Euphoria: Book 2 (18+)

Chapter 11

A shroud of silence fell around Elliot as he followed his father up a set of stairs with his brother close on his heels. As a team they followed the protocols their father instilled in them throughout their career together. The three of them swept through the house checking for surveillance that could have been planted during their incarceration. Vladimir had been grooming them for their line of work since they were old enough to put words into sentences. Not getting caught in their line of work was the first rule and the most important. No business was to ever be discussed let alone legal matters until their location was secure to do so. It was clear that once you came into the business, there was no turning back, no getting out of it. Not even if you had a change of heart and couldn't stomach the trade. IF you were ever caught conducting business in any step of the process, you were on your own. You did not speak, you did not rat. That was the second rule.

Once every inch of the house was thoroughly searched, even the vents, outlets, smoke detector, and floor boards, Vladimir cleared them to stand down. The first thing Elliot wanted to do was take a shower and change into clean clothes. That, however, would not come until later. He pulled a chair out and took a seat at his father's mahogany dining table. They'd spent many nights at that very table. Not to enjoy meals as a family, but to discuss their financial affairs and work details. Everything from finances, locations, demands per buyer, every aspect of their trade was meticulously discussed at that table. They did a sweep of the place every single time before even sitting. The careful and extreme measures they took was what kept them from getting caught. Even as reckless as Andrew could be, he knew not to ever disobey that code of silence prior to clearing the house.

"Our assets are likely frozen and will remain so until the dust settles." Vladimir began. "Aside from whatever cash we have tucked away, we are operating on empty."

"With the heat we have on us, do you think we could really afford to get back to work right now?" Elliot asked.

"Yea, speaking of heat, way to go, dumbass!" Andrew cut in.

Ignoring Andrew, Vladimir answered, "If we are extremely careful and work smart, I think we could pull off a few tasks. Do you think you can put this vendetta you have with your ex behind you for a time and get your head on right? We need you to buckle down and focus. Right now, Elliot, you are the weakest link."

"Yea, you get to be the chink in the armor for a change." Andrew smirked.

"Shut up." Elliot warned. "Yes, I can let the other stuff go for now and focus on work."

"Our success at this time will depend entirely on you separating your emotions from this little outburst of yours and the job at hand. You have got to make sure to let this go and dive into work one hundred percent. If you do not, you put us all at greater risk. If they pin trafficking to us along with your previous actions, we are all gone for good. Believe me, there are worse outcomes than prison. son."

"I am aware. When do we start?"

"I'm down to start right now." Andrew squirmed in his chair as if he could barely contain himself.

"Let's take a beat. We need a clear idea of how many eyes are on us right now. Plus, we have the monitors to think about once they get here to install them on us. Keep in mind they have GPS chips in them that will allow the police to track our every move. IF anyone of interest goes missing, the monitors will place us at the location the victim was last seen."

"Easy, we target the ones that wont be missed. Homeless, runaways, loners, hitch hikers." Andrew shrugged.

"Our jobs are definitely going to be harder for a while, but, not impossible."