“You may choose to look the other way
but you can never say again that you did not know.”
― William Wilberforce
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| Porto Heli |
From his little sailboat in the port he could see the horseshoe-shaped harbor of Porto Heli, a summer resort area packed with revelers and partiers, and more easily accessible to him than the party island of Mykonos. It was about a 30-minute cruise. His island was dark, quiet – like Robert was. The sidewalks rolled up at 10 p.m. Night life was practically non-existent.
As he sat on the deck and looked out across the sea, he was drawn to the twinkling lights of Porto Heli like a fly to a porch light. The lapping of the water against the little boats as they bobbed up and down, the sound that used to soothe him to sleep so many nights in the cabin of the bow of his boat, the Lana, now grated on his nerves like fingernails dragging against a chalkboard.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He started the motor of the Lana, cast off the mooring lines, and, just like that fly, headed straight for the light. It was a short ride that divided the two worlds; the one of the people by day and the other of the people by night. The day people worked, played, laughed and ate, and then they slept, resting to start the cycle all over again.
The night people, on the other hand, lived only for thrills, and their object was to have as much fun and pleasure as they could before the sun rose. As he neared the harbor, he could hear the sounds of partying in the bars and began to ache with impatience – like a dog salivating for a bone. He threw the fenders over the side, cut the motor and pulled alongside a concrete pier and a man came out, tossed him the mooring ropes and he quickly looped them over the cleats. He locked up the boat, hopped off and handed the man a fifty euro bill. “I’ll probably be a few hours.” The man slipped the bill into his pocket and smiled a checkerboard smile of half a mouthful of stained teeth. Robert had made his own price because it was late and the money would probably not be accounted for. “No problem.”
“Make sure nothing happens to my boat and there’ll be another fifty in it for you.” The man smiled again and nodded. Robert followed the sounds of the action like the pack of rats followed the Pied Piper of Hamelin. His will was no longer his own; he had given it up to the beast, and it was the beast who would be calling the shots tonight. It didn’t take long to find the best party. He followed the pulsating beat of electronic music to Nikki Beach Resort. As he came nearer, he could see what was a seaside patio for sun bathers by day had turned into a dance floor at night, illuminated by sparkling fountains of fire, casting flickering shadows against the dancers, most of them female.
As Robert approached, he saw the bouncer, a big man with no neck, rustling a man out of the club. The guy he was handling was well dressed, but he was obviously drunk, so the bouncer had the right to evict him. But he didn’t stop after he had “bounced” the man. He went a step further – a step too far. He pushed him out onto the sidewalk, and the man fell. The man struggled to get up, and, when he did, the bouncer kicked him down.
This wasn’t Robert’s battle, so he decided to play it cool. Unfortunately, however, the bouncer wasn’t content to end the drama with one kick. Robert observed, quietly, while the bouncer continued to rough up the drunken man, pushing him around and slapping him down.
Some people, of certain strength, take pleasure in pushing around others with none. The bouncer was probably a bully when he was a kid. Now, he was a grown-up bully, and one with authority. “Hey, man, you kicked him out. Why don’t you just let him go?”
The bouncer looked up at Robert as if he had thrown down a gauntlet. He had tasted blood and here was another fight.
“You want a piece of this?”
“No, man. I’m just saying this guy’s had enough.”
The big-necked man grabbed Robert by the collar and came nose to nose with him. Robert could feel his hot, bad breath against his face. “You will take your hands off me and do it now.”
“Or what, big man? You gonna beat me up?” The beef-neck began to laugh, tightening his grip. Like a snake, Robert struck, pushing him back, then slamming him in the nose with a loud crack. “Nobody touches me.”
The man’s hand instinctively went to his nose, and then he looked at his bloody palms with anger. He sized Robert up, hurt now only in his pride. By that time, another bouncer had joined him. They looked like two lion statues, the kind rich people put to mark the entrance of their driveways.
The beast had been awakened in Robert, who stared them down with cold, shark-like eyes. “Now let’s try this again. I don’t want any trouble. I’d like to have a drink, maybe meet some girls and try to get laid tonight.
Or I can beat the living shit out of both of you. I’ll get an equal amount of a different kind of satisfaction out of either activity. It’s your move.”
The night people, on the other hand, lived only for thrills, and their object was to have as much fun and pleasure as they could before the sun rose. As he neared the harbor, he could hear the sounds of partying in the bars and began to ache with impatience – like a dog salivating for a bone. He threw the fenders over the side, cut the motor and pulled alongside a concrete pier and a man came out, tossed him the mooring ropes and he quickly looped them over the cleats. He locked up the boat, hopped off and handed the man a fifty euro bill. “I’ll probably be a few hours.” The man slipped the bill into his pocket and smiled a checkerboard smile of half a mouthful of stained teeth. Robert had made his own price because it was late and the money would probably not be accounted for. “No problem.”
“Make sure nothing happens to my boat and there’ll be another fifty in it for you.” The man smiled again and nodded. Robert followed the sounds of the action like the pack of rats followed the Pied Piper of Hamelin. His will was no longer his own; he had given it up to the beast, and it was the beast who would be calling the shots tonight. It didn’t take long to find the best party. He followed the pulsating beat of electronic music to Nikki Beach Resort. As he came nearer, he could see what was a seaside patio for sun bathers by day had turned into a dance floor at night, illuminated by sparkling fountains of fire, casting flickering shadows against the dancers, most of them female.
As Robert approached, he saw the bouncer, a big man with no neck, rustling a man out of the club. The guy he was handling was well dressed, but he was obviously drunk, so the bouncer had the right to evict him. But he didn’t stop after he had “bounced” the man. He went a step further – a step too far. He pushed him out onto the sidewalk, and the man fell. The man struggled to get up, and, when he did, the bouncer kicked him down.
This wasn’t Robert’s battle, so he decided to play it cool. Unfortunately, however, the bouncer wasn’t content to end the drama with one kick. Robert observed, quietly, while the bouncer continued to rough up the drunken man, pushing him around and slapping him down.
Some people, of certain strength, take pleasure in pushing around others with none. The bouncer was probably a bully when he was a kid. Now, he was a grown-up bully, and one with authority. “Hey, man, you kicked him out. Why don’t you just let him go?”
The bouncer looked up at Robert as if he had thrown down a gauntlet. He had tasted blood and here was another fight.
“You want a piece of this?”
“No, man. I’m just saying this guy’s had enough.”
The big-necked man grabbed Robert by the collar and came nose to nose with him. Robert could feel his hot, bad breath against his face. “You will take your hands off me and do it now.”
“Or what, big man? You gonna beat me up?” The beef-neck began to laugh, tightening his grip. Like a snake, Robert struck, pushing him back, then slamming him in the nose with a loud crack. “Nobody touches me.”
The man’s hand instinctively went to his nose, and then he looked at his bloody palms with anger. He sized Robert up, hurt now only in his pride. By that time, another bouncer had joined him. They looked like two lion statues, the kind rich people put to mark the entrance of their driveways.
The beast had been awakened in Robert, who stared them down with cold, shark-like eyes. “Now let’s try this again. I don’t want any trouble. I’d like to have a drink, maybe meet some girls and try to get laid tonight.
Or I can beat the living shit out of both of you. I’ll get an equal amount of a different kind of satisfaction out of either activity. It’s your move.”
~~~
Traffick Stop:
Paladine Political Thriller Series
By the way, he does go into the club and meets Joelle, who returns to the boat to spend the night with him... That's when Robert first met a woman who was under control as a sex slave and was guarded at all times except when she was "hired" out for a short time period... Robert learns that night that she was soon to be sent to Syria to continue in another place, with the same restrictions... that they had control of her passport and that they threatened her with the lives of her family if she didn't follow their rules.
Robert tried to tell himself that it was not his business, that he couldn't do anything to save her, even though he pictured in his mind a plan to do just that...
And so when his old employer tracked him down through a friend who knew where he was, and Robert learned the story of why he was being asked to take another job... An American citizen was now in the hands of ISIS, serving as a sex slave...
“Then he told me an interesting story. One of Williamson’s employees was a software engineer by the name of Rahbi Moghadam. Rahbi had a daughter – Rasha. When she was 19, she took a trip to Turkey to celebrate her graduation from junior college and her old man paid for it. “What he didn’t know was that Rasha had been convinced by an ISIS recruiter to come to Syria to give humanitarian aid to civil war victims.” Robert nodded. “My guess is that she disappeared?”
“That’s right, malaka. Her father spent a lot of time and money tracking her down, and the trail ended in Syria. Rasha had been forced into a jihadi marriage to six ISIS fighters. Her only purpose in life for an entire year was to be raped repeatedly by those jihadist assholes.”
Garcia realized he was ready... But first he checked out the new leader of that group and only then was he willing to meet to discuss what was needed...
This is another part of this series that Eade does exceptionally well... The planning, execution, and extraction plans for Garcia are brilliant in their creation... unless, of course, the author has decided to create a situation where Robert must use ingenuity and, this time, luck, to get him out of danger!
Which brings up another character that I also love. Those reading the series will remember the Russian warrior who Garcia met and vacationed with in the last book! In this book he shows up to save Garcia! Yes, we get to enjoy Garcia and Lyosha as they meet once again in Syria. When Garcia tells Lyosha why he is there...to deal with human traffickers, and hopefully free the women, which includes Russian women, before they were sold in auction... Lyosha immediately volunteers his Russian Warriors...
Eade points out two issues that I was thankful to see (1) that the organization for whom he was working also financially supported trying to ensure help for the secondary victims of terrorism, the peace-loving and innocent Muslims living in the States who were blamed for the acts of extremists... and (2) that today's warriors, no matter what country they are from, will work together to rid our lives of extremists and criminals everywhere... if only for a short time when political ploys do not stop them!
Paladine Political Thriller Series
By Kenneth Eade
I have great empathy for Robert Garcia, the main character of the Paladine Series... He, like others, who have been affected by PTSD have discovered that their mental stability have been permanently damaged and that, at times, the beast appears...
Garcia called that part of him that could no longer be satisfied in retirement, fishing, the beast... Eade begins the book with what happens when this occurs...
Sacrifice, charity, and concern for others has always been a characteristic of the human spirit. But there is a wild, hungry, thirsty, selfish creature that lurks deep within the libido of each of us. That id some of us ignore, others deny, and still others put a mask on it or lock it away so even they cannot release it. But when the balance is tipped to its side, it can break any bonds that have tied it down, and we are powerless to stop it. The result can be exhilarating, intoxicating, mind-blowing, or it can be deadly.Garcia had been restless for quite a while so that, one night, when the music reached him from a resort bar within close range, Robert took the bait and went looking...mainly for some company, noise, and hopefully meeting a willing woman... But...when he saw the club's bouncer's taking his fun from beating up a drunk being kicked out of the club, Garcia spoke up for the man receiving unnecessary violence... That's one of the things that has brought me to love this character... Yes, he's been mentally and emotionally damaged, but when the thirst comes he must quench, he always still has his moral code that aims it toward a deserving bad guy, of course!
Am I really seeing what this vid represents...?
Robert tried to tell himself that it was not his business, that he couldn't do anything to save her, even though he pictured in his mind a plan to do just that...
“Then he told me an interesting story. One of Williamson’s employees was a software engineer by the name of Rahbi Moghadam. Rahbi had a daughter – Rasha. When she was 19, she took a trip to Turkey to celebrate her graduation from junior college and her old man paid for it. “What he didn’t know was that Rasha had been convinced by an ISIS recruiter to come to Syria to give humanitarian aid to civil war victims.” Robert nodded. “My guess is that she disappeared?”
“That’s right, malaka. Her father spent a lot of time and money tracking her down, and the trail ended in Syria. Rasha had been forced into a jihadi marriage to six ISIS fighters. Her only purpose in life for an entire year was to be raped repeatedly by those jihadist assholes.”
~~~
Garcia realized he was ready... But first he checked out the new leader of that group and only then was he willing to meet to discuss what was needed...
This is another part of this series that Eade does exceptionally well... The planning, execution, and extraction plans for Garcia are brilliant in their creation... unless, of course, the author has decided to create a situation where Robert must use ingenuity and, this time, luck, to get him out of danger!
Which brings up another character that I also love. Those reading the series will remember the Russian warrior who Garcia met and vacationed with in the last book! In this book he shows up to save Garcia! Yes, we get to enjoy Garcia and Lyosha as they meet once again in Syria. When Garcia tells Lyosha why he is there...to deal with human traffickers, and hopefully free the women, which includes Russian women, before they were sold in auction... Lyosha immediately volunteers his Russian Warriors...
 |
| http://ahtribune.com/world/north-africa-south-west-asia/1221-yazidi-sex-slaves.html |
Wow, I loved this book! Let's us hope that the discussions and appeals to congress that are now happening in America, actually "take care of business" like Paladine does! Thank you, Kenneth Eade, for providing us with hope that Paladine's work will be accomplished as effectively as if Paladine were leading the fight!
GABixlerReviews
"I've been writing all my life, but began publishing my work out of a passion for the environment. My wife, Valentina, is a professional photographer, who worked for two years on an environmental exhibition called, "Bee Cause I Care" which was exhibited by the Prince Albert II Foundation and is now touring cities in France to bring awareness to the importance of pollinators and the dangers facing them. I penned a few articles on the subject for the Los Angeles Daily Journal and turned my research into my first book, "Bless the Bees." That passion continued with the publication of my novel, "An Involuntary Spy," which is an action thriller that also points to the dangers of genetically engineered food. Then I began publishing the "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series," which, in part, is based on actual experiences during my long career in law.
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