Step smiled. “I don’t plan on getting myself killed today, lady.”
The daughter pulled a pistol from her coat and pointed it at Step.
His smile grew wider. “And for the record, the right or wrong of things don’t weigh on me like you think.”
“No?”
“I mostly concern myself with the best way to go about this and that.”
“You’ve seen the girl. Get on.”
“I aim to, but I’m still measuring my best ways.”
“To do what?”
“Oh,” Step said, turning to the girl and then back, catching a glimpse of the light switch in the turning, “to kill you.”
Before the daughter knew what was happening, Step bolted to the door and turned the light off.
“Hey!” she said.
Covered by pitch-black darkness, Step didn’t move.
The daughter fumbled to pull the flashlight out of her pocket. She didn’t hear Step’s slow and deliberate approach. When the flashlight was finally in her hand, she clicked it on and screamed at the sight of the skinny closeout king just inches away from her.
Step quickly overpowered her, ripping the gun from her grasp and then shoved her against the concrete wall with his hand around her throat. It was the most satisfying closeout he’d ever done.
Chapter 68
Dani stopped the cruiser at the edge of the woods and stared out into the clearing.
“House or something that way,” Kenny said, pointing to the right.
The deputy turned the headlights off. “Better to go by foot from here.”
They both exited the car and turned their heads skyward at the puttering sound of a single-engine airplane overhead.
“Ain’t far off,” Kenny said.
Dani shifted her gaze back to the clearing and then looked back up. “We best pick it up.” She unholstered her gun and checked the cylinder. Kenny reached behind him and pulled out his 9mm handgun.
The deputy and the chubby closeout king made their way through the dense woods until they were parallel to the house. The plane was making its final approach to the clearing.
“I reckon that plane ain’t got folks interested in helping us,” Kenny said.
“We gotta move fast, then,” Dani said, stepping toward the clearing.
Kenny yanked her back. “Hold on. Where you leading us, the house or the barn? The way I figure, we ain’t got time to check both before that plane lands.”
She scanned the two buildings and spotted a man smoking a cigarette in front of the open door of the barn. She pointed to him. “There.”
Kenny leaned forward and looked where she was pointing. He grinned. “That’d be Gunner. Mean son-bitch.” The closeout king stepped past Dani. “You let me take care of him. Been a long desire of mine, anyway. Head on around the house and come up the back of the barn. I’ll know where Step is by then.”
Chapter 69
Step emerged from the room carrying Sarah Campbell over his shoulder. With the topper’s gun stuck down his pants, he pointed the flashlight to the right, the way they had come, and then turned it to the left. There was still more tunnel to go. He opted to find out where the tunnel led instead of dealing with Gunner.
Just a few feet from the room, the hallway turned down to the left into a slightly larger corridor that ended at a set of double doors. He jiggled the knob and was surprised that it turned. Pressing his free shoulder into the door, he pushed it open against a pocket of stale air. Once inside, he aimed the beam from the flashlight to his right and located a light switch. A buzz and crackle preceded the near blinding bank of blue-hued fluorescent lights that flickered to life. He could feel an almost immediate pounding against the back of his eyes.
The room was large, almost as large as the entire house where the toppers lived. The far wall was lined with file cabinets four feet high. Just to the left was the back end of an old armored truck. Step stared at it in disbelief, wondering how they got it down into the tunnels.
He set Sarah down on a long metal table in the center of the room and approached the truck. It had no tires and the cab was rusted through. Pulling open the back doors, Step saw clearly that it was simply being used as a storage place for the money collected for the inventory. Stacks of cash filled two thirds of the truck.
The closeout king moved to the cabinets, opened a door at random, and retrieved the first folder he could grab on to. A Polaroid of a young blond girl who looked to be drugged out of her mind was stapled to the inside cover. The slip of paper underneath it identified her as Elizabeth Prince, thirteen, from Tracy City, Tennessee. Date acquired was June 3, 2008. Date unloaded was June 27, 2008. Destination for inventory was listed as Buenos Aires. Buyer was Ernesto Diaz. Intermediary was Senator Albert Green from Georgia.
Step read through a few more folders and laughed to himself. Harley didn’t miss a trick. He kept records of every girl, every sale, every buyer, and every dickhead that set up the buy. No encrypted computer files or digital bullshit. It was all good old-fashioned hard copies that left enough of a paper trail to hang everyone by their fat necks.
Chapter 70
Kenny strolled up on Gunner holding his firearm by his side. The chubby closeout king stopped and watched with disgust as his associate toked away on his cigarette. “Don’t see why folks carry on with that smoking,” he finally said.
Gunner turned with a start. He reached for his gun before remembering it was still in the bucket in the house. “What the fuck, Kenny?”
“It ain’t good for you. Everyone knows that. Yet folks like you and Step carry on with your cigarettes.”
“What’re doing here?”
Kenny shrugged. “Boss sent me to help out.”
“No need for that. It’s just one little ol’ girl.”
“Boss sees it different.”
Gunner sucked on his cigarette in response.
“Where’s Step?”
Gunner motioned with his head toward the barn. “Getting a look at the inventory. Fucking toppers are being pains about closing her out.”
“They take a liking to her?”
“Shit no. They’re just going on about waiting for the fucking Mexican that’s set to pick her up.”
Kenny looked inside the barn. “I don’t see no one. Where they at?”
Gunner shook his head and pointed to the ground. “They’re below.”
Kenny looked confused.
“It’s an old big-ass bunker system. There’s rooms and shit down there. Creepy.”
Kenny nodded. “That’s good to know.” He studied Gunner. “You been doing this for Boss awhile?”
“Doing what?”
“Delivering inventory.”
“Done it two or three times. Whenever the dickhead who’s supposed to do it gets thrown in lockup. Work mostly on the other end, collecting inventory. Boss says I got a talent for it,” he said with smile.
Kenny rubbed the trigger of the gun. “It don’t bother you none?”
Gunner snickered. “Getting paid ain’t never bothered me, Kenny. You got a problem with what you do?”
Kenny considered the question. “Not until recently, I guess.”
“You and me is different, then.”
“Where’s your piece?”
“In the house, old lady topper has got some Jesus shit going on.”
“That’s a shame,” Kenny said, aiming his gun at his associate.
Gunner looked at him nervously. “Why’s it a shame?”
“Because I would’ve liked killing you better if you had a chance to draw down on me.”
Chapter 71
Dani pressed against the back corner of the house, both hands holding tight to her revolver. Slinking across the yard, she maneuvered past a small deck and had the front of the barn in sight when she heard a woman call out.
“Who the devil are you?”
The deputy trained her pistol on an old round woman. “I’m Deputy Dani Savage, ma’am. I have reason to belie
ve there’s a young girl by the name of Sarah Campbell somewhere on this property.”
“You can’t be on my land. Who said you could do a thing like that?”
“Ma’am, please step off the porch.”
“You get off my land.”
“Ma’am, off the porch.”
The old woman huffed and stepped off the back porch, clearing away from the open door and revealing her wheelchair-bound husband holding a shotgun on Dani.
“Put down that devil weapon,” the woman said.
Dani aimed the gun at the old man. “Sir, put the gun down.”
“He ain’t doing nothing of the sort,” the old woman said. “That scatter gun has been blessed in the name of Jesus.”
“Sir, put the gun down now!”
Instead of complying he taunted the deputy with a drool-burdened smirk.
Before Dani could make a third and final request for the old man to put the gun down, a loud whack soared out of the doorway, and the old man lurched forward, awkwardly falling to the back deck. Bones appeared behind him, holding tightly to an iron skillet.
The old woman screamed. “Papa Paul!”
Dani, confused by the commotion, moved the gun back and forth from Bones to the old woman.
The old woman started toward her husband.
“Don’t move,” the deputy demanded.
“Papa Paul’s been struck down by a demon whore.”
“I got your demon whore, bitch,” Bones responded.
Dani turned her gun back on Bones. “Who are you?”
The skinny whore stumbled out the back door. “Where’s Step?”
“You know Step?”
The sound of a gunshot in the distance startled them all.
Chapter 72
By the time Kenny dragged Gunner’s body into the barn, the single-engine plane had touched down at the lip of the clearing and was headed his way. He covered Gunner with hay near the fuel tank and headed toward the trapdoor. Peering down the narrow stairs, he yelled for Step. The sound of his voice didn’t echo so much as it died in the darkness.
Looking up, he watched as the light from the plane drew closer. He almost fell back when Dani, Bones, and an old woman appeared in the entrance to the barn.
“Bones? What’re you doing here?”
“Step brung me.”
“You know her?” Dani asked.
Kenny nodded and then said, “Who’s the old lady?”
“I’m a child of Jesus. Your worst nightmare.”
“She owns this place,” Dani said, rolling her eyes. “Where’s Step?”
Kenny motioned to the open trapdoor. “Down yonder. I was just gonna fetch him.” He looked past her at the growing circumference of light. “Y’all should make your way into the woods. Get out of sight until we know what we’re dealing with in that plane.”
Dani looked quickly toward the aircraft. “And if it’s Boss and his men?”
Kenny descended halfway down the stairs. “It’ll save me the trouble of hunting that son-bitch down.”
“You don’t know what’s down there. If there ain’t but one exit, you’ll be trapped.”
He considered her point and then quickly climbed up the stairs. “You’re the owner?” he asked as he approached the old woman.
“I’m a child of Jesus.”
He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her to the trapdoor. To Dani he said, “You and Bones make your way through the back of the barn there. Get to the woods quick as you can. This old lady will make sure I find my way below, or I’ll make sure she meets up with Jesus before this day is done.”
The old woman yelped as Kenny dragged her to the trapdoor.
Dani hesitated and then guided Bones to the back door of the barn.
Chapter 73
Step flipped through more files and found the bill of sale on girl after girl. It was enough to make the closeout king’s skin crawl. His attention was momentarily diverted by a soft moan from Sarah Campbell. She stirred, but remained fast asleep.
Turning back to the cabinets, he opened a drawer and retrieved a file blindly from the middle. His heart nearly stopped when he read the name: Crawford, Eleanor. He clenched the edge of the folder, staring at it in disbelief. The name “Nellie” fell out of his mouth in a whisper. He couldn’t bring himself to open the file as his hands began to shake. He stared at his daughter’s name for a full minute, determined to never look away again.
He heard his name, but not until Kenny had shouted it out for the third time. He was so deeply disconnected from his surroundings he didn’t even know where he was.
“Step,” Kenny said from the doorway.
The skinny closeout king didn’t answer his partner.
“Where’s my baby?” the old woman asked.
Her voice pounded against the back of his head. He slowly turned to them.
Kenny shoved the old woman forward and noticed the girl on the table for the first time. “You found her.”
Step ignored Kenny and rushed the old woman, slamming her hard against the concrete wall. The air left her lungs. She flailed and gasped, struggling fruitlessly against the closeout king’s assault.
“You did this! You were the one! You took her down the way!”
Kenny tried to pull Step away from her. “Hold on, Step. Hold on.”
Tears were streaming down Step’s face.
“Help me, Jesus,” the woman managed to say.
Step clamped a hand around her throat. “Is she alive?”
“Step,” Kenny said, fighting his partner’s grip.
“Who?” the old lady asked with a grunt.
Step held the file up in front of her face.
The woman looked at it blurry-eyed. “I don’t know…”
“She can’t answer no questions with you strangling the life out of her, Step!”
The skinny closeout king let go of the old woman, and she massaged her neck. He slammed the folder to her chest. “Look at it!”
“Won’t do no good,” the old woman said. “I ain’t got no clue what comes of them after they leave this place.”
“Look at it!”
The old woman opened the folder and asked, “Where’s my daughter?”
“Look at the folder!”
She examined the contents with Kenny craning his neck to see. She let out a soft groan when she saw the name. The old woman began to shake. “She’s the one that come to us in such bad shape. Young one, youngest we ever had. Thought it was bad business from the start. Told the Pikes as much, but they didn’t listen. Not Harley anyway. Bonnie, she knew I was right. Told me so herself.” She looked up from the folder. “Where’s my daughter?”
“Bonnie?” Step asked.
“The big gal. Harley’s sister. She comes up with Boss from time to time. Prays over the place. She was here when this little one was brought in. I told her then the girl was too young and sickly. She was in agreement with me, but she got overrid by Harley on the matter. She told me he was set on keeping the girl. Her hands was tied. Money was already took from the buyer. Paid a premium on account she was so young. Now, where’s my daughter?”
Step didn’t respond right away. He mulled over all the dealings he’d had with the Pikes during his time doing closeouts for them. He settled on a vision of Bonnie in the church before being snapped out of his trance by the old woman.
“Where’s my baby?”
“When you tell me where mine is, I’ll tell you where yours is.”
The woman shook her head. “You’re asking a question you don’t want the answer to.”
Step moved toward her, but Kenny stopped him. He slowly turned to the woman.
“You’re about to see my ugly side, old lady,” Kenny said. “You answer Step’s question before I turn you inside out my own self.”
She hesitated. “The younger they are, the more fragile they are. Girl come in here shattered. Worse than I ever seen. We tried to calm her, tried to make things right for her, I swear we did. She was just
too young.”
“What are you saying?” Step asked, fighting hyperventilation.
“I’m saying she weren’t never picked up. The sale never went through. She didn’t make it three days.”
Step could feel the blood drain from his face.
“Where’s my baby?” the old woman asked.
Step narrowed his gaze. “You’re asking a question you don’t want the answer to.”
Chapter 74
The plane came to a stop twenty feet from the barn. The prop slowed and sputtered until it, too, came to an abrupt stop. The pilot remained behind the yoke while Boss, Maggie Armstrong, her partner, and two other armed men climbed out of the single-engine aircraft.
“Hate those fucking puddle jumpers,” Boss said.
Armstrong moved slowly toward the barn with her gun drawn.
Boss casually followed her. “Don’t know what you’re so on edge about. I know these fucking slopers. They’re dumb as rocks.”
“It’s not your slopers I’m worried about,” Armstrong said.
Boss chuckled. “What? You sweating the woman cop? She’s green as they come.”
“She was smart enough to put all this together.”
“Smart or not, a bullet will put her down just like anyone else.”
Corporal Armstrong bit her lip. She honestly didn’t want it to come to that.
“No one touches that fat fuck Kenny. That waste of skin and bones is mine to deal with. He’s been a thorn up my ass for too long.”
Chapter 75
Kenny stared straight up. “We got company.”
“My daughter? Where is she?” the old woman screamed.
Step grabbed her by the arm, shoved her down the corridor, and pushed her into the room where she would find the body of her daughter.
Kenny followed. “Step, we need to find our way up top.”
Step didn’t respond. His mind felt like it was collapsing in on itself.
“Step!”
“Stay with the girl,” Step said as he continued down the hallway.
Savage Reckoning Page 25
