Chapter Ten Min

CHAPTER TEN: MIN

Babe drops me off at the back entrance. I slide off his bike and re-position the messenger bag containing the cameras.

"Get in and get out," Babe says.

"That's the plan," I say before slipping into the parking lot. Keeping my movements casual, I keep to the shadows and out of sight. I glance around for guards, but the place appears deserted.

The first building I enter is the church office. I check each room and find all but one empty and unused. In the last room is a desk with a computer, a printer, and a filing cabinet. The lack of dust confirms they're using the space, even though the computer and monitor are both off. My fingers itch to boot it up and check what's on it, but I know setting up the cameras takes precedence. The first one I place to cover the door, but I install a second one to record the monitor. Before moving on, I try the filing cabinet, but find it locked. I give it a shove and know it isn't empty. Before leaving the building, I install a third camera to monitor the entrance.

After a quick glance outside to verify no one is around, I cross over to the next building. I'm guessing they used this building for their social events, considering the massive kitchen I'm standing in. I install a camera aimed at the door before moving to the next room. This room likely held tables and chairs, but now it's a mess. Someone removed the drywall and the ceiling tiles. A pile of debris sits in one corner while stacks of boxes sit at the opposite end. The boxes contain soundproofing tiles. Dread fills me as I consider the necessity of soundproofing this room. I can't risk setting up a camera in this room because of the construction. The risk is too great that they'll find it.

The last building, except for the church, shows more use. This must be where the priests used to sleep. It's like a small apartment building. Each small room has only a bed, a nightstand, and a bureau. There are four rooms. Each showing signs of an inhabitant. My first thought is that this is where our four targets are staying, but the rooms show several days-worth of occupation. I install the cameras before moving to my last target. The church.

Since I haven't run into anyone, I figure the church is where I'll find them. After carefully opening the door, I slip inside. Standing perfectly still in the shadows, I listen for voices, the sound of anyone moving around, but all I hear is silence. After installing another camera, I slide further into the church. Keeping to the walls, I make my way toward the altar. Since most churches have multiple exits, my plan is to circle the space and install cameras before passing through the altar to the rooms beyond. Sammy's map showed that there are a series of rooms beyond the altar that only the priest uses. Since this is where I expect to find someone, I enter carefully, but find it empty. Could the place be empty? Maybe they realized we were watching them and abandoned the church?

The room has two other doors. Opening one, I find an exit out to the parking lot where an SUV sits empty. Trying the second door, I find a set of stairs leading down. This wasn't on Sammy's map. Up to this point, Babe and I have been on radio silence, but I know better than to venture into a dark basement without backup. Closing the door, I back up further into the room.

"Babe, you there," I whisper.

"Yeah, you almost done?"

"Almost. I have the cameras setup. I haven't run into anyone yet, but there is a door leading into a basement. It wasn't on Sammy's map. I'm heading down, but wanted to touch base first."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Won't take me more than a few minutes." I know he's considering arguing with me, but I press on. "We can't take the chance of missing an entrance. Some cities have a tunnel system. I'm just going to look around."

"Okay, but if I don't hear from you in five minutes, I'm coming over there."

"Fifteen."

"Ten."

"Done."

Opening the door, I slowly descend the steps. I'm halfway down when a scream echoes from below.

"Min?" Babe shouts.

"That wasn't me. Hold on."

I descend the remaining steps and find myself in a hallway. Solid wooden doors align each side. I see a light coming from the open door at the end of the hallway. Keeping myself close to the wall, I shuffle across the stone floor until I hear a man speak.

"You've broken her jaw," one man snarls. "Now we won't get anything out of her. Fuck, she's useless. We'll have to grab another."

"What do you want us to do with her?" comes another voice.

"I don't give a fuck. Just kill her and dump her body somewhere." I frown when I realize I recognize the voice speaking, but I can't place it. That's so damn frustrating. But I can't focus on that right now. I need to see if I can rescue the woman. There are at least two men inside with her. I might be able to take them, but I don't like my odds if there are more.

"We're leaving. Let me know if you grab someone else from the medical center. This time, don't fucking touch her face until we have the answers we need." Says the familiar voice.

"We can't keep kidnapping women from the medical center and hope we find someone who knows something. The cops aren't that stupid. I'm putting a guy on the inside. He can find us someone who knows something."

"Whatever you have to do, do it. I need to know what happened to the fucking doctors who ran that place."

"We'll take care of it. Benjamin, take her somewhere and drop her from a height. Maybe the cops will think she got her broken bones and bruises from the fall."

His voice is getting louder, which means he's getting closer. I don't have time to rush back upstairs without being seen. Trying the door nearest me, I breathe a sigh of relief when it silently opens. Slipping inside, I close it, leaving just a small sliver so I can see the hallway. Four men pass by, but I can't make out their features. Three of the four men are around the same height and weight. The fourth is several inches taller and bulkier. I hear three taps through my headphones and know that Babe wants an update. Not wanting to speak out loud, I tap three times on my mic to let Babe know I'm fine. I know he wants a verbal confirmation, but he'll just have to wait. That won't make him happy, but I'm certain my next move will piss him off more.

I carefully open the door, but a soft moan coming from the corner has me freezing. Taking out my phone, I turn on the flashlight and cast a light over the body lying on a mattress. I hear a woman whimper.

"Shh, I won't hurt you," I say as I squat down next to her and brush her hair away from her face. Even beneath the dirt and the bruising, I can tell she's young. I don't see any restraints as I pull the blanket off her to reveal a naked girl with small breasts and few curves.

I shift to pull off the rest of the blanket, but she grabs my arm.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't. Can you stand up?"

"I'll try," she says. I help her into a sitting position. She winces, but doesn't give up. "What's your name?"

"Min. What's yours?"

"Kristi."

"What's going on?" Babe asks through my headphones. "Who are you talking to?"

"There's a girl down here. She's hurt. I'm helping her escape. There's another woman I need to help, too."

"What the fuck? Min, you can't do it on your own. I'll come help you."

"No," I tell him. "They'll catch you. I have an idea. I'll shout out if I need the calvary."

"Fuck," Babe says and I can tell he's considering ignoring my request, but he relents. "Okay, I'll wait for your signal. Just be careful."

Kristi wraps herself in the blanket before taking my arm. We cross to the door and listen. I can hear a man grunting as he passes by the door. Carefully, I open the door and peek outside. A man's walking away from us. He has a wrapped bundle slung over his shoulder and I'm certain it's the woman. Kristi trembles next to me as we wait at the bottom of the steps. He doesn't look back before stepping through the door. I grab it before it shuts closed. I listen until I can no longer hear his grunts before leading Kristi into the room. Taking a chance, I open the exit door and see him loading the woman into the back of the SUV.

That's when I make my move. Leaving Kristi leaning against the wall, I close the distance between us and use my momentum to leap on his back so we both land inside the SUV. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I cut off his oxygen until he passes out. Sliding out of the SUV, I swing his legs inside and close the door. Turning to where I left Kristi, who is no longer where I left her.

Before I can panic, I hear a car door open and shut. Leaning forward, I see Kristi sitting in the front seat. Shaking my head, I rush to the driver's side and open the door. That's when I realize I don't have the keys. However, we're in luck. The electric starter only needs the fob. It must be in the asshole's pocket. Taking a deep breath, I start the car and drive out of the parking lot.