by Shane Crosby
The quiet I missed since growing our family. The quiet I longed for, for years. The peace I wished for during those playoff games, I didn’t imagine it would be like this. Silence is something altogether different than being somewhere that’s devoid of life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A WEEK LATER
NEVER APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE
GOCHIAN
Trevor
For the past three days there's been a task force out looking for my family. I was starting to give up hope but my parents wouldn't let me. They encouraged me to keep believing they’ll be found unharmed. I held onto this every day. It's what kept me from losing it.
Funny how the things in your life can form a boomerang of sorts. That quiet time I always longed for is so interrupted with what appears to be a million bodies investigating this case. How ironic, it doesn’t bother me at all. If I was honest with myself, I welcome it. It prevented me from being alone with nothing more than my thoughts. The silence was louder Woodstock. The days turned into night and one day turned into another until now, today, they’ve been missing a week.
On day seven, Fed Ex came to deliver some packages. I was content with never opening them. My wife was always ordering something for our children. I couldn't bear to open them and see a cute little dress for my two year old or some new shoes for my five year old son. I tossed them to the side, but the police felt it might be a clue to locating my family. They asked if they could open them and I gave them my permission. From the safety of our living room I heard tape ripping, packaging being discard and boxes being ripped open. And then, I could hear someone gasp. I didn't move because I knew my fears were true. Something for our children lay neatly packaged in those boxes. But, then there was total silence in a house filled with twenty people. Nothing but the humming of equipment was heard. It was like everyone stopped breathing. Even in my grief I knew that wasn't normal. I got up to go see what was happening. Before I got to the entrance of the living room my dad stopped me. I resisted and demanded to know what all the hushed mouths and sorrowful glances were about.
My dad couldn't bring himself to say it so I pushed past him. For the rest of my life I’ll regret that. I cleared the hall and got close enough to one of the boxes to see my two year old’s face staring back at me.
I’m a SEAL to the bone but seeing my two year old’s head in a box is something that destroyed me inside. God couldn’t create enough years for me to heal emotionally. I closed my eyes as if that will make the pain less. I didn’t need to look inside the other boxes. I knew what they contained. The knowledge that each box had your wife and son’s head in it was more than even I could handle. They sent urns filled with the ashes of my family with a note that said: I bet you regret getting our attention.
CHAPTER TWENTY - THREE
BATTERED, BUT NOT BROKEN
GOCHIAN
Trevor
In the weeks after the slaughter of my family, I’ve run the gamut of emotions. I’ve touched every stage of grief except acceptance. I’m still finding it extremely difficult to accept that I will never see my wife’s face again. I won’t hear here laugh or feel her touch. I can no longer get up and go into the kitchen and tell her what’s bothering me about the job.
My children were supposed to make me a grandfather. They were supposed to graduate from college. I planned on being there for all their successes and any loses they experienced. I hasn’t become a reality to me that I’ll never hold my daughter in my arms again. I’ll never play ball with my son again. To go to bed with a family and be forced to return to the same bed and house alone is unbelievable.
I was able to call the brothers to tell them what happened. My dad had the unfortunate task of delivering that news. I’m glad I had them because if left up to me, I would’ve never been able to form those words.
Dub was the first to arrive and then the other brothers followed. We said our goodbyes to my family and I’ve been in a hotel for the past two weeks.
When I was a SEAL, none of the training we received taught us how to deal with a loss of this magnitude. They taught us how to withstand torture, but this is far worse than any psychological or physical torture the enemy could unleash upon any POW.
During this time alone, I find myself trying decide if life’s worth living. The answer I’ve come up with is without my family it isn’t. Then, I remember my other family. How much grief I’d cause them if I ended my life. The way I feel now, I’d never want to bring this much emotional pain to anyone. Since I’m going to live, I’ve decided to dedicate my time here on Earth to finding the bastards who’ve torn an irreparable hole in my soul. I will see them spend time in prison, but my preference would be the grave.
After deciding to live, I called Dub. I wanted him to go to Phoenix with me to meet with the officer who I read about in that article.
TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
PHOENIX
Trevor & Dub
Prior to leaving Gochian, I’d contacted the Phoenix Police Department posing as a reporter seeking a story about retired officers. I told her the story would be called Life After the Force. I was surprised at how easy it was to obtain the information. They didn’t even check our credentials. Once we had the address, we drove to detective Brooks’ residence.
From the airport, it took us almost an hour. During the drive, I studied the evidence. I went over the article about him and what happened. When I spoke to him, I wanted him to know I felt his pain. I wanted him to know it was something I didn’t want to speak about and understood if he didn’t, but I hoped he would. Any information he could provide could help me to bet to the bottom of this.
I was so engrossed in the details, I didn’t feel the momentum of the car shift. When I looked up, Dub was parking.
“We’re here already?”
“Already? It took us an hour to get here.”
“Didn’t seem that long.”
“It never does when you’re being chauffeured.”
“I guess not.”
“You ready?”
“Always.”
We got out, walked to the door and rang the bell. The house was a typical western themed house. The driveway must have been a mile long. There were cactus trees all throughout the yard. No grass just rocks and sand. The driveway was that typical rock driveway with cobblestones along the sides. The door was huge with a western themed design. The door had a brass knocker with a miniature cowboy hat in the center. After several minutes a man that looked like he was in his mid-fifties came to the door.
“Hi, may I help you?”
“I hope so. Are you detective Brooks?”
“Why yes I am.”
“Hi detective. I’m Detective Alvarez, Gochian Police Department.”
“Gochian? You’re a long way from home detective. What brings you all the way out here? I know, the weather?”
I smiled. “That would certainly be one reason. The other would be a case you worked on involving some dismembered bodies.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out.
“Yes, what about it?”
“I believe the case I’m working on is involving the same people. My family was taken from me and I have to find the people who did it. Any help you could provide I would appreciate.”
“Son, you don’t have to explain. I was going to help you the minute I opened the door. Please come right on in. Martha, we have company. Get them something to drink. Come on right out here. Let’s sit down and ask me what you’d like to know.”
“Thank you. First, how did you know the women were linked to the club?”
“I had an informant. He was homeless. I just say he was an informant. He really wasn’t. He’d given me some information before, that lead to me closing a case. I always gave him money and I still do. He used to sleep right outside of the club or sometimes across the street. He saw the first victim going in and out of Club Paradise. Rollins and I questioned the owner
and manager about it. They played dumb, didn’t know anything or anyone. So, we laid low and watched them. My informant comes to me and says his friend Ms. Naomi he hasn’t seen her in two weeks. She worked at the club also. She would talk with him, give him a ride, money. She would bring him food. She tried to get him off the street so he knew her. Two weeks goes by no food, rides or money from her of course he notices. He reports it to me. He made a positive identification of the people who were with her the last time he saw her. It was the manager and one of the bodyguards. We got a warrant and served them with it. We took everything, files, and computers, pictures we had a mountain of stuff to go through. Twenty-four hours later, after we’d logged the evidence an explosion occurs in the evidence locker. It didn’t just explode; it caught on fire and burned quickly. The fire department arrived in like minutes, but they could not contain that fire. It spread throughout the station like a match you drop in the forest during a drought. Everything that was in the evidence room was destroyed and the station was just rubble. They, of course went to the club and it was gone. The entire club was destroyed. It was nothing but splinters when they showed up. Never have been able to find the owners or managers none of the employees, nobody. I don’t know how far you’ve gotten in your investigation, but I’m guessing if they’ve taken the drastic steps they have you’ve scared them. You’ve gotten too close. Does a company called PPV, Industries own your club?”
“Sure did. Well, I’ll be damned. You’ve stepped in a big elephant pile of it, son.”
“Don’t I know it? Is there anything else you found while investigating?”
“I did find out they had properties in Nevada, but those weren’t illegal. They all looked to be functioning within the law. We couldn’t touch them but not from lack of trying. After we raided the club, those properties were destroyed. They were like a ghost. We never found them. One thing that stood out to me, the people we spoke with were Russian, but I kind of got the impression someone in America was in charge. There was a number on their phone bill that was a 302 area code. Of course it was disconnected by the time we called it. It was on there repeatedly every month. And, I’ll tell you something else, the day we raided them the manager went outside to make a call. I’ve always wondered if they were making plans then to get that evidence back. He called on another phone not the business phone, so I couldn’t pull the phone records for that. They killed Rollins and his son. I’ll tell you, I’ve hoped for years that someone would pick up where we left off.”
“American? The owner and manager of the club I was investigating were Russian. If American’s do own it, why would they have Russians as the figurehead?”
“See, that was something we were working on too because it made not one bit of sense to us either. I’ll tell you something that wasn’t in those reports. My daughter disappeared after we served that warrant. I know it was to get me to back off.”
I’m sorry to hear that, about your daughter. If there’s anything we can do to help we’ll do it.”
“You are helping. I know I’ll never find my daughter, but if you could put those bastards in jail that’ll be vindication for me right there.”
“Mr. Brooks would you happen to have a picture of the people you spoke with.”
“I do in the case files. I’ll be right back.”
He didn’t take long to return. It was like he had the files out on his table still on the hunt for the people who took his daughter. I suspect it’s no longer about the murdered victims. It’s all about finding his little girl, now.
“Here you go.”
I took the pictures and I guess Dub could see the astonishment on my face. There they were the two men Jack and I questioned the first time we went to Club Hedonists.
“Trev, you all right?”
“You all right, son?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Do you recognize them, Trev?”
“Yes, these are the two men Jack and I questioned the first time we went to Club Hedonists.”
“You’re onto something, detective. Keep on this road because it’s further than me and my partner got.”
“I am. One more question how did you get these pictures?”
“My daughter always insisted I get a cell phone. She used to say Daddy, you’re a dinosaur in a modern age. She always said, if she needed me she couldn’t get me. So, I got a cell phone, one of those fancy big screens, Bluetooth, GPS it had everything. I used it to take that picture. They didn’t know it at the time, but I got ‘em. I kept it all this time to use it to identify those sons of bitches one day. I guess now is the day.”
“Do you mind if I take a picture of this?”
“If it helps you, not at all.”
“Mr. Brooks, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.”
“No problem at all. I hope you find ‘em, detective. And, detective, do you mind if I give you some DNA from me and my wife? You’re a lot younger than me and have plenty of years to search for them. If you find my daughter or any young woman resembling her, please run these samples against hers.”
“I will sir. I promise.”
“Thank you. One moment, I will be right back.”
He brought back hair samples from him and his wife and toothbrush for him. I took the items and promised him I wouldn’t stop until I found them.
Walking back to the car I was in deep thought about what Detective Brooks told us. I was in ‘I wish’ land. You know. I wish I’d known about this before we hit that club. I wish I’d done more research on the club owners the first time we interviewed them. I wish, I wish, I wish. I could get lost in here. Thankfully, Dub knew something was wrong and elbowed me which broke me out of my woe is me trance.
“Do you believe him?
“The part about Americans owning the clubs?”
“That's difficult to believe.”
“If we didn't have all of this home grown terrorism it might be implausible. Right now, I think everything is possible.”
“You might be right. I just don't want to be chasing my tail.”
“I know what you mean. We need to follow solid leads.”
“That PPV Industries I’ve looked under every rock from here to Japan and nothing. The buck stops in Gochian. No name of the owner it's like it's a ghost company.”
“It could be. It makes it much more difficult to find, but it can be done.”
“I sure could use my brother’s help on this.”
“Don't worry. Whatever you need you know you got it.”
For the next few days Dub and I investigated the mysterious PPV Industries. Mysterious would be the best way to describe them because we looked into every state and city in the US and it's as if they never actually existed. In order to locate anything on them internationally, we’d need to bring in Jared. If our search continues to draw a blank here, we’ll have to pull out the bat phone and call little brother.
During our time investigating this case, we must have visited every strip or gentlemen’s club in the Western hemisphere for one of the employees who worked at Club Paradise and nothing. The employees who worked at Club Hedonists and Paradise don't exist. There's no evidence they burned in the fires. No bones or remains were found, then where are they? What happened to them? That article was right, it’s as if they've disappeared into thin air.
CHAPTER TWENTY- FOUR
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
BROKEN, BUT I’M NOT DEAD
BERLIN
Trevor
During the months since I lost my family, Dub and I put the names of each employee who worked for Club Paradise and Hedonist in the police database. We still came up with nothing. We don’t know which direction to go in. It’s time to regroup and try to come up with a another strategy.
The thing that’s bothering me the most is since my family was taken from me, there hasn’t been another body found. It’s like they’ve gone dark all over the world. The club has been closed and it’s rumored that the owners ordered it demolished. Sinc
e there was nothing criminal going on that could be proven, there was nothing law enforcement could do. The exact same way they disappeared in Phoenix except they didn’t use fire to get rid of evidence this time.
It’s killing me to know they feel they’ve won. They’ve won like they did every other time. Now that I think about it, I don’t know if them feeling like a winner bothers me as much as me not being able to prove they’re criminal activity. And, they know the quieter they remain, the less likely they’ll ever see a jail cell.
Since I had nothing left in Gochian, I decided to spend some time in Berlin. I got a job with the Air Force. How ironic, a SEAL who spent decades in the water now working in the air. Life is full of twists and turns that way.
After a few months, I’ve established a normal routine. I never thought that would happen. People would tell me every day it gets easier that made me so angry. How easy it is for you to say that to me. You have your family. You go home to them every day. Life for you is already easy. Throughout my day, whatever I do, a smell, a woman’s hairstyle, a little boy calling for his dad. A little girl just learning to talk. It all reminds me of what I lost and just how hard things will remain.
I would look at people on the street and wonder how life could go on when mine had stopped.
But, today, I got up, walked outside and I realized I was becoming one of those people. Life had started up again, slowly, but it was moving again. Six months ago, I never would’ve believed I’d one day be able to think I could have something to smile about. Well, right now, I have a crooked smile because the monsters who sent me spiraling down this empty heart wrenching path are still out there. You can say it. They didn’t just run me out of town. They ran me out of the country. The bad guys won this round, but I’m coming back, this is just one round in a bloody war that’s coming right to their front door. They may have knocked me down, but I’m slowly rising.