Part 21 (1/2)

”I thought I recognized you even though you had a disguise. You were here the other day,” the woman accused, although her voice was not angry.

”Yes,” Charlie answered, too preoccupied to care that she was found out as her gaze a.s.sessed the dark street. ”I need to get inside.”

Xia's face contorted, her eyes giving away her indecision. Charlie decided to press her. ”I don't know if you know what's going on, but there's a girl trapped in here who wants out. I've come to get her. I can easily call the police right now, or you can let me in to get her.” Trying to lock her knees to keep them from knocking together, Charlie kept her expression impa.s.sive, hoping to bl.u.s.ter her way inside.

”I don't know what's going on inside,” Xia said. ”I only work the front reception desk.”

”And take certain homeless persons to the back if they have a card, right?”

Swallowing deeply, Xia said, ”Those are my instructions. They get special treatment.”

”That may be true, but I'll warrant there are more sinister things going on inside. Do you want to be a part of that?”

”I...I...”

Charlie nodded to the door. ”Can you get me in? If so, just get the door unlocked and I'll take it from there.”

Xia looked around, her gaze indecisive. Finally, she turned back to Charlie and said, ”Fine.” She darted around and headed to the door. Her key fit the lock and she swung the door open. ”I'm not going in...but I won't keep you out.”

With that Charlie slipped by the woman and, with a nod of thanks, headed into the dark hallway.

Penny followed the woman down the underground hallway, her hands clutched at her sides, fingernails biting into her palms. Where is Charlotte? She was supposed to be here by now. Unable to wait any longer, she had no choice but to follow the woman back into the tunnels, heading to where she would wait for David when he came out of surgery.

At a metal door, she turned and looked at the woman behind her. A man appeared and unlocked it.

”Is this where I'll wait for David?” Penny asked nervously, her eyes focused on the dragon tattoo on the woman's wrist. Why would I wait down here?

With a slow smile, the woman simply nodded as the door swung open. Penny's arm was grabbed by the man standing by her side and she was shoved unceremoniously inside before the door slammed shut.

”Noooo!” she screamed, her fists pounding on the door. Hearing a noise from behind her, she whirled in fright. A group of women stood huddled toward the back, staring at her with a mixture of pity and understanding. Recognizing most of them from the dorms, she stared dumbfounded. ”Why are you here?”

”We...it's...,” one of the women whispered, ”it's where they bring us...before they send us somewhere else.”

Penny's mind scrambled to make sense of what the woman was saying. ”Somewhere else? Where?”

The woman who had spoken simply shrugged, her eyes slightly glazed over. ”Who knows? The highest bidder probably.”

The reality of the situation slowly dawned on Penny as her heart pounded in her chest. ”They...they're not here to help us, are they?”

The other women in the room held her gaze sadly as one answered, ”No. We're the forgotten ones.”

Penny turned back to the door, her eyes p.r.i.c.kling with tears, realizing she would never see David again.

Chapter 29.

Opening the door to the stairs, Charlie jogged up two flights. Not knowing where to look, she was grateful for the empty halls. With most doors closed, it appeared that everyone had retired for the evening; there was virtually no staff in sight. Curious, she peeked into one room with a window in the door and saw four beds, each empty.

Checking three other rooms, she found them all empty. Penny had indicated that there were others in the dorm-like rooms with her...so where could they all be?

Entering the staircase again, she went up one more flight. Rounding the corner, Charlie quickly walked to a door across the hall and opened it. This room was different. Set up like a hospital room, she stared at an empty bed, the sheets gone, leaving the mattress bare.

Charlie's breath left her in a whoosh as she took in the rest of the small, neat room containing not only the bed, but a plastic chair and a door leading to a small bathroom as well.

”Are you looking for someone?” a woman's voice sounded behind her.

Charlie whirled around, her eyes landing on the pet.i.te Asian woman facing her with a gun in her hand. She immediately took a defensive stance, her eyes not leaving the weapon.

”Tsk, tsk. Such unfounded heroics, Ms. Trivett.”

At hearing her name, Charlie's gaze moved from the gun up to the woman's face and back down again. The head of a dragon tattoo snaked along the woman's wrist. The memory slammed back into her at having seen the tattoo before. Oh, my G.o.d, how could I have forgotten that? Eli's killer. Oh, Jesus, Eli's killer! ”You!” she panted, eyes wide as her focus dropped from the woman's face back to the gun being held.

”Ah, so you did see me?”

Licking her lips, Charlie wondered what to say, but the woman gave her little time to process the situation.

With a sly smile that did not reach her eyes, she jerked the gun. ”Let's go. Walk.”

Charlie, her body shaking, shuffled in front of the woman as they moved back into the hall. Reaching her hand up to the St. Luke medallion around her neck, she grasped it, hoping one of the Saints would discover her.

They parked the van near the alley toward the back of the clinic. Nick had chosen to ride with them, deciding to take his chances not following procedures. While he, Monty, and Luke stayed in the vehicle, keeping an eye on the monitoring equipment, Bart and Cam alighted from the van.

Luke smiled as another van pulled up in front of him, knowing Nick was in for a surprise. Jude, Patrick, and Chad exited the vehicle, all but Jude dressed similarly to Bart and Cam.

”What the h.e.l.l is going on?” Nick asked, twisting his head around to stare at Luke.

”The Saints have stepped up the game. Jack got the okay to send in the full group. They go in, gather intelligence, and then come back out to report to you. Depending on what they find, you can get the necessary warrants to take these guys down. And, if Lin w.a.n.g is involved, you get her at the same time. Jack and Blaise are at the Bureau headquarters waiting to see what evidence we find.”

Luke checked his phone, the last message coming from Charlie saying she was stuck in traffic. He had sent her a message telling her to keep away and that they would look for Penny, but had not received one back. Glancing up at the building, he hoped she was still in traffic and not traipsing around somewhere.

Chad and Jude jogged over and smiled at Luke. ”Okay man, Jude will monitor the equipment. You get to go in on this one.”

Grinning, Luke jumped in the back, quickly suiting up before joining the others as they entered the back of the building after Cam disabled the alarm system. Bart turned toward him and said, ”We're following the tunnels from your diagram.”

This time Bart and Cam avoided the clinic and entered from the alley where they knew from Luke's building plans they would be able to enter one of the tunnels. As the men descended into the dark and dank tunnel, they moved stealthily toward the back, looking for the way up into the area where Penny had indicated she was staying.

Hearing a loud rattling, they slipped unnoticed behind some crates, waiting to see who was coming. Luke steadied his breathing, his heart pounding with adrenaline. Used to being back in the van with the computers and monitors, he hoped he had the experience to work in the field. Too late to have those doubts now! As the noise of footsteps, voices, and the squeaky wheels of a cart sounded louder, he pressed back into the shadows even more. From his vantage point, he was able to see a woman pus.h.i.+ng a large cart, escorted by a man. Both wearing scrubs, they stopped outside a large metal door.

The man opened the door with a key and the woman entered. ”Here. Eat.” Rattling sounds emanated and the couple retraced their steps back down the hall after the man shut and locked the door behind him.

As soon as they disappeared, the Saints looked at each other, questions in their eyes. Luke nodded toward the door and Cam moved into position in front of it with Bart and Patrick on either side, weapons ready. Cam, using a variety of instruments, quickly unlocked the door. Giving the signal, he swung it open with Bart and Patrick darting inside, their weapons now drawn and pointing in.

”f.u.c.k,” Bart breathed as Luke entered the room right behind him.