16

 

Cartagena, Columbia

Clouds passed overhead, threatening an early morning rain shower as Alejandro sat by the poolside sipping freshly squeezed orange juice. He forced his muscles to relax, and worked to maintain a calm appearance as he waited for the courier to arrive with the airport’s security video. Time was running out. The meeting in New York was set. He had to be there.

“Buenos Dias, Alejandro.” Eve’s soft voice sounded from behind.

As usual, she waited for him to flick his fingers, an indication she was allowed to approach. He gave her the signal, and she padded in bare feet to stand before him. Her long hair flowed across her shoulders and down her back in waves. If not for the fear beneath her violet eyes, she would have looked as exquisite as the day he’d met her in New York.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and raindrops warned the shower was about to begin. Within moments, they would both be drenched. “What is it?” He gulped the remainder of his drink and stood.

She retreated a step. “I have packed your clothes as you requested.”

Although she looked at the ground, he detected something going on behind those beautiful eyes. “You want something.”

“I…I would like to go with you to New York. I haven’t seen my family since—”

“It’s impossible.”

She met his gaze, tears glistening. “Please…”

“We’ve been over this many times. You will not leave Columbia.”

The clouds let loose torrents of rain, and Alejandro grabbed Eve’s arm. He tugged her inside the house and slammed the patio doors.

She stood beside him, water droplets streaming from her hair to land on the marble floor. Something shifted in her gaze, and she held her chin up high. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Excuse me?” He tightened his hold until she winced. “What did you say?”

“I gave up the only life I knew to follow you here. I became your wife. I had your son. For that, am I not allowed some measure of happiness?”

“Are you not content? I’ve given you all this.” Alejandro released her and held out his arms. “This is much more than your family could provide.”

Eve looked around. “This means nothing without love.”

“Love is for fairytales.” He didn’t have time for this nonsense. “You have no idea what I’ve done to earn this.”

“Oh, I have an idea. You’ve killed, backstabbed, and done just about any despicable thing to get what you want. You’re going to pay for your actions.”

His temper flared, and then suspicions overcame his anger. Eve didn’t dare speak to him this way. What gave her the courage to do so? Whatever it was, he was determined to find out.

“Sir.” One of his guards entered the room. “A courier has delivered this.” He held out a small package.

Alejandro snatched the package and tore it open. A red flash drive lay within. He lifted out the device and cradled it in his palm. “Take Eve to her room. Lock her inside.”

“But, Carlos will be expecting me at breakfast.” Eve attempted to squirm out of the guard’s hold.

“You should’ve thought about that before you talked to me with such disrespect. I need to remind you of how it is to be my wife.” An anticipatory thrill surged through his veins. It had been too long since she’d begged for mercy.

Instead of crying or pleading, an odd look of acceptance crossed Eve’s features. “There’s nothing left inside of you that is worthy of love. Not mine. Not Carlos’s.” She turned and allowed the guard to escort her from the room.

Yes, he would enjoy tonight. Until then, he had work to do.

In order to avoid the thunderstorm, Alejandro chose to view the video from the office within the main house. The room was mostly for show when guests attended parties. He kept his private paperwork in the detached office building. But, this office was still functional with a computer, leather top desk and a telephone.

He sat in the swiveled chair and scooted behind the desk. As he booted up the computer, his fingers itched to slip the flash drive into the USB port.

Although he hadn’t gotten a close look at the woman that night, it would be easy enough to spot a light-skinned, blonde tourist that was about five foot seven, maybe an inch taller.

Once the computer came to life, Alejandro jammed the gadget into the port. A bell sounded, indicating the drive had been detected. He clicked the appropriate selections, and the video began playing. He read the small white numbers on the screen’s corner, indicating the time the video had been recorded.

Eleven fifteen PM.

That would have been enough time for the woman to escape the village and make it to the airport. He hunched over the screen, watching people pass by. Tourists and businessmen and women strode across the screen in an endless parade. Seems no matter the time, people had somewhere to go.

Alejandro checked his watch. He had somewhere to go as well. If this didn’t pan out, he would have to take a risk and enter the United States not knowing what that woman had told the authorities. So far, his contacts assured him he was in the clear and that no advisories had been issued. But, with one phone call by the American woman, all that could change. He could even become trapped inside the States. That would never do.

Ten minutes into the video, he hadn’t seen anything notable. Alejandro picked up a pencil and tapped it on the desk. If Santiago or Rafael were here, he’d make them peruse this boring footage.

He leaned closer as a man and woman appeared on screen, hurrying along. Something wasn’t right about those two. The man wore a hooded sweatshirt, the woman a large hat. The man had the woman by the arm, tugging her alongside him. They ran into another passerby, and the woman’s hat fell off. The guy quickly retrieved the hat and hid her face from view.

“That must be her.” Alejandro reset the video to play that section again. He’d recognized the woman, but what good would it do if he couldn’t tell who the man was?

He watched again.

Nothing different stood out.

Growing frustrated by the minute, Alejandro picked up his phone and dialed Santiago. Three rings in, he answered.

“I was just about to call you.” Santiago began explaining. “We got inside her place…but she isn’t here.”

That came as little surprise to Alejandro. What had surprised him was the fact they’d found her address at all. “Forget about that for now. What is on this video I needed to see?”

“Sir, there is something I need to tell you.”

“I said…what is on the video?” Alejandro’s patience flat-lined. Whatever it was Santiago was bursting to tell could wait.

“Did you notice the woman in the hat?” Santiago asked without further delay.

“Yes, I’m not an idiot. It was the same woman who came to the village.”

“Look at the man walking beside her.” Santiago paused as if building anticipation. “Notice anything familiar?”

“Stop playing games. Tell me.” But, as he said the words, something niggled at his conscience. He studied the way the man in the video walked, his clothes, and then finally his shoes.

Alejandro’s gaze froze on the man’s sneakers. He’d personally designed those shoes to transport drugs undetected on commercial flights. Once proven effective, Alejandro would use them with all his mules. For now, he’d only produced one pair of these as a prototype; a pair he’d given to Jonas to try out the same night the woman had witnessed the murder.

Alejandro picked up a paper weight and flung it across the room. The ceramic crashed into the wall, shattering. The sound interrupted the room’s eerie silence.

“What was that noise?” Santiago demanded.

“Never mind.” Alejandro nearly spit out the words. “Jonas will regret the day he decided to betray me.” He spun in a wide circle, anxious to ram his fist into something. One of his maids peeked into the door, but upon seeing his expression, quickly exited.

“Perhaps he is also one of those federal agents,” Santiago suggested.

A sickening feeling washed over Alejandro. If it were true, Jonas would be the third to infiltrate his compound. First, that McKenna guy. Then, the agent he’d taken out at the village. Could Jonas be one of them?

He’d rescued Jonas from a seedy Columbian jail, as he often looked for desperate men to do his bidding. He’d taken the desolate soul under his protection and cultivated one of the best mule’s he’d ever had.

Then again, Jonas’s luck in evading capture did seem a bit unlikely. Time and again, the man took the most risky assignments and walked away free and clear. Things just didn’t add up.

Then there was Eve’s odd behavior. What had given her the boldness to stand up to him?

Alejandro had witnessed small, discreet glances between Eve and Jonas. Of course, any red-blooded man would find his wife attractive with her beautiful, delicate skin. But Jonas had looked at Eve in a different way. Almost, as if they shared some kind of secret.

One day soon, you’ll pay for what you’ve done. The blatant words Eve had spoken echoed in Alejandro’s head.

He let out a string of curses. “If my wife has been helping Jonas…” His voice trailed off as his imagination took hold.

Santiago cleared his throat. “About what I was going to tell you, the woman we’re looking for is named Cara Dalton. She has pictures of Jonas in her condo. They almost look like…”

Alejandro paced his rectangular office, his blood raging through his veins. He could hardly concentrate with his mind on his wife’s possible betrayal, let alone the fact Jonas could be an agent. “They look like what? Husband and wife?”

“No. Like they could be siblings. Possibly even twins.”

Alejandro sank back into his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Brother and sister.” A whirlwind of impotent rage ran through him. If Jonas was indeed a federal agent, he’d have the means to secure his sister where she couldn’t be found. Not to mention the fact Jonas would be a substantial witness against him as well.

“What do you want us to do? We’ve searched the entire apartment. There’s no sign of where she could be hiding.”

Alejandro stamped down his temper. “There has to be something. Keep looking until you find it.”

He disconnected the call and exited the office, heading down the marble-tiled hallway toward Eve’s room. Two of his security men guarded the door, each holding high-caliber rifles. As he approached, he snatched one of the men’s weapons.

“Step aside.” He checked the magazine, ensuring bullets were at his disposal.

The smaller of the men took a step forward. “Sir. What do you plan to do?”

Alejandro stared at the young man. “Even my trained men have a soft spot for my wife.” His gaze trailed over the man, who began trembling. “I said step aside.”

Both men complied.

Feeling the cold, weighted steel beneath his palms, Alejandro kicked open the door to Eve’s chambers. “What have you done?” The lounge and dressing area stood empty. He barged into the adjoining bedroom. “Eve!”

Nothing but an empty room greeted him.

His gaze zoned in on the opened window and the imported lace curtains fluttering in the breeze. He clamped his jaw tight and stuck his head out the second story window. The roof was not impossible to traverse, and it took a moment for his mind to register that must have been what she’d done.

One of Alejandro’s team entered the room. “Sir. We have a security breach.”

He jerked up and his head hit the window sill. Cursing and rubbing his injury, he backed away and stood upright. “Where?”

“In your main office.”

Alejandro’s blood chilled and goose bumps lifted the dark hairs on his arms; he’d left his ledger inside the office—the five-by-seven packet of information filled with every minute detail of his drug smuggling activity. Until recently, he’d been confident the safe hidden inside the wall could not be compromised. But, he’d also thought he’d had Eve under his control.

If that information got into the hands of the wrong people, Alejandro’s life would be over. He could not allow anyone access to his records.

He snatched his security man’s two-way radio and held it to his mouth. “Secure the perimeter.” With ten men at his disposal, they should be able to handle the situation.

Alejandro gestured toward the taller guard. “Confirm all men are at their posts and find my wife. And you”—He grabbed the short guy by the collar—”come with me.”

“Sir. I need my weapon.”

Alejandro contemplated keeping the rifle, but needed every available man armed and ready. He shoved the weapon into the man’s hands and then jogged downstairs and out the door.

The morning rain shower had passed but had left mud puddles throughout the yard and surrounding areas. He kept to the paved sidewalks as he approached his office. The dense trees surrounding the building added a measure of privacy, yet anyone could be watching from the shadows.

“Stay close.” He ordered the guard. Once at the door, Alejandro stepped aside. “Go.”

With one solid kick, the man slammed open the door.

Alejandro rushed inside and came to an abrupt standstill—Eve stood in front of the opened safe with the ledger in one hand, and a cell phone in the other.

“Alejandro…” She breathed as she dropped the phone and backed against the wall.

“I presume you were speaking with Jonas.” He measured his words carefully as he glanced toward the discarded phone.

Her face paled. Her lips parted. “H-how did you know?”

An utter sense of betrayal rocked through Alejandro, and he barely controlled his rage. “Did you sleep with him?”

Eve blinked, and her face flushed crimson. “No. I wouldn’t. You are my husband.”

“And you’re my wife, yet you steal from me.” He gestured toward the notebook, and stalked toward her, one slow, predatory step at a time.

She retreated to the office’s far corner, knocking over the picture of Eduardo, Santiago, and Rafael. The frame crashed to the floor, glass shattering. She glanced repeatedly at the door, as if expecting someone.

“You have betrayed me, and our son.” Alejandro stepped close, and snatched the ledger. “You dare compromise his future.” Fury like he’d never known surged through him, and he backhanded her. His hand stung, further enraging him. “I should’ve rid myself of you well before now.”

A heavy thump sounded behind him.

Alejandro whirled around. The guard lay in a heap on the floor, and Jonas stood over him, dressed in military fatigues, weapon raised. “It’s over Mercado.”

Alejandro dove behind Eve, wrapping an elbow around her throat. “It’ll be over soon enough. But, not in the way you think. Put down the weapon or I’ll break her neck.”

Eve trembled beneath his touch. He’d prefer to draw this out, to give her what she deserved in a slow, painful process. But, if need be, he was prepared to do what was necessary.

Jonas held up a hand as concern creased his brow. “Let her go.”

Alejandro squeezed tighter, and Eve whimpered.

Jonas took a step back. “There’s another way. Let’s talk through this.”

One of Alejandro’s guards slipped into the room and aimed a rifle at Jonas. “Put down your weapon.”

Jonas squeezed his eyes shut, and then sent Eve an apologetic look before setting down his gun.

Eve struggled. “No!”

Alejandro held firm. He nodded toward his guard. “Are there others?”

The young man shook his head. “He came alone.”

“Well, that was a mistake.” He trained his gaze on Jonas. “Of course, you didn’t have much choice, did you? After all, I did take out your colleagues.” McKenna had fought harder and lived longer than he could’ve guessed possible. The man had proven to be a worthy adversary. “I wonder if you’ll fight as hard to live as McKenna did.”

Jonas’s features hardened and he took a step forward.

The guard shoved the rifle’s barrel into his back, halting any intentions Jonas may have had.

“Secure him.” Alejandro released Eve and strode forward as the guard tied Jonas’s hands behind his back.

Alejandro removed a hunting knife from Jonas’s waistband, a cell phone from one of his pockets and various survival paraphernalia from inside a shoulder bag, dropping each one on the desk. He touched each item, stopping at the cell phone. “Who else have you been communicating with besides my wife?” He picked up the satellite phone, checked the dialed numbers. Other than Eve’s number, another number had been dialed repeatedly.

“Let’s just see who this is, shall we? Perhaps, your sister?”

Jonas’s jaw tightened. “You touch her, and I’ll kill you.”

Alejandro clucked his tongue. “If you wanted to protect her, you shouldn’t have let her follow you to Columbia.”

Jonas lunged forward, only for the guard to shove the rifle into his kidneys. He fell to his knees with a grunt.

“Alejandro, please.” Eve stepped forward.

He shoved her back against the wall. “I’ll deal with you later. For now, I’m going to see what this woman will do to save her brother.” He brought up the number and pressed the send button. “Perhaps she’ll save me the trouble of finding her. What do you think, Jonas?” He planted a foot into Jonas’s side, and a satisfying grunt came from his captive. “Think she’ll come to your rescue when she discovers your life depends on her?”

“You’ll kill me anyway.”

“Of course, but she doesn’t know that.” He listened for the cell phone to connect, anticipating a woman’s soft tones. But, on the third ring, a man’s familiar voice answered.

“McKenna.”

It couldn’t be. But, it was.

Eve had been the one to tell him McKenna had succumbed to his injuries. He disconnected the call and turned toward her. “McKenna is still alive. Of course, you knew that, didn’t you?”

The stricken look on her face confirmed everything he needed to know.