Sealed with courage, p.17
Sealed With Courage, page 17
Not today. Mason told himself to stay focused. Lucas could not end up dead like his mother.
“Okay, I found another bar. This one seems to be more in line with Twisted. Although the name is simply Hector’s.” She looked over her shoulder. “Do you know anyone named Hector?”
“No. Do you?”
She shook her head. “I can give you this address too. It does look like there are rooms above the restaurant. But I still haven’t found the warehouse.”
“Too bad because I could see the warehouse as being a good place to hide a ten-year-old boy.” He returned to sit beside her. “You’re sure there isn’t another place under that name?”
“Not that I’ve found.” She took a small notepad from her bag and wrote down an address. “I think it would be helpful to drive by the place first, especially since it’s pouring rain.”
He’d run ops in far worse conditions, but he didn’t deny the idea had merit. “Okay, let’s go.”
“The bar doesn’t open until ten o’clock.” She pulled on her light jacket. “Maybe you can get in and out before there are a bunch of people there.”
He nodded in agreement. “Good plan.”
They dashed out to the rental. Aubrey jumped into the passenger seat while he took a moment to put Bravo in the back. Soon they were out on the road, heading toward Hector’s.
The bar was located several miles in the opposite direction of Twisted. This specific area of East Village held mostly businesses rather than residential homes or apartment buildings.
“Lots of other businesses around,” Aubrey observed. “Do you think the bar caters to the people who work nearby?”
“You’re assuming Blue Devils actually work,” he said dryly.
“If only they’d put as much effort into being productive members of society rather than breaking the law,” she agreed.
He drove around the block, looking at the bar from several spots. When he’d done as much as he could from inside the vehicle, he pulled over to the curb. “I’ll go on foot from here. Keep Bravo with you, and this time?” He scowled. “Go straight back to the motel.”
“Okay, okay.” She gestured toward the rain pelting the ground outside. “Call me if you need a ride.”
“Once I’m wet, I can’t get any wetter.” He threw the gearshift into park and slid out of the car. He didn’t have high hopes of finding Lucas above Hector’s, but maybe it was a place he could cross off their list.
“Lord, give me strength,” he whispered, ignoring the rain that soaked him through to the skin in less than five minutes. “Show me the way.”
Chapter Fourteen
Leaving Mason behind was becoming a habit, one she didn’t much care for. Aubrey drove slowly down the street away from Hector’s, looking for signs on the buildings surrounding the restaurant. There were some without names, but one place was listed as Schroeder’s. Repeating the name in her mind, she returned to the motel. Bravo followed her inside, then shook himself, throwing water everywhere.
Aubrey sighed and grabbed a towel from the bathroom to dry off, used another towel for Bravo, then sat behind the computer.
It bothered her that they hadn’t found a warehouse belonging to Sunrise Investments, LLC. Especially since the Blue Devil Mason had spoken to had mentioned it. Maybe he’d only said that to lead them astray, but somehow, knowing Mason had gone into every dangerous situation with a gun, and had in fact been forced to use it, she felt certain Mason would put enough fear in the man that he’d tell the truth.
She typed in the name Schroeder, and the property came up on the screen. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that the owner of that warehouse was a man named Joseph Schroeder.
Probably not a member of the Blue Devils, although she knew anything was possible. Just because many of the men who’d they’d come across were Hispanic didn’t mean that others weren’t involved in the gang.
Greed knew no boundaries.
She stared at the screen, then narrowed her gaze on the address. Using the same motel notepad as before, she wrote down the address of both Hector’s restaurant and of Schroeder’s warehouse.
It was a tedious process to search for similar addresses. She found one owned by a man named Benito Gonzales. She frowned, rolling the name through her mind. It seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on where she’d heard it before.
She continued searching on addresses when it hit her. The name Benito Gonzales had been on another property. Switching her search function, she typed in the name and sucked in a harsh breath.
There was a house in El Cajon that was also owned by Benito Gonzales.
El jefe? Her heart pounded in her chest. Maybe, although she couldn’t know for sure. Gonzales could very well be another guy who happened to own two properties, one in East Village and one in El Cajon.
No, even she couldn’t make herself believe it. The location of the warehouse being close to Hector’s was too much of a coincidence. That, and knowing other properties in El Cajon had been used by the Blue Devils, was a link that was impossible to ignore.
Grabbing her phone, she quickly dialed Russo. The call went to his voice mail, so she told him what she’d found with instructions to call her back. She wanted to call Mason, too, but hesitated. What if he was in a dangerous position? Even with the phone on silent, the screen would light up at her call, alerting anyone nearby of his location.
She looked at Bravo. “We have to warn Mason. He could be in danger.”
Bravo cocked his head, his dark eyes seeming to agree with her assessment.
The rain was still pouring down in buckets. Not that she was going to let the inclement weather hold her back. Especially if Mason’s life was in danger.
She put her phone on silent, tucked it into the inside pocket of her jacket to keep it protected from the rain as much as possible, then shrugged into the still soaked garment. Mason was right, once you were wet, you couldn’t get any wetter.
But as she headed outside, the cool wind made her shiver. She may not get any wetter, but she sure could get colder.
Get over it, she told herself sternly. Think of Mason and Lucas.
She brought Bravo along for the ride, why, she wasn’t sure. Maybe because she didn’t want to go alone, although she didn’t dare put the dog in danger either. Driving through the deluge, she returned to the area where Hector’s was located.
It was still early enough that the restaurant wasn’t open. Staff could be arriving any time, though, to set up. The warehouse owned by Benito Gonzales was very close to Hector’s. The place appeared deserted, but she knew based on the green house they’d found in El Cajon that looks could be deceiving.
She drove past until she found a place to park the rental SUV. The spot was near Schroeder’s, which she hoped wasn’t a mistake. It wouldn’t be good if Schroeder’s was actually the warehouse where Lucas was being held. Yet she didn’t think it was.
Bravo sat tall in the seat beside her. She looked at him.
“I’m going to leave the windows open a bit for you, okay?” Oddly, she found comfort in talking to the dog. “I know the rain will get inside, but I think that’s better for you in the long run. Especially if something happens and we can’t get back here to take care of you.”
The thought made her stomach clench. Should she take Bravo back to the motel? Indecision clawed at her. Finally, she lowered the windows and pushed open her driver’s side door, stepping out into the rain. This wouldn’t take long. All she needed to do was warn Mason.
And if she couldn’t find him, she’d take a quick peek inside the warehouse. It could very well be sitting empty, making this nothing more than a wild-goose chase.
Fifteen minutes tops and she’d be back.
Right? Right.
Hunching her shoulders, she dashed through the rain. It was still coming down hard, which wasn’t helpful. Still, these storms were known to blow in and out in a matter of hours.
This one would end soon, she hoped.
In trying to think like Mason, she approached Hector’s from the rear of the building rather than the front. She tried the back door, but it was locked.
Rain seeped down the back of her neck, soaking her to the skin. Shivering in the cold, she glanced over toward the warehouse. Her eyes widened in shock when she noted a side door hanging ajar.
Was Mason inside already? She didn’t hesitate but hurried over to the building, creeping up to the doorway as silently as possible.
That’s when it occurred to her that Mason may not be able to hear her or anyone else approaching over the sound of the pelting rain. Hovering in the doorway, she could hear the rain was loud on the metal roof of the warehouse. She edged inside, pausing for a moment to give her eyes time to adjust to the lack of light.
The warehouse wasn’t empty, there were boxes stacked nearby, but the building was also divided into rooms. In the distance, she could see the faint glow of a small light.
Instinctively, she knew Mason wasn’t the one holding the light. Again, she was torn by indecision. Should she go in farther?
Or turn around and go back to Bravo? She could call Russo again, but if he didn’t answer, she wouldn’t be any farther ahead. And if Russo didn’t answer but called her, the phone would alert others she was hiding there.
She wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing, but she couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not until she knew who was in the warehouse.
Slipping past the highly stacked boxes, she made her way closer to the light. Was there living space back there? Puddles of water on the floor indicated someone had recently come before her. Glancing back, the water sluicing off her was adding to those same puddles.
The water could have been left by anyone who’d come inside from the pouring rain. She hoped that person was Mason. A hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She nearly cried out, but another hand clamped over her mouth.
Fear spiked but then receded when she heard Mason’s whisper. “Why are you here?”
He released her, but in the dim light, she could see his deep scowl. Rather than risking talking, she used sign language. This warehouse is owned by Benito Gonzales, he also owns a house in El Cajon. He could be el jefe.
Mason gave a curt nod of understanding. Then he signed back, Get out while I keep looking around.
She reluctantly nodded, knowing she was only a liability to him. She took a cautious step back, then froze when she heard a grunting sound. She tried to grasp Mason’s arm, but he’d already moved away and out of reach.
The sound was similar to that made by deaf people, especially those who were born that way. Their screams and cries were guttural compared to that of hearing people. Mainly because they could push the cry out of their throat but had no idea what it sounded like.
Lucas? Hope filled her heart. Was the child still alive and being held somewhere inside the warehouse?
She moved closer to the opening between the rooms. The light was a small glow in the sea of darkness. And if not for the pounding rain hitting the metal roof with enough force to sound like golf-sized hail balls, she may have been able to hear talking.
There had to be a reason Lucas had made that sound. It hadn’t been her imagination.
Her cochlear implant had changed her life, but it was located only in her right ear. Still, she could hear through it at 100 percent, which was better than what Mason was dealing with.
Had he heard the sound Lucas made? Would he know what it was even if he had? Not knowing the answers to those questions was enough to convince her to stay right where she was.
She crouched down beside the opening between the rooms and took her phone from the inside pocket of her jacket. It was only slightly damp to the touch. She edged farther away from the doorway, holding the phone close to her chest to minimize the light from the screen.
Time to call the police since she felt certain that grunting sound had come from Lucas. She noted a missed call from Russo along with a voice mail message. The phone’s internal dictation allowed her to read his response.
We’ll run a search on Benito Gonzales but stay where you are so I can let you know what we find out.
Yeah, too late for that, she thought. Rather than calling 911, she sent him a quick text message. I’m with Mason. We’re in the warehouse owned by Gonzales, and I think Lucas is here too.
Get out, was Russo’s curt response.
She was tempted to do as he asked, but she heard the grunting sound again, almost as if the boy was crying out in pain.
The tiny hairs lifted on the back of her neck. What in the world was going on? Where was Mason? Was he close enough to the light to see the boy?
She told herself to move forward, to do whatever was necessary to save Lucas. Shutting her phone off, she slipped it back into her pocket and eased forward to peer through the opening.
All she could see was more boxes. The room with the light must be in the next room. As she made her move through the opening, something wet and furry brushed against her.
She nearly screamed but then realized the newcomer was Bravo. How had the dog gotten out of the SUV? She didn’t think she’d left the windows open far enough for him to get out, but she must have. She winced. Mason would not be happy if something bad happened to Bravo, and it would be all her fault.
Too late now.
She moved silently into the next room, taking refuge behind a stack of boxes. She didn’t see Mason, but as Bravo disappeared from sight, she knew the dog would find his owner without difficulty.
Mason would be mad at her, and she couldn’t blame him. Yet all she could do was continue praying that God would keep them all safe.
Mason, Lucas, and Bravo too.
Mason wasn’t happy that Aubrey had shown up inside the warehouse. His orders for her to stay at the motel had been very clear. A Senior Chief’s orders were always followed by his men. Figured, Aubrey didn’t listen. Granted, the information she’d provided related to Benito Gonzales owning this warehouse and a home in El Cajon was interesting. It was highly likely that Benito and el jefe were one and the same.
Now, they just needed to find a way to prove it.
After spending several minutes looking through Hector’s, he’d found nothing remotely interesting. It looked like a legitimate business, although the location here near the warehouses left a lot to be desired. That alone was suspicious. As he’d left the restaurant, locking the door behind him so no one would know he’d been there, he’d noticed the side door of the warehouse had been wetter than it should have been if it had been closed the entire time because of a small overhang up above. Almost as if the door had gotten wet because someone had gone inside.
Curious, he’d decided to head over to investigate.
He’d stumbled across two guards, one just inside the doorway. The guy tried to hit him, but Mason had easily taken him down, then pressed on his carotid arteries to make him pass out. He’d dragged him over to the side, out of the way. Finding duct tape, he bound the man’s wrists and ankles, then put tape over his mouth too. The second one had emerged shortly afterward, but he’d taken him out, too, securing him the same way. Both men were alive but down for the count.
How many more? He wasn’t sure. And it was more concerning that he hadn’t heard Aubrey. It was impossible for him to hear anything over the rain hitting the roof above, but he had thankfully caught a glimpse of her moving toward the doorway. Just in time for him to stop her.
He cautiously made his way toward the lighted area of the warehouse, sweeping his gaze over the area in case there were more guards. The puddles he left in his wake were like a neon sign announcing his path through the building, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. The only good news was that he was so wet that each step left pockets of water behind rather than actual boot prints.
He took another step toward the dim light. He needed to get a visual, to see if Lucas was being held in there or not. He hoped the kid was just tied up and there weren’t any Blue Devils standing guard over him. But experience told him to expect the worst.
The only easy day was yesterday. The Navy SEAL mantra echoed in his head.
He eased forward another step. The smell of wet dog made him freeze. A second later, Bravo was at his side, nosing his hand. He put a warning hand on the dog’s head, irritated all over again that Aubrey had brought Bravo along. And why hadn’t she left the dog in the SUV in the first place? That way she and Bravo would already be on their way back to the relative safety of the motel.
He gave Bravo the hand signal for go, but the animal didn’t move. Because the dog couldn’t see very well in the darkness? Or because he was alert to the danger? Mason swallowed his anger and continued edging toward the rear portion of the warehouse. He paused again when he heard a strange noise.
What was that? Had he really heard something?
Or had he imagined it?
He had no way of knowing. Even his attempts to move silently were difficult to judge since he couldn’t hear what, if any, noise he was making. All he could do was move the way he’d been trained to sneak through forests, deserts, and other rough terrain.
Although it did make him think he should consider getting one of those cochlear implants that Aubrey had touted. This not hearing well thing was getting tiresome.
And dangerous.
Paired as a team, he and Bravo carefully approached the next room. As he grew closer, Mason could see the light shining a bit brighter now. Holding his Sig Sauer in one hand, he gave Bravo the hand signal for sit with the other. Thankfully, his K9 partner complied.
Mason peeked around the corner, then ducked as a shot rang out, chipping the wood near the location where his head had been.
“Throw down your weapon,” a voice called out, “or I’ll kill the kid.”
Mason inwardly winced, wondering how he’d been discovered. Hidden cameras? He hadn’t seen any. Maybe he’d made noise during his approach. He hoped and prayed his lack of hearing didn’t result in Lucas being killed.
