Page 74 of John’s Yearning

Then another shot sounded from behind the stack.

“Got ‘em,” Zane confirmed through the mic.

“The three men from the ship are dead,” John announced through his mic. “What about the customs guys?”

“Both dead as a doornail,” Benjamin confirmed.

“Pushing up daisies,” Damian added.

“Greedy bastards,” Logan said dryly through the mic. “They didn’t leave me anything.”

“Grayson? The girls?” John asked.

“Container is locked with a chain. Ryder is getting a bolt cutter.”

“Ryder? Check in.”

“On my way back.”

“Hurry! I’m sure we’ll have company soon. Somebody will have heard the shots.” Though John hoped that the thunder and the pounding rain had obscured some of the sounds.

John marched toward the red container, past the customs van, where the twins loaded the bodies into the back.

“Good thinking,” he praised them on passing. At least from afar people would only see the empty customs van, and not the dead bodies. It would buy his team precious time to get away.

He pressed his mic. “Zane, get rid of the bodies of the three guys.”

“Already on it.”

John looked over his shoulder and saw Zane dropping one of the guys into the water. Virginia was busy searching the pockets of the second guy. Satisfied that his team was doing what needed to be done, he approached the red container, just as Ryder came around the corner and joined Enya and Grayson who were waiting there, scanning the area for anybody who might see them.

“Are we all visible again?” John asked Enya.

She nodded. “Wasn’t much point wasting energy once we all got drenched.”

“Okay.” He nodded to Ryder. “Open it up.” Then he added, “Get ready, just in case they’ve got a guard in there with the kids.”

Both Enya and Grayson aimed their weapons at the door. Ryder used the bolt cutter on the chain, snapping the metal, then tugged on the chain to free it from the door. He looked over his shoulder.

“Open it,” John instructed, “and stand back. I’m going in first.”

Ryder pulled the heavy door back. As soon as John could see inside, he focused his eyes. Then relaxed.

“Weapons down,” he said quietly, so as not to alarm the precious cargo. “Enya, join me. Virginia, meet us inside. The rest of you stay outside, cover us.”

John slowly walked into the dark space. With his vampire vision, he could already see what a human couldn’t: in the back of the container, the captured girls had huddled together in fear, clinging to each other on their mattresses.

John lifted his visor. He sighed when he saw the girls’ horrified faces. “Don’t be afraid. We’re taking you home to your parents now,” he said softly. “I’m John, and this is Enya.”

There were gasps and sobs, as if the children didn’t believe him. And why should they?

Behind him the door opened wider, letting in a bit more light.

With Enya by his side, John approached the girls, then crouched down when he reached the mattresses. “Jennifer? Mary? Carol?” He’d memorized their names from their files and hoped by addressing them by their names, some of their fears would dissipate. “Sarah? Jane? Cindy? Are you all okay? Andrea? Heather?”

“I’m Jane,” one of the girls replied.

“Are you taking us home now?” another one whimpered.