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  "What does that have to do with Scarlett?" Lucas asked, his patience wearing thin. It had been over an hour since Scarlett had left on that plane, and every moment she was away from him was taking years off his life.

  "I'm getting to that," Zach said, the exasperation clear in his voice. "One of Luftar's corporations rents a villa down there through one of the most expensive resorts. Luftar is a freak. He likes his girls clean, polished. He deals in high-dollar sex slaves, whereas others aren't quite as picky. He makes them go through medical exams, blood tests, dental exams."

  "He's a thorough bastard," Sully said, his face a hard mask. Lucas knew he was fighting back the anger and disgust, the same as he was.

  "So what's the plan?" Lucas asked. Again, he wasn't quite sure he understood where this was going.

  "I took the liberty of calling The General and briefing him about the situation. He wants us to go down and take out the operation. The whole operation. He's sending a SEAL team to meet us there. A plane will be on the tarmac in fifteen minutes."

  Lucas was amazed at how quickly things could get done when you had friends in high places.

  "Let's go, then," Lucas said.

  "Just a minute, Lucas," Zach said. "You'll be walking into some heavy enemy presence there. This thing goes beyond hired men. Policemen, politicians, local government—Luftar has his hands in quite a few pots."

  Sully met Lucas's gaze and stepped closer to the phone. "Zach, see if you can find any satellite images. I'd like to know if we can get some eyes on what the layout is. Send it to us as soon as you can."

  "On it. The plane is equipped with heavy artillery. Everything you'll need is onboard. A big thank you to Uncle Sam," Zach finished.

  The line went dead, and the men took off for the airfield. Lucas had almost forgotten about the men with guns, when they came within sight of the runway. Fortunately, it looked like only four or five were left.

  They crept down behind the trees. Sully gave a quick nod to Ethan, who took out a scope and the rifle on his back. Handing binoculars to Sully, he set up the gun quickly and got in position.

  The pop of a gun fired, and one of the men fell to the ground. In the next second, another gunshot sounded, and the second man fell. Before they knew what had hit them or could rally any kind of defense, Ethan had taken out four guys.

  "Nice work," Lucas said.

  "Thanks." A cocky grin spread across Ethan's face.

  "Didn't leave any fun for the rest of us," Gabriel said. And Lucas huffed out a short laugh.

  They carefully covered the ground between the airfield and the tree line, the sound of an approaching plane filling their ears. It looked as if Ethan had gotten them all, as the place was deathly quiet.

  Creeping up behind one of the SUVs, Lucas and the guys relaxed against the side, waiting for the plane to land. A ping sounded as the report of a gunshot echoed in the silence. Looking above his head, he saw a bullet hole in the car door, and it was too close for comfort. Jumping to their feet, the guys took a defensive stance, backing up around the car.

  A man behind an oil barrel took aim at Lucas, but Ethan took the shot, and the guy fell to the ground.

  More guns fired, the bullets ricocheting in the dirt by their feet. The shots were coming from the hangar, and Lucas guessed that they'd underestimated the number of men still left.

  "You said you wanted some fun," Ethan called out.

  Gabriel shrugged. "Always like to keep things interesting."

  The plane landed, and Lucas realized they would have to run to the plane without cover. That wasn't going to work. They would be sitting ducks.

  "Sully! How're we getting to that plane?" Lucas called out, returning fire as a bullet hit the ground next to his foot.

  "When I say run, you run!" Sully called back. Lucas saw him take out his phone and say something into it. Just then, the door to the plane opened, and a man in military fatigues stepped out. He had a grenade launcher on his shoulder, and Lucas got the plan. They were close to the hangar right now and would have to hightail it out of there in order to avoid the explosion.

  Sully held up his hand. Lucas counted to three in his head.

  "Run!"

  They raced towards the plane, shots firing behind them, before a huge explosion shook the ground. Ash and debris fell from the sky. Running up the steps to the door, they pushed through, collapsing onto the benches inside the cabin.

  Breathing heavily, Lucas took in the sight of his friends. They were covered in ash and dirt, and Lucas was damn glad he had them on his team.

  The stairs were pulled up by the soldier who'd just saved their lives. Several moments later, they were in the air.

  Lucas was always a little antsy when he wasn't the one flying the plane, but it was probably for the best. They needed some rest if this operation was going to go as planned. And failing wasn't an option.

  He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat, and, in a few short moments, he was out.

  Chapter 26

  Scarlett was put in a small room by herself. She was confused, as all the rooms she passed by were filled with women lying on the bare floor with dirty blankets. There were no shades on the windows, so she had a clear line of sight into each room.

  So why was she alone?

  Scarlett looked around the room, hoping to find something she could use as a weapon, but the furnishings were scarce. A small cot sat on one side, while a small desk and chair sat on the other, with an old-fashioned rotary phone perched on top.

  She knew it was too much to hope for, but she picked up the handset anyway, hoping for a dial tone. There was none. There was, however, a long cord from the handle of the phone to the base.

  She'd have to get up close and personal to use it, but an idea crept into her mind. They'd no doubt come check on her at some point, and when they did, she'd be ready.

  She detached the cord from the phone, wrapping each end around her fingers a couple of times. Then she lay down on the floor.

  She waited for maybe half an hour before she heard footsteps. She moaned loudly, gasping as if she were in pain.

  A man's feet came into view as he nudged her with his boot. A rapid stream of Spanish poured from his lips, but Scarlett just kept moaning. Then she went still. As still as she could make herself, holding her breath.

  The man crouched down beside her, placing his fingers to the side of her neck as if checking for a pulse. Scarlett sat up quickly, head-butting the guy in the nose. Blood spurted out, and he reached up to grab it. Scarlett jumped up behind him, wrapping the cord around his neck. She squeezed as the man tried unsuccessfully to pry the cord from around his throat, his legs kicking out.

  It only took a few moments before the man's legs and body went still.

  Scarlett's hands shook. She'd just killed a man, but she couldn't think about that now. Taking the man's gun from him, she carefully peeked around the door jamb, not seeing anyone.

  She silently made her way down the hall, peering into the rooms as she went. Scared faces filled with agony and terror stared back at her. None of them was Em.

  A door on her right caught Scarlett's attention. It was similar to the room she'd been held in. Trying the door, she saw that it was locked. Looking around her, she found a fire extinguisher and pulled it off the wall. She knew it was going to make some noise, but as they were on the top floor and there didn't seem to be any guards around, she had to take the chance.

  Scarlett raised the fire extinguisher and brought it down on the door handle as hard as she could. The clang of the metal against metal was deafening in the quiet hallway, but she pressed on, hitting it again and again. Finally, the handle gave way, and Scarlett opened the door. Emery sat on a cot, her eyes wide with fright.

  "Scarlett!" She jumped off the bed and ran into Scarlett's arms, tears spilling down her cheeks as she held on tight.

  "It's ok. We have to get out of here. I just made a lot of noise trying to get you out." Scarlett grabbed Emery's ha
nd and pulled her behind her as they ran through the door and out towards the back of the hospital.

  A door that said Escaleras stood at the end of the hallway. Scarlett wasn't sure what escaleras meant, but she prayed there was a stairwell there. They ran for it, pulling the door open and rushing down the staircase, trying to move as quietly as possible, their bare feet not making a sound on the concrete.

  They hit the bottom landing, and Scarlett gently pulled the door open and looked around. It was clear.

  Grasping Em's hand once again, she and her sister stepped into the hallway, walking quickly to the side door that spelled freedom.

  "Stop!" yelled a man behind them, holding a rifle and starting down the hall towards them. Scarlett ran, with Emery right beside her. If she could get them out the door, they could run to safety and call Lucas.

  Just as they reached the side door, a man stepped in front of them. Scarlett's heart sank. So close. They'd been so close to freedom.

  She recognized the man as the one in charge earlier, who'd separated them into ages. His lip curled up in disgust as he peered down at them. Scarlett took Em's hand as she slowly backed away, trying to put some distance between them and the man. Her back bumped up against a strong chest, and she whipped around to find the guard that had been chasing them towering over her. He pushed them towards the guy blocking their path, and into the room where he must have been before he’d stopped them.

  A doctor stood just inside, where several medicine cabinets filled the walls.

  "Dr. Solomon," the man in charge started, "I think these ladies were trying to leave our company."

  Dr. Solomon was the same doctor that had examined her earlier. He hadn't bothered to share his name with her.

  "So I see. The redhead is too feisty for her own good."

  "Why don't we make them both a little more—comfortable?" the man said.

  Scarlett shook her head as Dr. Solomon approached her, a syringe in hand. Scarlett struggled, but the men were too strong. Em cried out, and Scarlett turned her head to see that she was fighting against a new guard's restraining hands. Em reached for her, and Scarlett tried to get away. The needle pricked her arm, and Scarlett felt the burn of whatever drug they'd given her filling her veins.

  The hands released her, and Scarlett's vision swam. She stumbled a bit before righting herself. Arms scooped her up, and her head lolled to the side. She saw Em go limp as the doctor gave her the same drug. Scarlett tried to keep her eyes open. She had to help her sister, but the drug was too powerful, and her world went dark.

  * * * *

  Lucas woke as the plane was descending. The couple of hours of sleep had helped to clear his mind, and he was grateful for the rest. After touching down on the abandoned airstrip The General had secured for them, and briefing the SEAL team, they loaded up two all-terrain vehicles with weapons and ammunition.

  The drive to the hospital was short, and Lucas's nerves were on edge. He desperately wanted to find Scarlett, his mind constantly replaying the moments they'd had together over the last few days. He remembered the smell of her skin. The silkiness of her hair—the red curls he could twist around his finger all night. The taste of her mouth as he kissed her. He'd never felt like this about anyone.

  He'd loved Laura as much as a high school teenager could love someone. He was sure they would have married and had kids by now if life had been different. But that wasn't to be.

  Shaking off the thoughts of his past, he focused on his future. He focused on Scarlett and what he would do once he got her home. He knew that when he found her, he wouldn't be able to let her go again.

  Thick, jungle vegetation, with its green palm leaves and tangled vines, lined the dirt roads. They were miles from the resort scene, and the poverty of the area was more apparent here, where run-down houses littered with trash dotted the highway.

  They stopped the vehicles a couple of blocks from the hospital, going in on foot. Their faces were covered in black paint, and they were armed with enough firepower draped over their bodies to take down a small army. Considering that that might be what they'd be facing, Lucas was glad they were well prepared.

  The hospital was old, two stories high, with arched windows and an old, faded sign above the front door. Lucas peered through the foliage and didn't see any guards standing outside. That didn't mean there weren't plenty inside.

  Splitting up, they took their positions, covering the front and back entrances of the hospital. On Sully's silent command, they filed into the building.

  The inside of the hospital had seen better days. Paint peeled from the walls and ceiling, and the foyer was covered in cobwebs. It didn't appear that this side of the building was heavily used.

  The sound of gunfire drew Lucas's attention to the very real threat they were facing. Double doors blocked their entrance into the rest of the hospital, where Lucas hoped they'd find Scarlett and Emery.

  Slowly, he pushed back the doors as two guards whipped around. Before their fingers could hit their triggers, Lucas fired two shots, hitting both men between the eyes. They dropped to the floor.

  Two more guards came out of rooms on each side of the corridor, and Lucas and Sully fired two shots, killing them both. Gabriel and Ethan brought up the rear, covering their backs as they pressed inside the hospital.

  As Lucas passed by each room, his stomach knotted with nausea at the number of women they found. The rooms were small and dirty, with as many as ten women to a room. They lay on filthy blankets on the floor, and some were drugged while others were alert, but the common trait among them was their eyes, which all told a story of heartbreak and fear.

  Several guards stepped into the hallway, and Lucas and the team split up, taking cover in the rooms on each side of the hall. Peeking around the corner, Lucas fired his weapon, the rapid succession of bullets causing the women inside the room to scream with their hands covering their ears. In short order, Lucas and the others had neutralized their entire section and had met up with the SEAL team.

  "There's a makeshift ER in the back. We found a few medical personnel still hovering about. We've restrained them for questioning," one of the guys from the SEAL team said.

  "Let's clear the upstairs, and then we can talk to the prisoners," Sully said.

  They moved up the steps with stealthy quiet, peering around the open doors to the corridor, which looked like something from a horror flick. A long hallway with a single flickering fluorescent bulb gave off an eerie vibe. The man standing in the middle, with a gun to a woman's head, stopped them short.

  "Take one more step, and I'll kill her," the man said.

  The woman was sobbing, her long blonde hair matted to her face.

  "Let the girl go, and we can talk about this," Lucas said.

  The man holding her hostage was young, maybe in his early twenties. His eyes were wide with fear, and Lucas would bet that he'd never killed a person before. He was gambling on that assumption as he took a step closer.

  The man jerked the girl's head up by her hair, drawing her even closer to his side. His gun was pressed so tightly to her head that Lucas could see the indentation in her skin at her temple. Lucas put his gun down on the ground and walked closer.

  "Look, I'm unarmed. You don't want to kill her, and you don't want to kill me. Put the gun down, and no one gets hurt."

  The kid looked frantically from side to side. Lucas just needed to get the girl away from him so that Ethan could get a clear shot.

  Lucas took another step forward, and the man swung the gun around, firing at Lucas and hitting him in the chest. Lucas went down, the air knocked from his body by the impact of the bullet hitting his Kevlar vest. Just as he hit the ground, he heard another shot being fired and watched as the kid fell to the ground, his sightless eyes staring into his.

  Lucas struggled to get his breath. That was going to hurt like a son of a bitch. The girl was on her hands and knees, sobs wracking her thin, frail body. Lucas lay still while the guys surrounded her, Sully pul
ling her to her feet and wrapping his arm around her.

  It was a few more moments before Lucas could sit upright, and Gabriel's hand reached out to pull him to his feet.

  "Let's find Scarlett," Lucas said, his voice a little rough after taking a bullet to the chest.

  Lucas walked to the girl and showed her a picture of Scarlett and Emery.

  "Have you seen these girls?" Lucas asked. The girl's sobs had quieted to gentle hiccups. The girl nodded her head.

  "Where?" Lucas asked. The girl replied in a language that Lucas didn't understand.

  "Gabriel!" Lucas yelled, motioning for Gabriel to come over and translate.

  The girl repeated the phrase. Gabriel's face darkened.

  "They're not here," he said.

  "What do you mean, they're not here? They have to be here!"

  "She said some men, not the Hispanic ones guarding this place, but other men, came and took them both. She said the redhead tried to escape, and the men were angry. She doesn't know where they took her."

  Lucas cursed under his breath. It seemed like he was always too late. Too late for Scarlett and Emery. Too late for Laura. He shook away the thought.

  "Let's go talk to the medical staff," Lucas said.

  The SEAL team worked to round up the women, calling in for backup and supplies. The women would be safe and returned to their homes, but the first order of business was to get them food and water. It would take some coordinating to get them all out of there.

  Gabriel and Lucas entered the makeshift ER. The room had been sectioned off by curtains, with hospital cots inside each section. In the center of the room sat several men and women in lab coats. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and they sat in a circle on the floor, their backs to one another.

  Lucas walked over to one of the men and stooped down to his level. Showing him a picture of Scarlett and Emery, he asked, "Have you seen these women?"

  The man ignored him, turning his head so that he wasn't looking at Lucas.

  Furious and tired, Lucas punched the guy in the face, hearing his fist connect with bone. It sent him sprawling, and Lucas picked him up by his collar. The man was small in stature and older, with salt and pepper hair, and Lucas almost felt bad for hitting his elder. Almost.