“That’s what I said. I was very wrong. They’re some top-secret men’s club where they kidnap, exploit, sell, and sexually assault women.”
Gabriel whistled. “And here I thought your lowly position within the state attorney’s office handled itsy bitsy cases.”
As always, he liked to tease me. I’d been inside his courtroom more than once. Yes, I was lower on the totem pole, not because of qualifications, but because I preferred handling the nitty-gritty in your face ones that usually didn’t bring notoriety to the state attorney.
That’s why I didn’t make the big bucks like the others. “Yeah, well, I had a detective bring a case to me with a girl who’d been kidnapped in tow.”
Suddenly, Maverick stiffened. He was staring down at his drink, lost in his own thoughts. That wasn’t like him.
Hudson leaned forward. “Who are the members?”
“That’s just it. No one has been able to put a bead on them. And from what the detective mentioned, law enforcement has tried over the years and every time they came close, they failed. What bothers me almost as much as hearing the stories of their atrocities is that her boss suddenly wants to sweep the situation under the rug.”
“All true,” Maverick said in a quiet yet knowing voice.
“Which part?” I threw out quickly.
As Maverick took another deep breath, I sensed increasing tension. “Likely all of it.”
I glanced at the others, Chase lifting his eyebrows. “Does that mean you know who I’m talking about?”
Maverick brought his drink to his lips, tossing the entire half glass into his throat. Another telltale sign he knew exactly what I was talking about. “Yes, I’m aware of the group. The FBI investigated them years ago. When my boss couldn’t find anything, he tossed it into my lap. Tough group to learn anything about. They are highly secretive and I wouldn’t put it past them to use whatever methods to keep their organization on the down-low. And I do mean anything.”
That meant including murder.
I returned to the table, studying his face. We had at least one case that had haunted us through the years. Another reason Raven Intel had been born.
“And?” Chase asked.
“Have you heard of them?” I threw at the active DEA agent. Chase had investigated various dangerous criminals over the years, going undercover in a crime syndicate several years before.
“Yeah, but no one has been able to get close. I’m sure that’s why the FBI wanted nothing to do with it.”
“That’s because according to the detective, there’s only the one victim who managed to escape. Unfortunately, she wasn’t much help. The men were all wearing masks, girls given cutesy names for an auction after being groomed for the event. But they switch their proclivities and if I had to guess, their location as well. From what I can tell, there are no rules for the elite members other than keeping the secret about who they are and the perverse acts they indulge in.” I was much more interested in what Maverick had to say.
Chase shook his head. “I can fill in a few blanks. They are all from very powerful families. All wealthy. All flying under the radar. They all take an oath of secrecy and privacy and anyone who ignores that pledge is hunted and killed.”
“You’re certain that ex members were killed?” I pressed.
His chuckle was dark. “I’m sure. One former member was arrested then promised to expose the group for immunity. Before it was granted, the guy turned up on the Miami Beach shores. He’d been tortured before he was killed.”
“Fuck,” I hissed.
“I’ll continue with a characterization,” Maverick interjected. “You’re right about switching locations. They have any number of locations sprinkled throughout Miami and the surrounding counties they can use. When they believe law enforcementis getting close, they sell the property. The members are upstanding citizens that you’d never expect would be involved, their proclivities increasing in acts of dehumanization. Not just auctions but pet parties. Orgies. Hunts. Twisted shit. They trade the women back and forth like baseball cards. The unlucky ones are auctioned several times during their enslavement until they are no longer useful. They believe women are nothing but objects and I assure you, they will also eliminate anyone who gets in their way.”
“And the lucky ones?” Gabriel asked.
Maverick slowly turned his head. “They find a way to kill themselves.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
Hudson brought the bottle of whiskey, refilling Maverick’s glass. “And how do you know so much, my writer friend? Since the FBI didn’t make an arrest, I’m going to venture a guess you have a private source.”
Maverick swirled his glass and I could tell by his expression he wasn’t certain he wanted to mention where he’d gotten the information. “Let’s just say my latest book is loosely based on the story of the Privileged.”
“And where did you get your information from, your old case?” Chase leaned further over the table. This was exactly the kind of case that kept our anger levels high. In our minds, no one was above the law.
“Some, which is where I formulated the idea. But I needed additional meat.”
