Justice Incarnate (21 page)

"Naturally."

Brian smothered a snicker over Albertson's irritation. "When and where is the funeral?"

"South side." The Judge came to his feet. "My driver's downstairs. We'd better get moving. You'll want your uniform."

The picture of propriety, Brian agreed. Following the Judge into the private elevator he wondered at his stupidity. How had he underestimated the danger of Albertson's calculating tendencies?

Brian dropped regret in favor of noting placement of cameras, security panels and guards along the route out of the building. He wouldn't underestimate the danger again.

* * *

"Where are they taking us?" Maria asked as soon as Jaden reappeared.

Together they moved down the line, rationing a bit of water for each woman. "Hammond Street docks to meet a ferry. After that, I can only guess."

Maria's hand gripped Jaden's arm. "Canada?" she whispered.

"Then the world." Jaden looked around. The percentage of blondes, redheads and brunettes was pretty even. "It has to be a slave order."

"No! That's ridiculous."

"Have you heard anything to the contrary?"

Maria shook her head. "I've heard lots of crying."

"Were you beaten frequently?" Jaden gave her a closer inspection.

Maria shook her head and pointed to her eye. "This happened during the snag. Not knowing what's next is the worst. Though I'm not a big fan of this little number." She touched a stamp on her arm.

Jaden smiled at Maria's snarling. Attitude like this was a good sign from a woman who'd soon be an integral partner in the rescue. Then she frowned over the small tattoo on Maria's upper arm. It may as well have been a UPC code from the 20th century.

"What the–"

"Yeah, that's what I said. I get snatched sneaking a smoke and figured Micky knew I was skimming. No biggie, it'll come out of my tips. But then I'm shoved into a van with a couple other broads and it's lights out. I woke up in a cell with this un-fashion statement and four other chicks who could be my sisters."

"Be happy they're not. Are they here now?"

Maria shook her head. "They disappeared two days ago."

Steeling herself against the bitter taste of failure, Jaden outlined her plan to Maria. Then she tried again to reach Cleveland. Still no service.

With only ten minutes to the docks, she left Maria to explain the plan of attack to the other women and returned to the engine. The guard was coming around, so she subdued him once more and discussed the engineer's options. He seemed like a decent guy caught in the wrong web.

"How'd you land this job?"

"I went for the wrong paycheck."

Bingo! "Tell me how and who. You've got 5 minutes to give me a reason to let you off this hook."

"I'm working my butt off pulling doubles on the el maintenance crew to keep the roof over my wife, baby girl and my sister's heads. This guy comes on site and offers me side work. Like I don't spend enough time away from home. But the gig means enough money so I can drop to only one shift and on-calls."

"Driving this get up."

"You got it." The engineer shook his head. "At first I didn't get it. But when I asked a question, they made it clear. Keep making the runs or they'll add my family to the cargo."

"It is a slave trade."

He nodded. "I've heard guards talk about the underground market just over the Canadian border."

And a demand overseas for beautiful Americans.

"Help these ladies out and you can relocate. Safely. Just give me your family info cards and I'll get them to you, wherever you decide to start over."

"Cute lady, but I ain't stupid."

"Then take the offer. I can get you cash enough to set yourself up. It's your best shot for a clean start." She waited, damned near an eternity, for him to conclude she was his best option. Finally he nodded and dug into his wallet for his dependent ID cards.

"You won't regret this," she assured him. "The women are going to commandeer that ferry once I give the signal. Then you're going to pilot them to safety. Got it?"

"Where is safety?"

Good question. One under heated debate both in the rail cars and her own head. "Lansing," she decided. "Get the ferry into Grand Haven and find a ride into Lansing."

"Me and what truck line? This group'll draw attention."

"He won't find you. If we play this right he won't even know anything's wrong for another day, maybe two."

"You've got a vivid imagination."

"Oh? You going to tell him?"

"Hell, I wouldn't know who to tell." He tipped his head to the man on the floor. "That's where I get my orders." He began to apply the brakes. "He's scary enough."

"But the threats?"

"Came in writing to my house. And on my email."

Jaden didn't have more time to talk. She climbed out to hang on the side of the engine, waited for the train to slow, then jumped. Lord help her if Maria or the engineer lost courage now.

Jaden rolled to her feet and jogged with the train for a few more yards until she found cover in a cluster of containers going to rust on worn-out trailer cars. Her heart thudded in her chest when no ferry awaited them. Had the Judge been notified of intruders and changed the plan? Her dark thoughts turned thunderous as she envisioned Brian turning her in.

Then a soft horn sounded from beyond the lakeshore, soon answered by two answering calls from the engine's whistle.

So far so good.

She studied the ferry's deliberate pace and psyched herself up to interrupt the exchange. Behind her the cargo doors creaked open and the chains held by the prisoners began to jangle with their movements.

Jaden let the first three guards, one for each car she presumed, walk by without incident. They were for the women to handle. The next man out–wasn't. Jaden blinked. This guard was all woman. Over six foot and built like a porn-site feature model, the ebony-skinned beauty headed for the engine with her scanner on her hip.

Jaden left her fate to the engineer and strolled up onto the ferry as if she'd been sent by the Amazon herself.

"You're new," another burly male said in greeting.

"And you're finished," she replied, with a swift kick to his balls. When he doubled over, she was ready with a two fisted drop against the back of his neck, sending him face first into the decking. Blood seeped from his prone form and she left him for the newly freed prisoners to clean up. Jaden swiftly searched the pilothouse, kitchen, upper and lower decks and the engine room before the agreed signal sounded.

"Ahoy the ferry!" Maria's voice carried from the dock.

Jaden grinned, popping back up from the engine room to the main deck. "One success and you're Captain Nemo."

"I'll settle for not swimming with the little mermaid. All clear?"

"Welcome aboard." Jaden helped Maria get the women situated on the upper deck. Once assignments had been handed out for kitchen duty and comfort detail, Jaden pulled Maria aside. "This is a rough picture of what the GPS should look like. If he starts pulling you off this course, take him out like I showed you and take over. Unload everyone in Grand Haven, then send the boat west into the lake and scuttle it."

"Scuttle?"

"As in sink."

Maria groaned. "And ride back how? On Jonah's whale?"

"The automated system is working fine. Set the new course, set fire to the engine room and wave bon voyage. If the automated system fails, put it into the current and then start a fire in the engine room and row back in the life raft."

"Jesus, Jaden."

"I don't think it'll come to that. The engineer is solid enough. I just want you to have a back up plan."

Jaden and Maria returned to the gangplank to haul the unconscious guard into the train engine with his cohorts. The sight visibly bolstered Maria's confidence. The engineer held two guns on the others–though they were tied well out of reach from one another. And three were unconscious.

"Impressive," Maria beamed approvingly.

"Thanks," he said. "We ready to sail?"

Jaden found a beat up messenger bag and loaded it with the weapons confiscated from Albertson's crew then caught up with Maria and the newly commissioned captain.

"I'll do my best to have transportation waiting in Grand Haven." She fumbled with the cell card, but still no service. "Once in Lansing, feel free to split up, but email me on my secure site so I know how to reach everyone." She handed over the electronic address. Then Maria and the engineer-turned-sea captain were pulling away from the dock and waving like kids at a circus.

Jaden watched until the ferry became a speck on the horizon, periodically attempting to will cell card service into existence.

It didn't seem possible that less than four hours ago she was scoping out the dragon's lair and drawing some critical conclusions.

Taking her first real look at the Hammond street dock, she sighed. It was a long walk back to Chicago. And she still had four hard-core monster underlings to depose of before she got started.

"Wake up!" The shout of a female voice tore through the deserted dock. The Amazon.

Jaden stepped up her pace when the second outburst was accompanied by stomping and struggling inside the engine. Jaden opted to listen first in the hope of avoiding a messy and time consuming interrogation.

"That was her! You let her slip past," the Amazon accused in a voice straight from an island vacation.

"No way. We blew her up," a groggy male voice replied.

"And the horse she rode in on," another man chuckled.

"Transport officers are disposable."

"Worthless fools," Amazon ranted. "That was her! Judge A will give us all injections when he discovers she's alive."

It was exactly the information she could use to her benefit. Jaden opened the door with a lethal smile on her face. "What the Judge doesn't know will hurt you." She set her dagger spinning between her two index fingers, watching the prisoners watch her. She might have the mobility advantage at the moment, but they weren't caving. "Let's play truth or dagger. You talk truthfully, we've got no problem. But silence or lies and you win a little private time with me and my pointed pal."

The guard she'd tased en route squirmed and crossed his legs. Fear was beautiful on the face of the enemy. She pinned him with a look. "You first. Where are the children?

"Silence is not golden," Jaden deadpanned when he refused to answer. She pretended to look away, giving him ample time to consult the Amazon, clearly the senior officer of this wretched crew. "Don't worry about her. She's no threat."

"You don't know her," one of the guards from the ferry blurted. He got a snarl from the Amazon for his trouble.

"And none of you know me. So I'll fill you in. I'd gladly kill you all–slowly–just for this slavery thing. Sending the pieces back to your boss in tiny boxes would really improve my mood. But I'm short on time and more interested in what else you know. Work with me and we'll have no problem. Work against me and you'll suffer."

"You are nuthin'," Amazon said, her accent sliding quickly downhill. "Ya got no hold here."

"To the contrary, dearheart." Using the Judge's favorite pet name put an ounce of fear into her black laser gaze. "I'm the only thing. I hold all the cards."

Amazon spat on Jaden's shoe.

"Impressive. Now help or shut up."

To emphasize her point, Jaden lashed out, pulling the punch just millimeters shy of Amazon's nose. Catching the minute flinch, Jaden called her tactic a success.

She turned back to the tasered guard. "What do you know about the children?"

This time he spoke up. "They're in a subbasement in Chicago."

Under her nose. She gritted her teeth. "How many?"

He shook his head. "Don't know."

She eyed Amazon, then the others in turn. The wiry fellow who looked as if he'd piss his pants any second gulped and stammered. "Fi–Fif–fifty-two at last count."

"And when was this last count?"

"Shut up ya fool," Amazon growled.

He thought about it, took one more look and Jaden and spilled his guts.

"M–Monday."

"His acquisition rate?" Jaden asked despite the Amazon's swearing and thrashing attempts to break free. Mr. Talkative didn't pretend to misunderstand her.

"A few. Three to five" he clarified, when Jaden glared. "A–a week."

She didn't know there were that many vulnerable children on the Chicago streets. Even with the conservative stats she'd seen, that sort of disappearance rate should've been noticed.

"Not all l-local."

The Amazon surged again to fight the bindings and wield threats. Jaden put a bullet into the wall an inch above her head. She stilled.

"You were saying?"

"The ac-account–"

Mr. Talkative was drowned out by the blood-curdling cry of the Amazon breaking free of the wall. Interrogation over, Jaden switched to self-defense as she found herself wrapped in mortal combat.