by Dylan Keefer
“Dammit!” the man said backing up. “Get out. I don’t know who this lady is, but I’m not risking my life for you.”
“A little dramatic,” Raine said as L.A. stood up and was pushed out from behind the counter. The girl looked at Raine with disgust.
“You a cop?” She spat. Raine shoved her hands in her back pockets.
“L.A., I’m a cop, but I’m not here because you’ve done something wrong. I’m here because of Mya.” Something in the girl’s expression changed. The mention of Mya’s name struck something in her. “Will you talk with me? We could grab food or coffee or whatever?”
L.A. looked down as if she were thinking. The slight nod made Raine sigh with relief.
The diner they sat at was busy for a weekday. The coffee left a bit to be desired, but the food looked and tasted good. L.A. didn’t say much but ate greedily.
“This the place where Mya used to meet you?” Raine asked.
L.A. looked up at her. “How did you know that? Who are you people?”
“We’re trying to figure out what happened to Mya,” Rachel said. “You heard she was in a car accident?”
“Yeah, I heard,” L.A. said scraping the fork across the plate a little. “I heard she won’t wake up.”
“Yeah,” Raine said. “She’s in a coma. The doctors don’t know if she will wake up, but we’re all hoping. L.A.?”
The girl looked up at her. “Yeah?” Raine felt her heart trying to soften. L.A.’s eyes told a story of pain and fear. The girl was beautiful but broken. Her clothes were worn. She was mainly skin and bones. Her arms had track marks on them.
“We know someone caused the accident. We also know that she was deep into something that you may know about. Please, help us.”
L.A. snorted and began eating. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mya and I are done. Ain’t seen her in weeks.” Raine placed the greeting card on the table and slid it in front the girl’s gaze. L.A. stopped in mid-chew. “Where did you get that?”
“What did you mean by you’re sorry, L.A.?” Raine asked. “We need your help. Please.”
L.A. sat back in the booth and set down her fork. She stared at the card and shook her head. “She just never let it go. Mya always had to push it. She wouldn’t let it go.”
“You mean, she wouldn’t let you go?” Rachel said. L.A. looked at her.
“Listen, I’ma tell you what I told Mya. You don’t want to mess with these people.”
“What people?” Raine asked leaning forward.
“The Book Club. That’s what they’re known as. What they are is dangerous. I wish I never got involved with them.”
“L.A. tell us,” Raine said. “Who are they?”
L.A. lowered her tone and volume. “They? They are a group of big people who use girls for entertainment. I know what you think when you look at me. It’s the same thing that everybody thinks. L.A. prolly grew up on the streets and has a crack daddy. But my parents live in the suburbs in a really nice community in Illinois. My boyfriend promised that we could live really well because he worked for this rich dude. He wasn’t lying. Ty was making bank. We were living well. We were partying every night. Then one night we went to a party that his boss was throwing. Ty didn’t want me to come. See, I had never met his boss. I’d only heard about him. So, I said, ‘Ty, I’m going to this party. You can’t stop me’.” L.A. lowered her gaze. “I wish I hadn’t gone. I put on the nicest outfit I had, and when I got there, I felt like I was from the dump. Men with suits, and women with top brand dresses. Looked like something out of a fairy tale. I didn’t know what I had stepped into until I saw him. The Mocker.”
Rachel frowned. “The Mocker?”
“That’s what Ty called him. That’s what everybody called him. I don’t know why. All I know is that when I saw that man, I knew I needed to get out of there. It was too late. He saw me. He cornered me. He told me I was beautiful. He asked if Ty treated me right. I said yes; like a princess. He asked me if I wanted to be treated like princess or a queen.” Raine thought she was going to be sick. “Then came the trial. Several men escorted there women up one by one where they were stripped out of their gowns and cameras were turned on them. They were being bid on by buyers on the web. Whatever girls were bought, the men got paid.”
Now, Raine knew she was going to be sick, and Rachel didn’t look much better. They had stumbled upon a high rollers escort service.
“The Mocker looked at me as the other girls were brought up, and he said, ‘Ty, your girl was no exception’. I was shocked. I didn’t think Ty would do it, but he pulled me up there. He didn’t even look me in the eye.” L.A. shook her head. “You wanna know who bought me that night?”
“The Mocker,” Rachel said softly.
“Basically, your buyer pays for a girl and an amount of days that he wants her. Up to three days. During that three days, anything goes. Some buyers want sex. Some want company. Some want a sexy maid. You do what you’re told, and you do it well.” L.A. swallowed hard. “I only had one buyer try to—try to…”
She couldn’t say it. Raine cleared her throat. “And that’s when you wound up at the women’s home, and that’s how you met Mya.” L.A. nodded. Raine let out a deep breath. It was clear now. Mya had tried to help L.A., but somehow L.A. was called back to living with her boyfriend who probably couldn’t live with himself after giving away his girlfriend. Mya found out about the Book Club and what Ty and L.A. had done and was determined to help even after the two of them robbed her.
“They tried to kill her,” Raine said. “Those bastards tried to kill her because she was getting close.”
“I don’t know,” L.A. said. “And you’re never going to prove it. They are too big.”
Raine flexed and unflexed her fingers as she gritted her teeth. “They aren’t that big. L.A., we’re going to need to talk to Ty. Now.”
The front door opened, and Rachel burst through calling out Kyle’s name. Raine slammed the door behind them and followed quickly into the living room where the brothers sat talking.
“Oh my god! What happened to the car!” Rachel pointed behind them. Raine didn’t say anything. She simply walked over and flung her arms around Micah. He was caught off guard. She squeezed him tight.
“What happened?” She asked softly.
“We picked Greg up, and someone tried to chase us down,” Kyle said. He grimaced as the worried and angry look on Rachel’s face as he launched into the story. They decided to start with the accident and work their way backwards since the ladies were still a little shaken up.
“She’s a part of it,” Raine said when they finished. “Brooke. She’s a part of the Book Club.”
“You found out what it is?” Micah asked. They both nodded, and Rachel told their story about meeting L.A. Both men were speechless about the discovery of what the book club was, and what Mya had stumbled upon.
“And I’m betting that Brooke is a part of it. Remember she told us that she had gotten into some things in high school that Mya had saved her from? What if Mya didn’t actually save her from it? She was the one who begged for the job.”
“Okay, but I don’t get it. Mya didn’t meet L.A. until after starting her run for Governor. She wouldn’t have known about the Book Club,” Kyle said.
“But maybe they were just keeping tabs on her,” Micah pointed out. “If the members of this thing are that influential and in big positions, then they knew about Mya. They knew her stances. She was potential trouble.”
“Until she was,” Raine said. She looked at Rachel who looked back nervously. “That means our plan won’t work.”
The guys both frowned. Rachel smiled weakly. “We also met with Ty.”
Rachel explained how they waited back at L.A.’s place for Ty who was on his way home from working at a small convenience store. Ty had opened the door and slammed it behind him.
“Hey, L.A.! Baby! Yo, I’m tired of this lame ass place. All the neighbors don’t…” Ty walked into the smal
l three-room apartment and made it into the middle of the living room before stopping at the site of the two women. He saw Raine’s sidearm which she made visible when L.A. said that Ty would be packing. He quickly pulled the gun, but Raine didn’t move. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house!”
“Ty, my name is Raine. I’m a cop. So, you pulling a gun on me already isn’t a good idea. We just want to talk—about the Book Club.”
Rachel started to pace back and forth. “Ty finally calmed down when he found out what we knew and what we wanted to do. He also gave the whole speech about us not knowing who we were going up against. But he told us that the Book Club sent out special invites right after the last meeting; a week prior to the next event. The men have that week to find a girl to be his client. He brings her, and she can be bid upon. He gets 40% of the profits from her bid. She gets 40%. Some of these clients bid up to five figures for three nights. You bring a girl every week, and she gets picked, you could make a lot. Bring a girl three times, and she doesn’t get picked, you and she get put on probation.”
“Ty got an invite, but he doesn’t have a girl.” Raine squeezed Micah’s shoulder. He knew exactly what she was hinting when he looked up at her.
“No! No way am I letting you go in there with them. We won’t have any eyes or ears on you. We just have some low-life to trust?”
“I can’t go,” Raine said softly. “If Brooke is a part of this, she might be there. She would recognize me.”
This time, Kyle looked over at his wife who was already on her knees next to his chair. “Babe, I know this is risky, but this has to be stopped. Mya was on to something, and they tried to hurt her. Think of all the wrong that is happening in this. These girls are being sold and told that this is okay. These men are treating them like property. What kind of people would we be if we sit by and let it happen? I get in there, I find some evidence that they hurt Mya, and I get out.”
Kyle turned away from his wife’s pleading look. He looked at Micah. “I can’t tell her ‘no’ when she’s like this. So, you’re going to have to give me a heads up. I’ve been out of the game. What could we do to make sure my wife is safe?”
Micah looked at Rachel. He didn’t want his sister-in-law going through with this either. He closed his eyes.
“When is the next Book Club?”
“Tomorrow,” Rachel said. “Thursday night.”
He opened his eyes. “Then, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Chapter Seven
Calm down, Rachel. This is going to be fine. We’re going to be fine.
“You know that you’re talking out loud, don’t you?” Raine’s voice echoed in her ear. Rachel frowned and looked over at Ty, who was driving. He nodded and shuddered as he griped the steering wheel.
“Lady, if you aren’t confident this is going to work, then I don’t know how you expect me to be calm when you’re over there talking to yourself like a crazy person.”
“Just drive, Ty,” Rachel said. “We’re going to be fine.”
Rachel adjusted the earpiece she had. It was tough to get used to have an actual voice inside of her head, but Kyle still had some friends that he had kept up with in the police force, and they had put themselves in a tough position to help secure a few things for them. A small microphone was taped on the inside of her bra which felt even more uncomfortable.
“They are going to search you when you get in,” Ty said. “But they won’t be too handsy. They’ll figure you can’t hide anything if you’re going to be in your underwear eventually.”
“I change my mind,” Kyle said. “I don’t like this. Abort!”
Rachel groaned. “Kyle, we’re going to get what we need before we get to that point, right? We’ve planned this out thanks to Ty.” Ty mumbled something under his breath about how they better be thankful for him.
He parked the car in a very beautiful part of Uptown Minneapolis. The night was unusually cool for the time of year. Rachel kept looking for anyone else that looked as dressed up as they were.
“A few things to help us keep cover,” Ty said. “You gotta act like my girl.”
“Um, wait,” Kyle said in her ear. Rachel voiced the same thing out loud.
“This is serious,” Ty said pointing to his arm. “You gotta hang onto my arm or hold my hand or something. The girls that are brought here are innocent. They are fresh, uncorrupted, beautiful girls who are a little scared, but they trust their boyfriends or friends or whoever the guys are. You can’t act like you’re out to take them down. Be cool.”
“He’s right, Rachel,” Raine said. “You’ve got to go in the wide-eyed and excited with a hint of nervousness.”
“Okay, well I have the nervousness down.”
They walked into a restaurant that she had passed several times when she had been through the area. She gripped Ty’s hand as they stood waiting for a host to approach them.
“Do you have a reservation?” The host asked. Ty stood up as straight as possible.
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy.” Rachel watched as the host looked both of them up and down. She had a beautiful green dress that fit tight on her figure. It was something she hadn’t worn in years, and probably wouldn’t have worn again due to the fact that it left little to the imagination. Ty had an old tux that he used only for the Book Club meetings. They had made sure that Ty had cleaned up nicely for this. They also had come up with a story for her, and how they had met.
The host motioned for them to follow him. They made their way through the dining area and through a back door that led down a hallway beside the kitchen. The host pointed to another door and waited for the couple to pass by him. Ty looked at Rachel as if warning her to let him take the lead. They walked down a lit stairwell and found a man waiting at the bottom.
“What’s your name?” The man was big, also dressed up, and definitely had a gun on him.
“Ty Wilkins, and this is my client, Rachel.” The man checked a tablet in his hand and looked at her.
“You just registered her today. She hasn’t had the chance to go through the background check.”
Rachel felt Ty stiffen. Obviously, wasn’t something he was prepared for. “What do you mean a background check,” Ty countered.
“A background check is done on the girls. Didn’t you check your invite last week? Register the girl at least twenty-four hours before the event.”
“Rachel, listen to me. Most likely, this guy isn’t some run of the mill guy,” Raine said. “I’m going to bet that he’s military. Ask him about the military.”
Rachel cleared her throat. “You look like you were in the military,” she said innocently.
“Army,” the guard said gruffly. Before he could say anything else, Rachel kept going.
“My brother was army. He served three tours. I miss him a lot.” She said it out loud, but didn’t look at him when she said it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Ty’s arm. The guard was quiet for a moment. They could hear footsteps coming down the stairs behind them.
“Come on,” Ty said. “I’ve been here before. I’ve done some things for the Mocker personally. I didn’t know about the new rules.”
The guard narrowed his eyes but softened a little when Rachel flanked up at him. “Fine,” he said. “One-time exception—for both of you. Deposit your cell phones and any personal items in the lock box at your table.”
They walked past him, and into an all-white room decorated with several chandeliers and tall standing tables that each had a candle and flower with a tablet that sat on top of a gray metal box. Rachel looked around. She couldn’t see the cameras, but figured they were hidden pretty well.
Another guard frisked him, and then moved to Rachel. He wasn’t as invasive as she thought, but she prayed that the earpiece was hidden by the earrings that she worn.
“That was close,” Ty said. “Where did you come up with that?”
Rachel pointed to her ear. “Got the best g
uide in my ear.”
“Well, good, because you’re going to have to keep this acting up. We’re going to have to mingle until the Mocker enters. Maybe that will give your friends time to do their thing.”
He took the tablet and opened the metal box. He took his personal items and put them it. Rachel did the same. When the box closed, there was an audible click. No access to them until after everything was done.
Kyle turned to his cop buddies who were sitting with him and Micah in his living room. They had laptops open.
“Okay, so do you think you can use her cell to get into their network?”
“Kyle, I got this,” Reggie said as he worked on his computer. “As long as your wife has her phone set up as a hotspot, I can get in. I just have to hack her phone and make sure that it doesn’t look like the hack is coming from the inside.
“Ty said they have about thirty minutes until the event actually starts. We need to be logged in as a buyer before that happens.”
Micah stood back and watched them work. He specifically watched his brother. Kyle would have made a great cop. Actually, by now, he could have seen Kyle in Intelligence or something like that. His brains and charisma could have gotten him far—much farther than where Micah was.
The doorbell rang, and everyone jumped up. Micah held up his hand. “I’ve got it,” he said walking out of the room and over to the door. Mary Duscane stood on the porch.
“Micah, you’re answering the door for your brother now?” She started to come inside, but Micah stepped out quickly closing the door behind him.
“Well, you know. Feels like I’m home when I’m with him. Surprised that you stopped by so late.”
Mary frowned. “Why are we standing out here? Where is your brother? Rachel?”
“Kyle has a really important project he’s working on, and Rachel and Raine are out on a girls’ night. They’ve really hit it off.”
“I just want to pick up my kitchen knives that Rachel borrowed from me the other week. I won’t disturb Kyle.” She tried scooting around him, but he stepped in her way again. “Micah, move.”
