Electrified(98)
Ray didn’t bother to identify himself, and got right down to business. “Got a turnpike pic of Charles. He’s with an unidentified big black dude and a smaller woman lying in the backseat, driving across the country. Appears they’re heading toward New York, buddy. Last time they were captured on camera was on I-70 in western Kansas.”
“Of course, they couldn’t fly with Lila. She doesn’t have any real identification to get on a commercial flight, plus they have to know Asher is looking for her, not to mention me. A private plane would be a bad idea, even if they wanted to cough up the cash for it. Wait, what do you mean she’s lying in the backseat, like drugged?”
“Probably how they took her. Shot her up with a sedative. They had to know a few tough guys would be looking for her. Needed her quiet,” Ray said, musing out loud.
“Fuck! I’m going to go apeshit when I find those assholes.” Carson went to punch a nearby brick wall, stopping centimeters from shattering his hand. His entire body vibrated with rage. The slew of curse words coming from his mouth didn’t even take the edge off.
Ray’s low voice came over the line. “You gotta stay calm, Carson.”
He took a deep breath and tried to corral his emotions. “Well, I checked the building out. There’s a good bit of equipment and the means to make a shitload of pornographic content, but pretty quiet at the moment other than the webcams running. Jesus, fuck, they better get here soon. I want Lila back safe and sound.”
Ray paused, then said, “Listen, I was thinking, Carson, what if we went after this even harder than just rescuing Lila. I’ve been digging deep, and these jerks don’t have all their paperwork, permits, and clearances lined up. The Bureau can bust them up on some charges of child pornography and/or trafficking of a minor, and get their shit all tied up, in addition to freeing Lila while hitting them with abduction, too.”
“I’m listening,” Carson said as he paced the alleyway, needing to burn off nervous energy.
“I’m betting this would put Lila in the clear of running anymore, leaving her free to live her life if we bring this Elon down for who he truly is—a scumbag, pedophile, borderline pimp.”
Carson nodded, even though his friend couldn’t see him. “I like where your head is at. Let’s collect all the shit we need and do it fast. This will be a good bust for the Bureau. The only thing is I don’t want to hold on too long. We have to estimate how long it’ll take them to get Lila here, because once they have her in that building, Christ, there’s no telling what they will do. I don’t want anything to go wrong on that end, Ray.”
“I hear you.”
“Do you?” Carson said tersely. “Because if something looks fucked up when it comes to Lila, I will abandon ship when it comes to anything official for the FBI. You got me?”
“Loud and clear,” Ray said with a sigh. “I’m hanging up to go to work on the information. In the meantime, I’m getting a ground team down with you to keep watch on the building and give you guys some cover. I’ll have them call your cellular when they arrive.”
Carson hung up without even a good-bye. He did some quick calculations in his head and determined that the soonest Sam Charles could arrive in Brooklyn, driving cross country with another guy to spell him at the wheel, would be sometime Wednesday.
He hoped to God whatever they gave Lila was almost out of her system. Fucking whackos better have not given her too much; so much could have gone wrong between Vegas and Kansas. He couldn’t even think of the worst.
What if they defiled her while she was out? If they even laid a hand on her…
CAUGHT UP in a horrific line of thinking as he watched the warehouse through Monday night and into Tuesday, Carson didn’t realize how much time had passed until the ground team arrived. Too worried to think about food or other needs, he hadn’t moved from his spot except to take a piss in the alley, and there hadn’t been any more movement going on in the building. He desperately wanted to get into the bakery truck doubling as a surveillance van to see if there were any more traffic photos of Sam Charles and Lila.
There was no need for anything more than quick introductions with the FBI guys. Even though he was no longer with the agency, Ray pulled some strings and made sure he was allowed to tag along for the bust. Carson brought them this fucking case, and that was his woman, doped and being driven across state lines. He knew that they wouldn’t want to apprehend Lila outside the building. She needed to be inside so the Bureau could also take command of everything else illegal happening inside the four walls.