Chapter 7: Sex Slavers

The next morning Linda awoke refreshed and ready to face a new day. She decided on a room service breakfast and ordered scrambled eggs with toast and coffee.

Stepping into the shower Linda planned out her day. We have the location of the Russian gang, from that creep in the hotel restaurant with the lobbyist, so let’s use the laptop to look the area over. Then, we can go there today, look around and come up with a plan, Linda mused.

I like it, added Ret. Let’s not go walking in with our guns blazing. This isn’t Tombstone, Arizona in the 1870’s.

I was looking forward to the blazing guns part, whined Mouse.

Food is here, whispered Ret.

Linda got out of the shower, wrapped a big fluffy towel around her one hundred ten pound body and answered the knock at the door. After the young man delivering her order set everything up on the room’s serving table, Linda tipped him ten dollars.

Linda opened the laptop and searched the address and general area in Brooklyn the gang occupied. Okay, it looks like they have taken over this four story former office building with a full basement. We can catch the subway to Queens then take the G Train into Brooklyn. That will get us close enough to Manhattan Ave. We can walk the rest of the way. Normal fuzzing of our appearance Mouse. We don’t want people paying attention to us. Tink be ready for emergencies. The recon is mostly on you though, Ret.

With a chorus of agreement, Linda dressed for an extended visit to Brooklyn.

On arrival in Brooklyn Linda walked over to Manhattan Ave. The whole area had the air and appearance of a small European town. She overheard another tourist mention that lots of Poles were settled in the area. Linda stopped at an outdoor restaurant and ordered a plate of pirogi for lunch. Delicious!

She wandered casually down the street and turned the corner toward the Russian building. When she arrived at the corner, Linda scanned the street in both directions. The compound was on the opposite side of the street in the middle of the block.

Got anything, Ret? whispered Linda.

Yes, but it’s confusing as all hell. Half the time they think in Russian instead of English, Ret replied.

Okay, remember we want to know about security cameras, as much information about the kids as possible and how many guards they have on tonight and where they’re located, Linda reminded her.

Yes I’m getting it. It’s just not easy, whispered Ret. Wander around back a bit. Let’s not just stand here in one spot.

Linda wandered across the street and continued on to the next street, then walked up near the building located just behind the Russians. There’s an alley between the buildings on the Russians side and the buildings on this side, Linda pointed out. I think we can use that to our advantage. If we can get into this building, I can get us into the Russians compound from the back.

Ret whispered, Most of this building is vacant right now. Only the first floor is occupied. Late at night it should be easy for us to get in.

Any security in this building? asked Linda.

Only the ground floor. Nothing and no one upstairs. If we can figure a way to get onto the second floor, we should be fine, replied Ret.

Alright let’s take a stroll through the alley and look at the backdoor, Linda whispered.

They have security cameras and two armed guards back there, Ret warned.

Mouse? Linda asked with a raised eyebrow.

I don’t know if I’m powerful enough to hide from electronics yet and it’s not a good idea to dissolve the cameras, right Tink? Mouse responded.

I can do it, easy. The Russians will be on full alert if I do though, Tink answered.

That cancels the alley then. Did you get enough intel, Ret? Mouse asked.

I think so. We need to go back to the hotel and discuss this. Our time table has moved up, whispered Ret.

Back at the hotel Linda ordered up a snack tray and a pitcher of iced tea from room service. Talk to us Ret. Tell us what you figured out, Linda whispered.

Listen up. First there are seventeen grunts and two bosses. One of them is the guy we saw in DC. The day shift and swing shift have six guards each. Two outside in back, two outside in front, one in the basement watching the kids and one watching the security cameras. The night shift has five guys. They don’t watch the kids while they sleep. Security cameras are all outside except one in the front room and a few in the basement. The barracks for the grunts is on the second floor. There are four apartments on the third floor. Front two are for the bosses, when they’re in town. The back two are for visitors. The security room is on the first floor, in the back. The front room on the first floor is for greeting visitors and such. Two women show up in the daytime to cook for the men and the kids. Kitchen’s on the first floor too. They won’t be here at night so nothing to worry about there. The fourth floor isn’t occupied but they have movement and weight sensors in the central hallway which runs the length of the floor, Ret informed her sisters.

The problem is we’re out of time. There are thirty-three kids in the basement. They are kept in cages four feet wide, three feet tall, and six feet deep. The kids are all naked. They each get a blanket to sleep on, a bucket for waste and a bucket for water. They’re fed a bowl of oatmeal twice a day. The buyer is arriving tomorrow to take possession of the kids. He’s taking them to Europe for some big slave auction planned for late next month. None of the Russians know how he plans to get the kids there. The destination though is Varna, a Black Sea port city in Bulgaria. The kids are from five to thirteen years old, Ret whispered.

It has to be tonight then. I have a plan, Linda muttered.

So tell us the plan, Mouse whispered.

You won’t like it. Here’s what we’re going to do...

That night the girls arrived back in Brooklyn at 11 p.m. Four blocks from the Russians, Linda slipped into a vacant alley and dressed in black. Black stretch pants, black pullover and shoes. She donned her black ski-mask and gloves. She didn’t bring her purse or any identification. She did have her hotel room key-card and some money. She also wore a black backpack that she’d bought that same afternoon. She stuffed her regular clothes into the backpack. She would change back into them after the mission.

Everyone knows their job. Say it, Mouse, Linda said.

‘Showtime’ ladies! Mouse whispered.

Linda walked the few remaining blocks until she reached the row of businesses behind the Russian compound. Mouse covered them from prying eyes. When she got to the building directly behind the Russians, Linda took a deep breath and floated up to the fourth floor. Tink dissolved the window in front of them and Linda floated inside.

After landing softly inside the fourth floor of the empty building, Linda looked around. Anything, Ret? Linda whispered.

Nada. We’re good, Ret replied.

Linda walked carefully to the back of the building and peered through a dirty window at the Russian’s building.

Tink? Linda whispered.

Tink dissolved the window in front of them, and another window on the Russians side, fourth floor.

Linda leaned out the window, and spotted both of the Russian guards. They were standing together smoking and talking quietly.

She took a deep breath, and levitated up and out the window. Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t think about the security cameras or the guards with guns, Linda kept whispering to herself as she floated from one building across the alley and into the other. She settled gently onto the dust covered floor inside the empty office room. Ret, anyone in the visitor’s room below us? Linda asked.

It’s empty. No worries, Ret whispered.

Let’s not leave prints for someone to analyze, Linda whispered as she TK’d the footprints away.

Tink dissolved a four foot diameter hole in the floor and Linda floated down to the third floor. It was after midnight and the late shift was on duty. Five guards.

Ret whispered, Both bosses are here. Each of them is in bed with one of the kids from the basement. Everyone is asleep though, except the guards. The kids have been raped.

Tink, dissolve a doorway between this room and the boss’ bedroom, Linda declared.

Tink dissolved a section of wall big enough to walk through. It entered into the walk-in closet of the minor boss’s room.

Linda walked in and broke the man’s neck. The little boy sleeping beside him stirred, but didn’t wake up.

Ret, if the big boss wakes up, tell me right away, Linda ordered.

You got it chief, Ret responded.

Linda walked out into the hallway. Make a hole, Tink.

This time Tink made her hole above the hallway to the second floor barracks. Linda stepped over and floated down. She walked to the end of the hall and used her TK to open the door and step in. The room had three single beds; two were occupied by sleeping Russians. Linda broke both their necks.

There were twelve sleeping Russians on the second floor scattered among eight former offices. Linda killed all twelve of them as they slept. After the first two deaths, Linda let Tink cut their throats instead. None of them made a sound. Just the way Linda wanted it. No warnings and no problems.

Linda walked down the stairs to the first floor office to deal with the man watching the security cameras. Invisible, thanks to Mouse, Linda stood in the open doorway and squeezed his head till it exploded in a shower of blood and brains. Even in the doorway Linda had to step back to keep from getting wet with blood and used her TK to turn all the security cameras off.

She walked into the front room and Tink dissolved the window. Linda looked outside. Both guards were standing on the entrance steps talking together. Linda ruptured both hearts and the men fell to the ground, gasping as they died.

Only ones left are the two guards in back and the main boss upstairs, whispered Ret.

We’ll get the two in back last. Time to visit the boss, whispered Linda.

She walked up to the third floor and stood outside the bedroom of the Russian boss. Tink dissolved the entire door and Linda stepped in. Linda, using her TK picked up the young boy and wrapped him in a blanket. She held him close as Tink reached out and dissolved the boss’s tongue. Linda held the man down on the bed with TK while they waited for him to bleed to death. He choked to death instead when his lungs filled with blood.

Linda got out a burner phone she bought earlier in the day, and gave it to the twelve year old boy as she asked, “You know how to use this?”

The boy overcome with emotion, just nodded his head.

“Give us ten minutes after we leave, then call 911 and get the police in here. All the bad guys are dead. You kids are safe now,” Linda told him.

“Us? How many of you are there?” he asked.

Linda, thinking fast, said, “Six. We’re a Navy Seal team, and we’re not supposed to do this type of mission. This is off-the-books so keep it to yourself.”

The young boy broke down crying as he tried to thank her. The words just wouldn’t come. Linda ushered him to the kitchen, where the stairs to the basement were located. “Call from here in ten minutes, okay?”

He sat on a chair at the table and nodded. “I’ll never forget you Lady,” he said.

I got some important info from him before he died, Ret whispered.

What did you learn? Mouse asked as they walked back upstairs to the bedroom.

The location and combination of the safe in this room, and the number and password for the gang’s Swiss bank account! Ret said with a huge smile.

Where’s the safe? Tink asked.

Swiss bank account? Jackpot! Mouse whispered.

It’s a wall safe, behind that painting, Ret whispered as she pointed at the wall. He just deposited the down-payment for the kids into the Swiss bank account. Get this, Five Million Euros!

Jesus! Mouse shouted. Anyone know the exchange rate?

Linda turned to look at the painting just as Tink dissolved it.

We don’t really need the combination, Tink giggled. She dissolved the safe’s door.

“Damn,” Linda said out loud. The safe was full of stacks of hundreds, fifties and twenty dollar bills all wrapped in labeled bank wrappers. Linda walked over and started stuffing her backpack full of money. As she loaded her backpack, Linda counted. If the wrappers were correct, the girls just gained $80,000!

There’s a bunch of papers in here too. The boss didn’t trust computers so he tended to keep careful written records of everything, Ret whispered.

Leave the records for the police, Linda decided. Leave the computer too, just in case it has valuable info the cops can use.

Linda walked out the back door and killed both guards in the alley by clubbing them to death with their own guns. They did try to complain a bit, until Linda broke their jaws.

Dead? Linda asked.

Ret nodded, Dead.

With Mouse masking the trip, Linda ‘flew’ twenty feet off the ground for several blocks using her TK. She listened to the sound of approaching sirens as she landed in a dark and vacant alley. She removed all the black clothing and changed into her regular clothes. Tink dissolved the mission uniform. She caught the G Train to Queens, then the subway back to Times Square. Mouse made sure no one bothered them all the way home.

Back in her hotel room, Linda whispered, Thoughts? Ideas?

Tink said, I’m speechless. I’ll go along with whatever the rest of you decide.

Mouse started singing ‘New York, New York.‘ The Sinatra version.

Linda began counting the money and found the bank wrappers to be correct. The girls had eighty thousand dollars.

Ret said, We’ve got to be careful too. Banks have to report deposits bigger than ten grand to the IRS. So do merchants.

We should do something about that slave auction too, if we can. Good thing the state required us to get our passport. We can travel. I think we should head home to Cauthen, spend a couple days deciding what to do next. Linda whispered.

Don’t forget all that lovely money in a Swiss bank account! Mouse replied gleefully.

About that. We need to find a way to transfer it electronically someplace safe and outside the United States. Someplace that won’t report account information to the American IRS. Otherwise, we have to leave it alone, Ret said.

Laptop! shouted Mouse. Google is my best friend.

No! Linda and Ret both said. We don’t want any links between our computer and a search for how to hide money from the IRS, added Linda.

When we get home we can use the free computers at the city library, Ret whispered.

Mouse pouted.

It’s a good idea Mouse. We just have to make sure we’re safe, Linda whispered.

So, we’re going home in the morning, right? Mouse asked hopefully.

I can’t think of any reason to stay here in New York now, whispered Linda.

Let’s catch a few hours sleep. When we get up in the morning we can Amtrak back to Cauthen, Linda whispered. Linda changed clothes, set the alarm on her phone, and climbed into bed. Within minutes she was sound asleep.

In the morning Linda cleaned up and had breakfast, then checked out of the hotel. She caught a taxi to Penn station and rode the Amtrak back home.

When Linda walked in the door Carla was standing on a scale in the kitchen with a frown on her face.

“What’s wrong Carla?”