Chapter 24
It was dark,I was tired, and I missed my wife. Alexander was on the other side of Franklin’s club while Ari and I were sitting out front, watching the door. Dimitris and Thea, well, I didn’t know where they were. They’d taken a different car and when I arrived, they were nowhere to be seen. As far as I knew, Jason’s guys were with them. I hoped they were close.
I was looking at the club, trying to figure out what I was actually seeing. I had dozens of heat signatures both above and below.
Ari exhaled. “What’s going on?”
There were cars parked out front like a party was going on, but the bodies on the screen weren’t moving like people at a party. They stood there like… “They’re prisoners.”
“What?” Ari asked.
I looked at him. “That missing container Dimitris said wasn’t there when they rescued those girls. What do you want to bet they had older girls? I’ll wager that’s them.”
Recognition lit in his eyes. “That would make sense. I’ll counter that bet. Those people walking around in the basement are an ambush.”
“You guys hearing this?”
I knew Dimitris and Thea wouldn’t answer. They heard us, though, and they would be aware.
We used a mesh radio system to communicate that we’d acquired from a military shipment a few years back before we decided to forge a different path.
Ari grumbled under his breath. “They wanted us to think it was a party, so we’d walk in trying to play things cool so no one got hurt, only to find ourselves at the end of a firing squad.”
“That’s my guess, too,” Alexander added.
I pulled my gun from my shoulder holster hidden by my suit coat, checked it, and returned it. “Guess it’s my turn to join the party.”
Ari moved as though he was going with me. With his skill set, it would be smart to take him, but he was the next in line. Franklin was mine, and I didn’t know how this would shake out.
“No, Ari. If something happens to me, you need to be around.”
“But—”
“No. This is mine.”
I waited for him to argue, and he surprised me by nodding. “All right.”
Stepping out of the car, I scanned the area and crossed the street. If there were any cameras, Dimitris would have taken care of them by now.
I knocked on the door, and a young woman answered it. The nametag said Cindy and the skimpy costume was meant to allude to the fairytale princess.
“Hi.” She smiled, but there was fear in her eyes. She wasn’t the same little girl who answered the door when I first visited the club. “Welcome to Nocturnal.”
“Hi, Cindy.”
Her bottom lip trembled.
Are you in trouble? I mouthed.
She stared at me.
I gave a slight nod and winked. “Well, Cindy aren’t you cute? You look like a girl who’d enjoy seeing my sports car.”
“Oh, no, I can’t?—”
“I thought as a member I had certain…privileges.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Now, come on and show me a good time like you’re supposed to.” I pulled her free from the door and walked toward the parking lot. As we walked, I checked her for wires, and noted the button on her name tag. I snatched it off, dropped it, and stomped on it.
Taking her by the shoulders, I turned her until she faced me. “You see that car across the street?”
She nodded.
“When I say run, do it. Don’t look back. Just go. You’ll be safe, I promise.”
“Hey!” A guy yelled.
“Yeah?” I yelled over my shoulder.
“Why don’t you bring the girl back before I have to get unfriendly?” He shot back.
I turned, keeping Cindy shielded with my body. “I’m a member of this club, and I was told I’d be afforded certain special privileges.”
“She’s not one of them,” he said and waved at me to return with her.
Dimitris had made his way to the front of the building, and he plastered himself against the wall. He nodded.
“Run.”
As she took off, I drew my weapon, and stopped. The guy was clawing at his throat, foaming at the mouth, and then dropped to the ground. I check over my shoulder and watch Cindy duck into the car with Ari.
“What did you do to him?” I asked Dimitris as I met up with him at the front door.
In my earpiece, I heard Alexander. “You got two on the move, coming up the stairs.”
“Got it.”
“By the time they reach the top of the stairs, they’ll have an army to contend with.” Dimitris smiled.
We stepped inside, guns drawn.
Sure enough, an army poured through the back door and overtook the two guys who emerged from the basement. One I recognized as Jason’s guy waved at one of mine, and they took a left. They were taking care of the rest of the guys waiting to ambush us.
“I need to find Franklin.”
One of the guys being held laughed. “Franklin ain’t here.”
Clearly this fella didn’t understand loose lips and sunken ships. “Is that so?”
He realized his mistake, and his lips curled in. I nodded at the guy holding him, and the idiot was hauled to his feet.
Crossing the room, I holstered my weapon. This man was about two inches shorter than me and a bit bulkier. “Let me guess, you’re not talking.”
The guy smirked.
“It’s a little late to decide you’re not going to talk, don’t you think?”
He glared at me.
Dimitris sidled up next to me. “I mean, if he’s not going to talk, he’s got no need for a tongue.” He unsheathed a long knife tied to his thigh. “I’m sure he’s too tough to get scared of a little knife, though, right?”
Thea walked in. “We got the girls.” There was murder in her eyes. She reached me, looked at the guy, and smiled. “I’ve met men like you before. Everything’s big to compensate for the one thing that’s not.” My sister moved faster than I”d ever seen her move. I couldn’t have stopped her even if I wanted to. She whipped out a knife from somewhere around her chest region and buried it in the very appendage that she’d alluded to.
The blood-curdling scream silenced the room. He hit his knees and gasped for air. She grabbed him by the hair and wrenched his head back. “Where is Franklin?”
He was close to passing out. “Son…Son-in-law’s”
Thea looked at me with wide eyes. “Claire.”
It wasn’t just a firing squad. It was a distraction.
Franklin was at the condo. I knew there were guards and a security alarm.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and my heart sank to the floor.
“Jammers. They’ve got jammers. I have to go now.”
If I was too late…
The thought made it hard to breathe.
“Hold on, babe, I’m coming.”