Chapter 16 Reminder #2
Returning to the communal room, two more of my men stood beside a fifty-gallon metal drum they had carried inside while we were in the other room.
“Everyone gather around,” I ordered to the rest of the women in the room.
“There’s an important lesson to be learned today.
” Tentatively, they all rose from their seated positions and flocked around the drum.
“I’d like you all to understand what happens when you fuck with my business.
” Nodding, the lid to the drum was opened.
Audible gasps and cries shot through the air as the surprise was revealed.
Britney’s bludgeoned and severed head was piled at the top of the rest of her severed limbs, blood and grime covering every inch of her exposed skin.
The scene was already grotesque enough, but I think the smell really sold the show.
“Oh God,” Ricky murmured as he came face-to-face with what was left of his girlfriend’s body.
Britney had been a decent recruiter at first, promising each one of these girls who were more than down on their luck a better life than the one they were living.
She’d find them on the street, befriend them, earn their trust, then slowly bring them into the fold. She promised them a place to stay where they would be safe and cared for, where they could earn a living and eventually get back on their feet.
It was an easy sell, so easy, we didn’t even have to keep them locked up—because they simply had nowhere else to go. They were convinced they’d be arrested for prostitution if they went to the police, and not only that, but they would be putting their own family’s safety in jeopardy.
We took great care in ensuring there were no other alternatives for them, that leaving would be a grave mistake, and they were far better off here than out there.
“Let this be a reminder of what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you. We give you housing, food, drugs, security, even protect your kids from CPS, and all we ask in return is that you earn your keep while keeping your mouth shut. Is anyone else having difficulty with that concept?” I said aloud, staring down each one of them.
Through quiet tears and uneven breaths, they all shook their heads, cringing with fear as they eyed the woman in the drum.
“Good, then we’re all done here.” Turning to Ricky, who was still eyeing the drum, I placed my hand on his shoulder to catch his attention.
“Find a new recruiter before the end of the week,” I told him, then turned away to head back up the stairs, annoyed I had to waste my time here at all.
This was the simplest of operations to run, and Ricky was starting to outlive his usefulness.
The motel was the easiest place for trafficking, and I had about a dozen of these setups all over the state.
The automatic check-ins and check-outs, third-party reservation systems, non-mandatory registration and identification, and guest privacy allowed the buyers complete anonymity and allowed us to easily wash the money through the motel revenue.
With the location being right off the highway, the number of truckers we got on a daily basis was so highly lucrative that we didn’t need to solicit much online, which would otherwise open us up to the potential problem of cops pretending to be buyers.
So long as we kept up appearances, we had a very booming business.
I sighed as my phone vibrated in my pocket for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour.
I pulled out my phone and a grimace formed on my face.
The caller ID displayed the name of the last person I wanted to deal with right now.
But at this point, it was inevitable. I was honestly surprised he’d waited this long.
“Hello, General,” I answered, keeping my tone low but polite as Scott and I stepped outside. Scott instantly turned his head in my direction, all his attention now focused on the conversation I was about to have.
“Davis,” he replied, the disdain in his voice abundantly clear. “I think it’s time we have a chat.”
Straight to the point. As always.
“When.”
“Tonight. Ten o’clock. You know where,” he said and hung up.
I rolled my eyes at the dramatics and pocketed my phone, preferring to just ditch the old man and ignore the summons. But if he wanted to put his nose where it didn’t belong, then I’d have no problem reminding him of the roles we were all expected to play.
“Was that who I think it was?” Scott asked.
“Tonight at ten o’clock,” I confirmed with a nod.
“This should be interesting. I’ll alert one of the units.”
The meeting would be a huge waste of time, but I would indulge the old man, if only to remind him how insignificant he was to me.
He’d been a decent resource in the past, but I had long outgrown his usefulness.
He knew this, but he still liked to throw his weight around every once in a while to convince himself he still had sway.
Tonight, I’d make sure he’d never question his relevancy in my world again.