“No, but the footprints continue down here.” Sage points farther down the corridor, where there looks to be a dead end, but the light is not bright enough to tell for sure.
“Come on, let’s have a look.” This time, I take the lead. I don’t bother with my gun. If there was anyone here, we already would have come across them. “I’m going to get Sam and Dean to set up some cameras down here. I want eyes on this place all the time. If what Lacey said is true, and these lead to the wharf, then I bet they are going to use them to transport women. Agent Garcia said he thinks that’s where they are being transported out of.”
As we get farther down the corridor, I notice it isn’t a dead end, but two tunnels that branch off in opposite directions. We stop, and I look both ways and listen.
These tunnels are a lot wider, and they turn pitch black a few steps from where we stand, so it’s impossible to see anything.
“Look at that.” Sage points at something on the ground, and I crouch down to get a better look.
“Holy crap, those look like train tracks.” I stare at the metal rods inlaid into the dirt floor.
“A trolley possibly. It’s at least twenty miles from here to the port. I bet they had a faster way of moving things than just walking. I wonder where the other tunnel leads.” Sage takes his phone out and turns on the flashlight, trying to see deeper into both tunnels, but it doesn’t penetrate the darkness at all.
“Let’s get some of our men down here to explore. We have a two week time frame to break it all down. I’ll give the agent a call and let him know what we discovered, but we won’t let them know any details regarding the shipment until we’re closer to the time. I don’t trust them not to poke around more than they promised they would.”
Sage lifts his phone and sends a message. He soon gets a reply, and he looks up at the ceiling.
“Sam and Dean are already here,” he tells me.
“Good, then they can get started right away. It won’t take long until Lorenzo finds out Melissa is dead and Candy is in rehab. He’ll probably put a hit out on her. That’s what I would do. She knows too much now.”
We start retracing our steps.
“He won’t be able to find her. Bill and Joe will hand her off to our contact, and they will make sure she’s enrolled in rehab in another state under an assumed name. If she reaches out to him, then that’s on her, and if she ends up dead, then that’s no one’s fault but her own,” he says, trying to reassure me, but I don’t need it.
“I really don’t care what happens to Candy. She’s lucky she’s still breathing. The only reason I didn’t kill her was because of the drugs, but she won’t get another chance. If she comes at me again, I’ll put a bullet in her head as quickly as I shot Melissa.”
“What are we going to tell the staff? Lorenzo will probably ask around.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t care, as long as Lorenzo doesn’t find out we know about the tunnels down here. Tell themI popped her in a jealous rage. It fits the brand, and no one would find it hard to believe.”
“The staff here are loyal to you,” he tells me, and I scoff.
“Candy wasn’t, but hopefully she’s the exception.”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and presses a kiss to my head. “Nothing more vicious than a woman scorned.” He chuckles as I give him side-eye.
“And don’t you forget it.” He throws his head back and laughs.
“Oh, I can assure you, Ms. Russo, that I won’t ever forget how deadly you are, but I’m like a junky, and I love the thrill of making you mad.”
I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. Sage is so damn happy all the time, and it’s hard not to be affected by it. He’s like living ecstasy, making me happy and horny with just one wink and a grin.
When we get upstairs, I find Lacey, Sam, and Dean in a booth having a drink. Sam lifts his glass and gives me a nod. “Hey, boss.”
“Lacey, can you give us a moment?” I ask, and she quickly climbs over Dean and slides out of the booth.
“I’ll just go and check on the next act then. I saw Joe and Bill walking Candy out through the back, and although most of the girls know what they are doing, it won’t hurt for them to know who is in charge now.”
She proudly struts off, and I watch with bemused amusement. “Oh, I think she’s going to do just fine.” I sit down, and one of the topless waitresses comes over and takes our drink order, flirting shamelessly with the guys before she leans in and whispers in my ear.
“Let me know if you’d like a lap dance, Ms. Russo. I’d love to see to your needs.” She smells fresh and fruity, and in the past, I wouldn’t have hesitated to take her up on her offer, but thingsare different now. I give her a small smile, and she stands and gives me a wink before sashaying back to the bar, her rounded ass cheeks shaking delightfully in her thong.
“Ugh,” Sage groans, biting his fist. “Please let me watch.”
I shake my head and ignore him before telling the guys exactly what we found. I give them their instructions, warning them only to use our most trusted employees and to be careful.
“I want to know where both of those tunnels go, and I want cameras installed ASAP. I also want you to do a deep dive into the operations here. I want to ensure Melissa and Lorenzo didn’t mess with this business as well and corrupt any of the other staff like they did in San Jose. Get the forensic accountant in also. I want the books checked and the place swept for bugs and cameras that don’t belong to us. We also need to put a tail on Lorenzo. We haven’t had one on him for a while now, but it seems it’s needed again. I want to know where he goes and who he sees, and while we’re at it, put one on Penelope too.” I look at Sage. “Am I missing anything?”
