Cory's Shift
Page 19
Chen said, “We’re going to get moving. Rest up and keep it down. I don’t want to hear you.” He went up front and sat in the passenger’s seat.
The RV lurched forward. Jesus was fanning a pack of bills. Cory whispered, “It’s not enough. We should be getting ten times the amount.”
“This is a lot of money.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Are you crazy?”
“When I first heard about doing this, I thought it was life-changing, you know. But then I read in an American paper, they said paying people for organs was taking advantage of the poor.”
“Maybe it is, but they never lived like we did. They know nothing of the fear, the poverty, the suffering we endure. What do they say about that?”
Cory shrugged. “We should pray for those in need.”
“Praying to God is good, but sometimes we can’t rely only on prayer, we need to act. Be an instrument of God in our own lives.”
“God gave us free will. Let us pray that we use it well.”
“Amen. I need to get some sleep.”
“Me too.”
Closing his eyes, Cory thought about free will. He wondered if being thousands of miles away on an RV with migrants qualified as using it well. He was sure his wife wouldn’t think so.
The RV rocked after stopping. Chen came into the back and took the tray of blood out of the fridge.
“Where are we?”
“Shut up and mind your business.”
Cory peeked out the window. They were in the parking lot of the San Antonio Strip Mall. He saw Chen disappearing into a Quest Laboratory with the blood. He caught himself wishing he had an infection of some kind.
It was hard to predict what Black would do in this situation, but Cory was sure that relying on wishes and hope weren’t on the list. They were in San Antonio. If they tag-teamed the drive, they’d be in the New York metro area in a little over a day.
Cory was here to end the illegal operation, putting those responsible behind bars. Without Ava’s fear that they’d get her again, she could resume her old life.
He was so close to the goal, but without the GPS to bring help, what could he do?
Chen stepped back on board. Cory realized if he couldn’t come up with a plan, the only way to save himself would be to get off the RV when it made a stop.
Chapter Fifty-Three
The three men were sitting at the kitchen table playing cards. Cory had no interest in distractions. He had to figure a way out of the mess he had gotten himself into.
The RV slowed and Cory peeked out the blinds. They were on an exit ramp heading for the Meridian, Mississippi rest area. There were going to be other stops for gas, but at the last one, in Baton Rouge, Chen had stood by the door as they fueled.
Cory dug into the manila envelope of cash and pulled a few bills out of a bundle. He closed the envelope and motioned to Jesus. He whispered, “Here, hold this for me.”
“Where you going?”
He handed him the manila envelope of cash. “Nowhere. Just hang on to it in case something happens to me.”
“What are you talking about? What’s going to happen?”
“If I don’t make it through the operation or something.”
“Nothing is going to happen. God is watching over you.”
“I know, but you never know.” Cory stood. “Go back to playing cards.”
The RV pulled past the service building into the fueling area. Cory figured if flight departure times aligned, he’d be with his family in under twelve hours.
The RV pulled up to a pump and Chen hopped out. Cory grabbed his Bible and, keeping his eye on the driver, went to the side door. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the doorknob. He pushed the door open.
Chen said, “What the hell are you doing? Get back inside.”
“Uh, just wanted to get some fresh air.”
Chen took a step forward and pulled his jacket to the side. Cory eyed the gun tucked in his band and leaned back. “Take it easy. I’m just feeling cooped up.”
“I said get back inside!”
Cory closed the door, bumping into Jesus when he turned around. “Sorry.”
“What are you doing?”
Cory whispered, “Chen has a gun.”
Jesus shrugged. “It’s normal. These guys deal with the cartels and coyotes.”
“I guess so.”
Jesus handed him back the money. “You were trying to leave.”
“I don’t know what I was looking to do. I’m confused, that’s all.”
“Pray on it. God will tell you what to do.”
Cory smiled. “You’re right. I’m going to do that. Go back to playing.”
He sat down, swiveling the chair so he faced the front. Cory wanted Chen to see him praying. Cory opened the Bible and silently moved his lips.
Chen slammed the door after climbing back in the passenger seat. Cory looked up. Chen was staring at him. Cory smiled at him and went back to the Bible.
Chen walked over. “Preacher man, you a wise guy too?”
“Me? No. Not at all.”
Chen stepped closer. Cory could smell coffee on his breath as he leaned over. “You better watch yourself.”
“I don’t want no problems.”
Chen stepped on the instep of Cory’s foot.
“Ow!”
Chen smiled and walked away.
Cory closed his eyes and concentrated on what to do. If an opportunity to run presented itself, he was going to take it. He thought about pulling his gun on Chen and the driver. The odds that the driver was armed were high.
He was sure that both had more experience with guns than he did. It was a huge disadvantage. Besides Jesus, he couldn’t predict how the others would react.
Unless a situation where he could surprise them surfaced, using the gun in the Bible was too risky. He could end up dead.
He thought about the journey north. Maybe the RV would break down or get into an accident. Or someone could get so ill they had to make an emergency stop. Cory realized how pathetic it was hoping something would happen.
It was up to him. Black didn’t know where he was, and he had no way to call for help. Cory was alone.
Change always brought opportunity. During the ride to New York, the scenery and weather would change, but that was it. Until they arrived, he’d be on the lookout but didn’t expect an opening to exploit.
He focused on the information Black had given on the transfer point. His contacts said they used a large warehouse to unload the migrants off the RV. They’d undergo testing before being put onto the vehicles where the transplants were done.
Cory couldn’t imagine an opportunity to run at their destination. There would be more gang members, and the handoff was likely taking place in a secure location.
He tried to envision what the surgi unit looked like. He’d heard there were forward and rear areas where the operations took place. What about the recipients? Were they already on board, or would they meet up elsewhere?
There were too many questions, and the words of Black, that knowing every detail eliminated risk, haunted him. He also heard his crooked lawyer, Tower, saying you didn’t walk into a courtroom unless you knew what the outcome was going to be.
It was too late to learn more. Was it too late to save himself?
Chapter Fifty-Four
Cory looked at the migrants playing cards. They seemed relaxed. How could they enjoy themselves facing a surgery that could kill them?
Was it the cash that fogged their minds? They were poverty-stricken, looking for a new start, but Cory couldn’t understand not being scared of what lay ahead.
He realized their ignorance presented an opportunity. He’d wait until they ate and settled down for the night.
The men had eaten with gusto again. Dinner was another protein-and-vegetable-filled meal. Chen dished out handfuls of supplements, and they washed it all down with a vitamin-filled drink.
“Hope you enjoyed th
at meal. It’ll be the last time you eat until after the operation.”
They sat around watching a Telemundo game show mirroring The Price is Right. Cory raised the volume and whispered to Jesus, “Listen, I’m getting scared. I don’t know if I can go through with this.”
“The transplant?”
“Yeah. It’s too risky. I don’t want to die.”
“You won’t. We know many people who donated, and everyone is okay.”
“They never tell you about the ones that go wrong.”
“I guess so. But what do you want to do?”
“I prayed on it, and I think we should take off. Get away from these people.”
“But we need the money for a new life.”
“We take the money and run.”
“But that would be stealing.”
“Not really. These people are trying to take advantage of us. Maybe God put us here so we could help ourselves.”
“I don’t understand.”
“This is dangerous for all of us. What I’m saying is, why not take off before anybody gets hurt?”
“How can we do that? You said Chen is armed.”
“There are four of us. We can overpower them.”
“But he has a gun.”
“I don’t think it’ll come to that. If we stick together, what are they going to do? They got to let us go.”
“Look, I’ll do whatever everybody else wants to do. If they say okay, I’ll go with it. Talk to them.”
“All right, but my Spanish isn’t the best. Can you translate for me?”
“Yes, but my English is worse than your Spanish.”
He was right, but Cory felt it would help if Jesus made the case.
“Let’s do it now.”
Jesus asked the men to gather and told them about Cory’s plan to run.
The migrants looked at each other and Oro said, “But if we run, we don’t get the other money. And where are we going to go?”
Tavio said, “Yeah, and how do you know they won’t shoot us or track us down?”
Cory said, “What they’re doing is illegal. They can’t take the chance of hurting any of us or trying to find us.”
“We need the other twenty thousand. I got to pay the coyotes to bring my wife and baby here.”
As soon as he said it, Cory regretted it. “I’ll get you the money.”
Tavio said, “How you going to do that?”
“I don’t know, I’ll find a way.”
“Yeah, right. You’re just scared, man.”
“That’s true. I’m afraid to die, and you should be too.”
“What’s the matter, your God ain’t going to protect you?”
“Just forget it, okay?”
The two migrants shook their heads and began whispering to each other.
Jesus said, “Sorry.”
Cory felt Jesus was a good man. “It’s okay. Tell them not to say anything.”
“They won’t.”
“I hope not.”
“Don’t worry.”
* * *
Cory heard a creak before feeling the heat of a migrant’s breath. He opened his eyes. “What do you want?”
Tavio said, “Your money.”
Cory sat up. There were two of them. “Leave me alone.”
“You don’t pay, we tell Chen you tried to get us to run out on them.”
“Come on, man. You got to be kidding.”
“This is no joke. You pay or we tell Chen.”
“It’ll be your word against mine.”
“Yeah? You were the one opening the door at the rest stop.”
“Screw you. I just wanted some fresh air.”
“You think we’re playing around? Just try us.”
“Get out of my face.”
“You don’t pay by the time we get there, I’ll rat your ass out.”
Cory considered handing over the twenty grand. He had taken a few hundred out, enough to get him home, when an opening to run presented itself.
But he knew if he caved into the bullying, they’d be back. Who knew what they’d demand next? Cory quickly discounted paying them and asking for their help in exchange. Black had drilled in limiting the number of people who knew any plan.
He forced the new complication out of his mind and concentrated on observing his breathing. A few minutes later, he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Cory woke up. Jesus was filling the coffee machine with water. Cory tiptoed over. He put a finger to his lips. “Jesus, these two are threatening me.”
“What? Why?”
“Said if I didn’t give them the down-payment money, they’d tell Chen I wanted us to run.”
“That’s terrible. They won’t do that.”
“I can’t take a chance. Chen might kill me.”
“You think so?”
“These guys are bad. You know they kidnapped some kids that had Down Syndrome and took organs from them.”
“That’s disgusting. Are you sure? Where did you hear that?”
“Uh, somebody told me they saw it on the computer when I was thinking of doing this.”
“These are bad people. You have to be careful, maybe I can talk to them.”
“Don’t say anything. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yeah, let me tell you.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
Cory reinserted the anal capsule, washed up, and came out of the bathroom. Tavio stopped him. “You better pay.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Don’t bullshit me. We all got the down payment.”
“I gave mine to Jesus.”
“What?”
“Ask Jesus. I owed him money and paid it off.”
“Hey, Jesus. Get over here.”
Jesus said, “What’s up?”
“He said you got his money.”
“It’s my money. He owed me. I fronted the money for the coyote, and he paid me back.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It’s true. I got mugged and didn’t have the money to pay to get across the border.”
“Don’t screw with me, man.”
“I’m not. Jesus backed me up.”
He shook his head and walked away. “You better sleep with one eye open.”
Chen stepped into the galley. “What’s going on over here?”
Cory said, “Nothing. Just a little argument that started last night over the card game.”
Jesus said, “Yeah, Tavio accused Chester of cheating. It didn’t happen. He’s a sore loser.”
“I don’t want no fighting, you hear?”
“No problem.”
“You too, Tavio.”
Tavio nodded.
Chen went back up front and Cory whispered, “Thanks, Jesus. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I’ll hold the money till this is over.”
“No, it’s yours.”
“No way.”
Cory put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s yours. I’m good with the money we’ll get later. Plus, I got family to lean on in the States.”
* * *
Traffic built up as the RV made its way across the Pennsylvania border into New Jersey. Cory had settled on taking the drugs they would use to put them to sleep and instead use them to subdue Chen and the others if needed. He’d find a way to get some when they boarded the surgical RV.
He was debating whether to ask Jesus for help, when they pulled off the turnpike to get gas. The driver got out and went to a pump. Chen got out of the passenger seat and came into the galley.
Chen said, “We’re going to arrive soon. Time is tight. Get off fast and do what they tell you.”
Oro said, “Where we going?”
“Don’t you worry about the where or what.”
“But—”
“Just do what you’re told, and you’ll get the rest of the money.” He pulled his gun out, waving it in Cory’s face. “If not, it ain’t going to end well for you, preacher ma
n.”
The driver got behind the wheel. As he pulled away, he got a call. He spoke two sentences in Chinese. He hung up and bantered with Chen as he merged onto the turnpike.
Fifteen minutes later, the RV slowed. Cory lifted the blinds. They were getting off at Exit Eight. He saw an access road for a state police station. Help was close, but there was no way to get it.
The exit sign said it was for Jamesburg and Cranbury. Cory didn’t know anything about the area except it was filled with distribution centers for the largest retailers in the country. His buddy Donny worked at a massive Barnes and Noble warehouse before the company lost its footing.
It made sense. Black said the operation used a warehouse that the RV could drive inside of. The vehicle paid the toll and turned onto a road lined with warehouses that stretched out of sight.
After riding a couple of miles beside tractor trailers, the RV turned into a parking lot filled with cars. Seeing protective coverings, Cory figured a car dealership was using it to store their new inventory.
They drove along the long front of the building, turning left. The side of the building had twenty loading bays. All empty.
Slowing, the RV turned. Crawling, it climbed up a ramp. They were going inside the warehouse. For a second, Cory wondered what the person scheduled to get a section of his liver looked like. Was he a male? Younger or older?
The RV rolled to a stop and Chen said, “Get up. We’re here.”
Bible in hand, Cory stood. Their bluster gone, Oro and Tavio were slow to get up. The apprehension in their faces was clear to Cory.
Chen opened the door. “Come on, damn it! Get moving.”
Chapter Fifty-Six
A rush of dampness hit Cory as he stepped off the RV. His eyes adjusted to the grayness of the cavernous space. Three men in dark suits were standing outside an office area.
An Asian man in granny glasses approached. “Name?”
“Uh, Chester Musa.”
“Welcome. What’s that?”
“My Bible.”
Chen said, “Musa’s one of those holy rollers. Prayed the whole way here.”
“It’s the only way I can get through all this.”