Her Adoring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 3) Page 16

  “Mister, get out here.” He was impressed how the man motioned his wife to stay down when she tried to stand up.

  “This is on me. I’ll explain how this was a conflict between the two of us, and you weren’t at fault. But I need your cooperation. I need the six grand, the watch, your wedding ring, and your wife’s rings.” She had her palm up in a heartbeat, holding her rings. He approved of this woman, she understood what was important, and it wasn’t some gold and diamonds.

  Jack took the money, and jewelry, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he bent and hefted the bulky man over his shoulder, and walked out into the afternoon sun to the car, and threw him into the trunk. Not one person gave him a second glance.

  Aiden and he calculated it would be another eighteen hours before Beth would probably be in Veracruz if she was shipped by truck. Three days if she was shipped by train. Either way, he would have to spend his time worming his way into this sick organization so he could be part of the welcoming committee.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Three unconscious girls were dumped into the shipping container before the train began moving. At least this time the holes were bigger so Beth could see her way around. There were blankets, and a makeshift toilet cut into the floor of the container so their waste would fall onto the tracks. It was these little considerations that made this seem like the Taj Mahal.

  She’d checked each girl’s pulse to make sure they were alive even before the door closed, causing the evil man to laugh.

  “Don’t worry girly, we wouldn’t have killed such high-end product.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Beth knelt by the young blonde girl, and touched her neck to feel for the heartbeat.

  “I don’t care if you believe me or not.” He slammed the door shut, and she heard the clang of the lock. Long minutes later the train began to move. There were enough blankets to use some as pillows under the three girl’s heads.

  After what seemed like three or four hours, the first girl started to rouse. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t even really move, and it’s when Beth realized she wasn’t a new captive. She went over to her.

  “My name is Beth. We’re on a train by ourselves. None of the men are here with us.” She was young. Too damn young to be on this train. She was a pretty American brunette. She didn’t open her eyes.

  “Can you hear me? My name is Beth. We’re safe for now.”

  “How long have we been here?”

  “They put us on this train about four hours ago.”

  “Are Irene and Missy here too?” She opened her eyes and looked around.

  “I don’t know. There are two other girls. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Joanne.” She sat up, holding the blanket around her. Even in the dim light Beth saw she was still just a teenager.

  “How old are you?”

  “I’m sixteen. How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-two.”

  “You didn’t run away from home?” Joanne questioned.

  “No. I was kidnapped. What happened to you?”

  “Some guy saw me living on the street. I wasn’t being a prostitute or anything, honest.” Beth’s heart went out to the girl the way she said ‘honest’.

  “Joanne, it wouldn’t matter if you were.”

  “It wouldn’t?”

  “No it wouldn’t. Nobody deserves to be taken against their will.”

  “That’s exactly what happened. A guy came up, and he offered to buy me a cheeseburger. I said I wouldn’t go with him, so he brought it to me. He did it for three days straight, so I knew he was a good guy, ya know?”

  “I would have thought he was a good guy too. What happened next?”

  “He said I could crash at his place no strings attached.” Her chin fell to her chest. “I was so stupid,” she mumbled.

  “No you weren’t. You just trusted someone who was a predator.”

  “How did you get caught?”

  “I was kidnapped at gunpoint.”

  “Oh my God. Why are they doing this?”

  Beth thought about how to answer the question. “Because they’re bad people.”

  “We’re so screwed. It was really bad with my folks, but I wish I was with them now.”

  “They’re going to sell us aren’t they?” A small voice came from behind her. Beth turned and saw the older blonde girl was awake.

  “That’s what they intend to do, yes. But we’re going to come up with a plan to help ourselves.”

  “Can we do that?” Joanne asked.

  “I have some friends who’ll be looking for me, and I want to make it easy for them to find me. So it means I need to make it tough on these assholes to keep me.”

  “How do we do that?” the blonde girl asked.

  “First we wait for the last girl to wake up, and then we start planning.”

  ****

  “He was dumb. Dumb deserves to die.” Jack dumped the corpse at the feet of the thin man named Ruiz. He looked at the dead man, and then his beady eyes looked at Jack, assessing him.

  “Tell me again what happened.”

  “No, I’ve already told you twice.” Jack’s mouth was dry, but he was damn near certain he was playing it right. This man appreciated strength, and Jack explaining himself over and over again showed weakness.

  Finally he laughed. “I always thought this man was an idiot too. I never expected it would be one of us who killed him.”

  “Be thankful it was, it made clean up easier.” Ruiz laughed harder.

  “I like you, JJ.”

  “Here’s the money and the jewelry. I’ll go collect next week. He won’t disappoint me. He’ll have figured out how to get the rest for us.”

  “I have no doubt.” Ruiz bent down and pulled the watch off the wrist of the dead man and added it to the handful of jewelry. “Manuelo, come and get rid of this before a rat starts gnawing on it, will you?” He called to the man across the room.

  Ruiz motioned for Jack to follow him up the stairs.

  “Where’s Aiden?”

  “Since he’s a known quantity, with familial references, we have him on...more delicate projects.”

  “Are they more lucrative?” Jack asked.

  Ruiz got a calculating look in his eye as he glanced at Jack.

  “You’re still on trial, and killing your team mates is not really a great way to prove your worthiness.”

  “That’s bullshit. I did you a favor. Go ahead and tell me you weren’t planning on having him killed within the month. He was a detriment to your organization.”

  “Be that as it may, it was still my decision to make not yours. If you pull that kind of shit again, without my sanction, you could be the one dead. Am I making myself clear?”

  Jack gave the man the deferential nod he so clearly expected. He couldn’t wait to kill him as well, but first he had to find Beth.

  “Aiden should be back soon. We have this other side of the business besides collecting support money from business owners.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Again, JJ, you need to quit assuming you know everything. Take a few moments and allow me to explain things to you. I guess you want a fast payday, is that it?”

  “I’ve noticed supplying muscle for the drug trade has made a lot of my friends a lot of money. So yeah, I’d like to cash in.”

  “What if I told you we have something even more lucrative? But it requires finesse? So far, you haven’t shown much. I need to see patience, do you think you can stop making assumptions, and maybe not kill someone for twelve hours?” Ruiz smirked as he said the last part.

  “I can’t promise. If you send me out with someone who is going to blow our operation, I’m taking him down. Finesse is a fine thought, but it doesn’t do you a damn bit of good if you’re behind bars or six feet under.”

  “Point taken.” Ruiz opened the door, and ushered him into a room looking like something out of an old Western bordello. He looked around, there was a woman in a negligee seated on the
divan, and she was counting money.

  “Ruiz,” she acknowledged, and went back to counting.

  “Hello, beauty. I have a new colleague I’d like you to meet.”

  “In a minute.”

  Ruiz motioned for Jack to sit in a wingback chair, and then he went to a fully stocked bar and poured two drinks from a decanter. He handed one to Jack.

  “The finest reposado tequila from my grandfather’s fields.” He clinked his glass against Jack’s and they drank.

  “Done. So, you’re JJ? I’m Helen.” She swept the cash into a lock box. “Pour me some tequila, Ruiz.” He got up from the other wingback chair, and poured them all a round of tequila.

  “You killed our resident dumbass today. Good for you. I like you. You’re pretty as well.” Ruiz flushed at the comment. Not good. She looked from one man to the other.

  “Ruiz, if I feel like fucking JJ, it’s my business. Hell, I might even want you to watch.” Jack wished he could have another shot of tequila. He’d known the right way to play Ruiz was not to cower, but with Helen any kind of back-talk could end up in a painful death.

  “Oh my God, look at the pretty boy. He doesn’t like the idea of us getting it on. What’s going on? Do you have a girl friend? A boy friend? Tell mama.” She held out her glass and Ruiz plucked it from her hand and refilled it. This time she sipped her drink, and eyed Jack over the rim of the shot glass.

  “I expect an answer.”

  “I’m engaged.”

  “Are you in love?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you faithful?”

  “Yes.”

  “Always?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well okay then. You’ll be perfect to work with our merchandise. But understand this now, JJ. If you are ever caught touching the girls in an inappropriate manner you will be castrated. I normally would give you one warning, but since you’re telling me you’re faithful I’m going to be especially harsh in your case.”

  “Merchandise?”

  “Ruiz, didn’t you tell him?”

  “I didn’t know if we wanted to use him.”

  “Hell, anyone who had the good sense to kill Duarte gets my vote. Of course we’re going to use him.” Who was she, and where was Berto? Oh fuck it, who cares, if it got him what he wanted. He wanted Beth. He wanted her safe. He wanted her now.

  “We haven’t been properly introduced, Helen. My name is Jack, not JJ, I’m a former Army Ranger.”

  “Actually, you were dishonorably discharged, former Captain Richards. But if you insist, yes, let’s do this dance. I’m Helen Vasquez. My brother, God rest his soul, used to be in charge of these wayward boys here in Veracruz. I mentioned on numerous occasions that he and a bull in heat had the same level of organizational skills, but he never listened to me. When El Cuchilla came to town my brother was gutted. El Cuchilla noticed I did have organizational skills, gave me a position, and now both of us are making a great deal of money.”

  Jack got the distinct impression Helen had something to do with her brother’s gutting.

  “Your friend Aiden has already been introduced to the organization. Of course, his uncle has run back to hide behind the skirts of his wife. It’s amazing to me how people can change, and not for the better. Leonard was once someone to be reckoned with, to be respected. Now he is weak because of a woman.” She took another sip.

  “Tell me, does your woman make you weak?”

  “No, she makes me strong.” Then he figured out how to play her. “Any man who was lucky enough to stand by your side would only be stronger for it.” She preened.

  “This is so. But he would have to be the right man. Since you’re taken, perhaps Aiden?” Her voice trailed off and she gave Ruiz a significant look.

  What kind of sick game was she playing with this poor bastard?

  “So tell me about the merchandise? Asia? Russia? The Ukraine? Local?”

  “All of the above, and some from the United States.”

  “Very impressive. I would have thought taking girls from the US would have painted a target on your back.”

  “There is a large population of runaway and forgotten girls, and young women. It’s easy. We just scoop them up.”

  “Why take the risk? If your client wants Caucasians, why not stick with the Russians?”

  “Because the Middle Eastern clientele especially want the prestige of having Americans. We believe in providing the client with what they want.” The tequila was not settling well.

  “Okay, makes sense. So what’s my part? And better yet, how will I be compensated?”

  Helen laughed. “I love a no-nonsense man. Is Aiden to the point like you are?”

  “Even more so. Comparatively speaking, I’m evasive.” He could feel the waves of animosity pouring off Ruiz. The man pulled out a knife and twirled it between his fingers.

  “Oh quit playing with your knife. Yes, I know you’re one of El Cuchilla’s favorites. But so am I.”

  “You best remember it, I don’t think he would want his girlfriend playing with the hired help.”

  “I’m not the one he wants, remember?” They gave each other a significant look.

  “Tell me about El Cuchilla, am I going to be meeting him?” Jack took a surreptitious look at the knife Ruiz was playing with, and saw even more drops of blood than the one the man in the video used. It looked like he was dealing with Berto’s right-hand people.

  “If you prove yourself to be useful you will,” Ruiz said. “And if you don’t rock the boat.” He glanced at him meaningfully. Jack understood what it meant. Stay the fuck away from Helen. It would not be a problem.

  “I won’t rock the boat. You tell me how to be useful and I’ll do it.”

  “You’ll get more details tonight. We’re going out to dinner. It’ll be fun. You’ll get to meet more members of our little family.” Helen purred. Ruiz looked at him, as he used his knife to clean his nails. Everybody had clean nails in this organization.

  ****

  All of the girls were awake. They’d been on the train for over a day and a half. It was when she was using the airy facility Beth had her epiphany. There were two pieces of wood to act as a makeshift seat. They basically had an escape hatch cut into the floor.

  “Get me blankets,” she called to the girls.

  “What’s wrong?” Joanne asked as she brought over the blankets.

  “Nothing. I think something is actually right.”

  The train made four stops since they’d been on it. On their next stop, maybe they’d have an opportunity to get the hell off. In the dim light, Beth examined the makeshift toilet. There was no way they could fit with the wood in place. She took one of the blankets and cleaned the opening. She put her head through to see how wide the hole was in the floor of the container.

  “Joanne, it’s wide enough for us to fit through if we can pull up the wood.” The other two girls came over to see what the commotion was about.

  “Look what Beth found. We could climb out the hole,” Joanne exclaimed.

  “While the train is moving?”

  “No, dummy, when the train is stopped,” Joanne snapped.

  “I can’t fit through there,” Irene said.

  “Of course you can’t,” Joanne said derisively. “Beth is going to make it bigger.”

  “Girls, we have to work together.” Beth kept her voice calm and positive.

  “How do we make the hole bigger?” Missy asked.

  “See these pieces of wood?”

  “I can’t see anything, it’s too dark,” Irene complained.

  “You can see to piss, can’t you?” Joanne jumped down her throat.

  “Come closer, Irene. Put your hand here, do you feel how the wood is bolted to the floor?”

  “How are we going to get the wood out of the way so we can get through the hole if it’s bolted to the floor?” Missy asked. It was a good question, one Beth hadn’t figured out yet. The bolts were on so tight it would take a wrench to get them off
. But the wood wasn’t very thick.

  “We’re going to have to break the wood, and then pull it away from the hole.” She was met by silence. She didn’t blame them.

  “Who has the strongest shoes?”

  “What?”

  “Let me see your shoes. We’re going to have to kick the wood. I want to see who has the best shoes to kick the wood.” Unfortunately, Beth was wearing ballet flats, so it wasn’t going to help much. She’d be pulling the broken pieces of wood away from the hole.

  “Me.” Joanne held up her foot, and everybody looked at her combat boot.

  “We have a winner!” Beth grinned, and all the girls laughed. Thank God, because she needed them to be in the right frame of mind. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Beth, I should kick near the edges, right?”

  “Yep. But we’re going to be on either side of you, and you’re going to hold onto our shoulders.” It took a lot longer than Beth hoped to start getting the boards to loosen. Joanne was breathing hard, and her kicks were getting much weaker before the first crack sounded.

  “You can stop now.”

  “No, I want to kick it out.”

  “That was never the plan, Joanne. We just needed you to loosen the wood so I can pull. You’ve done your part, now let me.” Joanne sat against the wall with Missy and Irene. Beth started to pry the wood. After twenty minutes her muscles were aching.

  Three different times her hands slipped and she got splinters, and the last time wood sliced into her palm making her gasp in pain.

  “Are you all right?” Missy called out.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “I’ve almost got it.” And she did, but now she had to figure out how to stop the bleeding. Beth took one of the blankets and tore it, and then wrapped it around her hand. When she saw how it protected her hand, she did it for the other one as well. She should have thought to do this much earlier.

  A hand touched her shoulder and she jerked.

  “I’m not tired anymore. Can I help?”

  “Sure, Joanne. Wrap your hands in the blankets, and then let’s finish pulling up the wood.”