I got out of bed to stretch my legs. The shaking had stopped and the nausea was gone, but my ears were still ringing slightly. I’d never fired my weapon without ear protection before. Now I knew why. As I stretched, I realized how exhausted I still felt. The day’s events caused such mental and physical fatigue, I felt like I could sleep for a week. Or maybe it was the drugs. Either way, my mind wasn’t cooperating.
Every time I closed my eyes, the images flashed through my head like scenes from a horror movie. Only it was real. The images weren’t clips from a movie, they were memories. I saw the blood, the guy falling to the floor. I heard the screams. I felt my heart starting to race as I remembered, and I tried to think of something else.
I paced around the hospital room, being careful not to wake Sara. I wandered over to the window and looked up at the night sky. I took a deep breath and stared at the stars and the emptiness of space. I had just begun to relax when something below caught my eye. Two police cars, lights flashing, emerged from the night, racing through the parking lot. They came to a screeching halt directly in front of the emergency room entrance, followed closely by another car that was clearly an unmarked unit.
The officers jumped out and ran through the entrance, along with two men from the unmarked car. I couldn’t be sure from this distance, but one of them resembled the detective that had been here earlier asking questions. William and I had gotten him to leave with our little play, but it appeared he was back and he’d brought a friend.
The six men went racing into the hospital, and I had a sinking feeling my already shitty day was about to get worse.
Chapter 18
“Where is he? I want to know where he is right now.” Christina’s words were slow and controlled, but the tone of her voice was chilling. Raul stood nervously across from her as she sat at her desk, fingers tee-peed with her elbows resting on the desk.
“Our source says he’s in a hospital up in Boca.”
“A hospital? Good! Did Carlos shoot him?”
Raul wanted to laugh at the question, but didn’t dare. Carlos was a pussy. He didn’t have the stomach for violence, let alone his sister’s blood lust. If he had managed to shoot the doctor, it would have been dumb luck.
“Umm, no. He’s there for... emotional distress.”
Christina quickly rose from her chair, knocking it over as she stood. Raul jumped back, startled. She put her hands on the desk and leaned toward Raul. “Emotional distress? What does that mean?”
“I think it means he’s having trouble dealing with what happened.”
“His trouble hasn’t even begun!” she shouted.
“Our source says he’s well guarded. The local police and the FBI are involved.”
“What about his family? Does he have a wife? Children?”
“His wife is with him at the hospital. The children are at home with their grandparents.”
“Bring them to me.”
Chapter 19
The once quiet floor was now bursting with activity. Visiting hours were over and things had been winding down for the night. Suddenly, lights were on, patients were out of their rooms, and chaos had ensued. Nurses were shouting at the police officers, patients were shouting at the nurses, and Sara was shouting at me.
“What the hell is going on?!”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “But it can’t be good.”
Detective Lawton and another man in a dark suit burst into the room. The police officers stayed outside the door, trying to restore order and calm everyone down.
Lawton spoke first. “Dr. Spero, some new information has come to light regarding the incident at the bank. This is Special Agent Stamper with the FBI. He will give you the details.”
“What’s with the cops outside the door?” I asked.
“We’ll get to that, Dr. Spero,” Agent Stamper replied.
“I want my attorney present for this. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not answering any questions until my attorney is in the room.”
Sara stood next to me, arms folded, nodding her head. I got the sense she didn’t like or trust William, but she was backing me up one hundred percent.
“You really need to hear this, Dr. Spero.”
I stood there with my arms folded, not saying a word.
Agent Stamper gave me a blank stare, before letting out a frustrated sigh.
“Call him,” he said. He turned, threw his hands up in the air, and walked out of the room.
“This is urgent, Dr. Spero,” Detective Lawton said.
I held up a finger and shook my head as I dialed. Not surprisingly, William answered almost immediately. When I hung up, I looked at Detective Lawton and said, “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”
Lawton left the room to relay the information to Agent Stamper.
“Simon, what is going on?” Sara asked.
“I really don’t know. But I have a bad feeling.”
I put an arm around her, but I wasn’t sure either of us felt reassured.
True to his word, William arrived exactly fifteen minutes later. He was sharply dressed in a suit and tie, neatly groomed with his hair slicked back, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed.
“You clean up well,” I said. “I hope I didn’t pull you out of anything important.”
“I’m here for my clients twenty-four seven, Simon. What’s all the hubbub?”
“Let’s find out…”
I walked to the door to fetch Detective Lawton and Agent Stamper, but as I reached for the handle, the door opened and the two men came in.
“If it’s all the same to you, Dr. Spero, it would be better if you didn’t leave this room,” Agent Stamper said.
“And stay away from the windows,” Detective Lawton added.
“What? Why?” I asked, looking back and forth between them.
“Alright fellas, what’s going on?” William said.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” suggested Detective Lawton, speaking to me and Sara. We sat on the edge of the bed, close together, and held hands, waiting for whatever was coming. William stood at the foot of the bed.
“Dr. Spero, the man you shot has been identified,” began Agent Stamper.
I swallowed and Sara squeezed my hand a little tighter.
“His name is Carlos Escalante.”
“Holy fuck,” William exclaimed. As I turned to look at him, he put his hands on the top of his head, fingers interlaced, and walked toward the window.
“I take it you’ve heard of him,” Agent Stamper said to William’s back.
William dropped his arms and turned around. “Yeah I’ve heard of him. Every criminal defense attorney in the state has heard of him.”
“Who is Carlos Escalante?” Sara asked.
Agent Stamper said, “The Cuban Mafia came to power in Miami in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Unlike the Italian Cosa Nostra, these weren’t poor immigrants struggling to make a life. They arrived as political refugees and were welcomed by the United States with open arms.”
“The Central Intelligence Agency played a pivotal role in the rapid development of the Cuban syndicate. With the hopes of overthrowing the Castro regime, the CIA provided thousands of Cubans with expert training in the use of firearms, explosives and covert methods of operation.”
“Their efforts to overthrow Fidel Castro failed, however, and in the early 1960s, the mafia and its leaders were chased out of Cuba by Castro.”
“But with their previous criminal history and their abundant military training—all courtesy of the CIA—the Cubans that came to the U.S. as members of the crime family were both highly skilled and highly motivated. It didn’t take long for them to rise to power. They quickly gained control of the gambling operations, as well as virtually all of the drug trafficking into South Florida.”
“The Cubans were kn
own in most circles to be less predictable and far more violent than their Italian colleagues, the Cosa Nostra. And their lack of organizational structure made it very difficult for law enforcement to penetrate the Cuban syndicate.”
“Christina Escalante is the daughter of Ramon Escalante, the highest ranking member of the South Florida Cuban crime family. This was before he was gunned down two years ago in front of a South Beach cafe early one morning. No suspects were identified and no arrests were made. It is believed Christina, the oldest of four siblings, immediately took control of the family business and had been running things ever since. Her fiery temper and quick trigger are both well known, and she has been linked to several murders over the last two years. But there has never been enough evidence for any charges to stick.”
“Jesus,” I said, looking at the floor.
“So she could be on her way here right now?” Sara asked, with the same panic I was feeling.
“She could,” Agent Stamper confirmed. “But at this moment there are police outside this room and more will soon be stationed at every entrance of the hospital. And the bureau is already in the process of setting up surveillance on Miss Escalante.”
“Why? Why would you do that?” William asked.
“We’ve never been able to build a case against Miss Escalante. She’s a slippery fish. But if we can catch her in the act of trying to get to Dr. Spero, we can finally put her away.”
“I see,” I said. “So this is more about landing a big fish, than it is about protecting me.”
“Unfortunately, it’s a little bit of both, Dr. Spero.”
“If I may ask, how do we know she’ll come after me herself? Why not just send one of her people?”
“How can I put this delicately?” said Agent Stamper, trying to think of the right words. “She’ll want the satisfaction.”
“Oh,” I said, and slumped a little lower.
“Well, exactly how long are we supposed to stay here?” Sara asked. “We have kids. We can’t just...”
“The kids!” I shouted, before she could even finish her sentence. I jumped up from the bed looking desperately at Agent Stamper and Detective Lawton.
The fifteen minutes I’d spent waiting for William flashed through my mind, and I was terrified at what it might have cost.
Chapter 20
The sniper was perched on a rooftop across the street. The sun had not yet begun its ascent over the horizon, so the sky was still dark. His position was well hidden, and his night vision scope ensured a clear shot.
He had an unobstructed view and, as the target came into sight, he took aim. The shot was fired from an elevated position five-hundred feet out. As the bullet escaped through the suppressor, it took only a fraction of a second to find its mark.
The tire exploded and the truck began shaking violently, teetering on the brink of tipping over. Sparks flew as the driver struggled to keep it under control. It shook and wobbled as he mashed the brakes, but he managed to bring it to a noisy stop in the middle of the dark street.
The sedan and two motorcycles escorting the truck squealed to a stop as well. The car remained behind the truck while the motorcycles flanked it on either side. The riders dismounted and unslung the AK-47 assault rifles strapped to their backs. Two men jumped out of the sedan, also carrying AKs and covered the back of the truck. The four men surveilled the scene, weapons at the ready. Their mission was simple: protect the truck at all costs.
The driver of the truck got out, bent down and examined the tire, or what was left of it. The blowout had completely destroyed the rubber, removing it entirely from the wheel.
The sniper watched the scene through his scope, and spoke softly into a walkie talkie. “Standby. On my mark.”
They didn’t have a lot of time. The call had almost certainly been made already.
The truck driver stood up, scratched his head, and looked around.
“Now.”
The sniper fired again, this time taking out the driver with a clean headshot. With near perfect coordination, four other shots were fired simultaneously, taking out the riders on either side of the truck, and the two men at the back. They all fell to the ground in unison, dead.
The two brothers emerged from the darkness and approached the sedan. The first brother rapped on the back window with the muzzle of his pistol, the suppressor still smoking from the shot he’d taken. There was only a moment’s hesitation before the window lowered.
“Enrique. Gustavo. Why am I not surprised?” the car’s occupant asked.
“Because you’re a smart man, Diego. Now get out of the car.”
The door opened and the two brothers each took a step back, pistols raised.
The sniper continued to monitor the situation through his scope.
Gustavo slammed Diego against the car and roughly searched him while Enrique covered him from the side. Gustavo removed the pistol from under Diego’s jacket and tossed it away. He grabbed Diego roughly by the arm and escorted him to the back of the truck. “Tell them to open it.”
Enrique took position forty-five degrees off the back corner of the truck, pistol raised and at the ready. Gustavo stood directly behind Diego, one arm around his chest, the other pressing his pistol against Diego’s temple.
“Don’t make me ask again!” Gustavo hissed into his ear.
“Abre el camión!” Diego shouted. Open the truck.
Nothing.
Gustavo pressed his gun harder into Diego’s temple, forcing his head to tilt sideways, and causing him to grimace in pain. “I don’t think they heard you.”
“Ahora!” he shouted. Now.
The latch turned over and the back door of the truck rolled up. Inside, two men stood with their assault rifles raised, assessing the situation.
“Drop your weapons. Now!” Gustavo shouted.
The two men looked back and forth from Enrique, his gun trained on them, to Gustavo, who still held a tight grip on Diego with his pistol pressed against his head.
“Do as he says!” Diego shouted.
The men in the truck reluctantly tossed their weapons to the ground. Without hesitation, the two brothers fired. Both men reeled from the impact, fell backwards against the cargo, and then tumbled forward, out of the truck, onto the ground.
Enrique walked over and gave each of them one more love tap, just to be sure.
Gustavo shoved Diego away, keeping his pistol trained at his head.
“She’ll kill you for this. You know that.”
“She can add it to the list,” said Gustavo, and pulled the trigger.
Chapter 21
Raul approached the door slowly, reluctant to knock. At that moment, he wished he was somewhere else. Anywhere else. But he had to deliver the news to Christina. He prayed silently she wouldn’t shoot him in the head.
He rapped gently, hoping she wouldn’t answer.
“Adelante.” Come in.
Shit.
He turned the handle, opened the door, and gently closed it behind him. He walked slowly across the room to where she sat at her desk. She folded her arms and sat back in her chair as she watched his cautious approach.
When he reached the chairs on his side of the desk, he was relieved to see there was no gun visible. But he also knew she kept one in her top right-hand drawer, just in case. He took a seat and wondered if he would die in that chair.
“What is it?” she snapped. What little patience she had was already wearing thin.
He swallowed before saying, “I have some news.”
She just sat there, arms folded, staring at him.
“One of our trucks was hit early this morning.”
Christina’s face began to redden.
“All of our men are dead...” He paused for a breath before adding, “Including Diego.”
She let out a long breath t
hrough her nose, unfolded her arms and stood. Raul instinctively scooted his chair back. Diego was her cousin. They had come over from Cuba together. Next to Carlos, it was Diego who was by her side after her father died. He had a voice in all important decisions, and was the only one that could speak to Christina without fear of her nasty temper.
On occasion, Diego would insist on personally escorting a shipment. He believed it reminded their people that they were always watching, and discouraged them from doing something stupid, like stealing from them. Christina repeatedly told him he was too important for such a task. “I’ll send someone else,” she would say.
His reply was always the same. “There is no one else. Trust no one but family.” He’d said it time and again. But now that Carlos and Diego were both dead, there was no family left that she trusted.
She started to pace, and Raul could hear her getting angry.
“Who is responsible?” she asked, staring at Raul with a look that could have burned a hole through lead.
“We have no way to know for sure, but I think we both know who’s responsible.”
She balled her hands into fists as she continued to pace back and forth, breathing heavily. Raul wanted to believe she was trying to control her anger for his sake. On more than one occasion, Christina had taken him into her bed. She used him for pleasure, nothing more. The way she treated him and spoke to him remained unchanged. He was just as easy a target for her temper as anyone else.
He, on the other hand, loved her intensely and would do anything for her. He was also terrified of her. The conflicting emotions exhilarated him in ways he’d never felt before.
Her restraint now was more likely in honor of Diego. He frequently advised her not to make decisions or take any action out of emotion, particularly anger. It was one lesson she had yet to learn.
Right now, Raul desperately hoped there was a small part of her that held some affection for him. Because if there wasn’t, the next bit of news would leave his brains splattered on the wall behind him.
He shifted nervously in his chair and said, “There’s more.”
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