Hotwire

by Cindy M. Hogan

  I didn’t reply. I simply walked toward the meeting point.

  Chapter 25

  As I went, I looked for objects lying about that I could use or transform into weapons. There was nothing. I detoured quickly into a hole-in-the-wall eatery and walked casually toward the back as if I was a customer going to use the bathroom. Across from the bathroom was the kitchen, and it was easy to take a few steps in so that I could grab a knife, which I quickly slipped into my boot. It seemed like it gave me back some of the power that Alexander had taken from me. Even if I never had to use it tonight, it would be a comfort. And then I slouched into the bathroom.

  I looked at myself in the dirty mirror, my hands clutching the sink, and I couldn’t stop the flood of tears that raced down my cheeks. My phone vibrated. Jeremy. I took in a deep breath and tried to pull it together so that Jeremy wouldn’t know how completely devastated I felt at the moment. It was good he called. I needed to tell him about the kids in that dungeon.

  “Jeremy?”

  “I talked to Halluis. He said Alexander took you somewhere in the house that blocked his ability to hear what was going on. He said you left the house completely distraught. What happened? Where did he take you?”

  I looked up to the ceiling to help curb my increasing desire to lose it. “He took me to a basement room where…where he’s keeping prisoners to ship off with the cars. He’s going to sell them as slaves.” I took a deep breath. “They’re only kids. Not a one older than twenty. And Jeremy,” my voice cracked here, and I slapped my hand over my mouth and pressed my lips together.

  “Christy?”

  I removed my hand. I had to get it out. I had to tell someone who would understand how I was feeling. “They had Hank. Called him a snitch and shot him in the head. They killed that sweet boy.” Fresh tears flooded my eyes, and I looked back to the ceiling. I couldn’t let the other lifters know I’d been crying.

  “I could kill Halluis—he should have been in there the second you were in danger.”

  Irrational rage was evident in his voice. I forced myself to pull it together, closing my eyes and taking a cleansing breath through my nose. “It’s not his fault, Jeremy, and you know it. Besides you can’t kill him. We still need him. I put 98% of what was on Alexander’s computer on a jump drive on a lip underneath the dining room table. If anyone can get it back, it’s Halluis. We’ll want the information on that drive, I’m sure of it.”

  “No, we don’t need it. The mission’s off. That’s what I called to tell you in the first place. You don’t have to go out there again.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve uncovered the reason the director wants the car. No one hired us.”

  I furrowed my brow. His breathing sped up. “Apparently, Central Division Director Kettering inherited a car from his father’s estate. A 1959 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. The Mercedes 300 we’ve been searching for and putting everyone’s lives in danger belongs to Director Kettering.”

  I let that sink in. “I don’t get it. Did he tell Director Skriloff to retrieve it at all costs?”

  “No. The car was in probate, and he couldn’t take it to Belgium until it cleared. He needed to keep it somewhere secure, and Director Skriloff insisted he store it at his estate because it was so secure and a better place than a storage unit.”

  “Huh.”

  “Well, it turns out, Skriloff’s son took it for a spin to a nightclub, and it got stolen while parked in the garage. Skriloff was afraid he’d lose his job, so he gave us the mission to retrieve it. It was all to save his butt. It’s time to call this mission off. I’m not willing to risk your life and the lives of the whole team for the likes of Skriloff.”

  For a few sweet seconds, relief washed over me. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me,” I blurted. Then reality hit. “But—wait. Those kids. We have to save those kids.” Horror gripped me once again.

  “What?”

  “It’s not about the car anymore. Those kids that were in the dungeon are going to be sold. As slaves. We can’t let that happen.”

  “Kozlov is on the case, remember? He’s going to bring the whole bratva down.”

  “In a year! In a year, those kids will be long gone and at the mercy of who knows who, being forced to do who knows what. I think this is the reason I had that feeling the other day about sticking with this mission. It was for these kids. We have to save them.”

  Silence.

  “Jeremy. I don’t care about that car and the Skriloff sent us on, but I do care about those kids.” Echoes of Hank’s murder rushed through me. “We can save them. We can’t quit now.”

  Jeremy swore quietly. “You’re right. I hate it, but you’re right—we have to go through with it. I’ll get with Halluis and Ace and work out a plan to get the kids from the basement.”

  “That’s the thing. They took those kids to a different location. I have no idea where.”

  “Nothing can be easy, can it? I guess we go forward with finding the docks where the cars are to be taken and wait for the kids to be loaded. What’s your location? I’ll tell Halluis, so he can get back on your shadow.”

  “No!” I insisted. “Halluis has to get that drive. It could tell us where he’s holding the kids—we’ll need that if we have any hope of getting them out of there before the ship sails.”

  “All right, then, but if the information is on that drive, then you don’t need to go out there at all. We can get everything we need from the files.”

  “Maybe, but I didn’t get a chance to look at them. I only saw the papers in the box under the desk. The information about where they’re keeping the kids may be in the files, but maybe not. If I stay in the field, it gives us another chance to find out when the shipment goes out, where they’re shipping from, and where they’re keeping the kids. We need to do it all.”

  Jeremy sighed in exasperation. I knew he was looking for a way around it, but there was none.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be careful.”

  “No, I’m not leaving you on your own with these guys. I’ll be your shadow tonight. No arguing.”

  I paused. I found I didn’t want to refuse the offer of his protection.

  “Fine, but I don’t know where I’ll be.”

  “I’ll find you.”

  I didn’t doubt that.

  “Be safe. Be careful.”

  “I’ll see you later.”

  I moved with purpose out of the restaurant, feeling a bit better than I had when I’d entered it, and two minutes later I was in position to meet up with my partner.

  Mikado met me again.

  “Hey.” He rubbed his hands on his pants, probably for warmth.

  “You ready?” I hoped all traces of my mourning were gone. I could see my breath freeze in big puffs.

  “Yeah. I’m ready for our time off next week.” He walked toward the marked car.

  “We get time off?” This was interesting news.

  “Yeah. Tonight’s the last night we can lift for this shipment. And we always get a week off after a successful shipment.”

  I nodded. I needed to find an opportunity to give that information to Jeremy and the team. We were not ready for this. We still didn’t know which pier for sure the bratva worked out of. I’d text them once I knew which one. We suspected Red Hook because of the information that Carson’s family owned a shipping company that worked out of Red Hook, but we hadn’t been able to confirm anything. As soon as I could find out, confirmation was on its way.

  “Ah, makes sense. I guess they need a few days to load them up. I’m assuming they go on a ship or something.” We reached the car and started the process of taking it.

  “Nah. It doesn’t take that long. Most of the containers got loaded today. An entire ship can get loaded in less than an hour. It’s like fifteen thousand containers. It’s quite amazing. Of course, this shipment is different. The final containers arrive
on the pier in trucks during the night. I mean they just look like semis, you know? Like the ones we drive the cars into. By this time there’ll only be a few that haven’t arrived yet, and the cars we all steal tonight will be loaded into containers on the pier. The ship will leave as soon as it’s loaded—probably before light of day.”

  I huffed as we finished breaking through the car’s security features and started the process of hotwiring it. “Interesting. Do you help load or something?” Information from the box beneath Alexander’s desk started playing in my mind, and part of my brain started working on figuring that out.

  “Heck, no. But I’ve seen it done a few times. You’ll see it tonight. It makes me sick to see how efficient and effortless it all is for them.”

  So Kozlov had been wrong—or had he just played up the impossibility of finding the car in order to put us off the mission? It didn’t matter. I’d be on the pier where the cars were going out. That meant I’d have a chance of finding those kids—if only I could discover where they were being kept. The car roared to life, and we sped down the city streets, expertly weaving through the traffic.

  We pulled up to a closed gate right outside Red Hook, and Mikado typed something into his phone. The gate slid open, and we pulled inside. Only then did I notice the six guards with heavy-duty guns pointed at the car.

  “Boy, they take this seriously, don’t they?”

  He nodded. “This is big business. Like ten million a shipment—just for the cars. There’s also all kinds of other stuff on that ship—food, clothes, computer equipment…everything you can think of.”

  I whistled as he drove the car right into a container. Jeremy had to be seeing what was happening. They had to now know where I was, but just to make sure, I pocket texted the team about which pier we were at and that we were bringing new cars in tonight because the ship sailed before dawn.

  We got out, and men rushed in to make the changes to the VIN and the paperwork. Jericho was there in a car near the gate and motioned to us to come to him.

  “He’s our ride,” Mikado said as we walked toward him.

  “First one in tonight?” Jericho said.

  “Yep.” Mikado said as he jumped into the back seat.

  I sat in the front, but instead of feeling a chill, I felt heat. We were about to free those kids, maybe this is where that van was headed, and then an anonymous tip could lead the FBI to the shipping yard to retrieve not just one car but all the cars slated for shipment. A pleasant feeling of satisfaction filled me, and a plan started formulating in my mind.

  “It’s my third. Something slowing you down?” He looked pointedly at me.

  “Nah, we were way over in Bensonhurst.” Mikado spoke devoid of derision. He’d obviously learned how to handle Jericho.

  “Not this time. We’re both headed for Prospect Park for this next lift.”

  He parked the car in a ritzy section near the park, and Mikado and I went one way and he went the other.

  We both pulled up to the pier at the same time. I took notice of everything in the pier this time. I knew where every guard was and every camera and every worker. There were no longer any guards at the gate. Only the cameras kept watch.

  I watched as Gina and Karina drove out with another guy before we drove in. I guessed everyone was working tonight. We went back out four more times. The third time back in, I saw the director’s Mercedes 300 sitting in front of an empty container labeled ABCU 1654347. It would have been an easy thing to get inside and drive away with it, but that was no longer my goal. I had to save those kids, and I had a plan.

  I only needed Jeremy to have someone outside the gates to take us away from this place to safety. I was going to free them tonight. They had to already be at the yard, waiting to be loaded. At least, I hoped they hadn’t already been loaded. I texted the team my plan and what I needed from them. Now I simply had to have faith they would be there.

  After the last drop, Jericho took us to a subway entrance and dropped us off.

  “Looks like the ship will be leaving in a few hours, huh?” My mind was whirring. We had to stop that ship.

  “Most likely,” Mikado said. “Just think of all the money the bratva will get from this. And we’re the ones making it happen.” He spat. “Makes me sick.”

  “Mikado.” I touched his arm, his puffy coat sinking under the pressure.

  He stopped. Dark shadows hung over us in the meager light from the few streetlights above the area.

  “Listen.” I kept my voice even, matter of fact. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Viktor. You were right. And your boss, Alexander, he killed a boy right in front of me. It was awful. They shouldn’t be able to do this.”

  “There’s no turning back now.” He started to walk along the platform, and I stopped him again.

  This was it. It was my chance to turn him. “What if there was a way to make a difference?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me.

  I swallowed hard. “What if there was a way to put an end to it all?”

  Chapter 26

  He shook his head. “There is no way to end it. I’ve gone over every scenario I can think of, and there is no way to beat the bratva. You and I, we’re stuck. Forever.” He started to walk away again, his shoes thudding on the dirty sidewalk.

  “Mikado, you know we have to stop this,” I blurted.

  He stopped, twisted back to me and said, “What are you talking about? There’s nothing we can do, and even if we could, it would be suicide. Some rich people lost their cars, sad day for them. You’ll have to learn to deal with the guilt in your own way.” He turned back and walked on. A car passed by us, but other than that, no one was around.

  “Mikado,” I yelled out. “It’s more than just the cars.” He stopped again, and I moved toward him, speaking more quietly. “They’re also shipping a container of kids to Africa to be sold as slaves.”

  “You’ve lost it.” He threw his hands above his head as he walked, clearly exasperated.

  I ran after him. I took hold of his arm, and he stopped and sighed loudly. I walked around him to face him. “I think you know what I’m talking about. You don’t want to think about it—you don’t want to admit your part in it—but you know it, don’t you?”

  Mikado just stared at me, but he didn’t turn or try to walk away.

  “You know I’m telling the truth.”

  Finally, Mikado looked down, shame marring his features. “So? So I know, what good does that do anyone? There’s nothing we can do. And if we tried, we’d end up just like them.”

  “What if I told you that if you got me inside, I’d be able to get the kids out without getting caught?”

  “I’d say you were a liar or delusional. Alexander has an army in there.” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I have a plan to end this, but I need you.”

  He didn’t move or speak, just stared at me.

  “All we need to do is get into the office—I need to get my eyes on the documents and find out where they’re keeping the kids. No one would even know. You saw all the chaos. We could make a difference, Mikado.”

  Something shifted in his eyes and posture, like a weight was just lifted. He looked up to the dark sky.

  “If we get caught,” I said. “I’ll say it was me, that I threatened your family or something.”

  He snorted. “You think he’d care? Not even.” He folded his hands over his stomach.

  “You’re right. Just get me in and leave me…You get out.”

  “No way. I’d feel responsible for what happened to you.”

  My heart thudded with hope for him. He was a really good guy stuck in an impossible situation. I had to help him. He didn’t belong with these awful people. I took a deep breath, leaned into him and whispered, “What if I told you I knew some people who could relocate you and your family and get you out of the bratva?”

  He grabbed my arm and whispered back, “Are you telling me you’re working for someone? That you’re undercover?”


  “I can’t explain, but I can tell you we’re not alone. We can do this, and once it’s all over, I can promise you you’ll be done with the bratva forever.”

  “So, this is why you got involved with Viktor?” He rubbed his hand through his hair. “Who is it? The FBI?”

  “I can’t tell you that. But I do know they can save you and your family, and you would finally be free. All you have to do is get me access to that shipyard.” I could tell he was seriously considering it. A nasty wind had picked up. I should have felt cold, but I didn’t.

  “I don’t know.” He looked all around.

  “Well, I’m going back, with or without you—but it would be easier if I had you to help me.” I started back up the stairs when he called out to me.

  “Wait.” He ran to me. “You swear you can get me and my family out of here?”

  “I swear.” I looked him directly in the eyes.

  “Okay. I’ll help you get in. And the FBI or whoever is helping you, they can help you get out, right?”

  “Right.” Jeremy would never let the bratva get their hands on me.

  Mikado stood still in his eerie way for a moment, then nodded.

  “Awesome.” I pressed a palm to my heart. “You’ll see. Everything will work out. Thank you. I’m going to give you a number to call after we’re in. What’s your number?”

  He gave it to me.

  “Excellent.” My skin tingled and an empty feeling settled in my stomach as nerves about going up against Alexander hit me. I kept to the task at hand to distract me. “I’m texting it to you right now. Call that number and say, ‘I can’t believe I dialed the wrong number six times in a row.’ They will then give you the coordinates of a phone. On that phone you will find contact information that will get you to safety.” My mouth went dry and a feeling of giddiness washed over me thinking that Mikado, at least, would be safe.

  I knew once I was inside the shipyard, Jeremy would be there with the team watching over me, and as I drove out with the stolen kids, he would be there to back me up and help me get the kids to safety. I sent the team a text telling them Mikado and I were going back in and to stand by.