Flawed (Imperfectly Perfect Book 1)

by Lym Cruz

  Thirty-four hours.

  Ricky cranked his neck and fingers. Nina came in with fresh coffee. The detective who was investigating The Phantoms joined us and his tech team was assisting Ricky. Due to the sensitivity of the operation, only the people in the Malcolm estate were aware of what was going on, and to maintain secrecy no one was allowed in or out. All devices were being closely monitored.

  Forty-three hours.

  “I’m… I’m in,” Ricky stammered. “I’m in,” he said a little louder, getting everyone’s attention. The room stilled; we were stunned into silence.

  He had actually done it. This was it. The new detective began barking orders.

  “How on earth do I choose a member to …” Ricky trailed off. His bloodshot eyes staring at the screen. “There are hundreds of them from all around the world.”

  “Can you get names, addresses?” The new Detective, Walker, asked. “Anything that could help us identify them?”

  “No, they go to great lengths to keep their identities protected. There are only usernames and a number, a code, assigned to each user. This is the darknet so they probably use untraceable IPs. There isn’t much to go on here. Whoever is the big boss probably has all their personal information stored in another log or book of some sort.”

  “Ricky,” I growled. “Focus on getting us invited to the fucking auction.”

  “Okay.” Ricky continued typing. “They’ve advertised a dinner for tonight, in San Diego. There are thirty sittings and twenty-seven have been occupied.”

  “Get us in.” Anthony gripped Ricky’s shoulder and squeezed. “You can do this.”

  The anticipation was driving my hands to shake.

  “Here goes nothing,” Ricky said. “I’ll impersonate this Flamingo217 person. If anyone prays, now is the time to start.”

  Another hour went by.

  “Bull102, who seems to be the one running the show, has accepted, whoever Flamingo217 is, request to allow a new friend into the system but … they want a name, social security number, ID and a whole lot of shit to check out before sending an invitation.”

  “That’s fine.” Detective Walker affirmed. “We already have a profile set up.”

  Ricky nodded and typed in the details handed to him. Then it was time to wait.

  There was an issue bugging me. We might not know the identities of these men but Bull102 knew. What if he reached out to Flamingo217 and found out that he did not send that message? We were gambling with luck.

  We waited for another two and a half hours before an email came through.

  “Holy shit.” Ricky grinned. “We did it. They sent a menu and an account to wire twenty thousand for the entry-fee if we are interested in what they are serving. Only after that will we get the location and time for the party.”

  Detective Walker made a call. It was quick and he only asked a few questions. “That was Officer Woods,” Walker said. Officer Woods was the one whose details were given. “He said two men were at the house we set up, they asked questions, inspected the place and collected his fingerprints. He says a black SUV has been parked for over an hour down the street. I think they bought it.”

  Ricky raised a brow. “How secure is the profile you created?”

  “If they don’t dig too deep, we should be fine.”

  Ricky showed us the menu and it was revolting how the women were referred to. The same women they were about to sell into prostitution as some asshole’s sex slave.

  1. Norway codfish – 15.00 USD

  2. Asian white rice – 19.00 USD

  3. American chocolate cake – 20.00 USD

  4. Brazilian black coffee with a hint of milk – 23.00 USD

  We assumed the names of the dishes indicated the race and origin of the girls, while the price represented their ages. The money was sent and again we had to wait. This time the wait was shorter. Forty minutes later we received a location, time, and a code.

  “We don’t have much time left and we need to set up the operation,” Walker said, “the FBI will take over from here. We thank you for your help.” He thrust his hand to Anthony but he didn’t shake it.

  “I’m going with you.”

  “That’s not possible, Mr. Alford. These men are dangerous and we cannot have civilians on site.”

  “Again, I’m not a civilian. I’m her father, damn it! Don’t you get it? And if you don’t let me come with you, I’ll go on my own.”

  “Sir…”

  “I’m going as well,” I added. “With or without you.”

  Walker turned to Miller; his features taut. “Miller, you know the rules. This is unacceptable.”

  Chapter 36

  Melissa

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed from Dominic’s exit and Brittany’s entrance. I must have dozed off. She returned with a white, long filmy gown on a hanger—I could see right through it—and a makeup box. She placed them on the bed and went back out returning with a bucket of water and soap. She then locked the door and slipped the key into the back pocket of her jeans.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  “What for?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Why are you doing this, Brittany? He doesn’t love you. He’s using you. I know Dominic, this isn’t the first time he’s tried to hurt me.”

  “What?” Her eyes narrowed, expressing her surprise. “You know Dom?”

  I nodded. “Yes. This is all to get back at my mother because she turned him down years ago. This isn’t about money or any other bullshit he fed you. He’s willing to do anything to hurt my parents. That includes killing me and I’m sure he’ll get rid of you too. Brittany, he’s using you.” I crawled forward and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. “Let’s get out of here. I won’t tell anyone that you were involved, my father has money, and he can help you disappear.”

  She laughed flatly. “Everyone already knows that I’m involved. My face is everywhere and I’m not stupid. I know he was in here earlier; you’re messing with my head. He loves me and after we get rid of you, we’ll get married and be rich. He loves me.”

  “No, he doesn’t. He loves my mother.”

  I felt the sting on my cheek when her hand landed on my face. I brought my hand up to where she’d hit me and massaged gently. I gazed up and thought about fighting her then, unnerved.

  “Get up!” she roared, losing her patience, and I knew it wasn’t wise to argue. “I need to get you ready.”

  Chapter 37

  Andrew

  We weren’t allowed to ride with the police. Therefore, my father used all his influence and called every favor he had in order to have Detective Miller guarantee us that once they were set up, they would send us a link and we’d get a live feed of the camera Woods would be wearing. We were supposed to stay put, but half an hour after the police left, Anthony and I left too. We snuck out the back, avoiding the police car parked at the front of the mansion.

  We drove for approximately an hour and a half to Jacumba. The sun was beginning to set. The area was open and wild, we could see a few abandoned buildings and a wide spread of golden yellow ryegrass. The Mexican border was right on the opposite side of the road. Except for a few cars that zoomed up and down the highway occasionally, there was barely any life.

  We drove another ten miles off the actual location then turned into a gravel road. We parked behind an old building secreted amongst the bushes. I switched on my computer and waited for the link to come through. As soon as we got it, I clicked on it but it was only a blank page. I refreshed the feed over and over and finally, we could hear voices but there was no image. We listed to instructions being handed out.

  The temperature dropped and the sun faded completely, as the arranged time was approaching. Then finally, an image appeared on the screen. Woods was adjusting his glasses in front of a mirror. I could tell that the camera was veiled within the hinges of Woods’ glasses. Right on time and as instructed, Woods pressed a button next to a large
brass door. Although Woods casually glanced the surroundings, we couldn’t see much because of the nightfall but the tall building seemed old.

  “Code,” came a harsh voice from the intercom.

  “Triple eight, seven, one,” Woods answered steadily.

  We heard a quaky metallic noise then the door swung open. Woods stepped in and it was even darker than outside. We saw nothing. Only heard his breathing and footsteps.

  “Lift up your arms and spread your legs,” a voice commanded.

  We heard him being patted and then the man said, “Put this on and go straight, a door will open.”

  “What is it? A mask?”

  “Yes,” the man answered, sounding impatient.

  “I have prescription glasses on and I’m blind without them.”

  “Figure it out. You can’t go in without it.”

  Woods strolled straight ahead in the dark as instructed. A door opened. He entered into a small space, dimmed with reddish lights. There was a mirror in front of him and another door to his right. Woods adjusted the wolf mask to the best of his abilities without compromising the camera, but it obstructed our view a bit.

  Once set, he opened the door on his left and entered into a different ambiance. Low soothing music was the first thing we heard. Two men stood on either side of the door dressed in all black with identical dog masks. He nodded at them and went through.

  Woods gazed around. The room was fancy, encircled by golden curtains and lit with the same red seductive lights. There were already a lot of people and all of them wearing masks. It was impossible to make out anyone’s face.

  On the center of the room was a round stage. Surrounding the stage were tables. Each seat had a codename. Woods strolled around it and was interrupted by an Asian female, wearing almost nothing, carrying a tray with drinks.

  “Help yourself,” she smiled coyly. He took a glass and the Asian woman turned, walking purposely slow. The Detective must have forgotten that we saw what he was seeing; his focus was on the woman’s ass for much longer than necessary.

  “Oh fuck,” Anthony muttered, exasperated.

  No one spoke to anyone except for occasional hellos and nods. Woods drank from his glass and positioned himself in his seat. Shortly after, the room became darker and the lights above the stage shone brighter.

  A man in an expensive black suit and a white shirt came from behind the stage’s curtains and clicked his glass, getting everyone’s attention. “Gentleman,” he uttered, placing the glass down, he fixed his eagle mask. “Welcome. Without further ado let us get started. Tonight, we’re going to enjoy the finest global cuisine.”

  They all clapped.

  My guts turned.

  Anthony inhaled sharply.

  “For the entrée, we will start with Norway.” As he spoke a group of girls went around setting the starters on the table for the guests. It looked like prawns. Woods took a bite.

  “The star of our menu. Tender, fresh, untouched… yes, the hymen is still intact. This one might need a little training but it will be a pleasure bending her into shape.”

  The eagle stepped aside. A terrified blonde girl being held at the nape by a large man was dragged out. It was heartbreaking to watch. She was crying and hugging herself. Her captor, using force, pushed her arms to the side.

  She seemed scared and her eyes conveyed innocence. And she was tall for her age. They must have told her she was coming to America to become a model. How could anyone find pleasure in that?

  “Bets start at fifty thousand.” The owl patted her head. “Millana is precious.”

  There was a tablet set in front of Woods, he pressed the button and it required his fingerprint. Once in, all bets were made electronically.

  The eagle announced that Millana had been sold for one hundred and fifty thousand. He was careful not to mention who the buyer was. Her captor dragged her down the stairs of the stage and chained her to a wall at the back of the room. Woods followed each movement with his eyes. The girl pleaded and begged to be let go. Woods cleared his throat and fixed his eyes back on the stage.

  I’d never seen anything so repulsive.

  The other three girls came in and were sold for less. The older they were, the less the men were willing to pay. They were sold for one hundred and ten thousand, ninety thousand and seventy-three thousand, respectively. Like the first girl, they were chained to the wall, awaiting their buyers.

  Every time a new girl was called, the meals were swapped, and they were down to dessert. Which meant Melissa was up next.

  “Lastly we fly to Brazil. Now this girl at first looks, um, a little ruffled. But in a few months or so when she heals completely, she will blossom into a beautiful flower. I sent you the pictures of what she looks like without the stitches. You should know that she enjoys pain. Ran into the middle of the road and got herself all bumped up just for the thrill, and I know a lot of you enjoy inflicting it.” He looked back. “I present to you, Amanda da Silva.” The eagle moved and my heart constricted with pain. Melissa was scared, so scared she shivered. Sobbing, barely keeping herself up.

  “That’s Dominic,” Anthony spat, pointing at the screen. “That’s the bastard.”

  I didn’t want to look but at the same time, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The dress she had on was thin and transparent. She was practically naked.

  The bet began at thirty thousand and Woods quickly took it to fifty thousand. A few people tried to counter but he didn’t back down. Finally, Woods entered, “Two million.”

  “Well, well,” the eagle sang, clapping. “I think someone has set a new record. Two million. Sold.” Melissa joined the rest of the girls.

  “All your orders will be delivered as promised, in the meanwhile enjoy the night.”

  One of the securities in the dog mask rushed to the stage and whispered something in the eagle’s ear. He seemed alarmed.

  “Gentlemen, we’ve had a problem and unfortunately we’ll have to call it a night.”

  That’s when we heard Walker’s voice coming from the screen shouting, “We’ve been made. All units engage now. I repeat we’ve been made. Engage now.”

  We sat still with racing hearts. Eyes glued to the screen, unable to move.

  “Cops’ are here,” a shaky cry from a woman’s voice announced and everything turned chaotic. People ran from side to side, blocking Woods who was trying to stay close to Dominic.

  Melissa was resisting to go along, he placed his arm around her neck and pulled her to the back, behind the curtains. Someone pushed Woods and he tripped. We lost visual transmission but the audio was intact and we could hear the screams followed by gunshots.

  My heart sunk.

  We weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. After what we heard we couldn’t sit still either. We heard helicopters pass right on top of us. Whatever was happening wasn’t good. Right then, I made a decision and turned on the engine. Anthony didn’t protest but then two police SUV’s with flashing lights blocked us and armed men came out in our direction.

  “Shit,” I hissed.

  “Yes, shit,” Anthony answered.

  I killed the engine and as instructed got out with our hands up. We tried to explain what we were doing there but they were having none of it. They didn’t even bother to listen. Inside their car, one of them made a call and informed whoever was on the other line that they’d caught two more trying to escape.

  “One of the girls, Melissa, is my daughter.” Anthony tried to reason with them but there was no acknowledgment.

  The SUV pulled up at the building where the auction was held, it was surrounded by police cars with flashing red and blue lights and the sound of sirens. Our hands were bound and we couldn’t see much from the backseat of the car, even so, I tried to see if Melissa was out there. There were further gunshots from inside the building and all I could do was hope that Melissa hadn’t been hurt.

  After a few minutes, everything quieted down. Ambulances arrived and everyone comi
ng out of the building was being escorted by the police in handcuffs.

  Still no sign of Melissa.

  The car door flung open. The second Walker saw us he shook his head. “You two. I should have you arrested for insubordination.” He then turned to the officer behind him. “Uncuff them, but don’t let them leave the car.”

  “Melissa, is she okay?” I asked.

  Walker didn’t answer and simply walked away.

  Chapter 38

  Melissa

  Dominic had his arm around my neck and I found it hard to breathe. I was unsure of what was happening, but something went terribly wrong because suddenly, everything went chaotic. People were running, bumping into each other, screaming. The man who bought me at the auction was right behind us. He kept shouting for Dominic to stop and let me go but he wouldn’t.

  It was dark and obscure, all I saw were large metallic items, lots of them.

  I was tired and weak. Dominic drew me along but I fought to my last strength, kicking my feet and making it laborious for him to take me. I buried my teeth into the flesh of his arm and he growled.

  A cold metal touched my temple and he said, “Do that again and I will kill you.” He then twirled, taking me along and fired the gun. I screamed, hearing a loud blast so close that left a ringing in my ear. The man who was following us dropped to the ground with his hand on his leg.

  “Oh God, you shot him,” Brittany emerged from the back door we came in from. “Dom!”

  “Shut up.” He threw me to her. I stumbled and fell. “Take her to the car and go, I’ll meet you at the border. I need to get the passports.”

  Brittany was in a state of shock, cemented in place. Dominic fired another shot in the air and she jumped, waking up. She grabbed me by the arm and towed me up, pulling me towards the door while Dominic ran up the stairs.

  Brittany pulled the back door of the car open and hurled me into the back seat. She ran to the front, settled behind the wheel and the car sped off. The pain that ran through my body was tremendous, to the point I was ready to pass out.