“We had best head out.”
“Where are you going?” Selena’s voice interrupted their packing up.
Catal turned around to look at her. The sight of her caused his heart to beat faster. She was beautiful, even with the grogginess of sleep. He still couldn’t believe that he had lived for years without her. It hurt too much to think what might happen if he didn’t find Tarrin. He doubted either of them would be able to continue on.
“We’ve a lead on who might have taken the boys.”
“Then I want to come.”
“It could be dangerous.” Partlan picked up a pistol. “Ranon can stay here with you while we are gone.”
“I need to be there.” Selena walked into the room. “What if you find the boys? They’ll want to see a familiar face. I don’t want to complain, but you guys would scare them to death.”
Catal gave her a crooked smile. “Good. We want to be certain we scare the men holding them too.”
“No problem there.” Selena moved back into the bedroom. “I’m getting my stuff and coming with you.”
“As you wish.” Partlan shrugged. “We will all go. Pack up everything. If we have to follow the boys out of the city, then I do not want to waste time coming back here.”
The work was finished in a few minutes. Ranon went down and paid the bill, and then they left. They took the freeway and were outside of David Hendry’s residence within thirty minutes. It was a large house on a double lot. There was a red brick wall that blocked the driveway from the neighbors. Trees and hedges along the front street gave the house complete privacy.
Firbin drove into the driveway, past the brick wall, and parked. The dark vehicle from the storage unit’s video tape was pulled up to the front door of the house. Catal forced his anger down. He needed a clear head to deal with this man. Anger would only interfere. They all drew their guns, put silencers on them, and waited for Partlan’s command.
“Firbin stay in the vehicle with Selena. If anyone comes out, stop them.” Partlan nodded to the rest of them. “You know the operation. Surround the house and wait for my orders.”
Catal reached over and squeezed Selena’s hands. “If the boys are here, we’ll find them.”
He jumped out of the van and followed the others. He skirted around the side of the house. A golf course ran behind the dwelling. The yard had a swimming pool and again a heavily hedged and treed lot that blocked others from looking in. The windows of the house had heavy curtains drawn across them. Not even shadows could be seen on the outside. No one would ever know if there were illegal activities going on in this house.
Partlan motioned for him to move.
Catal eased the screen door open.
There was no sound from inside. He tried the handle on the wooden door. It turned. With a flick of his wrist he opened it and entered the house. Everywhere there was darkness. He inhaled and eased his breathing before walking down the hall.
It was too convenient.
There was no way to miss the sound of a car coming up the drive. He was expecting them. Catal waited at the first door opening. Partlan entered the house behind him. When they were together Catal jumped around the opening into the room. It was the kitchen.
It was empty.
Partlan took the lead at the next opening. He entered and came back out shaking his head. That left the main living area of the house and a hallway that probably led to the bedrooms. There was one closed door that was either a closet or the basement. There was a lock on the door. They would leave that until the last.
They waited.
Breanon had set up outside the house from a location that let him see anyone coming and going. So their man couldn’t escape without them knowing. Malac and Ranon were at the front entrance.
“Try the door.” Partlan sent his command to the men through mind connection.
“It is locked.”
Partlan glanced over at Catal. This was it. They had to take a chance. Their quarry was probably waiting for them, but it couldn’t be helped. Catal took a deep breath and lowered his body into a crouch position. That should give him an element of surprise. The guy was probably expecting them to be standing.
He eased around the doorway.
A dull ping rang out, followed by a swooshing above his head.
Partlan returned fire.
A scream pierced the air. Their quarry was standing in the center of the room holding his hand. Blood was dripping onto the plush beige rug beneath his feet. Partlan had shot the gun out of the man’s hand.
Catal jumped onto him and tackled him to the ground. Partlan stepped around them and opened the front door so that Malac and Ranon could enter. They closed the door behind them and pointed the gun at the man who was struggling with Catal on the ground.
“It is no use.” Partlan’s voice was severe. “Your house is surrounded. If you continue to struggle it will be easier for us to just kill you.”
The man laughed. “You guys must be nuts. Do you know who you’re dealing with?”
Catal hauled his prisoner up and then threw him into a chair. “Your connections can’t help you now. They never could.”
“Get me a bandage.” The man squeezed his wounded hand. “I don’t care what you do, I won’t talk to you. I want my lawyer.”
“You will talk.” Partlan switched on a light. “They always do.”
“You’re nuts.”
“We’ve come for the boys.” Catal grabbed the man’s shirt and shook him. “You’re David Hendry and we know you bought them from the Gordon brothers.”
“My operation depends on secrecy. You have nothing on me but allegations.” The man pushed away from Catal. “I won’t tell you a thing.”
“Are the boys here?”
Just then the door opened and Selena walked into the room. The prisoner’s eyes widened when he saw her. For a second he just stared and then he looked away. “Bringing her here won’t change anything. I won’t talk.”
Partlan looked at Selena. “It would be best if you waited outside. We are going to have to use force. No woman should see that.”
“I grew up in a military compound.” Selena walked to the prisoner. “I’m aware of the methods used to get information from people. I prefer to use gentler means. I think they’re just as effective.”
“You think I’ll talk?” David Hendry looked at Selena and laughed. “You’re pretty sweetheart, but much too old for me.”
She slapped him across the face. “Where is my son?”
The man shook his head. “You can search all you want, but you won’t find him here. They’re lost forever.”
Chapter 15
Selena choked back her horror.
There was no way she was going to let this monster see how his words affected her. She had to be stronger than him. That was the only way to get information out of him. No personal feelings, no emotion. You had to keep the upper hand in an interrogation. If he saw your weakness, it would motivate him to resist questioning.
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not speaking anymore.”
Catal punched him in the face. A trickle of blood slipped from between his lips. “Answer her.”
“What are you, her underling?” The man snorted. “Who’s in control here?”
Catal’s leaned close to the man. “She is my mate and one of the boys you took is my son.”
A shiver went through David Hendry.
“We protect our own.” Catal raised an eyebrow. “We are warriors who seek justice. We are not law enforcement, so we have no rules to follow except our code of honor. We’ll have the information from you that we need. The question is how long you will withstand the interrogation before you break.”
“And you will break.” Partlan went to Catal’s side. “A Hunter is sworn to protect women and children, but also his fellow brothers. You have taken a child who is one of us. Death is the only thing you can hope for.”
“You guys can’t be for rea
l.” David gave a half choked laugh. “There are laws against what you’re suggesting. Besides, I have friends who will hunt you down.”
“We’ll kill them first.” Catal straightened away from David.
Selena shivered at the look of determination in Catal’s eyes. She had witnessed him and his unit in battle many times. She knew there was no one equal to their skill or fierceness. She had never seen him in an interrogation, though. That was something her brother Juan handled. She didn’t know if she would be able to stomach what had to be done to find Tarrin.
She straightened her shoulders.
Questioning David Hendry was necessary if she wanted her son back alive.
Catal touched her arm. “You should leave this to us. This man is weak and will break soon, but I don’t want you witnessing it.”
Selena looked at David and saw the wariness in his blue eyes. He was meticulously groomed and wearing a designer golf shirt and pants that had to cost a fortune. A hint of grey showed at his temples. His dark hair was cut short and he had a perfect two day’s growth of beard shadowing his face. He could have walked off the pages of any men’s magazine.
Catal had assessed the man’s character correctly. He would tell them anything rather than endure pain. She didn’t want to know what they had to do in order to get the information. All she wanted was her son. She’d asked the Hunters to help and she needed to let them do their job.
She turned to leave when David’s voice stopped her. “Alright, I’ll tell you where I took them, but it’s not going to help you. The boys are gone.”
Partlan kicked the man’s foot. “Speak.”
“They were too hot to keep in California.” The man shrugged. “I mean their pictures are plastered everywhere, so I set them up for transportation out of state. I left them with a trucker we use in Castaic. He’s already on the road by now.”
“Where is he going?” Partlan took a step toward David.
“I don’t know.”
Partlan leaned close to David.
“Honest.” David raised his voice. “That’s part of the security of the network. No one knows what the next person does or where they go.”
“What’s the trucker’s name?”
“I haven’t a clue.”
“So you expect us to believe you just handed the boys over to someone you didn’t see, or speak to?” Partlan raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t say that.” David’s tone was sarcastic. “The man had a beard and was in his forties. He had a large belly and gray hair.”
“What kind of truck did he drive?”
David shrugged. “How the hell would I know that? They all look the same to me. It was big. One of those semi-tractor trailers.”
“Did it have a name on the side?”
David pursed his lips. “Diamond Frozen Foods or something like that.”
“You put them in a freezer unit?” Partlan’s voice was a low menace. “How did you expect them to survive?
Selena’s breath caught in her throat. How could they throw two young children into a freezer and not even care what happened? They treated them as if they were inanimate objects and not living boys with feelings. Her stomach heaved at the evil of these people.
“How can you live with yourself?” Selena’s voice caught in her throat. “You’re a monster.”
“I’m the middleman. I broker the deals, that’s all. It’s strictly business. What happens after I exchange them isn’t my concern.” David rolled his eyes at her and turned back to Partlan. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve told you what I know, so you can leave now.”
“That’s not possible.”
Partlan glanced at Catal and he in turn looked at her. Catal took her arm and pulled her close. “It’s best we leave.”
Selena looked at David and saw confusion in his eyes. “You could leave him for the police.”
“We already did that with the Gordon brothers. This man has done damage to many children. He has no honor.”
Selena bit her lip. “You can’t just kill him.”
“Yes. We can.” Catal’s voice was firm.
Selena let him lead her to the door. She knew that Catal was right. The man was a monster and his connections would probably ensure that he never saw jail time. In a few weeks, he’d be back in business and more children would be kidnapped. She couldn’t live with herself if another child was harmed.
She turned back to look at David Hendry. The man’s eyes narrowed at her glance and then he reached toward Partlan’s gun. Partlan stopped his hand with his own. Both of them had hold of the pistol, pulling back and forth between then. Partlan’s face was impassive.
Partlan was bigger and stronger.
Hendry’s hand was bent back and the pistol was aimed at his chest. Hendry grimaced as he struggled to deflect the weapon away from him. The gun jerked. The silent shot seemed more deafening than a normal blast. Hendry’s eyes widened and he looked down. He’d been shot in the heart. A stain of bright red blood was seeping through the pink cotton of his shirt. The acrid smell of spent gunpowder filled the air.
Partlan was unhurt.
He pulled the pistol out of Hendry’s hand and let him slump to the floor.
“It would have been better to have the names of the people he gave the boys to.” Partlan shook his head.
“His computers and papers may lead us to them.” Malac’s voice was hopeful. “Should we search for the whereabouts of other missing children?”
“The police will take care of it. They have the resources to track down his network and arrest them.” Partlan stepped away from the body. “Search the house. The boys may still be here.”
Malac and Ranon left the room.
“Why haven’t the neighbors ever called the police?” Selena went to the front door and looked out the decorative circular window at eye height. “Surely they’ve heard and seen things coming from this house?”
“My guess is the place has been soundproofed.”
Catal went to the wall and knocked on it. A dull thud was his answer. He pulled back the curtains. The windows had large dark cushions protecting them. From the street, it would look as if they were drapes.
“The man had a lot to hide.” Partlan looked around the room. “Who knows how many children he brought in and out of this house, or how long he kept them here. He could not risk his neighbors finding out about his activities.”
Selena fought back her nausea. David Hendry had been twisted. To buy and sell children was horrible. Worse, he had been living in a normal neighborhood and looked like an average person. Who would have guessed the horribly diseased person he really was. Her mind shied away from the atrocities that the man might have committed, and the fact that his house had hid them all.
Malac called from the next room. “I have logged onto his computer, but there is only private photos and games on it. There is not even business correspondence.”
“It will be hidden amongst pictures or other files.” Catal left Selena and went to Malac.
Selena stood in the center of the room and forced her gaze away from David Hendry’s body. Soon they would have what they needed and could leave this horrible place. She crossed her arms and rubbed them. A shiver of cold raced up her spine.
Ranon entered the room from the basement area. “I have searched the house. There is no one else here.”
“Good.” Partlan put his gun away in his waistband.
“There were a number of locked rooms in the basement. I went through them all.”
“That must have been where they kept the children before he arranged for them to be transported.” Selena’s voice was a whisper.
She looked toward David Hendry’s body. It was just as well he was dead. A monster like him didn’t deserve to live. She fought back nausea when she considered all of the lives he’d ruined. Death was too easy for him. She straightened her shoulders. There was no reason to dwell on this. She needed to focus and find strength so that Tarrin and Gates could be
found.
“I’ve found something.” Catal’s voice rose from the other room. “It’s not much, but it seems to be a snippet of an email.”
“Who is it to?” Partlan started out of the room.
“There is only one word. Diamond.”
Selena went to stand beside Catal. He reached an arm around her waist and brought her closer. A sense of hope and love filled her. She leaned against him. Every muscle in her body relaxed as a warm heat suffused her.
“The truck must have the word Diamond in it.” Partlan leaned down to look at the monitor. “Search the internet for trucking companies with that name.”
Catal’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “There is a Diamond Freezer Haulage listed for California. It’s a start. We’ll ask at the truck stop.”
Partlan nodded. “We are wasting time here. Bring the laptop. We will check it out more fully on the road.”
Malac packed up the computer and started out of the house. Catal led her past the living room and out the rear door. The night was cool, and except for the occasional car horn, it was quiet. The shrubbery around the house hid their presence. They left the neighborhood without passing another vehicle.
The drive to the truck stop took about thirty minutes. The whole time she sat beside Catal and let him hold her close. His body warmth slowly penetrated the chill that surrounded her. Soon they would have a lead to the boys. She focused on that thought.
When they reached the Castaic truck stop, they pulled into a large parking area. They slowed the van down and went up and down the long lines of parked trucks. She fought the urge to scream in frustration when they had finished perusing all of the transports. None of them had the word Diamond on it. Her hands clenched tight in her lap. Catal placed his over hers and a wave of peace descended on her. Her tension eased.
Hope filled her.
She looked up into his eyes and was mesmerized by the calm strength she saw there. He would never let her down. He would always be there for her. With a sigh she buried her face into his chest, letting the stroking of his hand on her back soothe her fears.
The boys would be found alive.
aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) Page 14
