I whispered, voice soft.“Está bien. Te vamos a sacar de aquí. Estás a salvo ahora.” It’s okay. We’re getting you out. You’re safe now.
He didn’t speak for a long beat, just stared, blinking rapidly like he was trying to remember how. Goblin nudged him gently with his snout, tail wagging just enough to sayI’ve got you too. I ruffled Nico’s hair, soft, careful, and felt the tiniest flinch relax.
“Voodoo?” Bones’ voice came sharp in my ear. “Lunchbox and I cleared the yard. One of the hostile guys down. Signs they moved more kids recently. Might’ve been prepping for transport. We’re here for Grace and the boy, go and get the SUV ready.”
“Copy that,” Voodoo said. He cupped my face once, a stroke of his thumb to my cheek then he was gone. Nico dug his fingers into mine, but he didn’t make a sound. I hated that he’d already learned to contain his fear.
Hatedit.
I swallowed, my throat tight. “Any leads?” Right now, I was just hoping that Nico didn’t understand enough English for it to scare him.
AB cut in, crisp and fast. “Yeah. On the road. Moving north. Could be anywhere along Highway 12 in the next twenty minutes if they don’t slow down.”
I pressed my forehead against Nico’s, whispered,“Vamos a mantenerte a salvo. ¿Me escuchas?” We’re going to keep you safe. You hear me?
His small nod pressed against me was enough for now. Enough to keep moving because Legend and Bones were there. They carried in another guy and dumped him on Nico’s abandoned cot and left him secured. Then they ushered us out before they sealed the container up again.
“Time to go,” Bones said. “Stay close. Don’t worry about what it looks like this time.”
I nodded and slid my sunglasses back on, I also dropped my hat onto Nico’s head. I rose slowly, tugging Nico to his feet. He wobbled a little, but he hung onto my hoodie. Goblin’s hackles dropped as he stepped closer, letting Nico wrap a tiny hand over his fur.
“Bien,”I said quietly.“SUV. Rápido, cuidadoso, y sin sorpresas.” Okay. SUV. Fast, careful, and no surprises.
We threaded through the steel canyons again, shadows long, containers looming. Every step measured. Every forklift and dock worker accounted for. Legend swept ahead, casual and lethal. Bones flanked the other side, scanning angles I couldn’t even name.
Nico whispered my name once, a shaky little thing, and I squeezed his hand.“Estoy aquí.”I’m right here.
Goblin nudged him again. Protection, insistence, promise.
When we hit the edge of the yard, the SUV waited—idling, hidden enough not to draw attention, ready enough to disappear in seconds. I guided Nico to the middle seat, letting him curl in with the jacket wrapped tight, Goblin hopping in beside him.
Bones climbed into the passenger seat as Lunchbox followed behind me to get into the third row seat. After securing Nico with a seatbelt, I leaned back, eyes on Nico’s small face. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He just held onto the jacket, held onto Goblin, and we moved out.
“I’ve mapped a route to let you intercept,” AB’s voice in the comms cut through, adding a sharp report on traffic and potential checkpoints. “Highway 12, clear. Speed up. ETA to catch them, fifteen minutes if no interference.”
I exhaled slowly, letting myself relax just enough to wrap an arm around Nico. He tucked his head between me and Goblin, small, fragile and still wrapped in the jacket.
“Estás a salvo,” I murmured again. “Por ahora.”You’re safe. For now.
The road stretched out ahead, the diesel scent fading, but the danger—not gone, not yet. Just postponed. Nico’s small fingers twitched as he clasped my hand. It was weird how fast it seemed to go, and at the same time, how interminably long. I kept looking for white vans and not seeing them.
The SUV hummed along Highway 12, the engine low and steady, a coiled promise of power under our feet. Goblin rested his chin on Nico’s shoulder like a shield, tail flicking in sync with the car’s rhythm. I kept one arm around Nico, holding him close, trying to transfer calm through nothing but touch and quiet words.
After what felt like too long—I trusted the guys and their skills but this was asking a lot of them—there they were.
“¿Ves los camiones blancos?”I whispered, nodding toward the windshield.Do you see the white vans?
Nico’s tiny head lifted slightly. His eyes, wide and terrified, tracked the distant shapes, two white vans weaving through the afternoon traffic, hopefully still oblivious to the hunters on their tail.
“Vamos a atraparlos.”We’re going to catch them.Maybe I shouldn’t tell him everything but I would want to know. I’d wanted to know when I’d been terrified out of my mind and I couldn’t offer Nico much but the illusion of control right now. So that was what I would offer him.
AB’s voice cut through the comms, calm but tense. “Both vans heading north, same speed as you. One’s hugging the shoulder, the other’s riding center lane. Looks like they’re coordinating. ETA to intersection 17 is six minutes.”
My stomach tensed. “What if they split up?”
Bones’ glanced at me from the front seat, his gaze firm and reassuring yet resolute. “Don’t borrow trouble, Dollface. We handle what comes.”
I exhaled slowly, trying to shove the worry down, as Voodoo kept us in their blind spot.
