Agent Undone

by Cassidy Reyne

  Two weeks later, Carter found himself in Seattle as Marcus Henderson, CEO of Titan Industries Expansion Division. The opening of the regional headquarters of the huge company in the area, more specifically establishing the shipping branch of it, was his cover. This latest assignment had him partnering with Caroline Pembry to break up a drugs and sex trafficking network that had sprung up in the city over the last couple of years. A large mansion had been rented for the duration, and he now lived there with Caroline. She was posing as ‘Tatiana Villiers’, the pampered girlfriend of Titan’s golden boy who had the reputation of making the company a major player wherever he went. Caroline was a permanent member on his team who usually ran Comms but had been laid up with appendicitis during the missions in Texas and Mexico.

  They spent the first two months getting to know the city’s richest and most dominant players, reinforcing his cover as the CEO of a small but very powerful part of the mighty Titan Industries.

  His job was to establish a base, liaise with HR to get people hired to run the different departments, and to start brokering deals and contracts within the Port of Seattle.

  During meetings with some of these highly experienced shipping magnets and goods exports, Carter was sweating bullets. He’d been briefed and trained by the agency’s best people, but still struggled to remember everything he’d been taught. On the surface he was calm, cold even, but underneath, he was quaking in his boots. Put him in a jungle with a gun or a knife in his hand and he would have your back no matter what, but in a boardroom, he was like a fish out of water. His collar and tie were choking him, and the hand tailored suit felt like a straitjacket. Everything had gone smoothly so far though, and it was soon time to start going to the nightclubs owned by Konrad Peeters. The man was suspected of dealing in not just drugs, but underage girls and young women as well. There were even rumors of illegal arms being traded through a network involving Peeters. Carter had been given a full bio on the man and didn’t like anything about him. He was described by psychologists as narcissistic and misogynistic with a sadistic streak, bordering on sociopathic tendencies. The photo attached to the file showed a man in his 30’s, around 5’11”, with a thin mouth and dark, beady eyes. His brown hair was cropped short, and he sported a trimmed stubble on his face.

  Carter studied the face so he wouldn't miss him in a crowd. If the intel was correct, the man was dealing in girls as young as fourteen and needed to be put in a jail cell for life. It would be Carter’s pleasure to help him get there.

  Once the name, Marcus Henderson, was well recognized in the more affluent circles of Seattle society, Carter visited one of Peeters’ clubs for the first time. He brought Tatiana with him, pretending to be a couple out for a few drinks and some dancing while quietly scoping out the interior of the nightclub and the kind of people visiting that night.

  Carter went back several more times to two of the nightclubs, The Hole and Club 99, both of which were mainly frequented by the 20-somethings of Seattle’s party scene. The third one, Overdrive, was about to open and an invitation to attend the exclusive party on the opening night had already been received in the mail. An RSVP had been sent back by return, stating Mr Marcus Henderson and Miss Tatiana Villiers would be honored to attend.

  This latest addition to the nightlife scene in the Pacific Northwest had been much talked about before its doors were even opened. It was supposedly going against the norm and focusing on a more mature clientele with discerning tastes and plenty of money to go around. Carter felt disgusted just thinking about going into the building, knowing what he did of what Konrad Peeters was up to and the kind of business deals he’d be making there. According to the information coming out of the DEA office via Titan’s headquarters, Peeters was planning on using Overdrive as his main place of business and would move his office from The Hole to a bigger one as soon as the club opened.

  On the night of the opening, Carter arrived with his ‘girlfriend’ in a sleek limo and stepped out amidst hundreds of camera flashes. A red carpet had been rolled out and he felt as if he was attending a Vanity Fair party rather than the opening of a nightclub in downtown Seattle. It all seemed ostentatious and over the top, but he was there to play a part and had to just get on with it.

  “Did we just land at an Oscars after-party, darling?” Caroline whispered in his ear as they faced the cameras and plastered big smiles on their faces.

  “I wouldn’t know, never been to one. It would be my kind of personal hell, quite frankly, but I know what you mean. Smile and wave, sweetheart.” If Carter had called Caroline “sweetheart” when she wasn’t playing his girlfriend, he would have had his ears cuffed and been burnt from a blistering stare. The only person allowed to call her that was her mom, and maybe a boyfriend whenever she had the time for one.

  “Neither have I and it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever go to one. I think I’d probably join you in that hell if I did.”

  Once the cameras had flashed sufficiently in their faces, Carter escorted Caroline through the wide double doors of the club.

  “Showtime. Let’s make it convincing and hope we can catch Peeters’ as quickly as possible.” He kept his voice low and kissed her cheek briefly to make them look like a couple in case anyone was watching. As they passed through the small foyer and into a larger room the noise levels rose dramatically and Carter raised his voice to be heard over the din. “Would you like a glass of champagne, my darling?”

  “Only if they have the good stuff, my love.” Caroline played her role perfectly as the charming girlfriend. while weaving their way through the throngs of people milling about with various drinks in their hands.

  Inside, the club was luxuriously outfitted with lots of deep red velvet drapes and sumptuous carpets, black furniture, chrome fittings, and mirrors in selected places to give the impression of light and space. Carter had to admit, it was very well done. The interior had been divided into three areas with a fourth behind closed doors. The VIP lounge Carter assumed. One area was centered around a large bar staffed by young women in micro skirts and see-through blouses. Another area held a dance floor and booths where customers could order bottle service and be waited on hand and foot by both male and female servers. The third room was quieter with more private seating, presumably for those who wanted to conduct a different kind of business than what was usually held in a boardroom.

  The VIP Lounge was exclusive access only for those especially invited. Luckily, Titan’s reputation had provided Carter with a golden ticket to the private area. He showed the matte black card with gold lettering to one of the burly security guards standing outside the heavy, double height doors. His trained eye noticed the telltale bulges of weapons in shoulder holsters and figured there had to be something very expensive inside that room to warrant concealed weapons. Or, maybe it was Peeters’ paranoia that made him believe he needed that kind of protection.

  The large room on the other side of the doors was even more luxurious than the rest of the club. Carter immediately spotted several prominent members of the Seattle business elite, all with bottles of champagne on tables in small seating areas. At the far end were doors leading to other areas or smaller rooms. The well-stocked bar was attended by only one bartender, but as most of the drinks were ordered by the bottle he didn’t look overly rushed off his feet.

  “Good evening. What can I get you?” The bartender smiled at them as they approached the bar and settled down on a couple of padded stools.

  “A glass of champagne for the lady, and your best single malt for me, please.” Carter gave the barman a friendly smile. Through all his years of working undercover assignments, he’d learned that one of the best sources of information was a talkative bartender. He was hoping this one was no different.

  “Of course, sir. We have Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot, or Cristal for the champagne, and depending on your preference, I’d recommend either Talisker or Laphroaig for the whiskey.”

  “Cristal and Laphroaig will do nicely. What’s your
name? I like a man who knows his way around the good stuff. I don’t see that very often.”

  “The name’s Gary. You get to know these things when you work in high end places, and I’ve worked in quite a few of them. I was at The Hole before and then the boss asked me to move over here for the foreseeable future.”

  “If tonight is anything to go by, it looks as if it will be highly successful.”

  “Let’s hope so or the boss won’t be happy.” Gary gave Carter a quick grin before moving off to serve another customer.

  Carter and Caroline stayed for another few minutes, sipping their drinks before moving on to a seating area where, to the rest of the room, they looked like any other couple in love out enjoying themselves. He had his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close every now and then to kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear. To anyone else, it would appear as if they were having an intimate conversation with eyes only for each other. In reality, they were commenting on the number of security guards and where the surveillance cameras were placed. It was an act and they both knew how to make it look convincing.

  Both Carter and Caroline kept an eye on those guests they knew the names of. They noted who they interacted with, who they seemed to know well, and if any of them disappeared into one of the side rooms with or without a woman.

  Shortly after 1 am, they decided they’d been seen enough to be recognized as a couple. Carter had been throwing a lot of cash around as tips to the staff and had also sent bottles of champagne to all the other tables in the room in celebration of the club’s opening night. He’d had a lot of cheers and nods in thanks, but didn’t engage with any of them. That would come at later visits. For now, he was content making a name for himself as a man with plenty of cash and a penchant for spreading it around.

  The limo was waiting for them as they exited the club and they both sank down in the backseat with grateful groans. The partition separating them from the driver was raised, but as they had no idea how many people were on Konrad Peeters’ payroll, they weren’t taking any chances and kept up their relationship until they were safely inside the large rented house.

  As they entered the large hallway, a familiar voice called out.

  “What time do you call this? I’ve been waiting for hours!” Nathan Cross rounded the corner with a drink in his hand and a grin plastered all over his face.

  “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were in Virginia Beach working on the aftermath of Mexico?” Carter was happy and relieved to see his friend, if a bit confused as the last he’d heard Nate had been neck deep in clearing up Gaines’ mess.

  “Nice to see you too, buddy. The boss sent me here to act as right-hand man to Mr Henderson. Kyle Townsend — nice to meet you.” Nate’s grin grew wider at the confused look on his friend’s face.

  “Thank fuck for that. This bastard Peeters has a thing for treating women badly and I can’t send Caroline in on her own because of it.” Carter grinned with relief.

  “I can take care of myself, you know, Carter.” Caroline huffed in annoyance.

  “Oh, I know. It’s not your abilities I’m concerned about, it’s what Peeters might get into his twisted mind if he thinks you’re free game. I can’t have you put a bullet in his head, or anywhere else, until we have what we need to blow him and his operation into oblivion.” Carter smirked at his colleague. She was one of the best agents on his team, lethal with a gun and completely fearless. He wasn’t being sexist, just making sure the mission stayed on track.

  “Lovers’ quarrel already? Should I leave the room?” Nate pretended to look worried before letting out a big rumbling laughter. Carter gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder while Caroline rolled her eyes and went to get herself a drink of water from the kitchen.

  “It’s late, I’m going to bed. See you both in the morning,” she said to the men who had settled on the couches in the living room.

  She heard them start talking about someone who'd been at some beach house, but as it didn’t concern her, she left them to it and walked up the stairs to the master bedroom.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The first thing Madison noticed before her brain even re-engaged was the smell. It was the stench of rotten food, dirty toilets and unwashed bodies. More than anything, though, it was the smell of fear, of pure unadulterated terror and hopelessness that struck terror in her chest. Her mind did somersaults at the memories it awakened. It has to be a bad dream. A nightmare. She couldn’t be back in that place. Please, god, don’t let her be back in that prison of a house. Don’t let the last two years have been for nothing. She wouldn’t survive being back there — with him. Despite fighting consciousness with every fiber of her being, it slowly crept up on her. She curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. If she really tried, she might drag herself out of this nightmare and wake up in her bed in the cottage on the beach. Madison tried so hard to imagine herself nestled under the clean cotton sheets, the breeze coming through the curtains from the open window, and a salty tang on the air with the promise of another sunny day in her little haven. Yet, no matter how tightly she tried to cling to her dream, reality came barreling towards her and invaded her every sense. Her nose was filled with the stench, her mouth with a coppery taste, and there was an insistent buzzing in her ears. Worst of all was the burning sensation all over her skin. Actually, it seemed to be just underneath her skin like an electrical current set on high. She had no idea what it was and had no desire to find out. It couldn’t be anything good.

  Her heart rate kicked up, her breathing became ragged, and she had to fight a scream to stop it from leaving her mouth as reality set in. A red haze descended behind her closed eyelids, and she felt herself falling into a dark pit where there was nothing but silence.

  The next time consciousness invaded her peaceful darkness, she didn’t even bother fighting it. There was no point and it would only be more painful in the long run. She tried to pry her eyes open but they felt dry and too big for their sockets. Her stomach was tying itself in knots with severe cramps, and acid seared its way through her throat. She felt too weak to move and could barely lift her head to look around her. It was dark, but she could tell she wasn’t alone. She stretched out her trembling arms to try to work out where she was. She fumbled around in the dark until her hands closed around a vertical steel bar. Next to it was another, and another. She was in a cage, trapped like an animal in a zoo. She scrambled away as far as she could until she hit the corner where she curled up in a tight ball. Above the noise of the frantic beating in her chest, she could hear sounds from others around her. She heard quiet sobbing, someone hiccuping and another snoring. One person was talking, but nothing they said made any sense. It was just a torrent of random words. Close by, she could hear a whispered prayer. It filled her with deep sorrow and helplessness because she knew no one would answer those prayers. No one ever did. This was hell — there would be no salvation.

  From a distance, footsteps echoed loudly in the darkness, and all the sounds that had surrounded her vanished. Madison felt the heavy tread reverberating in her bones and renewed panic filled her veins. The footsteps came nearer and nearer until they stopped right next to her. A leering voice broke the suffocating silence. She recognized that voice and the memories made her stomach try to turn itself inside out.

  “Did you really think you could hide forever? That he would stop looking for you? You’re his little bitch and he will always find you. Stupid slut,” the man hissed close to where she was cowering. “Now he will punish you for what you’ve done, and if you’re really lucky, he will just kill you. I hope he doesn’t, because when he’s finally tired of your tight little ass, he won’t mind me having some fun before I get rid of you. I have many, many things I want to do to you when that time comes. I will bury myself inside you so hard, in so many ways, you will beg for mercy.”

  The words reached for her with long tentacles and wrapped themselves around her soul, squeezing till there was
nothing left. Her chest tightened with fear, and sour bile rose in her throat. Darkness hovered at the edges of her vision. If only it would take her away — forever.

  All of a sudden, strong lights came on overhead and lit the whole space up. Madison squeezed her eyes shut against the painful brightness and buried her head in her arms. After a minute or two, her eyes adjusted and against better judgement, she carefully opened them to look around. Her heart caught in her throat, and her legs buckled at what she saw. She wasn’t in Konrad’s house but in a large warehouse, and there were at least twenty cages like her own opposite her, and likely another twenty alongside the one she was in. Most had one girl locked up inside, but some had two occupants. There had to be more than forty five girls held prisoner there.

  Madison’s gaze traveled down the row of cages and back again before rising to meet the cold, calculating stare of Hugo Tanz. His eyes seemed devoid of life and most resembled those of a great white shark. He was a mountain of a man, all muscle, the kind you got from taking illegal enhancers and lifting weights for hours in a gym. He held a large knife, one he always carried, in his hands, and she knew from personal experience how sharp its edge was. She winced at the memory and instinctively tried to make herself as small a target as possible. Behind him, three other men were looking at a list and systematically taking girls from different cages. A distant part of her brain noted the information as she struggled to deal with the reality of her situation.

  “Get up. The boss wants you in his office.” Hugo sneered at her, clearly knowing full well what was about to happen, but he had no intention of telling her.

  Despite the terror racing through her body, she tried to do as he ordered, but her legs wouldn’t obey. She was too weak to even pull herself up with the help of the bars on the cage and slumped back down on the hard floor, her chest heaving with the exertion. Hugo rapped the hilt of his knife against the steel and shouted at her to get up, but she could barely even lift her head in acknowledgment. A grating noise ground through her head, and suddenly she was dragged to a standing position by a large hand wrapped in her long hair. She whimpered from the pain on her scalp and tried desperately to keep herself upright. Hugo stared into her wide-open eyes and guffawed at the terror darkening her irises. It was a relief when he wrapped a meaty arm around her waist and dragged her out of the cage. At a nod of his head, two older women came rushing over and between them they pulled Madison towards a closed door where all the other girls — and a few young boys she saw to her horror — had disappeared. The door led to a stark corridor with a large room at the end where the girls huddled along a wooden bench against the wall. Madison realized it was a changing room, and at the far end was a row of shower heads on the tiled wall.