Chapter 11
N avarro
Well, fuck.
I took a deep breath and with my head turned, watched as a soldier hiding in the shadows dropped to the floor, the life once seen in his eyes fading quickly from the single shot to his brain.
Chuckling, I studied Jago, who was grinning as he lowered his weapon. “I figured you needed a hand.”
How many times had I saved the man’s life? Numerous times. “You owed me.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Jago swaggered forward as Kruz headed for two of Eduardo’s men.
“What the fuck is this shit?” I growled, indicating the villagers. Fuck. The people were starving, their bodies frail.
He scanned the room, shaking his head. “An unexpected pain in our ass.”
“Eduardo is a pig, Jago. Cousin or not.”
“This time, I agree with you,” Jago sighed as he peered down at Fassi’s soldier.
I kicked the enemy soldier with my boot just to rouse him.
He reared up until I smashed my foot against his chest. “Stay down.” I could tell by the flash in the man’s eyes he understood English.
Jago exhaled and motioned for his number one soldier. “Benito. Make our guest comfortable for a few minutes.”
Benito grinned and immediately jerked the soldier off the floor. “You got it, boss.” As the soldier was dragged away, the Moroccan shot me a look. Oddly enough, it appeared to be one of recognition.
Interesting.
Kruz joined us, studying the tables full of product. “Several of Eduardo’s soldiers were killed. Two remain. What a clusterfuck.”
“Good the bastards are alive. I have some questions that need immediate answers,” I snarled. He was right; this had been a clusterfuck. I found it interesting that out of nowhere a single warehouse had been targeted by a man from a country far away with a penchant for diamonds, not drugs.
Farid Fassi wasn’t in the business of illegal party favors, yet the hit likely had more to do with his hatred of Jago than scoring even millions of dollars’ worth of blow.
Unless there was something hidden in the building or in the process of refining the kilos themselves.
I headed to the back room, opening the door.
The room itself was larger than it had appeared, additional scientific equipment as well as weights and burners positioned in strategic locations.
I’d seen labs before, primitive in design and certainly nothing considered legal or sane.
This was something entirely different. A true scientist had designed the facility. My gut told me that.
Jago flanked my side, whistling as he did. “I had no idea Eduardo was this sophisticated.”
“This is out of his wheelhouse, Jago. I think the fucker lied to you. He’s working with someone that I believe Fassi is eager to have in his employ. Or perhaps dead.”
I walked through the room, studying the various pieces of equipment. Very expensive.
“Don’t go off halfcocked, Navarro, although your perspective is solid. Let’s find out what we’re dealing with,” Jago stated as he lifted a single eyebrow. He knew me better than anyone. While I had no issues taking a life, even I had scruples.
We returned to the main room and closer to one of the tables holding product. With a single swipe of my finger, I was able to confirm cocaine. A slight gasp from one of the workers drew my attention. Fear remained.
“Silvio. Take Alonzo and make certain we don’t have any additional surprises,” I told him gruffly.
He motioned to Alonzo and both headed outside to ensure we were still alone.
I moved toward the cowering worker, gently taking her arm. “ Ya estás a salvo. ?Cuánto te pagan por trabajar aquí? ”
You’re safe now. How much are you paid to work here?
The shaking woman glanced from Jago to Kruz and finally back to me. Her answer was barely audible and full of continued fear. This time not from the men who’d attacked the warehouse, but from Eduardo’s soldiers.
Her answer was exactly what I’d expected to hear. Twenty dollars a week, well below the typical one hundred fifteen in rural areas, which was considered poverty level. Meanwhile, Eduardo lived like a fucking king.
Jago shook his head before I reacted, but I could tell he was furious.
“ ?Cuantas horas a la semana? ”
For how many hours per week?
“ Al menos ochenta .”
At least eighty. That was ridiculous. They were nothing but slaves. My guess was Eduardo had chosen the location specifically based on the level of poverty and the fact no one would question or bother him.
How the hell did Fassi even know this existed unless one or more of Eduardo’s men betrayed him? Knowing the pompous prick, that was entirely possible.
Kruz motioned for the workers to come out of hiding.
Their actions were slow, their anxiety remaining high.
I couldn’t blame them. A single look at a yellowing bruise on one of the worker’s faces gave an indication the guards were also their babysitters.
Yes, brutality was a significant aspect of such a dangerous world.
I knew that all too well. Maybe I just found this distasteful.
Perhaps I was at the point in my life I’d found some humanity after all.
I reached into my pocket, pulling out the wad of cash I’d had on me.
While it was barely two thousand dollars, pocket change in my world, to these people the dollar amount would feed the entire village for weeks.
As I handed the folded bills to the shivering woman, she peered at me with tears in her eyes.
I placed my hand on hers, fighting the rage that continued to brew deep inside.
“ Id a estar con vuestras familias .”
Go be with your families. My words seemed to hit home, the villagers nodding in appreciation while I continued to seethe.
After offering another reassuring smile, I headed to the tables.
The worth of the cocaine being prepared for shipment was in the millions.
The practice wasn’t unusual, pure cocaine cut with a product to increase profit while not turning the illegal substance into a death sentence for consumers.
Various substances were used including vitamins and recently Fentanyl, which made the drug that much more toxic. There were others, most costing very little, but adding a significant amount to the bottom line. It was apparent Eduardo had been worried about this warehouse for a significant reason.
Jago had authorized nothing more than a favor for his cousin, three or four days of babysitting the man’s territory while he recuperated in the hospital. Why did I have a feeling Eduardo had realized he’d gotten in over his head? Evidently, he’d left out a significant portion of the story.
I would kill the bastard myself.
After the villagers left, I picked up one of several vials, noticing the presentation appeared as if the additive had been prepared in a lab.
With no labels, there was no way of knowing what Eduardo was using.
I opened one, taking a deep whiff. As I was doing so, both of Eduardo’s men were watching me carefully.
Something told me they were none too happy.
“You’re a good man,” Jago teased, clapping me on the back. “Shocks the fuck out of me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being decent to people,” I retorted with a snort.
“That’s terrifying coming from you. I remember when you enjoyed carving very large initials in the assholes who pissed you off for any reason. You’re certainly a different man than years before. Genevieve would say you’re evolving.”
Genevieve. His lovely yet powerful wife.
Now I threw him a dirty look as well as my middle finger. “Hopefully, I won’t evolve into a man wrapped around a woman’s finger.” I managed a smile after my cutting retort. Very few people could get away when teasing a man who’d been indoctrinated into the world of crime as a child.
“Ouch,” Kruz sputtered.
Jago dropped and shook his head. “You know what you need? A good woman in your life. Balance. Speaking of which, did you learn anything of use in your conversation with your guest?”
With the vial still in my hand, I tipped my head. I certainly wasn’t going to mention my personal faux pas with the woman. “She mentioned her father suddenly started working for a Mexican Cartel leader. Maybe. While I understand her assumptions, they are farfetched.”
“Unless she knows more than she’s telling you,” Jago suggested. “Employed as what?”
“An accountant.” There was no way that was possible.
“But you don’t believe her?” Kruz tossed out.
“She’s absolutely holding something from me. She’s still not convinced I didn’t kidnap her sister. Which makes me question how Eduardo is involved.”
Jago took a deep breath as he studied the work area. “A question that will need an answer. Unfortunately, that will need to wait until tomorrow. The hospital visiting hours are over. Don’t worry, my cousin isn’t going anywhere.”
Whoever had pulled the trigger had done a good job of keeping the man incapacitated.
“You’ve got something on your mind,” Jago added.
“A couple things. Have you thought about how personal this vendetta is with Fassi? It dawned on me because everything Fallon has done up to this point, including almost getting herself killed was because the situation was extremely personal.”
Jago studied me carefully. “You’re wondering why Fassi made so many mistakes.”
Kruz sighed. “Navarro has a point. Fassi has a fucking army that outnumbers ours by several hundred. If he wanted us dead, it should have been easy for him.”
Jago looked from Kruz back to me. “Unless he’s toying with us.”
“Maybe a little of both.” I wasn’t entirely certain what I was getting at, but someone had gone to a significant amount of trouble to lure Fallon into Mexico. And it sure as shit wasn’t the Alcarez brigade.
“Worth thinking about,” Jago said.
Maybe I’d grown weary of the violence. Or maybe I was hungry for round two with my guest, but I was ready to get the fuck out of here.
“What else?” Jago pressed.
“Have you ever had the feeling you’ve met someone before?”
“A few times. The woman?”