The hairs on the back of Will’s neck prickled listening to the quake in her voice. He studied her facial muscles and eyes for any indication she wasn’t telling the truth. He saw none. If she was indeed a victim, she would be the perfect witness to shut down Gorgon’s whole operation and throw him and most of his family in jail until the flesh rotted off their bones. “Gorgon?”
“His men, I think. There were two of them. And a kid.”
“What?” Using a kid sounded like something the Novokoffs would do.
Again she looked out the window. By the pale sorrow distorting the beautiful lines of her face, he knew Katrina—he meant Nicole—was recalling the exact moment her life had changed.
“Everything that happened seemed so ordinary. This mini-van pulled up beside me and the guy driving asked for directions to the school’s soccer field. I knew the soccer association was holding their regional playoffs there so I didn’t think it odd. A lot of people were coming to the event from out of the area. A few had stopped earlier at the restaurant where I waitressed. I was on the passenger side of the car, and he was talking across the console and bucket-seat, so I thought nothing of stepping closer.”
Rage intensified the gold flecks in her eyes. Even after eight years, she was beating herself up over her decision for the thousandth time.
“The young boy was in the backseat. I remember he wore a green and yellow team shirt, ‘The Falcons’, and he held a soccer ball on his lap.”
Nicole’s pink tongue darted across her lips and again she stared out the window as if that was where her memories were stored. She wrapped her arms around her body as if she was protecting herself.
“Next thing I knew, I was grabbed from behind and then my neck felt like a lightning bolt zapped through it. My whole body shook and I peed myself. I would’ve hit the concrete if the guy hadn’t held me up.”
“They used a taser gun. You didn’t see anyone walking along the street, following you before that?”
“No. No one.”
“They had the spot picked out. The second man must’ve been hiding before you got there.” He told her with his eyes he understood her anguish. No one would blame her for what happened. “Tell me every detail,” he said knowing she needed to tell someone the whole story. She’d kept ordeal inside too long.
“He tossed me into the back of the SUV like a rag doll. I remember seeing white, fluffy clouds floating across the sky and thinking I might never see them again. Then he leaned over me and sneered. I’ll never forget, his breath smelled like peppermint. To this day I can’t stand the scent. Then he slammed the hatch closed.”
Will stood motionless, giving her time and space. Behind him, the stove’s digital clock clicked over twice.
When Nicole finally looked at him, tears made her brown eyes shimmer. “I could see what was happening and hear them, but I couldn’t move. I don’t think I even blinked, just watched the clouds disappear. Then I must’ve blacked out because that’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in the back of one of those big delivery trucks, like they use to deliver mattresses.” She made a large square in the air. “My hands and feet were bound with plastic straps and I had duct tape over my mouth.”
Katrina—
No she wasn’t Katrina. She was Nicole.
Cautiously he moved across the short distance and stood opposite her with the tiled counter separating them.
Nicole’s fingers worked the hem of her tee shirt, twisting and untwisting the material. He gave her a second before he asked. “Were you alone, in the truck?”
“No.” She placed her hands on the counter, clamping her fingers together. “There were two other girls. I’d never seen them before. They were huddled together.” She swallowed. “I’ll never forget their eyes. They looked as forlorn and scared as I felt.”
“How long were you in the truck?”
“Days. They didn’t drive all the time. Sometimes we just sat still. We tried making noise once, by kicking the sides of the walls, hoping someone would hear us, but they opened the door and one guy put a gun to one of the girl’s head and told us if we tried that again they’d kill us. We could’ve screamed our lungs out and it wouldn’t have done us any good. From what I saw, we were sitting in a deserted parking lot.”
“Did they stop anywhere else?”
“Yeah, but always on a back road with nothing around but trees. They gave us water, a bite of food and allowed us to go to… You know.” Her cheeks flushed. “I guess a few days went by when Becca was thrown into the van with us. She landed up against me and we sort of stuck together from then on, until they took her away.” Nicole’s words choked.
He could see how hard recalling all this was on her, but d oing so was important, and she was remembering. Many victims blocked the memories and years of therapy passed before they realized they were no longer in danger. Telling their stories was freeing. The littlest detail could help his case. “How long were you all in there?”
“I’m not sure. I think six days. I tried to keep track by counting the seconds ticking off and then the minutes, but after I fell asleep a few times, I gave up. Then I made note whether I saw dark or daylight every time they opened the door to check on us and give us water and food.” She rocked back and forth, seemingly uncomfortable. “It seemed like they never stopped driving.”
This all took place eight years ago. Their operation could’ve shut down or moved. “Do you know where they took you?”
“A warehouse. It was dark when we arrived. I didn’t see any signs.”
“Anything you can remember will help us pin-point the location. Anything.”
“There were just buildings. No trees.” Her eyes widened. “Wait. I did see a sign, a bill-board sign, for a bakery. Patter’s bread. I remember the name because my history teacher was Mr. Patter.”
Will’s pulse kicked up. Patter’s bread was not a national brand. “Good. Very good. Did you smell bread baking?”
“No.”
“What about inside the warehouse?”
“There were people working. They just looked past us like we weren’t even there, like we didn’t exist.”
Will’s stomach rolled. How could any human being stand by and watch as children were herded by them, knowing what would happen to them? That answer was easy. Those who were slaves themselves, trained by those controlling them, would do nothing.
Will’s temples throbbed, contemplating the size of the ring responsible for the loss of so many young lives. “What were the people doing?”
“They were packaging stuff. Tee shirts, sweatshirts.” Her eyes widened. “Sports gear, I think. You know NFL and MBL jerseys.”
“Black market knock offs.” Good lead. He could check with the FBI and see if they had any leads. “Can you tell me anything else? What about smell. Close your eyes.”
She did as he said and inhaled a slow deep breath, before her eyes popped open. “Diesel fumes and grapes,” she said as if asking a question and not making a statement.
“Odd combination.”
“Maybe I’m wrong. It was so long ago.”
“You’d be surprised how the strange turns out to be accurate.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “You feel okay continuing?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Okay. What happened next?”
“They put us into a small room. Like an old refrigerator locker,” she said. “They gave us water and a real meal. Becca was sick and she got worse as time went by. She was diabetic and hadn’t taken her insulin in several days by then.” Nicole brushed her finger tip across her eye. “I think we were there two days before we were taken to a hotel in New York.”
“A hotel? How do you know you were in New York?”
“I saw the skyline when we entered the room. I think we were on the twenty-third floor.” She crossed her arms, hugging her waist. “We were ordered to take showers. The bathroom was huge and the shower was tiled and open, like my school’s gym shower. The men, they watched us. B
ecca was so weak by then, I had to help her, hold her up. The men thought we were lovers and made lewd remarks. They were disgusting.”
Nicole rubbed her hands up and down her arms. He could see by the way her neck muscles worked that she was fighting the urge to vomit.
“Afterwards, we were examined by a woman. She said she was a doctor. When she told the head guy…”
Nicole’s eyes brightened.
“One of the men called him Travis. When the doctor told Travis Becca and I were virgins, you would’ve thought by his actions he’d won the lottery.” Her nose crinkled. “He got this big shitty grin. His chest puffed out. He kept saying Yes. Then he started making phone calls.”
“To who?”
“Buyers.” She looked away, as blush crept into her cheeks. “A little later, the other two girls were told to get dressed and they were hustled out. Travis told his men to take them back to the meat locker. Becca and I remained in the hotel.”
Then her brow crinkled with pain as she recalled another memory.
“Becca feared if they found out she was diabetic they would get rid of her. Not eating properly and without her insulin, it was only a matter of time before…” Nicole’s words choked and she took a moment before she continued. “The next morning Becca felt worse and by the afternoon, she was acting funny. Like she was on something. Her words were slurred. She kept falling asleep. Soon I couldn’t wake her.
“Travis called the doctor back. I told her Becca was diabetic thinking she would help Becca, but she didn’t. She told Travis and he called his two men back. We held onto each other, well, more me than her. She tried. She really did. Her eyes were glassy with tears. I pleaded with them to let her stay with me. I fought for her, but they wouldn’t listen to me. Travis and his one man held me down while the doctor gave me a shot. I never saw Becca again.”
A tear rolled down Nicole’s cheek.
“Later, another woman came. She washed and styled my hair. She put makeup on me and dressed me in a sheer gown.”
She shivered and stood and walked into the living room area. Drawing a breath, she looked at him. “Then the men came. Six of them. One by one. Each took their time looking at me. Touching me.”
“Was Gorgon one of them?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “He was the last. He and the man had words. I think they were bickering over a price. He owed Gorgon money. The next thing I knew, Gorgon pulled a gun and shot the man in the face.”
Her stare was detached. Was she recalling the shock she’d felt at that moment or had the number of violent acts she’d witnessed since made her cold-hearted? He’d guess a little of both.
Well, he could scratch the name Travis off the mental list he made of things to check out later. “What about Travis’ men? Were they there?”
“Yes. They did nothing. I think Gorgon got to them before he even walked into the room.”
“And then Gorgon took you.” Even to himself, his words sounded like a cell door closing.
“Yes.” Tears shimmered on her lids before falling to her cheeks.
Will arounded the counter. He now understood why she had refused to testify against Gorgon. She feared for her family’s life, but he also knew if she didn’t help him many more young lives would be lost. He couldn’t let that happen. There had to be a way.
~~
Chapter Sixteen
The empathy in Will’s eyes held Nicole in place. What was he offering her, a handshake on the promise to keep her family safe? A shoulder to cry on?
Oh, how she needed a shoulder to cry on, and strong arms to hold her and make her feel safe.
Nicole didn’t want Will to see her cry, so she wrapped her arms around her waist and turned away from his reach. She couldn’t recall the last time she truly felt safe.
Yes, she could. When she was nine. While at the county fair, she had thought she was all grown up and lagged behind her family and had become separated from them.
The sting of the tears on her cheeks brought the emotions she’d buried to the surface and Nicole bit back the pain which threatened to constrict her chest. She remembered a crowd had surrounded her, staring at her. Suddenly, her father had pushed through the throng and snatched her up into his strong arms. Fear had etched deep across his face. His hard muscles wrapped her so close she had gasped for air. Nothing ever felt so good.
Nicole closed her eyes. The tears which rimmed her lids cascaded over them. Dad had smelled of spices and home and love. She had squeezed her eyes closed tight then too, so as to never ever forget him.
Over the past nine years, Dad holding her was one of the memories she’d kept close to her heart. She sniffled and clamped her lips tight, fearing Will would hear her pain. The floor boards under her foot creaked.
“You’re a strong woman, Nicole,” Will said behind her.
Her knees wobbled and she locked them while wiping the tears from her cheeks with her palms. Stiffening her spine, she turned back to Will. “I don’t feel very strong.”
Will’s hands now hung by his side and part of her regretted not snapping up the opportunity to walk into his arms.
“You are. You survived. Most don’t. You lived in hell with the devil himself and you escaped the nightmare. Not only that. You saved Susie, and your son. That took courage, lady.”
Courage? She never thought of herself as being a brave person, but she guessed Will was right. She had guts to even plan her escape, to go to the post office and get a box, and to acquire Becca’s birth certificate. She’d known Gorgon would kill her if he found any part out, and yet, she had moved forward with her plan.
Will smiled at her.
He liked what she had done. But what kind of person would Will think she was if he knew the truth about what she almost did? “I thought about escaping while Gorgon was busy with her.”
“But you didn’t.” His brow arched. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “I have a feeling you were the reason Gorgon never got to Susie. Am I wrong?”
She dipped her head once. “She had a fever. Gorgon would’ve given her to his men without a thought, as if he’d changed his mind about what he wanted for dessert. I told him she’d be alright by the next day. He believed me.”
“You’re quick.”
She couldn’t stop the heat creeping up her neck or the smile that pulled on her lips. “You think so?”
“I know so.” He stepped toward her.
Will’s tender gaze caressed her face with such reverence her pulse quickened sending her heart into a flutter against her ribs. She wanted to move toward him and allow him to put his arms around her, but she couldn’t. Not until she was sure he wanted to hold her for her and not for what she could do to help him with his case. She lowered her eyes. “So will you keep your promise concerning my family?”
Will’s nostrils flared as he inhaled. “The best way to protect your family from Gorgon and his mafia connections is to put them away for good. If you testify, we can do that.”
“Gorgon has an army. You can’t put them all away.” Hatred for Gorgon, frustration over her crappy situation, and rage with herself for not being as brave as she needed to be, churned her burning stomach. She laced her fingers together in front of her. “I want to help but don’t you see, I can’t testify?”
Will stepped toward her. His brows knitted together and his jaw line was set like he held back words he wasn’t sure he could share. “Every day Gorgon is loose, many lives are lost. If you hadn’t been there for Susie, where would she be now?”
“Goddamn it! Don’t you think I know that?”
“Sorry. I know you know.” Will raised his hand. “It’s just for the past three years I’ve worked on this case, and in that time, I’ve had to tell hundreds of parents we had no answers for them. The anguish in their eyes rips my heart out every time.”
“Hundreds?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
The number of victims set Nicole back on her heels. Listening to Gorgon and his men, she knew th
ere were many, but she didn’t think hundreds.
“Over fifty-eight thousand children disappear each year in non-family abductions, Nicole. How many do think Gorgon’s ring is directly involved in?”
She felt numb inside.
“Do you know what happens to them?”
Again she stared at him while iced panic ran through her veins.
“Some, like you, are sold to one owner and if they’re lucky, they remain with that owner. Most are sold to pimps. They’re drugged up and made to work the streets as prostitutes, until they die. Some are sent overseas as slaves.”
“What? Overseas? How do they get them out of the country?”
“Trafficking is a twenty-eight billion dollar a year business. They have their ways.”
Vomit tickled the back of Nicole’s throat. She swallowed hard. Was her life and the lives of her family any more important than those of the thousands of children? No.
An image of Luka popped into her head and sorrow flooded her heart. They would never have a normal life together as long as Gorgon lived. There had to be a way to take him down for good.
Will’s eyes followed her as she paced back and forth.
“I understand you’re afraid, but we need your help. You’re our best chance to stop…”
Will’s plea drifted away as she thought back over the years she spent with Gorgon. She had seen acts that would haunt her the rest of her life.
She had learned to understand their language word by word. They thought she understood nothing, but she had understood much. And she knew Gorgon kept his records in the safe in their house.
Her heart leaped.
Would the records be enough to help Will?
Nicole’s hands trembled as she faced him and cut off his speech. “Gorgon keeps records in a safe in our house.”
Will stopped in mid word. The blue of his eyes deepened to almost gray, telling her he was very interested. “What kind of records?”
“Contacts, transactions, bank account information. I heard him speak of them to his brother, in case anything would happen to him. Could you use them against him?”
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