Chapter 18 #2
Walker didn’t crack a smile. “One of us will scope it out before you go in, and no one else will be allowed in while you’re in there.”
Gillian took a breath. She wanted to protest. Tell Walker that he was being paranoid. But then she remembered how scared she’d been when she’d woken up and realized she had no idea what she was doing in an ambulance, and why she was hurting so bad. “Okay,” she told her boyfriend solemnly.
Walker put his hand on the back of her head and brought it to his shoulder. “Okay,” he whispered.
They stood like that in his kitchen for quite a while, Gillian staring out the window that led to his balcony, watching the birds flying from tree to tree outside.
Falcon.
She abruptly pulled back and looked up at Walker. “Falcon!” she said urgently.
“What?”
“Falcon. I don’t know what it means, but it has to do with my kidnapping.”
He raised an eyebrow, but his expression hardened. “You sure?”
Gillian nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know why, but…yes.”
Walker ran a hand over her hair, then brushed the backs of his fingers over her healing cheekbone. “I’m proud of you, Di. You are every inch a Wonder Woman.”
“But it makes no sense.”
Walker shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll call Agent Tucker and let him know. He can research and see if he can figure out what it means.”
Gillian closed her eyes and willed her brain to recall something else.
Falcon, falcon, falcon. She repeated the word over and over in her head.
Then another word popped into her brain.
“Salazar!” she blurted.
This time, he looked shocked.
“What?” Gillian asked. “Who is that?”
“Alfredo Salazar is the head of the Sinaloa Cartel here in Texas. Calum Branch, the DEA agent you talked to, claims he’s headquartered right in Austin.
I don’t know why you’re remembering that name, but if he was the one who took you, or had you taken, then it’s even more of a fucking miracle you’re standing here in my arms right now. ”
“Why?” Gillian asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“He’s ruthless. He started as a part of the gang when he was still in elementary school. Killed his first man around age ten. Everyone knows that if they cross him, they’re dead. It’s said he has no mercy. That he killed his own sister when he thought she’d betrayed the cartel.”
Gillian’s eyes widened with every word from Walker.
“I need to call Tucker,” he said.
Gillian nodded. “I know.”
“Maybe I’ll see if Ghost and his crew can come to Austin with us as well,” he muttered.
As scared as Gillian was, she thought that was a bit overkill. Having fourteen men following her around during an anniversary party would be a bit much. But she’d fight that battle later. Maybe when they were both replete after a few orgasms.
“Walker?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?” he asked distractedly.
“I trust you.”
That got his attention. He raised an eyebrow.
“If something else ever happens to me, I trust you to get there in time. You’ve changed my life too. I always felt as if something was missing, even though I have great parents, amazing friends, and a job I love. Now I know it was you. You were missing.”
He leaned down and kissed her gently.
“We’re going to get through this,” she told him.
“Neither of us is used to living with someone else. Throw in close quarters, me being hurt, and you dealing with the fact that you couldn’t help me…
we’re bound to fight. Thank you for not shutting me out or storming off.
It’s not easy to talk about what’s bothering us, but I appreciate you doing just that. ”
“I’ve been a bachelor for a very long time, but nothing feels as right as waking up with you in my arms, Gilly.
I can’t promise to always be happy and in a good mood, but I do promise to never take what’s bothering me out on you.
I’ll do my best to talk things through before we go to bed. I never want to go to bed mad.”
“Me either. And, Walker?”
“Right here, sweetheart,” he said with a smile.
“I haven’t missed that your friends moved practically my entire apartment here this week.”
He smiled. “Wasn’t keeping it a secret.”
“So now that I’m better, I’m assuming you don’t want me to go back to Georgetown?”
“Absolutely not,” he said immediately. “And not just because I’m worried about your safety.
I like you hogging the covers at night. I like watching you brush your teeth in my bathroom…
our bathroom. My sheets and towels smell like honeysuckle, and I freaking love it.
I like bringing you coffee while you get ready in the morning, and I love looking up from whatever I’m doing and seeing you. I love you, Gillian.”
She practically melted in his arms. “I love you too, Walker.”
“You’re okay with moving in…permanently?”
“Do I have a choice?” she asked cheekily.
“You always have a choice,” he said without cracking even the smallest smile. “I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I want to live with you,” she told him.
“Good. Eventually, we’ll get a bigger place.
We’re stuffed in here like sardines. I don’t mind it, but after a while it might get to be a bit much.
Now, as much as I hate to let you go, I really do need to call Tucker.
You remembering even those two small words is a good thing.
It might not mean anything to us right now, but the fact that you’re strong enough to break through the chemicals that fucked with your memories just reinforces my thought that you are fucking Diana Prince. ”
And with that, Walker kissed her on the forehead and turned to grab his phone.
Gillian gave him some space, heading into their bedroom.
She didn’t need to hear his conversation.
She had no idea what falcon and Salazar meant, and she could admit that she kinda didn’t want to know.
She had a few more last-minute details to work out for the Howard party, and she needed to talk to their daughter and reassure her that she’d be there on Saturday night.
“It’s not much,” Gary Tucker told Trigger.
“I know, but I wanted to let you know as soon as possible that Gillian had remembered something.”
“Hmmm. All right, I agree with you about the name Salazar. Although it’s probably unlikely that she actually saw him in person. He’s elusive and doesn’t get involved with extortion and kidnappings.”
“I might not be an expert on drug kingpins,” Trigger said, “but I’m guessing he’s more involved than everyone thinks. I mean, I know there’s a hierarchy in organizations like that, but wouldn’t he be aware of everything that’s happening? Who’s targeted and why?”
“Holy shit,” Agent Tucker said suddenly.
“What?” Trigger asked in alarm.
“Hang on…I’m calling Calum. As DEA, he knows a lot more about the Sinaloa than I do.”
Trigger waited impatiently as the FBI agent patched in the other man.
“You here, Branch?” Tucker asked after a minute or so.
“Yeah,” the other man answered.
“Trigger?” Tucker asked.
“Also here,” he confirmed.
“Right, so, Calum, Trigger called to tell me Gillian remembered two things from her kidnapping.”
“That’s great,” the DEA agent said.
Trigger was glad to hear the sincerity in his voice.
“The first was the name Salazar.”
Calum whistled long and low.
“Yeah. Trigger and I were having a conversation about him when something occurred to me.”
“What’s that?” Calum asked.
“We were talking about how unlikely it was that Salazar himself had any direct contact with Ms. Romano. I told Trigger that he probably left the kidnappings and assassinations to the lower members of his organization.”
“That’s probably true. Drug lords usually don’t bother themselves with that sort of thing. They’ve got highly trained and trusted members of their organizations who do the dirty work.”
“Exactly. Which brings us to the other thing Gillian remembered.”
“Well? What was it?” Calum asked, when Gary hesitated.
“She remembered the word ‘falcon.’”
“Wow. Okay, that makes sense. I just wish we knew what the context was,” Calum said after a moment.
“Would one of you please fill me in?” Trigger asked impatiently. He had no clue what falcon could possibly mean, but obviously it had some relevance, based on what the two men were saying.
“So, in cartels like the Sinaloa, there are different levels of players,” Calum explained.
“At the top are people like Salazar, the drug lords. They’re the ones ultimately in charge.
The head of the snake, if you will. Under them are lieutenants.
The people at that level are in direct contact with the drug lord and are highly trusted and valuable, as they supervise a lot of the lower-level people in the organization.
Next come the hitmen; I think their job is self-explanatory.
But under them are the members known as falcons.
It’s the lowest position in the gang, and most of them work hard to gain the trust and favor of the hitmen and lieutenants with the goal of moving up the ladder someday. ”
“So, what does Gillian remembering the word falcon mean in this context?” Trigger asked.
“Normally, I’d say we’re not sure. It could be that whoever had her kidnapped referred to a falcon in one way or another. Or it could mean that she saw a bird flying overhead after she was dumped and her brain simply conjured up the word ‘falcon.’”
“Then why was Tucker all fired up to bring you in on this call?” Walker asked.
“Because remembering the word falcon all by itself means nothing. But remembering it in conjunction with the name Salazar means she was definitely in the hands of the Sinaloa Cartel. There was a reason she was taken, but there was probably a bigger reason she was let go relatively unharmed…which I don’t have to tell you is very, very rare.
I can count on one hand the number of people who’ve escaped the Sinaloa Cartel’s clutches after being kidnapped,” Calum said.
“Of the people you know who have escaped…how many have been retaken by the cartel?” Trigger asked.
“None,” Calum told him without hesitation.
“There’s only been one situation where we know for sure what happened.
We had a UC—sorry, an undercover—imbedded with the cartel, and he reported that the hitmen had kidnapped someone who they’d thought was snitching.
Turns out they grabbed the wrong man. They had the same name, but the poor schmuck who ended up in front of Salazar was a guy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He was let go after a severe beating and a warning not to say a word about what had happened to him.
The guy ended up moving to Canada with his family, and he still lives there to this day. ”
Trigger let out a long breath. “So what are your thoughts on all this in reference to Gillian?” he asked.
“And give it to me straight. Why was she taken, what are the odds she’s still in danger, and do we have to look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives?
Do I need to request a PCS move to Alaska? ”
“Honestly, I’m not sure what to think,” Calum said, and Trigger tensed once more. “I mean, the fact that she was let go unharmed is a good thing.”
Trigger wanted to argue the “unharmed” thing, but let it go.
“But nothing about this is normal. The hijacking was an extreme and bold move, and the fact that we still don’t know who the seventh hijacker was means there are a lot of loose ends.
Ms. Romano had a very active role in that whole thing, she was picked out of all the passengers to be the spokesperson between the hijackers and the negotiators.
She was also right there when the hijackers were killed as well.
So it could be the Sinaloa was just trying to find out what she knows about who the other hijacker might be. ”
“We’re headed into Austin this weekend for an event she’s planning,” Trigger told the men.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Tucker asked.
“No,” Trigger said emphatically. “But I can’t keep her locked up forever. If she’s brave enough to get back on the horse after she was bucked off, then I’ll be right there by her side. Me and my friends.”
Trigger knew the two men understood what he was saying when they both murmured their approval. They knew he was Delta Force, and that he’d be on security duty.
“Let us know if you notice anything that looks off,” the FBI agent said.
“I will,” Trigger reassured them.
“Thanks for letting us know what Gillian remembered,” Calum added. “I know it doesn’t seem like much in the scheme of things, but the fact she remembered anything at all is pretty damn amazing.”
“That’s what I told her,” Trigger agreed. “I’ll stay in touch.”
The three men hung up, and Trigger stood in his living room, staring outside for a long moment. In some ways, the phone call made him feel better about Gillian’s safety, but he was also still uneasy. He figured he’d be nervous about her for a long time coming.
When she’d been missing, and he’d realized they had absolutely no clues as to where she might be, he’d almost lost his mind. It wasn’t often he felt helpless, and he hated the feeling.
He wanted to keep her locked in his apartment safe and sound forever, but knew that wasn’t feasible.
Besides, with his luck, someone in a nearby apartment would start a grease fire and the damn building would burn down.
He’d learned throughout his career that sometimes the safest place was actually the most dangerous.
He had to let Gillian fly, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be there to catch her if she fell.
He looked down at his phone and clicked a button to call Lefty. He needed to let his team know they’d be going to Austin for a party on Saturday.