The Engineer

by Rachel Renee

  There are two messages awaiting me. I’ve finally heard back from Lieu. Short and sweet. I’ve sent two trusted men. She’s safe at the moment. Keep us apprised of your situation there. He doesn’t tell me where he is, if he’s sending in a team. Just to keep them up-to-date on information I gather. But, most importantly, he said she’s safe. Eliza is not in harm’s way. At the moment. Why did he have to tack that on? I store it away, worry only making this situation more dire.

  I move to the other message, from my new friend. Is Jose at the compound? The invasion is set tonight. Noel is aware of a mass exodus of product and has planned accordingly. Be prepared.

  So, they plan to attack, kill Jose, and take the rest of the drugs? What kind of an army is he sending in and does Jose have any idea that it’s coming?

  I send a message back to my superior, giving the update. But, the bigger question… What role should I play in the impending raid?

  26

  SELENA SHOWS up exactly as the lights go out throughout some of the bigger buildings. The camp is still moving at a flurried pace—new people have arrived, and others are geared up to travel away. I whisper a few words in passing so Selena’s aware of what’s possible overnight. On my way back through, I tell her she might want to consider lying low. Being unsure of what the attack entails, they could be out to kill anyone associated with this compound.

  There are whispered words about what happened to the second shipment when I take a seat at a small picnic table in the middle of the busyness. Two of the men were killed, one has been taken captive. All of the engines were there but the contents inside, gone. Most of these people don’t know me, or even know of me, so when I ask, “Who is being held captive?” they all look to me like I’ve sprouted a horn.

  A woman, very tough-looking with tattoos up both arms and covering her neck, asks, “What’s it to you?”

  “I was part of getting that first shipment here successfully. They were some of my friends,” I lie.

  She glowers at me, and so do a couple of others standing on either side of her. She answers though. “Dominico.”

  Well, at least I know that asshole is still alive at the moment. “He is your friend. I see it in your eyes,” the woman adds on.

  “Yeah. Any word on who did it?”

  “Opposition.”

  Obviously. “Which crew?”

  She’s still eyeing me suspiciously when she replies. “There’s talk. Have you heard any…”

  Boooooooom!

  We all turn to look toward the main gate. Fire lights the night, the explosion so big it bursts a few windows of a nearby house. Everyone is on their feet, some running away from the car, others running into the fray. I’m cautious to do either, standing back just far enough to hear what everyone is saying.

  A car that was preparing to leave is engulfed in flames. The gate was halfway open, but it appears the bomb was inside the car when it blew. Someone within the confines planted it. All eyes are searching the encampment. Who would do this? The woman who had been chatting with me finds my gaze and marches toward me as if I’m to blame.

  “Who are you?” She pokes me in the chest with her finger.

  “Liam Sanchez.” I give her my name.

  “Yeah, but who are you? Did you do this?”

  “If I did this, you think I’d be standing around here watching? I’d be stupid not to run away.”

  She’s good at the intimidating looks, even as she glares up at me from nearly a foot below. “I don’t know how stupid you are, but I don’t trust you. I’m getting Jose. Don’t go anywhere,” she commands.

  I need to figure out what it is about myself that makes people question who I am just by my looks.

  As the initial explosion commotion begins to dwindle down, another blast comes from directly outside the stone wall. Bits and pieces fly through the air—some people fall to the ground to take cover, and a few unsuspecting souls fall because they were hit with shrapnel.

  I take cover. Selena finds me then. “Is this what you were warning me about?”

  “I believe so. I plan to sit back and watch it play out.”

  “There are innocent women and children in this camp. We’ve got to keep them safe.”

  I remember back to the first time I came here. There were women tending the gardens and children reading books. “How many are we talking?”

  “More than you can imagine. I didn’t tell you before, but we’ve got a much bigger problem here than just drug trade. Innocents are being sold as sex slaves.”

  “What?” I’m furious. “Why would you keep something like that from me? Does Thompson know?”

  Of course, he does.

  She answers with only a look of sorrow. The two of us slink through the shadows, only narrowly missing the tattooed woman and Jose. “He was right here,” she shouts over the rumble of what’s happening all around us. “Liam, he said his name was.” I stopped long enough to hear her say those last words.

  Even though this wasn’t my doing, I doubt Jose is going to believe anything I say at this point. “I need to stop by the house and get the phone I’ve been using.”

  “There’s no time,” she whispers.

  “There has to be.”

  There’s a huff from Selena but she brushes past me, heading in a new direction.

  I overhear a brief description of myself, followed by the words, “Have you seen him?” upon approaching the place where I’d spent the majority of the day. It was the woman from before. Jose must have her out looking for me.

  Selena and I slip around the side, nearly running into someone who appears to also be darting from the scene. He looks up, holding his right eye. Thompson. Selena said he left, but he’s standing right in front of us now. He was hit with something, his eye barely hanging in the socket, the right side of his face practically melted.

  “Those fuckers better not be in on this!” he growls when he notices me and Selena. “This isn’t how it was supposed to go down.”

  “I don’t think it’s our guys. Word on the street is Noel is trying to get rid of Jose. This is his doing.”

  “What? I thought…” He stops short, the side of his face that he isn’t shielding looks perplexed. It surprises me how calm he is about the damaged pieces of his body.

  “Do you have a plan?” I think to ask.

  “I did. That’s blown to hell and back.” He actually laughs. “What are you two doing? Getting the hell out of here?”

  “We’ve got some people to save. I need my contact to the outside world.”

  “I don’t know how much help I’ll be at the moment.” He tilts his injury in my direction.

  “I have something else. I’ll be back.”

  I’m stunned by how easy it is to sneak into the house. Everyone is consumed with what’s going on in the courtyards, and no one is paying attention to those of us moving in and out of the buildings. Including the woman who’s looking for me. She’s messing around with a group of people still in the process of loading another vehicle.

  I show the phone to the awaiting agents upon approach. They both stare at me, bewildered. “That’s your plan?” Thompson is surprised.

  “My chief. He’s here. Somewhere.”

  Thompson’s head swivels around, looking among all the scurrying people. “No. Not actually in the camp. In the state. At least, that’s what I believe.”

  I type out a message before also dialing the number, hoping he may pick up.

  “Where are you? We’ve got word of a bombing in the compound.”

  He answered!

  “In the compound. Three agents are accounted for, one is injured. Can we expect assistance?”

  “Soon. There’s a team on the way. They were held up.”

  “Not sure if you know about the other problem we have here. There’s a group of women and children that need to be rescued.”

  Selena comments in the background, “A very large group.”

  “I don’t know how many more bombs will g
o off but we need to get the innocents out.” No sooner are the words from my mouth than another explosion rocks the building we’ve been squatting against.

  “I’ll check on the team. Stay vigilant. Help is on the way.” The line goes silent.

  “I’m not just going to stand here and wait for whatever comes next. We need to get to those captives. And assure Jose doesn’t escape before he can be apprehended.”

  Thompson is losing blood seemingly by the bucket full. There’s so much covering him and the ground around us, it’s a wonder he’s still on his own two feet. “You need to get to a safe place. Hunker down and wait.”

  “Like hell I will. Jose is mine. This is my retirement and no loss of an eye is going to keep me from getting to the place I’ve spent my whole life working toward.”

  He stumbles as he attempts to rush off. I grasp his arm, and he surprisingly pulls back easily. “I’m fine. You do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

  He must be expecting a huge payout from completing this mission. He’s completely unstable, but determination is apparent in his eyes as he bores down on me with his glare. I shrug my shoulders and move back, allowing the man his passage. He’s got a mission he intends to see to the end, even if he does die trying. I won’t stand in his way.

  Selena stares at the two of us, watching intently as Thompson sneaks away from our position. “You need to get to those hostages, wait with them until help arrives.”

  “They’ll move them soon. If we don’t get them out of here, we may be too late.”

  “What will you have us do?” We scan the surrounding area. There aren’t as many people scurrying about. It happens simultaneously—we spot an empty truck. It has a large bed and could hold a decent number of individuals. “Let’s load some in there. We can at least start the process.”

  “I’ll go round them up. You see if you can drive the truck closer to where they’re being held.” She points to a building located in the very back of the compound. “It’s underground. But they’re in that building. Go to the back, if you can.”

  She heads one way, and I go the other. It’s been a while since I hotwired a vehicle, but it’s one of those things you never forget.

  “What are you doing?” Jose grabs ahold of my shirt, attempting to tug me from the truck I’d climbed in.

  “Getting out of here.” I play dumb and invite him to join me, prying his fingers from my clothes.

  I see him look around, his head shaking to and fro. Stupidly, he proceeds to the passenger side and jumps in. I’ve got a target in my grasp. He’s eagerly joined me without another thought as to what I’m truly capable of. There’s no sign of Selena or Thompson as the vehicle rumbles through the now broken streets. The few people who are ambling around in the rear of the encampment jolt out of our way as I barrel through.

  Smoke billows in the air from multiple locations in front of and behind us. I’m not stunned but am startled to see the building I’m heading toward seems to have flames licking the rooftop. “Why are you stopping here? Get us the hell out!” Jose commands as I put the truck in park.

  “Innocent people are trapped. You may not care, but I do.”

  I’m hoping he’ll climb out of the truck when I do. If I can secure him, there’s one less obstacle to worry about. He doesn’t disappoint me, charging in the direction of the driver’s side.

  I’m on him the moment he’s in front of me, catching him completely by surprise. There’s nothing I have on me that will keep him restrained so he’ll have to be subdued in another way. The maneuver is a simple one, and thankfully he’s unprepared. Within moments, he’s lying on the ground, unconscious. It won’t keep him down for long, so I stumble around the truck and surrounding areas in search of a device I can use.

  There’s a rope wrapped around some packaging on the porch of the home. After it’s unraveled, I use it to bind Jose’s hands and feet, making him look like a stuck pig ready for the spit. When he wakes up, he won’t be able to get far. Rolling would be his only chance of escape.

  I hear Selena’s voice from the back of the building, yelling at the people to hurry. There’s no opportunity for the truck to make it around to the exit. Whatever hit the building and caused the fire along the roof also impacted the dwelling next to it. Large pieces of rubble cover the roadway.

  The first signs of life come from just beyond it. Two little girls, barely visible through the smoke, clinging to each other. After them, a hoard of women, most very young, maybe still children themselves, begin clambering over the debris and through the ashes of the fires surrounding us.

  I run to them, moving as many obstacles out of their way as possible. Some of them shrink from me, others smile even through tear-stained faces and battered bodies. When Selena mentioned a large group, I never imagined how truly large it would be. Not even half the women can fit into the bed of the truck. Some of the smaller ones sit on laps of the others to cram as many as possible into the vehicle.

  “You get them out of here. I’ll stay with the others.”

  “I’m not leaving that many behind.” We both stare into the masses—the multitude of eyes screaming out to us to help them.

  “I don’t like it any more than you but this truck is full. I can look for another…” Multiple explosions in a row, this time following the slow-flying aircraft that passed overhead. The amount of noise in the camp caused us to miss it until it was too late. In the distance, the single-engine prop plane soars further into the sky. A man is partly visible leaning out of an open doorway. My eyes are trained on him as he jumps from the airline, a small chute unfurling immediately. Another leaps right after him, a high-powered rifle spraying bullets as he sways back toward our area.

  Jose shouts from where he lay. “What the fuck is going on?”

  I turn back to see him struggling with his restraints.

  “Let me go!”

  I rotate away from him, ignoring the rants exploding from his mouth, one after the other. “Selena, get this crew to safety. I will watch over the rest.”

  “I’m coming back for them.”

  “No,” I command. Who knows if she’ll listen, but she has the truck in gear heading away from the destruction we’re in the middle of but right toward another section of new flames and debris.

  My heart is pounding as I search the nearest areas for evacuation routes and possible vehicles for transport. Sweat rolls over my back, down my head. The night is cooling down, but the heat rises within the compound. People are screaming, others are rushing around, trying to find their own opportunities to get their shit and get out of here. A man stops a vehicle one hundred yards from me, gets out, and runs up to a semi-burning building. I race toward it—another vehicle to get a few more captives to safety.

  The man doesn’t notice as I drive it away from him. I grab the first few people and usher them in. “Who knows how to drive?” I ask.

  A woman moves forward from the pack. She may be twenty, her brown hair matted to her face with mud and only God knows what else. Her dress is torn in multiple places, but she’s plastered on a semi-grin, her gritty teeth showing in response.

  “I can get us out of here. Please let us take a few more. We will make it work.”

  “Fit as many in as you wish. Then head that way.” I point to the opening nearest us, one that wasn’t there before but has since been blown into existence.

  There are still many women and little girls huddled together, awaiting their own exodus. Two little boys have snuck their way through the group, racing in my direction. “What can we do to help?” the little one, about ten asks. They are both wearing ratty shorts, no shirts, no shoes.

  The other boy is a teenager, barely, and he looks timider than his counterpart, hiding behind him, but towering just above his head. There is no telling what type of torture these kids have gone through or for how long it has been going on. “Help me find another vehicle. Stick together and be careful.”

  I point further back in the compound, uncertain of
what is back there, but seeing there’s at least no smoke coming from that direction. “Don’t be gone long,” I tell them. A girl of about sixteen runs after them. I hear her sweet voice call out over the roaring sounds, telling them she knows how to drive.

  Jose is still bickering from the ground, scooting his way closer to me. I don’t know what comes over me, but I give him a swift kick when I run past, heading to the front of the area. They were loading multiple vehicles up there. I don’t know if there are any still available, but it’s worth a try.

  I move as quickly as my sore body will allow, sweeping slowly around standing buildings and carefully over fallen rubble and people. One of the shipments was hit with a blast, white powder littering everything within fifty feet. There are footprints scattered throughout it, but the people are long gone. All except for one. He’s standing tall directly before me as I ascend through the smoke-covered alleyway.

  “Thought I might find you here.”

  27

  “IT’S TIME TO PICK A SIDE.”

  I wonder if he’s referring to himself and Sanchez or if he knows my true identity.

  There’s no time to truly think it through. He has an automatic rifle pointed straight at me, his finger on the trigger, ready to end my life. Using the momentum I already had, I slide across the sand, as though I were stealing a base. He wasn’t expecting it and loses his footing, but not the gun. The blasts from the barrel ring out overhead.

  Without thought, I scramble to my feet. I’m practically right next to him. All he’d have to do is turn slightly, but he still seems shook up enough from the fall he doesn’t realize. His right arm is raised with the weapon, the left on its way back to the gun for control. I take the opportunity to disarm the man, kicking forcefully at the trigger point. I’ve startled him once more, the rifle skittering over the sand, still firing a couple of rounds off.

  It happens in a matter of seconds but feels like a lifetime has passed. My throat is extremely dry, making swallowing impossible. My voice barely comes out. “I don’t have to choose sides. I was always on the right one.”