Chapter 6 #2
“What’s the diversion?” Nick asked. Those had been the two stakeouts Fielding had copped to, but Nick suspected Fielding held back some intel. Damn Feds. Of all the organizations he’d worked with over the years, they’d been the least cooperative.
“It’s covered; that’s all you need to know.” Ramos pointed toward Logan. “Open your loading doors and my guys will hook you up to the dock.” Ramos waved them toward the front door. “Pardon the pat down, but if you’re carrying, we’re going to take your weapon. You can have it on the way out.”
“No need.” Nick handed over his Smith and Wesson as did his brother.
Leandra bent over, lifting up her pant leg and pulling her small handgun from its belt.
“Alrighty then.” Ramos held his hand out in front. “Welcome to the Holding Tank.”
Nick held Leandra’s hand, probably a little too hard based on her sideways glance. While he had more power and strength, she definitely outsmarted him in most areas…except tactical, which was her only weakness, and if this plan went south, she, unfortunately, was their weakest link.
They followed the armed men through a short corridor and then into the main storage area.
“Isn’t Alicia coming with us?” Leandra asked.
“She’s going to count the money,” Ramos said.
Nick strained to focus on the building. The only lighting provided was by a couple of flashlights.
Various desks, sofas, and other home décor were set up in work stations.
Ramos had built a reputation for being the king of restoration and was used by many of the rich and famous to make what was old, new again, creating unique pieces from any period of time.
No way did Ramos know anything about this business.
Just a front.
Nick noted the staircase at the far end of the building. According to the blueprints, the second floor was where all the offices were located. He also noticed how new the inside of the building looked even though there hadn’t been any permits or changes recorded by the county.
Which meant the plans they were working off were most likely wrong.
Ramos led them to a locked door in the corner of the west end of the warehouse. The room looked to be about twenty feet by thirty feet.
“Where is the merchandise?” Logan asked with short growl.
Nick understood the sentiment as he didn’t want to step into what appeared to be a room with only one way out.
“Below us.” Once the door clicked closed behind the group, Ramos flicked on an overhead florescent light.
“When I took this warehouse over, I spent a little over a year adding a lower level. I originally used it for my casinos.” Ramos stepped past a small desk and a couple of chairs, the only things in the room, to what appeared to be a closet, only behind the metal door was an old-fashioned warehouse elevator, complete with a metal cage.
Leandra squeezed his hand as she glanced at him with pursed lips.
The hair on the back of Nick’s neck stood straight up.
They had all agreed that everything seemed too easy, but Ramos was under fire, and he knew Fielding had enough to arrest him .
But if Alicia had flipped? Fielding had jack shit, except whatever bad intel she gave him.
Ramos picked up a walkie-talkie from the desk. “Sending them down.”
“We’re ready for them,” a voice crackled.
“You three go on down. I’ll meet you outside.” Ramos stepped back as his goons stepped forward, guns drawn.
“What the fuck is going on?” Leandra asked.
Nick tugged at her hand, but she didn’t budge.
“Nothing’s going on.” Ramos held his hands up. “Merchandise is below. My men will guide you to the loading area. We’ll complete our business outside.”
Nick knew Ramos was full of shit, but what were his choices? Get shot here or down below? He figured the couple minutes in the elevator would be enough time to devise a plan.
Logan must have thought the same thing as he slowly backed up.
Ramos slid the door closed with a shitty grin.
“Motherfucker,” Nick whispered, glancing around quickly. All four sides were lined with a metal grate, with only three concrete walls and one steel door that made it impossible to see out. However, he could see the shaft above, which indicated the elevator went up to the top floor as well.
“Ambush,” Logan said.
“I bet they are going to use our truck to get the hostages out and drive right by Fielding, thinking it’s us.” Nick sucked in a deep breath .
“Probably the plan,” Logan said, holding up a set of keys. “Though it might be hard for them to get anywhere without these.”
A small piece of hope, but that was all they needed.
Nick shoved Leandra behind him while he stepped in front of Logan.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Logan punched his shoulder. “You’re not a human shield.”
“Back the fuck up. You’ve got a kid on the way and you’re”—he pointed to Leandra—“well, my mother would kill me if I didn’t try to protect you.”
“Except you’ll already be dead by the time she gets the chance.” Leandra stepped to his side.
The motor kicked in, and the elevator rattled.
Logan lifted his pant leg and pulled out a couple handguns. “Here. Hopefully we’re not too outgunned.”
“Sorry, hon, but my brother and I are highly trained professionals, so please step behind me again,” Nick said.
“Right, because I’ve never fired a damn weapon before.” She laughed and bent over. “Are you the only asshole who didn’t think to pack a second weapon?” She held up a pistol. “Not as impressive as your Smith and Wesson, but it will do the trick.”
“I’m not an asshole,” Nick muttered, retrieving both his spare weapons. “When you run out of ammo, you better be standing behind me.”
“If you run out first, you get behind me.” She cocked her head with her lips pursed. “Got it, hon .”
Nick resisted the urge to kiss them until they were bruised, but only because they didn’t have time. If they survived this, he’d be putting hickeys all over her body.
Logan laughed. “You two are made for each other.”
The elevator came to a halt, and the motor shut down. Nick held his weapons out and swallowed. This wasn’t his first ambush. Hopefully it wouldn’t be his last.
He took a few steps to the side. “Open the door but stay behind it.”
Leandra nodded. Curling her fingers around the handle, she pulled back.
Nothing happened.
A loud thud from above echoed in the elevator. Nick looked up, and directly overhead was a green, oval object.
“Grenade,” he said.
Without being asked, Leandra stepped away from the door, taking Logan’s weapons as he yanked down on the lever, moving the door only slightly, but leaving enough room for Nick to curl his fingers around the edge, heaving it open.
“Move,” he shouted as he grabbed Leandra and leapt from the elevator.
Bam!
The deafening explosion rang in Nick’s ears as his body catapulted across the corridor. He held Leandra tight, covering her body with his as pieces of metal blew by. His back slammed against a wall so hard it rattled his teeth.
He groaned, feeling his skin tear .
“Hon?” He cupped Leandra’s face, lifting her head. “Leandra?” His voice was muffled from the ringing in his head.
Her eyelids fluttered. “That was not fun.”
He let out a soft chuckle, running his hands up and down her body, checking for possible injuries.
“Logan?” he called. A trickle of fear filled Nick’s gut. Logan had been the last one out of the elevator shaft. “Logan?” he called louder, pushing himself to a standing position, pain ripping through his lower back.
He helped Leandra to her feet. “Anything hurt?”
“My head,” she muttered, rubbing her temples. “Both my knees hurt, but since I’m standing, it’s probably nothing too bad.”
“Okay.” Nick kissed her cheek. “I need to find my brother.”
“I’m right here,” Logan said, coming into view, holding his shoulder which looked as though someone had yanked it out of its socket. “Thank God for the long delay on that grenade.” Blood ran down his arm.
“You’re bleeding,” Nick said.
“In a few places, but nothing that’s gonna require stitches, like your back.”
Nick twisted, lifting his shirt. “Fuck,” he muttered.
“That looks nasty,” Leandra said as she gathered up some of her shirt, wiping the blood away. “We need to stop the bleeding.”
“We need to get the fuck out of here.” Nick tore off his shirt, ripping it apart and tying it around his body, covering the wound .
“Before that, someone needs to put my motherfucking shoulder back in its proper place,” Logan ground out.
“I haven’t done this in years.” Nick pressed his hand on the back of Logan’s shoulder, reaching around with the other. “You ready?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he slammed Logan’s shoulder.
“Fuuuucccck…you asshole.” Logan grabbed his shoulder and rubbed vigorously before rotating it a few times.
“You’re welcome. Now let’s call in the cavalry.”
“My phone is broken.” Logan held up the shattered object. “How about yours?”
Nick pulled out his phone and stared at it. “Works, but no service.”
Leandra held her phone up, moving it around before shoving it in her back pocket. “Mine too.” She pressed one hand on his stomach, the other over the wound on his back, applying pressure.
Logan stood in front of the blown-out elevator door. “We can climb up, no problem.”
“Not before we take a look around. Maybe the hostages are still here. At the very least, maybe we can find some records that will help me find my client’s daughter,” Leandra said.
Nick exchanged a long glance with Logan. “Dylan had to have seen or heard the blast.”
Logan nodded.
Nick took Leandra by the shoulders. “We have to stick together, and if things get dicey again, we’re out of here, okay, hon?”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you call the guys you work with in the field, hon?”
“Of course not.” He laughed, tracing the mark he’d left on her neck. “And I don’t give them hickeys either.”
Yep. It was official.
He’d lost his ever lovin’ mind.