Ocean of Lies (romantic suspense)

Chapter 4

Standing against the peephole of the hotel room on Saturday, Luke Artino studied the door across the hallway with his hand resting near the holster of his gun. There hadn't been movement for over three hours, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from room 445. His back was sore and his leg was cramping, but his determination didn't waver.

"Still don't think we should just steal a key from the housekeepers?" his partner asked. Will was sitting on the bed with a laptop in front of him, keeping tabs on the hotel security cameras that another agent, Summer, had hacked into.

"Too risky," Luke muttered. If they entered the room without any proof someone was there, the mission would be scrapped. If the housekeeper saw them trying to steal a key and called for help, the mission would be scrapped. After spending weeks tracking down a known human trafficker, Luke didn't want to risk rushing it. The Rutland authorities hadn't found enough evidence to put this man away, but Luke's organization had. The long list of victims was going to end here, with a different kind of justice.

"I'm sure he'll be coming any minute now," Will said.

Summer was stationed in a van outside to keep an eye on the entrance. The chances that the target slipped past Summer and the cameras were slim to none.

But there was still a chance, and Luke didn't want to risk it. The cameras had caught an image of the trafficker with two young girls, and a mistake could cost both of their lives.

"I hope so," Luke said, making no movement away from his post. He looked out into the hall, studying the brown and red carpet and the silver geometric lines that broke up the two colors. The walls were beige and he found himself fixated on the minor discoloration near the trim.

"Incoming," Summer called through the coms with her signature chirpy voice. Luke tensed as Will jumped up from the bed, twisting a silencer onto the barrel of his gun while joining Luke by the door. They waited as Luke kept his eye across the hall, fingers twitching against the cool metal of his own weapon.

Five minutes later, Luke saw their target through the peephole. He was bald and tall, with a black jacket and jeans that matched the description they'd been given. He stood in front of room 445 and held a key up to the lock. The light blinked green and the man swung it open, revealing a split-second image of a dirty room with a burst of long blonde hair near the bed.

Luke burst out of their room and stuck his foot in the man's door before he could close it. Will grabbed the collar of the target's shirt to drag him into the hallway. Once the man was on the ground, Will aimed the silenced gun at his head, shooting him two times in the skull before he dropped to the ground.

Even though the man's body was out of view, high-pitched screams penetrated through the walls. Luke stepped inside and closed the door behind him as Will stayed in the hallway to deal with the body.

"It'll be okay." Luke approached the two teenage girls sitting on a queen bed after sliding his weapon into his hip holster. He flashed his fake police badge too quickly for them to inspect it. While holding up his hands in what he hoped was a non-threatening way, he said, "I'm here to help."

They didn't say anything. Clinging to each other, their skinny frames barely sank into the mattress. How long had they been trapped in here?

A faint knock on the door distracted them, and Luke stepped over to answer it. He opened the door for Summer, who gave them all a quick once-over before announcing, "We gotta go."

Luke kept his focus on the girls. "We're gonna get you somewhere safe, okay?"

After several minutes of gentle coaxing, he led them to the hallway, which was clear except for a faint blood stain trailing to the ice machine a couple of doors away.