“We’re not sure, but it looks that way.”
* * * *
Everyone gathered in the sheriff’s department as they put out an APB on Brent’s sports car. Twenty minutes later they received the call from one of the deputies in Turbank that it was found abandoned right on the edge of town behind an old farmhouse. The farmer told the deputy that they heard a helicopter way in the distance and it sounded like it landed.
“We need to track that helicopter,” Kenny stated.
“They must be heading somewhere close by. He wouldn’t risk trying to take her out of the state by helicopter. It must be a means of transportation to the next location,” Matt stated.
“Well, let’s look at the marinas in Corpus Christi. That’s where the main boats were supposedly loaded with these abducted women and then sailed off to Cuba, Haiti, and the Caribbean. Maybe he has his own ship, and is planning on taking her out of the country with him,” Wyatt said.
“That’s exactly what he’s doing,” Mark added, as he closed up his cell phone and walked around the table to the large map on the wall. He started pointing out points of interest and where his teams were located and going to check out.
“Okay, from the information received through our team, there were four main warehouses owned by Brent Pierson’s associate Rye Salters. They are strategically located in Corpus Christi in three different marinas. There is one shipping barge as well. We got men moving in on those now. They have reason to believe that a shipment of women is being moved as we speak. Now, if Brent shows up there with Sage to take one of his own boats out of port, then we’ll be there to stop him.”
“How the hell are we going to get out to Corpus Christi?” Virgo asked, sounding outraged.
Mark smiled. “The same way Brent did. Get ready, we’re meeting a military chopper at the end of town. We’ll land outside of the marina that Brent shows up at. We’ll have eyes on the entire place momentarily, so if he brings her there, we’ll stop him from taking her out of the country,” Mark stated, and Matt slapped him on the back.
“Damn, this is like fucking old times. I can’t believe this is happening to Sage again. She must be so scared. Thank you,” he told Mark.
Taking on a serious expression, Mark looked at all of them.
“I’m not going to lie to you. Brent Pierson is a very dangerous individual. I’ll explain on the way to the chopper,” Mark told them, and they grabbed their stuff and they all headed out of the sheriff’s department.
* * * *
“The only reason why he got the upper hand on her was because he knew her capabilities,” Virgo told Matt as Matt ran his hands through his hair.
“I can’t take this. I’m so fucking angry right now, and worried about her. How the hell is Sage going to handle this? You saw the fucking video. He doped her up with something. If we don’t catch this asshole before he leaves that port, we’ll never find her.”
The sound of the chopper traveling through the sky brought back not so wonderful memories from the war for him. One look at Dale, Virgo, and Quaid, and he knew they were thinking the same thing. It made them uptight. Made them feel confrontational. He looked at Wyatt, Mark, Kenny, and the three military soldiers with full gear and mics on. “We’ll get to her in time. She’s a fighter,” Wyatt stated.
“She’s fucking unconscious. God knows what the asshole shot her up with. My God, he has been coming to Pearl for three years. Three fucking years,” Kenny yelled out.
“I can’t believe the one fucking guy running this entire smuggling operation was sitting in your town, right under our noses. Of course the guy knew what was coming. He probably heard the talk around town,” Mark added.
“We have to find her. When I get my hands on that guy, he’s fucking dead,” Quaid stated.
“Get in line, Quaid,” Dale said, straight-faced, and Matt stared at him. If Brent Pierson hurt Sage in any way, he was definitely going to his grave.
* * * *
“What the fuck is going on? Now what are we going to do?” Brent yelled as he carried Sage into the building. He was yelling over the motorcycles and engines revving. They were mere blocks from the warehouse, and a mile from the boat launch. His crew had everything ready and was preparing to set sail.
“There are federal agents all over the damn place. Falcon pulled out. He heard that Scorpion was busted by the Coast Guard on his way to Haiti with the shipment of women,” one of his guards told him.
“Shit. What about the last shipment? The one that was supposed to go out over an hour ago?”
“Stopped by local Coast Guard. They got Salters, too. He was trying to skip town and the Feds got him in the airport.”
“Okay. I can’t believe this entire operation is going down like this, and so fast. I should have been out of here with my prize and already sipping cocktails on the fucking boat.” He laid Sage down onto a set of boxes. She was moaning and coming to. The damn tranquilizer was wearing off.
He was thinking of what needed to be done. He had a backup plan. There was the place in the woods, not too far from here. They could hole up there for however long necessary. He had it well stocked, they could hunt to get more food if they were still there come fall.
Sage tried sitting up, her blouse was undone, her cleavage deep and totally visible to the men. It pissed him off.
“Don’t look at her. She’s mine!” he yelled.