Author: Jaci Burton

“They’re unloading the shipment somewhere else,” Spence said.

Shadoe nodded. “Probably off the side of the ship. The guy who came to the door said the launch was in place and the shipment was ready to be off-loaded. My guess would be a waiting boat.”

Spence took off like a rocket; the rest of them followed, not easy to do since the last thing they wanted was to capture security’s attention. They had to run all the way to the end of the docks, then head up toward the water.

“We’re going to have to cut through this fence,” Spence said.

AJ reached into his cargo pants. “Not a problem.”

Shadoe arched a brow at the tiny bolt cutters no bigger than a set of pliers. “You think those are going to cut through this thick fence?”

AJ didn’t bother to look up. “I know so.”

He was right. It took less than a minute and he was through. He then cut a hole large enough for them to fit through, which they had to do carefully so the sharp pieces wouldn’t cut skin or clothing. Pax held the top while they eased through the opening. When they were through, they pulled the fence closed so it wouldn’t look cut.

“Head back this way.”

They followed Spence along the narrow dock barely wide enough for one person. Shadoe could see the ship ahead. In the dark, it was hard to tell what was going on.

Until they got close enough to see a black boat moored alongside it, a rope ladder connecting it to the ship’s rails above. They weren’t using any kind of light, so Shadoe had to squint to make out the action.

“I see movement above,” AJ said, crouching down and pointing, sending them all into a sudden halt and scramble for cover.

Someone came down the rope hauling a bag strapped to his shoulder.

Filled with drugs, no doubt. They dumped the bag once they got about ten feet to the boat, then scrambled back up the ladder.

“I’m alerting the Feds. We don’t have confirmation this is the drug shipment, but whatever they’re doing here, it can’t be legal.”

Spence pulled his phone and made the call.

Now they just had to make sure these guys didn’t leave before the Feds showed up.

“I’ve got an idea,” Shadoe said. “I’ll head around front and go looking for Jerry. It’ll alert security that there’s someone on board.”

Spence paused, then nodded. “It’s plausible enough. Go. I’ll back you up.” He looked to AJ and Pax. “Make sure that boat doesn’t leave.”

Pax narrowed his gaze at the black beauty bobbing in the water. “Done.”

Spence and Shadoe snuck down the back dock, then once they turned the corner and made their way through the cut fence, she took off in a run to get back to the car. She turned toward Spence as she slipped her shoes back on and straightened her skirt, then grabbed her purse. “Okay, I’m going in.”

“You be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m not planning on it. I just want to cause a ruckus so we can capture DeLaud’s attention and delay things a bit.”

He nodded and pulled his piece out of the back of his pants. “If anything goes wrong, you duck.”

She patted her purse. “If anything goes wrong, I intend to be the first one to start shooting.”

She moved around the car and headed toward the shack, then through the open gate. It took awhile for security to notice her, since they were still trying to sort out the mess with the group already there. She decided to announce her arrival.

“Jerry! Oh, Jerry, are you in here somewhere?”

She tried to be as loud as she could, and weaved side to side for effect, so maybe security would think she was drunk.

That got their attention. They turned and headed in her direction. “Ma’am? Ma’am, you can’t be here. This area is off-limits.”

She stopped and pursed her lips. “But my boyfriend is on that ship and he told me to wait. And I waited a really long time and he hasn’t come out yet and now I have to pee.”

One of the men frowned. “He’s on what ship?”

She pointed. “That pretty red and white one?”

“Is he the captain?”

She giggled and hiccupped. “Nope. He’s a . . . importer or somethin’. Said he had a meeting. Can I go somewhere and pee now?”

The first guy called to the second guy; they bent their heads and whispered and there was a lot of finger-pointing to her, then to the ship. Then they got on their walkie-talkies and rapid-fire conversation ensued. The group behind them started to look really nervous, and began to tiptoe their way to the nearest exit.

“Hey guys, those people are leaving. Do they know where the bathroom is?”

One of the security guards pivoted, pulled his weapon, and ordered the six to freeze and hit the ground. They did. Shadoe tried not to smile.

“Uh-oh. Are they in trouble? And, sir, I still have to pee.”

“Ma’am, I can’t help you right now. Please leave this area immediately.”

She supposed security had more pressing matters than finding a drunken stripper a bathroom, because they hightailed it toward the ship and rocketed up the gangplank. Which was fine with Shadoe, because she was going with them. She saw Spence pull out of his hiding spot near the building and she met up with him after kicking her shoes off.

“Not sure how well trained these security guards are, but I’ll bet whoever is inside has better weapons than they do.”

She nodded at Spence as they ran up the gangplank. She pulled her badge and her gun and discarded her empty purse, hoping like hell they could pull off this arrest without anyone dying in the process.

She heard voices. Spence got in front of her and she followed his lead up a set of stairs and onto the main deck. They stayed low so they couldn’t be seen, but they could hear.

Security hadn’t had much luck, and had run into DeLaud and his friends. Shadoe peeked up above the metal rim of the captain’s bridge to see a group of six men holding guns on the entire security team.

Not good. DeLaud said something to his guys in rapid-fire Spanish, and they pointed their weapons to the stairs on the other side of the bridge. Security, hands held high, began to descend. Spence looked over at her, then motioned with his head behind her. She pivoted and saw AJ and Pax coming up the other side.

Four of them versus a horde of bad guys. Where were the Feds? She tapped her wrist and Spence held up five fingers.

In five minutes this could all be over with. And a lot of innocent people could be dead.

Spence motioned for her to stay put, indicating he was going around to the other side. He wanted her to supply backup. She nodded and stayed in position while he crawled behind her and around the back of the bridge. Now they had coverage on all sides except the front where DeLaud and his men stood, and where the drug shipment was being unloaded.

She hated doing nothing but watching, especially since the security guards were in danger. She knew what was going to happen to them—they were no doubt going to be either killed or tossed overboard once the boat holding the drugs left port, so there’d be no witnesses. Shadoe couldn’t let that happen. And sitting around here waiting for the Feds to arrive made her crazy. Every second that ticked by wasted time, and could possibly cost those men their lives.

She took a few steps back, intent on finding Spence and hatching out a quick plan to rush DeLaud and the others, but she was swallowed up by arms across her and a hand around her mouth.

“What the hell are you doing here, Desi?”

Lance.

Where had he come from? She tensed, struggled, unwilling to let him overpower her. She couldn’t stay silent, couldn’t let this happen. A rush of adrenaline made her flush hot, break out in a sweat. She pushed against him but he held tight to her.

Unfortunately, their fight caught the attention of DeLaud and his men.

“What’s going on over here?” DeLaud and two of his men ran over to the side and saw Shadoe fighting off Lance. DeLaud pulled a gun and aimed it in their direction.

“Desi? What are you doing here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Lance said, grunting with the effort to hold her still. “Desi, stop struggling.”

She bit down on Lance’s hand covering her mouth. With a loud curse he released his hold over her mouth.

She knew she was in deep shit when DeLaud raised the gun and pointed it at her. She was expendable, nothing to him. A rush of panic overcame her and she fought to remember her training. She jammed an elbow in Lance’s ribs and ducked down as soon as Lance let go of her. DeLaud fired and Lance went down, giving her a split second to pull her own gun and fire at DeLaud.

Then all hell broke loose. DeLaud grabbed his middle and dropped to his knees. Spence came flying over the top of the bridge and landed on top of DeLaud’s men. AJ and Pax came around the other side at the same time Shadoe regained her momentum and stood, running around the corner. She took out two of the men; AJ and Pax took four.

The Feds came in around the same time, high-powered rifles drawn and bullhorns announcing that they were Federal agents. In both English and Spanish they gave the order to drop weapons. She heard them below so she was sure—or hoped—that they’d gotten the drop on the men in the boat.

DeLaud’s men surrendered, dropped their guns, and hit the ground. Shadoe pointed the barrel of her gun to the floor, kept her finger on the trigger, and carefully approached DeLaud, who lay facedown on the deck. She kicked his gun out of his reach, bent down, and checked his pulse.

Still alive.

“We need an ambulance here,” she shouted. “This is our prime suspect and he’s still breathing but he’s bleeding bad.” She turned him over and saw a field of red spouting from his side. “See if there’s a first-aid kit on the bridge,” she said to AJ, who nodded and ran off, coming back a few seconds later with one.

She grabbed a handful of bandages and pressed them on the wound to stop the bleeding.

“Lance is dead,” Spence said, coming over to kneel at her side.

She grimaced, wishing that hadn’t happened. She wanted to know how deeply he had been involved with DeLaud, and now they’d never be able to find out. But at least they knew who the inside person at the club was.

Strange that Lance had shown up so late for this transaction, or at all. So much she didn’t understand.

“Are you all right?”

She looked up, nodded at Spence. “It went down so fast.”

He rubbed her back. “It always does. No time to think, only react. You did good.”

“I’m shaking.”

He grinned. “That’s normal.”

“I might want to throw up later.”

He laughed then. “That’s normal, too.”

“I still don’t understand the whole connection to the Wild Rose,” Shadoe said.

“My guess is they used the club as a distribution point for the drugs. That’s how Lance was connected.”

“Which means the Feds will need to do a little more investigating on the distribution end of the deal.”

“Yeah.”

But at least they’d figured out who the rogue agent was, and who was working the inside at the Wild Rose. “I need to go talk to the Fed in charge.”

She nodded. “I’m going to stay here with DeLaud until the ambulance arrives. I want him to live.”

Spence arched a brow. “Care that much for him, do you?”

She snorted. “I want him to live long enough to tell us what we want to know, then go to prison. He can die there, not tonight.”

“Good thinking.” Spence stood and moved off to find the DEA agent in charge. The paramedics arrived and took over, leaving Shadoe to stand over them and watch as they stabilized DeLaud, then lifted him onto the gurney and took him to a waiting ambulance. She instructed two agents to follow and provide constant guard over him. She wasn’t going to lose him, just in case someone had the idea to break him out of the hospital.