“Well, we’re established,” Mike said as he came into the room the team was using as a command post. Vanner was already in place with various electronic gadgets set up and a wire discreetly running out the window. “The agreed cover: we’re running high quality girls to Montenegro for a special auction. I put out the word that we’re in the market for unspoiled girls.”
“I’ve gotten Smegnoff’s cell phone plotted,” Vanner said, nodding. He had a set of cup headphones on with one cup dangling. “He’s about a half a kilometer southeast of here which plots out as…”
“The Café Arrendi,” Mike said, grinning as the intel specialist turned to look at him. “Already got the word.”
“What’s the play?” Adams asked.
“Work him,” Mike said. “Then get him someplace quiet and have a nice long chat.”
Chapter Ten
The Café Arrendi was a “coffee shop” that fronted for a brothel. It was on a minor street in south Chisainau that was the center of what passed for a red-light district. The traffic movement along the road was slow since business, even in the early morning hours, was brisk. Girls lined both sides of the streets, waving at the passing cars and rapidly boarding those that stopped.
“Pull over, here,” Mike said as the van reached the front of the shop. He noticed that none of the girls were waving for them to stop; it was apparent what the van was used for.
What the darkened windows cloaked, however, were five Keldara in full body armor, cradling MP-5s. If anything “untoward” went down in the coffee shop, their job was to extract Mike, and Smegnoff, alive. And since Mike was the Kildar, they were very serious about that mission.
Mike rolled out of the van and stepped between two cars to the curb. He noticed that besides the girls there were men, most of them heavyset and wearing bad suits, scattered along the road. He wasn’t sure if they were there to make sure the girls kept working or as external security on the coffee shop. He did spot what was probably the Lada the picture of Smegnoff was taken by. Of course, there were three other Ladas parked within less than a block of it, but it was nearly opposite the coffee-shop and the right color and trim.
The interior of the shop was run down with rickety tables and chairs and a filthy floor. Mike was almost afraid to try the coffee, but it wasn’t all that bad. The girls working the counter were the most rode-hard-and-put-up-wet duo he’d ever seen, a hollow-faced girl with black hair and a bleached blonde. Both were dressed in skin-tight tube dresses and clearly were supposed to be advertising. If they were, they were advertisements for getting every venereal disease ever discovered and probably a few that were barely known.
Mike had spotted Smegnoff when he walked in. The pimp was in a corner with two other males. They had the scent of muscle and helpers at “breaking” girls. They were larger than the pimp but Mike figured if it came down to cases he could take all three of them. And the Keldara fire team was waiting in a van outside.
He sipped the espresso as he drifted over to the table.
“You’re Smegnoff,” Mike said, sitting down uninvited.
“And you’re the new American,” Smegnoff said, smirking. “I hear you’re in the market for girls.”
“Top quality, only,” Mike said, nodding and ignoring the muscle. “Pretty, young and untouched.”
“What is the fun of selling untouched girls?” Smegnoff sneered.
“Money,” Mike said, shrugging. “You can get pussy anywhere. But young, virgin pussy, that’s real money if you’ve got the right customers.”
“I have customers like that,” Smegnoff said, shrugging. “A few. Everyone does.”
“Well, that’s my main clientele,” Mike said. “I hear you sometimes get pretty top quality girls.”
“They’re around,” Smegnoff said, nodding and eyeing the former SEAL. “Not all the time, you know?”
“Anything at the moment?” Mike asked. “Or, for that matter, anything you can steer me to that hasn’t been raped yet?”
“Not right now,” Smegnoff said. “But they will be expensive.”
“We’ll bargain,” Mike said. “I’m in town for two days letting the ladies rest. Then we’re gone. You’ve got that long.”
“I’ve got a shotgun mike set up on the Arrendi,” Vanner said when he got back. “But his car has a heavy by it. I can’t get a tracer on it; the Keldara were too obvious.”
Mike looked around the room at the Keldara females and rubbed his chin.
“What are you thinking?” Yevgenii asked, eyeing the Kildar uncomfortably.
“Anisa,” Mike said, glancing at the Keldara girl. She was a lovely young brunette with long legs and a classical face.
“Yes, Kildar?” the girl asked, curiously.
“Would you be willing to pose as a hooker?” Mike asked. “We’re going to run into this problem again. I could send Cottontail to do it, but what I’d like is to send both of you. One of you to distract the guard, the other to plant the tracer. That way if we have to do it again, or something like it, after Cottontail is inserted you’ll have experience. You’ll have a Keldara backup team, of course.”
“What would I have to do?” the girl asked uncertainly.
“Well, the first thing is getting into character,” Mike said.
“I cannot wear this in public!” Anisa wailed.
The tube dress was, okay, pretty darned short. And the girl had clearly never worn high heels in her life. Cottontail, who could walk in them like most girls walked in flats, was smirking as the Keldara female attempted to balance on the top of the stiletto sandals.
Cottontail and Killjoy had been sent out shopping and had come back with everything that Anisa needed to look like a hooker. And the girl did, albeit a rather expensive one.
“I’m having problems with this,” Adams said in English, shaking his head.
“So am I,” Mike admitted. “But I think it’s the best plan to go with.”
“Oh, it’s not the plan,” Adams replied. “I’m wondering how much we could get for her…”
“Don’t go there,” Mike snapped, shifting to Georgian. “Anisa, you look perfect. You’ll be fine. All you have to do is walk up to the car with Katya, lean up against it while she talks to the guard, plant the tracer and then walk away with her. You’ll be under observation the whole time and the Tigers will be there if anything goes wrong. But nothing will. You’ll do fine.”
“I cannot walk down the street in this!” Anisa said. “I look like a whore!”
“Uhmm…” Vanner said. “That’s sort of the point.”
Anisa opened her mouth to respond and then shut it when she couldn’t think of a reply.
“Well…” she said after a moment, half triumphantly. “How am I supposed to carry it dressed like this? Where am I going to hide it?”
“It’s not that large,” Vanner said, pulling out a gray rectangle that was about the size and general shape of a cigarette lighter. “It’s got a contact adhesive on one side. I suppose you should hide it somewhere where it’s out of sight and easy… to… access…” He trailed off.
Anisa looked at him blankly then over at the Kildar.
“On your leg, right up in your crotch is what he doesn’t want to say,” Mike said bluntly. “For that matter, you might be able to simply palm it. Keep it in your fist. The problem with that is that people will assume it’s money or something.”
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Anisa said, holding out her hand for the device.
Vanner helpfully peeled the cover off the contact adhesive and handed it over.
“You can turn your back, now,” Anisa said, looking at the men.