Unmasked (Godmother Security Book 1)

Unmasked (Godmother Security Book One)

By DJ Westerfield Writing As June Stevens

Published by Westerfield Books

Copyright © 2015 DJ Westerfield

Cover Art © 2015 DJ Westerfield

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

To Sherry.  You asked for a loosely based Cinderella story, and here you go.  Love your face.

Cynthia Ashe squatted in the dirt using her night vision goggles to scan the landscape below her hilltop perch.  A soft rustling to her right warned her of company and she turned just in time to see a thin man stealthily picking his way up the rocky embankment.

Her rifle at the ready, she patiently waited for him to reach the top.  When she heard him sneaking up behind her she said, “Do you have all of the charges set, Jack?”

“Yep.  The drug barn and the chemical storage shed are wired for sound and I also set a couple around the garage and near the main house,” Jack whispered proudly.

“Good.  What about personnel?”

“There are some workers and armed guards inside the drug barn, but nothing outside.  One armed guard each at the front and rear of the main house.  The shack where they hold prisoners is across the compound on the south side.  I only saw one guard outside.  I got in and out with no problems.  That makes me a little nervous, boss.  Why are they so light on security?”

Cindy shook her head.  “They are a small-time cartel, but they have the local police in their pocket and the village pretty well terrorized. They probably don’t think there is anyone stupid enough to attack them.”

A voice crackled in her ear.  “That’s because they’ve never met us.”

Jack and Cindy both chuckled quietly. 

“Truer words have never been spoken, brother,” Jack replied.

“Let’s see if we can get this done and get the hell out of here with all of our stupid asses still intact.  Where are you at, Gus?”

“I’m five minutes out.  Give me the word when you hit the bottom of the hill and I’ll be there by the time you get to the top,” the voice said into her ear again.

Cindy slung her pack over her shoulder and moved to the side so Jack could take her place at the sniper rifle.  “Okay, I’m headed down.  Keep the coms silent.  Jack, do not set of any charges unless I give the word.  They are for distraction only.  If possible I want to get in and out clean and quiet.  Got it?”

Jack smirked and gave a half salute.  “Distraction only, got it.”

Cindy grinned to herself as she started picking her way down the hillside.  Jack was brilliant at demolitions, and a little trigger happy.  Not that she could blame him.  Watching the cartel’s drug stash go up in smoke would be quite fun.  But it was also more dangerous than tonight’s mission called for.  Her team was here to rescue a kidnapped college kid, his safety came first.

She skirted around the outer buildings of the compound until she saw the only building in the area with a guard.  As she crept quietly along the side of the building, Cindy thought that ‘guard’ was a little strong to describe the man.  He had a gun slung over his shoulder, but he leaned against the side of the shack smoking a cigarette and staring up at the stars.  He was completely oblivious to his surroundings.  Pulling her heavy flashlight from her pack she slammed it across the back of his head. He dropped to the ground without ever having known she was behind him. 

With a quick efficiency that was almost scary, Cindy pulled duct tape from her pack covered the man’s mouth and bound his ankles and wrists.  She knew that by leaving him there she’d signed his death warrant just as surely as if she’d put a bullet in his brain herself.  But, she couldn’t worry about that right now.  Her duty was to the innocent kid being held inside that shed. 

She grabbed the keys from his pocket and guessed the largest one was to the shed door.  Triumph flowed through her as she slid the key into the lock and turned it easily.  She pulled the door open and slipped inside.  The room was pitch black, but using her night vision goggles she could see a figure against a far wall.  Judging from the size, it looked like a young man with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them, his wrists were bound together. 

She rushed over to him and quickly untied the blindfold and gag wrapped around is face.

“Cody Peirce?” Cindy kept her voice low, despite the shed’s distance from the other buildings. 

“Yes. I’m Cody.”  Hope and relief filled the scratchy male voice. 

“I’m Cindy.  Your father sent me.  I’m here to take you home.”

Weak grunts sounded from the far side of the room.

Shit.
  Cindy took off her goggles quickly shoving them in her pack before retrieving the flashlight again and switching it on.  Keeping the beam low and away from the door, she aimed it towards where the voice had come from.  Huddled in the corner a few feet away from Cody were two young women that looked to be in their late teens or early twenties.  Their hair was matted and their clothes were filthy and ripped, and they were also blindfolded and gagged.  Cindy swung the light to Cody.  He was dirty and disheveled, but healthier looking than the two women.  His clothes were not torn.  Cindy knew he’d been held for a little more than eight days.  Judging from the comparison between his appearance and that of the girls, they had been there much longer and; from the torn clothing, treated more roughly.

Cindy didn’t hesitate to answer.  “I’m taking you all home.”

Her words were met with soft whimpers of relief.  Wasting no time, Cindy shifted the beam of the flashlight again to assess the situation.  Each of the captives’ hands were bound by handcuffs with a ring attached to the center chain.  Another chain ran through all three rings, and were attached to heavy metal spikes in the ground.  Cindy had no doubt they were cemented in.  The keyring in her hand held at least a dozen keys.  She stuffed it into her pack and pulled out her bolt cutters.  Fitting the cutter blades around one of the chain links, she pressed the handles together until there was a metallic pop and the chain fell to the floor with a clatter.

“We’ll worry about your cuffs once we get you out of here.  Can you all stand?”

“I’m good,” Cody said, pulling himself to his feet.

“Ahh,” there was a muffled cry of pain from one of the women.  Cindy went over and crouched down where the girls were struggling to take off their blindfolds and gags with their still-bound hands.  One had it under control, but the other was fumbling and had tears streaking down her face.

“What are your names?” Cindy asked, soothingly.

“I’m Tiffany Stokes,” said the crying girl.

“Faith Lucas,” said the other as she patted Tiffany on the arm, trying to soothe her.

“Tiffany, where are you hurt?”

“My ankle.  He…”she trailed off, her words turning to sobs.

“She tried to run and one of the guards hit her in the foot and ankle with a pipe,” Faith supplied.

Disgust roiled in Cindy’s stomach.  When gangs and cartels kidnapped for ransom, the victims weren’t always fed and were usually dehydrated, but they weren’t generally physically harmed.  It was clear these girls had been mistreated in many ways.  Cindy doubted their families had been contacted for ransom.

“It will be okay,” Cindy said to Tiffany, her voice calmer than she felt.  “We’ll help you.  Give me just a second.”

“Guys, we’re taking on two more passengers.  One is injured and no way are we making it up that hill.  Give me a plan B,” she said.

Jack’s voice crackled into her earwig almost immediately.  “There’s a clearing about 30 yards to the south of your location.  It’s large enough for the chopper to do a safe night landing, even with Gus at the helm.”

She didn’t give Gus a chance to reply to Jack’s quip.  “Gus, start this way now.  Give word when you are two minutes out.”

“I’m on my way,” Gus said.

“Jack, exactly how many charges did you set?” Cindy asked, silently praying he’d done what he always did, and put out more explosives than he’d been instructed in the hour he’d been down in the compound.

“Um,” his reply was hesitant.  “Just one on every building in the compound, except the prisoner shack, of course.”

Of course. 

“I’m so glad I can count on you to disobey my orders.  When I say so, set off everything you have.  I mean everything.  Forget distraction, you light up the night sky.  Then you haul ass to that clearing.  Got it?”

“Roger dodger, boss,” Jack said.

Cindy crossed to the young man that stood leaning against the wall.  Using the bold cutters she cut the links between his cuffs.  “Cody, I know you are weak and tired, but I need you to help Tiffany.  You are taller and stronger than Faith and we need to move as quickly as we can.”

He crossed his arms across his chest, his voice sullen, “Why should I?  They will just slow us down.  My father is paying you to get me out of here safely, not them.”

Disgusted, Cindy stepped forward until she stood toe to toe with him.  He was a good six inches taller than her so she had to look up, but her face was hard as steel.  “You listen to me, you little prick.  You will help that girl get out of here safely, because if you don’t I will leave your ass here.  What do you think will happen to you when they find you here in the only undamaged building on the property, alone with a note pinned to your chest that says no ransom will be paid for you?  I think that what these girls have been through will seem like a picnic on the beach in comparison to what those pissed off cartel dudes will do to you.”

Cody sputtered, “You can’t. You wouldn’t dare.  My father…”

“I can. I would. And your father isn’t here, Mr. Peirce.” Her voice was hard and unyielding.  “You have thirty seconds to get over there and help Tiffany up before we move out.”

He opened his mouth, and then shut it without uttering a word.  He went over to Tiffany and bent down, but she shrank back from him.  In the light of the flashlight Cindy could see the arrogance slide out of his face as he got a good look at the battered and bruised girl.

“I’m sorry,” Cody said, his voice surprisingly gentle.  “I didn’t mean it.  I wouldn’t have left you here.”

Tiffany nodded and lifted her arms so he could pull her up.

“Okay, can you use your good leg to hop, Tiffany?” Cindy asked.

Cody helped her across the room.  It was slow and awkward, but after a couple of steps they worked out a rhythm.  “I’ll be okay,” Tiffany said, her voice pained.

With her eyes now well-adjusted to the dark, Cindy peaked out the door.  It was quiet.  “Let’s go.  Stay close to the building.  We are just going around the side to the back for now, okay?”

“Okay,” they said almost in unison.

Cindy opened the door.  “You first, Faith.” 

Faith led the procession out the door and Cindy followed.  As they passed the guard lying on the ground, Faith gave him a kick to the stomach before going on to the back of the building. 

“Okay, hang tight,” Cindy said in hushed tones.  The three sagged against the wall, obviously exhausted.  Cindy hoped they could make it to the clearing.  “Gus, where are you?”

“Wait for it. Okay, I’m two minutes out.”

Cindy turned to Cody and the women.  “Get ready to run straight out that way.” She pointed into the darkness.  “There are rocks and brush, but it will look like daylight in just a minute.  Go as fast as you can and don’t look back, got it?”

“Yeah,” Cody said.  The other two nodded in agreement.

“Jack, you ready?”

“Born that way.”

“Okay, give me the big boom.”

“One big bada boom coming right up,” Jack said.  Seconds later the world erupted with light and sound, the ground shaking with the force of the explosion.

“Go,” Cindy yelled. 

With their faces masked in shock, the three started forward.  Cindy slid to the other side of Tiffany, put the girl’s arm around her neck, and helped her and Cody forward.  Behind them, more explosions pierced the night air as one by one the buildings of the drug cartel’s compound blew up. 

Cindy could hear shouts in Spanish behind them, but the one time she ventured a look back she didn’t see anyone looking their way.  Another loud rumble vibrated through the night sky.  It was the most welcome sound Cindy had ever heard.  “That’s the chopper, keep running,” she yelled.

Faith stumbled and fell.  Cindy let go of Tiffany to go help the other girl up.  They kept going, in pairs of two now.  Just ahead of them the chopper was coming in low.  Unfortunately that had drawn the attention and fire of the cartel.  Shots rang out, but in the confusion their aim was off.  That wouldn’t last long.

“Jack, where are you?” Cindy yelled into the com unit, but she knew that with the noise and confusion he wouldn’t be able to hear her.  She pushed forward, hoping he was on their six.

They finally reached the helicopter, and she helped Cody and the women up, then climbed in behind them.  She turned just in time to see Jack take a flying leap and land on the floor next to her.

She grabbed a headset off the back of the seat near her.  “Get us the hell out of here, Gus,” she yelled into the headset mic. The chopper lifted into the air and left the pop-pop of automatic rifle fire in the distance.