Page 69 of Eternal

AZRA

“Something In The Way” by Nirvana

Present

M onths go by quickly when you want them to take longer. It’s like a weird thing the earth does when she’s trying to test you.

Damir has been really busy lately. We text a lot, he comes to eat every now and then but it’s still not enough in a way, he’s been working a lot alone. And I’ve been working a lot on my own.

I’m sitting in front of Viktor and Kat, the screen on my lap lighting up our tired faces. I scroll through the last piece I found, something I didn’t even know I was looking for.

“I finally have her name,” I say it like it was easy to go from nothing to this, like I haven’t been sitting up until 3 a.m. combing through scanned police files from 20 years ago.

They both lean in, Vik reads over my notes, eyes narrowing and then, he exhales slowly. “Finally...”

They know how I get when something haunts me, that unhealthy obsession with uncovering whatever’s hidden. “I traced every missing person report from around the time my mom started digging into this.”

I scroll through my timeline, names, photos, notes, all color-coded and arranged by date.

“Minor girls, in the city, are all connected to foster homes, youth centers.”

Kat frowns. “That must be hundreds of files. Plus, it was so long ago.”

I nod. “It was... But I narrowed it down to the girls who went missing the same week Antony’s wife died, then, those spotted near his restaurant or along his delivery routes.”

“Alana M. kept coming up. Fourteen years old, no record, no known family.” I click on a PDF, an old, scanned intake form from a youth shelter. “She was staying at Sainte-Marie and I called. The director from back then still works there part-time.”

Vik looks at me, focused. “And?”

“He remembered her.” I sit up straighter, my throat tightening.

“He said she was smart. Quiet . Very pretty. That’s what he said.

A few days before she disappeared, she told a social worker she’d gotten an opportunity.

A ‘job.’ Someone promised she could leave soon, start over and have a new life. ” I pause. “She didn’t want to stay.”

Kat murmurs, “They lured her.”

“That’s why she was never officially considered abducted. She was marked as a runaway even if the shelter filed a missing report.” I exhale slowly. “But that same week, there was a delivery from Donovan’s vineyard to one of Antony’s restaurants. Handwritten slip, same date, same time.”

Vik leans closer, eyes scanning the file. “It all lines up.”

I nod again, almost to myself. “That girl didn’t just vanish, they took her. My mother figured it out, right before Antony’s wife died. That’s what she meant when she wrote about ‘a girl no one would look for.’”

Kat’s voice drops to a whisper. “So, what now?”

I look at the name on the screen. “Now I follow her, retrace her steps. Someone had to have seen something. Someone helped, maybe someone even made it out.”

Viktor’s jaw clenches. “You really think it’s her?”

“I’m sure.”

Vik furrows his brow. “What kind of shipment are they even using?”

“Wine,” I say, the word bitter on my tongue. “Now we know, the shipment wasn’t just wine. My mother suspected some deliveries covered something else. Too frequent. Too specific, especially for a company like Donovan’s. He catered to the rich, the kind who can make things disappear without a trace.”

I lean forward, rubbing my eyes, trying to make sense of it all.

“Alana worked for Donovan’s company, or at least that’s what this report said.

She was hired as a server, a hostess at private wine events he threw.

High-profile clients, big names in the city, people who don’t like police investigations. ”

Kat shifts next to me. “She was fourteen, and they hired her for those events? That’s... fucking sick.”

I nod, running my fingers through my hair. “She was a kid, probably had no idea what she was walking into. But the more I dug, the more I realized her disappearance wasn’t random, there’s a weird pattern."

Vik leans back, still processing. “What do you mean?”

I look down, my hands shaking slightly. I have a theory, and I don’t like it at all. “Donovan’s people were always careful with timing. Never late, once a month.”

Kat reaches over, brushing her fingers against mine. “What do you think happened to her?”

“I honestly don’t know. But when I killed Antony, he told me something that made it worse.” My voice falters, but I push it out. “He said the kids, boys and girls , were ‘cleaned’ before being sent out to clients. He mentioned a church. Some kind of place where they prepare them.”

Vik and Kat exchange looks, disbelief and horror on their faces.

“And you think that’s what’s happening?” Vik asks, voice low, cautious.

I take a deep breath. “Yeah. I think there’s an entire organization behind this. Donovan’s just one actor in the front, the one they use to reach the rich clients. There’s more, a lot more. And Alana was just one of the first... one of many.”

Kat squeezes my hand, barely whispering, “You think they’re still out there, don’t you?”

I meet her gaze. “I know they are.” I can see Vik and Kat exchange a look, like they think I’ve lost my mind.

“You think I’m a monster, talking about this like it’s some kind of fact?”

Vik lets out a short chuckle, his hand moving to grab mine. “No. I think you’re a genius. And you’re one hell of a person for chasing down this case and getting to the truth about all this sick shit.”

The mess I’ve uncovered is a hell of a lot deeper than I ever thought. This isn’t just about revenge anymore.

Kat glances at me, her eyes still focused, but I can see the concern in her face. “So, what do we do now? How do we take this down?”

Before I can answer, Vik interrupts, his voice tense. “Actually, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s about the shit going down in Vesper. You need to know about this.”

I turn to him, instantly on alert. “What’s going on?”

Vik exhales slowly, his gaze hardening as he speaks.

“The Don, the Pakhan, and the Emira, they all know about an organization. They’ve been dealing with them in Vesper for a while now.

It’s not just your typical criminal group.

They’ve got deep connections, and they’re brutal.

Mercenaries, powerful people, underground names and politicians too but they’re operating on a whole other level. Mostly targeting young women and kids.”

I frown, processing what Vik’s saying. “Mercenaries? What do you mean?”

Vik pauses before continuing, “They had one of the heads of this organization there. Got her and killed her with her husband. The Venom Reapers and the huntress have been working against them for a while now, but they’re a tough enemy.

The thing is, I didn’t think it was connected to us, not at first. But now, hearing what you’re saying, it’s starting to make sense.

You’re telling me about an organization that uses young people, controls them, and sells them to rich assholes, maybe they’re the same ones operating here.

They could be working in both cities, maybe in the whole country. ”

I stare at him, disbelief mixing with a rising fury. “You’re telling me that the people who killed my family, who trafficked young girls and boys, might have a name?”

Vik nods. “Yeah, and it’s worse than I thought. This organization isn’t just killing, they’re using their victims, breaking them down, turning them into things they can sell. Maybe it’s not just about the money. They’ve built something far more twisted than just a trafficking ring.”

Kat leans forward, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Wait, you're saying it’s not just about trafficking anymore? They’re... what? Turning people into products? Like... toys for the rich?”

“I think that’s what Azra is thinking too.

But from what I heard it’s worse. We’re talking about an underground operation that controls lives.

These people don't just take kids and women, they mold them, strip them of their identities, and make them into whatever the buyers want. It’s like they’re trying to build a system, a new world where these people are nothing but disposable goods. ”

I feel a coldness spread through me, something colder than I’ve ever felt before. This is exactly what my mother worked on and what she tried to stop.

“ Fuck ,” I mutter under my breath, more to myself than to anyone else. “I thought Donovan and Antony were bad enough. But this? This is...” My hands curl into fists, anger surging through me. “How the hell does anyone get away with this? How the hell are they still operating, still breathing?”

Abusing. Using them like toys. Like I was, like he did, like they all did, like when his friends would come over and have fun with me. Toys.

“These people are everywhere, and they’ve got powerful people behind them.

We’re talking about a system that’s built on the backs of these kids, these lives , and they don’t give a damn about who gets hurt as long as they make their money.

That’s why the Pakhan and the Don have been trying to take them down.

It’s not just about fighting some small-time criminals anymore, this is an empire. ”

Kat shakes her head, processing what she’s hearing. “And now you’re telling me they’re operating here, in our city, too?”

I nod, my voice tight with fury. “Yeah, and I’m gonna make sure they pay for everything they’ve done. They killed my family, they’ve stolen lives, they won’t get away with it.”

Vik looks at both of us, his face hardening at my words. “Then we go after them. No more hesitation.” He pauses, then steps back as his phone starts vibrating. “Give me a second.” He walks off, already answering the call, leaving Kat and me alone.

I let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in my chair, still trying to wrap my head around it all.

Kat glances sideways at me. “It’s been a while since you worked with Damir, hasn’t it?”

I nod slowly, eyes still on the laptop. “Yeah. Haven’t seen him in two weeks.”