Chapter 24

On Lorenzo’s yacht in the Western Mediterranean Tara said, “Once we have finished checking Amber’s health she can give us the information she has, then we will share what we know of the place in Tangiers.”

“Lorenzo, who would become the head of your organization if Sergio dies?” asked Aoife.

Lorenzo looked at Aoife with a shocked expression, and then said, “Most likely it would be me, but that is something I would not want to see.”

“Christina, take your shuttle and locate Sergio’s ship.”

“Aye.”

“Who is Christina? Why are you sending her locate Sergio’s ship?” asked Lorenzo with a concerned tone as he was clearly puzzled.

“So you are telepathic?”

Lorenzo laughed, “Not sure how to answer that. Amber can speak to me without moving her lips. So if that is telepathic, then I may be able to hear someone.”

“Okay. Before we leave we need Judy to evaluate your ability. Contrary to popular belief some humans are capable of telepathic communication. Now, Christina is a member of Christina’s Clan and she was on one of the ships that came with us. From our perspective, we think Sergio isn’t as secure as he believes. It is conceivable that your contact in Tangier may attempt to eliminate him with the goal of changing the leadership in your organization.”

“Doing that would trigger a lot of unpredictable events. How do you know where he is, or what his ship looks like?”

“From your Captain’s map on the bridge.”

“As to Akil ... well he is currently a business associate that circumstances require us to deal with.”

“Do you trust him?”

“No, but...”

“We understand,” responded Tara before he could complete his comment.

When Lorenzo looked toward Amber and Judy, he saw her lying on a table and realized that his connection was broken. He frowned. On seeing his reaction Aoife said, “Lorenzo, Judy is working with her. You probably can’t sense her because she is in a very deep sleep. They should be done in about half an hour; and they haven’t found any reasons to worry. So, would you like to tell us about your relationship with the Council of Brothers?”

“How do you know we have one?”

“She is here,” replied Aoife, pointing at Amber. “Apparently given to you by them. You were at their Tangiers warehouse yesterday. So, are you buying women from them?”

“No! Some of our members do attend their auctions ... Wait, are you saying that that operation is run by the Council of Brothers?”

“We believe so.”

“F ... Crap. Honestly, we don’t know a great deal about them. Akil heads the business that leased the warehouse from us and uses our cargo operations to transport the women. Some of our Organization’s members buy the women’s contracts at the auctions they hold. From there they are sent to work in their classier brothels. After my recent trip there, I have many concerns about what they are doing as it has changed. Now, your presence and comments have those concerns growing in leaps and bounds.”

“You have good reason to be concerned. Those contracts are bogus.”

“We’ve had suspicions mainly because it seemed to good. The documents were all in order. I know you don’t agree with involuntary slavery, and that is not a business in which we seek to be involved. The members who’ve bought the contracts are very pleased with the quality and the individuals performance.”

“So you’re aware of us, yet you still placed the call for Amber?”

“Yes. She made a promise to contact you for her friends. Well, I saw it more as a pledge than a promise. She was willing to risk dying in order to make the attempt. I am very impressed by her character and her strength. Besides I had no idea who she was calling.”

“You find women as equals a little disconcerting.”

“Yes.” He looked at Aoife and smiled. “I have never considered the possibility that men and women could be equals, probably because of my environment and its social structure. From what I have seen and heard of your group, it is obvious that they can be. I suspect it has to be nurtured from the beginning.”

“Yes. It is really a question of giving everyone the opportunity to fully contribute, based on their strengths, both physically and mentally. In some cultures, it seems physical appearance takes precedence over ability. Human men also seem to have a preference for women who are shorter in stature.”

Aoife, Tara and Lorenzo chatted while they waited for Judy to finish with Amber. The members of Alana’s Clan watched and waited. It was exactly half hour later that Judy stepped away from Amber and handed Bev a small device. Bev and Cathal examined it before tossing it in the ocean. Meanwhile, Amber began to stir and her movements grabbed the attention of those around her. Lorenzo smiled, as he began to feel his connection with her grow again.

“Lorenzo, where is the box Johara gave you?” asked Amber.

“It is in our cabin, why?”

“We need to destroy it. Those devices contain transmitters that could be used to locate and monitor us.”

“Lorenzo, could I see them?” said Calvin.

Lorenzo got up, saying, “Sure come with me.”

They were soon back, with Calvin carrying the box. He placed it on the deck, before pulling one of the devices out. After looking it over, he said, “If I understood the information correctly, these just need to be inserted and they are active.”

“Yes. Why?”

“I thought we would take them back and put them where they belong.” It was quiet for a moment, until everyone began laughing as they realized the implications of what he had said. After placing the devices inside a metal box Bev held for him, he took them aboard their shuttle.

“Amber, are you ready to share what you know?” said Tara.

“Yes. Lorenzo, you will be able to see it as well. I suspect some of it will make you angry, as it should. A friend once told me that revenge is a dish best served cold.”

“I will do my best, as I suspect my anger could cause problems with the sharing of the information.”

“Very perceptive,” said Tara.

“Amber, we would like you to think back to your first memory after being captured,” said Aoife.

“First, I want to sit on Lorenzo’s lap, with Aoife on one side and Tara on the other.” Aoife looked at Judy then Tara, and smiled. It was another indication that Amber’s information had really come from their two agents.

It took several hours to sift through everything Amber knew about the warehouse and its operations. They spent some more time reviewing the information, clarifying critical details. Based upon what they learned, they confirmed their earlier observations that some of the people working at the warehouse were telepathically sensitive. All the data was transferred to Dóchas group’s Intelligence AIs.

“Lorenzo, why don’t you call Sergio?” said Amber. “I think he should come here.”

“What am I supposed to tell him? It was hard enough for me to accept all of this.”

“Just tell him you have some friends in high places.” Amber’s straight-faced response caused the group to begin laughing.

“Lorenzo, he has good instincts, right?” said Aoife. Lorenzo nodded his agreement. “Tell him to go to the aft deck, and wait. Someone will be there to pick him up, but he must follow his instincts.”

Lorenzo picked up the satellite phone he had used earlier, and dialed Sergio. The phone rang a few times before it was picked up, and a sleepy voice said, “Hello.”

“Sergio?”

“Who do you think?” grumbled the voice.

“It is very important that you to join me now.”

“What?”

“Yes. It is very important,” said Lorenzo, in a no-nonsense tone of voice. “Go to the top aft deck. Someone will be there to pick you up. You need to just follow your instincts like we have done before. Remember that time.”

“Yes. This better be worth it, or you will be on my list.”

“It is,” replied Lorenzo, and hung up the phone.

“Lorenzo, Christina’s ship is in position to pick him up as soon as he steps onto the deck.”

“You think a lot of him, don’t you?” said Amber.

“Yes. Until you, he was the only person I would trust with my back. This Akil is a slime ball, but there was no getting around dealing with him or his organization. The auction thing, we would be very happy if it was not around. Unfortunately our members who are buying the contracts would be very unhappy if the contracts were no longer available. So, as long as it is there, we need to be involved, even though we don’t like it. Recently there have been indications that they are using drug dealers in North America to induce women to sign a contract. With what Amber has told us, I am now certain that they are abducting the women.”

“Amber, what did you do before you were abducted?” asked Bev.

“Lorenzo, I overlooked telling you earlier, but thanks for my new name. I really like it.” Lorenzo smiled and gave her a kiss. “I worked for the US Embassy, as a language specialist. I had just been transferred to Ecuador, and was staying in a hotel as the accommodations in the Embassy compound were full. I was abducted on my second night there. The last thing I remember of that evening was entering my room after dinner. My next memories are foggy and vague. I felt like I was being lifted out of a box by my wrists. I remember being naked. I was lowered so my feet touched the floor and then hands began groping me, along with comments about how desirable I looked, in Spanish. Someone hollered something, and the groping stopped. My ass cheeks were pulled apart, and a butt plug was shoved in. It hurt, and I screamed from the pain and shock. A Spanish speaking woman came up behind me, and told the men that if they groped another piece of merchandise without specific instructions they were gone. She said, “The rag-heads are very picky.” That is all I remember before waking up in the warehouse where you met me.

“When I woke up, I was restrained, kneeling and leaning forward. I could see myself in a mirror as well as many other women. I was kneeling with my legs resting on narrow boards so they were wider than my hips. A leather strap below my knee and over my ankle held them there. There was a metal yoke around my neck. My arms were looped over a bar behind my back with chains running from wrist cuffs to the support holding my legs. All my upper body weight was pulling on my shoulders and they hurt, as did my back, knees and hips. It was kind of like being on my hands and knees, but not quite. It was then that the conditioning began. I was fed a white creamy substance with a cock shaped tube, and we also drank water that way. Sometime after I woke up, a man told me that they would let me out of my bindings if I did as told. I hurt so bad, I immediately accepted. After that I never questioned or resisted doing what I was told. After a while all I wanted to do was engage in sex, either using one of the mechanical dildoe or with one of the others in the room. We were all that way, and I just accepted it. Soon I was addicted to sexual stimulation, and would have anxiety attacks if I went for more than an hour without it. During this whole time, I was fully aware of my surroundings, and unconcerned about anything except experiencing more pleasure. There were some who resisted. One time we were taken to another room to see them punish a woman. She was hung by her ankles with her legs spread much wider than her shoulders and weights were suspended from her wrists. Her head was covered with a harness that held her mouth closed. It was awful seeing and hearing the strap hitting her. Well at least I think it was a strap. Each stroke seemed to tear her skin. When they quit, you could tell her body was raw. I thought it was over until I saw them begin spraying her body. At first I wondered why she was jerking, then we smelled the vinegar. One of our group turned their head even though we were told to watch or there would be consequences. A guard grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out into the courtyard. They were tying her to a frame when Akil came out and stopped them. Shortly after that we were taken back to our room. A week later I saw the woman, she had a nose ring and pins through her arms just above wrist. She didn’t talk but she always seemed to be looking for more stimulation. Based on what happened to me, I suspect Akil removed her vocal cords. From the way she acted they must have done something else.

“It wasn’t long after that when I was put in line for the auction. I wasn’t very far from the elevated platform where we were displayed when Akil pulled me out of the queue. After the auction was completed, he told me that I was to be a companion for his visitors and to relay anything they said to him. Between visitors, I could satisfy my needs with the women at any time as much as I wanted. If I abused the freedom or failed to tell him what I heard the visitors discuss or say, I would have a very painful lesson. From then on I lived in an area near him and Johara. It wasn’t long after this that I met the two people who gave me the message I am carrying. Akil was pleased to see me with them and wanted me to befriend them as he thought they knew more than they let on. Initially I thought it was a trap. However, our constant contact gave them the opportunity to assist activating my telepathy and then transfer the information to me. Akil nearly caught us once when we were intensely involved. It was then I suspected he was telepathically sensitive, but not capable. He became more and more suspicious of us, until one day he blew up. He made me watch as he had the women repeatedly raped by the guards, then with a large mechanical dildo. It took a long time, and somehow I managed to show little emotion. It was so hard. Eventually they bled to death.” Tears rolled down Amber’s cheeks, as she remembered her friends. “After they died, he took me up to the medical area. I was so scared. He shoved me down on a table and tied me to it. The bindings were so tight I couldn’t move and had trouble breathing. After locking my mouth open with a jaw spreader, he had one of the techs bring over a long slim rod with a small hook on the end. The tech placed a mirror in front of me, so I could see. Akil then slid the rod down my throat. I felt a bit of pain then he pulled the rod out. On it I could see a small piece of tissue and some blood. I didn’t realize what he had done until they let me up. He asked me a question. When I went to answer, I found I couldn’t make a sound, and my throat hurt when I tried. The next day, he acted as if nothing happened. He continued to use me as a visitor’s companion. Each time after they left, he would pump me for information. In some cases, I knew he was testing me. Other times, he was really interested in what I learned. Going back a bit, it was after he killed the two women that I began to realize that I could sometimes hear his thoughts. I also learned to shield mine whenever he or several others were around. I am fairly certain that they couldn’t hear my thoughts, but it was like they could sense something.”

Lorenzo hugged Amber.

“Do you feel better now?” asked Judy.

Amber looked thoughtful for a moment, before responding with, “Yes. Thanks for indulging me and listening to my ordeal. What now?”

“We would like to again hear what your friends told you,” said Tara.

As Amber began to recall the information Lorenzo had a puzzled expression and Aoife said, “She is expressing the thoughts as they were given to her, and it was not all in English. If you look at the concepts behind the expressions then you should understand her. Besides, we will go over it after she is done.”

“Your suggestion helps, but I am glad we will go over the information afterwards.”

After giving the Órarduine the information from the two agents, Amber said, “Lorenzo, thank you for being patient.” Looking at Tara she added, “Now I would like to tell you what I’ve learnt since they died.”

When she finished, Cathal said, “Amber you are a gem. Everything you’ve told us fits very nicely with what our reconnaissance has found. You are a gem.”

“Thank you. I wish I could do more. What now?”

“Now let’s go over what we believe the situation is regarding the Tangier warehouse,” said Tara. “As we go through it, if you have a comment or see something that doesn’t seem right let us know. We would like to do this telepathically as it will speed up our review. Lorenzo, if you will let Aoife and Amber link with you that will assist your comprehension.”

“We will only monitor your thoughts with respect to this conversation,” said Aoife with a smile.

“Okay,” replied Lorenzo earning himself a kiss from Amber.

When they finished Lorenzo said, “I see no issues with your tactics, but I think I like verbal conversation better.”

“The significance of my contribution is greater than I thought,” added Amber. “Thank you for the insight. What now?”

“We think it would be best for you to remain here with Lorenzo until everyone is out of the warehouse,” said Tara. “After that, we suggest you consider joining us at Comrie, with the others we rescue. From there, the choice of where you go, and your future, is yours. Lorenzo, you are welcome to come with us as well. You have many talents that we could use which are different from those you use now.”

Lorenzo smiled, “Nicely worded. I will need to think about it, as there are many implications that must be considered.”

Amber gasped, “Oh, I just remembered, and I don’t think it came up before. Johara hates Akil. She hides it very well. She will kill him when she thinks it will do the most damage to The Council.”

“So, we should make sure to get her out as well.”

“I am not sure of the timing, but you should locate her as quickly as you can, I would not stop her from releasing her hate. She could be a lot of assistance in getting the cooperation of the captives.”

“We’ve adjusted our plan,” said Cathal causing Amber’s eyebrows to arch.

“Already.”

“Yes. We are linked together.”

Just as Cathal finished speaking the shuttle carrying Sergio appeared next to the ship. After he stepped onto the deck his first words were, “You son of a bitch. That was the scariest thing I have ever done.” Sergio hugged Lorenzo, and then stood back. “If you had told me what was going to happen, I would have been rolling on the floor laughing, and when I recovered I would have had you committed.”

“I can’t imagine it being that scary, besides, I knew you trusted me,” responded Lorenzo with a smile. “Now, let me introduce you to some new, very unique and valuable friends.” With that, Lorenzo introduced Sergio to the Órarduine on his ship. As Sergio was introduced, his expression conveyed his amazement. When Lorenzo introduced Amber, he said, “Sergio, we were blessed yesterday when Akil gave Amber to me. If it wasn’t for her, we would be well on our way to a disaster.” Sergio’s expression quickly changed to one of disbelief, but he shook Amber’s hand. Lorenzo continued, thwarting any comment by Sergio, “Amber can’t speak, because he cut her vocal chords while she watched. Tara, would you tell him what you have gathered concerning Akil’s operation?”

Tara then explained what they had determined about Akil and the Council of Brothers. She told Sergio about how they were paying North American drug dealers with heroin from Afghanistan to abduct women in North America. While the abducted women were nearly all very desirable, some were targeted because their families were well known. She told him that The Council of Brothers, through Akil’s operation, intended to use the women’s activities in the brothels to destroy the character of many political, religious and business leaders in the western countries. Currently preparations were under way to distribute photos and films of these women with their clients. She pointed out that in addition to this they intended to initiate some health and economic disasters that would create civil unrest and chaos. She closed by telling him why the Órarduine were involved.

Sergio sat for a long time with a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes dark and cloudy. The only sign of his anger was his white knuckles gripping the arms of the chair. Finally, he said, “Fucking unbelievable. We have never really trusted them, but this is ... unbelievable. You have a plan. What is it? How can we help?”

“Do you know which brothels your associates sent the women to?”

“Not really. We know where the high-class brothels are located. I can find out tomorrow.”

“That should work,” replied Tara. “Our plan is to extract all the women from the warehouse and then destroy it. While that is taking place, we will pick up those they sent to their training camp then totally eliminate the camp. As a part of our effort, we will attempt to recover any captives on their way to the warehouse. Our last step will be to extract any captives we can find from the brothels, clubs or private locations. All of them will be taken to an island in the Atlantic, where they can recover and choose their future.”

“If that is where I think it is,” said Lorenzo, “they intend to raid it.”

“If so, they are in for a surprise. There are some ships snooping around the area and we believe that one of them is from your organization.”

“Yes, it is,” replied Sergio frowning. “It won’t be there by the time the sun rises.”

“Why not let it stay there and the crew enjoy their vacation, besides they will be good witnesses to whatever happens. The other way you can help is by taking this ship back toward Tangier harbor, but stay below the horizon. With both of you here, you can disavow knowing anything about what happens.”

“What about the crew?”

“We thought we would let them see you leave by helicopter just before dawn. It might be wise for your families to stay out of sight for the next few days.”

“Good idea. I can call them in the morning if we have a secure phone.”

“Ours is. We’ll loan you one. Now, Judy, Aoife and I have other things that need our attention. An EMT will stay here, along with a team and shuttle; I am not sure which one it will be yet.”

“I may regret saying this,” said Alana, “but we will. I know Cathal would like to be in on the action, but I think we can do more from here by supporting Amber.”

“Okay, but practice,” replied Aoife.

“We will, after we get some rest. CIC just told me they expect the show to start tomorrow at 1400 hours Zulu.”

“What about the announcers?” asked Tara.

“The man was beheaded and gutted two days ago,” replied Amber. “They plan to release a video of the beheading shortly after the ransom deadline. Originally Lorelei was to go with the GISS captives to the training camp after being conditioned. However, Akil told Lorenzo he might keep her for himself.”

“Thanks Lorenzo,” said Aoife, as she hugged and kissed him as they prepared to depart.

“Thanks Sergio,” she said as she hugged and kissed him. Judy and Tara followed Aoife in saying good-by to them.

After that they each gave Amber a hug and kiss and reassured her before boarding Alpha03 to join Vanessa’s Clan.

“I need some sleep,” said Lorenzo. “Come on Amber, I think tomorrow will be a long day. Sergio, your cabin is ready. Alana, your group can use any of the cabins.”

“Thanks. We will. If there isn’t enough room, some of us will sleep on our ship. We have a security screen set up, so we need only one on watch. Would you introduce me to the Captain?”

“Sure. Should we say anything about your role here?”

“Just an introduction is fine.”

Everyone on Lorenzo’s ship was soon sound asleep, with the AI in Alpha02 monitoring the surrounding area as the ship made its way back toward Tangier.

At 1200 hours Zulu, Alana told Sarah’s Clan, “Amber has linked with Johara, and is sharing her thoughts with us. Johara intends to poison Akil when he fucks her after lunch. She is using the same poison as that contained in the butt plugs.”

“Those teams are advised.”

“We can see the thermal inversion from here. It really has the media wound up.”

“It will begin to clear once we enter the warehouse.”

While waiting in their cloaked shuttles hovering near their objective, the Security teams went over their roles in the upcoming effort. During the review of their roles, those entering the Tangier warehouse were careful to envision a different warehouse location.

At 1330 Zulu, Sarah’s Clan said to the Security teams near Tangier, “Strike Group Alpha, do it!”

The three Command Staffs monitored the Security teams as they entered the warehouse. Once control of the security systems was established, they quickly fanned out and subdued the unsuspecting staff. Darcy and Laurin arrived at Akil’s suite shortly after Johara had injected him with the poison. Sensing her intent, his hands immediately clenched around her neck, and he struggled to strangle her while cursing. Johara managed to momentarily lessen his concentration by slapping his ears with cupped hands, hoping to break his ear drums. When Darcy and Laurin entered the room they saw Johara struggling with Akil and went to assist. Darcy took a hold of his wrists and squeezed. Akil screamed in pain and fright, as he could feel them being crushed but could see why. With Akil’s hands pulled away from Johara’s throat, Laurin helped her sit up straddling him. Feeling the unseen hands pull her up, Johara’s eyes went wide with fright. Her eyes grew even bigger when she heard Amber’s familiar voice say, “Relax, Johara. They are friends. Laurin and Darcy are there to help you. Trust your instincts.”

Hearing Amber, Laurin and Darcy turned off their cloaking devices. Laurin said, “Sorry to scare you, but you looked like you needed assistance. Now, we need your help to get all the captives out of the building as quickly as possible.”

“You can do that?”

“Yes. That is why we are here.”

“I thought I heard Amber.”

“You did. She is safe.”

“Is Amber really okay?”

“Yes. Come, we need to move. You can hear our thoughts, right?”

“Yes.”

“We need a route to the outside that all the captives can easily reach.”

“There is a rooftop exercise area. The only group that would have any problems getting up there is those he had locked up with the dogs. There are spotters watching the whole area. Many of them are on the top floors or roofs of adjacent buildings.”

“Strike Group Alpha,” said Casey, “start moving the captives up to the top floor exercise area. Have we gotten everyone out of the cage with the dogs yet?”

“We are releasing them now. The dogs were turned loose.”

“Remember to make sure the butt plugs are removed from the captives before they get to the shuttles. After removing them, stuff them in any convenient staff member, then pull on them to activate them.”

Vanessa, Tricia and Sandra stood by the doors leading to the exercise area. They checked each person as they came out to make sure that they were ready to depart, and then directed them to a shuttle. When Tricia glanced toward the mouth of the harbor she could see a line of shuttles approaching. Just as Rylie began getting the captives into two lines, the first two shuttles placed their ramps on the warehouse roof. With a little urging, the women began entering them. As each stepped through the shuttle door, they were handed a large drink and told to drink it. Once a shuttle was full, it lifted straight up, and was replaced by another.

They had just finished loading the GISS captives, when Eric said, “Three helicopters are approaching from the city.”

“Copy,” said Vanessa. “Security Teams are boarding now.”

“Building clear.”

“All butt plugs activated.”

Just as Vanessa spoke, four shots rang out. “Snipers on rooftop, at 3 o’clock.” Two more shots rang out, and were followed by a scream.

“Son of a bitch. Rylie’s down. Stretcher!” Two more shots rang out, followed by another scream.

“Where the fuck did they come from?”

“The roof on the right.”

“Can we take the bastards out? We are very exposed. Sandra’s also hit, but she’s moving.”

Louise, Casey and Sybil stepped back out on the roof, and began firing at the parapet of the rooftop where the snipers were with laser rifles. With each shot, a section of the parapet or a part of the wall collapsed. They continued firing until the edge was gone.

Casey looked at the three helicopters that were hovering some distance away. His HUD didn’t show any weapons.

“Everybody is on board,” said Vanessa. “Casey, Louise and Sybil, board now.” The three quickly backed into the shuttles, while watching the other roof tops. As soon as they were inside, the shuttles lifted off as their doors closed.

“What did we miss?” asked Casey.

“Nothing. Our horseshoe slipped,” responded Vanessa. Her flippant remark caused everyone to laugh.

“CIC, we are clear,” said Christina. “Rylie has a hole in her thigh. The autodoc is taking care of it now. Sandra has a flesh wound on her upper arm.”

“Weren’t the tactical suit’s shields on?” asked Eric.