Running on Empty (5 page)

Peeking in one window, she saw what she expected—two beds and two small lumps, one on each bed. Children. Oh, how she looked forward to taking this bastard down. Sabrina made fast work of checking each room and found the same in each. Two beds, two lumps. That meant at least eight children they could rescue. If this went down as they’d planned, this would be her most successful rescue.

She twisted the doorknob, unsurprised that it was locked. A locked door had never stopped her before. Taking a small tool she had sewn into her demi bra, she knelt on the floor and inserted it into the lock. A little slide, a click, and it was done. She pushed the door open. She didn’t worry about cameras. Days ago, Deacon Greenaway, LCR’s newest computer genius, had hacked into the mansion’s security cameras. Now when a guard looked into the monitors, they saw the lumps in the bed and nothing more. LCR had been working on the operation for well over a month, with every detail planned out.

Shaking a small shoulder gently, she looked down into the angelic face of a child—maybe six years old. There was a part of her that wanted to hold the little boy close and sob at what he had endured. A stronger, less emotional part told her to get the job done. She was here to save these children, not commiserate with them. 

“Hi there, my name is Sabrina. Would you like to go home?”

A desperate hope gleaming in his eyes, he whispered, “The mean man said I had to stay here.”

“You don’t have to worry about that man again.”

He shot a look over to the other bed. “Can Lucy come, too?”

“Absolutely. Everyone gets to go home today.”

He sat up in the bed and threw the blanket off. “Okay.”

“Can you do me a favor?”

Eyes solemn and much too old for a six-year-old gazed up at her solemnly as he nodded.

“Will you wake Lucy up and tell her that she’s going home? I need to let all the other children out.”

“Okay.”

Resisting the urge to hug the little guy for his bravery, Sabrina turned and ran from the room. Each door she opened, she made the same promise. The children’s ages ranged from six to maybe thirteen. The last room she came to, she found Catie Conaway. The ten-year-old had gone missing from her front yard in Cincinnati, Ohio, two months ago. Her parents had approached LCR a week after the abduction when police leads had dried up. Though it could have been just another filthy pedophile who had abducted Catie, there had been enough chatter to know that Reuben Pierce’s people had been in the area. Sabrina was thrilled their investigation had been correct. 

At one time, Pierce had been a small-arms dealer and then expanded his business to terrorism, selling his expertise to the highest bidder. He had no political agenda or religious conviction—old-fashioned greed was his primary motive. A few years ago, he had learned the profitability of human trafficking. Concentrating solely on children, Reuben had quickly become one of the most wanted criminals in the world. Unfortunately, with his contacts and wealth, he had also been one of the most elusive. 

Now looking down at Catie Conaway’s bruised, pale face, Sabrina wished she had been able to do more to the bastard than just give him a nice sleep. Anyone who hurt a child was lower than pond scum.

“Catie, my name is Sabrina. Your mama and daddy sent me to bring you home.”

Tears filled the little girl’s eyes. Even without the bruises, the limp blond hair and malnourished appearance told Sabrina the child had suffered. Healing would take time, but at least now she had a chance. 

She instructed Catie and her roommate to grab their shoes and come with her. Within ten minutes of leaving an unconscious Reuben lying on the floor, Sabrina had gathered all eight children in the hallway. Now to alert her fellow operatives. 

Going to the room that faced the north side of the estate, Sabrina flipped the light switch three times in quick succession. Her go signal. Aidan and Justin Kelly would have the guards neutralized by the time she and the children made it downstairs. She turned to Catie and assessed her. The little girl wasn’t the oldest, but from what she had learned from Catie’s parents, she was more mature than most. 

“Catie, do you feel up to leading the group?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll go ahead of you. If anyone tries to stop us, I’ll have to stay behind and deal with them. I want you to go to the back door and see that everyone goes with you. Run as fast as you can away from the house to the back of the property. A woman named Riley will be waiting for you. She’ll lead you out.”

“But what about you?”

“You don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Okay?”

Her face much too serious for a ten-year-old, she gave a swift nod. “I’ll take care of everyone.”

“Thank you.” Sabrina turned and headed to the door that led downstairs. When she reached it, she turned and nodded approvingly. All the children were in single file, right behind Catie. They had probably practiced fire drills like this at school. 

She opened the door and peeked out. All clear. Motioning Catie with her hand, she said, “That’s great, everyone. Just follow Catie, single file like you’re doing. Don’t stop for anything. No matter what happens, keep moving.”

Taking the stairs softly, she made frequent checks over her shoulder to ensure everyone was able to keep up. So far, so good. Eight little faces looked up at her with trust and hope. She would not let them down. 

She reached the small foyer and stopped, waiting for everyone to gather with her. “Okay, we’re going out the back door on the first floor. Follow Catie. And, Catie, you follow me. Stay quiet. No talking until we’re away from the house. Okay?”

Eight solemn nods. 

Sabrina opened the door to the second-floor landing and looked out. Still clear. Leaving the door open, she walked down the landing, barely hearing the patter of feet behind her. When she reached the top of the stairway that led downstairs, she stopped and turned. Still single file and still following Catie. This would be their biggest challenge. She had wanted to get the children first. Neutralizing the guards beforehand would have taken too much time. She anticipated there would be at least three of them, if not more, on the first floor. She hoped to avoid them, but if she didn’t, she trusted Catie to follow her directions. 

She whispered a warning again. “Okay, everyone. Stay together and do not stop for anything.”

Turning, she crept down the stairs, aware of the small feet behind her and keeping her eyes and ears open for anyone who might try to stop them. They made it to the first floor without any trouble, and Sabrina breathed out a long, silent sigh. Almost home free. They were in the middle of the giant foyer, headed to the kitchen and back door when their first obstacle, in the guise of a short, thick, brutish-looking guard, appeared at her right. 

“What the hell!” he shouted.

Swift and silent, Sabrina reached the guard in seconds before he could draw his gun. Trusting the children to continue on, she concentrated on taking care of the giant. As he fumbled for his weapon, she kicked it from his hand, then followed with a roundhouse kick to his head and a hard jab to his neck. He fell to the floor with a nice, solid
thunk
. 

Turning, she ran toward the door, relieved that the children were nowhere in sight. She was almost to the door when two men, one on either side of her, appeared. 

“Stop right there,” one growled. 

Not allowing him to draw a weapon, she punched his face and then followed up with targeted kicks to his stomach then his groin. He crumpled before her. Hands grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around. A meaty fist slammed into her face. 

Adrenaline covering the pain, Sabrina planted her feet to the floor and refused to give in to the need to collapse. Hands fisted together, she slammed them upward into the man’s nose. A satisfying crunch followed, but he remained on his feet. Grabbing her hair, he brutally threw her forward, his intent to slam her against the wall. She moved along willingly, but then broke his hold with her arms and jabbed her fist deep into his soft belly and followed quickly with another one to his groin. Before he could retaliate, she slammed a fist into his nose once more. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he toppled. 

Sabrina took off. When she reached the kitchen, she was relieved to see the door standing wide open. Catie and the children were outside. Riley would be waiting for them. She dashed through the door. Cool air washed over her and kept her on her feet. The combination of the sleeping powder along with the hit to her face tempted her to keel over where she stood. Collapse would have to wait for a more appropriate time. Or at least until she was on the other side of the gate with all eight children safe, as well as her team.

“Over here!”

Sabrina whirled and saw a grinning Aidan standing at the gate where he had created an opening. She ran toward him, reaching for his outstretched hand. 

“Everyone safe?” she asked. 

Aidan nodded. “All eight accounted for. Riley and Justin have them. I came to see what was taking you so long.”

She threw him a grin as she ran beside him. “Stopped to chat with a couple of fellows.”

“Hope they’re not too bad off. I can’t wait to see these assholes in jail.”

Once the children were safe, the police would take over, and everyone would be taken into custody. It was never LCR’s wish to gain media attention or credit. As long as the rescue was successful and the culprits put away, Last Chance Rescue was satisfied. Tonight, Reuben Pierce would sleep in a very uncomfortable bed and have a hangover from hell in the morning.

Yeah, this had been a damned good rescue. 

Chapter Three

“How’s the eye?”

Sabrina lowered the ice pack she’d been holding against her face to allow Aidan to see the bruise. When he sucked in a breath and winced, she knew it wasn’t good.

Applying the ice pack again, she shrugged philosophically. “At least the guy who did it is in more pain than I am. With that kick to his balls, he’ll be singing soprano for months.”

Both Aidan and Justin grimaced and shifted uncomfortably. Typical guy reaction. Mention anything about damaging a man’s testicles, and there was always a show of sympathy, even if the guy in this case was a slimy weasel.

“Did everything inside go as planned?” Riley asked.

“Almost but not quite. Pierce insisted I eat a little of the pastry I prepared for him, which unfortunately held the sleeping powder.”

“Shit. How the hell did you function?” Aidan asked. 

Sabrina shook her head. She didn’t really have an answer. Having been trained to ignore pain or discomfort, it was second nature to her. But she could still feel the drug weighing her down. Once their debrief was over, she planned a serious, uninterrupted snoozefest.

The children were all being seen to and treated by health care professionals. Only minutes after their escape, they had been loaded onto a waiting bus headed to a small medical facility where doctors, nurses, and counselors had taken over their care. 

It grieved her to see their little faces filled with shock and fear. Children should know nothing about horrible creatures like Reuben Pierce and his associates. She had learned about these kinds of monsters in her childhood, too. She hoped full recovery was possible for all of them. It had taken her years to overcome her abuse. Of course, it would have helped if anyone had believed her.

She shook off the painful memories. Nothing good ever came from reliving the past.

After they’d surrendered the children, she and the other operatives had headed for their debriefing. Javier’s Hideaway was a dive that attracted some of the most dangerous and seediest people imaginable. It was also a haven for LCR operatives. Years ago, Javier’s thirteen-year-old niece had run away from home. LCR had found her and brought her home. Since then, whenever a meeting place in Las Rios was needed, this was where they went. 

“Okay, we ready?” Riley asked.

Sabrina nodded. She and Riley had worked together on at least a dozen missions. The young operative was one of the most serious people she’d ever met. Professional at all times, Riley rarely cracked a smile and never joined in the gentle ribbing or sometimes off-color conversations that often took place after a successful mission. 

Justin Kelly leaned forward, his expression going from relaxed to blank in a second. Sabrina thought Justin and Riley had the oddest partnership. There was never any kind of banter or even pleasant conversation between the two. If they talked to each other at all, it was always about the op. Yet on a mission, they acted as one, almost as if they shared the same brain. It was weird and freaky but definitely worked for them.

Sabrina shot a look at Aidan and couldn’t help but grin. Her too-gorgeous-for-his-own-good partner was throwing peanuts up in the air and catching them with his mouth. When she’d met Aidan for the first time, she had been thrown off by his incredible good looks and easygoing charm and had inaccurately judged him. Even though she knew Noah McCall would never hire an operative who wasn’t both intelligent and tough as nails, Aidan’s man-candy looks had made her doubt that knowledge. She had soon learned that a rapier-sharp wit, off-the-wall intelligence and supreme fighting skills could actually come wrapped in a pretty package. 

In their time as partners, she had come to appreciate Aidan for who he was. It wasn’t his fault that he could body slam a three-hundred-pound gorilla and look good doing it. He’d saved her ass more times than she could count, and she not only trusted him, she liked him immensely.

“Hey, Peanut Man, want to join in the debrief?”

His smile good-natured, Aidan caught one last peanut, munched and swallowed. “Missed my midnight feeding. Gotta keep my strength up.” The man had the appetite of a seventeen-year-old boy. 

“Then let’s get this done so you can feed and I can sleep.”

“Roger that.” All business now, he said, “I arrived at my designated spot at eight forty-five. Spotted two guards on top of the mansion—like a freaking embassy or something. Two more walked the perimeter. Since the shift changed at nine thirty, our timing worked great.”