“I didn’t want Hawthorne and his men to have a quick death. I wanted them to suffer, but I wanted to get the boys out of there as soon as possible.”
“You made the right decision.”
“What did you know about the incident?” I asked. “Why were you fearful for your life?”
“I knew little about Victor Hawthorne. I only knew about him selling organs.” A loud laugh erupted from the swings, and Harry looked toward the children chasing each other. “I was scheduled to pick up a new heart for my wife. They gave me anaddress to some warehouse, but I got lost on my way there.” He stared at the squirrel nibbling on something in front of us.
Harry had purchased an organ from Hawthorne? I let the silent shock wash over me. How should I respond to this? I knew people did desperate things to save those they loved. Would I have gotten an organ for my mother if I’d known how it was retrieved? Would my mother want an organ that way? The internal struggle was too much, so I focused on something else.
“Who was your contact person?”
“Tony Hesselberg.”
I nodded, recognizing his name. Tony had been part of Hawthorne’s crew long before I got there.
“A few days before the meetup, I wired a deposit to a bank. I brought the rest of it with me in cash. Then I got lost and couldn’t get reception on my phone. I heard some loud explosions, and that scared me. I drove around and stumbled upon you and the boys.” He met my eyes. “I guess God led me to you, and in doing so, He also prevented me from getting an organ that way.”
I met his eyes and saw regret.
“I was desperate to help Melinda, and that made me blind to the terrifying reality of the black market.” Guilt sagged on Harry’s face and shoulders. “I should’ve known the family members of the deceased didn’t donate those organs.” He paused and took another sip of his drink. “When I learned what that monster made you boys do, something in me snapped.”
“We do indescribable things for those we love,” I said, remembering what I had done to my father for hurting my mother.
Did I regret it? No. Sometimes you have to commit certain crimes to prevent others from happening.
I was no saint and would never be one, and that was okay. At least I got to live a truthful life.
“Did your wife get a heart transplant?” I asked, even though I knew parts of the story from Eva.
But I feared the story she knew wasn’t the whole truth.
“Melinda never knew I was searching the black market for a heart. When I brought up the idea, she dismissed it. She just said let God decide for her. So we got on a waitlist, and one day we got a call from the doctor.” He placed a hand over his chest. “She lived with that new heart until a few years ago when her heart weakened and she developed some other health issues.”
“What does Eva know?”
“Just that her grandmother got a heart transplant,” Harry said. “While researching the organ black market and Victor Hawthorne, I met Emilio. We both attended several underground meetings. At first, I didn’t trust him, or anyone.” He released a heavy sigh. “The more we talked, the more my gut told me to trust him. He had lived under a different alias prior to Emilio, and he was hiding from dangerous people. Over time, we became friends, and he had access to things I didn’t. Because of him, I learned the magnitude of evil taking over this world. It’s run by sick people.”
“Was Emilio part of Hawthorne’s syndicate who went rogue?” I asked, not remembering anyone with that name when I was there.
Harry shook his head. “No. He escaped an organization called Scorpion Trine. They’ve been around a lot longer than Hawthorne’s organization and have a wider network. But they’re discreet, running businesses under various aliases. I don’t know the full story, but for whatever reason, Hawthorne and Scorpion Trine are enemies.”
I had to investigate this organization when I had a moment to spare.
“What do they do? Sell organs too?”
“I think they have their hands in everything,” he said. “There are too many gangs out there.”
My mind had been so focused on Hawthorne’s organization that I didn’t even consider there were others who hated him.
“The world is made up of elite gangs,” I said.
“And they’re all dressed in Armani suits, live in fancy homes, and hold top-level positions worldwide.”
“The best way to hide their true character.”
More questions popped into my head. “How did you learn about the organs for sale?”
“From an online forum. Melinda was really sick, and we were running out of time. I was desperate, and a friend of mine mentioned he got a healthy liver for his brother.”
