Meaning, no way was the scheduled half hour pit stop ever going to be enough, and they’ve now been here for over two hours.
The thrill in being in one of the world’s tallest buildings seems to give the group “altitude giddiness.” Everyone demands their own turn with the telescope to catch the views. And of course, there is a different feeling on the open air eighty-sixth floor and the closed 102nd floor observation decks so the views must be seen twice with two different perspectives. When they first got on the bus, Noah handed each one of the girls their own new smartphone so of course, everyone wants to take lots of selfies and group photos with some of Manhattan’s best views as the backdrop.
With twenty-plus people to coordinate on two separate floors, group coordination was impossible, but now it’s time to go. However, in gathering everybody together, it is discovered that neither Larissa nor Tanya is around. While Olivia and Noah lead a group to the upper deck to search, JJ and Abby stay with the rest on the main to look for the missing duo.
Twenty minutes later, the reality of Larissa and Tanya not being there is confirmed. It is decided to reconvene at the bottom to decide their next move.
Sam goes to the restroom first, but before he hits the urinal, he hears a sobbing from behind one of the stalls. It’s not locked, and he opens it.
Larissa is sitting on the toilet seat, crying. The twelve-year-old looks up to Sam and whimpers, “Tanya left. She never wants come back.”
Sam wraps her arms around her.
This is so not good. The slippery slope to hell is so available to young people.
Sam knows because he was there. His father in jail and mother a drug addict, Sam was in a gang, starting to peddle drugs, and it would have been a whole lot worse had not Noah’s best friend, Chad Huang, the namesake of the foundation, taken an interest in him.
Chad, the big brother he never had, kept Sam out of juvenile homes, played basketball with him and other kids, talked to him whenever he could, but mostly, Chad was his friend. Seeing Larissa like this makes him realize that she needs a Chad Huang too.
“Where did she go?”
“I have no idea,” moans Larissa. “But she wasn’t happy here.”
It’s not too hard to figure out what could happen. A broke teenager who speaks little English who runs away from stability...
“We’ve got to get to her before the gangs do,” says Sam. “C’mon.”
He helps Larissa off the seat.
Kids helping kids. But how?
***
“Where would Tanya be?” is the focus of the discussion in the charter bus. She is no dummy, and she is a survivor. If she can last in Moscow and support a little sister on the fringes, New York is a piece of cake. With over three million Russians living in the NYC area, she’ll easily get absorbed into the community. For a resourceful teenager like Tanya, it’s not that hard to get a social security number or job or driver’s license.
If she doesn’t want to be found, it is unlikely she will be found. Millions of other illegals in America do and manage to lead productive lives.
But that’s not the danger. The real worry is if she gets caught up again, if not by Alexei, someone else like him. That’s a snare that bites hard that she will find hard to break out from. Only incompetence and overconfidence from Alexei’s henchman, Raoul, allowed the girls to escape in the first place.
Noah shouts out, “Is there another suggestion than Alexei as to where Tanya may have gone? Any ideas, any leads, anybody you can think of?”
The girls, to a person, shake their heads. Nyet.
Polina speaks up. “Alexei always treated her better. That’s because she knew more than any of us.”
“More what?”
“You know. Things... Men things. Tanya did more because she wanted more.”
This time Noah doesn’t need to ask “more what?” Smack, China White, coke, speed... any or all of it. Doesn’t matter. Results are the same.
Noah knows better than anyone else here what’s at stake. He lost his parents to a drug addict that his parents were trying to help. Stabbed over a hundred times each. For Noah, alcohol was the poison of choice. A bottle of the potent Chinese liquor Baijiu per day. At almost 50 percent alcohol content. If that didn’t zap your brain cells into oblivion, nothing would. If it weren’t for Chad and Master Wu, he would never have pulled himself out of the abyss.
That’s why urgency is of the essence with Tanya. As tough as she thinks she is, it’s all a front, and it would take only a little puff to send her house of cards tumbling.
“Hey, Walrus, I got a job for you,” says Noah to the young black computer geek.
“Oh boy, another freebie,” grumbles the young black teen.
“I’m not asking you because you’re cheap, I’m asking you because you are great. You’re an Internet rock star. Find Tanya for me.”
Flattery works every time. The beaming Walrus calls out to Larissa, “What’s your last name?”
“I think it’s Chekhova.”
“You think or you know?”
“I don’t know what my real last name is. That’s the one they gave us. The people at the orphanage.”
“Right.” It’s a nightmare search. Firstly, there are variations and variants of the spelling of “Chekhova.” Same with “Tanya.”
Millions upon millions of possibilities but none that fit the profile.
Walrus asks with a note of despair, “She’s completely off the radar. I would be too. Let’s forget her.”
“How about Alexei then? He was connected to Queenie and Raoul,” says JJ. JJ’s question shows his lack of knowledge about Internet searching. Can’t be unexpected because until a MONTH ago, he’d never been on the Internet.
“Forget Raoul and Queenie. I’ll focus on Alexei. How many Alexeis are there in New York with criminal record ties that might have a connection to Skyscape Recording Studios?” asks Walrus.
His young fingers fly. When a normal search doesn’t reveal anything of substance, Walrus uses his secret weapon - the NYPD database illegally accessed through his policeman father’s account.
It doesn’t take Walrus five minutes before he turns the computer around and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, meet Alexei Gudonov.”
The young Russian girls cringe in fear even at just a picture.
JJ nods questioningly, “Good enough?”
“No, Gudonov. Kind of like the Russian Tsar from 1598-1605. Opera composed by Modest Mussorgsky,” says Abby.
All look at Abby like she’s from Mars.
“I was a music major at Juilliard,” says Abby sheepishly. “You learn a lot of useless stuff like that in school.”
“So how do we get to Alexei Gudonov?” asks Noah.
Walrus looks up. “Alexei has a number of businesses in the Russian area of Brighton Beach. Stores, restaurants, dry cleaners, car wash, plumbing company. He’s got his fingers in a lot of pies. Hard to say which one he’s at.”
“Which means we should check them all,” says Olivia.
“Why don’t we do this? I will go back to the 7th and talk to Olga. She will remember me, and maybe Tanya has been in contact with her. Noah, you go to Brighton Beach and meet up with Alexei,” says JJ.
“What about the girls?” asks Olivia.
“I like to go to 7th,” says Larissa. “Maybe we can have lunch with Olga. She’s very nice.”
“Sounds good. JJ and Abby can take the girls and the bus to the 7th. Abby and I will go to Brighton Beach.”
CHAPTER 13
Eva closes her eyes and breathes deeply. What to do next? She couldn’t get through to Kotik. Probably the cell phone reception in the subway was poor, or maybe it was too noisy. She left a message and prays that her daughter will check it before coming. But then again, she might still come anyway because the subway stop is so close to the hotel.
The call to the church father was a disaster. Eva was nervous about giving too much information, and she gave the priest the
impression that she was trying to sell Tanya to the church or offering her as a sexual gift. He threatened to call the authorities, and she immediately hung up.
This is so totally messed up. What to do? What to do?
Eva turns on the television and scrolls through to the hotel directory.
She leaves the television on and leaves the expansive suite and walks quickly to the service elevator - there’s only seven minutes before Kotik gets here. Hurry, please.
And then a sight she does not want to see - six extremely husky and fit Chinese men leaving the guest elevator wearing identical black T-Shirts with a picture of an angry leopard on the front and arms tattooed with images of the same beast. They go directly to Room 1247, the Presidential Suite that Eva just left. They either don’t see or ignore Eva.
The biggest and most powerful-looking of them balls his fist and hammer punches a hole in the door.
Please. Get the elevator up here quickly.
Despite the hole, the door is still hard to open it. The big man sees Eva and motions her over. “Open the door.”
“There’s been nobody in there for days.”
“Did I ask you about whether anybody was staying there or not? I said, ‘Open the door.’”
“Sorry. Yes, sir.”
Eva steps quickly, slides the master room card into the key slot. The door unlocks, and Eva pushes open the door. “There you are. Now I have to go. My daughter is meeting me for lunch.”
She starts pushing the laundry cart to the elevator when one of Prince’s men spots an arm dangling out over the basket.
He pulls back the pile of dirty sheets and towels to discover the unconscious Tanya. He shouts, “Hey Prince, check this babe out.”
Prince walks over and checks her out. “Something you want to tell me?”
“I... I found her in one of the rooms and thought to bring her down to get some air.”
“You found her?” says Prince skeptically. “Who is she?” queries Prince.
“I have no idea. Sometimes strays manage to sneak into the hotel and find a room to sleep in. She’s harmless.”
Prince grabs Eva’s head and yanks it down, pointing to the hole in the door of the Presidential Suite. “You think I’m stupid. I don’t play games. Now, where are the girls who were in this room?”
Eva stammers. “I thought they were with you. I was told they went off with a big Chinese man. You’re not the man?”
“I am looking for him. And his partner. The white guy. And the girls.”
“I was not in charge. I’m the head housekeeper. One of my girls took pity on them and let them stay for a few days.”
“That would be Olga?”
“Yes. You know about her?”
“I know she’s dead.”
“Then you know everything I know.”
Although her eyes are closed, Tanya has heard every word of this conversation. Opening her eyes a sliver, she sees Eva, Prince and the group of Chinese toughs.
Tanya’s self-preservation radar is flashing, and she weighs the situation. They know about JJ, Noah and us. Olga’s dead. That’s why Eva was so afraid when I asked about her. Where are all these Chinamen coming from? Every one built like a kung fu movie actor.
For the briefest of moments, Tanya wishes she were back in the safety of the group. No point wishing for the impossible though. I must buy time until I know what’s going on.
Tanya opens her eyes wide and sits up and stares at Prince. “Wow, you big. You handsome. You strong.” She puts her arm around Prince. “You like me? I like big strong man look after me.”
“Hey, baby, you are one mighty foxy lady,” says Prince suavely. He allows Tanya to fondle him, but he does not respond.
“Not foxy but sexy,” murmurs Tanya into Prince’s ear.
“Hey, little foxy, sexy, what’s your name?”
“My name?” says Tanya coyly. “You can call me anything you like. And I will do anything you like.” She licks Prince’s cheek. “Anything. What’s your name?”
“Me? I’m Prince, baby. Hey you got people looking for you, you know?”
“I know, I know. People try me, they like me. You want to try me too?”
As Eva watches Tanya trying to seduce Prince, she’s wracking her brains trying to figure out who this girl is, and then she remembers Alexei’s photos of the girls and shrieks, “Her name is Tanya. She’s one of the girls you’re looking for. Now, please. Can I go? My daughter.”
Prince ignores Eva as he takes out a small little bag of crack. Tanya’s eyes light up at seeing the little rocks.
Then he takes out another plastic bag of marijuana. He lifts the bag to her nose so she can smell it. “You like? This is the best from Mexico.”
Prince can see Tanya’s eyes light up.
Doesn’t matter whether you’re Russian, Chinese, Mexican, black, white or purple. There’s a drug of some kind that entices you. And if you’re a young teenage girl, you’ll likely try anything. Especially if it comes from a hot buff guy that thinks you’re oh-so-pretty.
“And if you like, I got brown candy from Asia. But I’m not forcing you. Only if you want to come.”
“I want. You have China white?”
“There ain’t nothin’ that Prince don’t have.”
This is a dangerous game they’re playing, but Tanya knows that she’s got to play along.
“When can we go? I like candy, now.”
Prince has tried this on thousands of girls, and it’s worked thousands of times.
This time is no different. But first things first. “In a moment, baby.”
Prince walks over to Eva.
With one hand, he lifts her up by the neck over his head and starts to squeeze. The head housekeeper squirms, flounders and tries to scream but can’t.
As his grip tightens, Prince speaks calmly. “You lied to me. No one does that.”
Finally a few garbled words escape. “I’m sorry. Not happen again.”
A final squeeze snaps her neck. Prince throws her into the laundry cart and covers her. She’s not going anywhere.
Prince then walks back to Tanya and picks her up by the neck the same way he did to Eva.
“Okay, Tanya. If you don’t want to join our housekeeper here, you are going to stop playing games and tell me what the hell is going on. Where are the rest of you?”
Tanya shudders. “I don’t know. I left them at the Empire State Building. I came back here because I wanted to see Olga, the housekeeper. I thought she can help me find Alexei.”
“Alexei Gudonov?”
Tanya nods.
“What do you want with that swine?”
“I want to get back with him... I need a job, and... I want a fix. I’ll do anything.”
Just another junkie. You sure got good taste, Alexei. “You sure will, baby. You sure will.”
In expectation, fascination and horror, Tanya wraps her arms around Prince as they make their way to the elevator.
As they stop in front of the doors, she leans up and says in his ear, “You are the man.”
Prince smiles. Another notch in his gun.
Mission here was a success. He’s a big step closer.
DING! Eva’s cell phone indicates a text.
No one bothers to read it, but Eva would be happy to know.
Got your text Mama. We’ll catch up next time.
CHAPTER 14
Little Odessa is a new area for both Noah and Olivia. To them, New York was synonymous with Manhattan. To be in an area where the chief languages are Russian and Ukrainian and all the shops, enterprises and restaurants have an Eastern European motif is a kind of culture shock, although if Noah thought about it, not much different than the average American would have if he or she were dropped into Hong Kong or Bombay.
Much as Noah wishes that he could just phone the big Russian up and resolve issues with a fifteen-minute call, he knows that the conversation he wants to have must be done in person. If Alexei plans to “marry” Tanya
and she is agreeable, technically there is nothing he can do.
Or is there? At seventeen, she still requires parental consent, and while he’s not the parent, maybe a case can be made for him and Olivia being the guardians.
If she is being kept against her will, well... Noah is ready to deal with that possibility as well... he’s had experience with Alexei.
A few days ago, the foundation members rescued a group of young school kids who were held captive at Alexei’s Skyscape Studios by Queenie, Chin’s daughter. To put it mildly, Alexei’s ass was whipped, and he thought that Alexei would never again be part of his personal equation.
Call it karma, call it synchronicity, call it what you will, but the disparate worlds have found a connection again.
But first he’s got to find Alexei, and that’s not proving so easy. They have checked half of the addresses that Walrus found with a connection to Alexei Gudonov. None were proving fruitful in finding the big Russian. One was a suspicious-looking warehouse, a couple were food stores catering to the local Eastern European community and there was a pawn shop and travel agency. None of the people working in any of the places had heard of Alexei or if they did know, they certainly weren’t telling.
Still another fifty percent to go. The cabby’s the only one happy.
***
The foundation entourage arrives at the 7th where they are greeted like royalty. After all, when they stayed there for a few nights the tab was high, and the tips were generous. The receptionist gladly gave JJ a card to go back up to their room so that he and Abby could search for her missing purse. The clerk suggested that they could check it out thoroughly for an hour in private and nobody would be any the wiser. Of course there was a chorus of teasing from the girls and the exasperated “Oh brother” looks from Walrus and Sam.
Most of the kids except for Larissa and Ling Ling opted to hang in the bus rather than going up - one hotel room is pretty well the same as another. Larissa and Ling Ling decided to accompany JJ and Abby. The two young girls weren’t interested either, but they were becoming friends and both wanted to do whatever the other wanted to do.
SLAVERY UNBOUND: Cruelty & Lust with the Emerging Eastern Mafia (Noah Reid Action Thriller series Book 4) Page 9
