Chapter One

Special Agent Lacey McCoy, the youngest FBI agent in Alabama, was contacted in the middle of the night while he was asleep at his home in Birmingham. When he opened his eyes, he groaned.

When he noticed that the screen of his iPhone, which was resting on his nightstand, was illuminated, he picked it up and answered the call. "Agent McCoy speaking," Lacey said, sounding worn out.

"Agent McCoy, I think you'd better come down here right now," Officer Brandon, one of the police officers, stated.

Lacey asked, "What's going on?"

"There's something you need to see," Officer Brandon replied.

"Okay, I'm on my way," Lacey said before ending the call. As an FBI agent, Lacey was expected to answer calls about assignments and emergencies, and it was currently approximately two in the morning.

Agent McCoy got out of bed, quickly put on his pants and shirt, and left his bedroom. He then grabbed his FBI jacket, attached his Glock 19 holster to his belt, took his wallet and keys, and walked to the unmarked FBI 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe parked outside his house, facing the garage door.

After unlocking the vehicle, Agent McCoy opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat. After closing the door, he fastened his seat belt. He grabbed his keys, started the vehicle, shifted into reverse, pressed the accelerator, and backed the vehicle away from the garage door.

Agent McCoy eventually left his house and headed to the crime scene. When he arrived, he put the vehicle in park, sighed, unbuckled his seat belt, opened the driver's-side door, and got out.

After exiting the vehicle, Agent McCoy closed the door, turned around, and approached Officer Brandon.

Once Agent McCoy stood beside him, he sighed and asked, "What do we have?"

Officer Brandon said, "Agent McCoy, several bodies were found in Monte Santo State Park. A witness named Sarah Lord discovered the bodies over twenty minutes ago and is currently being questioned by Detectives Dalton and Evans. She said that she was taking a walk in the middle of the night with her dog because she couldn't sleep when she tripped over one of the bodies, which scared her. She called 911, and as soon as Detectives Dalton and Evans arrived at the scene, they found something on the victims' bodies."

"A barcode?" Agent McCoy inquired.

"Yes," Officer Brandon answered.

"Okay," Agent McCoy said with a sigh.

He brushed his hair aside with his fingers. Detectives Dalton and Evans, homicide detectives from the Birmingham Police Department in Alabama, finished their conversation with Sarah and approached Agent McCoy.

"Good morning, Agent McCoy," Detective Dalton greeted him.

"Good morning. I see that this investigation is now a federal matter. I'll take it from here," Agent McCoy replied.

"Well, fifteen bodies were discovered this morning, and our witness, Mrs. Lord, claims she was out here all alone..." Detective Dalton began.

Agent McCoy interrupted him. "I'm aware of that, Detective. Officer Brandon informed me that there were barcodes tattooed on the victims' wrists. This suggests that we might be dealing with a child-sex-trafficking operation. It appears these individuals were linked to child exploitation, which means this is no longer your case," Agent McCoy explained.

"Agent McCoy, you do realize that fifteen young children were murdered. This is also a homicide," Detective Dalton said.

"Yes, I know. But since this is primarily an investigation for the FBI, it now falls under federal jurisdiction. I understand that you're trying to do your job, but let me do mine," Agent McCoy replied.

"Sounds like we have a problem, Agent McCoy," Detective Dalton said.

"No. I just wanted to let you know that the FBI will now handle this matter. So please let me do my job, and you do yours. Thank you," Agent McCoy said before walking past Detectives Dalton and Evans.

Agent McCoy walked toward the bodies of the dead children, squatted down, put on his gloves, and gently took one child's pale, fragile wrist in his hand. He examined it to see whether a barcode had been tattooed on the skin. The children were indeed part of a trafficking ring, and Agent McCoy had every reason to believe that they had been treated like animals and abused by a trafficker. The question was, why?

Officer Brandon walked up to Agent McCoy and asked whether he needed any help.

Agent McCoy looked up at him and said, "Could you please bring me a DSLR camera? I need to photograph the children's injuries for the investigation."

Officer Brandon immediately returned to the crime-scene vehicle. Eventually, he came back and handed Agent McCoy the DSLR camera.

Agent McCoy accepted the camera and sighed before looking through the viewfinder. He began photographing each child's injuries, taking care not to move any of the bodies. As a former photographer, Agent McCoy knew that lighting and scale were essential. He would not simply use a phone; he would use a DSLR or mirrorless camera with specialized macro lenses to capture details such as bruises, burns, and branding. He would also use forensic scales—small L-shaped rulers—placed next to the injuries to indicate their size.

Agent McCoy would prioritize the victims' comfort, when possible, explaining why the photographs were necessary and using a trauma-informed approach. He would look for specific, sometimes obscure physical marks, including branding, tattoos, cigarette burns, and rash-like abrasions indicative of forced labor or sex trafficking.

He might also notice details in the backgrounds of photographs, such as specific hotel-lamp styles, bedspreads, or city views, and use tools such as TraffickCam to identify locations where victims had been held. The photographs could help identify not only the injuries but also the trafficker's signature or methods of control.

The photographs would be logged as part of the chain of custody, along with photographic logs, sketches, and notes, to ensure that they were admissible in federal court. While the FBI took charge, Agent McCoy might also have to work with local law enforcement officers who had not initially recognized the signs of trafficking. He could spot subtle clues that other investigators might miss, such as lighting indicating that a room was in a basement, a reflection in a mirror showing a perpetrator, or a specific brand of equipment used by traffickers.

Agent McCoy sighed, rubbed his eyes with his fingers, and stood up. Then he heard someone crying. He looked up and said, "Hello?" He was the only one who had heard the cry.

"Hello?" Agent McCoy called again.

The cries came from far away. Agent McCoy quickly drew his gun from its holster, aimed it toward the ground, and slowly walked toward the trees, following the path. He continued down the path, aiming his gun toward the trees, until the crying grew more intense.

"Hello?" Agent McCoy called. "FBI! Show me your hands where I can see them!"

McCoy didn't simply point the weapon; he presented it. In one fluid motion, the Glock 19 cleared his holster and rose to eye level. He kept both eyes open, his gaze locked on the area ahead, while the orange front sight of his AmeriGlo settled in the center of his vision. He leaned into his stance with his shoulders squared and his thumbs indexed forward along the frame.

Agent McCoy continued walking farther from the crime scene. He moved slowly down the path, keeping his gun aimed toward the trees and using the weapon light attached beneath the firearm.

As Agent McCoy drew closer to the source of the crying, he saw a boy sitting behind a tree. Agent McCoy slowly approached him and said, "Hey, come on out."

The boy continued to cry and appeared frightened. Agent McCoy returned his gun to its holster and continued walking slowly toward him.

"Hey, buddy. I'm not going to hurt you," Agent McCoy said.

The boy turned around and saw Agent McCoy standing nearby.

"Hey, buddy. What's your name?" Agent McCoy asked.

The boy hid behind the tree. He was still scared.

"It's okay, buddy. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a good guy. I help people," Agent McCoy said.

Eventually, the boy came out of his hiding place and slowly moved away from the tree. Agent McCoy could tell that the boy was dirty and filthy.

"It's okay, buddy. I'm Lacey McCoy. I'm an FBI agent. See?" Agent McCoy said as he pulled out his FBI badge and showed it to the boy.

The boy stopped walking. He stood where he was, staring at Agent McCoy.

"It's okay, buddy. You can come over here," Agent McCoy said.

The boy slowly walked toward Agent McCoy. He was quiet and frightened.

"That's it. You've got it." Agent McCoy extended a hand. Eventually, the boy took it, and Agent McCoy slowly turned around. Still holding the boy's hand, he began walking back toward the crime scene.

Agent McCoy should not conduct a detailed interrogation in the woods. Instead, he should conduct only a brief fact-finding session to determine whether other children were in danger or whether suspects were nearby. FBI victim specialists would immediately be brought in to provide food, clothing, and emergency medical care.

Although the boy would be moved to a neutral, secure location—often a Child Advocacy Center—rather than a police station, Agent McCoy would use the appropriate protocol for interviewing child victims so that their statements would be admissible in court.

A forensic interviewer, rather than the discovering agent, would typically conduct the interview to maintain objectivity. The process would begin with a practice phase to establish rapport before moving to open-ended questions about the events. The interviewer would avoid making promises that could not be kept and would remain sensitive to memory fragmentation caused by trauma.

Agent McCoy walked into the interview room, where the boy sat silently.

"Hey, Agent McCoy. It's good to see you. We need to have a chat," Mrs. Ray Forbes said as she walked past him.

They both turned and left the interview room together, leaving the boy alone inside.

After Agent McCoy asked Mrs. Forbes what was happening, she sighed and said, "He's very scared. He said that a man forced him to perform labor for eighteen hours a day. He was also used for commercial sex; the man put him up for sale to make money to buy expensive things and live a luxurious lifestyle. He says that the man sold him, and another man who worked for him—whose name he wouldn't tell me—purchased him. The second man abused him constantly and forced him onto the streets to beg for money."

"So he's part of a child-sex-trafficking ring," Agent McCoy said.

"But this boy is obviously traumatized. He said he misses his mother and father and wants to go home. I also asked whether he could tell me the men's names, but he stopped talking. Obviously, he's so frightened that he thinks they're going to come back and find him," Mrs. Forbes said.

"Did he ever say anything about being sexually assaulted?" Agent McCoy asked.

"No. I would say that he was physically abused because he had bruises and cuts on his arms and legs. He witnessed many terrible things, including what happened to the children in the woods. He saw them get shot and killed," Mrs. Forbes said.

As part of Victim Assistance at FBI Headquarters, Mrs. Forbes specialized in child forensic interviews involving human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and violent crimes, including crimes committed on Indian reservations.

Another woman who worked with Mrs. Forbes, Amanda Saxton, was a licensed clinical social worker and highly trained interviewer. Although her goal was to support criminal investigations, she also had to consider the unique developmental and emotional needs of victims and witnesses like the boy.

"Agent McCoy, this boy is terrified. He wants to be somewhere safe. I called his parents, and they're on their way here now," Mrs. Forbes said.

Agent McCoy sighed and said, "Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Mrs. Forbes replied with a nod.

Mrs. Forbes walked past Agent McCoy and returned to the interview room.

After Mrs. Forbes entered the room, Agent McCoy stood by the door, looking through the window and watching her speak with the boy. She sat across from him while Agent McCoy received a phone call from his partner, FBI Special Agent Jonah Smithson.

After Agent McCoy answered, Jonah explained that he needed McCoy to come to the bureau because something important was happening.

"Okay, I'm on my way," Agent McCoy said.

After hanging up, Agent McCoy turned and walked away from the interview room.

Agent McCoy eventually arrived at the FBI Field Office in Birmingham, Alabama. He walked to Level Four, where child-sex-trafficking cases were investigated. There, he met Agent Smithson, who approached him and said, "I spoke with the Special Agent in Charge. He said that the boy's name is Rodger Bradford. He's ten years old and went missing in October 2011. No one had seen him since.

"His parents reported him missing, and the Birmingham Police Department assigned Detectives Alexander and Johnson from Missing Persons to the case. They closed it after a year of searching for Rodger. His remains were later found, but it turned out that they belonged to someone else. Detectives Alexander and Johnson said that the body had been found near a river in Montgomery. I called Missing Persons, and they confirmed that the deceased boy was not Rodger. He was actually a boy named Henry Granger. Rodger has now been reunited with his parents. I'm sure Mrs. Forbes has already told you that," Agent Smithson explained.

"Yeah, she did. So what do we know about the other children—the ones who were murdered in the woods?" Agent McCoy asked.

"The first deceased victim was Hannah McGuire. The second was Heath Sanders. The remaining victims are still unidentified. The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces are still trying to determine their identities," Agent Smithson said.

"Okay. We should probably speak with Rodger's parents. Maybe they know something about the case," Agent McCoy said.

"Yeah, sure," Agent Smithson replied.

Eventually, Special Agents McCoy and Smithson left the field office together and drove to Rodger's house to speak with his parents.

Agent McCoy knocked on the front door and waited for Rodger's mother, Mrs. Bradford, to answer. When she opened the door, she saw Agents McCoy and Smithson standing outside.

"Hi, Mrs. Bradford. I'm Special Agent McCoy from the FBI," Agent McCoy said, showing her his badge. "This is my partner, Agent Smithson. May we come in?"

"Oh my gosh, you're the one who found my son," Mrs. Bradford said.

"Yes, ma'am. May we come in?" Agent McCoy asked.

"Yes, yes. Come in," Mrs. Bradford replied as she stepped aside.

"Thank you," Agent McCoy said.

Agents McCoy and Smithson entered the Bradfords' house. After Mrs. Bradford closed the door, she said, "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you," Agent McCoy replied.

Agents McCoy and Smithson sat on the couch in the living room.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" Mrs. Bradford asked with a smile.

"Oh, no, thank you. We won't be here long. We just want to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?" Agent McCoy asked.

"Yes," Mrs. Bradford replied. She sat on another couch across from Agents McCoy and Smithson.

"Mrs. Bradford, I know this must be hard for you and your husband. Is your husband home?" Agent McCoy asked.

"Yes. He's upstairs. Honey, can you please come into the living room?" Mrs. Bradford called.

"Coming!" Mr. Bradford replied.

Footsteps came from upstairs. Eventually, Mrs. Bradford, Agent McCoy, and Agent Smithson watched as Mr. Bradford walked down the stairs and entered the living room.

"Honey, these two men are from the FBI. They want to tell us something," Mrs. Bradford said.

"Yes. Thank you. Thank you for finding our son," Mr. Bradford said.

Agent McCoy nodded. "It's not a problem. It's our job." He smiled.

"So, what is it you want to talk to us about?" Mrs. Bradford asked.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, do you know whether Rodger had any contact with anyone who might have wanted to hurt him?" Agent McCoy asked.

"No. I know he was ten years old, but he was only five when he was kidnapped. I don't think a five-year-old would have known whom he was talking to," Mrs. Bradford said.

"Do you know whether he ever walked anywhere alone?" Agent McCoy asked.

"Yes. I lost sight of him in a store. I was shopping and took my eyes off him for a second. Then, the next thing I knew, he was gone. I was so scared that I thought I would never see him again," Mrs. Bradford said.

Agent McCoy sighed. "Okay. Did you ever see anyone following you or anything like that?" he asked.

At that moment, local police detectives Dalton and Evans arrived at the Bradfords' house and knocked on the door. Mr. Bradford answered it.

"Hi, Mr. Bradford. I'm Detective Dalton, and this is Detective Evans from the Birmingham Police Department. May we come in?" Detective Dalton asked.

"Yes, yes," Mr. Bradford replied.

Detectives Dalton and Evans entered the house. Mr. Bradford closed the door.

"What's going on?" Mr. Bradford asked as he followed them into the living room.

"Well, the FBI and local police are looking for information about the suspects who kidnapped your son. We believe they may be two men named Vincent Nash and Jason Marbel. Do you recognize those names?" Detective Dalton asked.

"No. I've never heard of them. Should we know them?" Mrs. Bradford asked.

"No. But we believe these are the two men responsible for kidnapping your son. Agent McCoy and I have agreed to investigate this matter as soon as possible and return to you when we have more details. Right now, however, we need to continue investigating with your son's help so that we can learn what happened to him and the other children," Detective Dalton said.

"Mrs. Forbes said he explained everything. We just don't want to traumatize him even more," Mr. Bradford said.

"I understand, Mr. Bradford, but to stop these two men, we need more information from Rodger. He's our only surviving witness. Is that okay?" Detective Dalton asked.

"Yeah, sure," Mrs. Bradford replied.

"Thank you," Detective Dalton said.

Agent McCoy cleared his throat. "Detective Dalton, may I speak with you in private?" he asked.

He stood up from the couch, walked to the door, and opened it. He stepped outside. Detective Dalton excused himself, followed McCoy outside, and shut the door behind him.

Detective Dalton saw Agent McCoy pacing back and forth, apparently trying to decide what to say.

"Are you serious right now?" Agent McCoy asked.

"I'm just doing my job, Agent McCoy," Detective Dalton replied.

"No. I already told you that this is under federal jurisdiction. Let me and the other agents handle the situation," Agent McCoy said.

"My captain said that I'm responsible for this case, too. I suggest you look at the facts. This is also a local investigation, so we will work together. Is that okay?" Detective Dalton asked.

Agent McCoy sighed, closed his eyes, and said, "You know what? I don't care what your captain said. I told you that this is under the FBI's jurisdiction, and the FBI is going to take the case. My partner and I have a great deal of information about the investigation, and this is also a child-sex-trafficking investigation—not just a murder investigation."

Detective Dalton sighed. "Exactly. You just made my point. This is the responsibility of both the police and the FBI. If you can't accept that, you can quit your job."

Detective Dalton turned around, walked to the door, and opened it. After returning inside the Bradfords' house, he closed the door. Agent McCoy sighed and walked back inside as well.