“WWYDF”—Zero9:36
Ihated leaving Laila behind, but we needed to deal with this for several reasons. Besides rescuing the woman Laila had found, we had been trying to shut down this trafficking ring for what seemed like forever. The fact that they had used us in the past and we unknowingly helped the very people we were trying to stop really pissed us off.
Then there was the fact that Rudra Khatri was a sick fuck. As we suspected after we found they hired someone besides us, they were into much more than porn and high-end prostitution. Once he’d learned the breach was a woman, he had planned to do some really demented things to Laila. Besides that, he was a lead man in the trafficking ring. Which was why we needed to take him out, then we’d hunt down his brothers. We had the intel from one of the guys Blade worked over that said Rudra would be on the island because that was where they were supposed to deliver Laila.
There was the possibility that someone else would pick up the reins, but we would ensure there was enough damage to their operation that they would struggle to get that leg of it up and running again, if at all.
We’d arrived in Jacksonville on a late afternoon flight. A prospect and Winchester, the chapter’s SAA, had picked us up, and we dropped our shit off at the clubhouse. We went over the plan with their pres, Creed; their VP, Reaper; Winchester; and their enforcer, Justice. Once we had everything set, we headed out and were waiting for one of their prospects to show up with the boat.
It was dark as we waited in the blackest of shadows over by the trees at the edge of the sand. Dressed in black tactical gear from head to toe, we easily blended in. A soft evening breeze blew, but the peaceful serenity of the night was deceiving. It was almost enough to fool someone into thinking there weren’t nefarious activities underway.
“There he is,” Justice said as a boat approached. We cautiously left the darkest shadows and crossed to the dock. One by one, we slipped on the deck and dispersed to seats.
“Damn. This is one helluva nice boat. How much did it run you?” I asked, impressed.
Winchester grinned. “Someone owed us money.”
Justice snorted a laugh, and we headed out to sea.
“We’ll travel across the water in blackout and cut the main engines when we get close,” Winchester said.
“Angel, you’ll remain on the boat when we go in,” Hawk clarified. As the senior member, he was in charge of this mission. Angel nodded, knowing that his safety was imperative in case there were injuries during the extraction.
We went over every detail of the plan one last time with the Jacksonville brothers as we crossed the dark water. Wind whipped at our dark clothing, and sea spray hit us on particularly rough patches.
Finally, we could see distant lights. Justice pointed. “Like I told you at the clubhouse, we’ll go in on the south side of the island. That side doesn’t actually have access. Our surveillance that Fingers pulled shows the idiots leave it mostly unguarded. It’s rocky, but there is a spot we can get close enough for us to take the rubber raiding craft in. Then we climb.”
We went covert as Winchester had said we would and moved in. We all checked our weapons one last time and screwed suppressors on them. When we were as close as we could get, we dropped anchor and lowered the inflatable raiding craft into the water.
“You have one hour—no more. That’s how often they switch out the guard on the south side. Once that happens, the jig is up and all hell might break loose. You need to be back here with the girl before that time.” Justice gave me a somber stare. He knew as well as I did that it wouldn’t be easy.
“Got it,” Hawk said, then we climbed from the deck to the smaller boat. Those going ashore were me, Hawk, Phoenix, and Winchester.
It wasn’t long before we were trolling through the rocky coastline. When we literally bumped up against what appeared to be a thirty-foot cliff, I took a fortifying breath.
This is gonna be fun.
“Jesus, it didn’t look that tall in the pictures,” Phoenix muttered quietly.
Winchester whispered, “You scared?”
“Everyone shut up. It’s doable. Let’s move,” Hawk softly said, leaving no room for argument. Winchester would stay with the boat and keep watch from there; it would only be the three of us who went in.
Weapon slung over my back, I’d already hooked my gloved hands on the rocks and begun to climb. At least it wasn’t as straight up as it looked. By the time I crested the top, my brothers were hot on my heels. There was no sign of the supposed guard as I pulled my body onto the ground.
Using hand signals, we spread out to check the patrol area that Fingers had marked on the aerial view of the island.
Other than the wind blowing through the palm trees, there wasn’t a sound. Confused, I looked to Hawk for guidance. That’s when I caught the movement. Dude had his back to us and was pissing in the shadows. Ensuring Winchester was still down with the boat, Phoenix looked to me and gave me a nod.
Because I knew the Jacksonville brothers were watching through a range finder, I moved into the shadows and vanished. Like the ghost I was, I closed in on the guy shaking his dick off and putting it back in his pants.
Before he knew what was happening, he had a pistol upside the head and I had his comms. Hawk and Phoenix joined me, and I went visible again. After securing the asshole’s hands and feet, then gagging him, I used the device Facet sent with us. Hawk opened the guy’s eye, and I did a retinal scan and waited for the results from Facet.
When it came back that he was a registered sex offender of children under the age of twelve, Hawk’s eyes went dull, and he snapped the guy’s neck. We quickly dragged him off into the trees and grabbed palm fronds to toss over him. We removed his restraints, and if we were able, he’d go over the edge on our way out.
In a few short minutes, the house was in view. Disgusting in its opulence, bright lights shining from the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors made it appear to glow in the dark night.
Our problem was we had no idea exactly where the girl was being held, and it was a huge house. There were several guards on the balconies that came off the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that were slid open to enjoy the ocean breeze, but they didn’t seem concerned with safety. After all, they were on a private island miles off the coast of Florida, and they believed they could see the only way to enter the island.