Friday, April 9th, 50XX
It's the next morning and Elliot sits outside on the porch of his, Maxis and Kiera's apartment with Kade, both enjoying a bowl of cereal.
"How'd you sleep?" Elliot questions.
"I slept great. Thanks so much for you and your friend and your General letting me stay."
"You're welcome. The air mattress in my room was okay? I'm sorry if I coughed a bit in my sleep, Maxis wouldn't want you in his room and it would be an invasion of Kiera's privacy if we stuck you in her room."
"It was fine, really."
"Cool, cool."
"Elliot."
"Yeah?"
"Is my sister going to be okay?"
"Well, they're not kicking her out of the country so there's that, Kade."
"Yeah, but I mean-"
"Them sending her to psych?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know... But Maxis inside says it's a good thing because she will get the help she needs. After Ring taking her and holding her against her will and judging by the sound of things, not just what they did to her...
And how she has been ever since she moved in with me and Maxis, she was better, but it wasn't hard to see she still felt traumatized even though she carried herself quite well.
She doesn't speak much generally, but she's done a lot of talking the past few days."
"I can't imagine an evil as bad as they sound."
"Well, it's true. People can be bad, Kade. I was once."
"Really?"
"Yes, I was 'friends' with some men, all older than me. I was 14 and they we're in their early 20's. We we're a gang more or less and we robbed homes, business and so fourth.
I was arrested for robbing a four bedroom home, so was two of the youngest men is their 20's, Lance and Jerry. There was two others, Dion and Gavin, they got away.
Actually, I always lied to everyone around me and told them I went to juvie for robbing a gas station. I didn't, it was a four bedroom house.
The General no doubt knows, can see my background, but his never once corrected my lies when I lied to other people like my friends.
Not even Maxis knows."
"Do you want to tell him?"
"Maybe one day... But not at the moment. What do you think about Ring? Other than evil taking many forms."
"Do you think someone has ever infiltrated them?"
"Doubt it or they'd have been taken down by now by someone."
"Are the U.S Military going to hunt them down?"
"They could, but they are in Canada according to Kiera so we don't actually have jurisdiction there unless Canada grants us permission and agrees to extradite."
"So we're not doing anything about them?"
"I don't know yet, but Vincent there is a meeting taking place later so maybe they will. Not just because they hurt one of our own and that Kaylee V went missing, they are likely involved in her going missing.
If someone knows too much, you remove them from the picture, but also, hundreds, maybe even thousands of innocent civilians lives at stake.
Not to mention heaps of other crimes no doubt committed other than kidnapping, trafficking of humans, laundering of money and connections they would have in the dark underbelly of a criminal society that thinks they are a law on their own."
"So, there's a lot at stake."
"Yep."
"Hey, guys!" Maxis says, poking his head out through the sliding screen door.
"What's up Maxis?"
"The General wants to see you, Elliot. Hey, Kade. Do you think you could come chat with me in the mean time?"
"Sure." Kade responds as he stands up. "I need to wash my breakfast bowl anyway." Holding a hand out for Elliot's which is empty.
Elliot hands it to him and leaves. Kade follows Maxis inside to the sink.
"Kade."
"Uh, yes?"
"Can I tell you something?"
"Depends."
"You can't tell Elliot."
"Why?"
"Just promise me."
"Okay, okay. I promise."
"Good. You know, this is not the first time the Military has set someone up you know? We're going to go after Ring and take them down."
"How?"
"We haven't gotten quite there yet, but the General has some ideas. And..."
"And..."
"We actually set up Elliot years ago."
"What do you mean?"
"He told you about himself out there."
"Oh..."
"All of us already know, he and acquaintances of his robbed a four bedroom house, him and two we're arrested while the other two got away.
Not a gas station. He does have a gas station on his record though, no doubt was hungry at some point at 14. He stole bread and a jar of chocolate spread."
"How did you guys set him up? He doesn't know..."
"The house he robbed was our house."
"What do you mean?"
"My Dad you have met and my Mum, Lea who died from cancers house, they owned a four bedroom. I'm the same age as Elliot and 14 year old me was home at the time of the break in.
I hid and they didn't find me, I'm the one who call the Police. They never even knew someone was home, Dad was out working at the time, but he had security cameras in the house and saw them so he had help out there fast."
"Cameras in a house is creepy, my parents don't do that."
"And you likely weren't a runaway at times and a brat growing up to your parents and sister."
"Well, I am now..."
"I was troubled, the cameras we're to keep an eye on me, make sure I was safe when home. That day really scared me, but it's also what prompted the decision for me to better myself and train to join the Military.
I graduated as the youngest in the class at the academy at the time, became a flight pilot."
"So, Elliot and two friends of his we're arrested?"
"Yes, Jerry Vance and Lance Strong. Elliot went to jail from age 14 to 19 and they only just got out last year on probation. Elliot is 26 years old.
Elliot hasn't bothered to see if they are out and I'm glad he doesn't care enough to check up on them."
"So, how exactly does this count as setting them up?"
"I ran into Elliot on purpose at university. My presence in his life, I wanted to get to know the man who did such a thing and I realized that good people do bad things, but that doesn't make them fully fledged evil.
Very few people are truly evil.
I enrolled in some mediocre class and got close to Elliot. Became his friend and coaxed him over time into considering the idea that joining the Military was a good thing, he did and became Special Taskforce like the rest of us.
Me, Vincent, Allie. Adam & Derrick. The government thought he was worth keeping tabs on."
"That's serious."
"Well, he broke into a special task-force Military generals house."
"I guess... What happened to the house?"
"Dad put it on the market later and moved us onto base as it would be safer here for me. Mum was long dead before I even grew up really, I never got to know her.
I've seen photos and had heard stories. That's it."
"I'm surprised criminals are allowed to enlist, I thought they weren't."
"Actually, they aren't. Not the regular military, only the special task force takes ex-cons as our rules are stricter, more secure, everything compared to the normal military.
We're secure and can keep tabs on everybody."
"I'm officially scared."
"Don't be, you haven't done anything to piss off people in high places, Kade."
Then Maxis phone rings. "I need to get this. One moment...
Hello? Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure, we'll be there. Do you want me to bring Kade? He says yes? Okay, I'll bring him. Coming now."
Maxis hangs up. "Good news, there is now a plan and the U.S and Canada struck an agreement."
"You want me there?"
"That's what Vincent said my Dad wanted."
"Okay."
---
Both boys head over to the meeting. "So now that I have debriefed everyone on Ring, we understand how they operate, their objectives and so fourth mostly.
We take them down, but there are a few missing pieces of information we don't have. Who is the head honcho or honchos and what is the best way to tackle this head on that doesn't result in loss of human life for us, innocent civilians or even their staffing."
"General." Elliot says, raising his hand.
He smirks and shakes his head. "I knew this was coming."
"We take them down from the inside.
They would have employees and employees have access to their information and areas. We find out some staff, see if we can offer them a deal in exchange for narcing."
"That's not a bad idea, but is also dangerous. If we choose the wrong person who may not be agreeable, we risk tipping off Ring that someone is onto them and their operation goes poof and relocates.
But also as there could be innocent lives at stake and we're dealing with traffickers, who knows how strictly they keep tabs on their stuff.
Do they threaten their staffs members in order to keep loyalty?
So of we bribe someone for inside access, we need to pick the right person. But we also don't have a complete list of name and faces really.
So far according to what info, Kiera Bailey provided.
There is a head manager, a co-manager but names and face unknown and a head supervisor overseeing lower staff named Nadine May.
We have her name, but no other information or photo. I did offer her name to Canada and they are searching public records, but if there is more than one Nadine May-"
"I know her sisters name, she has an older sister. There is a worker bellow her called Bobby Green who has a fiance and one of their Doctors who... her name is Bonnie Desmond."
"Dude, did getting sick with Hanahaki make you fucking psychic or something?" Vincent curses and Allie elbows him in the ribs.
"General, I'm right. They're family members are probably have social media accounts, unaware what their family member is working for Ring.
We strike at what's dearest to them, their family and they narc. No doubt Ring already threatens their family if they narc so we threaten their family and they narc, but we have to stay ahead of Ring before they found out."
"Okay." The General says, writing down Bobby Green and Bonnie Desmond.
"So, who is their family? I can have our online team search the internet, but I need they're family members names and we search for that in comparison to the people we know about and we will probably get a full picture, posts, alongside photos."
"Bobby had a fiance, they're getting married. Her name was... Clara Green.
Not sure if she changed it to save time later or she's using it informally."
And the General has them do some searching, they find a internet profile for her easily and Canada offers her citizenship records.
"Oh my god, she's a cop." Vincent says. They see photos of her and Bobby.
"Looks she was last active 30 minutes ago, posted a photo of bacon, egg and waffles and a cup of orange juice. Car keys in the photo. She is proably getting ready to head to work any moment now.
She goes to work, we lose the opportunity to get ahold of her for several hours till the evening." The General says.
"So we?" Vincent responds.
"We call her, her mobile phone number is right there. She is a officer of the law so she will no doubt listen and not panic."
Her number is dialed. "Let me do the talking." The General adds on.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is this Clara Green?"
"Speaking. Who is this?"
My name is General Peterson, I'm with the U.S Military and I wanted to take a moment to have a talk with you. This is serious and concerns multiple lives.
You are welcome to check with your own country officials to verify the authenticity of this call, I can wait.
I understand you are a police officer."
"Jordan, if this is your idea of a joke it's not funny. I'm running for late work."
"Clara Green, I am not a friend of yours pranking you. If you would like to call your sergeant-"
"Jordan, I don't have time for this."
"It concerns your fiance, Bobby Green. The man you are about to marry any month now, I'm not looking to ruin your relationship, but he works for a human trafficking company called Ring."
"Jordan, fuck you. Seriously. That is disgusting and morbid. You and Bobby are friends. How dare you make up such a bold tale?
I was supposed to be at work 15 minutes ago. I sware when Bobby hears about this in the evening, you both have been friends for 10 years."
"Miss Green-"
And the phone let's out a hung up dial tone. "Damn. Thought there was a good chance she would listen." Vincent says, the General still standing there with a timed out phone.
"Back to the drawing board it is. Who is next? Nadine May & Bonnie Desmond.
Nadine May, 26 has got an old sister who is 29 called Natalie May. There is some photos on social media and Canada says there is no voting records for them or anything.
But we can see some hospital records for a Nora May and Lucas May, both girls parents. At a hospital right now, on hospice. They are dying, but it doesn't say what from.
Bills are being paid without insurance or public health funding."
"Doesn't that usually scream illegally in the country?" Vincent says.
"Maybe." The General responds. "Nadine May is enrolled in a legal course at a nearby university and we don't have a place of work or anything for Natalie. Could be working under the table."
"Should we call Natalie? There is a phone number on the hospital records, she is the primary bill payer listed for her parents."
"We won't know how it will go till we try. So we call her and if she acts similar to Clara, and we exhaust all other options, violence and arresting a whole group without floor blueprints and so fourth is a last resort, Canada assisting too."
Natalie's phone rings for several minutes before there is an answer. "Hello?" Says a weary voice.
"Oh, did I wake you up?" The General says.
"Mmm, yeah. Who is this? Is this the hospital? Are our parents okay?!" The woman on the other end panics.
"I'm sorry, but I do not know. You might want to call them when we are done talking."
"Who is this? I've been awake all night and just got info bed."
"My name is Peterson."
"Natalie. What are you selling?"
"I am not selling anything."
"Okay, so what do you want? Markers research survey?
"This may sound alarming, but I'm a General with the U.S military."
"Okay? And? I'm not a U.S citizen..."
"But you're not a Canadian citizen either."
"Oh shit! I-I am so sorry!"
"I'm not out to arrest you, that's Canada's jurisdiction."
"Are you going to tell them?"
"That depends. Can we talk? Like really talk?"
"You have my attention..."
"You have a young sister, yes? Nadine May, 26."
"Yes..."
"Where is she now?"
"Still here, why? She isn't due at work for another hour maybe? I was at the hospital all night with our parents and I have work in the afternoon.
I would like to get some sleep."
"I understand, I won't take too much of your time, Natalie.
Where does your sister work?"
"At a pub. Why?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... What is the point of all this? I'm tired as fuck, Mr Peanutson."
"It's Peterson."
"Sorry."
"That's okay, just listen to me. You sware you are telling the truth?"
"Yes!"
"Because your sister is probably lying to you. Does she bring alot of cash in?"
"Uh, kinda. A bit higher than minimum wage, I work too and she is also studying in her spare time. Legal studies. What are you implying?"
"I'm not concerned about either of you working under the table, Natalie."
"So, what is the concern? Do you have like a employee badge number I can have or something to verify this?"
"Of course." And he reads out a number.
"Got it, I'll phone later to double check. So why are you calling about my sister?"
"We have reason to suspect she's workings for organized crime."
"And just when I thought I heard it all. I need a drink."
"Natalie May, I would request you refrain from getting drunk. I need you sober otherwise it's illegal for us to talk."
"Fine. So, you are claiming my sister is a part of organized crime. Any proof?"
"That's what we are trying to get, concrete proof."
"What, so you want me to search her room?"
"Do you want to search her room?"
"I would after she goes to work."
"When does she leave the house?"
"Uh, I don't know. Can I ask?"
"If you don't tip her off, yes."
"Nadine!"
"Whattt?"
"When do you leave?"
"Soon! Why?"
"Because I want to give you a lift to work."
"Oh no! You don't have to do that! It's okay, I can take the bus to work! You rest, you we're at the hospital all last night with Mum and Dad."
Nadine sounds nearby, in another room.
"But how long?!"
"20-25 minutes?"
"Okay!"
And then Natalie gently closes the door of bedroom, returning to the call. "She leaves in 20-25 minutes."
"Okay, okay. Listen, we need you to talk to her. But first, how would you say your sister responds to being confronted with cold, harsh truths.
Being called out on actions and behavior? Does she struggle to handle her emotions?"
"Uh, I don't know. I'd say she was a normal? I've never really seen her get angry or anything. Are you sure this is my sister we are talking about?
There's no way she's working for a human trafficking company. She's in law school, she wouldn't jeopardize her future like that and that we are here illegally too..."
"When did you both arrive here?"
"Uh, I was 6 and she was 3. Mum and Dad came here for a better life. I don't remember what things we're like back then."
"What nationality are you both?"
"Uh, Russian."
"Thanks. You don't sound it, Natalie."
"Uh, I never really picked up the accent and I like Canada better. Nadine on the other hand, likes everything about Russia and, well, yeah.
Um, so, what do you want me go say to my sister?"
"Just talk to her, tell you know what she is mixed up in and get her to talk. There is an offer available, she won't be prosecuted in exchange for giving us information.
And if Canada kicks you both and your parents out, the U.S will take you all.
You can have citizenship here."
"Okay, I'll talk to her."
"Good, put your phone in your backpocket."
And she goes up to her sisters room, knocking on the open door. "Nadine."
"Oh, yeah?" Nadine says, folding the top of her back over to hide the work clothes, belt, boots and weapons hiding inside.
"Um, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to come out and at it."
"Are our parents okay? They didn't pass away did they in the night?"
"What? Oh no, no, no! They are fine, they're alive!"
"Слава богу!"
Translation: "God bless!"
"I'm sorry for scaring you."
"So, what's wrong, sister?"
"Nadine, are you working for a organized crime?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard me. Are you doing something you shouldn't be doing and you know deep down is wrong?"
"No, who would do that?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
"I promise you I don't know what you are talking about, and I have to leave for the bar now or I'll be late."
"Then I'll give you a ride instead of you taking the bus."
"Natalie, you we're at the hospital all last night with Mum and Dad and you are due to babysit in the afternoon.
You don't have too, the bus is fine."
"Show me your bag."
"What? No, why would I do that?"
"If you're not lying, you would show me."
"Natalie, that's pretty fucking rude. Don't pull that bullshit with me. Wait till I tell Mum and Dad you're being a bully.
"I want your bag."
"No!"
And there is a scuffle for the bag between the sisters. "Oh my god!" Screams Natalie, eyes widened when she catches glimpse of a gun and drops the bag.
Nadine quickly grasps it. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Nadine, put it down."
"Step back outside of the room and I will lower it."
Her sister does as she's told and Nadine lowers it. "It was never loaded."
And she quickly slams her door closed, looking it from the inside. "Nadine? Nadine!" Natalie panics, banging on the door.
"Natalie, what's happening!" The General says and she picks up the phone.
"S-she has a gun! She just aimed it at me. Oh my god, you guys are telling the truth."
"Where is it now? Are you in danger?"
"She locked me out of her room! She wouldn't admit to it. She had other weapons, a work uniform in her bag."
"Did you see any labels saying Ring on the clothes?"
"N-no! I-I didn't get a good look!"
And then she's silent for a second.
"Nadine! Nadine! Open the door!"
"Natalie, what's happening?"
"Shit, I think she's overdosing! There is drugs in her room. I-I can hear coughing and it sounded like a body hit the floor! I think it was her!"
"Call-"
But he doesn't get to finish his sentence, hearing her dial pad and another voice on the live.
"Hello 112, proceed. What is your location?"
"I think my sister is overdosing!"
"How old is she and what is her name?"
"26! And her name is Nadine May!"
"Do you know what she's taken?"
"I don't know! I heard coughing and the sound of what was like a body hitting the floor! She kicked me out her room, the door is locked."
"I'm sending an ambulance. Is this location correct?"
And the operator reads out Natalie's location. "Yes! Please hurry!"
"They will come as fast as they can. I know this is scary, but I need you to take a deep breath for me. Do you know what drugs your sister has in her room and how many?"
"Uh, no idea. I don't know!"
"Okay, it's okay. You re doing great. What's your name?"
"Natalie."
"May?"
"Yes!"
"Is their a window you can see through or is their a spare key you can use to enter her room?"
"No! Neither."
"Other than drugs, is their anything else I need to know?"
"She has weapons in there."
"Which ones?"
"A gun, pistol I think. A taser, baton, small knife."
"Okay, I'm communicating that. Is their anything going on before this happened that could have led to it?"
"I accused her of something awful, it was true. I saw what was in her bag!"
"And what was in her bag?"
"The weapons I read out."
"Okay. And what did you accuse her of?"
"Peterson, do I tell her?"
"Hello, this I'd General Peterson, U.S Military. Employee number:"
"Got that, hello General. We are aware of you guys. What happened?"
"Natalie May's sister has been confirmed to be working for a human trafficking company."
"Okay. Natalie, I see there is a police cruizer in your area, I'm sending them to your location now. They will arrive before the ambulance."
"Thank you!"
"Car 24, this is Dispatch. Be advised, suspected overdose, 26 year old female, Nadine May. At 1019 Birchmount.
Patient behind locked door and suspected to have passed out. Ambulance en route, but you are closer.
There are weapons in the house behind the locked door. Caller is 29 year old sister, Natalie May."
"Thank you, Dispatch. Attending scene now. Over, officer Green, Car 24."
"Natalie, the officer is a minute out. She will be at your door any moment. Can you go unlock it?"
"But what about my sister? I can't leave the her!""
"I need you to go unlock your door for me, Natalie.
Natalie, are you there? Hello? Officer Green, 211 call is now silent. Over."
"Received, over. I'm pulling up to residence now."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe19EDNDmzN
