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All were dressed in traditional white robes and white skull caps on their heads. They were of different ages. One looked about 45, the others between 50 and 60. All were well-groomed, smelling of expensive perfume. They moved confidently, like people accustomed to power and money. James greeted them and shook their hands.
He led them into the living room and introduced the girls. He did not give the clients full names, only their first names, Khaled, Sultan, Abdullah, Muhammad, and Fisel. The clients sat down on large sofas. They looked at the girls with appraising glances. They talked among themselves in Arabic. Khaled, the oldest, about 60 years old, signaled to James.
James leaned over and Khaled whispered something in his ear. James nodded. He went to the bar, poured whiskey into five large glasses. He brought them to the customers. Then he poured champagne into crystal flutes for the girls. He handed them out. Khaled raised his glass. He made a toast in English.
He said he was glad to see such beautiful girls, that today would be an unforgettable evening, that they would all get what they paid for. The clients laughed and raised their glasses. The girls raised theirs, too. They drank the champagne. Isabella felt a growing sense of unease. There was something threatening in Khaled’s tone. The next two hours passed relatively normally.
The clients drank and talked among themselves. They asked the girls to sit next to them and dance. They turned on loud music. The girls danced in front of them. The clients made comments, asked them to take off their shoes and unbutton their dresses. The girls obeyed. Isabella danced mechanically. She tried not to think about what was happening.
She concentrated on the thought of $100,000. Around midnight, Sultan, one of the clients in his 50s, called over Iatina, a Russian girl. He asked her to sit on his lap. She sat down. He hugged her, kissed her neck, and groped her. Ekatarina smiled, pretending she liked it. Other clients also began to choose girls. Muhammad called Valyria over.
Fisizel chose Alina. Abdullah took Oxana. Khaled looked at the remaining girls. Isabella, Anna, Arena, Lucia, Maria. His gaze stopped on Maria, the youngest, 21 years old. Khaled beckoned her with a gesture. Maria approached slowly. He sat her down next to him. He started talking to her in English. He asked where she was from, what she did, how much she earned as an influencer.
Maria answered quietly, nervously. Khaled put his hand on her knee. He started moving it higher. Maria froze. Khaled laughed. He said something in Arabic to the other clients. Everyone laughed. At 1:00 in the morning, James left the room. He returned with two large black suitcases. He placed them on the table in the center of the living room. He opened them.
The girls came closer to look. Inside were various items. Sex toys, handcuffs, ropes, whips, masks. Isabella felt nauseous. What were they going to do with all this? James announced that the special part of the program was about to begin. The clients had paid for an extreme evening. Now there would be various tasks and games.
The girls had to participate. Refusal was not an option. Khaled stood up. He approached the table. He took a wad of $100 bills out of his pocket. He put it on the table. He said that there would be additional cash prizes for particularly good performance of the tasks. The first task was simple. Two girls had to undress completely and perform a lesbian scene on the floor in front of the clients.
Khaled chose Ikatarina and Ireina. Both were Ukrainian. They exchanged glances. Slowly, they began to take off their dresses. They were left in their underwear. The clients shouted, demanding that they continue. The girls took off their underwear. They lay down on the carpet. They began to do what was required of them.
The clients filmed them on their phones. They laughed. They commented. 10 minutes later, the task was over. Khaled threw two bills at each of the girls. $200 each. He said it was a good start. The next task would be more interesting. He took a plastic container out of his suitcase. Inside was a yellow liquid, urine. He put it on the table.
He poured it into two wine glasses. He said that the two girls had to drink it all. Whoever drank it faster would get $500. Anna from Russia volunteered right away. She said she would do it. Valyria from Colombia also agreed. They both took the glasses. At Khaled’s command, they began to drink. Anna drank it in 20 seconds.
Valyria drank it in 30. Both turned pale and felt nauseous, but they held on. Khaled applauded. He gave Anna $500. He gave Valyria $200 for participating. The next two hours were hell. The tasks became increasingly extreme and humiliating. The girls were forced to smear themselves with feces from another container to perform humiliating acts on each other.
At one point, James brought a miniature horse into the room. Isabella couldn’t believe her eyes. The clients demanded that one of the girls perform an act with the animal. Valyria agreed for $2,000. It was the most horrible thing Isabella had ever seen in her life. The clients were euphoric. They drank and snorted cocaine from the coffee table.
They shouted and laughed. The girls cried. Maria sobbed in the corner. Khaled approached her. He grabbed her by the hair. He lifted her face. He asked why she was crying. Maria said she couldn’t take it anymore. It was too much. Khaled slapped her across the face. Not hard, but hard enough to hurt. He spoke slowly, syllable by syllable.
You’re not a person here. You’re a thing. We paid for you. You do what you’re told or you leave now with no money and a lot of problems. Choose. Maria cried even harder. But she nodded. She said she would stay. Khaled let her go. He returned to his other clients. Isabella sat on the sofa, hugging her knees.
She stared into space. She thought about how to make it through the night. How to survive this. Money no longer seemed so important. She just wanted to leave. But fear was stronger. Fear of being left without money. Fear of the consequences. By 4 in the morning, most of the girls were in shock.
They sat or lay on the floor, not moving. The clients continued to drink. White lines of cocaine lay on the table. Khaled stood up. He clapped his hands. He got everyone’s attention. He announced that there would be a final game for one girl. The one who was ready to go further than the rest. The prize was $50,000 on top of the main payment.
A total of $150,000 for one night. The girls looked up. $50,000. A huge amount. Khaled explained the rules. The game is called choking. He will choke the girl with his hands to the point of unconsciousness. The time will be measured with a stopwatch. Whoever lasts the longest gets the prize. Safety is guaranteed.
He has done this many times. He knows when to stop. No one has ever died. Anna was the first to agree. She approached Khaled. He stood behind her, his hands wrapped around her neck. He began to press down. Anna stood there enduring it. Her face turned red. After 30 seconds, she waved her arms. Khaled let go. She coughed and gasped for air.
The time was 32 seconds. The customers applauded. Ekatarina tried next. She lasted 45 seconds. Valyria lasted a minute and 10 seconds. Oxana lasted a minute and 30 seconds. Khaled strangled each subsequent girl for longer. He enjoyed the process. Other clients placed bets. They shouted and cheered. Isabella watched.
She thought about the money. $150,000. It would solve all her problems. An apartment for her parents, college for her brother, a comfortable life for a year. She raised her hand. Her voice trembled. She said she would try. She wanted to break the record. She was ready to endure longer than anyone else. Khaled smiled.
He said she was brave or stupid. It didn’t matter. She would get the money if she survived. He laughed. Isabella approached. She stood in front of him. Khaled stood behind her. His hands wrapped around her neck. Big strong hands. Isabella felt the pressure. She couldn’t breathe. The countdown began. The first 30 seconds were bearable.
The pressure was strong, but she could endure it. 40 seconds. Her head began to spin. 50 seconds. Her vision darkened at the edges. 1 minute. Her lungs burned. She wanted to breathe, but there was no air. 1 minute and 10 seconds. My pulse was pounding in my temples. 1 minute and 30 seconds. Oxana’s record was broken. The clients were shouting louder.
1 minute and 40 seconds. My body began to twitch involuntarily. My brain was demanding oxygen. 1 minute and 50 seconds. Isabella tried to wave her arms, the signal to stop, but her arms wouldn’t obey. 2 minutes. Consciousness began to slip away. 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Everything around her became foggy. 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
Isabella lost consciousness. Her body went limp. Her arms fell. Khaled held on for another 10 seconds. Then he let go. Isabella fell to the floor. She lay motionless. She wasn’t breathing. James rushed to her. He knelt down. He checked her pulse on her neck. Nothing. He began to perform indirect heart massage.
30 compressions on her chest. Two breaths into her mouth. 30 more compressions. One minute of massage. Two minutes. Isabella didn’t respond. James called for help. Anna ran over. She started helping too. Massage. Artificial respiration. 3 minutes. 4. 5. Nothing. Her body remained motionless. Her lips were blue.
Her pupils were dilated. Khaled stood nearby. His face was pale. He shouted that this shouldn’t have happened. It was just a game, just entertainment. She shouldn’t have died. The other clients also stood up. Panic set in. Abdullah shouted that they needed to call an ambulance. Muhammad said it was a disaster.
They would all end up in prison. James took out his phone. He called someone. He spoke quickly, nervously in English. He said there had been an accident. Help was needed urgently. 10 minutes later, the elevator opened. A man in his 60s in a medical uniform entered. He was carrying a black bag. He introduced himself as Dr. Camel.
The doctor knelt down next to Isabella’s body. He checked her pulse on her neck on her wrist. He lifted her eyelid and shown a flashlight into her pupil. He listened to her heart with a stethoscope. He sat up straight. He shook his head. He said she was dead. cardiac arrest due to prolonged dysphixia. 5 minutes of resuscitation had been unsuccessful.
The brain had been without oxygen for too long. Even if they had managed to restart her heart, her brain was irreversibly damaged. Khaled grabbed the doctor by the sleeve. He shouted that there must be something they could do. Some kind of medicine, an injection, anything. The doctor freed his sleeve. He said calmly that nothing could be done. She was dead.
Now the question was how to solve the problem. James gathered the clients. They stepped aside. They talked quietly. The girls sat on the sofa. They looked at Isabella’s body. Anna cried. Maria sobbed. The rest were in shock. She was one of them. Alive a few minutes ago now dead because of the game. because of money. 15 minutes later, James returned.
He told the girls that the incident would be resolved. They have a procedure for such situations. The doctor has been working with them for a long time. He knows what to do. The body will be disposed of. No one would find out. The girls had to keep quiet. If anyone tried to talk, the consequences would be serious for everyone.
The doctor opened his bag. He took out a syringe and a vial. He drew up the liquid. He injected it into Isabella’s body. He explained that it would speed up decomposition. In 12 hours, it would be impossible to determine the exact cause of death. He would also take blood samples.
He would add traces of cocaine and alcohol. He would sign the death certificate stating that the cause of death was drug overdose and heart failure. Khaled approached the doctor. He took a wad of bills out of his pocket. Euros, large bills, 100,000. The doctor took them. He nodded. He said everything would be done cleanly as always. Isabella’s body was covered with a white sheet.
Two security guards who were on duty outside brought in a stretcher. They transferred the body. They took it out through the service elevator. The doctor left with them. James stayed with the girls and clients. James approached the sofa where the girls were sitting. Their faces were pale, their eyes filled with shock.
He took several sheets of paper out of his jacket’s inside pocket. New non-disclosure agreements. He placed them on the table in front of them. He said that each of them had to sign right away. The document supplemented the previous one. It stated that the girls confirmed that they had not witnessed any accidents or deaths at the event, that everything had taken place in a safe environment, that they would not make any claims against the organizers or clients.
Violation of the agreement would result in a fine of $1 million and criminal prosecution under UAE law. Anna asked what would happen to Isabella’s body. James replied that it was in safe hands. The doctor works with a private clinic that has agreements with a morg and crematorium. The body will be cremated within 12 hours. The family will be told that Isabella died of heart failure caused by a drug overdose at the hotel.
Compensation for the funeral is $50,000. No questions asked, no investigation,” Oxana asked in a trembling voice. “What if one of them went to the police, told the truth?” James looked at her intently. He spoke slowly so that everyone would understand. If anyone tried to talk, the organizers had everything on video.
Hidden cameras in the penthouse recorded everything that happened, including how the girls voluntarily participated in extreme activities for money. This video will be handed over to the police with the claim that the girls themselves initiated the dangerous game and are responsible for their friend’s death. The organizers also know the addresses of all the girls families in Russia, Ukraine, Colombia, Argentina, Romania.
It’s better to just take the money and forget about that night. The girls were silent. They understood that they had no choice. One after another, they signed the documents. James collected the sheets. He went into another room. He returned 10 minutes later with eight black sports bags. He gave one to each girl.
Inside were wads of dollar bills. $80,000 instead of the promised h 100,000. James explained that 20,000 had been withheld to cover the costs of disposing of the body and resolving legal issues. Valyria tried to object. She said that the contract stipulated 100,000. James replied harshly. The contract also stipulated that everyone would return alive. One did not return.
This is force majour. Take 80 or leave with nothing. Choose. Valyria fell silent. She took the bag. It was 5:00 in the morning. James said the girls could rest here until 7:00. Then they would be taken to hotels. The clients had left through the service exit even earlier. Khaled was the last to leave. Before leaving, he approached James.
He handed him a thick envelope, an additional payment for the silence of all participants. The girls sat silently in the living room. No one could sleep. They looked out the windows at the sunrise over Dubai. The city was waking up. People were going to work. Cars were driving on the roads. Life went on as usual.
And here upstairs, a girl had died. And no one would ever know. At 7:00 in the morning, cars arrived. They took the girls to their hotels. Isabella returned to her room at the Atlantis Hotel. No, not Isabella. Isabella was no more. Anna returned to her hotel. She took a shower. She washed away what was on her body. She washed it away.
But the memory remained. She lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes. She saw Isabella’s face. how she fell, how she lay motionless. At 10:00 in the morning, James sent messages to all the girls. He reminded them of the agreement, of the consequences of breaking it. Return tickets for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Better to leave quickly.
Don’t linger in Dubai. At that time, Isabella’s body was in a private clinic in the industrial district of Dubai. Dr. Kamal conducted a formal examination. He wrote a death certificate. Cause: Acute heart failure due to cocaine and alcohol intoxication. High concentrations of narcotic substances were found in the blood, probably an overdose.
Her age, poor heart condition, and drug use led to her death. The blood samples did indeed contain high levels of cocaine. The doctor added them himself before the analysis. The body was taken to the crematorium. The cremation procedure took 2 hours. By noon on March 1st, all that remained of Isabella Costa was ashes in an ern. At 2 p.m.
, a representative of the Brazilian consulate in Dubai called Isabella’s parents. He broke the tragic news. Isabella had died of a heart attack in a hotel. No details were given. The cause of death was determined to be drug intoxication. The body was cremated in accordance with UAE procedure for suspected drug use.
The ern with her ashes would be sent to Brazil within a week. The consulate would pay the family $50,000 for the funeral and as compensation. Maria, Isabella’s mother, fell to the floor when she heard the news. She screamed that it was impossible. Her daughter did not use drugs. Never. It was a mistake.