“No sign of the kid either. I have five new females and two men,” Jameson reported. “Two of them appear in rough shape. I don’t know if they’ll survive the drive to the auction. We don’tknow the route yet, or I’d suggest you hijack the truck midway and get them out. They need medical attention.”
“Where’s the doctor? I believe Kara called her Dr. Reese?” Julio asked.
“She hasn’t shown up either. This feels weird. New people, no doctor, and I’m not working with the same men,” Jameson informed them.
“Do you think they made you?” Matthew asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“No. With Jim gone, they needed someone they trusted with the women. These other slimeballs try everything to get inside the cages. They don’t want the merchandise used this close to the auction,” Jameson explained.
“Then who’s with them now?” Julio asked, worried about the victims.
“I took out their cameras and have them scattering. I’m sitting right outside the entrance. If they see me talking on the phone, they’ll assume I’m speaking with one of the others to get everything back up and running.”
“Don’t take stupid chances, asshole,” Julio ordered.
“I have to find Caroline,” he said desperately. “I must take what opportunities I can get. We can’t find her until we take these assholes down.”
“Put your tracker on. We’ll leave tomorrow night and follow you to Boston. If we get a chance to intercept, we will. Ivan’s men will be enroute tonight. Do you know if they plan to pick up any more shipments on the way? Seven seems like a low number considering you have two in bad shape,” Julio surmised as he wrote all the info down on a pad.
“They haven’t said anything. Julio’s on the list to attend. Matthew, you need to reroute his call to one of the Caribbean islands. He can’t be traced to Georgia or anywhere in theSoutheast,” Jameson instructed. “I have to go.” The phone disconnected.
“Shit,” Matthew swore as he clicked away at the keys on his computer. “We’ll get it set up tonight. You’ll probably receive the call sometime tomorrow. What do you plan on telling Rebecca?”
“Nothing,” Julio said gravely. “I don’t want her disappointed. We already know Megan and Ebony won’t be there, or the doctor. It seems strange they don’t care about getting medical help for the two.”
“We’ll need to stay on our toes. They deviated from their plan. They’re skipping Norfolk and bringing in new employees.”
“Let’s get the weapons ready and I’ll update Ivan,” Julio said, rising from his chair and opening the gun safe. They checked their weapons and loaded their bags. They didn’t need much since Ivan sent supplies with his men.
When they finished, Julio stepped out onto the porch. Feeling the need to see Rebecca, but afraid if he did, she might guess they planned a mission. She knew his expressions like the back of her hand. No. It seemed better to wait until he returned. Then, he planned to lay his cards on the table. By then, four weeks will have passed and he prayed for something to break the tension between them.
Rebecca lay in bed,listening to the sound of the wind, every creak of the cabin, and waiting. For what she didn’t know. Her chest felt heavy, even after she cried herself to sleep on her bed. When she woke, she realized Kara must’ve entered and covered her with a blanket.
Guilt settled in her stomach. It appeared like Rachel tried to turn over a new leaf, but Rebecca refused to let go of thepast. Maybe because if she did, it meant she’d have to let go of her memories of Julio, too. She missed the feel of his strong arms holding her as she drifted off to sleep. Rebecca craved his scent. When she experienced a rough night, Rebecca counted the minutes until they threw her back into the cell. Then, she pretended Julio lay beside her. He’d softly kiss her forehead and softly whisper, “I love you.” She conjured his scent, letting it wrap her up in a false sense of security as she murmured, “Love you, more.”
She sniffed into the blanket, hating every moment of feeling weak. Food seemed to sit in her stomach like rocks. Sleep rarely came until the wee hours of the morning and left her tired during the day. Her emotions swayed all over the place. One minute, she felt like herself, and then the next, she wanted to throw a chair across the room. Ebony’s request for Rebecca to teach her self-defense seemed futile now. Didn’t Ebony realize if she knew so much, she’d have already escaped? She doubted Ebony needed self-defense now, wherever she was. If mercy and peace existed, Ebony deserved it. Megan’s sweet little face floated into her thoughts. Where did they take her? She relived the last moments when she fought with Jim, trying to keep him from taking the precious little girl. She recalled Megan’s large, blue, terrified eyes pleading with her to do something, anything to save her, and Rebecca failed. If it became the last thing she ever did, she’d find Megan.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
They loaded the truck, and Julio watched as Matthew pulled Rachel into his arms and kissed her. Not a quick peck on the lips, but a long, slow kiss, letting her know he missed her before he even left the driveway. Julio glanced away, wishing Rebecca stood on the farmhouse steps. Instead, she preferred to stay in one of the cabins and refused to let him get close to her.
The anticipation of the mission kicked him into overdrive, making him anxious to leave. On the other hand, he felt eager to return, hopefully with Megan and Rebecca’s friend. Doubt plagued him, but he still felt hopeful about rescuing the seven people Jameson mentioned, and hopefully, they’d discover a few more.
Matthew’s hand lingered on his fiancée’s hip as he backed away. His gaze didn’t leave hers until the last possible moment. The simple action hurt like a bitch to watch.
He imagined Rebecca running into his arms when he found her, not running away.
“Let’s go,” Matthew said, staring back at his woman.
“Gladly,” Julio muttered. “When did you turn this freaking mushy?”
Matthew tipped his hat down and lay back in the seat. “Sorry. It’s the first time we’ve separated since the team and I went after her father and rescued her. The trial will be here before we know it. She’s determined to take him down.”
“It sounds like she’s turned into one helluva woman, “Julio said, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“You got one, too. It may take her some time, but she’ll remember,” Matthew assured him.
“I won’t give up. Until then, we’ll take as many of these bastards down as we can,” Julio vowed as he focused on the drive to the airport. A private plane waited for them and when they returned, he hoped it was filled with as many victims as possible. They deserved to get their lives back.
