Look Alive Twenty-Five (Stephanie Plum 25)

“Five men in a large room and four more in a smaller room,” the guy with the laptop said.

Everyone crowded around to look at the screen.

“I’ll take point,” Ranger said. “Tank will watch Stephanie’s back. We’ll worry about the four men in the smaller room. I’m hoping the five men in the large room are our hostages. We’re not sure this break-in is justified, so use restraint.”

The drone returned and everyone suited up in body armor and gun belts. Tank handed me my vest and utility belt.

“Are you sure you want me along on this?” I asked Ranger.

He shrugged into his vest. “I didn’t think you would want to miss it. And more important, I need you to justify the break-in. You have the papers that allow you to go after Ernie Sitz. Stay close to Tank. We’re going in looking like the RoboCop SWAT team. I’m hoping we look serious enough to make this a nonevent.”

I stuffed myself into the vest and buckled the utility belt on. It contained a flashlight, a knife, a stun gun, pepper spray, and a couple extra clips for the Glock I had strapped to my leg. It probably contained other stuff too, but I didn’t look all that close.

I glanced down at the belt. “I don’t see any granola bars,” I said to Ranger. “And where’s the kitchen sink?”

“Babe,” Ranger said.

We drove across the street and parked close to the back door to the warehouse. Ranger unlocked the door, and we went in, moving quickly through the building. Ranger at point, motioning clear, the rest of us following. No one speaking. We reached a door at the end of a corridor, and we all stopped and watched Ranger. He tested the door. Not locked. He opened it and we all rushed in, guns drawn. Okay, my gun wasn’t drawn, but I rushed in with everyone else.

Four men were playing cards at a small table. They all jumped up when we came in. One of them pulled a gun and immediately thought better of it, dropping the gun on the floor.

“Do you speak English?” Ranger asked.

“A little,” one said with a heavy accent.

Ranger switched to Spanish. The four Rangeman guys looked like they understood everything. I understood nothing. One of the card players pointed to the door at the far side of the room. It was steel with multiple locks.

Ranger’s men cuffed the card players and sat them on the floor. Ranger removed a key ring from one of them, crossed to the door, and unlocked it.

I’m not sure what I expected to see. Five emaciated men, crying with joy at being rescued. Maybe in cages. Maybe shackled.

Ranger pushed the door open, and I followed him in. The room was half the size of a basketball court. Cement floor. High ceiling. Brightly lit. Five cots with sleeping bags and pillows. A card table with four chairs. Wastebasket next to it filled with Dunkin’ Donuts and Mike’s Burger Place bags. Games were stacked up by the table. Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Candy Land, Axis & Allies, checkers. Large flat-screen television in front of a big leather couch. A basketball hoop had been screwed into the wall opposite the television.

Three men were watching television and two we

re shooting hoops. All of the men were naked. I didn’t know three of the men, but Hal and Wayne Kulicki looked like they’d each gained about twenty pounds.

Hal was one of the basketball players. He cupped his hands around his privates when he saw me, and his face got red.

“This looks like Club Med for hostages,” Ranger said. “All it needs is a pool and a hot tub.”

“It’s not that good,” Hal said. “They cheaped out on the sports package for the television.”

“Are you going to call Morelli now?” I asked Ranger.

“Yep,” Ranger said. “Time to call Morelli.”

“This is more secure than it looks,” Hal said. “There’s only one door. It’s always locked and the men never come in alone. Always four of them with guns. We have nothing to use as a weapon. No knives or forks. They feed us burgers and donuts. There aren’t any windows. The walls are concrete. We have one bathroom with a shower. No towels or toothbrushes. Makes you wonder what was originally stored here.”

“Are there more guards than those four?” Ranger asked.

“There used to be eight in total,” Hal said. “They would work in shifts. Three of us speak Spanish and from what we could hear through the door, four of them left to go back to Colombia yesterday. The four out there now were leaving tonight. I didn’t take that as a good omen for my future.”

“Do you know who’s in charge of the Colombians?” Ranger asked.

“Ernie Sitz is involved. I don’t know beyond him.”

Ranger gave me a corporate credit card. “We passed a Target when we got off the highway. Find some clothes for the men. Pajamas, shorts, anything. Tank will drive you.”