“But do you know what these organizations are? Do you recognize any other names on here?”
I didn’t know where she was going with this. As far as I knew, she was just a hacker. She didn’t have any ties to the mob. Well, any ties I was aware of.
I stared at her quizzically as her cheeks turned pink.
“Do you know how I know Pat?” she sighed, looking resigned.
“No. I just found you in his contacts. I remember him saying that he’s worked on stories with you.”
“I don’t know why I’m even telling you this, but here goes--if you have this information, I know that anyone you cross paths with, including me, is in danger. I used to work for a government agency. I’ve seen those names here and there, and let me tell you, they are involved in some nefarious work.”
“I know that,” I said. “I’m trying to expose one of them so hopefully he’ll get sent back to prison.”
She shook her head. “It’s much bigger than that. I’m telling you that I’ve seen this information, even reported it to people higher up, and they’re clearly still in business. Do you see why I don’t work for government agencies anymore? Everything is corrupt and there’s not much you or I can do about it. That’s how Pat and I met. I had a ton of information that needed to be out in the world and he had the perfect vehicle for it.”
“How is that different from what I’m showing you now?” I asked.
“Because I have a feeling that you’re being followed. No one can just steal this kind of information without anyone noticing.”
I looked at the ground. Once again, I was putting a target on another source.
She let out a long sigh, looking straight at the ceiling. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here. My work is similar, but it allows me to stay hidden. I can be anonymous online, but your line of work is very public. I don’t have a lot of time, so come with me, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
I followed her upstairs to her bedroom where she started to stuff various items of clothing into a duffel bag.
“What are you doing?”
“I know better than to stick around after learning something like this. Do you know how much work it is to completely change your identity and start from scratch?”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know that this would happen.”
“I suppose that’s an occupational hazard. Anyway, listen carefully because I’m only going to tell you this once. When you look at those spreadsheets, you’re looking at the inner workings of a human trafficking business. These guys kidnap people all over the world and sell them.”
“Really?” I gasped.
“Yep. Some boy in Ghana is picked up off the street by a white man asking if he wants to make some money for his family. Next thing you know, he’s somewhere in the rainforest of South America, working as a guard for the cartel. Young girls in America get kidnapped at the mall. Soon, they’ll be drugged up, working as prostitutes. But they don’t get any money, their johns do.”
I felt sick. I knew Tilucci was evil, but this was a whole other level. For him to be making millions of dollars facilitating this meant that he had been in the game for a while.
“What do I do?” I asked. Viper worked for the government, she seemed like she would have the answers.
“Ha,” she laughed dryly. “I had top secret clearance and I still couldn’t do a damned thing about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys are donating a lot of money to specific places within the government. If no one knows, they don’t care.”
“Everyone will know once I get my story out there,” I said. “This is going to make worldwide news.”
“Good luck getting that far,” she scoffed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have to uproot my life again and leave before anyone knows that you’re here. It would help if you got out of here.”
“What about the files?” I asked.
She tossed me my flash drives. “You’re going to wish you never knew what was on those,” she said. “I know you mean to do the right thing, but take it from me—you need to know when to call it quits.”
“Thank you, Viper,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
She grunted in return and waved her hand dismissively.
I stepped outside, the sunlight blinding me. I reached into my pocket for my phone so I could call Bryce for a ride, but I didn’t want to waste any time. I flagged down a cab and gave him the name of our hotel before telling Bryce to meet me there.
Before long, there wouldn’t be another soul on this planet that would be willing to help me. I had to finish this story before it was too late.
Backup
Bryce
I knocked on the hotel door, hoping Jane had made it in one piece. The second my knuckles left the door, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room.
“What happened with the computer chick?” I asked.
“She opened the files. It’s worse than I originally thought.”
I groaned. “How so?”
“Bad enough that she decided to pack up and leave town after seeing them. She used to work in intelligence for the government. She’s seen the names of everyone involved in this operation. She’s tried to report it but was only ignored. She says that they’ve established a pretty extensive network of what are basically slave traders.”
“They’re buying and selling slaves?”
“All over the world. Some right in this country—maybe even in the city. And Tilucci is making insane amounts of money to do it.”
“What do they do with these people?”
“It sounds like they kidnap or coerce people under false pretenses. Once they’re trapped they get sold for various jobs. Soldiers, prostitutes, that sort of thing. It sounds like they even take kids. The scary thing is, no one is looking for those missing people. Not anyone who can help, anyway. Government organizations are just looking the other way.”
“Oh, shit,” I hissed. “You don’t think— “
Jane clapped a hand over her mouth. “No— “
“I’m calling Andrea,” I said, whipping out my phone. “I can’t stay here any longer. I can’t let Arianna stay here any longer. I won’t have her kidnapped and sold to some creep. I’m not letting her live a life that very well may be worse than death.”
Jane sat down on the edge of her bed. She looked like she might cry.
“Andrea,” I said quickly. “Have you seen anything?”
“No, why?” she asked. “Is Jane with you?”
“Yeah, she’s here. We’re fine—for now anyway. Listen, I’ve just heard some disturbing stuff about Tilucci and I really think it’s time to take Arianna out of town. What are our options, here?”
“First, we’re going to have to inform Lilian about what’s going on. That’s going to be a tough conversation to have. Then, we’re going to have to find a secure location, which is tougher than it seems. We have a pretty secure perimeter at the house, but I can have my guys look for another safe house.”
“Then let’s do that,” I responded immediately.
“Bryce,” she said gently, “if we’re really going to do this, then we need a solid plan. Have you thought about how Arianna’s going to react to this? She’s going to meet a strange man for the first time, to take her away from her family because she’s in danger. It’s going to be confusing and traumatizing for the poor thing. What’s your plan?”
I thought for a moment. I had gotten so caught up in moving Arianna that I didn’t think of the consequences of introducing myself in this way. I also didn’t want my former sister-in-law’s family to be in danger after I removed Arianna. Once again, I was stuck.
“I don’t know,” I cried. “What do I do?”
“First, take a deep breath. You should give Lilian a head’s up that you’re in trouble. If I can secure a safe house, I’ll transport the whole family there. I’ll let you know when it happens,” she said. “You’ve got to stay calm and focu
sed. Is Jane doing okay?”
I looked over to Jane. She was back on her phone, uploading files.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Good. Stick together, and I’ll call you the second I have an update for you.”
I hung up, feeling anxious. Jane looked over at me quizzically. I assume she had been listening in on the conversation.
“She’s working on it,” I said, answering the question she was silently asking.
“Good,” she responded. “I’m just uploading the spreadsheets to the server, and then I’m going to get in touch with the station. I’m going to have to report on this today,” she said. “I think I have enough to prove that’s Tilucci’s definitely guilty of various heinous crimes. I think I’m just going to go straight to the president of the network. I don’t have time to move through the chain of command. Pat would do it,” she said thickly.
“What can I do?” I asked. It made me feel anxious to just sit around while Jane worked.
“Take me to the network office when it’s time to go on air. Besides that, I guess just wait until it’s time.”
I sighed, plopping down on the bed.
“I’m almost done downloading this,” she said in response to my impatience. “Then I’ll call the station.”
I closed my eyes and lay on my back. I needed time to move quicker. I needed this to be over with so I could be one step closer to stopping Tilucci. I wanted to be with Arianna and Jane, safe and sound, but I would settle for their safety in exchange for mine.
“Oh, my God,” Jane gasped. “Bryce, come look at this.”
I sat on her bed beside her, leaning into her so I could see what she was so shocked by.
“They’re recordings from last night,” she said softly. “Pat left me messages.”
Winning
Jane
My hands were shaking as I looked through the files. They were recorded just before I received the message from Tilucci. Now, I would finally figure out who his mystery sources were.
I didn’t have the heart to start the recordings. I wanted the information, but I couldn’t bear to hear Pat’s voice. I bet when he recorded them, he had no idea that he wouldn’t survive it.
“I can’t,” I said, feeling tears in my eyes.
He leaned in closer to me. I could feel his cheek graze the side of my head as he took the phone from my trembling hands. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me, to make everything okay when it so clearly wasn’t.
“Pat didn’t risk his life for you to ignore his recordings,” he said.
“I know,” I said, blinking back tears. “Let’s get this over with.”
He pressed play and set the phone down in front of me.
“Will you say your name for the recording?” I heard Pat’s voice ask.
“Michael Starkweather,” a weak voice answered. I heard a steady beeping noise in the background.
“Thank you. Can you tell me why you allowed me to speak to you?”
“I’m in the hospital with terminal pancreatic cancer. I was told that I might not make it the week. I don’t want to die with a guilty conscious. It’s time to come clean about some things I’ve done that I’m not proud of.”
“Can you please describe these things?”
“Tommy Tilucci was a regular client of mine. He made a lot of enemies, so he hired me to get rid of them.”
“You were Tommy Tilucci’s hit man, is that correct?”
“One of them. I was personally responsible for the murders of five different men during my career with him.”
“How many people has Tommy ordered hits on, to your knowledge?”
“Oh,” the man croaked, “it could be anywhere from ten to thirty people. That’s just in the last fifteen years or so. He tried to give orders from prison, but he was having a hard time paying his employees from the cage. Once I found out I was sick, I left. I was a dead man anyway. There was no reason for me to work anymore.”
“Thank you, Mr. Starkweather,” Pat said politely. “I think I have everything I need.”
“One more thing,” he said. “I don’t care what you do with this recording, as long as I’m gone before it’s released to the world.”
“I promise,” he said before the recording ended.
“Wow,” I said. “We hardly need anything more than that. I wonder what could possibly be in those other recordings.”
“Let’s find out,” he said, clicking on the second message.
In the next recording, I heard nothing but loud dance music before it became muffled.
“Are you Steve Kratz?” Pat asked.
“The one and only,” the man with a high-pitched voice answered. “I heard Donovan sent you.”
“Yep,” Pat responded. “I have some very high-profile clients who aren’t satisfied with the kind of women we have at our establishment. They’re willing to shell out top dollar for the right girl.”
“Sure, sure,” Steve said. “What kind of girl? Are you looking for a certain age, ethnicity, sex?”
“They like younger girls. I don’t like asking for it, but I can’t lose their business.”
“I know how that goes. I’ve got some teens that have become experienced. Or, if you’re going the opposite route, I can acquire someone a little more virginal.”
“I’m not exactly sure. I just want to know how I can make this happen when I get a better idea of what they’re after.”
“You’re going to want to talk to Tommy Tilucci. He can facilitate that for you. I’ll refer you and I get a little kickback from what he makes. That’s just how it is. You pay him and his people will deliver a girl to your doorstep within the week. He knows how to get things done, Tommy does.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep in touch,” Pat said.
“Can I interest you in anyone here? Maybe just a quick dance?” Steve asked.
“No time for that today,” Pat said. “Got to get back to business.”
The music grew louder before it became quiet and I could only hear the crunch of footsteps on gravel.
“What a slimy prick,” Pat muttered before the recording stopped.
I smiled. I felt like I was with him, talking about the wretched sources we interviewed, just like we used to.
“That was disgusting,” Bryce said.
“I know. It never ceases to amaze me how horrible people can be.”
“One left,” Bryce said before looking at me. His gentle eyes were full of concern.
“Play it,” I said through gritted teeth.
“What can I do for you?” Tommy Tilucci’s familiar voice said. I gasped when I heard him. Bryce looked as white as a ghost.
“Steve told me to talk to you. He said you could help me find the right girl for my clients.”
“Yes, he told me you would be arriving. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you, I’m all right.”
“I insist. I always aim to please my customers. I was recently gifted with a nice bottle of scotch. It was a welcome home gift, of sorts. We can enjoy it together.”
The sound of liquid flowing into two glasses broke the silence.
“So, did you decide what you wanted to buy?”
“I was interested in seeing what you had,” Pat responded. “I’ve gotten to know my clients well over the years. I like to think I would know the perfect one when I saw her.”
“I don’t keep my stock in house,” Tilucci said. “That’s just asking for trouble. I can show you a book full of pictures if you want to make a special order.”
“Sure,” Pat said.
“Okay. You sit right there. I’ll be back in a second.”
I heard footsteps walking on the wood floor before the shots rang out. I winced as I heard the five shots. Bryce’s hand latched onto my shoulder. I took slow even breaths, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat that was suffocating me.
I reached for my phone to turn the recording off, but it wasn’t finished yet.
“What happen
ed?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
“The reporter girl sent her big, scary boss after me. I guess she is scared of me, after all.”
“What did he want to know?”
“I guess they know about the business. I mean, the big business.”
“What are you going to do?” the voice asked.
“What do you think?” Tilucci fired back. “I’m going to destroy their lives, piece by piece. Both Jane Madison and Bryce Baron. They’ll be begging for death by the time I’m done with them.”
“Then what?”
“Then I’m going to kill them. They’ve gotten way too close to ruining the empire I’ve built. I won’t have it. They had their fun, but it’s time to be done with this. There’s money to be made and no one will stand in my way.”
I heard rustling near Pat’s phone and then the crunch of plastic and metal being destroyed. Then silence.
“That’s it,” Bryce said. “I suppose that confirms what we already know—Tommy Tilucci plans to kill both of us.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I was sorry for getting him involved, but his phone rang. Seeing that the call was from Andrea, he answered on the second ring.
“What?” he yelled, his face contorting into a look of horror. “What happened?”
He put his phone on speaker so I could listen.
“I was on my way to their door to take Lilian and Arianna with me to the safe house I set up,” Andrea gasped. “I was jumped by three men. I tried to fight them off but they knocked me out. When I came to, Lilian was in the house, screaming. They have Arianna.”
“Andrea,” I shouted. “Are you okay?”
“No, but I called an ambulance,” she panted. “I sent my guys out to look for her, but no one knows anything about Tilucci. You have to find her.”
Bryce looked like he was ready to faint. I grabbed his arm and gave him a shake.
“We’re on our way out now, Andrea.” I could hear her labored breathing. She was one of the toughest people I knew, so if she couldn’t run after them, then she was badly injured.
Her Protection: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Omerta Series Book 2) Page 16