“Niall is waiting for us in London, he’s tracked down two of the victims from the last sale, they were purchased by some rich businessman. I don’t know any more than that right now.”
I’d not even had a chance to sit down on the plane before Halliwell was telling me why I was here. I get why I’m going, but knowing he’s coming with has me confused. “Err…Halliwell, why are you on my plane?”
He shakes his head and pulls out his laptop. “I’m just as invested as you are, I want these victims safe, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to help.”
I nod impressed by his determination, as we both settle into a comfortable silence for the first hour of the flight.
Halliwell called the flight and arranged the flight path, so we’re flying with a pilot and a co-pilot. Not that we need any cabin crew, but it would be nice to have someone bring me a drink rather than me having to get it myself.
“You want anything?” I ask Halliwell as I get up and head to the galley at the back of the plane.
“Coffee please,” he calls after me. Shaking my head, knowing I would have preferred whiskey, but opting for the sensible option, I make us both a coffee.
“So, what do we know?” I place our cups on the table and take the seat opposite him.
He places his laptop on the table pushing to the far side of the table and turns it so we can both see it, I watch as he leans forward and hits the call button.
I raise my brows confused, until Niall’s face fills the screen.
“Rory, Halliwell…how long before you land?”
Checking my watch, I calculate the time we took off with the current time before answering, “About five hours, ish. What do you have?”
“Cool.” His eyes aren’t focussed on the screen they are watching something behind the camera, but he responds, “Two friends, made their money working in finance. They have a…penchant for the darker things in life.”
I sit up straighter, “What do you mean?”
“Found some documents relating to an assault of a woman in soho after a night out last year, she’d been raped and beaten to within an inch of her life. There was a witness, who ID’d them both but they mysteriously changed their statement before it got to court, the case was then dropped.”
“Fuck’s sake.”
“Turns out one of them is the kid of a pretty influential Judge over here. Looks like he tried to have their arrest records scrubbed, but whoever did it, didn’t do a very good job. My man was able to find it in the space of a few hours. And then he found these fuckers a few hours after that, along with the two women they purchased at the auction three weeks ago. We have had eyes on them ever since.”
“I figured you would probably want to be here in person, hence your last minute flight. I have arranged for a car to be waiting at the airport for you both, no driver. Halliwell knows my location, I have men on standby and a van ready to grab the woman when you get here.”
“Thanks man, I appreciate it, but are you sure we can afford to wait to rescue these women?”
“Yeah, the shitheads aren’t with the girls right now. I have men watching the little fuckers, we have time. Get some rest on that flight man, you look like shit. I’ll let you know if anything changes. See you in a few hours.”
Niall cuts the call as I blow out an exaggerated breath, and look to Halliwell, he shakes his head and then lets it fall to the back of the seat. “I know man, I want to see them safe just as much as you. I’m working on a safehouse for them, Niall has already arranged for a doctor and nurse to be there when we get them out.” He doesn’t say anything else, just stays with his eyes closed and I decide coffee just isn’t going to cut it and head to the back to grab a whiskey.
We spend the rest of the flight researching, trying to find the rest of the victims of the last auction.
We’d tried to stop the auction, we’d tried to shut it down, but we couldn’t. No matter what we did the organisers found a way around it.
A few hours later and Halliwell and I are on the road on our way to the safe house when my phone dings with a message.
Liam
You are becoming a pain in my arse.
You need to back off cousin, stop trying to find me and stop messing with my business.
You don’t, and you’re going to regret it.
I scoff, and shake my head. “Everything ok Rory?” Halliwell gives me a quick sideway glance, before casting his eyes back on the road.
“Aye, just a bug that needs squished.” I’m vague, but I can feel his eyes on me.
