Once inside the rental car Alan powered up his iPhone. He started the engine, took one final look at Popov’s house and pulled away from the curb. He saw a voicemail notice on the splash screen from a caller with a 212 area code—Manhattan. He wondered who it could be as he clicked the voicemail play button:
“Hello, Mr. Swansea. This is Madeline Fulton. Beth Lindsay suggested that I call you regarding a situation she felt I might be able to help you with. Please call me at your earliest convenience. Thank you.”
Alan clicked the call button.
“This is Madeline.”
“Hi, Madeline, this is Alan Swansea returning your call.”
“Oh yes, hello, Alan. Beth Lindsay asked me to call you. She told me that you wanted to know about my organization’s services regarding human trafficking victims.”
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t know how much she told you but I know of a woman who has been trafficked to the states from Russia and has been forced into prostitution in a Queens brothel. I’ve been investigating the abduction of her young sister, who has also been trafficked and may also have been forced into the sex trade.”
“Beth has basically explained the situation to me. I want you to know that I will do anything in my power to help you with this, Alan. The Human Connection has been working on behalf of exploited women and children for the last ten years and we are dedicated to see that victims’ basic human rights are respected by giving them the support they need.”
“That’s very good to know, but what if the victim refuses to be helped? I mean, this woman only cares about keeping her family safe and alive. Her captor has threatened to kill her family if she runs away or goes to the authorities. She doesn’t seem to care about herself at all—it’s like she is resigned to this horrible situation she’s in and has totally given up.”
“That’s not unusual with these victims, unfortunately. I’m sure Beth has explained to you how these pimps operate—how they use violence, drugs, threats whatever they can think of to take total control of their victims. The results are devastating. Victims feel no sense of self-worth and are robbed of their souls. They are used and abused to such an extent that they simply give up all hope after so long.”
“That describes Elena to a tee. And now I’ve encountered another woman in a similar situation.”
“No kidding.”
“Yeah. And I think this woman’s “owner” may be a king pen in this racket.”
“Tell me more,” she said, her interest evident.
“Well, I followed up on something I’d learned by talking to Elena and tracked down another East European who is being held as a sex slave—by the same man who had first exploited Elena. To make a long story short, I think he is also behind the abduction of Elena’s little sister. I’ll be honest, Madeline—I want to put all of these bastards away! But I feel like my hands are tied. First of all, since Elena fears for her family’s safety, I am afraid to do anything that might jeopardize it. I don’t know how much influence this group of thugs has or how extensive their network is. But what if they have the ability to harm her family before anything can be put into place to protect them?
“Secondly, a similar scenario applies for Nadiya, the other woman. She flatly refuses to leave this guy for fear of her family’s safety. I literally just left her after having offered her refuge if she would leave with me. It’s incredibly frustrating!”
“I understand what you’re saying, Alan, and that’s how I think we can help. I need to talk to these women somehow if that’s possible. Reassure them that their lives are worth reclaiming and that they deserve being freed from their oppressors. That there are risks in everything and that their freedom is worth any risks that may occur to their loved ones. Assure them that their family members would be more than willing to risk their own lives to save theirs if given the opportunity.”
“I’m no psychologist but I have to say that I’m doubtful that any of that will turn either of them around. Especially Elena. All she wants is for her sister to be found and taken out of harm’s way.”
“Perhaps we can change that. But first thing’s first. Beth told me you left a cell phone with Elena. She wanted me to check with you first to see if I could call her. Would that be okay?
“Of course. Here, I’ll give you the number.”
Alan scrolled through his contacts and read off the number to the cell phone he’d bought for Elena.
“Thanks, Alan. I’m going to give her a call sometime later today. Let me see what I can find out about Elena’s state of mind. Then I will get back to you. Are you going to be in New York much longer?”
“I’m really not sure how much longer I’ll be here. But if I haven’t heard from you beforehand, I’ll give you a call before I leave.”
“Sounds good. And please, Alan, don’t hesitate to call if you have any more questions.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Madeline.”
“Please call me Maddie. You are most welcome. Talk to you soon.”
“Goodbye, Maddie.”
Alan disconnected and promptly realized that he hadn’t asked Maddie Fulton how her organization planned to protect Elena’s family in the event she can be convinced to flee Stokley’s Pub. He also hadn’t asked what kind of arrangement, if any, the Human Connection had with law enforcement in the event that they bust Viktor’s operation. He was about to call her back when he noticed a black Lincoln in his rear view mirror. It occurred to him that it was the same car he had seen parked facing the other direction a block down from Popov’s estate when he’d left it.
Alan couldn’t make out the driver’s appearance but he was fairly certain there were no passengers in the car. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he was sure he wasn’t being tailed.
He looked for the first side street he could turn on to. A moment later he spotted one, switched on his turn signal and made a right hand turn. He slowed down, half-expecting the driver of the car behind him to keep going straight.
He didn’t.
Wondering what the odds were of this joker choosing this same street to turn onto, Alan made a sudden left hand turn onto another side street without using his turn signal. When the other car also turned left without missing a beat, Alan knew he was being followed.
Popov! he thought. Or one of his goons—
He had been shadowed!
How long has this guy been tailing him? he wondered. Had he been tipped off by someone at Popov’s restaurant? Or could he have been tailing him even sooner than that? Even before he had left Manhattan that morning?
Alan’s pulse quickened at the implications.
Speeding up instinctively, he fumbled inside the inside breast pocket of his jacket for Popov’s Blackberry. He hastily booted up the phone and searched frantically for a button that would display a log of any recent call activity, glancing repeatedly at the pursuing car in his rear view mirror at the same time. He wondered for a moment what would happen if he simply pulled over—would the guy just keep on going or slow down long enough to take a pot shot at him?
He didn’t really want to find out.
He located the call log directory and began scrolling down the list, nearly hitting a curb in the process. The text on the screen was incredibly small and difficult to read while keeping his eyes on the road. He was hoping to locate Popov’s home phone number somehow so he could call Nadiya. He had failed to copy that number down during his shakedown of his home and now cursed himself for his oversight.
Most of the recent calls to Popov’s phone were from his restaurant. Finally, he spotted one that was received from “Home” and assumed that it was a call that Nadiya had made to him from his residence. Alan picked up his iPhone, keyed the number in and hit the call button. The phone rang an agonizing six times before it was finally picked up.
“Hello?” he heard the Ukranian woman answer in her thick accent.
“Nadiya—it’s Alan Swansea—you must get out of the house now!”
/> “W-what are you saying?” she sputtered.
“Get out of the house! One of Popov’s men has been staking the house and he knows that I’ve been there. Now he’s tailing my ass. Do you know how to drive?”
“No, I do not, and I am not leaving this house! You are crazy!”
“Nadiya, the gig is up! Don’t you realize that Popov is going to find out that I’ve been there searching his house for the last hour? That is, if he doesn’t already know. That means that you are going to be in serious trouble for letting me in. He will have no trouble putting two and two together. You have to get away from there!”
There was short pause as the woman digested what he had just told her.
“But I can’t just run away—he will kill my parents! This doesn’t change anything!”
“Listen, Nadiya. We don’t have time to debate this. You have got to go. Not only is Popov going to waste you when he gets back, but if he has any plans on doing your parents harm he will have already made that decision by the time he gets there either way. Your only chance is to get away while you can. We can worry about your parents later!”
“But— Where am I to go? He will only find me eventually.”
“No he won’t. You are going to run, not walk toward the beach while I keep this asshole that’s following me busy. When you get to the beach, go—wait a minute—
He navigated to the Google Earth app on his phone and clicked on the bookmark he’d created for East Hampton. He zoomed in on the satellite image of Popov’s house and dragged the screen south toward the beach that was only a few blocks away. Alan noticed what looked like a public parking area perhaps a mile up the beach.
“Head east on the beach until you reach a big parking lot. Hang out around there and I’ll come and pick you up.”
“This is crazy! You mean just walk out this house and go down to the beach?”
“No, RUN! Just go!”
“Oh, shit, Alan! I’m so afraid! I don’t think I can do it!”
“Yes you can, Nadiya, and you will do it! I can only keep up this cat and mouse chase for so long before this goon decides to give it up and heads back to get you. Trust me on that. You can not be there when that happens, Nadiya!”
The silence on the other side of the phone was maddening. Alan pulled back onto the highway and saw the Lincoln follow behind. He knew that Nadiya was mulling it over. He knew it would be difficult to persuade her to leave that house and he understood why. But what she wasn’t taking into account was how close she was to being absolutely wasted by Yuri Popov once he catches wind of what has been going down. Which may have already happened for all he knew.
“Nadiya?”
“Yes.”
“Are you gonna do it?”
A short pause.
“Okay. I will leave.”
“Great! You have about fifteen minutes to get to that parking lot. If I don’t make it there before you, wait ten minutes then continue walking up the beach. No doubt this guy will be looking for you when he realizes that you’ve left. And his first hunch will be that you headed to the beach.”
“What if you can’t lose him? What do I do then?”
Alan smiled to himself. “Oh, I will lose him. Don’t worry about that.”
“I’m glad you are so confident. I could use a little of that myself right now.”
“It’s going to be fine, Nadiya. Now get going!”
“Please hurry, Alan!”
“I will.”
He disconnected.
He was only a short distance from the downtown area of East Hampton. He knew he would never be able to shake this guy once he was in the city limits. So he pulled onto the next side street he could find and slowed down for several blocks on purpose. The Lincoln followed suit.
Alan estimated that he was about ten minutes away from Popov’s house. He needed to start doubling back if he was going to be able to pick up Nadiya in the time he had estimated. He studied the satellite image of the area again and spotted the blue GPS icon showing his current position. He was on Meadow Way traveling west. He needed to somehow lose this guy before he got back onto Main Street. He would take a left then a right and basically go around in a circle for a three-block radius. Once he spotted just the right place, he’d leave this guy in the dust.
When he took a right hand turn onto the next street, his pursuer stopped and remained motionless at the intersection. Alan felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that maybe the guy wasn’t going to follow him any longer. If he decided to head back to Popov’s now, it would be foot race to try to beat him there and find Nadiya. Since he didn’t know the area, Popov’s goon would most likely win hands-down.
With his mind racing, Alan glanced back in the rear view mirror again and saw the Lincoln pull out and resume the tail. He was going to have to start losing this guy pronto, or the game was over.
Alan floored the accelerator and sped down the street. The man sped up and kept close. Alan peeled his eyes for a place to pull off and shake the guy. When he saw his chance, he locked up his brakes then flew around the curve of what appeared to be a private driveway. He punched his foot to the floor and spun out in the gravel, hoping to find his way out of what now appeared to be a dead-end road. When he passed a mailbox and saw that he was only a few hundred feet from a solitary gray house at the end of the road, Alan locked up the brakes again, threw it into reverse and did a one-eighty. He sped past the guy before he could react. Alan flew back toward the intersection and hung a right just as the guy pulled a donut in the middle of the road.
His foot to the floor, Alan sped southeast until he reached Main street, praying that the local cops weren’t out looking for speeders. When he reached Pondview Lane, he executed a sharp right hand turn, checking his rear view mirror at the same time.
The Lincoln was not in sight—
He punched it again and was up to sixty MPH and held it there all the way to Egypt Lane. He went south on Egypt to Further Road and hung a left, the smell of the ocean air a welcome sensation. He checked his rear view mirror again. He was home free—
If the bastard hadn’t taken some kind of shortcut, that is—
He whizzed along the road, glancing at the satellite shot on his phone, looking for the name of the street that led to the parking lot. Hanford Lane—he was only a few blocks away. He checked his watch. He was going to arrive at the rendezvous point five minutes earlier than he’d expected. What if Nadiya had balked and was still in the house right this minute gathering up the courage to leave? She may have changed her mind altogether for all he knew. If Popov’s man had already scrapped catching up with him and was headed back to the house, she would most definitely be screwed.
All he could do was cross his fingers.
He reached Hanford and hung a right, the Atlantic Ocean visible in the distance. When he reached the beach, he saw a few people milling around but the threat of rain was apparently keeping most of the locals away from the beach. He drove to the end of the parking lot and began looking around for Nadiya. No sign of her. He hopped out of the car and walked down the short sandy path to the beach. Looking all around, he saw a couple of people combing the beach and a man walking his dog, but no Nadiya.
Alan glanced back toward the parking lot to make sure he couldn’t see Nadiya then began walking west along the ebbing tide. He felt his hopes wane as he considered the likelihood of Nadiya getting cold feet and never leaving Popov’s house. He could almost see her standing there by the door, thinking about her family and her home so far away, fearful that her leaving would lead to their demise. He realized that she had never mentioned ever calling them since she’d been abducted, and this now gnawed at him. Had she been so paranoid of Popov finding out that she had never even tried contacting her family back in Ukraine?
He would have to remember to ask her about that.
If he ever saw her again, that is.
He picked up his pace and kept his eyes peeled. It was beginning to look like Nadiya
had never left the house. Allowing for the few moments she may have spent wrapping her head around her escape after he had hung up, she would have easily made it this far by now—
The bastard is going to catch her, he thought dismally. And her fate would be on his shoulders.
Had he made a huge mistake tracking down Popov and putting this poor woman at risk? Should he have gone about all of this differently and thought it through instead of busting onto the scene like he was some kind of flippin’ Rambo?
That feeling of self-doubt was rearing its ugly head again.
Suddenly he spotted a blue and white form walking toward him in the distance. He tried to recall what Nadiya had been wearing and remembered the baggy sweats, navy and white—
It was her!
Alan broke into a run and sprinted toward her. She was walking at a good clip, bogged down by the baggage she was toting. Looked like a good-sized duffle bag. Her gait was awkward in the sand, no doubt due to the shoes she was wearing. As he drew closer, Alan could see the expression on Nadiya’s face, a pitiful combination of fatigue, doubt and fear.
“Thank god you made it!” he called out as she slowed down and waited for Alan to reach her.
“Oh, shit! I am going to pass out, I think!” she huffed, all out of breath.
“Please wait until we get back to the car to do that. I am so glad you came, Nadiya. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure you would follow through with it.”
She shook her head as Alan offered to take her bag. She gratefully handed it over to him.
“I almost didn’t leave, and I hope I haven’t made a mistake! He is going to kill my parents, I just know it!”
“He won’t, Nadiya. I promise.”
“How can you promise me that?” she cried.
“I guess I can’t. But I am going to do all I can to keep it from happening, and that I can promise. Have you seen the man who was chasing me—a big Lincoln?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think so. I was barely around the corner when I saw a big black car pull into the driveway. I suppose it was him.”
Alan cringed as he realized just how close she had been to getting caught.
“Have you seen the car before?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“We need to get back to my car and get the hell out of here. It won’t take him long to discover you’re gone and start looking for you.”
“I am so tired! I can’t run anymore.”
Alan took her hand. “Oh yes you can—you have to!”
She cast him a frenzied look before Alan broke into a gait, nearly dragging the girl behind him.
When they reached the rental car, Alan dumped Nadiya’s baggage into the trunk and held the door for her to get in. Alan started up the car, backed out and sped up the street. When he reached the intersection, he blew through it, hoping to avoid the man in the Lincoln who would be coming from the west.
“Where are you taking me?” Nadiya asked.
Alan glanced over at her. “Please put on your seatbelt. We could be in for a shaky ride.”
She pulled the shoulder harness around her and snapped it into place. “Where are we going?” she asked again.
“Manhattan. To my hotel.”
“And what are going to do there?” she asked suspiciously.
“Nothing like that, I can assure you. We will meet up with a lady who can take you somewhere safe.”
“No!” she cried. “I don’t want to do that—I thought you said you would keep me safe! You promised me—I want to stay with you!”
“I’m flattered that you feel that way, Nadiya, but it is impossible. You need to go somewhere where Popov and his lynch mob can’t find you. This lady works for a group of people who specialize in this sort of thing. They can give you food, shelter and counseling. That’s what you need right now.”
“How do you know what I need?” she cried. “All I want is to know that my parents will not be murdered by Yuri. Can these people do that for me?”
“I honestly don’t know, Nadiya,” Alan replied. “I am going to call Maddie Fulton as soon as I know we’ve lost Popov’s goon and we’re back on the highway. She will be able to talk to you and tell you all you need to know.”
Nadiya started to protest, but said nothing. Alan felt for her. He tried to put himself in her place and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be here in a strange country, forced into what could only be described as out-and-out slavery, and now escaping her bondage with a stranger she probably didn’t trust any further than she could throw him.
And all this time, the possibility of her parents being hunted down and killed hanging over her head like a black cloud.
The reached the Montauk Highway and there had been no sign of the black Lincoln. Alan headed west back to the city and dialed Maddie Fulton’s number.
“Maddie, it’s Alan Swansea again. I have a new situation that I hope you can help me with,” he said, glancing over at Nadiya who was staring out the passenger side window.
“Hello, Alan. And what would that be?”
“I have a special passenger in my car right now. Her name is Nadiya.”
“Is she alright?”
“Yes, she’s fine. I’ll skip the details on what led up to this but I have a favor to ask. Nadiya has decided to leave the man who had been using her. I was wondering if you could find her a safe place to stay once I get back to the city.”
“That’s wonderful! Of course, Alan. I know just the place for her. She will be safe and very comfortable there.”
“That’s great! Now I have another question. This man has threatened to harm her parents if she ever left or blew the whistle on him. She wants to know if you can do anything to assure their safety.”
“All I can promise her is that I will try. I’ll need to get her folks’ exact location as soon as possible so I can contact our east European associates. Can you put her on the phone, Alan?”
“Just a second.”
Alan reached over and gently tapped Nadiya on her shoulder to get her attention.
“Maddie would like to talk to you, Nadiya,” he said.
Nadiya turned around to face him and glanced at the phone he was proffering. She hesitated a moment then took the phone and placed it to her ear.
“Hello?”
While Nadiya spoke to Maddie, Alan’s thoughts momentarily shifted to Elena. He wanted nothing more than to swing by Stokley’s Pub on the way to Manhattan and bust a move upstairs to take her out of that godforsaken place. Right this moment, he felt elated that there was hope for Nadiya to be able to return home and live a normal life again. But his elation was bittersweet. He wanted the same for Elena. He pictured the beaten and abused woman trapped in that tiny room turning tricks day in and day out, utterly hopeless and half starved to death—
This just wasn’t enough. He wanted Elena to be safe, too. And her little sister. Every one of them.
And he wanted every last one of the lowlife scum responsible for this unholy madness to be put away forever.
Nadiya handed the phone back to Alan.
“Maddie?”
“I think she’s willing to let us help her, Alan. And that’s one of the biggest hurdles. Like most victims, she is leery of strangers and has little or no trust in them. I think I’ve convinced her that she needs to let herself be helped and that there is no catch involved. You can’t really blame Nadiya for being so hesitant to this, considering all she has been through. But she seems to be willing to try, which is paramount.”
“What about locating her parents?”
“She apparently isn’t exactly sure where they are, which may be either good or bad. She said that she has tried to phone them a couple of times at her home in Ukraine, but has never gotten an answer. They have no answering machine though so it may be just bad timing. Or, they have moved somewhere else.”
“How can any of this good?”
“Those who may be looking for her may have to look a bit harder.”
&n
bsp; “I see. But is there anything else you can do?”
“We will try to contact friends of the family to see if we can find out her parents’ whereabouts after we get her settled in.”
“That’s a good idea. Where should I take her when I get back to the city?”
“I’m going to have to make a few calls first, then I’ll call you back. When do you think you’ll be back in Manhattan?”
Alan looked at the clock. “Probably about 3:30 or so.”
“Okay. Let me make those calls and I’ll get back to you soon.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Maddie. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s my pleasure. Talk to you soon.”
Alan disconnected and glanced over at Nadiya.
“She’s very nice,” she said.
“Yeah, she is. And she’s very happy that you are going to let her give you a hand with all of this.”
“I guess I am, too. It’s just so scary. I keep thinking of my mother and father—how much I want to see them again. God, I hope they are okay!”
“They will be fine, Nadiya. You just have to have faith.”
Easy for him to say.
After a half-hour of driving in silence, Alan decided to break it.
“So what is it like, living in Ukraine?”
Nadiya seemed surprised by the question. She heaved a sigh and said, “Boring.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There is nothing to do there but be depressed about how miserable it is. Most of the people in my hometown are out of work and have no money. Everybody is looking for jobs and doing whatever it takes to survive. That is why so many leave for the big cities.”
And look where that gets them, Alan thought. “Do either of your folks work?”
“Mother sews every now and then and does housework for those who can afford such luxuries. Father used to have a good business selling automobiles but that company went out of business many years ago. Since then, he tries to make ends meet as a handy man. Most of the time he just drinks. He is an alcoholic.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Alan fell silent as he realized that her unhappy life was probably the last thing Nadiya wanted to talk about. He felt uncomfortable trying to relate to this beautiful girl and he suddenly understood why people were trained specialists that work with victims like her. It was like walking on eggshells trying to avoid hurting her and there didn’t really seem like there was anything upbeat to chat about.
Nadiya was indeed injured goods.
“Where is Ohio?” she asked suddenly.
He couldn’t recall ever telling her where he was from and the question threw him off.
“How do you know I’m from Ohio?”
“It said so on the business card you gave me.”
He had forgotten the legit card he’d handed her just before leaving Popov’s.
“Oh, right. Ohio is about two states west of New York—in what’s called the Midwest.”
“I would love to see the rest of America. I always dreamed of coming here ever since I was a child. But I never thought it would be under these circumstances,” she added, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“Maybe you can still do some sight seeing before you go back.”
“I would like that if things were different. But all I want to do now is go back home. I miss my parents so much. I hope they are alright—”
“Maddie told me she has sources that can contact them. Everything is going to be okay, Nadiya.”
“I hope so.”
They were about an hour from Manhattan. Alan decided to play some music to help mellow out the atmosphere a bit. He turned on the radio and tuned in to a classic rock station that was playing the Beatles’ Revolution. He noticed a smile come to Nadiya’s face.
“I love this song!” she exclaimed.
“So you are a big Beatles fan?”
“Oh yes. They are my favorite band ever.”
“What kind of music do they play where you live? I mean, is there a lot of American and British music or is it mostly Eastern European?”
“There are many Ukranian pop and rock bands—also metal and even hip-hop. Many try to sound like the Western performers and others play a sort of folk type music. My father used to have a very good collection of Western music. He also loves the Beatles. But he has had to sell most of his recordings to feed us.”
“Wow, you both have great taste—I think I’d like your father.”
“Oh, you would—he is a good man. And very funny. But he drinks too much.”
“Are you an only child, then?”
“I had a younger brother but he died when he was only two years old.”
“I’m sorry, Nadiya.”
“It is okay. What is it like living in Ohio? Do you have a family?”
“My parents have both passed away. I have a brother who lives in California. That’s about it.”
“No wife or children?”
“No.”
“Why not, Alan? You are older. Don’t you want a family?”
He was stunned at how awkward he suddenly felt. The question seemed easy enough for her to ask, yet answering her back was not so easy to do.
“ I, uh, used to be married. Her name was Julie. But she died a couple of years ago.”
“I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have been so nosy.”
“It’s fine, Nadiya—really. You aren’t being any nosier than I’ve been.”
“So, do you think you will marry again? Have kids?”
“I don’t think so. I really loved my wife and can’t imagine ever loving anyone as much.”
“That is very sweet. But you can’t always think like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You sound like you are giving up on love. That it can never happen again. That is like saying you have given up on living, even though life has not been good to you.”
Alan smiled and threw her a curve. “You mean sort of like you would be doing if you had stayed with Popov?”
She realized what he was getting at. “Yes, I suppose so.”
Just then, the iPhone rang. It was Maddie Fulton.
“Hello, Maddie.”
“Hi Alan. I’ve arranged a place for Nadiya to stay. It’s downtown in Tribeca. You can take her there directly if you don’t mind. It’s on Hudson Street near Leonard. I can meet you there if you could just give me a call back fifteen minutes before you reach the city.”
“That sounds excellent, Maddie! I honestly don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here for me. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m just happy that we can get Nadiya some help and hopefully get her back on track. I’d better go now. I’ll be awaiting your call.”
“Thanks again.”
Alan disconnected and looked over at Nadiya. “Maddie has a place all lined up for you. We’re going straight there and Maddie will meet us.”
“I hope I’m doing the right thing. I’m so nervous about this!”
“You’re going to be just fine.”
The Collector Page 36