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Beside the picture of each of the women were their name, age, last known address and a short biography.
"They were all recruited out of an office Kyiv belonging to a company called Belarus International Services which purports to recruit women to work as nannies and domestic staff in Europe, the UK and the USA."
"These women were recruited with the expectation that they would be working in the USA in placements arranged by Belarus International Services. They knew that they were entering the US illegally through Mexico and would be confined in the container to do so."
"They agreed to the terms of their employment contracts and agreed to turn over half of their wages to Belarus International Services once they began working. This is not an uncommon practice."
"What they didn't know was that they had in fact been sold into sexual slavery and would be lucky to keep a pittance of their earnings. They were to be delivered to a Bratok in the Reznik crime family of the Russian Mafia. The exchange was to take place in a truck stop just off Route 87 five miles north of where the container was found in the desert."
"The four eighteen-year-olds had already been sold online on the dark web," Alice brought up screen shots showing pictures of the four girls dressed proactively.
"The rest of the girls would likely work in brothels owned by Reznik," Alice closed the tab and brought up another.
"One of the Pakistani deckhands found the trap door in the container onboard the MV Arno Starlight during routine rounds just after the ship sailed from La Havre. He told his friends and they threatened the girls with being exposed as stowaways unless they consented to sex. The non-virgins consented and the four virgins consented only to oral sex."
"The Pakistanis were granted bail late yesterday evening organised by their lawyers out of Mexico City, most likely through payoffs to the Federales. Three of the deckhands were found shot to death an hour after they were released from prison and the fourth was suffocated in his hospital bed."
"The most likely scenario is that Alexi Reznik is cleaning up the mess and removing any witnesses. Alexi Reznik, also known as The Jackal, has been able to operate almost unnoticed in the US because he is careful. His Bratva is responsible for a number of diverse and profitable activities including: human trafficking, racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, robbery, smuggling, arms trafficking, gambling, fencing, prostitution, pornography, money laundering, fraud and financial crimes," Alice read from a printed sheet of paper.
"Reznik is likely very angry that the shipping container was abandoned in the desert with the girls still inside it because of the consequential attention of the press and law enforcement agencies. The electronic paper trail for the shipping container ends at one of his subsidiary import companies so it is highly likely that Alexi Reznik is ultimately responsible for the girls being in that container but proving it will be difficult," Alice completed her summation.
Penelope, Dan and Tim sat there open mouthed and amazed.
"You found out all of that by yourself in less than twenty-four hours?" Penelope sounded astonished.
"I found out none of that. The information was provided to me on a USB thumb drive with a printout of all the information inside a package left on my desk. It would appear that Jennifer Jones dropped it there this morning," Alice couldn't conceal the smug look on her face.
Penelope grabbed her coat and handbag and strode purposefully out of the office. She was fuming.
Penelope used her credentials to gain access to the penthouse floor of the Balwyn Hilton and hammered on the door of Jennifer's apartment until Jennifer answered the door. Jennifer's flaming red hair was in disarray and despite the shower she had taken before going to bed some of her eyeliner and mascara had smudged around her eyes. She was wearing pink satin babydoll pyjamas and had put a white silk gown over to answer the door.
Penelope barged into the hotel room fuming. Jennifer imagined she could see plumes of steam coming from Penelope's ears and suppressed a smile.
"Don't smirk at me you pompous bitch!" Penelope threw her coat and her handbag onto a lounge chair.
"It looks like you're staying a while so I'll send down for coffee," Jennifer said, picking up the handset.
Penelope walked in angry circles around the lounge area fuming; so angry that she was having difficulty putting her thoughts in order. Finally she spoke.
"You some kind of smartass getting Alice to do your dirty work?" Penelope spat.
"I told you that I seldom get involved in dirty work but if I do, the dirty work gets done properly and efficiently. You gave your team requests for information that they were never going be able to obtain or at least not anytime soon using legitimate means. I have my own resources that cut through most of the red tape," Jennifer said and answered the door to the doorbell chime.
"By the way; the doorbell does work and the ring is far more pleasant than some harpy hammering on my door this early," Jennifer quipped and wheeled a service trolley into the room having dismissed the room service attendant.
"Are you calling me a harpy?" Penelope hissed.
Jennifer just smiled at her and poured coffee.
Penelope caught sight of herself in a mirror. In her haste and anger to get to Jennifer she had not buttoned her jacket correctly and the tail of her red satin blouse had become untucked from her skirt which was askew and had ridden up. Her usually coifed blonde hair was a tangled disarray from where she had angrily pulled at it during the drive over.
Jennifer watched Penelope looking at herself in the mirror.
"And you have a runner in your nylons," Jennifer smiled innocently and took a seat on the chaise lounge.
Penelope couldn't help herself and looked down at the runner in her pantyhose on her left leg running from knee to ankle.
She fell into a chair and Jennifer offered her a cup of steaming coffee which Penelope accepted and took a sip.
"You do the cute little kewpie doll thing really well but I know you are nothing more than a vicious bitch working for a crazed killer," Penelope glared at Jennifer.
"Many a man has been wrongfooted by my kewpie doll routine. Sometimes it pays to be diminutive and pretty. Most men underestimate me; much to their chagrin," Jennifer smiled and sipped coffee.
"You've killed men?" Penelope asked.
Jennifer just shrugged her shoulders.
"You and I are not so different Penelope. We had a similar upbringing and had to deal with our gender dysphoria. We both chose law enforcement as our calling, it's just that we ended up on different sides of the fence; you because of your father and me because of my employer. Also we have both been betrayed by men," Jennifer said.
"We are nothing alike," Penelope snapped.
Penelope noticed the scorpion tattoo on Jennifer's left ankle for the first time. Jennifer's skin was unblemished and creamy white and the tattoo was incongruous.
Jennifer saw her staring and smiled.
"I belong to Dmitriy," Jennifer answered the unasked question.
"How can you belong to one man? Especially that thug," Penelope sniped.
"You have never been one for fidelity, have you Penelope? You drove away both of your husbands with your addictions to alcohol and sex. You've left a never-ending trail of broken-hearted lovers. I hope you and Jaylene find happiness together despite your age difference. Perhaps because you are both trans it might work this time," Jennifer smiled snarkily at Penelope.
Penelope resisted the urge to leap out of the chair and strangle the little red-headed hussy. The truth was that Jennifer would likely kick her ass but she would have got some good hits in before she went down.
"You know a lot don't you? You have resources that I could never access. I take it the Pakistani deckhand that was tortured to give up what he knew was your work?" Penelope settled down and sipped her coffee.
Jennifer didn't answer.
"Did you have them killed?" Penelope continued to dig.
"That was Alexi Reznik. Once my operatives in Mexico had the information I needed, there was no need to kill the deckhands. Reznik is covering his tracks," Jennifer opined.
"That was Alice's conclusion too," Penelope put down her coffee.
"Alice is nice in a quirky Pauley Perrette kind of way. Did you ever dip your toe?" Jennifer grinned mischievously.
"Alice is a good kid. Leave her alone," Penelope glared at Jennifer.
"They say that she helped you cover up the fact that you were raped by the Honey-Trap Killer before Steve Edwards blew his brains out," Jennifer smiled at Penelope.
Penelope knew that only a handful of people knew that Mitch Freeman otherwise known as the Honey-Trap Killer had tied her to the bed and raped her before Steve Edwards arrived at the scene and saved her life. Jennifer had resources that Penelope couldn't imagine.
"They say a lot of things. Not all of them are true," Penelope countered.
She snatched up her purse and fidgeted.
"Come out on the balcony and we can smoke," Jennifer uncoiled from the chaise lounge like a small snake and Penelope couldn't help but be impressed with her dexterity.
She followed Jennifer out to the balcony and lit a Marlboro Menthol and drew the smoke deep into her lungs.
"I keep quitting but it doesn't stick," Penelope didn't know why she felt the need to apologise.
"May I?" Jennifer extended her long fingers with red-painted fingernails and Penelope gave up her smokes.
Jennifer took one and put it between her lips and stepped into Penelope for a light.
Even with her smudged makeup and tousled hair Penelope could see that Jennifer was a beauty. She could see how men... and women... could become beguiled by her.
"We are never going to be able to prove that Alexi Reznik is responsible for the deaths of those girls. He's too far removed and too careful. We need to set a trap and catch him red-handed," Jennifer didn't step away from Penelope after she lit her cigarette.
The two women were standing inches apart. If Jennifer raised herself onto her tippytoes she could probably just about kiss Penelope on the lips. They could smell each other's perfume; they were both wearing Poison by Dior. Jennifer studied Penelope's face which was world-weary and just beginning to show her age but she was still a beautiful woman.
"That's a lot of 'we's'," Penelope swallowed.
"I need to bring in another freelancer. One of my people. I'll pay all the expenses," Jennifer said.
"Really? You mean you're not infallible? You're not some savant?" Penelope said evenly.
"We need someone with in-depth knowledge of sex trafficking. Someone who can help us worm our way into Reznik's people-smuggling organisation and tie him to it," Jennifer's eyes never left Penelope's.
"Who says I'm letting you get involved in the investigation?" Penelope studied Jennifer's emerald green eyes.
They were like her own except for a slight bluish heterochromia in her right eye. She found it fascinating.
Jennifer said nothing but just continued to meet Penelope's gaze.
"Ok you're in. It would be churlish and stupid of me not use your resources. But this doesn't mean we're friends or anything," Penelope finally broke the gaze.
"Oh really? I was hoping that you would scrub my back; I'm just about to take a shower," Jennifer gave an impish smile and Penelope couldn't help but smile back.
"I'll arrange for my colleague to come to Balwyn, hopefully on a flight this afternoon," Jennifer said stepping back inside the billowing drapes.
"I really do need another shower to wake up and start my day," Jennifer said leading Penelope over to her coat and handbag.
"You were up all night?" Penelope asked but it wasn't really a question.
Jennifer just nodded. She led Penelope to the door.
"Yet you were still able to take your morning run through City Park," Penelope turned at the door and smiled at Jennifer.
"You saw me? I thought I'd done better," Jennifer smiled back.
"That body? Those legs and that ass? Did you really think I wouldn't have noticed you?" Penelope leaned in, her lips almost brushing Jennifer's.
Penelope paused briefly and then drew away and continued to smile.
"You're right. We do both have green eyes and dicks in our panties. But that doesn't make us sisters," the smile left Penelope's face and she turned and walked away to the elevator.
Jennifer made some phone calls and worked from the penthouse until early afternoon. She called Penelope and told her that she was picking up her specialist who she would bring straight to Police Plaza from the airport.
Penelope told Jennifer that the rest of the team would be there and as promised, they were there when Jennifer arrived with her new assistant. Jennifer introduced the person as someone who had extensive knowledge of how sex traffickers operated globally and in the United States.
Katya Kuznetsova stood a little over six feet tall in heels. A stunning slim woman with jet black hair cut into a severe bob which accentuated her deep blue expressive eyes. She had pert breasts and long legs clad in gossamer-sheer nylons. She made the simple burgundy business suit she was wearing look like high fashion. Her face was narrow, with accentuated cheekbones, a pointed chin and small nose. Her skin was pale and she wore heavy eye makeup and blood-red lipstick.
Tim Morrow and Dan Murphy were instantly attracted to her and Alice Leasingham was beguiled by her. Only Penelope noticed the tattoo of a scorpion just above her left ankle.
Katya introduced herself speaking with a faint Ukrainian accent.
"I am Katya Kuznetsova. Ms Jones has brought me here to assist you with your investigation into Alexi Reznik. I have extensive knowledge of how people smugglers and sex traffickers operate. I understand part of the deal made with the United States Attorney General is amnesty for any crimes I may or may not have committed so I can speak frankly to you," Katya began.
"The reason that I have such intimate knowledge is that as a young woman I was sex trafficked myself. Brought to the USA under false pretences, I had already been sold to a prospective buyer who intended to use me as his concubine and then likely sell me into prostitution when I bored him."
"This is not a common model for sex traffickers. This is a model used for special orders by men wanting particular types of young women, usually young virgins. What usually happens is that young girls either wittingly or unwittingly move across borders on the pretext of undertaking legitimate work. Those who are naïve enough to think they will be taking little Tarquin or Piper for strolls around the park and wiping their dirty asses for a few hundred a week soon have their hopes dashed."
"I also have extensive knowledge as to how those young women are entrapped. A common business model is to use women already forced into a life of sex work to groom other young women from their home towns; to entrap them."
"My understanding is that there was nothing so sophisticated used to smuggle the sixteen young women you are concerned with. Smuggling people in shipping containers, although high risk for the human cargo, is low-cost low-risk and high-reward for the smugglers. These girls, although they met an unfortunate end, were travelling in style. It is not uncommon for the Bratvas to put as many as thirty people into an ISO shipping container."
"Their method of recruitment was also unsophisticated; they were not hand-picked or targeted. They simply applied for work in the US through Belarus International Services. The four virgins were identified amongst the group and would have been sold separately at a higher price than the non-virgins."
"Even the Pakistani deckhands were not stupid enough to rape the virgins. They probably thought they could get away with having some fun with the other girls but if they fucked with the virgins there would be reprisals. That said, I'm told things didn't work out for the deckhands too well," Katya smiled wickedly.
Jennifer interjected.
"Katya will work for me but alongside the task force. Anything she uncovers relating to the crime you are investigating she will share freely with you," Jennifer invited Katya to sit next to her at the back of the task force office.
"Ok, its asses and elbows time people," Penelope addressed the room.
"We need to find the driver of the truck if that's at all possible. We need to tie Belarus International Services to the shipping container and Alexi Reznik to Belarus International Services. It might help if we can interview some of the women here in the US who were recruited by Belarus International Services," Penelope pointed to the gaps in her crime wall.
The task force got back to work. Dan Murphy and Tim Morrow hit the streets to follow up leads, leaving the office to the women.
Alice Leasingham came over and sheepishly approached Katya.
"The girls. The special orders as you call them. They are sold on the dark web?" Alice asked.
Katya nodded.
"Can you show me how to get to the websites? I'm the cyber forensics experts here, Alice Leasingham," Alice offered her hand and a smile.
"Of course I can help you. You are a pretty woman under that shaggy mane and awful clothing," Katya shook Alice's hand and Alice blushed.
"One thing about Katya. She will always tell you the truth," Jennifer looked up from her laptop and smiled.
Katya joined Alice at her workstation and got to work. Jennifer yawned and looked at her hand-wound, rose gold, Cartier Tortue watch set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It was a present from Dmitriy and had an inscription on the back along with an engraving of a scorpion. An offering of love, it also served to remind Jennifer that she belonged to him.
"Katya, I need to get some sleep or I will be useless. Will you be ok here? I have a room for you on the same floor as me at the Balwyn Hilton," Jennifer said.
"I'll look after Katya, don't worry," Alice Leasingham looked up from her work station.
Jennifer smiled. It was like a puppy promising to look after a rattlesnake.
"Sure," Jennifer packed up her things and came over to Katya before she left.
She kissed Katya on the side of the mouth and Katya stroked Jennifer's arm. Alice was bemused and wondered what kind of relationship these two women had. Penelope had also observed the interchange and also wondered what their relationship was to each other. The tattoo on Katya's ankle might indicate that they both belonged to Dmitriy Yakovich or that Katya had at one time.
From the research Penelope had conducted on Dmitriy Tanas Yakovich using what little information was available on him; he didn't seem like the kind of man who shared his toys.
Penelope went back to her hotel room, darkened the room and fell into bed. She was awakened by her mobile phone at eight-thirty in the evening. She answered the phone and was surprised to find it was Alice Leasingham calling.
"We're wrapping up for the day. We're all going to The Longhorn if you would like to join us for dinner," Alice gushed.
"I'd be delighted. I'll meet you there. I'll bring Katya," Jennifer said, using the remote to open the drapes.
"Katya is still with me. I'll take her," Alice said a little excitedly.
"Fine. See you soon," Jennifer broke the connection and went to the shower again smiling whimsically.
It was her third shower today but she needed to wake up. She'd been a night owl ever since she had been recruited by Dmitriy. Most of his business was conducted in the evening. He liked to spend his afternoons in bed with Jennifer and hit the gym after and then go to work and bang Jennifer again before he went to bed early in the morning.
