He signalled for them to sit down on two chairs and he sat behind the formica desk. ‘I’m Gustav, you are early, we are not quite ready yet.’
Mason said, ‘That’s okay, we are not in a hurry, and maybe we could have a look around while we are waiting.’ He winked at Gustav.
‘That could be arranged. It seems we get different medical couriers every time. You are a little late for the main auction of the girls, but we are just about to hold the black auction.’
Natasha gave an internal sigh of relief. If he thinks they are just the couriers, they won’t be expected to carry out any operations. She dreaded the answer, but had to ask. ‘How many girls are donating?’
Gustav stared at her for a moment. Maybe he hadn’t expected her to speak. Maybe he had her tagged as the assistant who should remain silent. But after a few seconds he smirked at her. ‘We had just planned on the one today, the one you are here for, but now we have a girl who failed to reach her reserve price in the main auction. So we have put the word out to our medical contacts that we will be auctioning her off shortly. Depending on how the auction goes we may need you to transport more organs. It would make sense if the same medical facility received them all so I hope your clients are looking to do more business.’
Natasha nodded, pretending to agree with his logic. ‘Do we have to wait for medical contacts to arrive?’
Gustav sniggered as if mocking her. ‘Of course not, the potential buyers do not usually view the girls in person in the black auction. It works different to the main auction. We strip her, video and photograph her, and send the footage, along with the blood group and other criteria necessary for matching with a recipient to our contacts via encrypted media. Then we wait for the bids to come in.’
‘Why do you need to strip her and video her, isn’t it irrelevant what she looks like?’
‘That’s a reasonable question, and you are right, they are not sold for their looks, just their organs. It’s all about transparency. You see, big money is involved and the buyers need to be sure they are getting fresh organs from a healthy donor and not from an old tramp or a body that’s been dead for a week. We film the girl alive so potential buyers can see what they will be getting. Then when the deals are agreed we video the procedure and the packing into the coolers so the buyers know they are getting the organs from the donor they paid for.’
Natasha couldn’t find the words to respond. It seemed bizarre listening to this man describe how they work to certain standards when murdering healthy girls by cutting them open.
So she was grateful when Mason spoke.
‘That makes sense. I wouldn’t mind watching the whole thing.’
‘That can be arranged. We will be removing her heart. They are the most requested but you’d be surprised at just how much of the human body can be recycled.’
Natasha remained stoic. She couldn’t allow any signs of her inner disgust and repulsion to be broadcast to this monster, and she knew that by asking to watch, Mason was ensuring he would be present and in a position to stop these ghouls murdering an innocent healthy girl. But she had to check. ‘So, I take it the organs we are here for have not been removed yet?’
‘Of course not, we never carry out the procedure before the couriers arrive in case there is any delay. As you no doubt know, the longest a human heart can be stored and preserved outside the body is six hours. So they have to be cooled and transported immediately. We usually prepare the operation an hour before your arrival so we are all set to go when you get here. But don’t worry, I’ll have the team ready shortly.’
‘Team?’
‘The surgeon and his two nurses.’
Natasha’s blood ran cold at the thought of two girls dying at the hands of these monsters, and she had sensed Mason tense at the same time.
Gustav must have noticed their reaction. ‘Have you watched any of these procedures before?’
Mason shook his head. ‘No, we just transport the goods afterwards. How they are acquired is irrelevant as far as we are concerned. We have a job to do and we are not paid to ask too many questions.’
Natasha caught Mason’s eye and nodded. He had thought fast again and hopefully satisfied Gustav with his answer.
But just in case, she reinforced Mason’s comments. ‘The way I see it, one person’s loss is another’s gain.’
Gustav nodded. ‘That’s right, the recipient of our donor is the wife of a wealthy man in Paris. She needs a new heart and they are not prepared to wait for her doctors to source one through the conventional channels. So you see, when we take a life here we are saving another somewhere else. We should be commended.’
Natasha had one more question. ‘How did you recruit the surgeons and medical staff to carry out the procedures?’
‘It wasn’t easy. Finding a bad apple in any profession takes time and careful consideration. First, we have to identify someone with debts or a shady past they want to keep hidden. But doctors are among the most ethical people on the planet. Finding a bad apple in that profession is the hardest task of them all. You can’t just stick an advert in the jobs section of a newspaper. But if you do your homework you’ll eventually find one with a gambling or drug addiction, or an appetite for little girls or boys. Basically, we just have to identify their vice and use it against them. Our man Simmons had been struck off due to him being drunk while performing operations. He was ripe for the picking.’
‘And the nurses?’
Gustav grinned. ‘Simmons brought them on board, he said he trained up two freelance hookers to be his nursing assistants and that the one he calls Bridget used to be some kind of dominatrix. I suspect it’s just his sick sense of humour, but as long as they get the job done I don’t care.’
Natasha forced a smile and fought hard to conceal a cocktail of emotions with anger being the most prominent. She stared at Gustav and made up her mind there and then. If Mason does not end this man’s existence before they leave the facility, she will do it herself.
Gustav got to his feet. ‘You must be hungry, I’ll have someone prepare you food while you wait for the procedure.’ He left the room.
Natasha looked at Mason. ‘Oh my god, they are going to cut up two girls.’
Mason shook his head and the blood seemed to drain from his face. ‘I dealt with some sick things during my time in the force but nothing like this.’
A few minutes later Gustav returned and told them to follow him to the canteen where they could eat. As they walked along the corridor, Gustav stopped and opened a door to a room enough for Natasha to see through. ‘Take a look, she’s just arrived from London.’
His eyes were fixed onto her, probably watching for her reaction as she looked at the pretty child standing by a desk. She didn’t react outwardly, but inside she wanted to scream. She glanced at Mason. He would not be able to see from where he was standing, but his eyes buried into her as he subtly shook his head. No words needed. She understood only too well what he meant. For god’s sake, whatever you can see, don’t react.
They continued to the canteen with its formica tables and stainless steel counter where two plates of sandwiches were waiting for them. As they sat down at one of the tables Natasha couldn’t resist the question any longer. ‘The girl in that room, are you going to auction her?’
Gustav smirked a grin that showcased his sick attitude to women and girls. ‘We will eventually, but she’ll be making a few movies first.’
Natasha dug deep for her best acting skills to remain casual and nonchalant. ‘Movies?’
Gustav smirked again. He seemed to enjoy trying to shock her. ‘You know what we do here, don’t you? We don’t just supply the medical black market. Our main business is supplying the trade, you know, the sex industry.’
Natasha forced a short laugh but wondered just how genuine it would appear to Gustav. ‘Of course, I know that.’
‘We also supply movies for our most trusted clients, but not the kind you see on Netflix.’
‘So yo
u plan on using the child in your videos?’
‘That’s right, do you want to watch, or better still, participate?’
Natasha hesitated before responding. She wouldn’t be able to hide her anger and disgust if she didn’t. She needed a moment… a long moment. ‘Tempting, but in my line of work it pays to be camera shy.’ She smirked at him. ‘I’m sure you understand.’
‘Of course, but let me know if you change your mind, we could disguise your identity.’
Natasha shook her head. ‘Thank you, but I’ll pass.’
He continued. ‘Trading in girls is highly profitable, but we can’t get enough to satisfy demand. So we supplement that side of the business with movies, and the younger they are, the higher the profit.’
‘What’s the best age?’
Gustav’s eyes glinted. ‘Ten.’
‘How old is the girl I saw?’
‘Ten.’
Her heart missed a beat. She glanced at Mason.
Gustav laughed. ‘Are you shocked?’
Natasha shook her head. ‘Just surprised.’
‘Do you disapprove?’
He must be testing her. Why else would he be giving away so much information so freely. Even though, as couriers of human organs on the black market, they would be compromised themselves, many criminals would draw the line at sexual abuse of women, never mind children. Had they said or done something to give them away, or was Gustav just making sure their moral deviancy didn’t stop at ferrying human organs that had been illegally removed from healthy girls?
She smirked back at him. ‘I don’t really have any strong views on the matter.’ This was without doubt the most incorrect statement she had ever uttered in her life, and she was determined to correct it as soon as she had rescued Katerina. Simply leaving wasn’t an option. This facility had to be shut down indefinitely along with the scum who run it.
Gustav said, ‘It may also surprise you to know that occasionally some of our private clients are women.’
This did surprise Natasha. She knew women were involved in the industry because she had been tricked into going to London by a woman in Bucharest, but she didn’t think they would actually buy girls. But after everything she had experienced recently, she was learning to absorb shocking information in a way she would never have thought possible a few short weeks ago. She tossed back her hair and forced herself to maintain eye contact with Gustav. ‘That’s equality for you.’
Gustav laughed out loud and seemed to relax. If it had been a test, maybe she had passed.
Mason sat back in his chair and asked, ‘I can imagine the older girls are easy to find, but how do you procure the kids?’
Gustav took a moment to move his attention from Natasha to Mason. ‘The latest is from the UK. She was taken on her way home from school, but she was a special order and our associates in London are using her to settle a score. That’s why we’ll be videoing her for them.’ He paused a moment and maybe mistook Mason’s curiosity for a lurid interest in the movies. ‘Are you interested?’
‘Maybe.’
As he got up from the table, Gustav seemed to nod to himself while no doubt planning something. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
Gustav left them to eat and told them to come back to the office when they had finished and he would organise some entertainment while they wait.
After he had gone they were alone. Natasha pushed the plate away and looked at Mason. ‘Is this really happening, or am I in some horrific nightmare?’
Mason looked just as shocked. ‘Oh, it’s real all right.’
‘That girl he showed me in the room, she seemed familiar.’
Mason seemed to think for a moment, then reached into his back pocket, pulled out a photo, and slid it across the table.
Natasha’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh, Mason. That’s her. The girl in the room. It was Jessica.’
Mason stared at her. ‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m sure.’
‘Finish your food, we need to go back to the office, but we can sneak a quick look around first.’
The last thing she wanted to do right then was eat. ‘That scumbag has taken my appetite away.’
‘Okay, follow me.’
They left the canteen and went along to the room where she had seen Jessica. Mason cracked open the door and looked inside. Then he swung the door open wide. Jessica had gone.
Mason closed the door and told Natasha to follow him, but instead of turning right towards the office, they turned left, and as they made their way along the corridor with its white vinyl floors and cream walls lined with half glazed doors, they came face to face with a huge man built like a wrestler or an olympic power lifter.
The big man stopped in front of them and looked from one to the other. Then he held out his hand towards Mason. ‘I’m Hugo.’
Mason shook his hand. ‘We’re the couriers.’
Hugo nodded and looked at Natasha. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he stared at her for a few moments.
Natasha shuddered.
Then he acknowledged them with a brief nod and carried on down the hall.
Natasha exhaled. ‘I was worried there for a moment. Did you see the way he looked at me?’
‘Don’t read too much into that. All men stare at you.’
‘His name is Hugo.’
Mason nodded.
‘That’s the name of the guy who took Katerina.’
‘I know. So she must be here.’
‘He’s huge.’
‘Yeah, all these organisations use men like him as security or enforcers. No one in their right mind is going to argue with them.’
‘We did. Remember Artan and his brother, Victor, back in London? They were a similar size.’
‘Yes, but I said anyone in their right mind. When we were searching for my daughter, I was anything but in my right mind, and the way you smashed a clothes iron into that guy’s head to stop him stabbing me, my guess is you weren’t either.’
‘Point taken, but I’ve just had a thought.’
‘Careful.’
Natasha dug him with her elbow, then pulled out the photo of Katerina from her back pocket and handed it to Mason. He studied it, looked at Natasha, and nodded. ‘The resemblance is striking. So you think that’s why he was staring at you?’
‘Don’t you, now you’ve seen Katerina’s photo?’
‘Maybe he did think you seemed familiar, but let’s hope he doesn’t figure out why because if he does, we’re in trouble.’
31
KATERINA
Katerina’s loneliness ended when a man in a black leather jacket brought in a young girl and pushed her into the room next to hers. As soon as the man left, Katerina moved to the reinforced glass between them. She paid no attention to the camera slowly sweeping back and forth. She had been sold to some unknown bidder and would soon be collected by him or someone on his behalf, so what more could they do to her now?
She tapped on the glass. ‘Hello, my name is Katerina.’
The girl, sat on the end of her bed with her head bowed, her face shrouded by masses of auburn hair, slowly turned and glanced at Katerina with a look of bewilderment on her face. ‘I’m Jessica.’
The girl’s school uniform of white blouse, blue pleated skirt, and white ankle socks, together with her slight stature had hinted at the girl’s tender age, but Katerina drew breath when she saw the girls face, and for the first time in a while she forgot about her own welfare. ‘Oh, Jessica, how old are you?’
‘I’m ten.’
Katerina’s stomach turned over. She could have guessed Jessica’s age but hearing it from the girl’s delicate, shaky, childlike voice just amplified the disgust billowing inside her. But before any further exchange could take place Hugo and a security guy entered. Hugo opened Katerina’s door while the other man opened Jessica’s door.
The girls were led along the corridor, down two flights of stairs, and into a stone walled room with no windows. At one end of the ro
om was a four poster bed with shiny black sheets and pillow cases. Three cameras surrounded the bed, one on each side and one at the end, their lenses pointed straight at the bed which was illuminated by three studio spot lights on tall metal stands.
Katerina froze and looked at Hugo. ‘What’s going on?’
‘You have to make a movie.’
‘What kind of movie?’
Before Hugo could answer, a man, aged around thirty, with short black hair and tanned complexion, entered and closed the door. He walked to a chair in the corner and removed his shirt, revealing a pot belly, thick black body hair, and pockmarked skin.
Katerina didn’t need to ask why he was undressing. She shook her head at Hugo as he pushed Jessica towards the bed. The girl was clearly terrified.
Katerina had to do something. She could not stand by and watch this child used like Sabrina had been back in the Munich warehouse. ‘Hugo, you cannot let this happen, you have to stop it.’
Hugo looked back at her. ‘I can’t, it’s what happens here. I told you before, I’m not your friend. I only protected you until you were sold. And this girl has nothing to do with me.’
‘She’s only ten, Hugo, she’s a child.’
‘You are both kids, that’s why you are here.’
‘I hate you, Hugo. I hate you for what you are doing.’
Hugo gripped Katerina’s arm and led her over to the security guy. ‘Take her back to her room, I’ll get her later.’
Katerina pulled free and ran over to the man behind one of the cameras. ‘Please sir, let her go, use me, I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t let them hurt her.’
The camera man, in his forties, with long fair hair tied back in a pony tail, shook his head. ‘Sorry sweetie, it’s my job, and you’re next.’ Then he looked at Hugo. ‘Get her out of here or she’ll ruin the shoot.’
Innocent Girls Page 18
