(Return to Part I)
Chapter 9 continued . . .
(Click here to go to Part III)
I need to visit with Maria to get a better idea about how human trafficking is weaved into the elitist GOP plans – it’s like they want slavery to be legal from their rhetoric and bizarre transport of immigrants, legal or not, around the world. Is this behavior part of a huge trafficking effort? Maria’s knowledge of the cruel El Salvador system could shed some light. Being made a friend for what is wrong is never a good idea.
I scanned my Orca card and waited a short while before the train appeared. I entered what I thought would be a more crowded car and found a seat near an exit door. I kept alert and checked my notifications as we made our way to the SeaTac station. I sent a text reminding Julie of my need to meet her ES former gang member, suggesting a short meeting in the late evening when I arrived at LAX.
We arrived at the airport stop and I made my way down and through to the check in area. I had no need to stop there as I had my boarding pass on my phone – two in fact. I made my way through security and found a seat in a restaurant. I had booked two flights to LAX, and I decided to take the Delta flight after checking its status, quickly canceling the other ticket.
I then ordered a gluten free bowl of soup with salad from the table electronic menu. I texted Julie about her friend again, basically asking to have contact while waiting for my flight. Then, I got this message:
No!!!!!
That was from an unknown number. I was hacked again! What is going on?
Chapter 10
The next message was Just go to your Delta flight as planned. You are not in danger. I will be in touch.
I didn’t expect that she would contact me on the flight. She said that she had a ride arranged from LAX to my target. Just relax, check on my notifications and don’t contact anyone until I say for everyone’s protection.
Needless to say I was a little bit uneasy. I had lost control, which was not what I expected or wanted. I did as I was told, and tried not to identify my stalker as we made our way to LA. I even rested my eyes for a long spell as I was getting tired. The shock of the emerging situation was contributing to my tiredness for sure.
Everything else was quiet, and I had time to think about the change in circumstances. It must be someone I know that has facilitated the situation. I am not hack proof, but this attack reeks of inside knowledge. And, as if they could read my mind she texted me again saying it was inside knowledge, which should ease my mind. Just use a restroom near the gate when we get off, and meet me near ground transportation outside of baggage claim. Don’t look around much. I will approach you when I believe we are clear wearing a Padres bucket hat with long blonde hair. Wear your Dodgers cap after the restroom.
I tried to relax, but couldn’t help but wonder who had done this and why.
Should I run? I wasn’t sure. Just then I got an email from a really unknown LinkedIn contact. I checked it out and found two tickets to Warner Brothers attached. This was getting more and more curious. Obviously some planning was involved.
The flight was routine and we landed and deplaned without incident as usual. I can’t say I didn’t look around a bit more, carefully, using peripheral vision mostly as I made my way to baggage claim and out to the arrivals pickup area. Sure enough a thin woman about my height with long blonde hair under a bucket hat came up to me and said, “Hey, Nat, let’s get our ride.”
We went outside and she led me to a black SUV with California plates that we piled into the middle seats and took off. The driver was a young black man that kept to himself playing a little pop music over the sound system. I could see the ride share service light was turned on, but, again, there was no communication, no typical banter you have getting going. I waited.
After a longish quiet ride, we pulled into a parking garage. It must have taken about half an hour, and it was late dinner time. We got out, and our car went away. I still didn’t know her name, but she pulled gently on my sleeve leading me towards a stairwell. We went up a level, got into a newer Ford EV and she turned on the sound system.
“I’m, Evelyn,” and she put her finger to her lips, telling me silently to be quiet still. She tapped out a quick message: We’re in Beverly Hills and I am taking you to some studios, not WB. We can talk when we get there. Jerry sends his greeting and apology for the mystery. Me, too.
She pulled out and we headed back to the freeway, she had me lay low until we were actually on the freeway with a jacket over my head. I noticed we were heading towards the studios of Hollywood – near Universal Studios where I had visited once before. I thought I saw their sign and Warner Brothers, but we turned into a rather nondescript lot instead. She keyed in a security code, and we drove in the gate around to the back between a few buildings, came up to a steel garage door, paused, it rolled up and we proceeded inside where the lights came on automatically.
“Okay, Nat, we’re here,” she said as she got out.
I got out, too, and looked around. It looked like a warehouse with some crates and boxes here and there in a neat arrangement. “What’s up, Evelyn?” I asked.
Chapter 11
Evelyn led me through the nearest door. We entered a different world. It was a very substantial and cool mission control center with a library. On the bigger screen grid a starship was showing with a full stary sky. This place was cool.
“Yes, Nat,” she said, “that’s the expression I get when I do get to bring someone in here.”
“It is very cool, Evelyn. It would be nice to work here for sure,” I observed.
“Well, you will get your chance. As you might already be guessing, this is a secure zone. Really secure. We have a full faraday cage with only an internal wifi connection to a quasi-randomized VPN Internet connection. More on that later, but you can conduct your meeting with Julie’s friend and Maria will meet you here. But, first we need to get you squared away in your quarters.”
She led me to an automatic sliding doorway with sound effects included, and on into a modern, sleek elevator. We dropped a few floors, and popped out into a curving corridor with quite a few of those doorways. We stopped at one, she put her hand and face up to a kind of electronic pad, and the door slid open, again with the full sound effects.
“Here’s your secure suite. You have this living room with a nice kitchenette, a bedroom and a restroom. Best get cleaned up and meet me back in the library in about 30 minutes for a briefing,” she finished and abruptly departed.
I figured I could find my way back. Marvelous it was. I immediately headed for the shower, noting there were towels and soaps. I put my backpack down in the living room, stripped and turned on the shower. The water was warm quickly and I let it run over my head and down my body as I relished the feeling. I lathered up my hair and lightly scrubbed all over as I finally rinsed off. I toweled off, found some light clothing of my size in the bedroom closet and dressed. I found a sparkling water in the fridge and a gluten free energy bar in the cupboard – my first meal on the starship.
I grabbed my phone and headed out the cool door with its interesting sound effects, and made my way to the elevator only to be met by Evelyn.
“I thought I would help make sure you didn’t get lost,” she said as she pushed the button to call the elevator.
“Thanks,” I managed to say as we entered – the same interesting sound effects pleasing my experience.
Chapter 12
“Thanks for being prompt,” said the unidentifiable voice as Evelyn and I took seats around a central table. One large screen seemed to be the source of the person. The voice was not harsh, not soft, but measured and slightly altered.
“Well, I hope you can bring more light on this situation than Evelyn, perhaps?” I asked.
“Yes. I will,” was the reply by Evelyn’s unidentifiable boss. Evelyn shifted uneasily in her chair, not making eye contact with me. “Nat, you were being pursued by a very unfortunate unit. They were chartered recently to eliminate perceived threats to the cult. They have no conscience, just targets. They follow. They recognize no sovereignty. No nationality. No borders. You became a threat, not to a man, but to a horrible ideal.”
“Okay, that explains the secrecy and spiriting away into hiding,” I said looking at Evelyn, who quickly looked away after our eyes met. Her’s were green, I noticed.
“Yes, thankfully Evelyn happened to be in the area when events unfolded. We very secretly monitor their communications. We were surprised that they took notice of your social media campaign.” The unidentifiable noticed my concern. “Try not to worry, Jacque Henri has moved all operations and personnel to relative safety. The social media campaign continues. Your job is now contracted to our public facing cyber security operations with you secretly having full oversight.”
“Thank you, what should I call you” I said with some relief, “and, are you not afraid of retaliation?”
“Well, I must stay unknown for now. You can call me director. We are actually legitimate. We were formed as part of a secret directive from the rushed ending of the administration prior to the 46th. Everything we do is following the spirit if not the letter of the very secret document. They have looked, but have not found it.”
“Aren’t you afraid they will just tear it up, cancel your activities?”
“Well, that is a possibility, but they have lost the key, and we are not willing to volunteer it up to them – the NFT. I believe they were looking for it in the bathroom at the resort. Even the FBI and Special Counsel knew something important was missing. No wonder it became a tug of war . . .” the Director let the thought trail off. “We do nothing that is not allowed in the NFT, we are ultra secret and we are fighting tyranny everywhere. I must go, Evelyn will show you the ropes. Good luck.”
Chapter 13
“Fun first,” said Evelyn just as suddenly as the Director cut off, she took a mouse tool, slid and clicked. The control room became somewhere in the Universe with amazing stars, planets and other features all around. “I don’t know where we are exactly, but this is one of my favorites. The feature is available very often, just not when rehearsing or filming.”
“It is spectacular, Evelyn, I will study up on some features in known space and try them out, when I have time,” I responded.
“Well, it’s getting late. You can make your calls from here. Preventing and breaking up human trafficking is a high priority issue in the directive. We call ourselves “The Studios” most often. Maybe you can work from the desk in the library area for now. We’ll work out your situation in the morning. Please make your calls – they will be secure. If at anytime we suspect foul play, we drop the real parties and let a in-house generated ending take place. That’s very unlikely. Push the starship icon if you have any questions or concerns.” With that she left via the elevator, and I was alone again.
I went to my temporary desk, took a deep breath, checked my notifications – all clear, and organized my thoughts. We were investigating this human trafficking angle. Why were organizations with very questionable behavior involved, and why were people being disappeared? Whether or not you believe in the GOP deportation plans, if you had any decency and knowledge you would know there is no good reason to lose contact with any deportee, until they were in a safe place; and, it is very easy to track this information with existing governmental information systems with ready recall of any and all information.
My job was to find out what was going on really. I texted both Maria and Julie about making video calls soon. Both gave me the green light to proceed when I was ready. Time to make progress on getting answers.
Chapter 14
“Hi, Maria,” I said as we connected on a video call.
“Hello, Nat,” she responded.
“I hope you are safe and comfortable this evening.”
“Pretty much, Nat, as I am in a situation like yours. You will find out more about that as the days go by,” she answered.
“Well, it’s late, and I want to make some progress before making another call,” I pressed on, “I am hoping you can bring me up to speed on the human trafficking threats in El Salvador – scope, volume, what we can do.”
“It’s pretty grim,” she started, “There has been a tremendous increase in human trafficking activity in the area over the past six months. There are people missing, tortured, phantom flights and the type of lawlessness – police action from the government authorities, not the rule of law. Where do the people go that can’t get into the US? They get sorted in the area. They are enslaved worldwide.”
“Wow, Maria, are you in a safe place or situation? I know these people profiting off of trafficking are not playing nice.”
“Well, I suppose I am in a place like you, Nat. We’re kind of in a prison of righteousness. The Director has the ability to protect the operatives per the directive. I’m safe. Comfortable, but not free, really,” she said with a hint of sadness, “there is not much I can do to change my freedom, just like there is not much I can do to change the enslavement of many, many millions of people in the world and growing. Let me send you some notes about the situation. As you are possibly aware, the trafficking has moved from mostly the dark web and organized crime to a more shadowy state with governments pretending to be dealing with criminals, mostly refugees they call illegal immigrants.”
“So, the gangs like MS-13 are no longer much involved?” I asked.
“Correct. In fact, they are considered rivals or competition to be eliminated. Don’t get me wrong, I have been working hard against them for years, but they are not as much of a problem now, though they are still criminal. The conspiring governments have decided to cut them out and make them victims of human trafficking.”
“They are being trafficked?”
“Yes. I will send you the info. Talk to you soon, Nat,” and with that she cut out.
Chapter 15
Where should I start, I thought, as I awakened in the morning. So much is going on that harms so many; when will the madness end? How can I make a difference? I would just tell anyone who will listen to stop, reflect and care for all. Just do it.
So, I checked my notifications and got started. First, I must ensure my former bosses hedge fund is secure, check on the new arrangements the Director made and know the cyber security is reliable. Then, I would review the ominous notes I made from my conversation with Jo, pronounced YO to my surprise, Julie’s Canadian friend and former MS-13 member living under some kind of witness protection. El Salvador is a dangerous place with limited revenue streams under fascism. Then, I would dig in about where I am at, what resources I have available, and what that means for my plans.
After showering and finding some breakfast to my liking, I got to work. The cyber security system was much to my satisfaction. I did check in with Parker of parts unknown. She was my backstop. Parker agreed to spend some extra time monitoring the hedge fund, and suggesting improvements, if necessary. Parker would also join me in the fight against human trafficking. It was a nearly trillion dollar dark sector of the world economy that was a nemesis and motivator for her.
A new project I will propose to the Director is to create studio incubators all over the world for people to have access to the arts, crafts, digital technology and business development. I will work on the concept with a holistic approach including exercise options, point of sale galleries, showers and nearby temporary housing. No one should be homeless for long. Really, these would be centers for learning, creation and trade for anyone, but especially helpful for those with a relative economic disadvantage.
Though my job is to find ways to encourage and assist with the betterment of all in society, according to a just read text from Evelyn, I know the directive is also looking for and developing ways to directly create positive change while minimizing trauma from such change. I don’t have anything to do with this part of the organization. She indicated that this separation will help me with denial or knowledge, if I am ever interrogated.
For now I am to act more like a good doctor – do no harm. I totally understand the need to strengthen society so that bad actors cannot take over and drag it down with fear and false beliefs manipulation. I feel pretty helpless, a voice in the wilderness as they say, but I am trying. It appears that the organization I find myself within is trying to make a difference by the current administration’s earlier directive – strangely enough. I do wonder what direct actions they are taking, if any. There must be some at least.
Well, for now, I will get down to work expanding my cyber security reach and helping people fact check authority no matter the source with positive alternatives. I will try to help my loved ones as well. It is a strange time in the world. With that I got to it and quickly made it through my checklist, professional and personal. I had quick videocall with Purdy, and we were both good now, just not clear on the near future of our lives.
After working for hours with the personal break to chat with Purdy, I made my way back to my room to rustle up some grub. Not surprisingly, Evelyn showed up and asked if she could join me for lunch, and she was carrying some take out to boot.