Page 106 of One Minute Out

“I tried. She wouldn’t go. They’ve told her she’s being taken to the Director of the Consortium, and she sees this as the best chance to blow the doors wide open on this entire trafficking ring.” I add, “She’s doing it for you.”

This is hard for the Romanian woman to accept; she argues with me for a minute, insinuates that I should have popped her sister on the head and hauled her off the yacht. I don’t mention that I did, in fact, pop her on the head, and then I left her right there in the clutches of the murderous sex trafficking ring.

Not my finest hour, I’ll admit.

She’s furious at first, but as I drive north I calm her down, and it’s clear Talyssa knows what I know, that Roxana’s desire to live up to her sister’s expectations was what put her on that boat, not me, and it’s also what’s keeping her on that boat now.

She asks, “What was she like? Her condition... mentally.”

“She doesn’t blame you for anything. She is as strong as I’ve seen from someone in this situation.”

Talyssa turns to me. “You have seen people in this situation?”

“Similar situations, yes. The trauma bonds can be built quickly, and they can be very powerful. She’s a trouper for fighting back the way she is.”

“How do you know about trauma bonds?”

With only a little hesitation I say, “I have some training.”

“In kidnapping people for slavery?”

“No. In being held hostage. There is a school for it. You learn survival, evasion, resistance, and escape.”

“Where is this school?”

“Can’t say.”

“Of course you can’t.”

“The point is, you can be taught how to resist your captors, and you can build up a lot of defenses to their techniques. But these young people, snatched off the street, out of nightclubs, picked up through modeling agencies, thrown into this world... I can’t imagine what they are going through psychologically. Whatever it is, they don’t stand a chance.

“But Roxana’s tough. She’s really tough.”

“So... what is our plan now, Harry? We just leave Roxana with them and wait to hear from her?”

“No. We’re going to Venice. They will be there tonight, unless me showing up on La Primarosa changed their entire agenda.” I can’t rule out that possibility, but so far the pipeline seems to have continued on despite my harassment, with only a few diversions.

Talyssa asks, “And when we get to Venice? What will we do there?”

“The other girls will be sold off, and they’ll all go to different groups, different countries. If I can’t stop it tonight, I’ll never get another chance to save those victims I saw in Bosnia.”

But I sure as hell can’t save those women by myself. I’ve been trying and failing at this since that night in Mostar when my actions made their awful predicament even more awful.

I know now that I need a hand, and I also know where to go for it.

Maybe.

“This has gotten too big,” I say. “We’re going to have to try to bring in some help.”

“But... the police are corrupt.”

“I’m not talking about the police.”

“Who, then?”

I sigh and then drive in silence for a moment. Only when she asks me a second time do I reply. “Some acquaintances. But you need to understand one thing. They will either make the situation better, or they will make the situation worse. It’s only out of desperation that I’m reaching out to them.”

“But who are they?”

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