money, and once they pay it off they’ll get to leave. But, they never leave.”
I frowned. “They live at the warehouse?”
Boris nodded.
“So, shooting up the place is out of the question, not until we get everyone out of it.” I tapped my finger against my leg. “How do you know so much?”
“Last year, I lost my little cousin to this brothel. Natasha. Yuri and I broke her out. It was damn near impossible to do. She came outside for a regular smoke break. Ten guys watched her. We killed them. Yuri got shot in the leg. I was shot in the arm. Abram’s people searched for her for months. Many wore military uniforms. I was sure they were with the government. We ended up hiding her in a Christian drug rehab center on the other side of Moscow. She’s there now pretending to be an addict. I had nowhere else I could hide her.”
I gave him a sad look. “How old is she?”
“Twelve.”
“Jesus Christ.” Max shook his head.
I leaned back in my chair, sad for all the girls in Kapotnya. “We can get Natasha out of the center and protect her better.”
“Good because that’s who I wanted you to talk to tonight. I just wasn’t sure, if it would put her in danger. I’m sure Abram is still looking for her. She knows a lot about the brothel.” Boris sighed. “Natasha told me that Abram called her his favorite girl. She sat in a lot of meetings.”
Max jumped in, “But, Abram could have changed everything since her disappearance.”
My nerves flared on edge. “Bring her to me this week. I’ll make sure to protect her. And I’ll have this brothel closed soon.”
“Closing it won’t be enough, Em.” Max stared out the window. “Guys like this will just start another brothel somewhere else. In fact, they’re probably already planning it since you have control of the district now.”
“Which is why we need a plan.” I stared forward. “We go in there, under disguise, and kill everybody. People will think we had something to do with it, but they won’t know for sure.”
“This will be a big job,” Max said.
“We’ve got the men and the guns.” I checked my watch. “We just need the time.”
“And approval from your lion,” Max added.
“I’m not telling him now.” I held up my hand. “I know you’re going to say I should, but he has enough shit going on. And I don’t want him to drop everything and help me with this. He’s already giving me most of his men and leaving himself weak. This job stays between us.”
“When will we do it?” Max asked. “I go to Kaz next week.”
“Then, we shut down shop in a few days.” I turned to Boris. “Get that info tonight and bring me Natasha, please. Time is running against us. Did your cousin say anything else about the brothel?”
“On the outside the building looks abandoned. Within, the place is all luxury. She was a baby in a world where grownups did what they wanted. Billionaires and politicians. Royalty. Elite of the country. It’s a dark and ugly situation covered up with lots of money.”
“All these top guys going to an underage sex ring.” My eyes watered. Sadness washed over me. “Maybe, we should turn around and just go for it. Hit the brothel.”
Boris shook his head. “We can’t rush it. We’ll be dead by the time we take the first step.”
The limo stopped in front of what looked to be a block of abandoned buildings.
My motorcade of men parked all around us.
I spotted a young girl talking to a man in the car. She had tired eyes. I saw those sort of eyes every day in Harlem. Girls that had accepted the fact that they were prey. Looking as young as fourteen, she had on a purple top and zebra pants. After a second, he handed her some money, and both got in the back.
The car sped off.
While little girls’ body prepared for puberty, the wrong men saw them and readied their cocks. No sense of humanity. Just predators searching out the young. And some girls didn’t have mothers to protect and shield them. And many women simply turned the other way, not watching for ones that didn’t know any better.
Boris spoke, “They call this Krokodil Central. It used to be shopping center. Abram has a guy running it. His name is Erik.”
“Erick lives in the building?”
“Yeah. On the top level. I heard he’s crazy.”
Max studied the property. “To live