Chapter 2 #2
Everyone else thought he was spending his days streaming movies or watching YouTube videos, but he rarely did either, although he always had something playing in the background that he could switch to at a moment’s notice if needed.
But tech was his thing, and he’d planted several hidden cameras around the warehouse in addition to the main security system.
He watched them religiously, hoping to find something they needed to get the name of the head of Azure.
Griffin may be the one in charge, but everyone knew he was just the frontman, second-in-charge at best. But he worked for two men from what Van had been able to gather, who were the real owners of the ring.
If they wanted to shut Azure down for good, they needed those names, needed proof the men were behind the trafficking organization.
While Van was more than happy to just kill everyone involved, he’d take that information when he got his hands on it and turn it over to the proper authorities.
Wanting to take vengeance went against his whole don’t feel anything ideology. It wasn't his place to punish others for their sins. It was just his job to gather the intel needed and pass it along to the relevant persons, and then move on to the next job.
Since they’d had to set up the factory in a hurry, it didn't have the individual cells that the warehouse had, so the women were all being kept together for the time being.
Perhaps they wouldn't spend long here, maybe they would.
The shortest time anyone had spent before being sold was a week, but most of the women had a little fight in them and were usually with them for at least a couple of weeks before they were deemed ready for sale.
While everyone else was anxious to set up the torture rooms, or “training” rooms as they were called, Van was more interested in setting up his cameras.
They were the key to this. It was how he’d pegged Nathan as one of the other undercover operatives.
He’d heard the man whispering reassurances to women after they were sold and tagging them with tracking devices that Prey would use to find them.
It was also how he’d pegged Mateo as another of the undercover team, because he’d seen the man planting bugs that tracked the names, addresses, and accounts of Azure’s clients.
In the end, it was going to be his cameras that brought this whole operation crumbling down.
But because both Nathan and Mateo had abandoned their posts, tensions were high inside Azure.
No one knew what had become of Nathan, although they didn't seem to suspect him of being undercover, more that he’d developed an attachment to one of the women and gone off the deep end.
On the other hand, everyone did seem to believe that Mateo was dead, along with the woman—Ally—who he had known before she was taken by the ring.
So to that end, Van nodded. “Sure. I'm bored, guess I could do with a show until I can get everything set up.”
“You and your movies,” Henry said with an eyeroll.
“Do you even realize you have a whole movie of your own you could star in right here? Maybe you should spend more time with the real-life starlets we have at our beck and call rather than watching a dozen movies a day. I swear you’ve probably seen every movie ever made at least three times. ”
“What can I say? I'm a heartthrob in the making, just haven’t got my calling card yet.” Pasting on one of the empty smiles he knew scared even some of the other men working at Azure, Van breezed past Henry.
Even evil could sense emptiness. And that was what he was, an empty vessel who worked hard at the only job he was suited for.
Even the military hadn't loved having him.
He was too emotionless, too cold, and when he left after his term was up, no one had been sad to see him go.
Not that he was sad to see any of them go, either.
Those people meant nothing to him. No one meant anything to him.
Having chosen the room right opposite the first of what was to be five holding rooms, to set up as the guards’ room, he found the others all in the hall waiting.
They were all armed, although he doubted any of the women inside were going to put up much of a fight.
Even the ones who were angry at first, who screamed obscenities and threats at them, sooner or later realized they were fighting a losing battle.
What was it Nathan used to tell the women when he deposited them in their cells?
Don’t fight. It will make it easier if you just give in, just do as they tell you, don’t make this harder on yourself than it has to be.
Van had heard the man say that dozens of times. It never usually worked. The ones who were going to fight would fight even with the warning, and the ones who weren't going to fight didn't need a warning.
“All right, let’s hurry up, I have stuff to do,” he urged.
“Movies to watch.” Marvin snorted under his breath, making a couple of the guys chuckle.
Since Griffin wasn't here to run things, and Van certainly wasn't going to be goaded into responding because you had to actually care enough about someone trying to work you up to get worked up, he merely offered another of his creepy smiles, and instead, unlocked the door by punching in the code.
It beeped and then swung open, and instead of finding six cowering women waiting in terror to learn their fate, he found that four of them were standing together in the center of the room.
One was standing in a corner sobbing, and the sixth was in another corner, curled in on herself as though she could somehow disappear if she tried hard enough.
The second the door opened, the other four women charged them.
Since none of them were expecting that, two of the women actually managed to dart past them and out into the hall. Shouts echoed from both sides as Hank, Josh, and Deacon went after the women who were running, and Henry, Marvin, William, and Adrian handled the women who hadn't made it to the hall.
Van, on the other hand, stood and chuckled.
Very amusing. He hadn't expected them to have coordinated so quickly, and he did enjoy being pleasantly surprised. Women with fight were the ones who were going to be able to recover from this ordeal. If he had it in him to worry, he would worry about the ones with no fight. They’d be crushed by their trauma, and even though Prey would eventually get them all out, they’d never be able to live normal lives again.
A moment later, Josh dragged a blonde back into the room, while Hank and Deacon struggled to control the brunette who had apparently kicked Adrian twice while he was trying to abduct her. That one had spunk, and if looks could kill, they’d all be dead right now.
“That was stupid, and will only get you punished,” he said when all six women were lined up before him.
Josh had the crier, no wonder there, since the youngest and most inexperienced member of Azure still had a whole lot to learn.
Adrian had the other woman who hadn't run, guess he was still sore and didn't want to risk getting hurt again.
Marvin, William, and Henry each had one of the other women, and the spunky one was still being held by Hank and Deacon.
Varying degrees of fear and anger stared back at him.
Some had more fear than anger, but no one had more anger than the spunky little brunette.
She glared at him with a fearlessness that told him this wasn't the first time she’d faced down a monster, and he had a begrudging glimmer of respect that she was able to hold her head up high even though he knew beneath the exterior she did in fact have to be scared.
“Strip,” he ordered. “Clothes are a privilege you’ll have to earn here. And once you’ve handed over your clothing, those of you who thought running was a good idea, face the wall and bend over.”
Delivering punishment wasn't something he enjoyed, but it was part of the job.
While he wouldn't get off on their tears the way some of the others did, he wasn't going to be swayed by them either.
Jobs required sacrifices, and unfortunately for these women, they would be making the biggest ones.
He doubted they cared that their sacrifices would help to dismantle a dangerous trafficking ring. He certainly wouldn't if he were them.
The crier—who was of course still crying—quickly began to undress, and the other woman who hadn't run, hesitated for a moment before she, too, began to remove her clothing. The others stared at him with defiance.
“Josh, please go and get me a cane,” he ordered, and the young man grinned at him before hurrying out of the room.
The knowledge of what was coming spurred two of the others into removing their clothing. The third hesitated for a moment, glancing at the spunky brunette, before she sighed and started unbuttoning her blouse.
But the spunky one just stood still and watched him, arching a brow when their gazes met. “If you want me naked, you're going to have to undress me yourself,” she warned.
Stepping close into her personal space, forcing her to crane her head up to maintain their gaze, he gave her one of his infamous smiles. Then he said something he wasn't expecting, something he’d never said, and went against his entire philosophy of remaining unengaged. “I'd love nothing more.”