Eloi’s gun was drawn as Pierre jumped out of the car. “What’s going on? Is she in there?” he asked frantically. Eloi placed his revolver into his holster and walked toward Pierre.
“We’re not sure. You shouldn’t be here right now. We have things under control and we’ll inform you the second we know if she’s in there.”
“I want to help. I need to know if she’s okay, Eloi.”
“I understand. Just stay back and let your brother and his team do their thing.”
Eloi pointed to a large truck and told Pierre he could hear what was going on in there through the mikes that Michael and his men were wearing. They both walked toward it and entered.
“Okay, the front is all clear, perimeter clear. No traps, no wires,” Michael whispered and they could hear him over the speaker.
“What does he mean wires?” Pierre asked.
“They’re secret service guys, used to bombs and traps by the bad guys. They’re being thorough, and I’m sure glad they’re in there because we don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Eloi stated.
“Kitchen, front living room all clear. Heading to the second floor,” Michael told them, and Eloi could just imagine how intense Michael felt. He was headed toward the unexpected. Eloi hoped that Mikayla was safe.
“Three bedrooms. I’ve got the far right. Hallway window, side closet all clear.”
“All clear,” they heard the other agents say about the other rooms.
“Last room to check. Let’s do this,” Michael said and there was silence and the sound of Michael’s voice.
“Oh hell!”
It took several minutes before there was any indication to what was going on. Eloi waited for Michael and his team to clear the house before letting them inside. When he finally heard Michael’s voice, he released a sigh.
“Mikayla’s not here but Lukon is. He’s beaten and unconscious. I don’t know what the fuck is going on,” Michael stated.
Eloi and Pierre rushed inside.
* * * *
“We have her but we can’t leave on the boat yet.”
“You got her? She’s with you right now?” Bennitto asked Enrique Vergos.
“Yes. There’s a situation down by the marina. There are police walking around, and it looks like some sort of warrant arrest or something. I don’t want to take a chance of one of these cops spotting us.”
“I understand. I am certain she is not cooperating,” Bennitto replied.
“I drugged her immediately. She’s out cold and should be for hours. When she wakes up, we’ll be in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.”
“Very good. I will wait to hear from you once you’re closer to Havana.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mikayla could hear the conversation, but her head was so foggy and she felt entirely too tired to move, never mind speak. Something was wrong and she thought of Douglas. He would be so worried about her and where she was and who did that deep Spanish voice belong to? What was going on anyway? She drifted off into sleep.
* * * *
Michael was pacing the hallway outside of the hospital room where Vincent Lukon lay out cold still. The damn doctors wouldn’t give him anything to force the fucker to wake up because they were concerned about the swelling in his head from an injury. They weren’t sure the prick would ever wake up. For all they knew he could wind up in a coma, and that was where he would heal best. Well, Michael didn’t give a shit if he lived or died. He wanted to know what happened to Mikayla.
“I don’t believe this. I can’t believe they won’t try to give him something to wake him up, just so we can find out if he knows anything. It’s like she fucking disappeared, Michael. That’s not like her. Her sisters even said so. I don’t like this one bit,” Pierre stated.
“I don’t like it either,” Douglas added as he joined the conversation.
“I saw what he looks like, and the injury to his head isn’t that bad at all. That doctor is a fucking sissy that plays only by the rules and doesn’t like police. He told the security team they needed to leave the hallway because they were bothering other patients and making them nervous. I think he was nervous because he knows that his shit stinks,” Douglas added.
“Yeah well, I tried talking with Antoine again. He’s working his magic now. I hope he can pull some strings and do something,” Michael added.
Just then Antoine and two other doctors exited from the elevator and started walking toward them.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Michael asked.
“I brought along Dr. Watkins and Dr. Stewart as witnesses so no one thinks that I tampered with anything or forced Lukon to talk before he was ready. They’re my insurance policy,” Antoine said then opened the door to Lukon’s room. As they entered, they were surprised to see Lukon wide awake.
“Hey, he’s awake!” Dr. Stewart stated, but Lukon closed his eyes and played possum.
“Too fucking late for that, asshole. We can see the half-eaten container of Jell-O and the cup of water is nearly finished,” Michael stated as he took position beside the bed.
The room filled with other CIA agents along with Eloi and Deputy Rue.
Slowly Lukon opened his eyes.
“I’m so tired and my head really hurts,” he whispered. Michael thought he was just playing it up for sympathy and to buy time.
“Where is Mikayla Aubert?” Michael asked firmly. Lukon shot a look at Michael then at Pierre.
“Beats the fuck out of me.”
“We know that you know where she is. You tried to assault her and she broke your nose,” Eloi stated.
“That’s not how it went down. I found her with another man, and she and I were intimate. She’s a fucking whore that’s all,” Lukon stated smugly until Pierre stepped forward, but Michael stopped him from tearing Lukon apart.
“I don’t think so, Lukon. So who tied you up and gave you a beating?” Michael asked.
“It wasn’t that whore tramp you’re all fucking!”
This time it was Antoine who grabbed Lukon by the hospital gown and pulled him up so they were face-to-face.
“Listen to me and listen to me good, asshole. You either tell me where my fucking woman is, or I’m going to fill you with so much shit you won’t know if you’re flying high or dying fast. You better think long and hard about fighting four men who are in love with their woman. Now tell us where she is and I won’t schedule an emergency fucking surgery right now.”
“I swear I don’t know where she is. Okay, I swear it really. These Spanish guys grabbed me last night and put a beating on me. I thought maybe I had done something to one of their sisters or something. ’Cause, ya know I love Latino women and—”
Antoine gave Lukon’s neck a quick jerk.
“Okay, they were Spanish, kept talking in Spanish and I don’t know any more, but I did hear Mikayla’s name and also an Enrique something. It was Spanish.”
“Enrique Vergos?” Douglas asked, and Lukon nodded his head rapidly.
“Fuck!” Michael stated.
“What? What does this mean?” Eloi asked.
“It means that Bennitto Flores is alive and well, seeking revenge, and Mikayla is headed to him as we speak. We need to move,” Michael stated, and they all left the room.
Chapter 14
Douglas was in awe as he watched Michael arrange everything to stop Enrique Vergos from getting into international waters. But through their sources in the CIA, they found out that a large importing ship owned by Enrique had set sail three hours ago. They needed to move quickly. This information took over an hour to get which meant that the ship had set sail a few hours ago.
“What’s left to do before we head out?” Douglas asked as Michael approached. Following him were Pierre, Antoine, and some CIA agents. Before Michael could respond they all turned to see a black extra-wide diesel-engine pickup truck pull up. The doors opened and Remi, Marcel, Julien, and Louis got out. They were armed and all dressed in black military fatigues. Douglas swallowed t
he lump of pride and respect he felt. They were there to help. They all had military experience, and they were ready to step into action to help. They approached, shaking everyone’s hands until Michael cleared his throat.
* * * *
“My brothers and I appreciate you coming out here and offering your professional assistance. I’m not sure how this is going to go down to be honest with you. There’s some red tape we may or may not have to follow. It really depends.”
“On what?” Julien asked.
“On whether or not we can catch the men that took Mikayla before they head into international waters. Once we can pinpoint their direction and take a guess as to where they’re headed, we should know where we stand.”
“What are you not saying, Michael?” Antoine asked.
“If our government labels her a hostage, there’s procedures that must be followed. Right now, I really don’t give a shit about any procedures or red tape. My good buddies here”—Michael nodded his head toward three of his fellow CIA agents, who smiled and nodded their heads toward the other men—“were nice enough to volunteer to be our information resources. That means they’ll use whatever tools they can to track that ship that has Mikayla on it and identify the location under the radar. No matter where they take her, I’m going in. I wouldn’t ask any of you to risk your lives to help us save our woman. This is dangerous and you have your own women at home waiting and worrying.”
“Michael, we’re family, whether we marry our women and make it official or not. We’re here to help because we’re friends and you crazy sons of bitches would be there for us just the same. So let’s get moving and tell us your plan of attack,” Remi stated.
Michael smiled. “Okay then. Jimmy here has a brother in the US coast guard who just happens to be out in the Gulf of Mexico as we speak. He’s been in contact with him for the past twenty minutes. They are tracking down the boat. Although they have no right to engage the captain of that boat, they are going to pull some strings to make something up so they can get on board. If they do, then they’ll search the boat and hopefully find Mikayla and take it from there. We’re going to head out as soon as the location is confirmed.”
“We brought our passports just in case,” Julien stated.
“Yeah, if that fucker Flores is involved with this, maybe we can catch him and bring him back to the US to be charged for his numerous crimes,” Louis added.
“I’ve been searching these last few months and haven’t come close to finding his hideout. Bryant Vergos was working for him, and he’s in jail,” Michael stated.
“Hey, Michael, Vergos is in jail for murder charges and assault charges. What if one of us goes over and questions him about his cousin’s relationship with Vergos?” one of the CIA agents suggested.
“You really think he’d rat out his own brother?” Julien asked.
“For a plea bargain of some kind maybe. It’s worth the shot.”
“Then go for it. Let me know immediately what you find out,” Michael told his friend.
Jimmy’s cell phone rang, and he answered it then waved at Michael.
“That must be Jimmy’s brother who’s in the coast guard,” Michael stated.
They listened in as Jimmy took the call.
* * * *
Enrique looked at Mikayla. She was out cold but kept moaning different men’s names. He could hear the rotors of the helicopter just above on the upper deck of the yacht. He needed to hurry before the coast guard caught sight of them.
He lifted Mikayla up and into his arms then carried her upstairs to the helicopter. It was probably better that she was unconscious. The helicopter was small and could only seat four including the pilot. Her hair blew around them as he carried her closer. The copilot took her into his arms and then let Enrique get into the helicopter first. Then he passed an unconscious Mikayla back to him. He closed the doors and then they took off.
“We should arrive at the airport in about twenty minutes, sir. The plane is fully fueled and prepared to take off at your command,” the pilot stated through his mouthpiece. Enrique spoke back to him through his own headset and mouthpiece.
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
He looked down at Mikayla who lay across his lap. She was definitely a beautiful woman, but he didn’t think she was worth all of this. Bennitto must have really liked the pictures he had sent him weeks ago. It appeared that Mikayla had become Bennitto’s new obsession. He shook his head then glanced at his watch. His new home and a new life in Havana waited, filled with wealth and security.
* * * *
It had been thirty minutes since Jimmy’s brother in the coast guard called and said that they spotted a ship similar to the description given by the Louisiana State Police. Michael glanced at his watch again then looked at Pierre.
“How fucking long does it take to stop a ship and search it?” Pierre asked in frustration.
“It takes time. Let’s go over what we do next,” Julien stated.
“Well, first of all, if they find Mikayla and she’s with the coast guard, then we make plans to meet up with them and get our woman. If they don’t find her, then we hope that we can pick up their trail and the route to where they’re headed. That’s where my guys in the CIA come into the picture.”
“Michael, they searched the boat. It’s the right one and they found a woman’s purple sweater. My brother has his crew questioning the men on the boat. He said that Enrique is not there. The coast guard radioed in to their headquarters, and there was a helicopter circling the area around the ship about forty minutes ago,” Jimmy stated.
“So they think this helicopter took her somewhere else?” Michael asked.
“I’m still working on it. I’ve got my brother making some inquiries on his end to see if they can identify the flight pattern for the helicopter. You know a pilot can’t just fly around wherever they want. They have to keep the tower aware of their location in case of emergency,” Jimmy replied.
“Great. Do you think we’ll need to do anything to push that info along?” Pierre asked his brother.
“No. Let the coast guard inquire. Let’s see if we can get a direction,” Michael responded.
Just then Michael’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID.
“Fuck!” he stated out loud.
“What’s wrong?” Pierre asked.
“It’s my boss.”
Michael swallowed hard. His division chief was a tough man and totally played by the book. There was no way he would allow Michael to use the CIA resources. The Flores case belonged to the FBI and Agents Mertoff and Barkley.
“Hello, sir,” Michael stated, answering the phone and taking a deep breath.
“Agent Fromm, is there any particular reason that the US Coast Guard is trying to track the location of a boat by your command and authority?”
“Well yes, sir. We believe that Enrique Vergos is in contact with Bennitto Flores, a well-known murderer and drug lord, and on his way to his hideout location.”
His division chief, Alan Quinn, raised his voice.
“And you have this knowledge how, Agent Fromm, and by what means?”
“Well, sir, my girlfriend has been abducted by Vergos.”
“What? Oh my God. You know this for sure?”
“Yes, sir,” Michael stated then began to fill his boss in on what was happening.
“Well, Agent Fromm, you do what needs to be done. May I suggest notifying the FBI agents involved with the Flores case and letting them know your plan of attack. They can be of assistance, and word is that Senator Pierre was not his only target. In fact, there is some kind of list. That was thought to be a rumor, but after three federal agents turned up dead in the last six weeks, I believe Flores’s list is real,” Alan Quinn stated.
“I knew nothing about this list or his threat of one. How come?” Michael asked.
“They were thought to be a rumor. But now there have been connections made in the deaths and this morning a letter was receive
d indicating that he in fact made a list and certain agents are on it. We believe it was from Flores but have not been able to track an exact location where it was sent from. He’s out there, Michael, and obviously willing to kill to seek his revenge,” Alan Quinn told him
“Any idea who else is on the list?” Michael asked.
“Not really. But I do have men working on it. So maybe ensuring that Flores remains alive but in our custody is best, don’t you think?”
“I hear you, sir. I’ll take care of it.” Michael disconnected the call.
He explained the information to his men, and then the call they were waiting for came in.
* * * *
“They what?” Jimmy asked into his cell phone. He was shocked at the information.
“What? What is it?” Michael asked as Pierre and Antoine moved closer and then Douglas.
“They said a helicopter picked up some passengers off the top deck of the boat. They’ve been questioning the crew, and the coast guard is trying to track the helicopter now.”
“Holy shit!” Michael exclaimed as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked at his brothers, and Jimmy stared at them. Something told Jimmy that the four men cared dearly for Michael’s girlfriend. In fact he had a feeling they were all in love with her. Jimmy listened to his brother give the details as his captain gave the information.
“Okay, so the chopper was last seen about ten miles off the coast of Key West. They’re headed into the Caribbean. Maybe they’re taking her toward the Bahamas?”
“Or maybe to Cuba?” Pierre interrupted, and from where Jimmy stood, the men looked shocked and filled with concern.
Chapter 15
Bennitto felt anxious and excited about the arrival of Mikayla any moment as well as the hit he issued on Federal Agents Mertoff and Barkley. They had been trying to track him down for months. They had nearly caught him. Then of course there were Julien and Louis Boudoux. They would be next. That should keep the feds and the CIA off his ass for a bit.
Mikayla [Orchidea: Love on the Bayou 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 20