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

They snaked down both sides of the building, heading for the back, where a freighter sat beside the dock.

“In position.” Caiden, who stood in front of him, whispered over the com.

Caiden positioned a microscopic camera at the corner and focused on a tablet held by another SWAT officer.

The camera revealed an open loading door. Two men, carrying a large crate, came out. They walked across a wide gangplank and took the crate topside. Two more men came out, carrying a similar crate, followed by another man, carrying a midsized box.

Okay, at least five men. Good news was that if they were carrying boxes, they couldn’t also be holding guns.

The bad news was that he couldn’t see inside the warehouse to see if there were guards waiting to ambush them.

“In position.”

He started as Pete’s voice came over his com. The other side was ready to go. Waiting on their order.

Caiden stared at the tablet for a moment before replying. “Hold your position.”

They waited for what seemed like ages before the first two men, then the other three, exited the ship and reentered the warehouse.

“Move, move, move!”

The group surged forward, shouts of SWAT and FBI shattering the stillness.

While most of the SWAT officers and all of his team entered the warehouse, Dak and Caiden broke off to board the freighter.

Dak swung left, then right. No one was on deck.

Inside the cabin, a lone figure leaned over the controls.

How had he not heard them?

As they drew closer, Dak heard loud country music emanating from the cabin. Well, okay. That explained a lot.

The man looked up and did a double take, then quickly lifted his hands.

From behind him, several gunshots echoed. Chaos erupted over his com and he clicked it off.

Caiden threw open the cabin door and they both slid inside.

The man hadn’t moved. He stared at them with wide eyes and parted lips.

Dak clicked off the radio. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

A few more gunshots echoed from the warehouse.

What was going on in there? Had the team met with more resistance than they could handle?

He didn’t take his eyes off the man as he addressed Caiden. “Cover me.”

Holstering his gun, he moved in and frisked the man, recovering a small knife, but no other weapons.

He slapped one end of the handcuffs around the man’s wrist, pulled him outside, and handcuffed him to the metal railing surrounding the deck.

Without checking to see if Caiden followed, he turned and hurried back to the warehouse, which had grown ominously silent.

He paused outside the door, then peered inside. Caiden pulled up beside him as he surveyed the interior.

A group of men knelt on the floor, hands behind their heads. Another man, not one of theirs, lay facedown in a pool of blood.

No obvious injuries among the FBI or SWAT officers present.

Thank you, God.

He caught Sid’s eye. “You got this?”

A nod responded. He turned and strode back on board the boat.

The man he’d handcuffed stood in the exact place and position he’d left him.

The man, probably in his fifties, wore a tattered baseball cap and had a pencil thin mustache. He stood several inches shorter than Dak, probably around 5’9” or 5’10”, and had a solid build.

“Look, I didn’t do nothing. I’m just the captain.” The man held out his hands as much as the cuffs would allow him. “Whatever’s goin’ on here, I had nothin’ to do with it. Neither did my crew. We were hired to pick up a load. That’s it.”

The words carried a hint of panic and a ring of authenticity.

Could he believe the captain?

Lord?

He felt a peace in his core. Still needed to get more information, but his instincts said the man was telling the truth.

“Who hired you?”

“HM Imports and Exports. Said they were moving their operation to Mexico ‘cause it was cheaper. I’m paid to captain, not ask lotsa questions.”

Mexico.

If Tio and his crew got into international waters, they’d have zero jurisdiction.

“Did he tell you where in Mexico?”

The man whipped his head from side to side. “Nah, man. Said he had some business to take care of, but he’d meet up with us. We’re supposed to meet him in ‘bout an hour.”

An hour. That’d give them enough time to set a trap.

“Have you ever met this man before?”

“No. I’ve moved a few loads for them, but never met the guy in charge.”

He felt like the captain told the truth.

Besides, if they wanted to catch Tio and his crew, they didn’t have a lot of options.

“I need to see your ID.”

The captain jerked his head toward the cabin. “In there. The cabinet by the steering wheel.”

Dak headed for the cabin. He’d radio in the captain’s identity and have the analysts check out his story.

In the meantime, they needed to head to the rendezvous point.

Only instead of the captain’s crew, the boat would be run by FBI agents.

They were close to catching Tio, Mitch, and the rest of these guys. He could feel it.

As long as the captain didn’t do anything to tip Tio and his men off. If he did, things wouldn’t end well.

₪   ₪   ₪

The wind whipped around her, pulling at the worn and weathered windbreaker she’d donned in an effort to look like she belonged on a cargo ship. The rest of her team, plus the half dozen other agents assisting them, all wore similar attire.

Kevyn pushed back a few strands of hair that had escaped her bun and stared through the binoculars.

A cabin cruiser appeared to be approaching them. It was still too far away for her to see the name, but she was betting the hull said Gypsy’s