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  Lucas rushed over and took the phone. "Did you find anything?" A pause. "Dammit." Scarlett's hopes were dashed with that one word. They hadn't found Emery.

  "Have you heard from the other team?" Lucas asked. Scarlett waited patiently for him to finish, hoping he would have some news, some new lead for them to follow. Lucas shook his head.

  "Ok, call me when you hear from them. We're headed back to the office." Lucas stepped away to fill Sully in on what they'd found. Sirens sounded in the distance, and Scarlett knew the police were on their way.

  Lucas ended the call and made his way over to her. "Have a seat in the van. We've already called the scene in, so we don't have to stay long. But we need to turn the scene over to the authorities first."

  "What about Em's clothes?" Scarlett asked.

  "We'll take them with us. Run some tests. See what our forensic guys can find."

  Scarlett hoisted herself into the van, taking a jacket from Lucas's hands and wrapping it around herself.

  Scarlett waited in the van with Lucas, while Gabriel and Ethan turned over the scene. His cell phone buzzed, and he lifted it to his ear. Scarlett sat forward, hoping to hear something.

  "Yeah?" Lucas started. He held her gaze as he listened to the voice on the line. Finally, he shook his head. "Ok, Zach. Thanks for letting me know."

  Scarlett lowered her gaze, trying to keep her tears at bay. Lucas's hands took hers, drawing them up to his lips.

  "I'm sorry," he whispered.

  "Me, too," she said. "Me, too."

  * * * *

  The man watched from a distance as Lucas put Scarlett into the van—holding her, kissing her forehead.

  He smiled.

  This was going to be more fun than he’d originally thought. He'd taken someone from Lucas before, and it looked as if he'd get the privilege of taking someone from him again.

  Sal was an idiot for ratting him out. A mistake he'd paid for with his life. But at least he now knew that Lucas was emotionally involved with the girl and not just helping out of the goodness of his heart.

  Castle Investigations had been a pain in his ass for the last few years. He needed to hit them where it hurt. His lips curled into an evil grin. He'd wait in the shadows to see their next move. He wouldn't leave this to his men anymore. It was obvious they'd just screw it up. If you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.

  Damon walked over to his car, hidden in the abandoned parking lot next door. He waited until the police had left, and watched as the van pulled away. After waiting a few seconds, he pulled out behind them.

  Lucas would pay for his interference. And Scarlett would be the price.

  Chapter 15

  Lucas went over the details with the police and FBI agents who arrived at the hotel. After handing the case over to them, he got in the van and scooped Scarlett up in his arms. She was quiet and pale. He was worried that the stress and the things she had seen were too much for her.

  Lucas cursed under his breath as tremors wracked Scarlett's body. He was angry that they seemed to be right behind Damon's latest move.

  His mind searched for their next step. What would they do next? He wondered if Zach had intercepted any other calls. If only he had a person on the inside—an informant. Maryanne came to mind, and he remembered her words before she’d died—she’s at church. But what did it mean?

  He took out his phone and dialed Zach.

  "Zach here."

  "Check out the area for anything fishy relating to a church. Something on Church Street. Abandoned buildings. Businesses with the name ‘Church’ in them."

  "O—kay," Zach replied, drawing out the word.

  "Before Maryanne died, she said something about a church or somewhere called Church. Let me know what you find." He clicked off, and Scarlett sat up, staring at him.

  "What was that about?" she asked.

  "I just want to make sure we're checking all leads. It may be a dead end, but if anyone can find anything, it's Zach."

  Scarlett nodded and curled back up in his arms.

  The drive back to the warehouse took way longer than it should have. Over an hour to go five or six miles in D.C. traffic. That's what happened when you tried to get anywhere around five o'clock.

  Just as the van was pulling onto their street, Lucas’s phone rang.

  "What did you find?"

  "There's an abandoned church near the outskirts of town. Close to the wharf. I traced it back to the owners, but it was some bogus company. I haven't had time to check out who actually owns it yet since I wanted to get the info into your hands ASAP," Zach said.

  Lucas glanced over at Scarlett. She looked as if she were ready to pass out.

  "Ok, we'll drop Scarlett off and head over there."

  "No way, Falco," Scarlett interrupted. He placed his hand over the phone.

  "You're dead on your feet. You need to go rest."

  "Not happening. Not if my sister may be at this place. I'm going." She was so freaking stubborn.

  Lucas sighed into the phone. "What's the address?"

  Zach rattled off the address.

  "Let me know what else you find out. We're going now to check it out. Send a couple of other guys over as well. We may need more hands on this one."

  "On it," Zach said, and the line went dead.

  Lucas gave Ethan the address and then turned to face Scarlett.

  "Are you going to tell me what he said?" Scarlett asked a little testily.

  Lucas gave her a pointed look. "Zach found an abandoned church. It may not be anything, but it looks funny because the owner is some bogus company. He's following the trail now to see if he can figure out who owns it."

  "Ok, I'll try not to get my hopes up." Scarlett leaned back against him, resting once again. He pulled her closer, smelling her hair. He wished that she'd stay behind, so he’d know she was safe.

  "You're going to have to stay in the van, ok?"

  "But—" she started.

  "No buts. Scarlett, I can't go in there and do my job if I'm worried about your safety the whole time. And you don't need to see this mess any more than you have to. Let me protect you."

  "Fine. I'll stay in the van." She crossed her arms over her chest, and her bottom lip jutted out just a bit.

  "Are you pouting?" Lucas asked with a grin.

  "No," Scarlett answered, like a petulant child.

  He turned her to face him. "You are pouting." He kissed her pouty bottom lip, then her cheeks, and then her forehead. "I need to know you're safe."

  She rested against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Ok."

  * * * *

  It took longer than it should have to arrive at the church. It was a rundown old building with gray stones and a red roof that had clearly seen better days. The red paint on the front door was peeling, and a barbed wire fence surrounded the place. It looked as if a gate had once been there, but had since been torn down.

  Gabriel turned to Lucas. "You ready?"

  Lucas nodded and squeezed Scarlett's shoulders. "Stay in the car, ok? Under no circumstances are you to get out. I have an uneasy feeling about this."

  Scarlett's eyes widened. "Wait. Then maybe you should wait for backup or something." She tugged at his arm as he tried to extricate himself from the van.

  "We'll be fine. I promise. Now stay put." Scarlett's chin came up defiantly, and Lucas knew that he'd said the wrong thing and that she was about to argue with him.

  "Please. I'll be safer knowing you're safe."

  Scarlett's gaze softened, and she nodded. "Be careful."

  Lucas leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, shutting the van door in the process. He heard the locks click into place, and he sighed with relief, watching as Scarlett climbed to the front of the car and sat in the driver's seat.

  The guys jumped out, readying their HK MP5 compact assault rifle. Something felt off about this place. Tension hung in the air, and the hair on the back of Lucas's neck stood at attention. He pushed through
the creepy vibes, and the guys made their way to the back of the church. Steps led down to a basement, and Lucas signaled for the guys to move in.

  Ethan opened the door and stood back, allowing Gabriel and Lucas to move past him. Lucas hoped that Zach's backup would arrive soon.

  As he pushed through the door, he saw classrooms lining each side of the hallway. Quietly, he made his way down the corridor. Each room contained several cots, all lined with stained sheets. Ropes were tied to the frames. Needles and drug paraphernalia littered the floor. Lucas knew that girls had been kept here, but it appeared that no one was left.

  As he approached the end of the hallway, he saw a set of stairs leading up. He paused, listening, and heard the muffled sounds of voices from above. Motioning to the guys, he pointed upstairs, and they quietly made their ascent.

  The stairway let out into a small chapel area, and large columns lined the sides of the church. The paint was peeling and faded. Years of paint colors bled through, giving it a graffiti-type vibe. At the front of the church, the huge stained glass window was broken in places but still allowed fading light to fill the room. A large platform and ornate lectern were placed underneath the window.

  Several men were standing around, all of whom looked to be of Middle Eastern descent, and several women dressed in lingerie stood on sharp stiletto heels next to them. The women appeared drunk or drugged, swaying as they stood, holding on to the men for support. There were only three or four left, and each had a number attached to her hip. Lucas assumed they'd just had an auction. He prayed that they weren't too late to get to Emery. If they'd sold her, they would never be able to track her down, and she'd be lost to them forever.

  Lucas strained to hear their language. He glanced at Gabriel, the team's language specialist, and lifted his eyebrows in question. Gabriel paused a moment, listening, and whispered, "Albanian." Lucas nodded his agreement, and they spread out to take up positions by the door.

  As Lucas passed by the front door, one of the men standing near the stage looked up. Their eyes met. "Hey!" he shouted. And Lucas dove behind the worn pews as a spray of bullets splintered the wood around him.

  Lucas looked around, locating Gabriel and Ethan, who had taken up positions on each side of the church. Another spray of bullets had him on his knees, crawling to one of the columns on the side. Carefully getting to his feet behind the column, he took aim and fired, careful not to hit the women in the mix.

  Three men started towards the door, towards the foyer of the church, with a brunette in skimpy lingerie. Lucas caught Gabriel's eye and motioned towards the group. Gabriel covered him as Lucas made for the girl.

  "Stop! Or I'll shoot," Lucas yelled, pointing his gun towards the men, hoping they'd leave the girl and make a run for it. No such luck. One of the men fired a gun, and Lucas ducked behind the column.

  "Let her go, and I'll leave you alone," he called out. He peered around the column and saw that they'd made their way into the vestibule. He had no choice but to follow. That might be Emery they had with them.

  He quietly pushed open the door as a gunshot rang out. A sharp, blinding pain started in his shoulder. Lucas reared back, grabbing at his arm, and watched as blood spread out between his fingers. He’d been hit.

  He dropped back, unable to follow with no cover, taking refuge behind the column once again. Ethan appeared beside him. And Lucas noticed the shooting had stopped.

  "Man, you're hit."

  "Yeah, I think it went straight through," Lucas replied. He ripped his t-shirt off, leaving himself in his tank-style undershirt. He gave it to Ethan, who tied it around his shoulder to slow the bleeding.

  Gabriel appeared on the other side. "The other guys just arrived." Two men dressed in combat gear stood behind them. They must have come in the same way, through the basement.

  "That girl—she could have been Emery. I couldn't see her face. Did you get a look?"

  "No," Gabriel said. "Her hair was in the way the whole time. Where'd they go?"

  "Out the front. Let's go."

  The guys made their way to the door just as a scream pierced the early evening quiet. Scarlett.

  * * * *

  Scarlett waited impatiently in the van. She was watchful of her surroundings, constantly turning and looking. All was quiet, and she prayed that Lucas and the other guys were safe. She pulled out her phone, checking for messages, hoping foolishly that she'd find one from Em saying she'd escaped and was safe.

  No messages.

  Scarlett turned back to her vigilant watch. Gunfire broke out in the church, and Scarlett jumped. Was Lucas in trouble?

  She rolled down the window just a bit as she listened to the automatic weapons echo through the parking lot. The glass in one of the windows of the church shattered, and Scarlett shrieked, ducking down behind the dash of the van. Suddenly, the gunfire ceased. She peeked over the steering wheel and saw three men and a girl run out the front doors of the church. The men were pulling the girl by the arm, her hair hanging limply in front of her face. She was tripping over the high-heeled shoes she wore and seemed unsteady on her feet. The girl turned just a bit, and Scarlett's heart sped up. Emery?

  She watched the doors, hoping to see Lucas and the guys come after them. After a few seconds, she decided that she couldn't allow this opportunity to pass her by. She jumped out of the van and raced towards the men, not taking a moment to think through her plan.

  She ran, waving her arms and calling out.

  "Stop! Wait! Emery! Emery, is that you?"

  The men stopped, turning the girl to face her just feet from a black sedan. One man stood with the door open, while the others looked to be some kind of bodyguards.

  "Let her go!" Scarlett yelled.

  "Well, now, what do we have here? A two-for-one deal?" the man said in heavily accented English. He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. It was the smile of a man who had sick things on his mind.

  "Let her go. She's my sister," Scarlett protested.

  Just then, the girl looked up, her eyes glazed over in a drugged stupor. Confusion marred her face, and she looked as if she were trying to figure out where she was.

  Not Emery.

  Disappointment fell hard and fast over Scarlett, and her heart sank. Her disappointment turned into fear as she noticed the men slowly making their way towards her. She started to back up slowly.

  "Now just come quietly, and we won't hurt you," one of the guys said.

  She just shook her head, backing away, not wanting to turn her back on the men. They picked up their pace, and she turned to run away towards the van, hoping that she could reach it and get it locked before they approached. Just as she turned, two sets of hands seized her arms, almost lifting her off the ground.

  "You've been a hard one to catch, Scarlett," a deadly calm voice said in her ear. She turned, staring into the cold, cruel eyes of Damon Lopez.

  "You son of a bitch! What did you do with my sister?" Scarlett tried to pull away from their grasp, but she wasn't strong enough for the two men.

  The Middle Eastern men holding the other girl approached as well. "We want her. Since you didn't provide a safe place for the auction, we'll take her as compensation."

  "She's spoken for." Damon's voice was deadly quiet.

  "Something can be arranged."

  "She's spoken for by Luftar." The men stopped their approach and nodded. At that, they turned to go, leaving her alone with Damon and his men. Who was Luftar?

  She pulled against their restraining hands, trying to free herself.

  "Stop. It's no use." The other guy let go as Damon pulled her body tightly against him. "I told you I was coming for you."

  "Go to hell!" Scarlett turned in his arms and spat in his face. Damon pushed her away as she stumbled into the other man, his arms grabbing her roughly and holding her motionless against him. Damon wiped the spittle from his face with his sleeve.

  "You stupid bitch," he said. His hand lifted and slapped her hard, her head snapping back. Pa
in radiated from her face.

  "Take her," Damon barked out, and two more men took her arms and dragged her towards a waiting black sedan. She screamed loudly, praying that Lucas and the guys would hear her. One of the men roughly put his hand over her mouth, stifling her scream. She bit down hard, tasting blood. The guy howled, and two other men appeared from out of the car. She was rewarded for her efforts with another slap to her face. She saw stars and fought against the exhaustion trying to claim her.

  Scarlett's mind raced as she thought through how she was going to get away. If she let them take her, she'd never get away. She had to fight now. Biding her time until she got closer to the car, she waited until they loosened their grip just a little to push her inside the car. As they did, she went limp, catching them off guard. Their holds relaxed just enough for Scarlett to rip her arms free. She scrambled across the back seat of the car, kicking her legs out behind her and catching one guy in the nose with her foot. He yelled out and jumped backwards. She reached for the door and was relieved to find it open. Just as she pushed it open and made it to her feet, she ran right into a gun pointed between her eyes. She stopped cold, fear creeping down her spine.

  "Pull another stunt like that, and I'll kill you and your sister," Damon said. He lifted the gun and brought it down on the back of her head. Blinding pain shot through her skull, and then darkness…

  Chapter 16

  Lucas raced out the front doors of the church, seeing the black sedan rush away. He had started towards it, when he noticed another car closer to the van. He saw a man lifting a woman from the ground, settling her inside the car, and getting into the back seat with her. It was Scarlett, and she was unconscious. Two other men were seated in the front seats, and the car took off with shrieking tires.

  Lucas yelled, "Gabriel! Ethan! Let's go!" He rushed towards the van, jumping inside and turning on the ignition. The other guys barely made it as he peeled out of the parking lot in pursuit of the black sedan. They caught up with the car towards the end of the street, and the driver apparently spotted them, as he sped up, taking the turn into traffic on two wheels.