9. Thad
Thad
Emerson’s body had jerked with each word I said.
Once again, she looked like I’d physically hurt her. That’s what I wanted, right? I wanted her to suffer for everything she’d put me through. I wanted her to know that even though at one time I’d loved her, I was over her. That she was meaningless to me.
Then why did it bother me so much seeing her in pain?
“Do you know where the girls are?” Brooks asked Emerson.
“I know where he kept them the last time. I’d assume they’ll be in the same place this time.”
“And where’s that?” Max asked.
Stubbornness took over Emerson’s features and she shook her head.
“I think she should go with us to—”
“Hell no.” I cut Brooks off.
“Well, friend, she ain’t staying here alone with my wife.
Not even gagged and tied to a bed. We don’t know who she is, why she was with Garcia, and who could be after her now.
So unless you’re volunteering to stay behind and babysit her, she’s coming with us.
And considering the fact she knows where they are and will save us time—something that’s in short supply—she’s coming. ”
“I already told you—”
“No offense, woman, I don’t care what you’ve told us.
I do not trust you, which means I don’t trust you with my wife.
You wanna save those girls like you said you do, then you’re coming with us.
If you’d rather continue to be a pain in the ass, you can stay here.
But you will be cuffed to a bed and gagged.
I don’t care who you once were to Thad, and I don’t give the first fuck you think you can take him with that knife in your pocket.
After we find the girls, we’ll kindly send you back to the U.S.
and you can go on your merry way. Your choice. ”
Knife in her pocket?
Sure enough, Emerson had one hand in her pocket and she was fiddling with something. Goddamn, how had I missed that? Oh, right, I was too worried about feelings and shit and not paying attention to the real threat—Emerson herself.
Enough of this shit already. Brooks was right. We needed Emerson to show us the way. But before that happened, I needed to get my head screwed on straight. This was important—young girls’ lives were at stake not to mention the safety of my team.
It was time to get to work.
“What can you tell us about where they’re being held?” I asked.
That stubbornness still firmly had hold of her features. Damn this woman.
“How many guards?” Kyle added.
“Point of entry? And how many girls?” Declan jumped in.
Emerson looked like a deer in the headlights with the three of us peppering her with questions .
“Jeez. Give her a second to answer,” Tatiana scolded. “Important things first, how many men will be guarding the women?”
Emerson took a breath, let it out, and in the time it took her to exhale, she looked like she’d come to some sort of decision. She looked almost defeated.
“There’s a marina on the Ensenada El Placer—”
“That’s where he keeps his yacht, right?” Declan interrupted.
“Yes. The marina has four large industrial buildings. I don’t know what’s in them or who owns them. If you continue past those toward the water there’s a small dirt road. If you blink, you’ll miss it. The entrance just looks like a clearing in the trees. But it is a road.”
“If we pulled up a map, could you point to the entrance?” Max asked.
“I could but I won’t.”
“Why’s that?” His brows pulled together.
“Because I’m not stupid. From what I’ve told you already you could find the road, but not the house.
You’ve made your positions clear, so I’ll make mine.
I want to speak with those girls before you take them.
That’s all I want. I’ll extend you my trust that you’ll do right by them and get them to safety.
But in return, I get five minutes alone with them. ”
“To do what?” Max kept at her.
“That’s where you’ll have to trust me . After that, we part ways. I’ll save you the trouble and expense sending me back to the States and find my own transportation.”
“Deal,” Declan spoke up before I could protest.
What the fuck?
There was no way Dec was going to let her walk away. She’d be a sitting duck.
“When I was there, the industrial part of the marina was empty and there were no other boats in the slips. The house, if you can call it that, is smaller than this place. It’s more like, I don’t know, a two-room shack with no bathroom or kitchen.
At least I didn’t see any. There’s also only one road in, which means one road out.
Though you could exit the area by small boat.
From the house you can see a beach,” Emerson explained.
“How many guards?” Kyle asked.
“There were two in the house when I was there. Considering I’m still alive I don’t think they had any guarding the perimeter.”
“Why do you say that?” Tatiana joined the conversation.
“Because I’m not a super-sneaky spy. Which means I’m not actually all that good at being invisible. I wasn’t loud, I was careful, but it wasn’t some mission that was carried out with military precision.”
“How’d you follow them?” Max was back to sniffing out her lies. I had the same question. If this house was in some secluded location, how’d she’d get there?
“A car,” she responded sarcastically.
“Where’d you get the car, Emerson?” he questioned in the same mocking tone.
“I stole it.”
“Come again?” My eyes widened in shock.
“I took a set of keys from the valet and stole a car. And before you ask, I had a tracking device on Jefferson. So it was easy for me to follow him to the marina, harder to stay out of sight once I saw the road they’d turned down.
I parked the car and humped it the rest of the way.
Best guess is the shack is under a mile into the jungle. ”
“And Garcia was still doing his look-over of the girls when you got back there?” Max hadn’t let up.
It took the average person twenty minutes to walk a mile. Through the thick jungle it would take longer. That would also mean Jefferson would’ve made it back to the hotel before she did, meaning he would’ve known she’d left.
“He liked to sample some of the girls before he bought them.” Her nose scrunched in disgust and she pinched her lips together.
“I looked in as many of the windows as I could and left. I needed to get back to the hotel, and as it was, he’d already get back before me.
Which meant he’d be pissed and I’d have to lie and tell him I went for a walk after he’d told me not to leave the room.
Considering he thought I normally obeyed his orders, he was quick to forgive my indiscretions. ”
Max looked pleased with her answer but I still wasn’t buying it. She’d repeatedly admitted she was a good liar so how was anyone supposed to believe the bullshit she was spewing now?
“We’ll break up into two groups when we get there.
Thad, Brooks, and Max, you’ll break off and sweep the perimeter.
Kyle and Emerson, you're both with me. Once we’ve confirmed there’s no security outside, we’ll all breech together.
There may’ve only been two guards in the house when Emerson was there, but after tonight, they may have more. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Copy that,” Brooks acknowledged, grabbed his wife by the hand, and drug her into the other room.
Tatiana would stay behind for this mission.
Brooks was happy to have his woman work behind the scenes and help plan an op.
But if Brooks had his way, Tatiana’s days of running and gunning were over.
Which was a shame because she’d proven to be a damn good addition to the team and could absolutely handle herself.
She had saved Brooks’ life. Even though it had almost killed her. The days after that horrible day had been difficult. Brooks had been near-impossible to console and the rest of us were just as worried.
So I couldn’t blame Brooks for wanting to keep Tatiana hidden away and not out in the thick of shit. Though I didn’t know for how much longer she was going to humor him and stay behind.
“Let’s roll,” Declan ordered.
I grabbed my black mask out of my pocket, placed it back on top of my head, and wore it beanie-style. I did this wishing someone had an extra balaclava for Emerson.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand to see her gleaming blonde hair and gorgeous face.
I turned to head for the door when I caught Max eyeing me, with a lift of his chin and sympathetic stare I knew he felt my pain. I didn’t want Emerson to go, and Max knew it.
He also knew me well enough to know that under all my bullshit bluster I didn’t want Emerson there because it was dangerous. And if we failed, she’d be as good as dead.
I may’ve hated the woman, but I’d never wish that type of slow, agonizing death on her.
Bottom line—I was fucked.