Chapter 56: A Chance Encounter

June 19, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Good morning,” I said extending my hand.

“Good morning, Mr. Adams,” Kai Lindholst said, taking my hand and shaking it. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

“Linda, would you please get two coffees?” he asked of his assistant who had shown me in.

“Cream and sugar, Mr. Adams?”

“Black, please.”

She left, and Kai indicated we’d sit on the couch in his office, so I walked over and sat down. Linda was back quickly with an urn of coffee and cups which she set on a low table in front of the couch. She poured mine, then Kai’s, and added cream to his. Once she finished, she left, closing the door behind her.

“Did Eduardo explain what we need?”

“He did,” I said. “You’d like us to consult to ensure the database being proposed by your head office in Europe meets the needs of the US offices, as well as improve communication between them.”

“Actually, all of North America, if you are able to work in Canada.”

“I don’t know any reason why we wouldn’t be able to do that. What kind of communications do you currently have?”

“Independent phone systems in each office, dial-up internet, and no electronic mail. We also want to consider a website.”

“We can consult on all of those. Do you have any in-house IT support?”

“Not really. The assistant to our accountant is handling things, but he’s out of his depth. We had someone in New York, but they didn’t work out.”

“OK. Do you have an idea of how you would like us to proceed?”

“Yes. We’d like you to start by doing a survey of our offices in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. For Canada, they’d like to see what you propose here, and then they’ll decide. The same is true for our offices in Mexico City, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo.”

“I assume you’d like a fixed-fee engagement for the assessment, with T&L limits agreed beforehand?”

“Exactly right. It sounds as if Eduardo did a good job in conveying the information to you.”

“He’s a good man,” I said. “I first met him when he was at University of Chicago, before he went to Wharton. I understand you went to Wharton as well.”

“Yes, after finishing university in Copenhagen. When can you have a formal proposal to us?”

“Today’s the 19th, so let’s say the 28th, which is a week from Friday. Will that be sufficient?”

“Absolutely. We’ll make a decision quickly. Would you have someone free to begin in July?”

I nodded, “Yes. I’ll assign our Principal Engineer to this engagement, and I’ll assist her. We’ll bring in other resources as necessary to complete it on time and on budget.”

“Very good.”

We finished our coffee, stood, shook hands, and he had Linda show me out. I rode the elevator down from the 31st floor of the First Chicago building, then walked along Madison Street towards Union Station. I checked my watch and saw it was close to lunch time. I pulled out my cell phone and called Kimmy to let her know I’d pick up Chinese food from Sixty-Five Chinese in Union Station and asked if she wanted anything. She declined, so I told her to expect me in about twenty minutes and disconnected the call.

I continued walking along Madison Street until I came to Wacker Drive, where I turned left, walked two blocks, turned right on Adams, and entered Union Station. I rode down the elevators and turned left, passing Nuts on Clark on my left and the restrooms on my right, turning right at the newsstand, and coming to Sixty-Five.

I placed my order, and five minutes later I partially retraced my steps and went down the escalators to where the Burlington Northern and Amtrak platforms were, and walked up a small ramp to the Great Hall. As I entered the Great Hall, I saw something which activated an old memory and sent shivers down my spine. My mind raced, and I knew I had to take immediate action.

I walked towards a pretty, teenage girl with a ratty backpack, wearing slightly tattered jeans, a light-blue t-shirt, and a jean jacket, talking to a flashily dressed black man. Visions of ‘Dawn’, or Alyson as I had later learned was her name, flashed in my head. This was a runaway and the man she was talking to was a pimp, or worked for a pimp.

I quickly scanned the Great Hall for a police officer, but as was always the case when you actually needed a cop, there weren’t any around. I also didn’t see any ‘rent-a-cops’ nor any railroad police. That meant I needed to do something, and right then. I decided on a course of action and put it into motion.

“There you are!” I said in the friendliest, most familiar voice I could muster. “I bought lunch!”

I put my arm around her and urged her away from what I was sure was grave danger. She was light enough that I could easily move her along with me, but she began to protest.

“Shh,” I hissed. “I’m a friend. I won’t hurt you. Please trust me.”

“But...”

“Hey!” came a loud, angry voice from behind me. “Who do you think you are?!”

I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I dropped my lunch, released the young girl, spun, and knocked the hand away. With my other hand now free of the girl, I pulled back my sports coat to reveal the Beretta.

“Walk away now and you don’t get hurt,” I ordered firmly, staring him in the eyes with the most menacing look I could muster.

He didn’t move, and I moved my right hand towards the gun. The pimp, or whatever he was, quickly turned and walked away. I knew I had to get out of Union Station, and get the girl some place safe. She had started moving away, but I quickly caught up with her, and continued walking next to her.

“I’m Steve. Where did you run away from?”

“What?!”

“You were talking to a guy who was pretty obviously a pimp. You’re a teenager, a female, and you’re alone, with a backpack with a North Dakota flag on it. I’d lay odds you ran away from home. Do you know anyone in Chicago? Do you have a place to stay?”

“No,” she said, staring down at the tile floor.

“Where are you from?”

“Jamestown, North Dakota.”

“What’s your name?”

“Willow.”

“Do you know what would have happened if you had gone with that man?”

“He promised me food and a place to stay!”

“Which would have led to you being forced into prostitution.”

“What!? He was nice!”

“That’s how it starts.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“You don’t have to, but if you stay here right now, he’ll come back. In fact, we need to move out of here. Let me go pick up the bag with my lunch, which I can share with you, and then we’ll get you some help.”

“I can’t go home!” she protested, sounding almost frantic.

“I didn’t say I’d make you go home. Or that I’d call the police. I said I’d get you some help for whatever your problem is.”

“Why?”

“Because I helped a girl like you escape prostitution about fifteen years ago. And I don’t want to see that happen to you. How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

There was no way she was seventeen, even allowing for how young Samantha had looked at seventeen.

“Try again,” I said gently.

“Fourteen. How did you know?”

“Lots of time working with teenagers as a karate instructor,” I said.

I gently directed her towards the west exit on the Adams Street side of the station, and when we emerged onto Clinton Street, we turned left to Jackson then followed Jackson across the Kennedy Expressway, then turned left on Halsted. I directed Willow to a bench in a small park at the edge of Greektown and we sat down, because I needed to talk to her a bit more before I took her into the office.

In my mind, there really were a couple of common reasons young girls ran away, and my strong suspicion was that she needed Bethany’s expertise, but before I made the call, I needed to reassure Willow.

“I need to make a quick phone call,” I said. “Then we’ll go to the building where I work, and we can eat. The person I’m calling will come see you, or I’ll take you to her. She’s the perfect person to help you. I promise you’re in no danger now. Will you trust me?”

“I guess.”

That was probably the best answer I was going to get, so I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the hospital.

“It’s Steve. I need you,” I said when Bethany answered. “Can you come to my office in an hour?”

“I could. Why?”

“It would take too long to explain. It really is urgent, Sweetheart. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.”

“I’ll be there. See you in an hour.”

“Thanks.”

I hung up and stood up, and Willow got up. We began walking towards the NIKA offices.

“Who was that?” Willow asked.

“A very close friend of mine who helps people. She’s a doctor, not a police officer or social worker.”

“That guy was really going to try to make me be a prostitute?”

“I’m pretty sure, yes. He’d buy you food and nice clothes and give you a nice place to stay, then have sex with you, whether you wanted to or not. After that, he’d sell you to someone or make you turn tricks for him.”

“And you knew just by looking at him?”

“And by looking at you. And knowing what happens, both at Union Station and the Greyhound terminal, to runaway girls. Other things happen, too, but I don’t want to talk about those.”

“You teach karate?”

“Yes.”

“So you’re like a black belt? But you carry a gun?”

“Yes. I’ve had some serious threats against me and my family, so I make sure I’m protected. It helped today because it scared the guy and I didn’t have to use karate, which would have attracted attention.”

Not as much as if I’d actually had to brandish, or worse, use, the gun. Fortunately the pimp had decided the best course of action was to retreat. Of course, I’d need to be on my guard in Union Station for a while, but I felt I’d done the right thing. Worst case, I’d just have Eve with me when I needed to go there, sure that the two of us could handle any threat.

When we were about a block away from the NIKA office, I called Eve and asked her to meet us in the lobby.

“This is the building my company owns,” I said. “One of my female employees is going to meet us inside, and she’ll sit with us while we eat.”

“I don’t want to take your lunch!”

“It’s usually more than I eat, and I’d save the rest for tomorrow.”

When we walked into the lobby, Eve was waiting. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any questions. The three of us went up to the lunch room where I got two plates and divided the food, giving Willow slightly more than I took for myself as I was sure she hadn’t eaten for a while. Once she started eating the beef and broccoli, plus the rice that was always included which I usually didn’t eat, I stepped into the hall with Eve.

“She’s a runaway,” I said quietly. “A pimp was trying to lure her in Union Station. I rescued her.”

“Describe him and I’ll give him a 9mm vasectomy!” Eve growled.

“I think we’ll let that go for the moment. I called Bethany and she’ll be here in about thirty minutes. Just hang out with us so Willow doesn’t feel uncomfortable being with a guy, please.”

“Got it. You’ve done this before?”

I nodded, “About fifteen years ago, roughly. A young girl from downstate. She’d already been captured by a pimp, but I helped her escape. She’s a licensed clinical psychologist now, though I haven’t heard from her in a few years.”

We went back into the room and I ate my lunch while Willow quietly, but hungrily, ate hers. When we finished, we took Willow to Eve’s office to wait for Bethany, who arrived on schedule. I asked Eve to bring Willow to the ‘Tretiak’ room and then I went downstairs to meet Bethany. I took her to the furthest corner of the lobby so we could speak quietly.

“The girl you just saw with Eve is a runaway,” I said. “Her name is Willow, and she’s from North Dakota and I happened upon her at Union Station just as a pimp was trying to lure her away.”

Bethany shook her head, “Do you realize how dangerous that was?”

“Do you realize who you’re talking to?” I asked gently. “Could I let that happen, even at the risk of my own life?”

“No, you couldn’t. But that doesn’t make it smart, Steve. Did you have a plan?”

“Plans A, B, C, and D were all ‘Call Bethany’,” I grinned. “I rescued her and told her I knew someone who could help who wasn’t the police or a social worker. I called you, then fed her. I knew after our little chat the other day that you can work around mandatory reporting.”

Bethany smiled, “That was quite a revelation from Melanie’s law partner. So long as I don’t know who the perpetrator is, and can’t identify them, I’m safe with any adult. Kids are different, because the requirements are different. Even so, nobody in Illinois could have helped you and your sister because incest sort of narrows down the field to an obvious conclusion.”

“No kidding.”

“Let me talk to her and see what I can figure out. What do you plan to do for a place to stay?”

“I hadn’t thought of that just yet. One step at a time. We obviously can’t make her stay here, and I’d really rather not call the cops on her if I can avoid it.”

“You’ll be VERY happy to know that in Illinois, it’s a misdemeanor to give ANY aid or assistance to a runaway instead of notifying the police, Sheriff, or FBI. That includes buying her a meal.”

“Oh, bullshit, Bethany!” I vehemently objected.

“I agree, but it’s the law. The only exemption is an agency providing crisis intervention or shelter.”

“Project Lydia!” I said.

“Yes. I’ll call them if Willow agrees. They’ll take her in and help her, and I can be involved because I’m one of their registered counselors.”

“Are you sure they’ll have a place for her?”

“I believe they’ll accommodate us, but if not, just call Jeri. I suspect she might have a bit of clout.”

“You think?” I grinned. “But I can make the call myself. I’m on the Board of Directors.”

“OK. Let me talk to her and see if she’ll let us help. If not, we’ll have to let her leave, and then I strongly suggest you call your friends at the FBI and get a female agent to pick her up. That’s a far better choice than the CPD or DCFS.”

“Lovely,” I sighed.

“If she refuses help from us, you know what will happen. So she gets angry at you for calling the FBI? You achieved the most important goal you had - protecting her from being forced into sexual slavery.”

“True.”

I pulled a business card from the case in my pocket, took out a pen, wrote my home and cell numbers on the back, and handed it to Bethany.

“Give this to her and tell she can call me any time, day or night.”

“I will. Will you be in your office?”

“Yes. Just send Eve out, OK?”

Bethany went into the ‘Tretiak’ room and Eve came out a moment later. We walked upstairs and went to her office.

“She’s been abused,” Eve said. “I’m sure of it. I’m no expert, but I think all the signs are there.”

“That was my first guess,” I replied. “My second was pregnant.”

“Both could be true.”

“Bethany will take care of it.”

“What about a place for her to stay?”

“The Lundgren Foundation supports Project Lydia, which runs a shelter and provides assistance for women, including young women. They can legally help her.”

“Legally?”

“Bethany told me that Illinois makes it a misdemeanor to provide ANY kind of assistance to a runaway, including buying her a meal.”

“This fucked-up state would rather have her captured by a pimp than have you buy her a meal? Jesus Christ!”

“Because, don’t you know, only the state can protect us. Illinois, and especially Chicago, does not believe in self-defense. Why do you think they do their best to disarm the law-abiding populace?”

“Fuck ‘em. That’s why we have our permits, which we should not need, mind you.”

“Yeah, but we only have them because we have friends in the right places. The average person is defenseless, which is why I strongly encourage martial arts, but I carry a gun because the only way to counter a bad guy with a gun is having your own gun.”

“Nah,” Eve said sarcastically. “You just surrender everything to the bad guy, call the cops, wait an hour for them to arrive, and watch the report end up in the circular file along with all the other ones they can’t be bothered to investigate. Which, of course, the bad guys know.”

“As we’ve said, when seconds count the police are only minutes away.”

“If you’re lucky. Are you going to have time to go shooting before you take your circus on the road?”

“I think we can manage a Saturday or Sunday afternoon before we leave for Florida. Let me double-check at home.”

“Cool. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Will do.”

I went back to my office to do some work and wait for Bethany to call me, which she did about thirty minutes later. I went downstairs, and she came out of the ‘Tretiak’ room to talk to me.

“She agreed to let me take her to the shelter in Hyde Park. We’ll get her a full medical checkup and let her get a good night’s sleep. Then we’ll see where we are.”

“Eve said she thinks Willow was abused.”