Page 9 of Saving Helena

His words kept running through me:“Make sure you earn your money here, or we’ll have you earn it somewhere else.”

Hehadn’tbeen joking about that, and I was pretty sure he was talking about on my back.

The Post-it note with the account numberburneda hole in my pocket. Earlier this month, I had copied the worksheets to my cloud driveso I could access them from home. I wanted to see if there was a previous year with a name attached or any other businesses that sent funds to that account.

Although therewasn’tmuch I could do about it except quit my job and get the hell out, Iwasn’tsure what I thought I was doing. Even now, I was probably in deep shit. Super deep.

Still, I opened my laptop and pulled up the cloud account where I saved the sheets. Granted, Iwasn’tso stupid as to save them to a personal account, but I guessed they could still track them, so I worked quickly, scanning through each year and writing down each business and the amount that funneled money through the accounts.

When Iwas done, I pulled up incognito windows andsearchedeach one and variations. When Iwas done, Iwas leftwith an interesting connection to a blogger with a strange comment threadIfollowed down a rabbit hole on the dark web.

Hesitatingmomentarily, I clicked an active link and then pushed back from the table. Holy shit!Thismust have been the auction site they were getting funds from. I flicked through the pictures. The first one was of a woman with brown hair in her twenties and a haunted look in her eyes.Startingbid – 50,000. There were pages of people—menand women of all ages…and children.

Bile rose in the back of my throat.Auctioningpeople…like human slavery or some weird sex shit. I had been thinking maybe it was drugs or stolen art, but this was a whole separate level of criminal enterprise that I had never been a part of – that Iwouldn’tbe a part of.

Could I report them? Call the police? My mind raced with possibilities and the anxiety of getting caught, but the faces of the people being soldburned in my mind.

After getting a flash drive, I copied the spreadsheets and theauction site web link addressto it and then started shutting windows down and deleting the cloud files.

Realizing the back of my neck was prickling, I started thinking through my options.

Honestly,Iwasn’tsure what I could do to mitigate what I had seen or help anyone.The only thing I knew for sure was Icouldn’tstay here.There was no way thatthe breach wouldnot be noticedor thattheywouldn’tcome after me.Sergei was already suspicious.

Chewing on a fingernail, I thought for a minuteand then pulledout additional flash drives and copied their contents.Looking up addresses, I started addressing envelopes for thePhoenix branch of the FBI and the branch in Washington, D.C.,specializing in human trafficking.Ididn’tbother to put a return address; therewas no way I could stay here.

My heart started to pound just thinking about the accounts I uncovered and those poor people. Heading towards my bedroom, I pulled out a duffel bag and started stuffing it with the essentials.

Giving my space one more scan, I put my framed photos of my dad and one of me with some of the MC into my bag. Finally, I grabbed my cash and a paperback.

Opening my laptop, I sent in a notice that I had the flu andwouldbe out of work. That might take a few days.

I hated to do it, but I left the laptop,ensuringI had reset it to factory settings. The only thing on it was work stuff. If they did toss the apartment, it would be better that they found it there.

Heading to the nearest store down the block, I borrowed akid’sphone and dialed a cab. There was no way that I wanted to risk an Uber with my app. Maybe that was paranoid, but Makarovich worked for a big company and, adding in potential crime boss, well, better safe than sorry. There was just a feeling in my gut that I had to listen to that I needed to leave while I could.

Fiddling with the zipper on the side of my jacket, I thought long and hard about the decision I was about to make, but therewasn’tmuch of a choice. The Iron Brotherhood was my last refuge, and while it wastruethat my dad was gone, theywouldn’tturn me away. Going home would give me a chance to get some extra cash and some perspective. I was going to needMaddox’shelp with thefollowingsteps, and there was somewhere inside me that knew he would know what to do. The club ran in the periphery of those circles. While they didn’t traffic trafficpeople, they ran guns. Or they used to – so I would think Maddox could give me advice.

Maybe I was bringing trouble to their door, but I was sure the Brotherhood could handle a few goons following me—if they followed me.Rationalizing to myself, Ididn’tbother changing my mind, but a part of me wondered if I was making a mistake.

Near the stationwas a mailbox store, so I posted the USBs using cash from a kiosk.Shoving the envelopes into the slot, I cringed a little at the finality of it, but at the same time, at least I had done something to help those people.

As I approached the ticket counter, the attendant glanced up from her torn copy of lastmonth’sgossip magazine. I purchased a one-way ticket to Haverboro, ignoring the stare that the woman at the counter gave me. The duffle dug into my shoulder as Iexitedthe bus and took my place in the back.

As the bus cruised through the night, I stared out the window, my thoughts bouncingeverywhere. I had had my head in the sand at the company, apparently thinking that nothing unsavory washappeningwith Concorde Financial that I needed to worry about.

Occasionally, an account would come across my desk that made me wonder, but I dismissed it. Now Iwonderedwhat sort of fresh hell I had been letting Makarovich get away with just because Iwasn’twilling to delve deeper andask a few more questions.

If I could get to the club, Maddox would know what to do. I could ask them for aloan,enough money to run. Perhaps I was being hysterical, and it would be fine. Maybe the feds would take Makarovich and his shady operation down. Or, perhaps they wouldn’t come after me at all.

Somehow, though, I was sure they would realizeIhad information about their finances and organization that theydidn’twant other people to know about. I would be termed a‘loose end.’The day-to-day account informationIsigned an NDA for would be enough for them to chase me down. Although now that I had sent all those USBs, it would probably be just for revenge.

Fuck.

The city lights gave way to open roads, and Icouldn'thelp but wonder what response I would get when I got there. Ihadn’tkept in touch with anyone, but I knew the Brotherhood was still active. There might have been a small part of me that I did a little remote checking occasionally.

After Maddox asked me to leave, Iwonderedif he would cave and come looking.That moment between us in the hallway – it had seemed like, fora second, he had wanted me. Even yearned for me, but I wasn’t very experienced. The fool that I was, everyonce in a while, I would see a motorcycle and think it was his. I was an idiot, though…Maddox would never waste his time stalking me. That was just laughable.

I woke up as the bus pulled into Haverboro, where the motorcycle club was based. The familiar sign came into view, welcoming me back to a place that held all my best memories—thebus ground to a halt with that unmistakable squeaking of brakes and the smell of fuel.Gathering myself and my belongings, I exited the bus onto thetown’s quiet streets.

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