Charlie didn't know where she expected the man in charcoal suit to take her, but an upscale private club was certainly not on the list of random hypothesis.
Pt78, or Platinum as the club was known, was an exclusive club for the filthy rich. Even the Callahan's did not have the money and influence to reserve a private room there but some how the man in the charcoal suit had managed to get one without a reservation. Charlie was nearly dying of curiosity. She wanted to know who the man in the charcoal suit really was, she doubted he was what he appeared but this secret truly believed was one that could get her killed. So she suppressed her thoughts and desires.
The man ordered her milk, tomato soup, and a grilled cheese sandwich. She was sure they had much fancier names listed on the menu. But that was delivered, and it tasted phenomenal.
Charlie sat in a corner of the room on tall chair while the man in the charcoal suit sat at a table near the opposing wall. He had traded out the underlings in work coveralls for men wearing business suits, or maybe they were the same men but had just changed clothing. She didn't recognize anyone and wasn't sure she cared. They seemed to be working on something but the kept their voices down and the computer screens facing alway. Charlie figured the less she knew the safer she was.
She had recognized the scent of the early morning air as they had entered the club and by this time she figured the sun may have already risen. She hadn't even considered the possibility that the food might have been drugged until she had eaten half of it, at that point she figured it didn't really matter. She tried to stay awake, she felt that she needed to stay vigilant but the darkness of the club room, the food, and the amount of stress she had endured quickly lured her consciousness away and she fell asleep with her arms cradling her head against the table.
Mr. Tom Reid looked up from his work when he heard a slight snore. The kid had finally fallen asleep. He had been quite impressed by her composure and quick thinking since they had encountered her in the tunnels. He didn't know if it had been luck or fate that had led her to their exchange. He was still doing a deep background check to make sure the whole things wasn't some sort of a set up but he had a feeling she was telling the truth and he had long since learned to trust his instincts.
He felt conflicted as he looked and the child, and she was a child for all that she tried to give the impression of maturity. The city was corrupt. She was just another victim of the corruption that had been rampant for decades. It was far from being fixed. He had once, when he was young and impatient, considered burning the entire place down. But that would have created even more victims. They were trying, playing the long con, setting traps for all the disgusting leeches that had turned the city into their depraved playground.
He shouldn't have gotten involved with the girl. It could cause problems. It could end up exposing a relationship that they couldn't afford to have exposed. He sighed. Far too often he had to make choices he didn't like.
The door to the room opened and interrupted his thoughts. Saul entered the room looking the same as ever. Tom tried to remember the last time they had met face to face. It had been decades. There were some white in his hair now and the lines in his face had deepened but he still had the same cold, unreadable face.
"This better be a damn emergency." The man paused noticing the kid who was still lost to the world. He raised an eyebrow and Tom sighed. Saul turned to scrutinize the sleeping girl. As always, Tom couldn't tell his friend's thoughts from his face, but when Saul gently covered the sleeping child with his jacket he grinned.
Saul saw the grin and rolled his eyes, he sat down quietly as Tom poured the man a drink.
"What happened?" Saul asked.
Tom summarized the events so far. When he got to the part about the surveillance videos, Saul motioned impatiently. Tom turned his screen so they both could see. He had cut the important bits together to save time.
"Quite clever, leaving her things in the bathroom." Saul commented, "Although the man was suspicious, he was still willing to let her go."
Tom nodded, "She took a lot of risks. There are so many ways this could have gone wrong. I can't decide if she was lucky or..." He stopped talking.
"She ended up with you. What can that be besides luck?"
Tom shrugged and they continued to watch. The man who the girl had ditched in the elevator hurried back to find the girl but he couldn't enter the bathroom and hadn't known about the alternate exit so by the time he got an employee to check, the child had been gone.
However the most interesting part had been watching the Callahans's and Silva's responses. Though both Callahan and Silva were sexual predators, they were both incredibly careful to cover their tracks. They also preyed on the vulnerable exclusively. The daughters of the rich and influential were completely safe from them. They picked girls with no support on purpose. Normally the girl, Charlotte, would have been completely safe from Silva if the parents hadn't approached him first.
"Well," Saul said, "this might be a good thing."
"You think you can use this?"
"It's an in." Saul responded, "If I handle it right it could give me the opportunity to get inside the Callahan's operation but it Tiffany is a difficult opponent. Things could always go wrong."
"There are no absolutes in life." Tom replied. Saul sighed and took a drink, if only there were.
When Charlie woke, the many in the grey suit was gone. He had been replaced by a different man, one who looked far more frightening to her. The new man looked to be of a similar age but his black custom suit breathed luxury. After a few moments her mind supplied his identity from various reports and articles. Saul Monroe, CEO and owner of the Monroe Group. Ranked twelfth in the country in financial influence. If one were to try to compare the Monroe Group to Charlie's family's company CalCorps it would be akin to comparing a tiger to a house cat.
"What..." Charlie didn't have a chance to finish her question before a couple of men grabbed her arms. She her initial response was not panic. It was dread. She shouldn't have trusted anyone, certainly not the man in the grey suit. Who in their right mind would trust someone involved in an arms deal anyway. She struggled against the arms that restrained her even though the difference in strength was clearly evident. They dragged her to a car and set off in the direction of the Callahan villa and with each breath she took Charlie could feel her heart sinking further.
In her mind she could imagine her future. Her stepmother and her father would no doubt punish her for running away. Had that man, Silva, been angry? Would her parents make her suffer if he refused the help them after she ran away? Or would her obvious dislike excite him? The thought of that last turned her stomach and she began to regret the food she had eaten before falling asleep. Her mind was spiraling out of control as she sat in the back of the luxury car, sandwiched between two bodyguards. If there had been a chance to jump out of the moving car she would have taken it. She wondered if it was worth it to take her own life. As the gates to the villa opened she decided she would take the first opportunity she was given to escape, even if the escape was death.