Read Online Lock and Load (SEAL EXtreme Team) by Kimberley Troutte - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberley Troutte
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men?
“What happened here?” Mack tried again.
Mr. Lee stared as if Mack had two heads. He squinted to see all of them, but his eyes widened when they fell on Tavon. The man guarding their six was a freak of nature. If a black bull and the WWE’s Mark Henry had a love child, it would be afraid of Tavon. Hell, the man scared Charlie sometimes.
“It’s okay, these are my friends,” Jenna said softly. “Go ahead. You can tell them.”
Mr. Lee’s wide forehead wrinkled. He put his hand on Jenna’s arm. “You no get involved. Lek Núi . Very dangerous.”
“Who did this?” Mack pressed.
Mr. Lee dropped his voice. “14K. Very bad men.”
Jenna gasped.
Willy leaned over her shoulder to look at the old man. “The triads? Jeez, dude, you don’t want to piss them off.”
Mr. Lee’s gaze flicked up to Willy. His accent was heavy when he replied, “No shit, Sherlock.”
Charlie snorted. “I like this guy.”
Mack exhaled impatiently, as if the questioning was too slow. “Why? Why did the 14K bust in here, smash up a tiny tea shop and bloody your head? Are you running drugs for them, old man? Skimming off the top?”
Mr. Lee raised his scrawny shoulders and looked Mack in the eye. “I run a tea shop, small dick with big mouth. No drugs. No triad.”
Tavon coughed, choking down his laughter. Charlie held his breath. It took great big balls to insult Mack.
“Let me handle this,” Jenna said. “Mr. Lee, we’re here because my friend is missing. You remember, Amber, don’t you?” She pulled Amber’s picture out of her pocket. “Have you seen her recently?”
Mr. Lee stared at the picture and dropped his gaze to the floor.
“Mr. Lee?” Jenna tried again.
“He’s not talking.” Mack spoke into his comm set. “Ty, get in here. We need a corpsman.”
“Corpse?” Mr. Lee croaked. “You will kill me if I do not tell you?”
“No! Ty is like a doctor. He’ll bandage your injuries,” Jenna explained.
“So I can kill you,” Mack growled.
“Mack! Don’t listen to him, Mr. Lee,” Jenna said.
“Can I speak to you?” Mack pulled her aside.
Charlie tried to move back to give them space but there was no room. He turned sideways and pretended to look at brown boxes with labels he couldn’t read.
“The old man knows something,” Mack said through his teeth. “If he doesn’t start talking we’re going to have to get tough.”
The door opened and Ty squeezed in. “So this is where the party is.”
“Over here,” Mack called. “Do your thing. We need answers.”
Ty checked the old man’s injuries. “You got lucky. No concussion. Mostly scrapes and bruises.”
“Doesn’t feel like luck,” Mr. Lee winced when Ty bandaged the head wound. “Unless you mean bad luck.”
“You’ll be fine.” Ty glanced around the shop. “Wow, this place smells like my granny’s house. She makes her own teas and reads fortunes with the leaves.”
“Your granny.” Mr. Lee sat up. “Is she married?”
Ty laughed. “Nope. She’s Apache and strong-willed, few men can handle her. Want me to introduce you?”
Mr. Lee cracked a smile, revealing a few missing teeth. He crooked his finger for Ty to move closer. “It is good to respect your elders. I like strong women, so I will tell you this—I know what happened to the girl.”
“How does he do that?” Willy said out of the corner of his mouth.
Ty had a way of getting people to talk.
“Where is she?” Ty asked.
“I hid her in the back, but…” He looked at Jenna, his eyes pleading for understanding. “…but I am an old man. The triad took her.”
“Oh, God. The 14K has her?” Jenna squeaked.
“How do we find them?” Ty asked.
“Wait an hour or two and you’ll find them here.”
Mack narrowed his blue eyes. “Why would the triad come back?”
Mr. Lee rose to his feet. “Because they won’t find want they need on the girl. And they are very persuasive. She will eventually tell them what they seek is
“What happened here?” Mack tried again.
Mr. Lee stared as if Mack had two heads. He squinted to see all of them, but his eyes widened when they fell on Tavon. The man guarding their six was a freak of nature. If a black bull and the WWE’s Mark Henry had a love child, it would be afraid of Tavon. Hell, the man scared Charlie sometimes.
“It’s okay, these are my friends,” Jenna said softly. “Go ahead. You can tell them.”
Mr. Lee’s wide forehead wrinkled. He put his hand on Jenna’s arm. “You no get involved. Lek Núi . Very dangerous.”
“Who did this?” Mack pressed.
Mr. Lee dropped his voice. “14K. Very bad men.”
Jenna gasped.
Willy leaned over her shoulder to look at the old man. “The triads? Jeez, dude, you don’t want to piss them off.”
Mr. Lee’s gaze flicked up to Willy. His accent was heavy when he replied, “No shit, Sherlock.”
Charlie snorted. “I like this guy.”
Mack exhaled impatiently, as if the questioning was too slow. “Why? Why did the 14K bust in here, smash up a tiny tea shop and bloody your head? Are you running drugs for them, old man? Skimming off the top?”
Mr. Lee raised his scrawny shoulders and looked Mack in the eye. “I run a tea shop, small dick with big mouth. No drugs. No triad.”
Tavon coughed, choking down his laughter. Charlie held his breath. It took great big balls to insult Mack.
“Let me handle this,” Jenna said. “Mr. Lee, we’re here because my friend is missing. You remember, Amber, don’t you?” She pulled Amber’s picture out of her pocket. “Have you seen her recently?”
Mr. Lee stared at the picture and dropped his gaze to the floor.
“Mr. Lee?” Jenna tried again.
“He’s not talking.” Mack spoke into his comm set. “Ty, get in here. We need a corpsman.”
“Corpse?” Mr. Lee croaked. “You will kill me if I do not tell you?”
“No! Ty is like a doctor. He’ll bandage your injuries,” Jenna explained.
“So I can kill you,” Mack growled.
“Mack! Don’t listen to him, Mr. Lee,” Jenna said.
“Can I speak to you?” Mack pulled her aside.
Charlie tried to move back to give them space but there was no room. He turned sideways and pretended to look at brown boxes with labels he couldn’t read.
“The old man knows something,” Mack said through his teeth. “If he doesn’t start talking we’re going to have to get tough.”
The door opened and Ty squeezed in. “So this is where the party is.”
“Over here,” Mack called. “Do your thing. We need answers.”
Ty checked the old man’s injuries. “You got lucky. No concussion. Mostly scrapes and bruises.”
“Doesn’t feel like luck,” Mr. Lee winced when Ty bandaged the head wound. “Unless you mean bad luck.”
“You’ll be fine.” Ty glanced around the shop. “Wow, this place smells like my granny’s house. She makes her own teas and reads fortunes with the leaves.”
“Your granny.” Mr. Lee sat up. “Is she married?”
Ty laughed. “Nope. She’s Apache and strong-willed, few men can handle her. Want me to introduce you?”
Mr. Lee cracked a smile, revealing a few missing teeth. He crooked his finger for Ty to move closer. “It is good to respect your elders. I like strong women, so I will tell you this—I know what happened to the girl.”
“How does he do that?” Willy said out of the corner of his mouth.
Ty had a way of getting people to talk.
“Where is she?” Ty asked.
“I hid her in the back, but…” He looked at Jenna, his eyes pleading for understanding. “…but I am an old man. The triad took her.”
“Oh, God. The 14K has her?” Jenna squeaked.
“How do we find them?” Ty asked.
“Wait an hour or two and you’ll find them here.”
Mack narrowed his blue eyes. “Why would the triad come back?”
Mr. Lee rose to his feet. “Because they won’t find want they need on the girl. And they are very persuasive. She will eventually tell them what they seek is
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