An Evil Woman Pt. 08

An Evil Woman -- Part Eight

This is not a stand-alone story. The previous chapters will put everything into place for you. It will involve some lesbian sex, and some violence.

The slave trade is still very real today. Some use it to traffic young women for sex, some use it to gain cheap labour, while some use them as human currency it knows no age limit and you will find it in every country on the planet. It is all about lust and greed.

This is one of three stories that starts to merge with two others, [Stella & Margarita -- Sex in the Desert Sands and the City of Churches - The OWLS Club] I hope it works out as well on paper as it does in my head.

The noise of a low-flying US naval helicopter is not a sound you hear every day. And when you have been waiting for it, or something like it, to save your life, the noise it makes is like a riff from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. You can't always place the song but it sounds familiar and so good.

The helicopter circled us and several faces were looking down from the heavens at us, we were all waving and jumping around like crazy people. In fact, we were crazy people. I was dancing with Evie, Levi and the older blonde woman I had slapped around the day before. We were all laughing and dancing, it was only when one of the helicopter crew started pointing to his headset that I realised Levi was with us, "Fuck," I said and raced back into the comms room, closely followed by Levi and the other two.

I put the headset on and called out "Venturer here, can you read me?"

A voice came back straight away, "This is US warship Jason Durham, stand by for further instructions,"

Then a third voice came on and this was obviously from the helicopter crew, there was a distinct noise, a steady thump, thump, thump, in the background, "Venturer, maintain contact at all times," The radio went quiet once again then the first voice came back on, "Venturer, is there any able-bodied seamen on board?"

I responded in my best naval voice, "That's a negative, none that we've seen in the last 3 days,"

We were then asked if we were armed, I hesitated before replying that I was and there was also a small armoury on board.

"Ma'am please hand over all firearms to the marines who will help evacuate you and all of the other survivors."

"Understood," I told him.

The helicopter then lowered a single marine down onto the Venturer to join us, somehow it felt like were already saved. As soon as he landed and unhooked his harness, he asked who was in charge and everyone pointed at me. I felt a little proud, he came up to me and shook my hand, "Ma'am, I am Marine Sargent Mario Garibaldi US Navy, here to offer our assistance. I understand you are armed ma'am, may I have your weapons please?"

"You certainly can," as I gave him the unloaded shotgun, a machine pistol, the pistol that I gave to Levi and another rifle I had collected from the armoury but not used. Plus one hand grenade and a flashbang.

He looked at the array of weapons and smiled at us, "Ma'am, you have quite an inventory here, who were you fighting?"

I looked at him, trying my hardest not to break down, I took a deep breath and told him what I had seen since we left Adelaide. Then finished it off by saying to him, "At first I thought they were just thugs kidnapping kids off the street, then I saw some in military uniforms, one even got dressed up in a US navy officer's uniform, plus others who had definitely been trained but weren't in any uniform."

The helicopter suddenly took off in the direction of the lifeboat, he must have received a message and told us all to get inside the ship. The kids were all hanging on every word he said, and as soon as he spoke they did as they were told.

"Everyone into the lounge. Sit on the floor everyone, backs against the wall, away from the windows," he told us, once he had looked around. He then told whoever was on the other end of his radio, "All secured,"

We were all in there when we heard the machine guns firing, not the little machine pistols we had heard during our little fight, but big heavy sounding machine guns.

The marine Sargent told us not to worry that they were sinking the lifeboat as it was a hazard to shipping. It wasn't that I didn't believe him, but it made no sense. It was strange, to say the least.

I told the Sargent I was going down to a cabin to collect some clothes I was thinking I might as well take some of Lai's top-end garments for my inconvenience. He nodded and said not to be too long. I asked if he wanted to see where I saw the Chinese woman in a US Navy uniform.

"I don't but our intel guy might, I'll get him on the radio and you can tell him what you saw." He told me.

He spoke into his headset and we waited. Within minutes a voice told him to set me up in our comms room.

He took me back into our little radio room turned a couple of dials and all of a sudden the voices were crystal clear. He asked me about what I saw, I told him in as much detail as I could remember. He informed us that he was sending a team over to have a look at the hidden room. I told him about Shona and had to explain myself twice about my euphemism of her 'sleeping with the fishes'.

The Sargent smiled and shrugged his shoulders, then informed me that not everyone had seen the God Father trilogy yet.

I excused myself and Sargent Garibaldi reminded me that the Jason Durham didn't have a lot of locker space. His way of saying don't take too much. I thought that considering the other twenty-four passengers weren't bringing any luggage, my grabbing a handful of clothes wouldn't take up too much space.

I called out to Evie to give me a hand, she gave me an inquisitive look and when I raised my eyebrows she got off of her backside and joined me. I thought she would have jumped at the chance. But she dragged her teenage butt along behind me.

I got lost trying to find Lai's love nest but came across it by sheer chance. When I showed Evie what was there, her eyes lit up and she too found some lingerie to fit her, she even took some blouses and pants for Lisa.

I took my time and found the white shirts she had made for me. The red silk French knickers she liked me to wear, there were so many, all of different colours. I took them all. When I found her stash of jewellery, I didn't bother to sort it, I took everything, from earrings and bracelets, rings with diamonds both silver and gold, necklaces including sets of pearls and then there was her perfume. I slowly went through every cupboard and every drawer I found, I took a lot of her evening gowns, although I rarely wore them but you never know when you might need one. We couldn't find any large carry bags but we did find 3 smallish travel cases and two upmarket gown bags which we filled with both the 4 or was it 5 gowns plus the several business-type suits.

It was when I was having the last look around that I found a not-so-well-hidden USB, it was taped to the underside of a drawer in her desk, not very clever or innovative unlike her I thought. Then taped to the back of her free-standing full-length mirror, in a waterproof ziplock, plastic container, some US $100-dollar notes, I say a single package of what looked like it could be as much as ten thousand dollars. Photos of unknown males and females who looked well-heeled and upmarket. Pages and pages of documents all written in Chinese, of course. I took the money and called Evie over to me, and we split it, I told her to hide it in her panties or somewhere that won't get searched. I did the same. I kept the documents to hand over to the Americans.

Evie and I grabbed all of our ill-gotten loot and started to head back to the bridge. Just three small travel suitcases, two bags, designed to carry a ball gown stuffed with five gowns and at least the same in business suits. Now to get them home in one piece.

When we reappeared on the bridge half of the kids had been transferred to the warship via the helicopter. Each trip took 4 passengers. Sargent Mario Garibaldi looked at our bags and shook his head, "Good luck with getting that aboard," he told us.

I smiled at him and showed him the USB, the photos and the documents. "Maybe if I spoke to your intel guy again we can be allowed to take some souvenirs?"

I asked the Sargent if the captain of this sinking vessel would have a safe that might contain something that might be helpful. He looked at me smiled and told me that they have checked it already and taken what was there.

He pointed to the comms room and told me to wait.

Several minutes later the voice of their intel officer came through the headset. "Lieutenant Reynolds here, what have you found?"

"A USB, some photos of people that the CIA may want to know about, and a ream of paper with Chinese writing all over them," I told him, "But here is the catch, we have some luggage we need to take back with us, just some clothes,"

"Considering all the crap you guys have been through, a couple of suitcases will be fine," he told us.

I said there are 3 small cases and two smallish bags, not a lot of luggage for 25 people. "Fine" came the reply, "I am looking forward to meeting you ma'am,"

I smiled and took a deep breath. Went back and hugged Evie, "All good babe," I told her.

I went and sat down again, feeling the stiff bank notes crackle and crumple in my knickers and waited for the chopper to return, I then turned to the Sargent and told him I want to be in the last group to go. He nodded. I relaxed a little and looked at him. Mid-twenties maybe, well built, olive complexion, easy smile, dark eyes, clean shaven, muscles in the right proportion and in the right places.

"Tell me something Mario," I asked him, "What is it with you guys calling me ma'am and not by my name?"

"A sign of respect ma'am," You kept 25 young people from being sold to who knows who and where, you had the balls to pick a fight when you were outgunned and outnumbered. You have our respect ma'am,"

I hung my head, "it was no big deal, it was kill or be killed," I told him.

"Yes ma'am, I'm sure it was. And you did it without giving thought to your own safety. If you ever want to sign up for the US Marines ma'am, I'd be proud to serve with you," he told her looking her straight in the eyes.

"These kids told us how you took those 3 Chinese naval units out, a classic attack ma'am, no doubt about it." Any one of them could have turned their guns on those kids, but you didn't allow that, you took them by surprise, didn't give them time to regroup and then finished the job, a classic manoeuvre ma'am,"

"Tell me, have you been trained at all?" He asked her.

I smiled and said I had some military training before joining the SA Police Force, but it didn't work out. Now I do some small-time private work.

Mario laughed, "Small-time private work like this, your idea of small jobs is fascinating, ma'am,"

The helicopter arrived and 4 more went off to the US warship.

Soon there was just her and Mario, plus her luggage. She asked him, "What was that bull shit all about, you know the lifeboat being a hazard to shipping?"

He looked at me and told me that I didn't hear it from him, but "Simple math ma'am. The lifeboat carries 36 people, but it was empty. This ship needs a crew of 36 and 36 were signed on when it left South America, then there is the military attachment. SOOOO where did they all go? How do YOU think all those Chinese naval personnel got off of here?" He asked.

"Simple, a submarine!"

He put his finger to his lips and told her to "SSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH"

"The Chinese don't have long-range deep-water submarines," and he shrugged his shoulders.

The penny drops for me, "So you weren't just in the area on patrol but hunting a Chinese sub." I stopped mid-sentence and let it sink in, the Chinese don't have such submarines, so who? "You are hunting Russians, aren't you?" A simple statement and then it dawned on me just how close to death we might have been. "Makes perfect sense now, how quickly we were responded to, the Orion a sub hunter, and a US destroyer also a sub hunter,"

He shrugged his shoulders once again. "You are a smart woman, keep it to yourself ma'am, or at least until you are told, officially,"

They heard the chopper overhead and started loading the baggage into some netting before getting into their harnesses and being winched aboard the helicopter and taken back to the US Destroyer Jason Durham.

When they were back on the US warship, we were taken to be fed and 'spoken' to. Certain things they wanted to be confirmed.

I had the documents and USB, with the photos. I kept hold of them, for now.

"Are you sure you saw an American Naval uniform, could it have been another uniform?" The Lieutenant from their intelligence unit asked, then showed me photos of Grace in several different uniforms. I told him about the USMC sweatpants and top.

He asked about the people I saw on the TV screens, and did they see me. "Yes," I replied.

He wanted every detail of the auction and the people I saw, what type of uniforms they were wearing, did they only speak Chinese.

"Could it have been staged?" he asked me. I stopped and thought about every detail, the timing, the weapons, they were real, the bodies were real and they saw them. The street kids were real, they are here on his ship, staged I asked myself, could I be sucked in by it all?

I stopped and thought, "Staged for what purpose?" I asked him slowly.

"What do you think would happen if a Chinese group attached to their government, kidnapped Australians off of the street and sold them to other people?"

I knew he wasn't expecting an answer but I gave him one just the same.

"Honestly, we'd be pissed off by it, but when the Chinese tell us and the world it wasn't them, who will believe us. It would give the Chinese some leverage on those people on the TV and in these photos, then depending on who they were and what they did with these kids, well the more depraved they are the more leverage they get. At the least 'Blackmail' for political favours, if as you say these are government operatives, possibly some wheeling and dealing over the war in Europe. If they are just a plain ordinary criminal gang, money would be their aim. Who knows?"

Lieutenant Reynolds, sat back in his chair. "Exactly,"

"Do you know who they are?" I asked him.

He smiled looked at me as if weighing me up then stated firmly, "We know who they aren't, and they aren't your ordinary street criminals. You are the only person to have seen Lai and the woman called Grace and still be alive. Believe it or not, you have helped add another piece to the puzzle, just by surviving,"

I smiled back at him, "glad I could help by surviving," I told him. He laughed, "Yes I am sure you'd feel that way,"

He showed me two photographs, "Can you tell me who is who?"

The photos were not clear but there was no mistaking who was who, I pointed to Grace and then Lai. I smiled inwardly, he was checking me out, seeing if I was lying.

In return, I gave him the photos I had and the documents. He looked at them without showing any recognition either he didn't know who they were or he kept his knowledge to himself. A bitch to play poker against I thought.

He handed the documents to a younger female officer sitting next to him, she started looking through the paperwork and ran a finger down every page. I had heard about speed reading but had never believed it possible, this girl took maybe 3 minutes to read the best part of the pile I had with me.

When she stopped she spoke quietly into the Lieutenant's ear. He nodded and told her "Do it," and she got up and left. "Now you said you had a USB Corrine?"

I took it from my pocket and put it on the table between us, and told him exactly what I thought. "I think I was or you were meant to find this," I said nodding in the direction of the USB, "All of this was in Lai's cabin, not in the ship's safe, or hidden in Grace's armoury. If we were meant to find it, I would be asking myself 'why' and I'd be very very suspicious of it,"

"Why do you say that?" he asked genuinely.

"Lai was definitely in charge," I told him, "And she was meticulous in her planning and arranging things. All of this was hidden in plain sight. Something an inexperienced person might have done, but not Lai."

"Do you think it may have been hidden in haste, possibly, like someone had to hide it quickly because they knew the ship was sinking, maybe?" He asked.

I looked into his eyes, they were soft and welcoming, I am certain he wouldn't spend too many nights on his own, he wasn't wearing a marriage band of gold. I snapped back to where I was.

"What are you saying that there was someone on the inside trying to get this information to the authorities?" I asked directly of him.

He shrugged, "I don't know, but I don't know everything. I am just a humble intel officer on a destroyer in the southern ocean,"

I looked at him and smiled as the other young officer returned with a rather clunky-looking laptop.

"Yeah, sure you are Lieutenant Reynolds," I replied. "And I'm Harold Holt,"

He got up and went to the junior officer as she returned. They spoke out of earshot and she nodded and answered, "Yes Sir," He then left the room.

She sat opposite me at the table so I couldn't see what was going on. I did ask her what was on the documents. She gave a sweet smile and said "Nothing of importance,"

She put the USB in and took a deep breath as she waited for it to download. I sat there watching her face watch the screen. I waited.

The door opened and the Lieutenant came back with several other officers. An armed Marine guard stood with his back to the closed door.

I slowly eye-balled the new officers, they outranked Lieutenant Reynolds by the look of the braid on their shoulders. The colour on the young officer's face had gone ashen grey. The most senior of the officers looked over her shoulder and told her to stop it and close it down. He then turned to me his look was direct and dark.

He addressed me, "So you think we were meant to see this?"

"I didn't say that what I said was it wasn't like Lai to hide it so carelessly, she is smarter than that. If she didn't want it found we wouldn't have found it, in my opinion," I told him truthfully. "But I had only known her for a week or so," I continued.

"And lived, not something many seemed to be able to do, so you are either part of their little gang or,"

"Or what?" I asked.

"Or something else entirely!" He stated to me.

I got angry, "Maybe I am just a humble PI helping a friend find her missing niece, stumbled into a gang of Chinese thugs kidnapping kids off the street, to sell, got caught, got beaten up and tortured, got digitally raped, got kidnapped myself to be sold into some whore house in the back streets of Beijing. Ever think of that," My look was as dark as his. My point was made.

The junior officer closed the laptop and withdrew the USB, then handed it to Lieutenant Reynolds, her face was still pale. I wondered what she saw or read. She sat there her hands clasped on top of the laptop, while the small group of senior officers spoke quietly in the corner of the room, occasionally they looked over at me. I didn't give a flying fuck about it, to be honest, I thought to myself they can play their war games. I had done what I set out to do, find Evie and bring her home to Lisa. It was a bonus there were another 23 others who came along with it, plus I got some Yankee dollars, some high-class clothes and jewellery. Plus a month of Sunday's worth of hot loving with Lisa, if I wanted it. I liked Lisa but not that much just a few romps with her to satisfy my curiosity. Then I had to find the girl with the phone business in the skater parks, I owed her two hundred dollars, which now was no longer a problem and she might be interested in having me for company for a night or two. Actually, she was a little too bossy for my taste but I grinned at the thought of it and then the night on the beach with Chloe, yes, she was definitely worth a booty call. I think I was going to be a busy girl when we got home.