Elena forced a smile, then mouthed the words, “I’m sorry,” and pointed to the handset. He shook his head and his smile broadened. Elena pulled her eyes off him and frowned into the mouthpiece. “Look,” she said, her voice far firmer than she felt, “we have a show coming up in just a few weeks, and I need to break them in properly. How soon will you have them to me?”
She nodded silently, then drew a deep breath, doing everything possible to put on a show for Jonas. “Fine. One week. If we don’t have them by then, we won’t be able to continue doing business with you. You’re already two weeks past your promised delivery date.” She nodded again, then sighed into the phone. “Buen. Gracias.”
Jonas stepped into the small office as she placed the handset back in the receiver, his smile even broader than before. “I should have you come work for me full-time. I’ve never heard you so adamant.”
Elena forced a smile to her lips and tried not to show her nerves as he drew closer. “It was a problem that needed to be taken care of.”
He stopped mere inches from her, and she felt the usual unease she faced with him, coupled with stark fear after what she had just discovered about him. The man fit her definition of monster, and she wanted to get as far away from him as she could as quickly as possible.
She hadn’t imagined the photos she had seen, or the picture of Jonas with his gun. And she wasn’t imagining the intent in his eyes as they roved over her body, pausing on her wet shirt clinging to her breasts.
“Today has been incredibly hot,” he murmured. “Did you enjoy the cool water while you bathed the horse?”
The intimate question made her skin crawl. Desire flickered in his eyes as he licked his lips and moved even closer to her. She forced a trembling smile to her lips and sidestepped him, but she wasn’t fast enough. His arm snaked around her waist, and she gasped when he pulled her toward him. “Why do you always run from me, Elena? Do you have any idea of the pleasure I could bring you? That we could bring to each other?”
“Jonas…”
She pushed against his chest, frightened by the thick wall of muscle she met in resistance. “Jonas…I’ve told you before… We aren’t compatible. I’m not interested. The only reason you’re interested in me is because I’ve told you no, and you’re used to getting whatever you want.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Or maybe I could open an entirely new world of ecstasy to both of us. Why do you continue to fight me, dear Elena? I can feel how rapid your heart is beating. I know that you feel the stirrings of desire when you are around me.”
“I will not get involved with you, Jonas,” Elena said firmly, even though she could feel her body beginning to tremble violently. If he didn’t release her soon, she would be sick all over him.
A muscle jumped in his jaw as he slowly released her, and she took a large step away from him, then another until she stood at the entrance to the office. “One day, you will see the foolishness of your thinking. But I am a patient man. I am willing to wait until your passion will no longer be denied. And then I will teach you things you never thought possible.”
“Please, Jonas… Please respect my wishes.” She swallowed the acid that burned the back of her throat and threatened to make her eyes water. “I’ve told you no many times now.”
His bushy eyebrows lifted in surprise, and he pursed his lips as his gaze slowly ran up and down the length of her body. “Give it time, sweet Elena. Give it time. And then you will no longer be able to deny how you feel for me.”
“I have to get going. I’ll see you again next week.” She nodded firmly to him, trying to make it obvious that their conversation had ended.
He chuckled as she turned and began to walk away. “I will have you, Elena. Mark my word, one day you will be mine.”
* * *
Phantom stared at the tracks in the muddy ground and cursed under his breath. “We’ve found the exit to one of the tunnels, and it’s practically in the Rio Grande.”
“We knew the possibility of them building a tunnel running as far as Hidalgo would be next to impossible,” Stryker said over the coms. “We’re approaching the exit for the second tunnel now.”
As soon as they had discovered the tunnel, they had sent a drone inside to find the exit point. They were shocked when the tunnel split in two, delaying them even further as they sent a second drone to track the other exit. Phantom and Santo had taken Clara with them to the first exit point discovered, and Stryker, Javier, and Arturo had quickly followed the direction of the second drone.
“Look for deep tracks when you get there,” Phantom said. “We’ve just come across a set about fifty feet from the exit of the tunnel. It obviously belonged to a large rig.”
“You think they loaded the hostages onto box trailers at this point and they’re through Border Patrol by now?” Santo asked, his face reflecting the grim feelings churning in Phantom’s gut.
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking. Clara, do you have any connections within Border Patrol that can pull up images of any box trailers that passed through within the last twenty-four hours?”
“You think they could have that much of a lead on us?” Santo asked.
“It’s hard to say. Given the freshness of these tracks, I’d say it hasn’t been too long.”
“Sí. I have someone I trust within the Border Patrol. I will do my best.” She already had a cell phone pressed to one ear, communicating their findings back to her supervisor, and she gestured to one of her people for their cell phone, placing the call.
“We’re here,” Stryker said. “We’re probably about ten klicks south of you. These bastards really have things planned out.”
“The plan has to fall apart somewhere. That’s how we’ll be able to stop them,” Phantom said, his tone harsh. He wanted to bring down the trafficking ring with a passion that burned inside him. Knowing there were at least thirty women and over a dozen children crammed into box trailers as if they were worth nothing more than livestock sickened him.
“My contact said they lost power at the checkpoint a few hours ago.” Clara approached them, her face pale. “They have no records of any box trailers moving through there during that time period.”
“Not only did they plan well, they have powerful connections,” Santo growled.
“You need to discover who this person was that came to you with this information,” Phantom said to Clara. “She’s where everything starts.”
“I just found a set of deep tracks matching what you described, Phantom,” Stryker said over coms. “It looks like we need to be on the hunt for two trailers headed into the United States.”
Phantom shook his head. “They aren’t headed there. They’re already there. More than likely they’ve made arrangements for a place to keep the hostages for the next couple of days before the auction.”
“What do we do from here?” Santo asked.
“We head back stateside. In the meantime, I’ve got to make a very unpleasant call to Admiral Haslett.” Phantom turned to Clara. “We have very little time to spare. I’ll be in contact with you soon about what we discover.”
Clara nodded, her eyes haunted. “If I had known—”
“This group is incredibly organized and highly trained. You did what any of us would have done if presented with the same information. I trust that you and your men will be able to brief us on the investigation you conduct on your end?”
“Sí. Thank you, Phantom, for your leadership. It has been an honor working with you.”
Phantom shook her hand. “It’s our honor to work with you as well. Stay safe.”
She nodded, watching him intently. “You and your team as well. I have a feeling the danger now lies in your backyard.”
Chapter 20
Haslett disconnected the call with Phantom and pinched the bridge of his nose. Things had turned into an absolute clusterfuck. They
needed to find where the hostages were going to be held until the auction in only a few days. That would be their only window of opportunity. Now that the traffickers knew they were being watched, they would scatter, and chances of catching them would become next to impossible.
His gut told him something had gone wrong not only in Mexico, but within his own network as well. Too many things had to be coordinated correctly to pull off a haul this significant. He yanked open his office door and scanned the faces of the people who worked in his office, handling the endless amounts of paperwork required by the navy. His gaze landed on one of the newer faces in the group, and the wheels in his mind began to spin.
“Ramirez!” he barked, and the young woman jumped at her desk, then quickly stood and grabbed a notepad and pen and advanced toward him. She moved with confidence and gave no sign that she was nervous to have been singled out by the admiral. He smiled to himself.
When he had first brought Amber Ramirez within his administrative clerks, he hadn’t done so because Phantom was her brother. She had great technical aptitude and had proven her intelligence during boot camp. He needed to replace a clerk that had transferred, and her background had been the perfect fit.
“Close the door behind you,” he said as he returned to his desk.
She did as he asked and stood ramrod straight, waiting for his next order. He sighed. The last thing he needed was someone else who wouldn’t even sneeze unless he gave them permission. “Sit, Ramirez, sit. And don’t take any notes. What I’m about to talk to you about stays between us only.”
Her face paled. “Does this have something to do with Phantom?”
“Yes and no. Don’t worry, your brother is fine. But I need someone I can trust right now. Given that it involves the assignment your brother is currently engaged in, I believe you’re that person.”
Amber frowned slightly. “I’m not sure I understand, sir.”
“I think we have a problem in this office. It could be something as small as a leak or, worse-case scenario, we may have a mole. Someone wants to see your brother’s undercover assignment go up in flames, and the entire team with it. I need someone to handle correspondence with the team, transfer their notes to files, and manage the intel that comes through my office for them. Can I count on you to be that person?”
Amber swallowed hard. “I’d be honored to, sir. I’ll do whatever is needed to ensure their safety.”
“Good. I’ll make arrangements for us to meet off base so I can bring you up to speed on everything they’re working on. This is a serious matter, Ramirez. You can’t tell anyone you’re working on it. Including your brother.”
Her eyes widened slightly before she nodded. “Yes, sir. You can count on me.”
* * *
Elena tried not to speed as she drove away from Jonas’s ranch. The reality of what she had discovered still played over and over in her mind, to the point that she had to yank her truck over on the side of the road and threw open the door and retch. She hadn’t had much to eat all afternoon, so what she spit from her lips was mostly burning bile.
She needed to get help. She needed to notify the authorities immediately of what she had discovered so action could be taken. She grabbed her cell and punched in 9-1-1, but her finger hovered over the speak button. The pictures cluttering Jonas’s desk of him fishing with the sheriff, hunting with him… The two men were friends. For all she knew, the sheriff could be part of the entire operation.
Her mind raced with other possibilities. She latched on to her next big hope. Evie’s cheerful voice came through as she answered at her desk at the courthouse. “Evie, it’s Elena. I need your help.”
“Elena? You sound awful. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I mean no… I mean… Shit, Evie, things are really messed up.”
“Are you hurt? Where are you? I’ll get there as fast as I can.”
“No, no. It’s probably best you stay far away from me right now. I just came across something horrible—worse than horrible. Jonas Franklin is a human trafficker.”
“What? Elena, how do you know this?”
“It’s a long story. But I found proof on his computer in the barn office. He’s smuggling two entire trailers full of people into the United States within the next couple of days, and he’s going to auction them off in San Antonio. What do I do, Evie? I can’t think straight.”
“Okay, first, take a deep breath. You sound like you’re about to hyperventilate. You need to call the sheriff. He’s going to have to get a search warrant, but I’m sure Judge O’Connor can push one through for him quickly.”
“No, no. I’ve already thought about that. Jonas is friends with the sheriff. How do I know he won’t be on Jonas’s side? How do we know he isn’t partners with Jonas on this whole thing?”
“Sheriff Verduzco never struck me as a corrupt man, Elena. How do you know they’re friends?”
“They… Jonas has pictures of the two of them all over his office. Of them hunting and fishing and drinking beer together. Trust me, Evie, they’re friends.”
“Shit. Let me ask Judge O’Connor what to do—”
“Didn’t you say Jonas comes by to see her all the time? Hell, Evie, what if she’s been compromised too?”
“No. She’s a stand-up woman, and I’d vouch for her with my life. There’s just no chance—”
“We can’t afford to make any mistakes with this. I can’t afford to take any chances, no matter how slim they may be. Is there someone over the sheriff that I can go to? Someone higher than Judge O’Connor?”
“You can try to contact the FBI. Surely someone there will be able to direct you to the correct department. There’s bound to be an agency that handles human trafficking. I can look up the information and get back to you.”
“Yes. Please, Evie. Do that. Call me as soon as you know anything. And please make sure no one is around you where they can hear your conversation. I think we’ve all underestimated the power and influence Jonas has in this town.”
“I’ll be careful. What about you? What are you going to do?”
“I-I…” Elena faltered, wondering exactly what she should do. It was late Wednesday afternoon. Phantom had just left the day before, but for some reason she felt she could trust him, and he would know what to do. “I’m going to call Phantom.”
“Elena, he’s just a rancher. How can he possibly help you?”
“I don’t know. I just need to hear his voice.”
“Is he back from his trip yet?” Elena had shared with Evie that Phantom had left town but would be back as soon as possible.
“I don’t know. He said he would come find me as soon as he got back, but maybe he didn’t want to interrupt me at work.”
“If he’s back, go to him. I don’t like the idea of you being all alone with all this going down.”
Elena swallowed hard. “Neither do I. Keep in touch. Call me as soon as you know anything.” She ended her call with Evie and quickly dialed Phantom. She cursed when it went to voicemail. “Hi, Phantom, it’s Elena. I-I need your help. Something very strange has happened, and I just don’t know what to do. Please call me as soon as you get this message. I-I need you.”
* * *
Jonas sighed heavily as he sat down at the desk in the small office in the barn. In his mind, Elena already belonged to him. She just didn’t know it yet. He stared at the phone for several moments, smiling as he recalled her end of the conversation he had caught. He had always known her to be a driven and intense woman, but he had never seen her as worked up as she had been during that phone call.
He glanced over at his computer and suddenly realized she had solved another one of his logic puzzles to log on and find the invoice. She had remarkable talent when it came to puzzles. When he finally won her over, and he would, he knew she would greatly appreciate the puzzles he had designed into the new facility t
hat had been completed that very morning.
The construction had barely finished in time. He expected delivery of his merchandise in a few hours, and he couldn’t have any complications. Smiling, he aimed the mouse toward the icon for the live streaming video so he could see the new shipment as they made their way down the highway.
He frowned as he clicked on the window and noticed the time stamp. It indicated the window had been open less than fifteen minutes earlier. He hadn’t looked at the feed in a couple of hours. Fifteen minutes ago would have been—
A sickening feeling churned in his stomach. Using skills he had been taught by their master computer programmer, he did a search on all recent activities. His hand clenched into a fist as he saw the folder that had been opened, as well as the documents within the folder.
The snoopy little woman had discovered his dirty secret. “Damn it!” he roared, slamming his fist down on the desk, and the horses in the nearby stalls jumped and pranced, letting out startled whinnies.
No wonder Elena had been trying so hard to get away from him. But she had certainly played her haughty-bitch role well.
He pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed-dial number. The phone was answered on the third ring. “Your call is coming far sooner than I expected,” a smug voice said on the other end of the line.
Jonas spoke through clenched teeth. “We have a problem.”
* * *
Elena couldn’t stay in Hebbronville. She knew she could be in great danger. She had to get away, and she had to do so quickly. She debated whether to leave her truck running or not as she pulled up outside her apartment. Shaking her head at herself, she pulled the keys from the ignition and bounded up the stairs two at a time.
She locked the door behind her, fastening the dead bolt and the latch, even though she knew neither would do enough if a man as large as Jonas decided to charge through her door. There was no way for her to know if he had discovered what she had seen on the computer, but she couldn’t take any chances.
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