Stakeout

by Karen Raines

“Not on this island, and if he is he’s doing a damn good job of hiding from us… and your wife for that matter.”

  “Fuck, I was so sure. Keep me updated Briella.” Then he hangs up.

  “See, piece of pie.” I smile up at Colby.

  “I don’t know whether to spank your ass or kiss it right now.”

  “Maybe a little of both later?” I shrug and hear gagging in my ear.

  “Shut the fuck up, like you haven’t been all up in Marcus’s business Sky.”

  Radio silence is exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I grab Colby’s hand and start pulling him away from the busy area of the island. It’s full of little shops and tons of tourists. We’re about to walk around a little shop with pukka shell jewelry when I spot Nadia out the corner of my eye. I quickly pull Colby to the back of the building for cover.

  “If you wanted to make out in private, all you had to do was ask.” Colby starts getting handsy as I crane my neck to keep Nadia in my sights.

  “No, no, get your hands off my ass. Look…” I point my finger in Nadia’s direction and I’m stunned to see her with Calvin. They’re tucked away from the tourists and keep peering around to make sure they’re not being watched.

  “Do you guys have access to any cameras in the market area?”

  “Do we have camera’s?” Cross says like I’ve insulted him. “Camera’s, audio…”

  “Stop with the showboating and pull up Nadia and Calvin in the opposite corner we’re in. I need to know what they’re talking about and why they look so secretive.”

  A minute later there’s audio running in our ears and Nadia’s annoying as hell voice takes over my brain.

  “Maybe we should wait?”

  “No, it has to be tonight. Everything’s set in place.”

  “If Colm finds out he’ll kill me.” She sounds scared and I’m willing her to give me something, any sort of information to know what they’re up to.

  “I’m telling you, he’s trying to draw you in, but you can’t listen to him. I’ve told you what he’s into, now are you going to help me or not?”

  Nadia nods her head before they head off in different directions leaving me wondering what the hell is going on now. Was Calvin trying to warn her away? Is my dad trying to sell her into prostitution? This could be my dad’s brand of retribution to get back at the Mayor.

  “We need to get back and figure out what’s going on tonight. From the looks of it, we need all our bases covered.” Colby squeezes my hand before we make sure the coasts clear and walk back to our hut.

  I’ve placed my trust in Calvin, I’m really hoping he’s not about to screw me and effectively my team over.

  If he is, he better watch the fuck out.

  ***

  “Still can’t get ahold of him?” Colby asks for the hundredth time on our walk back for a pow wow with the team.

  “Nope. He probably fucking saw us.” I sigh in frustration. “I need to know if we can trust him!”

  “My gut said yes up until this point, but now…”

  “You’re not so sure. I feel the same way.”

  I’m about to open the door to the hut when Colby pulls my back against his chest. He moves my long hair off one shoulder and starts kissing my sweet spot.

  “We’ll figure it out. And like I’ve said before, if this is hitting too close to home we can send two others in our place.”

  “No.” I whirl around on him. “I have to do this. My feelings aren’t an issue because I have none when it comes to my father.”

  “Really, because you seem to be getting really angry just talking about him.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath. “What can I say to you to make you understand I need to do this? There will be no hesitation no matter what happens. Trust me Colby.”

  “I do. I also worry about you, and before you feed me a line about being an independent woman, I need you to know that you’re mine and I’ll always worry about you. It comes with the territory of being mine.”

  “I think I can deal with that.” I smile and stand on my tip toes to place a kiss on his mouth.

  “Let’s get in there. We have less than six hours to figure out our plan for tonight.”

  Colby smacks my ass making me jump. “Lead the way boss lady!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Colby

  “The plan is bullshit.”

  Cross throws his arms up in the air and storms out of the cabin. I don’t blame him, but we’re out of options.

  “You need to go and speak to him,” Briella sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

  Wearily, I stand up and work the kinks from my shoulders. We’ve been hashing out the best way to tackle tonight for the last two hours and each time we think we have it, it falls flat. Until the last suggestion. One that puts Cross right in the thick of things. He’s not a happy camper.

  I find him out on the back deck, staring out at the ocean. I’m not sure what his deal is, but I need him to get on the same page.

  “I know you don’t usually do field work, but we need you tonight.”

  He turns those intense eyes on me and I nearly shrivel up from the venom. “You think that’s why I’m pissed? What kinda pussy do you think I am?”

  “Whoa. I don’t think anyone that has an ounce of self-preservation would call you a pussy Cross. What’s with the bitchiness?”

  I don’t get it. The plan is, well, it’s bullshit. But it’s the only choice we have. Bri and I have to make a big entrance at the party, that’s a given. And since the others can’t just rock up without an invite, that leaves them to deal with the shipment. We need eyes on everyone, and where that would usually be Cross, it was agreed by all that Chantel and Skylar would be central command. It helps that Chantel has a hotline to the US government. Don’t know why, apparently it’s need-to-know.

  I can’t tell you how hard I rolled my eyes at that one.

  That means Marcus, Cross and Sydney would be on the ground, or rather in Sydney’s case, in the sky. The area is well secluded but being a dock yard, there is always somewhere high to keep an eye on things. We have every inch of this island covered now that the rest of the team’s here. I had to hand it to them, the teams work well together.

  As soon as we have proof that the Mob boss is trafficking humans, we can call in the Feds and get those girls rescued. It isn’t exactly riding in on white horses, but we are just a few and Colm is an army in comparison. It’s the best we can do.

  “We’re just gonna stand there and take fucking pictures? A few live feeds?” He paces the deck in front of me, his steps getting more agitated by the second. “We need to get those fucking girls out.”

  “I hear you but there’s just no way we can swing that without getting people killed.” I try to placate him. “If you have anything else to add, I’m all ears.”

  He kicks at the side of the cabin, making the wood tremble. That is one huge, pissed off motherfucker.

  “Actually, I have another idea.”

  Sydney stalks into view, looking more serious than I have ever seen her. Curious, we follow her back into the cabin, noticing straight away that we have company. Bri’s phone is sitting on the table, Calvin’s name lighting up the screen.

  Bri waves us closer. “Okay, say all that again, Colby’s back now.”

  “I think you guys have a chance to get the girls out tonight but it’s not gonna be pleasant. You’ll need to distract Colm.”

  I cast a resolute look at Bri who shakes her head in amusement. “Not me.”

  “No,” Calvin agrees. “It can’t be Briella, or you Colby. Colm has asked me and a few of his security team to keep an eye on you both. I don’t know why but I think he may have suspicions about you.”

  Well isn’t that just peachy. As if I need another reason to hate this fucking plan. And now Calvin knows we have backup, which doesn’t sit right with me.

  “I’m gonna go with you guys, I can be a stray you pick up along the way. I’ll keep
Colm occupied,” Sydney informs us.

  “What?” Cross explodes. For a usually quiet and calm guy, he sure is doing a great impression of an insane dude.

  I ignore the fuming giant and turn my attention back to Calvin. “How is this going to help?”

  “Colm has ordered the shipment to be delivered, but due to some unwelcome questioning from the local Feds, he can’t unload straight away. To keep his assets protected, he’s going to leave a few guards on site and wait until the coast is clear before he unloads them. That will be your window.”

  “If the Feds are already asking questions, we could go to them…” Marcus begins, only to be cutoff.

  “The second you make contact, he’ll know. He has eyes everywhere.” Calvin sighs.

  “How much time are we talking here?”

  He pauses, and I know this isn’t going to be good. “30 minutes. An hour at the most.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Marcus grumbles. “Thank fuck I’ve been working out.”

  “Your mouth doesn’t count asshole,” Skylar mutters.

  “That’s not what you said last night.”

  “Enough!” I snap. The pair sit back, glaring at each other but knowing I’d reached my fucking limit. “Break it down Calvin, I’m not risking this without all the details.”

  So, he does. The shipment will arrive, which is just a small fishing boat loaded with a haul of crayfish. Simple. Locked below however, will be around twenty girls. Gagged, bound, and most likely, sedated. They’ll be useless helping themselves, the bastard will make sure of that. The fish will be unloaded and taken away like usual, and the boat will be left all in the ruse of looking ordinary. As soon as Colm receives word from the chief of police that the coast is clear, his men will go back in there ready to unload the real haul. From there, who knows where they could end up. This is just a stop gap to get them away from the states.

  “You need to make sure he doesn’t answer that call. The moment he does, his men will be all over that shipment. It will all be for nothing.”

  “Shit just got real,” Bri murmurs beside me. I grab her hand and give it a squeeze.

  “I need to go. I’m picking up Nadia for Colm.”

  “What’s her part in all of this?”

  He sighs wearily. “She’s a pawn. I actually feel quite bad for her. I’ve tried to convince her to make a break for it tonight once the party is over, but she’s under Colm’s spell. I don’t think it’s going to end well for her.” The call drops and we collectively breathe.

  It’s a clusterfuck, but if we can pull it off, it will be worth it. Sydney and Briella are busy working out how to conceal weapons in their skimpy dresses, going unarmed isn’t an option. Chantel is whispering away in the corner, making provisions to get the girls out of there once we have them safe and sound. I have to trust she knows what she’s doing.

  “What do you think?” I ask Marcus as he sets his ass down next to me.

  “I think this is the only plausible plan, and we are all more than capable of pulling this off. We just need to stay connected and all be kept in the loop.”

  Nodding slowly, I appraise the group of people surrounding us. Marcus being serious means one thing. He’s never serious unless…

  “We’re fucked then.”

  “Oh yeah, totally fucked.” He slugs me in the shoulder and walks back over to the brooding Cross.

  Within the hour we’re parting ways, earpieces in and two-way enabled for all. Plus, some cleverly concealed cameras. Total open communication. We need to know where everyone is at all times. I take my girl’s hand as we near the dock and bring it up to my mouth.

  “Shoot to kill Bri, no hesitation.”

  She smiles that sexy smirk of hers and winks. “You know it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Briella

  Me, Syd and Colby leave the hut decked out in the finest duds we could find on such short notice. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find a gown on a tropical island. We almost had to resort to wearing flower printed sundresses. Oh, the socialite horror!

  “Syd, we’ll go over it one more time.”

  “Colby, I’ve been at this almost as long as you have. I’ve gone undercover more times than I can count. I know what I need to do… keep Colm away from his phone. I’m not an amateur.”

  “I know, but I promised Cross I’d keep an eye on you.”

  “Fuck you man.” Comes through our earpieces. Apparently, Colby should have kept that little tidbit of knowledge between them.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Was that supposed to be a secret?” Colby laughs as Cross calls him a few choice words.

  “I’ll be fine. God, men. And people wonder why I don’t do relationships. Sex is where it’s at.”

  We hear a growl through the ear pieces. “I’m pretty sure someone disagrees with you.” I laugh.

  “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Syd levels me with a glare.

  “Hell yes, you assholes are always giving me shit about Colby and it’s about time you got a dose of your own medicine.”

  Our banter seizes when we approach the building. It’s massive and looks out of place compared to the other buildings on the island. It structurally resembles a warehouse which shocks me. I would have thought they’d roll out the red carpet at the finest establishment for this party.

  We already know there are four guards combined out front with one at the door checking names. We’ve already worked up a story as to why Syd’s with us. Colby gives our names to the guard and when he looks over the list he looks over towards Sydney with a death glare. This is almost too easy. He’s giving us the text book response.

  “Who’s she? I don’t see her name on the list with you.”

  “Sorry, my sister surprised us and dropped in on our honeymoon.” I roll my eyes letting him know it’s not the ideal situation. “We’re friends with Colm O’Leary if you’d like to ask him?”

  “Sure, Colm’s friends with everyone.” He chuckles showing his sarcasm. The burly security guy pulls out his walkie talkie and asks for confirmation with our names and stating we have a friend. When he mentions Colm with sarcasm in his voice, as if we couldn’t be friends with someone of his importance, I wanna junk punch him.

  “Let them in, the boss says he’ll meet them at the door.” Comes through in response.

  I smile up at Colby and he pats my ass. He didn’t think this would work, clearly underestimating a woman’s skills of persuasion… not that I did much.

  “I guess you got lucky tonight.” The guy lets us through the velvet ropes and into the party. As promised, once we get through the door we see my father making his way towards us.

  “Welcome. What’s this about a friend I hear?” His eyes rake over Sydney’s body with approval.

  “I’m so sorry, but we didn’t think you’d mind. You see, my sister thought she’d surprise us on our honeymoon…” I give him the same spiel, but he doesn’t look as put out as the security guard.

  “Please, allow me to take your dear sister off your hands… so the newlyweds can have some time to themselves.” He looks at Sydney. “Shall we?”

  “Catch ya later.”

  I wave her goodbye and know she can get the job done. If anyone’s a master at seduction… if it comes down to it, it’s Sydney. That girl jumps from guy to guy so fast she has my head spinning. She can get the men panting after her with just one crook of her well sculpted eyebrow.

  I cringe a little when Colm’s hand rests dangerously low on her back. By dangerously low I mean on her ass and I’m expecting Syd to deck him. But like a true professional, she runs a finger down the center of his chest and gives her megawatt smile.

  We update the team on Syd’s current situation. We hear a growl and I know it’s Cross. Poor guy. I need to find out more about that situation later, much later after all this is said and done.

  “We have three guards on us. Six, three and twelve o’clock.” Colby whispers in my ear.

  I nod my understandi
ng and pull him onto the dance floor. It’s weird actually being a couple and not having to play one any longer. But not weird in a bad way, it feels right. I shake that thought from my head needing to focus. This is not the time to be thinking about my future with Colby.

  “Enjoy your dance, I’m gonna stay with Syd for the night to make sure everything’s on the up and up. Hopefully she can distract him with her wits.” Chantel chimes in.

  “Let us know if anything seems fishy. Direct us to the best location so we’re close enough if something goes down.” Colby instructs. The girls tell us to move towards the other end of the dance floor.

  “Will do captain.”

  Looking around all I see is sketchy characters mixed in with tourists. Men in designer suits and women wearing dresses that could pose as a second skin on their rail thin frames. The tourists are few and far between, but you can’t miss them. Looks of awe and admiration on their faces from the opulence of the décor and sophistication of the drinks.

  Colby twirls me around the dancefloor for a while keeping an eye on things when I need a break. We make our way to the bar so I can grab some water and get off my feet. It was poor planning on my part wearing heels that weren’t broken in. If something goes down I’m screwed.

  We notice some commotion and look over towards the entrance. Of course, Nadia is making her grand entrance. I’d expect nothing less after watching her for the past few days. Colm greets her by kissing the life out of her… and then I process the fact that Syd’s nowhere in sight.

  “Where’s Syd?” I crane my neck around trying to see if I’ve missed her when I gave a once over to all the party goers. “Sky, do you see Syd anywhere?”

  “She went out of view for a second before Nadia came in and then Colm was by himself. Let me check the other cameras.”

  “Shit, I don’t like this.” Colby states while looking through the crowd.

  “Don’t be obvious. Give the girls a chance to look around.”

  Colby looks down at me with a worry etched all over his handsome face. I place my hand on his cheek and smile reassuringly… or try to at least.