Queen of Blackmail

Natasha hadn’t been worried about Marion stealing any money from her, since she likely had her laptop and phone because she had been smart enough to set them up with both fingerprint and facial recognition, as well as two‑factor authentication. She just had to get word to Phil, and then get to a bank where she could access her money after explaining what had happened—and she had to do it all without the police’s help. She was so glad she had spotted the son. If she hadn’t, there was no saying what might have happened to her had she entered the station. After she had run a few blocks, she blindly picked a house and knocked on its door. It would be hit or miss, as she had no way of knowing whether whoever was behind the door would be helpful—or if they would even come to the door in the first place. She knocked with hope and desperation. A woman who appeared to be in her early 30s opened the door, and Natasha could hear a couple of little kids behind her. This worried Natasha at first, because she thought the woman might be afraid to open her home to her. “Hello,” said Natasha. “Do you speak English?” The woman nodded, and a man came to the door, giving Natasha a little more hope. “I’ve been kidnapped from Germany, and I can’t go to the police because one of the people involved in kidnapping me is on the force.” “Oh no,” they both said, their dismay seeming genuine. “I don’t even know what country I’m in.” “You’re in Denmark.” “Oh my God,” moaned Natasha. “What is the date?” “The 16th of September.” Natasha was stunned. She’d been held hostage for over four months! “Would you be willing to help me? I need to contact my husband in the States through Facebook, and I also need to get to a bank so I can access my money, because they stole my laptop and phone. I need to get a phone and into a hotel.” The couple looked at each other hesitantly. Natasha was worried that they wouldn’t want to get involved. “I understand you have children, from what I can hear, and I promise I’ll be fast.” “Come on in,” said the man, pushing the door open wider. “I will go on Facebook and contact him for you.” “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much,” Natasha said, relief flooding through her. The man smiled politely, but the woman still looked at her with uncertainty. The man sat down at a nearby desk as the woman took the kids into the kitchen. “What is your husband’s name?” Natasha gave him the “Bart” account name, and he searched on Facebook. “Is this his account?” “Yes,” Natasha said excitedly. “Please tell him I…” The man stopped her, rose from his chair, and said, “I’ll let you do the typing. Just type what you have to say and hit send.” Natasha sat down and quickly composed a message: Marion sold me on the dark web, and I ended up as a laborer with an older couple in their home in Denmark. Their son is on the police force, so I can’t rely on the law for help. I’m otherwise unharmed but my devices are gone. The kind couple who are helping me contact you will get me to a bank so I can access money. Will contact you as soon as I purchase a phone and get into a hotel. “Done,” Natasha said as she hit send. “Okay, stay here a minute,” the guy said. He stepped into the kitchen doorway and spoke in Danish to his wife—or girlfriend, or whoever the woman was—all the while glancing at Natasha as if she might steal something. When he wasn’t looking, Natasha quickly reached up the back of her dress and yanked her passport out. The man then turned to her, noticed she was now holding something but didn’t say anything, and said in English, “Okay, I will take you to a bank in the next town over so that you’re further away from this area.” “Thank you. Thank you so much. Really, I can’t thank you enough for this.” The guy nodded, seemingly unsure of what to say. Once outside the bank, he said, “Would you like me to stay and wait out here just in case there are any problems?” Natasha thought about it and realized that it would be quite a nightmare if that were the case. “Sure, I would appreciate that,” she said. The guy nodded, and she entered the bank and told one of the tellers that her devices had been stolen. She showed her ID and was able to access her money, much to her immense relief. The teller asked how much she wanted to withdraw, and Natasha decided on 1,500 euros. “That should be enough to replace my devices,” said Natasha, grateful that she wasn’t questioned any further, including why she wasn’t dressed appropriately. She turned and headed out with the bills in her hand. Her heart began to race when she heard her name called. She turned to look back at the teller. “Yes?” “Would you like me to put that in a bag for you?” “Yes, please,” she said, preferring not to walk around with cash in one hand and her identification in the other. With the items now in a vinyl drawstring bag, she thanked the woman and returned to the car.