“That’s why you’re switching to guns?”
“That, and these sick bastards,” he said. “Even I don’t like what they do with the girls.”
His words brought Sin back to the reason she was here. “What are they doing with the girls?” She remembered the studio in the back of the church, the blood found on the stage and prayed her premonition was wrong. “Are they filming the torture of these girls?”
Veloz coughed up and spit blood. “You are even better than I ever imagined. It’s a shame you won’t be alive to stop them.”
Sin leaned forward and stuck the barrel of the revolver in Veloz’s chest.
He struggled to inhale. “These peoples is the worst,” he wheezed, “they love two things.”
Sin put more of her weight on his chest. “What things?”
“Money and torture,” Veloz gurgled.
“You never told me what I want—what makes me tick,” Sin snarled.
“You want what you cannot have―justice.” The word squeaked as it made its way out of his throat.
Sin reached behind her and slid the Balisong from her pocket. With a flick of her wrist, she opened it, all the time watching Veloz’s eyes. She dropped her gun, and held the blade against his neck. “One last time,” she sneered, “who is running this operation?”
Veloz glared at her through blood red eyes. “I don’t know!”
“Then you’re no good to me.” She bent closer and placed her lips close to Veloz’s ear. “I always get what I want,” she whispered. Leaning back, Sin looked in Veloz’s eyes. “This is for Manuel.”
Sin grabbed a pillow and placed it over Veloz’s face. Before he could even react, she slid the Balisong across his throat killing him instantly. The pillow prevented her from getting hit with the arterial spray.
Sin checked on the coke-whore.
Dead of an overdose.
Sin went into the bathroom and scrubbed Veloz’s blood from her hands.
31
Sin checked the time—it was five a.m.
She assessed her situation and sent a text to Charlie.
The boat should be here soon, she thought. I need to move fast.
Sin checked on the guard. He still lay unconscious on the couch.
She untied Tia and said, “I need you to be a big girl for me a little while longer, can you do that?”
Tia nodded, squirming as she stood.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom,” Sin asked.
“Si, Angel.”
Sin let her go into the bathroom, made sure the door was shut, and went back and put a bullet in the head of the bodyguard.
Sin led her down the stairs, reversing her steps. All the security had been eliminated, so it was an easy trip. They made their way out the same way Sin came in and hid in a tiki bar down by the pier.
Sin got up the courage to ask her if anyone had hurt her. Tia told her that she had been very scared, but that no one hurt her. She then leaned against Sin and wrapped her frail arms around her.
Relieved, Sin kissed the top of Tia’s hair, closed her eyes, and rested.
Just before sunrise, she heard the faint sound of a boat motor and the sound of a truck approaching.
Sin crouched low and listened. She heard the truck’s engine shut off and two men order the girls out of the back. She could hear whimpering, but no one screamed.
The sound of the boat engine became much louder as it neared. When it sounded like it was idling, Sin figured it must have reached the dock. The sound of footsteps coming from the direction of the dock told her that her feelings were correct.
Sin gestured to Tia to stay put and not to scream.
Tia’s eyes grew wide and she started to tremble.
Sin leaned forward and gave her a slight peck on her cheek. “Everything will be fine, I promise,” she whispered.
With a gentle hand, she pushed Tia beneath the bar where she would be the safest.
Sin could hear the men talking, wondering where Veloz was. She heard multiple pairs of footsteps on the wooden dock and then a different sound when the girls were corralled on the boat. She peered over the bar and saw five men standing in a group, one was on a radio trying to reach Veloz. The others stood around watching.
This is no time for finesse, Sin thought. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and lurched out from behind the bar, firing as fast as she could pull the trigger.
Five pulls on the trigger, five men down.
Just as she saw another man on the boat, from the corner of her eye, she saw a long shadow come at her from behind. Before she could react, she felt the blunt force of a hard object strike the side of her head.
That was the last thing she remembered until she came to in the hold of the boat. Her head was pounding and her wrists and ankles were bound with zip ties.
32
Charlie stood in his hangar looking at the people sitting around him. His eyes first went to Thomas, Sin’s father. He looked tired and weak. Next to him was Carmelita, for the first time in Charlie’s recollection, she looked less than well-put together. On Thomas’ other side stood Troy.
“I’m sure everyone is wondering why you’re here.”
Everyone nodded.
“Charlie, I agreed to this meeting because you said it had to do with my daughter. What’s going on? Miller and the State Police have been to my house, questioning me about Sin’s involvement in a break in at church. They said she is wanted for breaking and entering and attempted murder. I haven’t been able to reach her.” Thomas sounded frantic.
“Well, that seems like a good jumping in point,” Charlie said, “so let’s address that issue first.” He straightened his posture as if he was about to be reprimanded by a higher up. “First of all, she didn’t try to kill anyone. She subdued a few, but―”
“Are you saying, she did break into Heap’s church?”
“She was just doing her job, Thomas.”
Sin’s father tried to stand,
