We might even get to sample some of our cargo, if you know what I mean.
The man’s words drifted through her mind. Were they talking about human cargo? Did they have women on board now? Until this moment Jess had been under the impression that they were smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States. But smuggling women out of the country, as well? Who were the women? Runaways? And where were these men taking them?
The whole scenario sickened her.
Taking a fortifying breath, she twisted the wheel lock, pulled open the hatch and stepped into the semidarkness. The hatch closed with a resounding click behind her. Around her, steel pipes clanged and pinged, the ceiling creaked. Claustrophobia threatened, but Jess staved it off by sheer will. She couldn’t turn back now. Nicolas was relying on her.
Slowly, cautiously she moved down the narrow corridor, her shoes nearly silent on the steel floor. Twenty feet into the hall, she came upon another hatch. Setting her hands on the wheel, she turned it twice and the hatch hissed open. She went through it and another corridor stretched out before her. The odors of mildew, oily water and something else dark and earthy filled her nostrils. Jess squinted into the near darkness, but the corridor was empty. Pulling the flashlight from her waistband, she flicked it on. The beam illuminated steel walls stained red with rust and dripping with condensation.
She thought she and Madrid had taken this same route the night before, but nothing looked familiar. As she made her way down the narrow corridor, she desperately wished for a blueprint of the ship. Nicolas could be anywhere and she had no idea where to look.
The sound of steel against steel sent her heart into her throat. Gasping, Jess spun, brought up the flashlight. Terror slammed into her at the sight of the two men crowded into the doorway and holding ugly-looking rifles trained on her chest.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
Chapter Seventeen
Jess’s pulse raced out of control as a tall man with a scraggly beard looked her up and down. They were the same two men she’d encountered on deck. The men who’d been so nonchalantly discussing the murder of an innocent child.
“Looks like we got us a stowaway,” said the man.
His partner nodded. “A ship is a dangerous place. Anything could happen to a stowaway and no one would ever know.”
Jess’s heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear the words. But she didn’t need to hear their voices to know they wouldn’t think twice about harming her.
“I—I must have taken a wrong turn.” A dumb response, but it was the only explanation she could think of with her heart doing acrobatics in her chest and her mind spinning like a top.
The bearded man lunged at her. She felt the scrape of his fingertips against her arm and danced back. Simultaneously she brought up the flashlight, hoping the beam would temporarily blind him. A curse burned through the air, and she caught a glimpse of his lips pulled back into a snarl, his eyes glinting with savage intent. And all she could think was that they were going to kill her and no one would ever know.
If anything happens…hit the red button.
Madrid’s words flashed through her mind. She stumbled back. Her hand went to the device clipped to her belt. She fumbled with it till her fingers found the button and pressed it.
An instant later the flashlight was knocked from her hand. Vaguely she was aware of it skittering away. Screaming, Jess spun and threw herself into a run, the footsteps behind her spurring her faster. She was midway to the hatch when two strong arms grabbed her shoulders and spun her around.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
She lashed out with her fists, but the man was strong and fast and overpowered her with ease. Jess fought him, but she was no match. Shoving her face-first into the wall hard enough to bruise her cheek, he jerked her hands behind her back.
“Give me the rope,” he snapped to his partner.
Jess tried to jerk her hands free, but her efforts were in vain. She closed her eyes as the man tied her wrists.
Roughly the man spun her around to face them. She cringed when his gaze swept over her, lingering on her breasts. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he demanded.
“I—I told you,” Jess said in a shaking voice. “I must have taken a wrong turn.”
The two men exchanged looks. “So what do we do with her?” the other guy asked. “Throw her in the brig with the others?”
The bearded man sneered. “She ain’t lost. I’d lay odds this bitch is Customs.” He all but snarled at her. “Or a damn cop.”
“A cop?” The second man looked alarmed. “I don’t want no part of this if she’s a cop. I’m on parole.”
“That won’t matter.” Her captor lifted his hand to her face, ran his finger down her cheek and smiled. “Unless she can swim with an anchor around her neck.”