Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
“Leo.” Gorya’s voice was very low and compelling. “Something happened to bring you here tonight. I want you to tell me what that is.”
“I was too outspoken from the beginning against trafficking, even back when it was first starting. My wife and I kept away from the business as much as possible. There’s been a group of us. Forgive me, Gorya, but we watched what happened to your families in the lairs in Russia, and part of the reason we came to this country was to ensure we weren’t a part of that. At first, we had a good territory. The gulf was close, we had access to highways and could fly small planes out, so we were able to slowly build a good business. We were under the radar and thrived. Everyone seemed happy.”
This time his hand came up to rub his temples. His hand was visibly shaking. Leo appeared to be a man in his prime, around forty, solidly built. He didn’t seem the least bit afraid of most things, yet clearly, he was beyond all hope. From the little Gorya knew of him, he was devoted to his family. That was about it.
“A couple of years ago, Braum Malcom’s son, Derk, came home from college and brought a friend with him. A kid from Panama. He called himself Raul Escabar Alba. Seemed like a nice enough kid at first. Everyone liked him. Really intelligent. But eventually, I found I didn’t like the way he treated the women. Neither did my wife. Some of the other wives noticed as well. Braum brushed off his mannerisms as his age, just a brash young college kid, same as his son. Rumors began circulating about the treatment of some of the girls he and Derk dated, but they were hushed up.”
I have the feeling this is the heralding of a visit from Albert Krylov. This sounds like what I saw happen in New Orleans and Houston, Maya informed him. Not that I ever encountered Raul Escabar Alba, but I’d heard of him.
Gorya passed the information on to Gedeon, Timur and Ashe. “I’ve heard this name before,” he told Leo by way of encouragement to continue when he seemed to falter or expect Gorya to become impatient with the way he was getting around to what had prompted him to be there that particular evening.
“A couple of years before you challenged for leadership, our pakhan, Rivel, was visited by a man introduced by Braum and Derk. He came with Raul. He was from Russia.”
Albert Krylov, Maya guessed, breathing the name into Gorya’s mind.
“Albert Krylov,” Leo echoed aloud. “He was here for just a brief visit but arranged to return, with the intention of hosting a party for everyone the next time he came. He would arrange everything.”
The women, the drugs. The cameras to record everything that went on. He’s so good at leading them down the path of complete debauchery. Maya’s mind was filled with disgust. He preys on the weakest first. He strips them of their inhibitions and frees their monsters. Those men help him persuade their friends to join him until it becomes a domino effect. I saw that with Polina and the women I knew when I was a teen in Houston. Albert was so good at leading men to do despicable things even then, when he was young. He filmed it all, and then he had them. They would be willing to do more for the rush of power. Or if they balked, to keep him quiet so he wouldn’t use the evidence he had against them.
“Quite a few welcomed the parties that followed. There isn’t a lot to do here and Krylov seemed to know how to entice not only the men to his parties but some of their partners as well. I didn’t go, and some of the others didn’t either. I think, in the end, that’s what set us apart. Braum noticed and tried to get us to come several times. He wasn’t happy that we didn’t attend, but I’m not the party type. I’m a family man.”
“You were uneasy with the way the others began acting.” Gorya made it a statement.
Leo rubbed his jaw. “Yes. They were all . . .” He frowned, searching for the right word. “Different,” he finally settled on. “The men weren’t as respectful toward the women, even their wives, not like they used to be, and that’s when Rivel introduced human trafficking into the mix. We had no say in the matter. We had to accept it, just as we did everything else. Rivel knew we weren’t happy about it. He showered us with money, but it left us feeling dirty. There was no getting out. We understood that. We talked about how we might find a way of taking our daughter and leaving without making it seem as if we were trying to leave. An illness, maybe, but we knew it wouldn’t work. We’d been too vocal in our protests. Braum was watching us closely, paying attention to everything we said and did, even if Rivel wasn’t.”