Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00, page 17
“Did they hurt you?” I asked, but braced myself for the answer.
They looked around at each other, and nodded their heads. Lips quivered.
Amber said, “We were threatened from the start, especially if we didn’t do what they ordered. They denied us food, and locked us up in a room, alone, for days, until we agreed to cooperate. They slapped us. Kicked us. They told us they knew everything about us. Who our friends and family were, and they threatened to hurt them.”
“They said they’ve killed before and would kill again,” Bradley said. “And then…” He got angry and looked like he wanted to throw something.
“And then?”
“One of the girls, her name was Tamara. They treated her so bad, but she just kept defying them,” Amber continued. “She kept sneaking out, to try and get help, but she always came back. She didn’t want to leave us. The last time she snuck out, she didn’t make it back. They told us she was dead, and the same thing could happen to us. Were they telling the truth? Is she dead?”
Tears welled up in my eyes, as I nodded.
“They wanted us to be huge money-makers for their new business empire,” the blonde said. “They brought us here on this ship, and told us we would be leaving for Mexico that we would never return.”
I grimaced. How do you decide how much a human is worth?
In the time it took to set them free and hear some of what they went through, I came to realize that they were the perfect specimens in more ways than one. Because of how they were taken, there would be no police report filed before they were out of the country. Some were abducted off the street. Some were bought, lied to, and told they’d have a better life. Some were approached by a good-looking couple claiming they were looking for models. All lies. There would be no one out looking for them. Their captors didn’t have to cover their tracks.
The minute they were all free, they were hugging and crying, each holding a glimmer of hope in their eyes. I watched them, and got swept up in the emotion. I couldn’t fail them. Anchor and Skater hadn’t returned, and I had no idea where they were, but we had to get out of there.
“Okay, get behind me and try to stay quiet until we’re safe. Okay?”
They slowly filed in behind me. While watching them, holding hands with their eyes filled with fear, I couldn’t help but think of how odd it was that they were forced to rely on me and Cody for their freedom. What if I had just taken a job as the local café? What would have happened to them? Would someone else have come along and saved them?
I guided them back through the engine room - past the ugly steel monstrosity. Any other time, I would have been curious, asking a dozen questions to find out how it worked. But this wasn’t a tour. Lives were at risk. How odd was that? Just a couple months ago, I was a self-involved teenager who took everything for granted.
I didn’t realize how big the engine room was, until we were trying to find our way back. When we finally made it to the exit door, I peered out into the corridor. It was all clear, so I motioned them to follow me. One by one, we walked out of the room, stayed to the side along the corridor and went up the stairs. At the Starboard deck, I put my finger to my lips, signaling them to keep silent. I opened the door and listened. We made it that far. Was it possible to make it all the way to freedom?
The goons weren’t standing at the door. Anchor and Skater were nowhere to be found, either. And where was Cody? The bar area was completely empty. I led them through the bar and into the room where I left Cody. We all instinctively dropped to the ground, when we heard a loud THUD from somewhere outside. Amber grabbed onto my arm. The others squealed in terror.
When the commotion stopped, I urged them to continue. “Don’t give up now. We’re real close.” The entrance where the guests strolled up the red-carpet plank was not too far away. They followed me toward the exit, where I opened the door and peered outside.
FIFTY-EIGHT
THE HUMIDOR was surrounded by the blinking strobe-lights of law enforcement vehicles. SBPD, LAPD and members of the F.B.I. stood at the marina with their weapons aimed at the entrance. News vans and reporters had their cameras ready. I instinctively jumped in front of the victims to shield them from having their faces become front-page news.
“Put your weapons down!” Carter ordered as soon as he saw us. He marched up the plank toward me, filled with relief.
Cody saw me at the same time, bloody and a mess. You could see the guilt all over his face from not staying by my side. “Get her some help!” He yelled, as he ran toward me.
“I’m okay,” I said. At least I think I’m okay. Thank god, the cavalry arrived.
The crime scene was complete pandemonium. The first thing I noticed was Skater face down on the pavement, his weapon and badge confiscated, and he was being handcuffed by Anchor.
What?
Carter saw the stunned look on my face. “Officer Clay Smith has been working undercover. We’ve had Foley under surveillance since his name came up during the pension fund investigation your mom initiated.”
“So all those pension fund documents I found at The Devil’s Door were from her initial investigation? They were involved from the onset weren’t they?”
“Yes, Syd,” he confirmed. “When we went through some of the files from your mom’s office, we discovered Foley was involved in some other things aside from the pension funds, so we put Smith under. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get to that alley fast enough to help Tamara. He got there just after he heard the shots. When that happened, we still didn’t have all the information we needed to close the investigation. We had to keep it open, until we had the evidence needed to shut them down and make it stand up in a court of law.”
“That’s why he was clenching his fists when Foley was smacking me around; then kept him from punching me? He couldn’t blow his cover?”
Carted nodded. “He was wired into me at the time. Syd, do you really think I would have let you go on that ship, if I didn’t have somebody on the inside? I’ve attempted to have my guys following you at all times. Unfortunately, you kept giving them the slip. Cody had to take over where they failed.”
It was good to know he had my back.
***
Further across the marina, Diego’s two bodyguards were being searched and handcuffed by the F.B.I., but no Diego. Other guests from the party were also being rounded up, and put in a large paddy wagon. Law enforcement would have to sort out the good from the bad, later.
The victims were no longer in danger, so Carter and I ushered them outside to the sweet smell of fresh air and freedom. It was quite a sight. There wasn’t a dry eye among the ordinarily macho officers. The victims walked out in single file, looking so innocent in their oversized t-shirts, as if they just returned from a summer camp instead of being held captive for months.
Cody hugged me and whispered in my ear. “There are a heck of a lot more victims here than what we expected, Syd. You saved them all.” His ordinarily cool and calm exterior was turning to mush before my eyes.
“We saved them,” I responded. “They’ve had a pretty tough time of it, even more than what we discovered.”
He clasped my hand. “I’m humbled, Syd. You did good.”
Carter motioned toward the victims. “Paramedics are going need to transport them to the hospital. They have to get checked out.”
The victims immediately resisted. They were afraid to trust anyone in a uniform after what they endured. Eventually, I was able to convince them these were the good guys. I also let them know it was in their best interest. Reporters would be hounding them trying to get an exclusive. Law enforcement didn’t have the whole story yet, so rumors were sure to fly.
Once they were safe and secure with the paramedics, I returned my attention to Skater. He was handcuffed, stripped of his weapon and waiting by the side of a patrol car. I looked into his eyes, hoping to see some semblance of sorrow for killing my mom. There wasn’t any. He actually had a grin on his face, like he knew something that I didn’t. But I did…
FIFTY-NINE
“THEY TOOK my pellet pistol, Cody,” I said, as I stared at Skater. “I need it back, now.”
Cody glanced at me with raised eyebrows. “Hang on, I’ll get it,” he said. He marched over and spoke to Carter. Then, they searched through all of the weapons that were confiscated. When Cody returned, he handed the Walther to me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay. I’m just mad.”
He stammered. “I’m sorry, Syd.”
“For what?”
“For not being there when I should have,” he said, while looking down at his feet. “I should have gone below deck with you. I shouldn’t have let you go alone.”
I just looked at him. What could I say? That yes, I was a little upset with him, because he seemed to be more interested in filming scenes with his phone, than he was taking care of what we went there for. I was too drained, to care. “Everything’s covered here. Let’s go.”
We walked to his Honda Motorcycle in silence. My mind was occupied on the words Diego said, “No loose ends.” I reached into the side compartment on his bike, and retrieved the flashlight from my backpack.
Once we had our helmets on, and were both seated, I said, “Head up to Sutter Beach Canyon.”
Cody glanced at me. “You gonna fill me in?”
“When I found the victims, I heard the bad guys talking. They were trying to figure out what to do with me. One of them said they need to know what I did with the evidence, so it couldn’t cause them any more legal issues before they were out of the county.”
“Yeah. The Humidor was headed to Mexico. That’s out of the country.”
“Right, but when the law enforcement raid went down, the three main players were missing. They left before it all went down. They may be leaving the country…”
“…but they weren’t planning on traveling on The Humidor,” Cody finished the sentence for me.
I lifted the skirt of the dress to keep it away from the chain; then he cranked the motor and stepped on the gas.
***
As we turned onto the street where Summer Klein lived, Cody switched off the headlights and slowed the engine to keep it quiet. He pulled to a stop a few houses down. The lights were on in the house. A white Cadillac Escalade ESV was parked in the driveway. We stepped out of the car and walked toward it. It was quiet, except for the bugs under the lampposts.
Cody snuck up alongside the Escalade and peered inside. It was empty. He felt the hood, and whispered, “It’s warm to the touch.”
“Follow me.”
Staying low, we ran toward the back of the house, and looked in through the French doors. Summer was there. She was talking to someone on the phone, and throwing things into a suitcase. Then, Diego stepped into view. They were no longer dressed in their costumes.
“You were right. They’re making a run for it.”
We hustled back out to the front of the house, just as the lights went out inside. We ducked out of sight. I went behind a tree, Cody behind a row of bushes.
Diego walked out carrying two suitcases. He carried them toward the Escalade, opened the back door and placed them inside. As he headed back toward the front door, Summer walked out carrying another bag. Diego grabbed the bag, and waited while she locked the door.
I stepped out from behind the tree. “There was a big Mardi Gras bash tonight. I’m surprised you weren’t there. Oh, but you were…just not when the cops came around.”
Diego froze, stunned to see me.
Summer frowned. “I knew you were going to be trouble the minute I walked into that hideous firehouse.”
“That’s funny,” I said. “I thought the same thing about you when you came in asking for McSwain & Beck. I wondered how you knew about us when we didn’t even have the website up and running yet.”
She grimaced, realizing for the first time that she messed up. “So how’d you put it all together?” She said, obviously stalling for time. For what, I didn’t know.
“Well, to be honest, it wasn’t that easy. Thankfully, it’s the cops who have to sort it all out. But, it came down to using the common sense and relentless personality my mom had to put up with. You knew Tamara took the photos and sent them to my mom. How would you have known, unless you were involved? You knew about the bugs at the firehouse. That’s how you knew about McSwain & Beck. You hired me and sent me on a wild goose-chase after your drunken step-brother, while Foley tried to find the photos. You thought you’d be on your way to Mexico before I figured things out. You even said it when you hired me - three days is enough, right?”
She smirked. “Well, you may be a simpleton, but you’re not as stupid as we assumed?”
“This was all about sick greed,” I continued, dismissing her clear attempt to rile me up with her insults. “I could care less about all the illegal gambling parties, or the young women who were willing to sell themselves to aid in your endeavors. It’s not my job to heal their self-esteem. But, I do care about the innocent victims you abducted - kidnapped. You planned on making your own underground resort in Mexico, using them to make you a profit. How much money do you people need? It was you and Aaron - the good looking couple - who approached some of them, claiming you were looking for models. They may not know your names, but they know your face, and they know your expensive white car. And this…”
I marched up beside her; then before she knew what I was doing, I grabbed her arm and leveled the ultraviolet flashlight over her wrist. The distinct image of the devil was tattooed on her skin. “…this confirms it for me.”
She snatched her wrist from my grasp, and let out an eerie laugh. The sound sent a shiver up my spine. At the same time, I didn’t notice Diego, as he set the bag down and slip his hand inside the trench coat. The next thing I knew, he was pointing a gun at me. When I glanced in his direction, I knew I was in trouble. Before I could react, he fired…
SIXTY
“SON OF a… Cody jumped out from behind the bushes, and tackled me to the ground. The bullet only grazed me in the left shoulder, but the right shoulder took a hit from the fall. “You didn’t tell me they had a gun!”
“Well, gee, sorry, it must have slipped my mind,” I yelled.
Diego fired again. This time, the shot went wild.
We rolled further out of the line of fire. I scrambled around on the ground, ignoring my wound. I pulled out the Walter pellet pistol and fired.
A pellet hit him in the arm. Stunned, the gun flew out of his hand. At the same time, Cody rushed at him and kicked him to the ground. When he tried to get up, Cody gave him a roundhouse kick to the head. The two of them began to battle it out.
“No!” Summer screamed, as she came charging toward me.
I stood up and aimed the pistol at her. “Summer, stop, or I will shoot!”
She didn’t stop. She came straight at me, filled with a rage like I’ve never seen. Cody turned around to try and stop her, but didn’t make it in time. She was a foot away from me, when I pulled the trigger. A pellet ripped into her chest. It slowed her, but in her crazed state, she kept coming. I fired again. Another pellet to the chest made her falter, grab at her chest and slump to the ground. The pellets weren’t fatal. They would just hurt her for a while. I let out a sigh of relief.
Just when I thought we were home free, Diego lunged for his gun and was back on his feet. He marched toward me and Cody with the gun ready. He waived it back and forth between us - taunting us.
“Eenie, meanie, miney, mo,” he said; then aimed it at me.
My eyes went wide.
Then, a shot rang out…
A bullet struck him in the arm, and the gun went flying. He dropped to the ground, screaming in frustration.
Cody and I swiveled around to see where the shot came from. Carter stood at the driver’s side door of his Dodge Charger, with his police-issued weapon raised.
I exhaled in relief. But we weren’t done, yet. I hurried over to Summer. “Where is Diego? Where were you meeting him?”
She laughed hysterically. “Why would I tell you?”
Carter appeared at my side. “Tell us, and I’ll inform the D.A. you cooperated. It might help when it comes time for sentencing. Don’t, and they’ll throw the book at you. How’s life in jail going to be for a woman like you?”
Seconds passed as she pondered her decision. When she heard the sounds of sirens in the background, she knew their fate was sealed. “John Wayne Airport,” she finally said with reluctance. “We were supposed to meet there. He has a private plane.”
SIXTY-ONE
CARTER DROVE at a high-rate of speed, traveling south on the 405 freeway and headed toward Orange County. The airport was about fifteen minutes away. I was sitting shotgun, and attempting to wrap my shoulder in a ripped shirt from his trunk. Cody was in the back.
“Can’t this thing go any faster?” I whined.
Carter responded, “It’s the damn L.A. drivers.” He rolled his window down and yelled at the vehicle blocking his way, and driving less than the speed limit. “This is the speed lane, moron!”
“We’re not gonna make it,” Cody said. “The plane’s scheduled to leave in ten minutes.”
Carter pulled into the emergency lane, and stepped on the gas.
Cody and I held on for dear life.
Thirteen minutes later, we turned into the John Wayne airport. Carter sped past a line of cars waiting to pick up, or drop off passengers; then pulled to a stop in the emergency lane at the entrance. We bolted from the car.
Carter flashed his badge to the security guys out front. “Show me the way to The Blue Sky. Aaron Grant is wanted for kidnapping, human trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder and a whole slew of other charges. He’s headed over the Mexican border.”
We followed airport security through the maze of travelers. At an intersection, security pointed to an exit at the end of a hall. We took off at full speed. At the exit, Carter pushed it open and we ran outside, just in time to see: a private Cessna airplane taxiing down the runaway. Seconds later, The Blue Sky lifted off the tarmac and carried Aaron Grant into the night.
