Eternal Void (Isabella Espinoza Book 2)

  Eternal Void

  K Hanson

  Copyright © 2020 K Hanson

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  To Bobbi, who always lights up my life.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I want to thank Bobbi, my family, and my friends for all of their encouragement as I’ve worked on this book. I especially want to thank the people who have read it and provided the hard feedback that I needed.

  Thank you to my editor, Rainy Kaye, for challenging me and helping me find, craft, and refine the words to bring this story to life.

  Thank you to Rebecca Frank for a truly fantastic cover.

  Thank you to Rebecca Hamilton for being a wonderful mentor.

  Thank you to Raquel Beattie for bringing Isabella’s voice to life in the audiobook version.

  Finally, thank you, reader, for reading my book. I hope you enjoy your journey with Isabella.

  CHAPTER 1

  The enslaver camp stretched out before me, where I’d hopefully find the missing woman. I had to be the only detective taking missing persons cases in the middle of the apocalypse, but then again, I was probably the only detective that was part monster. We all had our own unique gifts, I suppose.

  I needed to use mine to make this world a bit less shitty. And that was what I was doing now, though attacking a bunch of enslavers seemed a touch more dangerous way to go about it than simply tossing a bottle in the recycling.

  As I lay prone in the dead grass, I gazed down the hill at the compound below us. Enslavers had taken over part of an old industrial park just outside of Sioux Falls, away from the small settlements that had popped up as protection against the night. A chain-link fence, topped with barbed wire, wound around the compound that contained a couple of warehouses and a dozen or so semi-truck trailers parked near it.

  At each corner, a wooden guard tower had been thrown together. Definitely not up to OSHA standards, but they weren’t going to stop by to visit during the apocalypse anyway.

  I had tracked the missing person, a woman named Amari, to this spot. Her uncle had shown up at my new office a few days ago with pictures and a story of how she had disappeared one night after going to a nearby store to pick up some food.

  Next to me, Jack McCrae cleared his throat.

  “Isabella,” he said, “are you sure this is the place? These guys are dangerous.”

  What little light there was revealed the profile of his slightly bent nose and his strong jaw.

  “Yes, after talking to the witnesses I could find, this is where their clues led me. These bastards snatch people up and sell them off as labor, or worse. Nobody up to anything good sets up shop this far from safety. Besides, I can smell that people have been here, probably held in awful circumstances.”

  The odor of shit and piss tinged the air as it breezed up from the camp below us. It was a strange mixture with the pleasant scent of Jack next to me.

  “Fine, but do we really need to do this?” Propped up on an elbow, he turned to look at me. With the dark stubble across his strong jaw and his piercing eyes, he had a masculine sex appeal that kept reeling me in. “Facing these guys is going to be dangerous. Is one girl worth the effort?”

  I scowled. This was why he would never be anything more than just a guy I hook up with. He didn’t understand the drive I had to help people. I couldn’t restrain it. That was what had pushed me to become a detective, and what kept me jumping into danger even when it might not be good for my health. And it usually wasn’t.

  Jack, on the other hand, was a former car thief, turned smuggler. I had arrested him back in the days before the portal opened and spilled the darkness that caused society to collapse.

  He may not be breaking any laws these days -- not that there were any -- but he was still a troublemaker. Not someone I could have a real relationship with.

  Still, he was here helping me without asking for anything in return, and I couldn’t be too upset at him.

  I rolled onto my side to face him and winced as my weight shifted onto the knife on my belt. After a quick adjustment, it no longer poked my side.

  “If someone you cared about was captured, what would you do?” I asked. “Wouldn’t you do anything you could to get them back?”

  “Well, yeah,” he said, giving a noncommittal shrug, “but you don’t know this person, do you? What does it matter?”

  “But her uncle cares about her. And I could see that he was desperate to get her back. The sort of desperate that leads people to do reckless things, but he doesn’t have my abilities. So, I’m going to get her for him. That’s what the job is. That’s what it has always been.”

  Jack frowned. “Whatever keeps you going.”

  “You’re still here, though, aren’t you? Why are you helping me if you think it’s crazy to go after someone I don’t know? Out of the goodness of your heart?”

  That insufferable shit-eating grin spread across his face.

  “I suppose you wouldn’t believe me if it was just because I like your smile?” he asked.

  “I’d think you were going soft. But I know you better than that, Jack. What do you get out of this?”

  He turned serious. “Fine. These guys are also part of our biggest competitors. They’re one of the largest smuggling networks throughout the Eternal Dusk. If we can hit them and do some damage, that means more business for my people.”

  He always had a damned angle to play.

  I gave him a sideways glance, narrowing my eyes. “You guys moving enslaved people around, too?”

  “No, definitely not,” he said, raising his hand defensively. “We wouldn’t do that. But these guys’ lack of principles makes them tough competitors. They do things we won’t, and that makes them hard to compete with.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “You’re smugglers with standards?”

  “Something like that. Isabella, you know I don’t want to hurt people. I smuggle things that help them survive the Dusk and the Void.”

  I didn’t buy his righteousness for a damned second.

  “By stealing them, right?”

  “Borrowing them from people who have too many things already.” He flashed me a grin.

  I shook my head. I didn’t buy his justification, but I appreciated him all the same.

  “Whatever your motives, I’m glad you’re here.” I allowed myself a smile. “Thanks for helping me.”

  “Anytime. Now, how are we going to find our way inside that place?”

  I glanced over at what I could see of the enslaver compound again. At the corners of the fence, each guard tower had a single person in it. On the side of the compound facing us, a gate wide enough for a single truck was guarded by a pair of armed people.

  In theory, I could take them all out, but I’d prefer not to kill them if I could avoid it. I hated killing people. At least the human part of me hated it. Another part enjoyed it too much. After my transformation, the night stalker within reveled in violence. I tried not to feed that monster within me any more than I had to.

  “It’s going to be hard to get in without them seeing us,” I said.

  Jack rubbed his stubbled chin. “I’ve got something that might work. I have a crate of booze in my truck for my next shipment. I could distract them while you make your way around and get over the fence.”

  I stayed silent for a moment as I scanned the compound, thinking over Jack’s idea. There wasn’t an obvious back entrance, and I didn’t want the mess of a fight. His plan remained our best option.

  “Okay, let’s do it,” I said.

  “See you when we’re done. I’ll meet you down that road.” He pointed north of us at the stretch of gravel that exte
nded past a couple of hills.

  I nodded, then stood up and started down the hill as Jack went to his truck in the other direction. He stumbled on something in the dark but recovered. I moved parallel to the fence, staying far enough away in the darkness that the guard wouldn’t see me in the night.

  The engine of Jack’s truck rumbled to life. A faint cloud of dust drifted into the air as he went around toward the front gate.

  I crouched behind a dead bush as he pulled up to the entrance.

  The two guards stepped into his path. A man with a shaved head raised his hand, signaling Jack to stop, while a woman with dark hair in a tight ponytail aimed her gun at the vehicle. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear their conversation easily.

  “Get out of the truck,” the man demanded.

  Jack popped the door open and stepped out onto the gravel, his hands high in the air.

  “Hey, I don’t mean to intrude,” he said. “I have something that you might want.”

  The woman lowered her gun just a bit.

  “What do you mean?” she said. “What do you have?”

  “If you’re thirsty, I have a crate of beer in the back. It’s more than I need, and I’m light on cash at the moment, so I’d be willing to give you a good price for it.”

  The first guard waved to the second guard, who lowered her gun entirely.

  “I’ll need to get the boss up here.” He turned to the woman. “Can you go get him?”

  The woman turned and hurried inside the compound.

  “This is a nice location you have here,” Jack said. “Seems like it should be pretty safe.”

  “Yeah, it’s all right. We don’t often get people wandering by, though. What brings you to this area?” the guard asked, his gaze locked on Jack.

  “On my way home after making another delivery. I saw the lights and figured I’d swing by.”

  The guard nodded.

  I glanced up at the guard towers. All of them seemed to have their attention on Jack’s truck. On a slow night, any distraction provided entertainment.

  I kept an eye on the guards to make sure they wouldn’t turn toward me as I snuck around the back of the chain-link fence, making my way from bush to bush. The gravel crunched beneath me, though I kept my footsteps as light as possible.

  As I reached the fence, the woman had returned to the front gate, accompanied by a large man with a shaved head and a stride that projected confidence.

  “What’s going on?” asked the boss in a deep, gravely voice. “I hear you have some beer for sale.”

  “That’s right,” Jack said. “I have a crate in the back.”

  “Can I look at it?” the man asked.

  “Of course.”

  Through the fence and between the trailers in the lot next to the warehouse, silhouettes flickered as the guards and Jack moved toward the back of his truck.

  Now was better than never.

  I sank into a deep crouch, and then leapt high into the air. With my extra strength and agility, I cleared the fence and rolled as I landed.

  The gravel shuffled beneath me, and I hurried underneath one of the trailers.

  As I glanced up at the guard towers, one of them stared down at the spot where I had landed, and then shook his head.

  “So, how much do you want for this?” the boss asked Jack.

  “Well, I’ll give you a good deal,” Jack said, sounding nonchalant. “How about one hundred dollars?”

  “One-hundred? For all of this?” the boss asked. “Why would you give us such a steep deal?”

  “Like I told your friend, here, I need the cash and have plenty of this to go around. Why not just take the deal and enjoy a good night of drinks?” Jack’s voice was still friendly, though I could tell he was starting to get concerned. He was pushing too hard.

  “Seems like you’re awfully eager to part with this.” The boss’s voice took on an accusatory tone. “Like you have another reason to be here other than selling beer. You say you drove by and spotted our lights? Where were you coming from? Where are you going?”

  “Why does that matter?” Jack asked in a wavering, higher-pitched voice. He was going to blow this for us. The guards were seeing through the ruse.

  I needed to give Jack a distraction so he could get away.

  I scanned the part of the compound that I could see. A couple of semi-truck trailers were parked nearby, their back doors closed and locked. Some crates of unknown contents sat against the warehouse. Next to them stood barrels marked as flammable. I fidgeted with the lighter in my jacket pocket.

  I could work with that.

  Quietly, I dashed over to one of the barrels and hauled it onto my shoulder. Then, I snuck over to the nearest guard tower, placing each step carefully to avoid sloshing the contents of the barrel and attracting attention.

  It was really too bad for them that they had made the towers out of wood.

  Using my knife for leverage, I popped the cap off the barrel. The strong scent of oil wafted out. I poured the contents of the barrel onto two of the supports for the tower, away from the ladder that led down from the top. I only needed a distraction, and I didn’t want to burn the poor bastard on top alive if I could help it. At least this way he could climb down.

  With half of the contents still left in the barrel, I made a small oil trail away from the support, and then set the barrel next to one of the oil-soaked legs. I flicked my lighter open and lit the fuel.

  The fire snaked alone the tendril of oil until it hit the supports. The wood burst into flames.

  I dashed back into the cover of the nearest trailer as the screams from the guard on top of the tower filled the air.

  “Fire! Fire!” he shouted as he clambered down the ladder.

  The guards at the gate hurried away from Jack.

  Jack jumped into the driver’s seat. His truck kicked up a spray of gravel as it peeled back from the gate, swung around, and then sped off down the road.

  Well, at least he was safe. But now they knew someone was here.

  Screw being stealthy, I suppose.

  An alarm bell rang from one of the warehouses in the compound, and more people ran out.

  A group of guards dashed past the trailer where I was taking cover. Before they could spot me, I ducked behind one of the tires.

  “You two,” shouted the boss, “go make sure our guest is still secure. I don’t want her getting out in this mess.”

  Their guest? Hopefully, he meant Amari.

  I peeked out from behind the tire as a pair of guards jogged out from behind the warehouse and headed farther into the rows of parked trailers. Amari must be inside one of them.

  As they rounded a corner behind one of the trailers, I slid out from under my cover and tailed them, staying out of sight.

  When I reached the corner they had gone around, I leaned against the nearest trailer and poked my head out.

  The two guards stood in front of the doors behind one of the trailers. The guard on the right unhooked a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked the doors, and then swung them open. His friend held his gun up.

  “Hey, girl, you still in here?” asked the guard with the keys

  “Why are you keeping me here?” a woman asked from out of sight, her voice shaking with a combination of fear and anger. “Let me go.”

  “Good, she didn’t break out,” said the man with the gun.

  “Break out?” the woman asked. “How the hell would I do that?”

  “Can’t be too careful. Do you have any friends who might try to get you out?”

  “Friends? Why? And what’s that smell? Is that fire?”

  With their attention on the person I assumed to be Amari, I dashed out and charged the guards.

  As I approached, they whirled around.

  The guard with his gun up let out a burst of shots, but they hit the ground just to my left.

  I rammed straight into him and drove my elbow into his gut. As he doubled over, I stripped his gun from him and stru
ck him across the temple. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

  His friend drew a pistol and pointed it toward me.

  I sidestepped as he pulled the trigger, grabbed his arm, and threw him on the ground.

  He rolled to aim his gun at me, but I pointed the rifle at him and pulled the trigger.

  I may not have liked killing, but I preferred that to being dead. And I could comfort myself with the fact that they were enslavers. I wasn’t exactly going to lose any sleep over them.

  With the two guards incapacitated, I leapt up into the shadowy interior of the trailer. Dark patches of rust sprawled across much of the surface of the inner metal walls.

  A woman with dark skin and long black hair woven into tight braids stared at me in the darkness.

  “Amari?” I asked.

  She pressed herself against the back of the trailer.

  “Who are you?” she asked in a wavering voice.

  “I’m getting you out.”

  Chains held Amari in place at the back of the trailer. I hurried back and yanked them free of the wall.

  “Come on,” I said.

  Amari hesitated and then followed me to the exit. She still had cuffs binding her wrists, so I helped her down from the back of the trailer. She took a deep breath of the outside air.

  In the open, I looked her over to make sure she matched the pictures her uncle had given me. The fire from the watchtower glinted over her dark skin, accenting her slightly hooked nose and sharp cheekbones. Her long hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail.

  I had the person I needed to find. We just had to get out of the enslaver compound.

  “Intruder! The prisoner’s escaping!” a man yelled from down the row of trailers.

  A spun around to the voice. A guard stood a few yards away, staring at us over the barrel of a rifle.

  So much for quick and easy.

  CHAPTER 2

  We had no way out. The guard was still pointing his gun at us. If I was lucky, I might have the agility to avoid getting shot, but Amari wouldn’t.