Punk had left early one morning to go to Albania, leaving with the mindset of AJ being looked after in secrecy by Paul, his boss whom he trusted.
He was only going for a few days, and would be back for the weekend where he and AJ could spend together. He knew she'd keep herself busy with her new job anyway.
AJ, although not appealed to be on her own, was fine with leaving Punk to go out of the country. She understood it came with his job, and that he would be perfectly fine. He knew how to take care of himself. She still had no idea that he was going to still investigate a case that involved her. She just assumed it was another case like he'd said.
She knew the week would fly in with her at her new job. She was thoroughly enjoying working again, and she loved her new class. There were some mischievous little boys, to be expected, but they were all adorable, lovely little kids who she couldn't wait to watch grow in the school year.
She was currently at work, arts and crafts time at it's finest as she brought some festive spirit into the classroom. She'd gotten the kids, at their desks in their small groups, to draw around their hands, and write in the centre what they desired this year for Christmas. Once fulfilling that, which took quite a while, considering not a lot of kids could draw around their hands, or spell the words they wanted to, they finally managed to stick each cut out hand onto a circular shaped piece of cardboard, making their own wreath for the class door with all the hands as twigs and leaves.
It was activities like this that she loved. The kids were always so happy at this time of the year, excited for Santa to come, and she loved getting into the festive spirit with them.
"Ok, you guys." AJ smiled, "You done well today, our wreath looks great, doesn't it?" She asked them as they sat on the floor in front of her, an echo of 'yes' throughout the room from their little voices, "Isaac why don't you go change the number on the countdown board, before you guy go get your coats and bags." She said as she handed a piece of chalk to one of the boys who made his way over to the board that had the number of days until Christmas, watching him change the number from yesterday and make his way back over to the rest of the kids.
"Ok, I'll see you guys tomorrow." She smiled, "Let's go get your coats and bags." She said, heading out of the class as the kids found their pegs where their coats and bags were hanging up, all ready for home time after a hard day at school.
She was planning to stay on late tonight after they had gone to tidy the class, plan tomorrows lesson, and mark some things. It wasn't like she was going home to much excitement anyway. She'd received a text from Punk about an hour ago, letting her know he had landed safely and all was going well.
"Where are they even based?" Punk asked, walking alongside Seth in the streets of Tirana, where he had flown into not that long ago, literally haven got out of the airport, abandoned his bag at the hotel he was staying at, and getting straight out to work.
"Well apparently they're based here, in the south of Tirana, but we've been here for weeks, undercover, and not spotted anything out of the normal." Seth explained.
"So we have no track on these guys what so ever?" Punk asked with anger, annoyed that the team working on the case out here seemed to not know what was actually going on.
"They're like flies, man." Seth said, "They're everywhere. Some are disguised, some aren't even in the country. That's the problem. That's why it isn't as easy as coming here, finding them, and locking them up." Seth said, swinging open the door of a coffee shop, walking in and taking an immediate seat with Punk in the corner of the shop.
"What is it these guys do? Walk me through it. Jamie was funding them with drugs, and weapons they couldn't get here, but what else?" Punk asked as Seth was about to begin when a waitress came over to take their order.
"Two coffees." Seth put two fingers up as the waitress nodded, walking away to leave the men alone who had sat in the corner for a reason.
"You were saying..." Punk sat up straight.
"They're main area of smuggling his drugs and weapons, yes. It's been going on for years. The guys in it have passed it down to their families, etcetera etcetera. So God knows how Jamie got involved." He said, "They get their drugs and weapons smuggled to here, because they can't find or go out themselves and get what they need." Seth said.
"What do they need the drugs and weapons for?" Punk asked, "I get the whole, smuggling part that Jamie was involved in, but why do they need what they're getting smuggled anyway?" He asked.
"Well they need the drugs, that's pretty self explanatory." He said as Punk nodded, "The weapons they'll use against other countries, anyone who they feel steps on their toes. They're bad guys, Phil. Bad, bad guys." Seth said, "They also have been found to host female prostitution." He said as Punk shook his head.
"Host?" Punk questioned.
"They don't necessarily use the women they kidnap and drug, they'll sell them to other guys for the night. The girls don't get the money. They do. It's like human trafficking, only much worse." He said, "They take girls from out of the country. So you know, American, English, Russian, German, you know." Seth said, "Normally human trafficking, there'll be a camp, or a spot where the girls are based where the guys can come to them, but with this, there isn't. They're all over the place. It's impossible to even attempt to start somewhere." He said.
"Paul keeps telling me April is in danger." Punk said, "You seem to know a lot about these guys, do you think they'd go for her? Even after Jamie divorcing her?" He asked.
"What they do, is they have a list of all the guys who smuggle them stuff into the country, Jamie being one of them. The thing is, the guys on that list can't ask to leave or quit, they have to commit to the job, if they do leave or don't do their job right, their families are the target. I know it's not what you want to hear, but April will be somewhere in these guys files, and if Jamie steps out of line, or if he leaves, it isn't him that will pay the price, it's April they'll go after. And once they find out she's with you, a copper, they'll have even more fun with her." He said as Punk nodded, running his hand through his hair.
"Where is the evidence in this?" Punk asked.
"You don't remember how we got in contact with this organization?" Seth shook his head.
"I assume I was off work at that time. You know, my mom..." He said as Seth nodded.
"Ok, well the reason we found out about all of this, was..." Seth paused, "Look, you don't really have to hear this, I don't want to scare you..."
"Just tell me."
"There was a woman and her daughter found in a house. The woman had been raped, stabbed multiple times and endured trauma to the head. She made it to hospital, but she died about an hour after getting there. Her daughter, she was four… Phil, the kid was just shot." Seth said, "I took lead in the case, and that's when I found out that the husband, this guy who had to deal with the thought of losing his wife and kid, was part of this big circle, and that it was all a set up because he tried to leave." Seth said, "It's three years later and I'm still trying to get these guys." He said.
"Do you think I should talk to Jamie?" Punk asked, haunted by Seth's story, not even wanting to imagine AJ in the frame of that. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her. He promised her and himself.
"About what?" Seth asked, "The thing is, these guys don't know that their family are in danger." Seth added, "Jamie won't know that what he's doing, could effect other people." He said, "They don't threaten them with it. They wait on the guys saying they want to leave, and then they come across seas and tear their families apart. They're brutal." Seth said as Punk sighed.
"If I talk to Jamie, tell him that he needs to keep doing his job or else April could get hurt, what do you think he'd do?" Punk asked.
"Bearing in mind you fucked his wife for months behind his back and stole her from him, I don't know." Seth chuckled slightly as Punk smiled whilst leaning back on his chair, "I'd say leave it alone just now. For all we know, that might encourage Jamie, he might want to see April hurt. She cheated on him. It's a whole other ball game." Seth said, "Just leave it be just now." Seth said as Punk nodded.
"I really don't want her to get hurt, Seth." Punk admitted, just thinking about AJ just now. She was no doubt in bed, wrapped up from the cold Chicago air, watching some programmes on TV whilst hugged into the covers. He couldn't let anything happen to her.
"She won't." Seth said, "If we all play our parts and quickly get down to business. She'll be fine. Trust me, these guys have more important things to be worrying about." Seth said, "And Jamie is good. From what I've looked at, he's always on time, keeps up with his stock, gets everything sent in for the right dates. So we don't have to be too worried." Seth said as Punk nodded.
It was a waiting game. Time was running out for these guys over here in Albania. The only thing that motivated Punk to find them and lock them away, was the thought and promise of keeping AJ safe like he vowed.
AJ was indeed in bed after a tough day of work. She'd enjoyed a roasting bubble bath before slipping into her pyjamas and getting into bed, watching TV whilst hugging into Punks pillow that still smelt of him. So heavenly and fresh.
She missed him. She hated being alone. She hated sleeping alone. It was only two more nights now. She could survive. She kept telling herself anyway.
Normally being in the house herself, she could pick up on any little creak and crack in the house. It didn't fuss her, she was too busy enjoying her television series whilst hugging into the soft, puffy duvet.
It wasn't until the shrieking security alarm started to go off. But it didn't alarm her. No pun intended. It had gone off before multiple times whilst Punk was here for nothing. It was like the alarm was faulty, and it normally took ages to silencing it.
She exhaustedly got out of bed, walking out into the hallway at the top of the stairs, having taken her phone with her and shining the torch up at the alarm, screwing her eyes up and trying her best to spot anything she could switch that would stop the loud siren.
"Oh shut up, for goodness sake." She sighed frustratedly whilst holding her head.
She was normally one to feel a presence, but she couldn't really comprehend anything as she felt two heavy hands thud her on the back, immediately trying to reach out for anything to grab to stop her from falling, but everything just happened so quickly. She tumbled down the stairs head first from the hands of the unknown that had been behind her in the hall, awaiting for her to push her down the stairs.
She tumbled down, banging her head off the skirting, collapsing down at the bottom with a loud thud on the wooden floor, her body smacking down whilst the alarm still shrieked through the house. But her hearing began to fade out as well as her sight, everything going quiet and dark whilst the blood ran down her head and the unknown hooded figure stood at the top of the stairs, quickly exiting the way it had came in, through the spare bedroom and out of the window. Job done. Message sent.
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