Page 84 of Spies Like Us

Max

To the shipyard.

Dayton

Agents are on your six.

I sit back and wait, knowing this is all about to end.

The truck eventually slows down, and through the side, I hear Ted speak to someone. The truck starts moving again, but slower this time, until it finally stops completely.

“We’re here, thank fuck.” Brock jumps up and rushes toward the door just as it opens.

“Okay, we need to get those moved into this container,” Ted explains when I jump down.

This time, he has a forklift, and we watch as the operator moves it to the truck and lifts out the first vase. Chief Thompson and Father Sweeny stay inside the truck and slide each vase close to the edge so the forklift can pick it up. I look around the shipyard. No one is in sight, and I can’t make out any of our agents either. I hear my phone ring, but I can’t look at it because just at that moment, the forklift driver hits a pothole, which jolts the whole machine. The pot wobbles precariously, and Ted shouts for someone to steady it, but nobody is fast enough.

Just as it tumbles to the ground, the area explodes with shouts of, “Freeze,” “Police,” and “Don’t move.” I watch in horror as the pot crashes to the ground, praying that neither Miller nor Mac is in it. My horror becomes more acute when I look at the mess on the ground, and instead of seeing a comatose body, I see a bunch of white bricks. The agents quickly round up all of the men I’m with as I step forward and pick one of them up.

“Agent Turner?” One of the other MITHOS agents holds out a knife and quickly cuts a hole in the pack. I dig out some white powder, and my stomach sinks. This isn’t a human trafficking ring. This is an everyday drug trafficking operation. We got it all wrong.

Chapter 38

ANDERS

“Mac hasn’t moved, so I don’t know what Max is doing. Do you think it’s a trap?” Lathan asks. Our eyes have been on the tracking program since Max sent us the message telling us he was on the move. The large Asian vases certainly looked big enough for trafficking people in.

“Fuck, he’s not answering!” Ry shouts as he tries to call his brother again. He’s in a panic, worried his brother is going to get hurt or worse, end up dead.

“The auction just finished,” Lathan announces quietly. We all gather around and peer over his shoulder as he flicks between two screens—the one with the video feed, as well as the one with the auction. Each lot has a “closed” graphic over the top, and underneath, it says payment is pending. One by one, we watch as the red letters turn green and change to payment approved.

That’s when things start to happen on the screen. We were worried that they would turn the footage off, but they must be in such a hurry that they didn’t this time. Matthew and Isaac appear, both pushing wheelchairs. I guess it’s the easiest way for them to move the comatose patients. Then, my mouth drops open as five women, all dressed in black, also appear on the screen. Martha moves from cell to cell, removing the catheters from the seven unconscious victims. One by one, Matthew and Isaac lift them into a wheelchair, and they are wheeled down a tunnel we didn’t notice. It’s hidden right at the back of the cells, and none of us went that way.

They take the first five before they return to take the next batch.

“Where do you think that leads to?” Ry asks, biting his lip.

“We’ll know as soon as Mac and Miller get moved.”

Dayton’s phone beeps, and he looks at the message. I hope it’s Max, but I can tell by his face it’s not.

“The private airfield. Our agent following Martha Standish followed them to the private airport. They disappeared into the hangar. There must be an entrance in there, because when he peeked through a window, it was empty again. There is a large private jet waiting on the runway. He snapped photos of the men who are waiting with them.”

Dayton passes me his phone, and I hold it so Ry and Lathan can see too. It shows the darkened airfield with the waiting planes. In front of one of them are Hinata and Amir.

“Well, that tells us how.” I hand Dayton his phone. Ry tries Max again, and this time, he gets through.

“It’s not them!” he shouts at the same time Max shouts something. Ry switches him to speaker.

“Fuck, we were wrong. These were just drugs. A huge haul, but no people,” he rushes out breathlessly.

“We know,” Ry replies. “Get to the private strip on the outskirts of town. We’re leaving now.”

We all jump into motion, Lathan bringing his laptop. We are loaded with gear and ready to take down all those women. Shit, I wasn’t expecting that at all. This is certainly going to be an interesting arrest.

We jump into a blacked-out SUV, which is standard MITHOS issue. It’s bulletproof and reinforced, and I drive like a bat out of hell, hoping we can get there in time.

“They are moving Mac and Miller at gun point,” Lathan announces, still watching the video feed on his computer. Ry swears as I grip the steering wheel tighter.

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