Chapter Forty
Leanna typed in “human trafficking in McAllen Texas” into the search bar, and her hair fried at the results. The town was one of the epicenters of human trafficking, complete with stash houses where people were detained while awaiting payments from relatives and other sources.
Those who couldn’t pay were forced into drug smuggling and sex work.
Leanna’s heart was crushed when she read about the rape houses where women were tied to trees and beds and raped so many times, they didn’t know if they were alive or dead.
She didn’t care what time of the night it was in Texas. She had to speak to Reuben, so she called him.
“Hello?” he answered in a groggy voice.
“Reuben, this is Leanna. I need your help. Carmelita is missing, and I need to know where Juan usually takes the girls.”
“You mean to the Collector?” He yawned loudly. “I thought Carmelita was safe. Both of them, at least that’s what Gabriel told me.”
“Soledad is safe, but my Carmelita went with a known smuggler,” Leanna said. She didn’t want to let him know it was Ivan, in case he would warn him. “Remember when Juan said the Collector wanted a mother-daughter pair? I want to contact him so I can join Carmelita.”
“You want to be a sex worker?” Reuben sounded more awake. “But why?”
“To be there for Carmelita, of course,” Leanna said. “I could give her advice. Help her with medical issues. Teach her personal hygiene and other skills.”
“Guess that makes sense,” Reuben said. “Wouldn’t your father get you a better position? Why would you want to go to the Collector?”
“I want to stay in the States,” Leanna said. “I have experience I can share with Carmelita.”
“Oh, right, you do,” Reuben said. “I don’t know the Collector’s name, but I heard his family used to own slaves. They have a huge mansion. One of those big ones with the magnolias, white columns, and wisteria.”
“Who does he work with on the Mexican side?”
“El Bardo, but he’s not the biggest dude. I heard someone killed him.”
“Really? Did they find out who did it?” Leanna tried to sound surprised.
“No, but everyone’s blaming everyone else, and there are gunfights down there every day. They’re beheading people, hanging them in trees. It’s wild. No one knows who offed him.”
“How is the Collector getting new women? How can I get in touch with someone who can get me into the pipeline?”
“There’s a congressman on the American side. He’s pissed because no one’s bribing him. I heard he’s busting heads to stop the fighting. Contacted the Mexican police to put up roadblocks. It’ll make the cartels more desperate to pay someone off.” Reuben was speaking so fast he was out of breath.
“You’re saying the cartels bribe American politicians?”
Reuben snorted. “Obviously. Why else would they let all this chaos go on? They don’t care about the people dying and abandoned by the coyotes. The drugs and the women being trafficked. They’re paid to look the other way. How else do politicians get rich?”
“Wow, which state does the Collector live?”
“New Jersey, can you believe that?”
“Reuben, you sure you can’t tell me who? I need a name, so I can catch up to Carmelita.”
She could almost hear the wheels turning in his mind. Instead, he belched and said, “Sorry. No names. I want to live.”
“Sure, thanks. I understand,” Leanna said. “You do good, okay? Don’t get into trouble.”
“I won’t. Good luck. I think you’re too good to join the sex trade, but I understand why you want to help Carmelita.”
“Yes, there’s nothing like a mother’s love.Adiós.”
Leanna hung up, but she had enough information that the police should be able to figure out the perp. The only danger was if American politicians were involved. The police might be afraid of them or paid off as well.
