Mikado and I stole a car from the street, and he pulled out his phone again before climbing in. Looking more closely, though, I could see it wasn’t a phone. He explained to me how to use the gadget when I entered and exited the yard. It was essentially a gate opener, but it documented which opener had been used to open it each time and triggered a camera to snap pictures of the car as it entered. The picture of the person driving was then matched to their database. If there was no match, an alarm would be raised and guards would be sent to retrieve the driver.
It seemed to occur to me and him at the same moment what that meant. Mikado had to go inside with me or it would trigger the alarm. I’d hoped to take the opener and have him take off and get into witness protection before I retrieved the car.
“It’s no big deal,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I’ll go in with you, and we’ll drive the car out. Then I’ll be gone, and you’ll be gone, and we can forget about the bratva once and for all.”
My chest squeezed, and it felt like a balloon was inflating in my throat. “I don’t expect it to, Mikado, but it could go very wrong.”
“My life is already really wrong. At least this will give me and my family the chance to get out of this. Let’s go.” He slid into the driver’s seat, and I ran around the car and hopped into the passenger seat and then slid down so that no camera would pick me up. He drove the couple blocks to the yard and pushed the button on the opener.
“It’s opening. That’s a good sign. They didn’t only restrict me to a particular number of opens today. Sometimes they do that.” After a thirty-second pause, the car moved forward through the gate. Since I was out of sight, I checked my phone and quickly scanned through the messages I’d received from Halluis and Jeremy. Halluis had retrieved the drive, and Ace had started decrypting files, looking for information about the kids. Jeremy said they would be ready for us when we got out. The car stopped, and Mikado said, “All right. You can sit up.”
I pocketed the phone and sat up. He’d parked next to the office building. “I’ll go in and search for the container with the kids. You wait here.” People were rushing about, loading cars into containers and working on the VINs and documentation of others, some workers just ran from place to place, and I had no idea what they were doing.
“Wait here, act like you belong, and we’ll be out of here in no time,” I said, climbing out of the car.
No one seemed to be paying me any attention, and I opened the door to the office. I knew from my study of cargo ships only a few days ago that one guy organized exactly where each and every container would go on the ship before they were loaded according to weight and contents. Each container was tracked using a specific code. That information was fed to the crane operators and truck drivers to get the right containers located in the right spot at the right time. It was a very complex process. All I had to do was get my eyes on the list of containers and look for the one with the kids in it.
Since loading was in process, I’d have to disable the man behind the computer, and if the container with the would-be slaves had already been loaded, I’d have to disable a crane operator, too. I could do this. I peeked quickly through the window in the door—the reception room of the office was empty. I opened the door and walked into the office, acting like I knew exactly what I was doing.
Just as I entered, I got a text from Halluis. Slaves not listed as cargo. They are using code. Try these three words for the description of contents: livestock, auction, new merchandise. Cars are listed in code also, but the code varies with the different cars. I checked out the empty room. Nothing of consequence caught my eye, but there was a door behind the counter. I headed toward it.
It was obvious that I’d found the right room. A thin man with wire-rimmed glasses and super pale skin looked up at me. He must be the man who pulled the strings and told the crane operators where each container was to be put. I pulled out my knife and in two steps, I had it on his neck and his hands behind his back before he could react to my presence.
“I need you to pull up the cargo manifest.”
“Never.” He spoke through clenched teeth. I didn’t wait; I didn’t have time to negotiate. I slid the knife into my boot and with one pressured movement at his neck, I knocked him out. I slid him off the seat and called Ace.
“I’m sitting in front of the computer.” I then explained to him what I was seeing on the screen.
“Okay, you’ll need to access the ship’s cargo manifest,” he said. I felt a twinge in my heart as he patiently walked me through the process, utter calm emanating from his voice. I hadn’t stopped to think about the consequences of going off mission—for all of us. If we didn’t retrieve the car tonight, Director Skriloff would probably find a way to have us all fired.
“Ace—Jeremy told you and Halluis what’s going on?”
There was a pause on the line. “You got that last step, right?”
“Yeah, I got it. But listen, I just want—I mean, I need to make sure you guys understand—”
“Christy.” Ace cut me off. “What did we tell you? You’re our girl, and we’re with you one hundred percent.”
“Ace—”
“Don’t worry about us. If we lose our jobs, big deal. Those kids are more important than any job, and we all agree on that.”
Suddenly, Halluis’s voice was coming over the line, muffled as if he were trying to pull the phone away from Ace.
“Of course, if you could pull off a miracle and rescue the director’s car at the same time, we would not be ungrateful.”
There was a brief scuffle, then Ace was back on the line. “Don’t listen to him. You do what you have to do to save those kids and get yourself out of there safe.”
“You’ve got it, Ace,” I said, barely containing a grin.
“All right, last step,” he said, and mere seconds later I was looking at the ship’s cargo manifest.
“I’m in. I’ve gotta go.”
“Okay. Just remember—don’t be out past curfew, young lady.”
He hung up, and I scrolled through the manifest, my photographic memory seeing and cataloging the information in an instant. No livestock. Twenty new merchandise and one labeled auction. A zing touched my heart, and I just knew the container had to be the one labeled auction. I captured the container code and location. It had already been loaded. Crap! I went to the Internet and pulled up a guide on operating an onboard crane on a ship. I scrolled through it, the much-needed information now trapped in my brain, but not yet understood. I clicked back to the cargo manifest and stood up. If I were quick, I’d have the container back on the pier before the man woke up. I hoped no one would go into the office before then.
A fierce chill hit me. Carson stood by the door staring at me, betrayal and question all over his face.
Chapter 27
My first instinct was to reach for the knife, but I overrode my training and said, “Carson. Give me one minute to explain, and then if you still want to you can alert someone to my presence after that.” Of course, I wouldn’t allow that if it came to it, but I hoped it wouldn’t. He could help. “Alexander put a container of kids onto this ship to be sold as slaves. I’m here to save them. I found the container and with your help I can unload it and save their lives.”
“What?” His eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
I knew repeating my name wouldn’t be enough. “I work with some people who are trying to bring down the bratva.”
He tilted his head to the ceiling and huffed. “No wonder you went for one of the worst guys in school. It didn’t make any sense.”
“I’m sorry I lied to you, Carson, but the clock is ticking.” I looked down at the guy on the floor.
Carson took a step forward and pulled on a drawer. My hand grabbed his, and I stopped him, afraid I’d lost the battle with him. He didn’t struggle, just said, “Whoa! I’m getting some tape.”
“Oh.” I released my hold. He was going to help.
In the drawer were all
kinds of various tapes. I grabbed the duct tape and taped the fallen man’s mouth and his arms, attaching him to a locked cabinet. Carson grabbed something from the drawer and pocketed it. As we walked out of the inner office, Carson locked the door and looked up at me grimly. He knew what he was sacrificing to do this. He knew the risks, and he was doing it anyway. A new layer of respect for him fell over me.
“Thank you, Carson. I will do everything I can to keep you safe.”
“I believe you want to, but I know you may not be able to. I’ve been a coward my whole life. It’s time I break free and do something my conscience has been telling me to do for a long time.” His look was sad and resigned, and yet totally determined. “I hate these guys. Let’s do something that will really hurt them.”
I smiled. “But let’s do it carefully and not get caught.” I moved around the counter toward the door that led out of the main office.
“No problem.” He followed me.
Mikado still sat in the car. I wanted him to stay there, he was in the getaway car, so I didn’t approach him. I continued past the car toward the large crane, keeping my pace even so I wouldn’t draw any extra attention.
I walked with purpose, like I belonged, and I hoped Carson was just as confident.
I was about to climb the safety escape ladder of the crane, when Carson put his hand on my arm. “Hold on.”
I turned to him.
“Do you even know how to operate one of those?”
“I read the manual.”
“Oh, man. It takes practice. Lots of practice, and if you expect to do it unnoticed, you need someone experienced.”
“I’m all there is, Carson.” I turned and started to climb.
“Get down. I can do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ve filled in for crane operators a bunch of times.”
I started down, then realized the crane operator would need to be taken care of. “You can operate it, but I need to take the crane operator out.”
He pulled out a radio. “John. I’m seeing sparks from the underbelly. Come on down.”
Almost immediately, the box began to lower. I stepped off the ladder.
I nodded at him and thought, Please be ready, Jeremy.
I crouched behind some large boxes to get out of sight.
“I can’t reach Grayden,” Carson said to the crane operator. “I think he’s helping someone out in the dead zone on the ship. Could you get him? I need to check in some cars real quick so we don’t fall even further behind.”
“He was supposed to have fixed this last week.”
“Yeah. I think someone may be searching for a new job soon.” Carson turned to go and so did the crane operator. After he walked a few more steps, Carson turned back to the crane and hopped inside. “Amber?”
I came out of hiding. “Yeah?”
“Tell me you know the container number.”
I gave it to him, and he wrote it down on a sheet of paper. “I’ll hurry as fast as I can. I know just the place to set it down.”
“I’ll be here.” I watched as he grabbed the container with the hooks. It had been right by the bridge, I guessed for easy access to feed the prisoners. I would have thought they would have hidden the container so that the chances of it being searched would be less. He worked with precision and made it look easy, even though I knew it couldn’t be. The precaution and trouble-shooting sections of the manual had been quite daunting.
Immediately after the container touched ground, Carson popped out and moved quickly toward the container. I caught up with him and stopped him. “You’re done, Carson.”
“What?”
“I want you safe. You’ve done your part. I know where the container is. I’ll get the kids out. You go back to your office, and as soon as you see Mikado and me drive out the gate, go free your cargo master.”
“Do you have one of these?” He pulled out a tool from his pocket. It was the item he’d grabbed from the drawer after handing me the tape. “You need it to get into the containers.” He started walking again.
“Just give it to me. I don’t want you involved any more than you already are.” I grabbed his arm.
“Sorry. I’m already involved, and I need to show you how to use it. I thought we were in a hurry.”
As soon as we rounded the corner on the container with the slaves in it, he used the tool to open the container. I reached to pull it open, but I heard a voice that froze my hand.
“I’m hurt. Really, Amber.” Alexander spoke.
I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and turned slowly but surely, opening my eyes before I faced him. I would not cower. Instead, I glared.
“What, did those kids tug at your heart? And you thought you, little old you, could save them?”
A new guard showed up and put a padlock on the container Carson had just unlocked and then the arms of the crane came down and lifted it up. Men with rifles descended on us, and Carson put his hands in the air. It seemed like the proper thing to do, so I did too.
I looked quickly around, hoping beyond hope that Jeremy was seeing what was happening. His name even slipped from my lips. Carson’s face was blank as he stared forward.
I needed to run. I needed to fight. Instead, tears rushed out of my eyes as a guard threw me to the ground. My cheek burned as it slid over the rough asphalt ground. I couldn’t even scream out. Hollowness filled me.
The guards tied my hands behind my back with a thick plastic zip tie—one of the hardest bonds to get out of. I could do it with my hands in front, but with them tied behind me and plenty of guards watching, there would be no escaping this.
Two guards lifted me and shoved me roughly to the ground in another spot. I stared up at Carson next to me, he looked forward, his body stiff. Seconds later, Mikado’s body slammed into mine, shifting me up against Carson and forcing him to sway to the side. He recovered quickly, returning to his stony look and position. I wriggled myself into a sitting position, and Mikado followed my lead.
“Don’t worry about me,” he whispered. “It’s better that I die now and end the shame I’ve brought to my family. I will take the blame.”
“No,” I hissed. “You will not.” In my mind, I thought of Jeremy and Division, and a hope lit inside me that we would all be saved. “I’m taking the blame.”
I glanced up when someone cleared his throat. Alexander, flanked by four guards with guns stood before me, a slight smile on his lips. He tsked. “You know, Amber, I would have thought that my demonstration earlier tonight would have been enough to curb that hot will I sensed in you. Instead, you choose to try to steal from me?” He chuckled. “And you seem to have roped these two soldiers into your little scheme. What exactly did you do to turn them? What promises did you make them? What promises have already been fulfilled?”
A rumble of people shifting and muttering came from behind the brigadier, and Agent Kozlov appeared out of the crowd to the side of Alexander’s guards.
“What in the devil? We’re already behind—” His voice was deep and yet somehow sharp. His eyes lit on mine, recognition flitting through. His lips pressed together, and air rushed from his nose. I was saved. Jeremy had sent Kozlov to save us. Relief washed over me.
“Alexander? What is happening here?” He spoke in Russian.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just a tiny rebellion that I am about to put down.” He nodded to his guards, three of whom raised their guns, pointing them directly at our heads.
Kozlov pressed down on the arm of the guard directly next to him. “I asked,” his voice was insistent, “what was going on here.”
I’d never been so glad to see anyone before, but a tightness gripped my heart. In order to save me and the others, he would end up exposing himself.
“Sorry, sir,” Alexander said. “I didn’t want to bother you with the details. Vlad never wanted to know.”
Kozlov raised an eyebrow. “I am not Vlad. And you know he’s indisposed. We’ve alr
eady had this discussion. If you have a problem with that, then you need to bring it up with the Pakhan.”
It occurred to me that even though Kozlov was technically above Alexander in the bratva’s pecking order, he wasn’t even on the same branch as Alexander. How had he gotten here?
Alexander spoke, “I don’t. It’s just, this girl was attempting to steal from us and convinced these two boys to help her.”
“Really?” Kozlov stared down at me like I was a piece of meat as he circled the three of us. I suddenly felt unsure of his role as our savior. “I wonder how she did that? Is she the lead vory?”
“No. That’s Jericho.”
“And where is Jericho, and why hasn’t he been able to control his crew?” Kozlov snarled.
“He’s on a run. Should be arriving soon with his last car.” Alexander seemed to be groveling a bit.
“Looks like he should have had his attentions elsewhere.” Kozlov kicked Mikado. He switched to English. “And you, Carson. How did you get caught up in this little revolt? We’ve worked so well with your family for so long. You know we don’t deal well with betrayal. What will your parents say?”
“Don’t blame him,” I shot. “He didn’t know I was planning this. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Someone kicked me from behind, and I barely had a chance to turn my head before it smashed into the ground.
“Don’t speak unless spoken to, girl!” Alexander huffed.
“I wasn’t thinking, sir,” Carson said. His voice flat, but void of fear. “She tricked me. I’m sorry to have betrayed you and my family.”
Kozlov snorted. I rolled to my side just in time to see a car pull into the yard. Jericho. I closed my eyes and breathed in hard.
He marched up to us after parking the final car. “What’s going on?”
“Jericho?” Kozlov said. “Are these pieces of dirt part of your crew?”
His eyes widened in terror. “Yes, sir. At least Mikado and Amber.”
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