Chapter 9

The private jet touched down on the tarmac with silent grace, the polished hull gleaming under the steel-grey New York sky. Wind howled across the runway, catching the coat of the man who stepped down the narrow stairs with quiet command. He didn’t glance back at the aircraft or the crew. His gaze was fixed forward — sharp, unflinching, and cold with purpose.

Yet there was a hint of softness in his eyes which he got from his mother. When he gets commanded for some work his playfulness and jolly aura make sures to slip away because he knew one mistake and all the hardwork of his fathers will crumble away. His fathers were the men who were always feared and no one dared to cross them and he wanted to keep their reputation like that only.

He was none other than Agustin Fernandez.

Tall, effortlessly striking, he moved like someone who never had to announce his presence — his very existence did it for him. A lean jawline traced with the hint of stubble, hair neatly swept back, and eyes like storm-tossed obsidian — beautiful, yes, but not soft. There was steel in those eyes. And silence. The kind earned through years of being trained to observe, not speak. To protect, not ask.

He was only thirty, but he carried the air of a man who had already lived several lives — soldier, son, shadow.

He had grown up under the shadow of empires and bloodlines. His fathers, the mafia lords, were ruling this world with both authority and command. But now those old men had stepped away, whispering their final command before vanishing into their own personal lives with his mother. Sometimes he feels confused about how much they love his mother and why?

“There is a brothel. In the hands of filth. Owned by the same man we once dined with. You will burn it down. Free them. All of them. No negotiations. No failures.” These were the exact words of Emiliano one of his father and Agustin never asked for explanations. Only targets.

Now, here he was — stepping into New York, not as a tourist or tycoon, but as a weapon.

A black SUV waited for him at the edge of the runway. He got in without a word. The driver handed him a tablet with detailed profiles — names, faces, locations. Most of the girls didn’t even have real names. Some were younger than they should’ve been. Some had been missing for years.

One profile was blank.

Just a note: “Unregistered. Believed dead. Last seen three months ago. Possible pregnancy.”

Agustin's jaw tightened. He didn’t know her. Had no reason to. But there was something about that blankness that unsettled him. Like a silence too loud to ignore.

He wasn’t here for revenge. He wasn’t here for glory.

He was here for redemption. Not his — his fathers'.

And perhaps, without knowing it yet, he was here for her.

The city loomed ahead, grey and endless. Beneath its glittering surface, darkness pulsed — hidden rooms, broken lives, forgotten girls treated like currency.

But Agustin was no savior.

He was a storm in human form — and he had just arrived at the gates. He didn't want to wait anymore longer and let the girls die their without any recognition and acknowledgment. His car was moving towards his final destination while his fingers were busy tapping something on the tablet in his hands. Suddenly his phone rang catching his attention. When he checked it, he got to know his mother is calling her so without wasting any time he received the call.

"Hola mamá." He greeted her after softening his voice a little.

(Translation: Hello mama.)

No matter how serious he is, even a little rudeness in his tone and his fathers will be on his back giving him lectures to better watch his tone next time while talking to his mother and he doesn't even blame them he knows his mother is too precious and deserves all the happiness in the world. He knows everything about the past of his parents relationship and he knew through how much difficulty she went through while delivering him. It came to her life and she chose her baby.

"Quiero que estés segura a cualquier costo." Was the first thing she said and by the dullness in her voice he knew she must be crying a while ago.

(Translation: I want you to be safe at any cost.)

"Estaré a salvo, mamá, no tienes que preocuparte, solo confía en mí y salvaré a las niñas también." Agustin said assuring his mother even if he did it thousand a times before leaving for America.

(Translation: I'll be safe mama you don't have to worry, just trust me and I'll save the girls too.)

He also knew his fathers must be with her trying everything in their will to shoo the gloominess away from her eyes but were failing terribly because until he wouldn't be in front of her eyes she would not be relieved.

"Confío en ti es solo que me siento un poco inquieta." Vanessa said with a sigh making a lip tight smile to come upon Agustin's lips.

(Translation: I trust you it's just I'm feeling a little restless .)

"Mama---" before Agustin could say something a loud voice came from the other side shutting him up completely.

"¿Qué? ¿Estás inquieto y no te molestaste en contárselo a nadie, mi charlatán?!!" The voice belonged to none other than Emiliano.

(Translation: What?? You are feeling restless and you didn't bother to tell anyone of us, my chatterbox?!!)

"¡Sí! ¿Podrías bajar la voz, por favor? ¡Estoy hablando con mi hijo!" Vanessa whined at Emiliano's voice.

(Translation: Yahh!! Can you please lower your voice I'm talking to my son!)

Agustin shook his head knowing Emiliano won't let her live in peace now knowing she was feeling restless and will nag her to come with him for a checkup. Soon there was some sound of shufflings and arguments and then a voice came loud and clear bursting his ears.

"Será mejor que no preocupes a tu mamá o estarás muerto." It belonged to Emiliano and soon the line went dead leaving him off guard.

(Translation: You better not make your mama worry or you are so dead .)

Did he just say that he was making his mama worry but didn't he was the one who wanted him to come here and solve this whole brothel thing. Agustin sighed and kept the phone back with a sigh not knowing what to do his father E's bipolar behaviour. Now he understood how must Vanessa would have felt in their past. Shaking his thoughts aside he focused on his main motive of coming here first.

The SUV came to a stop a block away from the brothel — a lavish, heavily guarded building disguised as a high-end gentlemen’s club. The exterior glimmered with expensive lights, glass doors, and a red carpet that fooled outsiders into thinking it was just another place of luxury. But behind those doors, beneath the perfume and chandeliers, the truth rotted like a slow-burning wound.

Agustin stepped out of the vehicle, clad in black from head to toe — tailored coat, matte gloves, and boots that didn’t make a sound when he moved. His eyes scanned the building, calculating exits, guards, and patterns. He didn’t need a full hour. Just ten minutes to read the heartbeat of the place.

This wasn’t the first time he’d brought down a monster hiding in silk.

He instructed his men through the ear piece that he has already read over the place and assigned them to their places while strictly instructing not to act like a suspicious at all, they have to act like they were the comman wealthy men came there for the girls as well as relaxation and a distraction from their works. They didn't have to look like a spy or something came there to destroy the owner of the place down.

He slipped in the back door — quietly, with forged credentials and a perfectly timed diversion outside. No one looked at him twice. He moved like he belonged while his men also spread all over mixing with the people around talking and entering inside the building from the main entrance. When they entered inside they saw many wealthy, authoritative people with political links were present there for the enjoyment while some for the hidden girls.

The corridors inside were dim, lined with red velvet and mirrored walls that distorted everything — a maze of illusions. But he didn’t falter. Every step was precise. Controlled. Swift. He couldn't see anything except for the endless dark and dim lit hallways while the blasting sound of music from the main area of the building where a huge crowd of men was gathered.

When he didn't find anything on that floor he climbed the stairs and reached the second floor. It was a little shady and more dark than the previous one. He looked around kicking every door and checking all the hallways adjoining areas but found nothing except the stacks of alcohol and drugstore. It will surely help him in it burning the building down quickly while igniting the fire.

When he walked a little ahead there was a passcode needed for the access to the third floor. He looked around and saw the system that if he would try to cross the way without passcode the alarm will ring and alert everyone. He took a small chip from his pocket out and inserted in the machine typing something away. Soon a soft sound from the system came and he took the chip out copying the passcode. Then he saw the backstairs to the third floor and went there.

He remembered each and every very detail of the place so that it'll be easier for him to get the girls out of the place easily without getting caught or seen by anyone. The soul of his boots slightly slapping against the ground because he was trying not to make any noise. He climbed the stairs again for the third floor because he didn't find anyone on the second one too. He noticed the third floor looked a little lively as if someone lives there.

The floor wasn't dusty and faint aroma of something was hitting his nostrils like it belonged to some human. He could also smell a very faint smell of food as if someone was eating something a while ago. It was a little more illuminated than the other two floors. Agustin carefully started walking with calculative steps and alerted mind. He saw many of the door were locked from the outside and the when the hallway ended there was a book shelf against the wall.

He looked around and saw there weren't so many hallways on the third floor like the two previous ones and the doors were locked too. That floor has nothing except that huge book shelf which seemed very odd to him because who would read books at such a place. He took a random book out and opened a random page to see that what was the book about and to his surprise it was a law book.

But it wasn't enough for him to reach the girls. He tossed the book back and then back beside the bookshelf trying to peek behind the it and suddenly something felt right to him. He saw a faint light was coming from behind the bookshelf as if it was coming from inside the wall. He immediately backed away and started to push the bookshelf away which weighted a lot but he didn't give up.

With all his might he tried to push the bookshelf to a side. His jaw clenched with determination and his eyes blazing with fire he put all of his energy and pushed the bookshelf half-way away from the wall creating enough space for him to enter inside. When he entered inside the hollow space in the wall he breathed in relief and his eyes stilled in front of him.

He found the girls on the third floor.

Some sat curled up on velvet lounges, staring into space. Others paced like ghosts, draped in expensive fabrics and silent trauma. The ones with newer bruises looked away from him instinctively, while the older ones didn’t bother — too numb to care. Their eyes barely registered his presence. He walked near them but none of them cared to react thinking he must be one of the men who came to escort them.

They all waited silently and patiently as if they knew what he would do. They thought as per the rules he would choose one of them and take her to the client but little did they know they all were wrong. Today all of their long forgotten prayers came into acknowledgement into actions and their savior was there to save them. To let them free from this place of expensive sin. No one reacted to anything until he spoke.

"Follow me." he said, voice low, sharp, and unlike anything they’d heard in this place before.

Some of them blinked in confusion while some looked at him as if he was some ghost because no one has ever spoke to them this much kindly and softly before. They were used to commands and work upon orders and his commanding them ever so softly left them a little off guard. Agustin could see the confusion on their faces and he knew first he have to tell them the motive of his presence in their room.

"I'm here to save you all, trust me I'll free you all from here and send you back to your homes." He said to them calmly and his words brought shine to some eyes while some still remained blank.

Some of them saw a ray of hope and freedom so they stood immediately, drawn to something in his voice — something different. Something real. While the other who didn't believe him and didn't even feel anything also chose to follow because what could go worse than they were already living in. He guided them out in small groups, using hidden back staircases and a coded keycard he’d duplicated earlier. No alarms. No violence. Only strategy.