Page 70 of Up in a Blaze

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I reckon they’re gonna try and get Henri and Sawyer on the boat.”

Country approached. “You cool?”

“You fuckin’ asking that for real?”

His jaw clenched. “I know you ain’t, but I gotta know if you’re gonna run off on your own and ruin this whole fuckin’ thing. All I’m askin’ is for you to try to keep your head on straight. We’ll get these cunts. They’ll pay for even thinkin’ of touchin’ Henri.”

I nodded stiffly before Country walked off again.

Really, I’d try to keep my damn cool. For Henri.

“Any footage from the ship?” Torch asked Tech.

“Just shows masked men gettin’ around on board. No sign of the taken, but there’s a shipping container of interest. One where the men keep disappearing into with water and food.”

“We aim for that container then,” I said.

Tech nodded, gazing down at his iPad. “That’s what Country said. But we’ll have to get through at least three dozen men first.”

“We’ll do it.” Torch grinned.

I ground my teeth together, wishing I had something to punch now. “Are you keeping an eye on the van?”

He showed me his screen. It was split with multiple traffic cameras. “I’ll have them as soon as they’re close. There’s a camera at the front entrance to this docking yard. I’m connected to that too. You’ll be the first to know about their approach.”

“But,” Torch started, “we’re gonna keep in control until we can get Henri and Sawyer away safely.”

Glaring, I snarled, “Like I’d fuckin’ risk their lives.”

“State and Saint are down the front too. They’re questionin’ some people who run this joint. Obvious there’ve been some payoffs for a boat that size to travel undetected from Australia to here,” Tech said. He was probably just talking to take my mind off things, but there was nothing stopping me from thinking about Henri and Sawyer stuck in a fucking van with the people who nabbed them off the streets.

What were they doing to them?

It was bad enough they touched them to get them in the van. That action alone signed their death warrants. But would they do something else to them?

“I’d say there were a lot of people paid off to look the other way,” Torch added. I could feel his gaze burning into me. Studying me.

My goddamn insides felt like they were being flayed open. Bile rose, but I swallowed that shit down. I couldn’t crack. I couldn’t let my body get the better of me.

I had to lock it all the fuck down. Henri needed me.

I had to have a clear head and let the anguish burn into fury.

They would fucking pay for touching him.

For touching Sawyer.

My hands itched to start breaking bones. And I wanted every damn finger on their hands snapped. Hopefully I’d have time to do it slowly. I wanted to see the pain in their eyes, hear the fear in their cries.

But if I didn’t have time, I’d make sure they couldn’t breathe the same air as Henri again.

Tech hummed. “Yeah, true. Look at this place. Usually, I’d say it’d be busy with workers, but it’s like everyone’s got the day off.”

“Even if that’s the case,” Torch said, “where’s Murphy’s people at? Why aren’t they here guardin’ the area for their shipment?”

“Maybe they really are here for a quick pickup and won’t even step foot off the boat,” Tech thought aloud. “As long as they’ve paid the employees and harbor control, this is an easy stop for them.”

“Fuckin’ Murphys. People are too scared to go against them.”