Electrified (36 page)

“I’m listening,” Carson said as he paced the alleyway, needing to burn off nervous energy.

“I’m betting this would put Lila in the clear of running anymore, leaving her free to live her life if we bring this Elon down for who he truly is—a scumbag, pedophile, borderline pimp.”

Carson nodded, even though his friend couldn’t see him. “I like where your head is at. Let’s collect all the shit we need and do it fast. This will be a good bust for the Bureau. The only thing is I don’t want to hold on too long. We have to estimate how long it’ll take them to get Lila here, because once they have her in that building, Christ, there’s no telling what they will do. I don’t want anything to go wrong on that end, Ray.”

“I hear you.”

“Do you?” Carson said tersely. “Because if something looks fucked up when it comes to Lila, I
will
abandon ship when it comes to anything official for the FBI. You got me?”

“Loud and clear,” Ray said with a sigh. “I’m hanging up to go to work on the information. In the meantime, I’m getting a ground team down with you to keep watch on the building and give you guys some cover. I’ll have them call your cellular when they arrive.”

Carson hung up without even a good-bye. He did some quick calculations in his head and determined that the soonest Sam Charles could arrive in Brooklyn, driving cross country with another guy to spell him at the wheel, would be sometime Wednesday.

He hoped to God whatever they gave Lila was almost out of her system. Fucking whackos better have not given her too much; so much could have gone wrong between Vegas and Kansas. He couldn’t even think of the worst.

What if they defiled her while she was out? If they even laid a hand on her…

C
AUGHT UP
in a horrific line of thinking as he watched the warehouse through Monday night and into Tuesday, Carson didn’t realize how much time had passed until the ground team arrived. Too worried to think about food or other needs, he hadn’t moved from his spot except to take a piss in the alley, and there hadn’t been any more movement going on in the building. He desperately wanted to get into the bakery truck doubling as a surveillance van to see if there were any more traffic photos of Sam Charles and Lila.

There was no need for anything more than quick introductions with the FBI guys. Even though he was no longer with the agency, Ray pulled some strings and made sure he was allowed to tag along for the bust. Carson brought them this fucking case, and that was his woman, doped and being driven across state lines. He knew that they wouldn’t want to apprehend Lila outside the building. She needed to be inside so the Bureau could also take command of everything else illegal happening inside the four walls.

Carson knew Ray was doing what he needed to do. This case would be a big win for him, and would push him up the ranks a bit. The public loved when the FBI busted anything perverse and nailed the sucker responsible. Elon Finder was going to go down like the flaming bag of shit he was, freeing Lila from a life of hiding.

He had to admit, it was a stroke of brilliance on Ray’s part to hand the case to the Bureau, therefore opening up the impending bust to the media. The public eye would eat this shit up, and Lila would get redemption for why she left. Her family and friends would know who she really was married to, and why she left quietly without a trace. Her husband was a monster.

Carson was thrilled when the van arrived so he could do some research of his own. He had everything he needed at his disposal inside the van, and the ground guys would take turns keeping their eyes on the warehouse. They’d also have supplies, food and drinks, so they could stay on-site with no need to leave.

More excruciating hours passed before Carson saw what he was desperately waiting for…another picture of Lila. This time, Charles and the black guy were both up front as they drove through Ohio. He could see Lila propped up against the window in the back.

Is this Charles fucker so dense and stupid, he didn’t think I would pull in favors? Check traffic cameras?

Lucky for him, Charles underestimated him.

A
FTER A
long night of sitting in a cramped van, taking turns dozing off, Carson and the ground team finally saw some activity Wednesday morning as what looked to be production crew and “actors” showed up and entered the back of the building. Hours went by, then they caught a glimpse of Elon entering the warehouse on Wednesday afternoon.

That was their cue; the action was about to go down. Carson checked in with Ray, who was five minutes out with reams of paperwork and bullshit he’d pulled on Charles and Finder. Lack of permits was going to be the least of their problems, because the two young women Carson saw working in front of the webcams were definitely not a day over sixteen years old.

The whole scene made Carson sick to his stomach, and that was before he watched the dark SUV pull up, and saw Charles get out and proceed to start pulling Lila out of the backseat. Carson had to convince himself to remain in the van and stay on task. He wasn’t sure he could make it when Elon Finder replaced Sam Charles, dragging Lila into the warehouse by her hair without any regard for her safety.

Carson was ready to pounce even though he knew it wasn’t prudent. Lesson number one was always let the enemy get comfortable and drop their guard when doing a stakeout.

It was sheer bad luck that Lila’s husband, Elon, only hid behind a religious career, but in reality was in the middle of the underbelly of the porn industry, enabling him to find her even though she was aligned with others who were decent and good. The smug bastard actually thought he was going to get away with this.

Carson flexed his muscles, eyed his weapon, and blew out a long breath. Well, Finder fucking met his match in him, and he was in no mood to be decent or good.

Wednesday

S
IENNA FELT
someone pulling on her arm, jostling her awake.

Where am I? What happened?

She had to clear her head. It felt so heavy, and her whole body was limp and weak. She tried to remember why as she slowly opened her eyes.

Sam Charles took her. He injected her with something and kidnapped her from her home to make porn movies. She vaguely remembered being woken somewhere near a rest stop, allowed to use the bathroom with the door open, and then being injected again before being pushed back into the vehicle. In fact, she vaguely remembered more than one rest stop, and wondered how long she’d been held.

Her head was so foggy, and she couldn’t understand why Sam Charles only wanted her with all the money-hungry strippers in Vegas willing to do anything to be a star.

Then it hit her, sending the air right from her lungs. Somehow Elon was involved. His family wanted her for their movies.

His family thought they owned me.

They made movies? Porno flicks was what they wanted her for?

Charles had said something like that right before he stuck her with the needle the first time. Now his grubby hand was trying to awaken her. For what? To make porn for her in-laws?

That couldn’t be true. They were religious, faithful people with a deep belief in God. They owned a publishing house specializing in religious educational materials. They didn’t make porno movies. Their son had a screw loose, but not them.

Could this all be true?

Not knowing what to make of anything, and barely able to open her eyes to the light, Sienna took in her surroundings. She was in the back of an SUV, winding through the streets of Brooklyn. How did she get here? Had she been asleep all this time? It would have taken days to drive cross country. Her hand immediately went to pat her body, checking for her clothes being in the right place and making sure she wasn’t injured. Her mouth felt like something had died in it, and she would kill for a cup of hot tea.

Sam Charles was riding in the passenger seat while an enormous black guy she’d never seen before drove the SUV. Sam was trying to rouse her again as they pulled up in front of an abandoned warehouse. She shook her head, not wanting to get up and meet the fate in front of her.

Sienna’s mind might be cloudy, but she knew this wasn’t good. Not good at all. As the black guy parked the car, Sienna tried to come up with a quick plan, but her head was fuzzy and it was difficult to concentrate.

If nothing else, when Sam opened the door to get her out, she could kick and hit him in the family jewels. And if the black guy took his time walking around the car, she could do the same to him. But when the door opened, Sam wasn’t there for long. He was quickly replaced by someone else.

Sienna lifted her head and locked eyes with Elon. Standing tall in a black suit, his hair and beard trimmed short, the very image of a religious man, he said, “Hello, Lilach.”

She didn’t answer. Words screamed in her head, her body twitched with wanting to take action, but Sienna remained stock-still and silent. She couldn’t respond or make her way out as her worst nightmare came to life before her eyes.

When Elon grabbed her hair and pulled her toward the building, all the fight left Sienna. Instantly, she was a scared and timid Lila. She knew Elon was going to destroy her. She felt it deep in every bone in her body; she wasn’t making it out of this alive, and if she did, she would be a hollow shell of a person.

Either he was going to beat the living hell out of her, or this movie thing was for real and he would make her do whatever he wanted for the camera. The latter scenario was almost worse. Lurid visions ran through Lila’s mind.

Then, all of a sudden, Lila remembered Carson and how beautiful it had been when they finally came together as one and were intimate together. Fear like none other swept over her. Carson’s safety was the first thought that crossed her mind, but then something much more dark and sinister took over her thoughts.

Was he part of this? Working with Sam Charles? Did he lure her in with his charms and leave her vulnerable to Sam coming to steal her?

Did their lovemaking mean nothing? Was it all an act?

It all made sense in her muddled mind. Carson didn’t stay over on their last evening together, leaving Sam Charles to know where to find her and that she’d be alone, ripe for the taking.

They weren’t making love, as she’d fooled herself into believing, or anything remotely close to it. It was a play on Carson’s part, even though it had felt so real. She’d never know real love.

This was her destiny.

Elon no longer needed to pull her inside the deserted warehouse. She had nowhere to escape to, nothing to believe in, no hope left. This was her destiny, and she went willingly with Elon.

Lila dragged her feet as she was led into the deserted, remote building in the center of the city she had run from seven long years ago, leading her to the only life she would know from now forward. A life in which she’d be humiliated, shamed, and shunned.

Inside what appeared to be a run-down warehouse from the outside, was anything but that. It was a completely renovated modern studio filled with expensive cameras and sound equipment that was in complete contradiction to the facade.

As Lila made her way slowly and painfully through the building, she saw many active scenes set up with live cams recording whatever raunchy sexual act the actors were performing. Lila lowered her gaze to the ground, unable to take in all the body parts and lewd acts on display. Ironic that she’d be embarrassed by them, since she was a stripper.

The warehouse was an epicenter of female debasement, broadcasting all that was happening to anyone with an Internet connection who would pay to watch.

As Elon continued to draw her deeper into the building, they walked through a darkened movie set, complete with a bed and a shower. A shudder ran through Lila as she became certain her future involved that bed of filth.

At the opposite side of where they entered was a door to an office, which Elon opened and shoved Lila inside, trapping her inside the room alone with him. In her mind, this was a worse fate than the looming scene she just witnessed.

Elon started right in, not allowing her a minute to breathe or take in her surroundings. “Well, well. Thought you’d get away from me, Lila? Or do you prefer Sienna now?”

He didn’t give her time to answer, not that she would have. He just clenched his fists and spat out, “It would have been a perfect cover, I’ll give you that. Except for the fact that I work in the industry. I know it’s a bit of a shock, but we couldn’t turn down this type of money.” Now pumping his fists open and closed, he rocked back and forth as rage, sheer excitement, or both propelled him.

Lila could tell he was holding back. Even so, she was silent with fear. No telling when his control would break.

Elon laughed, an evil sound that sent a chill running through her. “It’s made me laugh every day for the last seven years you were gone. Your parents were so upset you ran away from a nice, good family with money. Little did they know what we really do for all that ‘hard-earned cash.’ Of course, it started out legitimate with printing books and magazines, educational shit, but then the offers came for the nudie mags. Damn, those people who print that shit have deep pockets, and soon they were paying us an arm and a leg to shoot the scenes here.”