Аннотация
Книга narrates the tense and intricate story of a young woman named Alysia, whose life takes a harrowing turn when she is abducted by two bald-headed men while in a cab. In an immediate flash of terror, one of the men forcibly takes her, despite her resistance, making her unconscious with a chloroform-soaked cloth. This predatory act sets the stage for a plot driven by crime and the dark underbelly of society.
As Alysia is captured, the narrative shifts to a white van rolling through the streets of London, where the two captors, identified as Brit and Dan, prepare to execute their assignment. Brit, who is more seasoned in this criminal world, arms Dan with weapons and tools necessary for their grim task. This foreshadows the violent and merciless reality of their activities, as the duo is engaged in a business that involves kidnapping and murder.
The plot unfolds further with a sequence of encounters involving a taxi driver, who is linked with illegal immigrants waiting for a girl, ostensibly Alysia. When Brit and Dan arrive, the atmosphere thickens with tension. The taxi driver questions the presence of weapons, and Brit casually dismisses his concerns while hinting that they are merely following orders. This interaction emphasizes the moral ambiguity and lawlessness that permeate their world, ultimately leading to Alysia's emotional and physical torment.
As the narrative progresses, it reveals Dan and Brit’s side jobs in the grim arena of corpse disposal, where they take advantage of their medical backgrounds. Dan is a nurse, and with Brit's help, they dispose of bodies in the Thames. Their work not only highlights their desensitization to violence but also intricately ties them to larger criminal elements, including sex trafficking.
In a parallel storyline, the narrative transports us to Lisbon, where a Brazilian businessman named Bruno Dias grapples with the pain of having his daughter kidnapped. In an intense meeting with Boxer, he expresses his yearning for revenge against the people responsible for the abduction. Bruno’s struggle for redemption showcases the human cost of participating in criminal undertakings, where he finds himself morally entrapped, reflecting on his past decisions.
Meanwhile, Alysia's plight continues to unfold offscreen, as her mother, Isabel, receives an unsettling phone call from the abductors demanding a ransom. The kidnappers heighten the tension by refusing to disclose their motives beyond the money, threatening Alysia's safety if she contacts the authorities. Isabel's desperate attempts to understand her daughter's fate create an emotionally charged atmosphere as she receives no reassurance from the abductors, fueling her anxiety and despair.
In a subplot involving Boxer, who becomes intertwined with Isabel’s story, he learns about past events that might connect to a recent attack on his friend Frank. The narrative is laden with suspicion when Boxer investigates the powers at play, hinting at possible involvement from Indian mafia networks. His search for truth leads him to unravel a more complex storyline, where personal stakes collide with systemic forces of violence and fear.
As the story escalates to a tense climax, emotional threads intertwine, with characters like Mercy trying to protect her daughter Amy from impending dangers. The encounters reveal deep familial tensions—Mercy's protective instincts, Amy’s rebellion, and the overarching threat that horror brings to familial bonds.
Finally, the narrative culminates in reflections on violence and the psychological impacts of crime, where Boxer and Frank explore fear, regret, and transformation. The exploration of these themes provides a rich tapestry of characters grappling with their choices in a morally ambiguous world.
In sum, the book intricately weaves multiple narratives of crime, familial bonds, and the quest for redemption amidst a harrowing landscape filled with kidnappings and violence. The suspense builds through the deliberate pacing of revelations and character explorations, leaving the reader in a constant state of unease and curiosity about the fate of Alysia and the intricate web of characters ensnared in her abduction.
