53. The Jekyll
53
THE JEKYLL
I ’m new to this world. I may have spent the last five years hunting down Coyin Castillo and his brother. I may have come in contact with dubious characters with copious amounts of funds who bankrolled my search because they all wanted something from the Castillo cartel, but I’ve never been in the presence of this much money.
This whole building is owned by the three men who were standing in the living room barely an hour ago. The suite we were standing in is considered a ‘conference suite’. It’s where they go to hold their meetings, before each goes back to their own suite. Each man occupies a floor of the building, which is a primary residence. They have offices on other floors and in a building across the street, which I learn is owned by Dante’s wife. It’s mind boggling, and for once, I have trouble keeping up.
After showing me around, Attila takes me back to his suite, where we’ll all stay and watch over Luna while we gather intel and decide what to do.
“You’ll get your own suite,” Attila tells me. “As a base. But of course, we do travel extensively for work.”
I gawk. My own suite. What would I even do with a whole suite?
“For now, I want Luna surrounded by as many of us as possible to ensure her safety. At least until we identify any threats.”
“You know, it’s interesting,” I start. “Why are you protecting her? She’s served her purpose. Coyin is dead and the Castillo cartel has fallen. You don’t owe her anything.”
I already know what he doesn’t. What he won’t articulate or put a name to. But I feel it’s necessary to give him an out if I’m wrong. I can just as easily ensure her safety in the care of someone else if this is going to affect him. I work for him now, so he’s my priority. Yet I care enough about what happens to Luna to make sure she stays safe.
Attila shakes his head, walks to the window and plants his hands on his hips. He’s silent for the longest time, and I can feel the wheels turning in his head before he turns back and regards me carefully. He doesn’t say it, but unspoken words are there in his eyes, clear as day. He’s caught feelings for her.
“She was never part of the long term plan,” he explains. “But that doesn’t mean plans don’t sometimes change.”
* * *
My world shifts, my priorities change, and I’m slowly starting to reprogram myself to adjust to this new life. I now work for one of the most powerful organizations in the world; the fact that three men from the same world can come together in collaboration, pool their resources, and create the largest criminal enterprise in the world without killing one another or letting greed get in the way baffles me. But it’s happening, and successfully. Although they may argue that there’s nothing illegal about their business. They’ve done a good job of legalizing all their assorted businesses; elements of their criminal activity only come into play when necessary. Such as when they’re trying to protect their loved ones, or fight back an unsavory opponent looking for more. On the surface, these men are as legitimate as they come, but peel back the layers, and they’ll do anything it takes to protect what is theirs.
I fit right in to their practice and values. I can never go back to being a man sitting behind a desk, signing off on contractors and inspecting job sites daily. That worked then, but it won’t work for me now. For the simple reason that I rather enjoyed righting the wrongs in the world and cleansing the world of the scum of the earth. I’ve got my vengeance, there’s one damn cartel down, but there’s plenty more where they came from.
The upside for me is that the enterprise these men carry out doesn’t touch on what I consider morally gray activity like the skin trade or drugs. They don’t deal in body parts or murder for hire, and they, like me, have lines they won’t cross. We do, after all, have a moral code to live up to.
Marden checks in on me almost daily; asks when — if — I’ll be coming home. I’m no longer vague about the timeline of my return. He’ll always be my best friend and brother in law, but I think he finally understands that this is the break I need to make to move past Sisely and the constant reminders of her back home. He promises to come out for a visit soon if I don’t make it back home instead. This is not altogether an unwelcome trip; he’s previously done business with Caleph and I know the businessman would welcome him in with open arms.
When Maria, the former Castillo maid who led me right to Luna calls, I answer on the first ring, snatching my phone up from the counter without hesitation. Once again, I’ve enlisted her help to try to find the Castillo brothers, and I know she must have something for me if she’s calling. Even the vibration of the call somehow tells me she has something to say.
There’s no answer as I press the phone to my ear, only static as air breathes down the line from across the border. Until there’s a wave of words, cutting out at best, as she starts to talk. The line is so bad, I only get fragments of what she’s saying. But I pick up the most important words, the ones I’ve been waiting to hear.
“Cas…tillo…estor…live…casa…” the blur of words travels through the space between us before the line goes dead. I try to call her back — multiple times, but there’s no answer as the phone rings out over and over again. I mutter a curse and press my lips into a tight line. She’s my main contact in Mexico; I can’t lose her now.