Chapter Thirteen
“What are you thinkin’ about?”
After they’d taken a cat nap, Ten was driving them over to see Vick again. He’d woken up twenty minutes ago when Vick had called with some news. She’d been irritatingly vague on the phone, so Ten prayed they’d finally caught a break in this case. He was about to face down a ruthless killer, and yet he’d never felt so good in his life.
“Ten?” Aggie prompted.
“Right, sorry. I’ve been thinkin’ about you, mostly.”
Making love with Aggie had been a revelation, and like it or not, he didn’t have a better term for what had just occurred between them.
Aggie already knew some of his darkest secrets.
Hell, Aggie had witnessed him kill a man, and she hadn’t been put off. When he’d first seen her, he’d thought she might be special, and it turns out he’d been correct. If he wanted to make this work, and Ten thought he might, he had to take off some of his armor, expose himself even more.
It was terrifying, but he didn’t see a way around it.
“What about me?”
“Actually, I’ve been wonderin’ about you, me, us,” he babbled.
Their time together would be coming to an end in the very near future. Never seeing her again bothered him more than he cared to admit. And yet, if he didn’t say something, he’d kick himself later.
She nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you? Because I’m a bit fuzzy.”
“You wanna have the relationship talk.”
“There’s a specific discussion?” He had so much to learn.
“Yes, everyone has the ‘where is this going’ chat.” She made air quotes with her fingers.
Then he wasn’t weird for pondering these questions at all, which was a relief. Ten was usually pretty far from the norm.
“Okay, where’s this going?” He turned to glance at her.
Aggie shrugged “I don’t know. Tomorrow, we might be dead. And even if Santiago doesn’t kill me, we both know I’m not long for this earth.”
“I hate it when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Make light of your death.” He stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel.
“I got one of two options—laugh or cry, so the decision’s easy.”
And yet he got the impression she wasn’t dealing with it at all. Aggie seemed to be avoiding the situation by distracting herself with pleasurable diversions or burying herself in work. Neither one of them allowed her to truly come to terms with her mortality.
And who am I to judge?
He’d been running from his past for years, making himself so big and bad nobody would ever mess with him again, but had he gotten over it? No.
In many ways, Ten was still a prisoner in the basement and always would be. And he was the one who had the key to unlock the door, but he wouldn’t use it. Sometimes, it was easier to exist down there, not taking chances.
Although Aggie made him want to take some risks.
“Maybe we should talk about this later?” Aggie offered.
“Okay, when?” Ten was relieved for the reprieve, even though he’d brought up the topic.
“Later on tonight?”
“Fine.” There might be a slight delay, but Aggie couldn’t avoid this forever. And by then, he’d know what to say.
When they walked into Vick’s office, she was waiting for them. They took a seat on the other side of her desk.
Ten had the almost undeniable urge to hold Aggie’s hand, but he stuffed his fingers into his jacket pocket instead.
What has she done to me?
“Okay, I’ve got bad and worse news.” Vick shook her head.
Aggie frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Me neither.” Ten braced himself.
“I still can’t find Santiago.”
They both groaned.
“You didn’t let me finish.” She held up a finger. “I can’t tell you where Santiago is, but I can tell you where the auction is located. It’s a couple of days from now and I’ll pinpoint all the particulars after I do a bit more pokin’ around.”
Ten was relieved. The thought of those girls being bought and sold had been eating at him for days. At least they had the location down and a timeframe. Next, they could formulate an extraction plan.
“Where is it being held?” Aggie asked.
“Let me show you.” She typed something on the keyboard and then swiveled the monitor around so they could see. “It’s takin’ place outside of Mexico City at a private estate.”
It made sense. Santiago couldn’t auction off women and children at the local Holiday Inn. He certainly wouldn’t try something so bold in the United States.
“Won’t somebody notice a slave sale?” Aggie gestured to the screen.
“My guess is he’s paid off the Mexican officials so they’ll look the other way,” Vick said.
“Besides, the thing’s the size of a small city.” Ten shook his head. “The neighbors might not even notice.”
The estate was massive with tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool, and gardens.
Mexico was a country with many dichotomies. The very rich had everything they wanted, while the poor hardly got by. Whoever owned the mansion was living large on the earnings they made from illegal activities. Santiago had probably cut the owners in on the human trafficking profits.
“Hmm.” Ten scrutinized the map. “You didn’t get this from Google Earth.”
She waggled her brows. “No, I had other sources.”
“Like what?” Aggie leaned forward, inspecting the images with renewed interest.
“I might’ve hacked into a database or two.” Lickety split, she swiveled the monitor around. “Which brings me to more craptacular news, since I helped myself to the government’s information, I picked up some chatter about a big operation.”
“Chatter?” Aggie asked.
“Yes, I’ve been hackin’ into restricted databases for years, and you pick up a thing or two. They are callin’ this Operation Cobalt and I’m bettin’ the CIA and military are in on this. Maybe it’s a joint investigation?”
“I can see the overlap. I’m sure they have mutual persons of interest attendin’ this soiree.” Ten had been on similar missions.
“Well, isn’t this good news?” Aggie leaned back in her chair. “It means they’ll bust this party up and rescue everyone, so Ten and I don’t have to storm the castle.” She sighed. “I mean the place is basically a fortress. I saw a guard tower, fences, and gun-totin’ bodyguards in the surveillance images. There’s no way the two of us could get in there unnoticed.”
“I ain’t so sure about that.”
Ten was a touch smug about his military prowess. He’d snuck into all kinds of fortified structures, albeit with the aid of a highly trained team and the latest in weaponry. This maneuver would be a bit more DIY.
“Okay, commando, maybe you can get in, but I’m relieved we don’t have to.”
“Yeah, not so much.” Vick pulled a face. “From what I could put together, they’ll use the event to get intel on criminal enterprises. Basically, they’re gonna listen in, snap some incriminatin’ pictures, plant some bugs, but they won’t stop it.”
“Tell me you’re jokin’.” Aggie wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t believe the government would sit idly by while people are sold into slavery.”
“Believe it.”
Ten had seen all kinds of shady things. The military would tolerate a lot in order to root out terrorism. The government picked its battles and sometimes innocent people got caught in the middle.
“You can’t be serious.” Aggie seemed disillusioned.
“I don’t like it either, but evidently some heavy hitters will be there, and gettin’ dirt on them is more of a priority.” Ten figured it must be about the War on Drugs and its connection to funding terrorism.
“Dammit.” She kicked the floor. “Our tax dollars at work.”
Vick leaned forward. “And I hate to be the crappy news fairy, but there’s another downside. If by some miracle, you get inside, the Feds will get a real close look at both of you, which means you’ll be on their radar.”
Ten shrugged. “That don’t pain me too much. I won’t show up in their databases anyway.” And he’d learned how to resist interrogations.
Aggie shrugged. “Detective Frost already thinks I’m a candidate for America’s Most Wanted anyway.”
Vick held up a hand. “However there’s a tiny ray of sunshine.”
“Really?” Aggie asked, blowing a piece of hair away from her mouth. I’d love to hear it because this is depressing.”
Vick typed something else. “I can score you an invite to this little shindig, with a bit of ingenuity and my cyber magic.”
“How?” Aggie asked.
“Let’s just say we have connections, seriously shady ones.” Vick pasted on a smile.
They’d cultivated relationships with all kinds of unsavory people on both sides of the border. He didn’t like it much, but sometimes they could be useful when it came to business.
Aggie swallowed. “Like who or what? Wait! Never mind. I don’t wanna know anythin’ more. This will probably come up in a deposition later.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong.
“Now we just need a plan.” Ten had some ideas, but he wasn’t ready to share.
“So what?” Aggie asked. “We get into the auction and then take the kids back at gunpoint?”
Ten could guarantee there’d be an armed guard or two with them. There’s no way he could take on gunmen while getting the women and children out of harm’s way. And Ten seriously doubted once he got in there, once he’d seen their faces, he’d be able to leave the rest of them behind, while he rescued the girls.
This is gonna get messy.
“You could always pay for their release?” Vick offered.
“I don’t suppose you know the going price for a child?” Aggie slumped in her chair. “Didn’t Diego say somethin’ about this bein’ a high-end sale?”
“I can cover it.” Ten didn’t even bat an eyelash.
“Are you serious? The price might be in the thousands.” Aggie’s eyes were wide and a tad admiring.
Probably more. “Don’t worry, I got this.” Ten patted his pocket. “Vick, get us the identities we’ll need to make it through security, and I’ll handle the rest.”
The thought of his hard-earned money landing in a slaver’s pocket was hard to swallow, but what choice did he have?
Vick bobbed her head. “Gotcha. Anythin’ else?”
“Can we get some com sets? The kind FBI and Secret Service agents wear in the field?” He’d used those in Iraq before, and communication might come in handy.
“I got you covered, two earbuds and fake IDs comin’ up.”
“Add in some GPS trackers, too.” Those might come in handy if they got lost or separated. “And make it three sets of each.”
“Who else is comin’?” Vick squinted at her computer screen.
“Jasper.”
“Wait.” She stopped typing. “What?”
“Aggie and I are gonna need some backup in case this thing falls apart.”
Operations like this had a way of unraveling at the most inconvenient times. Ten and Jasper had handled plenty of situations together. The mobster was a good shot, and he had a calm demeanor when things went south. Both qualities would be useful in this situation.
“I wanna help the children, too, but Jasper…”
“I think I know how you feel.”
He tried to empathize with her, and imagined how he’d react if Aggie had been put in harm’s way. And then Ten reached out and laid his hand over hers. Vick had a death grip on the computer mouse.
Her eyes rounded.
“Yeah, I’m shocked, too.” He withdrew his hand. “Sorry, bad idea.”
“Fine, but just so you know, if anythin’ happens to Jasper, and you’re still alive, you won’t be for long.” Vick glowered at him.
“Understood.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay then, but you’ll have to talk to him, and I don’t know if he’ll agree.”
“Trust me, it won’t be a problem.” Ten already had an ace in the hole.
***
“We need to talk about this.” When they reached his SUV, Aggie stepped in his path.
“About what?”
“This is crazy.”
“Yup, but I don’t wanna take Santiago head on, do you? Especially at a well-fortified estate with a group of gunmen backin’ him up.”
“When you put it like that…”
“It would be suicide.” He’d already calculated the odds, and they were beyond slim.
“We could call the authorities? Maybe convince them to do their damn jobs?”
“And when they found what we’ve been up to, we’d both be in jail cells right next to Santiago, assumin’ they catch him in the first place.” Men like Santiago had a way of greasing the wheels of justice and getting away without paying any real penalties, particularly if he could be useful to the authorities in some way.
“Damn.”
“Any other ideas?” Ten asked, as he hopped back in the driver’s side.
“None.” She got in beside him.
“Our safest bet is to attend the auction as buyers. We’ll get in and out.”
“Can you get your hands on that kind of cash? Because I’m tapped out.” Her smile was sheepish. “My credit cards have been maxed, and I don’t have a dime in my retirement account. Not that I—”
He cleared his throat. “Were you about to make another joke?”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“I don’t like to think about you dyin’.”
A long uncomfortable silence followed.
And then Aggie promptly changed the subject. “So, do you think this plan is gonna work?”
“I hope so.” Ten focused on the road, unable to meet her eyes. He was still perturbed by her cavalier attitude.
“And you’re serious about doin’ this? It’s incredibly generous, especially because you don’t even know the girls.”
“I can’t think of a better cause, so why not?”
“Their parents are barely makin’ ends meet. I doubt they’d be able to pay you back.”
“Who’s askin’ them to?”
“Wow. Not just anyone would do this.”
Her admiration made him uncomfortable. Ten was more sinner than saint.
Ten had empathy for Luna and Maria. They were the daughters of hard-working poor people who’d been taken advantage of.
And while he didn’t know the circumstances of how and why his mother had sold him, he had no doubt the pedophile who’d bought him had manipulated her and used the addiction against her. Sure, she shared in the blame as well, but there’d always be people out there who’d prey on the weak.
“I can’t sit by while this happens to somebody else. Consider it karmic payback for all the terrible shit I’ve done.”
At least he could save Luna and Maria from the horrors he’d been through. His captivity and abuse had changed him in fundamental ways. He’d never been the same since.
No one had come looking for Ten, he’d had no champion, a rescuer who saved him from his plight. And that had hurt more than anything, knowing nobody gave a damn.
“Do you think we can balance the scales?”
“You mean in a cosmic sense?”
“Yeah, lately I’ve been contemplatin’ the afterlife for obvious reasons. I can’t help but wonder where I’ll end up.”
“I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but if I did, you’d be headed upstairs.”
“Think so?”
“I know so. You’re a good person.” Much better than me.
And that was another reason Ten liked her so much. Aggie hadn’t hurt anyone else and had no desire to.
Admittedly, he took a bit too much pleasure in the kill. Whenever he faced an opponent down, all the rage he kept under wraps resurfaced, and he could let it out, inflict it on another person, someone who deserved it.
“Then why are you tryin’ to make up for your sins?”
“Call it hedgin’ my bets. I always consider the odds in any given situation.”
If fire and eternal damnation did exist, he might as well make a peace offering to the man upstairs. He doubted it would gain him entrance through those pearly gates, but maybe he’d get a nicer room in hell.
“Then I’m in, and for the record, I don’t think you’re so terrible.” She reached out a hand, and he took it, squeezing it. Ten had trouble letting go when she pulled back.
“The first order of business is to secure my backup.”
“The famous Jasper?”
“Yep and he’s almost as good with a gun as me.” Ten looked her up and down. “We’ll have to dress the part, too. I’ve got a tuxedo. Do you have a gown?”
She grimaced. “I’m more of a jeans and boots kind of girl.”
“You’ll need formal wear for this shindig, so let’s swing by a shop. We gotta blend in with the crowd.”
Aggie didn’t look too thrilled at the prospect.
***
“Aggie, I’d like you to meet Miss Delilah Holloway, she runs the How-De-Do.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Miss Delilah executed a precarious curtsy on her high heels.
Aggie worried she’d totter over at any moment and break a hip.
The woman appeared to be in her sixties. Miss Delilah’s striking white hair was braided down the back of her neck. She wore a pair of yellow satin pants, which were skin tight. Her shirt, if that’s what you’d call it, was the same color and ruffled, too. It reminded Aggie of two cupcake holders pinned together. Matching platform heels completed the look.
If this was any indication of the woman’s taste in fashion, Aggie was going to pass. She wanted to blend in with the criminal element, not blind them with her neon clothing.
“What brings you to my humble shop?” she asked.
“I’m lookin’ for a dress.”
“Well, you came to the right place.” She lifted a hand, and something sparkled in the light.
That’s when she noticed an enormous rock on her ring finger but didn’t see a wedding band. Aggie wondered how she even lifted her hand.
“Did you get engaged?”
“Why, yes, I did, thank you for noticin’. My new beau and I are gettin’ hitched at the end of next month.”
“Congratulations.” Although, it was awfully late in life to be starting a new marriage.
She winked. “He’s my fifth husband, let’s hope it works out this time.”
Aggie chuckled, despite herself. The woman was definitely a character.
“Can you give me a hint about the occasion? It’ll help me curate the perfect outfit for you.”
Good question. What does someone wear to a child molester’s ball?
“It’s a masked ball,” Ten offered.
The shop seemed to make him uncomfortable, or maybe he just hated being surrounded by a half dozen giggling, gossiping women who were in the middle of getting manicures or hairstyles.
Delilah clasped her hands together. “Oh, I love formals. This is gonna be such a treat.”
Aggie had to admit the dress shop/beauty parlor was an ingenious hybrid business. Women went to the beauty parlor for special occasions like the prom or a date and needed the outfit to go with the new hair.
The shop had a bohemian look, brick walls with wooden floors. Out front in the waiting area, a selection of magazines had been inserted into a repurposed black shutter, the magazines’ spines hanging over each rung. One wall was decorated with a collection of kitschy, sixties hand mirrors.
“Yeah, it’ll be somethin’ to remember.”
“And what kind of budget are we lookin’ at?” Miss Delilah turned to Ten.
Her cheeks burned. All of a sudden, Aggie felt like a kept woman, but he’d insisted on buying her outfit.
Ten pulled out a credit card. “Aggie can buy anythin’ she likes.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” She squealed, actually squealed like a little girl or a stuck pig. And then she clickety-clacked her way over to the racks of dresses in the other room.
Aggie turned to look at Ten.
He nodded in Miss Delilah’s direction. “You’d best go in there, or she’ll pick you out somethin’ you’d be ashamed to leave the house in.”
“Ten, really, its fine, I can pay for it.” Somehow, she’d find the extra cash.
“Nonsense, you’re house got shot up, and your new clients can’t afford to pay you either, so I’m takin’ care of it.” He leaned forward, speaking in a low tone. “Think of this as camouflage.”
“I guess, but it feels wrong,” she whispered.
“Welcome to my world.”
“Tell her to change up your look, too.”
She frowned. “This is hardly the time for a makeover.”
“I’m assumin’ Santiago knows you on sight. After all, he found your house and knows your routine. He’s got a photograph of you, too.”
“Dammit, I didn’t even think about it.” This cloak and dagger stuff wasn’t in her wheelhouse. “So I should dye my hair?”
“Yup, any color you like, and we’ll grab you a pair of glasses with clear lenses.”
“Really? We’re tryin’ the Clark Kent approach?”
“Trust me, you can hide in plain sight if you know what you’re doin’.” Ten tapped his own shades.
The serene way he said it, gave her a case of the willies.
“Go on, then, I got some things to handle.” And then he gently pushed her into the other room.
“What do you think?” Miss Delilah asked, holding up a slinky black mesh number.
Looks great, if I were one of the women offered up on the auction block.
Aggie bit her lip. “How about somethin’ more subdued?”
With a roll of her heavily made-up eyes, Miss Delilah turned her attention back to the clothing.
Aggie just hoped she could find one loose enough to disguise her gun holster.
***
“I need your help.”
While Aggie was preoccupied with frocks, Ten pulled out his cell phone and gave Jasper a call.
“What do you want?” Jasper had picked up on the third ring and hadn’t bothered with a greeting.
“Your help. Pay attention.”
There was a long silence.
Jasper sighed. “With what?”
“This is what you’d call a sensitive situation. I can’t discuss particulars over an unsecured line, but I’d be happy to fill you in, in person.”
“Is this favor likely to get me killed?”
“Absolutely.”
“And why would I do this?”
“We’ve had this discussion before.” Ten frowned at the phone. “I thought we were friends.”
He wasn’t ready to play his card just yet. Ten wanted to push Jasper into doing this without losing his leverage, in case he needed it later on. And truthfully, Ten enjoyed fucking with him. It was a fun way to pass the time.
“We are, but I can’t get involved.”
“Sure you can.”
“You’re right, I misspoke. I don’t want to get involved.”
“Are you sure? I’m about to rescue children.”
“Rescue them from whom?”
“I already told you about the insecurity of this phone line.”
Ten caught a glimpse of Aggie across the room. Aggie stood in front of three full-length mirrors, and she turned from side to side, taking in all the angles.
All of them were spectacular. She wore a sleek black dress with a slit up the side, offering an enticing glimpse of her thighs. He remembered all too well what they’d felt like wrapped around him.
I want her.
Ten needed her with a staggering intensity, and there was an added urgency to his desire, given what they were about to do. Tonight, he’d let even more of his barriers down, and he’d take things a step further with her.
“Ten?”
“Hmm?” He was still mesmerized by the sight of Aggie. Even if she didn’t pick that dress, he’d buy it for her.
“Give me more details.”
“Security’s gonna be tight, but don’t sweat it, because Vick is takin’ care of it.”
“You involved Vick?”
“Yeah, because I don’t have the computer skills and neither do you.”
“Okay, no, I’m out. I can’t do this.”
Damnation, he didn’t go for it.
“Oh, it isn’t optional.” And here comes the ace. “Remember when you and Vick did the thing you don’t want me to tell our, er, friend about?” Ten was purposely vague.
“Yeah,” Jasper said. His teeth must’ve been gritted together because the word came out garbled.
“If you don’t want me to blab, you’ll help me. And, in return, you’ll have leverage on me.”
“Because you don’t want our friend to know what you’ve done either?”
“Correct. See? Mutually assured destruction. Oh, and formal attire is required. Talk to ya later.”
And then he snapped the cheap flip phone shut and turned his full attention to Aggie, where it belonged.