Corbin Read online

  “I’m sorry. Did they drug you?”

  “They’re drugging all of us,” she snapped. “So just in case you think you’re special, … you’re not.”

  Nellie winced at that because, of course, it had been an instinctive thing that maybe, maybe for some reason—maybe as a parliament member’s daughter—these kidnappers would treat her better than the other people. And, of course, it wasn’t to be, no matter how much Nellie wished it were otherwise. “I wonder why they took me, while I’m pregnant,” she pondered out loud.

  “I think they’re hoping it might be easier on the kids.”

  “I guess that’s possible, but it’s a lot harder on the mum.”

  “But they can get rid of the mum faster too, before she connects with the child,” she snapped. “Who knows? They might just shoot you, as soon as you give birth.”

  Something about this other woman’s tone made Nellie wary of so much bitterness directed at her. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” she whispered, “but I’m not your enemy.”

  “You’re sure as hell are not my friend either.” The other woman gave a bitter laugh. “For all I know, you’re some sort of a mole. They’re certainly treating you better than they treated me.”

  She stared at her in shock. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about that.”

  “No, of course not. You’re also pregnant.” She waved her hand toward Nellie. “And they won’t do anything to hurt the child.”

  Which was the one and only saving grace, as far as Nellie could see, because, as long as they were looking after the baby, she had a couple months to get through. Hopefully before that, somebody would rescue her. At that, she sent a mental message to Corbin. Get here fast. “Have they threatened you?” she quietly asked the other woman.

  “Many times. They’ve told me what’ll happen if I fight. They also told me what’ll happen when they’re done.”

  “When they’re done with what?”

  “Weaning my child,” she replied bitterly. “Again don’t think you’re anything special. They’re taking a different tactic with you. The only reason I can think of is the fact that you’re pregnant. So that pregnancy is protecting you right now, but it won’t forever.”

  “Got it.” And Nellie did. Horror slid through her. She had to get out of here. “Do you know what they’re doing with our children, outside of adopting them?”

  “No, I don’t. The only good thing I know is, they’re looking to get families who can properly care for them.”

  “Have we been determined to be not good parents or something?” she asked cautiously.

  The woman rolled over and grimaced. “I don’t think they even know us.” She stared at her in shock. “And that’s not something I want to contemplate.”

  “Then why did we get picked?”

  “Because we had the requirements. A kid for me and, in your case, pregnant with a kid. That’s all I know.”

  “Why not take a woman who’s got like eight kids then?”

  “They’re too old. Our children have to be a certain age.” She gave another bitter laugh. “After that, it’s too hard for them to adapt to the new family.”

  “I see,” Nellie muttered, her heart sinking. “And we’re killed off?”

  “Sure, so the kids don’t remember us. Or so no one else finds out about us down the road.”

  “Meaning, they can’t allow us to live because we’ll talk.”

  “That would be the theory, yes,” she said, her voice brutally honest. “Unless you have someone who will help you get out of here fast, you need to come to terms with it.”

  “How will you come to terms with the fact that you’ll be killed, when your kid is okay to not be around you anymore?” Nellie asked, bewildered. “That’s not possible.”

  “When you figure it out, let me know,” she snapped, “because, otherwise, I don’t have any answers, and my time is coming up pretty damn fast.” And, with that, she rolled over and faced the wall and refused to talk anymore.

  Hatch called. “We have an ID on Carly’s killer. And an address for him. He has a brother. We’ll run him down too.”

  “Where am I going?” Corbin immediately got up, snatched his gun, placing it in his shoulder holster. Grabbing his jacket, he raced to his vehicle.

  “You’re only about five miles away. I’m sending you the address.”

  “Good, I’m on my way.” At that, Corbin’s phone dinged with the location.

  “Better find him before somebody kills him.”

  “Oh, I get it,” Corbin murmured, “and believe me. I want to ask this guy some questions, so I need him alive.”

  “I know, but our worried parliament member is all about being certain you get whatever you need right now to ensure he gets his daughter back.”

  “Right.” Corbin reached the apartment building and sent a picture of it right away to Hatch. “Does this look like the deal?”

  “Yeah, that’s it. There is alley access.”

  “Okay, I’m heading there now.” He slipped inside the apartment building, via the back entrance. There was no security, nothing to stop him from going in. He shook his head at that, not at all sure why anybody would live in a place like this. Particularly if he did the kind of work that Corbin did.

  Although, if there was no security, either physical or digital, Corbin could slip in and out on his own. Nobody to watch his movements. Upstairs on the third floor, he found the room he was looking for. What he needed was the element of surprise. With that thought, he took out his tools and had the lock undone in seconds, then he slipped inside and stood still. A TV blared just around the corner, yet no one was visible. To the left he heard somebody in a conversation.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. I took care of it.”

  Corbin peered around the corner and saw one male on a ratty couch.

  “Of course I did. … Nobody saw me. You know that. … No, it’s fine. You just keep those women quiet, and we’ll be all good. … No, yeah, I understand they’ve got multiple adoptions lining up. It’s not my deal, and you know that too. I’m only doing this because you needed help. I’m not getting further involved. Especially with anything pregnant.” The guy laughed. “That’s like the worst. I can’t believe you got involved to this extent.”

  Silence came, then the voice continued. “Yeah, I know. He promised you a big load of money, but you know something? This bullshit about not paying us just never stops. They always talk big money. I haven’t seen any payout happen yet. You keep doing these shit deals.”

  More silence followed, as this guy listened to whoever was on the other end of the call.

  “No. I know, but, bro, … you’re just heading down a pathway that I don’t want to go. I took care of the problem this time, yes, but that’s it. I’m not doing you any more favors. I have to go. My show is back on TV.” With that, he hung up, tossed down his phone, and slumped onto the couch. When Corbin moved into his line of sight, he said, “Jesus Christ, what the hell?”

  Corbin stepped forward, grabbed him around the neck, pinned him in place, and whispered against his ear, “Yeah, that’s what I want to know too. What the hell are you doing killing young university students, who are just talking to law enforcement?”

  The other man froze and then started swearing.

  “Yeah, you’re not as good as you think you are.” Corbin snapped, “It was pretty damn easy to track you down. Now the cops want to talk to you, but I wanted a moment with you first.”

  The other man gulped and said, “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Liar.”

  “I am not.”

  “We have video of her opening the door to you, and, when you came out, you’re looking different but not all that different.”

  The other man growled, “Fuck off.”

  “No, I’m not going anywhere.” Corbin grinned. “However, I do want to know where the hell these women are—the ones you were just talking about to your buddy.”

  “I’m not telling you nothing, and you can’t make me.”

  “I can, and you won’t see daylight for a very long time.”

  “Says you,” he sneered. “I can take you out and disappear. The cops will never find me.”

  “They already know to look for you. The camera feed came up really clear.”

  “Bullshit, I’m better than that.”

  “Nope. I can tell you that my techs are much better than you ever thought you were.” Corbin laughed. “If you haven’t upgraded your skills over the last few years, you’re just a loser, … a bottom-line loser.”

  “Shut up,” he muttered, gasping for breaths.

  “I don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere until you talk.”

  “And I ain’t talking. Sounds like we’re at a stalemate.”

  Corbin thought about it for a moment. “I guess I’ll go pick up your brother too. We’ll see how that piece of shit handles interrogation.”

  “You leave my brother alone.” He swore heavily. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

  “Nah, he’s the one who got you this job. He’s the one involved with the women. He should be a piece of cake.”

  And, with that, Corbin hit the pressure point on the guy’s neck and knocked the man unconscious. Within minutes, Corbin had him tied up and secured, had pulled his wallet to confirm ID—Earl Embry—and he called Hatch. “I need an address for the brother. I overheard the telephone conversation, and Earl’s brother has got the women somewhere. I need someone here to keep an eye on this prisoner. He’s secured, but I don’t want to leave him alone. And I’ve got his phone too,” he added, while grabbing it from the unconscious guy. “I’ll take some snaps of his contacts and recent calls, texts, then leave the phone for the cops.”

  “Your partner will be there in a second.”

  “I wondered if I would even get one.” A sudden knock came on the front door. “Shit, I got company.”

  “In this case it’s a good thing. It’s who we’ve been waiting for.”

  He opened the door to see Aiden, an old navy buddy. “Aiden?”

  “Yeah, that’s me,” he muttered. “I was supposed to be here earlier today.”

  “Oh, shit. Are you my partner?” He stared at his old buddy.

  “If that’s okay with you.” He smiled. “I’ve missed out on a lot. Bring me up to speed.”

  “That’s okay. You’ve got perfect timing. I really need you to stand guard on this guy.” He pointed at the unconscious prisoner. “I will let Hatch fill you in, and I am going after the brother.”

  “Who is this guy? And why is he tied up and unconscious?”

  “Earl Embry. He just killed a student on the university campus, and his brother is involved in kidnapping mothers and kids.”

  “No problem. He’s not going anywhere. You go do your thing,” He looked at him and shook his head. “Typical Corbin.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You leave my guy unconscious and tied up. What’s for me to do?”

  “Hey, I’m not taking any chances. If he wakes, get him to talk. We’ve got to find these women and fast.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Aiden murmured, “and the sooner, the better.”

  As Corbin walked out the door, Aiden sent him a text. Anything I should know about this asshole?

  Yeah, he’s a piece of shit and seriously involved. And, with that, he raced over to his vehicle, his phone ringing.

  “We are working on this,” Hatch said, “also take care to not step on any toes.”

  “Aiden is here. He’ll keep an eye on my lovely prisoner. Have you sent him the files? So he can get up to speed?”

  “Yeah, I’ve sent him the files. He’ll catch up while you’re out.”

  “Good,” he murmured. “Better if you’re sending law enforcement there so Aiden can come help me on this end.”

  “As soon as we get some law enforcement whom we can trust, absolutely. Of course that’s not always the easiest. But we’ll have someone there soon.”

  “Okay, good.” Corbin looked at the brother’s address on his phone and immediately plugged it into the car’s GPS and headed out. He noted a second vehicle parked off to the side and wondered if it was Aiden’s. He quickly phoned Aiden. “Did you drive in?”

  “Yes, that blue truck in the parking lot is mine.”

  “Good. I’ll need you to haul your ass to me, as soon as law enforcement hits your corner.”

  “Will do. They are taking their sweet time, but I got somebody at the door now.”

  “Good enough. I’m about four minutes away from the new address, which I’ve already sent to you.”

  “Okay, got it. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be on your tail in no time.”

  And, with that, Corbin hung up and double-checked his GPS. The address was just around the corner. He made a couple quick maneuvers and was right outside what looked like a really low-end boarding house. He frowned at that. “You know what? For all these weird jobs your brother said that you had lined up, looks like you aren’t doing so hot.”

  He exited his vehicle, headed up to the apartment number that he had on file. As he got there, the door was open, and the guy inside was singing at the top of his lungs. Corbin winced at that because, chances were, this brother was high as a kite. Corbin walked in and called out, “Hey, man, your brother sent me.”

  The guy stopped singing, looked over at him, and smiled. “Good. Glad he changed his mind.”

  “Absolutely. Although he’s still not sure about these women.”

  “Of course not.” The brother laughed, a high-pitched sound that hurt Corbin’s ears. “He thinks I can’t do anything. Calls me a fuckup every time I talk to him. But he doesn’t know.”

  “What doesn’t he know?” Corbin asked, trying to humor him.

  “He doesn’t know that this is the big one. This is the score of a lifetime. I’ll be living high on the hog, and he’ll be the one begging me for work.”

  “I hope so, for your sake.”

  “Yeah, don’t you worry.” He gave Corbin a fat grin. “Plus I gave them two more names they can go pick up.” He squealed with laughter. “Man, how sweet is that?”

  “Oh, nice. Your brother is probably trying to figure out how he can score too.”

  “He should. He was always a good scout, but he got soft. He doesn’t like to target women anymore.”

  “Yeah. Well, he went to bat for you though, didn’t he?” Corbin added in disgust, “When you needed him.”

  “See? He doesn’t like to even talk to me about shit like that.” He looked at Corbin and asked, “Man, you got a weapon on you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Oh. … I don’t deal with weapons very much. I’m more of a scout type, you know? I go hunt the women, find the ones they can use, and then I hand over the names and don’t have to worry about anything else. They do all the dirty work. Me? I get to take my money and run with it.”

  “How many do you have to give them though?”

  “Hah, you just want in on the same deal,” he replied. “See? I might help my brother, but I don’t know you from shit.”

  “No, that’s true,” Corbin agreed. “I was just wondering if they were a tiny-ass operation that you have to worry about getting your money or if this was a big deal.”

  “I don’t really know. So far, there hasn’t been any problem with the money. As soon as I give them a name, and it checks out, and they pick her up, and it’s all confirmed, then they pay me good money.”

  Corbin rolled his eyes. “Wow. So why are you living in this dump then?”

  “Well, … the last two I gave them I haven’t been paid for, just a little deposit.” He frowned, then immediately cheered up. “But I will. I will soon.”

  Corbin nodded and stared at him. “I suppose you just text them because they never answer phone calls.”

  “Yeah, exactly. They get back to me with a yes or no, and then we go from there.”

  “Well, how do you know they didn’t pick up your no responses? Maybe they just don’t want to pay you for those.”

  He just stared at Corbin, then shook his head. “They wouldn’t do that. We’ve been working together for a while, for … months.”

  Corbin nodded again. “Ah, okay. You trust them then.”

  “Yeah, of course I do. Of course I do. You know what? My brother says I can’t trust them, but then he doesn’t trust anybody.”

  “That’s because he’s probably been burned.”

  “Yeah, he has had a couple bad deals.” He sniggered. “Not me though.”

  “I imagine he’s struggling right now. Worried, you know?”

  “How so?”

  “His face got caught on the cameras.”

  “What do you mean, his face got caught on the cameras?” he asked, staring at Corbin in shock.

  “So you don’t know? That chick he just wasted, … new cameras were set up on that dorm floor,” Corbin said in a conversational tone. “His face is on the video feed.”

  “No way. My brother is too smart for that shit. He’s great at disguises.”

  “It’s one of the reasons why he sent me over here. He’s in a spot of trouble, and he wants to know if you can give him a hand or not.”

  “What kind of trouble? Better not be trouble because of my deal.” He glared at Corbin. “Because, you know, that’s one of the conditions. This job has to be simple. Quick and easy. No drama and no trouble. This has to go perfectly.”

  “No, of course not. That’s the only way these guys know how to operate, right? I mean, trouble is bad news for everybody.”

  “Yeah, you’re not kidding.”

  “You can ask your brother, if you want to,” Corbin said. “He went to lie down. He’s feeling kind of sick.”

  “Hey, that’s not my brother either. He doesn’t do sick.”

  “Until he realized that his face is all over the cameras. And now he’s trying to see if he can skip town.”

  “So he sent you to ask for money? Like bloody fucking hell. … I’m not giving you money. You’d just keep it yourself. My brother is a big boy. He can handle whatever he’s gotten himself into. He’s gotten away from this kind of trouble before.”