Nightwing

Chapter 9: Never Existed

Today's weather reflected my mood - cloudy and grey.

The gang had taken us to some docks where 2 gaunt and creepy looking Hispanic men waited for us with yellow stained grins.

I gulped when one of them in a straw brimmed sunhat and smoking a cigar made eye contact with me.

"Buenos días, amigos!" He greeted us. "It has been a while, has it not?"

"Far too long, Alvaro. You haven't met our old friend, Nigel and his woman! We haven't seen him in nearly 4 years." Pedro grinned. "It's almost like a reunion!"

Alvaro looked towards me and Ranger and grinned hungrily before addressing the man next to him. "Gilberto, Podríamos tener suerte esta semana..."

I didn't know what he had said but Ranger pulled me behind him and kept a firm grip on my wrist.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ezio and Pedro eyeing us before glancing at each other. I was starting to lose faith in my little fairy tale I had told Ezio in the kitchen yesterday.

"Have you got what we asked for?" Cortez asked stepping closer to them.

Gilberto snickered. "Yes, but with something else that is even better! An orphanage accidently burnt to the ground last Sunday. None of the Children were harmed but we have them all sleeping below deck!"

It took everything I had not to burst into tears as I remembered Pedro telling me about the addict's nieces they had sold.

However Cortez, Pedro and Ezio didn't look very excited about the news.

"Joderidiota!" Ezio snarled. "What are we supposed to do with a bunch of brats?!"

"It will take weeks, if not, months to sell them! And where are we supposed to keep them during that time?"

Alvaro and Gilberto didn't seem happy with the response they received as they scowled at the 3 of them.

Alvaro opened his mouth but Ranger jumped in before he could speak. "How old are the children? I actually need a few for...labour matters, at whatever cost."

The men glanced at each other.

"How old do you need them to be?" Asked Gilberto.

Ranger shrugged. "Old enough to walk and talk."

They both grinned. "The youngest in there are four or five years old and the oldest are barely teenagers."

"How many children are there all together?"

"15. And they're all in the boat."

My body went cold and hollow. I felt my heart break as I stared at Ranger who was smiling calmly. "Name your price."

.

Ranger, Gilberto and Alvaro negotiated in Spanish so I couldn't pick up on what they were saying. It took them about 15 minutes to finally agree on a price. By the way the crooks grinned at each other, the final amount sounded higher than they had anticipated.

"I will have one of my men come to take them to my headquarters." He said before taking out his cell phone and punching in a number.

Alvaro and Gilberto laughed and clapped each other's hands together before jumping aboard the boat to lift a wooden crate on to the dock.

Cortez and Ezio walked over and picked it up before heaving it towards the car. Pedro opened the trunk and they all threw it inside; grinning at each other.

"Santos." I turned around while feeling my eyes widen in disbelief. "I need you to come over and pick something up for me. "

Wait a second...Santos? As in, Lester Santos from Rangeman?!