Page 82 of Scarred Redemption

“Drugs. I don’t know what kind and I don’t want to know. I wasn’t a part of the operation. My job was to keep the men and women working in the textile plant. I swear to God. My father started the textile firm. It killed him to shut down a few years ago. That’s why I jumped at the chance to be a part of it again.”

A sad story.

“I believe you. When did they pull out?”

“Yesterday. I don’t know why, but they never told me anything except to keep my mouth shut or my family would die. So I did.”

I glanced at Sergei. “A man died in the shower facility. Are you aware of that?”

“Yes, sir. Only because I caught a couple of the masked men carrying something to a van. It was rolled up in a tarp, but I could tell.”

“Masked men. Did you ever see any of these men without masks?”

Jerry was clearly nervous at divulging the information.

“I can promise you that you and your family will be safe, Jerry. I’ve taken some fairly inhumane actions in my life, but destroying families isn’t one of them.”

“Yes, sir. A couple of them.”

“Including one who had a large gold ring with snakes on both sides?” I casually shifted my attention to Sergei. He was absorbing the information, but wasn’t reacting.

“Yes, sir.” There was a combination of amusement and fear in Jerry’s voice. “His name was Mr. Gallows.”

“Clever.”

“He wasn’t a nice man. I watched him beat one of our guys for walking into a room he wasn’t supposed to be in. That’s how I know about the drugs. White powder.” A bottle of water was shoved into his shaking hand.

It took three times before he was able to twist the lid, then fifteen full seconds of gulping water.

Mr. Gallows was likely high in the brokerage operation, someone who headed to whatever city or country he was needed, never staying longer than a few weeks. He likely hadn’t anticipated having a woman and a child as guests.

I pulled out my phone, finding the sketch Mina had drawn. “While I know this is crude, is there any chance you’ve seen him before?”

Jerry was very nervous even before his eyes fell to my cellphone. But as soon as they did, his entire body began to shake.

“Jerry. Don’t freak out. Just tell me who he is.”

“I don’t know his real name. They call him the Butcher.”

A name that had been floating around for decades. Anyone who believed themselves to be grisly killers used the moniker. While it meant nothing to me, it obviously did to poor Jerry.

The significance was that the bastard in the sketch had purposely driven permanent nightmares into my child. For that alone he’d die.

“Alright, Jerry. I believe you’re telling me the truth. You can go back to work.” I stood in front of him, putting my weapon away.

Jerry had to tilt his head to be able to look into my eyes, his still full of fear. “What now, sir?”

“As I said. Now you go back to work. Although I assume there is someone who handles your payroll that still works here?”

He was as confused as Sergei. “Yes, sir. Molly is in the office. I can get her for you.”

“Just her contact information, Jerry, but you can warn your staff there will be an interruption in payroll. Temporarily, I assure you, and you and the others will be compensated for the inconvenience.”

Jerry’s throat was bobbing up and down as he swallowed several times. “Yes, sir. I’ll get that for you.” I sensed he had dozens of questions, but refrained, instead leaving the office quickly.

Sergei folded his arms. “An interruption in payroll? Who exactly is going to resume the cycle?”

I took my time gathering the cassette tape from the player and moving around the end of the desk. “Black Diamond Logistics.”