The Power to See

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  Dominic reached for the wicked looking knife, his hands trembling. It was like a warped dream, everything happening in slow motion. Salazar cleared his throat, pulling Dominic into focus.

  All eyes were on Dominic. The machete was cold and heavy in his sweaty palms. The tip of it dripped with blood. Stephan lay on the ground, a pool of red liquid quickly forming around his head. It was difficult to consider murdering a man in cold blood. Perhaps if they were in a fight, or if Stephan had hurt someone Dominic loved. But to kill someone just because he was told to do so? Dominic couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  “What’s the matter? We don’t have much time,” Salazar barked. “Do it now.”

  Dominic couldn’t form any words, so he shook his head. Salazar grabbed the machete and with one large movement, slashed Stephan’s throat, killing him. Salazar threw the machete down. He shot Dominic a look of disgust, then stormed from the compound.

  ***

  Dominic boarded the jet. After they took off, Phillip came and sat down next to him.

  “The first time is hard.” Phillip pushed a glass with some sort of potent smelling alcohol toward Dominic.

  “I didn’t . . . I couldn’t,” Dominic revealed.

  “Ah, so that’s why Salazar is so upset.”

  “Angry, disappointed, offended.” Dominic turned away from Phillip. He didn’t know why he bothered trying to explain it. Was Dominic next? Would Salazar kill him because he didn’t follow instructions?

  “I think you should go and talk to Salazar. I’ve known him a long time. Be honest with him—he deserves that much from you.” Phillip patted Dominic on the shoulder and left.

  Dominic didn’t move. He sat gazing out the window into the black night sky. A shadow fell across his lap. Sensing Salazar standing there, Dominic tensed. He couldn’t look at Salazar because he’d let him down. Still, he owed it to Salazar to try and explain himself. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t prepared to . . . well, I . . . I just wasn’t ready. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry.”

  “Yes,” Dominic whispered.

  “That’s all you have to say, I’m sorry?” Salazar spit the words out. “Let me tell you something, and you’d better listen closely. I know you haven’t killed anyone before. But you are going to have to do it sooner or later. In this business, it’s inevitable. I had men there today who’d risked their lives to bring Stephan to me. These men fear and respect me. You’ll need them one day. Right now, they think you’re a joke. A weak little boy. And after everything I’ve done for you. You could destroy it all if you don’t learn to play the part.”

  Dominic glanced up at Salazar who was towering over him with an expression that froze Dominic in his seat. It seemed like Salazar was going to kill him. He couldn’t move away—he was paralyzed with fear.

  Leaning forward, Salazar continued, “I also know you love my daughter. I can see it in your eyes. I know Brianna cares for you. If you want her to love you, then you’d better be a man and not the pussy I saw today. I won’t have a feeble person take over my business, and Brianna can’t love a weak man.”

  Salazar didn’t wait for Dominic to respond. He turned and walked away.

  Matt stared out Chris’s office window into the night. The fog was heavy, concealing everything beyond thirty feet.

  “Brianna said her father and Phillip would be out of town tonight,” Matt said. “This is a one-time chance. We have to take it.”

  “I can’t authorize it,” Chris said. “I’m sorry. You know the only way to enter Phillip’s house is with a search warrant.”

  “If we do that, he’ll know we’re on to him,” Matt responded.

  “If you go in without a warrant, you can’t submit anything in court.”

  “I know, but I don’t care.” They just needed something—a name or a place, anything to get the ball rolling and to take the heat and focus off Brianna.

  “Do what you have to do. Just don’t get caught,” Chris warned.

  “Don’t plan on it,” Matt replied. There was a reason the DEA knew so little about this cartel. It was time to change that.

  “Make sure you have backup. And I don’t know anything about this.” Chris looked pointedly at Matt.

  “Got it.” It didn’t take much to convince Chris.

  Matt got up and walked to the conference room where seven men sat waiting for him. “We’re a go, but it’s off the record,” he informed them.

  Even though he’d done this before, there was a slight unease in the pit of his stomach. Matt glanced around the room at each of the men. All of them had volunteered to do this job, understanding the importance of it. Matt was responsible for these men’s lives and they trusted him.

  “All right,” Matt said, “let’s get going.” The tactical plan was already formulated. Matt went over it more times than he cared to remember. Mistakes weren’t an option.

  Everyone dressed in black and wore a bullet proof vest over their clothes. They were careful to conceal all DEA markings. Each man also carried their duty weapon, as well as an ankle back-up. The usual banter was gone—everyone was all business.

  Three vehicles transported the team to Phillip’s house. Two cars were assigned to the perimeter, one man in each car. Their sole responsibility was to serve as lookout. Another car was going to be en route—driving around as an additional lookout, which would be difficult tonight with the dense fog looming over the city. Visibility was now down to about fifteen feet. The remaining five members, including Matt, would be entering Phillip’s house.

  The members of the entry team consisted of Brad, a computer technician; Josh, forensics; Larry, phones and GPS trackers; Paul, alarm; and Matt, overseeing everything.

  Once they arrived at the house, the entry team quickly exited the vehicles and assembled in the shadows close to the front gate. The surveillance cameras were run by Lance Security. Matt spoke with a friend who worked at Lance earlier and arranged for a twenty-minute blackout. Any longer was sure to raise red flags.

  Matt looked at his watch, waiting for the cameras and alarm to go down. At one o’clock the power died, just as promised. The entry team climbed over the gate and made their way to the front of the house. Matt knew the perimeter of the house had a back-up security system. Upon reaching the front door, Paul began disarming the back-up alarm. After approximately three minutes, Paul gave the thumbs-up, and the team entered the house.

  This was the part that Matt hated the most. Just the mere thought that there could be some sort of trap or bomb rigged, was enough to rip his stomach ulcer apart. And his Tums were back at Division. He had to stay focused. It wasn’t like they were in a clandestine lab or anything—just an attorney’s house. The chance the place was going to blow up was remote. He needed to calm down and concentrate.

  With two security systems, Phillip was obviously paranoid. Of course, who wouldn’t be if they were doing something illegal. Still, it was almost too easy. With the amount of sophistication this cartel had, Matt was afraid they missed something. He instructed his team not to speak once inside, in case there was some sort of recording device. But what about satellite imaging? Too late now. They only had fifteen minutes until the alarm was up and running again, and Matt had a nagging feeling they had overlooked something.

  Upon entry, they immediately searched for the study. Once located, Brad got to work on the computer, installing a keystroke recognition program. While Ben worked, Larry tapped the phones in the study, kitchen, and bedroom. Then he moved to the garage and installed GPS trackers on the two vehicles. Josh, Paul, and Matt searched files, drawers, and anything else they could get their hands on—which wasn’t much.

  Matt quickly went through each room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Instead, each room was generic with nothing to reveal the personality of the owner. Not even a single picture, which was disappointing. The DEA’s surveillance still hadn’t gotten a good shot of either Phillip or Salazar’s face. Neither one looked toward the camera.


  In each room Matt entered, he expected a gunman or an unforeseen dog. Something. With only four minutes left, he gave the signal to his team. The only room left was the formal living room. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Just as Matt was about to leave, he noticed a picture on the fireplace mantle.

  It was the first one he’d seen in the entire house. The picture was of Brianna, in a graduation cap and gown, next to an older man. The frame was engraved, “Antonio and Brianna, June 2011.” It must be her high school graduation. And this must be her father—the infamous Antonio Salazar. He was older than Matt expected. Gray hair and gray eyes—no hint of Colombian descent. Salazar seemed old enough to be Brianna’s grandfather. Matt quickly photographed the picture. He finally had a face to put with the name.

  Matt went to the front door to meet his team. They silently slipped out of the house. Visibility was now down to five feet. The light mist concealed them as they scaled the front gate. They ran toward the vehicles as the cameras and alarm came back to life.

  Upon returning to Division, Matt’s adrenalin was still pumping. He entered his office and found Chris waiting for him. “It’s three in the morning,” Matt commented.

  “Wanted to make sure you guys got back okay. Did you find anything?”

  “Don’t know. We didn’t have much time once we were in, but we were able to install a keystroke card and phone taps.”

  “I’ll have the computer analyzed for you,” Chris said.

  “Thanks. I’m going to head home. See you later.”

  “Wait, Matt. We need to talk.”

  Matt figured something was up. Chris never waited for a team to return. “About what?”

  “You’ve got to get on Brianna harder. We need to know the extent of her involvement with Salazar’s organization,” Chris said.

  “I’m working on it.”

  “I know, but it’s taking too long. I don’t want you under any longer than necessary.”

  “Don’t worry. I have it under control. We have a relationship going and she trusts me.”

  The truth was Matt didn’t want to push her. He was having too much fun with Brianna and he didn’t want to end what they had.

  “I don’t even want to know what your version of a relationship is.” Matt smiled. Chris continued, “Listen, I assume you know she’s been out with Dominic again?” Chris watched Matt’s face intently.

  “What?” Matt’s heart skipped a beat when Chris mentioned Dominic’s name.

  “The other night, she was with Dominic at a nightclub downtown. They were pretty cozy.”

  “Really?” Matt tried to sound indifferent. Chris was probably trying to get a rise out of him.

  “She was all over him when they were dancing. I’ve seen the pictures. Something is definitely going on between the two of them. Has she mentioned anything to you?”

  Matt knew he’d have to ask her about Dominic sooner or later, but he hadn’t found a way to approach the subject yet.

  “No, but I’ll find out.” Matt’s mind was already racing about possible reasons for Brianna to be out with Dominic.

  “Be careful she isn’t working you. You have no idea what you’re really dealing with.”

  “I’ve got it under control. Don’t worry.” Although he told Chris not to worry, Matt was troubled. Brianna couldn’t possibly have been on a date with Dominic. This was the man who was supposed to step in and take over for Salazar.

  Matt had to face the real possibility that Brianna was involved in more than she was letting on. However, he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. He knew Salazar had Brianna on a tight leash; still, Matt wished he didn’t feel so jealous. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion he was used to experiencing.

  Salazar was on another business trip—this time to South America. He boarded a small, two-man boat along with its driver, and settled in for the journey up the river through the Amazon.

  Traveling through the Amazon reminded Salazar of his childhood. As a boy, he was afraid of the jungle and what he couldn’t see. Now he found it beautiful and fascinating. Glancing up, Salazar saw layer upon layer of trees and forest life. The leaves dripped with condensation and vines climbed everywhere. It was easy to hide amidst the thick, dense coverage. Someone could be standing ten feet away, and you’d never know.

  Salazar’s thoughts drifted to Dominic. He knew the boy would have a hard time transitioning into the business. Marie and Richard managed to keep him sheltered, and Salazar understood that. But seeing Dominic standing over Stephan, unable to carry out a simple task, was beyond infuriating. More than that, it was embarrassing. The head of the Salazar organization needed to be strong. Dominic had it in him—Salazar was sure of that. He just had to find a way to let it out. Maybe a little creative ingenuity was needed to make it happen. Eventually, Dominic would be the man Salazar wanted him to be.

  The boat glided over the murky water until it reached the shipyard. The driver steered toward the shore, jumped down, and pulled the boat onto the muddy bank. Salazar stepped onto solid ground just as a short man wearing glasses came to meet him. The man held out his hand to Salazar, but Salazar had no intention of touching him.

  “You’re Cristian Rodriguez, I presume?” Salazar asked. The man nodded. “I want to see the improvements you’re making. Our last engineer was too narrow-minded,” Salazar sneered.

  “You’ll be pleased. Follow me,” Rodriguez said.

  He led Salazar to a makeshift office located at the east end of the shipyard. The walls were made from wood planks, light managing to find its way through. Salazar walked over to Rodriguez’s desk. It was littered with drawings.

  Hovering over the blueprints, Salazar tried to assess the status of his sub.

  “This self-propelled semi-submersible, or SPSS, will be completed by the end of the month—ahead of schedule,” Rodriguez began. He pulled out a white rag and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

  “Very good, but I want specifics.” Salazar found the blueprint he was looking for.

  “This particular one,” Rodriguez pointed to paper, “will be ten meters long, and it’ll be able to hold about three metric tons of cocaine. It’s durable—steel hull construction.”

  “What are we doing to avoid detection?” Salazar asked. He waved his hand, trying to get rid of the gnats flying around his face.

  “As the fuel tanks empty, there’s a device that pumps sea water into the sub. That way, the SPSS maintains a steady, ultra-low profile. It’s nearly impossible to detect by eye at any distance over one nautical mile.” Rodriguez sat on a crate next to the desk.

  “And I’ll be able to get this one all the way into the U.S.?” Their previous subs only made it to central Mexico. Not good enough.

  “You’ll be able to get it there, but not back,” Rodriguez said.

  “I don’t care about getting it back,” Salazar replied. He only needed to get his shipment into the U.S.

  “It’s total cost to build is almost two million dollars.” Rodriguez wiped his forehead.

  “It yields a twenty million dollar return. I can afford to lose the sub,” Salazar smiled. This was going to change everything.

  Rodriguez’s eyes widened. “There are five subs currently under construction.”

  “Good,” Salazar said. He peered through the other blueprints on the desk. “What else?” Phillip had already gone into specifics, checking everything out. Still, Salazar liked to hear it directly from the engineer’s mouth.

  “We’re using piping to redirect diesel engine exhaust back toward the sub’s wake. That will lower infrared detection.”

  “And the same GPS as our previous units?”

  “Similar, some minor upgrades. Again, there’ll be no need for external communication.”

  “You’ve done well. Continue to make improvements and I won’t be disappointed.” He’d have to make sure Rodriguez was well rewarded for his ingenuity.

  Salazar left the office and went back to the shipyard. He wanted to get a better look at the
SPSS. About a dozen men worked on the skeleton sub. Salazar walked around, inspecting every aspect of it. Once the sub was completed, all they had to do was load it, staff it, and roll it right into the river. The river fed directly into the ocean. A needle in the haystack. Salazar laughed, the sound echoing in the jungle.

  For the past couple of weeks, Brianna immersed herself in Hector’s case—which meant a lot of late nights at the office. Luckily, Salazar and Dominic were busy working instead of following her every move, so Brianna had the illusion of peace.

  “Hey beautiful,” Matt said as he popped his head in her office before leaving for the day. “You still working?” The corners of his lips rose in a devious smile.

  “I need to finish this response tonight. How is it possible you’re heading home already?”

  “Hot date.”

  Brianna was pretty sure he was teasing her. Still, she felt a twinge of jealousy and that irritated her. “Enjoy yourself.”

  “I will,” Matt said, the dimple in his cheek showing. “Try not to work too hard. You know what they say about all work and no play,” Matt’s voice faded as he walked down the hallway. Brianna shook her head and got back to work.

  About forty minutes later, a folded piece of paper slid under the office door. She wasn’t sure who it was from since almost everyone had already left for the night. When she opened it up, it read, “Matt’s office. Now.”

  A chill ran down her spine. Was Ben snooping around? Did he find something? Brianna immediately went to Matt’s office. Opening the door, she found Matt standing there smiling.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you left.”

  “I told you, I’ve got a hot date. Come in and close the door.”

  Matt’s eyes were smoldering and Brianna had the urge to rip off his clothes and make love to him right there on his desk. Instead, she calmly entered his office, shutting the door behind her.