Chapter Seventeen #2
Passing the Jeep Bo was driving, Jackson spotted the dark Tahoe that Christina was in.
He hung back, not needing to get too close to follow them since Eli, sitting beside him in the passenger seat, was monitoring her GPS tracker on his laptop.
Autumn was in the back seat. She had agreed to come along in a support role and would steer clear of any danger since they were all operating on little sleep and she had the least amount of tactical experience.
Aguilar took the exit for Missoula.
Staying several cars back, Jackson followed them through the city.
“It looks like they’re heading toward a warehouse district not far from the river,” Eli said. “Traffic is about to get sparse, and it’ll be easier for Aguilar to spot us. We need to hang back. For now, stay on this road and I’ll guide you from the GPS tracker.”
Jackson nodded. “Okay.”
“Can I ask you something?” Christina said, her voice transmitting from the microphone she wore through the laptop. “If this is the last conversation I’m ever going to have, there are some things I’d like to know.”
“What?”
“Kehoe told me that you killed all the women you’ve dated,” she said.
“Not all.”
“I’m not talking about one-night stands. I mean women you saw regularly. Why?”
“Some got pushy or disrespectful.” Alvaro’s voice was hard and steely. “Others were too curious, sticking their nose where it didn’t belong.”
“I was curious,” Christina said. “How did I last two years?”
Silence.
“Make a right at that traffic light.” Eli pointed. “Then straight for a mile and another right.”
“You…you pleased me,” Alvaro said. “I didn’t get tired of you.
Somehow you kept me intrigued. On my toes.
It was smart of you to become my lawyer, so that we had attorney-client privilege, making me feel like I could talk to you.
Tell you things under the sanctity of that umbrella.
I didn’t even realize I was being played.
Then you wanted to join the cartel, and I didn’t have to hide anything anymore. I could let you see the real me.”
Anxiety pulsed through Jackson. This tête-a-tête between Christina and Alvaro only made it worse. She was trapped in a vehicle with Aguilar. Handcuffed to that animal who had every intention of killing her.
“Did you know that Rio would make me choose, ask me to end things between us?”
“No,” Alvaro said. “But I understood the reason. No alliances that could threaten El Jefe.”
“Why did you continue to protect me from Hector and the other lieutenants?” she asked.
“You were still mine. My girl. My pick. The horse I was backing in this race.”
“What race?”
“Eventually, El Jefe would have to name a successor. At least before today. I wanted to see how high you could climb with me at your side. I never knew what idea you would come up with, that was outside the box, like starting the charity, or what you’d do next.
I just never thought it would be this. To betray me. ”
“Is Rio on the surveillance footage I have? Is that why it’s so important?”
“Yes,” Alvaro growled. “You have no idea what you’ve done. But Rio will explain it to you.”
They drove for another five minutes.
“The topography changes up ahead,” Eli said, “and is going to leave us exposed. If we don’t want Aguilar to see us coming, we’re going to have to kill the lights in a few minutes. In fact, it might be better for us to take one vehicle from here.”
After relaying the slight change in plan to the others, Jackson pulled over. Once Bo caught up to them, the others packed into the Suburban.
A mile from the position where the GPS tracker stopped, Jackson switched off his lights and slowed down.
They reached the top of a hill. Down below there was a dilapidated warehouse on the edge of the river.
No traffic or any activity or other structures in the vicinity, like the warehouse hadn’t been used in quite some time.
The SUV Christina and Aguilar had driven in was parked near the warehouse.
But a large bay door was open where trucks would’ve once driven in and out for loading and unloading.
Why didn’t they park inside?
They couldn’t take the road that led straight down to the warehouse.
The open bay door offered Aguilar a clear line of sight to any approaching vehicles.
That wasn’t the only problem. Large windows lined the sides of the warehouse, and the land around it was flat with no trees.
They wouldn’t be able to get anywhere close to the structure by car.
Following the ridgeline, taking the long way around, Jackson had to drive off-road to make sure the team stayed out of sight. With no lampposts or headlights on, the moon covered in gray clouds, obscuring any light, he drove blind—the tires jarring over rocks and ruts.
The Suburban hit a muddy patch, slowing to a standstill as its tires spun uselessly. Tapping down on the accelerator in hopes momentum could get them out, the vehicle shuddered, going nowhere.
Jackson swore. “We’re going to have to push and see if we can get it out of the mud.”
While everyone hopped out and Autumn moved up front behind the wheel, Eli patched the feed from Christina’s microphone into their earpieces, so that they could keep tabs on what was happening inside the warehouse.
Takoda checked the surrounding area with a dual-screen infrared binocular and night-vision device to make sure no hostiles were in sniper positions or posted as lookouts. “All clear.”
They got on either side of the vehicle and pushed. Autumn gave it some gas. The wheels spun, spitting out mud but not carrying the SUV forward.
“We need traction,” Jackson said, wishing they had a couple of sturdy planks of wood.
“What’s inside the bag?” Christina said, her voice in Jackson’s earpiece splitting his attention.
“You’ll see,” Alvaro said.
Seconds ticked by, bleeding into minutes as they gave it another go, trying to shove the Suburban loose from the mud. Fatigue magnified Jackson’s frustration.
“We’ve got a flat over here,” Killian-Yazzie called out.
Jackson growled and slammed a fist on the side of the vehicle. How long would it take to change the tire while the Suburban was stuck in an awkward angle and mired in muck? Five minutes? Ten?
Time they didn’t have.
“Alvaro.” Christina’s voice broke. “Why are you planting explosives throughout the warehouse?”
“This is what it’s come to,” Alvaro said, “because of all the damage you’ve done.”
Explosives.
Once again, Alvaro was several steps ahead of them. Jackson’s chest tightened at the thought of Christina being inside the warehouse that was rigged to blow.
“A vehicle is headed down the road, toward the warehouse,” Autumn said, redirecting the team’s attention to the sedan closing in on Christina’s location.
They needed to infiltrate the site on foot.
“Let’s leave the Suburban,” Jackson said. “We need to get down there.” He looked at Autumn. “Monitor the laptop. If she leaves the warehouse or you see anything that we can’t, give us a heads-up.”
Autumn nodded. “Sure thing.”
Once the team members secured their weapons and loaded up with extra ammunition, they moved out.
Their position on the ridgeline was too far from the warehouse for Jackson’s liking. They had to trek over a mile across rough terrain. It would take them precious minutes to reach Christina. But they had no other choice.
“How long until Rio gets here?” Christina asked, her voice soft and shaky in Jackson’s ear, making him quicken his pace.
“Not long now,” Alvaro said. “El Jefe is inbound and will be here in a few minutes. Your time is almost up.”
Jackson moved even faster. They were so close to reaching their goal, to get their hands on not only Aguilar, but also Rio Estrada, who had eluded his task force and every law enforcement agency for years.
Wearing gear, hauling weapons, and fatigue weighing them down, they stepped up their pace across the land. Christina was once again risking everything. Not only for the mission but to safeguard the entire IPS team and their family and friends.
The sedan drove inside the warehouse that seemed so far away.
Jackson controlled his breathing, though his heart raced. Going as fast as he could, he tore across the land, trying to get to Christina, feeling as though he was moving in slow motion.
Now that Aguilar and Rio were in that warehouse, where explosives were set, things could go sideways at any moment, and only one thing was certain.
Christina was in grave danger.