by Ivy Clyde
“She’s the one who supplies Victor with information,” he said.
Placing a hand on my back, he walked into the elevator. When the doors closed, I realized we were going down.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal a vast floor area filled with people in garish costumes. Stepping out, I took the time to study the place before me.
The space was divided into different areas. Several people sat at desktops, working away on something I couldn’t tell. Further to the left, there were bulletin boards filled with names and numbers, reminding me of a stock exchange office.
My gaze was drawn toward the area which was divided into smaller cubicles. Women in slinky cocktail dresses were standing before computer monitors, holding up decks of cards or expertly rolling dices between their manicured fingers.
That’s when it hit me.
This place was an underground casino. Considering the absence of customers, it looked like everything was happening online. I didn’t even have to ask if it was illegal. Why else would a casino be hidden under a Chinese tea shop?
A firm grip on my elbow distracted me from the attractive tellers. Alexei was dragging me toward a closed door at the far side of the room.
He knocked once before pushing the nondescript door open.
A simple office space was revealed to me.
“Mr. Alexei,” said a sweet, girlish voice. “I didn’t expect you to bring a guest.” A beautiful woman in a dark crimson dress stood up to greet us.
I stared at her, trying to guess her age. She was extremely pretty with loose blond curls cascading past her petite shoulders and deep blue eyes. Her smile was infectious and I found myself feeling at ease immediately.
“This is Danny,” said Alexei, placing a hand on my shoulder. “He’ll be working closely with us from now on.”
Gesturing toward the chair beside her desk, she sat down in her own seat. She didn’t cower before Alexei like most people who worked for the Sokolovs.
“He looks so young,” she said, gazing at me. “Victor likes them young and pretty, doesn’t he?”
My face heated up at once. It didn’t take a genius to guess what she meant.
“Victor didn’t choose him for his cock sucking abilities,” said Alexei in a cool tone. “Danny’s smart.”
A noise between a choke and a cough escaped me but they both ignored me.
“I’m sure,” said Angel with a pleasing smile. “Victor can see potential in people.”
“Enough about my cousin and his vices. Let’s get back to business,” said Alexei.
“Here, you go,” said Angel, pushing a small black pen drive toward us. “It has everything Victor would need to deal with Mayor Bayne. I’m surprised he was able to keep his addiction to abusive sex with minors under wraps for this long.”
“Mayor Bayne?” I gasped. “The guy who’s popular for sponsoring charities for orphans and underprivileged children?”
Angel scoffed and waved a hand. “That’s just a façade to bring in fresh meat for him to enjoy.”
“Gross!” I muttered, unable to stop myself from making a face. Mayor Bayne was the guy the police departments invited to hand out medals and honors during events. It was sickening to think this man was nothing but a pedophilic bastard.
“Thank you,” said Alexei, getting to his feet. “I’m sure Victor will thank you when he sees the information later.”
“It’s a pleasure, Alexei.” Rising from her seat, Angel walked around the desk and came to stand before him. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek.
I stared at the bold move but Alexei’s reaction was even more surprising. He let her kiss his other cheek too.
Angel’s gaze slid over to me. “Want me to kiss you too, handsome?”
“No, thanks.”
An easy laugh escaped her. “I guess you belong to Victor.”
Alexei frowned at that.
“Come on, Danny,” he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door. “I’ve got to be somewhere too.”
I glanced back at Angel. She was smirking at us, clearly enjoying the way Alexei was reacting.
Alexei led the way back to the ground floor of the building and we emerged out into the busy tea shop. The pen drive felt heavy in my shirt’s pocket as we walked out into the street.
“Alexei?”
“Not here, Danny.”
He allowed me to talk when we were both safely seated inside his car.
“Is Angel a friend?” I asked.
“She’s friends with Victor,” said Alexei. “He’s the one who plucked her out of one of the brothel houses run by our gang to manage his personal casino venture. Angel was meant to be a gift to me but we quickly realized she had more potential than being a common whore.”
“Victor rescued her?”
“I’d say he did,” said Alexei. “If you ask Victor, he’d say he did it because she was a good investment but without my cousin’s help, she’d still be servicing men day in and day out.”
Victor Sokolov never ceased to surprise me. He could’ve gotten someone as talented as Angel to run a casino but he’d chosen to give her a chance so she could have a better life.
“Are you close to her?” I asked, thinking of the bold way she’d kissed Alexei.
“I’ve slept with her,” he said shortly. “She was my birthday present from Victor five years ago.”
I gave a nod, ignoring the jealousy burning through me. All the men and women the Sokolov men engaged with were exquisitely beautiful. There was no way I could ever compete against the likes of River or Angel.
To my surprise, the thought dampened my mood immediately. I should be happy and relieved, I told myself. It’s for the best if neither Victor nor Alexei shows an interest in me in that way.
“Angel is good at learning secrets,” continued Alexei without noticing my reaction. “She gained a lot of information about clients while servicing them. That’s another reason she is so important to us. After working in Boris’s brothels, she’s gained insight into every elusive person you can think of.”
“Like Bayne?”
“Yes, just like him,” agreed Alexei. “Angel works in gaining us info from her circle of old friends.”
Alexei fell silent, leaving me with my thoughts. It looked like my story wasn’t too different from Angel’s. The only difference was Victor rescued me before Boris could turn me into one of his male whores.
A cold shiver ran through me. If Victor didn’t choose me from among the other recruits, if Alexei hadn’t stopped Boris on that night, I’d be dealing with problems worse than being forced to castrate a man.
“Was it necessary for us to pick up the USB drive?” I asked. “Couldn’t Angel email the stuff to Victor?”
“Emails and social media accounts are hackable,” said Alexei. “It’s never a good idea to share sensitive information through those mediums.”
“Right.” I fell silent, my mind whirring with the consequence of sending this pen drive to Nolan.
“Copy the files on your computer ASAP,” said Alexei when the car came to a stop beside the apartment building. “Victor and I will be able to access it through the portal when we’re free.”
“Will you be gone the whole day?” I asked.
“Probably.” Gazing at me, he added, “Don’t forget to wipe the pen drive and throw it in the trash.”
“Got it.”
Climbing out of the car, I headed through the glass doors of the luxurious apartment building. I noticed Alexei waiting inside the car while I finished the usual procedure at the security desk.
My heart hammered in my chest the whole time I was in the elevator. As soon as the doors slid open, I rushed out.
Entering my suite, I headed to the workstation and inserted the pen drive into the computer. There was close to 15 GB of information saved on it.
I sat back, waiting for the information to download into the computer.
When it was done, I opened the folder. Several high-quality phot
ographs and thumbnails of videos were displayed on the screen. Mayor Bayne was the main subject in all of them.
The photographs showed Bayne going in and coming out of certain hotels and motels. Both the location and the men accompanying him looked shady as hell.
My hand hovered over the mouse when a particular photograph opened up on the screen. Bayne was frozen in a conversation with Boris Pavlov. The mayor looked exceptionally happy while Boris’s shade-covered face was lit up with a smug smirk.
Boris Pavlov dealt with prostitutes. Bayne was probably buying sexual services from the man.
Closing the photographs, I clicked on a random video. At once the player displayed a dimly lit room. From the aesthetics, it looked like a cheap motel suite. A boy of about ten or twelve years of age was perched on the edge of a bed while a naked man slowly undressed him.
“Hell, no!” I muttered, closing the video immediately. The side view of the man’s face had been enough for me to recognize him as Bayne. The guy who was present at almost all police department ceremonies was a fucking pedophile.
My gaze took in the rest of the thirty video files on the drive.
I clicked on every file and found them containing the same kind of footage. Bayne was present in all of them with different boys and girls, all aged between ten and twelve.
There was clear evidence of Mayor Bayne’s engagement in sexual activities with underage kids. This sort of information could get a man killed for possessing them. Victor probably wanted to use this sort of evidence to blackmail him or force a favor out of him.
My stomach roiled, thinking of the well-respected politician who was popular because of his donations to children’s charities. He’d fooled the public spectacularly to secure his seat of power and satiate his deviant sexual appetites.
I pulled the pen drive out but as Alexei kept reminding me, I didn’t wipe it clean. Instead, I put it back into my shirt’s pocket.
Heart pounding in my chest, I stepped out of the suite. My paranoia made me look around for cameras but I didn’t find any. Still, it was better to be careful rather than risk my neck.
Moving toward the trash chute at the end of the corridor, I pretended to throw the pen drive into it while hiding it in my fist. I turned away and made my way back to the elevators.
I rode the elevator to the ground floor and made my way to the foyer. The men at the security desk waved to me, seemingly more at ease with me after seeing me with the Sokolovs.
“Going out again?” one of the men asked me as he handed me my shoes.
“Yeah,” I said. “Ran out of cigarettes. Didn’t want to bother Master Alexei with it, so I am going out to buy some now.”
“There’s a shop at the end of this street,” said the same man. “You can get a lot of stuff there. They sell good beer too.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, striding away.
I couldn’t personally deliver the pen drive to Nolan. The only way to discreetly do so was through a post office or courier service.
Walking down the street, I came across a corner shop. It looked like the one the security guard mentioned. Heading inside, I grabbed a carton of cigarettes along with a pen, a notepad, and an envelope.
Taking my stuff to the counter, I spoke to the elderly woman stationed there.
“Are there any USPS offices nearby?”
“There is one at the next intersection,” she said, ringing up my stuff. “It’s a bit of a walk from here.”
“That’s fine,” I replied. “Thanks.”
Taking my things, I walked out. Following the lady’s directions, I hurried down the road. My cheap black suit easily helped me blend among the people walking the sideways.
When the postal office came into view, I stopped. Looking into the paper bag, I took out the pen and notepad. Sitting down by the curbside, I wrote a quick note for Nolan.
Chief,
It’s me, I wrote.
Make sure you’re alone when you read this and check out the USB drive.
Today I came across an illegal online casino run by the Heir. There’s the possibility of illegal porn sites as well but most importantly, I came across some startling evidence that will change the political scenario of the city. Go through the contents of the USB drive but make sure no one outside our team sees it. You’ll understand why.
Sorry about not being able to contact you but I’m in deep right now.
I reread the note, making sure no one would understand what I am saying without context. Only Nolan or a member of the team would know it’s me and what I’m alluding too.
Folding the paper, I placed it inside an envelope. The pen drive went into it next. Sealing it, I wrote the department’s address on it and put my real home address as the return address.
I tried not to let myself think of the consequences of Victor finding out about this and headed into the USPS building. By the end of this mission, I’d be doing several such things that would invite punishments worse than death to me.
I used the priority mail service to deliver the envelope. If all went well, Nolan would have it in his hands by tomorrow morning.
A long breath escaped me as I came out of the postal office.
It was done.
Breaking into the carton of cigarettes, I allowed myself a single one. I’d definitely earned one.
22
Danica
I looked up at the sound of the door opening. From my vantage point at the workstation, I spotted Victor walking into the suite. Saving my work, I stood up and hurried over to him.
My gaze dropped to his hands first. They were empty. The absence of those leather gloves sent relief shooting through me.
“Were you working?” he asked as I looked up at him.
“Yeah,” I said. “Victor, do you have something else for me?” I asked, noticing the case in his right hand.
He chuckled and walked further inside the suite. Placing the small briefcase on the coffee table, he sat down. “This is not for you,” he said, clicking the case open. “This is mine.” Holding a sleek gun in his hand, he glanced at me. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
I moved toward him for a closer look. “It is,” I said, admiring the gleaming black body of the pistol.
Victor spread a white cloth on the table. Next moment, he started taking the gun apart with expert moves. To my surprise, he brought out cleaning equipment from inside the case.
“River hates guns,” he said, unscrewing a bottle of grease. “I told him I’d buy him one of his own but he’s too petrified of them. He can’t get past the trauma of one being pointed at him when he was a kid.”
My mind imagined a younger-looking River. He must’ve been even cuter as a kid. It was almost unimaginable someone would hold a gun to his head and scare him to the point of triggering a reaction every time he saw one.
“Who would do such a thing?” I muttered, feeling a flare of anger burning in my chest.
“He was a prostitute, Danny,” said Victor with a grim look in his eyes. “I can tell you that he’s faced worse horrors than just guns.”
I swallowed, wondering what River’s childhood had been like. He’d worked for Boris Pavlov who procured children and then sent them to sleep with rich politicians like Bayne. I could only imagine the shit River faced in the hands of those depraved bastards.
“Has anyone ever done that to you?” I asked in a soft voice.
Victor glanced up at me. “What? Had a gun pointed at me?”
I gave a nod.
“It happened a long time,” said Victor as he oiled the barrel piece. “I was too young to retaliate against the man who pressed the gun to my head. My mother was also being held at gunpoint, so I didn’t dare act impulsively.” He stared at the shocked look on my face and smiled. “My father avenged us later. Turned them into fucking human colanders for daring to touch me and my mom.”
It felt like I’d just been shown another side to him. Victor seemed close to both his parents and there was warmth and affection
between them. He spoke of them like he’d been spoiled by them and was happy for it. He was clearly loved by them as a young boy.
“Do you want me to help you?” I asked.
He gave a nod.
I pulled out a packet of bullets from the case and took out eight pieces. Picking up the empty magazine, I put them all in and snapped them in place.
I looked up at Victor and found him staring right at me. His right hand was oiling the barrel with a slow back-and-forth movement.
Warmth bloomed in my cheeks as Victor smirked at me. I could tell he knew where my mind went to at the sight of that movement. It wasn’t too hard to imagine my hand moving up and down his cock...
I looked away at once.
“Have you shot anyone?” he asked, drawing my attention back on him.
“Not really,” I answered honestly.
“I’m going to let you try it soon,” he said in a tone like he was offering me a great opportunity. “When the bullet leaves the gun, the aftershock is like an orgasm rippling through you.”
My face heated up but I forced myself to hold his intense gaze.
“Guns are so sexy,” said Victor in a low, purring voice. “Hard barrels, bullets pumping out with each pull of the trigger...they’re like hard cocks, aren’t they, Danny?” Victor’s wrist moved back-and-forth at a faster pace as he rubbed the oiled cloth against the barrel.
“I guess,” I said, trying not to stare too hard at his large hand. “Knives are like that too.”
“Yes, you’ve handled one very well,” he said. “Stabbing is kind of like sex. No, wait. It’s more like rape as no one would ever consent to being stabbed.”
Was that the reason you used a knife to kill Boris? I wanted to ask him but stayed quiet. “Do you like the feeling?” I asked aloud.
“I like the power,” he replied. Dropping the cloth, he quickly put the gun back together and placed it inside the case. “I want you to feel the power too, Danny.” He took out a bundle of ropes next. “I’m going to teach you how to tie a man up.” Grinning like a beautiful demon, he added, “I want you to know how pleasurable it can be.”
“How do you plan to teach me?” I asked, feeling nervous already. Was he going to bring in some poor chap for me to tie up?
