by Kate Banco
“Who is he? Did they arrest him too?” Dana asks.
“No, he helped them. He got them away from the auntie,” Marcos says.
“What a relief,” I say.
“Can we talk to her yet?” Dana asks impatiently.
“Fred will call us back when he gets any more info. Maybe Marilyn will find a way to contact you, but she might be embarrassed and not want to call.”
“Why would she be embarrassed? She was kidnapped.”
“Dana, she was dancing in a strip club, maybe you didn’t understand that part. I don’t think that’s what she wanted to do, but she was forced to until she could pay back her ticket from China. It happens a lot. She shouldn’t be embarrassed, but she might be. Let her explain. It may take her awhile to tell you the whole story.”
“Oh, well I still want to talk to her to make sure she is okay,” Dana says. “It’s not her fault.”
“Fred said they won’t be coming back to Oswego for a few days, they need to straighten out the paperwork and get the passports back to Marilyn and Vivian. There are more girls involved, they want to make sure they get them all out. Marilyn and Vivian can help the other girls.”
“Oh, at least she is safe now. I’m exhausted, can I still stay here?” Dana asks.
“Of course, let’s all go to sleep and get a new start in the morning. It has been a long day,” I say.
Marcos and I know it will be longer than a few days before Marilyn comes back. The police will want her to give a deposition and also identify any of the perpetrators they pick up. Marilyn probably won’t be back for at least a month, then she may have to return to testify. It’s going to be a long month for Dana. I hope Marilyn can get a phone and text him or call him. He needs to hear from her.
I close my eyes and am once again awakened by a phone buzzing. I fumble around to find my phone and see a number I don’t recognize. I answer the call and I hear Marilyn’s voice.
‘Margarita, this is Marilyn,” she whispers.
“Marilyn, it is so good to hear your voice. Are you okay?” I ask.
Dana and Marcos both sit up as soon as they hear I have a call from Marilyn.
“Yes, I’m so scared. I’m at the police station and I’m not sure when they’ll let me leave.There is a social worker coming. I don’t know why. I just want to come back to Oswego. I want to come home.”
“Marilyn, listen. They are trying to help you. They want to put those people away who kidnapped you, and the woman who made you work in her club. If you help them then this won’t happen to other Chinese girls who come to the US to work.”
“I’m tired. I don’t want to testify. They might hurt my family back in China if I testify.”
“We are going to try to help you. Can you give me the phone number where you’re calling from? Can I call you back?”
“It’s a phone here on a desk. I don’t know the number.”
“Let me talk to her,” Dana says.
“Marilyn, Dana is here and he wants to talk to you.”
“Oh no, I can’t. He can’t know about what I was doing.”
“He already knows and he doesn’t care, hold on. I’m giving him the phone now.”
I hand the phone to Dana and he jumps up and walks to the kitchen. I can’t hear everything he says but I do hear him say, “I don’t care, I just want you safe and back here. I’ll come and get you if you need a ride.”
We hear him say goodbye to Marilyn as he walks back to the family room. He still looks worried but a little less worried than last night. He sinks down on to the sofa and sighs.
“She doesn’t want me to go get her. She says she is embarrassed, just like you said. I told her it didn’t matter. I hope she left the number where she is,” Dana says.
“She’s still at the police station. Marilyn said a social worker is coming in, probably to find them a place to stay until they can come back to Oswego. We just have to wait until we get more information. Fred has a connection with the NYPD if we need to ask more questions.”
“I’m going to make coffee and some breakfast, anyone ready for coffee?” Marcos asks.
Dana and I both nod yes and I say, “Absolutely starving. What will you make?”
Marcos laughs and says, “Eggs and toast. That’s all I have time for, I have a class in an hour. Hurry up and get dressed while I make breakfast.”
CHAPTER 6
Oswego, New York
The excitement of Marilyn’s disappearance has left all three of us exhausted. As we sip our coffee and finish our breakfast none of us has very much to say. I think we all hoped for the best and expected the worst last night. The thought of Marilyn disappearing was horrifying to us all. I’m relieved to know she is safe.
Marcos and Dana leave together for class and I finish clearing the table. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I put the plates down to answer. I see it is our WITSEC agent returning my call. I had forgotten all about the email I had sent last night.
“Agent Thompson here, How are you Margarita? Anything you need help with?”
“Hi yes. We are fine now, but we thought we might have had a situation we needed help with. A friend of ours was kidnapped yesterday from campus, but she is safe now in New York. It was terrifying and we thought you might have connections because originally we thought it was ICE. Turns out it was two thugs who work for a woman out of her Chinese Night Club.”
“What? What night club? Start from the beginning Margarita.”
Over the next half hour I explain the situation and give as many details as possible. I end the conversation by saying, “We were worried she was a victim of the sex traffickers like my Tío Enrique.”
“It sounds like she was, only these guys are just as bad if not worse. You are dealing with international sex traffickers. They bring girls from China and promise them work. When they get here they take their passports, drug them and make them work either dancing or as escorts until they work off the price of their ticket. In the meantime they charge them room and board and pay them very little. It is almost impossible for them to get away without help. Sounds like Marilyn and Vivian found someone who helped them get away. They may have been lucky, but only because of you, Marcos and Dana. Her roommate didn’t even report her missing. What is it you want me to do?”
“We don’t know if Marilyn and Vivian have documents to stay as students. If we find out they are undocumented is there any way you can help?”
“You know our department is very specific in how we help. We place people who need protection due to their involvement in the conviction of criminals. We only dealt with your immigration issues because of that. However, I do have a connection to immigration. Let me check it out. I need their names and any info you have on them. I doubt Marilyn and Vivian are their real names. See if you can get their official names. I’ll call you back tomorrow night. In the meantime lay low with this, don’t get interviewed by any press or go around campus making yourself known. We don’t want you to be recognized by anyone. Stay safe.”
“That’s a good reminder, we’ll stay very low key. Thanks for everything.”
“How are your parents and the rest of the family?
“Everyone is fine.”
“Stick together and take care of each other. We put you all together so that would happen. I hope that has worked out.”
“Yes, for sure. It is the best. Thank you for doing that,” I say
“Bye Margarita, I’ll call tomorrow night again.”
“Bye, thank you.”
I look at the clock and realize I need to get going. I want to stop at the coffee shop and check-in to see if Joy is there. She helps me stay on track and keep my priorities straight. I have a lot to share today. I grab my backpack and rush out the door and head toward campus. So many things on my mind and I forgot to make up the flyer my mom asked me to make. I need to
do that later today, they really need more help at the taco shop.
I walk the short distance and see the coffee shop ahead of me. The more time I spend here in Oswego the more I feel at home. The snow and ice are unimportant, the people are nice and I’ve made some great friends.
When I enter the coffee shop I see Joy is there. Marilyn is safe today because of her friends. We need to keep our social circle wide and bring in more friends. I read social interactions help people avoid addictions like opiates, alcohol and drugs. Socializing with friends helps us stop the craving for other addictions we might have. It makes total sense to me. I am so happy I have made such good friends in Oswego.
Joy and I work well together and she mentions more than once she would like to hire me as an assistant. I never ask for details because I want to focus on my studies. The quicker I finish school the quicker I can join the FBI.
One Friday morning as we leave the coffee shop she says, “Okay, so today I’m taking you someplace special.” The Challenger heads toward the road that runs along Lake Ontario.
“Really, where?” I ask with excitement.
Joy is silent until we pull in to the parking lot of Bev’s Tasty Treats along Lake Ontario. It’s closed for the season and I have no idea why she stopped here. She pulls behind the restaurant and turns the car off. I look over to see her take a big breath, pull her gloves off and sigh.
“What’s going on, Joy?” I ask. I start to worry. Maybe I’m right to worry. Why are we stopped?”
“I’m going to take you someplace,” She says as she pulls out a folded copy of an agreement.
“What is this?”
‘It’s a non-disclosure agreement. If you want to ride with me on cases, or go with me today you need to sign this non-disclosure agreement. If you don’t want to, I’ll take you back to town and nothing will have changed. We’ll still be friends, but you won’t be able to ride with me on cases.”
“I don’t have any problem, I’ll sign it.”
“Read it first before you sign it,” Joy advises.
I read the first few paragraphs, it’s simple language and doesn’t have too much legalese.
I scan the rest of the document and look at the bottom. There is already a signature there but I can’t read whose signature it is. I try to decipher it, but can’t.
“Whose signature is this?” I ask.
“I can’t disclose that until you sign it. It’s a basic non-disclosure agreement, but do you understand what it means? You won’t be able to share any info with Marcos or your other friends. Think about it before you make that decision. It may cause you problems with your husband if you can’t keep things from him.”
I stare at the agreement and think what Joy has just told me. Marcos and I discuss all of our classes, and things we learn from others. Will I be able to keep things from him?
“Do you need time to think about it? If you do I can take you back to town and you can let me know tomorrow. We only have an hour today anyway, you have class at ten,” Joy says.
“No, I think I want to work with you. You have so much experience and I can learn from you. Hands-on experience is the best. I’ll have to tell Marcos I’m working with you. We can come up with a story I think,” I say as I sign the bottom line of the agreement.
Joy takes the signed copy and puts it under the sun visor above her head. “I don’t think you’ll regret this.”
I sigh and turn to look out of the window at the lake. What have I just done? Joy wouldn’t have tricked me into signing something bad, would she? I haven’t kept anything important from Teodoro since we’ve been married. We’ve had to stick together because of our long journey and what we’ve been through.
“Do you want to get started? I have something to show you,” Joy says.
“Yes, let’s get started. I don’t want to waste any time. I need to learn as much as possible if I want to get in to the FBI trainee program when I graduate,” I say.
Joy smiles and starts the car, “Hold on to your hat, we’re going on an adventure.”
“Okay, I’m ready,” I laugh.
She puts the car in reverse and backs out from behind the restaurant. Joy turns the wheel and floors it. Before I know it we are on the highway and leaving town. We head down a road lined with trees and houses. Outside of Oswego many people live in houses with big front yards. Cars, trucks and snowmobiles are parked in the front. Some houses have huge boats on trailers parked in front of the house.
We zoom past all of these houses, barns and garages until we are almost at Fair Haven State Park. I recognize the road because we’ve been out here on picnics in the summer. I wonder where we are going, but I don’t ask. Joy has a serious look on her face that I’ve never seen before. She usually is smiling and has a grin like a cat who has eaten the bit of a sandwich off your plate.
We pass the entrance to Fair Haven State Park and she slows the car, we turn down a laneway, or at least it looks like a farmer’s laneway. She drives slowly for a half mile where the road turns to pavement again. I notice the grass along the side of the road is mowed and there are white fences that line the road from the place the pavement starts. We drive another half mile and come to a gate. An attendant steps out, Joy hands him her ID and he asks who I am.
“She’s new, I’ve got the paperwork. She’ll get her ID today. Her name is Margarita. The boss has okayed it.”
“It will be just a moment, I need to call up to the house to check it out.”
“That’s okay, go ahead,” Joy says with a sweet smile.
“What kind of ID will I get Joy? What is this place?” I ask.
“Be patient, you’ll find out everything soon.”
Could I be in to something I shouldn’t be? Maybe I should listen to Marcos, and maybe I shouldn’t be trusting Joy as much as I am. The attendant comes back out of the booth and says, “Go ahead, the boss is waiting for you.”
“Thanks sweetie,” Joy flirts with the guard and drives up the driveway.
Ahead of us I see a beautiful palace, or what I think a palace would look like. A huge stone house on the lake. A few cars are parked in a line near the front door. I count the cars, there are at least nine. With Joy’s car it makes ten. Why are so many cars here?
“Leave your stuff in the car, no one will bother anything. There are so many guards here if anyone tried to make it up the driveway they’d have them on camera before they could open the car door.”
“What is this place Joy? Where did you bring me? Is this a case you are working on?”
“You have too many questions Margarita. You’ll find out soon enough. This will knock your socks off,” Joy says with a laugh.
“I hope in a good way,” I say.
“You worry too much,” Joy answers and I think, if you only knew why I worry so much.
Joy walks to the front door and waits for me to catch up. She rings the doorbell and it is instantly opened by a tall, young man.
“Oh, Joy. Come in. And you are Margarita? Nice to meet you. Welcome, my name is Juan,” he says.
“Nice to meet you Juan,” I say.
“Follow me. Joy you know where to go but the boss wants me to escort all new people.”
“No problem Juan, lead the way.”
We both follow Juan as he leads us through the foyer in to a long hallway. At the end of the hall I see a set of double doors. He knocks and walks in. Before me I see a man and a woman seated near a big oak desk. A large screen TV shows the driveway to the house, the picture changes every five minutes. It looks like a live feed but changes when there is any kind of movement. I watch in awe as I see the recording of the two of us driving up, getting out of the car and walking to the front door.
“Impressive, right?” The tanned-looking blonde man says as he stands.
“Yes, I’ve never seen anything like that except on TV.”
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Joy looks at both the man and the woman and says, “Hold on to your hat Margarita, if you are impressed with that you are really going to like everything else.”
Both of them smile and shake their heads in agreement.
“I’m not sure why I’m here,” I say uneasily.
I look at Joy then at the man sitting behind the desk, He stands and says, “I’m Sam Mason, nice to meet you Margarita.This is Mary Ellen. She lives here with me.”
“Nice to meet you. Why am I here? I don’t understand. I can’t stay long, I have a class at ten this morning and we are quite far away from campus,” I mumble.
For a moment I’m afraid I’ve made a big mistake. What if I never see my family again, what if I never see Teodoro again? He was right to worry. I stand up and look at Joy.
“Joy, can you take me home please? I don’t understand why I’m here. Am I allowed to leave?” I ask.
“Of course Margarita. You can leave at any time. Joy will take you back to campus if you want. But I think you might want to hear what we have to say first. Can you sit down for five minutes? Mary Ellen will be sitting right next to you. Okay?”
Mary Ellen comes over and takes my hand and she says, “Margarita, it’s okay really.” She sits down next to me and gestures for me to sit. I reluctantly sit down and look over at Joy. She makes a big smile on her face with her finger indicating I should do the same.
Sam Mason begins by asking Joy for the agreement I signed. He takes the folded paper and files it in the drawer.
“Okay Margarita, I’ll start at the beginning. You’ll make it back to your class on time but we do need to get your ID made today and a few other details. If you let me talk we can get through quicker. When I’ve finished you can ask all of the questions you want, okay?”