by J. A. Owenby
The penthouse was quiet, and I took the opportunity to catch up on paperwork and check in with my teams. Over the next few weeks, I’d meet with each lead concerning their assignments and what their future might hold at Westbrook Security.
My stomach growled and I stretched. Since Redd wasn’t here, I’d toss together a PB&J. I stood, but an email notification popped up on my laptop. Frowning, I sat down quickly.
Pierce, I’m working late and will be home around ten.
Sutton
The hair stood on the back of my neck. Something was horribly wrong. She would have never emailed me. My adrenaline kicked into overdrive. I snatched my cell phone out of my pocket and called Sutton, but it went directly to voicemail. Next, I tried Redd, my pulse accelerating with each unanswered ring. I scrambled to find the tracking app. Tapping it, the map opened, but Sutton and Redd were nowhere to be found. My throat tightened as my fear bloomed into panic. “Dammit, get a hold of yourself,” I scolded. Willing myself to calm down and think rationally, I contacted Brian. Within ten minutes my email notification popped up again. I clicked on his message. Excellent. This was exactly what I needed. The floor plans for Dick’s house. Now for step two.
“Lionel, I need your help.” I wiped off my forehead. The moment I’d put it together, I broke out into a cold sweat. There was no way I could ignore the clues.
“What’s going on, Pierce?” I could hear the music from his bar blaring in the background.
“It’s Sutton. I think she, along with Redd, have been taken. She emailed me that she’d be working late. She’d never do that. Especially right now after her sister had been abducted and arrests haven’t been made yet. I tried to track Redd’s phone app, but it’s not on. He’d never turn it off.”
“Who has her and how many of us do you need?” he asked without hesitation.
I gave Lionel Dick’s address. “From the house plans I was able to get from a friend, it looks as though there’s an underground basement. They might be there. If not ...”
“I gave you my word Sutton was under my protection. Let’s bring her home—alive.” Lionel’s tone was stone cold.
I darted out of my office. “Gear up and let’s go, Jeffrey!” It was just him and I, but now we had back up.
I’d served in the Marines, participated in combat, killed people, and watched people die. None of it had rattled me like this. Not like now. Sutton was my difference.
An eternity later, Jeffrey pulled up behind an abandoned building less than a mile from Dick’s house. I jumped out of the car and paced the parking lot.
Jeffrey remained standing near the vehicle alert.
“What’s taking so long?” I asked.
Jeffrey cupped his ear and nodded. Then, I heard them. The rumble of five perfectly honed machines filled my ears. Placing my hands on my hips, I turned in their direction.
Lionel led the motorcycle formation while they pulled in near the Mercedes.
“Thank you,” I said to Lionel over the noise, running my fingers through my hair.
“You’re a fucking mess, man. We’ve got this.” Lionel smacked me on the back and squeezed my shoulder.
“I just lost Dad, I can’t lose Sutton and Redd now. Ever.” I blew out a big breath, searching for any semblance of hope I could latch onto.
“This is the way it’s going down,” Lionel said.
Over the next few minutes, we planned out all the details. A sour taste filled my mouth and I swallowed, forcing the fear down with it. My entire future had the possibility of being changed in the blink of an eye. And were Sutton and Redd even at Dick’s? What if we were too late?
I nodded at Lionel and the guys, then hopped back into the car with Jeffrey. Leaning forward, I pulled my Glock out of its holster.
“Let’s play, motherfucker,” I muttered.
Lionel and his men headed out, and we pulled onto the road right behind them.
“Since the bikes are loud, the men are going to cut their engines a few blocks out. You’ll kill the car lights, and we’ll sneak up to the house. They’re going in first. Lionel’s fucking pissed someone got to her.” I narrowed my eyes, scanning our surroundings through the darkness.
“He’s not the only one, sir.”
“I should have gone with my gut feeling and fired the son of a bitch, but instead … since my dad had trusted him, and Sutton pleaded for his job … I ignored my instincts.”
“Beat yourself up later,” Jeffrey said. “I’m cutting the lights now, help me keep a lookout for any drunks walking in the middle of the road.”
We fell silent as we followed the men up to the house, the gravel on the side of the road crunching beneath the tires.
“Dammit, no lights.” A wave of frustration washed over me, and my body hummed with adrenaline. They had to be here.
Jeffrey twisted in his seat and faced me. “I realize you’re my boss, but this isn’t your normal situation, either. Listen to me. Get your head clear. This is a mission, an operation. Shelve your emotions. You know damned well they might have heard us coming and switched off the lights. Think.” He tapped a slender finger against his head. “Our lives depend on it.”
He was right. I was too close to the situation, and I could kill us all if I didn’t compartmentalize.
“Remind me to give you a raise when this is all over,” I said.
We quietly followed Lionel and his crew up the stairs of the front porch. Two of his men snuck around the house, looking for windows and lights. If the home hadn’t been updated, and the floorplan was correct, there was kitchen access.
A sharp, shrill whistle sounded. That was my signal, and I slammed into the door with my shoulder. It flew open, the wood splintering. I entered along with Jeffrey and the other men, my gun held comfortably in my hand. My Glock and I had history.
We split up and searched the rooms, our boots landing heavily on the hardwood floors. If they were downstairs, they knew someone was here. Redd’s yell for help cut through the night, and I hustled to the kitchen.
“Pierce,” Lionel said, waving me back. “I’m an old man, and I’ve lived a full life. I swore to you I’d protect you and Sutton. She’s down there … let me go in first. If they fire … well, I couldn’t be prouder going out next to you.”
My grip tightened on my gun. When Lionel laid down the law, there wasn’t any arguing, so I knew better. Plus, time was a luxury we didn’t have.
“I’ll get you drunk after this is over,” I said.
“Deal.” He flashed me a crooked grin and tugged the basement entrance open as some of his men lined up behind us, and a few of them remained near the doors.
“We’re down here!” Sutton screamed, breaking up our conversation.
“Heyyyy!” Redd yelled.
They were alive. Both of them. But were they hurt? Had that bastard harmed them in any way? I’d fuck him up for life if he had. My brain flipped a switch, sending me into combat mode as I descended the squeaky wooden stairs behind Lionel.
The room was small with no windows, and Redd and Sutton were tied to seats that faced each other. My attention landed on Redd first since he was facing me, but I couldn’t get a good line on Sutton. I scanned him quickly, searching for blood, but I didn’t find any. Dick jumped off the washing machine he’d been sitting on, and his face filled with shocked horror. I nearly laughed, but my nerves were dancing on edge until I knew if Sutton was all right.
“We need him alive,” I reminded Lionel.
“But only barely, right?” Lionel trained his gun on Dick.
“Just enough to talk.” I rushed to Sutton, and the air whooshed out of my lungs when I realized she wasn’t hurt. “Hi, babe.” I cupped her face and kissed her. “I’m so glad you’re still here.”
“You and me both,” she whispered. “It’s him, Pierce. Dick is the head of the trafficking ring. His men are on the way to grab Redd and me. We need to get the hell out of here.”
I reached into my pocket, pulled out my blade,
and cut through the ropes around her arms and feet. “I knew something was wrong the moment your message came through. You’d never email me. You’d call. Try to stand while I get my guy over here.” I kissed her again. Even though we’d reached them, we still had to hustle, and from what Sutton had just shared, Dick was expecting company.
“Am I happy to see you,” Redd said, his shoulders sagging in relief.
“You and me both, man.” I cut his ropes, and he stood slowly to his feet.
“They’re asleep.” He shook his legs out one at a time.
“You all right, man?” My attention bounced between Lionel, Redd, and Sutton.
“Yup, right as rain as my neighbor used to say. Get your girl.” Redd nodded to Sutton, who was massaging her leg.
Hurrying back to her, I helped her up. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” My eyes traveled over her.
“I’ve got a nasty headache from the dart he used to tranquilize me, but other than that I’m good.” She hopped up and down to get her blood pumping.
“We’ve gotta move, guys,” Lionel said.
I wrapped my arm around Sutton’s waist and led her toward the stairs. Redd stepped in behind us, and Lionel remained with Dick. For once, I was a bit jealous of him. I wanted to be the one that beat the hell out of Dick, but I’d agreed to let Lionel have this one. Maybe next time.
“Wait.” Sutton slipped out from beneath my arm. She strolled over to Lionel, kissed him on the cheek, and gave Dick a nasty smile.
Shit. I knew that look.
“For my sister, you stupid fuck.” With one quick strike to the neck with the side of her hand, Dick collapsed on the floor unconscious. She gave Lionel a half-shrug, then dashed back over to me.
We left Lionel behind and filed out of the house.
“Get into the car,” I ordered Redd and Sutton.
A few minutes later, Lionel strolled down the steps of the front porch like he’d just won the lottery. He settled on his bike and started it. One by one, the men fired their machines up and pulled out on the road, the rumble of their bikes breaking the quiet of the night.
“Let’s park up the street and wait,” I ordered Jeffrey.
Pulling out my cell, I put in an emergency call to Brian.
“Whatcha got, Pierce?”
“I’ve got Sutton and Redd, and you’ll find the leader of the human trafficking ring in his basement all ready for you. We’re watching from down the road where I can keep my people safe.”
“Don’t move. Don’t go back in the house or anything. We’ll see you shortly.”
“Got it.” I ended the conversation.
“Sir.” Jeffrey nodded his head in the direction of Dick’s place.
I leaned forward.
“Dick’s men,” Sutton said in a hushed tone from the back seat of the Mercedes. “You only beat them by five minutes.” Her hand snuck over my seat and squeezed my shoulder.
We watched in silence as the three guys waited on the porch, then entered the house.
“Come on, come on,” I muttered.
Red and blue lights filled the night. The SWAT team parked behind them, sending the neighborhood into a flurry of chaos.
Dick Peckerwood was handcuffed and escorted from his home at 2:21 in the morning, appearing roughed up and ragged as hell.
Jeffrey had pulled our car back around when I spotted Brian.
I hopped out and greeted him.
“Nice work,” he said, shaking my hand. “What happened?”
I nodded to the back seat where the heroes were. We wouldn’t have been able to crack the case without them. “Sutton and Redd can tell you everything. They were in the process of filling me in when you arrived. You can have the front seat.”
Opening the back door, I gave Sutton a moment to scoot over while Brian settled in.
My heart was still hammering in my chest at the thought of losing her and Redd, but I had a lot of questions, too.
Chapter 38
“I can’t believe I was so stupid to defend him,” Sutton sputtered.
“You didn’t know. Hell, he’d worked right under Dad’s nose for years and was never suspected of a thing.” I rubbed her back while she and Redd continued to tell Brian what they knew.
“At first it was a normal day,” Redd started. “I had a good line of sight on Sutton in the kitchen, and Dick was nothing but gracious and respectful.”
“Charming,” Sutton muttered. “He was … charming. Ugh, sick asshole.” She rolled her eyes in disgust.
“When they decided to take a break, I watched as Sutton went out back to see the roses he had planted. Dick excused himself to the bathroom, and before I knew it, a sting shot through my neck, then nothing. The next thing I knew, I woke up strapped to a chair in the basement facing Sutton.”
“When I came inside from the backyard, I didn’t see Redd, which was strange. I thought maybe he and Dick had stepped out front for some air. When I peeked through the curtain, I felt a sharp pain in my neck and that was it. I woke up tied to a chair as well,” Sutton explained.
“I’m sorry, Pierce,” Redd said quietly. “I screwed up and let Sutton get hurt.”
Sutton shook her head. “No, we’re both trained and this happened. It’s not your fault.”
“She’s right, Redd. Sometimes situations happen that are out of our control.” I nodded at him, hoping he would be able to move on from it. I would. Even the best of the best could get ambushed. I was living proof of it with John.
“What happened next?” Brian asked.
“We assessed the situation, but there were no windows and Dick knows how to tie some knots. We weren’t going anywhere,” Sutton replied.
“Probably an hour or so later, Dick joined us downstairs. He’s one messed up motherfucker,” Redd added. “And that’s when he explained everything to us since we were about to be shipped off and sold overseas. Guess he figured we couldn’t tell anyone what he shared.”
“Dammit.” I shook my head. “If I’d not followed my instincts, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to the email, but it just wasn’t what you would have done,” I said to Sutton.
“He thought it was hilarious that the boss’s girlfriend was tied up in his basement.” Sutton huffed. Anytime she got scared, she got defensive.
“You’re safe now.” I kissed her on the side of the head.
“I decided to mess with him,” Redd said. “At that point, I had nothing to lose, and I wanted to see how much he’d talk. Guess he’d been lonely because he told us all the details.
“He straight up admitted that he oversees one of the largest human trafficking rings in the country. It started small, a little here, a little there, but then he planted himself as a programmer for Westbrook Security,” Sutton added. “Dick actually bragged about how he sat behind a cushy job and controlled the entire operation. Then he confessed that Jaci Hernandez was more than eager to get in on the action and became his front runner, so to speak.”
I shook my head, attempting to wrap my mind around the words coming out of Sutton’s mouth. This whole time, Dick had stayed under everyone’s radar. Even Lionel’s.
“Did he confess to killing Jaci?” Brian asked.
“Yup. It was just like you see in the movies when the villain reveals his plan. He spilled his guts. In his mind, this was a done deal. Pierce would believe the email, he’d share all the gruesome details, then ship us off, never to be seen again. He explained that Jaci screwed up, and he had to go. He went on to tell us that Jaci shipped the wrong container. An empty one, which left Dick with a big problem. No product for the buyer, and a bunch of young girls still here in the port yard.” Sutton’s shoulders slumped forward. “And it was Dick that had me shot at by one of his men. Apparently I posed a serious threat of exposing Dick since I was with you and now working alongside him. All these years he got away with the trafficking because he’d worked alone. Now the boss’s girlfriend was all up in his business.”
“Motherfucker. He d
isgusts me on so many levels.” I shook my head and peered out the window to calm down. It had certainly crossed my mind not to turn him over to the FBI and simply take him out, but I couldn’t. We needed him to roll over on his men.
“Although I hated Jaci, it was fucked up how Dick laughed and talked about how Jaci had begged for his life and cried like a baby before he shot him in the head,” Redd stated, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s cold, man.”
I inwardly cringed at how cold and calculated Dick was. He was pure evil, and it disgusted me, what he’d been capable of.
After Redd and Sutton shared the events of the evening, there was no doubt in my mind Jaci had purposely fed Sutton incorrect information to throw the FBI and me off to buy more time to move the girls.
“Let me just review.” Brian cleared his throat then began again. “Dick operated one of the largest human trafficking rings from right here in his home?”
“That’s right. It really was a perfect cover,” Sutton answered.
Brian’s lips pursed and he scribbled some notes on the notepad he’d pulled out of his suit pocket. “And Jaci Hernandez made sure the trafficking ring performed smoothly until it didn’t this last time?”
“Yeah.” Redd scrubbed his face with his hands.
“And when things went south, he killed Jaci,” Sutton added. “Then he explained how Claire ended up involved. After learning she’d cheated on Tucker with her history professor, it was pure payback by Saul, the president of the Sons of Chaos. He talked to Jaci and arranged for Claire to be taken as well.”
Dammit. Claire had confided that piece of information to me already, but I’d not told Sutton. It wasn’t my story to tell, and the girls were close. Claire had planned on telling her sister in her own time.
Sutton sank into the backseat, her head hanging down. “It wasn’t like Claire to cheat, but she’d never hide a relationship, either. I guess I don’t know my sister as well as I thought.”
“Ask her about it,” I said gently. “She can explain what happened.” Sutton frowned at me.
