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Tino cursed every person in Isabella’s life including himself. She should not be here in the middle of what he now believed to be a showdown between the drug lord, the gangs stealing his goods, and DEA. He wove in and out of traffic, his foot pressing the accelerator to the floor as he sped back to Garza’s compound. He wanted to charge into the house and confront the man but that would only get him killed and perhaps Isabella as well.
He punched the button on the call box at the gate and was buzzed in. Everyone, including the staff, milled about the grounds. Tino parked his vehicle in the garage and strode up to Cezar.
“Why is everyone walking around?”
“We still have not found Hector.” Cezar motioned toward the house. “Perhaps you should go in and tell jefe all you know about where Hector could be. I told you to watch him.”
Tino shoved the man in the chest. This was an excellent way to work off his rage. “You did not tell me I was to babysit.”
Cezar shoved back. “You knew he was incompetent.”
Tino stood in front of Cezar ready to shove a fist in his face, when he caught sight of Garza watching. He pressed his arms down to his side, clenching his fists. “I did not think he could screw up parking cars.” Shaking out his tense arm muscles, he nodded toward the house. “I’ll go see Garza now.”
Without another glance at Cezar, Tino walked into the house and followed Garza into the office. He shut the door as Garza settled himself behind the desk.
“What do you know about Hector’s disappearance?”
Tino stood at attention. “Nothing. The last I saw him he said he was going to smoke a cigarette. That was ten minutes before Cezar brought the doctor woman out and asked me to take her to her hotel.”
Garza stared at him, his hands steepled under his chin. “Did you notice anything unusual about Hector tonight?”
“Each time after he’d go for a smoke he was more agitated.” Tino figured the man had been taking hits of something when he disappeared. How he received the substance, he didn’t know but planned to find out.
Garza’s eyes narrowed. “Did you ask him what he was doing?”
“Sí. He told me to ‘Fuck off’.” It had surprised Tino to hear such a vehement and American remark from a man he’d believed a Mexican National. Now he wondered if Hector wasn’t either another DEA agent or something else; a plant from a rival gang in the U.S.
Garza sat back in his chair and stared at Tino, his eyes darkening as his bushy dark eyebrows pinched together.
“Tell Cezar to get in here. You get out there and help find Hector. And when you find him, I want him brought immediately to me.”
Tino nodded and left the office. Garza had looked ready to grab an AK 47 and lay everyone low. Had he come up with the same conclusions about Hector?
He’d have to get to Hector first. It was the only way the man would stay alive long enough for the DEA to interrogate him.
Cezar was handing out flashlights to the other guards. “Spread out and cover the whole compound,” he instructed.
“Garza wants to see you,” Tino said, taking a flashlight.
“Where are you going?” Cezar yanked the flashlight back.
“Where I was told to go. To find Hector.” Tino yanked the flashlight back and struck out toward the parking area. That was where Hector wandered to when he took his “breaks”. He thought back to the last trip Hector made. Had a vehicle left after he’d disappeared? No, only him taking Isabella back to the hostel.
Swinging the light back and forth in a sweeping motion, he watched the ground. After covering all the area where the cars had parked, he moved to the area closest to the fence. He looked back at the tower where he knew a man was stationed at all times to watch the perimeter and noticed a blind spot. Either Hector was smarter and more calculating than he let on or someone else with intelligence had told him what to do.
Tino drew a visual line from the blind spot on the tower to the fence. Then set a course straight for the adobe wall. Halfway between where the cars were parked and the fence, he spotted a cigarette butt. Scanning the area with the beam of the flashlight, the ground revealed two sets of prints, toes pointed toward the house. Hector had met someone and talked about...what? Was he working against his uncle from the inside? But how would he have known about the shipments that were intercepted? Hector was lower down and had barely had access to the office...or had he? He was after all family. Could he have been allowed into the office even though it was clear Garza didn’t think highly of his nephew?
Tino shook his head. This didn’t make any sense. Even if he had access to the room, how did he get into the other room which held the vital information? He had to find the man and learn how he could get in and steal the secrets.
The two sets of prints walked toward the wall surrounding the compound. At the wall, Tino shone the light on the adobe. At the top, at the right distance apart for a rope ladder, there were marks on the wall. Why would Hector leave now? He’d know his disappearance would cause turmoil.
He flipped his phone open and called Garza.
“Did you find him?” Garza snarled.
“No, but I think he went over the wall with another person. I am at the west wall.” He hung up. Within minutes, two vehicles and half a dozen men along with Garza pulled up to the wall.
“What did you find?” Garza stepped out of the SUV before it stopped completely.
Tino waved his flashlight up to shine on the marks on the edge of the wall. “I followed two sets of prints to here.”
Garza cursed and snapped his fingers. “Get a ladder up there and see what’s on the other side.”
A ladder was slapped against the wall and Cezar climbed up and peered over the top. “Looks like a body on the ground.”
Tino groaned inside. If it was Hector, he’d just lost his inside source to information.
“Drop down and check it. Diego, you and Tino drive around.” Garza waved his hand.
Tino hopped in the Jeep with Diego and they raced toward the gate.
“Do you think it is Hector?’ Diego asked, barely stopping for the gate to open.
“I do not think it could be anyone else.” Tino held onto the dash as Diego spun the vehicle to the left.
“This is not good. Hadda and Hector have been seeing one another. I do not want to be around when she is told.” Diego whistled and slammed on the brakes.
The vehicle’s headlights shone on Cezar bending over a body. He turned it and there was no mistaking Hector. Tino cursed and stepped out to get a closer look. A bloody hole in the middle of his forehead seemed to be the only mark on him. It appeared Hector was expendable, but why? Did whoever he was working for have all the information they needed? And what information would that be? Now that Hector was dead, he was pretty sure the shipment schedule would change. Garza was smart enough to suspect Hector as the mole inside his operation.
They loaded Hector into the back. Cezar took the passenger seat, so Tino hopped into the back with the body. He took the opportunity to search Hector’s pockets, stuffing everything he found into his own.
When they pulled up to the house, señora Garza hurried down the stairs and held her shawl to her mouth as they lifted Hector out of the vehicle.
“No! Paolo, who would do this to Hector?” she asked, her eyes glistening with tears.
“Karyme, go back inside.” Garza turned her from the sight. “Anarosa, give my wife a nice cup of hot tea. I’ll be right in.”
Tino took the sight in. It appeared Garza’s wife wasn’t usually around when the seedier side of her husband’s work happened. He found that curious.
They hauled Hector’s body into the garage and up to his bed.
Garza planted a finger in Cezar’s chest. “I want you to check the body over, then call Dr. Guiterrez and have him check for any evidence that could help us find Hector’s killer.”
Garza turned from instructing Cezar and waved his arms. “Everyone out but Cezar. You,” he pointed to Tino, “take two men and search the area where the body was found. See if you can find any evidence to tell us who did this.”
Tino nodded. He would have rather stayed with the body and heard what the doctor had to report but to refuse now would draw suspicion. Tino snagged Diego and Cruz, taking them back out the gate to the bloody area where they found the body.
While searching the area, he listened to the two talk about Hector. He had his opinions but wanted to hear from the men who conversed with him on a daily basis. Tino now wished he’d made more of an effort to friend the narcos, at least to be in their confidence. He’d kept his distance, so no one asked him personal questions and to keep all emotion out of his taking down the operation. If he became friends with one of the men it would make his job harder to do.
“Hector was hot-headed,” Cruz said. “I am not surprised he did not get any older.”
“Sí. He and Hadda were arguing yesterday before the señora arrived.”
“Whose nephew was Hector? On the señora or señor’s side?” Tino asked.
“The señora’s. He was her brother’s son.” Diego, who had been with the Garza’s for many years had the most useful information.
Ouch! How did Garza tell his wife and her family their relation was dead because of his drug dealing? The family had to know what he did. Everyone on the streets connected Garza’s name with drug trafficking. Not to mention weapons and people. He was powerful and any family member would know the seedy side of his operations no matter how much money he tossed around toward philanthropic projects.
“Were Hector and Hadda sleeping together?” He was pretty sure that was against Garza’s rules but then again, Hector was family and maybe he didn’t have to follow all the rules.
“He said so, but she denied it when I asked her,” Diego offered.
Tino found nothing to tie Hector’s death with anyone or anything. He’d doubted there would be any proof. The person who lured Hector over the fence had everything well thought out.
“There is nothing here.” Tino climbed into the Jeep, motioning for the others to do the same, and headed back to the house. If he couldn’t learn anything from the doctor, the next person to be investigated was Hadda, the cook’s daughter and household maid.