Inhuman Trafficking

Freedoms are precious and no one should be forced to submit to the wiles and wishes of those who would profit from using g them as pawns in a sex trafficking network. Young women fall prey to the lies and promises of men hoping for a better life. Families are tricked into paying for their young girls to get jobs and have a better life. Unwillingly theses young girls are forced into a life of fear, servitude and poverty. Any money promised us given to the person in charge of the sex trafficking business who rules these girls and their actions.

Lily is 15 and blindsided by her boyfriend, Carlos into paying off his debt to a drug dealer. Not realizing what this means, drugged and taken away, she is now the property of someone called Tio who will determine her fate.

Nick “Deke” Deketomis a managing partner for one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ law firms. He takes on cases few would ever dare to take like this one focuses on human trafficking.

The company in question is called Welcome Mat Hospitality, a firm known for its truck stops and lodgings throughout the United States. What this firm fails to advertise is the human trafficking or sea for work and slave labor. This is happening as we will learn in many of their locations. Profit is the goal; money is power, and the owners of this firm ignore this money-making enterprise.

Feeling guilty for not taking notice of his 15-year-old goddaughter, Lily Reyes, he learns she’s missing, and this starts him off on a quest to find her as she fell prey to the notorious trafficker. For her to survive he reaches out in many directions. Lily winds up with several other girls and learns that she too is expected to take care of me. Karina is her friend who feels alone since her friend disappeared or might be dead, and what happens next will shock readers as Karina finds herself at the club and gets in a hassle with someone who throws her overboard and she swims to freedom after contacting Deke and Diana who answers the phone.

Karina might be one link to finding Lily and a popular singer named Storm the other. Using Michael as the go between to try and learn more about where Karina was last before they found her, will he be able to get the information needed to find Lily? Added in the judge put a gag order not allowing any one talk to the media about the Welcome Mat case. As the team of lawyers and investigators gathered in conference rooms Deke spoke about the recent developments in this case and Diana would explain the call from Karina explaining how she and her missing friend Nataliya were both slaves. Karina added there was an American slave. Karina wants them to represent all parties. Everyone wanted to help and each one had their own expertise. One of the takeaways from the conversation was human trafficking. Gina was outspoken and met with Karina after her escape. Presenting them with photos of a young Caucasian girl bruised . The Jane Doe was 17 years old and was beaten by her client, her handlers never saw her wandering away and she hid in the bushes . Jane Doe’s savior happened by and worked for PEACE. Their Jane Dies was a 14-year-old runaway. Each girl is forced to workday and night.

The story moves ahead as we learn that Karina’s body was washed up and her friend is still missing. Deke is warned by a judge that he’s not to speak about the Welcome Mat Case but when a reporter approaches him he has he feels no choice but to respond which causes the Judge who is connected to Nathan Bines from Welcome Mat to action. Michael Carey tries to see the inside of the hotel where the action is taking place and pretends to want to book time for an affair for a relative. Karina worked for these people and the case could have important legal consequences when it comes to overseeing H2B workers. Karina called and wanted them to represent her but not before stating that she was a sex slave, her friend that is missing too and we meet him again in front of Judge Mobley along with a lawyer named Wolfe battling it out to be able to bring her justice with a judge that has moral fiber and disagrees with young girls sold into slavery. Added in we learn more about the H2B working conditions, the alarming rise and there are other workers who might have gone missing or worse.

No one is immune to those involved in trafficking as Vicky Driscoll oversaw the women but what happens to her will teach others not to take a blind eye to those you think you can trust. A car accident and a driver who was not alone and Vicky will be the next to vanish. Her fate equal to someone on an undertaker’s slab. Next we learn more about Mad Max who has Lily in his lair but will someone come and safe her before it’s too late? The final scenes are truly compelling as the authors have Deke come face to face with Rodriquez who thinks he’s going to escape with no time. Prosecutor  Fuentes  will take him down, but Rodriguez thinks that Nick can do  nothing got him, but pictures speak a thousand words and in the end Tio Leo will get we hope what he deserves and more. But Bines might surprise you and in the end Deketomis and Bines come to an agreement since Bines has a daughter Lily’s age. The ending is filled with twists, turns and with a final scene that will make you wonder who lives, who survives and the result of their cases. Young girls fall prey to men who promise them the world and are there to have them work for nothing and for the pleasures of some sick people. Authors Mike Papantonio and Alan Russell take readers inside the minds of sex traffickers, deceptions, bribes, betrayals and one girl named Lily who was used as a pawn as so many were, are and will be in the future if more eyes are not on it, if every state and country are not vigilante and is some countries stop looking away from what is happening right in front of them. Just how is Karina’s memory honored at the end and what does Mike share with everyone about his past will endear you to him and one man named Peter Stone who think he’s immune and Geofredo Salazar and all his money would learn about retribution and more. What is next for Deke and his team? Will Mike remain? Only the authors know when they pen their next legal thriller.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews