Chapter 652 Chapter 652
When they reached the top, he pulled over, grabbed his phone, and got out. Going around the back, he opened the hatch and pulled out the rifle’s case. He didn’t even know if the scope came off it or how he would go about it.
Journee was standing beside the ditch, looking out over the water.
“I’m back. I woke up our king.”
Asher paused and looked at the phone.
“Just Devin will do.”
He’d thought for a brief moment that Shepard had been found until he heard Devin’s voice. “I’m just getting the scope off the rifle.”
“Why don’t you just use the binoculars?” Illias sounded like he was still asleep.
“I have binoculars?” Asher shoved the case back in and looked at the totes in the back. “What are they in?”
“Black tote. The only black one you have.”
Asher shrugged. He wasn’t even sure what was in some of them.
“Where are you? Is it the location the rogue pinpointed?”
Asher shifted the totes around until he could grab the black one. “Ah, no, we’re further than that now. Nothing caught Journee’s interest up until now.” He opened it and shifted a few things until he spotted a case that looked like they were the shape of binoculars. “I think possibly she was already on the move when she came across them.” He looked around, “there are mountains Northwest of here.”
“Mountains. The boy’s camp could be there.”
Asher opened the case, turned, and looked at the mountains in the distance. “Probably a day’s drive or more from this location.”
“Still, a starting point,” Devin stated.
Asher just nodded to that. Shoving the tote in, he closed the back and walked around to stand beside Journee. He could feel the anxiousness pouring off her. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head and then held out the phone. “Okay, I’m looking for the island now.”
“It will probably be a decent distance out,” Illias muttered.
Journee wrapped her arms around his waist as soon as he raised them to look. It was hard to focus them when he was only seeing water. Lowering them, he scanned with just his eyes looking for something other than water to look at. There were a few blobs in the distance that could be islands, so he held his head in that direction and lifted the binoculars again. He adjusted the focus and then stiffened when he saw it was an island. “There’s an island.” He moved them slowly in one direction and then the next. There was another small island. “Two islands. One probably too small to hide people on.” He went back to the first one and moved slowly, it was treed, so there was a good chance people could be on it and not visible. He froze when he reached the other end. “There’s a boat. Wait, let me get Journee to look at this before we get too excited.”
He lowered them, and she was looking up at him. “I need you to take a look and see if that’s the island.” He took the phone from her hand and held out the binoculars.
She took them and raised them to her eyes. Asher checked the direction she was looking and then moved them up a little bit.
“Do you see it?”
“Yes.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Take your time and look it over. See if it’s familiar.”
“Okay.”
He glanced at the phone to see if the call had dropped. It hadn’t. They were probably holding their breath, just like he was.
“Asher.”
He looked down at her.
“That’s it.” She said it softly. “That’s the boat that brings more out.” She lowered them and looked up at him.
“They’re bringing more to the island? Right now?” Devin asked.
“Hang on.” Asher took the binoculars and raised them to look again. He followed the land along the shore until he reached the boat. It wasn’t a small motorboat like he thought she’d meant when she told them that a small boat brought them to the island from a big boat. “I don’t know boats, but this one isn’t tiny.”
“Are they taking people off the island?”
He adjusted the focus a bit more and checked the shore area. “Four armed men.” He went back to the boat and saw a few girls, probably teens, being taken off the boat. “They’re bringing them, and they’re not young girls. Teenagers.”
“They’re moving them from other locations to there,” Devin swore venomously. “I guess that’s why there was so much commotion in that area now.”
“I need to know where you are.” Illias said, “I’ve brought up a map and need a starting point.”
“Hang on.” Asher watched the boat to see if more were taken off of it. “Two young boys, and I’m talking maybe six years old.”
“They’re moving them.”
“I can watch if you need to look at the map.” Journee touched his side.
“Yeah.” He held out the binoculars and opened the door. Reaching over the seat, he grabbed his run pack and pulled out the map.
“Two women are getting off,” Journee said.
He paused with the way her voice was shaking.
“Give me cords, Asher.” Illias sounded wide awake now.
“Call team leaders, we need to scramble a half dozen and fly them to their location if needed, half can go look in the mountains the rest can prep to go on the island,” Devin instructed. “And get a hold of Taggart.”
“On it.”
Asher followed the road since they’d left the motel until he hit the water. Grabbing the map, he closed the door and went and stood behind Journee, so she would feel better with him being close.
“Three more girls.” She sucked in a breath, “she’s still there.” She lowered the binoculars and looked up at him. “The lady, the one we think is Calum’s mom, she’s still there.”
“Holy shit. Illias, Cal is going to want to be on the next plane. Get him on the phone.”
“Yeah.” Illias sounded distracted.
Asher brought up the screen so he could send Illias the cords. His heart was beating so fast, he felt like he was vibrating. Once he hit send, he took the binoculars from her and held out the phone. Finding the island was easy now, he didn’t have to play with the focus. He followed the movement on the shore and then stopped when a woman came into view. He held his breath. She might have more grey hair than black, but the shape of her face and features, there was no mistaking that she was related to Calum Dante.
“Got it,” Illias murmured something. “Three islands in that area, one is thimble sized. One, I don’t think you would be able to see where you are. Oh, this is interesting—” He paused, “Third one is listed as uninhabitable.”
“What’s going on?”
Asher lowered the binoculars when Calum’s rough voice came over the phone. He looked at it in Journee’s hand and then put the binoculars back to his eyes. He was going to watch that island until that boat left, and he made sure his mother wasn’t taken off of it.
“They found the island,” Devin stated.
“Can they see on it?”
“I’m looking at it now, Calum.” Asher blew out a breath when Journee wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged him tight. He put his arm around her, keeping the binoculars in place with one hand. “I’m looking at a lady that looks a lot like you, only prettier.”
“Are you serious?” Calum’s voice was much louder now.
“Yes, he is.” Devin said calmly, “Illias is getting a hold of the team leaders, and we’re flying a half dozen to that location to watch it until we’re ready.” He stopped speaking for a second. “Cal, there are mountains within a day’s drive from there.”
“The boy’s camp.”
“That’s what we hope.”
“I’ll get packed and get Shae ready. Let me know when the flight leaves.”
“I will,” Illias said.
“Cal, they’re moving women, girls, and young boys to the island right this minute.”
“He’s panicking.” Calum sounded more like himself now.
“Yes, he is.” There was another voice in the background where Devin was. “Asher, you watch that island until the armed men leave, and if possible, watch where they dock.”
“I planned on it.” Journee squeezed his waist again. He didn’t care if he had to stand here all through the day and into the night. He wasn’t letting them or that island out of his site. Journee was shaking, he shifted the binoculars so he could see her. She was looking up at him, unshed tears in her eyes. He didn’t care if others could hear him on the phone. He leaned down and kissed her quivering mouth lightly. “You did great. We found them because of you, and now we’ll get those people off the island and get the ones that have been taking them there.” She nodded, and it looked like she wanted to smile but didn’t.
“Your mate has broken this wide open for us, Asher. We’ll get the camp, the island, and they won’t have anywhere left to hide them.” Someone hissed something close to the phone, but Asher couldn’t make out what it was. “Damn, I—uh—”
Asher grinned at Devin bumbling, fearing he’d said something he shouldn’t. He looked back down at Journee, and she was blushing. “My mate and I will stay right here and watch until we have backup.”
“Yes. We can take turns.” Journee said softly.
“Oh, my goodness.” It was Rayne. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for both of you.”
“Rayne, we’re making plans here.”
He could hear Rayne scoff, “We’ll be making plans for the next ten years, Devin. If we don’t stop to celebrate the little things, what’s the sense?”
Journee’s smile widened. “I plan to celebrate everything to make up for eighteen years. Even things like ice cream and boots.”
“Boots.” Rayne laughed, “We are going shopping just as soon as I’m out of lockdown, and you’re not a week away.”
“Ladies,” Illlias interrupted, “I need the line so I can get the team leaders all on one call for this.”
Journee covered her mouth and held the phone out to Asher. He took it. “We’ll be right here watching. Call us back with the plan.”
“Yes.” Illias shouted, “They are so going down, and I’m going to love every second of it.”
“We’re out.” Asher hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket. He looked back through the lenses to the island, and Journee wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He knew there was much to do still and that they had to find Shepard Addison, but for the first time in a very long time, he felt like they were going to win this thing and shut it down.
“Is it okay that we sit here on the side of the road?”
He kept watching the men on the shore. Two were missing now, but the boat was still there. “Once that boat leaves the island, we’ll find a good spot to camp out until help is here.”
“I’m so nervous but happy, but scared and worried all at the same time.”
Asher grinned, “as long as happy is in that equation, I’m good with that.”
She rubbed her face against his chest but made no comment. She was back where it started. This time she was going to accomplish what she set out to do so long ago.