“According to this, the airfield is called Fairview Landing,” said Monster, twisting back to look at her. Lily resisted the urge to dart forward and kiss him on the cheek. “It should only be another mile or so from here.”
Just as he said the words, a glow rose in the distance, and as the car ate the road, the glow morphed into individual spotlights which lit up the area. Lily spotted a white, flat-roofed building which could only be an aircraft hangar. Beyond it lay an asphalt airstrip, surrounded in fields of maintained lawn.
“Kill the headlights,” Monster told Sean.
The other man did as he was told and the road ahead plunged into darkness.
A separate building was set aside from the airfield—a residential property—and the only one nearby. Lily assumed it was owned by whoever owned and maintained the airfield. Anger rose up inside her. Whoever the people were who owned the house must know at least a little about what was going on. They must be taking a cut somewhere along the line to turn a blind eye to what was happening. She made a mental note to tip off the police if she made it out of this alive. Hopefully, the police would actually do something this time.
Before they reached the airfield, Sean cut out the engine and pulled the car to a halt. Lily understood why; they didn’t want anyone hearing the car and being alerted to their arrival.
They climbed from the vehicle and stood looking out across the airfield.
A number of small aircraft were parked near the hangar, while a larger plane was out on the airstrip. The door of the bigger plane was open, metal steps leading up to the interior. Light shone out from each of the four porthole windows.
Lily’s heart leaped. This must be the plane. They hadn’t left yet. There was still a chance they’d catch Cigarette Hands and rescue the girl. Of course, there was also a chance they’d all be shot trying, but that was a price she was willing to pay. The thought of dying frightened her, but at the moment, so did the thought of living. It wasn’t as though she’d have much of a life when this was all over anyway.
“We move cautiously and quietly,” Monster said, keeping his voice low. “Just like before, the element of surprise is our main advantage. They won’t be expecting us, so we need to act quickly.”
“Of course,” she said.
He touched her arm. “Lily, please let us go first and assess the situation. I’m happy for you to put a bullet in this guy if that’s what you want, but I won’t have you getting shot.”
She stared up at him. “What about you? I don’t want you to get hurt either.”
“I know that, but Sean is trained. I, at least, know how to handle weapons. You’re a laser therapist, not a criminal.”
“I’m tougher than I look.”
He gave her a tight smile that was full of regret. “It was me who made you that way.”
She shook her head. “Not fully. Life before I met you had already taught me it could be cruel. I’m more than just a sum of what you’ve made me, Monster.”
He reached out and brushed her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “Of course.”
“Let’s do this, then, before it’s too late.”
Before she could turn back to the airstrip, he caught her hand. “Flower, wait. I know I’m always doing things wrong, but you need to know that you’re always going to be my priority. You might want to save this girl, but the only thing I’m interested in saving is you. The only reason we’re here now is because of the deal we made.”
“I know that.”
He squeezed her fingers. “So if things start looking bad, I’m going to get you out of there. I don’t want you kicking and screaming about it, I just want you to do what I say, and I know you and doing what I say don’t always get along so well.”
“I’ll behave myself, I promise.”
He leaned in and kissed her quickly, making her heart clench, and then released her hand.
With Sean leading the way, they ran across the airfield, to where the plane sat on the tarmac. Though the lights were on inside, so far there was no sign of anyone else. The engine hadn’t yet been started up, so they had a little time. They weren’t at risk of being run over by a moving plane just yet.
Shapes moved inside, shadows silhouetted against the light. Lily reached out to grab Monster’s arm, getting his attention. “Someone’s on the plane,” she hissed.
She remembered how she’d been kept in the plane on her own journey—on the floor in the back, her hands tied and a bag over her head. Was this the same aircraft, or a different one? Was the girl also tied up the same way? If so, they’d need to take out Cigarette Hands and then go for her. If the plane was able to take off before that happened, they’d lose her. The traffickers would probably throw her out of the plane into the ocean, just so she wouldn’t be able to be traced back to them. Lily imagined the girl’s body washing up on a beach somewhere a month from now, unrecognizable and without identification.
“What do we do?” Lily hissed. “Do we board the plane?”
“At least then we’ll be on an even level,” Monster mused, “but let’s just hold back for a minute and assess the situation. We need to know how many people we’re dealing with.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
Sean stepped in. “We can’t stay out in the open, sir.”
“You’re right. Let’s head for the plane, and get behind the steps. We can decide our next move from there.”
Staying low, they ran as a small group across the asphalt. Lily’s fingers clutched tight around the grip of her gun as she ran, and Monster’s hand placed lightly on the small of her back gave her reassurance. The stretch between the aircraft hangar and the plane felt huge—a never ending expanse of space which left them vulnerable. She thought they would be spotted at any moment, her body tensed for the sound of shouts. The distance closed, now only mere yards from the relative safety of the airplane steps. The aircraft seemed so much bigger now they were closer, and the idea that Cigarette Hands and another abducted woman were inside made nerves roil in her stomach.
Sudden shots blasted out of the night, and instinctively all three of them ducked and threw themselves toward the shelter of the airplane steps. Lily skidded to her knees, grazing her shins and knuckles on the ground, but she kept her grip on the gun.
More gunfire came from the direction of the aircraft hangar, and they were forced to crouch down behind the steps.
“Shit, someone’s shooting at us,” Lily cried, her fingers tightening around the handle of her weapon, wondering if they should be firing back.
“It’s coming from the direction of the hangar,” said Sean. “We’re not going to get anywhere near the inside of the plane while someone’s using us as target practice.”
“Can you get behind the building?” Monster asked Sean. “I’ll cover you. Take the guy out from the rear if you can.”
Sean nodded. “I’m on it.”
Both Monster and Sean got to their feet and stepped out from behind the safety of the steps.
Ducking low, Sean ran out wide, heading toward the back of the hangar. Lily’s heart was in her mouth as Monster fired a number of shots back in the direction the gunfire had come from. The bang-bang-bang of the shots made her ears ring, impossibly loud in the early dawn. Further shots returned and she ducked down, reaching for Monster as she did so, but the gunfire wasn’t meant for them.
Quickly, Monster stepped back behind the steps and crouched down with her.
Sean wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“Did he make it?” she hissed at Monster.
“Yeah, I think so. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that there aren’t too many more of them than there are of him.”
His cell buzzed and he checked it quickly. “Looks like we’ll have back-up shortly anyway. Mason and Evans are on their way.”
“And they have Cameron with them?” She didn’t know if she should be hopeful or worried. In truth, she was both.
“Yes, as far as I’m aware. Let’s concentrate on ending t
his first before we have to worry about your ex.”
She opened her mouth to argue that Cameron wasn’t her ex, and closed it again. Monster was right. They needed to deal with their immediate situation and worry about what came next later.
A distant shot sounded, quickly followed by another in quick succession—bang-bang! And then everything fell quiet.
Had Sean taken out the shooter, or the shooter taken out Sean?
She shot a worried look at Monster, and he held her gaze, his expression not giving her any more confidence.
A male voice shouted from above. “Who the hell’s out there?”
Lily clung to Monster’s arm. He jerked his chin toward the bottom of the steps, and they shuffled forward together. With the gaps between the treads, they were able to look up and see the open doorway of the airplane.
Cigarette Hands was standing in the entrance of the plane, the girl he’d taken held against his chest, facing outward. Her mouth was taped shut, but she wasn’t blindfolded, and even in the burgeoning light, Lily could see her face streaked with tears and the terror in her eyes. He held a gun to her head, the muzzle pressing hard into her temple.
“Get the hell out of here,” he yelled, “or I’ll shoot the girl. I’m not screwing around. I’ll kill her in a heartbeat.”
Monster slipped from Lily’s grip and rose to step out into the open.
“Monster!” she cried in a strange, strangled hiss after him. “Get back here!”
He walked out with his hands in the air, the gun still held in his fingers but not pointed at Cigarette Hands.
“I don’t care if you shoot the girl,” he called back. “She means nothing to me. I only want to talk, and I wasn’t expecting to be shot at quite so soon.”
Lily leaned forward so she could see what was happening, though her heart was in her mouth and tears of fear filled her eyes. She prayed Sean was covering Monster, or Cigarette Hands could shoot him in a second.
“Talk?” yelled the trafficker. “What would you want to talk about? You just shot one of my men.”
A tiny part of her relaxed. It hadn’t been Sean who’d been shot, so Cigarette Hands must know Monster had other men who most likely had their weapons trained on the trafficker.
“You didn’t leave me much choice,” Monster said. “He fired first, and without asking questions. I wasn’t just going to hang out here and wait to be shot.”
Cigarette Hands’ eyes narrowed and he lifted his chin. “What’s wrong with your face?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I employed you to do a job, but you didn’t come through.”
“What are you talking about? I always deliver what I’m asked to.”
Monster nodded. “I got the delivery, but she wasn’t the quality I’d hoped for.”
Lily listened with her heart in her throat. What the hell was he doing?
“I always assure quality in my girls,” the trafficker replied.
“Not this one. I needed her to do a job,” Monster waved his hand across the side of his face where the birthmark still resided, “and as you can see she wasn’t able to complete it.”
The trafficker’s eyes widened. “I know who you are! You’re the freak who ordered in the woman a few weeks ago—the nurse, or something like that.”
“She was a laser therapist, and like I said, she wasn’t able to do her job properly. I want a refund.”
Monster took a couple of strides to where Lily was hidden behind the steps. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her back out into the open. “Hide the gun,” he growled softly into her ear.
She hid the weapon behind her back, so it pressed between her body and his.
“What the hell is this?” Cigarette Hands demanded.
“I told you, I want a refund, and normally when someone asks for a refund, they bring the merchandise back, too.”
“I don’t do reimbursements, and even if I did, what the hell am I supposed to do with her? How did you even get her back into the country?”
“Same way you got her out, I’m guessing, via a private plane just like this one.”
He snorted. “Well, you’re not going to get a single cent out of me.”
Monster paused, and then said, “Fine, do me a deal instead. Swap her for the girl you’ve got there.”
His whole face screwed up in a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and disdain. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Because I’m a customer and the customer is always right. I don’t want to keep this one. She’s not compliant enough for my tastes. I want someone a little more submissive in the bedroom.”
“You should have just killed her if she isn’t what you’re after,” he snarled.
“And then I’d be out of pocket, and what would be the good in that? Now how about you and I step inside and discuss this like gentlemen?”
His eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Inside? Like inside the plane?”
“Or we can take a walk back down to the hangar, and see what my guys are doing with the body of whoever was shooting at us. Totally your choice.”
Cigarette Hands’ eyes darted between Monster and the hangar. He must have realized if they went to the hangar, there would be at least two against one. His cockiness never made him think for a moment that Lily might be a threat.
“Fine, but you leave the weapon outside.”
“What about yours?” Monster asked, jerking his chin toward the gun still jammed into the woman’s temple. “You can’t expect me to put mine down and you still remain armed.”
“Fine. We both leave the guns outside. Is that an agreement? But then we talk. I’m not promising anything. I’ve never needed to switch girls on anyone before.”
“Listen to me,” said Monster. “I’m a businessman. I only want to recoup my investment. We can do a straight swap, this woman for the one you’ve got there. She looks more to my liking. You know you’ll sell this one just as easily.”
His lips pursed as he looked Lily up and down, making her skin crawl. “She’s a bit older than I normally deal with, but I can probably make it work, after I’ve had a taste of her myself, of course.”
Monster nodded. “Good, then let’s talk. I’m putting my gun down now.”
Monster bent forward, placing the gun on the ground, while maintaining his hold of Lily. Her head spun at the sudden turn of events. She didn’t believe Monster was going to trade her for a second, but she wasn’t sure what his plan was either. Ending up in close confines with the man who had stolen her filled her with terror.
Following Monster’s lead, Cigarette Hands placed his own weapon down on the top step of the plane. “Don’t make me regret that,” he snarled.
Monster didn’t bother replying.
A shove from behind pushed Lily forward, and she stumbled slightly, but tightened her grip around the gun she still held behind her back. The way Monster seized her, as though he had her arms wrenched behind her, disguised the true reason for the position. Lily’s heart banged in her chest and she felt sick with fear. Her shins hit the first metal step, and she forced herself to lift her foot and take the first tread.
Her legs felt weak, her palms sweating, threatening to loosen her grip on the gun. Seeing Cigarette Hands again, and knowing she was about to be put into another confined space with him, sent adrenaline flooding through her body. She’d told Monster she intended to kill the trafficker, and at the time she’d meant it, but right now all she wanted to do was turn tail and run.
But she couldn’t do that. Monster had put down his gun, which meant his life was in her hands.
She needed to let go of her fear and find her anger again.
If only it was as easy to control her emotions.
Cigarette Hands disappeared with the girl into the body of the plane, and she was forced to follow, stepping into the aircraft, with Monster pushing her firmly from behind. A massive part of her wanted to shout, ‘stop, I’ve changed my mind,’ but she had to think about the girl. W
hatever terror Lily was experiencing right now was nothing compared to what the poor woman was going through. At least Lily knew she had Monster at her back, someone who would help her. The girl Cigarette Hands was trying to traffic had no one, and had no idea of what lay in her future. Lily remembered how that had felt. It had been the most terrifying moment of her life, only second to the time when she’d finally understood her newborn daughter was going to die.
A flood of emotion poured over her and her eyes filled with fresh tears. Cigarette Hands noticed, his hateful eyes locking on hers for a fraction of a second, and the hint of a smirk touched his mouth.
He was enjoying this. Even though he was in a confined space with someone who had just ordered one of his people killed, he’d taken pleasure in seeing her tears.
The first spark of anger lit inside her.
The plane was laid out like an expensive lounge. Wide, comfortable seats facing each other like a first class train carriage. Just how much money was he selling women for to be able to even rent the use of a plane like this, never mind own one, if in fact the plane was his?
The spark ignited into a flame.
Cigarette Hands gestured to a seat. “Please, if we’re going to speak as businessmen, then we should sit down.”
The anger coiled in Lily’s stomach. He wasn’t a businessman. He was an abductor and a rapist.
“No, thank you,” said Monster, coolly. “I don’t need to sit. What I need is for you to agree to my terms.”
Cigarette Hands eyed him. “Just to switch the women?”
Monster gave a slow nod. “Just to switch the women,” he confirmed.
“This one is already sold. I don’t know how the buyer will feel about getting something different.”
He shrugged. “So make something up. Tell the buyer the girl got sick and you already had the transportation in place.”
“I’m not sure …”
Monster took a step forward, pushing Lily with him, closing the gap. Her heart rate thundered. What was he planning? Did he expect her to just whip out the gun and shoot the other man here and now? Or would Monster be the one to shoot him, even though she’d insisted the whole time that she should be allowed to be the one to do it? He’d given her too much credit, thinking when faced with the actual situation she’d be able to act like a woman out of an action movie.
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