Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ellory grinned. They’d done it! She and Yana had used the stupid tiny hammer and cheap screwdriver to make a large enough hole in the floor of the container that they could both fit through. Of course, there was nothing underneath but the concrete the box was sitting on top of. But eventually it had to be moved, and that’s when they could make their escape…she hoped.
“Good job, Yana!” she told her little sister. Staying busy had done them both good, taken their minds off of their current situation. Thank God the container they were in was old and crappy.
“Come here,” she told Yana, pulling her back into her lap. It made Ellory feel better to have her near, as much as she hoped it comforted the little girl.
“Bad man. Father,” Yana said.
“Yeah,” Ellory agreed. “Brady is not a good man.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. He can’t have always been that way, because our mom is smart enough not to be with someone who treats her badly.”
“Ricky good,” Yana said.
“He is,” Ellory agreed.
“In Ukraine, he help. Good. Food, water. Hide.” Then the little girl sighed and said something in Ukrainian. Ellory assumed she was explaining in a language she knew why she thought Ricky was a good person.
She looked up at Ellory. “He find. Save. Like in Ukraine.”
“I hope so,” Ellory said, with a deep sigh of her own. The Christmas song was making her head feel as if it was going to burst like a watermelon hit with a sledgehammer. She busied herself turning off all of the toys except for the one Yana was clutching. The decibel level of the sound was immediately much more manageable. The lighting wasn’t as good, but now that they’d done what they could to rescue themselves, their only option now was to wait. Might as well wait in the light coming off one bear rather than ten.
She picked up one of the toy frogs and put it in her pocket. It was silly. But maybe, just maybe, it’d be good luck. While Ellory felt good about what they’d done, it was still a long shot that they’d be rescued. And getting out of this container while it was being moved would be dangerous and tricky. They’d have to get out fast, because if they went out the hole when the container was too high, they could be hurt or even die by falling to the ground. Even if they managed to get out, they had to worry about someone seeing them and taking them captive again.
The truth was, Ellory was terrified. Not only for herself, but for her little sister. Yana didn’t deserve to be here. She’d already been through so much in her short life.
Not wanting to cry and let the little girl know how scared she was, Ellory pressed her lips together tightly. She wanted her mom. Wanted to feel her arms around her. Her mom’s hugs always made her feel better.
Ellory had no idea how much time had passed since they’d made the hole in the floor of the container, how long she and Yana had been sitting in the semi-dark, quietly waiting…when suddenly, the container jerked.
It was time! They were being moved.
Yana scrambled off her lap and looked at Ellory with wide eyes.
“This is it. We’ll have to move fast. I’ll go first and as soon as I’m out, you follow. I’ll help you. Okay?”
“Okay,” Yana echoed. She looked terrified but she wasn’t crying, which Ellory was taking as a good sign. Reaching out, she turned off the stuffed bear, and the sudden darkness was almost as jarring as the abrupt cessation of sound.
Ellory hesitated, then stuffed the toy down her shirt. The bear had saved their lives, and Yana seemed attached to it. She didn’t want to leave it behind.
The container swayed back and forth slightly as it slowly lifted off the ground. Ellory stared down at the hole and blinked, the sudden light making her squint. It was still light outside, but not terribly bright. She guessed the sun was about to set, and she couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. Good because it would let them see where they were, where to run…but probably bad because it would allow others to see them more easily too. If the man Brady had met at the docks was the one moving the container, he’d obviously know who they were, and he’d do whatever it took to get them back.
Ellory wasn’t going back. No way. Brady had been dumb enough to tell her their entire plan. She was still using her organs, thank you very much, and she didn’t want to give them to anyone else.
Seeing the concrete slowly getting farther away as the container rose, she decided now was the time.
Moving quickly, praying the container wouldn’t suddenly get lowered back to the ground—because she’d be squished like a pancake if it was—she lay down and stuck her arms out first, then her head. It was a tight fit, the rough edges of the metal bit into her shoulders, but Ellory barely felt them. Her adrenaline was sky-high and all she could think of was getting out.
The container was getting higher and higher and if she didn’t hurry, there was no way Yana would be able to get out without getting hurt.
The second she had the thought that she wasn’t going to make it, that she wouldn’t fit through the hole after all, that they hadn’t made it wide enough, her body popped out.
Ellory was glad her arms were already over her head to keep her from cracking her skull when she landed. Freedom had never felt so good! But she had no time to appreciate it. Springing to her feet, she turned and looked up. The container was five feet above the ground. Then six. Whoever was moving it wasn’t messing around.
“Yana! Jump!” she ordered urgently as she held up her hands.
She saw Yana’s terrified face for a moment before her legs appeared through the hole. The little girl had no trouble slipping out. One second Ellory thought it would be too late, that the container was too high, and the next, Yana was in her arms.
They both crashed to the ground in a heap of arms and legs. Ellory hit her tailbone when she landed on her butt, but she wrapped her arms tighter around her sister, trying to protect her from injury.
It took a second for the realization to hit that they were both free. That they were out of the box. But as soon as it did, the man operating the crane yelled something, and Ellory realized that they weren’t free. Not yet.
“We have to get out of here, Yana!” she said urgently, getting to her feet and helping her sister stand.
Looking toward the man who was yelling, Ellory followed his line of sight—and saw her worst nightmare. The guy her father had sold them to was climbing out of the cab of a truck parked nearby, and the look on his face was one of pure fury and disbelief.
“Run!” Ellory yelled, pushing her sister toward the countless containers stacked up around them. They’d have to hide within the maze of huge metal boxes. They’d wait until it was dark, then try to sneak out and find help.
With the man’s threats echoing in their ears, the girls ran.
* * *
MacGyver drove like a bat out of hell. He couldn’t believe what Vogel had done. He’d sold Ellory. Knowing full well that she’d suffer while being shipped overseas in a fucking Conex container. And he’d left Yana there too, even though she hadn’t been a part of the deal. She was collateral damage—Vogel’s words, not his.
Fuck him. Fuck his contact. They’d figure out who that was and take him down too. Right now, the most important thing was finding which of the hundreds of containers Ellory and Yana had been stashed in.
Refusing to let doubt creep in, MacGyver did his best to stay positive. Failure wasn’t an option. They’d shut down the entire shipyard and search every single damn Conex. They’d find the girls. They’d be scared out of their minds and freaking out, but they’d find them.
The line of cars following him gave MacGyver the confidence to make those claims in his head. He had some of the best SEALs the Navy had ever trained at his back. No one was going to give up until they’d found his daughters.
“I can’t fucking believe this! What an asshole! A fucking douchebag . I wish Blink had cut his dick off. Is Wolf gonna kill him?”
MacGyver glanced at his wife. By all rights, she should be a mess right now. But anger had taken over and when he looked in her eyes, he saw the same determination he felt. “No,” he said. “But the man’s gonna wish he’d never messed with us.”
“I can’t believe he set all this up! That he pretended to be worried about her. His own flesh and blood!” Addison said, with only a little less heat than before.
MacGyver couldn’t afford for her to slide into hysteria or worry. “He’s not the man you knew twelve years ago.”
“Actually, he is. He’s exactly the same. Selfish and only out for himself. What’s the plan? Where are we going to start looking when we get there?”
“At the containers closest to the ships. Any blue ones. I have no idea if enough time has passed for the Conex to be loaded onto a ship already or not, but I have no doubt Tex is already on this. He’ll block any ships from leaving until we find the girls.”
Taking a deep breath, Addison nodded. Her hands were clenched in her lap, but beyond that, she suddenly looked amazingly calm.
“Are you…are you all right, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” she said with another nod.
“Because it’s okay if you aren’t.”
At that, she turned to him. “Ellory is smart. And you’ve been spending all your free time with her out in your garage, teaching her exactly how you got your nickname. If there’s any way to escape, she’ll find it. Because she learned from the best. You , MacGyver.”
It was one of the very few times his wife had used his SEAL nickname, and the timing, the reason she was using it now, meant more to him than he could put into words.
Despite that, he was filled with doubt. Ellory was still a little girl. There was almost no way she’d be able to find her way out of a metal container. Not without a blowtorch and a hell of a lot of luck. But his wife’s praise and belief in both him and her daughter made him want to weep, and he’d never say anything to kill Addison’s hope.
“She’s brave, she’ll get through this. And Yana…she might be five, but that girl has already been through hell. Literally. She’ll stay strong too. Our girls are going to be all right.” His words were more for his benefit than Addison’s, but MacGyver wasn’t surprised when she nodded firmly in agreement.
She reached out and put her hand on his thigh. “I love you. I’m terrified and pissed and a hundred other emotions. But knowing you’re here…that you won’t rest until you find our girls…it’s what’s keeping me going.”
“I feel the same, hon,” MacGyver admitted. “I’ve been through hundreds of missions, but this one is personal. If I’d had the strength, I would’ve left you back at the house with Artem and Borysko. But I need you, Addy. You’re the incentive I need to keep going, to not fall to my knees in frustration, fear, and anger. You’re also the reason that asshole is still breathing, because if you weren’t there, I would’ve killed him without a second thought.”
“Well, I need you. Ellory and Yana are going to need you to help them work through their feelings when we find them. And Artem and Borysko need you to show them how to be good men. So I’m glad you didn’t kill him…because visiting you in the penitentiary wouldn’t have been the same.”
To his amazement, MacGyver chuckled. Then he sobered. “Vogel will get what’s coming to him. For now, we just need to concentrate on finding a needle in a haystack.”
“We can do this,” Addison said. “After all, the MythBusters were able to find four needles in their haystack. All we need is to find one.”
MacGyver wasn’t surprised his wife enjoyed the old science TV show. It was a shame it wasn’t on anymore, but he made a mental note to have a marathon MythBusters watching session with his family in the not-too-distant future.
As they neared the shipyard, tension returned to MacGyver’s shoulders. Looking at the sea of shipping containers was daunting. But they had a place to start. Vogel claimed the one holding Ellory and Yana was blue. They’d start with the ones closest to the ships and work their way back from there.
Patrick Hurt put out a call for all SEALs, active duty or not, anywhere near the shipyard to come out and help search. MacGyver had no doubt his brothers-in-arms would show up in force. They’d find his girls. He couldn’t imagine any other outcome.
* * *
Bree Haynes was a stalker. At least, she was acting like one. When she’d fled Las Vegas, and the men who were searching for her, she didn’t really have a plan. All she knew was the man who’d helped her at the lowest time in her life—Jude “Smiley” Stark—was a Navy SEAL stationed in Riverton, California.
Even though she’d only met him briefly, he’d made her feel safe. Secure. So when her ex was pulling out all the stops to find her—so she could be shipped off to some foreign brothel as a sex slave—she could only think of one place to go.
And here she was.
In Riverton.
She was living out of her car, a Subaru Outback, and when she’d first arrived, she’d parked near one of the entrances to the naval base. To her amazement, it had only taken three days for her to recognize Jude Stark as he’d entered the base early one morning.
Since then, she’d been following him. She knew where he lived, where all of his teammates lived, and where he spent his nights. Usually at his condo. He also frequently went out of town. She’d followed him to the interstate more than once, but Bree always turned back before reaching the city limits, too afraid to leave Riverton, now that she’d made the journey here. She had no clue where Jude went so frequently, but she supposed it didn’t really matter one way or another.
Tonight, however, when she’d spotted him leaving the base, he’d been hauling ass. She’d discreetly followed him to one of his friends’ houses, where there were a ton of other cars parked.
More people arrived, and after a while, a bunch of them—including all of his teammates—came running out of the house, and she literally couldn’t stop herself from following the caravan.
Her curiosity was out of control. She supposed it came with the boredom of her current situation. She spent all her time hiding out in her car, making up stories for the people she saw walking past her night and day.
She didn’t sleep well, was always expecting the worst, like her ex tracking her down, or her new “owner” popping up and grabbing her at any time. And she had to admit…she’d become somewhat obsessed with Jude’s friends. The women were always smiling and laughing, and the kids at the house everyone had just left were adorable.
But today, the tension coming from that house was palpable, even from her vantage point down the street, parked well away from the commotion.
Following the caravan at what she thought was a safe distance, she saw everyone pull into a huge shipyard. She itched to know more. To get closer. To find out what was happening. But Bree knew it wasn’t a good idea. She should leave the area. The state . Go east, far away from Vegas to start a new life. She had money, although it was stuck in her bank account at the moment. If she tried to withdraw any of it, she’d probably be traced, and then she’d really have no choice but to leave the area.
But something…no, someone , was keeping her here. Jude. It was ridiculous, this pull he had on her.
Shaking her head to clear it, Bree parked about a block down from the entrance to the shipyard. She’d figure a way to get in, to find out what was happening. She may not be able to help…but then again, she might. She could be an innocent bystander who just happened on the scene.
There was no way Jude would recognize her. After all, he’d only seen her once, late at night, and she definitely wasn’t looking her best at the time, all trussed up and bruised in the backseat of her kidnapper’s car.
The fantasy of being able to integrate herself into the lives of the men and women she’d basically been stalking flared. Then died almost immediately.
She couldn’t do that. It would be dishonest. Besides, why would they want to hang out with a homeless woman they didn’t know, who had no ties to the Navy? She also didn’t want the danger she was in to touch anyone else. Not the women she’d watched from a distance, not their children. And especially not Jude Stark.
This had to stop. Her stalking. Her obsession. She’d find out what was happening, assuage her curiosity, then leave. Head east. Or north. Whatever. Get as far away from California, Las Vegas…and the man who’d sold her to a sex trafficker. She’d start over somewhere. Figure out how to change her name, get her money from the bank, and live again.
Closing her car door quietly, Bree tried to look as casual as possible as she walked down the sidewalk. She was an ordinary citizen who just happened to be walking by.
As she headed for the entrance to the shipyard, she glanced to her right, toward the fence. Stopping in her tracks, she stared at the way the fence was pulled up out of the ground in one spot. It would be easy to slip under. She was small enough. At only five foot five, and after losing at least twenty pounds in the last few weeks because of her situation, Bree knew it would be a simple matter of getting on her belly and slithering under the fence. Hell, that’s probably how the other local homeless men and women got in and out. There were probably lots of empty containers that would make excellent shelters from the sun, rain, and wind.
She considered her options for a heartbeat before glancing around. Seeing no one, she moved without thinking any more about it. She dropped to her belly and crawled under the fence. Once on the other side, she quickly ran behind the closest container.
Smiling, Bree couldn’t believe she’d done it. She’d gotten in without having to make up some lie and without coming face-to-face with the people she’d been semi-stalking for what seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few months.
Moving stealthily through the shadows, Bree made her way in the direction the cars had gone. She would get close enough to hear what was going on, then she’d leave. For real.
She’d walked about half the length of the shipyard when she heard something odd. Pausing, Bree tilted her head to listen carefully.
The sound of someone crying was unmistakable.
It was quiet, hushed, but she’d done the same so often, sobbed hysterically but tried to do so quietly, so her hiding place wouldn’t be discovered, that she easily recognized the sound.
Turning in a circle, she tried to figure out which direction the sound was coming from. The sun had dipped below the horizon now and it would be dark soon.
Pinpointing what she thought was the right direction, Bree began walking. Around one Conex, then another. She glanced to her left just as she was passing a tiny little space between two containers—and stopped abruptly.
There, smushed together, were two of the girls she’d seen around the house where everyone had been earlier. They’d somehow managed to squeeze themselves into a space that was only about twelve inches wide.
Instinctively, she crouched down so as not to look so threatening. She wasn’t the tallest woman in the world, but to two scared kids, she probably looked huge and terrifying.
It hit her like a ton of bricks—these girls must be the reason why everyone had left the house earlier like a bat out of hell. And since they’d come straight to the shipyard, they had to know they were here somewhere. Bree had no idea why they were here, or what was going on, but they were in trouble, of that she had no doubt. Why would they be hiding otherwise?
“Hey. My name is Bree. Bree Haynes. I’m a…friend of Jude Stark’s,” she said softly.
“I don’t know who that is,” the older girl said. “Go away! Leave us alone!”
Of course she didn’t know him as Jude. The SEALs who’d saved her had called each other by their nicknames. “Smiley. He goes by Smiley.”
It seemed like a weird name to Bree, as she hadn’t seen Jude smile even once when she’d met him. Or even much since she’d been following him. He was as serious a man as she’d ever met…which weirdly made her more comfortable. Too many people—her ex and the man he’d sold her to included—smiled all the time. Maybe assuming that would make people relax around them. As if.
“Smiley?” the girl said.
“Uh-huh. And he’s here. Along with the others.”
“Others who?”
“Um…everyone? There were about a half-dozen cars that entered the shipyard just minutes ago. I bet they’re here looking for you.”
For a moment, Bree thought that would make the girl come out of her hiding spot, but as soon as she started to straighten, she slumped back down, holding onto the younger girl even tighter.
“He’s looking for us,” she whispered.
“Who is?” Bree asked.
“The guy my dad sold me to. Us to.”
Bree was so confused, but now wasn’t the time to ask questions. The girl was old enough to know what she was talking about. And the fact that she’d been sold to someone, just as Bree had, was enough for her to want to do anything in her power to protect her. No one should have to deal with what Bree herself was going through.
“Where is he? When did you see him last?”
“I don’t know but it wasn’t long ago. Yana was tired and couldn’t run anymore, and everywhere we hid, he found us. I don’t know how.”
A noise nearby had the girl whimpering and lowering her head toward the smaller girl in her arms.
“Want Ricky,” the little girl said between sobs.
Determination rose within Bree. “I’ll distract him. Lead him away. Then you and the little one can get to Ricky.” She wasn’t sure which of the guys was Ricky, but if these kids wanted and trusted him, she’d do what she could to help them get to him. “Stay here until you can’t hear anything anymore, then go back the way you came. Toward the cars and lights. They’re looking for you.”
“What if he gets you?”
“I’m not who he wants, so it doesn’t matter. He’ll realize I’m not you and let me go.” Bree wasn’t so sure that was the case, but the little girl didn’t need to know that.
The sound of footsteps was louder now, and Bree was out of time. “Be safe. You can do this.” Without waiting for a response, she stood and ran as quietly as she could past a row of containers. Then she smacked her hand against one of them, hard, and let out a fake pained cry.
Pausing for a moment to make sure the guy chasing the girls took the bait, she took off running in the opposite direction the girls were hiding, but not too fast that the man would lose her. She raced toward the far corner of the shipyard. Away from the SEALs she’d been stalking…er…following.
The man was faster than she’d given him credit for. Even in the semi-dark. Bree did her best to lead him as far away from the girls as she could, but it was only a matter of time before he caught her, especially when Bree realized she’d run out of shipyard. She ran around a Conex and barely caught herself from slamming into the perimeter fence.
Spinning around to run in a different direction, she came face-to-face with the man who’d been chasing her.
He was nowhere near the size of Jude or his friends, but he was still a few inches taller than Bree and probably a hundred pounds heavier. His brown hair was cut close to his head, and he had on a black shirt and dark jeans.
“Who the fuck are you?” he growled menacingly.
“Don’t hurt me! I was just looking for a safe place to sleep tonight,” Bree lied.
“ Fuck ! Damn it!” the man swore. Then he lunged forward and punched her in the face. Hard .
Bree’s ex had hit her before, but the pain still took her by surprise. She went down, and the man didn’t waste any time using his steel-toed boots to kick the shit out of her, even as he continued to use his fists. At first she tried to fight back, but after painfully ripping off a fingernail while clawing at him, trying to get him to stop, Bree curled into a tight ball, attempting to protect her head and kidneys at the same time.
Strangely, the man was silent as he hurt her. It was almost more terrifying that he wasn’t speaking while he did his best to beat her into unconsciousness.
“Fucking homeless trash,” he said after he finally seemed content with the damage he’d done. He spit on her and turned to walk away.
Bree lay on the concrete for a long and agonizing moment. Everything hurt. But she’d done it. She’d led him away from the two girls. She only prayed they’d taken the opportunity to run as hard and fast as they could toward Jude Stark and his friends.