Chapter 11 #2
I nodded. “For whatever reason, her accusations are very personal, but I cannot believe a woman of her intelligence would drop everything and head to a foreign country on the hopes she’d run into me. There must be more to her story, a past that somehow connects us.”
Jago narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to meet her? Maybe I’d recognize her.”
“Not yet. She’ll break for me. Our connection is oddly strong, but I still need to develop some trust. Unless she kills me first,” I teased.
“I also need to check her story and find out more about her father and her background.” I glanced toward the scientific equipment again, allowing a few unwanted memories to return.
“Is your father in Barcelona?” Rafael Torres was the patriarch who’d basically rebuilt his empire after the betrayal of the man’s best friend twenty plus years ago.
He was still a formidable man who’d orchestrated Jago’s marriage.
“Coming back to town tomorrow, I believe. Why?” Jago asked.
“I might need to talk to him.”
“About?”
“History. Don’t forget, he picked me up off my ass and forced me to endure some brutal training.” The truth was I doubted I’d still be alive if Rafael hadn’t pulled me up by my bootstraps, giving me purpose, training, and the desire to serve his regime exclusively.
Jago moved closer. “I’d like to know what you’re thinking.”
I glanced at the other soldiers, Kruz excluded. He knew the subtle gesture. Even with entrusted men, we’d all learned the hard way that loyalty was easily bought, enough so betrayal had affected all our lives.
“Understood,” he said, still looking at me quizzically.
“When we return,” I added.
“Does that mean you’re bringing the woman with you?”
I took a deep breath. “Yet to be determined.”
“Careful, my friend. The thought of you falling for a woman is quite frankly terrifying.”
After rolling my eyes, I shifted my concentration to the vials in front of me.
Popping the top, I licked my little finger and allowed my skin to touch the unknown powder. As I brought it to my nose, I confirmed there wasn’t an odor. When I darted my tongue through the crystals, I anticipated a lingering taste. None.
“What are you looking for?” Kruz asked as he retrieved one of the vials, holding it up in the light.
“The reason Fassi’s men targeted this particular warehouse. Not only are the conditions troubling, but my gut tells me their attempted raid was about whatever I’m holding in my hand.” I slipped a single vial into my pocket. It was doubtful Eduardo would be entirely truthful.
“If you’re right, my cousin has been very busy. Something else to discuss with him. “
Nodding, I studied the area one last time before heading toward the two soldiers. “Names?”
The two looked at each other and I sighed. They certainly weren’t eager to cooperate.
Hard thudding sounds permeated the space from the beating Fassi’s man was getting. This certainly wasn’t the way I’d planned on spending my evening, much preferring sparring with the beautiful woman with a killer right hook.
“If I need to ask you again, I think we will have an issue,” I told them as calmly as possible.
“Juan,” the first one gritted out.
“Albrego.” The second was more arrogant, the thin smile he wore pissing me off. He was the candidate of choice.
I crowded his space, using the fact I was much taller than he was as intimidation. “What is the blow being cut with?”
He shrugged.
I grabbed him around the neck.
Juan and not Albrego gasped. I slowly turned my head toward him. “What do you know?”
“Nothing, sir. Don Gonzolez never told us anything except to keep the workers working.”
So Eduardo was calling himself a Don now. The greedy son of a bitch believed he was more powerful than he truly was. I returned my gaze to Albrego, finding it amusing Jago was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
I knew my concentration level and being interrupted brought out the beast in me. “And you?” I threw out.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
My hold remained tight, enough the cords in his neck were suddenly stretched as he tried to breathe. “Where does it come from?”
“Sir, only recent,” Juan spit out. “Don Gonzolez handles the material himself. I swear.”
I believed him. Eduardo had found himself a substance that was either deadly or just the opposite. Releasing my hold, I took a step away, even turning around. Had he not heard the horror stories of the reason my brother was dead in the first place? Or did the Mexican Cartel leader simply not care?
Albrego made the mistake of grumbling under his breath.
With a single spin, I punched him solidly in the gut, issuing another under his jaw. A tooth popped out, flying straight past me.
“Have you ever seen another person here, someone handling the function of preparing the coke for shipment?”
Juan was clearly unnerved. “A few times.”
“Names? Anything of use?”
He shook his head vehemently. “We were told not to ask questions.”
“What did he look like?”
“He always wore a mask, but he was older with silver hair.”
I took a guess. “He was here tonight.”
The two looked at each other. I shifted my gaze to Jago who smirked. We’d get no additional information from the two or anyone else.
While his answer provided little, at least he confirmed my guess. Eduardo had a scientist involved. Maybe that’s what Fassi wanted.
“From here on out, you will treat your workers with respect. Period. Now get the fuck out of here.”
They didn’t hesitate, both heading for the door. But Albrego stopped long enough to shoot a look in my direction.
I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to follow and finish the fight. Knowing he’d lose. I resisted, taking a deep breath instead.
“What’s bothering you? The chick?” Kruz asked. “You’re more off the rails than normal.”
“I don’t like surprises. And I don’t like the fact this trip, this building, and everything about dealing with Fassi stinks to high heaven.”
“That we agree on,” Jago said, still amused at my reaction. “Let’s have a chat with our friend over there. That might make you return to your normal chipper self.”
Snorting, I rolled my eyes and allowed him to take the lead. He moved to where Fassi’s man had been dumped in a chair. His head was lolled against his chest, blood staining his chin and neck, soaked into his black tee shirt.
Jago’s men remained in the room, all four flanking the perimeter with one keeping an eye on the door.
Jago crouched down in front of him, unsheathing and showing him the tanto. When the man didn’t as much as lift his head, Jago did it for him with a hard snap of the soldier’s neck.
“When we’re having a discussion, it’s polite to look at the man you’re talking to.” My words brought a chuckle from Jago.
“I have one question. Why are you here?” Jago continued.
The soldier was barely able to see from either eye, both already swollen.
When he sputtered, blood oozing from his mouth, I sighed and glanced at Kruz, who stood against a group of crates. This was going to be another one of those interrogations.
Jago lifted the man’s hand, running the sharp blade across it. At least the soldier flinched, finally opening his eyes as wide as possible.
He muttered something, but it wasn’t in either Arabic or Moroccan Berber, the typical languages used. Jago looked at me since he knew I was the master of several languages, at least in passable conversation.
“French,” I said casually. “And he told you to go fuck yourself.”
“What the hell is Fassi doing with French soldiers?” Kruz piped in.
“Because he wants to rule Spain, crowding in from all sides. Nothing has changed. It doesn’t matter that we interrupted his diamond monopoly or that we crushed his hopes of invading our country almost a year ago. He’s gathering his armies.” My answer was the only plausible one.
Years before, Spain had been in turmoil with various cartels and mafia organizations trying to obtain a strong hold.
That’s when the Torres regime had truly risen in the ranks.
But not without a tremendous loss of life, blood covering Barcelona’s streets.
For the most part, the territory wars had been kept to a minimum.
Partially because deals had been made, alliances formed, but also because several smaller crime syndicates had been wiped off the face of the earth. I wondered if Fassi had more to do with the past than any of us had been made aware of. I’d keep my ideas to myself at this point.
But the nagging continued, an unwavering twitch that had troubled me for months.
“So why enter Mexico?” Jago mused. He returned his attention to the soldier. “Your turn. What are you here for? Not cocaine.” He hovered the tanto over the man’s fingers, raising it slowly.
The soldier panted while Jago continued messing with him. At least the asshole came to his senses just before Jago removed a finger.
“Wait,” the man shouted in English, although his accent was strong.
“You’re here for the cutting agent. Yes?” I jumped in for no other purpose than to move this along. I’d grown bored and that usually meant increased acts of violence if I found no other gratification.
And sadly, Fallon wasn’t here to sate my desires.
The soldier was sweating like a dog, anguish forming lines on his swollen face.
“Scientist,” he gritted out.
“What the hell?” Kruz interjected.
Bingo. Whatever the scientist had produced was worth dying for. If I had to guess, I’d say the product in the vial was simply a perk. The scientist had been here but had gotten wind of a possible attack. “He was here earlier,” I said absently.
“Keep talking,” Jago told him.
After he swallowed, he stared down at his mangled hand. I sensed he was weighing the odds of being let go, already determining the answer. We weren’t the kind of men or players in the dangerous business who would allow a venomous snake to slither away.
Yet he also contemplated how much agony he’d been forced to endure by keeping whatever oath he’d taken for his master.
“We were meeting a scientist.”
“For what purpose?” I moved closer.
He tried to laugh as if the entire mission he and his men had been sent on was ridiculous. “To take him with us.”
Jago stood slowly, backing away and turning toward us. He looked me in the eyes before glancing at Kruz. “Don’t say it. Not a word. We’ll handle my cousin tomorrow. He will talk.”
There was a quick movement from behind Jago.
I reacted instantly, shoving Jago to the floor, yanking my Sig Sauer free and firing off two shots.
Just because I liked to be thorough.
Jago stared up at me from his position on the floor before turning his head toward the dead man. “Well, fuck. I guess I owe you.”
“Yeah, you do. But who’s counting?” I lowered my weapon, lifting a single eyebrow. “This is why I refuse to become involved with a woman.”
While Jago burst into laughter, my phone rang. Sighing, I pulled it into my hand. “Yes?” I answered. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes. “Shit. My night just keeps getting better and better.” No, that wasn’t accurate. My night had just gone from bad to insufferable.