Uneven Exchange

by Derban, S. K.

After almost an hour, two men, both dressed in white jackets, and three female nurses emerged from Santiago’s room. Only one of the men approached the anxious group while the other four people scattered. Alexandra wasn’t sure, but she assumed he was their government contact, posing as the attending physician. When the man spoke, he confirmed her assumption.

  “Good evening. My name is Doctor Torres. Ramón Torres.” His manner of articulation authenticated his education. “Are you relatives of Señor Santiago?”

  Camacho stood and rushed to answer. “Yeah, she’s his sister,” he said while pointing to Alexandra. In contrast to the doctor, Camacho’s inflection sounded uneducated.

  Ramón Torres stepped closer to Alexandra as she stood to shake his hand. He reached for her extended palm and gave it a gentle squeeze. Alexandra immediately felt secure, as though she was under an invisible shield of protection. With Rico joining her at her side, she asked, “How is my brother?”

  “His condition is stable but serious.”

  They listened intently as the doctor explained. Santiago required heart bypass surgery and would have to be transported to a hospital in Mexico City.

  “Why can’t you operate at this hospital?” Camacho asked.

  “Our equipment is not as modern as the equipment in Mexico City,” Doctor Torres explained. “We also do not have a qualified anesthesiologist on staff at this time.”

  “Do you know who Santiago is?” Camacho demanded.

  Rather than being insulted, Doctor Torres humored Camacho with his response. “I understand he is the one they call the Magician. Is that correct?”

  “Yeah, that’s right, and nothing better happen to him, neither.”

  The doctor turned to address Alexandra. “Señorita Santiago, I can assure you your brother will receive the best treatment possible. That is our reason for relocating him to a more advanced facility in Mexico City.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Torres. You have my utmost confidence.” Alexandra smiled gratefully and then added, “Please call me Daniela.”

  “Your confidence is most appreciated, señorita—excuse me, Daniela. Now we must hurry. Please be prepared to leave within the hour.”

  “Of course, doctor.”

  “Hey! Wait a minute. Where’s she going?” Camacho roared.

  “I have made the arrangements for Señorita Santiago to accompany her brother on the plane to Mexico City,” Torres said flatly. His irritation with Carlos Camacho was increasing apparent.

  “Then I’m going too.” Camacho’s whine made him sound more like a child than a grown man.

  Speaking with slight indifference, Dr. Torres countered, “That you will have to work out between yourselves. We have room for only two passengers.”

  For the first time, Rico spoke. “Dr. Torres, thank you for giving us so much of your valuable time. My name is Rico, Ricardo Aleman.” Rico shook hands with the doctor, then asked, “Is there a way to make room for three passengers?”

  “I am very sorry, Señor Aleman, but it is not possible. Our transport plane originally had six seats. The last two were removed to make room for the patient. That leaves one seat for me and two others.”

  Alexandra watched as Camacho counted on his chubby fingers. “Hey! That’s only three. I don’t get it.”

  Doctor Torres glared at Camacho’s stupidity. “The pilot,” he said curtly, finally putting Camacho in his place. “Somebody has to fly the plane.”

  Without waiting for Camacho to respond, Dr. Torres returned to Santiago’s room.

  “Carlos, come with me.” Rico beckoned as he led Camacho down the hall, making it look like he was away from Alexandra’s earshot. He spoke with a whisper but loud enough for her to hear. “Look, man, Daniela needs me. How about if I go with her tonight and you can fly over first thing in the morning?”

  Camacho faltered. “I don’t know. You know how the boss likes us both to be around.”

  “But how is that possible? There isn’t room for us both unless we leave Daniela behind. You know Santiago would be furious if we did.”

  “I guess you’re right, but...” Camacho hesitated. “Well, I don’t know what to do.”

  “Come on, amigo. This is Daniela, Santiago’s sister. She’s hurting, man, and I’ve got to be with her.”

  “Okay, okay, but I don’t trust this doctor. We don’t know him, and he doesn’t know our boss.”

  “Don’t worry, Camacho. You know I’ll keep a close eye on him.” Rico patted him aggressively on the back while saying, “Thanks! I’ll see you tomorrow. Remember, first thing, huh?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, first thing. I better get back to the hacienda and make some calls.”

  Camacho walked down the corridor to the far exit. Alexandra figured his pride prevented him from walking past her, especially after sounding like such an idiot. Rico approached, smiling as he held his arms out to comfort her. “How are you holding up?” he asked sweetly.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” She hugged him tightly, then pulled away to look into his eyes. “You are going with me, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I’m going with you.” He let forth a guttural laugh and asked, “Did you really think I’d stick you with Camacho?”

  “I didn’t know. I hoped not, but I know my brother usually likes him around.”

  “Not this time,” Rico said, releasing his hold to grasp her hands. “Carlos plans to catch an early flight to Mexico City in the morning. That means he’ll probably be there before Santiago wakes up.”

  “Well, all I can say is I’m glad it’s you and not him.” Alexandra sighed.

  “I knew you would be happy.” Rico grinned boyishly. “Do you need anything or are you set to go?”

  Alexandra shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I can go like this.” She looked down at her lounging pajamas. “But a toothbrush would be nice.”

  “Let me go look. There should be some kind of shop around here.”

  “You mean here in the hospital?” Alexandra turned her wrist to check her watch. “Even if there is a shop, do you think it will still be open?”

  “I have no idea, but what have I got to lose?”

  She kissed him softly on the cheek. “You are so sweet. Thank you, Rico.”

  “I’m going to remind you later that you said that.”

  “Okay, Rico. When this is over you can remind me.” When she imagined Rico being taken into custody, Alexandra winced with the pain of being responsible. To her, Rico seemed like a kind and gentle man. She could easily visualize Camacho as a killer, but not Rico. Not Daniela’s Rico. Not this Rico here with her.

  He noticed her shiver. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m okay, just exhausted. Thank you, though. I think I’ll go in and sit next to Mago. I mean, if it’s okay with Doctor Torres.”

  “I’m positive he won’t mind.” Rico motioned to Santiago’s room. “We haven’t seen him come out, so the doctor should still be in there. Why don’t you check and see?”

  “I will. Don’t be long, okay?”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Rico gently guided her through the door to Santiago’s room. “I’ll only be long enough to find the shop and maybe some hot coffee. Would you like a cup?”

  “Ah yes. That would be wonderful.”

  “Now don’t leave the room until I get back. Promise me?”

  “I promise,” Alexandra whispered over her shoulder, then slowly closed the door.

  Ramón Torres immediately took Alexandra’s hand and directed her into the bathroom. “I am happy to see you are safe, Alexandra Callet.”

  “Words cannot express how happy I am to see you,” Alexandra exclaimed with whispered enthusiasm. Just standing next to the official gave her an immediate sense of security. She looked at his face and saw deep compassion in his eyes. Ramón Torres was not a tall man, but he projected confidence and inner strength. Alexandra also noticed how his face showed lines of aging. She guessed his age to be around sixty. He could be my father, she thought, instan
tly feeling even more protected.

  “Well, we still have a long way to go, but I wanted to at least let you know you have a friend nearby.”

  “Thank you. I feel much better.” Alexandra squeezed his hand. “How is Miguel Santiago?”

  “The doctor tells me he will be fine once the drug wears off. The ephedrine combination mixed with such an excessive amount of alcohol really did a number on him.”

  “I was worried about that. Maybe I should have waited. I could tell he had a lot to drink.”

  “No, don’t doubt yourself. If you waited, you might never have had the chance. In our line of work, we have to fire when ready.”

  “You sound like a man of experience.”

  Torres chuckled. “Yes, a man with lots of experience. Didn’t you notice my gray hair?”

  “Only the temples are gray, and don’t you know that on a man, graying temples are distinguishing?”

  “Oh, I am distinguished? For that, I thank you. No wonder O’Neil calls you an angel.”

  “Is Kevin here?”

  “He certainly is. He is right upstairs. In fact, you will see him the minute we get on the plane.”

  “So there are more than six seats?”

  “Oh yes. We didn’t want to fool with Camacho tonight. He will be taken into custody tomorrow, when he boards his plane for Mexico.”

  “What about Rico?” Alexandra asked solemnly.

  “Rico will be taken care of tonight,” Torres answered gently. “He won’t be getting on the plane.”

  “When he is around me, around Daniela, it doesn’t seem possible for him to be involved with Santiago.”

  “He is, Alexandra. When Jon Dawkins was killed, Rico was there.”

  “That’s horrible! Do you think Rico set the bomb?”

  “No, I definitely do not. Santiago always baits the traps personally. I think he gets some sort of sick pleasure out of it.”

  “Then it was you. Jon Dawkins was on his way to meet you, wasn’t he?”

  Torres lowered his head. “Yes, he was.”

  “I am so sorry. Please know that I didn’t mean to imply any blame.”

  “I know you didn’t. It’s so hard to accept that such a good man could be killed in cold blood. Plus, Jon had a family, and I still worry about them every single day.”

  “From what Kevin tells me, you’ve risked a great deal in order to bring Santiago to justice.”

  “If you are trying to say there are leaks in my government, you’re absolutely right. This operation was limited to a modest circle of trusted employees. We even set decoys, just in case.”

  “Will the decoys help you find the leaks?”

  “They should, combined with what Santiago will have to say.”

  “What if he doesn’t talk?” she asked.

  Torres looked beyond Alexandra, his eyes glazed over. “He’ll talk. I guarantee you, he’ll talk.” Then, returning to meet her stare, he said, “I need to leave you and finalize our arrangements. Why don’t you relax here in Santiago’s room while I’m gone? You better remain the grieving sister until we are safely on board.”

  “What should I do if he wakes up?”

  “Not a chance. According to his doctor, Santiago will be out for more than twelve hours. When he does come to, he’ll feel like he has a hangover from hell.”

  “Then why did you bring me into the bathroom to talk?” Alexandra whispered as they exited the closet-sized room.

  “I may look like a doctor now,” he said, straightening his white coat, “but, in reality, I hate hospitals, and I can’t stand being around all these needles.” Torres gestured to the IV connected to Santiago.

  Alexandra chuckled softly and then settled into a chair on one side of the bed.

  “Stay here,” Torres whispered before leaving the room. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  TAKEN

  While waiting for either Rico or Ramón Torres to return, Alexandra relaxed in the dimly lit room. The steady cadence of Santiago’s heart monitor had a mesmerizing effect. Exhausted from her lack of sleep, Alexandra’s thoughts became jumbled. Within minutes, her head slumped forward to the bed as she dozed off.

  Alexandra was abruptly awakened by a homicidal grip over her nose and mouth. She struggled to scream to anyone who might hear but realized in horror she was unable to breathe.

  Her captor used his free hand to grab her shirt and then forced her to stand. The change of position inadvertently caused his gripping hand to adjust, enabling her to rapidly inhale. Alexandra increased her struggle for freedom, but her attacker’s brutal strength prevented her from escaping. As she felt the force of a huge man propelling her through the doorway, a side exit to the hospital loomed closely ahead, just beyond the deserted corridor.

  When they reached the swinging glass doors, the strong man opened them using Alexandra’s skull as a battering ram. Upon impact with the thick glass, a fibrous haze clouded her mind, and she had to fight desperately to remain conscious.

  Her captor then slammed the front of Alexandra’s body against a car while he tied her hands together behind her, using the weight of his body to pin her in place. He then opened the passenger door. With her back arched beyond its natural limit, he pulled her away from the car and pushed her into the seat. Although still unable to see his face, Alexandra knew the heavy, labored breathing belonged to Carlos Camacho. She could still smell the stench of the cigar on his breath.

  She landed sideways in the seat and rushed to pull in her feet. They barely avoided the slamming car door. As Camacho hurried around to the driver’s side, his face was finally revealed. He jumped in and gunned the engine.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Alexandra screamed, fearing for her life. “Take me back to my brother now. I demand you!”

  Sweating profusely, Camacho lifted his bulky frame and reached into the front pocket of his black jeans. He retrieved a glass vial and held it up for her to see. Laughing arrogantly, he jeered, “Your demands mean nothing!”

  Trying not to reveal her terror, Alexandra could only stare at the tube. “What is that?” she finally asked, hoping to sound convincing.

  “You know exactly what it is!” He slapped at her face with the back of his hand. “Don’t you dare play dumb with me.”

  Alexandra envisioned her worst nightmares coming true. She knew no matter what she said, Camacho would not listen. She leaned her throbbing head against the window and tried to think of a way out. The coolness of the pane provided little comfort. As the tires roared over the loose gravel, she prayed for a miracle.

  “Get over here,” Camacho sneered as he reached across her waist to lock his hand on to her right pelvic bone. Violently, he pulled her away from the door and closer to him. Alexandra closed her eyes in disgust when she felt his hand searching for an opening in her blouse. As he made his way beneath the fabric, his rough fingers finally connected with her bare skin.

  Without the use of her hands, Alexandra could only thrash about to ward him off.

  “Oh, I see you like it,” he taunted just before she clamped her teeth into the side of his arm.

  “¡Puta!” he hollered in pain, crashing his fist into the left side of her jaw. Completely dazed and too frightened to move, Alexandra sat motionlessly. When familiar road signs came into view, she realized they were minutes from the hacienda. She also realized that in the absence of Santiago and Rico, Carlos Camacho was in complete control. She had to find a way to escape.

  When the car rolled to a stop in front of the main house, Camacho got out and sauntered around to open her side. Nonchalantly, Alexandra positioned her foot firmly against the door and waited. The instant he released the lock, Alexandra pushed hard to explode the car door open and smash it into him. Camacho reeled backward, losing his balance.

  Alexandra jumped out and sped toward the front gate.

  “¡Alto! Stop!” One of the guards yelled.

  Alexandra froze. Slowly, sh
e turned to face the loaded weapon. “Gordo, it’s me, Daniela. Camacho has gone loco!”

  Camacho staggered to meet the guard. “Don’t listen to her,” he yelled. “She tried to kill Miguel! I have proof!”

  “Mago? I tried to kill my own brother? Don’t be a fool.”

  “You brought poison with you in this vial. I found it under the table where you were both sitting.”

  “That’s a lie! I love my brother.” In her state of terror, the tears flowed easily. Sobbing, Alexandra pleaded with the guard. “Gordo, I beg you, please! I’m going to miss my plane. They are flying Mago to Mexico City for an operation. I need to be with him. Help me, please. Camacho is crazy!”

  In an obvious state of trepidation, the guard looked awkwardly from Alexandra to Camacho. Feeling as though she was gaining ground, Alexandra continued, “Please, just let me go with my brother now. Then when we return, you can tell my brother everything Camacho said. I have nothing to hide.”

  “You have nothing to hide because I found it,” Camacho hollered. “You are not going anywhere. Gordo, get back on patrol!”

  “Gordo, as Miguel Santiago’s sister, I order you to let me leave.” Alexandra’s voice commanded authority.

  The guard hesitated, clearly not knowing whose orders to follow. In a surprising move, Camacho whipped his firearm from the rear of his jeans and pointed it directly at the guard’s temple.

  “I, Carlos Camacho, am Santiago’s number one man. Not some whore who tries to kill him,” he said slowly. “Now get back on patrol and leave us alone, or I will blow your head to pieces.”

  The guard immediately walked away.

  Camacho grabbed Alexandra’s arm more tightly than necessary. He led her into the deserted house and headed straight for her bedroom. Once there, he threw her onto the bed. Alexandra was gripped with fear as she knew what to expect next, and with her hands still tied, she was unable to escape.

  First, Camacho unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the fleshy mass of his overweight gut, and left it on as he sat in a chair and removed his boots. Then he stood and sashayed toward the bed. When his hands moved to the fly of his jeans, a mixture of disgust and terror overcame Alexandra.