The girls were all dressed up in long sleek dresses and high heels. Their hair and make-up were done and they wore tentative smiles like they were all scared. They held hands in a row and Sophia wanted to cry for what was happening. They heard Dom gasp then take a deep breath to steady himself.
Someone yelled, “Hey Skipper! Get up and introduce your girls!” Everyone cheered. Dom turned back to the right and the camera showed Kyle Kaloni walking towards the girls.
“What the hell!” shouted Luke as he jumped out of his chair and pounded his fists on the table. “I’ve known that man for thirty years. How in the hell could he be doing this? What a sick bastard! It was bad enough to think he was just participating, but to run the whole thing? I swear that man is going down!”
“Sit down Luke,” Laura chastised again. “Let’s get the information we need, so we can put him away for good.”
Kyle introduced each girl and told where they were from and a brief history of each one.
“François?” Kyle bellowed since Dom was back so far. “Come and pick your girl since you are the biggest contributor of the evening!” All the other men moaned and groaned about not being able to go first.
Dom walked forward slowly, his eyes holding constantly on Bella’s. Then she recognized him and her mouth fell open and she looked stunned. His lips were pressed together tightly as he slightly shook his head to keep her from saying anything. Bella regained her composure after only a couple seconds. No one could see the tears forming in her eyes.
Dom acted like he was checking over the other ladies then he took Bella’s hand and pulled her out of line.
“Good choice, she’s a little beauty.” Kyle said as he motioned to the waiter and told Dom to follow him. The waiter opened the first door they came to after descending the stairs; and told them they had until midnight.
The door slowly closed and Bella’s lip started quivering and she burst into tears falling into Dom. He cradled her in his arms and wept. The only thing the microphone could pick up was her wailing “Daddy” then more sobs.
“It’s ok baby, don’t cry,” Dom told her as he cupped her face in his large hands. “I’m getting you out of here tonight or I will die trying.” They clung together for several more minutes and just cried. “I never stopped looking for you, Bella, Never!”
It was an intimate moment and Sophia felt like she was eaves dropping on a private exchange, so she looked away and wiped her tears with a tissue.
Dom suddenly remembered he had on a wire and said angrily “I hope you guys got all that. That asshole is going down.”
“Who are you talking to Daddy?” Bella asked confused.
“The team that is getting you out of here,” he replied with a smile.
They heard doors closing up and down the hall and Dom knew he had about twenty minutes before he would execute the plan. Until then he sat holding Bella while she told him everything that had happened to her. He comforted her and told her she was very brave. She looked up into his face and finally the realization hit her that she was going home. She was resolved to do anything to help.
“Ok honey, I have to go to work,” Dom told Bella snickering. ‘What I need you to do is stay in this room and don’t leave until I come back to get you. OK? I want you to promise me.”
“OK Daddy. Please hurry though,” Bella answered.
“Lock the door behind me and don’t let anyone in,” Dom added as he slipped out the door and closed it. He headed up the stairs staggering like he was drunk and headed for the bar.
“A couple drinks my good man,” Dom called out when he reached the bar. Then added quietly “How many left?”
“Luther, and I’m assuming two guards. The rest are wait staff.” he replied softly while looking down cleaning glasses. “Kyle took two of the girls downstairs.”
“Damn it!” Dom exclaimed. ‘That complicates things. I guess we change to plan B.”
Laura knew what that meant. They would have to rescue the girls from below deck and neutralize the threat at the same time. The chances of the visiting men being armed were slim, but they had to assume Kyle and the guards would be.
“Everything ok, Francois?” Luther asked as he walked up startling Dom.
“Yep, just getting a couple cocktails,” Dom replied trying to slur his words to seem drunk. He picked up the drinks and walked towards to the stairs. “Thanks for asking.”
Passing the undercover waiter on the way down, he told Dom that Kyle was in room 8. He had already warned the kitchen staff and waiters to stay put in the kitchen for a while to keep them out of harm’s way. Dom looked at his watch and told the waiter to go in 5 as he set the drinks on a table and removed his gun from his boot.
Laura checked her watch and advised the rescue boats to stand by for her command.
The waiter’s objective was to take down one guard and then Luther. The bartender was to neutralize the other guard as soon as the waiter initiated the sequence.
Luther went back to sit at the desk after he talked to Dom. He was in a little alcove just off the kitchen. One guard was circling the top deck and one was standing at the top of the stairs. It was a go.
The waiter ran up behind the guard by the stairs and wrapped a hand towel around his mouth and twisted it as hard as he could while kicking in his knees. The guard fell hard to the ground as the waiter grabbed the gun out of the guards holster and tied the gag around his face. He pulled him into the kitchen where he shoved him in the walk in cooler and put zip ties around his ankles and wrists. He then went to find Luther after he heard gunshots.
At the same time the bartender ran up behind the other guard and put his arm around the guy’s neck from behind. He was trying to choke him out, but while doing so got a forceful elbow to the ribs which made him loosen his grip. The guard turned and head butted the bartender. They scuffled and fought for a little bit until the guard was on his stomach with an arm around his neck until he passed out. The bartender zip tied him to the railing and took his gun. Then he went to see if Dom was ok after he heard the same gunshots…