“You are on my shit list,” Kaiya growled, not even out of breath after all the exercise.
“Those dogs need me. What was all this for if not to save them?”
“I told you not to guilt me. When Quinn comes back, I’m going to ask him to replace me on this assignment.”
Vanessa stomped the brakes, her own guilt skyrocketing when Kaiya whipped forward and braced herself against the dashboard before crashing back against the seat. Oops. She hadn’t had a chance to put on her seat belt.
“Sorry.”
Kaiya scowled at her as she yanked the belt over her shoulder and clicked it into place.
“Kaiya, I don’t want you to leave. We’re friends.”
“Well, I thought so. Now, not so much.”
Vanessa gawked at her as she braked at a red light. “Just because I need to take care of sick puppies?”
“No, because you lied to me and deceived me, and now on my second official assignment, I’m going to be disciplined because I disregarded my superior’s orders.”
“Quinn wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, I’ll make sure he knows this is all on me.”
“Won’t matter,” Kaiya insisted. “I was in charge of keeping you at the house. The failure is all on me.”
Misery weighed heavily on her. She didn’t want Kaiya getting in trouble because of her, and she certainly didn’t want to lose her friendship. It was a quick trip to the shelter and then back home. Besides, she was armed, too. What could possibly go wrong?
#
Vanessa realized her mistake the minute they walked into the shelter. It was usually bustling with circus-like activity. Today, it was deathly quiet. Gone were the sounds of ringing phones and animated voices and barking dogs. “Maybe we should go—”
Before she could finish the sentence, a man entered behind them and blocked the exit. Fear rooted her to the spot when she recognized him as one of the men from the night she was captured. She knew she’d seen him before, realizing now she’d noticed him around the shelter but had never officially met him.
Kaiya withdrawing her gun jolted Vanessa from her panic-induced paralysis. She reached for hers. The man smiled.
“Put down the weapons.”
She spun around to see three men aiming their guns at them. She blinked. “Derek?”
He gestured with his pistol. “Weapons down. Now.” She and Kaiya placed them on the floor. “Now kick them over here.”
Using her foot, she slid hers first and then Kaiya’s across the floor. “What’s going on? We’re here to tend to the sick animals. Why are you treating us like criminals?”
“You mean other than the fact that you singlehandedly sabotaged my multi-million-dollar operation?”
Her eyes roamed the shelter. “What are you talking about?” It was nice, but multi-millions? She didn’t think so.
“Your little stunt to save that mutt ended up undoing years of hard work.”
Her jaw dropped to the floor. “You’re the leader of the trafficking ring?” How was that possible? He was well-respected in the community. He came across as caring and friendly, and everyone liked him. How did he manage to hide the ugly, disgusting beast inside him?
Her arms widened to encompass the room. “I thought you saved things, not destroyed them.”
“I could give a shit about the dogs. This is a front, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart,” she ground out, fury making her shake. She’d trusted this man, and it may have cost her and Kaiya their lives.
#
Kaiya scanned the inside of the building, looking for options out of the predicament. Four armed men weren’t great odds, but an opportunity would present itself. She had to be ready to take it. She wouldn’t be able to call Quinn and Gage for backup, but she could notify them of the situation with the others none the wiser.
If she did manage to extract Vanessa from this mess, Quinn would kill her, and she didn’t blame him. She should’ve forced Vanessa to stop the SUV and turn around, but short of shooting her—which she would never do—her options were limited. Vanessa was hard-headed, and she was right in that she wasn’t a prisoner. Kaiya even understood her motivation. The thought of the sick puppies got to her, too, despite her claims of being immune.
The man standing in front of them flanked by two armed bodyguards was attractive with dark brown hair and eyes. But his looks couldn’t hide the evil that radiated from him. He was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and selling of children, and he’d used a shelter as a front. Who would suspect someone who rescued animals of doing something so despicable? It was a nice cover.
She’d detected the change in Vanessa the minute the man walked in the door behind them. Her shock had been tangible. That made Kaiya think he might be the elusive Griff. Her suspicions were confirmed when the man in charge said, “Griff, take that one outside and get rid of her.”
“No,” Vanessa screamed. When she tried to rush forward, one of the men grabbed her and held her back while she struggled.
“It’s okay,” Kaiya told her. She didn’t want Vanessa feeling responsible. Besides, it wasn’t going to be a fair fight.
Griff grabbed her arm and dragged her outside. It was so tempting to break his fingers right now, but she played along. “Could you make sure we’re far enough away from the building so that she doesn’t witness this?”
“I don’t care where I kill you, sweet thing.” He swept a leering gaze down her body. “In fact, I think I’ll enjoy you first. You’d like that, huh?”
She moved in front of him and ran a hand up his chest seductively. The eager look on his face bordered on comical, making her feel a little sorry for him. He wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box, but he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. “Sure, but that man inside said he ran the trafficking ring. You’re so big and strong.” She squeezed his biceps and purred, “You look like the man in charge to me.”
His chest puffed out. “I should be, but Derek calls the shots. He’s my cousin. I’m his second in command, though, so I’ve got plenty of power, baby.”
She wasn’t his baby. Licking her lips, she cooed, “Wow, that’s impressive.” She batted her lashes at him. “How many other people work for him?”
“There aren’t many. Most are worm food now. I took out Dodge a little while ago. He thought he was the leader, but he wasn’t. All that’s left are the two inside with Derek. Oh, and Sherry, but she’s in prison.”
“No one else?”
“Just the people who transport the, uh, goods.” He winked. She detested winkers.
“Who supplied the…goods to you?”
“We had four contractors. Dodge killed one of them a few days ago. Derek killed the others to keep them quiet.”
“Is Derek going to rebuild his empire?”
“What is this, twenty questions? Enough. You ready for a taste of Griff before you die?” He jerked her close, and she almost gagged at the proof of his arousal pressing against her.
“I would like that, Griff, but not nearly as much as I’ll enjoy this.” She shoved her K-Bar to the hilt in his chest and twisted the handle. Griff’s eyes widened to saucers, and his mouth gaped open. No sound came out, but blood did, running in a steady stream down his chin. She grabbed the gun from his lax hand before he crumpled to the dirt. Bending down, she removed her knife and wiped it on his shirt before sliding it back in the holster strapped to her calf. Standing, she used her foot to roll him until he tumbled down a small incline. He’d be out of sight if anyone looked outside.
She started back for the shelter to rescue Vanessa when a sound had her spinning around with Griff’s weapon pointed. It was a vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Emergency personnel had arrived en masse, crowding the street in front of the bank. Crime scene tape secured the area to keep gawkers and lookie-loos at bay. Dean Lodge’s bloody corpse had been covered with a sheet, but that didn’t stop the daring picture-takers or tele
vision cameras from rolling.
Quinn exhaled in frustration. According to Sherry Prichard, Lodge was the one who gave orders, probably at the direction of the person in charge. They were so close to dismantling the ring. Lodge might’ve been able to provide the answers they needed. Now they wouldn’t get the chance to question him.
The only man left that they knew of was Griff. It might be short for Griffin, which could be a first or last name. Sherry had no idea how he came about the moniker. Or maybe his specialty was grifting. They’d been digging but hadn’t been able to figure out his identity. Quinn had met him first on the island and then again when he and Lodge visited the cabin looking for Vanessa. He’d poured over pictures of local law enforcement and firefighters, but Griff hadn’t been among them. They’d been hoping Lodge could fill in the necessary blanks.
The sniper had ghosted by the time Gage made it to the roof where he set up shop and found his hide site. Forensic teams were up there now, combing the area for shell casings and evidence.
Quinn’s arm vibrated. He and Gage checked their watches at the same time.
Gage looked up at him in alarm. “It’s Kaiya.” She’d activated her agent-in-distress alert.
Quinn’s heart pounded. Cayleigh and the others could handle the cleanup. She’d called in the FBI, and they’d be here any minute. He needed to get to Vanessa.
“Cayleigh, we need to run.”
“Wait, my boss wants to talk to you.”
“Sorry, it’s an emergency.”
“Call and let me know what’s going on,” she yelled to their retreating forms as they took off for the Escalade. Both of their phones chimed simultaneously. Quinn let the office know he and Gage were on it.
Kilo jumped to his feet, his tail wagging when he spotted them. His excitement quickly turned to focus when he picked up on the alarm pheromones rolling off Quinn and Gage.
Quinn vaulted into the driver’s seat and started the engine while Gage pulled up Kaiya’s tracker on the dashboard computer. “They’re not at the safe house, but they’re not far from here.”
“Guide me there.” Quinn shifted into gear and maneuvered around the emergency vehicles blocking the area. At one point, he jumped the curb and drove along the sidewalk to avoid an idling ambulance. When they were clear, he floored the accelerator, following Gage’s instructions. He was glad most of the cops in town were covering Lodge’s murder since he was breaking several traffic laws. He gave Gage props for not screaming when he took a corner on two wheels, or when he ran a red light, or when he swerved to avoid a stopped delivery truck.
“Turn here.”
Quinn jerked the wheel and bumped onto a blacktopped driveway. The sign read Safe Haven Shelter. It sat on the edge of the woods where the bombed-out cabin used to stand. “This is where Vanessa takes the dogs she rescues.”
A figure darted out, and Quinn slammed the brakes, the backend fishtailing. Kaiya. His heart stuttered before picking back up in triple time. Where was Vanessa?
#
Tears blurred Vanessa’s vision, and pain knifed her heart. She hadn’t been able to stop the man from dragging Kaiya outside, and now he would kill her. Kaiya’s death was on her hands. It would leave a mark on her soul that would never heal. Kaiya tried to talk her out of leaving the house, but Vanessa had been her typical hard-headed, single-minded self, ignoring logic and reasoning. Now a good woman was dead because of her.
“Let’s go,” Derek ordered as he grabbed her arm.
She jerked from his grip. “Don’t touch me.”
The blow was unexpected, knocking her to her knees. Stars exploded behind her closed lids, and she gasped for breath. She’d never been struck so hard in her life. Her cheek throbbed mercilessly. Lifting a shaking hand to her face, she gingerly touched the spot. She wouldn’t be surprised to find her cheekbone shattered.
“Shut your mouth and do as I say, or I won’t hold back next time.”
Derek roughly jerked her to her feet, ignoring her cry of pain. With a punishing grip on her arm, he hauled her down a set of stairs. She struggled to navigate the treads with tears obscuring her vision and her cheek already ballooning to twice its size.
Having never been in this part of the shelter, she had no idea where they were headed. It turned out to be a basement used for storage. Several bins lined one wall, and cages were stacked haphazardly in a corner. Shelves held supplies from toilet paper to industrial cleaner. But what caught her eye was a video camera facing a white screen, and three syringes placed side by side on a metal cart.
“What is this?”
“Since you ruined my operation, I’m ruining your life. Not only did you force me to blow up the perfectly designed operations center in the bunker, but most of my crew has been either killed or arrested. Now, I could just shoot you, but what fun is there in that? This way, I’ll know you’ve suffered for your perfidy.”
“I thought we were friends, Derek. I trusted you with the dogs. Don’t you care about them?”
“Not even a little bit.” He waved a hand, indicating the space. “This is just a front. I needed a legit business to integrate myself into the community. What better way than to champion sad, neglected animals. People eat that shit up and open their wallets. I launder money through here, too. Added bonus.” He bared his teeth in a wolf’s grin. “If we weren’t pressed for time, I’d take you outside and show you the incinerator where I tossed all those mutts you brought to me.”
She gaped at him in horror. “You killed them?” Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
“Every single one.”
Dizziness assailed her, and she stumbled back. Oh, God, he was a monster. Worse. The devil. His eyes were as dead as his soul. “I trusted you.”
“That was your first mistake.”
One of so, so many.
“They’ll talk, you know. The ones who’ve been arrested will trade your name for leniency.”
He jerked her closer until she gagged at his coffee-scented breath. “Sweetheart, they don’t know my name. They have no idea who pays the bills. Only Griff and these two.” He motioned to the other men in the room. “We’re all that’s left. The others are dead, or they will be when I arrange for them to meet their demise in jail. I’ll rebuild somewhere else, bigger and better than ever. Maybe somewhere warm, like the Florida Keys. I hate the damn snow.”
“Hey boss, check this out.”
One of the men walked over and held out his cell phone. A video played, and Vanessa recognized Agent Copeland escorting a tall red-headed man. Dean Lodge. He’d shaved his bushy beard. She drew in a sharp breath when his head jerked back, and he plummeted to the ground.
The man moved the phone away as Derek nodded in satisfaction. “Remind me to tell Griff nice shot.”
A man had been violently executed, and he was gloating. How had she never detected the malice that festered below the surface?
“Hey boss, speaking of Griff, shouldn’t he be back by now?”
Derek shrugged a shoulder. “The chick was a looker. I’m sure he’s enjoying her ample charms before he offs her.”
“Lucky bastard,” the man grumbled, and Vanessa struggled not to throw up. She couldn’t think about Kaiya, or she’d lose it. She needed to figure a way out of the mess, and then she could mourn her friend and weep buckets.
“Why, Derek? Why are you doing this?”
“Were you not listening? You destroyed my business—”
“No,” she interrupted. “Why are you selling young girls? It’s immoral.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s not only girls. Some buyers like boys. As for the why? Money, baby. It makes the world go around and around.”
“How do you live with yourself?”
“Quite easily, actually. Now, are you going to be a good girl and strip, or am I going to have to do it for you?”
“Are you crazy? I’m not taking off my clothes,” she scoffed.
“Oh, but I think you are. I’ve already lined up
a buyer for you, but he likes to see the merchandise before he commits.” He chuckled evilly. “He’s a sadistic bastard. He’ll have fun breaking you.”
She’d die first. Her eyes lit on a pair of scissors on the tray with the syringes. Derek hadn’t tied her hands. If she could grab them, she could plunge them into his throat. The two brutes would no doubt kill her, but she’d take Derek out with her, sending him back to hell where he belonged. He needed to be wiped from this earth. He was evil incarnate.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Quinn slammed the SUV into park and jumped out to meet Kaiya with Kilo on his heels. “Are you hurt?”
She glanced down at the blood on her shirt. “No, it’s not mine.”
“Where’s Vanessa?”
“Inside the shelter. The man who runs it is the head of the trafficking ring. Derek Newman. One man is down in the bushes. Griff.” She pointed to the area. “There are two other armed guards inside with Vanessa and Newman. I need a weapon. They confiscated mine.” She indicated the gun in her hand. “I don’t want to use Griff’s in case it’s got blood on it.” Meaning he’d used it in a crime before.
Quinn handed her a Sig Sauer and placed the other gun inside a compartment in his SUV while Gage distributed comm units.
“Griff admitted to killing Dean Lodge earlier,” Kaiya told them.
“We figured they were cleaning up loose ends,” Gage said.
Quinn called Cayleigh to bring her up to speed. “Derek Newman, the owner of the Safe Haven Animal Shelter, is the ringleader. He’s holding Vanessa inside the building.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Don’t come in hot. We don’t know the situation, and I don’t want sirens spooking Newman into making a drastic move.”
“Got it.”
He disconnected and slid the phone into his pocket. “Let’s roll.”
Quinn took the lead, running to the shelter's front door with Kilo while Gage and Kaiya took up positions by windows. He peered inside. The entryway and reception areas were empty. “Clear.”
Worth the Risk (COBRA Securities Book 21) Page 21