Code Red (Book#2 of The Runaway Club)

23. Battle Plans And Battle Names

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[CONTENT WARNING: human trafficking and abuse]

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I looked down at the message I received a few minutes ago in my hand with a smile.

A: So last night was fun. Care for a repeat anytime soon?

I typed back a reply:

R: If your idea of fun is both of us crying in front of the dinner, I think I'd pass.

He texted back in record time.

A: Ouch.

I put my phone away with an entertained smile. Antonio and I were in what he'd like to call the war room but it was really just a random room with a projector, mini fridge and a huge table filled with documents and desktop computers. Robert was usually the only one occupying the room since I installed his three-monitored, Acer Aspire e15 and Ryzen 9 jacked-up hybrid desktop with every software programs he asked for. Cost me roughly 15 grand to put up but it was worth it since there was virtually nothing stopping the kid with that monster computer at his disposal. And his presence shows too—there were empty pizza boxes and soda bottles littering around, his sweatshirts and belongings were scattered about and around the intimidating machine. I watched Robert's lanky frame controlling the said machine easily while munching on a bag of chips.

"So we have any leads on that shipment?" I asked Robert. He hummed in reply not looking away from the multiple screens filled with numerous complicated tabs opened.

"It's hard to follow them." He replied absent-mindedly. "Obviously they have some really good IT backup. Doesn't surprise me considering the messed up things they are doing."

"We don't need their whole operation. Just the purchases Romano family had made."

"Easier said than done, Boss." Robert said in a sing-song and I sighed.

"What about you, Toni?" I turned to Antonio who was engrossed in his own laptop.

"The kitchen staff is waiting for our green signal." He announced and before my next question was raised, he answered: "We have two men from the inside, both of them with access to the food distribution chain. I had delivered them the sedatives via Kyle. They will knock out all the lower guards as soon our signal goes through and the sedative will work with 15 minutes. Their demands are a hundred grand each and help in relocation, both of which were agreed upon."

"Bien."

I nodded and walked out.

If things went the way we planned it to, the next sunrise would not see the Romano family no more. And such an opportunity might not present itself in a long time as Romano junior and senior tends to be in different places at different times for security reasons. The only other time they were together was at their private mansion in New Jersey where their wives and children were.

We might be monsters but even we had some limits.

So we waited for the opportune moment and it presented itself sooner than we expected. Both of the Romano were visiting one of their New York warehouses to receive a few... shipments. And these were not any normal Amazon delivery or even the riskier drug delivery varieties.

Human slaves.

Or more specifically, trafficked women sold into slavery.

Its existence was a well-known fact in the mafia business, even to people like us who do not deal in it. And sadly, it was billion dollar industry which runs so deep that its total extermination was a far-fetched dream. Larger mafia families dabble in investing in this trafficking business but so far none of them in my radar were in direct contact with this international underground ring. They were far too underground to get any info from and hence understandably, Robert was having a tough time getting anything from their databases despite being a computer prodigy.