In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4)

by Ruff, K. S.

  Maxim released my hand as he fell back against the wall. “I should have known you would ask Rafael to come.”

  Konstantin pushed off the opposite wall. “I’m going to say goodbye to Shae.”

  I waited for Konstantin to walk into the kitchen before meeting Maxim’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. Rafael was in Paris when this happened yesterday. He caught the first available flight back to the United States. His plane should be landing in McAllen any minute. He’s renting a car and driving down here so he can help us find Kadyn and Roger.”

  “Do you love him?” he asked sullenly.

  I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Very much.”

  He raised a single eyebrow. “And Kadyn?”

  I nodded, even though those feelings didn’t quite compare to the feelings I had for Rafael.

  He scowled. “What about me?”

  I nodded, a bit more sheepishly this time.

  He just shook his head. “You have got to be the most complicated, infuriating woman I know.” He kissed me brusquely before he turned to go. “You should not expect me to modify my behavior when Rafael arrives.”

  * * * * *

  I was sitting in the rocking chair on the porch, berating myself while waiting for Rafael. I called earlier to let him know I had acquired cell service and to confess that I had asked Maxim to come to Mexico. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with my decision. He’d be even less thrilled if he knew Maxim had kissed me twice since arriving in Mexico.

  I frowned. Maxim wasn’t the only one who’d kissed me. Kadyn had kissed me, also twice, although we’d been facing some pretty extenuating circumstances that second time. Still, I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I’d been separated from Rafael for less than forty eight hours and kissed two other men. I thought I’d established some pretty clear boundaries with Maxim and Kadyn, but apparently I’d been mistaken.

  After mulling it over for the past two hours, I had a pretty good idea where I’d gone wrong. In my efforts to avoid losing their friendship, I’d been sending mixed signals. I needed to put an end to the mixed signals. I loved Kadyn and Maxim as friends, but I was in love with Rafael. Maybe I should propose to him… That would certainly put an end to the mixed signals.

  I jumped when my cell phone rang. I snatched the phone from the porch railing and quickly checked the screen. “Jase?”

  “I tracked down the owner,” he began. His voice trailed off unexpectedly.

  “and?” I asked hesitantly.

  “He’s dead.”

  I bolted out of the rocking chair. “What? I just saw the man yesterday. What do you mean he’s dead?”

  Jase sighed. “The owner of that vehicle was murdered on South Padre Island three days ago.”

  “So the man I saw wasn’t the owner,” I concluded. “South Padre Island? Where’s that?”

  “It’s located about two and a half hours from you,” Jase replied. Clearly, the guy had done his homework.

  I began pacing across the weathered porch. “You said he was murdered…”

  “Shot in a convenience store parking lot. His vehicle has been missing ever since,” he clarified.

  “Was anyone arrested?” I inquired.

  “No suspects have been identified, and no one’s been arrested. I’m sorry, Kri, but it looks like we’ve hit a dead end.”

  I turned as Rafael pulled into the driveway. “What was the man’s name?”

  “Alex Rodriguez,” Jase replied.

  I started down the stairs. “Thanks, Jase. I have to go. Rafael just pulled up.”

  “Be safe. Don’t do anything crazy,” he pleaded.

  I’ve already done crazy, I thought as I disconnected the call.

  Rafael scooped me up into his arms just as Shae and Cenia walked out of the house. He gave Cenia a hug. “We’ll find them,” he promised huskily. He offered Shae a hug and followed us into the house.

  I introduced Rafael to Alejandro, Dante, Isabel, and Maria. Since everyone was gathered in the living room, I shared what I had learned from Jase.

  “South Padre Island?” Dante asked. He and Maria sat on the stone ledge in front of the fireplace. “That territory belongs to the Gulf Cartel.”

  Alejandro joined Isabel and Cenia on the couch. “It’s not uncommon for the cartels to kill people when they’re stealing vehicles. They often target newer SUVs and trucks.”

  “That’s pretty ballsy,” Cenia stated. “The guy kills someone less than three hours away from here, drives around in his truck for three days, and doesn’t bother changing out the plates?”

  Dante shrugged. “Who’s going to stop him?”

  I had just settled onto the floor next to Shae when my cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen before accepting the call. “Maxim? Is everything okay?”

  “We’re making progress. Have you heard back on those plates?” he inquired.

  I took a deep breath and blew it out. “The owner of the truck was killed three days ago on South Padre Island, which is about two and a half hours away from here. He was shot in a convenience store parking lot. No suspects have been identified. Dante claims that territory belongs to the Gulf Cartel. The cartel have been killing people and stealing their trucks.”

  “Have you been back to the van?” Maxim asked.

  “We stopped by the service station on our way to and from San Fernando. There’s no sign of them. The van is still there. The tires and a few other choice parts are missing, but our note is still sitting on the back seat,” I replied.

  “Has Cenia received any phone calls?”

  I glanced at Cenia. “No. She tried calling and texting Roger, but he has yet to reply.”

  “I think the cartel has them,” Maxim stated. “If they do, Cenia should be receiving a phone call.”

  “Wait. I’m going to put you on speaker phone.” I switched my phone to speaker and set it on the coffee table. “Why do you think the cartel has them? What have you learned?”

  “The man in the picture is carrying an M16. That gun is manufactured in the United States. From what I’ve heard, the Gulf Cartel acquire most of their weapons from the United States. The sicarios favor the AK-47. That is a Soviet weapon. While the Russian mafia has their hands in both pots, they appear to be arming the sicarios. If that man forced Kadyn and Roger from the scene, then they’re with the Gulf Cartel, not the sicarios,” Maxim reasoned.

  “So you don’t think they’re free,” Cenia noted shakily.

  “If they were free, they would have contacted you by now,” Maxim replied.

  “How do you think we should proceed?” Rafael asked. He was sitting in the chair directly behind me.

  “Ah, the knight in shining armor has finally arrived,” Maxim purred. I winced at his tone. “Given your law enforcement background, I would think you should take Cenia, Isabel, and Kristine to the police station to file missing person reports. You might want to flaunt the fact that you have a background in law enforcement, see if they will release any information about the gunfight yesterday. Flex some muscle, make sure they know Kadyn and Roger are U.S. government officials. Do whatever you need to do to ensure they make this investigation a priority. Do not tell them I am involved.”

  Rafael offered me a pained expression.

  “Cenia?” Maxim asked. Every single one of us looked at her.

  “Yes. I’m still here,” she replied.

  “The cartel is presumably investigating you, your family, and the other people in Roger’s contact list. Would you consider yourself wealthy?”

  Cenia shook her head. “No.”

  “Are there any individuals in Roger’s contact list that you would consider wealthy?”

  She looked at me. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “The cartel will target the person with the most money or the number that appears most frequently on Roger’s call list. They will presume the person most frequently called has the strongest emotional attachment to him. I assume that person is you. If they have R
oger, they will demand a ransom. They will pick an amount that is just out of reach for you. You should attempt to negotiate them down to a more affordable amount. If you don’t, they will assume this amount is easy for you to pay, and they will demand more. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Cenia replied.

  “Kadyn left his cell phone behind. The cartel cannot target anyone to pay his ransom unless he provides the necessary information. He’s more likely to be killed. You must demand they release Kadyn too. Include this in your negotiation,” Maxim advised. “Make sure they know that Roger works for the Department of Defense and Kadyn works for the Department of Homeland Security. This information will help ensure they remain unharmed.”

  “Do you think we should call and warn their families?” I asked.

  “Absolutely,” Maxim replied. “You should also notify the American Embassy. They’ll make sure the Mexican authorities make this investigation a priority. There are police officers inside the San Fernando municipality who are working for the cartels. You should keep this in mind.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as we finish filing the reports at the police department,” I promised.

  “I’ve found someone who is willing to approach the cartel on my behalf,” Maxim revealed. “Between your efforts and mine, we should hear from them soon.”

  We glanced at each other uncertainly when he ended the call.

  * * * * *

  We spent three and a half hours at the San Fernando police department. The investigating officer questioned each of us individually. Cenia and I filed missing person reports with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City over the phone while Isabel was being interviewed.

  Rafael walked a fine line between charming and intimidating the local police officers. They confirmed the gun fight was between the sicarios and the Gulf Cartel. They were hesitant to release any more information, but Rafael hounded them until one of the police officers finally confessed the man with the black pickup truck was one of the most notorious enforcers working for the Gulf Cartel.

  The gruesome pictures they had pinned along their walls served as a constant reminder that this was not the only crime they were investigating. The overwhelming number of bound and bloodied bodies made it painfully clear who was winning the war on drugs. The police were uninspired by our story. “This sort of thing happens all the time,” they said. “The cartel will contact you eventually.” Their defeatist attitude set me on edge.

  It was almost comical how Cenia’s cell phone rang the second we stepped foot outside the police department. Cenia gasped when she saw Roger’s name appear on her Caller ID. She immediately accepted the call. “Roger! Where are you?”

  Her face turned an alarming shade of white. She placed her finger to her lips as she switched the speaker on.

  “… one million dollars,” the man was saying.

  Cenia’s eyes sought mine. “That’s just out of reach for me?” she mouthed questioningly.

  “We’ll pay it,” Rafael whispered.

  Cenia took a deep breath. “You do realize my fiancé works for the United States Department of Defense?”

  “Who cares puta? You pay or he pays. Your pick.”

  Rafael’s jaw clenched.

  “I don’t have a million dollars,” Cenia protested. She was dangerously close to tears, but she was sticking to Maxim’s script.

  “One million or I am slicing his neck and dumping him in a ditch,” he threatened harshly.

  “Wait!” she cried. “I’ll try! I promise. I’ll try to find the money, but you have to give me his friend, Kadyn, too.”

  “You know this diablo negro?” he exploded. “That man causes trouble. If you want the diablo negro you will pay two million dollars!”

  Cenia’s eyes widened. “I don’t have two million dollars...”

  “Three million,” he corrected gruffly. “One million for the gringo. Two million for the diablo negro. By five o’clock tomorrow. I will call with more instructions.”

  “Wait!” Cenia exclaimed. “How do I know you really have him? I want to hear Roger’s voice.”

  There was a loud crash and yelling in the background. “Manda huevos!” the guy swore before disconnecting the call.

  Isabel pulled the phone from Cenia’s hand and handed it to Rafael. She wrapped Cenia in her arms as she began sobbing.

  I sank against Rafael’s chest. The gruesome images I’d seen inside the police department were too fresh. I knew, if we took one wrong step, Kadyn and Roger would suffer the very same fate.

  “What happened?” Maxim demanded as he and Konstantin approached. “Did they call?”

  I took a step toward Maxim, but Rafael pulled me back against his chest. “Yes. They’re demanding a million dollars for Roger and two million for Kadyn,” I replied.

  Maxim looked amused by Rafael’s efforts to keep me away from him. “There has been a change in plans,” he announced.

  Rafael’s eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden change in plans?”

  Maxim continued as if he hadn’t heard him. “The Russian mafia will express an interest in Kadyn and Roger. They will demand the two men be turned over to them for some undisclosed wrongdoing. They will sell the cartel on this idea by insisting they are doing them a favor, taking U.S. government officials off their hands. This will allow the cartel to save face while washing their hands of the problem.”

  “I don’t understand,” Cenia stated wearily. “Why would the cartel comply with this request?”

  “The man who kidnapped Kadyn and Roger made a mistake that could end up costing him his life. His boss is not pleased that he kidnapped a U.S. official with ties to customs and border security. He would prefer not to wake the giant who sleeps next door,” Maxim replied. “Those men are not worth the trouble they are already causing the cartel.”

  “The man who called to demand the ransom said Kadyn was causing trouble,” I noted softly.

  Konstantin laughed. “Your friend has proven difficult to interrogate. Rumor has it he has sent every single one of the cartel’s interrogators to the hospital.”

  “Why would the mafia help us?” Rafael asked.

  “They are not helping you,” Maxim rebutted. “They are helping me. They do not know we are working together, and we should keep it that way.”

  “How much money do they want?” I asked. I knew the different organizations within the Russian mafia weren’t opposed to milking each other for money.

  “They will acquire both men and transfer them to me for five hundred thousand dollars,” Maxim responded.

  Cenia looked frustrated. “That’s better than three million dollars, but I still don’t have that kind of money.”

  “We can pay them,” Rafael assured Cenia.

  “How soon can we do this?” I asked. We began walking toward Rafael’s vehicle.

  Maxim fell in beside me. “Did the man who called give you a time frame?”

  “He said to have the money ready and he’d call with more instructions by five o’clock tomorrow,” Isabel answered.

  “Nothing will happen until after he calls,” Maxim replied. “They will not walk away from an opportunity to obtain three million dollars so easily. Once he hears you are unable to obtain the money, the mafia’s offer will sound more appealing.”

  “We’re supposed to be married in three days,” Cenia groaned. “How long is this going to take?”

  “Don’t worry,” Maxim said. “We’ll make sure Roger gets to the church on time.”

  * * * * *

  I stepped outside. Rafael and Konstantin were playing chess. Maxim was talking to Alejandro and Dante about the cartels. Isabel and Maria were drinking tea in the kitchen. Shae and Cenia were sleeping.

  I couldn’t sleep. I was worried about how Roger and Kadyn were being treated by their captors. I had seen too many horrifying images at the police department. I knew how ruthless the cartels could be, and I knew how people were treated when they didn’t cooperate with their interrogators. I wondered wh
ether Kadyn and Roger would look as bad as I did when they were finally released.

  I leaned over the porch railing and stared up at the few stars peeking through the clouds. I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of freshly turned soil, the sweet smell of hay, and the tiniest hint of rain. I wondered how the world could feel so peaceful in that moment when there was so much cruelty, violence, and pain lurking in every darkened corner. “Why?” I asked no one in particular. I was hoping God would hear.

  I turned when the screen door squeaked open. Maxim crossed the porch and leaned over the railing beside me. “Are you okay?”

  I sighed dejectedly. “Not really. I’ll feel better when they’re released.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “I’m going to ask the local mafia to bring the men to Reynosa. This should minimize the risk of them being intercepted by the cartel or the sicario before they get to the border.”

  “How soon?” I asked.

  “If the cartel’s foot soldier calls Cenia by five o’clock tomorrow, then the mafia should be able to secure their release on Friday.”

  “You’re presuming they’ll survive that long,” I noted miserably.

  Maxim sighed as he pulled me into his arms. “I’m sure this brings back a lot of painful memories for you, kotyonok.”

  I sank into his arms. “Thank you for being here, Maxim.”

  * * * * *

  Rafael and I spent the morning at the BBVA Bancomer, transferring funds from another account so we could withdraw enough money to pay the mafia. Maxim and Konstantin met us in San Fernando so they could deliver half of this money to the mafia. Rafael was holding the remaining funds until Roger and Kadyn were safely delivered to Reynosa. Maxim ensured the mafia communicated their demands to the cartel before we returned to the farmhouse.

  Maria offered to teach Shae and me how to make empanadas, while Cenia and her mother called back to McAllen to coordinate some last minute details with the florist, hotel, musicians, and the chef for the wedding reception. Cenia’s madrina and padrino graciously agreed to oversee the remaining responsibilities. We were determined to proceed as if the rehearsal dinner and the wedding were still on.

  Rafael, Maxim, and Konstantin were helping Alejandro and Dante repair the fence along the property. I suspected the hard labor was helping them cope with waiting. Everyone gathered back inside the farmhouse at four o’clock. Maria insisted we eat dinner then. She didn’t think we’d be up for eating after Cenia’s phone call with the cartel. Maxim and Cenia rehearsed her lines for the call while we picked at the empanadas.