No Place Like Home by Harley Christensen

Author:Harley Christensen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harley Christensen

Chapter Twenty-Two

After recovering from that whammy, I blew out a breath. “I don’t suppose you’ve been able to extract anything positive?”

“If there was, I doubt the forensic accountant would have gone to the lengths he did to keep the details he collected in the journal safe.”

No arguing there. It had cost the man his life.

“What else? I can tell there’s more.” I caught his eyes and held them, noting that they had a softness that wasn’t always present.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

I didn’t, but I had to know, so I mustered my best stiff upper lip and offered him a single nod.

He absently dusted nonexistent crumbs off the counter. One might have thought he was about to divulge Martha Stewart’s Top 10 Housecleaning Tips. Though domestic goddess I was not, I almost wished it were the case.

“What we’re talking about spans every viable country, socioeconomic region, demographic, cultural base…you name it. And while the United States has tempestuous relationships with some of the most favorable and profitable locales, the operation has its tentacles in almost every major market worldwide. It goes without saying, but your coyotes and low-level human smugglers don’t even make it onto their radar. We’re talking large money. Big players.”

“And massive risks.” Martin nodded at my assessment. “So, what are we talking about? Girls for cash?”

“Not as simple as that. Bidding wars would be more accurate.”

“Bidding wars?” The first thing that came to mind was that show where people would stab their mother in the back for a shot at the contents of some abandoned storage unit.

“Online auctions where players not only get a visual sampling of the goods but a substantial buy-in is required to bid on those goods.”

“Gawd, Martin! We’re talking about human beings here—flesh and blood—not commodities.”

“Arianna, what you have to understand is that in this world, they are one and the same.”

I knew he wasn’t saying it for shock value, but it sent ice through my veins. What about Leah? And Shelby? What did this mean for them?

“Then why bother with the club-vacation rental property setups? Seems like they’d be more trouble than they’re worth.”

Martin shrugged. “As I alluded to earlier—to test out the area. To serve as a decoy for the real operation. To test the prospect’s interest level or how far they can be leveraged if the need arises. It could also extend to the people working for the operation—their loyalty, reliability and again, the leverage angle. Any combination of these could be considered a factor.

“Plus, getting set up in a new location would take a significant amount of time. There’s a lot to contend with, both legal and otherwise. You’d need reliable individuals to vet the area before the decision to open up shop is made and then ensure the market has the appropriate individuals in place so that the operation functions smoothly out of the gate. It takes time and patience to get those roots firmly planted, the right palms greased, etc.”

The more he relayed, the more intense the repulsion became.

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