“Hello, my lovely,” Nick said.
Those weren’t exactly the words I’d expected to hear from him “I need your help,” I said, the words spilling out.
He must’ve heard the desperation in my voice, because he said, “What is going on? Where are you?”
“Cortnie and I were on a stakeout south of Salinas. She went in to set up some surveillance equipment, and we lost contact. I’m at the house now. I’ve looked around, and I can’t see her anywhere. I don’t even see the backpack she was using to carry the equipment.” My voice cracked as I explained.
I could hear a sort of rustling and moving around as Nick said, “Where are you? I mean, exactly where are you?”
I didn’t know the exact address of the house, so I had to look it up in my notes. “Hold on a second.”
“Mimi, where are you?” Nick sounded frantic.
I found my notes and gave him the address for the house. “It’s a farmhouse south of Salinas over the railroad tracks. We were staking it out because we think that there’s a sex trafficking ring. Cortnie went in to set up surveillance cameras and, like I said, we lost contact. I want to go into the house and see if someone dragged her inside. Or maybe she just went inside and somehow or another, we lost communication.”
“Mimi, don’t you dare go in that house alone. Stay in the car and lock the doors. Gabe and I will be there in a minute. Should we bring back up?”
I thought for a moment, I didn’t see anybody, but there were lights on in the house. “There are lights on in the house, but I haven’t seen any movement. And I don’t see any cars. I really think I’m alone. I’m just going to go in the house and take a look.”
“Dammit, Mimi, stay in the car. We will be right there. Don’t you move!” Nick hung up.
I couldn’t wait. What if something had happened to Cortnie, and waiting ten minutes for them to get here would be the difference between life and death? She was my employee, and it was my duty to look after her. I drove the car around to the side of the house where the equipment barns were and parked. I checked my Glock, put it in the holster, and got out of the car. I closed and locked the doors, then pulled my gun from the holster.
I could hear my feet crunching on the gravel as I made my way along the wall of the barn. There was at least a twelve-foot space between the barn and the fence that surrounded the house. I looked both ways, then ran to the fence. My back against the fence, I opened the gate. I rolled my body to the inside perimeter, and looked both ways as I walked up the sidewalk to the door. Staying close to the bushes that lined the house, I made my way around the outside. I held my gun and flashlight in front of me, looking into the bushes and along the lawn to see if I could see any trace of Cortnie. When I got to where I thought the back door was, I saw Cortnie’s backpack on the ground. Next to it was her headset.
My heart raced and my stomach flipped. The car that had driven by earlier had to have come from this house. Now I had to know if Cortnie was still in the house.
I crept up the stairs to the front door and checked the lock. It was solid and it was locked. Going back down the stairs, I made my way around to the other door where I’d originally come into the yard. I moved up the steps and carefully tried the door. Bingo. I opened it and entered what looked to be a mud room. To the left were a washer and dryer, coat hangers, and a row of boots. Large men’s boots. To my right, I saw a door that was slightly ajar. I couldn’t see any light coming from inside, so I slowly pushed the door open and felt along the wall for a light switch. I flipped on the lights to see an office. Neat and tidy, with old metal filing cabinets and what looked to be a government issue desk and chair. There was another door beyond that office that stood wide open. Again, there were no lights on. I decided to lead with my flashlight and my gun.
I swept the room, which consisted of a closet, a bathroom, and a bedroom the size of the grand master bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished but had three twin beds and one dresser. There were night stands next to each bed with a single lamp on each.
I left the room and turned right to find myself in the kitchen. I went straight through the kitchen, and into a living room, which had three couches, all threadbare, and a large flat screen TV that leaned against the wall. The only lights that were on came from above me, so I moved across the room and up the stairs.
It was in the first room that I got my first shock.
Chained to the radiator were three young girls all completely naked. My breath caught, and I almost vomited. Next to them were five-gallon pails, and the room smelled of urine and feces.
I covered my mouth and breathed in through my mouth to keep from throwing up.
Had the girls not been so drugged, I think they would have screamed for help. As it was, they just looked at me in utter astonishment.
I didn’t know whether to walk up and reassure them, or stay put. All of the girls look to be Hispanic, so I asked, “Do you speak English?”
No words, but all three slowly nodded their heads.
“Are you okay?” That was the stupidest question I’ve ever asked in my life, but I need to know if they were at least functional.
One of the girls repeated my words. “Are you okay?”
The other two girls looked at her, but no one responded directly to me.
Before I could ask another question, I could hear commotion downstairs. I turned to leave, and when I got to the doorway, one of the girls screamed, “No!”
I turned back and put a finger to my lips, then whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
I walked to the end of the stairs, my gun in front of me, praying it was Nick and Gabe, and not the people who were running this house.
Complete and utter relief washed over me when I heard Nick yell up the stairs, “Mimi?”
I holstered my Glock and ran down the stairs to meet Nick and Gabe.
Gabe’s skin was ashen. “Is she here?”
Gabriel Garcia was Cortnie’s husband. They were still in the newlywed stage, and this was not something newlyweds should ever have to deal with. No one should have to deal with the disappearance of a loved one.
“There is an office in a bedroom downstairs, and no one was in there. I came through the kitchen and the living room, and didn’t see anybody. I’ve only gotten as far as one bedroom upstairs. There are three naked girls in that first bedroom.”
Nick shot up the stairs, nearly knocking me over, Gabe right on his heels. They stopped at the first bedroom and stepped back when they saw the girls.
“Find some blankets or sheets or something, and get these girls covered. I’ll check the other rooms.”
I did as I was told, opening cupboards and grabbing anything I could find that would cover the girls. I looked for clothes, but didn’t find any. I tossed towels to two girls and a sheet to the other. “Put these on. Wrap yourselves up.”
I walked back out into the hallway and saw Gabe with a key in his hand. “I’ve got a van coming. I’m going to unlock these girls. You go see what you can do to help Nick.”
“Maybe you should let me do it. I don’t think they’ll want a man so close.”
Gabe nodded and handed me the key.
There were three more bedrooms upstairs, and each room held three girls. By the time we got all of the girls covered and unlocked from the radiators or plumbing, I knew I’d be scrambling for clothing for a dozen girls.
In the very last room was a young girl with purple hair, and purple nail polish. I asked her, “Is your name Yolanda?”
There was a slight look of recognition, but she didn’t give me a nod or shake her head. She just looked at me with wide eyes.
Twelve
Charles
The girl wasn’t Yolanda. I didn’t know if I was disappointed, or happy. I was happy that Yolanda wasn’t on the streets, and yet I was disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to remove her from her captors.
My phone rang again and I ignored it. I really didn’t want to hear what Max had to say.
I went back to my car, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and set it on the passenger seat. I’d been so disappointed and relieved at the same time, and now the adrenaline rush had worn off.
My phone buzzed again and I looked down. It was Mimi.
“Why have you not been answering your phone?” she screamed.
Normally, I would admonish her for her lack of phone manners, but she sounded frantic.
“I thought it was Max. He wants me to stop tailing these girls in Oakland. But I told him I won’t stop until I find Yolanda.”
Silence on the other end.
“Well, Charles, you can stop. I found Yolanda.” Mimi’s voice sounded defeated.
“You’re kidding me. Where are you?”
“Not kidding. I’m at the house on Somo Road.” Mimi’s voice cracked.
“You found her? Why aren’t you happy?” I was elated. Suddenly, every ounce of adrenaline I had lost came back. I started my car and put it in gear before I realized I was still on the phone.
“Charles, finding Yolanda came at a price.”
Every cell in my body went stiff. I couldn’t move. “What do you mean it came at a price?” I braced myself for her response.
“Cortnie’s gone.” I thought I heard Mimi cry on the last word.
“Okay, Mimi, take a deep breath, and tell me what happened.” I tried to remain calm on my end so Mimi wouldn’t freak out any worse than she already was.
I could hear her sucking in a breath. “We came out here to the house to put in the surveillance system. We’d been checking in with each other to make sure everything was okay. Then I checked in and didn’t get an answer. I thought maybe she was busy with her hands, and couldn’t answer, so I waited a few minutes, then tried again. I still didn’t get an answer from her. As I was waiting to hear from her, I saw a vehicle drive down Somo Road towards the highway. It struck me as funny, because we didn’t see any vehicles when we were at the house. When I dropped her off, there were no cars on the street or at that house. So I came back up to the house. I went all the way around the outside, and then I couldn’t wait for the police. I couldn’t wait, Charles. I went inside the house.”
I held my breath, as I waited for her to tell me that Cortnie was dead. That they’d shot her, strangled her, or broken her neck.
“Charles, she’s gone. They took her. They left twelve girls behind in the house, but Cortnie is gone.”
The revelation of her words hit me like a Mack truck. Cortnie wasn’t dead, she was still alive. But was that better or worse than being kidnapped by these animals? “I’m in Oakland. But I’m coming home. I’ll get there soon as I can.”
I disconnected from Mimi and called Max. He finally picked up the line on the fifth ring.
“You finally decided to return my calls?” Max said.
“Sorry, I was away from my phone. I was getting a better look at the girls on the street, and left it in the car.” I hated lying to Max, but it was better this way.
“Sadly, Charles, I don’t even believe you. What do you want?” Max’s words were clipped.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m going home. I won’t be coming back up to Oakland for the time being. You get your way.”
Max’s words were softer now. “I’m glad you thought it through, and decided to leave this alone.”
“Well, Max, I could lie to you and tell you that’s why I’m going home, but it’s not. We found Yolanda.”
I could hear the relief in Max’s voice. “Really? Is she okay? Where did you find her?”
“I didn’t find her, Mimi did. We were looking at a house south of Salinas, and it turns out Yolanda was at the house. Mimi went into the house looking for Cortnie and found Yolanda.”
“This is awesome.”
“Not so awesome. They’ve got Cortnie now.”
Max was silent. After a moment he asked, “Where are you?”
I told him I was at the cigarette stand on International Boulevard.
“Stay there. You’re getting a police escort home. I’ll be there in a few minutes, and you can trail me all the way home.”
“I’ve got a better idea. You can trail me all the way home.”
“It’s a deal. I’ll see you in a few.”
I thought the drive from Salinas to Oakland was a blur, but the drive after midnight on the way home was even more of a blur, literally. I don’t think my speedometer went below a hundred and five while we were on the highway. I slowed only for the toll booths, and that was only because there were cars in front of us. Max’s blue light kept us in the left lanes, and kept him clear. I realized about ten miles in that it was best for him to be in front to clear traffic. Thank God he wasn’t afraid of speed.
By the time we reach Salinas, everyone was still at the Somo Road house.
Max pulled up and parked on the shoulder in front of the house, and I pulled up behind him. We got out of our cars and approached the group of police officers together. Max pulled out his badge, and said “FBI.”
Normally, that would put police officers on the edge. The FBI wasn’t always welcome at every scene. In this case, Gabe and Nick were standing amongst them and there were cordial hellos all around.
“Can you update me?” I asked Nick. I wasn’t asking if he would, I was asking if he could.
Nick put his hand on my shoulder and stepped aside, away from the group of cops. When we were about ten feet from the other men, he said, “There were a dozen girls in the house, and the girl you were looking for was one of them. Mimi found them. I’m sure she told you about Cortnie.”
I nodded vigorously. “Yes, that much I already know. Anything more about Cortnie?”
Nick took a few more steps away from the group. I looked back and saw Gabe looking at us. My heart sank.
“Mimi said that while she was waiting to hear back from Cortnie, a car drove by. She wasn’t able to get the make or the license plate, but she gave us a decent description. We have a BOLO out for the car, and were trying to get more information.”
My whole body shivered. I was so furious. “I told them to be careful. I told them that these men were dangerous. The two of them should never have come out here alone.”
“The two of them? From what Mimi said, it was going to be Cortnie and Lydia. You’re just lucky it was Mimi,” Nick snapped. “At least Mimi knows what she’s doing. I can’t believe you were going to send Cortnie out here with a rookie agent.”
He was right. I had to take my admonishing. I was lucky that it was Mimi and not Lydia.
I looked around, not seeing any sign of the young girls. “Where are they?”
“We have them all upstairs in one bedroom. We have the door closed and the heat turned up. We got clean clothes from a friend of mine at the Salvation Army. They’re all going to take showers, get dressed and then we are going to take them into town to the hospital.”
“There were no clothes anywhere in the house?”
“We looked. Apparently, they made sure that the girls stayed naked, so if they escaped, they would have nowhere to run. And on a cold night like this, who was going to go outside? We were just lucky that there were sheets on the men’s beds. I hated having to wrap them in something that smelled like those…monsters.”
Those poor girls, wrapped in the stench of the men who had kidnapped and terrorized them.
“Should I go up there and help?” I asked.
Nick indicated with his head that we should head back over to the group of cops. “No, I don’t think that another man seeing them naked is what they need right now. Besides, Mimi is up there.”
“Are you transporting them in vans? Or are ambulances coming?”
“No one is in need of immediate medical attention,” Gabe said. “Right now, we are trying to find a way to track down Cortnie. These girls are safe for now.”
His last words “these girls are safe for now,” stabbed me right in the heart. This was my fault. I should never have let anyone near this house without me.
&nbs
p; Mimi came running down the back sidewalk and out the gate, yelling, “Nick, Nick, I think I have something.”
My heart leapt when I saw Mimi.
Nick and Gabe immediately turned to her.
“What do you mean, you have something?”
“I was picking through Cortnie’s backpack. She had one of the cameras set up. They were on motion sensors. There’s a delay. Anyway, I was looking at one of the screens, and the car that I saw drive by was parked on the backside of that fence.” Mimi pointed to the far side of the house.
“How do you know that?” Nick asked.
“Come inside, I’ll show you.” Mimi turned around and ran back up to the house.
Nick jogged along behind her.
Even though this was no longer my case, I followed Nick.
In the kitchen, Mimi had all of Cortnie’s surveillance equipment from her backpack spread across the kitchen table. She turned on one of the monitor screens. “Look. See that?” She pointed at the screen. “Do you think you can enhance that and get the license plate?” she asked Nick.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There must have been a struggle, and Cortnie or her attacker had knocked the camera off the fence. And it had gotten a perfect shot of the illuminated license plate of a Volvo station wagon.
“I’m not sure why, but I think Cortnie must have thrown her backpack and headset over the fence, so whoever attacked her wouldn’t have access to it,” Mimi explained. “Does it make sense to you that she would do that?”
Cortnie was a smart girl. I didn’t think she threw the backpack over the fence because she thought it was going to catch her attacker. I think she threw it over the fence to keep him from having access to it, so he would think that what she had was all there was. The only way she’d be caught was if someone from the house found her backpack in the morning in the daylight.
Nick turned around and wrapped his arms around Mimi, hugging her tight. “What made you think to look through this stuff?”
Mimi didn’t even hug Nick back; I think she was in shock. She looked up at him. “I just thought it was strange if she was abducted from outside the house, you know, outside the fence, why was her backpack on the inside of the fence?”
Trespassers Will Be Prostituted. Page 9
