Brett Battles - Little Girl Gone

“Now?”

“Yeah. Now would be good.”

Logan led him back to Aaron. The kid was still lying on the floor, not having moved an inch.

“Is he dead?”

“No.”

Daeng glanced at Logan. “This isn’t exactly keeping a low profile.”

“I thought we could use this to our advantage.”

“This should be interesting.”

“The train’s got to stop again in the next hour or so, right?” Logan said. “I was thinking that might be a good time for Aaron to get off, and forget to get back on. Do you know anyone in this part of the country?”

“I know people in all parts of the country.”

Logan had hoped as much. “Someone who could meet us in the middle of the night, and take possession of our friend here?”

Daeng looked at Aaron for a moment. “That could be arranged.”

“Excellent.” Between Daeng and Dev, Logan was creating a network of people stashers. Whatever it took, he guessed.

“His friends are going to come looking for him,” Daeng said.

Logan shook his head. “Not until morning.”

“You can’t count on that.”

“They were drinking, so I gotta think they’re going to be out for a while.”

“What about him?” Daeng asked. “He wasn’t sleeping.”

“True,” Logan conceded. “We should put him someplace out of sight until we hand him off. One of the bathrooms would work. And while we’re waiting I’ll see if he’s up for a chat.”

Daeng let out a quick, low laugh. “I wouldn’t mind having a man like you working with me. Maybe we should talk when we’re done with this.”

Logan moved around, and got his hands under Aaron’s shoulders. “Help me carry him.”

34

Logan tied Aaron to the toilet with some twine they found behind the snack counter, then closed himself in the bathroom with him. Daeng was still working on finding someone to meet up with them while also standing guard in the passageway in case any of Aaron’s buddies showed up.

Once Logan was satisfied the kid wouldn’t be able to break his bonds, he slapped him across the face a couple of times. Finally, Aaron groaned, and his head lulled back, then his eyes opened.

When he saw Logan, he tensed. “You have no idea who you’re messing with. Let me go. Now!”

“You know, Mr. Williams, or was it Mr. Dean? Anyway, one of them said something similar to me when I had them tied up in Santa Monica. And yet, I’m still here.”

There was a flicker of surprise in Aaron’s eyes.

“And if I remember correctly,” Logan went on, “your friend Ryan said I should have let him go, too, not long before he died in front of me last night.”

Aaron couldn’t let that one go. “What are you talking about?”

Logan shrugged. “He decided not to cooperate.”

“You’re lying.”

“Really? Did he show up back at your place on the river after his shift was over? You know the one I mean. That space you sanitized with one of your friends before heading for the train.”

Aaron stared at him.

“You left in a cab, dropped your friend off, then took two duffle bags to a deserted building and had them burned. Come on, you remember this, right?”

Aaron was gaping now.

“Then that meeting you had in a fourteenth floor office? And the guy you met with, you know where he went after?”

“Stop,” Aaron said, his voice a whisper. “They’re going to kill me.”

“Actually, I’m not going to give them that satisfaction,” Logan told him.

Aaron stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you might die, but it won’t be at their hands. It’s the age old choice, Aaron. Answer my questions truthfully and you live. Don’t and I throw you off the train.” Before the kid could respond, Logan added, “You may not believe Ryan’s dead right now, but you’ll certainly believe it the second you’re flying through the air before your head smacks into the ground.” He paused. “Where’s the girl?”

“I don’t know what you’re—”

“Don’t be stupid, Aaron. Where is she?”

Aaron seemed to be assessing his options, so Logan gave him a moment, knowing if he were halfway smart, he’d realize he only had one. Finally, he said, “Chiang Mai. Or should be by now.”

“How did they get her there?”

“Drove. By van.”

That made sense. If they were going to transport her that far, it was the only means they could use that would avoid unnecessary questions. The clean up crew could just take the overnight train to join them.

“Why Chiang Mai?”

Aaron’s mouth twisted like he was trying to keep his lips from parting. With effort, he said, “It’s where the hand over is supposed to happen.”

Logan’s skin grew cold. “What hand over?”

“I don’t know the answer to that. I swear. Mr. Andrews is in charge. I’m just one of the team.”

Just one of the team. The words made Logan want to belt Aaron as hard as he could, to hell with whether Aaron would be able to talk again or not. And to hell with whatever damage it would do to Logan’s hand. Aaron was distancing himself from responsibility, and that was something Logan could never stand. But he held it in, pushing his anger down to where he could save it for later, if needed.

“What time is this supposed to happen?” he asked.

“Sometime tomorrow…uh…I mean, later today. I don’t know the exact time. We’re getting picked up at the station, and then we’re supposed to go help get things ready.”

“Where?”

Aaron shook his head. “Only Mr. Andrews knows.”

“Where?” Logan repeated, his hand clinching into a fist.

“I don’t know! I swear to God! ”

As annoyed as it made Logan feel, he was pretty sure Aaron was telling the truth. “At the meeting on your way to the train station, what did the man give you?”

“Give me?”

“Don’t even try to lie. We were watching, remember?”

“An envelope,” Aaron said quickly. “He gave me an envelope.”

“What was inside it?”

“I have no idea.”

“You didn’t look?”

“Why should I? It’s not for me.”

“Who’s it for then?”

“Mr. Andrews. I’m supposed to give it to him when I see him.”

“Where is it now?”

“In…in my cabin.”

“Where exactly?”

“The front pocket of my backpack.”

Logan made him describe the backpack, then go over everything again just in case he could catch him in a lie or shake something new loose. But Aaron’s answers remained the same. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

“It’s me,” Daeng said.

Logan opened it a crack.

“We’re nearing the station.”

“You got someone to meet him?” Logan asked.

“All set.”

“How long until we get there?”

“Five minutes.”

Logan shut the door, and turned back to Aaron. “Sorry,” he said.

“Sorry about what?”

Moment later, Aaron was unconscious again.

35

The offloading of Aaron went smoothly. Afterwards, Logan and Daeng tried to get a few hours of sleep, then got up early, and were sitting in the dining car just a little past 6 a.m.

Daeng ordered a bowl of noodles, while Logan went with only coffee.

“So you still want to try it,” Daeng said once Logan had gone back over the plan they sketched out after they’d gotten rid of Aaron.

Logan nodded. “It could be important.”

“It could also cause problems.”

“I’m trusting that you’ll be able to keep that from happening.”

Daeng grunted, but said nothing else.

For the next half hour, Logan did little more than stare out the window at the tropical jungle that covered the hills around them. The train was moving slowly now, the upward climb a challenge for the engine.