Stronger (The Unit Book 2) (17 page)

“We, boss? I thought I was leading this mission with Michael being gone,” Rob inquired.

“You are. But I will be a member of that team. It’s been a while since I have been out in the field, and God knows, you’re going to need all the help you can get. We will have a five-man team. You, Tony, Steve, Aaron, and myself.”

The men looked to each other. Tyrrell coming out on a mission. None of the men had ever been in combat with him before. Could they trust him with their lives, with Lola’s life?

“I was a Navy Seal. The best. I have kept up with my training. I will have your backs,” Tyrrell said catching the look of uncertainty in The Unit’s eyes.

Rob sat bouncing his leg up and down under the table so hard, the coffee was moving. He tugged on the collar of his t-shirt. Finally, unable to wait any longer, Rob stood quickly and knocked over his cup of coffee. “Sorry boss, I will get it…I will clean it up.” Rob reentered the room with a handful of paper towels. “When do we leave?” Rob questioned as he cleared his throat and sopped up the mess on the table.

“Gather your things and be ready for takeoff at 1300.” Tyrrell grabbed Rob’s hand and stopped his frantic movements which were just slushing the coffee all over the table. He squeezed Rob’s hand, and he let go of the paper towels. Tyrrell finished cleaning up the mess then he turned to face his men who were now standing beside his office door. “Go, get ready. This is going to be a long mission. Prepare. Make your phone calls. Be ready at 1300.” He dismissed the men with a wave of his hand and threw the sopping wet paper towels into the trash can.

Rob was the first out of the door. At his locker, he grabbed his Sig 226, his Glock 19, his Walther P22, and his knife. He glanced over at Tony and the man was filling his gear bag with tactical assault rifles including his 240 Bravo – a favorite of his from his time in the Army.

Once the gear bags were loaded, they studied the satellite imagery Tony had gathered from the FBI satellites. Tony went over the compound with The Unit and covered the most likely places to have guards stationed. Rob paced and cursed the entire time, trying to wait for 1300. Finally, they were loading into the SUV which would take them to the airfield.

They grabbed their gear bags from the SUV and loaded into the private jet set to land on the same airstrip as the first mission. Finally, slouching down in his seat, Rob felt he was getting started. The plane was going to touch down and he was going in. He had to find Lola.

She laid there on her lumpy cot mattress thankful they weren’t feeding her drugs this time. They wanted to give her every chance to think about the upcoming sale. She hadn’t heard mention of when it was going to be, but this time was different. Not only were they not feeding her pills, they also had her in a hut by herself. She wasn’t examined after the initial two day period like she was the first time. But it was the same type of hut so she knew she was back in the same place. The same type of bucket sat in the corner. She slowly rolled over stretching her body. She had slept fitfully all night. She awoke every hour or so with the thought of a rescue she was beginning to think would never come. She picked up the rock and marked her tenth mark into the packed dirt floor of the hut. In that time, no one had come to talk to her or do anything with her but change her bucket and bring her food. She noticed her food wasn’t as good as last time. Maybe that was the effect of not being high on the pills they fed her before. Over the last day or two, she didn’t really have an appetite. Smells made her nauseous. That bucket in the corner was doing a number on her. She was so sensitive to the smell, she could pick up the urine and feces smell even after she placed the lid back on it. She was nauseous, and she was sure it was her nerves. Unlike last time, this time she knew exactly what they wanted from her. Only this time she wasn’t a virgin.

What would they do to her when they found out? Surely the doctor would examine her again. Would they still sell her? Of course they would. They only cared about one thing: money. They would sell her to the highest bidder. Now she wished she wasn’t as pretty as she was. If she were unattractive, they would have probably never have taken her in the first place. She wasn’t vain, just honest. She knew men found her attractive; it was apparent each time she entered a club or danced in one. They flocked to her like sheep to their Shepard. She had been so bold before playing up her looks to torment and tease. Now she regretted teasing the men the way she had. Karma was a bitch, and she was getting hers.

She wondered about Rob. What was he doing over the last ten days? Was he trying to find her? Her gut told her yes. He felt something for her, of that she was certain. It couldn’t be one-sided. Feelings as strong as hers had to be shared. She knew he would be blaming himself for her being taken again. He had blamed himself for not saving Lizzie so it would only stand to reason that he blamed himself for her predicament too. Would he get to her in time? Would she be forced through the degrading process of prancing around in front of the men who sat behind the mirrors again? Would someone who meant to do her harm buy her this time?

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t live under a man’s thumb. If Rob did save her, the first thing she would do would be to kiss him. The second thing would be to have a serious conversation about him considering her a possession. That would never work for her. She had to be free. Free to go where she pleased and free to befriend whom she pleased.

Rob. She missed him something terrible. While it was true they only knew each other a short time, she still felt feelings for him that were so strong, so potent, the thought of not seeing him again had her in tears.

She sat against the bamboo wall of the hut, shoulders slumped as she covered her face. What good did it do her to cry? She had to be ready for what the Cartel would do. Still, she wrapped her arms around herself. She would be brave. Rob would want her to be brave. She would face what was to come alone. She knew she had to mentally prepare herself. She knew in her heart Rob was working on rescuing her. But just in case he didn’t make it in time, she had to be brave.

Just then the door to her hut opened and in walked an armed guard. She jumped at the chance to talk to him, for some sort of connection to the outside world.

“What day is it?” she asked.

“Wednesday. The doctor will come for you in a few hours,” the man said while walking over to her bucket and grabbing it by the handle.

“Wait. Can’t you stay and talk to me. I have been alone for so long. I just want to know what you have planned for me.”

One could tell the man felt sorry for her, yet he kept his gun readied in his hand. He would shoot her if she tried anything. Maybe she could seduce information out of him. Men had always responded to her before, what would make this man any different. She jumped from the bed and caught him gently by the arm before he had a chance to exit the hut. “Am I going to be sold again?” she asked already knowing the answer. She left her hand on his skin which burned under her touch. He turned to face her, his mouth drawn into a tight line. She could tell he didn’t like his job. The thought of selling her did something to him. He tightened his grip on his gun as she left her hand trail its way down his arm gently and fall away.

“I shouldn’t be talking to you. You are merchandise, nothing more.” He shook his head. He opened his mouth as if to speak only to close it again.

“Tell me: How many of us are there? How many girls will be sold this time?”

He pulled his brows inward and looked down at the ground. He took a deep breath and then exhaled in a rush. Telling her this information could get him shot. He raised his head and made eye contact. She could see the conflict warring inside his mind. He rubbed his hand over his heart. “Why do you want to know? Won’t that just make it harder for you?” he questioned.

“Please.” She stepped closer to him. He inhaled her scent deep into his lungs. He had never smelled anything or anyone who smelled so good. Surely this was an angel sent by God. What if he did tell her? What would she do with the information? Who could she tell? She was kept here, in this hut, guarded. What if Ortiz found him talking to her? What would Ortiz do to him? They were to be merchandise and that was all, much like the drugs.

Finally he let out a long, slow sigh. He would give her this information. He would help this angel in any way he could. Still, he could never go up against the Ortiz Cartel; he was but one man.

“There are fifteen of you.”

Fifteen young, innocent girls. Last time there had been twelve besides me. She had to stop this, but how? She was but one woman.

“When is the auction scheduled? How long do I have?” she asked backing away from the bearer of bad news. He let his gun hang from his shoulder strap as he reached out his hand to bring her chin up to meet his eyes.

“It will happen in one week. Arrangements and invitations have already been sent.” She had one week of freedom left. Rob had one week or he would lose her forever. She knew if Rob lost her, he would never again find himself. She stumbled forward as she tried to walk and fell into the man. The man grabbed her with his free hand and spilled some of the contents of the bucket onto the floor.

Clutching her stomach, Lola indicated she was going to be sick. She darted to the corner, away from her cot, and retched up the contents of her stomach. She was ill at the thought of Rob never finding her. Ill at the thought of never being in Rob’s arms again. Ill at the thought of belonging to a man who purchased her.

When she was done throwing up, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had no way to brush her teeth and now she was going to have to live with the smell of vomit for the next week.

“Do you think? I mean, is there any way, you could get me something to clean that up with?” She motioned to the vomit.

The man, standing there watching her helplessly, nodded his head. “I will be back with your empty bucket and a towel. But you mustn’t tell anyone where you got it from. I could die for helping you.”

She walked to the man closing the distance in five paces. She touched his cheek and again felt his skin burn beneath her touch. “Are you sick?” she asked concerned about the man who agreed to help her.

“No. I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.” He had to get out of there. She was doing something to him, softening him in a world that only punished that quality. He turned to leave her and her hand fell to her side. She had found an ally she could use. Would she have occasion to use him?

A short time later the man returned with an empty bucket and a towel just like he said he would. She got up from the cot and greeted him in the middle of the hut. “Thank you for your kindness,” she whispered so only he could hear. “I have another question,” she whispered.

“What is it?”

“What day next week will I be sold?” She watched as the man’s face went hard. His expression was now unreadable. He masked his feelings quite well. She had no idea if she had made him angry or repentant.

“Next Friday. You have about ten days left.”

“And I will not receive drugs during this time,” she inquired hoping they would not give her any. She needed a clear head to come up with a plan.

“No drugs. Not for you. They want you to suffer for escaping them and ruining their sale of you last time,” he confided. “With no drugs and no others in your hut, you are forced into isolation with nothing but time to think about what is coming.” He bowed his head and stared at his dusty boots.

She was thankful they sought to punish her. She did not want the drugs again, although it would be nice not to care, but it was now up to her to figure a way out of this. She had asked for and received the help of one guard. Would he be enough?

“Tell me, how many men guard me?” she pushed hoping his kindness would continue.

“I have said enough to get me killed. I can’t answer any more of your questions.”

“I understand,” she acquiesced under the stare of a man who really was afraid for his life. She threw herself into him and hugged him. He stood stiff and erect unused to the affection of the merchandise, especially one who smelled so heavenly and was so beautiful. “Thank you for the towel,” she said as she reached to take it from his hand. She approached the corner with a lump rising in the back of her throat. As she knelt to clean up the mess, she started to gag.

He touched her shoulder. “Here, let me,” he said as he reached down and took the towel from her small hand.

“Thank you.” She stood and walked to the other side of the room. She would surely vomit again over the smell.

When the man finished picking up the vomit, he walked to the door of the hut. He turned to look at Lola sitting on the cot. “I’m sorry,” he said, then he turned and exited through the door.

An RV camper that housed the mobile surveillance headquarters for The Unit blended in perfectly with the wealthier area of Mexico. Inside the RV, The Unit took care to outfit it with the latest in technology. The antenna, which was mounted to the top of the RV, looked like a regular television antenna, but it was really used to monitor satellite feed. There were several computers for display of the satellite feed. They used this feed to monitor and track the activity of the Ortiz Cartel. It was important for this mission that they kept close enough to the Ortiz compound but far enough away as to not alert any nosy neighbors to their business. It was for that reason they moved the camper every few days. The camper’s windows were lined with heavy opaque curtains so they could see out, but nobody could see in. The camper had enough room for sleeping quarters for the five men. The bathroom was cramped, but it served its purpose. There was a partition which separated the driver and passenger seats from the rest of the RV. Inside, they had stocked the camper with enough food and water to last three weeks. They weren’t sure they would be in the camper for that length of time but had to take every precaution. They couldn’t risk being seen. They had to be very careful about the noise level as it had to appear as if the RV was unoccupied, and they had to be cautious of their movements. If they rocked the camper, it could give away their hiding spot.