Chapter 18

The rock star awoke, but something did not feel right. His ears picked up the sound of crashing waves and honking horns.

Mok looked out the window, but instead of seeing the mountains, he saw a white-sand beach and a crystal blue ocean.

He went out and walked around the beach and then, the sun disappeared upon the horizon and it got dark.

"Mok!" a woman's voice called out and he turned to see someone.

"Mok!" the woman called, again, and he ran towards the voice. Then, up on a boardwalk, Mok spotted Angel, dressed in a skimpy school girl's outfit, but blood began to seep through the clothes.

"Angel!" he cried out and rushed toward her. Suddenly, a dark force grabbed him and he struggled to get free.

Then, he saw Angel being taken away by a man Mok had never seen before.

"Mok, look there!" she called and pointed to a building with a red neon sign saying 'Black Widow'.

The dark force began to swallow Mok and he watched as Angel was being taken away.

"Help me, Mok! Please help me!" she cried out.

"I will! I will find you! I promise!" he called back as the darkness swallowed him.

Mok awoke with a start; sweat was trickling down his forehead. He was back in his room at the rehab center.

He immediately turned on the light and located his journal and wrote down:

White sand beach

Blue ocean

A building with the words 'Black Widow'

Angel being taken by someone

'This has to be a message from Emmy,' his thoughts said. He felt eager to ask Nicholai or someone who knew about the location he saw in his dream.

By first light, Mok joined Nicholai and Minnie for breakfast, having his journal with him.

"Nicholai, I need your help with something," he said to his comrade. He showed Nicholai what he wrote and Nicholai's eyes grew wide.

"Is something wrong?" Mok asked and Nicholai looked at him and then at his daughter.

"Minnie, why don't you go and buy some fruit or something for us," he said to her and she left the table.

Nicholai turned to face Mok. "Listen very carefully. There is a place called the Black Widow Casino Hotel in Miami, Florida. There are many rumors that the owner runs a call-girl business on the side," Nicholai explained.

"Prostitution?" Mok asked and Nicholai nods.

"More like sex slavery. Some say that the hotel would kidnap girls that are young as my daughter's age or sometimes 'buy' them from dealers," he added.

"Did anyone tell the police about this?" Mok asked, again.

"Last time I remembered hearing about it, the police commissioner said he can't get a warrant because there is no evidence that support the rumors," Nicholai answered and Mok placed a hand over his mouth.

"Even if the rumors are not true, there is nothing that will make me go to Miami, for Minnie's sake," Nicholai said, again.

"I don't blame you, but I might have to risk myself in going to the Black Widow," Mok replied.

"Why are you interested in going there? Apart from the dream you had," Nicholai asked.

"I am certain that it was a message about Angel being in danger," Mok answered.

"Who's Angel?" The two men jumped when Minnie came back with a bowl of fruit.

Mok cleared his throat and answers, "Someone I want to…get back together with."

"Oh, you mean she's your friend?" Minnie asked and Mok nodded and looked at the fruit bowl.

"Or someone you love?" Minnie added and Mok gave a smile. "I knew it! There is someone in your life!" she exclaimed.

"Okay Minnie, don't get too excited," Nicholai ordered and the little girl stopped squiggling.

Mok began to think; if the rumors about the prostitution ring within the Black Widow were true, he would have to leave rehab and go to Miami.

"Excuse me, I have to speak with Dr. Pryce," he said to the two and left the table.

Mok located her office and knocked at the door, "Come in," she called out and he entered.

"Mr. Swagger, is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Is it possible for me to re-take that offer of being released early?" he said and Dr. Pryce looked through a chart.

"How soon do you want to leave?" she asked, again.

"Today, if possible," Mok answered and Dr. Pryce looked at him.

"Mind if I ask why?" she asked.

"It's a private matter, a sort of emergency to be exact," he replied.

Dr. Pryce looked through a file and says, "Give me an hour and I'll send your file to the board. If they say you are well enough to leave, you can go by mid-afternoon."

"Oh thank you Dr. Pryce," Mok said and left the room.

He returned to the Lenzo's and explained what he was planning to do, excluding the fact that he was going to Miami.

"Are you all better?" Minnie asked and he nodded.

"A lot better," he replied and she hugged him.

"That's what I wished for," she whispered and he hugged her back. "But can you promise me something?" she asked and he listened. "You promise to never do drugs, again?"

"I promise," Mok said and Minnie folded her arms over her chest.

"Is something wrong?" he asked and Nicholai chuckled.

"You have to cross your heart," Nicholai replied and showed Mok to cross a heart.

"I cross my heart," the rock star said and did so.

"And?" Minnie asked, but Mok was confused and looks at Nicholai.

"You say 'and hope to die'," he added, but Mok was bewildered by this.

"And I hope to die," Mok said and Minnie nodded her head.

"Didn't anyone teach you that?" she asked and Mok shook his head. "Not even your dad?"

"Uh, sweetie, Mr. Swagger doesn't want to—" "It's okay, I'll tell her," Mok said and took Minnie and placed her on his lap.

"Minnie, when I was growing up, I didn't have a loving father like yours. In fact, my father would hit me and my mother whenever he got the chance," he said to her.

"Why did he hit you?" Minnie asked.

"He was an alcoholic and whenever he got drunk, he do terrible things," Mok replied and Minnie hugged him, again.

"I hate drunken people," she said in a tiny voice, "One drunken man killed my mommy and hurt my daddy real bad."

"I know sweetie, I hate drunks, too," Mok replied and rubbed her back.

"Did you get away from your daddy?" Minnie asked, again and Mok began to think of an answer.

"Yes, when I was old enough to support myself," he answered.

"What about your mommy? Did she leave him, too?" she asked once more and Mok could not think of an answer.

"I think it's best if I tell you the whole story when you are older," he said and she frowned and he chuckled.

"Why do I have to wait to get older?" Minnie asked her father this time.

"So your brain can get big and suck up more information," Nicholai answered.

The three left the dining area of the center and went to the badminton court, where they watched a few patients play a few rounds.

A couple of times, the birdie got out of the fence and Minnie would throw it back.

"Hey!" one of the players called to her, "Do you want to play? I'm getting tired."

"I'm not supposed to play with strangers!" she called back, but Nicholai chuckled.

"It's okay, you can play," he said, but Minnie shook her head. "Sorry, she doesn't like playing with strangers!" Nicholai called to the players and they waved.

"Is it okay if I watch?" Minnie asked.

"Sure," her father answered and she went to sit at a rusty steel chair.

"Your daughter is a loving creature," he said to Nicholai.

"She takes after her mother," Nicholai replied, "Mok, there's something I want to tell you."

Mok looked at Nicholai and listened.

"If anything were to happen to me, I want you to take care of Minnie," Nicholai said and Mok released a sigh.

"Of course Nicholai," he assured his friend, "If I did release the 'Other Being', then I would've ruined both your lives."

"And everyone else. Mok, a life is meant to learn, live, and love. If it were to be taken away, well, I don't know what to think," Nicholai said just as Minnie calls out, "Oh look!"

The two men looked and noticed that the birdie was way above one player's head. The birdie came down and the player tried to hit it, but the birdie flew into the player's shirt!

The man shook his body, trying to get the birdie out of his shirt, and Minnie started to laugh. Mok and Nicholai began to chuckle, too.

Minnie returned to them and they went back to the center.