by John Charles
"Well I think I've had enough for one night," said Tom as he pulled his boy up and gave him a tight hug.
As they made their way across the now extremely crowded floor, Aaron turned to Tom and said, "I need your help. Is there any way you can get Grant to open up and let me have the information on the auction?"
Tom sighed knowing what Aaron wanted. After a minute he said, "I'll keep an eye out for Grant. If I see him, I'll try to get him to talk to you again, but I can't do more than that. If he says no, I'm backing off." He stopped Aaron near the door, looked around as if making sure no one could hear him and said, "Can I use the money angle on him? He's probably thinking about what you said, right now. If he thinks he can't win the auction, he might be willing to bargain for the information."
"From the way he looked at me when he left, I'll bet you're right. We probably hit his doubt button on the head. I'm sure my client would be able to help you, too, if you can get him to open up to me. He is very generous, Tom."
Tom nodded as he and Aaron continued toward the exit stairs, followed by their boys.
As Aaron got near the exit, he spotted Akerheart and Robins. He continued walking. Suddenly Tom turned to him and said, "I could use some of that finder's fee." He pulled his boy to his side and walked away from Aaron and Declan.
Aaron could have gotten a cab at Central Station, but wanted to walk a bit. Nothing was said as he and Declan made their way to Kings Cross. Once there, Aaron said, "I wanted to punch Grant's face in when he started talking about Ethan. I had all I could do to not throw up, I was so angry."
As they talked, a black van pulled up next to them. The side door opened revealing Akerheart and Robins sitting on the middle seat. "You need a ride?" said Akerheart looking at a very annoyed Aaron.
Aaron and Declan climbed in, slid the door closed, and the van sped off.
Chapter 17
"You didn't expect him to give all his secrets away, did you?" asked Akerheart on the drive back from Kings Cross. "He thinks he has a chance to win the auction. It's not likely but that's what he thinks - at least right now."
Aaron looked out the window not saying a word. As they passed through sections of London, he had never visited, he thought of Ethan. I can't begin to imagine how difficult this must be for him. Tears fell from his eyes for the first time since this roller coaster ride started. As the van stopped in front of the building in which Aaron lived, he said, "I'm going to get him back - whatever it takes." As he opened the door, Akerheart said, "Debriefing at nine. MI5 will be there too." Aaron nodded and walked away.
Though Aaron thought he failed, the MI5 team felt he achieved a strategic success. "We identified Grant from his picture, ran a check on his credentials and found out more about him then he probably knew about himself," said Shaun, Hank's former boss. "You did good, Aaron, so stop beating yourself up." Everyone agreed with Shaun, trying to pull him out of his self-imposed funk.
"We think Grant has stumbled onto a very tough kidnapping ring that we've been trying to nail, in the act, for three years now. Our reports indicate they seize youngsters, give them sex training, and auction them off to the highest bidders. It's our belief the bidders are from Middle Eastern and Asian countries, where cute young boys and girls are a hot commodity, especially someone like Ethan. We've been close, but never caught them in the act," said Shaun as he briefed the combined Andrews and MI5 teams.
"How do they get away with it? I mean how do they transport the kids without getting caught?" asked Aaron. "They can't walk them onto a commercial flight without setting off all kinds of alarms, so do they use private planes?"
"Actually we think they use cargo planes to ship the victims, but we can't prove anything right now. Aaron, we want you to continue to be the decoy. Both Tom and Grant know you. Tom seems to trust you and said he is willing to help."
"By the way, Tom's barely holding on to his business and I suspect that's why he said he could use some of that finder's fee," said Hank looking into Aaron's bloodshot eyes.
"He runs a small manufacturing company that has a good reputation for prototype development, but his business has felt the economic downturn over the past few years. Use that to your advantage and he'll be eating out of your hands," said Shaun.
"This all sounds like a waste of time if Grant doesn't give us the info we need," said Aaron.
"We need Grant to help our man get vetted, but we don't need him to give you access to anything else. We already have his email address, passwords for all his bank accounts, and have all of them under constant surveillance. As soon as he receives that email, we can start searching for the sender, but we still need you to convince him to get our man onto the list of bidders," said Shaun.
"What if I can't do that? What if he refuses to help me?" said Aaron beginning to show panic as he spoke.
Natalie put both hands onto Aaron's shoulders and said, "You have surprised everyone in this room with what you've already done. Do you think Shaun would keep you as the decoy if he didn't feel you could achieve the goal?"
Everyone agreed with her comment. "Frankly, Aaron, you've done far better than some of the people we have on staff, so please, rest assured you're doing fine," said Shaun, as he addressed Aaron and the others in the room.
"We need a strategy to cover all bases, so let's put our heads together," said Shaun. They continued to work on the plans throughout the day. Every few minutes, Declan or one of the MI5 people checked with headquarters to see if Grant received the email from the kidnappers.
In short order, Aaron had regained most of his self-confidence and was aggressively participating in the planning sessions. "Tom usually heads to one of the clubs around eleven each night, so we need to be ready for his call from then on. I suggest we all get some rest so we are awake and alert when you receive my text." He updated his contact group to include Shaun, Hank, and two other MI5 agents.
The meeting broke mid afternoon, with detailed plans for any possible scenarios. Most would be initiated by Aaron since he was the decoy, but three specifically revolved around Grant, Tom, and Robert's email accounts. Any emails would be aggressively vetted for the location of the sender. If Grant received the bidder email, the team would pursue him in a friendly manner to start. If he refused to cooperate with Aaron, the team would use more decisive action, but only as a last resort.
After the meeting broke up, Aaron went directly to the gym. He needed to vent his pent up frustrations and weights always worked for him in the past. He found himself in the company of several people, from the meeting, who had the same idea.
He was becoming used to eating in a pub near his bedsit and chose to have a meal that evening. The pub was nothing to write home about, but was clean, had a pleasant wait staff and good food. Maybe I'm becoming more of a local than I thought possible.
As usual since this roller coaster began, he slept with his mobile under the pillow and the ring tones set to maximum. He awoke to his alarm at six the following morning and frantically checked to see if he had missed any important texts. None had arrived so he showered, dressed and went to work, stopping for a quick breakfast on the way.
Though not the first person to arrive, he was the only member of his team in the office that morning. Everyone else had either slept in or had client calls to catch up on. Even Hank's pleasant smile was nowhere to be found.
The day dragged. He checked in with Declan to see if any emails had been received by Grant or Tom, but none had. All his client work up to date, he went back to trying to locate the sender of the emails. He was no closer to the answer when he left at six that evening.
Restless after a frustrating day, Aaron chose to walk the five miles from Andrews to his home, stopping along the way at a different pub for supper. His bedsit was a comfortable place to sleep, but little else considering the size, so he found walking home to be a great way to release stress as well as to see the town in which he lived. Today, however, the walk was less then satisfying. He wanted to contact Tom, but Sh
aun said not to. Grant had not received the desired email making him wonder if his bragging was just for show. Shaun said his bank account had enough money to cover the good faith deposit as well as a sizable payment for Ethan if he was fortunate enough to win the bid, so he certainly had the means. But where was that damned email.
Lying awake, trying not to think about what was happening to Ethan, Aaron stared at the ceiling when his phone signaled a text message. Startled at the sound, he grabbed the phone from the side table near his bed. The text read He wants to talk with you - The Hoist
Aaron jumped into action, sent a reply that he would be there as fast as possible, forwarded the text to the team, dressed in his leathers, and ran from his building. The cab ride was fast at that time of night, but not fast enough to calm his nerves. Aaron let his head rest on the back of the seat hoping the butterflies would settle.
Declan was waiting for Aaron a few buildings from the entrance. They met up and slowly walked to the people milling around in front of the ropes. "What's going on tonight? Why the ropes," he asked Declan as they approached.
Declan had no idea either so they made their way to the front of the line and questioned the bouncer. He laughed at their question. "New policy. The boss wants us to make sure everyone is properly dressed for the events. He said too many guys are trying to get in wearing jeans or trainers. This is not that type of club."
Both Aaron and Declan having worn their leathers were immediately admitted to find the place more crowded than on previous nights. "I still don't understand how these guys work all day and party all night," said Declan as he and Aaron struggled to get to the bar.
Drinks in hand, both began looking for Tom and Grant. Neither was visible from the crowded bar so they made their way into the main room. Aaron felt himself getting anxious thinking they had missed Grant, when he spotted them talking near the entrance to a side room. Grant looked as if he had too many drinks already. Tom's boy was standing by his side since the crowd prevented him from kneeling at his feet.
When they finally got near Tom, a man bumped into him and casually pressed an envelope into his pants. He whispered, "two thousand pounds. Buy Grant's loyalty. Don't let him know the email arrived in his account ten minutes ago." The man continued walking away as if he had just stopped to say hello to a friend.
Aaron surprised Tom with his version of a bear hug. Though Tom was a muscular man, Aaron topped his weight by fifty pounds at least. As he held Tom, he whispered, "Thanks, I'll make sure you are taken care of."
Declan stood next to Tom's boy and remained silent as Aaron said hello to Grant. As Aaron had expected, Grant was already feeling the booze. He didn't want this to become loud and uncomfortable so he steered the conversation to the auction as soon as it permitted.
"You gave me something to think about," said Grant. "This is my first time bidding for a boy, but you are probably right, there will be others with more money than me."
"Don’t fuck with me, Grant, my friend wants in. How does he get on the list of approved bidders?" asked Aaron staring straight into Grant's eyes.
Grant broke the stare first, looked off into the distance, then back to Aaron, but he didn't look directly into his eyes. "I got in through a friend who had bid in a previous auction. He told me that I could invite one person to this auction, if I wanted to. The guy would be vetted first. If he passes muster, they will let him in."
"Okay. Here is his name and email. Get him approved," said Aaron as he handed Grant a card with the MI5 operative's details on it.
Grant was nervously looking around the room as if he expected trouble. Aaron knew his back was covered, so he maintained his aggressive stance. He knew that Grant had money in the bank and wondered why this man wanted the finder's fee. Then a light went on. "Are you doing this for someone else?" he asked.
Grant looked like a boy caught shoplifting. His shoulders slumped and his stance weakened at Aaron's question. "Yeah, I am. My friend said he could get me this gig if I fronted a guy. I needed the money so I agreed."
Aaron laughed, causing Grant to stiffen. "Looks like we are in the same boat then. My friend doesn't want his hands dirty, so he asked me to do the leg work. Ease up Grant, we do the stupidest things when we need money."
Grant relaxed as Aaron, he and Tom continued to talk. He said he would do his best to get Aaron's friend vetted, but also said he had no control over what they did. It was approaching closing time when Grant looked at Aaron and said, "You mentioned a finder's fee. Is that still available? I could really use it."
Aaron smiled, reached into his pants, and withdrew the envelope. "I thought you might want a good faith deposit from me." He passed the envelope to Grant and said, "Two thousand now and eight more when my friend is vetted, so make sure you are convincing."
Tom watched as Aaron and Grant completed the transaction. He saw something in Aaron that reminded him of himself twenty years prior. He liked what he saw and made a mental note to invite Aaron to dinner again.
Grant and Aaron exchanged mobile numbers and email addresses. Then Grant made his way out of the club. Two men followed him to the door and signaled others to continue as Grant left the building.
Tom and Aaron agreed that it was late. "I don't know how you do it Tom. I probably will not function tomorrow," said Aaron as they pushed through the crowd followed by their boys.
Tom laughed at Aaron's comment, saying, "I'll get about four hours sleep after I leave a club, work all day, sleep after work and do it all over again. It's been my way for over twenty years."
Aaron looked at him in disbelief. "I don't think I'd like that," he said as they left the building. "Once in a while is fine, but not every night."
Tom laughed again and said, "Then find a comfortable median. Find what works for you and enjoy yourself. In fact, if I were you, I'd go home and enjoy your boy tonight. He looks like he could use some affection right now." Declan blushed, as Tom put his arm around his boy and walked away.
Chapter 18
Aaron received more text messages than actual voice calls on his mobile, so Grant's call surprised him. He thanked Aaron for the advance and told him the first email had arrived.
"Great, forward it to me at the address I gave you last night. I want to see how these guys work."
Grant hesitated then said, "It has orders that it should not be forwarded to anyone. The note says the email is specific to me and they will know who opens it. Is that even possible?"
Aaron knew it was possible; it was done all the time by direct mail marketers to let them know how their emails were working. "I'm not sure how they can do that. Have you forwarded the money to the numbered account yet?"
"Yeah, did that as soon as I read the email. It contained the details for the numbered account and said the pre-auction show would occur within the week. The instructions said the money had to be in the account within forty-eight hours or I would not be permitted to bid. I just don't know. What if they can see who opens the email? I'll be screwed for sure."
"I get what you mean. Just forward it to me. I promise I won't click on the link. I just want to see how they work - okay?"
"I guess, but please don't get me bounced from the auction."
Aaron reaffirmed his promise and closed the call. Five minutes later the email arrived at the gmail account Aaron had set up after Ethan had been kidnapped. He called Declan to explain what just happened and asked to speak with Shaun.
"Grant is panicking. I promised him I wouldn't open the link. Can you guys do something that will prevent the tracking cookie from reaching the sender?"
Shaun brought the network expert back on the line and asked Aaron to explain what he just told him. When he finished, Aaron said, "I know we need to find the sender, but if we fuck this up, we not only lose Grant, we lose any future email as well."
After several minutes of deliberation, they agreed to hold the link in abeyance. They would attempt to trace the sender of the email, from Grant's computer. He had no idea that
MI5 was monitoring his every action.
"We already know about the numbered account," said Shaun. "We watched Grant do the transfer before he called you."
"You're monitoring both his computer and mobile, so why did you want me to call you?" questioned Aaron in a tone that clearly showed he was annoyed.
"Because I knew you would make a deal with Grant to get the email. I wanted you to feel comfortable making the deal and calling me with the details. Listen Aaron, we are on the same side, so please don't second guess me at every turn, okay?"
Aaron was still annoyed, "You have access to everything Grant does. Should I presume you have me monitored as well?" he questioned.
Shaun's hesitation said all Aaron needed to know. "I have work to do," he said and closed the call. Damn, I feel like a puppet on a string, he thought, as he slammed his fist into the file cabinet adjacent to his desk. I just want Ethan safe, then I can go back to my normal life again. His fist hurt, but a lot less than his bruised ego.
The MI5 agent, in Kuwait, received an email the following day. The wording suggested he participate in the auction for a rare bottle of wine.
"You would be bidding on an extremely rare type of satisfaction. Exotic, and well worth the money, this wine will give you endless hours of sensual pleasures. Aged over 15 years in a solid, sleek container, you will enjoy the beauty in any situation your mind can imagine. Should you not successfully win this bottle, there are six other equally rare and exotic beauties for your bidding pleasure."
Since these beauties have never been opened, we are asking that you provide a good faith deposit to show your interest in the auction. Please follow the instructions below. The link will take you directly to the form. It has been specifically established for your personal deposit.
You will receive further details regarding the pre-auction showing of all the exotic beauties within two days. If your deposit is not received within that period, we shall assume you are no longer interested in acquiring one of these rare beauties.
