Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

been doing business, and he's made a few enemies, cutting into territories. He's got trouble on two fronts.'
    Ilya nodded. T was afraid of that. I need information fast. I can't go through my usual channels so I'm asking for help.'
    Aleksandr snorted in derision at the tone of his old friend. 'That must be hard.'
    Ilya sent him a look. 'Nikitin is gay. He doesn't like women or little children, never has, they represent money and power to him, nothing else. He isn't sampling his products, he just sends them down the line fast.'
    'Are you sure?' Jonas asked. 'Because Joley.. .'
    'Not Joley. It's never been Joley. She's his cover. We've known that for some time. He recruited at least one of her crew members to help him move young girls, but his main interest is one of the band members - he's in love. I know you have someone undercover, working the other end to find the routes and the girls. I need to know if she's safe and out of the way because this thing is going to blow up in our faces.'
    Jonas and Aleksandr exchanged a long look. 'Who are you talking about? Interpol has someone inside?'
    Swift impatience crossed Ilya's face. 'I'm coming clean with you at the risk of my life, not only my life, but blowing years of undercover work, not to mention taking down a major human trafficking ring. I'm asking you to do the same.
    If she was working for Interpol, I wouldn't need you reaching out, now would I? Where is she? Is she out yet?'
    'She?' Jonas was beginning to have an idea of just who Ilya was referring to. 'Tell me Elle Drake is not in any way involved in this mess. Do you think Elle is working undercover trying to bring down this network? What have you heard?'
    'You tell me. Nikitin is unstable at best, and now he's crazy. Joley tipped her band friend off, and the idiot did the noble thing and broke up with Nikitin. Nikitin knows the heat's come down on his human trafficking routes. On top of that, Joley spotted some of the young girls with a couple of her crew members. Nikitin had one of the roadies killed, and did it nice and ugly to scare the other one, but if he loses his lover, his route and everything else he considers his because of Joley, he'll try to wipe out her and everyone close to her. If he gets an inkling Elle's anywhere near him, she'll be the first to go, and he'll make certain she suffers a long time before she's killed. I need to get her out if she isn't already gone.'
    'Honestly, Prakenskii, I have no idea where Elle is or who she's working for.' Jonas swore in frustration. 'Do you have enough evidence on Nikitin to take him down?'
    'I can take down his routes, and most of his people, but he's never tied directly to anything and he always, always, has an alibi. He's got another layer above the one I've compromised, and I need them to make sure the trafficking is closed off for good here. Otherwise, I cut off one head and another grows back. It would take years to get that one and I don't have that much time.'
    'Jackson can get word to her. They've always been able to connect,' Jonas said. 'I honestly don't know what Elle's doing. I was fairly certain it involved undercover work, because Jackson's been restless and edgy lately and Elle's disappeared again.'
    'See if he can get word to her to get out for a while. Any excuse. I don't care how close she thinks she is to shutting things down, she has to get clear. I can't control or guess what Nikitin will do, but he has a tendency to resolve issues with violence.'
    'Joley has to come home where we can protect her,' Jonas said.
    'Joley can't go home without finishing her tour. As long as Nikitin is following the band, he'll think he has a chance to put things back together with his lover. The moment she pulls out, he's going to know he's blown and it won't matter anymore. I'm not throwing away years of work, Harrington. I can Protect Joley from Nikitin. If I have to, I'll kill him, but I've got to get to his first line of people or all this has been for nothing.'
    Jonas exchanged another long look with Aleksandr. 'Joley only has two performances here in southern California and two in northern California before she's finished. Time's running out, Prakenskii.'
    Ilya nodded. 'I'm aware of that.'
    'You can't have her and keep up with this kind of work, Ilya. She's an all-or-nothing girl. She's never fallen in love before. She's wanted to, but she doesn't give her trust to anyone. If you're that man, you can't walk away from her. It would destroy