Chapter 5 Nikolas
Nikolas
The illegal cargo center looks lively and awake, like a small village huddled in the middle of the woods and away from prying eyes.
Lights shine in the darkness like guiding beacons, voices can be heard.
The air carries the scent of burning wood, but if I really focus, I can also catch the whiff of grilled meat.
Did the workers enjoy a barbecue night? I could go for some. I bet Tommy would appreciate it, too.
I glance at him, my heart skipping a beat.
He scared me last night, the way he shivered and trembled in my arms, the way he held on.
Delight crawls up my spine, and I do my best to shake it off.
He seems to be doing alright now, his almost-breakdown forgotten.
I’m glad. He looked so vulnerable, so lost when he clung to me as if I was the only thing keeping him afloat.
I shut down another spark of desire. It’s been so long since someone needed me like this. Since they let their guard down around me. Tommy doesn’t flinch, doesn’t avert his eyes when our gazes meet. He looks at me and smiles, or tosses a joke, or says something stupid.
Shaking my head, I stop and scuff the dirt with my foot.
Seriously, did he really think I might hand him over to the Crew?
As if I could do that. He came to me, a man who was dead to the world.
He sought me out. And yes, he ruined my farce of a life as Father Gabriel, but in all honesty, I’m not even sure I care about that.
The only thing that matters is that this little devil is in the worst shit I’ve ever seen, and I am the only one who can protect him.
My eyes dart from left to right, taking in the patrolling guards, the number of vehicles, the size of the buildings, everything I can scope from our vantage point.
“Hey, why are we stopping?” Tommy asks in his singsong voice. He sounds even more tired than earlier, like he can barely stay awake.
I don’t blame him—we’ve been hiking for hours, not stopping even once for a break.
But he’s doing great. Surprisingly so. This way of living is all new to him, being on the run, glancing over your shoulder every few steps, but he’s picking up things impressively quickly. He’s a tougher cookie than he looks.
I smile to myself as I scope out the road leading into the compound, pride budding inside me. I’m not sure if we lost our pursuers, but we should have made some time. And this complex could be our salvation. Or damnation, if the quickly forming plan in my head goes south. I guess we’ll have to see.
“We aren’t stopping.” I raise my hand to halt him as I spot movement in the clearing ahead of us. “I just need to figure out how to sneak us in.”
“Sneak us in. Ooh…” Tommy trails off, his gaze darting to the two security guards that emerge from the compound’s gates.
They are fully uniformed and carry guns.
“Wait, what?! You gotta be kidding me. You aren’t seriously suggesting we infiltrate a guarded cargo depot, are you?
” He frowns. “But also, what is it doing in the middle of the forest?”
“It’s used for smuggling,” I explain. “They run an illegal operation.”
Tommy’s eyebrows pinch together. “How do you know that?”
I let a small smile settle on my lips. “I did business with them, a couple of times. Way back.”
Realization slides across his face. There is no distaste, no judgment, just a nod. “Gotcha.”
One of the five armored cargo vehicles backs from its parking spot, then exits the complex through that same thick metal gate, leaving behind a cloud of dust. The two guards wave at the driver and his buddy, then continue their lazy perimeter walk.
“Do you see the crates on those trucks?” I ask, tilting my chin at the still parked vehicles.
Tommy squints, pouting his full lips. “Yes?”
“That’s contraband cargo. You don’t move that much product by truck alone out here.
There’s probably an airstrip nearby.” Something local, even public.
I don’t know where we are exactly—it’s half by luck that I even managed to find this place—but a hidden hub like this in the middle of the woods means they are probably piggybacking on civilian infrastructure.
Confusion takes over Tommy’s face. “Uh… I’m not sure I follow?”
“We’ll sneak onto the next cargo truck. It’s got to be headed to a plane somewhere relatively close. We’ll board it. Judging by the proximity of this base to the Mexican border, I’m betting they are moving weapons and drugs south.” Probably selling to the cartels too, for ten times the price.
“Whoa there, hold on. Are you out of your mind? They will shoot us on sight!”
I lean my shoulder against the closest tree and angle myself in such a way that I’m facing him. “That’s why I said we are sneaking in?”
“I don’t know, man. I’m not James Bond,” Tommy whines, looking a little paler than moments ago. He wraps his arms around himself defensively.
“Do you even know who that is?” I gesture with my hand to start a slow approach toward the road.
Tommy follows, doing his best to stay low and not accidentally alert the entire compound to our covert presence. Or intentions. I appreciate it. “Uh, not really. I know of him, but I’ve never seen the movies.”
I shake my head, scoffing. “Figures. We’ll do a marathon once we reach my friend.”
Tommy wrinkles his nose. “I’m not really into old stuff. I think I’ll pass.”
Old stuff? Ouch.
The closer we get to the road leading into the illegal cargo hub, the heavier the air around me feels.
There is a tangible tension to it, and a strange sensation that something bad is about to happen clutches my stomach.
Frantically, I raise my hand, halting us.
As Tommy comes to a stop, I scope out our surroundings, looking for anything out of place.
Stillness still characterizes the forest, with the only exception being the noise coming from the complex.
“All good?” Tommy asks, his voice low and careful.
“Yeah. All good.”
The sun breaches the crowns of the tall trees by the time we are in position behind a leafy bush on the side of the road. I brace low so I am out of sight but have a good view of the compound, and Tommy mirrors my position without me needing to say anything. It’s like he just gets it.
“So, what’s the plan exactly? How are we sneaking onto those trucks?”
Now, this is a brilliant question, and the answer is that I don’t have a brilliant plan in place for that part.
All I’m going off is an idea, a very questionable one which could go wrong very quickly, mind you, but an idea nevertheless.
I’m just not sure Tommy is going to like it, let alone agree to it.
“So, one of us will…” Fuck, this is stupid. A suicide mission for sure. But, it’s not like we have much of a choice because it’s only a matter of time before the Crew finds us. We need to get out of the States, and fast, or my friend won’t be able to help us.
“Yes?” Tommy rolls his eyes as our gazes meet. They are really pretty eyes, blue like the sea or the sky on a clear day. “Just spit it out. The suspense is killing me. How bad could it be?”
“One of us will go lie down on the road and pretend he’s injured to distract the workers, while the other one neutralizes them. There were two of them in that first truck, so I imagine the next will be the same.”
Silence settles between us. Tommy curls his lip, then glares at the cracked asphalt road. “Let me guess—I’m the distraction.”
“I mean… Can you take on two men, who are three times your size by the way, and neutralize them before they ring the alarm?”
The huff of indignation Tommy lets out brings a fluttering sensation to my chest. The guy is expressive and opinionated, and he’s not afraid to show it. “Okay, but I still don’t like this plan.”
“Any better ideas? Once that truck reaches the airstrip, the chances of us hijacking it are close to zero.” Plus, we might only get one shot at this as our time is running out. The Crew could be here any minute now.
“Fine, fine. I’ll be the distraction.” Tommy stands, rolls his shoulders and stretches his arms, wincing a little. I clock in on the cause for that frown immediately—the cut on his elbow seems to still hurt. “It’s not like I got much choice. But you better not mess this up or I’m a goner.”
Mumbling something about trigger-happy fingers, Tommy follows me as I lead us to the part of the road just after the turn. This area is completely out of sight of the base, so perfect for our impromptu operation. Once we are in position, we wait in silence.
About fifteen minutes later, the gates finally buzz open and a truck heads our way.
“Go lie down over there,” I instruct Tommy, nudging him with a shoulder.
He nods stiffly. “Please don’t make me regret this.”
Something squeezes my heart. What I’m asking Tommy to do is borderline crazy, and he has no reason to trust me.
Yes, I saved him at the church, but that was more of a lucky coincidence than an intentional choice.
Any sane person would have said no to my crazy plan, so clearly, Tommy has a screw or two loose.
As I watch him get into position, I wonder yet again if there is a way to fix this mess so I can go back to my life as Father Gabriel.
The church could be repaired. I’d make up some excuse about the attack.
The only tricky part would be dealing with the Crew, considering we have a bit of history and they probably know I am alive now, but surely if I showed up with what they are so aggressively looking for, they’d be more willing to negotiate.
The thing is… Do I really want that?
The truck reaches the bend in the road and slows down.
I push my thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on the mission at hand.
When I shift my gaze from the vehicle, I find Tommy curled on the ground and jerking back and forth.
His elbow is bleeding on the asphalt, and it looks like he might really be in pain.