by Mia Kenney
“No can do, Cruz. Looks like our man Escobar has his plane registered with the Mexican authorities. I’ve already hacked their system and pinged his location. I ordered you a chopper. Bowen’s manning the Chinook. ETA three minutes. I suggest you get your ass moving. You’ll be dropped into the Pacific Ocean approximately eight minutes after pick up. Escobar’s got her on a boat. A big ass boat. Think more like yacht than fishing vessel.”
13
Kat
“Stay the fuck still.” I can’t hear a word Cisco’s shouting over the drone of the helicopter but I can read his lips. The hatred he has for me burns right through me. I squirm in the seat and he tightens the belt. It only makes him angrier. I feel the sting of his slap burn my cheek before I even see his hand move. The humiliation is worse than the pain but I refuse to cry, which buys me another slap.
I don’t need to look around to know his men are watching. Nobody ever disrespects the leader of a drug cartel. Cisco isn’t just any Kingpin. He moves more cocaine across the Mexican/United States border than any other cartel in history. I hate him. I hate that my own father promised me to him as a business transaction. In drug culture the motherless daughter of a dealer is treated as a commodity. My father could have sold me from a young age. Instead he held me captive, using the promise of me as leverage for financial and territorial gain. My stomach flips at the memory. My mom never let me out of her sight. I was too young at the time to understand her motives but once I became a teenager things started to become more clear.
I push my head back as far as it can go and look up at Cisco. Not only is he intimidating but also the cruelest person I’ve ever known. He uses his violent reputation to his advantage. Cisco doesn’t kill people. He tortures people until they beg for death and then he tortures them some more. The kind of torture that goes on for days and makes the strongest men beg to end their life. I can’t even imagine what he will do to me. I blink hard, then spit in his face. I’m not going down easy.
This time I see his hand coming, but only because he wants me to. His fist is bigger than my head and undoubtedly harder than concrete. I don’t flinch. “Fuck you, Cisco. Fuck you.” I’m not ready to give up. I need to survive so I can apologize to Romeo.
The rocking motion of the boat wakes me up. My tired and battered body rolls across the floor and I only stop when I slam against the wall. Before I can grab onto something I’m tossed back to where I just came from. From the way my body feels and the pain pounding in my head I must have been in this room for several hours, if not days. Then I remember the helicopter and Cisco’s fist. Now he has me on a boat. No doubt to Mexico. He has me trapped. Cisco knows about my fear of water. There is no escaping.
I start to gag, already knowing nothing will come up. I can’t even remember the last time I had something to drink. Water. I was surrounded by it and will likely die from not having any.
“The leetle beetch is awake.” Miguel’s words send shivers down my spine. “Yous deegusting chica. Me not even want to fuck you,” he teases while poking a machine gun to my side and circling around me.
“Yous like my cuerno de chivo chica?” The barrel of the machine gun pushes further into my side. No, I don’t like your machine gun. I shake my head. His fat stubby finger only needs to move a fraction of an inch and I would be blown to pieces all over this room. I can’t breathe under the pressure of this heavy boot on my chest. “Cisco not even want to fuck you. Save yous for El Plaza.”
So that’s the plan. El Plaza is well known among cartels and human traffickers. Cisco is selling me at auction to the highest bidder. That’s why I’m still alive. It could also mean there are more girls on this boat. Just me alone wouldn’t make enough profit to travel along the California coast. Illegal activity is always easier by boat. The cartel could move more commodities at a lesser risk on water than on land. Today, I am the commodity.
Heavy footsteps echo outside the room and the door flies open. “You look like shit.”
“Fuck you too, Cisco.” I can barely choke out the words between gasps of air. Miguel pushes his foot harder into my chest. My lower body twists in agony.
“Get yourself cleaned up. I need to make some money off you. Nobody will pay me five pesos with you looking like this.”
Cisco holds Miguel’s attention for a brief second. It’s fast and not meant for me to see but something passes between the two men.
“Take her to the shower. Fuck her hard. Make sure she remembers you,” Cisco sneers and spits on me. “This whore is your payment, Miguel. Do whatever you want. Just don’t kill her.”
Miguel grunts with approval and yanks me up by my arm. Cigar ashes flutter around me. Cisco is already gone in the few seconds it takes to get to my feet. Just get out of here, I think to myself. The thought of Miguel having his way with me makes my stomach lurch.
“Come on youz beetch. Youz heard the bozz, time to have fun with youz.”
Miguel drags me further down into the boat, or at least it feels that way. The air is cold and damp. Smears of dark dried blood cover the walls and I block out the horrors of what happens to women down here. His pace picks up and I know we must be getting close to the shower. He’s so much bigger and stronger than me. Panic is setting in. My heart is racing and it’s becoming hard to breathe.
It would be better to just be shot and have my life end quickly than be raped and sold. Warm fluid runs down my chin. It’s then I realize I’m biting my bottom lip so hard I broke the skin. I twist under his strength and kick his calf. He doesn’t even flinch.
“Youz a fighter. I like that,” Miguel hisses and pushes me into a room. In the dimly lit area I look up and scream.
It’s some type of torture room. Stainless steel walls. A matching table with four point restraints in the center. A bed side tray with a long metal rod and blow torch. Heavy ropes and pulleys suspended from the ceiling. A single shower head in the corner, hanging above a slanted tile floor with a much larger than normal drain in the center. What the fuck is this place?
“Treep.”
He waves his gun at me. The cigar dangles from the corner of his mouth. A puff of smoke appears with every huff of his breath.
“Beetch you better treep.” He presses the barrel of the gun between my breasts then drags it down my stomach and stops at the juncture of my thighs. I squeeze them together.
Miguel undoes his belt buckle. Immediately his dirty pants gather around his knees. He’s commando.
Strip. He wants me to strip. I can’t stop thinking of what he’ll do to me with that blow torch. Whatever happens I can’t let him strap me to that table.
Slowly, I begin to take off my shirt. But my eyes can’t leave the blow torch and rod. I don’t care about the gun he’s pointing at me. It’s knowing I’m going to be tortured in this room that makes me come undone.
14
Romeo
The whoop whoop of Chinook blades slapping over our heads is deafening. We’re flying at high altitude over southern California at almost two hundred miles per hour. Any radar Escobar has will pick us up as a civilian plane. As we get closer to our target, Bowen reduces rotation speed of the double propellers, which allows us to hover over the water and makes the chopper almost impossible to hear. He’s the best damn pilot I’ve ever worked with. Unfortunately this leaves me only a few moments to tell my men what the new game plan is without risking detection.
“Listen up,” I bark and my team looks at me, waiting for orders. I click on my ear piece and dial in to Cade. As my cyber expert it’s vital that I have reliable communication with him at all times. “The mission has changed. Now it’s Operation Black Surf.” I pause, and press my finger against my ear. Cade’s voice crackles briefly before becoming clear. He’s feeding me real time logistical info and saving our asses. I make a mental note to get him pizza and strippers when all this is over.
“Alright men, Cade’s intel says there are six men on board. Katalina’s being held in the bay, the hull area of the ship with
one guard, presumably armed.” Without thinking my hand rubs against the ache in my chest. I don’t know what she’s done to me but I need her in my life. This isn’t the normal snatch and grab rescue we typically do. Operation Black Surf is my first and last chance at having someone permanently in my life. That is if Kat will even take me back. I’m a SEAL. I don’t give up and I never lose. One way or another, I’ll get my girl.
“That leaves five on deck, all armed with machine guns and who the hell knows what else. I doubt Escobar is captaining the ship, so that either puts him below with Kat or above with the others. He won’t be expecting to be attacked on the water, giving us the upper hand.” My gut wretches. “After we’re onboard I’m going under. Chaos,” I look in his direction, “cover my ass. I want to be the first one Katalina sees.” They all start making kissy faces. Fuckers.
“What the hell is this? Sixth grade?” Christ, I must look like a pussy whipped idiot for saying that. Maybe I’m getting ready to have a stroke because there’s definitely something wrong with my brain for talking like that. I grab my balls and flip them all off. They hoot and holler.
“Whoever gets Escobar, shoot to incapacitate but don’t kill him. His ass is mine and I’ve got plans.”
Out of habit I reach for my ear again, “You copy all that Cade?”
“Yes, sir. Operation Black Surf is in motion. Copy.”
The choppy salt water is pounding against the belly of the chopper and it feels like we’re being swallowed by darkness. The hatch opens and I use hand signals to direct my team to move out. It’s a moonless night and the spray of freezing water stings my face. Each man pushes the Sea Lion boat out of the chopper and it splashes down into the ocean. We’ve trained for this so many times I have no doubt every one of us could do it blindfolded. The wind lashes our faces and the ice cold water whips at us from all directions. I watch as each of my men jumps one by one into the reconnaissance boat. I’m the last to leap.
Chaos pulls the choke for the engine. He says, “time to rock n’ roll motherfuckers.” And we’re off.
Christ almighty, Cade wasn’t kidding. Escobar is using a million dollar yacht to move illegal weapons, drugs, and kidnapped women up and down the Pacific coast. Scumbag. A quick scope of the ship with high powered optics turns up nothing.
“Best case scenario, they’re all drunk and passed out. Worse case scenario, we’ve already been detected and they’re waiting for us,” I grunt out. “Fuckers, grab your balls and cock. The SEALs are taking over.”
“That’s right motherfuckers. We bring the party,” Chaos howls with a fist pump and oorah!
“Noble, Finn, Rocco. You guys take the stern. Shoot to kill. The only subject to be taken alive is Escobar. Got that?”
“Yes, sir,” they answer in unison.
Three thumps. That’s the sound our equipment makes as we launch our repelling gear over the side of the boat.
It takes less than four minutes for my team to scale the side of the ship and board.
“Stop! meez shoots you,” a Mexican in a wife beater greets us wildly, waving his pistol at each of us.
“I don’t think so fucker,” Noble whispers and takes the head shot. He’s dead before he hits the deck.
“Clear the rest of the ship, shoot ‘em, throw ‘em overboard, feed ‘em to the sharks. I don’t fuckin’ care. And watch your asses. Escobar won’t be taken down easily,” I say. I look at my team and give the signal to go.
“Whatever you say, fucker in charge. I love making the bad guys squirm,” Chaos grins.
“On my six,” I signal to Chaos and we’re off.
Even though we’re on a yacht the ocean is rough, making it difficult to maneuver the narrow passageways. With my AK 47 pointed outward I move along toward the hull.
A paper thin ray of light illuminates the hall in the distance. Using the wall for leverage I stop and aim. Without looking behind me I take the shot and know if things get ugly Chaos will cover my ass.
“Uuummmph”
A big ugly shirtless fucker falls through the doorway. Gang tattoos cover his torso. So far there are two less dirtbags in the world tonight.
“Hot damn. Beretta double barreled shot gun. I’m keeping it,” Chaos whispers and tucks it under his arm. “Never know when a person may need an untraceable weapon.”
“You already have an arsenal of illegal weapons. Did you forget I’ve seen your collection?” I reply and shake my head.
“Just adding to it, Fucker In Charge. Now let’s move and get your girl.”
We continue through the hall and shoulder the door open that leads below the ship.
I pull my night vision goggles down from my forehead and Chaos follows. Fourteen steps. Fuckin’ fourteen steps down before we hit the bottom.
It’s cold, dark, and stinks like cigars. My girl is down here. Hold on sweetheart. I’m coming for you.
The back of my neck itches. Shit. I raise my hand up and signal Chaos to stop. It’s too fuckin’ quiet down here. It’s too dark. And even though the rocking of the ship is worse down here than above, it’s too still.
Chaos and I stand there, counting our breaths and listening for sound. Any sounds.
And we hear it at the same time.
A deep moan.
The lights flash on. We’re immediately blinded by our night vision goggles.
It’s a trap.
15
Kat
Miguel towers over me. Pain shoots down my back. My jaw throbs. Thoughts are spinning around my head. He tosses his cigar over his shoulder and sets the gun down on the steel table. He’s going to rape me.
Memories of my mother struggling in the water come to mind. Some of her final words ring in my ears. Promise me, promise to get away. Fight with everything you have. I’ll always love you.
I can’t give up. I killed my own mother. A surge of energy shoots through me and my heartbeat pounds in my head. “Bring it on motherfucker,” I whisper.
Miguel’s sadistic laugh is the last thing I hear as I fly into him. With his pants around his knees he falls easily.
“You sick fucker,” I shout and stomp on his balls. Immediately he curls up, gripping himself and moaning.
The room is dark but I can make out the outline of the gun. I lunge toward the table and grab it. It’s cold and heavier than I expected. Miguel’s still in the fetal position, cursing me in a mix of broken English. “You asshole,” I grunt and whack him in the head with the barrel. He’s suddenly quiet.
The rocking of the boat throws me off balance. Crashing into the wall I grip the gun in one hand and feel around for a switch. The door swings open at the same time I flick the lights on.
Instinctively I raise my arms and aim. Two men dressed in black with big ass guns stumble in, pulling goggles from their face. My eyes do a double take.
“Romeo,” I gasp, leaping into his arms. “I can’t believe you came looking for me.” He feels bigger and broader than just a week ago. I wrap my arms around his thick neck. He smells like the sea. Salty and dangerous. I can’t believe he even searched for me. All these feelings are bubbling up inside of me. At any moment I feel like I could just burst with relief, joy, and sadness. It’s overwhelming. The tears fighting for release are burning my eyes and nose. I’ve always hated that feeling. But most of me is shocked to see him.
“Quiet, baby, are you okay? I’m so sorry,” his soft words rasp against my ear. “Just give me a second for my eyes to adjust to the light.”
“I’m fine. But Miguel is still alive, I think he’s just knocked out. And Cisco is here. He’s not really my husband. There was no marriage. Just a promise. He’s taking me to Mexico to be sold. I think there might be other girls on this boat. He has men with guns, he’ll have us all killed, I think he tortures people in this room…” My words are coming out fast and slurred. There’s so much I want to say.
“Slow down sweetheart. I’ve got my team with me. You’re safe now.”
“Hey lovebirds, save it fo
r later. This fucker’s starting to wake up,” Chaos says as he rolls Miguel onto his back and sits him against the wall.
His pants are still down and his flaccid dick lays along his thigh. Romeo looks at it and then at me.
“He was trying to rape me.” The words come out soft. I’m embarrassed even though there’s no reason for me to feel shame.
Romeo looks at me. We gaze at each other for what feels like eternity. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Kat.” He turns from me and stomps over to Miguel.
“Yo, asshole. How many more men on this ship?” Romeo demands.
Miguel hesitates to answer. Chaos pulls a long knife from his pant leg. Waving it in front of Miguel he says, “That’s the Fucker In Charge and he asked you a question and you didn’t answer. Let’s try again. I like this game. I always win.” Whack. Miguel howls. Chaos picks up the severed pinky and holds it like a trophy. “Might keep this one for a souvenir. Now answer the fuckin’ question.”
“Quattro. F-f-f-four. Amigos.” Suddenly Miguel doesn’t appear that scary to me anymore.
Romeo kicks him in the ribs. “Any other girls aboard?”
“No, no, no. Just her,” Miguel cries.
“The girl you were going to rape?”
“No, no rape. Just having some fun. Cisco said I could fuck her. But me just having fun with her.”
“You sick fucker. I like to have fun too.” Romeo looks at Chaos, then me and back to Miguel. “Cut off a few more fingers. Toss him to the sharks. Make sure he’s still alive when you drop him overboard.”
Romeo presses against the little device in his ear and speaks but his voice is too muffled to understand. He’s watching me. His gaze takes me in, hypnotizes me. He sways when I sway. He’s a mirror image of my movements. His mouth is moving but there’s no sound. Is he playing with me? Or maybe I’m having some sort of breakdown and losing my mind. My balance is still off and the rolling of the boat isn’t helping. And I’m so tired. I just want to sleep. Like, right now. So I lay down.