RAFA still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He sat in the living room of his mother’s house, staring at his cell.
Join us, or else.
He didn’t have to speculate who it was from.
Rafa rushed home to check on his mother, worried the Snakes had gotten to her. The threat insinuated someone would be hurt. Bursting through the front door, he called out to her, and she rushed from the kitchen, worry lines etched deep in her face. She was unharmed, and no one had been by the house all day.
Rafa spent the next hour calling every relative in California, trying to get a number to Enrique — the only one who’d have any answers. Each number provided was disconnected or not in service. Frustrated, he collapsed onto the couch and stared at the text he’d received.
Join us…
They had to be kidding.
He was a cop. He couldn’t just leave his position and pick up where he left off as a member of the Snakes. Why would they even want him? They’d just kill him and continue on as before. Lord, what am I supposed to do? He pulled out his cell and dialed the number of his closest friend.
“Jones.”
“Mike? It’s Rafael.” He didn’t know whom else to call. The man who led him back to his faith, Officer Mike Jones, was the one man who Rafa trusted above all others. Whenever he needed advice about his career, women, anything — Mike was solid.
After Rafa briefly explained the case and the text he’d received, Mike sighed heavily. “What do you expect they have on you?”
Rafa rubbed his forehead, racking his brain for answers. “I’m not sure. I thought perhaps my mother was in danger, but she’s safe.”
“What’s the timeline for your response?”
Days. Hours. Minutes. Rafa didn’t know. His best bet was to get in touch with Enrique. “Not sure. You remember me telling you about my cousin, Enrique? He’d be the one—”
“He’s been turning state’s evidence for years.”
Rafa’s jaw dropped. State’s evidence? His cousin was on the right side of the law? “Wha— How do you know?”
“I was having a meeting with the district attorney for one of your cases when he got the word. Rafael,” Mike’s voice sounded heavy, “Enrique’s missing.”
Missing!
“He missed his last scheduled communication with the DA and that was over forty-eight hours ago.”
“He could be dead,” Rafa whispered, more to himself than to Mike. As Mike briefly filled him in on a few of the details, Rafa darted to the kitchen and told his mother to pack a bag. In situations like these, he had to assume the worst. Enrique had been discovered, which meant the Snakes knew he’d been in communication with his cop cousin. Rafa needed to get his mother out of town.
After thanking Mike for the information, Rafa hurried his mother into the car. He wouldn’t give her specifics except the organization he used to be involved in had him on their hit list. He didn’t know why he expected a lecture from his mother, because all she did was cast cries of mercy and pleas for help to heaven. Rafa echoed her prayers in his heart.
Rafa dialed Genie’s number. She responded on the first ring. He asked her to run the number of whoever sent him the text, telling her he was sure it was from either Huera or Montenegro. “I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner.”
“I’m your partner, Rafael. I have your back, no matter your past.”
His heart beat wildly, emotion clogging his throat. She didn’t judge him. Neither did his mother. They accepted him for who he was now: a cop, and a changed man. It was time to end the self-condemnation.
He cleared his throat. “I’m bringing my mother in. We need to talk strategy.”
“Right. I’ll let the lieutenant know.”
Ten minutes later, with Mrs. Santiago comfortably situated in the conference room, Rafa, Genie, and Franco argued strategy in the lieutenant’s office.
“That text could have been from anybody, including Enrique!” Franco exclaimed.
Rafa shook his head. “No. Enrique wouldn’t give me an ultimatum. We’re on the same team.”
“What if he had no choice?” Genie asked in defense of Franco.
Rafa was silent, considering the possibility. Enrique had been off the grid for two days. If the Snakes had him, he could’ve been tortured and forced to send the text. But his gut told him otherwise. “He would’ve worded it differently. If the Snakes wanted me to believe it was from my cousin, the one man who could convince me to go along with whatever they were planning, then I’d have to know for sure it was from him.”
Genie nodded in agreement while Franco threw up his hands in concession before taking a seat and crossing his arms over his chest.
Having not said a word in the last few minutes, Winters cleared his throat. “The one thing we need to focus on is the meaning. What is it you think they want, Rafa?”
Moving to stand near the corner of the lieutenant’s desk, he spoke in a hushed tone. “My guess is to return to the Snakes.”
“You can’t do that!” Genie rushed to stand by his side. She grabbed his arm, turning him to face her.
“I may not have a choice,” he said grimly.
She stood close, her eyes burning with determination. “You don’t even know what, if any, leverage they have on you.”
“You got a suggestion then, Green?” Winters asked.
The spark of an idea lit her eyes. She nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I do, in fact.” She faced the boss. “We draw them out like before. Get them to meet Rafa on our terms. Then we can control the takedown.”
“Rafa will have to agree to return to the Snakes,” Winters said.
“But I’ll have Huera and Montenegro bring me in. Then we’ll arrest them and—”
“Make them talk,” Genie finished with a wicked grin and triumph in her eyes.
A loud, single clap came from Franco. “That’s what I call a plan!”
Rafa smiled. He liked the idea too. With his mother safe, he could only hope Enrique hadn’t been captured if this plan was going to work.
His cell rang. “Santiago.”
“Rafa? It’s Enrique.”
“Enrique?” Rafa tensed. Winters leaned forward in his chair, and Franco shot up from his own. Genie fixed him with a worried gaze.
“Look, man, I had to call you—”
“Enrique, dónde estás?”
“I can’t tell you where I am.”
“But you’re alright?”
“I’m okay. A hit’s been ordered.”
“Enrique—”
“I tried Rafa, you know I tried! I could get killed for just telling you. Huera recognized you in Virginia. The boss here wants you out. I can’t do nothin’ about it, bro.” And the line went dead.
This changed everything. He was the target. He always expected his cousin’s influence to run out eventually.
Rafa swallowed. So he was being followed… but so was Genie. Their gazes locked. If anything ever happened to her—
“What did he say?” she asked eagerly.
Rafa broke eye contact, his heart constricting in pain at the thought of her lifeless brown eyes. “I’m the target.”
“So the text was sent to draw you out,” Franco reasoned.
“The plan could still work,” Genie urged.
Rafa squeezed the space between his eyes, producing a small pain that quickly spread to his entire skull. His life had altered too dramatically over the last several hours, and his mind whirled at the responsibilities he now had to consider. His mother, Genie … Enrique?
He pushed the Reply button on his text. When and where? He pushed Send.
“It’s done.” He slipped his phone into his back pocket. His hand shook, so he kept it in his pocket.
Franco moved to the door. “I’ll go check on that number trace. Perhaps they got stupid and didn’t use a burner phone.”
Not likely, Rafa thought as Franco left the office.
“What about the FBI?” Genie asked, looking to her boss.
&nb
sp; Winters huffed. “What about them? They can catch up when we’ve caught the guys.”
Rafa and Genie exchanged knowing grins.
“But,” Winters continued, “I’ll give them a courtesy call about our updates … tomorrow.”
The next few hours were spent mobilizing SWAT and narrowing down possible locations Huera and Montenegro would choose to meet Rafa. No new text messages.
Rafa gazed at his mother, who lay sleeping on a comfortable couch in the officer’s lounge. Rafa glanced down at his watch. It was after ten p.m. He’d have to wake her soon and move her to a hotel. He knew the life he had led a long time ago would eventually catch up to him, but did it have to be now? All at once? His mother’s peaceful expression calmed his anxiety. God, please be with us now.
A light hand on his arm had him facing his partner. She smiled, her gaze on his mother.
“She’ll be fine, Rafael.”
“I know. God will take care of us. He always has.”
Staring into his eyes, she nodded. “He has, hasn’t He?”
Rafa’s gaze traveled downward, settling on her lips.
“Rafa?”
His eyes shot up.
Her cheeks colored, but her voice was firm. “I got a call from my neighbor. Looks like that punk is trying to break into another house again. That's the third one on my block — including my own. I need to pick up a change of clothes anyway, so I’m going to check it out and reassure her. I’ll have the officers dust for prints and maybe we can match this perp to the other break-ins.”
She began to turn away. He took her elbow, halting her steps. “Not alone. I’m going with you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) Page 35