“We’re looking to make this quick and painless for all involved,” Zu rumbled. He had a baritone voice that had a way of soothing jumpy people. “Pirates don’t generally announce their arrival. We have been direct in our communication with you and are actively seeking your cooperation in this search.”
The captain studied each of the dogs. “This is the first time I have seen dogs at sea like this. We do not have drugs on board this ship.”
Lie. The captain was not the best of liars. His eyes tended to dart to his left and he had trouble making eye contact at all, much less when he was making his assertion. He was nervous. She was willing to bet the captain didn’t allow illegal substances on his ship, but he was also aware some of his crew might be dealing. It was fairly commonplace. As long as he didn’t catch them and their duties were completed, he was probably looking the other way. She watched his crewmen and caught the looks they traded between them. Now those two might be involved in drug deals or taking bribes to look the other way. It’d be interesting to know what other bribes they might be taking.
Zu patted Buck on the head. “Captain, we both know illicit substances may be on board this ship. I thank you for allowing us to fulfill our duty and I assure you these dogs are not drug detection dogs. There will be no issues in that regard.”
“Fine.” The captain was still torn. Arin guessed he didn’t want them searching his ship, but he also feared the consequences if there really were explosives on board.
They hadn’t lied to him. Considering what she and Jason had encountered on Big Island with the other shipping container, the probability was high.
“We will start with crew’s quarters, as you say.” The captain led them forward.
Jason stuck close to Arin as they made the long walk from mid-ship to the far end of the ship where the bridge and cabins were located. They climbed the tight stairs in single file and entered the cramped area. It was going to be seriously awkward for all of them to go into each cabin and perhaps the captain realized it. He motioned for them to go to the far end and work their way back to the front.
Zu hung back. “My partner and I will start here.”
“Why?”
“We promised you we would work as quickly as possible. We’ll halve the time it takes if we divide the cabins,” Zu informed the captain. “My teammates will accompany you.”
The captain looked as if he was going to protest but Arin gave him a disarming smile. “Perhaps we could start from the top? We’ll leave Raul on the next deck up.”
“Fine. This way.” The captain strode forward, obviously eager for them to get this over with. Most likely, he was regretting letting them on this big-ass boat at all.
“Both Taz and King are scent-discriminating dogs. Each of them tracks a specific scent and gives an alert only if they find the source of the target scent,” Arin said to Jason in a low, conversational way. The captain and his crewman probably heard her chatting but weren’t likely to be able to make out what she was saying over the wind and the waves. It was damned loud on deck. “Buck is non-scent discriminating. He will look for any human scent and give an alert. None of the containers we passed as we came here caused an alert so we’ve reduced our search pattern by at least one set.”
They climbed a spiraling set of stairs and Raul peeled off with Taz to search that deck as they continued upward.
“Here.” The ship’s captain had reached the landing. “This is the highest deck containing crew quarters.”
“Thank you.” Arin waited for him to proceed into the hallway and they entered the first cabin.
The cabins were better accommodations than Jason had thought they’d be. They each had bathroom and shower facilities, a bed, and a small desk. Some of the cabins had two twin beds with lockers for each of the occupants. All of them looked lived-in, but that was no surprise as this ship had been at sea for at least a week and probably longer.
Arin hadn’t put King to work yet. Their goal was to find something out of place, a hint to tell them this crew member was checking on the shipping container containing the captives for which they were searching. Some of the rooms were neatly kept and they had to do some snooping in all the drawers and lockers. Other rooms looked like they’d been thoroughly tossed with articles of clothing and even food wrappers everywhere. They still searched as thoroughly in those cabins, but in those cases, most everything was lying out in the open for inspection.
They reached the last cabin on the upper deck and the crewman was actually inside, clothes in hand and apparently trying to clean up.
The captain scowled and ordered the crewman out so Arin, Jason, and King could enter. The quarters were comfortable for one or two people but calling them cozy would be kind. Two adults and a large dog was about the limit to fit in there and they were all bumping into each other.
“Sir, if you’ll just let me finish folding—”
“It’s not necessary to tidy up the cabin. We’re honestly not interested in taking any of your belongings.” Jason stood at the door, blocking the crewman from entering while Arin and King took a look—and a sniff—around the place.
The crewman was sweating and his eyes darted from side to side. He definitely had something to hide. Question was whether it was a drug stash or actually what they were looking for.
“Somehow, I don’t think these belong to you.” Arin came up behind Jason, holding up a pair of brightly dyed leather designer sneakers. Her hand was shoved inside a large ziplock bag to prevent her hand from transferring scent to the shoes. “These aren’t practical footwear on ships like this and they’re fairly expensive.”
The crewman gaped. “Yes, they’re mine. I wear them ashore.”
“But why bring them on this voyage when you’re only in port long enough to unload and load shipping containers?” Arin asked sweetly.
The captain, grim faced, didn’t come to his crewman’s rescue. “I, too, would like to know the answer.”
The crewman paled. “No. I…no. I won’t help. It’s only fair for me to take those. They would die without me giving them food and water.”
“Who?” The captain was alarmed now.
Jason moved out into the hallway to block the stairwell in case the crewman tried to bolt. He was well and truly caught now. There was no telling what crazy action he might take.
“You can tell us where they are, or we will find them without you.” Arin’s words were cold, hard. “Either way, you will be held accountable with the authorities once you reach port.”
“Yes.” The captain’s face was darkening with anger. “Explain. What is this about?”
“Let’s continue this questioning on deck,” Jason suggested. “It would be helpful to know if there’s anyone else involved.”
Minutes later, they were back on deck and the captain looked ready to toss his crewman overboard. Thus far, the man seemed to be working alone. The captain was questioning the offender closely and Jason was convinced the captain, at least, wasn’t part of the overall scam. Which was a good thing, since they’d all need to board the helo to return to Oahu ahead of the container ship. But the crewman was still refusing to admit there was even a container on board.
Arin still had the shoes and she held them for King to sniff thoroughly before bagging them and tucking them into her backpack. Then she let King off his leash. “Such.”
King searched forward, alternately sniffing at the ground and lifting his nose to the air as he moved back and forth across the deck. Arin followed a few paces back, careful to stay down wind.
Jason shook his head. He’d seen King do some amazing things, but the deck of the container ship was buffeted by gusts and winds coming off the ocean. The dog wasn’t going to catch a scent lingering on a breeze up here.
But King surprised him, sticking close to the containers and moving to check the air between them. Sheltered areas existed there, even if a person wouldn’t fit, and the dog was checking for scents where the wind wouldn’t steal them away. King w
as systematic, checking ground and container sides as well as the air around the containers thoroughly before moving on to the next. Jason hung back, trying to keep an eye on the captain and Arin at the same time.
Finally, Raul emerged with Taz. Jason motioned for Raul to keep eyes on the captain and the crewman, then followed Arin and King. The pair had gone around a container and he jogged a few steps to catch up to them. They were working their way down an aisle, containers stacked high around them. Suddenly, King paused and sat, looking up at Arin.
Jason rushed to catch up to her.
Arin was studying the side of the container. “This is the long end. I didn’t expect him to catch a scent here because air tends to leak from the corners and edges.”
She reached out and touched the metal wall. “Clever.”
“Find something?” He leaned close to look where her fingertips ran down the painted surface.
A fine seam was almost hidden and as they explored more carefully, they found it was a rectangular trap door cut into the side of the shipping container.
Well, hello there.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Last door. Zu had searched every cabin on the floor thoroughly with Buck’s help. He’d entered every cabin, even if Buck hadn’t signaled the presence of a human on the other side of the door. Buck might be able to scent people in these small cabins from the hallway, but Zu hadn’t wanted to chance missing a hidden person tucked into a bathroom or in a closet or footlocker. Each cabin had a different layout, so there was always the possibility they’d miss something if they didn’t conduct their search thoroughly.
Zu insisted on thoroughness and attention to detail from his people. He held himself and Buck to the same standard.
Zu unlocked the door with the master key the ship’s captain had given him earlier and turned the knob, shoving the door open quickly and bringing his gun up to be ready to fire on any perceived threat. As the door was opening, Buck sat and looked at Zu, issuing a short bark.
Talk about last-minute warning.
An object came flying and Zu tipped his head to the side to avoid it. He got a good look at his target, a woman standing at the far end of the cabin, and lifted his finger clear of the trigger. Zu could tell by her aggressive stance that she was someone who’d decided she had nothing left to lose.
He lowered his firearm and issued a barely audible command to Buck to quiet. The big dog had started growling as soon as she’d sent a projectile in their direction. To give them all time to take stock of the situation, Zu glanced at the object she’d thrown at him.
It was a shoe. Actually, this was an expensive shoe with a seriously high stiletto heel. The part of his brain constantly cataloging available items tagged it as a good thing to keep hold of in self-defense. A person could use that shoe to stab a potential attacker.
He took another good look at the woman in front of him. She might have self-defense skills because she had the other shoe in her right hand, ready to hit him with that sharp heel. Her bare feet were planted in a defensive stance with her weight forward on the balls of her toes. She was action ready, beautiful regardless of what she was wearing, and his blood heated at the sight of her. Her skin was pale and as luminescent as pearls in natural light and her dark hair was escaping in long wisps from a makeshift knot at the back of her head. She was dressed in a thin silken camisole and flowing linen pants. The fabric was as expensive as the shoes. This wasn’t a runaway paying for passage to the US. This was a VIP or a relative of one.
He had about a hundred questions or more, but he decided on the most important one for now. “Can I help you?”
She blinked in surprise, the arm brandishing the shoe dropping a fraction before she lifted it again and maybe readied herself to throw it after all.
“The shoe won’t do shit.” He shook his head, eyeing the heel. “The best chance you had was surprise and it’s gone now. You should keep the shoes.”
He turned and retrieved the first shoe, letting Buck watch her as he gave her his back. Once he had it in hand, and himself cooled down, he turned back and held it out to her. The shoes weren’t appropriate for walking on the deck of a ship, but he didn’t see any other alternative. If she didn’t have to run—and he would do what he could to ensure she didn’t—then having those on were more protection for her feet than going bare.
Her brows came together as confusion took over her expression. “Who are you?”
“Azubuike Anyanwu, Search and Protect Corporation.” Easy enough to answer and maybe it would give her enough to trust him with the answer to his question. “We’ve boarded this vessel on a mission to help a group of people. You don’t seem to be part of the crew. Do you need help?”
She didn’t lower the second shoe. “Are you US Government?”
Not anymore. “Private contractor.”
A hint of recognition and added suspicion entered her gaze and her thin lips pressed in a grim line. “Who paid you to board this ship?”
It’d be too complicated to explain, and he didn’t know her connection yet to the human trafficking ring. “No one. This is an initiative in conjunction with a Hawaiian task force.”
Her tension didn’t ease. “What kind of task force?”
He was out of truth he was free to give, and he didn’t lie unless he absolutely had to. “I can’t tell you.”
Her eyes widened. “But I’m supposed to trust you.”
Her tone intrigued him. She didn’t sound betrayed or disappointed. If anything, her response was warming up, maybe because he hadn’t told her what she was most likely to want to hear. Intelligent and shrewd.
He shrugged. “I didn’t tell you to trust anyone. I asked if you needed help.”
She still hadn’t answered him but she stood there, obviously weary, torn with indecision. He shouldn’t continue to wear her out this way. She’d need enough energy to stay on her feet as they left this boat. If he needed to carry her, he wouldn’t be anywhere as effective in defending them.
“I give you my word, I will not hurt you.” Not a promise he gave often. He wasn’t even sure why he was moved to do so. If he was patient, and he usually was, then she’d have come to the conclusion she had no better options. But he’d started, so he saw it through. “If you need help, I will help you. Or if I cannot, I will get you to someone who can.”
She studied him for a long, searching moment. Her dark eyes glistened and a single tear spilled over the curve of her cheek, then she pulled herself together with a shake of her head. “Yes, please. Help me get off this ship and back in contact with my father.”
He nodded.
“You don’t want to know who my father is?” Her tone was incredulous this time.
“One thing at a time.” He turned in the doorway to check both approaches in the hallway. “We’re getting you off this ship. Put your shoes on, if you can walk in them. Then you can tell me your name as we go. We’ll get to your father later.”
“‘We’?”
He paused. “This is Buck. I have other teammates on board. Introductions might happen or they might not, depending on the situation.”
“What kind of situation?” She had pulled on one shoe and come close enough to take the other from him.
“Gunfire. Maybe an explosion. Or both.”
“Oh.” Her voice trembled and her hands shook. She didn’t try to hide it. But he watched her force herself to walk toward him anyway. She wasn’t looking at him with fear, but at the door instead. It’d been one thing to fight when she’d been cornered inside the cabin with nowhere to run. It was taking her courage to walk out the door and into unknown danger.
“Buck and I are with you.” He made the statement quietly.
Her gaze tore away from the door and settled on him. “I’m Ying Yue. My family name is Jiang.”
“Ying Yue.” He tasted her name and liked the sound of it as he tried to repeat the inflection she’d used when she’d given it to him. “Call me Zu. Let’s go.”
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nbsp; “They must’ve sealed this with epoxy or something and painted over it.” Arin studied the trap door. “I’m not sure our crewman was supposed to have opened this at all. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be as much residual scent on the outside, not after they painted.”
There were lives at stake here—not only those they thought were captive inside the shipping container and their own, but possibly everyone’s on board, depending on how powerful an IED might be hidden on this container. She preferred a straightforward course of action with a fast incursion and an equally fast extraction.
Next to her, Jason seemed to have a steady, infinite supply of patience as he continued to study every aspect of the exterior of the container. “Before you open it, let’s look to see if there are any other ways to access this container. Our guy might have had his one way to access it to give them food and water, but there’s got to be a reason the captives don’t try to get out when he does.”
Arin nodded. They’d been talking in whispers to avoid detection by the victims until they were ready. It was entirely possible the people theoretically inside couldn’t hear them due to the wind and sounds of the ocean around them. Or if those people could hear, they might be too terrified of discovery to call out for help. Arin didn’t like either possibility, but it was also not a good idea to call out to them yet, until she and Jason were ready to extract them. This container could be set up differently than the one they’d found on Big Island and the people inside might not react as well as the previous captives had. There were too many variables.
The other side of the container was too close to the next stack for anything but a rat to get between. The ends of the container were left and only one had a way of opening, by design.
“We’ve got a choice.” Jason stood back with Arin as they both studied the real door. “We open it the way it was originally intended to be opened, or via secret hatch. Either one could be rigged with an IED. If our bomber was particularly industrious, both could be a problem.”
Fierce Justice Page 22