“What?” he demanded into the phone. Tobias blinked, completely stunned at the words he was hearing from the man on the other end. “Uh, I think you’d better repeat that.”
Aaron muttered something about old age before repeating. “The girl just bypassed the security on the room she was given and hopped the fence. Dude, if I hadn’t seen it for myself I would never have believed it. She’s obviously done this before. Scout’s on her tail while I schlepped everything back to our ride.” The slam of a vehicle door came clearly through the line along with the low tone indicating Aaron was now in the vehicle.
“Scout said the girl made a call, to a friend, he’s guessing. Another female picked her up. Yeah, see them. We’re on their tail now. Fucking can’t believe we’re tailing someone out of this damn forest,” he grumbled.
“Where are they going?” Tobias demanded. He snapped his fingers to gain the others’ attention and scribbled a note on the white board near his shoulder.
“No clue yet. We’re having to hang way back to ensure they don’t spot us. This is a fucking nightmare, Rogue. The road they are on splits coming up in three clicks. I don’t think I can get close enough to ensure we’re on the right trail behind them.”
“Do your best. Have Scout send me the information and we’ll figure out where the road comes out. I’ll take one with Whip,mCherry and Ripper will take the other.”
“Roger that, boss. Info on the vehicle and other occupant coming through momentarily.”
Hanging up, he shook his head. He couldn’t believe they were already getting a shot at her. He would have figured it would be days before she either convinced her father to let her out or did what she’d just done, and snuck out. That she’d done it so soon had him worried, too. There was something going on in that compound, more than any of them knew. “Gear up. We may be heading into civilian territory, so, low key but armed. We don’t know what we’re walking into. Eyes up, ears open, and stay in constant communication.” His phone beeped and he sent the info over to Rainer. “That’s what we have on the vehicle and other occupant with Gabriella Moreno.”
“Looks like the road comes out here, and here boss.” Cherilyn pointed at a map after looking over the information Landon had sent through.
He looked over the two spots, nearly thirty miles apart. His gut said to be at the one that came out closer to the town. The other one went to an open stretch of highway before winding to a larger city, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t go that far. “You and Winston take this one, Rainer and I will take the other. Once we know where she’s heading the other one needs to catch up and meet with us wherever they end up. Coms open at all times,” he repeated.
This was it. The possibly one and only chance they’d get at bringing Juan Moreno out from hiding to put a bullet in his brain.
* * * *
Gabbie and Carla were laughing and they were singing along with the radio in horrible off-key notes. Both women were paying more attention to having fun than anything else. “Oh, turn here. I want to change before we get to town. Nightstalker black isn’t exactly the in thing at the moment, is it?” Gabbie asked as she tugged her hair down from the hair tie and let her curls loose. “God that feels so much better.” She loved having her hair just loose and riotous around her head. When Carla pulled over she jumped out of the vehicle and raced into the jungle.
Opening her pack, she pulled out clothes and began to change into something more town ready. Nothing too daring because she was, after all, still her father’s daughter, but wiggling into the tight t-shirt and short jean skirt felt amazing. She switched out the boots for leggings and Mary Janes.
She came out of the trees and tossed her pack into the back seat and laughed. “Carla?” She called into the jungle. “Did you drink too much again and are peeing in the bushes? Remember, we do have poison ivy out here.” She said with a laugh and leaned back against Carla’s car and looked up at the stars. “It’s such a beautiful night, isn’t it?” She was yelling at her friend. “Such a great night to go out. I love it. I hated to sneak out on daddy, but yeah. I needed this. Time away from the guards. Ya know?” She turned then and frowned. “Carla?” She shouted. “Carla, where are you?”
Suddenly, material was pulled over her head and her arms were yanked behind her to be shackled together by what felt like plastic bands. She went to scream, but a hand landed over her mouth outside the bag. A low voice, clearly disguised, said in her ear. “No one can hear you out here, Ms. Moreno. Not your daddy, and definitely not your friend.” The hand moved and she found herself being thrown over a broad shoulder. Jostling around while the individual ran, she tried to shake off the hood but they must have tied it tight enough to keep her from doing just that. Nausea kicked in when she was upright again before being dumped into what she guessed, from the slam over her head, was a trunk.
Gabbie had to pull her shit together. She had to calm herself because if she was going to get out of this, it was going to be with a cool head. She twisted her wrists, it was cutting into her but she didn’t give a shit. She had to get free. She rubbed her head against the trunk and shortly got the bag off her head. Once that was done, she shifted as best she could so that she could pull her hands down and under her legs. Thank you, gymnastics, for making her so flexible. Once her hands were in front of her she focused. She then grinned, “Oh, yeah.” she whispered and reached for the neon glow in the dark handle that all trunks had to have in the last twenty plus years. Hell, yeah. She tugged it and then cussed. “Fuck me.” She growled when the little glow in the dark tag came off in her hand. “Shit. Okay, next plan.” She felt around and looked for the taillight. That was another thing she could do, knock it out and hopefully signal for help.
She began to push and push, her hands still tied together with the plastic ties but she needed to get out, fast. Finally, the taillight came free and she nearly whooped for joy. She didn’t have anything to wave outside and instead began to root around in the trunk for something, anything, to stick out of the light.
The car suddenly came to a hard stop, sending her crashing into the back of the rear seats. Weight changes told her someone was getting out, the crunch from gravel outside told her they were heading her way. The trunk lid went up and she was instantly blinded by a high-powered flashlight. The unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked had her stilling instantly. “One warning before I shoot out your kneecaps, princess. Try that shit again and you’ll experience pain you have never known in your life. No one is coming to save you, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow we can talk your daddy into doing so, but I somehow doubt even for you that he’ll leave his compound. For your sake, you’d better hope I’m wrong.” The light was cut off when the trunk lid slammed down again. Seconds later, she was slammed into the front of the trunk when they took off at high speeds with squealing tires.
What the ever-loving name of hell was going on? What was he talking about? Yes, she knew that her father wasn’t a good man, that he dealt drugs, but who would ever dare take her? No one. Her father had made certain that she was untouchable and there wasn’t a single being alive that would ever dare to counter her father on anything. Besides that, what did they want with her dad? If they wanted him out, he would meet with his suppliers and his other comrades, but this she didn’t get.