Their moment of confusion was our opening. As Carter punched Baldy in the stomach, I summoned my inner Adam and gave everything I had into the right hook he’d tried to teach me. What I wasn’t prepared for was the pain that shot through my fist and arm as I connected with Earrings Dude’s chin.
He staggered back. I followed by raising my knee and plowing my heel into his foot. He cried out and brought his head around, right where I needed it.
Behind me, I heard grunts and punches, but I couldn’t waste time wondering how Carter was faring. I had to stay focused. As Earrings Dude lifted his head, I reached forward, grabbed his hair, and brought my knee up into his face.
He dropped to his knees and held his face, giving me the break I needed to reach behind me and unholster my pistol. I held the muzzle to his temple.
“Stop!” he yelled to his partner, blood streaming from his nose.
I was glad the word stop was known internationally.
I turned to see Carter get one more hit in before Baldy fell to the ground.
“Cosa volete?” Carter demanded as he drew his gun.
Before either of the men could answer, we heard a rumble from the darkest end of the alley that sounded like garbage cans being knocked over. Carter reiterated his question, but the two men refused to answer.
Carter moved to stand behind the men with me and then said something in Italian that I assumed was a directive to stay where they were because neither of them moved.
“What do we do with them?” I asked, still pointing my gun at my attacker.
“Well—” Carter began but was cut off by the sound of two shots being fired and our captives falling to the ground.
Carter pushed me against the wall and fired into the darkness of the alley. The way he looked at me, I knew he could feel my body shaking. I waited to hear the explosion of a gun, to feel the burn of the bullet tear through my skin before everything went black. But nothing came. Only silence.
“You okay, newbie?” Carter whispered.
I straightened my jacket. “Yeah, I’m totally fine. I’m alive. Was that meant for us?” My voice trembled, betraying my best attempts at putting on a brave face.
“No.” Carter pushed the two men over and revealed a single gunshot to each of their hearts. “It was meant for them. They failed their mission, and this was the price they paid.”
“So why not just shoot us, too?”
“They need us alive so we can tell the team to back off. C’mon.”
Carter took my hand and led us back to the bar where we first saw the two men. The place had been shot up. Chairs were broken, and pieces of wood and glass were scattered everywhere. Bullet holes riddled the walls, and a dozen bodies were slumped over tables or laying on the floor.
“How did we not hear this?” My breath was short and labored.
“You can put a silencer on an AK-47 these days,” Carter answered. “Let’s go. The local police will handle this.”
Back on the sidewalk, we ran to the car and were back on the road in moments. Carter gave me an appraising glance and patted my knee. “You’ve caught on quick, newbie. You did good.”
“How can you be so calm after what we just saw?” I asked, trying to catch my breath.
“I’ve seen way worse, sweetheart. All part of the job.”
I guessed so.
“Well, thanks. And I realize you may be a method actor, but if there’s a next time, you probably don’t need to actually grab my ass.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Chapter 17
“Where the hell have you been?” Ian shouted as Carter and I walked through the door. He was standing in the middle of the living room with the rest of the team. The scowl on his face matched the harsh tone of his words.
“We went looking for you!” Carter answered. “You left us here for two days without any word. Badass here and I sought out some of my locals to see if anyone had a clue where you were. No one had seen hide nor hair of your ass, but we did meet some unsavory fellas on the way back.”
“What are you talking about?” Ian questioned.
“Two guys started following us as soon as we hit the bars. Newbie here held her own. Even put a gun to the back of a guy’s head.” Carter beamed with pride as if holding someone at gunpoint were a rite of passage I had just conquered.
“What did they want?” Damon asked.
“I presume they were there to send us a message. They wouldn’t answer my questions, and just as we were deciding what to do with them, they each got popped in the chest from at least a hundred yards away.”
I couldn’t read Ian’s expression at the news that I had fought to live another day. So before he could respond, I changed the direction of the inquisition.
“When did you get back? And why were you gone so long?” I asked.
“About an hour ago.” Ian stood stiffly in front of us, his eyes alternating between boring holes in Carter and then me. He turned away and took small, painful steps into the living room. “It was a little more difficult to get the information I was looking for,” he said, winded. He was unsteady, almost hobbling along.
“You’re hurt,” I said as I went to him.
“I’m fine,” he lied.
“You’re not fine.” I helped him into a small wingback chair. His face was pinched, sweating from the exertion. It couldn’t have helped that he’d already taken a beating a few nights earlier. Bruises on bruises.
“It’s nothing he hasn’t dealt with before, right, boss?” Carter’s tone showed no signs of sincerity, making me want to punch him in the face.
“What did happen, Ian?” Damon inquired. “Where did you go?”
Ian tried to take a deep breath, but it was too painful. I hoped that cracked ribs hadn’t turned into broken ones. Claudia brought him a glass of water. He only took a few sips before he gave the glass back to her.
“I apologize for making you worry.” Ian looked directly at me and then back to the group. “I’ve been working on something without Command’s knowledge.”
I watched Carter shake his head, an aggravated expression painting its way across his face.
“I’m confident that Victoria’s brother has been working for the people responsible for the rash of kidnappings around the country. I’ve been tracking a man known only as Paolo.”
“What would Gil be doing for them?” Adam asked.
“Forging documents. He’s made himself an immigration and customs expert so he knows how to forge adoption papers,” Ian answered. His voice was dark and raspy. “It’s unlikely that the adoptions are going into the United States due to the checks and balances in place there. I followed a few leads and ended up in Venice. When I got there and started asking questions about the availability of a child for adoption, I was given a swift beating to make sure I was aware of the confidentiality agreement.” More wincing as he tried to breathe. “I said I had an American client living in southern Italy who was looking to adopt. A childless couple with means.” He looked at Carter and Eva.
“Hell, no.” Carter immediately responded to Ian’s look. “I’m not going into a situation where Command isn’t prepared to send an extraction team in if things get hairy. If you and your girlfriend want to walk into a minefield, be my guest, but I’m not going to risk my life for something you don’t even have authenticated evidence for!” Carter stormed back into his room like a five-year-old. He was already pissed at Ian. This only exacerbated it.
“We can’t do this without you two,” Ian said to Eva.
“I know. But he’s right, Ian. Without Command being involved, we have no real protection. No one will know we’re there. If things go south . . .” Eva trailed off, leaving me to fill in the blank of just how terrible it could get.
“I’ve been tracking this on my own for several months. I finally caught a break when Vi
ctoria and I realized Gil’s connection. We may never get another opportunity if we don’t act on this now,” he said.
“Can’t you just order Carter to do it? I mean, you’re sorta his boss, right?” I asked.
“It’s not an assignment from Command, so I can’t make him do anything. Not that anyone can make Carter do anything he doesn’t want to do.” Ian rested his forehead in his hand, defeated.
“I’ll talk to him,” I said.
“Victoria . . .”
“Let me talk to him. It certainly isn’t going to make it any worse. He can’t say ‘no’ any more emphatically than he already has.”
Ian hesitated as he considered my suggestion. When he finally nodded, I didn’t waste any time and headed straight for the bedroom.
“Wait.” Ian reached out and grabbed my wrist before I could walk any farther. His eyes caught mine and dug in deep. I knew he was telling me to be careful. Carter could be ruthless and would only be interested in coming out the other side of this as a hero.
“Carter?” I said as I knocked softly on the door. He didn’t answer. “I’m coming in.” I turned the knob and opened the door slowly. He was lying on the bed with his shirt off and one arm behind his head. Even with the redness and bruising from the alleyway fight, his body was stunningly beautiful.
“Are you reading?” I asked, acknowledging the book in his hand.
“Yes. Does that surprise you?”
“A little. What is it?”
“Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. Ever read it?” he answered without looking up at me.
“Yeah. Laboratory babies. Daily antidepressants. No violence. Utopia, right?”
“If that’s what you consider utopian.”
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Anything to keep my mind off the bat-shit crazy world we live in.” He still hadn’t looked up at me.
“That statement surprises me more than you being a reader.” I moved farther into the room and leaned against the wall.
“Oh really. Why? You think I’m some mercenary who just loves running into a deadly situation with guns blazing?” He rested the book, pages down, on his bare chest.
“That’s pretty much how you come off,” I replied. “And you sure didn’t shy away from that fight tonight.”
“I do what I do because this is my job. If I could go home, I would.” His voice was calm and commanding at the same time. “There’s nothing left for me there, so I make the most of what I’ve got here.”
“Ian said the same thing about not being able to go home.”
“That’s about the only thing he and I have in common,” he said harshly.
“What’s your problem with him?” I asked. “He’s been pretty great since I got here.”
“Well I’m sure he’s swell with the ladies. I just don’t think he should be leading a team.”
“Why? Because he doesn’t have as much field experience as you?” I raised my eyebrows as I challenged him.
Carter eyed me suspiciously. “He doesn’t have as much field experience as I do. But I also don’t like the way Command coddles him.” Carter’s jaw tightened, showing me he was more than just slightly bothered by this.
I wondered why Command coddled Ian. He was an incredible agent. Did it have to do with why he had been forbidden from cases involving children?
“That’s not his fault. Ian would love to do more,” I argued.
“They treat him with kid gloves, and he should be put to the test like the rest of us.”
“Then help us,” I said after a moment.
“Why would I want to do that?” He stood up and put his shirt back on before sauntering over to where I stood.
“Because you know Ian’s intel is good.”
Carter thought for a moment before he spoke. “I’m all for taking down the bad guy—through a sanctioned mission.”
“Deep down, you know it’s the right thing to do, Carter.”
He shook his head and smirked. “It doesn’t matter if I think it’s the right thing to do. You have no idea how dangerous human traffickers are. If Command doesn’t know we’re there, the chances of us all dying are pretty high.”
“I do know how dangerous they are. That’s the whole reason Gil is out there. His girlfriend was kidnapped and forced to work as a prostitute.” I watched Carter process the information as he looked at me. I didn’t know if he believed me, or if he saw the gravity of the situation the same way Ian or I did. “There are kids out there being taken from their families. Teenage girls being forced to do things no one should ever have to do. So forget Ian”—I stepped forward and stood close enough to Carter that I could feel the heat from his body—“You know, in your gut, that the right thing to do is take these guys down.”
“You think they’re the only ones running this business?” he challenged.
“Of course not. But we can at least take out the group we have in our sights and save as many victims as possible—and I can get my brother back.” Appealing to Carter’s hidden sense of right and wrong wasn’t working. It was clear the only way he was going to even consider helping was by stroking his ego. “You know we can’t do this without you. No one has the skills that you have, and no one is going to be able to execute Ian’s plan like you. You pull this off, sanctioned or not, Command will probably give you your own team.”
Carter stared at me, considering his options. He moved to the door but didn’t open it. “I’m not making any promises, newbie,” he said over his shoulder to me.
“I wouldn’t trust you if you did,” I retorted. I joined him at the door. He opened it for me like a gentleman, and we caught each other’s eyes before passing through.
Carter sauntered to the living room and plopped himself on the couch, stretching his arms across the back. “All right, boss man. Not that I’m agreeing to this unsanctioned suicide mission, but what’s your plan?”
Ian looked at me and gave the slightest nod I think I had ever seen anyone give.
“It’s really pretty standard,” he began. He tried to scoot forward in the chair but he immediately realized that was a terrible idea. “I’ve set up a meeting for tomorrow. Carter, Eva, you’re a wealthy American couple living and working in Italy wanting to adopt. You’re looking for a little boy no older than eight years old, and you’d prefer that his parents were deceased so you don’t have to deal with him looking for his birth parents when he gets older.
“They’ve promised they already have a child who meets your requirements. I’ll go in with you as your attorney. Once they bring the boy out, we’ll pay them, you’ll sign the documents, and then pass the boy off to Victoria who will play your nanny. She’ll take the boy to the rendezvous point with Claudia. Adam and Damon will be on the rooftops across the street covering us. They’re not going to be happy that they just lost a piece of their inventory. They’ll put up a fight to get him back—and to keep their trafficking business going.”
“Inventory?” Gross.
“To them, that’s all he is,” Ian said, a sad look on his face.
“Why aren’t we going to Command with this?” Carter questioned.
“We put in a request for communication from Command, but we have yet to hear anything,” Ian explained. He slowly shifted his body and pushed himself out of the chair. “Any word, Damon?”
“Nothing. I’ll keep checking and I’ll send another request,” he answered.
“What about Gil?” I asked hesitantly.
“I can’t promise he’s with them, but if he is, I’ll do everything I can to get him out.”
Ian scanned the room and made eye contact with each team member.
“So?” he said, prompting the team to weigh in.
“I’m in,” Adam said without hesitancy.
“Me too,” said Claudia.
“Of course,” Damon r
eplied.
Ian turned to Eva. “Eva?”
She looked to Carter then to me. When she finally looked to Ian she said, “Yeah.”
“Carter? We can’t do this without you,” Ian said humbly.
“Of course you can’t,” he said, standing. “I’m in, too, I guess. But I am not saving any of your asses if this goes in the crapper.”
“Thank you, Carter,” Ian said.
“Don’t thank me. Thank your girlfriend.”
Chapter 18
I didn’t know if it was the uncomfortable couch, the possibility of seeing Gil, or that my first real mission was approaching, but I couldn’t sleep. And as long as I was awake, I figured I’d make good use of my time, so I ran through the next day’s plan over and over again. Ian, Carter, and Eva would meet with the sellers first. Once they had everything signed, Carter would call for me, their nanny, using our burner phones, and I would come in and take the child. Once I had the little boy, I was to walk around the corner with him and get back into the van I had been waiting in with Claudia.
I lost count of how many times Ian made me promise not to react if Gil was in the room when I walked in. I had to pretend I didn’t know him. I was Carter and Eva’s nanny. We were not friends. I was their employee and I served a purpose. The angle they were taking was that they were rich, pretentious entrepreneurs who wanted an adopted child because they thought he would appeal to their shareholders.
After an hour of tossing and turning, I decided to get a drink. I tiptoed through the living room so I wouldn’t wake Adam or Damon, who were asleep on the floor. Since we didn’t know where Bianca was, I had been concerned about everyone being asleep at the same time. Bianca had ambushed us in broad daylight at the hotel—what was to stop her from launching an all-out assault on us in the middle of the night? It took some convincing from Claudia, but she promised me that the system on this place was much newer and even more sophisticated than what was at the factory. Having Adam asleep nearby with his favorite gun at the ready was helpful, too.
I opened the refrigerator slowly and tried to peek inside so the light didn’t bother Claudia, who was asleep on the Murphy bed just outside the kitchen. I considered my beverage options: water, beer, or wine. Beer was out after my overly ambitious swig the other night. I wasn’t a big wine drinker but had heard it could make you sleepy. I grabbed a bottle of white from the fridge and a bottle of red from the counter and stood there in the chilly light trying to decide.
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