Lima
By the time the three boats made it back to the marina, they had formulated a plan.
The marina was as vacant as they’d left it, given the hour of night it was.
The marina hosted mostly fishing vessels, pleasure craft, and catamarans that offered day cruises and snorkel packages over to Isla Mujeres.
After docking the three vessels, Mac called Moreno. “We’ve got her,” he said when Moreno answered. “And three other girls around her age.”
“Is she okay?” Moreno asked hesitantly.
“Appears to be,” Mac answered. “They are all traumatized, but I don’t think they’ve been hurt or violated. Though I’m not sure they would have confessed it to us if they had been. That might be a conversation for Christy to have with them.”
“Yes, agreed,” Moreno said. “Should we come to you?”
“No, we’ll pick you up. The DEA agents we’re working with have a room at a kid-friendly hotel nearby. They’ll give that room to you and the girls so you can arrange to return the other girls home. You’ll handle that for us, won’t you?”
“Yes, and I’ll need to contact the Colombian Consulate in Cancun to get travel documents for Bella and any of the other girls that are from Colombia.”
“We don’t know where the others are from,” Mac said, feeling a bit callous for not inquiring about their origins. “We know you’ll work that all out on the government end.”
“Don’t worry. Christy and I will take care of them.”
“Don’t officially check out yet. Just bring a small bag with what you’ll need for a day or two until you get this sorted out.
Our ETA is about thirty minutes, and I’ll text when we pull into the resort’s long drive.
We’ll be in a panel van and will pull up in front of the lobby for you to load in.
” Then he spoke to Briana and told her the plan.
They wiped their prints from every surface of the three boats and left them all as if they hadn’t been out for the night.
The marina had no surveillance cameras. They didn’t have time to check each boat to ensure there were none on them, they’d have to take their chances.
They’d leave the dead bodies on the Delphi Princess for some unlucky marina employee or passerby to find at some point in the future, most likely when they started to smell.
Mac, Roth, and Mother got into the back of the van with the girls.
Mother explained to them that Roth was a medic, and he translated as Roth asked them health-related questions.
Garcia, Cooper, and Lambchop drove the other vehicle.
The two vehicles remained in a tight caravan this time, obeying the traffic signals and speed limit signs.
Garcia returned the car to the parking lot. From there, the three men saw Moreno and Christy climb into the back of the van when Mac, Roth, and Mother got out near the lobby.
The six men walked through the lobby and out onto the platform that overlooked the open area of the resort.
From this elevation, the nighttime view was nothing short of spectacular.
The pools were lit with blue lights. Open torches and cauldrons of flames gave off a primitive, tropical vibe.
Up lighting cast the swaying palm trees in yellow lights, and the golden lights from each balcony on every building made the ten buildings look like they were studded with diamonds.
They descended the stairs and passed by the nightclub, which was just closing and spilling its inebriated revelers out into the night. The team blended in among the many nightclub goers who staggered around the resort, eventually heading back to their rooms.
“Pretty lively around here for zero three hundred,” Roth whispered to Mac as two drunk girls danced in circles around them before veering off towards the nearest building.
Mac chuckled. “And here I thought we’d look conspicuous walking around at this hour.”
“I’m going to go check on Laura Lee,” Lambchop said.
“I’ll join you after.” He turned off towards the stairs that would bring him closest to his room.
Yvette had notified the team that the decision had been made to leave the two women in Ruiz’s room to sleep.
Both requested asylum, so they did not believe either would leave.
Laura Lee had returned to her and Lambchop’s room to sleep.
“Yeah, I’m going to check in with Briana real quick too,” Roth said. “I messaged her when we got back to the marina and told her to go to sleep, but I want to be sure she’s okay.”
“You can go sack out, Crash,” Cooper said. “Unless Madison or Yvette got tired of Ruiz and hurt him, we won’t need you.” He paused and laughed. “I’ll call or text with our next steps in the morning.”
Roth nodded and then took the path towards his building.
He took the stairs up and entered his room as quietly as he could.
Briana had left the curtain open, and the resort lights that penetrated the room shone like a spotlight on her peacefully sleeping form on the side closest to the sliding glass door.
After he engaged the night lock, he set his weapon onto the nightstand beside hers and slipped into bed behind her. He pulled his front up flush against her back and took her into his arms.
“What time is it?” she murmured.
“Late, after three,” he said.
“All went smoothly?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you about it in the morning. Go back to sleep,” he whispered. The truth was that the adrenaline had receded, and he was beat. All he wanted to do was sleep for the next ten hours.
Mac and the three other men took the elevator up to his room. They entered to find Ruiz tied up and not moving on the center of the bed. Both Madison and Yvette sat with their feet up at the dinette table.
Cooper nodded at Ruiz. “Is he alive?”
Yvette and Madison both snickered. “We completed taking his full statement nearly an hour ago. Smith and the Digital Team have already confirmed half of it. They’re running down the financial account info now.
He provided pins, passwords and all we needed to access his funds.
Smith’s already emptied a dozen accounts.
“I thought he was scrambling to access funds to pay off Solomon?” Mac said.
“He lied about that too, well, the part about not having funds available. Ruiz just didn’t want to pay him. He was here liquidating and tying up loose ends, getting ready for one last big score before he shut it all down. He’s in the process of cashing out,” Yvette told the men.
“The identity of the New York man?” Cooper asked.
“Not the couple from the shuttle bus,” Yvette answered. “He’s traveling in from New York tomorrow. FBI will pick him up at his house in just a few hours. Big Bear has been fully briefed and has several agencies involved.”
“The DEA plane will be back to pick us all up tomorrow just after sunset,” Madison said, standing.
She walked up to Cooper and embraced him.
“While you guys were out playing on the water, we wrapped everything up here.” She nodded towards the door.
“Let’s go to our room and get a few hours of shut-eye. ”
“Let me know if you want to be relieved of watching him at any point,” Cooper said.
“We got him,” Garcia said. “Go to bed.”
“I want more time to float in that Jungle Pool tomorrow before the plane picks us up,” Yvette said, standing and stretching.
“That does sound nice,” Mother agreed. “I say we come up with a rotation, so we all get one more swim while we keep him guarded.”
Mac pointed at Ruiz, in the center of the bed. “My only problem is he’s taking up too much space.”
Garcia went up to the bed. “Mother, give me a hand. We’ll move him to the couch.”
Ruiz slept through Garcia grasping him beneath the armpits. Mother grabbed him by his bound ankles, and the two men hefted him over to the couch.
“I forgot to mention we drugged him,” Yvette said. “I thought it was better to knock him out for a few hours than to have Madison kill him. He wouldn’t stop talking. I called Doc, and he walked me through how much of what to give him. He should be out for six more hours.”
Mac rolled onto the bed, claiming the pillow he’d been using. “Good thinking, Red.”
Garcia settled into the dinette chair. “I’ll take first watch.”
Yvette pulled back the covers and slid all the way over to Mac, taking her spot in the middle of the king-sized bed.
“Wake me up when you need to sleep,” Mother told Garcia before dropping himself onto the far side of the bed. He pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll let Lambchop know Ruiz is out for the evening so he can crash now too.” He tapped out a quick text message.
Garcia killed most of the lights in the room. He opened a chat box to the Digital Team to check in with them. He needed to know how much of what Ruiz gave them was verified. He suspected a percentage of it would be unverifiable or be proven to be complete bullshit.
***
Yvette slept more soundly for the six hours she was out than she had in days. She woke up to the incredible smell of coffee. She sat up, her eyes getting adjusted to the bright light that flooded into the room through the half-open curtain over the sliding glass door.
Mac and Mother sat at the dinette table sipping coffee. Ruiz was also awake, sitting on the couch, also drinking from a paper, to-go coffee cup. Mac handed her a large cup. She took a sip to test the temperature. It was cool enough to drink. She took a large swig.
“Where’s Razor?” she asked.
“Down in Lambchop and Laura Lee’s room sleeping.
Those two are already out at breakfast and then will spend a few hours at the pool unless we need them,” Mac answered.
“We decided until our ride out of here later today, unless he’s lied and we have to talk again,” he nodded to Ruiz, “we’d take shifts enjoying the pools. ”
“Are the women still next door?” Yvette asked.
“Yes, they both stuck around,” Mother answered. “I checked on them this morning when I went to get coffee. We ordered them room service. They’ll leave with us later today. Big Bear’s working on asylum for them.”
Yvette propped a pillow behind her back and got comfortable. Maybe it was still the adrenaline, but she felt restless, like something was not resolved. It was like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wouldn’t voice her feelings to the others.
“You want to grab breakfast and then float in the Jungle Pool for a few hours?” Mac asked her.
Her gaze darted to Ruiz.
“We’ve got him,” Mother said. “Coop and Xena are going to come take a shift when they’re done at breakfast before their pool time. We’ve kind of worked out a schedule so we all get some time at the pool.”
“When she gets here, I highly suggest you keep your mouth closed,” Yvette warned Ruiz.
“She’s the one you should drug, not me,” Ruiz said. “That chica loca is dangerous.”
“And you best not forget it,” Yvette said, smiling into her coffee cup. “Yes, breakfast and some pool time sounds good.”
Shortly after, Cooper and Madison arrived to help keep an eye on Ruiz.
Mac and Yvette stopped at the coffee shop on the way to the breakfast buffet and each got another large coffee to take in with them.
Roth and Briana were already seated, eating their breakfast. Yvette and Mac asked to be seated beside them.
“Good morning. Did you get any sleep last night?” Briana asked as they set their coffee cups onto the table.
“Yes, a solid six hours,” Yvette said. “We’re going to grab breakfast and be right back. Watch our cups.”
“You got it,” Roth said. He’d filled his plate full and was half-way through it.
Yvette filled her plate with a fresh-made veggie omelet, potatoes and a massive amount of fresh fruit. She returned to the table ahead of Mac. “What about you two? Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah,” Briana said. She kept her voice quiet and continued, “I already heard from Christy this morning. They’re all okay.
Bella had a video chat with her parents last night.
She and the other girls have provided a lot of details about the men who abducted and trafficked them.
Sounds like a few more people were involved other than Ruiz.
Christy is still trying to reach her dad.
We didn’t tell them what Ruiz said about him. ”
“Good call,” Yvette said. “We don’t know if Ruiz was telling the truth. He did lie about a lot. No use going down that road yet.”
Briana shook her head. “I know she’s worried about him. It’s not good that he’s not returning her messages.”
“There are a lot of reasons he could be silent,” Yvette said.
“He may have lost his phone or had it taken from him. He could be in a place where it’s not safe for him to reply, or Ruiz could have been telling the truth.
We’ll probably clue Moreno in that it is a possibility later today before we fly out. ”
Mac sat his full plate onto the table and took his seat across from Yvette. He noticed that the two younger team members also wore their bathing suits beneath their clothing. “You heading to the pool after breakfast too?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to enjoying the pool without having to focus on the target,” Briana said quietly. “I want to just lie in the water and float for an hour and then stare at the beach and ocean over the infinity edge for another hour.”
Yvette chuckled. “I’m all about just lying in the water too. So peaceful. But we’re headed up to the Jungle Pool.”
“We may have to check that pool out too,” Roth said. “Briana and I have talked about coming back here for a real vacation at some point to really enjoy it.”
Yvette just smiled. She wouldn’t tell them that she and Mac had as well.
Roth and Briana finished their breakfast and bid them farewell for now, eager to go enjoy the pool for a few hours.
After Mac and Yvette finished eating, they took a leisurely walk, hand in hand, to the Jungle Pool.
Yvette had to admit that it felt good to openly show affection.
In the water, when they were shrouded by the foliage, she swam up to him and kissed him. When she pulled back, she placed her lips to his ear. “You are flying out with us today, aren’t you?” She realized only then that she hadn’t asked, and he hadn’t said if he was or not.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” he replied. “I need to accompany Ruiz and see what Shepherd has arranged for him.”
“And your status with Interpol?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I guess I’ll find out. I’ll reach out to my contact after everything with Shepherd is wrapped up.”
Yvette knew that should buy him some latitude with his Interpol contact.
“I really don’t want to talk about any of that right now.” He snuggled more closely to her. “This is all I want, to hold you.”
She embraced him and held him close.