Connie nodded and motioned for everyone else to rise. “Then we have three days to just hang around here and wonder if your people can pull their heads out of their asses in time to save a bunch of innocent people?”
Manny nodded. “Yes. With the striking airlines, three days is the soonest I could get you out of the country, otherwise you’d be in a taxi right now.”
“What will prevent us from returning?” Gina asked. “After all, you have noticed how resourceful we Americans can be. What makes you think you can stop us?”
“Return, and I’ll have you arrested.”
Connie frowned as she studied Manny’s facial expressions and gestures. Something wasn’t right. “That is, if you catch us. You’ve sorely underestimated us if you think we’re just going to pick up our jacks and go home.”
“Do not underestimate us, Consuela. Ours is a poor country, but we do not take lightly to people ignoring our laws. Return and you’ll wind up in a very primitive jail.”
Connie stared at him a long time before replying. She didn’t know if it was the way Manny was talking, or the cavalier attitude he had about leaving them free for three days, but her gut told her something was amiss. “Can we finish our meal in peace?”
Nodding, Manny spoke briskly in Spanish to his men. “Yes. But remember, three days from now, you’d better be boarding that plane.” With that, Manny left, leaving his two guards standing at the doorway, and out of earshot.
The table erupted in indignation, until Connie raised her hands to silence everyone. “Look, we don’t have much time, so listen up.”
Everyone leaned closer as Connie spoke softly. The restaurant was empty now, save for a table of waiters who would look over and shake their heads. “Does anyone else think something is off here?”
Carducci and Josh raised their hands.
Connie smiled at them before turning to Taylor. “Taylor, was there an airline strike when you left Brazil, or when you came in this afternoon?”
Taylor shook her head. “Not that I saw.”
“Tony?”
Carducci frowned and shook his head. “Nope. Shitty service is all, but that’s not unusual.”
“Honey, where are you going with this?” Gina asked.
Connie shot a glance at the two men standing guard. They were idly chatting to each other, not paying them the slightest heed. “First off, there isn’t an airlines strike.”
“So?”
“So, if Manny really wanted us out of here, he would have put us on a plane, any plane, today or tomorrow, or he would have had us jailed until then.”
“But he didn’t,” Sal added, thoughtfully.
Connie shook her head. “No. He gave us three days. I don’t think it was Manny’s decision to stop us. I think he was following orders.”
“Then, you think the little squirt was buying some time for us?” Josh asked.
Connie shrugged. “Why else would they give us any time at all? If we were such a risk, wouldn’t they jail us or keep us under something more serious than house arrest?”
Sal nodded. “He even admitted we were good. You’re right, Con. This doesn’t make any sense.”
“So, what do we do now?”
Connie picked up the packet of tickets and tucked them in her back pocket. “I say we leave for Rivas two by two until we can get to our first coordinate. It’ll be less suspicious if we travel in pairs anyway.”
“When should we take off?” Megan asked. Connie looked at her watch. “Let’s get some sleep. Josh and Sal can leave first thing in the morning. Megan and Taylor should shoot for late afternoon, and Tony and I’ll follow separately soon after, while Gina flies to the coast. Sound okay?”
Everyone nodded.
“You really think something’s not right, don’t you?” Megan asked.
Connie nodded without hesitation. “It just doesn’t add up. And whatever it is, I don’t like it.”
“Con’s right,” Sal added. “It feels like we’re being played.”
“Thank goodness he didn’t stop us,” Megan murmured. “To be stopped before we even began would have killed me.”
Gina patted Megan’s hand. “Have you taken a good look around you, hon? Does this little group appear to be one easily stopped?”
Megan grinned as she looked at each face around the table. It was true that you really know who your friends are when you have a crisis party and they show up. “I don’t know how I can thank all of you for putting your lives on the line like this. Delta will be touched to know you all care so deeply for her. Thank you.”
“If she’s out there, Meg, we’ll find her,” Carducci offered, rising from the table.
“What do we do about Hansel and Gretel over there?” Gina asked.
Josh chuckled, “Leave them to me. Those boys don’t look like they’ve seen the fighting end of a chicken, let alone a Vietnam vet. They’ll never know what hit ’em.”
Carducci joined Josh. “Josh and I have a few items to go over before morning.”
Everyone said their goodnights as the two headed upstairs.
“Good men,” Taylor said, motioning for the waiter. “They give me hope in mankind.”
Connie grinned. “Indeed.”
“You know, hon, you’re right. There’s something about that Manny guy I just don’t trust.” Gina said contemplatively, her hand lying atop her big belly. “His eyes were all over the place, and he couldn’t look at you very long. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
Connie turned to fully face her lover. Gina was one of the best psychologists in River Valley and what she knew about the inner workings of people’s minds was as vast as the knowledge Connie had about languages and computers. “What is it, hon?”
“If Zahn is such a wanted criminal, and we already know he’s murdered at least two of the people he kidnapped, why aren’t they blazing in there with guns drawn? Why would they let him rape their land for millions in gold, knowing that the money is going directly back to the cartel?”
Everyone looked around to see if anyone had an answer.
“I mean, whatever it is they’re waiting for—”
“Us.”
All five women stared at Connie, who shook her head in anger. “He’s setting us up.”
No one said anything for a few moments, and then Megan muttered under her breath, “The sons of bitches.”
“What?” Sal asked. “What are you two mumbling about?”
Connie deferred the explanation to Megan. “The Latin American governments are so afraid of the cartels and what sanctions might be imposed against their countries if the gold or major players are abducted, they’re willing to let us do the job for them. That’s what you’re getting at, isn’t it?”
Connie nodded. “He knew we’d move more quickly if he threatened jail or deportation. He’s expecting us to go as soon as possible now. That’s why he made up the strike excuse and the three-day deal.”
Taylor held her hands out. “Whoa! You telling me the combined Latin American governments are too scared to act against a dirt-bag like this Zahn?”
Everyone nodded.
“Manny expects us to make a move. He actually wants us to go. So, we go charging in there, guns blazing, and when the smoke settles, no government will claim responsibility. They’ll point the finger at a band of loco gringos and let the U.S. take whatever consequences come along after that.”
“I knew the Colombian cartels were powerful, but this?”
Connie sipped her coffee and sighed. “Colombia supplies 80 percent of the world’s cocaine.”
“Eighty percent. Now, that’s a fact every government is aware of, yet do you see boycotts, embargoes, or other economic sanctions imposed on Colombia?”
Taylor shrugged. “I wouldn’t really know. I’ve been out of the loop.”
“Why our government, Europe, and Latin America don’t squash Colombia economically is a mystery to many. But when you consider how much money that 80 percent brings in, you have to k
now there are many, many payoffs, even to our own government officials. Otherwise, the U.S. would be doing something to stop Colombian production of cocaine besides pitiful ‘Just Say No’ slogans.”
Megan nodded. “We have a growing drug problem in the U.S. which leads to growth in crime, homelessness, unemployment. The U.S. is crumbling under the weight of drugs, yet we still do business with Colombia. The cartels have their hands in everyone’s pockets, and it’s too lucrative, not to mention dangerous, not to do business with them.”
“Shit,” Taylor mumbled. “Sounds like we’re going up against some big boys.”
Connie folded her napkin and set it on the table before patting Taylor’s hand. “No one will think less of you if you want to—”
“No way! Are you kidding? I live for challenges Connie, you know that. So this Manny guy throws a little wrench in the works. You know, my mentor taught me there are three kinds of people: winners, losers, and those who don’t play. Well, the only way you can get in the first category is to play. So count me in.”
“You could get hurt or worse.”
Taylor chuckled. “Like scaling skyscrapers isn’t hazardous?”
Connie grinned. She liked Taylor’s spunk. “Point taken.”
“So, how do we avoid being somebody’s pawns?” Taylor asked. “I don’t mind playing, but I abhor being used.”
“We just do what Delta always does.”
“And what’s that?”
Grinning, Connie said, “We go for broke.”
“Delta watched Flora restring a bow and examined what appeared to be handmade arrows. Without a word, Flora expertly restrung an old bow for Delta, and then showed Delta how to use it.
“Bring back to cheek, and… no, no look at…at…”
“The target.”
“Sí.”
Delta pulled the bow taut with two fingers of her left hand and sent an arrow flying. It missed the target completely.
“Very good,” Delta said, shaking her head. “Give me a barn and maybe I could hit it.”
“Eh?”
“Nothing. Come on, let’s just keep trying.”
For the next two hours, Delta practiced until she felt fairly proficient. Her lone memory of archery in high school was when all of her basketball buddies thought it would be funny to shoot their arrows straight up into the air, not having brains enough to realize the things had to come back down. Delta had managed to make it to an awning just as the first arrow landed a few inches from where she’d been standing. She hadn’t picked up a bow since then.
“Bien,” Flora said, when the final arrow nicked the target’s center. “You ready.”
Delta laughed. Ready? She had two healing bullet wounds, a bow and arrow for defense, and no idea where the hell she was going. If this was ready, she was in trouble.
“We leave tonight, then?”
“Sí. You go with Papa. Go in water before shore.”
Delta nodded. Flora had told her earlier that the Colombians had already boarded the boat to make sure no one else was on it. They’d weigh the gold right there prior to sending her Papa back to the island. A slip of paper with the weight and a stamp of some sort accompanied the gold until it was transported to the big ship.
The big ship.
Delta wondered how difficult it would be to get aboard and make her way to Mexico or Florida. A germ of an idea kicked around in her head, and she decided she’d just let it sit and ferment.
“My grandmother say you watch nature.”
“Watch nature?”
Flora nodded. “Sí. You Bri. Bri nature. Grandmother say they one. Watch nature.”
Delta looked at Flora and smiled. Seemed everyone had some idea of the true nature of the Bribri. “I’ll remember that, Flora. Thank you.” Turning to face the boat, Delta sighed.
Flora shook her head. “No entiendes. You no understand. You Bribri. It not just name. Grandmother say you need to listen, to feel, and then you find your way back.”
“Find my way back? To the Bri?”
Flora shook her head again. “To your heart. Corazón. Sí?”
Delta nodded, thinking she understood what Flora was saying. Delta needed to remember that being Bri was a way of life, not a label, not some sort of club or group. It was a connection to the very place that had nearly taken Megan from her. It was a bond with a collective spirit that could very well help her find her way back.
And Delta was determined to get her life back. “You’re right, Flora. My heart is out there, and I’m counting on her to find me.”
“She’s counting on us to find her, Con,” Megan said, pulling a chair up next to Connie, who’d been glued to her keyboard since dinner. “How will being on the Internet help us do that?”
Connie clicked a window on her screen and watched it change. “If we’re being set up to clean up this guy’s operation, it means we’re considered disposable. We can trust no one. Not even our own government. We’re going to have to find a way back to Delta and Zahn’s camp and still be able to get the hell out of there without help from any cavalry.”
Megan nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Connie turned from the monitor. “For what?”
“For not thinking I’m stupid for wanting to go back after the others.”
Connie grinned, returning her attention to the computer. “Stupid? Hardly. You’ve been hanging around me and Delta too long, that’s all. You know she’d go back to get them if the roles were reversed. With or without her, we have to help those people. It’s what she’d want. It’s what she’d do.”
Megan sighed loudly. “This just got way more complicated, though, didn’t it?”
“Governments and drugs are complicated issues, and we happen to have stepped on a live one that affects a lot of countries. Someone thinks they can use us to get Zahn, the gold, and probably a great deal of cocaine. And whoever they are, they have another thing coming.” Turning from the computer, Connie locked eyes with Megan. “How are you holding up?”
Megan shrugged and dropped her head. “I’m just hanging on to hope as tightly as I can.”
Connie patted her hand. “Good. You just keep hoping and praying.”
Megan looked up with tears in her eyes. “You know what’s so strange?”
Connie waited.
“I feel like I finally understand Delta. Her motivations, her drive, and her integrity. For the first time since we’ve been together, I finally get what it means to walk in Delta Stevens’ shoes. I understand what makes her do the things she does; the things I thought were a reflection of her love for me.”
Connie cocked her head in question. “Reflection? How so?”
Megan shook her head. “It always felt like, no matter what, Delta wasn’t picking me. She left me standing outside a restaurant when she chose to go in that burning house after those kids. She puts her life on the line, not thinking how losing that life would affect her lover. For the longest time, I felt that Delta never picked me, she never chose us. Just once, I wanted to be first.”
“And now?”
Megan released a heavy sigh. “Now, I realize that her choices have absolutely nothing to do with either me or us. It’s those choices that make Delta, Delta. Those choices are the reason we love her so deeply. I understand that now. It just doesn’t seem fair to finally understand your lover only to lose her. Know what I mean?”
Connie nodded. “I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost Gina. She’s as much my lifeline as food, water, or air.”
“I’m glad she’s here. You need her.”
This made Connie grin. “Yes, I do. But I also need Storm.” Connie looked down, trying to control the tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m not sure I ever realized just how true that is.”
Megan rubbed Connie’s back lightly. “We’ll find her, Con.”
“Yes, we will.” Connie looked into Megan’s face. There was more that needed to be said. “Something else is bothering you, isn’t it?”
&nbs
p; Looking away, Megan nodded.
“Want to talk about it?”
Megan hadn’t wanted to deal with this now, referring, instead, to house the feelings someplace else until she was strong enough to handle them. But the truth was eating at her, and her dreams had become distorted visions of reality. “I killed a man, Connie. I put his head in the crosshairs of my rifle, and I blew him away. I didn’t even give it a second thought.”
“Survival is a strong instinct, Megan. Don’t beat yourself up for it.”
“Oh, I’m not beating myself up for it, Con. As a matter of fact, it was much easier than I thought it would be. Perhaps that’s what bothers me the most. I don’t feel regret or guilt. It was like taking out the trash; just something you had to do and no one else wanted to do it.”
Connie frowned. This didn’t sound like the Megan she knew.
“Pulling that trigger was like second nature. After seeing and experiencing the horrible atrocities these men are capable of, taking that fucker out actually felt good.”
Connie suddenly felt her heart hurt. Kind, warm Megan would never be the same. “You need to understand the one demon Delta has been struggling with since she killed that asshole in the warehouse. Killing doesn’t make you a killer, Meg. And just because you have no remorse doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”
Megan stared down at her hands. “I’ve changed a lot, Connie. While hope keeps me on my feet, revenge pushes me forward more than I’d like to admit.”
“Revenge?” Connie’s heart ached even more, and she knew, right then, what had changed in Megan. Even though Megan had been a prostitute, she had still possessed a softness about her, a genuine kindness in her heart. What Connie had been feeling since they’d returned from the jungle was a loss of innocence. Megan Osbourne wasn’t just out to get Delta back. She was out to kill General Zahn. A sadness that she couldn’t hide flooded over Connie. “Meg…”
Megan shook her head. “Revenge, Connie. I want to see that man bleed. And not because the bastard made me suck his dick and do the sorts of disgusting things I used to get paid top dollar for. No, Connie, his men shot my lover in the back. Whether she’s alive or not, I will not rest until he is dead and bleeding at my feet.”
Storm Surge (Delta Stevens Crime Logs Book 6) Page 7