Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
The whole team had assembled. They’d need everyone’s expertise for this op.
“So you three are clear on your covers?” Hunter paced the conference room. “Nash?”
“I’m Jasper King, CEO of King Imports. Ethan is Ethan Fischer, my partner in the textile trade. Kane is Keith Manford, part of my security team and a minor investor. The three of us have a long history as friends, and we share specific…sexual tastes.”
“Perfect.” Hunter clapped him on the back.
Only eighteen hours before the three of them departed for the island. Nash had spent days committing every detail of their covers to memory. And every night sleeplessly wondering if Haisley was alive.
“Trees has been collaborating with Stone since the auction ended,” the older Edgington brother went on. “They’ve created a trail of joint ventures going back five years. If anyone digs, they’ll find board meetings, travel records, joint property ownership, not to mention a social media footprint that should survive well beyond a cursory glance.”
“The security is tight, but the good news is,” Logan added, “it’s focused on keeping people in, far more than out. They’re not expecting a tactical team—”
Trees burst through the door, laptop in hand, face grim. “We’ve got a problem. A big one.”
The room went silent. Nash’s pulse jumped. “What?”
“I finished the seemingly endless terms of service for your purchase. In the footnote of the fine print, I discovered that first-time buyers of breeders are required to stay on the island until pregnancy is confirmed. No exceptions.”
“What?” Nash’s chair crashed backward as he jumped to his feet. “That’s six to eight weeks—minimum.”
“It gets worse,” Trees continued. “Their ‘accommodation fees’ nearly double the purchase price. Medical services, fertility treatments, special food, and other amenities. And—get this—there’s a mandatory masquerade party tomorrow night at midnight—some kind of formal ‘claiming’ ceremony.”
“Clever bastards,” Hunter growled. “They trap the buyers there, drain them financially, and gather blackmail material while they’re at it.”
“And evil as fuck. They force the buyers to become fully invested while maintaining complete control.” Logan gritted his teeth.
“But why not let the buyers leave with their…purchases?” Ethan spit out the last word like poison.
Trees pulled up documents on the wall screen. “They claim it’s about ‘premium medical care’ and ‘proven results,’ which require strict protocols and monitoring. But they’re really building an exclusive club atmosphere while investigating buyers thoroughly and gathering proof of participation. Anyone tries to talk later, they go down, too.”
“Insurance.” Hunter’s voice was grim.
Nash ran a hand over his face. “This changes everything. How the fuck do we stay there and maintain cover for weeks? Or months?”
“Once you’ve paid and participated in the claiming ceremony, you can leave whenever you want,” Trees pointed out. “You just can’t take Haisley with you.”
Fury swept through Nash’s blood. The thought of Haisley trapped there, forced to participate… “Not happening.”
“It’s not,” Hunter insisted. “These criminals aren’t dictating the terms. We’re changing the game.”
“Waiting out the pregnancy requirement is our last resort,” Joaquin agreed.
“Exactly,” Hunter agreed. “We should think more strategically. We have an opportunity to rescue more victims and shut this fucking ring down for good.”
“Hell yeah.” Logan crossed his arms over his chest.
Nash liked that plan a whole lot better. He wanted Haisley home and safe—more than anything. But he couldn’t leave all those other women there to be used and abused. “I’m in.”
“Me, too,” Ethan added.
“Same,” Kane put in. “Let’s end these motherfuckers.”
Hunter laid out the plan. “Nash, while you’re dealing with Haisley, Ethan and Kane will be gathering intel. Kane, focus on security systems, guard rotations, and escape routes. Make friends…or bribes, as you need. Ethan, work on identifying other victims and finding evidence of their trafficking network. Once we determine the support we need, One-Mile’s sniper skills and Zy’s demolitions expertise will provide whatever tactical support required.”
Zy nodded. “Whatever you need, I’m there.”
“I’ll fill One-Mile in once he’s off the phone. Matt, you’ll coordinate with home base, since you know Haisley best through Madison.”
Nash liked the plan. “Collectively, we’ll work to find out who’s running this fucking operation and stop them. We’ll follow the money and trace their power structure. But how the fuck are we supposed to coordinate if we can’t communicate? And how do I explain all this to Haisley with cameras and recording devices everywhere?”
Logan leaned forward. “Xander and Javier came through with specialized gear that disrupts their surveillance equipment, momentarily creating blind spots. Use it carefully—too many glitches will raise suspicion. But it will allow you three to coordinate without red flags. They also equipped you with advanced satellite phones that look like regular cells but can’t be traced or tapped.”
“Stone created a program that can piggyback on the island’s security feeds.” Trees turned to Nash. “I’ll walk you through installing it as soon as you’re able. Once it’s uploaded, we’ll have eyes all over the island to pinpoint weak spots and escape routes so we can plan a clean extraction.”