Introduction
After a day of working on your property in a remote area of the state, you and your spouse decide to find a place to eat. After a 20-minute drive down trails and back roads, you come upon a small town with a convenience store and bar/restaurant. The two of you head into the restaurant, order a couple of beers and burgers, and find a place to sit.
You’re trying to drink your beer, but someone keeps hitting the back of your seat. You brush it off, thinking it might be a young kid who can’t sit still. Your food arrives, and just as you’re getting ready to take a bite, you hear something that chills you to the bone.
A deep, heavily accented voice says, “I bought you, I own you. Eat your dinner because it will be your last. When you’re done, we will head to the woods. I will give you a two-minute head start. Then, I will hunt you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
You look at your husband to see if he’s hearing what you’re hearing. He seems to be oblivious to what is occurring in the booth behind you. The man continues speaking, “Do not try to escape. If you do, I will kill your family.” You get your husband’s attention and jerk your head to indicate he needs to listen.
The curiosity overtakes you, so you slide out of the booth as if you were going to the bathroom. You steal a glance towards the other table. A man is in the seat facing your direction, his thick, hairy arms folded on the table in front of him, and his attention is focused on his companion. You turn to look at the other person. It’s a young female, her head bowed and her dark hair obscuring her face.
You stop in front of their booth and ask the female, “Are you alright?” She doesn’t look up or indicate in any way that she heard you. You ask her again if she’s alright or if she needs help. The man growls, “She’s fine. Mind your own fucking business.”
You look at him and say, “Fuck you. I’m talking to her.” You turn back to the girl, “Do you need help?” Still, no reply.
“I told you to mind your own fucking business!” the man says, rising. Your husband is by your side in a flash and stops the man from getting up. The two of you go up to the bar and flag down the bartender. In the meantime, the man throws money on the table, grabs the female, and heads out the door.
You explain to the bartender what you overheard and ask how to contact the police. That’s when you find out you’re in an area where the police don’t patrol. There is no law here, just a cold ruthlessness. The location you’re in is known for its human trafficking activity. You want to run after the couple to save the female, but your husband explains the situation you’re facing. You are miles from your property in an unfamiliar area. Furthermore, there’s no way of knowing how many friends that man has in the vicinity. If he’s willing to hunt another human for sport, he will think nothing of killing the two of you.
You finally agree that he’s right, but what you’ve experienced will haunt you for years to come.
Human Trafficking in the United States
We would like to believe that such an atrocious act can’t happen in a civilized society. The truth is that human trafficking in the United States remains a deeply entrenched practice, affecting tens of thousands of people every year. Despite increased awareness and efforts to stop it, traffickers continue to exploit vulnerable individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for purposes such as sex, forced labor, and domestic servitude. Victims may be U.S. citizens or from other countries, adults or children, and may come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. What they have in common is a moment of vulnerability, such as poverty, homelessness, or addiction, that traffickers can use for exploitation.
Sex trafficking is often the most widely recognized form, involving traffickers who control victims through manipulation, threats, or violence. Labor trafficking, while less visible, is just as pervasive. It occurs in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, construction, nail salons, and domestic work. Trafficked workers may be threatened with deportation, debt bondage, or harm to their families.
Do Humans Hunt Other Humans for Sport?
While there is no reliable documentation that links human trafficking to hunting humans for sport, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. There have certainly been several books and movies about humans hunting other humans, and doesn’t life imitate art?
Robert Hansen was a serial killer in the 1970s and early 1980s. He targeted women he believed were vulnerable, such as sex workers. He would kidnap them, take them to a remote area of the Alaskan wilderness, release them, and then hunt them with his rifle. He was eventually caught and sentenced to 461 years in prison, where he died in 2014.
The short story “The Most Dangerous Game” is about a big-game hunter, Sanger Rainsford, who falls overboard from his yacht and washes up on an island inhabited by General Zaroff, a man who shares his passion for hunting but has grown bored with hunting animals. He forces Rainsford to become the prey. Short story shorter, the hunter who was the hunted becomes the hunter again.
“The Hunt” is a movie that also explores the concept of a group of humans being kidnapped and hunted by wealthy elitists.
Therefore, why should it be so hard to believe that people are being trafficked to be hunted for sport?
What Should You Do If You Suspect Someone Is Being Trafficked?
If you believe someone is being trafficked, your actions can make all the difference. It can happen anywhere, including airports, restaurants, hotels, and rest stops. Confronting the trafficker could be dangerous and put both you and the victim at greater risk.
Gather as much information as possible, such as location, descriptions, and behavior. You can call the National Human Trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or send the information via text to BEFREE (23373). If you believe the person is in immediate danger, call 911.
Trafficking occurs in plain sight. If something feels wrong, trust your instincts. It’s better to report and be mistaken than to stay silent. Trained professionals can assess the situation without putting anyone at risk. Human trafficking thrives on secrecy and inaction. Your action can save a life.
. I never thought this would happen very often but as I get older and hopefully wiser, I think there’s a hell of a lot of it. I have seen on TV that they say 25% of kids are sexually abused and normally by somebody in the family or close to the family. I just can’t understand how somebody could think that would sexually satisfy them. It just pisses me off. Thank you for the heads up. There should be many signals taught to children when they’re in trouble and also taught to adult adults different signs maybe some kind of cough anything something needs to be done in the schools all the signs and signals.
Thank You for the reminder.