Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), Candle Sutton [dar e dil novel online reading txt] 📗

dock that they’d spread across the table.

Sid pointed to the warehouses he’d been researching. “We’ve got an electronics distributor, a shipping company, and a boat repair shop. All seem legit.”

Not what he wanted to hear.

“Nothing odd on mine, either.” Felicia shook her head. “Just import and export businesses.”

JD, who had only been assigned the one warehouse they knew was connected, leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers across his stomach. “I finally got contact info on the dude who supposedly owns that business. Left a message.”

Yeah, it’d be a small miracle if they got a call back. “Did you turn up anything else on the company?”

“Nothing that helps us. It’s a smaller company. Turned a solid profit last year, but nothing remarkable. Paid taxes. They employ thirty people, one shift.”

“Can we get an employee list?” Maybe someone would be willing to talk.

“If I ever talk to the owner, maybe.” JD lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “It’s the only contact on file. I can head down there and bang on the door, but no guarantee that’ll get me any further.”

“It’s an option to consider.” Dak flipped open the file he’d received from the analysts. “Not much in the way of leads at the end of the dock either. Most businesses are legitimate. On paper, anyway. Two of the warehouses are abandoned. One is in foreclosure, the other is current on taxes. Let’s dig into both of those. See if there’s been any unusual activity there.”

He slid the papers across to Sid and Felicia.

“If there’s anything to find, we’ll find it.” Sid’s face lacked its usual luster.

They all felt the somberness in the air.

“Let’s get on it. Kevyn needs us to find a lead.”

Twenty-One

Tio surveyed the crates of equipment stacked in the warehouse.

It’d been a crazy day, but they’d pulled it off. Everything was packed and ready to be loaded into the cargo container once darkness fell.

Good thing he’d kept an empty cargo container not far from the building. They’d put it to good use tonight.

A lot of the furnishings would be left behind. Not much he could do about that. At least they’d get all the medical equipment and medications out of here. Those were the expensive things to replace.

The five donors he currently had locked away would have to be taken out by boat.

While he could explain the medical equipment to anyone who might see them loading it, explaining people in restraints would be a lot harder.

Then there was that FBI agent.

He couldn’t kill her. Not if he wanted to keep Mitch on his side.

If he killed her, he’d have to kill Mitch, too.

Not out of the question, but he’d rather it not come to that. Mitch was a friend and an asset.

He couldn’t leave her here, not with his plans to torch the warehouse. The risk of Mitch learning he’d burned the warehouse with her inside was too high.

Which left him with a third option. Take her with them.

She was a dangerous liability. Not only because of her position, but because of her training.

She’d fight them at every turn.

Maybe he’d leave her somewhere. Somewhere remote, where she wouldn’t be found for a while. If ever.

But that would be on her head, not his. He’d give her a fair shot at survival, one that wouldn’t jeopardize his freedom.

That was it. He’d move her at the same time he moved the donors.

Maybe leave her tied up on the boat when they abandoned it for the freighter he’d hired to take them to Mexico.

And if she gave him too much trouble, he’d toss her overboard.

₪   ₪   ₪

It was a weird thing, not having any windows. If not for the clock on the microwave, she wouldn’t even know what time it was.

Her hollow stomach told her she’d missed a few meals.

The clock confirmed it’d been four. Almost eight pm. It’d been more than twenty-four hours since she’d been attacked.

Her foot wouldn’t stop throbbing.

Even if she could get away, she wouldn’t be able to run. Heck, she’d be lucky to walk very far.

Not that it would stop her. If she saw an opportunity, she was going to take it.

She might end up with a bullet in the back, but if she didn’t escape, she’d be dead anyway. No way they were letting her walk away from this.

Frankly, she wasn’t sure why they hadn’t already killed her. Unless they were trying to keep her organs viable until the recipient arrived.

A scrape came from the door.

She teetered to her feet, and moved as quickly as her feet would allow her. The element of surprise was all she had going in her favor.

The door opened. She jerked to a stop at the sight of a gun aimed at her head.

Two men entered. Both obviously hired thugs.

One kept his gun trained on her while the other approached.

“Cooperate or we’ll shoot you and leave you here.”

As opposed to being shot and left somewhere else?

Still, better to live a little longer. Maybe she’d find that window of opportunity she’d prayed for.

The man approaching held a zip tie. “Hands out.”

She held them out palms down, fisting her hands to try to make her wrists larger.

The man twisted her hands so her palms faced, then lashed them together with the zip tie. At least he’d left her hands in front of her. If they’d been behind her, her options would be even more limited.

Once her wrists were secured, he went behind her and shoved her shoulder. “Move.”

She stumbled forward as the gunman backed out into the hallway.

Once out of the room, the man behind her took the lead and the gunman waved her on. She fell into step