by C. M. Allen
Walking out of her room into the hallway where everyone waits for me Larson asks "Are you ready to do this?" having just arrived with some of his team.
"Absolutely, I can't rest until I know she'll be safe."
"Then let's get this over with.” Vance says walking up with Brice.
Hours later as the plane touches down in Mexico, we are met by some Mexican authorities that Larson has been working with. "This is Senior. Santino Balcazar." All of us shake hands with him and his men before we load into the awaiting SUV's that will take us to the location of where we think Pablo is running his operation out of. On our way there, I receive a text from the nurse that is attending to Presley, saying she's awake and demanding to talk to me. Knowing I need to keep my head in the mission, I text her back and tell her to let Presley know that I will call her as soon as I can. "We're here.” Larson announces snapping me out of my own private hell of the hurt I'm causing her right now. As the car comes to a stop, we all pile out and head for the hood of the car where Larson holds the blueprints across it. "Okay once it gets dark this will be our point of entry, it's the door that's used the least, so less foot traffic to worry about."
"My guy tells me that there's going to be a new shipment of women coming in tonight by way of Elk moving Co. that's the name on the truck that Presley told us about and her father confirmed as the transporters." Santino chimes in.
"We will have a thirty minute window to get in and take over the building, my guy has been able to hack in and disarm the alarm system, but we can't interrupt the camera feed until we get inside without letting them know somethings up. So after we take down the unfriendly’s inside first, we wait for the guys with the shipment to show, and with any luck Pablo himself will show up and then we take them all down as well, but we need to do this without allowing Pablo's men inside to alert the ones bringing in the women, so quiet but deadly is how we're going to play this one, use a knife, a silencer, or even your hands to snap their fucking necks if you have to, I don't care, but we can't be heard. Everyone got that?"
All of us nod our heads as we check our weapons and headsets to make sure we have everything we need to take these bastards down. After the sun goes down and darkness is upon us we walk down the mile long path that leads to the 'Mule ranch' as Pablo calls it, and all I can think about is vindication for Presley for what Pablo did to her mother, and for me after what he did to the woman I love and my unborn child that I'll never get the chance to meet, coming up to the building, a few men round to the side and front of it, just in case we have any runners. Standing with my brothers and Larson outside the door, we ready to make our entry. Picking the lock on the door, I enter first doing a quick sweep for anyone or cameras. Spotting one at the end of the hall pointing to the side away from us, I quickly run my eyes through the area again making sure I haven't missed anything. "One camera at the end of the hall pointed away and to the left." I tell them poking my head back out before they all follow me back in one by one as Larson's hacker puts something on the back of the camera I spotted to make them blind to our invasion. Snaking our way through the maze this place is, we begin to hear the sounds of women screaming out in pain and their cries of desperation to be rid of this place, and I don't know one of us that those sounds doesn't effect to our core knowing just what's being done to them. Coming to the first door, we can hear the sounds of a woman whimpering behind it. Picking the lock as quietly as possible, I push the door open to find that she's been strung up by her arms, the tips of her toes barley touching the ground, naked and badly beaten. "Shit." I hear Brice say from behind me at the horror we see before us. Moving to get her down, he and Carter work quickly while trying to calm her and let her know we're here to help. After finally assuring her, we move down the hall again as we come to an intersection in the hallway and way more cameras then we can possibly duck from.
Whipping out an iPad, Larson's guy goes to work. "I'm in. Okay, we are a go, we are now invisible."
Wondering how he did that, Larson fills me in. "He recorded an hour off the cameras today and with that device he attached to the first one it allows him access to their system to set it up to play on a loop."
"Shit, that's brilliant."
"He is the best. Alright let's get this place cleared."
Nodding my head, we split up into groups of three's and take off in different directions at the intersection. As Vance, Porter and I approach another closed door, we can hear two men talking. Knocking on the door to get them to open it, we all moved to the side and out of sight around the corner as we hear them come out. "What the fuck? Who's out here knocking on the door?" I hear one of them say in Spanish as the other says they better check it out. Just as they round the corner moving away from us, both Vance and I spring out of our hiding spot and cover their mouths with our hands before silencing them with the firm slide of our blades across their throats and dragging them back into the room shutting the door. As we continue through the building we take out five more of Pablo's men as we go. Coming to the last door with the loudest screams behind it, we slowly open the door to find a woman with a belt strapped around her neck that’s pulled tight choking her as the sick fuck pulling on it sodomizes her from behind. Walking up he's too involved in his assault on her body to hear or see us as he grunts with every thrust causing her to scream out in pain. Reaching up, Porter wraps his arm around the guy’s neck and he drops the belt that is wrapped around her neck, as I reach for the woman to cover her mouth before she screams, alerting the others to our presence. I see Porter whisper something in the man’s ear causing his eyes to go wide just as Porter snaps his neck and he falls lifelessly to the floor. Turning back to the woman her eyes go wide and she screams under my hand trying to wiggle free.
"Shh, we are here to help you, not hurt you, but if you scream it will alert the men that are hurting you that we are here, understand?" I ask her as she nods back to me letting me know she'll be quiet.
"Th..thank you, I never...I never." Not able to finish her sentence she breaks down sobbing. Removing the belt from her neck and handing her the blanket on the bed to cover herself we tell her to wait for us in that room. Exiting the room we see Brice, Carter and Kelan round the corner and give an all clear on their end as we do on ours. Waiting for the rest of the men to clear there areas they finally all show up, Larson dragging a man behind him.
Shoving the man forward he says. "This piece of shit here is going to help us out with the guys delivering the women tonight and put them at ease that everything's okay and running smooth, aren't ya you estúpido?" He says shoving him hard into the wall face first causing the man to let out a painful groan. "Let's get everything set up, we've got about fifteen minutes before they are supposed to arrive."
Dragging the man off a couple of Santino's men exchange shirts with a few of the dead men to look like they are one of Pablo's men. And then we wait.
CHAPTER FIFTY SIX PRESLEY
Hearing Hudson's good bye bounce around in my head, I'm startled awake by my own out cries for him. "Hudson! No! Don't leave me!"
"Shh, it's okay, calm down,” the nurse says pushing me back down on my shoulders.
"Where is he? Where's Hudson?"
"He had to go take care of some things honey, and said that he would be back soon."
"Today soon?"
Fidgeting with her hands I know she's hiding something from me. "I want to talk to him, get him on the phone now please I have to talk to him right now!" I yell with the fear of losing him crawling its way over my skin. After she tells me that he'll call soon a bit of relief that he's alive and able to respond comforts me just for the briefest of seconds before the dread of what could happen comes slamming back down on my chest squeezing the breath out of me, and I need to know if the feeling I have is real. "He went after him didn't he?"
"Yes he did." Walking closer to my bed she lays a hand on my arm trying to comfort me. "That man loves you more than his own life. He needs to do this he needs to know that you'll
be safe." Letting out a sigh she says. "Look I know you're scared for him, hell so am I and I don't really know you all, but I know deep love when I see it, that man will make it back to you, his heart won't allow him any other option."
Grabbing a hold of her hand I give it a squeeze. "I really hope you're right, and thank you for sitting with me I know you're busy."
"Happy to do it, besides Mr. Drake made me promise not to let you wake up alone before he left."
Feeling just how much Hudson loves me, a feeling I don't think I've ever truly known in my life, I pray for the second time in my life for him to return to me safe.
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN HUDSON
Seeing the van pull up on the video feed from the cameras, we all get into place, ready to make this happen. The only man that we've allowed to live receives his final instructions and threats before he heads to the large garage type door they are backing up to and Showtime begins. As we all watch it start to unfold I hear Larson spit out a curse. "Mother fucker, I don't believe it."
Vance and I turn to look and see what he's talking about. "What is it?" Vance asks.
"Pablo, his limo just pulled up, and this shits about to get hairy." Getting on his headset he doles out instructions to his and Santino's men about waiting a bit longer to take the delivery men down until Pablo makes it into the building. "Shit this is going to be a close one, we have to get Pablo in here before we do this so we can take him down too, but as soon as he spots our men he's going to know he's being set up. Cross your fingers and your fucking balls that this shit doesn't go sideways gentlemen." He says just before the garage door goes up and the doors to the back of the van are opened. As the women are pulled, pushed and yanked by their hair from the van we all sit and wait for Pablo to show his face. Our men shuffle the mostly naked and beaten women off to a room on the side where they will have cover, if a gunfight should ensue.
"Hey, where the fuck are you taking them?" We hear Pablo shout in Spanish at our men escorting them away, "you idiot's! Take them to the viewing room!" Trying to obscure their faces by lowering their hats and keeping their faces pointed down, Pablo barks to the one guy who is his man. "José, come here!"
Glancing around him José suddenly takes off at a run towards Pablo shouting in Spanish. "It's a set up! Get out now! Get out!" And then all hell breaks loose in a hail of gunfire. As we exchange shots with Pablo and his men, I can see his bodyguard that looks like the prick Presley described as the one who manhandled her in the closet cover him and scoot him closer to a door that leads out of the room. Trying to get Vance's attention over the sound of gunfire and women screaming, I yell at him, "this way! Pablo's making a run for it!" Getting his attention, both of us take off towards the door he just slid through ducking from whizzing bullets that pass by our heads. Crouched down in front of the door I put an ear up to listen as I plug the other one to hear anything. Giving Vance the 'it's a go' sign we open the door running through and shutting it as we decend down the cement stairway that no doubt leads to some escape tunnel. Quickly but quietly we move through the dimly lit tunnel until we can hear Pablo on his phone giving out his location for a pick up.
Noticing another tunnel off to the right I radio Vance that I'm going to see if it wraps around in behind them to see if we can flank them, and will let him know when I'm in place. Nodding his head he says, "got it." I quickly take off down the tunnel and after about five minutes of walking I begin to hear Pablo's voice again, and when I sneak a peek around the corner in the direction it's coming from I can see I'm somewhat behind him, but closer to blocking the point of his escape. Hearing a truck approach the area, I can tell it’s some sort of large 4x4 by the loud motor. Getting in place I quietly radio Vance to let him know I'm in place and we have company. "I'm going to draw their attention to me, then you take out the bodyguard from behind, got it?"
"Got it, be careful brother."
"Always am." Hearing the truck getting closer I know we need to do this and do it now before he has more men to help him escape, "hey Pablo!" I hear Vance yell from his hidden cove.
Peaking around the corner I can see Pablo push the bodyguard in front of him, blocking me from anything other than a head shot thanks to The bodyguards height. "Who's there? Show yourself you coward!" Pablo yells at Vance.
Lining up the shot I take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger hitting my mark as the big guy falls forward only to reveal Vance holding his weapon firmly pointed at Pablo. "Don't you fucking move!" Vance yells at him as he starts to look around for an escape route and backs away from Vance moving closer to me and the approaching vehicle.
"You aren't going to shoot me I'm an unarmed man that's murder!"
Quietly approaching his back I push the gun into his temple as he tries to turn around and face me. "No he won't, but I will."
Chuckling with his hands held up in surrender he says. "Ah, the bodyguard boyfriend, I will admit I have underestimated you my friend, but if you think you are getting out of here alive tonight, you are sadly mistaken, this place is surrounded with my men as we speak so you might as well be smart and just put the gun down and surrender while I still have some compassion for the man who lost his unborn child." Instantly ice freezes my veins as to how he knows that. "Do I have your attention now Mr. Drake?"
Spinning him around to face me I shove the gun into his chest. “How the fuck do you know about that?"
Chuckling he says. "The same way I knew you had to sedate her before you left her helpless against me in that hospital bed."
Oh fuck, oh fuck. I say to myself over and over as I grab my phone out of my pocket and call the nurse I left with Presley.
After a few rings she picks up. "Well hello there Mr. Drake, are you ready to cooperate?"
"Is she okay?"
"She's resting comfortably for now, but one false move from you or a wrong phone call to alert anyone, and the shot I give her kills her in seconds and it won't matter if I'm alive or dead because in the end all that matters is that she won’t be." Hanging up my phone I see Pablo's smile grow on his face at my realization that he's got me over a barrel and my mind goes on a search for a solution to save her before it’s too late.
"I can see the defeat in your eyes Mr. Drake you know she will die if you don't surrender as well as the others. You really think I am so stupid not to be one step ahead of you this whole time. The way I see it, it's your life or hers, you choose." He says pulling a device out of his pocket. "One push on this button and you couldn't get to the door of this building before she dies."
Looking at Vance behind him, I can see the look in his eyes reflecting my own, we are fucked.
CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT PRESLEY
Laying in the bed I drift in and out of sleep, but come to when I hear a ringing sound. Trying to open my eyes, the nurses voice becomes crystal clear when I hear her say, "Are you ready to cooperate Mr. Drake?" Keeping my eyes shut as not to alert her that I'm awake I hear her go on about how she will give me a shot of something that's going to kill me if he tries to get me help. Shit! As she finishes her conversation she comes over and checks to see if I'm awake. Satisfied that I'm not she leaves the room shutting the door behind her. Grabbing my IV bag roller I get closer to the door to listen to anyone talking. "I'm going to run down to the meds cabinet and get another sedative for our sleeping beauty in there, we can't have her waking up before Mr. Drake and his men are taken out."
Letting out a gasp I realize when I hear the man respond to her that it’s the FBI Agent sitting outside my door that is also working for Pablo, which I should have known after what he told me about having an FBI contact alert him when we were on the plane. I've got to get the hell out of here and get help, but how? Looking around the room I look for anything that can be used as a weapon, looking through the cabinets and drawers I finally come across a scalpel, "yes." Hiding it under my pillow I quickly crawl back into bed and get under the covers before ripping the IV out of my arm and cleaning the blood off as good as I can before re-tapi
ng it to my arm to look like it's still in. Hearing voices out in the hall I lay back down and act like I'm just waking up as the nurse walks back into my room. "Hudson?"
"No, I'm sorry honey it's just me, it's time for your pain medication."
"Oh okay, have you heard from him at all yet?"
"I'm sorry, no I haven't heard back yet, but I'm sure he's just fine though, try not to worry so much okay?"
Listening to all the bullshit she's peddling to me, I want nothing more than to jump out of this bed and beat the shit out of her for going along with Pablo. But I know I need to be smart about how I do this, and the biggest question of all, can I really kill someone? And then it hits me, the love and loss I feel for Hudson and my baby, and I know I can.
Shooting what I believe to be the sedative in my IV she gives me a soft smile. "There, that will help with the pain." "Thank you, are you going to stay with me for a bit?" Looking at her watch she says, "I can if you'd like, I've got time before I need to tend to my other patients."
As she settles into the chair beside me I ask. "So what made you want to be a nurse?"
"Just wanted to help heal people, I grew up with a very sick mother that was in and out of the hospital a lot so it was just the natural course my life took."
Knowing she's expecting me to fall asleep soon, I know I need to make my move, and make it quickly. Can you get me some water, I'm very thirsty?"
"Sure thing honey," she says grabbing the cup and walking into the bathroom. When the water turns on I make my move. Grabbing the scalpel out from under my pillow I rip the tape that holds the IV to my arm off and quietly slip out of bed locking the door to the room and hiding behind the open bathroom door just as she's walking out, "what the?" Is all she gets out before I wrap my arm around her neck and push the scalpel into it.
