When he arrives in Turkey, one of the bodyguards takes the luggage, and another vehicle picks up the four men to take them to the hotel where they are staying in adjoining rooms — Tomorrow night you must meet with the Malignus — one of the bodyguards informs him — This is your luggage — the man says, handing over a suitcase. Tadeus decides not to leave the hotel until the time of the meeting. He takes a long bath until it's almost time to leave. He realizes that the suitcase doesn't contain any of the clothes he packed. He dresses in a suit so dark blue it looks black, with a trench coat of the same color and a white and gray fur scarf that looks like it's made of animal hair.
— Sir, it's time — There's a knock at his door while he's still tying his shoelaces. He doesn't have time to fix his hair, so he leaves it wet and falling forward. This, in a way, gives him a little confidence because part of his eyebrows are covered, so his facial expressions won't be so obvious. As soon as he leaves the room, the bodyguard looks him up and down and says — Don't forget to bring the briefcase, sir — Tadeus nods and goes back to his room to get the leather briefcase from the coffee table and the pair of black leather gloves from the bed. A woman enters the room after him on the bodyguard's orders. Tadeus puts on the leather gloves, a pair of dark glasses, and a face mask to cover his face from the hotel cameras.
He is taken to what appears to be a nature reserve. There are many birds and several puddles where small animals can be seen nearby. He arrives at a huge glass structure, giving it the appearance of a greenhouse — Please, continue — says an older man with a strong accent — Mr. Kötü Olan will be with us in a moment.
Tadeus nods, and the four men accompanying him take their places around the room. There is a table with a liquor he doesn't recognize, and he decides to pour himself some to calm his nerves. As soon as he hears footsteps enter through the door, he downs the liquor in one gulp and turns around, meeting Gustaph's gaze — I'm sorry you have to be my babysitter — Tadeus says with a smile. He opens his arms, and they hug for several seconds.
— Is it good? — Gustaph asks.
— A bit bitter for my taste, but it's quite strong.
— Welcome, please have a seat — A man says at the door — I'm Roku Olan, but you can call me Mitchell.
— Thank you very much for having us — Gustaph says. He extends his hand to shake the man's, and Tadeus does the same.
— I hope it was a pleasant trip — the man says.
— The weather was nice — Gustaph comments with a smile.
— Which of you two is Coyote? I'd like to speak to him directly — Mitchell asks. Gustaph remains silent to give Tadeus a chance to speak, but he doesn't say anything — I suppose he's the one with the distinctive scarf.
— It's a gray coyote tail — Tadeus replies. He maintains a neutral tone to avoid showing any emotion — I brought the agreement for you to read if you'd like.
— How direct — Mitchell comments. He takes the papers and begins to read carefully for several minutes — Did you read this?
— Should I? — Tadeus says sarcastically. Mitchell grits his teeth.
— It seems I benefit more from the entry profit percentage — Mitchell asks, his eyes on the document — So you move the merchandise and I take the profit.
— You just have to send the portion that belongs to Coyote. If you need a new product, we can get it — Gustaph says. Tadeus keeps his gaze slightly lowered, but looks up when he notices the silence and sees Mitchell extend his hand.
— It's settled — the man says as soon as Tadeus shakes his hand. They both sign the document, as expected.
The coyote's son, signing with the alias "Gray Coyote" to avoid leaving his name on the paper, says — Let me show you what we have." Mitchell stands up, and they both follow him. Leaving the glass booth, they get into a vehicle without bodyguards and are taken to what appears to be a casino — We have many clubs and bars, but casinos are where the money moves the most. As you can imagine, people gamble, bet, win, and most of the time lose. A completely safe haven for the business — Mitchell says.
When they enter, Tadeus notices how luxurious the place is: marble walls, ceilings with hand-painted murals, and a red carpet floor with elaborate patterns — What do you think of the place? You seem a little surprised — Kotu Olan comments.
— It's... beautiful — Tadeus says after clearing his throat. They pass by the orchestra, the restaurant, and the various gaming rooms until they reach the third floor, where there are no tables. There are hallways and doors that lead to rooms where people are seen having sex — What's the point of this? — Tadeus asks.
— I'm sorry, these are the pleasure rooms — the man says. They walk down a long hallway to the end, where there's a room full of women. It seems to be a combination of a beauty salon and a dressing room, judging by the vanities, armchairs, and closets surrounding the space — This is where the women prepare for their night shift. They take turns every four hours in the rooms, receiving men who are interested in them, and then they come back here to freshen up.
— They receive men for four hours, why not all night? — Gustaph asks.
— To take care of them. It's important to keep them looking fresh and healthy. It's not good for them to look tired and worn out — Mitchell says — At midnight, the girls in the pleasure rooms change places, that's why the ones you see here are getting ready.
— What about the waitresses? — Tadeus asks — Do they offer services too?
— No, they're just ordinary people, like the cooks, musicians, or cleaning staff — Mitchell says.
— It must be easier to control them that way — Tadeus says to himself, trying to hide his disgusted expression.
— You understand — the Turk says — Would you like to see one of the clubs in the popular area?
At that moment, Tadeus feels his cell phone vibrate in his inside jacket pocket, so he asks for directions to the bathroom and walks away. He can't help but vomit as soon as he enters one of the restrooms to deal with the heavy feeling of guilt in his chest—"What the hell did I just sign?" he laments, looking at himself in the mirror. His cell phone vibrates again, so he takes it out of his pocket to see that it's the Animal calling. He decides to ignore the call and continue the tour of the various nightclubs in the city. Tadeus tries to maintain a neutral expression on everything he sees, but it's obvious to his partner that something doesn't sit well with him.
Gustaph offers to stay with Tadeus at the hotel after Mitchell's men drop them off at the entrance. The bodyguards follow them to their room, but only two remain to guard them for the rest of the night. Noon arrives, and Tadeus is just opening his eyes to take a quick shower. He calls his sister before going downstairs to have breakfast with Gustaph and is pleased to hear her sound a little calmer.
— I guess we'll be back this afternoon — Tadeus sighs after eating in silence.
— No, we're coming back early tomorrow — Gustaph says. Tadeus slumps back in his chair, a sign of exhaustion, and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds until a thought strikes him — I doubt those women are in that business willingly, but you don't seem surprised.
— Why do you think your father earned that nickname? — Gustaph asks —
He started by smuggling people across the border, until he decided to take advantage of it. I've been by his side for many years, and I'm just as mired in all this as you are. What am I saying? I'm up to my neck in it!
Tadeus suddenly feels a pang in his chest upon hearing these words. It is now that he understands the empty words of "his father." Everything he has done has been nothing more than another link in the chain that binds his freedom to Edwin Singer's hands.