“Clint, Fletcher, Bastien, Augustine, and eventually Cole and his men will search the warehouse for the container.” I reach for Fletcher’s hand and give him a small squeeze, “Please text Cole the location of the warehouse so he and his men know where to go when they finish up at the port.” Again, letting my eyes scan the group of my men, soldiers, and new friends, I reiterate, “Take out as many fuckers in your way as you can, and secure and protect the container. Once that’s done, I’ll text Ahmya so she, Ren, and Jiro can head that way and leak their narrative to the press and police. In the meantime, Holder and I will be hunting our prey and getting back our Winnie.”
With plans in place, Holder sends Augustine and Bastien to boost us two inconspicuous vehicles. The guys all pile into one, and Holder, Dante, and I take the other. Onto the old Warehouse District or bust.
__________
Leaving Dante to drive, the other white paneled van falls in line behind us. We park a block away, and we walk towards the warehouse. I slide Dante a CD before we exit our unmarked black van. He looks at me with curious eyes, and an eyebrow arched in question.
“Once you get into the warehouse, take a look around, and if you are able to find your father’s office, do be a dear and pop in this CD into the loudspeaker system. It’s set on a delayed timer. I’d really love it playing through the whole building when we finally get to Dick.” I give him my best innocent face and bat my eyelashes.
“Whatever you say, Princesa, today, you’re the crazy boss.” Dante pockets the CD and exits out the driver’s side door.
We all slink into the shadows as best we can. The streets are deserted; luckily, I guess most gangbangers, drug dealers, and prostitutes don’t come out ‘til night. Hopefully, Dante is correct, and this will work to our advantage on this covert operation.
When we approach the warehouse with the dueling giant pistols on the side, Dante gives us the signal to stay back as he proceeds forward, pulling a small handgun from his shoulder holster and screwing in a silencer. I glance over at a rundown parking lot across the street with some very fancy-ass cars parking in it. The only security being a barbed wire chain link fence, and an old school padlock. I’m guessing the Asesinos are well known enough that people know not to fuck with their toys. Good thing I don’t give two shits about their gang’s ‘scary’ reputations. There’s only room for one devil in this playground, and it ain’t Dante Sr., and it ain’t Richard. Today--- today is my bitch.
“Auggie. Bastien.” I whisper as they move on silent feet to get closer to me. I jerk my head in the direction of the parking lot. “Do your worst and pick off any stragglers that come out to check on their cars. When it’s all clear, meet the guys inside with the container.”
Bastien gives me a salute and a wink and takes off to cut off the padlock of the makeshift parking lot gate. Augustine pauses a minute behind him, rubbing his hands together like a villain from a cartoon movie, ready to slide under the cars and set up explosives.
We wait outside another 10 minutes before Dante skulks back out his shirt splattered with blood.
“There are ten guys guarding the shipping container. It’s on the backside of the building where the 18-wheeler loading dock is. Walk in the side entrance and it’s straight back on the right. Big green shipping container, you can’t miss it.”
Out the corner of my eye I see Fletcher furiously texting Cole the details of the container location. Cole, and a handful of his men, have taken care of a few loose ends around the port and are heading our way now as soon as a cleanup team arrives at their location.
“Where did the blood come from?”
“Aww, you do care…” Dante says with fake enthusiasm causing Holder to chuckle. “There were eleven guys; I got the one standing guard at the side entrance door. De nada. It’s nothing. You’re welcome.”
“Where’s Dante Sr., Richard, and Winnie?”
“My father was in his office. He’s still there. Alive… For now, but tied in his chair and gagged. I can deal with my father later. Per your request, the CD is now ready to go and plugged into the PA loudspeaker. What is on that CD, anyway?”
“Just my favorite song of the moment. Hoping it will get me in the mood when I need it to.” I say with a sly smile.
“But where are my dad and sister?”
“I didn’t see them. I can only assume they are upstairs in one of the overhanging office spaces. Just follow the yellow stairs up to the balcony bridge. Crossing that will lead you to the upstairs office spaces.”
“Sounds about right, I can see my father wanting to lord over his sex trafficking operation from above, like he’s a god looking at all his worker bees doing as he instructs.” Hold spits in disgust.
“Yeah, your dad needs an ego check,” Clint agrees.
“Between Richard’s god complex, and Dante Sr.’s giant dueling pistols on the side of the building. It begs the question- Do they have cock envy?” We all turn to gawk at Fletcher as he wiggles his pinky fingers at us. I put my hand over my mouth to cover my snicker as Clint smacks him on the back of the head again.
“Alright, let’s do this shit… and remember- I love the fuck out of each of you. Be safe....”
Chapter Nineteen: Holder
Clint, and Fletcher head to the side of the building, guns at the ready, and wait by the door as the first explosion goes off in the parking lot across the street.
Blue, Dante, and I take that as our cue to go through the back door that Dante first went in through. I look to my left and see a bright yellow industrial staircase. Blue slips on her studded brass knuckles, and I take the lead, with Blue behind Dante and me watching our backs.
Creeping up the stairs, we quietly approach the bridge walkway and over to the other side of the platform where the upstairs offices are. The sound of the pop-pop-pop of gunfire behind and below us can be heard even up here in the warehouse, and I know Blue is probably thinking of what the other guys are going through, but we need to finish this with my dad before we check on them.
I hazard a quick look back at Blue, and I can tell she still has the focused fire in her gold speckled green eyes. She knows her guys can handle this shit on their own.
Approaching the first small office on our left, I turn the handle, and sweep my gun to the left while Blue goes right. The office is clear of people. Just some leftover old construction materials, and file boxes. I see Ayida reach into the pile of boards and pull out a 2x4, studded with nails, tossing it up and down and twirling it in her palm before apparently deciding she likes the feel of it in her hand. She takes the board with us, and we back into the hallway again towards the big glass front office overlooking the bullpen below. Sure, as shit, this has to be the office my father and Winnie are in.
As I go to turn the handle on the door, Blue’s playlisted song starts over the loudspeakers. ‘Kill Of The Night’... That’s my weird, ironic, and sexy as hell girl right there. She gives me a smirk and a nod, and I open the door.
Richard has his back to us, but as he turns, he pulls an office chair around, revealing Winnie, gagged and tied to it with his gun pointing at her temple.
I’m a sharpshooter, but even I don’t trust my hand with Richard’s finger on the trigger already with the safety off. I keep my face expressionless and blank. I learned that trick early on through my dad’s abuse. He gets off on my pain and tears.