by Jan Graham
As Cliff let out a litany of slurred swear words directed at his boss, Charlton stood, pulled the semi-automatic nine-mil from under his jacket and with one shot to the head, silenced Cliff mid-insult.
Yep, from fucking bad to worse.
Nik shifted position, slipped his gun from the back of his waistband and rested it next to his hip, between Beth and him. If Nigel decided to take a shot at her, he’d be ready. After all, he viewed her as damaged. There was no telling what the crazy ass bastard would do.
“Get your friend out of here, Remo. Find a hole somewhere and shove him in it,” Charlton ordered, more concerned with examining the blood spatter on his trousers than the fact he’d blown one of his employees away. Nik needed to think fast. Cliff’s body could be invaluable to the case they were building against this tool.
“You’re kidding right. Give the disposal of the body to Remo? He can’t effectively dispose of a body, he can’t even grab a girl without a stuff up. Let me deal with it. I know a cleaner,” Nik stated coolly.
Nigel frowned at him. As Nik met his stare, he could almost see the distrust circling behind Charlton’s questioning gaze.
“You have heard of cleaners, haven’t you? Professionals who come in and remove all trace evidence of a crime, so you don’t get caught and sent to prison,” Nik asked. God, how had this guy not gone down for killing someone before now?
Not that Nik cared, all he wanted was the body with Charlton’s bullet embedded in the head and the gun Cliff used to assault Beth, which he assumed would still be on the guy's body along with Beth’s DNA on the butt of it.
“Fine, this time we’ll go professional,” Nigel sneered or was that a smile, Nik couldn’t tell. “I knew I kept you around for a reason, Nik. You’re proving to be invaluable. Call your cleaner.”
Within thirty minutes Jared Stone, or Red as his teammates called him, entered the cell. Nik wasn’t sure where Red’s assigned woman was, but he knew Marcus would have ensured she was covered. He carried a duffel and after introducing himself to Nigel Charlton as Gabriel the Cleaning Angel, he set to work on the evidence. Depositing Cliff into a body bag and scooping the pooled blood into a clear container then sealing it tight. He turned his attention to the men in the room, eyeing Nigel more thoroughly than Nik and Remo.
“You were the shooter,” Red stated instead of asking. “I need your clothes, shoes, everything you’re wearing.”
“I’ll just go and change, I have spare clothes in the office.” Nigel turned to leave.
“You’ll do it here, and you’ll put these on.” Red handed him some scrubs. “Have you been out of the cell? You know, before I arrived?”
Nigel shook his head, looking rather displeased he was about to lose everything he was wearing. Or maybe he was shy about stripping in front of everyone. Nik imagined Nigel Charlton being the sort of guy kids made fun of in the locker room during high school. He was a tall, weedy, nondescript individual. The jocks would have had a field day bullying him. Maybe that was why he’d turned into a psychopath. Violent social behavior being the only way others would take notice of him or give him any sort of perceived respect.
“Are you going to be careful with these? They aren’t cheap items of clothing, I expect them back in pristine condition,” Nigel asked.
Nik glanced at Red who clearly tried not to laugh at Charlton’s statement.
“I can’t guarantee pristine condition, but I’ll be really careful as I place them in my industrial furnace. Next time you decide to blow a guys’ brains out, wear something you’re less attached to,” Red quipped in reply.
Of course, they weren’t going anywhere near a furnace, they were going straight into evidence along with Cliff’s gun and body, ready for the day the feds took Nigel Charlton down.
Red turned his attention to Remo. “You, I can see spatter on you as well. Strip.”
He threw Remo a set of scrubs and glanced at Nik, declaring him the only sensible and clean man in the room. That statement wouldn’t sit well with Nigel or maybe it would, confirming he’d made the correct choice convincing Nik to work for him.
“So, only the one body then, you haven’t got anyone else stashed around the place I need to dispose of?” Red asked. “What about her?”
“She’s not dead,” Nigel growled. “If she was, then there would have been three bodies to take away.”
Remo backed away slightly as Charlton fixed him with a deadly glare.
“I assume this isn’t the only kill in this place. How many others have died in this cell or other areas of the warehouse?” Red asked, casually eyeing the rest of the room.
“Many,” Nigel replied proudly.
“I assume you’ve never done a professional clean before.” Red glared at Nigel who seemed to lose all bravado the moment their eyes met. “I didn’t think so. Tell you what, I’ll just wash the blood with water to get it out of sight, but in the next few days, I’ll come back and give the place a thorough clean, so there’s no blood residue left anywhere. I’ll need those scrubs back, so once you’re both showered and changed, I’ll get you to give me a tour of the place, so I can determine an accurate fee.”
Effectively dismissed, Nigel and Remo left the cell and wandered off down the hallway in their blue surgical booties to finish cleaning up. Red knew how to play the bad guys. They all did. Even when the pressure was on Red maintained his cool. Unlike Nik, who’d considered taking them all out the moment he’d seen Beth’s battered face. He needed this mission to end, so he could get back to some form of sanity if that was at all possible.
Red wiped the floor to remove the rest of the blood. It wasn’t gone, however. A spray of luminal and a UV light would reveal the residue. Red clearly had a timeframe he was working under. Coming back in a few days indicated that was when Marcus would move in. Nik could last another few days. After all, a few generally meant two days, possibly three. Compared to his year-long stint undercover, that was nothing.
“How you doing, big guy?” Red asked as he moved toward the cot where Nik sat next to Beth, holding the ice pack against her eye and cheek.
Considering they were similar in size, the reference was redundant. Red couldn’t use his name though as no introductions had been made, so big guy described him well enough.
“I’ve had better days,” Nik replied. “I’d like a holiday, hopefully within the next few days.”
Red grinned. Nik knew what he was doing. At Marcus’ instruction, this opportunity had turned into a bizarre recon operation. Red was not only collecting evidence, he was gathering intel on everyone and everything, including Nik.
“I hear you.” Understanding reflected in Red’s eyes. Marcus had assured Nik if he called for help early, the team would move in. He’d have briefed the rest of the men of that fact. They’d all be ready to move.
Red’s gaze flicked to the gun nestled between Nik and Beth. Red dragged back the blanket covering Beth and swore under his breath. Covertly removing a smaller caliber gun from his waistband, he placed it under Beth’s hip.
“There’s nowhere to conceal anything under that outfit,” Red whispered.
Nik palmed it and moved it up toward the top of the cot, slipping the piece inside the pillowslip. He’d make sure Beth found it once she woke.
“I can’t tell if there’s a fracture,” Nik gestured toward her face. “You’ll find her DNA on Cliff’s gun. The butt. There are also more girls arriving tonight.”
Nik spoke softly knowing activity in the cell was recorded, he also knew the audio wasn’t reliable, so lowered voices weren’t picked up.
“She’s stunning, isn’t she?” Nigel appeared in the doorway. “If the client decides on a different model, you can have a piece of her ass when you return, for a discount on your fee, of course.”
Red let out a low snarl and rolled his eyes at Nik before turning to face Nigel with a friendly smile.
“Nice offer. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement that satisfies us both. Particularly, when
a fine piece of flesh like this is on offer,” Red sounded as slimy as Nigel as they spoke about Beth.
When Remo returned, he was put to work carrying the body bag and other evidence down to the loading dock, ready for Red to ferry it away. Nik smiled as his colleague left to accompany Charlton on a tour of the warehouse. By the time Red arrived back at headquarters, the man would know the layout of the warehouse, including every entry and exit point, areas where the team could take cover, and points of potential ambush from those on the inside. Once they started the raid, no one would evade capture.
Chapter Twelve
Spending the night with four hysterical women wasn’t Marcus’ idea of fun, and he was sure the suit they worked for wouldn’t have approved. Still, he needed his team and the only way to get them all together was for the remaining babysitters to bring their targets in. Telling himself he had no choice would have to suffice for now.
His head wasn’t one-hundred percent clear since Ash reported Beth appeared to have sustained injuries during her capture. He’d told her not to fight, not to give her captors any reason to harm her. Trying to hurt the men tasked with taking her shouldn’t have surprised him. Not that Beth regularly disobeyed orders, but the last time he’d seen her, she’d been angry. They’d fought, he’d fucked up trying to discuss their personal situation, and she’d left in a huff. Of course, she’d redirect that anger somewhere. If only she’d just made it home to beat up a pillow, instead of two criminals out to kidnap her, things may have gone differently. It only reinforced his belief combining work with love was a dangerous mix.
Startled screams filled the room as Hex, with an angry graze and dried blood smeared across his forehead and into his hairline, threw the door open and stomped inside. Expletives turning the air blue before his words, suddenly silenced at the vision of four terrified women huddled together in the center of the room, extinguished them. Marcus realized the explanation of ‘all will be explained in due time,’ would no longer cut it with these women. ‘Due time’ was now.
“Ladies, please. As I explained before there is no reason to be afraid. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll fill you in on what’s going on.”
They didn’t sit. And despite the other women on his team being clearly visible, his guys had been as gentle as possible bringing them in, and no harm had come to them in the time they’d been here, they weren’t yet convinced they were safe. The fact his guys lined the walls staring at them might not be helping, but what could Marcus do, this was the briefing room, and for the time being, there was nowhere else to go. If he kept it simple, they may understand what he said despite their shock.
“My name is Marcus and my team, and I are working in conjunction with the federal police. I asked my men to bring you here tonight for your own protection. You were identified by a group of people traffickers as potential victims, and my men were assigned to keep you safe.” They’d quieted, so maybe they were hearing him. His speech was interrupted as Red entered the room, carrying three large bags.
“I need help to unload the car. I’ve got a bo…” Mercifully, Red looked up before completing his sentence which Marcus assumed ended with the statement, ‘body in the car.’ He flicked his gaze to Red and smiled, “boatload of gear to unload.”
“I know you.” One of the women stepped forward. “You stopped that guy from dragging me into a laneway the other day.”
“Yep, that’s right,” Red replied, finally looking around and taking in exactly what was going on.
His crew knew this was a safe place for them. A venue where they could let their guard down and not be continually on high alert. Marcus rarely allowed visitors inside the compound, but tonight, he had no choice. Not long after Beth was taken, one of the other girls was grabbed. He’d called everyone in, along with the women they were protecting. Red, redeployed to another task, had no idea the compound had turned into party central.
“So, it’s true,” the young woman turned to Marcus, “we have been targeted.”
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief as Kat Maclean appeared beside him. She’d taken longer to arrive than he expected, but he didn’t care, she was here now. His trauma counselor could put anyone at ease, especially traumatized women who were only just realizing how lucky they were to be here. He introduced them to Kat who calmly ushered them upstairs where they’d be more comfortable, and so Marcus could get down to business.
His team returned to the room, having put the body Red just arrived with on ice, ready for collection tomorrow by the Feds along with the other evidence he’d gathered. The death of one of Beth’s captors worked in their favor, her injuries didn’t, and Marcus needed Red’s briefing on the situation to put his battered emotions at ease. At least he hoped that’s what the intel Red provided would do.
The only information he’d received had been from Ash who wasn’t close enough to report on exact injuries. All Marcus knew was her actions during the capture resulted in her taking a severe hit. Sasha had gone out to the site of Beth’s abduction and come back with any evidence left behind. She managed to obtain trace DNA from both men from in the alley. Not that it was any consolation to him, Beth remained injured and nothing could soothe that fact.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Marcus called them to attention. “Sasha, fill us in on what you know.”
Sasha took the floor and presented everything she’d collected tonight, photographed and expertly documented. Even though none of the men present were at the scene, by the time Sasha finished briefing them, they’d know exactly what went down. As Billy bought up the slideshow on the big screen, Sasha began walking them through the capture.
“Beth was taken at six tonight. Ash reported a struggle during her capture. Beth was clever in her resistance, leaving us solid proof of the event to coincide with the photographic evidence provided by Ash. I found a large clump of hair, including the roots, which we believe she ripped from assailant number one who dragged her into the alley. Beth managed a direct hit to the face of assailant number two who generously left us a big golly of blood which he spat into the alley near where they parked the car they used to transport her. I also got fresh tire prints which may be from the SUV they used and a collection of dirt and debris samples from where the car was parked.”
His crew, except for Red, cheered at the details, presumably pleased with the DNA evidence Beth managed to gather for them. It was often crucial in gaining a conviction in these sorts of cases. Red met Marcus’ gaze, giving nothing of what he’d discovered away, the response raising Marcus’ level of concern to new heights. He’d intentionally asked Sasha to leave out the photo Ash snapped of Beth being hit and bundled into the car. His crew didn’t need to know that piece of information until it was Red’s turn to brief them.
“Okay. As most of you know, two other women were taken.” Bile rose in Marcus’ throat.
The women were unnecessary victims in all this. They secured Beth, his first choice and the woman he’d insist on having. Unless Charlton intended to lie and say they couldn’t get her, forcing him to take choice two or three because of Beth’s injuries. How serious were they? Would he get Beth back permanently scarred, irreparably damaged? Would she be changed forever because of this mission, just like his men and he were from their past assignments? God, he hoped not. He looked out over his battle-scarred crew, their silent stares reminding him they had a job to do.
“Hex, let’s hear from you.” Marcus frowned at Hex. “Billy, can you perform a little first aid on that head of his since we don’t have anything to view on the screen. It looks nasty.”
Billy retrieved the medics kit and pointed to a seat at the front of the room. Hex moved into position and began to speak.
“My girl was heading down Pitt Street at approximately seven-thirty. Like Beth, there were two assailants which hadn’t been the case previously. I’d only ever made one before. I saw the first guy head toward her and knew this was it, just as I was about to move forward and intervene I got hit from behin
d. I went down like a sack of shit, my head colliding with some brickwork in the process. They used chloroform because I saw her go limp in the kidnapper’s arms. By the time I regained my balance, they were loading her into a black SUV. I’ve given the number plate details to Billy here,” Hex patted Billy’s arm as she dabbed antiseptic cream on his forehead. “Lucky for my charge, we were near one of the cars stashed around the city, so I was able to follow where they took her. Billy also has the address. I don’t know if it’s the same place they took Beth, I couldn’t make Ash out anywhere, but the phantom is a difficult man to find.”
Hex was correct, if Ash didn’t want to be seen you’d never find him.
“It’s the same place,” Marcus provided confirmation, so they’d know there was only one place they were staking out. Although there was no way of knowing for sure if the third girl ended up there, he believed they were all together, but that was an assumption on his part. He’d have to wait for Nik to confirm it. “Syn, your turn.”
“Jesus, Boss, I feel like such a loser, I don’t have a scratch on me. Still, shit happens, right?” Syn glanced at Hex as he spoke. “My woman was at work, she’s a waitress, so I’ve been going to the restaurant and eating there when she’s on shift. Tonight, she goes into the kitchen to get an order, and all hell breaks loose. Her screaming, men yelling. By the time I got to the kitchen, she was gone. The chefs said men with guns grabbed her, so I raced out the back door, into the lane, and… nothing. She was gone. When I got out onto the street again, I had no idea what direction they’d taken her or what they were driving. Fuck!”
Syn looked bereft. Marcus placed his hand on Syn’s shoulder as a sign of support. Things went wrong, life wasn’t perfect. The team understood that fact, but it wasn’t any consolation when you were the one things went wrong for. Especially in Syn’s case, his target was gone without a trace, and that had to sting.
