Again Oliver looked at Jack, but his favorite agent only shrugged.
Oliver stood and paced the length of the room. What Eliza was offering was interesting. Just last week the brass had held a meeting about international sex-trafficking rings, and how they were elusive in areas like the Bahamas and Columbia and other South American and Caribbean countries. Eliza was right. Having her on the job could be a tremendous asset to the bureau.
He turned to her. “What about counseling?”
“I’ll get it. Sooner the better.” Her confidence was breathtaking. “So I can start making a difference for other girls. Like Alexa and Rosa and Maggie.” She paused. “This very minute there are girls being trafficked all around the world. If you’d had someone like me five years ago, the Palace might have been shut down sooner. Before Alexa turned twenty.”
Oliver stared at the floor for a few seconds and then back at Eliza. Could the girl really be ready to work as an informant? He would want a psychological evaluation performed and intensive counseling before she set foot on a mission.
But Eliza had his attention.
The conversation continued for another hour, and whatever questions Oliver had, Eliza had answers. In the end she convinced him. Jack was right, the girl had done her homework. Oliver agreed to talk to his superiors about the timing, and by the next day she had passed her second psychological evaluation and the task of making Eliza an informant was under way.
From the top down, everyone agreed that Eliza Lawrence would make the best HLCI the department had worked with in years. The paperwork had to be meticu lous. The charges were detailed against Eliza, same with her willingness to work off her crime for the FBI. She agreed to stay within the confines of the law and to be honest at every turn.
Oliver even worked out financial compensation for a three-year obligation, which Eliza gladly agreed to. Oliver was assigned as her case agent.
Every detail had to adhere to the Attorney General’s CI guidelines, and when the papers were finally ready, Jack brought Eliza into the office to sign them. Five agents including Terri, who had taken part in the rescue in Belize, were there to witness the signing.
The whole time Eliza was in the room, Oliver watched Jack. He had been right the first time, he was sure about it. Jack had feelings for the young woman. The truth was there in the gentle way he looked at her, the softness in his eyes. Not the way other men on the street probably looked at Eliza.
Jack looked like a man in love.
Eliza didn’t seem to notice. She signed the papers and then she turned to Oliver. “Thank you, sir.” She glanced around the room. If anything she avoided looking at Jack. Her eyes met Oliver’s again. “You won’t regret this, sir.”
And with little other fanfare, Eliza Lawrence was no longer a former captive in a trafficking organization trying to find a room at the Holiday Inn. She was Masey Benson, paid HLCI with the FBI.
When the meeting was over, Oliver approached their newest informant. “For the time being, I’d like to see you work in the office.” He hesitated. “You could sit at a computer and do virtual surveillance of a dozen places where we have concerns.”
“Virtual?” Eliza shook her head. “No, sir. I don’t want to be in an office. A camera can’t pick up the subtle details.” She hesitated. “Otherwise you would have closed down the Palace before now.”
She had a point. But putting her in the field made him nervous. “Your next counseling appointment is tomorrow. On the first floor in this building.” He thought for a minute. “Let’s talk after that.”
The Transnational Organized Crime unit had called in a psychiatrist who specialized in victim work. Eliza wasn’t the typical victim. She, herself, had never been trafficked. But she grew up with girls who were, and between that and her father’s threats she was absolutely in need of help. The doctor would meet with her for the next four weeks, every day. At that point—even though counseling would continue indefinitely, Oliver would talk to the counselor.
If Eliza wasn’t ready, they would find out soon enough.
Eliza was slated to spend the next few hours in the research room, where she would learn more about being an informant. Data and details she couldn’t find on the web. Terri would be her guide for the process. The two left the office.
Only Oliver and Jack remained. Oliver faced his agent. “I need to speak with you.”
“Sir?” Jack didn’t look guilty. Maybe he didn’t know the signals he was giving off when it came to Eliza.