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Now, back in the tunnel rooms, he was waiting for East to arrive, then Rivera. The kids were restless, and the teachers, if you wanted to call them that, were even worse.
He’d met Gerta while in Las Vegas for a business trip. She was seated at the bar, looking drunk and willing. Just his type. A little plump on her hips, she had a rack to die for. Lucky for him, she also had a mouth. One that sucked and one that talked.
When she started talking about her work, at first, he wanted to tell her to shut up. Then he heard the word ‘genius.’ As he questioned more and more, his ideas were rolling around in his head. Just a few weeks later, he learned that the teachers weren’t geniuses at all. They were all educators fed up with the traditional system, making shit for money, and were willing to do anything to get what they wanted.
Gerta found three other women willing to sell out the kids at the school. The ones they selected were the ones with no parents, no family, no siblings. They had nothing except one another. From there, it was easy to get them on the bus to El Paso.
The problem was that none of the kids had lived up to their hype. Not one had been able to do what he asked, and he was running out of time.
“Your golden boy is here,” smirked one of the men.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growled. “He’s a means to an end. You make sure that shed is covered, and no one comes near it. I have to have those kids ready to go tomorrow.”
Frowning, the man walked out the back of the house and disappeared into the shed. When the front door opened and East walked in, Sutton said nothing at first. East looked around the house, nodding.
“Glad to see the maid came,” he smirked. “Good impression for Rivera when he comes. Gonna make a mess from where I’m sitting, but that’s your problem to clean up.”
“You know, East,” said Sutton, shaking his head. “If I didn’t need you so much today, I’d kill you right where you stand.”
“You could try,” said East. “I’ll be around. Don’t block my shot.”
“How will I know if I’m blocking your shot if I don’t know where you are?” he yelled.
“You’ll know if you feel the bullet.” East walked out the front door and down the steps of the porch, disappearing in his truck once again. Sutton just shook his head, staring at the empty space that was once filled by the giant of a man.
“I really hate that guy.”
Sniff crawled on his belly to the small opening where the kids were being held. They listened carefully, realizing that the teachers were no longer in the room.
“Alex,” he whispered into the microphone.
“We’re here, sir,” said the little boy. “But you gotta hurry. Marilisa isn’t feeling well, and the others are getting hot.”
“Do they have fever?” asked Sniff.
“I think so,” he said. “I’m scared, Mr. Sniff.”
“I know, buddy. We’re gonna get you out of there, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Listen to me, Alex. I need all of you to get back from the door. Lean against the wall, and if you can, cover your faces with blankets when you start to hear gunshots.”
“Gunshots?” he repeated.
“Yes, son. Someone is coming to get you, and there could be shooting. We’re going to try not to do that, but it might be necessary.”
“You’re gonna need to shoot Miss Gerta for sure,” he said. “She’s got a gun, and she waves it at us when she’s mad. The others just slap us.”
Sniff’s body went into overdrive, his anger rising to the point of destruction. The dogs immediately felt it, growling low behind him. If he could make the hole bigger without endangering the children, he could get a dog through to protect them. But then the women would know that they’d been in communication with someone.
“Just try not to be in their way, Alex. I have to go to the other side now. The next time you see me, I’m going to be coming through the main tunnel.”
“How will I recognize you?” asked the boy.
“I’ll be the man with the three biggest dogs you’ve ever seen.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
