Chapter Thirteen
Zuri followed Chaz out onto the street and to his motorcycle.
“We’re going to need help,” he said as he pulled out his phone. He made several calls. When he was finished he turned to Zuri.
“I can’t get in touch with Big Joe and those guys.” He put his phone away.
“He could be at the bar for an afternoon drink and wings.” Zuri dialed the Smoke Stack.
“Smoke Stack,” Greg answered the phone and Zuri knew she was lucky, most nights they let the phone ring off the hook without giving it a second look.
“Hey Greg, it’s Zuri. Is Big Joe there and some of the other Magus guys?” she asked.
She could hear Greg looking up, “Yup. Right here.”
“Can I talk to him?” Zuri felt impatience flooding her.
“Are we a phone service now? When are you coming back to work?” Greg sounded like a child.
“Greg, please, let me talk to Big Joe,” she tried to keep her voice steady. She didn’t want to snap at him but he was really trying her patience.
Greg grumbled a bit but there was a pause and then Big Joe’s voice was on the other end. Zuri handed the phone over to Chaz who explained the plan. As soon as her phone was back in her bag she got on the motorcycle and the two zipped off to the north.
It was a long drive and it gave Zuri’s imagination free reign. She imagined them getting there too late, or not being able to find Ava in the mess of the port traffic. Each scenario rolled through her mind and the bike dipped and zipped over pavement, past trees, cliffs, past the ocean and toward Laughton.
She and Chaz would be the first to arrive, which could be a good or a bad thing. She wondered if the rest of Magus was driving as fast as they were now. She wanted to ask Chaz but the wind was too strong and she didn’t want to take his mind off the road.
When they pulled up to the docks, Chaz shut the motor down and Zuri got off.
“We should wait for some backup,” Chaz said, turning to look behind him as if they might even now be pulling in.
Zuri looked too before she turned back to look at the activity on the pier.
“There are plenty of people around, we’ll be fine. Maybe we should just take a look around, get an idea of where they might be.” Zuri felt an immediate need to find Ava. What if Kevin hadn’t heard right or what if the time had been moved up? She looked off at some of the large boats pulled into dock, another already leaving.
She turned to Chaz, willing him to investigate with her.
“Just a quick look around. If they see us then we might jeopardize the whole thing. We have no idea how many men could be here protecting their cargo.” Chaz looked again behind him.
As soon as she saw his eyes she began toward the pier. They passed a couple coming off of a large yacht, something that made her feel foolishly safe and worried at the same time. Her first instinct, that Laughton was too populated for the Ukrainian mobsters to use for the women, itched at the back of her mind again. If there was no sign of the girls and women here, then they were really out of luck. There were ports all along the coast and the girls could be kept anywhere.
Zuri looked around her as she walked. The pier was a working breathing thing. There were no restaurants nearby to cater to tourists since no cruise liners came in and this was a working port. There was a crane set up toward the end of the dock and Zuri had a feeling that if the girls were here somewhere they would be down at the far end by the crane.
“Be careful,” Chaz whispered at her back. But Zuri felt no need to be careful. She hurried off in the direction of the crane with Chaz close by her side. There were warehouses and storage cellars at this end. Shipping containers were stacked, and crates full of goods stood towering around them.
“I don’t see any Ukrainian’s Chaz, this can’t be the right place.” Zuri walked carelessly into one of the warehouses. She peered around corners and listened for signs of life. “We’re not going to find them, Ava will be lost forever,” she turned to Chaz just in time to see three men come up behind him. Chaz immediately went into action but it was too late.
Zuri tried to scream but a firm hand was placed over her mouth and she was lifted off her feet. She watched one of the men pull out a large syringe and stick it straight into Chaz’s arm, releasing the entire amount into his body.
Chaz’s eyes went to Zuri. She kicked her feet wildly but the firm arms around her wouldn’t let go. Chaz crumpled on the spot.
“Enough tranquilizer to put down a rhino,” one of the men said. He stepped into the light and Zuri saw the man who had captured Ava.
“It was nice of your friend let us know you were coming.” The man smiled at her, showing off his yellowing teeth. “It’s amazing what love can do.”
Zuri looked to man next to the mobster and froze. Kevin was staring anxiously at her.
“I’m sorry. I had to get Sandy, this was the only way.” He looked down at Chaz then back at Zuri. “I’m so sorry.”
“Enough of that,” the man with yellow teeth turned to Kevin and struck him over the head with the butt of a gun.
Zuri kicked out again, using all her force and might to try and break the bond her captor had over her.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, we have another one just for you.” The man with the glinting eyes and yellow teeth pulled out a second, smaller syringe. Zuri tried to scream, to fight, but the needle was in her arm. She willed her body not to accept the drug, but even as she pleaded with herself she felt her muscles shutting down. She kicked out one more time and the rest of the syringe, still half full, fell to the floor.
“Move her to the container with the others,” the man said. She was awake just long enough to watch the man spit on Chaz’s inert body.