by Julia Crane
Without speaking a word, they shut the door and continued down the corridor, staying close to the wall. Someone could have heard the thuds, but noise was common on a huge ship like this, so it would more than likely be overlooked. Regardless, they had to act quickly.
Kaitlyn looked over her shoulder, and Erik gave her the thumbs up.
Fast on their feet, they came towards the end of the narrow walkway. They slowed, pressing themselves against the walls, inching forward. Kaitlyn paused. Several heat sensors lit up her screen.
Muffled voices could be heard.
Holding up four fingers, Kaitlyn indicated the door with a lift of her chin. Erik nodded.
He slid in front of her and knocked on the door. Kaitlyn stayed flat against the wall, out of sight.
“What?”
Erik answered in Russian. “There’s a fire in the hull.”
The door swung open. A huge man stood, looking pissed off and then frowned as he took in Erik’s attire. Before the man had time to react, Erik slammed the web between his thumb and first finger into the man’s throat, striking his larynx and instantly crushing his vocal cords. Wheezing, the large man’s hands flew to his neck. Erik flipped the gun in his hand and slammed the stock into the man’s temple. He dropped like a bag of rocks.
The three remaining men stared, their mouths agape. None of them were armed. Kaitlyn leaned in and fired three quick shots. They were all out cold in seconds. She was almost out of darts, so they would have to be more inventive with their non-lethal methods.
Where the hell is Dasvoik? And the captives?
A creak came from behind. Had she missed someone? Kaitlyn spun on the ball of her feet and raised her gun making her way back towards the hallway. She peered around the corner just in time to see a shadow fall onto the ground from the staircase. Her finger pressed lightly to the trigger. The shadow came to a halt.
Kaitlyn waited.
The muzzle of a machine gun peeked out from the stairwell followed by the top of the man’s head. Kaitlyn’s sensor went from caution to threat. Instantly, she flicked the switch that turned the gun from tranquilizer to lethal.
He fired, spraying the wall.
Not the brightest thing to do on a steel ship, she thought. The bullets ricocheted, creating a fireworks-like effect of flashing light, while the acrid stench of gunpowder floated through the air.
Before he had a chance to retreat, Kaitlyn pulled the trigger. The man spun from the impact to his skull and staggered a moment on his feet before slowly sliding to the floor. The body twitched once before laying still in a pool of blood. Dead.
Kaitlyn filtered past the ringing in her ears, searching out sounds.
Things were about to get interesting. Panicked voices, doors slamming, guns being locked and loaded. They’d lost the element of surprise.
“You ok?” Erik asked.
She studied his face. He showed no outward signs of distress. In fact, he looked completely at ease.
“Peachy.” Kaitlyn smiled to herself at the use of one of Quess’s favorite sayings and crept forward. Briefly, she wondered if she should be affected by the death, but pushed the thought aside. Instinct, training and her programming is what kept them alive. Basic survival was priority. There was no room for remorse.
They moved down the corridor. A large metal door loomed ahead.
Erik approached the door and gave her a quick nod before quickly pulling it open. Kaitlyn charged through the door, gun at the ready.
The room was huge and cloaked in darkness. Rows and rows of shipping containers filled the area. Advancing slowly, they separated, slipping between large containers, searching for any proof that the captives were still on board. But Kaitlyn feared they were too late.
After making a sweep of the large room, Kaitlyn was satisfied the only heat sensors were small rodents. Most likely rats.
They merged back together and continued into the next room.
Kaitlyn titled her head, and Erik followed as she weaved through the cargo. Flattening herself against the metal container, she inhaled sharply, frozen.
Up ahead were rows of large cages. All of them were empty but filled with the scents and traces indicating many, many humans had been crammed inside them. She shuddered, peering into the cells.
It surprised her that she was so affected by the sight.
They were too late. Harrington had been right. Images of the photographs Harrington had shown them flashed before her mind. The haunted, frightened looks on the faces of the young women would be forever etched in her memory.
Worry about that later. Now, she had to focus on finding Vance Dasvoik and making him pay.
They exited the room of cages through a side door. If the captives were gone, then the chance of the target still being on the ship was slim to none, but they had to be certain.
They slipped down the narrow corridor and were almost to the end when they heard the boots echoing. Threats.
Simultaneously, Kaitlyn and Erik spun and pulled the trigger, but not before one of the men fired off a shot. A bullet whizzed past her head and another hit Kaitlyn in the chest. The impact propelled her back a few steps. Regaining her footing, she continued to fire, for once grateful she was mostly robot. She squeezed the trigger and hit one man between the eyes then put a through the other’s right eye socket.
Erik took out three of them. The corridor was littered with bodies and filled with the metallic scent of blood.
Her skin tingled. Someone approached from the opposite end.
Kaitlyn turned and tightened the grip on her pistol.
A bald man held a gun mere inches from Erik’s head. Erik dropped his gun, kicked it across the floor, slowly raising his hands over his head.
Just as Kaitlyn was about to get a shot off, Erik drove his elbow into the crook of the man’s arm. The gun skittered across the floor. Erik grabbed the man’s arm and threw him over his shoulder then slammed him onto the floor. A sickening crack indicated the gunman’s back was broken. He cried out in pain but didn’t move.
Kaitlyn merely nodded her approval, before she flipped the switch and shot a dart into the man.
Two more guards rushed in, startled, but still with enough presence of mind to raise their guns.
They were down before they had a chance to fire their weapons. Erik and Kaitlyn exchanged a glance before moving on. There was still a lot of ground to cover.
Kaitlyn flattened her body against the wall, slowly moving towards the only room at the end of the hallway. Her gun was cocked and ready.
Her thermal heat sensors informed Kaitlyn there were two warm bodies inside the room. One lying horizontal. Could it be Dasvoik? Determination spread through her.
If he was behind this door, she was going to put a bullet in his forehead.
No, that was too kind of a death for a man who inflicted such suffering on others. After seeing the cages in person, she could not allow him to die a quick death. He had to suffer like the captives had. He would pay. And pay dearly.
CHAPTER 19
Kaitlyn entered the room, her steps flowing along the path of least resistance and stayed near the wall. She rapidly scanned her sector until she saw Erik mirroring her actions on the opposite side of the door.
It wasn’t Dasvoik in the room, but an old man seated on a chair, hunched over. He didn’t seem at all surprised when they burst through the door.
“Took you long enough,” he muttered, leaning back his head and closing his eyes.
Kaitlyn’s eyes left the man and zeroed in on the bed. A young girl lay naked, covered in welts, bruises and blood. Her eyes were mere slits from the swelling. If she had once been pretty, that was no longer evident.
“Jesus.” Erik lowered his gun and walked towards the bed.
The girl didn’t even move.
The old man spoke softly. He gently brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. “Aaliyah, the cavalry has come. You’re safe my dear.”
If she heard the man, she didn�
��t acknowledge it.
Kaitlyn turned her gun on the old man. “Where’s Dasvoik?”
He sighed and shook his head. “Long gone. You’ll never find him now. Missed your chance, I’m afraid.”
Oh, they would find him. Kaitlyn had no doubt about that. There was not a rock he could hide under that they would not overturn to find him. She would not rest until he could not harm another human being. And she had nothing but time.
“Tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet through your head?” Erik demanded.
The old man’s watery blue eyes looked up. “I don’t suppose Harrington would be too happy about that.”
Kaitlyn and Erik exchanged a glance. So this was the inside man. Not quite what she’d been expecting.
“Did you tip Dasvoik off?” Kaitlyn asked, taking a step closer to the man. Harrington had been concerned about a mole in the network. As far as she knew, he was the only one on the ground and with direct access to Dasvoik.
“Tip him off? No. Why would I do such a thing? I can’t stand the bastard.”
Erik holstered his gun. “Why were you delayed at the port? And why couldn’t Harrington reach you?”
The old man sighed. “The reason for the delay is lying right beside you.”
Kaitlyn looked at the young girl, confused. What did she have to do with anything?
“Explain,” Erik demanded.
“She was found as last minute cargo. Dasvoik was enjoying himself too much and delayed take off. The man does whatever the hell he wants. He didn’t care that we were docked with illegals in cages. He thinks he’s above the law, and he’s right. Untouchable.”
“He’s not untouchable. The captives were aboard the ship the whole time?” Kaitlyn asked through gritted teeth.
“Yep. He likes to live on the edge. He gets a thrill out of it. He sees life as one big game. And I’m afraid he’s always one step ahead.”
“Where are the captives now? How did he know we were coming?”
The old man shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea.”
Kaitlyn eased forward and placed the muzzle of her gun to the side of his head. “Where. Are. The. Captives?”
His shoulders lifted and fell in a faint shrug. “I was not privy to that information. One minute we were out to sea, and the next Vance was screaming orders to get the passengers off the ship.”
Erik glared at the man. “Last time I will ask. How did he know we were coming?”
“I’m not a rat. I want that monster caught as much as you do. I did my part—don’t blame me for your failure. I have no idea who tipped him off, but it sure as hell wasn’t me.”
Kaitlyn lowered her gun. She sensed he was telling the truth. If it wasn’t him then who in the hell was it?
“Maybe he just got spooked,” the man said, leaning back in his chair.
“No, he wouldn’t have made that drastic of a move if he didn’t have reason to be concerned,” Erik said and Kaitlyn had to agree.
The young girl whimpered. Her body trembled.
“We need to get her to safety,” Kate said quietly.
The old man’s shoulders slouched even lower. “This one’s going to need some psychological help. He did a number on her.”
Erik reached over to pull a sheet over the girl to cover her before leaning over to pick her up in his arms.
The old man reached up and grabbed Erik’s arm, shaking his head. “She doesn’t like the material on her, it sticks to the welts. She needs to be bandaged first.”
Erik hesitated briefly before reaching down and placing his arms under her head and legs. She didn’t fight him. She just lay limply in his arms, shaking like a leaf.
Kate walked forward and looked down at the helpless girl in Erik’s arms. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed the girl’s hair out of her face. The girl recoiled at the touch, and Kate dropped her hand to her side. Her chest felt tight, and her throat burned. She wasn’t sure what to make of the feelings. This broken girl touched her deeply.
Why did she recoil from her touch but not Erik’s? Could she sense what she was?
“It’s going to be okay. No one is ever going to hurt you again,” Kaitlyn said, staring down at the girl’s badly bruised face. “Erik, get her on the helicopter, and take the old man. I’m going to clear the rest of the boat. Wait for me at the evacuation point.”
“You won’t find anything.” The old man struggled to stand up. “Dasvoik never gets caught.”
Kaitlyn turned towards the old man. “Dasvoik does not stand a chance against me.”
The old man chuckled. “Oh, how I wish that was true.”
Kaitlyn touched under her ear and confirmed immediate medical evacuation for the girl and the old man.
Erik went one way, and Kaitlyn went the other.
The old man’s words annoyed her. Of course Dasvoik could be stopped. He was human and made mistakes. They would find him. They would destroy him. She kept thinking about the girl’s broken body as she cleared the rest of the ship. It was large and took quite a while. The old man had been right. No Dasvoik. Not even a trace that he was ever on the boat. At least not to the human eye. She had been able to pick up his DNA in the bedroom. Someone had done an outstanding job cleaning up any traces of him, but they forgot about the ones embedded in the mattress. Not that it mattered. Dasvoik would never face a court of law. She would make sure of that.
Quickly and efficiently, she mentally snapped images of everything in his office and bedroom. There had to be something she was missing. Something that would come to her later as her mind sorted through the data.
Only essential personnel were left on the boat. After seeing the bodies of the guards, the rest of the staff didn’t put up much of a fight. Kaitlyn used flex cuffs and herded them towards the aft of the ship where the helicopter would land. One of the men was quick and jumped off the side of the boat before she could stop him. He was dead as soon as he hit the water.
She looked over the rail. One less they had to worry about.
She radioed in. Harrington replied that they would leave it to the local authorities to take care of the arrest.
Kaitlyn hurried down the ladder and dropped into the boat. Erik sat waiting for her. As they sped across the ocean, her mind raced, filtering all the information she had gathered. She searched for anything to help them with Dasvoik’s whereabouts. There had to be some clue. Where would he go? Obviously, he would be in hiding but where? Dasvoik was arrogant. He wouldn’t stay out of the limelight for too long.
“How’s the girl?” Kaitlyn asked. The wind rushed through her hair, and water sprayed her face. The moon illuminated the water, and Kaitlyn was struck by the beauty. How could there be so much beauty and so much ugliness in the world?
The only sound heard was the water lapping against the boat.
Erik’s grip on the throttle tightened. Kaitlyn could see the tension in his body.
After a long pause, he said, “Fractured.”
Fractured. Kaitlyn thought about the word and realized it fit the girl. She wondered if the pieces would be able to be put back together. The old man said she needed psychological help. Maybe Dr. Chambers could help the girl.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Kaitlyn asked.
Erik was silent for a long moment. “No.”
“Never?” Kaitlyn had researched captive victims when she found out the assignment. Even with the research, she wasn’t prepared for what she’d seen in the young girl. Once, she had been a vital young woman. She knew the mind could only take so much. They could see from her battered and broken body what had been done to her, but they had no idea what had been done to her mind.
“The human mind is resilient,” Kaitlyn argued.
“You didn’t hear her. She was crying for him. Begging me to bring her to him. After what he did to her and she wanted to tell him she was sorry. She sobbed in my arms. She didn’t want to leave the ship in case he came back.”
Kaitlyn
listened to the waves lapping the sides of the small black boat. Erik’s words echoed in her mind. She tried to make sense of them, but there was no logic. How could she want to be with the man that had beat her and did who knew what else to her?
The memory of her own attempted rape flashed in her mind. The feeling of helplessness and fear she had experienced. She watched the scenes flash before her eyes. The moment that changed her life forever.
She would never be the same and neither would the girl they rescued. Kaitlyn’s own life had been taken from her and her body turned into the half human she was today. Kaitlyn knew the young girl had gone through much more than she had. But Kaitlyn had to believe that she would be able to get through it.
“Dr. Chambers will help her,” Kaitlyn finally said.
Erik didn’t look at her. “Some things can’t be fixed.”
The boat approached the hidden cove where they would dispose of the boat until Harrington sent someone to retrieve it.
“Did you find anything to lead us to Dasvoik?” Erik asked.
Kaitlyn jumped off the boat. “I’m not sure. I’m still sifting through the information. There has to be something I saw. He couldn’t have covered his tracks that well.”
“He hasn’t been caught yet,” Erik reminded her. “He’s very good at escape and evasion. Lots of practice.”
“Yes, but we’re better.”
They crouched low and began snaking up the rocky coastline, blending into the darkness. Making there way to the rendezvous point.
CHAPTER 20
Aaliyah woke slowly. Where was she? The bed beneath her was white and soft and she could hear an occasional beeping noise. Through the slits of her eyes, she could see a bright light.
Was she in heaven? She couldn’t feel any pain. She must be in heaven. Smiling, her eyes drifted closed. Her body felt limp as if she were floating on a cloud. Maybe she really was on a cloud. That would be cool.
The door opened. High-heeled shoes clicked across the floor. She heard paper shuffling. Did they have paper in heaven?
A shadow fell over her.