“Should you be doing that?” Raul asked as he closed the distance between them.
Brandon was poking at what looked like a circuit board, then he grabbed a hold of a bundle of wires and gave them a shake. “Eh, you probably shouldn’t, I won’t get more than a bee sting.” He shrugged. “As far as I can tell there’s no power.”
Raul stepped to the side and flicked a switch up and down, looking up at the ceiling lights. Nothing happened. “You appear to be correct. Bee stings hurt,” he grumbled. The interior of the junction was a mess of dials and wires, levers and smaller switches. There were two tanks in the center. Raul followed the copper tubing from the tanks until they disappeared into the ceiling. “Do you see a ladder or anything I can stand on?”
“Why don’t I stand on you?”
Raul glanced back at Brandon. “Can you yank these things out?”
Brandon rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. “I’m human but we don’t have spaghetti muscles.”
“My apologies.” Raul nodded and laced his fingers together, offering Brandon a step up.
In one smooth movement Brandon was standing on Raul’s shoulders. Raul held his calves to brace him and watched as Brandon tugged on the closest copper pipe. It took them half an hour of steady effort to pull piping loose, move to another section and repeat their task. In the end they a half dozen six to seven-foot lengths of copper tubing.
Brandon jumped to the ground still holding the last section of copper. “This should be plenty.”
Raul looked pointedly at the dark lamps. “No power, remember? Unless you’re suggesting we bang on them until they magnetize.”
Brandon heaved a sigh and cocked his head. “Seriously?” He held out his free hand and a narrow blue wave arched to the copper pipe. “Yet, you call me Sparky.”
“Can you actually generate enough power, long enough to accomplish what we need? What we need is higher voltage.”
Brandon nodded. “I think so, yes. It’s not something I can maintain forever, but I think I can generate enough power for long enough for what we need.”
“What’s your plan?”
“Well, copper and iron and steel can be magnetized when electrified.” Brandon pointed to the door. “That door is metal. If we put one barrel on each side of the door and charge them it would be damn hard for anyone to get through,” Brandon said.
“A big version of those little electro-magnets kids make in science class,” Raul added. “And easy enough to find plans for if we need to.”
“Yep. It’ll take me a few minutes.” Brandon sprinted back to the van while Raul pulled more barrels to the door adding them to what was already there.
They worked steadily setting up their barrier. Once it was ready and in place Brandon put both hands on the barrel sitting inside the building. He glanced back at Raul.
“Ready.” Raul backed up a few feet and watched while Brandon took a few deep breaths, closed his eyes and leaned into the barrel.
It took a few minutes but eventually the barrel was encased in a blue haze. When the barrel and the door began to vibrate Brandon let go and sidestepped away. He grinned and gave Raul a thumb up when the door and barrel slammed together.
Next, they positioned the second barrel, so it was on the side of the door facing into the loading dock. Brandon repeated the process until a second, then third barrel was firmly attached to the door. The door was trapped between the two barrels and wedged into the doorway. Moving any part of it away far enough for someone to get through was likely beyond the strength of the humans occupying the inner part of the building.
“It’s not perfect, but even if someone gets through we’ll have plenty of warning,” Raul said.
“We should probably check it a few times a day in case I need to give it a booster charge,” Brandon said.
Raul nodded. Without providing some current to the main loading dock door it couldn’t be opened, at least not easily, so he felt confident they’d be safe in here. He suspected they’d need somewhere that Brandon could rest after his ‘performance’. Being securely locked into this space was going to make it all that much easier for Raul to watch over Brandon and ensure their safety. He was sure the traffickers had at least one, and probably several, safe houses for themselves and their victims. Raul intended to avoid at all costs getting roped into living in one of those places.
They spent a little more time practicing Raul’s control over Brandon then extending that control to anchoring and guiding him. Afterward there was a long discussion about various scenarios that could crop up and their solutions. They both had to accept the fact that to infiltrate the traffickers immoral and illegal acts might be required of them. Everything that could be done to reverse those acts, they’d do. Finally, Raul and Brandon settled in for the night.
Tomorrow they were joining the ranks of human traffickers.
◆◆◆
“It might not be late enough yet to catch our suspect baiting her victims, but we should be able to make contact with the leaders,” Raul was saying as they left the loading dock early in the afternoon.
Brandon stopped long enough to charge the mechanism controlling the bay door and watched as it slid down before jogging to catch up with Raul. “How are we going to find them?”
“We know where the girl hangs out and finds her marks. We know from the images of the neighborhood you found there are stores, a clinic, and at least one church, all in a few block radius,” Raul began. When they turned onto the main street Raul took hold of Brandon’s upper arm, fingers wrapped securely around his biceps. He must’ve felt how Brandon tensed because he leaned closer and whispered in Brandon’s ear, “Playing the part. Fair warning, I’m going to have to act like a real asshole.”
Brandon nodded and tried to relax. He wasn’t sure if Raul’s actions offended him because it implied he couldn’t fend for himself. Or was Brandon really feeling apprehensive—afraid—about seeing these men again? It didn’t matter, either way it enhanced the beat down, controlled man he was supposed to have become.
They’d spent the morning preparing and now the physical differences between them was striking. It wasn’t simply their skin tone and hair color. Raul was clean-shaven and wore well fitting, pressed khaki pants with a button-down shirt and subtle cologne. He could’ve been coming from a casual business meeting or heading out onto a date.
Brandon on the other hand looked as if he’d just crawled out from under some rock buried deep in the mud. He’d insisted on brushing his teeth, but that was the extent of his morning hygiene. Thanks to sleeping in his clothes, his shirt and jeans were rumpled and disheveled. The five o’clock shadow he was sporting added to his general run-down, unkempt appearance. Raul coached him to walking with a slouch and to make sure he didn’t make eye contact with anyone, especially Raul.
They walked the short distance to the desired area. Brandon was acutely aware of how people looked at them, moving aside, giving Raul and by extension, Brandon, a wide berth.
“Let’s start at the motel and work our way out from there,” Raul said.
“Shouldn’t we search the motel?”
“Not yet, at least I don’t think so. That motel is where she, the sila, collects victims, but I don’t think that’s where they’re working from. If it was, I don’t think they’d have their set up in Green Valley,” Raul pointed out. “They’d house them from the motel and work from there as well, which is risky at best.”
“Makes sense.” Brandon pointed to an intersection. “There’s the motel we saw.”
They walked by the motel, crossed the street and moved farther down so they could check out all the businesses. Once they reached the first cross street they turned and kept walking in a widening path with the motel at the general center of a circle.
There were three churches, one free clinic, a half dozen food stores, a diner, two liquor stores, a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen and tattoo parlor.
Raul’s fingers tightened on Brandon’s arm at the same
time he whispered, “Across the street. That little grocery store.”
Brandon ducked his head and scratched his nose, looking in the direction Raul indicated. “I see her. That’s her.”
“Let’s do this.”
Brandon glanced at Raul, took a deep breath and nodded once.
“I’m ready.”
He wasn’t really and hoped Raul didn’t see through him. They dodged around cars, crossing the street directly in front of the store. There were wooden racks set up outside the store with baskets of produce and other items marked ‘special sale’.
Their target carried a plastic basket with the handle nestled in the crook of her arm. She looked like any other shopper dressed in sandals, denim shorts that went to just below her knees and a loose T-shirt adorned with multi-covered waves with dolphins leaping out of them. Her glossy black hair hung in a thick braid down her back and shimmery silver earrings came to a point, barely skimming the base of her neck. Nicely arched eyebrows and high cheekbones accentuated her almond shaped eyes.
She wasn’t what Brandon would consider gorgeous, but she had a quality he couldn’t put his finger on. Even being a gay man, Brandon found her alluring. He realized while he was being held captive there was one girl he always seemed to be drawn to and bonded with more than the others. At that time, she hadn’t worn makeup or nicer clothes. There’d been dirt on her face and body when Brandon saw her as a captive as well as subtle changes to her facial features and hair. Janey had sent them information and Brandon learned sila were a type of shape shifter. Altering slight details about herself, even something like body proportions would be enough to keep Brandon, drugged, starved, beaten and disoriented from figuring out she was the same person within different groups of teens.
Raul didn’t waste any time getting close enough and grabbing her arm from behind. At the same time, he let go of Brandon and said, “Stay.” In a low, dangerous voice.
The girl—young woman—Brandon was betting she was no kid, turned, obviously prepared to fight.
Before she could do anything, however, Raul leaned in and whispered, “You know what I am, and you know I have an effrit business partner. Run and I will find you, just like I did then, just like I did now. You don’t want to piss off a werewolf and an effrit, now do you? It could be very unhealthy.”
She glared at Raul’s face, shifted her stare to his hand on her arm then back again.
“What do you want?”
She yanked her arm free, glanced at Brandon, but didn’t otherwise move. Brandon wondered how old she was and where she was really from, her slight accent offered no clues.
Raul smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “I have him.” He nodded to Brandon. “And that means I have unlimited access to information. Information that you and your… business partners, could put to very good use. I want in on your little trade and import scheme. Between what you have set up and what I can offer, profits will triple before the end of the year.”
“How do I know he’ll cooperate? It was difficult before,” she said.
“I have a way, but not out here on the street. Too many eyes,” Raul said.
The woman nodded. “Come with me.” She turned and led them into the store. They all stopped long enough for her to pay for her food before she walked to the back of the store.
There was a short hall, Brandon saw doors marked Men and Women plus a third that said Employees Only. At the end was yet another door marked Exit. The woman pushed through that door, turned and held it open for Raul and Brandon.
“Got a name, sweetheart?” Raul asked. She arched one of her finely shaped eyebrows and looked him up and down.
“Tala.” Tala turned an icy stare on Brandon. “His I know. Now you know my name, what is yours… sweetheart?”
Raul tilted his head and gave her a small, sardonic smile. “Raul Fierro. Would you like my ID, or possibly fingerprints?”
Tala shook her head. “We’ll see.” She turned and walked down the alley to the street. “This way.”
Once her back was turned, Raul met Brandon’s eyes and nodded once. He reached out and ran two fingers over Brandon’s shoulder and down his arm. A show of support and a promise of protection. Brandon hadn’t been wrong about Raul in the least.
They walked a few blocks, getting farther from the motel, grocery store and homeless shelter to an area with small office buildings, a hardware store and lumber yard. Tala led them to a low, non-descript building. The windows and door were painted black and there was no signage.
Tala took a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked the front door, walking through. Raul went next, Brandon following them.
“Wait here.”
She walked to another door and pressed a button on the side. A second later a buzzer sounded, Tala opened the door, stepped through and pulled it closed.
Brandon turned in a circle, looking all around. There was the pretext of a business with a desk, credenza, shelves, chairs, but that was it. Nothing was on the desk, the shelves were empty and the chair cushions filthy. Everything was covered with a fine layer of dust.
“Brandon,” Raul said in a low voice.
When Brandon turned and faced him, moving only his eyes, Raul glanced at a spot over the door. There was a camera and it was moving slowly side to side. It stopped for a few seconds, aimed at each of their faces and there was an audible click. Someone had taken their pictures.
Brandon swallowed and muttered, “That’s not creepy.”
Raul took a more direct approach. He stalked closer and glared up at the camera. He’d also put himself between anyone walking through the door and Brandon. His arms hung at his sides and the only hint of emotion he showed was his fists clenching and unclenching.
Brandon turned his wrist, so he could get a glance at his watch. Several minutes ticked by before the door opened and Tala, the man Brandon knew only as Bob and the fourth, name-unknown, man came through. Tala stopped and waited for the man then slipped her arm through his. It was easy to see by the way he carried himself and how Bob stepped aside and took a place slightly behind the man that he was in charge.
The man stopped in front of Raul but in a position that allowed him to make eye contact with Brandon and leveled a harsh glare at him. Brandon swallowed and had to concentrate on not cringing away. He stood rooted in his spot unable to do anything other than focus on his breathing. He silently counted his breaths, in-out-repeat. The mental exercise quieted his shaking insides.
Raul had been right, there was no way Brandon would hold up facing these people alone after the brutality they’d forced upon him. The fear he felt might’ve consumed him if it weren’t for the shield that was Raul.
“I’m the one you need to pay attention to.” Raul moved again, this time so he blocked the man’s view of Brandon.
Brandon let out a long, slow breath, closed his eyes for a few beats and pulled in another breath. He relaxed a fraction.
“I want in on your operation and I have the man who can help us—all of us—make more money than you’ll know what to do with,” Raul said. “Or, I can take him, and his talents and start my own operation. I’ll bury you.”
The man snorted a laugh. “I had him before. What’s to stop me from taking him again?”
“Because you had to use drugs and threats and torture. I know a way to get much more from him with a lot less effort,” Raul said. “And he likes it.”
“You were there when we were raided,” Bob snapped. “Why the hell should we trust you?” He stepped in front of the man and pointed back at Raul. “Mr. Bisset, this asshole and his jinni friend were there, they were the reason our merchandise was taken, and Bill and Tom were arrested.”
“I’m a bounty hunter. Name’s Raul Fierro, you can check me out. My target was him.” Raul turned and waved one hand at Brandon, then faced Bisset again. “I paid good money for him and what he can do. Seems his old—employers—didn’t have any use for him after you pinheads fucked him up.” Raul chuckled. “Bu
t I have other methods of getting what I want and sure as hell can use him.” He shrugged. “If he drools too much, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“And what do you expect in return for the use of this man?” Bisset asked.
“Full partner.” Raul looked from Bisset to Bob to Tala and back again, smirking. “I have to keep my asset well fed and cared for after all.” He paced a little closer to Brandon. “I can go off on my own, set up shop, but why reinvent the wheel? Working together we can build on what you have set up and as I’ve already said, triple your operation before the end of the year.”
“I’ll need a demonstration. Then I’ll consider your proposal,” Bisset said.
“Of course.” Raul took hold of Brandon’s arm and pulled him along. “I’ll need somewhere for him to work. He can’t pull shit out the air, only out of a computer.”
“And you can make him do this anytime, on command?” Bisset asked. Brandon could see he was curious.
“Oh yeah,” Raul drawled. The guy could be utterly creepy when he had to be.
“He looks drugged to me,” Bob spoke up.
Raul shook his head. “Looks are deceiving. I have another, more complete and dependable way to control him. Keeps him more alert and able to work, but under my command.”
“Tala show our guests to a work terminal.” Bisset turned, freed himself from Tala and ran a hand down her back.
She nodded and said to Raul, “Come with me.”
Raul’s grip on Brandon’s arm tightened and he followed Tala. Brandon meekly followed Raul. They were that much closer to being on the inside.
Raul and Brandon had found the head of the snake and Brandon intended to see it cut off.
Chapter 10
Brandon hadn’t realized until this moment exactly how much faith and trust he’d have to put in Raul. This man would literally hold Brandon’s sanity and safety in his hands. If this was a mistake, it was too late to back out now. Yet, it wasn’t. Brandon felt safe with Raul.
The room was sparsely furnished. There was a desk, with an office chair on wheels beside it and a computer tower and monitor sitting on top.
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