Chapter 16

Siobhan looked at the group with her on Alpha2, and thought back over the activities of the last day and half. It had been only yesterday morning when she had talked with Blaine, and learned about his desire to know more about the BEN Cruises trips from Boston Harbor. When she talked to the Intelligence department on Dóchas, they were immediately interested in helping him with his problem. As she had left the group, she had heard Shannon call the Security department, requesting a conference.

It was right after breakfast when Shannon had asked to meet with the Command Staff, along with the Security department. Sensing the urgency in her request, the meeting was quickly expanded to include all three Command Staffs. Shannon had hardly finished the overview before Sarah had said, “Shannon, there is no need to go any further. Siobhan, you know Blaine, so we think you should take Caoilinn, along with a few others, and go tell him what we’ve found. At the same time the Security teams can prepare to extract the three kidnap victims, along with the trainees. We need to give Blaine the opportunity to act once he has the data. Provide all the support he needs to be successful. Security teams are to be prepared to act, no matter what.”

The firmness of Sarah’s comments had surprised Siobhan since she wasn’t usually so forceful. She hadn’t been alone either as she had felt the emotions of the others in the meeting. After pausing, Sarah had added a few more considerations to the scope of the extraction effort. Afterward they had spent a couple of hours organizing the data and creating a proposed solution to share with Blaine and his staff. They had designed the solution so that, once their people were positioned, they could either support Blaine or act on their own.

As they had been wrapping up the preparation of the presentation, Siobhan had called Blaine to tell him that they had located the three BCH staff members. During the call she requested that they meet with him as soon as possible, in order to share the details, as their assessment indicated that a rescue was urgently required.

From their cloaked shuttle, Siobhan stepped onto the sidewalk in front of Boston Police Headquarters a short distance from the entrance. Accompanying her was Caoilinn, Melanie, Aingeal, Patience of Vanessa’s Clan, Anna of Christina’s Clan and Muriel of Leann’s Clan. Patience and Muriel were along to handle communications with Dóchas. While looking around they noticed that their sudden appearance had drawn the attention of several people on the street. They just paused to look at them before continuing on. A reaction they had become accustomed to seeing, but they were still cautious.

It was shortly before their 2 PM meeting with Blaine when they entered the building. Again, as soon as they stepped through the door a hush descended over the room as all heads turned toward them. Almost immediately a uniformed officer walked toward them.

When he reached them he said, “Are you here to see Chief Detective Jackson?”

“Yes, we are,” responded Siobhan, with a smile. “I guess we are pretty easy to pick out of a crowd.”

“It is not often we get such a lovely group of people here at one time. Chief Jackson told me to look for tall beautiful women. All of you certainly meet those criteria. In fact, you are probably the tallest women I have ever met. Please, follow me. Chief Jackson is waiting with a group upstairs.”

As they entered the conference room Siobhan said, “Hello Blaine. It is good to see you again.”

“Hello Blaine,” echoed Caoilinn, “we’re sure glad you could accommodate us so quickly.”

“It is a pleasure to see both of you again,” said Blaine, replying as they each shook hands. “We’ve looked over the preliminary information you sent us. As solid as it appears we would be foolish to do otherwise, especially considering the time constraints.”

“I’d like you to meet Melanie and Aingeal, of my family,” said Caoilinn. “Patience and Muriel will be handling our security and communications during the meeting.”

“Siobhan, I don’t remember your position,” said Blaine.

“I am a member of Phoenix’s Command Staff. I was a member of Dóchas Command Staff, but our clan recently moved to Phoenix to fill the role of Command Staff. Our ships operate a little differently than they do here on Earth. They are led by a Command Staff consisting of 12 to 16 people. By intent, we do not have a single person as the commander of a ship.”

“An interesting approach, but I am not sure it would work here on Earth,” replied a woman standing next to Blaine.

“Without telepathy and our mind-link ability, it likely wouldn’t work for us either. To elaborate a little bit, when we are on the ship’s bridge, each of us has an area we focus on. At the same time we are aware of everything happening around us. An SAS friend of ours equated it to what they sense as a team in the field. For us, we are connected through our mind-link all the time. Blaine, my apologies for causing our focus to drift away from why we are here.”

“There is no need to apologize. First, let me introduce my group.” With that, Blaine introduced his assistant and the detectives in the room. “We are expecting three more, who are: Ms. Eilidh Carroll, from the DA’s office and Selena and her supervisor from CPS. They should be here momentarily.” The comment about CPS caused some groans. “Selena is an IT manager and data analyst in the CPS Data Processing Section. The man accompanying her is her department head. I would like to wait until everyone is here before we go over the information Siobhan’s group has found. The information they provided is the result of a discussion I had with Siobhan.” Just then, the door opened to let Selena and her supervisor into the room. They were closely followed by Ms. Carroll.

“Good,” said Blaine. “Everyone is here, so we can get started.” He introduced the new arrivals and had Siobhan’s group re-introduce themselves.

“Chief Jackson,” said Patience, “we are ready to electronically isolate this room. When we do that, no one will be able to eavesdrop on the activities here. This will block reception by your smart phones and other wireless devices, so you may want to turn them off. That way, the loss in signal won’t cause any alarms in your systems or drain the batteries.”

“Fine by me,” he replied with a slight smile, as he remembered a similar event after the concert. “You all heard the request. For this meeting, we will dispense with formality and use first names or nicknames.”

“Blaine, the room is secure,” said Patience. Seeing several puzzled faces, she continued, “We have established an electronic shield around us. As a result no one can eavesdrop on our conversations.”

“Thanks. Siobhan or Caoilinn, what were you able to find out about the cruise company?”

Caoilinn replied, “We can start with a short summary, along with our proposed solution, or we can present all of our findings, then close with our proposed solution.”

“Siobhan, you indicated earlier that we needed to move fairly quickly on some aspects of this?”

“Yes,” replied Siobhan. “Before we begin, we should introduce those attending by phone. We have most of our Security Group listening monitoring. Actively participating will be Clarence, James, Sally, Tara and Terry. Clarence was an investigator with the US DA Grand View office. James was the US DA in the Grand View office before he joined us. Maureen, Sally, Tara and Terry represent our Command Staffs.”

“Clarence and James were involved with the Chosen Ones case?” asked Ms Carroll.

“Yes,” responded Siobhan and continued with, “Our latest data indicates that we need to act well before dawn tomorrow, and preferably before midnight tonight.”

“Then, in light of this, give us the summary and proposed solutions first,” replied Blaine.

“First, Dr. Evans, Dr. Downes and Nurse Brown are alive,” said Caoilinn. She smiled at the relief she saw on everyone’s face. “They are being held on the BEN Cruises’ ship, Exotic Night, which is located about 150 miles off the coast, almost due east of here. Their situation has improved since this morning, but we need to intervene in the next few hours. Why? Because our information indicates that they are to be moved to an unknown location, sometime between midnight and dawn tomorrow.

“Per our analysis and subsequent investigation into the Evans, Downes and Brown situation, a Ms Longfellow arranged for them to be taken to the Exotic Night. Her motive was that she believed that they acted irresponsibly which resulted in the death of a young relative. As you all know she was wealthy, egotistical and has extensive political contacts. Last night during a storm, Ms Longfellow and her associate were killed and washed overboard. It was a brutal death.

“Since Evans, Downes and Brown have been on Exotic Night, Ms Longfellow and her associate have directed their activities and medical treatments. Due to the drugs they’ve been given, they’ve complied with her demands. They were required to perform in sex shows and perform cosmetic surgery as requested by passengers. Most of the surgery was related to body jewelry or genital modification. At her direction, the three now have body jewelry and modified genitals. In addition, they have been given hormones and growth factors that will alter various parts of their body, as well as increase their desire for sexual stimulation. That summarizes their current status or predicament.

“The passengers you see boarding BEN Cruises ships in Boston harbor are used to ferry them out to Exotic Night. Exotic Night is always in international waters when passengers are on board. It only visits a harbor every 4 to 6 weeks, to resupply.

“A cruise on Exotic Night provides passengers with a private environment in which they can indulge in a wide range of sexual activities. These include virtually anything, including mild bondage, mild punishment, forced submission and recently, sexually orientated cosmetic surgery. Those they call “stewards in training” are really being trained to serve as companions to the passengers. On each trip they are assigned to a passenger for the whole cruise, which is typically a 24 hour period. Usually it is one trainee per cabin, but for an additional fee more trainees are included. The trainee’s role is to do anything they are asked to do. Their participation is enthusiastic, which is due initially to the behavioral drugs they are given. A key aspect of the drugs is to ensure they are very receptive to complying with any request. A second aspect of the drug cocktail is to promote addiction to sexual stimulation and ultimate release. We are still sorting out the drug cocktail, as it seems to only affect these two aspects of a trainee’s personality. After each passenger assignment, the trainee’s supervisor reviews their performance with them. They suggest things the trainee could have done better to make their passenger’s visit more rewarding. Most trainees spend about a year on the ship before they are offered the opportunity work at another location. The length of time is dependent on how quickly they accept their role without the use of drugs. The intense sexual focus of their experiences alters their perceptions until they feel it is normal. However, if their performance results in complaints then they are punished. This may be carried out by the staff or as part of a show with a passenger administering the punishment. Once training is deemed complete, they are offered new employment opportunity that can be virtually any place in the world. Some trainees stay to assist in training new trainees in learning their duties. A few have been on the ship for several years.

“Joining BEN Cruises as a ‘steward in training’ is the first step into the life of an indentured sex slave. The term ‘sex slave’ here covers anything from being a personal companion, to brothel resident, to being taken to a dungeon for torment. Once they leave Exotic Night, they become just another trained worker for a club, brothel, harem or individual. The contract they initially signed to work for BEN cruises is formally transferred to their new owner. Only rarely is their entry into another country documented. Based on other information we have, they have only one way out, which is death.” Siobhan watched the expressions of the group as Caoilinn spoke.

“BEN Cruises customers are all in a reasonably high income bracket, as the cruises are quite expensive. From the passenger’s perspective, the availability of receptive young men or women to fulfill their sexual fantasies is a key feature. Along with this is the perception that they can do this with virtually no risk of publicity or consequences. Quite a few passengers stay for an extended time. They may request the services of a specific trainee. Most passengers don’t realize that they are helping BEN Cruises train the ‘ship’s stewards’ or where they go after training.”

“How did you get all of that information so quickly?” said one detective interrupting Caoilinn.

“When you can listen to conversations and observe activity without your presence being known you can learn a lot very quickly. By utilizing multiple sources, you can quickly build a pattern and fit it with the facts. This in addition to digital information.”

The detective thought a moment before saying, “Okay. I can see how that would work. I am still surprised.”

“Exotic Night is set up to operate as two separate units,” continued Caoilinn. “The operators of BEN Cruises have neither the knowledge, nor license, to operate the ship. Exotic Night is operated by a Captain, who is the registered owner. The crew consists of about a dozen seamen. Their sole responsibility is the operation of the ship. The Captain and seamen have little, if any, interaction with any aspect of passenger care or activities. If they get to nosy, they are quietly and quickly replaced. The way Exotic Night is laid out, it essentially eliminates contact between the ship’s crew and the cruise operation staff. The cruise manager provides the ship’s crew members with a companion on a regular basis, but it is never the same one twice. While the Captain suspects what happens to the trainees, he is in no position to do anything about it. The owners of BEN Cruises are holding him in check in two ways. They gained control over him by blackmailing him over an incident in his past. Their real leverage is by threatening the safety of his two sisters and their families. BEN Cruises’ owners have indicated that his family members would disappear as soon as he stops cooperating.

“BEN Cruises staff consists of fifteen supervisors, a manager and approximately 300 staff. Of the staff about 50 are stewards. With the stewards assistance the supervisors oversee the training of the steward trainees, and their care of the passengers. The supervisors know the real purpose of training the ‘stewards’. It is this group that determines where a trainee will go when they leave for their new assignment. They have a special area for those who become difficult or cause other problems. So far it isn’t clear whether or not the stewards realize what happens to those that leave.”

As Caoilinn had spoken, the group had looked at her with disbelief written on their faces.

When Caoilinn finished, Eilidh said, “So, you’re saying the Barbary Coast is alive and well here in Boston?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far.”

“How do you know all of this?” asked a detective with a disbelieving expression.

“Well we snooped a good bit. Some of it was in obscure public records. We’ve been able to access the documents on the ship and in their home office. This information we found is the basis for contacting you. Our access does not compromise anything you discover.”

“How do you want to solve this?” demanded one detective.

“We see three separate issues, so we have divided our proposal into three parts. First is to rescue Dr. Evans, Dr. Downes and Nurse Brown. Right now we have Security teams in position to do that. From the ship, we intend to take them directly to our medical facility on Dóchas. This is because they have received treatments which will result in new growth to parts of their bodies. Our medical facility is the only place where they can get the medical care needed to minimize long-term consequences of what they were given.

“For the second part, we would like to offer all the stewards an opportunity to leave the ship. This offer will be made after they’ve taken an antidote to the submissive drug. Once the drugs’ effects are negated, we will explain their situation along with the offer of a place to stay, a place that is secure and isolated, while they decide on their future. We will provide any needed medical care. At this location, they would be available for interviews. We expect most of them will accept the offer, even though they may have some apprehension about it. I think all of you can understand why they would be apprehensive.”

Caoilinn paused for a moment, to see if anyone asked a question. “In addition to all of this we will also provide psychological support as they come to grips with their experiences.

“Now for the rest of the BEN Cruise staff and passengers, we suggest dealing with them after the first two goals are accomplished. The easiest way we see to accomplish this is for the Captain to request assistance from the Coast Guard.” Caoilinn’s comment drew several puzzled looks. “Remember Ms. Longfellow and her associate died during a storm last night. They were on deck when a life boat broke loose and slammed them against a railing. According to the log, they were battered against the railing several times before the railing broke and they fell into the ocean, along with the boat. Also, during the storm, the BEN Cruises business manager had a bulkhead door slam on his arm. It was nearly severed and he needs more care than the available medical service can provide. If the Coast Guard knew you were looking for the two dead women, it seems that you would have strong reason to go with them. Our information indicates that you will probably find photos of other missing people on the ship, which would give you a basis to look further. Many of the missing people were previously CPS wards.”

“What would keep them from destroying the evidence before we arrive?” asked Eilidh Carroll.

“Two things: first, we are certain that the passengers and BEN Cruises staff will sleep at least until the time you arrive. Access to the records requires a password, and those passwords won’t work until the appropriate time.”

“Hmm ... that sounds similar to some things I heard about evidence recovery at the Chosen Ones site, when it was raided by the Feds.”

“Could be,” replied Siobhan, with a smile. “There is one other thing we should tell you, and that relates to BEN Cruises’ home office. Early this morning, we found a number of explosive devices hidden along the center line of the Exotic Night’s hull, well below the water line. These were connected to a separate radio receiver. On the bridge, we found an emergency switch near each door, which has instructions to press immediately in any emergency. Pressing this switch transmits a signal to the home office. On receiving the signal an alarm flashes on a console labeled ‘critical emergency response’. The console has several buttons with a name next to each one. Buttons are connected to a radio transmitter. The transmitter for Exotic Night operates on the same frequency as the receiver attached to the detonators for the explosives on the ship. We thought it was a gross safety hazard to have remotely controlled detonators and explosives connected to a radio on a ship at sea. To resolve this, we took it upon ourselves to move the receiver, detonators and explosives to the home office. We hope you don’t mind our meddling.”

“I’ll bet that will give someone a hell of a surprise,” said one of the detectives, causing everyone to laugh.

“So you’re telling me that, if we go along with this, we will find the clean evidence that we can use to shut down this slaving operation,” said Eilidh.

“Yes, that is our intent. Dr. Evans, Dr. Downes and Nurse Brown have already decided that they don’t want to return to Boston. They made that decision when they were discussing their predicament. Their options will now be a little different, but we see their reasons as still being valid. We think they will find recovering on Dóchas to be a good first step toward deciding their future, without undue pressure to take a specific path. After their recovery they have the option of returning to Boston, along with a number of other choices.”

“I am not sure I have any input,” said Selena, “but I think we ought to accept the proposal Caoilinn just outlined. My concerns are two fold, how did they make people disappear, and how can we reduce the likelihood of this happening again?”

“This is James on Dóchas. They were able to make people disappear by getting them to sign a carefully worded power of attorney. When the ‘stewards in training’ signed on to BEN Cruises as a trainee, they signed a power of attorney. This effectively turned them into wards of BEN Cruises and gave the company total control of their affairs. The wording was such that they could rescind it after the training period ended. Both the POA and the employment contract were for 5 years. The employment contract would automatically extend for a further 5 years unless mutually terminated. Both documents were transferable. Essentially the combination made them company property. Neither would likely stand up to a court challenge, but who would initiate the challenge.”

“Interesting,” said Eilidh, “they are taking advantage of them not having any family members to advise them and their unfamiliarity with life on their own. If you didn’t know otherwise, the power of attorney could seem to be a normal part of working on a ship. My guess is that the 5 year period was portrayed as a way for the company to recover training costs.”

Shannon said, “Yes. The employment contract was worded that way.”

“Blaine, you may not remember this, but I used to be with the Boston Police harbor patrol. We would need a lot more people than what the Coast Guard would normally send in response to a call like this.”

“You are correct,” said Caoilinn. “It is our intention to be your shadow on Exotic Night until you summon re-enforcements, if needed, and they arrive. So that there are no misunderstandings, we don’t intend to be seen by the passengers or the cruise line staff. We have a way to be there and to ensure that your operation goes as planned. You will be able to see us, if necessary, but talking to what is to others, apparently empty space, could cause you problems.”

“Blaine, this is Clarence on Dóchas. I can assure you and Eilidh that the evidence you find will not be tainted. As for your security, you couldn’t get any better, or more, from a Seal team.”

“Is anyone around the table OK with following their proposal?” asked Blaine. All the detectives nodded their head affirmatively.

“On the basis of Clarence’s comment, I agree,” said Eilidh. “Siobhan, Caoilinn, you have our agreement to going forward with this.”

“Okay. Our teams are on their way.”

“Caoilinn, can you go over each item in more detail?” asked Eilidh.

“Sure.”

“I want all of us to be fully prepared as to what to expect when we arrive. This should minimize us making any mistakes that would jeopardize any criminal charges. Blaine, can your assistant be our contact point here, as I intend to go with you?”

Blaine’s assistant quickly responded,”Yes, I will be glad to.”

“Now, over the next couple of hours, as Caoilinn goes over their data, let’s match it up with the data we have,” said Eilidh.

“We can assist you in picturing and organizing the data,” said Muriel. With that, a virtual white board formed around the room. “There is an identical board on Dóchas in the Security Group’s conference room.”