Her Adoring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 3) Page 17

  Together they finished the job. They looked through the hole and watched the train tracks as they sped by. Now they just had to wait for the next stop. Beth hoped it would be someplace they could get help.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Mason, I’ll know for sure tonight, but I’m pretty sure it’s all going down here. I definitely know they’re bringing American girls.”

  “That jives with what Melvin said about the runaways. We didn’t think they would be going out on the Gulf side.”

  “Apparently they’re a hit in the Middle Eastern market.”

  “That’s sick.” It was Drake. Jack realized he was on speaker.

  “So you’re going to call us back tonight?” Mason asked.

  “Yep. Aiden and I are going out for a fancy dinner.”

  “Okay, call us back.” The line went dead.

  Jack looked around the hotel room. He was still waiting for Aiden. Dinner was in an hour. Helen told him to dress up. It was all surreal. Leonard must have expected the dress-up part of the events, because he’d provided dress clothes along with all the weapons. It was another layer of creepy, if you asked him.

  Jack heard the key card, and was up with a gun before the door could open. Aiden entered with his hands up.

  “Hey partner, nice of you to finally show up,” Jack said as he lowered his gun.

  “I’m not sure I want to be your partner. I hear they end up dead.”

  “Only the stupid ones.”

  Aiden headed towards his bedroom and Jack followed him. He pulled off his shirt. Jack saw the blood on it.

  “Yours?” he asked.

  “No.” He scowled. “I was involved in an interrogation. This one was just a beating. Fucker deserved it. He was a child molester. I would have gladly helped, but I was only in the spray zone.”

  “Nice first day on the job.”

  “Again, I didn’t kill anybody, so I’d say mine was a step up.”

  Jack thought about when he pulled the trigger, and he didn’t feel any regret. What did that make him?

  “I called Mason, and put him on alert he’d probably be moving this way.”

  “You got intel on the slave trade? On Beth?”

  “Definitely on human trafficking, including Americans. We’ll hear more tonight.”

  “I need a shower.”

  “So do I. I’ll see you in the living room in twenty.”

  Jack hit the shower. He didn’t know what made him feel more unclean—the killing or Helen. As he dressed, he realized he needed to warn Aiden about his admirer. For just a moment he considered not telling him, after everything that had gone on wasn’t he entitled to a little entertainment?

  He went into the room connecting the two bedrooms and Aiden was waiting for him. He’d found the beer and offered him one.

  “Well since you gave me a beer I suppose I better tell you about Helen.”

  “Who’s Helen?”

  “Your soon-to-be fiancé.”

  “Ah fuck, now what?”

  “There’s this psycho bitch. I swear she’d eat her own young. When I told her I was engaged she set her sights on you.”

  “Thanks,” Aiden said sarcastically. “I take it she’s going to be at dinner tonight?”

  “She’s going to be the hostess.”

  “Uncle didn’t mention her.”

  “Your uncle has the good sense to cut and run.” There was a knock on the door and both men drew their guns. Jack opened the door and let in Ruiz.

  “Is all this necessary?” Ruiz asked, indicating the guns.

  “We like to be careful, you never know if it’s a friend or an enemy who might be coming to visit,” Aiden said.

  “And we still don’t.” Jack put away his gun.

  “No you don’t. Can you offer me a drink?” Ruiz asked.

  “Tequila?” Jack headed towards the bar.

  “Reposado.” Ruiz pointed to the bottle he wanted. Jack poured him a glass.

  “None for you?”

  “I’ll drink tonight. Tell me what to expect,” Jack demanded.

  “Well, JJ,” Ruiz said after his first sip. “There will be many men who are not going to be happy you took it upon yourself to kill Duarte.”

  “Fuck ‘em.”

  “Hey JJ, you might want to mellow the hell out,” Aiden yelled from the couch where he was dinking with his cuff links.

  “Ruiz, doesn’t Aiden look nice?” Jack asked. “What do you think Helen will say when she sees him?”

  Aiden glared at him.

  “Enough of this bullshit. We need to go.”

  ****

  The train finally started to slow down.

  “Remember what I told you. I’m going to go first. The stops last for at least five minutes. If someone has to get caught and get in trouble, let it be me.”

  “I want out of here, I want to go first,” Irene whined.

  “Shhhh, she’s doing us a favor by going first.” Joanne waved her hand at the girl.

  The train stopped. There were blankets lining the hole so they wouldn’t get chewed up with splinters. Beth leaned down as far as she could with Joanne holding her feet.

  “I don’t see anyone.” She motioned for Joanne to help her up.

  “Okay, I’m going to go.” It was just getting dark outside—perfect for their purposes. It was light enough for them to see, but soon they’d be camouflaged by darkness. She dropped lightly to the ground, and tried to make as little noise as possible. She ducked as she got out from under the train, but still managed to hit her head against a low hanging piece of metal. It snagged her hair, and she struggled to untangle it so she could get free.

  She pressed against the side of the train and looked around. There was another one beside her. Perfect! Nobody would see the four of them. But what was on the side of the other train? This time she crawled under the next train.

  There was a small dilapidated terra cotta stucco depot. Empty. Why had they stopped if nobody was around? She didn’t want to have the girls leave the train car until she had the answer, but she also didn’t want the train to start moving either. She rushed back to get them. Joanne’s head was sticking out when she returned.

  “Is it safe? Can we go?”

  “Have the others get the remaining bottles of water. Hand them to me, and then we’re all going. Tell them to be quiet.”

  They handed her eleven bottles of water.

  “Give me a blanket so I can carry them. Wait, give me all the blankets,” Beth instructed.

  She helped steady each girl as they came out. Soon they were all standing in front of her. She made makeshift backpacks with the blankets and the water, and tied them to each girl.

  “We’re going to crawl under the trains so you don’t hit your heads like I did.” She gave a rueful laugh, and the girls grinned. She was trying to make it seem like an adventure, and Missy seemed less scared.

  “Okay, let’s go. So far I haven’t seen anyone. Follow me closely, and don’t talk.”

  As soon as they were under the second train their train began to move. Beth said a prayer of thanks they’d made it in time. It also told her they had to move fast. She needed to think fast. How was she going to play this?

  As soon as they were standing next to the second train and looking at the deserted depot, she decided to brazen it out.

  “Follow me. I’ll do the talking since I’m a native.”

  “And you can speak Spanish,” Joanne said out of the corner of her mouth. Beth bit back a laugh. The girl had a point.

  They walked the three steps to the door, and Beth looked at the train schedule and map posted. It said they were nine stops away from Veracruz. They were halfway between Mexico City and Veracruz. God, she needed help.

  Beth grinned. She just helped herself, and these girls. Now she had to keep doing it. Opening the door, she saw an old woman with a toddler sitting on a concrete bench. To the left the ticket window had bars and a closed signed. Beth signaled for the three girls to go
sit at the back of the room so they wouldn’t draw attention.

  “Pardon, Senora, but when are they going to be selling tickets?”

  “They should still be open,” came her resigned reply. The little boy looked at Beth, his brown eyes big with delight. “They set their own hours. I will wait and hope.” She looked over her shoulder at the girls.

  “Are you in trouble?”

  Beth didn’t respond.

  “This is a bad place to be if you’re in trouble. It is why I’m buying a ticket for my daughter and grandson to go my brother in Quintana Roo.”

  “You are a good mother.” The little boy lifted his arms to Beth and said, “up.” She laughed.

  “Yes, little man, I’ll pick you up.” Beth hefted him into her arms, and winced. Her hand was really beginning to hurt. He patted her face.

  “Boo boo.”

  “Yes, I banged my face.”

  “I think you’re in trouble. I think those white girls are in trouble too. You shouldn’t be here when the man who sells the tickets gets here. We’ll leave.”

  “Senora, I don’t want you to get into any trouble,” Beth protested.

  “The day I turn my back on other women in need is the day they can put me in the ground.” She turned to Joanne and the other girls. “Tell them to come with us.” The old woman picked up her huge purse, and Beth continued to hold the cute little boy.

  “Joanne, Missy, and Irene, let’s go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Call them, I’ve got to go take another shower.” Aiden threw his suit coat across the room. Even from here, Jack could smell Helen’s perfume.

  Jack pulled out his phone.

  “You’re on speaker.”

  “The shipment from Tijuana will arrive tomorrow. There is product coming in from overseas in the port. They talked about it like they would be culling cattle tomorrow night.”

  He was met by dead silence.

  “Did I lose you?”

  “No,” Mason said quietly. “We’re just absorbing it, Jack. We’ll be there. Do you have any idea how many people are in their operation? Or how many people will need to be rescued besides Beth?”

  “I met the dream team we’d be up against.”

  “Jack, give them the truth.” He turned and looked at Aiden, who was standing there with a towel wrapped around his hips. He put his phone on speaker.

  “Mason, this is Aiden. Jack’s right, some of these guys are absolute idiots, but they are stone cold killers. They’ll butcher each other to get to you. Also, they won’t care if the women live or die. These are the original gang members Berto gathered together, the original Hacha Sangrientas.”

  “How many are there?” Clint asked.

  “Probably about fifteen tomorrow night. Plus there are going to be five of Berto’s mercs, two of which are us.” Aiden grinned.

  “We still haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Berto,” Jack said. He’d really been hoping he’d be at the dinner tonight. But apparently he had other plans. Jack was assured he’d be there to open the container from Tijuana.

  “We’re going to have to really coordinate things. The train Beth is on is coming in four hours before the boat with the three containers from overseas,” Aiden said.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Jack said. “What if we do an old fashioned train robbery before the train reaches Veracruz. Get Beth safely off the train before it reaches here?” He saw Aiden’s face light up with a smile.

  “Son, that’s brilliant. I love the simple plans.”

  “Melvin was positive she’d be coming on a truck, but if you know it’s a train, he should be able to track it.” Jack grimaced at the bad pun Clint made. Hopefully it hadn’t been on purpose.

  “If we fly into Mexico City, she should be just about there or a little past it on the way to Veracruz.”

  Jack itched to be in on Beth’s rescue, but what they said made sense.

  “Jack?” Aiden was staring at him.

  “Mason, I agree. In the meantime, we’ll work on getting all the intel we can on this. Are you going to bring in other agencies?”

  “We will on the ship in Veracruz, no on Beth.” Jack sighed in relief. He only wanted his fellow SEALs working to get Beth home safely.

  “How are you holding up, Jack?” Drake asked.

  Jack swallowed, he could only think about Beth and what she must be going through.

  “He’s doing good. He’s only killed one man so far for being stupid,” Aiden answered.

  “No shit?” Drake asked.

  “It’s true,” Aiden confirmed.

  “Leave some for us,” Drake said.

  “Will do,” Jack said. “How’re you going to be able to find the train Beth is on?”

  “We’re going to coordinate train schedules, and ultimately get some satellite photos,” Clint explained.

  “In other words, don’t ask.” Drake laughed.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “We’ve got to shut this down, fellas.” Jack pressed end. Aiden somehow had a gun in his hand, which Jack found amazing since he was only wearing a towel. Jack pulled his, and went to the door. It was Helen.

  “Aiden, you didn’t need to get all dressed up for me,” she purred.

  “To what do we owe this honor?”

  “Ruiz is worried about your loyalty. We’re going to have you meet our employer for breakfast tomorrow. He’ll decide if you are going to work with us on our endeavors tomorrow night.”

  Aiden and Jack looked at one another.

  “And you Helen? Are you worried?” Aiden asked.

  “I’m not the one who is jealous.” She meandered over to Aiden who still had his gun in his hand. She ran her nails over his ripped abdomen, and looked at his towel in disappointment after seeing how there was no reaction.

  “So I don’t do it for you, huh? Are you taken like this one is?”

  “No, I’m not taken, but my thoughts are elsewhere.”

  “I’m really getting sick of the good ones being enamored with different women. Or is it a woman?”

  “It’s a woman,” he confirmed.

  “Is she pretty?”

  “Inside and out. She’s a doctor.” Jack winced. Did Aiden really have to throw down that way with the psycho bitch?

  “Well, I’ll tell you the same thing I told your not so little friend. Don’t touch the merchandise. If you do, I’ll have you castrated.”

  “Good to know, I’ve always wanted to avoid castration.” She barked out a laugh.

  “Well gentlemen, be ready to be picked up for breakfast at seven a.m. I won’t be there, it will just be El Cuchilla and Ruiz. I don’t believe in mornings.”

  “As for our other partner, he’ll be flying in next week. You’ll meet him then.”

  What other partner?

  “What other partner,” Aiden asked.

  “We get our product from the East. We have to have a supply side, and a distribution side. We’re the distribution side. However, the supply side has been having more opinions over here. As a matter of fact, he wants to do more on the American and Canadian coasts. El Cuchilla is interested in hearing him out.”

  “Why are we so lucky to meet him?” Aiden asked.

  “According to my intel, you speak Chinese. Both Cantonese and Mandarin. This is very beneficial. And JJ is the kind of pretty blonde he likes to look at. Our supplier...he likes pretty.”

  They watched her leave.

  ****

  “Mama, what were you thinking? These girls are obviously criminals. If they find them here we could end up in prison.” Beth didn’t like the older woman’s daughter. It was funny, because it seemed like her son didn’t like her either. He kept holding out his arms to Beth, and trying to wiggle out of his mother’s arms.

  “Stop it, Juan. She can’t hold you.”

  “Margarita, they are staying with me. This is my house. You and Juan are leaving tomorrow as soon as I can buy you tickets.”

  “Good.” She
left the room and slammed the door to her small bedroom.

  “I apologize. She is spoiled.”

  “She’s a bitch,” Joanne said. The woman gave Joanne a narrow eyed look, and Beth sighed. ‘Bitch’ was a word easily understood by most Mexicans.

  “Joanne, back off, you don’t know what she was saying.”

  “Sure I do. I might not understand Spanish, but she was definitely telling her mom we were bad news and to get rid of us. Do we have to go?”

  “No, we don’t. At least I don’t think we do. Can you take the girls back to the room Senora Lomas gave us? I think the more out of sight we are the better.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m going to help her with dinner, and try to see about finding a phone to use.”

  “You have people you can call?” Joanne sounded hopeful.

  “Boy, do I.”

  “Gee, Beth, it would be great if someone would come and help us. Are you sure they would.”

  “I’m positive.” Beth walked over and hugged the young girl. She whispered in her ear, “My boyfriend is a Navy SEAL.”

  “For real?” she squealed.

  “For real.”

  “But we don’t even know where we are, how can he find us?”

  “If anyone can, Jack can. Now take the others and go into the back, okay?” Joanne grinned, and gathered the other two girls.

  Beth turned and saw Senora Lomas looking at her.

  “You are good with those girls. How did you come to be travelling together?”

  “We’ve all been kidnapped. We were going to be sold.” The woman didn’t look surprised.

  “It is sad, I have seen many bad things in my life. It can be very bad for women. How did you escape?” Beth explained about the train, and the hole in the floor. Senora Lomas’ eyes got very wide, and then she insisted on looking at Beth’s hand.

  “Here, let me get some ointment. It looks very painful.” It was, but Beth didn’t want to complain. A little bit of pain was a small price to pay for their freedom.

  “Do you have a phone I can use?”

  “I don’t, and my daughter will not let you use hers. Do you need to make a call outside of Mexico?”

  Dammit. Beth hadn’t thought of that, but she did. She couldn’t imagine anybody’s calling plan supporting an international call. How did you even go about making a collect call anymore?