Page 27 of Cowboy
"The boss won't be happy if she's injured. Get her up."
Rough hands grab me, hauling me to my feet. My head throbs, and I struggle to focus. As they push me toward the container, I catch a glimpse of a tattooed arm. Something about it seems familiar, but before I can place it, I'm shoved into the darkness of the container.
The door slams shut behind me, plunging us into near-total darkness. The air is thick with fear and the sound of muffled sobs. I blink, trying to adjust my eyes to the gloom. Slowly, shapes begin to form, huddled figures pressed against the walls of the container.
I feel my way along the wall until I find a corner, then slide down to sit. My head is still spinning from the blow, but I force myself to think. I need to find a way out of here, not just for myself, but for all these women and children.
Suddenly, the container lurches. We're moving. Panic rises in my throat, threatening to choke me. This is it. We're being shipped out to God knows where.
As the container rumbles along, I close my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart. I think of Ciarán, of the kiss we shared. Of the look in his eyes when he promised to keep me safe. I failed him by getting caught, but I refuse to give up now.
I may be trapped, injured, and terrified, but I'm not beaten. Not yet. Somehow, I'll find a way out of this. For myself and for these other victims. I have to believe that.
The container jolts again, and I hear the little girl's frightened whimper. Carefully, I make my way toward the sound.
"Hey," I whisper softly. "It's okay. I'm here. What's your name?"
A small voice answers, trembling with fear. "S-Saoirse. I'm five."
My heart clenches. Five years old and already caught up in this nightmare. "Hi, Saoirse," I say, trying to keep my voice calm and soothing. "I'm Caoimhe. I'm going to look after you, okay?"
I feel a small hand reach out and grasp mine in the darkness. "I want my mammy," Saoirse whimpers.
"I know, sweetheart," I whisper, fighting back tears. "We're going to get you back to her. I promise."
As I hold Saoirse's hand, my mind races. I need to find a way out of here, but how?
The truck continues to drive further away from where we were being held, and I know that with each passing mile we go, the less chance there is of escaping.
Saoirse climbs into my lap and buries her head into my chest and weeps against me. I close my arms around her and hold her tight. I wish I could offer her assurances but I can’t. I have no idea what’s going to happen to any of us.
I just hope that one day, somehow, we’ll escape.
9
COWBOY
I pace the floor of Travis’ apartment, my mind racing. It's been three days since we last heard anything about Caoimhe's whereabouts. The bastards who took her have been jerking us around. The phone calls I’ve received have been distorted voices that have pushed the date and time back each and every time. I’m at my wit’s end and ready to tear the fucking city apart to find Caoimhe.
The fake USB drive is ready, but we still have no solid lead on where she's being held. I’m about ready to lose my fucking mind. The longer they have her, the more danger she’s in. I can’t keep sitting here, twiddling my thumbs while we wait for information.
"Anything?" I ask Travis for what feels like the hundredth time.
He shakes his head, frustration clear in his eyes. "Nothing concrete yet. Melissa's still working on tracing that video call, but whoever these people are, they're good at covering their tracks."
Jer, who's been quietly observing from the corner, speaks up. "We might need to consider other options. My boys have been asking around, and there are whispers of increased activity at the docks. Could be related to our situation."
I turn to him, hope flaring in my chest. "What kind of activity?"
"Unusual shipments, extra security. The kind of thing you'd expect if someone was moving valuable... cargo," Jer says, his voice grim.
The implication hits me like a punch to the gut. "You think they're planning to traffic her?"
Travis nods slowly. "It fits their M.O. If they can't get the information from her, they'll try to profit from her in other ways."
Rage boils up inside me at the thought of Caoimhe being sold like property. "We can't let that happen," I growl.
"We won't," Travis assures me. "But we need to move fast. Jer, can your boys get us more information about these shipments?"
