the place was a veritable fortress.
A truck rumbled along the street out front, slowing to a
stop.
Reggie ran toward it, calling back over her shoulder, “Come
on.”
Tucked in the shadow cast by the morning sun, Reggie and
Bert skimmed along the sheet metal siding to the front where a delivery truck
stood. The driver honked three times and waited.
When the giant doors rolled open, a man stepped out to speak
to the driver.
“Be ready. We’re going in,” Reggie said, never taking her
gaze from the truck.
“What? Are you crazy?” Bert whispered. “We don’t know how
many people are inside.”
“A chance we’ll have to take.” Especially if her sister was
inside. “I tell you what, you stay out here and keep your eyes peeled for
trouble.”
“I can’t let you go in by yourself.”
“Better just one person than two. That way, if I get in
trouble, you can go for help. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, call Tanner.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Tough. I’m going.” The truck’s engine rumbled and it rolled
past the building and then backed in. Reggie crept up to the passenger side and
crouched low, walking inside with the truck until she passed the doorway, at
which time, she ducked behind a stand of crates on pallets.
Her heart hammered against her rib cage as her eyes adjusted
to the darker interior of the warehouse. As soon as the truck cleared the
entrance, the giant doors closed.
Good. She was inside, and the alarm hadn’t gone up. Male
voices echoed in the cavernous interior. Reggie peeked around the corner of the
crate.
Eight men stood around the newly arrived delivery truck, all
looking like one or the other of Cesar’s thugs—tattooed, earring-wearing
muscular guys in black. Great. Her nightmare from last night. Only this time
there would be no vampire to rescue her. He was safely tucked in his apartment
until sunset. Definitely a limitation in her book. Not that she wanted him to
save her.
While the men focused on the truck, Reggie moved away from
the door and farther back into the warehouse half the size of a football field.
Stacks of wooden crates rose to ten feet high, creating a maze for Reggie to
work her way through one row at a time. Until she came to a solid block of
containers thirty feet wide and thirty feet long. Reggie edged her way around
the periphery until she found an entry into the stack.
Voices carried to her, sounding closer than before, and she
could hear footsteps moving her direction.
Before she could think, she ducked into the wall of crates,
finding a neat row of more wooden boxes. Only these weren’t stacked. Fourteen
of the coffin-sized containers lined the walls, each with the tops off and
white blankets covering the contents.
“Are they ready for shipment?” a male voice asked. “The boss
doesn’t want any more screwups.”
“They’re ready.” Reggie recognized Cesar’s voice from last
night. Damn she was right in the middle of something.
She ducked behind one of the crates in the shadows of the
far corner and held her breath. If they caught her, it would be up to Bert to
get word back to the PIA. By then, it might be too late.
The footsteps halted in her little room and paused in front
of one of the boxes.
“When do you want us to seal the containers?” Cesar asked.
“Not until the last minute. Each box is ventilated, but we
don’t want to risk keeping them confined for too long. Our customers want them
fresh not suffocated.”
What were they talking about? Reggie tried to read between
the lines. Were they discussing fresh foods or the missing women? Anger boiled
inside her. How could these animals play with lives the way they did? But she
knew how psychopaths worked. They had no remorse.
“Are they drugged?” Cesar said.
“Sort of. The boss put them in some kind of trance. They’re
asleep until he wakes them.”
“Must be nice to be a vamp. Wish I could use that trick on
my old lady.” Cesar laughed.
The other man remained
A truck rumbled along the street out front, slowing to a
stop.
Reggie ran toward it, calling back over her shoulder, “Come
on.”
Tucked in the shadow cast by the morning sun, Reggie and
Bert skimmed along the sheet metal siding to the front where a delivery truck
stood. The driver honked three times and waited.
When the giant doors rolled open, a man stepped out to speak
to the driver.
“Be ready. We’re going in,” Reggie said, never taking her
gaze from the truck.
“What? Are you crazy?” Bert whispered. “We don’t know how
many people are inside.”
“A chance we’ll have to take.” Especially if her sister was
inside. “I tell you what, you stay out here and keep your eyes peeled for
trouble.”
“I can’t let you go in by yourself.”
“Better just one person than two. That way, if I get in
trouble, you can go for help. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, call Tanner.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Tough. I’m going.” The truck’s engine rumbled and it rolled
past the building and then backed in. Reggie crept up to the passenger side and
crouched low, walking inside with the truck until she passed the doorway, at
which time, she ducked behind a stand of crates on pallets.
Her heart hammered against her rib cage as her eyes adjusted
to the darker interior of the warehouse. As soon as the truck cleared the
entrance, the giant doors closed.
Good. She was inside, and the alarm hadn’t gone up. Male
voices echoed in the cavernous interior. Reggie peeked around the corner of the
crate.
Eight men stood around the newly arrived delivery truck, all
looking like one or the other of Cesar’s thugs—tattooed, earring-wearing
muscular guys in black. Great. Her nightmare from last night. Only this time
there would be no vampire to rescue her. He was safely tucked in his apartment
until sunset. Definitely a limitation in her book. Not that she wanted him to
save her.
While the men focused on the truck, Reggie moved away from
the door and farther back into the warehouse half the size of a football field.
Stacks of wooden crates rose to ten feet high, creating a maze for Reggie to
work her way through one row at a time. Until she came to a solid block of
containers thirty feet wide and thirty feet long. Reggie edged her way around
the periphery until she found an entry into the stack.
Voices carried to her, sounding closer than before, and she
could hear footsteps moving her direction.
Before she could think, she ducked into the wall of crates,
finding a neat row of more wooden boxes. Only these weren’t stacked. Fourteen
of the coffin-sized containers lined the walls, each with the tops off and
white blankets covering the contents.
“Are they ready for shipment?” a male voice asked. “The boss
doesn’t want any more screwups.”
“They’re ready.” Reggie recognized Cesar’s voice from last
night. Damn she was right in the middle of something.
She ducked behind one of the crates in the shadows of the
far corner and held her breath. If they caught her, it would be up to Bert to
get word back to the PIA. By then, it might be too late.
The footsteps halted in her little room and paused in front
of one of the boxes.
“When do you want us to seal the containers?” Cesar asked.
“Not until the last minute. Each box is ventilated, but we
don’t want to risk keeping them confined for too long. Our customers want them
fresh not suffocated.”
What were they talking about? Reggie tried to read between
the lines. Were they discussing fresh foods or the missing women? Anger boiled
inside her. How could these animals play with lives the way they did? But she
knew how psychopaths worked. They had no remorse.
“Are they drugged?” Cesar said.
“Sort of. The boss put them in some kind of trance. They’re
asleep until he wakes them.”
“Must be nice to be a vamp. Wish I could use that trick on
my old lady.” Cesar laughed.
The other man remained
Similar Books
