Chapter 36
Elijah
“Vaughn. You about done in there?”
My heart sinks when I see the state of our room.
The book is open on the floor near the door where I’m standing, like she threw it at someone.
The bedside lamp has been unplugged, and it’s lying on the floor, busted up.
That’s blood. There’s blood on the base of the lamp.
From what I can break down of the scene, Vaughn must’ve clubbed someone with the lamp.
She got them good enough to draw blood, but she’s not here.
“Vaughn!”
The 9mm from the beach bag has been in my hand since I walked into our room.
I race through the small bungalow, clearing every corner of every space as I go.
She’s not fucking here! The pool is empty.
Even though I already know it’s useless, I pick up my phone to call her and.
..no service. We’ve already made calls from inside the house, but I have nothing.
“Fuuuuuck!” I want to rage. I want to cry. I want to lose my fucking mind, but none of that will help. None of that will get her back.
“Think, Eli. Think!”
There’s a jammer. Where is it? My eyes skate all over every surface. Where would I put it? Outside. I’d make sure she couldn’t make a call before I entered in case she sees me first.
Sure enough, there on the seal of our bedroom window is a cell phone jammer. Someone took her. My chest hurts, and my blood heats inside my body. How could this happen again? How could I LET this happen again? Think. This is war. A recovery mission.
A cell phone jammer. Followed us to Barbados? Or already here? Followed us. This feels too steady to be a crime of opportunity. Why even take her unless they specifically wanted her? Who? Vaughn doesn’t have any enemies. None left alive anyway. So, it’s me then. My enemies. Too damn many to count.
I turn the jammer off and call Grizzly.
“Grizzly. I need help.”
Sniffles from the other end of the line stop me in my tracks. I’ve been pacing in the kitchen, but the feminine whimper makes me pause.
“Johna?”
“Yeah, Eli. It’s me.”
“Hey. Johna. What’s going on? Are you okay?”
More sniffles.
“No, Eli. We’re not okay. I’m sorry to have to tell you like this, but John is gone. Missing. They left a message for you. I tried to call.”
Pure murderous determination pumps through my veins but can’t be heard in my voice when I speak again.
“Okay. It’s going to be okay. Thanks, Johna. Go ahead and read me the message.”
“It’s a recording. I’ll play it.” The phone makes a thud sound as she sets it down. There’s some rustling, and then the recording starts.
“Hello to you, Post Man. Or is it Elijah?” My blood chills at the sound of the Latvian accent.
“Either way, we’re waiting for you. You come to our home, and you take from us.
We can only return the favor and come to your home in return.
You might be surprised to see what all we’ve found.
Or who.” Fuck! Abbi? Eve? “Lucky us, we get to your home and find you gone. Everyone you care about, unprotected. What a shame for them to have such a careless friend like you. We’ll be collecting more as we go, with nothing else to do in your absence.
Hurry back, or you might find them all snatched up before you get home.
See you soon, Mr. Post Man. Ah, yes. One more thing.
We got your message. Our response...cut off the head of the serpent, and two more grow back in its’ place.
You cut off two heads. Better prepare for the outcome. ”
The Latvian traffickers. They’ve recouped, and their best plan is to come for me? It doesn’t make sense. Abel and I definitely cost them a lot of money, but he’s gone, and I’m out. Retired. Why target me and not someone in charge?
“Thanks, Johna.”
“Mmhhhmm. Are you going to get him back?” She’s barely holding it together, and her words come out choppy. “There was a letter to me, and it said not to call the cops. It said to call you instead, but your phone went straight to voicemail. Should I call the police?”
“No! Sorry. No. Don’t call the police. They’ll slow this down, and their presence won’t go unnoticed. It could get John killed.”
She starts sobbing when I say this.
“Please, Johna. Let me handle this. They have Vaughn. I’m not even sure who else yet.”
My phone starts vibrating with another call. It’s Adam. Fuck.
“Johna, I have to go for now. I need you to write down everything you know. Everything you saw. Everything that was in the message to you. Write it all down and call me back, okay? I’ll be getting on a plane and coming home, but it’ll take me a while to get there. Understand?”
The phone stops vibrating. I missed the call. Has something happened to Evie?
“Yeah. I understand.”
“Good. That’s good. Take the girls and get somewhere safe. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
As soon as we disconnect, I call Adam back.
“Adam.”
“Yeah. Someone tried to snatch Eve today. Know anything about it?”
“Yeah. Can she hear me?”
“No. Why?”
“They have Vaughn.”
“FUCK! FUCK, Eli! How’d you let this happen?”
I don’t even get the urge to bite back. He’s right. How did I let this happen? AGAIN.
“I’m going to fix it. Is Evie okay?”
“Of course, she is. Fucking idiots had the nerve to come into our home. We weren’t even alone. Cal and Cotton were here. Still are. We’re keeping one of them on ice. We hope to get some information, but he doesn’t speak English.”
“On ice?”
“Literal ice. Quite uncomfortable, I assure you.”
Damn. I already know this. Ice can actually burn, and it doesn’t take long. Effective and simple torture method.
“Yeah. Okay. Good idea. I’m heading to the airport. Get me on the first plane back.”
Adam’s voice sounds more distant when he speaks again.
“Cotton, we need a ride from Bridgetown, Barbados, back to Austin.”
Cotton’s voice comes from somewhere off in the background.
“On it.”
Adam’s voice is stern but more controlled when he speaks again.
“Grab only what’s necessary and get to the fucking airport. I’m going to have to tell Eve before you get here. Shit’s going to hit the fan.”
“Yeah. Just....just tell her I’m sorry. Tell her...I’m going to get her back.”
“Yeah. Just get here.”
He hangs up without another word, and I can’t even be mad at the guy. He’s probably the one person who will tell me the truth and not try to spare my feelings in this situation.
As I’m typing out a quick text to Adam with Mom and Abbi’s addresses, I grab the cell jammer, Vaughn’s book, all the cash, and leave my weapons. I’ll never make it on the plane with them, and I don’t have time to check a bag.
“Winston. Hey, It’s Eli. From yesterday.”
“Yeah, hey Eli. Ready to see the sites.”
“Unfortunately not, pal. I need to get to the airport as fast as possible. Are you the guy for the job?”
“Yes, sir, Eli. Four minutes and I’m there.”
“Make it three, and there’s an extra hundred in it for you.”
“I’ll make it in two.”
I walk out of the house and start jogging down the private lane to meet Winston. Hitting favorites on my phone, I scroll down to Mama. No answer. Blabby Abbi. No answer. Rein it in. Keep it cool.
An email comes through. It’s from Johna.
It’s the audio file she played for me on the phone.
The rest is everything she knows about her husband’s movements that day and where he was going when she last spoke to him.
Grizzly’s car was found abandoned on the side of the road.
Nothing remarkable about it inside or out.
“Damn it!”
Keep assessing. Work it out. Recent calls. Adam.
“Yeah.”
“I need someone to check on my mom and Abbi. I texted you the addresses.”
“Got it.”
Favorites. Dee.
“Sup, Dude? How’s married life treating you?”
Thank fuck.
“Marshall, Jax with you?”
“Yeah. He’s here. What’s going on?”
I talk to these guys all the time. They know when things aren’t right.
“We ran into a problem here. Vaughn is gone. Some people I got mixed up with in Latvia have her. A friend of mine, too. I can’t reach Mom or Abbi. Have you talked to them today?”
“No. Shit. Fuck. On our way over there right now.”
Rustling and footsteps come through the phone before I hear their front door shut. Marshall hasn’t even explained anything to Jax yet, but they’re both already out the door.
“No. I have other people on that. I need you to go to Eve’s house. I’m getting on a plane soon, and I’ll meet you there. I’ll text you the address.”
“No way, man. We’re going to get Mom and Abbi. Fucking little Abel, man! No way.”
“Okay. Okay. Fine. Adam, Cal, or Cotton might get there before you, though. Just work together as much as you can. Get everyone back to Eve’s and meet me there.”
“Yeah. We got it. What do we do then, just sit on our damn thumbs until you get back?”
He’s right. They can be working on things while I get there. These two have helped me in the past. I trust them. They’re good. Damn good.
“Yeah. No, actually. We need a hacker. Someone good. We know for sure these guys have...Hey, Winston. Thanks, man.” I jump in the backseat and hand Winston two hundred euros before clapping him on the back. “Quickest route to the airport.”
“Yes, sir. Fifteen minutes.”
“Marshall.”
“I’m here.”
“We need a hacker.”
“Yeah. We’re on it. What else?”
“Okay. Uh, so what we know. They...they have Vaughn. She injured one of them, but not likely seriously. I don’t know how many were here.
More than two, I suspect. Around the same time, in North Carolina, my friend John Whitley was taken on his way home.
John’s a pro. Navy. More on the tech side of things, though.
He’s my hacker. They left his wife a message, too.
Nothing of note there. They used a cell blocker here to keep Vaughn from contacting me before they took her.
This is all related to an international human trafficking setup.
Sex, snuff films, private hunting, you name it, they sell people for it.
I killed some pretty important guys in Latvia.
They were the heads of the operation. Apparently, there are more now. ”
The boys stay quiet on the other end, taking it all in.
“You already know I can’t reach Mom or Abbi. They tried to take Eve from her home.”
“The fuck? Lead with that shit! Where’s Eve?!”
“She’s home. Adam and the goons were all there. Sounds like they killed all but one of them, and he’s wishing he were dead. They’re going to get whatever information they can out of him.”
“Fuck, man. This is big.”
“Yeah. Bigger than you can imagine.”
“We’ll get her back. Don’t worry. You know she’s giving them hell anyway.”
“Yeah. That’s my main concern right now. That damn mouth could get her into more trouble.”
“She’s smart. She knows what to do. She has good instincts, and she’s learned to trust them. You’ve got us. We’ll get her back.”
“Yeah. See you stateside.”
The airport is visible now through the windshield.
I send up a silent thank you that it only took nine minutes to get here.
I wasn’t paying attention on the drive, but I know Winston broke several traffic laws to get us here this fast. I grab the wad of cash in my pocket and thrust it all at Winston before he parks us at the curb.
Quickly, I vault from the car, but Winston grabs the front of my shirt, holding me in place.
“I heard you talking.”
His eyes are full of unshed tears when he speaks again.
“Sixteen years ago, men took my sister. We never saw her again. Our mother will never know what happened to her only daughter. She was a child.”
“Winston, I’m sorry. I-”
“No. I don’t need your pity. I don’t want your money.”
He shoves the money into my chest.
“I want to help. I need to.”
I nod before I’ve fully thought it through, but I really could use his help.
“Go back to the bungalow. Get all our things. Take them to your house. We’ll send for them later.
Then, get all the information you can about anyone new being seen in town.
Likely Latvian, but it could be anyone. Any descriptions or video surveillance can help.
Find out where a private plane would land and gather whatever you can on those flights.
Who chartered them? Where did they come from?
Who was on them? Did anyone see my wife? You got it?”
“Yes. Got it.”
I grab him by the nape of the neck and pull him in.
“What was her name?”
“Abeni. She was only seventeen years.”
My nod does nothing but acknowledge his loss.
“For Abeni then.”
The tears fall now, and he nods back vigorously.
“I will call you with information. I will find it.”
“Never had a doubt.”
We part ways, but just before he sinks back down into his car, I remember something.
“Winston!”
I jog back over to the car.
“There are weapons in the bungalow. Shoot first. Ask questions later.”
“May the Lord grant me the opportunity.”