Chapter 5

And then Leonie struck.

Like a tigress who’d been stalking her prey patiently, quietly, stealthily, she attacked with speed and merciless power. Barry was done; the scandal so huge, evidence carefully cataloged and corroborated, documents, photos, witness statements. She made him so toxic that no judge could accept his money, no politician could work with him.

Police raided the hospital and took all the top staff away for trial, including all the doctors. I still didn’t get it; they made lots of money from willing happy customers, why did they do things to trafficked boys for Barry? The trials would go on for years.

“Barry is no longer governor.” Leonie told me on the phone from the capital. “It took some doing to convince the old men, but I made the deal!”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re taking to the new governor, baby.” She chortled. “So look, it’s a hundred US per container, add that to your costs and you can schedule the first boat already. I’ll be on the next plane, and I hope you have a lot of spunk for me.”

“Ditto, hotlegs.” I responded.

I had to keep a distance as she came down the stairs from the plane, there were press photographers and she made a standard public statement about how life would be all roses now.

She brought a couple of the doctors back with her; the hospital was decimated though. Dr. Garcia and her staff had been doing some very bad things there. At the same time, they’d been providing medical care to the whole island, even treating the poor for free. Nothing is simple you know.