Jolie
Jacksonville, FL
Sunday night
Sometimes it didn’t seem fair that because I was a woman, I had to be the bait. Although, I understood it, and I wasn’t complaining. Not really. I wanted in on the rescue, so I’d play the role needed in order to get to Chrissy and get her out of there safely.
If she was there.
If she wasn’t—I couldn’t think about that at the moment. I knew it wasn’t good, but I couldn’t ponder that I’d be responsible for her death.
I slipped on the shortest skirt I had, a denim number that was ripped where the pockets hung below the hemline. I paired it with a tight black halter top that exposed an enormous amount of cleavage. Mussing up my hair gave the impression I’d just been intimate with a man, or that I’d had way too much to drink. I was going for both looks. High heels would be impossible to run in if I needed a quick getaway, so I opted for tennis shoes. Hopefully the guards would be too wrapped up in looking at my breasts that they wouldn’t notice my shoes.
I saw Oscar’s eyebrows rise as I walked out of the bathroom. Then he whistled low. It was met with a growl from Ryder and a laugh from Cruz.
“Damn, woman! We’re going to have to fight to the death to keep those goons off you.”
Ryder pushed him, none too playfully, but Oscar didn’t take the hint.
“I mean, you look good enough to eat.”
I could feel my ears burning from the blush that was heating up not just my face, but the entire top half of my body. It felt a little humiliating to be dressed like a tramp. Ryder caught my eye and must have noticed my discomfort.
“Shut up, Oscar.”
Oscar chuckled and shook his head. “You’re such a goner, Blake. I don’t know how you’ve resisted this long.”
“I said shut up.”
Oscar lifted his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. I’m shutting up.” Then he turned a sincere gaze on me. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Jolie. I only meant it as a compliment. You’re going to knock their socks off. Thanks for playing your role. I know it’s not easy.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say to that. I may not be wielding big guns, but at least I was helping them to get the jump on the thugs who’d taken Chrissy and anyone else who might be in those cages.
“Let’s roll.” Cruz opened the door as we all passed through and out to Ryder’s Charger. I offered to sit in the back with one of the guys, but Cruz explained they’d just fight over who didn’t have to sit with their knees around their ears. He told me to take the front seat, so I obliged.
Ryder caught my eye as we drove, nodding to me to let me know I wasn’t alone. When we reached the marina, I slid out of the car and twisted my hands together.
Ryder rounded the car and took my arms in his hands. “We will have eyes on you at all times, okay? You’re safe.”
I nodded. I knew they’d be there for me. That was never a question.
Instead of letting me go, Ryder pulled me close, wrapping me in his arms. Then he bent his head and kissed me lightly on the lips. I heard the other two men clearing their throats, but when I looked up, I didn’t see any judgment in their eyes. They seemed pleased.
Tossing a wave at them, I walked quickly towards the container that we assumed held Chrissy and any other victims who had occupied those cages in the warehouse. When I was close, I slowed my pace and stumbled as I walked.
One of the guys saw me immediately. I giggled and threw my hands over my head, which only caused the skirt to skim dangerously high.
“Josh? Where are you, Josh?”
The man eyed me like I was a piece of cake served to him on a silver platter.
“Who are you looking for, señorita?”
“My boyfriend. He was supposed to meet me here after he got off work. But I can’t find him.” I slurred my words, hoping the drunk act would work.
Another guard rounded the side of the container.
“Who is this?” The man asked in Spanish. I was suddenly grateful for the four years of high school Spanish and the two years in college. I may not have finished, but I’d loved studying the language and had taken a couple of advanced courses during my tenure of trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
“Some drunk girl. Seems to be lost.”
“We should have our fun and then put her in there with the rest.”
The first guy grinned, and I was suddenly sick to my stomach. “Good idea. It’s not like anyone will miss her tonight. Radio Armando and let him know we’ve found a distraction.”
The man walked over to me as the other guy radioed Armando for the “fun” that was raping and kidnapping me. His hand stroked a path down my arm, pausing at the pink bandage wrapped tightly around it to cover my stitches.
“I’m afraid Josh must have left you, chiquita. But don’t you worry. We’ll take good care of you.”
I felt like I was going to throw up.
“Thank you.”
Leaning in to him, I stumbled over my feet and almost took us both down. “Oops.” I giggled. “Sorry.”
The man righted me, his eyes firmly glued to the girls. I took advantage of his momentary distraction to examine the area. Two other men, including the one who’d radioed Armando, were closing in.
The man closest to me, a skinny guy, medium build with long black hair pulled low in a ponytail, continued to stroke his hand down my arm, sending chills racing over my skin in disgust. He took that as encouragement and swung his AR-15 around his chest so both his hands were free. Perfect. With his hands far enough away from his gun, the guys would be able to get the jump on him, and I’d be able to defend myself if it came to that.
He moved his now free hands to my hips and brought me flush against his chest. He breathed words in Spanish in my ear, but my pulse was racing so loudly, I was unable to hear what he said. When the other two men rounded the corner and saw what he was doing, they whistled and catcalled.
I giggled as if I was enjoying it, but really, I was contemplating the best way to extricate myself from his hold. Four guards total. There could be more waiting in the wings, but these were the ones who were close enough to get a piece of the action—me.
When Ponytail skimmed his hands up my thighs and below my skirt, I rammed my knee into his groin. On a gasp, he doubled over, falling to his knees. The other three guys were momentarily confused, watching him writhing on the ground. When their gazes shot to mine, I waved.
All three swung their guns around, but not before Ryder, Cruz, and Oscar walked out of the shadows, lasers focused on the bad guys’ foreheads.
Ryder spoke first. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop those weapons.”
The men eyed each other, looking for what they should do. Ponytail was starting to come around, and was slowly going for his weapon, so I pulled my Glock from the holder just inside my thigh and pointed it at his forehead.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
He cursed in Spanish and dropped his gun, his hands raised above his head.
“Don’t be stupid, friends. Our beef isn’t with you.” Oscar spoke the words in Spanish as they closed the distance between them and the guards.
I could see the men growing antsy, since they weren’t sure what to do. Finally, one of them dropped his AR-15, only to reach around and grab his pistol. He never got a shot off.
A round hole appeared in his forehead before he fell to the ground. The other two guys used the distraction to try and make a run for it, but they didn’t get far. Both were shot just steps away, and they fell to the ground.
Ponytail was crying, and his cursing had turned to praying. I held the gun on him until Ryder came over to relieve me.
“I got it.” He took the gun from my hand, put the safety back on, and handed it back to me. “Go with the guys. Get Chrissy, and let’s get out of here. I’ll take care of this guy.”
I nodded, unable to speak since the adrenaline was pulsing through my veins. All the what ifs were running through my head. What if that guy had been quicker and had shot Ryder? What if the other guys had used their weapons rather than running away? What if? What if? What if?
I shook off the morbid thoughts as Oscar fumbled with the lock on the container.
“We can’t pick this kind, so we’re going to have to blow it up.” He turned a smile on me that had me jumping back a couple of steps.
Cruz leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Terrifying, isn’t it?”
“Why does he do that?”
“We think he might just be crazy. Kind of have to be to deal with explosives like he does.”
I shrugged.
Oscar banged on the container door. “Hello! Anyone inside?”
There was a knock back and a faint cry of help. Excitement bubbled in my stomach. We were right! Someone was in there. I just prayed that one of them was Chrissy and that we weren’t too late.
Oscar finagled a bit more with the C4 he’d brought “just in case.”
“Okay—you guys stand back over there.” He pointed to a spot several feet away, and I covered my ears.
The explosion was rather quiet compared to what I’d experienced just a few short days ago in Charleston. That felt like a lifetime ago and not merely less than a week’s time.
As soon as the dust cleared, Oscar and Cruz rushed over and opened the door with guns aimed and ready. I snuck in behind them, careful not to make any sudden moves. As I drew nearer, I gasped in horror.
“Oh, my dear God.” It was a plea. A cry for mercy.
The container was wall-to-wall filled with women. The stench that wafted out was so foul, no doubt these women had been in there for days, no way to use the bathroom. They were covered in all kinds of things I didn’t want to think about, and they all appeared to be half dead.
“I’m glad we killed them.” Cruz’s strong voice jolted me back to reality.
“Me too.” I squeezed his arm and took the final steps forward.
“You’re safe.” I wanted the women to hear that above all else. It appeared a few were coherent, but many looked as if they’d not eaten or had any kind of hydration in some time. Some were lying on the floor unable to rouse themselves. The others huddled together as if trying to gain strength from each other.
I stepped closer, my hands outstretched. “We have people ready to take you some place safe. I need you all to come with me, though, okay?”
One of the girls lifted her chin in defiance. “How do we know this isn’t some trick?”
“My name is Jolie. This is Cruz and Oscar, and the man outside is Ryder. We have some connections with the DEA, and they are waiting on you at the parking lot. They will have credentials to verify who they are. But for now, we have no idea if there are any other guards in the area, and we need to go.”
As if on cue, the radio of the man Ryder was interrogating squawked. I whirled around in terror, as Ryder leveled the gun at the guy’s head. I could barely hear his menacing voice.
“You will tell them all is well. You thought you saw something and fired your gun. It was just a stray cat. If you don’t, I will kill you.”
The man nodded and then recited the words into the radio. Oscar touched my shoulder. “We have to hurry. That won’t buy us much time. They’ll still come to investigate.”
I nodded and turned back to the women. They’d heard the exchange. The defiant one tugged on another girl’s arm. “Let’s get the ones that are weak out first.” Our eyes met, and I nodded my agreement.
I knelt by the first girl. “This is Oscar, and he’s going to help you. Can you walk?” She shook her head and then closed her eyes as if that tiny motion had taken what little strength she still had. “Okay. He’s going to carry you, okay?” She didn’t answer, so Oscar bent down and picked her up. Carrying her in his arms to the meeting point where the DEA would take over and make sure the girls were properly cared for.
It took about fifteen minutes to get most of the women who were unable to walk safely out of the container and into the custody of the DEA. The other women had leaned on each other as they’d followed Oscar and Cruz to the vans waiting for them.
I still had not found Chrissy. As we neared the back of the container, a single figure was lying on the floor curled into a fetal position. I placed my hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.
“Miss? Can you walk?” The woman flinched away from my touch. Her eyes shot open in terror, and she sat up with a start. She flung her arms up, backing away as quickly as she could.
“Don’t touch me! Please!” Her voice was a ragged cry, a pain-filled groaning that only came from experiencing too much abuse. Too much horror.
I lifted my hands to show her I wasn’t a threat. “I just want to help you. I—” Shock and relief spread through my body. “Chrissy?”
The woman stopped her fighting and looked hard at my face. “Jolie?”
“Oh, thank God! I thought you were dead!”
Reality finally dawned on Chrissy, and she sank back in relief, although it was clear her guard was still up. “How did you find me?”
“A hunch. Vicario insinuated that he’d done something with you. I have some, um, connections, and we were able to figure it out.”
“Vicario. You know him?” Fear sparked in her eyes as she scrambled as far away from me as she could get. I shook my head, trying to stay calm and soothing.
“No. I don’t know him. His goon Rubio forced me into his presence at the last fight.”
She relaxed slightly.
“Jolie, we need to go. We’ve got company.”
I stood, holding my hand out to Chrissy. “Can you walk?”
She nodded and took my hand. She could walk, but it was slow going. Oscar walked beside me, just in case I needed a hand. I leaned closer to him. “I need to know what happened to her. Can we take her with us and drop her with the DEA after?”
He nodded. “I’ll talk with the agent in charge. It shouldn’t be a problem, since we called them and not the other way around.”
I walked Chrissy out to the Charger and put her in the front seat, while Oscar spoke with the DEA agent in charge.
Shots sounded in the distance. “Ryder!”
Oscar, Cruz, and I took off at a run, not stopping until we were close enough to back Ryder up. Three other guards had arrived. Ponytail was lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. The other three men were crouched down, firing at Ryder, who was camped out behind the container. He caught our gaze and motioned that there were three targets.
Cruz and Oscar communicated nonverbally with him, while I trained my Glock on the bad guys.
“On three.” Cruz whispered the commands, “One, Two, Three.”
We stepped out, all firing at the same time, and the three targets were eliminated in short work.
Ryder came over, putting his gun away. When he reached me, he hooked an arm around me and held me tight.
“Chrissy?”
“Safe.”
“Good. And the others?”
“All with the DEA agents. We have Chrissy in the Charger. I want to hear what happened.”
“Good thinking. Let’s go.”
“Is that the last of them?”
“Yeah. The guy said there were only seven guards total. The container is supposed to be picked up at one a.m. That’s half an hour from now.”
“We need to be gone then.”
“Actually, I may have another idea. Let’s talk to Chrissy first.”
We hurried back to the car, and Chrissy was curled up in the front seat, her body wrapped in on itself as if trying to protect her from the outside. I had no idea what she’d endured. Cruz walked around to the trunk and pulled out a bottle of water, a protein bar, a first-aid kit, and a blanket.
He handed the water and bar to Chrissy, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, and knelt down beside her. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, although it was clear to see that she’d been beaten. He nodded and stood, coming over to me.
“You’ll need to ask her if she’s been raped.”
My stomach sank as it hit me that she probably had been. It was heartbreaking what Chrissy had endured because of me. The guilt was crippling.
I nodded and stepped over to where she was, sitting down on the ground next to her. I reached for her hand and held it as I prepared to ask her the questions we desperately needed answers to.
“Chrissy, I need to ask you some questions. Is that okay?”
Chrissy turned her eyes up to me, her brow furrowed. “You’re not really a ring girl, are you?”
“No. I’m not. I work for a security firm, and we’re investigating some really bad people.”
“Angel and Matias.”
“Yes.”
She sighed, worn down by the evil in the world. “I should have known. I never attract decent men. Only the psychos.”
“Were you involved with one of them?”
“Angel. We were kind of, um, dating, I guess you could say.”
I had a feeling that was code for sleeping together, but who was I to judge?
“What happened?”
“I checked into my hotel on Wednesday night. I’d just arrived when Angel knocked on my door. I was excited to see him. When I opened it, he stepped inside along with two other guys. They were both scary-looking dudes. Fighters, you know? The big one with all the tattoos and the crazy eyes?”
“Vlad.”
“Yes, and the big Russian with the cold blue eyes that look at you like he can’t wait to kill you.”
“Igor.”
She didn’t acknowledge his name—just took another deep breath and continued with her story after a quick nod of her head.
“Angel wanted to know what I’d told you about Matias. I explained that I’d just told you his name, nothing else. He wanted to know all about you—where you were from; if I knew Sasha, your fiancé. I didn’t really know much, so I didn’t see the harm in telling him what I knew.”
Chrissy shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, pulling the blanket tighter around her.
“He got angry. Said I should never have mentioned Matias’s name to you. I didn’t understand. He snapped his fingers. Like, literally snapped them, and the two Russians were on me.”
Tears spilled down her face. “They did—terrible—things to me.” She sobbed, choking out her words. “Then they took me to this building and put me in a cage. I only received a glass of water a day, barely enough to keep me alive. And it was dirty water, not even clean like from a tap. No food.”
“We found the cages. There was a girl there. She was killed. Did you know her?”
Chrissy shook her head. “No. She fought back when they tried to load her into the container. The big guy, Igor, he slit her throat. It was terrible. The sounds she made as she lay there dying…” More tears tracked down her face, and I was heartbroken that Chrissy would never be the same. This experience would change her. I just hoped she’d get the help she needed.
“Do you know what they were going to do with you?”
“They drugged us all when we arrived at the building with the cages. So, I was in and out of consciousness. I don’t know much, but I did overhear Igor telling one of the Hispanic guys about the experiments and that they were running low on test subjects. He said, ‘Good thing we have replacements.’ And then they laughed. I got the feeling they were talking about us.”
Test subjects. Experiments. What in the world was going on? I looked up to see if Ryder was close enough to hear what she’d said. He nodded at me and pulled out his phone, calling Levi with the update.
“Anything else you can remember?”
Chrissy blew out a ragged sigh. “I asked him what they were going to do with me. He replied, ‘Not kill you. Not yet.’
Then, with horror-filled eyes, she stared through me. Chrissy was no longer in the moment, but back in that cage, contemplating her impending death. “With the coldest, deadliest eyes I’ve ever seen, he stared at me, as if with his gaze he could see through to my soul. As if he was sucking it out, little by little. Then he said, ‘But by the time death comes, you’ll be begging for it.’