Normally a SEAL team consisted of six men, himself included. He’d asked for another full team and gotten the all clear. Now he had five on land with him and six in the water—plus one extra, his secret weapon, Micah McKnight. Six men, two from the north, two from the west and two from the south, in camouflage dress, slipped silently up to the hedge that hid the iron fence surrounding the property of Diego Manuel Cruz. The guys on the water had the eastern part of the estate covered. The man had kidnapped his own son to spite the boy’s mother who’d left to raise the child in a different environment, one free of crime and hate. She’d gone to the authorities with enough evidence to lock up Cruz for a long time. Only Cruz had slipped away and grabbed the boy.
Gabe lifted his hand to signal his men to stop and follow procedure. The South American beach-front home exuded a peace and serenity that Gabe knew covered criminal activity including drugs, human trafficking, arms smuggling and who knew what else.
He motioned one more time and four of his men broke off to scale the fence surrounding the property line. Two headed to go over the wall perpendicular to the one their comrades were already over. Two others would wait on the Advanced SEAL Delivery Vehicle for the rest to come back. The other four would approach from the water, rising from its depths like a silent sea monster.
Hopefully they would be Cruz’s worst nightmare.
Gabe shoved his earpiece farther in his ear and forced himself to breathe normally. Adrenaline raced, and as always, a healthy respect for the unknown edged his consciousness.
He double-checked the security system. Unarmed. Micah McKnight had done his job. He’d been right to request that Micah join his team this time. No dogs barked. Gavin had accomplished his part of the mission. All that remained was to slip in to the bedroom of the drug lord and—drug him.
Gabe allowed himself a quick smile at the irony. Only chloroform, not cocaine, was the SEAL choice of drug in this operation. Once drugged, Cruz would be cuffed and brought to the States to stand trial. Of course, the official story would be he was captured on U.S. soil.
Normally, SEAL teams operated in a more amphibious environment, but their training allowed them to succeed on land, too. In the ASDV, two more SEALs waited in the rocking waters to transport their “guest” back to the States.
Gabe checked his watch. A voice whispered in his earpiece, “Something not right here, Gabe.”
Nerves tight, Gabe gripped his Ruger and scanned the perimeter. Nothing moved. Infrared goggles hung around his neck. He picked them up and did another scan. It was quiet. Too quiet. Where were the guards?
Gabe spoke into the microphone that would transmit his voice to all twelve men, “Get out. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not. Get out now. Micah, you got the kid?”
“Affirmative.” Micah’s husky voice reached his ear two seconds before the explosions that rocked the ASDV, then seconds later the house, rocked Gabe’s world. One minute, he had twelve experienced men on his team, the next minute, he had twelve dead friends—and a dead child. Gabe had been SEAL number thirteen….
“So, have you come up with anything yet?”
Gabe crashed back to his current surroundings. He shuddered, focused on the quiet voice and opened his eyes.
Cassidy.
He looked at his watch. “We’ve been here for about ten minutes. Long enough.”
Thankfully, she didn’t ask him what he’d been thinking about and they were able to move out with Gabe acting like a rogue scout, backtracking, then catching up, moving ahead, then making his way back. Finally, they broke through the jungle, and the Amazon Orphanage sat in front of them. High, thick adobe walls surrounded the perimeter. Closed and locked, the iron gates looked like the prison bars of a jail.
Cassidy’s hushed voice broke the silence. “I don’t see anyone, but I don’t think we should go in the front. I bet the reason you didn’t see them behind us is because they know I’ll come back here for Alexis. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I think I know another way in.”
Gabe agreed and Cassidy took the lead. She made her way around to the side wall of the orphanage then stepped up to one of the trees that grew alongside the west wall. She gestured. “Climb up and over into the playground, then we can go in the side door. At least there are no nails spiked up on the wall at this orphanage.” Some orphanages used them for added security. She rubbed her hands together and smiled grimly. “Piece of cake.”
He said, “I’ll go first. I can pull you on up if you need it.”
“I’ll be fine,” Cassidy assured him.
Gabe grabbed the lowest limb and started up. Cassidy followed close behind and muttered, “All those times climbing out of my window were for a reason after all.”
He gave a soft chuckle and stepped off the limb onto the top of the wall. He straddled it and looked down. Cassidy stopped on the limb next to him and asked, “Is it too far down?”
“No, not too bad. Probably about a twelve-foot drop. Grab my hand and I’ll let you down a bit.” She scrambled over, grasped his hand and was on the ground within the blink of an eye. Gabe swung over, gripped the top of the wall, paused, then landed like a cat beside her.
She headed for the nearest door and slipped inside.
Cassidy breathed in the clean scent of the orphanage. She’d desperately needed to see that Alexis was all right.
“Oh! Miss Cassidy? O senhor?” The squeal of a relief worker in her late seventies brought them up short.
Cassidy spoke, “Sim, Francesca. We escaped.” She reached out to hug the shaking woman. “Estou tão pesaroso. I’m so sorry. We frightened you. Have you seen any of the rebels?”
“No, no one. Since they took you, we have had no trouble and seen no one. Of course, we are in the process of fixing what they destroyed, but mostly everything has been quiet.”
Cassidy gently gripped the hands of the woman. “Please, tell me where Alexis is. Is she all right?”
Francesca smiled warmly at Cassidy, “Oh, sim. Fine. Waiting for her new mamãe to come get her. We were very worried about you. And here comes Anna.”
Cassidy turned quickly and gasped, “Anna! You’re all right. I’m so sorry you got hurt because of me.” She hurried to Anna to wrap her in a relieved hug. The cut on the woman’s forehead had almost healed.
Anna squeezed back and asked, “Are you okay?”
“We escaped thanks to my father sending in Gabe here. But I’m afraid we need to hurry. The longer we stay, the more danger we put all of you in.”
“Sim, sim, follow me.” Francesca hurried off and the trio followed her through a maze of hallways until she reached a set of double doors.
As they walked, Anna continued, “I’ve been thinking about one of the men who kidnapped you. There is one named Rafael? I think I know who he is.”
“What? But how?” Cassidy asked.
“He’s on the Most Wanted list here in Brazil. Rafael Morales,” Anna explained, “Not only is the orphanage a place of refuge for children caught in the drug or political wars, we’re also connected with the Brazil version of the Department of Social Services system. If we get an abused child, we go through proper channels and report it, or if it’s already been reported, we try to keep up with the status of the case and the child. Not that it always does any good, but we do it. Which means I’m often in the police station—waiting. I’ve studied the posters on the walls. It finally came to me that that’s where I know that guy from. He’s a well-known human trafficker.”
Cassidy gasped, shuddered. “So, you think my kidnapping had something to do with my father’s political stance?”
Anna shrugged and turned a corner. “Could be. Then again, they could have heard about you being at the orphanage and decided to add a pretty redhead to the auction block. Then later, somehow they learned who your father was and decided they could get more money out of him than a slave trader.”
Gabe looked a little sick and Cassidy knew her expression said she felt the same. If Gabe hadn’t com
e along when he had…“Thank You, Lord, for sending Gabe,” Cassidy whispered the prayer out loud.
Anna nodded. “Yes. God is definitely watching over you. Rafael’s sister, Juanita Morales, is also on the police station wall. As a missing person. She disappeared over thirty years ago. They keep her picture there next to Rafael’s in hopes that if someone sees her, it will lead them to Rafael. Although, many people say that she was Rafael’s first victim. That he kidnapped her and sold her and has been in business ever since.”
Cassidy groaned and dropped her head in her hands. God, let what we’re doing be making a difference. Please get us home safe.
Francesca threw open the door to the cafeteria, and the sound of laughter and children’s voices greeted them. Approximately seventy children sat around wooden picnic tables finishing up their midday meal. Cassidy ignored the rumble of her stomach as she made her way over to the only towheaded child in the room. Alexis was adorable, dressed in a little red-and-white sleeveless jumper with red tights and white tennis shoes. Cheese, rice and beans covered her rosy-red cheeks.
Cassidy approached slowly and bent down next to her, hoping that all of her hard work in getting to know Alexis the previous month hadn’t been wasted.
“Hello, Alexis.”
The child stopped eating and blue eyes looked up to frown into Cassidy’s. Alexis tilted her head as she studied Cassidy, then she grinned wide and laughed, “My Cass-ty.”
Cassidy let out a sigh of relief and leaned over to place a kiss on the head covered with wispy blond curls. “My Lexi.”
“We’ve got to go. They’re here.”
Gabe’s tight whisper in her ear brought her joy crashing down. She quickly stood and picked up the child, whispering reassurances in her ear. Alexis didn’t protest.
Anna appeared next to Gabe. “Come on, you three, no time for goodbyes. There’s a jeep around back in the garage. I don’t know how great it runs, but it should help you put some distance between you and them.”
Cassidy looked up at Gabe. “Now we can head west.”
Gabe cranked the vehicle and felt responsibility sit heavily on his shoulders. How was he going to get them out of here and safely home? He punched the gas and the jeep lunged from its hiding place in the ramshackle garage. Gabe’s knuckles turned white from his grip on the wheel and Cassidy struggled to hold on to the squirming child and keep the seat belt around both of them.
“Hang on!” Gabe shouted.
“Behind us!” she yelled.
Gabe spared a quick glance in the rearview mirror. Rafael sat on a seat with his head sticking out above the roll bar, balancing a rifle against his shoulder. Gabe spun the wheel to the right and swerved around a fallen tree. The jeep followed.
Gunshots sounded and Gabe ducked and hollered, “Put Alexis on the floor and cover her with your body. Keep your head down and hold on tight!”
Cassidy fumbled to obey. Gently but firmly she put the child on the floorboard, then bent over her to keep her own head down and Alexis covered. Cassidy winced as Alexis screamed her fury. Gabe continued to do his best to keep them on the makeshift road, one of the government’s many unfinished projects, and out of range of the bullets. His only hope was to outdistance them. There was no way he could get his gun out, drive and shoot all at the same time.
“Go faster!” Wind whipped Cassidy’s hair around her pallid face. A bullet cracked the window and Gabe jerked the wheel to the left, then back to the right. Another shot sounded and whizzed past his ear. “I’m going as fast as I can without blowing a tire on this road. Now, pray!”
“I am. Give me the gun,” she hollered back.
“No way.” Gabe whipped the wheel to the left and missed a hole the size of a crater, but hit a large tree stump. The jeep went airborne for a few brief seconds, then smashed back to the ground with a bone-jarring thud. Cassidy let out a squeal and Alexis yelled even louder. But at least the jeep kept going.
“Gabriel Sinclair, give me the gun!” Cassidy demanded over the whipping wind and screaming bullets. Keeping the baby between her legs, trapping her from moving, she leaned toward Gabe and grabbed the gun from the back waistband of his pants.
“This situation is a lot different from just holding the gun in the jungle. Are you insane?” If his fury had been fire, she’d have been toast.
“Probably. Now keep us upright and moving while I try to make these guys back off.”
Gabe was scared to death. Not just scared of the guys behind him, but that he’d failed once again to keep safe those entrusted to his care.
Gabe decided to concentrate on driving—and praying.
Oh, God, why a child?
Cassidy checked Alexis one more time, not bothering to try to take the time to reassure the terrified tot. Hopefully, there would be time for that later once they were all somewhere safe. With the gun in her left hand, she released the safety and leaned out the open window only to pull back in and yell, “When I say ‘now’ you turn the wheel to the right so they’ll come toward this side of the jeep.”
“You’ll be exposed!”
“I’ll take that chance, okay?”
She didn’t wait for his response, just turned to position herself so she could keep Alexis safely pinned to the floor yet have a clear shot as soon as Gabe turned the jeep. Dust and dirt swirled in the air about them, but she thought she could see well enough at the right time…
“Now!” she yelled.
Gabe spun the wheel. Cassidy waited for what seemed like an hour but in reality was only a few gut-churning seconds then fired the weapon three times with deadly accuracy.
Several shots from the jeep behind zinged wildly by.
Cassidy pulled in from the window and leaned back with a grunt. Gabe waited for more bullets to come their way, but the only sound now was the rushing wind, Alexis screaming and the jeep’s whine.
“Did you get them?”
“I don’t know about them, but their two front tires are out.”
Sure enough, the men behind them had stopped and Gabe quickly pulled away to leave the other jeep behind. He looked over at Cassidy, who lifted Alexis from the floor, wiping her tears, cuddling her and offering much-needed reassurances.
Cassidy prayed and Gabe put as much distance between them and the rebels as he possibly could, considering the fact that he couldn’t go much over forty miles an hour due to the road conditions.
But after a few miles, the jeep sputtered, choked and died. Gabe whacked the wheel with the palm of his hand and muttered, “Not now.”
“What’s wrong?” Cassidy said.
Gabe didn’t answer, just pushed the jeep as far as it would go, then finally let it roll to a stop between two trees on the side of the makeshift road. Cassidy absently shifted Alexis to her other knee. The child’s cries had finally slowed to a whimper every now and then, but her big blue eyes followed the adults’ every move.
Gabe leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. “The jeep’s done, but I’ve got to ask. Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
EIGHT
Gabe hopped out of the jeep, wondering how much time they had. He rounded the front of the vehicle and popped the hood.
Steam hissed.
“Guess that’s not a good sign, huh?” Cassidy said as she came into view. She had Alexis on her hip. Tear tracks streaked the little one’s cheeks, and she scrubbed a grimy fist against one eye.
Gabe grunted, “Nope, not a good sign and I don’t have the tools to fix it. Wonder how far we are to the next village.”
“Here, hold her and I’ll raid the glove box for a map. And to answer your question, Micah taught me. Said it might come in handy one day.” A sad smile flickered across her face. “Guess he was right. Here.”
Before Gabe could respond or protest, he found himself clutching the toddler. Alexis reared back against his hold to stare him in the eye. She poked her bottom lip out and frowned. Gabe frowned back, unsure what to do with her. Finally, she whimp
ered and turned to watch Cassidy, but at least she didn’t cry. Probably too tired out from her last meltdown. Not that he blamed her. He patted her small back reassuringly.
“You find one?” Gabe walked over to the side of the jeep.
“Yep, look.” She shook out the map so he could see it and pointed to a village by the name of St. Lucia. “I know this village. It’s not too far from where Kara and Jacob were killed. They have friends here, Jorge and Selena Manuez. Their names are on the will as witnesses.”
“Will they help us if we can get there?”
“Probably. They’re missionaries, too.”
“Then, that’s where we’ll head. Here, take her back.” Alexis went willingly and put her head on Cassidy’s shoulder. Gabe’s heart softened at the sight. He could see why Cassidy had fought so hard to get back to the orphanage.
“I’m going to have to push this jeep off the road and cover our tracks as best I can.”
“All right.” She set Alexis in the passenger seat and settled herself behind the wheel. Gabe focused on the task at hand; getting the jeep off the path and hidden in the woods.
After twenty minutes of pushing, grumbling, resting and watching their backs, Gabe managed to hide the jeep then use the machete to strategically cut branches and vines to cover it.
Hopefully, the men would be so intent on the path and catching up to their prey that they wouldn’t notice this spot. Sweat trickled down his face to drip off his chin. Gabe used the hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead then walked over to the tree root Cassidy was using as a seat. Alexis gnawed on a banana and sipped water from one of their sparse bottles. Cassidy offered him one and he took it.
“We’ve got to get going.” He swigged the last of the water and put the empty container in his pack. He reached out to pick up the little girl, who frowned but thankfully didn’t cry, just rubbed her eyes, gave a huge jaw-popping yawn and lay her head on his shoulder to snuggle down for a nap. Gabe’s heart clenched. He had to get her and Cassidy to safety.
They continued the trek in silence, slowly eating up the distance. No jeep passed them on the road and no one jumped from the undergrowth to open fire. Two hours passed without incident. Gabe was worried about the lack of activity. Where were they?
Lethal Deception Page 5
