The Deception (16 page)

Her breath came in short, choppy pants and her heart pumped hard. She struggled to calm down. She assumed the back door would be locked. The thought of what might happen if the guard didn’t believe her excuse for being outside filled her with dread. Now that she had intimate knowledge of the dark and evil underbelly of the brothel and the punishments it could inflict, she was a hundred times more nervous about entering the building than she’d been the first time.

When Malee had initially contacted her and told her about Vince, she’d been somewhat sceptical about the accuracy of the girl’s reports. But Max had wanted a story and she’d had nothing else in the pipeline. The first time, sheer bravado and a fair splash of naivety had carried her right to the door of the brothel and beyond. But could she do it again?

The first time, she’d been met by Malee and had been hurried into a nearby bedroom. She’d been nervous, but had felt equal parts excitement and adrenaline at the adventure she was on—and her mind had been firmly fixed on getting a story. She hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on the danger and hadn’t given any thought to the possibility that she could have been caught. Or worse, that Malee would be floating in the river soon after.

It wasn’t until she’d taken part in the stage show that she’d felt any misgivings. Even then, it wasn’t anything she thought she couldn’t handle, even when Will fell on her.

But this time, it was different. Malee had been telling the truth. The knowledge Savannah now had about the brothel owner’s criminal activities, not to mention his proclivity for violence, left her feeling a whole lot less brave and all of the excitement had evaporated. If the thought of leaving the girls to the mercy of Vince Maranoa didn’t almost nauseate her, she’d very nearly pull off her heels and bolt straight back to the safety of her car.

The fact was, she couldn’t do it. She owed it to Malee’s memory and she owed it to the other girls who were still living a hell they could never have imagined. Then, there was Will. She owed it to herself to find out once and for all whether he was part of it.

Holding onto that thought, Savannah took another deep breath of the still-warm air, squared her shoulders and turned into the narrow alleyway that ran between the brothel and the adjoining building. The security guards were nowhere in sight. The only sound was muted music coming from somewhere inside the brothel.

Peering intently at the ground before her, she took care not to trip on the loose stones and gravel which comprised the walkway. Praying the guards were still on the opposite side of the building, she continued forward, not even daring to breathe as she strained to hear over the sound of the gravel and stones that crunched beneath her feet.

A sudden bark of laughter not far behind her forced the air from her lungs in a rush and she gasped in fright.

Had the guards completed their circuit already?
She risked a glance behind her, but saw nothing in the darkness.

Chancing a twisted ankle, she picked up her pace and walked as quickly as she dared along the rough path until she came to the end of the building. A bright glow came from a light above the closed wooden door halfway along the back of the building. She made out a couple of concrete steps that led up to the door and sent up a silent, frantic prayer that it was unlocked.

The crunching of footsteps sounded on the gravel behind her. Her heart jumped into her throat. She half ran, half stumbled toward the door. Scrambling up the steps, she turned the brass doorknob and put her shoulder to the wood.

The door didn’t budge. Panic tore through her, leaving her lightheaded. She tried the knob again, but knew it was useless. It was locked.

She could now hear the sound of muffled conversation. Thinking fast, she spied a bag of trash resting against the concrete steps. Picking it up and praying the trash can was somewhere toward rear of the yard, she headed in that direction.

“Hey, you! What the hell are you doing?”

Savannah froze. The question had been shouted at her from close behind her. Slowly, she turned and squinted into the light. Two guards stood near the back door. Dropping the bag of trash, she plastered a smile on her face and sauntered toward them.

“I’m just takin’ out the trash.” She closed the distance between them and sidled up to one of the men. Running a teasing finger down his chest, she winked at him. “What are you doin’?”

The man stared at her, his eyes dark with suspicion. “You shouldn’t be out here. You know that. Who sent you outside?”

Savannah shrugged and thought fast. “I dunno. Maybe I just wanted a bit of fresh air. It gets awfully…
hot
in there.” She pressed herself against him and splayed her hand across his cheek.

“Wanna kiss?” she murmured, her lips brushing against his ear.

“Fuck off, slut. You know we’re not allowed to fraternize with you. Vince will have our hides. Now, get back inside where you belong.”

Savannah moved away and stumbled up the steps. She tried the door and then turned around and shrugged, a helpless expression on her face.

“Oops, it must have locked behind me.”

With a muttered oath, the other guard stormed up the steps and pulled a set of keys from his belt. Moments later, the door opened. Smiling sweetly, Savannah made her entrance.

She was in.

CHAPTER 11

Savannah closed the door to the brothel behind her and leaned against it. She pressed a hand to her chest in an effort to slow her racing heart. For all her outward show of bravado, the run-in with the security guards had left her shaken. She didn’t want to spend another moment longer than was necessary to achieve what she was there for.

A few steps down the hall, a door to one of the bedrooms stood ajar. Faint light seeped through the gap. With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked toward it, hoping to find a girl who might be willing to talk.

She had to assume the girls knew about Malee. Someone like Vince would make sure they knew she’d died while attempting to escape and that it had been a slow and painful death. It was sure to terrify them and an even surer way to deter them. It wouldn’t be easy to overcome their fear and gain their confidence, especially in the short time she had. And she didn’t want to endanger any other lives.

 Savannah eased the door fully open. A petite Asian girl who looked younger than Dylan lay semi-naked on the bed. Savannah drew closer. The girl gasped and drew herself up into a ball.

The lamps that glowed on either side of the bed had been turned down low and the room had an air of intimacy that was more than a little disconcerting.
Was the girl expecting a client?

Once again, Savannah was reminded of how tenuous her position was. Vowing silently to get out as quickly as possible, she approached the bed with tentative steps.

“Wh-who are you?” the girl stuttered in broken English, surprise widening her almond-shaped eyes.

“I’m Savannah O’Neill. I’m a newspaper reporter. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to ask you some questions.”

The girl’s eyes breathing hitched. Fear darkened the depths of her eyes. “I not talk to you. Billy not like it.”

There was that name again.
Billy
. Savannah was determined to find out once and for all who he was. She stepped closer.

“I want to help you get out of here. I’m not going to tell anyone you spoke to me, I promise.”

The girl looked unconvinced. Savannah tried again. “What’s your name? A beautiful girl like you must have a beautiful name.”

The girl’s lip wobbled. A tiny smile tugged at her lips. “Angel,” she whispered.

Savannah reached the bed and eased herself onto it. Angel pulled her knees up to her chest and held onto them. She stared at a spot on the floor, distrust still plain on her young face.

“Angel. That’s a lovely name. It suits you.” Savannah paused. “I meant what I said, Angel. I want to help you. I want to help all of you.”

With obvious reluctance, the girl lifted her gaze. Savannah’s heart ached at the fear and hopelessness in Angel’s dark eyes.

Clenching her jaw in anger, she vowed to see whoever was responsible for exploiting the young girl put away for a long, long time.

Savannah squeezed the girl’s hand, trying to impart a reassurance she didn’t feel. “How old are you, Angel?”

“Fourteen.”

The reply was so low, Savannah was uncertain whether she’d heard correctly. Had she really just said
fourteen?
She shook her head, aghast. She wanted to rant and rave against the injustice of it. She wanted to hit something or someone. But she didn’t have the liberty of doing any of those things at that moment. She hid her distress by doing what she did best.

“Angel, I want to ask you some questions and I need you to tell me the truth. It’s very important. I can’t help you unless I know what’s going on here. Do you understand?”

The girl kept her gaze lowered, but nodded.

“Okay.” Savannah took a deep breath and glanced at her watch.

Ten-thirty
. She didn’t want the girl to feel hurried, but the sooner Savannah got out of there, the better. Any minute she could be discovered and she didn’t even want to think about what might happen to her then.

Leaning over, she brushed the long, black, shiny hair off Angel’s face. Angel turned to look at her.

“Angel, how long have you been here?”

The girl shrugged. Her dark gaze slid away.

“Please talk to me, Angel. The only way I can help is if I know what’s going on. I need something definite to take to the police.”

“Police?”
The girl reared back in horror. “No! No police! Please.” Tears welled up in her eyes. Her shoulders shook. Savannah moved closer and put her arms around her.

“Angel, it’s all right. In Australia, the police are good. They help people like you and they put men like Vince Maranoa in jail.”

“B-but Vince say—” Angel hiccupped on a sob. “Vince say police throw us in prison if girls ever tell. No one know where girls go. Vince say…girls rot here forever. Never see family again.”

A fresh wave of tears erupted and Savannah hugged her again and waited for them to subside.

“It’s okay; it’s okay,” she murmured, rubbing the girl’s back with her hand. After awhile, Angel quietened and her tears subsided to the occasional sniffle. Savannah released her. Swallowing a sigh, she tried again.

“Honey, how long have you been here?”

Angel shook her head slowly before raising her tear-stained face to Savannah’s.

“Don’t know how long. No TV. No radio.” She shrugged, her expression pitiful. “Don’t know what day it is. Vince take me from Bangkok one week before I turn fourteen. He tell father he get me job. He say I have good life. Vince tell father I send money home. Father pay Vince five thousand dollar to take to Australia.”

Savannah gasped, appalled. Not only was Maranoa using the women illegally, he was also taking money from their families under false pretenses. She was shocked at how far his evil exploitation extended. Tamping down her anger, she reached for Angel’s hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Sweetheart, when’s your birthday? If you tell me, I’ll be able to work out how long you’ve been here. It’s January twentieth today.”

“My birthday July second.”

“Oh my God, Angel, you’ve been here over
six
months! I’m so, so sorry, honey. We need to get you out of here! You need to tell me everything so I can help you!”

Angel nodded slowly. “I understand. Not sure how long until Billy come with needle.”

Savannah’s heart thumped at the mention of Billy, but she frowned in confusion. “The needle?”

“Yes, needle. Vince make girl take drug with needle. I hate needle! Make me sick. Vomit everywhere. Billy go away, leave me alone. Give needle to other girl.”

Savannah was horrified. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined such depravity. When Malee told her Maranoa kept the girls drugged, she hadn’t had time to hear what that entailed, but hearing a firsthand account made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Most girl take needle,” Angel continued, interrupting Savannah’s furious thoughts. “Feel sick at first, but then they like. They want needle. Make them happy. Make Billy happy.” She shook her head. “Not me.”

Savannah struggled to keep her anger in check. With an effort, she kept her voice calm and asked the question that weighed heavily on her mind.

“Angel, who’s Billy?”

Angel stared at the floor. “Billy work for Vince. Billy make me scared.”

“Do you know his last name? What does Vince call him?”

“Billy, Billy the Kid.”

Suppressing her frustration, Savannah tried again. “What does he look like? Young, like you? Or is he old, like Vince?”

The girl shrugged. “Not old like Vince. Young, I guess, but not young like me.”

“What color hair does he have?”

Another shrug. “Dark. Only see him night time. Light not so good in here.”

Savannah bit her lip. It
could
be Will. But then again, it could be anyone. She had to get the police involved. She had no choice. It had gone way beyond her limited resources. She could hardly waltz out the door with Angel in tow.
Could
she? The thought accelerated her heart beat.
Did she dare?

But what about the other girls? Malee had said there were ten of them altogether. Counting Mia, the girl who’d escaped before Malee, and Angel, that left at least another seven who were at Maranoa’s mercy.

“Girl who take needle don’t care about men,” Angel murmured, drawing Savannah’s attention back to her. “They happy to dance when Vince say. Me not happy. Vince say I must. Vince say I cost lot of money. Must pay back bill. Must see men. Must be nice. When bill all paid, I go home.”

Tears once again filled the young girl’s eyes and slid down her cheeks. Savannah’s heart broke at the shame and desolation on Angel’s face. She drew her back into her arms and held her. When the girl finally quieted down, Savannah pulled gently away.

“Angel, none of this is your fault. Don’t ever think that. You’re being held here illegally by some very evil men and I’m going to make sure they never do it to any other girls again, okay?”