Denied (17 page)

Twenty-three

Lily, Monster, and
Sean ran to the remaining car. They were each aware of the urgency, knowing the plane could take off at any minute with both Cigarette Hands and the remaining girl inside, and they threw themselves into the vehicle. Monster sat in the passenger seat, with Sean driving, and Lily in the back. She didn’t bother to strap herself in, but instead leaned forward into the space between the two front seats. Monster checked the map on his cell phone.

He pointed at the screen. “This is the only airfield nearby. If we’re right in thinking this is where the traffickers are moving women from, then this is where they’re going to be.”

“What are we waiting for?” said Lily.

Sean shook his head. “We’re not.”

He started the car and thrust his foot down on the accelerator, pulling out with a screech of tires. He maneuvered the car out onto the main road, his foot to the floor enough that the G-force threw her backward.

Monster kept an eye on the GPS on his phone, giving directions to Sean as the other man drove.

Lily wondered if Chapman had found the hospital yet and if he’d left the girls. Her heart ached for them. They’d have a long journey to recovery—more mentally than physically—but at least now they’d be reunited with their families and loved ones. That she’d been a part of making that happen made her feel like she’d achieved something. She’d always found her fulfillment in helping others, though it was normally through her laser therapy work. She’d never imagined her life would take her down this route.

They passed a number of other vehicles as they headed out of town, but no one paid them any attention. Lily leaned forward, willing the car to go faster, while not wanting to get flagged down by the cops.

They left the outskirts of the strange little town that had formed around the Marine Corps base, and drove out into the surrounding, flat countryside.

“According to this, the airfield is called Fairview Landing,” said Monster, twisting back to look at her. Lily resisted the urge to dart forward and kiss him on the cheek. “It should only be another mile or so from here.”

Just as he said the words, a glow rose in the distance, and as the car ate the road, the glow morphed into individual spotlights which lit up the area. Lily spotted a white, flat-roofed building which could only be an aircraft hangar. Beyond it lay an asphalt airstrip, surrounded in fields of maintained lawn.

“Kill the headlights,” Monster told Sean.

The other man did as he was told and the road ahead plunged into darkness.

A separate building was set aside from the airfield—a residential property—and the only one nearby. Lily assumed it was owned by whoever owned and maintained the airfield. Anger rose up inside her. Whoever the people were who owned the house must know at least a little about what was going on. They must be taking a cut somewhere along the line to turn a blind eye to what was happening. She made a mental note to tip off the police if she made it out of this alive. Hopefully, the police would actually do something this time.

Before they reached the airfield, Sean cut out the engine and pulled the car to a halt. Lily understood why; they didn’t want anyone hearing the car and being alerted to their arrival.

They climbed from the vehicle and stood looking out across the airfield.

A number of small aircraft were parked near the hangar, while a larger plane was out on the airstrip. The door of the bigger plane was open, metal steps leading up to the interior. Light shone out from each of the four porthole windows.

Lily’s heart leaped. This must be the plane. They hadn’t left yet. There was still a chance they’d catch Cigarette Hands and rescue the girl. Of course, there was also a chance they’d all be shot trying, but that was a price she was willing to pay. The thought of dying frightened her, but at the moment, so did the thought of living. It wasn’t as though she’d have much of a life when this was all over anyway.

“We move cautiously and quietly,” Monster said, keeping his voice low. “Just like before, the element of surprise is our main advantage. They won’t be expecting us, so we need to act quickly.”

“Of course,” she said.

He touched her arm. “Lily, please let us go first and assess the situation. I’m happy for you to put a bullet in this guy if that’s what you want, but I won’t have you getting shot.”

She stared up at him. “What about you? I don’t want you to get hurt either.”

“I know that, but Sean is trained. I, at least, know how to handle weapons. You’re a laser therapist, not a criminal.”

“I’m tougher than I look.”

He gave her a tight smile that was full of regret. “It was me who made you that way.”

She shook her head. “Not fully. Life before I met you had already taught me it could be cruel. I’m more than just a sum of what you’ve made me, Monster.”

He reached out and brushed her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “Of course.”

“Let’s do this, then, before it’s too late.”

Before she could turn back to the airstrip, he caught her hand. “Flower, wait. I know I’m always doing things wrong, but you need to know that you’re always going to be my priority. You might want to save this girl, but the only thing I’m interested in saving is you. The only reason we’re here now is because of the deal we made.”

“I know that.”

He squeezed her fingers. “So if things start looking bad, I’m going to get you out of there. I don’t want you kicking and screaming about it, I just want you to do what I say, and I know you and doing what I say don’t always get along so well.”

“I’ll behave myself, I promise.”

He leaned in and kissed her quickly, making her heart clench, and then released her hand.

With Sean leading the way, they ran across the airfield, to where the plane sat on the tarmac. Though the lights were on inside, so far there was no sign of anyone else. The engine hadn’t yet been started up, so they had a little time. They weren’t at risk of being run over by a moving plane just yet.

Shapes moved inside, shadows silhouetted against the light. Lily reached out to grab Monster’s arm, getting his attention. “Someone’s on the plane,” she hissed.

She remembered how she’d been kept in the plane on her own journey—on the floor in the back, her hands tied and a bag over her head. Was this the same aircraft, or a different one? Was the girl also tied up the same way? If so, they’d need to take out Cigarette Hands and then go for her. If the plane was able to take off before that happened, they’d lose her. The traffickers would probably throw her out of the plane into the ocean, just so she wouldn’t be able to be traced back to them. Lily imagined the girl’s body washing up on a beach somewhere a month from now, unrecognizable and without identification.

“What do we do?” Lily hissed. “Do we board the plane?”

“At least then we’ll be on an even level,” Monster mused, “but let’s just hold back for a minute and assess the situation. We need to know how many people we’re dealing with.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

Sean stepped in. “We can’t stay out in the open, sir.”

“You’re right. Let’s head for the plane, and get behind the steps. We can decide our next move from there.”

Staying low, they ran as a small group across the asphalt. Lily’s fingers clutched tight around the grip of her gun as she ran, and Monster’s hand placed lightly on the small of her back gave her reassurance. The stretch between the aircraft hangar and the plane felt huge—a never ending expanse of space which left them vulnerable. She thought they would be spotted at any moment, her body tensed for the sound of shouts. The distance closed, now only mere yards from the relative safety of the airplane steps. The aircraft seemed so much bigger now they were closer, and the idea that Cigarette Hands and another abducted woman were inside made nerves roil in her stomach.

Sudden shots blasted out of the night, and instinctively all three of them ducked and threw themselves toward the shelter of the airplane steps. Lily skidded to her knees, grazing her shins and knuckles on the ground, but she kept her grip on the gun.

More gunfire came from the direction of the aircraft hangar, and they were forced to crouch down behind the steps.

“Shit, someone’s shooting at us,” Lily cried, her fingers tightening around the handle of her weapon, wondering if they should be firing back.

“It’s coming from the direction of the hangar,” said Sean. “We’re not going to get anywhere near the inside of the plane while someone’s using us as target practice.”

“Can you get behind the building?” Monster asked Sean. “I’ll cover you. Take the guy out from the rear if you can.”

Sean nodded. “I’m on it.”

Both Monster and Sean got to their feet and stepped out from behind the safety of the steps.

Ducking low, Sean ran out wide, heading toward the back of the hangar. Lily’s heart was in her mouth as Monster fired a number of shots back in the direction the gunfire had come from. The
bang-bang-bang
of the shots made her ears ring, impossibly loud in the early dawn. Further shots returned and she ducked down, reaching for Monster as she did so, but the gunfire wasn’t meant for them.

Quickly, Monster stepped back behind the steps and crouched down with her.

Sean wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Did he make it?” she hissed at Monster.

“Yeah, I think so. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that there aren’t too many more of them than there are of him.”

His cell buzzed and he checked it quickly. “Looks like we’ll have back-up shortly anyway. Mason and Evans are on their way.”

“And they have Cameron with them?” She didn’t know if she should be hopeful or worried. In truth, she was both.

“Yes, as far as I’m aware. Let’s concentrate on ending this first before we have to worry about your ex.”

She opened her mouth to argue that Cameron wasn’t her ex, and closed it again. Monster was right. They needed to deal with their immediate situation and worry about what came next later.

A distant shot sounded, quickly followed by another in quick succession—
bang-bang
! And then everything fell quiet.

Had Sean taken out the shooter, or the shooter taken out Sean?

She shot a worried look at Monster, and he held her gaze, his expression not giving her any more confidence.

A male voice shouted from above. “Who the hell’s out there?”

Lily clung to Monster’s arm. He jerked his chin toward the bottom of the steps, and they shuffled forward together. With the gaps between the treads, they were able to look up and see the open doorway of the airplane.

Cigarette Hands was standing in the entrance of the plane, the girl he’d taken held against his chest, facing outward. Her mouth was taped shut, but she wasn’t blindfolded, and even in the burgeoning light, Lily could see her face streaked with tears and the terror in her eyes. He held a gun to her head, the muzzle pressing hard into her temple.

“Get the hell out of here,” he yelled, “or I’ll shoot the girl. I’m not screwing around. I’ll kill her in a heartbeat.”

Monster slipped from Lily’s grip and rose to step out into the open.

“Monster!” she cried in a strange, strangled hiss after him. “Get back here!”

He walked out with his hands in the air, the gun still held in his fingers but not pointed at Cigarette Hands.

“I don’t care if you shoot the girl,” he called back. “She means nothing to me. I only want to talk, and I wasn’t expecting to be shot at quite so soon.”

Lily leaned forward so she could see what was happening, though her heart was in her mouth and tears of fear filled her eyes. She prayed Sean was covering Monster, or Cigarette Hands could shoot him in a second.

“Talk?” yelled the trafficker. “What would you want to talk about? You just shot one of my men.”

A tiny part of her relaxed. It hadn’t been Sean who’d been shot, so Cigarette Hands must know Monster had other men who most likely had their weapons trained on the trafficker.

“You didn’t leave me much choice,” Monster said. “He fired first, and without asking questions. I wasn’t just going to hang out here and wait to be shot.”

Cigarette Hands’ eyes narrowed and he lifted his chin. “What’s wrong with your face?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I employed you to do a job, but you didn’t come through.”

“What are you talking about? I always deliver what I’m asked to.”

Monster nodded. “I got the delivery, but she wasn’t the quality I’d hoped for.”

Lily listened with her heart in her throat. What the hell was he doing?

“I always assure quality in my girls,” the trafficker replied.

“Not this one. I needed her to do a job,” Monster waved his hand across the side of his face where the birthmark still resided, “and as you can see she wasn’t able to complete it.”

The trafficker’s eyes widened. “I know who you are! You’re the freak who ordered in the woman a few weeks ago—the nurse, or something like that.”