Chapter Sixteen #3
Showers had become humiliating events, but I always felt better when I put on clean clothes after Andy dried me off.
He was always on shower duty because he was one of the few nurses on the floor who could heft my weight without help.
I always wondered what would happen once I got home and had to do it all by myself.
The reminder that Cachi wouldn’t be around to help was always on my mind whenever it came time to shower.
The decision to send him away was still painful even if it had been necessary.
By the time Andy helped me back into the chair and rolled me into the room, I was exhausted. Between the wheelchair workout and the shower, all I wanted to do was sleep.
“Let me get you a pain pill, Rex,” Andy said.
I nodded my thanks as he left the room. I wasn’t going to argue with him.
Not today. Mickey stood and rolled the table over to my chair, lowering it so that I could reach the box of food.
I opened it up and inhaled the scent of an animal style Double-Double with extra pepperoncini peppers and pickles on it, just the way I liked.
The addition of animal style fries was the icing on the cake.
I looked up at Candy who’d walked over, holding the folder.
“Did you guys eat?”
“Before we came,” Mickey said. “Dig in, buddy.”
I glanced at Candy. “Do you mind if I eat while we talk?”
“Not at all, Rex. I just have a few pictures to show you as I explain what we’re planning.”
Just then, the door to my room opened and Andy came in holding a small paper cup. “Got your pill, Rex.” He handed it to me with a big grin. “Mm, mm. In-N-Out…my favorite,” he said as he poured me a cup of water from the pitcher on the table. “Now you’ve got me craving a Double-Double.”
I smiled and downed the pill, setting the cup on the table. “Nothin’ better than burgers.”
“You got that right,” Andy said. “I’ll leave you be now.”
“Thanks, Andy.” I watched him walk out and shut the door before turning to Candy. “Okay, boss…shoot.” I picked up my burger and dug in.
He opened the folder and pulled out pictures of several nasty looking guys, setting them on the table.
Every one of them wore prison garb and sneers on their faces.
“These are guys Raven and Judy have identified as attendees at the Luca Hernandez’ party.
They tracked them down and ID’d them by using traffic cams on Roscomare Road. ”
“How?”
“Do you recall the cars lined up on Roscomare the day of the party, waiting their turn to drive up to the valet?”
“Yeah, as soon as Mars took Castillion out, they made a quick U-turn and tore outta there as fast as they could.”
“Right.” Candy tapped the photos. “These guys were in those cars.”
“How do you know?”
“Like I said, Raven and Judy tracked seven vehicles using the traffic cams on Roscomare and then through the city. They all went to the same place after the shooting.”
“Where?” I chewed a french fry, hanging on every word as I practically inhaled my burger. It was amazing as always.
“A commercial building on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City,” Candy said.
“Shit. A high rise?” Ventura Boulevard was full of commercial buildings and not all of them were restaurants, car washes, and laundromats. A lot of them were multi-story, high rise office buildings.
He nodded. “Yes. That’s what took so long.
The building has subterranean parking and sixteen stories with nearly one-hundred offices.
Fortunately, a lot of them are unoccupied, probably as a result of folks working remotely.
A lot of companies had people working remotely during the pandemic and afterward, decided they could give up expensive office space.
In any case, it took Raven and Judy all this time, just to weed through the rest of the companies. ”
I nodded. “What’d they find?”
“There’s a company which has corporate offices in Lima, Peru. Our techies had to dig through several shell companies just to learn that much.”
“And I’m guessin’ they’re tied to either Luca Hernandez or Mario Castillion?” I asked.
Candy nodded, tapping one of the six photos. “This guy is Castillion’s brother-in-law. We’re almost 100 percent sure he was in one of those vehicles which bolted from the scene. Fortunately, they went straight to the building which houses the offices of Tawantinsuyu Imports.”
I shook my head. “And that’s the company?”
Candy smiled. “Tawantinsuyu is the ancient name of the territory that occupies much of what is now modern-day Peru. The name originated in the Incan empire.”
“Huh. And Raven and Judy figured that out?”
Mickey nodded. “Yup. Those two are a force to be reckoned with.”
I glanced at him. “I agree.” I balled my empty burger paper up and tossed it in the box before wiping my hands. “So, now that we know the name of the company and where these maggots probably went after the Op in Bel Air, I’m guessin’ you have a plan to put an end to ‘em, Candy?”
He nodded. “Well, we want to round them up. The problem lies in making sure we’ll be able to scoop up the right bad guy once we drop the net on them.”
“True. So, what’s the plan? I assume you have one.”
“I do.” Candy glanced at Mickey and sighed before looking back at me.
“As soon as Judy and Raven located the right office, they started digging into Tawantinsuyu Imports. They found out that this man—Oscar Aguilar—is next in line to take over the Peruvian cartel now that Mario Castillion’s brains are splattered all over Roscomare Road. ”
“So, you’re plannin’ on havin’ the team take Aguilar out?”
“Yeah, but we have to make sure we put an end to their distribution network in Peru as a whole. If we don’t, and we take out Aguilar, another snake is just going to rise up and take control.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. Can I assume the Peruvian cops…what’re they called?”
“The Policia Nacional del Peru,” Mickey said.
“Yeah, them guys. Can I assume they’re gonna take out the cartel down there in Lima?”
Candy nodded. “Fortunately, they want to put an end to the cartel as much as we do, but we can’t make a move until they’re ready. We have to run a coordinated operation with the Peruvian police or word will get back to Aguilar, here in the States.”
“Okay, so when do we anticipate they’ll be ready?” I couldn’t stifle a yawn; the pain pill was starting to work. “Sorry.”
Candy started picking up the photos, sliding them back into the folder.
“That’s okay, buddy. To answer your question, I really hope we’ll hear something in the next day or so.
Fortunately for us, we believe these guys are all lying low in the building which has been under surveillance ever since Judy and Raven identified it. ”
“How do you know they’re still in there?” I asked. “It makes more sense that they would’ve scattered like bugs.”
Candy grinned and exchanged a glance with Mickey. “Miguel Huerta has become the building’s newest maintenance man and has spent a hell of a lot of time on the third floor where Tawantinsuyu Imports is located.”
I smirked. “Changin’ a lot of lightbulbs, is he?”
Candy nodded. “And painting all the walls on that floor along with Raven. They’ve seen all these maggots coming and going to the restroom, and Miguel has been eavesdropping on their conversations in Spanish, and though, some of them have left the building to go elsewhere, they always come back.
” He tapped the folder with the pictures.
“They always return to Tawantinsuyu’s office. ”
“So, it’s a hideout?”
“It’s most likely just that.”
“And what happens when we’re ready to take them out?”
“Every last one of them has a federal warrant out for their arrest,” Candy replied. “If they decide to leave as one large group, we’ll move in and arrest them.”
I frowned. “They’re waitin’ for somethin’ to happen, boss.”
“That’s what we think too.”
“Maybe someone’s comin’ to the States from Peru,” I postulated, yawning again.
“That’s one possibility we’re looking into.” Candy glanced at Mickey before nodding toward the door. “We should get going and let Rex get some sleep.”
“Yeah.” Mickey stepped forward and held out his hand. “We’ll let you rest, Rex.”
“I’m sorry, guys. These pills knock me on my ass.”
“No problem, Rex. We understand,” Candy said, shaking my hand. He looked awkward for a second. “Do you…uh…do you want me to help you into bed?”
I shook my head. “I gotta learn how to do it on my own but if you would stand next to the chair, that’d help.”
He gave a sharp nod. “Of course.”
I rolled the table out of the way and moved the chair to the bed where Candy moved into place. He stood close as I pushed myself up and held my arm as I transferred to the bed. Afterward, he helped position my legs and then pulled the covers over me.
“Thanks, Candy.” I looked at Mickey. “Thanks for the food, buddy.”
Mickey smiled. “Anything for you.”
I watched Candy tuck the file folder under his arm and waved to them as they left the room. I glanced up at the ceiling tiles I now knew better than the back of my own hand and sighed. When I closed my eyes, I pictured Cachi’s face the way I always did, just before falling asleep.