by Kailin Gow
Smart and even genius in its simplicity.
I did a mental assessment of everything in this space. The servers, the data in those servers, and their exact location. What was in the space that was targeted, was what concerned me. As I thought, it was the most recent find in the warehouse in Kowloon. The servers that belonged to The Dragon.
I looked around the space. Every single one of those servers were gone. Nothing else was touched, as though The Dragon’s men didn’t want to destroy the evidence to the other crime ring bosses. Whoever did this knew which servers belonged to the Dragon, and was capable of hauling them away. They were large, each one probably weighing 200 to 300 pounds so…I looked outside the hole of the wall, and lo and behold…
“Stop!” I shouted, pointing both my guns at the three men dressed in black jumpsuits and black baseball caps hauling the last of the servers with a dolly, into a Budget moving truck.
They looked like movers, but I recognized one of the faces. Jorge Domenico, The Dragon’s kid brother. He was on my list to take down, too.
I couldn’t believe my luck in seeing him up close and personal.
Without saying another word, I shot him.
I didn’t intend on killing him, but wounding him, and the shot went through his shoulders, knocking him back and away from the server.
His men, who were helping him move the server, stopped in their tracks, pulled out their guns and began shooting at me. I ducked back behind the warehouse wall, crouched down and began firing at the men. Careful not to hit the server they were ducking behind.
Jorge got up, had his hand on his open wound and tried to get into the driver’s seat of the truck, but I shot again, hitting him in the leg. The kneecaps, which knock him down. I knew that was even more painful than the shoulder wound.
A bullet whizzed pass me, grazing my shirt and getting me angry. How dare they come into my sanctuary and shoot at me on my own property. I shot straight at the one who nearly hit me, straight in the shoulders and knocked him down. Then I shot the other man, who had just fired at me, and ducked. His bullet missed me but hit the wall of the warehouse, embedding itself into the wall.
That got my fire going. When his shots ceased, I looked out again and saw him on the ground next to the other guy. He was bleeding all over the ground. I must’ve hit him with my shot. I ran out to the moving truck, past the men on the ground, and looked inside the truck. Five servers were lined inside, but Jorge was nowhere in sight.
I called Kenneth, but he was already walking through the open wall of the warehouse with a few of my men.
“Take these guys and question them. They must know where The Dragon is holding Summer.”
“I’m going to go find the Little Dragon, who escaped. He’s wounded in the kneecaps. He couldn’t have gone far.”
“Right,” Kenneth said, pulling the men up and handcuffing them.
“Make them talk,” I said, looking at them both and giving Kenneth a hard look. “No one can think they can waltz into our place, take what is ours, shoot at us, and think they can get away with it.”
“Be happy to,” Kenneth said.
I saw the look in the eyes of the two men, and knew just by saying that, they were going to sing like birds once we start interrogating them.
I pull Kenneth aside and said, “Call me as soon as they spill. No time to spare. I’m going after The Dragon now.”
“You know where he is already?” Kenneth asked.
“I have a hunch, but with the Little Dragon wounded and trailing blood, I’ll get real close.” I leaned in, “And get those servers out of the truck and into my quarters. Rachel and Luis are there, but put them in my lab. I want to personally go over them myself when I get Summer back.”
“Gotcha,” Kenneth said. “Want to take some men with you? The Dragon will be well-armed and guarded.”
“I know, but I need all the men here. They might strike again, and I want you all to be prepared. Whatever The Dragon is looking for, he wants it bad. He even sent his kid brother for it. He’ll be back. Be prepare for them.”
I saw Hector walk out of the warehouse, looking at the hole and back again with a bewildered look. He couldn’t believe the audacity of those bastards too, I could tell. I motioned for Hector to come over. “You’re coming with me,” I said.
“Where?”
“To get The Dragon.”
“Finally,” Hector said.
“Here’s my backup,” I said to Kenneth. “Keep me posted on the interrogation, and what else comes up.”
Kenneth looked worried. “You and just one man against the whole gang?”
I grinned. “I’ve done it before, Ken. And I’ll do it again. Trust me. I’ve got a plan.”
Before doubting Kenneth could question my judgment again, I pulled Hector with me and began walking.
“Wait,” Hector said. “We’re not taking a car?”
“Nope,” I said. “Don’t need one. We’re doing this on foot, and you’ll find out why soon enough.”
Chapter 4
Nat
Hector, who was dressed in a brown suit and loafers were cursing under his breath. “I should’ve changed when I had the chance.”
“That’s what you get for dressing like some character from Miami Vice, straight out of the ‘80s,” I said dryly.
“It’s hot and my feet hurt,” Hector said.
“Before you start turning into a pussy, I need you to get your head in the game. This is not a leisurely walk through the back alleys of Malibu. This is not a stroll in the park. Hector, we are on a hunting mission. Jorge was the one who broke into the compound, which The Dragon knew was heavily guarded. They wanted something so badly, they were willing to risk their lives getting it. They almost got away with it, had I not caught them in time. He’s wounded badly, but he’s tough. He’s gotten this far on foot.” I looked down to point at the trail of blood on the ground. “And he’s smart enough to minimize his pain and scent.”
The trail stopped. Chances are Jorge tore off part of his pants and wrapped his kneecap wound with it to bandage it to contain the bleeding.
I looked around. Jorge was close.
We were still in the alleyway, but closer to the beach. So close that in the distance, I could see Summer’s Malibu Pad. What a small world, I thought. What a small world.
Jorge, despite his wound, had covered some distance. Now it was time to see what his next move would be, and if I was right. It should be right about now.
To my left, coming down the alleyway from the direction closest to Summer’s Pad, was a non-descript white truck. I pull Hector back from the line of sight, and plastered ourselves against one of the walls, blocked by a few trashcans.
The white truck stopped half a block away from us. And a limping figure, whom I was sure was Jorge, limped over to the driver of the truck. He was gesturing towards the direction of the Compound angrily, before the driver opened the passenger side of the truck and helped Jorge in. The truck pulled back and did a reverse to head back in the direction it came from.
“Come on!” I said to Hector. I ran fast with Hector trailing in his loafers behind me. What was he dressed up for anyways? He’s been to California before, to the Compound. He knew it was nothing like Miami. Although he and Luis were my international guys, his fashion sense was sorely lacking. I caught up to the truck and climbed onto the back. Hector caught up and I pulled him up.
He held on for dear life as I shouted to him. “This truck will take us directly to The Dragon.”
“How did you know we didn’t need a car?” Hector asked.
“My hunch, Hector. They came for the servers in a moving truck to disguise it from anyone. Broke into the Compound by parking behind it in the office building behind, and was going to switch the servers to this white truck to throw off our guys once we discovered the servers had been stolen.”
“Only, they didn’t get them,” Hector said, smiling.
“Right. Instead they only picked up Jo
rge, who knew he could stand to get away from the scene of the crime by foot even though he was heavily wounded, because he had backup transportation coming.”
“Right,” Hector said, looking at me with admiration. “Still the genius.”
“That’s why I’m the boss.”
“That’s why you’re the boss,” Hector agreed. “So, what do we do when we get there?”
I smiled.
“You know there are going to be more guys than we two can fight off,” he said seriously.
“Supposedly,” I said. “You followed him here, yourself, Hector. You know we dispersed his gang back in Hong Kong, and he was able to get some men out. He’s here with a skeleton crew, and if I’m right on the money, most of them will be on their way back to the Compound to try to get those two numbskulls back and to attempt for the second time, to steal those servers.” Whatever was in them, was worth more than protecting The Dragon, himself.
He’s got Summer, as leverage against me, I was sure, if his men failed to retrieve those servers. But, being the perfectionist that he was, he wanted to make sure he could secure those servers before resorting to using a hostage…my Summer, against me. Because that was the last resort. And for someone who was bent on having his revenge against me and all I’ve done to thwart him and his colleagues’ plans over the years, he was saving using Summer for last.
“Just hang on tight, Hector, and relax,” I said. “Enjoy this free ride, and when we get there, follow my lead.”
“Gotcha,” Hector said.
Chapter 5
Rachel
I watched Luis turn on the surveillance screens that popped up out of the walls in Nat’s private quarters, which was like a mansion in this compound. Nat had definitely set himself up nicely. Instead of a high security high-tech facility, I felt like I stepped into a world-class luxurious 5-diamond hotel, with upscale textured ostrich skin cream wallpaper, silver chrome finishing throughout, Swarovski crystal sconces and chandeliers.
Treasures from his travels were everywhere. Ancient Chinese vases adorned one wall in a colorful display of reds and greens in the next room, which faced out to a rock garden with a cascading waterfall glass wall. Handwoven Turkish rugs lined the hand-scraped wood floor of that same room.
Stepping into Nat’s place, gave me some insight into the world he’d lived in since he left us. He had been traveling to exotic places, lived adventures…there were black and white blown up photo canvases of him riding a camel in Egypt, visiting a shrine in Japan, sitting in a Tuk Tuk in Thailand.
He seemed like he was either alone in the photos or with another buffed muscular man. Never with a woman by his side. Was he lonely? Did he seemed sad and despondent since leaving his former life behind as Nat Donovan, son of a billionaire, big brother to Drew and me, and Summer’s first love?
It was hard to see any look of loneliness, sadness, or despondence in those photos. But there was a look there in his eyes, which was prevalent in all of them – a sense of purpose, a will, and even a sense of honor.
The same look was in the eyes of the men with him in the photos. He was one of them…a brotherhood of men who shared the same convictions, the same purpose, and a belief that they were doing the right thing, that they had a higher purpose than themselves. Going on these dangerous even life-threatening missions was something these brave men would face head on because of their belief that they were protecting the ones they love.
I looked over at Luis, who was around 6 foot 2, all solid muscle, no fat in sight, and pretty much a hot male stud. He was clean cut, tanned, and had clear brown eyes that looked earnest and happy when he smiled. Dressed in a black t-shirt that hugged all his muscles and black slacks that outlined a tight butt; he was delicious to look at and maybe more. From the look on his face as he brought me to Nat’s private quarters, you’d think he was visiting royalty. The young man, who was about twenty-five, clearly held Nat in high regards.
And I was benefitting from being Nat’s baby sister. Or was it something else?
Luis had checked the surveillance screens rigorously when we got to Nat’s quarters and kept to himself sitting at the bar counter in Nat’s gourmet kitchen. He looked uncomfortable being in Nat’s private quarters, and kept coming over to me once in a while to check on me, bringing me a drink sometimes or asking if I wanted something to eat.
“To be honest,” I said, sitting down on the soft chocolate leather sofa in the living room, facing the kitchen, “I’m too nervous to eat anything.”
“Oh,” Luis said, looking surprised and embarrassed. He blushed. Blushed adorably and smiled shyly, with his dimples lighting up his face. “I didn’t know you were nervous. Um, maybe I should wait in the other room or…”
“Hey, Honey,” I said, taking his hand and leading him over to sit by me on the sofa, to assure him, it wasn’t his presence that made me nervous. “Not you, I’m not nervous around you.” I laughed. He only blushed some more. It surprised me because he wasn’t that young and innocent, was he? Most men I knew around his age, who had his looks, were major players. I’ve been around enough of them who wanted to sleep with me on the casting couch one time or another to know.
“Then what are you nervous about?” he asked.
“All this shooting, the explosion, people getting hurt…my stomach has butterflies just thinking this is for real. This isn’t a movie set, and those are real bullets flying, and real blood on those men I saw them take into one of the rooms. Yes, I was watching the surveillance cameras too. Saw that clip from the security camera showing Kenneth and some men take two wounded men to some room.”
“No Ma’am,” Luis said. “This isn’t a movie set like you’re used you. This is for real, and there are some real bad people out there who think it’s okay to hurt innocent people, plant bombs in places or steal people’s identities, or kidnap people…you know. Well, someone’s got to stand up to protect the people, and if you have the skills, talents, training, and disposition to do it, you should.”
I laughed, pulling Luis in closer. He was like a great big muscular and sexy hot teddy bear. I ran my hands over the top of his t-shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his chest. He was rock solid, which made me nearly salivate. I’ve haven’t had sex with anyone who came close to being this built. “I like how you think,” I said, looking up at him and into his eyes.
Nat said he trusted Luis with his life. That meant Luis must be pretty special, and that was fine in my book.
“How did you meet Na…Andrew?” I said, using Nat’s pseudonym.
“Long story,” Luis said, looking down at me. His eyes had started getting darker as I played with his chest. “He saved my life twice. Could’ve left me for dead, like my partner, but he came back, risked his own life, to get me out of a difficult and complex situation.”
“Ex-military?” I asked.
“No,” Luis said, “Ex-law enforcement. Down at the border near Mexico. I was sent in along with my partner to bust up a drug deal that went sour. It got ugly, and when I needed my partner to back me up, he pulled one on me. Turned out he was on the take, and he had planned it so I was never going to report it. Right in the nick of time, though, one of the undercover agents, acting like a dealer, turned around, shot my partner, and freed me, helping me get out alive. Turned out it was Andrew, working undercover, as part of an operation to bring down the same crime lord who was committing cybercrimes while dealing drugs. I left law enforcement since and came to work with Andrew, who I swear, was like some modern Scarlett Pimpernel.”
I was easing up. Luis was easing up. “The butterflies in my stomach is slowly settling down,” I said.
“Good,” Luis said, smiling, his eyes looking warmly at me. Boy, I took a breath. He was handsome, and…my hand accidentally brushed against the front of his slacks, very aroused.
His eyes narrowed a bit as he moved closer. “How can I help make all those butterflies settle completely?”
I blinked my eyes. Was he attracted to me? He didn�
��t act like it at first, unlike the other men at the Compound who gave me those appreciative looks I was used to getting from men. Luis, he could have been built from a stone statue, the way he didn’t even blink when I walked by.
“Could you show me to one of the guest rooms?” I asked. “I’d like to freshen up, get out of these clothes, maybe take a long hot shower to relax…” I looked into Luis’ eyes and licked my lips. My hand moved down to the front of his slacks and brushed against the large bulge there. “I think I need help scrubbing my back in the shower.”
Luis nearly shot straight up as he pulled me against him, and hurriedly led me through Nat’s main living room, the zen garden room, and into a room that looked remarkably like Aunt Sookie’s Pad. Oh my God, it looked like an exact replica right down to the same comfortable Nantucket cottage sofa in the living room, Nat and Drew’s room, and even my room.
So this was Nat’s special place for him to come home to. I was almost moved to tears thinking about how he must have missed home so much that he built his version right here.
Luis watched me looked around and patiently stood by. “Do you want to be alone, here?” He asked. “You look like you know this place.”
“I do,” I said. “This is the place we grew up at, where he and Summer first fell in love.”
“I don’t think he’s over it,” Luis said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because every time I see him go on a mission, he always brings her picture with him.”
My heart fell hard. Poor Nat.
“It’s okay, though,” Luis said. “I asked him about it once, and he said, he looks at her picture to remind him why he was going on a mission in the first place. After all these years, although she’s with someone else now, she’s become a symbol for him.”
