by Mary Abshire
Excitement surged within him as he reached for his cell lying in the slot under the radio. He tapped the screen a few times to dial Matt’s number. Hearing the ringtone, he selected the speakerphone option before he lowered the phone.
“Are you there?” Matt asked.
“I’m thirty miles out.”
“Not bad. I should be able to catch up to you by this evening. I’m leaving within the hour to drive to San Diego to get a boat.”
“You’re not driving here?”
“No. After I spoke with my friends, we thought it would be better to have options for getting out of there. They have two trucks and they want to avoid as much attention as possible.”
“I spoke with Troy about two hours ago. He mentioned they were staying outside the town at an abandoned property since there weren’t any hotels in the area.”
“You don’t want the locals informing the enemy there are strange trucks in town.”
Matt couldn’t be more right. If word got out strangers were in town, the people holding Emily and the girls could decide to either kill them or take off.
Andrew glanced at the time on the cell. The early morning hour indicated the time zone hadn’t changed during his drive. “Did you say you were leaving soon?”
“Yes.”
“What about Don? When is he due back?”
“He stayed the night somewhere and should be back in a few hours. I spoke with Sherri and she’s going to stick around to talk to him.”
“You trust her?”
“I’ve gathered all the evidence proving what Christopher and Annie have been doing over the last six years and sent it to several friends. We’re protected. She and Don are not. I typed up a note on Christopher’s computer that explains why he drowned his daughter and then killed himself. Sherri came up with the idea of calling the police and saying she found the bodies. She’s going to convince Don to play along with her and keep his mouth shut.”
“How does she plan to do that?”
“The evidence I found on Christopher’s computer links both of them together. If he talks, then he incriminates both of them. They have to work together to make the police believe Christopher killed Annie before he took his life. Trust me, neither of them want to spend the rest of their lives in jail or the public attention for Christopher and Annie’s illegal actions.”
Andrew grasped the wheel firmer. He disliked how Sherri and Don were going to get away with their crimes. Sure, they’d pay eventually, but they deserved some type of punishment on Earth. Their freedom left a bad taste in Andrew’s mouth.
“I wish there was a way justice could be served on them,” Andrew said.
“You and me both, but we’re running out of time. The bodies need to be reported and you and your wife need to remain hidden from the spotlight if you’re going to continue destroying demons.”
He had a point. The cops would be able to narrow down time of death. If they were going to believe in a murder and suicide story, then a report had to be made soon. And if Andrew were to continue his search for demons, he needed to steer clear from any attention. Did it bother him that Sherri and Don’s freedom guaranteed his secrecy? Sure it did, but in the long run he’d be able to destroy more demons and save more lives. Sherri and Don would get their punishment one day. But if Don had seriously harmed Emily, Andrew would seek retribution sooner rather than later.
“I trust you,” Andrew said.
“I removed everything about both of you from the database and packed up all your belongings. I put everything in a storage shed in town for safekeeping. Sherri cleaned your apartment. For additional insurance, I told her I’d turn over evidence of her and Don’s involvement in the crimes if the police find out about you or your wife.”
“Wow, you think of everything.”
“Well, this has been an eye-opening experience in many ways.”
“I can’t thank you enough. Without your help, I might not be on my way to save Emily and the other women.”
“I owe it to you and the women abducted while I worked for Christopher. I could’ve asked more questions. I should’ve dug deeper into what they were doing. If I had taken steps years ago—”
“Your help now has changed everything. Christopher and Annie’s business is over.”
“I realize I can’t change what I did, but I can make a difference going forward. I’m here for you anytime you need me.”
“I meant what I said earlier, you’re a good man.”
“I call you later when I’m at sea. Be careful, Andrew.”
Andrew smiled. Matt had actually called him by his real name. “You too.”
The screen on the phone changed when the call ended. A sense of hope and reassurance grew within Andrew. Knowing he had a comrade willing to help him and who believed in him boosted Andrew’s spirit. The task of freeing Emily and the girls wouldn’t be easy, but with Matt’s help and that of his friends, Andrew had faith he could do it.
The road curved and ran along the side of a river. Troy had said to contact him when he was close. Now seemed like a good time. He dialed Troy’s number and then tapped the speakerphone icon.
“Speak to me,” Troy said.
“I’m less than thirty miles away.”
“Are you near the river yet?”
“Yes, I’m driving next to it now.”
“When the road curves away from it, you’re going to drive about a few miles before you see a road on your left. There are no signs so you can miss it if you’re not careful. You’ll want to turn down the road and go down it until you see this dilapidated house next to crumbling building. Park in the back.”
“What happens if I miss the road?”
“You’ll end up in town eventually.”
“All right, I’ll see you soon.”
“Not looking forward to it.”
Andrew shook his head as he glanced at the cell. Troy had ended the call.
Having to see Troy again soured Andrew’s mood. The last time he’d pissed Troy off, the man had punched him the eye. Andrew had accidentally contributed to Emily getting arrested and being put in jail in New York City. Troy had made it clear he would inflict more harm if Emily ever got seriously hurt. The thin man didn’t intimidate Andrew one bit. If he itched for a fight this time, Andrew was more than ready.
The road curved away from the river as Troy had said it would. Andrew lifted his foot off the pedal to reduce the Jeep’s speed. He checked his rearview mirror. No other vehicles were in sight. He hadn’t seen one in either direction for the last fifty miles, which made him wonder just how small Ejido Erendira was.
He stared at the pavement and lowered the speed more. Small shrubs, weeds, and cacti ran along the side of the highway. Ahead he noticed a gap in the vegetation. As the vehicle moved closer, he spotted a dirt path wide enough for a car. If he hadn’t been looking for the road, he would’ve easily passed it.
Dirt kicked up behind the Jeep as Andrew drove on the path. At first he thought he might have taken a wrong turn since he couldn’t see any buildings nearby. He passed through a cut-out portion in a wooded area and continued. Part of the land looked beige on one side while the other had a reddish color. He passed between more sparse trees. Only when the road curved did he see the remains of a house and a long building resembling a large shed.
A thin African American man dressed in a blank tank top and tight pants stood a few feet away from the house. He fought the wind, trying to keep a black scarf over his baldhead. Andrew was surprised to see Troy wearing something other than a skirt. Troy stopped and pointed to the back of the home. Andrew passed him without so much as a wave.
Two white delivery trucks were parked in a line behind the building. Both looked old and worn out. The cabs in front showed signs of rust. Andrew spun the wheel, turning the Jeep around. He parked behind the last truck.
Three large men strolled from the building. All of them had sunglasses hiding their eyes and wore beige khakis. The one wearing a white to
p had a fishing type of hat on his head. The other two wore gray shirts. Andrew grabbed the cell and car keys before stepping away from his vehicle.
“Are you Spencer Reynolds?” the man with the hat asked.
“That’s me,” Andrew said, walking toward them. He slid the cell and keys into his pockets.
The man with the hat held out his hand. “I’m Lenard, but call me Leo.”
Andrew accepted his greeting. The man had a firm shake.
“This is Stan,” Leo said, pointing to the man with short brown hair and a goatee. “And Tony.”
Andrew shook each of their hands. “Thanks for helping. Is there anyone else?”
“There are five other men inside. I’ll introduce you to them later,” Leo said. “We all go way back with Matt. He’s a great guy.”
“I keep telling him that.”
Leo grinned and put his hands on his hips. “He saved our asses a time or two in Iraq. He’s one tough fighter. When he called me and said he had a friend who needed help, I quickly said yes. All of us have served in the military, so we’re not your average gunslinger.”
“I trust Matt, so I trust you too,” Andrew said as Troy caught up with the group.
“About fucking time you showed up,” Troy said as he came to stand next to Leo. He crossed his arms.
Andrew stiffened. “Nice to see you again, Troy.”
“Did you finally take care of those demons?” Troy asked.
“Yes, and thanks for coming so fast,” Andrew said, trying to be pleasant, yet staying on guard in case Troy through a punch.
“For her, I’d do anything. You better pray she’s alive or I will fucking take you down in heartbeat,” Troy said.
“Like I said, good to see you,” Andrew said.
“Is there something we need to be aware of between you two?” Leo asked, his gaze shifting between Troy and Andrew.
Troy glared at Andrew. “Nothing important. Right?” One of his brows arched.
Andrew clenched his teeth. “Right.”
Tony, the taller man with light-brown locks pointed his thumb behind him. “We’ve set up a work area inside.”
“Yes,” Leo said. “Why don’t we show you the plan we’ve come up with?”
“That would be great,” Andrew said.
Tony led the way to the building. Stan and Leo walked beside each other. Andrew wasn’t surprised to see Troy following him.
“I spoke to Matt not too long ago,” Andrew said. “He hopes to make here by this evening. He said you were aware he’s arriving by boat.”
Leo paused to walk next to Andrew. “I last spoke to him several hours ago. He didn’t have an estimate when he would be here, but we agreed it would be best if he came up the coast instead of by land. I think you’ll understand why as we go over our plan.”
Tony and Stan disappeared into the building first. Andrew followed Leo inside. Troy came in behind him.
Gaps in the ceiling cast rays of light into the dark structure. The temperature was maybe five to ten degrees cooler compared to the outside, but it was still hot. Two large tents had been set up in the back. Three men lied half naked inside one. Two shirtless men sat on a dark-green blanket facing each other with cards in their hands and on the ground between them. On the opposite side of where they played their game, upside-down crates surrounded a big document on the ground. A laptop lay nearby with a bulky-looking phone on top. It reminded Andrew of the ones in the 1980s, only this device was a little smaller.
Stan headed for the empty tent while Tony sat on one of the crates. Leo walked around the far side. He picked up the laptop before he took a seat. As he flipped the computer lid up Andrew sat on the crate next to him, leaving the last one across from Leo for Troy.
Leo typed on the keypad. “Based on the information you gave Troy late last night, I was able to contact a friend of mine who managed to get satellite images of the city and surrounding area. He found a property that piqued his interest and monitored it.” He paused and handed Andrew the laptop. “We all agree the compound in these photographs is the most likely where your wife and the four other women are being held based on the information you provided. You can scroll down to see different shots.”
“She’s not his wife,” Troy grumbled softly, catching Leo’s attention. “She’s not the marrying type.” Troy crossed his thin legs and then pushed the scarf back from his bald head. For another change, he didn’t wear any makeup.
Andrew ignored his comments and stared at the screen. The first picture showed a property with a high wall. There were six buildings, seven if he counted the tiny one near one of the two entrances.
“It’s roughly half a mile wide with concrete barrier surrounding the buildings,” Leo said.
Andrew scrolled down to the next image. It showed a closer view of the fence and one of the gates. “What is that above the concrete?”
“The logical answer is razor wire. Since there isn’t a neighbor for miles, I tend to think the owner of that place wants to keep people inside,” Leo said.
“And is the gate steel?” Andrew asked.
“It can’t be. It has ridges in it. My guess is aluminum,” Tony said.
The third image showed a closer view of four buildings. Andrew moved to the next picture. It showed the other two structures with several trucks parked near one. He scrolled between the two photos. “Any idea which building they’re in?”
“Unfortunately we have no way of knowing. We can’t monitor the compound on a live feed since we don’t get a strong enough signal. And we’re guessing this is the location based on the information you had,” Leo said.
“I asked if they could go back and review the activity over the last couple of days,” Troy said.
“My friend is working on it, but it takes time,” Leo said. “He might have more information later this afternoon.”
Andrew handed the laptop back to Leo since there weren’t any more images to look at. “Let’s assume this is the place… What’s the plan?”
Tony bent and leaned his elbows on his knees. “We gear up, drive the trucks into the gate closest to the vehicles. We shoot out all the tires so they can’t follow us. By the time they come running out, all the tires should be flat. Assuming they have weapons, we’ll have to fire back. Two of us will work on taking out the lights. We have three pairs of night-vision gear. We can search each building if we have to after we take out the lights.”
“All of us served tours in Iraq. This isn’t too different from when we had to go door to door looking for the enemy,” Leo said.
Andrew inhaled a deep breath and shifted his gaze to Troy. It seemed strange for him to remain so silent. “What are your thoughts?”
“They have weapons and transportation. If the intel you gave is accurate, then she should be there. I just hope we don’t start a war with a drug cartel,” Troy said.
Andrew leaned over his legs and rubbed his eyes. “I never thought this could involve so many people.” While he appreciated their willingness to help, he couldn’t help but feel they were risking their lives. If any of them got killed, he would feel responsible. Guilt would stay with him forever.
Leo removed his hat and rubbed his bald tanned head. “Matt said they were to be sold as sex slaves. In the last decade, there have been reports all over the US about women being abducted and forced into slavery for sex. This is a booming business and the government doesn’t have the skills or manpower to police what’s going on.”
“But you’re risking your lives,” Andrew said.
“You and your friend”—Leo glanced at Troy—“can’t go in there alone with a few handguns. We have bigger weapons and gear to protect us. Our chances of coming out alive with those five women are very high. And I speak for each one here when I say we are willing to take the risk.”
Andrew straightened as Leo’s words gave him a slight chill. The men were brave, heroes in his book. “I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“We’re not asking for anyt
hing,” Tony said. “Except let us save them.”
“I’ll go with you. I can drive,” Andrew said. “How safe are those trucks anyway?”
Leo snickered. “They’re mine. The sides are bullet-proof and there’s an extra bullet-proof panel inside for added protection when we have to raise the back. There are compartments under the flatbed too. That’s how we snuck our weapons and gear past the border. We chatted with the agents and told them we were on a secret test mission. They let us through without checking the trucks.”
“Color me impressed,” Troy said. “They probably would’ve stripped search me.”
“When do we leave?” Andrew asked.
“At night,” Tony said. “Most criminals out here are creatures of habit. They will be asleep or jerking around. Plus, we have the advantage at night once we take out the lights.”
“We also should wait for Matt since he’ll have a boat. If we drive to the border, the agents will want to see passports for the women. I’m guessing they don’t have any, and that could cause problems, or at least bring attention to them. If we’re going to sneak them back into the US, then a boat will be the best way to do that,” Leo said.
“I brought my wife’s passport in case we might need it,” Andrew said, and Troy scoffed.
“Are you two okay to work together?” Leo asked.
“Yes,” Andrew said a second before Troy.
“I promise not to kill him until we return to the States,” Troy said.
“Does he mean that?” Leo asked Andrew.
“Probably. He grew up with my wife, so they’re best friends,” Andrew said.
Leo looked at Troy. “So you’re like her guardian angel or something?”
“No, that’s his job and he’s failing at it miserably,” Troy said.
“I didn’t force her to do anything,” Andrew snapped. “In fact, I asked her to promise me she wouldn’t go alone. She agreed.”
“If she wouldn’t have been with you, she wouldn’t be in this fucking mess,” Troy shot back.
“Gentlemen,” Leo said in an elevated voice. “We’re here to save five women. You can fight out your issue later. Agreed?”
“Damn straight,” Troy said.
