Abducted

by Lynda Filler

  “Genius. You’re the man.” Jorge was impressed.

  “So, no one’s got the ten million except me. The kid can’t pay up, so I get the girl. I know Tariq will want this sweet young thing for himself. No question. She can make babies for the cause. Ha-ha. What pigs.”

  “What’s the ETA for Manzanillo?”

  “Looks like tonight around midnight, one o’clock. I’ve got the boys lined up with weapons and trucks. This is the biggest shipment of heroin we’ve ever brought in. The warehouse is ready to hide the goods in an old oil tanker and send it up the coast to Ensenada. We’re trying out a new way of getting across the border. It’s undetectable.” Jorge was proud of this operation.

  “What about the rest of the cargo going back East? The ship has to turn around in one-hour max. I want this done well before daybreak. Everyone’s been paid off but why draw any more attention than necessary?”

  “We’ve hit our limit for space. Twenty-five girls and twenty children. So far, no big alerts that we can’t handle. I sent the photos to Mme Anjou as requested. She wants to see what we can provide for future business. We’ve been careful. Very careful.” Jorge explained.

  “But I think we should re-consider our business model Alex. I know it’s lucrative. One mistake and it could get really messy for us.”

  “What’s up Jorge? Going soft? The money’s fantastic, and the cost of the product so small, a few thousand pesos to local thugs to grab some kids. Easy. Ninety percent profit after payoffs and shipment. We’ll talk later. Let’s go watch some dogfights. I feel like gambling.”

  “What about the girl?”

  “Tell the boys to feed her and keep giving her drugs in her water. Have Jaime watch her. I’m sure Tariq will come across with the magic number. Then we load her with the rest of the cargo tonight.”

  25

  Paris, France

  ANJOU’S FINGERS LINGERED on the urn that held Chopin’s heart. Most believed it was in Poland. Adrienne knew better.

  Damn Luke Raven, she fumed. After the attack on her home in Jin Mao Tower Shanghai, Woo had sent the urn to be reconstructed. Now that she was back in Paris, she could visit his body in Père Lachaise Cemetery as well.

  Other priceless works of art were placed casually around her eighteenth-century apartment. They’d been meticulously selected with the help of the world’s most influential art curator. Jacque’s taste was impeccable, and the handsome check he received for his work reinforced it.

  The latest technology meant Adrienne’s communications could be on top of all her holdings at the click of a key. She smiled as the Asian stock markets tumbled yet again. Every day Luke Raven lost millions of dollars. She only hoped he was stupid enough to sell out, and take his losses, so she could manipulate the markets upwards again.

  She opened the ultra-secure file sent from Mexico. It gave her a thrill to peruse the photos of the cargo she would be forwarding to Tariq. She was high on her power and the control she had over human life. Ever since she had murdered her worthless immigrant parents in California, she recognized an almost sexual pleasure in watching someone die. Having Luke Raven’s wife and daughter killed in the Bahamas, was another highlight in her life. She had yet to fulfill her ultimate sexual fantasy, watching someone die during an orgasm. However, if she has her way, that’s how Tasha will die for her betrayal! She made a vow that soon this fantasy would be hers to live.

  The file was small. Sying quickly skimmed the faces of the women thinking how much fun Tariq and his army would have with this new crop of bodies. Next, she viewed the children.

  Suddenly, she stopped and focused on one face. She had seen that face before, but where? Tanned skin, sloped jade eyes, Middle Eastern? She looked to be about four years old.

  “Woo, get in here!”

  “Yes Mme”

  “Look at this picture. Who is this child? Why would I know her? How would I know her?”

  “I’m uncertain Adrienne but let me put it through our facial recognition software and see what comes back.”

  “Alright, do it quickly. There is something about that face…”

  Adrienne was lost in thought when Sam Woo returned to her office.

  “I think this is impossible, but it all fits.”

  “Tell me, Woo.”

  “I managed to get one photo discreetly at the Kitten Ball in Versailles. The two women who were dancing, the ones Tasha invited to come back to Shanghai. The facial recognition shows points of similarity with the child.”

  “Woo, go back and remove the mask from the face of the darker woman, then run it through Interpol. I have an idea.”

  Ten minutes later Woo was back.

  “What do you think?” Woo looked at Luci.

  “It’s her. Oh, my God, this child must be Alice, the four-year-old daughter of the Israeli operative! Codename Luci! Is it possible? And how did the Mexicans find her?” Adrienne paced excitedly.

  “I will sell this child; but the mother, where is she?”

  Woo remained silent.

  “What if she has joined forces with Raven? I’ve heard rumors of an ultra-secret group mining for information on the US Office of Personnel Management hack. She’s a known computer and security expert. Maybe there is sensitive information in the US Office of Personnel Management hack we did, information that could have endangered her somehow.”

  Mme Anjou paced, continuing her musings.

  “I know Raven trained with her in Israel, and at one point was considered dead. This woman is responsible for destroying my world in Shanghai! She broke my Chopin urn! She bombed my magnificent home in the Jin Mao Tower. She was part of the conspiracy to kill me! And she has a daughter. Or, she had a daughter.” Woo stood by listening as Mme spoke out loud to herself.

  “Tariq got screwed out of his information. I wonder what he might pay to have this Alice child. Or maybe I will keep her for myself, use her to get my information back, all those files they stole from us, Woo. I know you found out that the Raven Group was involved in the plot to kill me, but this now ties the two together.”

  Adrienne looked out through her eighth-floor apartment window. The Eiffel Tower dominated her city view.

  “I need an assault team assembled and on-site in Manzanillo, Mexico before they leave port. Organize it immediately. I don’t want to take a chance that something happens to that child while at sea. Let Alex know we are bringing her out of Mexico ourselves!”

  “Yes, Mme.”

  26

  Boeing Field, Seattle

  “RB, WHAT DO you think of this G650? We’ll be in Puerto Vallarta before midnight, and Manzanillo not too long after that. Samuel Ramirez has organized a private force to meet us at the P.V. airport. We will have more intelligence when we arrive.”

  Raven adjusted the seat as co-pilot on the luxury eight-seat plane. “I’ve had special compartments added for our equipment. We took out the overhead bins and designed an entire false ceiling and floor. We’re good to go.”

  “Look boss.” RB pointed to the onboard console. “I was able to triangulate the signal from Alice’s necklace. They’ve stopped halfway between P.V. and Manzanillo. Looks like they’re close to Colima. The indicators are that Alice is alive and well; body temps, heartbeat all normal.”

  “Redirect a satellite to zero in on the building they’re in. Keep it on Alice until we arrive. Send all info to my watch. Let’s sync now.”

  “Sure boss. Tell me something. How did you become buddies with the President of Mexico?”

  “It’s a long story, and it happened several years ago. But I will tell you this. In these countries, you are never truly safe. There’s a level of lawlessness from both the inside and outside of the government. Everything is corrupt.” Luke took a deep breath before continuing.

  “After my wife and daughter died, I took a leave of absence from Caltech, didn’t do much of anything except trek some mountains. At one point I ended up in Playa del Carmen drinking, Mexico. Got talking with this guy with a
bad wig on and sunglasses. Sun went down, sunglasses stayed on. I thought it was kind of weird, but he was super cool, well educated, and he liked a lot of my plans for the future. We ended up in his private suite still talking late into the night. Next thing, the wig came off and the sunglasses, and it was the soon-to-be President of Mexico.”

  “You’ve stayed in touch?”

  “Yeah, actually we’ve worked together on several things. I never told you whom we were working for when we cleaned up some of those situations in Latin America. Remember those kids that disappeared off the bus? We helped out a woman named Mia, and her friends.”

  “Sure, I remember that mission.”

  Raven thought about the memories, the rescues, the events that formed the man he had become.

  “Only this time, it’s personal to the President of Mexico.” RB added.

  “Yeah, a daughter no one knows about. And Samaar. We will not let them down!”

  27

  Punta de Mita, Mexico

  ALEX PACED THE Venetian Terrazzo floor on the outside patio of his hacienda. The maid placed a bottle of Evian water next to his cabana. The lights of Puerto Vallarta twinkled across the Bay of Banderas. Soon fireworks would burst into the skies from each resort between Nuevo and Mismaloya. Alex no longer saw the beauty that surrounded him. He was obsessed with power and money. And he was anxious to hear what Tariq had to say.

  His phone vibrated. He listened and waited a few seconds before commenting.

  “Does Mme Anjou know about this?” Tariq demanded.

  “Nah, she doesn’t need to know about this special arrangement we have. The girl is not part of our normal cargo. Her photo is not in the mix. She is special, a last-minute surprise. So, do you want her? You know the price. Big risk I’m taking.”

  “Yeah, I want her. She will be a good addition to my other wives. I can see the fire in her eyes. She will be a pleasure to train.”

  Alex laughed out loud. Women had a purpose, although lately, he thought they might be too much trouble. They had the right idea in Juarez, use them, abuse them, and then bury them in the desert.

  “Wire the funds, you know the numbers. I will see that she gets special attention on the ship.”

  “Don’t disappoint me Alex. I know how to find you.”

  “Don’t EVER threaten me, Tariq. Killing is my friend. I don’t need a reason. And I’ve always wanted to visit the Middle East. Don’t think for a minute that my communications are any less powerful than the NSA.”

  “You can’t take a joke, Alex?”

  “Money is never a laughing matter to me Tariq. Make me happy and send the money. I’ve got arrangements to make.”

  He threw his iPhone on the table.

  “Jorge, get out here!”

  “Yeah Alex, what’s up?”

  “We take the girl with us. Make sure she won’t be any trouble. Tariq’s agreed to the price. We head out in the next hour. Have the plane ready. Bring plenty of firepower. No mistakes tonight.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “We will take the highway back to make sure our incoming cargo comes to no harm.”

  “Got it. I’ll have transport ready when we arrive in Manzanillo.”

  28

  Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean

  “MANZANILLO IS FOGGED IN. We will have to go in low. But first stop is Puerto Vallarta.” RB was adjusting the controls.

  “Let me get Samuel on the line. We’ll need air transport for Manzanillo that can land in bad weather.

  “RB, I have another idea. I think we should split up. A coordinated assault. Do you have any intel yet?” RB was one of the few people Luke trusted to always get it right.

  “Yes, read this. Looks like the cargo ship docking late tonight is the Green Star, flying Panamanian colors. We are monitoring it with special equipment, piggybacking off the satellite. I should know soon how many crew members, and what’s in the containers. My contacts say its product out of Afghanistan.”

  “Anything more on Alice?”

  “Yes. The captives are on the move again. Looks like about forty people in a trailer. Lots of heat signatures. Hard to tell exact numbers. Still heading in the right direction.”

  “Anything filed on what country the ship is heading for?”

  “Not yet. Probably the cartel will pay off someone to put false info in the books. So, whatever they say may not be the case. And if they’re caught, they’ll blame the incompetence on the Mexicans.”

  “You good for a bit RB? I need to speak to the Team.”

  “Sure. I’ll call if anything comes through.”

  Luke made his way from the cockpit to the lounge area. The team was alert. The energy was palpable.

  “The plan has changed slightly. We’re going to use the minisub. With the new, faster motor we should be able to get you in close. I haven’t decided who’s going in by water. Pack the usual equipment.”

  “Luci, Tasha, you’re with us. Lorena will join in PV. RB, Zach and George, we gain some Mexican Spec. Forces when we arrive in Mexico. We take the helos from there. Weather’s terrible so going in low and hot.

  I want a two-pronged assault. We don’t know enough about what to expect, what the strength is, and who exactly will be there. So be prepared to fight.”

  They all smiled except Luci. It was her Alice they were here to find. She begged whatever higher power was out there to keep her baby safe.

  When stressed, Luci returned to her comfort zone. She prepared her weapons and went into a Zen-like meditation. Went over kill points in hand-to-hand, laser-focused her mind on death and destruction. Her striking beauty was her secret weapon. The enemy never saw her coming. She was ready.

  “We can expect to engage cartel enforcers, and from what we know they are well-armed and ruthless. I’m still waiting to hear more about Allegra.”

  29

  “I KNOW THIS IS unusual, but I want a particular child for myself.”

  “Really, Mme I didn’t know this about you.” Alex smiled, putting the info away for future reference. “It will be no problem for sure.”

  “And I, Mme, have made arrangements for special cargo that Tariq has taken a particular interest in. I must ensure that she is taken care of on the ship. I don’t usually get this involved, but her welfare is of my highest concern.”

  “I see.” Mme Anjou wondered how much extra Guapo had charged Tariq for this piece of merchandise. It wasn’t really her business. They’d both agreed earlier that this was a partnership of sorts. With two such strong personalities, accommodation for a common cause had to be made.

  “The offloading should take less than an hour and outgoing cargo not more than fifteen minutes. I want the ship in and out of port quickly. They can take on more supplies as they near the Canal. The less eyes-on in Mexico, the better.”

  “If you send me the details, I will have your particular cargo separated and ready to be picked up when it arrives in Europe.”

  “No. I think you misunderstood. I am at this moment on my way to Manzanillo. I will fly into a private part of the airport. I will send the coordinates, so you may have a car waiting for me. I also request the use of three of your security personnel. I cannot have any complications. I will take possession of the child in Mexico and bring her back with me to Europe.”

  This was getting very interesting. Alex would agree of course. This partnership was working very well, and he had a feeling that it would only get more lucrative with time.

  “Certainly. Securely transmit your ETA and co-ordinates. I will look after the rest.”

  “Soon then.” Adrienne signed off.

  30

  Puerto Vallarta Private Charter Airport, Mexico

  STORMS RAGED ALONG the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The winds screamed, and lightning tore across the skies. Local taxis, the only ones foolish enough to travel in these challenging conditions, drove around fallen palm fronds, rotten mangoes, and ripe coconuts. Summers in the tropics could be magical or dangerous. To
night, it would provide both a challenge for Raven’s flight and cover Lorena hoped.

  She pulled up outside the security gate at the private air terminal in Puerto Vallarta. Several black-clad Special Ops guys checked her out against photos. The taxi driver was dismissed on the spot. An army truck took Lorena the rest of the way to the non-descript terminal.

  Lorena entered the arrival area, and again she was prevented from going forward. The leader of the Spec Ops team was expecting Lorena, and upon identification by using portable facial recognition software and fingerprints, he handed her a lightweight envelope. Inside was a computer printout showing Hwy 200 and two vehicles tracking south towards Manzanillo. The packet also contained a grainy photo of a group of children being herded into a blacked-out bus. One unknowingly turned towards the sat cam, and Lorena gasped. It was Alice! She was alive!

  Several black uniformed men stood at alert as a G650 came to a stop on the tarmac. The airport security and customs officials were discreetly absent.

  Raven disembarked and walked towards Lorena, who was crying. Luci ran to Lorena and threw her arms around her.

  “Stop it, Lorena! It could have happened to anyone! I know you love her. I know you would never knowingly put her in a position of danger.”

  “I will get her back!” Lorena sobbed.

  Tasha joined the two women who consoled each other, while Zack, RB, and George looked at the package Lorena was carrying.