by Alana Terry
Hadassah found she was nodding by the end of his teaching, and so was every other head in the room.
Part 3
“...LORD, WHEN DID WE EVER see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? ...” The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” ~ Yeshua (Matt. 24:37-40)
Chapter 26: Operation Double-edged Sword
ONE WEEK LATER
As she stepped onto the plane, Hadassah recalled why Mr. Cooper gave the mission this name.
“Edge one of the sword will be collecting evidence of the abuse,” he had reminded them while driving the van to the airport. “Edge two will be searching out possible escape routes for these girls, like an underground railroad from the brothels to the safe homes. In this way you’ll help my friend Rafaelo and his team in Manila.”
Hadassah found her seat on the plane and pulled the belt across her lap, meditating on this operation name and something Matthew had said so many months ago. “Bringing God’s justice and freedom to those who don’t have it.” For a moment she imagined that double-edged sword coming from Yeshua’s mouth, the one St. John saw in the vision in that first chapter of Revelation. She was an agent of God’s justice at last. She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips.
The plane ride to the Philippines was the longest and most excruciating she had ever experienced; the jarring turbulence throughout the flight threatened to make her sick. Priscilla and Zeke did get sick after the layover in Alaska, and stayed sick the entire way to Manila; flight attendants ran up and down the aisle with a steady stream of paper bags.
“I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life,” Zeke said as they collected their luggage and after he finished heaving for the last time in the men’s room. “And I had no idea I’d have so much in my stomach.”
“Yeah.” Priscilla gave a half smile. “That was the worst trip across the Pacific I could have imagined. I’ve never thrown up on a plane before.”
“Let’s not forget to pray for this aspect of the trip on the way back,” Hyun said.
“I know, right dude?” Matthew said. “I almost got sick watching the barf buddies here.”
“I like that name, Zeke.” Priscilla giggled and pinched him playfully on the arm. “You’ll be my barf buddy forever now.”
Zeke wiped the corners of his mouth and laughed. “Will you be ready for round two on the return flight?”
Priscilla giggled again. Hadassah loved watching Zeke put her at ease.
Humid, smog-filled air enveloped them as they strolled out of the airport terminal and turned toward their meeting point, a fast food restaurant less than a mile away. The Philippines struck Hadassah as wildly different from Africa. Manila in March seemed like New York City in August—bustling, stiflingly hot, unfriendly. But the trucks—Jeepneys, Priscilla had told them—were almost cartoonish with their vibrant paint-jobs. Some Jeepneys carried so many workers that sad faces and tired limbs spilled out the sides and back.
On the way to the restaurant, they crossed a river that reminded Hadassah she wasn’t in New York. If ever she’d accuse the Hudson of being polluted again, she’d think of this river. Across its twenty-five foot span there was so much garbage that the water ran a vibrant green flecked with brown foam. The garbage created a dam further upstream. Beyond the dam, a few water rafts ferried people and goods from one riverbank to the next.
Reclaiming her appetite took an act of will after the stink of the river dissipated into the general smog smell of the city. Once they crossed the river she saw market stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables on display. Although the colors looked appetizing, the stall’s proximity to the river revived her queasiness.
Soaked in sweat from her walk, Hadassah remained quiet as the team met their field liaison, Roberto, at the fast food joint. He was a lithe and intelligent Filipino with somber character; even his laughter sounded serious.
“I could easily pick your team out of a crowd. I’m glad we’ll be splitting you up into twos while you’re here; it’ll make you far less conspicuous.”
“This is a first trip for most of us,” Hyun explained.
“And I want you to go home from it alive,” Roberto replied. “You’re really not as sore thumb as all that, but most of you are different nationalities from each other. Like you, Paul, you look Italian.”
“I’m Irish,” Paul replied with a gracious smile.
Roberto flushed. “Beautiful people.”
“Thanks,” Paul replied.
“Pair off however you like. It’s quite a walk to the church and you’ll be going to different homes from there, so you’ll have plenty of time to choose your partner. You’ll rest today, but we have a meeting at our headquarters tomorrow night.”
Hadassah and Hyun settled into the tiny apartment belonging to Julia Ferdinand, one of the undercover agents with the organization. She only had a small patch of carpet to offer them, where Hadassah and Hyun could sleep with their backs to one another. Hardly noticing the floor after her flight, Hadassah slept until the following afternoon. She awoke refreshed, ready for whatever their meeting entailed.
Julia had made macaroni and cheese for their dinner. “I thought you might like it better than some of our native foods. I followed the directions exactly, so it should be tasty.”
Hadassah stared at the over-cooked noodles and clumps of powdered cheese in front of her. She smiled. The woman had given a concerted effort, but cooking obviously wasn’t her specialty. She silently vowed to eat it and complimented the chef after the first bite.
“You two enjoy.” Julia beamed. “I have to change before the meeting begins.”
And change she did. Julia had utterly transformed. Before, the woman was dressed in business attire, with bright eyes and tasteful make-up. Now, the layers of rags draped on her body made her look like a beggar. The dark circles under her eyes and the bruises on her face looked real enough, too. And even though the warts were fake, Hadassah would have been taken in if she hadn’t seen Julia earlier.
“I should have warned you,” Julia said as they prepared to leave. “This is my cover in the red light district. If I was to wear any less warts or clothing I could end up in a brothel or in jail.”
“How long have you been doing this?” Hadassah asked.
“Five months. We’re really close to bringing down one of the largest strings of brothels in Manila, where we believe they are holding and torturing more than 150 girls and young women. But I guess you know this, since that’s why you’re here.”
Hyun forced down another bite of the macaroni. “We just know the broad details.”
“I’ll let Rafaelo explain the fine details to you, but I hope you will be able to meet up with us tonight. Tuesday night is when they let a few of the older girls wander the streets and we were hoping you’d bring that promised camera with you.”
“It’s with one of our teammates.” Hadassah’s heart warmed as she thought of Matthew.
They arrived at the headquarters of the organization shortly before 8:30pm. The concrete block building was around the corner from the Holy Spirit College, a nice reminder of why they were all here.
The walls of the offices, decorated with rescue stories, reminded Hadassah of Mom’s office in New York, except here the ledges had candles aglow to light the room whenever the power cut out.
“Power’s been unpredictable since the last earthquake here in January.” Matthew took the seat beside her. “That’s what Roberto told Paul and me yesterday.”
“I hope we don’t have any quakes while we’re here,” she replied.
Rafaelo called the meeting into session as soon as the rest of the team was seated. “I’ll be sending you off in different directions tonight with different objectives.” The electric lighting flickered out, and only the light from the candles remained. “Matthew, you and Paul will b
ring the camera and accompany our undercover team, since we’re hoping to get photographic evidence of bruises on the girls’ legs to show the authorities the torture these young women endure. Julia and Roberto have been able to gain the trust of three of the girls and they know you’ll be coming tonight. We can’t bring any of the girls out of the red light district and into hotels anymore, so you’ll have to work fast.
“Hadassah, Priscilla and Ezekiel, you will follow Matthew and Paul to provide the necessary distraction if they draw attention. Also, I need you to survey this alley to see if there are any paths in the trash.” As he gave instructions he pointed to the alley on a map.
“Zacharias, Christina and Hyun—am I pronouncing that right?—you’ll be scouting proposed escape routes. Bring back details of any suspicious activity. You’ll see a list on the last page of your packet covering what I consider suspicious activity. We’ll meet back here at 3:00am for debriefing.”
Unseasonable heat and humidity filled the night air as Hadassah walked toward the infamous red light district with Matthew, Paul, Priscilla, Zeke, Julia and Roberto. Although it was a Tuesday and they were told it would be much quieter than a Friday or Saturday, Hadassah and Priscilla were dressed to look like two guys, for everyone’s safety. Hadassah prayed as she walked, for success, protection from both danger and temptation, and for courage.
While they were still two blocks away, they drifted into two groups. And as they approached the area, which was bustling with people and activity, Matthew and Paul separated from Julia and Roberto.
The streets of this red light district were narrow, almost claustrophobic. It reminded Hadassah of the markets she had passed earlier in the day, except this market had people for sale. Many of the girls were dressed in such a way that only those predisposed to lust would desire them, but Hadassah kept Matthew, Paul and Zeke in her prayers nonetheless. The enemy was so prominent and obvious here, the buildings like beasts with red windows for eyes.
Hadassah reminded herself of Mom’s maxim, Blend in, keep a secret, slip away unnoticed. As long as people believed she and Priscilla weren’t girls this would work.
The first moment the security guards and johns looked distracted, Hadassah, Priscilla and Zeke ducked down the alley, as Rafaelo had instructed.
Zeke stopped and pressed a hand against the wall. “You two go further down. If I look like I’m relieving myself it’ll be better for our cover.”
Priscilla gasped. “You aren’t really going to pee against the wall, are you?”
“No, not at all. It’ll just look like it while you two survey the alley further down.” Of their whole team he looked the most likely to be a tourist, with his bulging muscles, receding hair line and the tattoo wrapping his forearm. Thankfully, his tattoo of Psalm 8 was in Hebrew. Hadassah doubted anyone would question him about it.
So much trash littered the alley that Hadassah and Priscilla had to jump over one of the piles. Hadassah dared not imagine what she would see if she could see anything in this light.
“Be so careful,” Priscilla whispered. “Any pinprick could have a drug laced with who knows what diseases.”
“The kind they don’t have vaccines for,” Hadassah whispered back.
Within a minute Zeke caught up with them. He crept beyond them toward the end of the building and used one of Hadassah’s mirrors to spy out the back entrances. After another few minutes, he crept back to them and described what he saw.
“Two guards on the left side, smoking and laughing as they hold their guns loosely, more as a threat than as if they actually knew how to use them. Three guards stand behind the right hand building, plus a fourth man who’s smoking weed and expressing himself with lewd gestures. Those guards on the right look as if they’d shoot someone just for fun.”
They backtracked into the shadows of the alley.
Matthew stood at the other end of the alley with the camera ready. Lisa and Yitzak had designed the camera, and it was one of their more expensive pieces of equipment; Matthew could take pictures in any light and have the subject show up as if she was in daylight. The camera drew light from all around the subject and highlighted whatever was in the center. Lisa had also designed the bag for them, which completely concealed the camera until it was ready for use, and Matthew could take pictures without removing the camera from the bag or the bag from his shoulder. Plus, it was black with a tasteful green design—a stylish touch which helped the bag pass customs without questions.
It seemed like a half hour or more had passed while Hadassah, Priscilla and Zeke crouched against the wall in a clearing amid the sea of trash and prayed in turns while they waited for Paul and Matthew to meet with the girls Julia and Roberto knew.
Techno and pop music pulsed through the walls of both buildings, colliding into an unholy union of sound.
When Priscilla began to pray, Hadassah heard a strange sound in a trash heap next to the dumpster, halfway between them and the head of the alley. She moved to say something, but remained silent when Julia and Roberto appeared in the alley’s entrance with a girl. The girl talked to Paul and Matthew for a minute and then unzipped her right knee-high boot and showed her shin, calf and ankle to them. Her eyes shifted back and forth. Then, as quickly as she came, she darted away. After her, another girl came and showed Matthew and Paul bruises on her side. When Hadassah glanced over at them, she saw movement in the trash heap and heard another moan faintly over the sound of the music.
Zeke shot a glance her way. “You heard it too?”
“It could be a dog,” Priscilla whispered, “or another animal trying to find food.”
“It sounded human to me.” He crouched down and proceeded to carefully remove plastic bags, rotten food, torn clothes, papers, and used needles away from the place where Hadassah had heard the sound. Even in that dim light they could see that the human form was a young girl shaking with fear.
Zeke tapped Priscilla’s knee. “Tell her we won’t hurt her.”
Priscilla crouched down carefully beside the girl, then whispered, first in Tagalog then in English, “We won’t hurt you, we are here to help, but we have to keep quiet.”
The girl nodded.
“I’m going to talk to Matt and Paul.” Zeke straightened up again and looked at Hadassah. “We have to get her out of here. We can’t just let her die. Pris, find out if the girl can walk.”
As Zeke crept carefully down the alley, Priscilla turned to Hadassah. “Three of us came in here; only three can walk out again, or people will suspect something.”
“What do you think we should do?” Hadassah looked briefly at the girl buried in trash. She couldn’t leave her here, even if she had to take her place.
“She and I will switch. I’m going to stay here while you and Zeke walk out with her.”
“I can’t let you do that, Pris.” Hadassah scrambled to think of an excuse, but couldn’t. “Let me stay here.”
Priscilla asked the girl to stand. Her clothes were in shambles and her skin, where it was exposed, was covered in bruises.
“I’ll have to give her my clothing,” Priscilla said.
Hadassah looked down the alley again. Zeke was trying to explain to Paul and Matthew still, but Matthew shook his head and Paul signed, “Against protocol.”
“Matt and Paul are not in,” Hadassah whispered.
“Zeke’s right, Haddy, we can’t leave her here to die in this garbage heap.”
“I’m wearing an extra shirt. I can give one to her.”
“I don’t know how to give my jeans to her.”
“What will you wear?” Hadassah asked. Then she looked down. A long wrap skirt lay draped over the dumpster—it was in tatters, but it looked to be the only option. “What about this?” She held up the skirt for Priscilla.
“It’ll work.” Priscilla wrapped it around her waist over her jeans. “I’ll need your arm to lean on while I slip these jeans off.”
Zeke had come back by the time Priscilla finished dressing herself and
then the girl.
“Here, wear my hat.” Priscilla tucked the girl’s thin hair into the baseball cap.
“What are you doing?” Zeke asked her.
“I’m taking her place,” Priscilla said. “You and Haddy need to walk her out of here.”
Zeke shook his head. Hadassah thought for a moment he might cry. “Why?”
“If the four of us leave someone will notice, especially if one looks like a worker. I know the language, I know people in this country—it’s better this way.”
“Both Paul and Matt said this is way outside of protocol,” Zeke whispered loudly.
“I love Jesus,” Priscilla whispered back. “How can I leave her here to die like an animal when Christ died for her?”
Chapter 27: The Midnight Swim
HADASSAH HELPED PRISCILLA find a hiding place amid the piles of trash, then handed over her cell phone.
“ICE contact number one is where you send a text if anything happens to you.” Hadassah pressed a few places on the screen to demonstrate. “You only need to send a page—it’ll give your coordinates then track your signal.”
“Who will track the signal?” Priscilla’s voice quivered as she spoke.
“My mom. And here, an all-in-one pocket tool kit if you need it, and a tiny LED flashlight light.”
“Thank you.” Priscilla looked up and tried to smile.
“I want the phone back when you’re done.” She winked at her friend. “And you, too.”
Priscilla turned to the trembling and frail girl beside Hadassah. “Go with these people,” she told her in Tagalog.
“I speak English,” the girl whispered, her eyes downcast. “I heard what you said about Jesus. Thank you.”
“You can’t cry until they take you far away from here, okay?” Priscilla said.