wrists was irritating him, and despite his fierce expression, he was scared. He didn't know what was going to happen to him or Muichirō.

Dutch sat on a swivel chair in the security room. He was on the phone with another man now. Crushed security tapes lay in the darkest corner of the room.

"You saw the kid. How much will you pay?"

A voice muttered on the other end.

"Hey, if you want me to do that, you'll have to provide the money for that. I can't fly out of here, I don't have the money. All I can do is stick with the original offer."

Muichirō sat by the desk, shivering uncontrollably. His blood-stained pajamas didn't protect him from the cold, and Dutch had kicked him around the room to get him to cooperate. "Talk to the customer," he'd said.

Muichirō didn't want to talk to someone he knew wanted to take advantage of him.

He sobbed in the corner, knees tucked up to his chest and gnawed on his thumb. Snot dripped heavily from his nose, and his chest hurt after being slammed into the wall with Dutch pressed against him, screaming into his face. Muichirō wept for his Mother, his Father, and his Uncle. Yuichirō as well.

Before he knew it, he was being hauled back to the storage unit. Dutch dumped him on the dirty floor like a sack of potatoes, and went outside through the back door.

Boogie slid over to him and grabbed Muichirō by the hair, shaking him up and down.

"Hey Muichirō! You'll be working for us now! Both you and your brother! Isn't it exciting?"