Santo Diablo

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this story are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Part 2 Congressional Entertainment

A week passed and Brian accounted for most conversations, both at home, and at work. Everyone wanted to support me and Beth, so it came down to what we wanted. It took most of the week to come around to the fact Brian was still alive. I think we were both still in shock and neither knew how to deal with it. Toward the end, we sat down to make our decision.

Beth began, "Rich, I have my feelings, but they dwarf what Brian did to you. To just abandon you like that, his own son. That must hurt. How are you doing with that?"

That was quintessential Beth. She had her own feelings, but worried about me first. That's one of the chief things I loved about her.

"I'm still coming to terms with the fact my father is still alive." I replied, "Part of me is happy, but part of me hates it. I think the part that hates it just doesn't want to deal with the feelings and complications that come with that. I still don't trust him, and before I do, I'll sit down and talk with him again. I want you there. He abandoned you also and you deserve your say."

"I appreciate that Rich." Replied Beth. "I don't trust him either and to find out our marriage was fake stung. Of course, I can admit it's for the best; if it was legal, I would need to get a divorce. There is no way I would remain married to him if it was. It still makes me angry. Do you think you can work with him?"

"I believe I could." I answered. "I know what we're doing is important, and I think Brian can open the door to new contacts and opportunities within the government. That can help us rescue more victims and help us gain new contracts. I hate to put rescuing women in business terms, but you do the financials, so you know better than anyone that what we do is expensive. Working with the government will help us bankroll the missions."

"You're correct." Beth confirmed, "The company is making money, but with the missions picking up, we're not doing much better than breaking even. It would be nice to work with a surplus again. I just worry that Brian isn't telling us the entire truth. He lied before, and we can't trust he's not lying now. I can't believe he didn't take us with him because of the mission. That doesn't fly with me; if he loved us that much, he wouldn't have hesitated. That, and knowing our marriage was fake, I bet he had another family."

"Beth, I agree." I answered, "I thought that myself. His story just sounds off. If that's the case, my question would be did he have me before or after he started his actual family? Not that it's important, but I would like to know if he left me behind for his other kids. Either way, he has no excuse. I say we talk with him, and if doesn't continue to lie to us, we take him up on his offer. We could use the contracts, but I won't work with someone I can't trust."

"Then I guess we have our answer." Replied Beth.

That decided it. Depending on our discussion with Brian, we were taking the offer. I called Brian and set up a meeting with him, and three days later Beth, Isabella, Ann, and I were escorted into a conference room at the local FBI field office. Brian walked in a few minutes later, this time without the other agents, but with a pretty secretary. She was attractive, but not overly gorgeous. She was about 35, brunette hair, and I would estimate a B cup. She wore a plain business suit and black two-inch heels. I wondered to myself if Brian had a hand in that. Like father, like son.

"Brian, as I mentioned on the phone, before I accept, we want to talk with you; get to know who you really are." I began, "Please, tell us the truth. We have our own intelligence division and can easily look up anything you say. I would rather not, and rebuild our relationship on trust, not suspicion. So, tell us about your actual family."

Brian looked like he was about to choke. He put his hand over his mouth and coughed before he regained his composure.

"Rich, how did you know?" Brian asked.

"I wasn't sure until a few seconds ago, but we had our suspicion." I answered, "That bullshit about wanting to take us, but not wanting to ruin the operation didn't sound right. If I had been in the same position as you were and any of my family were in left in a dangerous situation, I would do anything to get them out. So, stop telling us convenient lies and give us the truth. I don't care if you want to spare my feelings."

"Ok, Rich. You got me." Brian admitted, "I'll even give you the ok to check out my story. Shortly before I met my wife, I had a quick affair with your mother. My wife and I were married rather quickly, within a year of meeting. By the time your mother told me about you, we were already married. I didn't know your mother had gotten pregnant until you were almost two years old. She had fallen on some hard times and was looking for support. I told my wife all about you and we decided the best thing to do was to send money and stay out of your life. Your mother preferred it that way, saying it would only confuse you."

"Once she died, I had a choice." Brian continued, "You were eight and my wife already had one child, younger than you. I couldn't see sending you to my wife with me spending so much time undercover. Hell, I could only see my family when I took out of state trips to deliver product, and that only amounted to around thirty to forty days a year. My marriage almost ended a few times because of the time apart, and it eventually ended after I left the program. I met my current wife, Amanda, and married her a few years ago."

"When we faked my death, the cards were already played." Brian added, "I wasn't married to Beth, so I couldn't take her with me, and taking just you would have been risky. If the Assassins got wind of who I was, my entire family would have been in danger, including you. You know what the club was capable of, and they killed people for less. The place where you were safest was with Beth. The club believed I was dead, and they looked after you as one of their own. It may sound twisted, but you were safer with the club than with me."

"That's quite the story." I replied, "I still believe that you could have taken me if you wanted. And even though you and Beth were not married, you owed it to her to get her out of that mess. You put her in it, and it was the only right thing to do. I will check your story out, but I believe you're telling me the truth. One day I would like to meet my half-brothers, or half-sisters, which is it?"

"You have two brothers. My oldest son is 25, and my youngest son is 18."

"I guess that explains why you never gave me any children Brian." Beth threw in, "I'm now in my mid-40s, and my time is pretty much up for having kids. That's something else you took from me."

"Beth, I was certain one of the Assassins would have given you a child or two." Brian replied, "They were always fixated on having kids to repopulate the club. I didn't know you would go that long without getting pregnant."

"Seriously, Brian?" Beth admonished, "After you, I couldn't see myself married again. You were my one. After you left, I went on the pill, and Roger never questioned it; probably figured it was best since he had kids of his own with Susan. That left me odd woman out."

"Beth, I'm sorry, I never even thought about that." I replied.

"Thanks Rich." Beth answered, "We can talk about that later. For now, let's get to why we're here."

We then started discussing the specifics of our arrangement. Brian would bankroll all our operations we undertook with him, providing intelligence and any resources needed. We would provide our expertise in the sex trade. We would also provide our specially trained operatives, specifically our Ghosts. We would work with the government, but because it was our knowledge that got us in the door, we would run the operations from IBJPN. I would build a command center in our underground computer vault.

I discussed the prospect of new government contracts for military hardware and security operations. Brian agreed to buy the arms and equipment for our new partnership and give us contracts for our security division. He would also bankroll any of our solo operations, so long as we notified him beforehand. It was good business to let his superiors see results, even if it was just for a single rescue. Our large operations would see large paydays, ranging in amounts dependent on the size of the rescue and assets involved. I also told Brian my family would have to meet his to build trust between us.

"Rich, now it's my turn to ask some questions." Brian announced, "You live with five women. Are they all your wives, and if so, how does that work?"

"Yes Brian, they are my wives, if not on paper, in spirit. Isabella here is my wife, on paper. They married us when the Assassins partnered with the Mayans, and to facilitate trust, her father Thomas arranged it."

"Brian, we haven't talked, but let me say it's nice to finally speak with you." Isabella addressed Brian, "I suppose you are my father-in-law, which makes you family. I know Rich won't address you as his father and I don't blame him, but from where I come from, family is family. He won't say it, but I can tell he's happy you're alive. I will say this, however, if you fuck with him, or you break his heart again, I'll kill you myself."

"Yes, Isabella, it's nice to speak with you as well." Brian replied, "And yes, I know you are a woman of her word. We know about your brother and let me say that I know what you're capable of. You need not worry, I screwed up once and I'm determined to make good if I get a second chance."

"Rich, so all the women are your wife?" Brian addressed me, "I know they had to stay with you in the Assassins, that's just how the club operated, but what keeps them around now?"

"That's a good question, Brian." I answered, "I would say we've become close and grew to love each other. However, I'm sure each has her own reason for staying."

"I can tell you why I stayed." Beth interrupted, "I have grown close to Rich, closer than anyone else I had in my life, including you. When you left, I never thought I would love another man. When Rich was given guardianship over me, I was hesitant. Sure, I enjoyed his company, and he made me feel safe, but he was young and unsure of himself. My love for him developed almost right from the start, but I always linked it to him as your son. He reminded me of you so much that I often felt I was with you."

"As he grew older and became more confident, my love for him grew." Beth continued, "After the split with the club, he took firm control of the house and the women. It was then that I started separating my love for him from my love for you. Rich put me in a position where I was completely submissive to him. He controlled every aspect of my life. It took me up to that point to realize that is what I've been after, someone to control me on that level."

"You had that with me, Beth, and I apologize again for what happened." Brian responded.

"You controlled me, Brian, but it wasn't the same." Beth corrected him, "Rich controls my entire life. Every decision I make Rich is part of. Where he differs from you is his investment and interest. You told me what to do, where to go, and when to have sex with you or someone else. Rich does all of that, but it's how he does it. Except for when I'm in my office at work, or Rich is out of town, he's with me. If I'm not next to him, he looks for me. He knows immediately when something is wrong. He reacts to when I need something, often before I know it. I serve him, and he watches over me, almost like a parent watches over a child. Our relationship has flipped, he's now my guardian instead of me being his, and I love every minute. I stay because I never want to lose that."

"Well damn, I never thought you wanted, or needed, that much control." Brian replied. "I'm glad you found what makes you happy."

Isabella spoke up, "As for me, Rich is my husband. My father taught me to be loyal to family, and he instructed me that a good wife's focus is always on her husband. Rich has proven himself worthy of that devotion by the man he became. I need a powerful man to control me, and Rich is the only person who can handle me. I have a dominant personality, but I have a submissive side that needs someone to control. It's my dominant side that pushed every other man I've been with away. Rich is the exception."

"I have a tendency to lose control and give in to anger." Isabella continued, "Rich can disarm me immediately with a look. It took a lot of time and effort to do that, but Rich took the time and endured much, never giving up. My love has only grown over the years since we married and I can't see my life without him."

Everyone grew quiet when Ann looked around and spoke up, "I'm with Rich because he pays me well, and if he continues that and my yearly pay raises, I can't see myself without him either."

Everyone laughed, lightening the mood in the room. Beth spoke up, "We have introduced everyone here except for your secretary, Brain." Addressing his secretary, Beth added, "I'm sorry miss, I didn't get your name."

Brian's secretary answered, "My name is Amanda, it's a pleasure to meet you all."

Me, Beth, and Isabella did a double take, looking between Amanda and Brian.

"Are you Brian's Amanda?" Beth asked.

"Yes, I am." Amanda responded, "I wanted to introduce myself immediately, but Brian thought it best to hold back until we knew how this meeting would go. I told him he was being ridiculous, but he insisted. Rich and Isabella, it's also a pleasure to meet both of you, and I can't wait to sit down with all of you and welcome you to the family."

Everyone was silent until Beth spoke up, "Are you also his secretary, Amanda?"

"No, I'm not." Amanda answered, "His secretary is at her desk awaiting my husband's return. She's family as well." After saying that, Amanda looked a little uneasy, like she had given up a secret.

Brian changed the subject quickly, and we resumed talking about the details of the partnership. He was hiding something, but I didn't know what. I moved forward with everything and would keep a close eye on him. We were told to come back in a week to the sign the contracts and get our partnership started. I invited everyone over to our place to meet the rest of my family and told Amanda that we had an enormous pool. Everyone agreed, and it was a date.

After returning and signing the contracts, Brian took us to Washington DC to meet the men behind the operation. I traveled with Julie, Isabella, and Ann. Brian met us at the airport and we all drove straight to our meeting in the limo I rented. We arrived at a large stone building resembling a brownstone, but this building was almost a block long. We walked up the stone steps and were waved through by two security guards. Brian explained this was an exclusive club whose members were almost all congressional representatives. The first thing I noticed when we entered were the women. There must have been more women than men, and most of them were wearing sexy dresses and heels. This was my type of place.

Some women dressed more conservatively, and Brian explained those were congressional representatives. The other women were wives, girlfriends, or just arm candy of the various representatives who were there. We walked through and entered a large room with a few tables, many leather chairs, and a bar against the back wall. Large windows in the back of the room showed view of the US Capital building. Brian led us to a door on the left and opened it for us. He told us he would be right outside when we were done, that the representatives wanted to talk to us alone.

Three men were inside, each accompanied by a beautiful woman. These men were older, and the women were of various ages; one was in her early 20s, one in her 30s, and the last around 40. All the women were in great shape and beautiful. Brian made the introductions. Dave Jones, Greg Stilwell, and John Nelson were all congressional representatives from different states. We took a seat, while the representatives had their women sitting in their laps.

Dave greeted us, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Rich, you're younger than I expected, but I can't deny your skills. We've been watching your forays into the human trafficking world, and while you're doing a good job, there is room for improvement. We would like to help you with that. We've also paid close attention to your criminal organization and the disappearing act you performed with your money."

"Thank you, representative Jones." I answered.

"Nonsense, call me Dave." He responded.

"Thank you Dave." I replied, "As far as a criminal organization and money goes, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. All of our money was earned legally, and we pay our taxes."

"Touché Rich." Dave laughed, "Now, let's get down to business. Brian told you he works for the FBI and CIA, but his actual role is liaison and coordinator for us. Our subcommittee funds this operation, and only part of it is legitimate. Have you ever heard of black money?"

"Isn't that money that's allocated to projects that don't officially exist?" I asked.

"That's pretty close." Dave answered, "The government uses these funds when a project is above top secret. The only people familiar with these types of projects include the people running them, a few congressional representatives, and maybe the President and Vice President, but not always. In our case, the President is aware of what we do along with the people in this room."

"We are officially set up to gather intel, organize, and intercept human trafficking victims." Dave continued, "The black money part goes deeper. We work with foreign governments, private organizations, and even some criminal organizations, to reach our end goal. That goal is the elimination of all human trafficking. I know, that's not workable, but most trafficking isn't the pimp that sells ten women on the street. The actual players make billions of dollars abducting, turning, and selling women by the hundreds all over the world. These are our targets."

"Since when does the US government care about some women caught up in sex trafficking?" I questioned, "I don't believe the government cares enough about women to spend money saving them. There must be another reason you're doing this."

"You're right." Dave admitted, "We don't care about the women as much as we care about where the money they make ends up. Most of this money finds its way to terror groups, corrupt regimes, and criminal cartels. By knocking out an enormous source of their income, we cripple them. Spending millions battling human trafficking gets better news coverage than spending the same amount fighting drugs or infiltrating terror groups. People see that and want to spend more, which makes us happy. The elimination of all human trafficking is just what we tell people."

"The only problem is the average citizen likes us saving women in distress so long as it's clean." Dave continued to explain, "No one wants to see dead bodies on the news, even if it's in pursuing those same women. That's where you come in. We will unofficially contract for you to do the dirty work. Your organization is uniquely positioned and has everything we need. You have the tactical teams, hardware, technology, and intelligence. Where you fall short is money and the expertise to scale up your operations. That's where we come in."

"We bankroll your operations, feed you our intelligence, and provide resources for you to grow." Dave explained, "This allows us to focus your efforts where we desire, all the while keeping our hands out of it. If something should go wrong, no one will admit to working with you. You won't face prosecution from us, but we won't be sending in the military to save you. These are black funds, so there will be no official record of our partnership."