by Terry Poole
Rolling his head carefully to the right, he tried to see the rest of the place he was in. The walls and floor of the small room were all concrete. The only source of light was a small window high on one wall and a dimly lit bare bulb hanging at the end of a cord, in the middle of the ceiling.
Nathan carefully stretched, his feet came up against the wall which was right at the end of the cot. The entire room couldn’t have been more than six by six. At least he was still dressed and not bound to the cot like in the movies. He could move. Not that he could go far though, there was barely enough space for the cot.
He lifted his head slightly as a sound caught his attention. A heavy wooden door swung open and Nathan shrank back against the wall wondering, dreading, what was going to happen to him now.
A young man came into the room or rather his cell. Nathan would call it what it was. The fragrant smell of chicken soup wafted from the large cup the man carried between his hands. Nathan’s stomach suddenly ached, reminding him just how long it had been since he had last eaten.
“You are awake. Good.” Nathan recognized the voice as the one belonging to the person who had given him the water and ended up helping him earlier when he became ill.
“I’m sorry you are so sick. Those idiots filled you with so many drugs on top of the ether that your body reacted poorly to the messed-up cocktail.”
Nathan stayed quiet, warily watching the man. He looked young, possibly in his late teens and the ratty ill-fitting clothes he wore hung loosely on his thin frame. He dragged a stool, Nathan had missed in his survey of his cell, from the corner and sat beside the cot.
“Here.” The young man held out the mug. “This broth will help settle your stomach.”
Nathan eyed the mug without taking it then sized up the teenager suspiciously. Did the soup have more drugs in it to keep him docile?
“I promise, it is only broth and nothing else.”
He raised the mug again and this time Nathan took it with a grateful nod.
Taking a sip, then another, he began to drink steadily. He almost moaned as the warm fluid slowly filled him. The boy was right. His stomach did settle and he reluctantly passed the empty mug back to him.
“Where, who?” Nathan rumbled, his voice rough.
“I’m Luis and you are in the basement of the Varga residence in Columbia.”
Columbia. As in South America, Columbia? Good lord!
Nathan was momentarily speechless in surprise. “Why…why am I here?” Nathan slowly asked him.
Luis sighed heavily unable to meet Nathan’s eyes. “Danna had you brought here.”
“Why?”
Luis’s face was filled with sorrow as he met Nathan’s gaze. “She plans to kill you in front of Kelly MacNiel, in the same place that Kelly killed my little brother.”
§§§§
Kelly sat at his desk, knee bouncing uncontrollably as he pulled all the case files he had worked on for the last three years. He stared at them on the screen but one in particular kept drawing his gaze back to it like a siren’s call. Kelly knew it was there, he just didn’t want to acknowledge it. Didn’t want to look at it but he found himself repeatedly going back to it.
The file seemed to glare at him, to dare him to open it. He swore he heard Granda growl in his ear as his cursor hovered over the file.
“Just do it ye arse!”
Kelly sighed and allowed his finger to press the button on the mouse to open the file.
The Varga Cartel case. That damned case had almost ended his FBI career, his life, and his very sanity. His hand seemed to move of its own accord over all the subfiles displayed on the monitor. The cursor stopped over the bio file. Kelly clicked the mouse to open it and the photos of the Varga family popped up one by one before him.
Leader of the cartel, Luis Varga, deceased. COD: prison suicide.
Huh. When did that happen?
Wife, Danna Varga.
Kelly’s heart stuttered. Danna… Señora Danna. Damn it! He’d known it. He just hadn’t wanted to accept it. She was the one who had Nathan. Kelly pushed his panic, his fear, down deep. Now was not the time to lose it. Nathan needed him, needed his expertise and skills. This is what he was trained for.
Children: eldest son, Luis junior. Daughter, Maria. Son, Samuel, deceased age six. Son, Jesus, aged three.
Samuel Varga, deceased, age six.
Kelly clenched his teeth. Yeah, killed by my hand!
No matter how many times Nathan had tried to convince him that it had been an accident and wasn’t his fault, Kelly still blamed himself. No one could have predicted the child would be hiding behind a curtain, and then run out, pick up his father’s discarded gun and manage to shoot Kelly twice. Kelly had fired back without thinking, his ingrained training taking over. Worst of all was the child dying beside him as Kelly had nearly bled out from the wounds the child had inflicted on him.
Never to grow up, never to have his first girlfriend, never… The guilt was always going to be a permanent part of Kelly even if it hadn’t really been his fault. It was still his bullet that had taken the child’s life.
And now it seemed that Danna Varga agreed with him and was back to exact revenge. Wasting no more time, Kelly immediately sent out pictures of the men and Nathan through all channels. Was she arrogant enough to use her name? Possibly. He sent out another alert for the Varga name.
Next, Kelly sent the information to Jerry, even though he hadn’t been able to get a hold of him, and to Detective James, the PD’s liaison on the case. Kelly had to keep thinking of this as a case and use his training. He had to stay professional, detached, or he would never be able to get Nathan back.
A few minutes later, a response came back to his alerts. A small private plane registered to a D. Varga, had left the area two hours earlier, destination—Columbia.
That was way too easy. They want me to find them.
What Kelly didn’t understand was why take Nathan all the way to Columbia? She, or her men, had made no secret of their destination or her private plane’s flight plans. It seemed like an awful lot of hassle to take Nathan out of the country when they could have just stayed here.
Sending the information to his unit commander, Kelly advised him that he would be taking some vacation time. There was no way he would be allowed to go after Nathan officially, conflict of interest and all that bull.
Kelly tried one more time to call Jerry using his desk phone but it went straight to voicemail…again. Fine, he’d try later. That’s the other thing Kelly wanted to find out. Why had Jerry lied about knowing who the Señora really was? Kelly shook his head. What was the point of keeping it a secret?
For now, however, Kelly opened his untraceable app on his ‘special’ cell phone and fired off several quick emails to old friends. He wasn’t foolish enough to go get Nathan without help, especially considering what he was likely walking into. Now came the hard part, waiting for a response to his emails, and arranging the transportation. He began making calls on his cell, not about to use the traceable landline.
Almost an hour later, plans in place, Kelly cocked his head as he heard a familiar step on the floor behind him. He deftly flipped the cell phone face down on the desk just before a hand landed familiarly on his shoulder.
“Hey, boss, good to see you,” he said, glancing up at his unit commander, Supervisory Special Agent Stephen Bakerson.
“Kelly.” His UC acknowledged his greeting, a file folder and Ziploc bag in his free hand.
The man had earned Kelly’s respect a long time ago. The fact that he had dropped everything as soon as he had heard what happened and flown up, arriving only minutes earlier spoke volumes about the type of man his UC was.
“Is that who I think it is?” he asked, pointing at Danna Varga’s picture.
“Yeah. I’ve confirmed it. She’s the one who has Nathan.”
“Fuck.” That said it all, coming from a man who made a point to never swear.
“Yep, that pretty much sums
it up. For some reason, he’s at the Varga compound in Columbia.”
His boss squeezed his shoulder. “Officially, I can’t authorize an extraction but since you are a full agent on a current consultant status… Well, it’s not like I can stop you if you decide to check that the appropriate procedures on the Varga Case were followed and take the files with you on an inspection trip to Columbia. According to intel, there has been an unusual amount of activity at the Varga compound.”
Kelly knew he was grinning from ear-to-ear by the time his boss had stopped speaking. The man held out the Ziploc bag, which contained a USB to microUSB data transfer cord and waved it toward Kelly’s phone. Kelly immediately plugged the phone in and transferred the complete files under his boss’s supervision so no one could say he stole them or took them without the proper approval. His boss took the cord back then slapped the file down on the desk before tapping it with a finger.
“These are your authorization papers for the trip. How you get there is your business. I don’t have to tell you to keep everything secure.”
“No, sir.”
“Good man.” He patted Kelly on the shoulder. “Keep in contact. I will leave you to the arrangements I know you need to make that I, of course, know nothing about but entirely trust your judgment.”
Kelly snorted as his boss walked back into his temporary office. Opening his phone, he checked his emails. Everyone had already come back with an affirmative and an arrival time. His cell buzzed while it was in his hand and he frowned when he saw Brendan’s number.
“Brendan, I have nothing new to tell you right now.”
“Kelly, I’m at the front reception desk. Can I see you for a minute?”
“Officially or unofficially?”
“Um…unofficially?”
“I’ll meet you at the coffee shop across the street in five minutes.”
“Okay.” Brendan hung up and Kelly wondered what was going on as he rose to his feet. He pocketed both the phone and the papers from the file folder before leaving to meet Brendan.
Kelly entered the coffee shop and immediately spotted Nathan’s brother. Brendan looked miserable, hunched over his coffee, staring blankly at the liquid. It had been over three hours since Nathan had been taken and every second showed harshly on Brendan. His normally immaculate appearance, something he held in common with Nathan, was gone. The man was pale, his power suit rumpled, and his hair a mess as if he had been running his hand through it repeatedly.
Stepping up to the counter, Kelly ordered a tea from the barista before taking it over to Brendan’s table and sitting across from him. Brendan glanced up with red-rimmed eyes but what caught Kelly’s attention was the fierce determination and anger reflected in them.
Kelly opened his mouth to speak but Brendan beat him to it speaking low but firmly. “I know you are going to go get him. I’m coming with you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Nope.”
“Yup.” Brendan shifted forward. “You need me.”
Kelly leaned in toward Brendan, pointing a finger at him. “No. I don’t.”
Brendan slammed a hand down on the table making the mugs jump and the people around them stare. He ignored them all and focused on Kelly.
He held up his hand and began ticking off points on his fingers one at a time. “You need firepower and transportation and that equals money and contacts. I have both. You need me.” He sat back smugly. “I’m coming. That’s my price.”
“Like hell!” Kelly crossed his arms and glared at Brendan. In all honestly, this confrontation came as no surprise to him. He highly suspected that Brendan would insist on accompanying him and his team. The thing was, Kelly understood him and yes, he could use the help Brendan’s money would provide.
“All right, wise guy. Can you shoot a gun?”
“Yes.”
That answer actually surprised Kelly. He knew Nathan had never handled a gun, when had Brendan?
“Do you have any wilderness experience?”
“We used to go camping all the time.”
“Camping as a kid or teenager is not the same as surviving in the jungles of Columbia and going up against the Varga drug cartel.”
Kelly had quickly surveyed the area to make sure no one could hear him before letting that bit of information slip on purpose to judge Brendan’s reaction.
Brendan’s eyes widened, the only sign he gave at the revelation before narrowing them once more. “I swear to you that I will not be a hindrance. You. Need. Me. And either way, with or without you, I’m going and that’s that. I would, however, prefer going with you.”
Kelly could see the fire and resolve that made Brendan such a successful lawyer. Nathan’s brother would not give up even if it got him killed in the process. Nathan would not forgive him if anything happened to his brother. Better that Brendan came with Kelly so he could at least keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble.
“Fine,” Kelly said, knowing he was giving in far too easily when Brendan simply stared at him in surprise.
Kelly stood, tea forgotten as he scowled down at Brendan’s eager face. “We leave in eight hours.”
“Why in eight hours? Dad and I will do whatever we can to help. Why not sooner?”
“Because my team isn’t here yet. Varga won’t kill Nathan. He’s her insurance that I will come to her. It’s me they want. Meet us at the Stonebridge Airport, Hangar B6.”
“I’ll be there.”
“And Brendan?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t pack a bag. Come alone.”
§§§§
Nathan sat cross-legged at one end of the cot while Luis sat at the other end. An empty mug rested between them. Luis had brought him a second helping, which Nathan had gratefully accepted.
Now here they were, across from each other, quietly talking. The teen had a cultured way of speaking English but the way he rolled his r’s and over-pronounced some of his vowels betrayed his Spanish heritage.
“I don’t understand,” Nathan said. “Why is your mother so hell-bent on revenge? Samuel grabbed the gun and tried to kill two federal agents. Kelly barely survived. The men reacted automatically. It was tragic but unavoidable.”
“She’s not my mother. My mother died when I was five. Papa married Danna when I was twelve.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. Danna sent me to a boarding school in the United States a week after they married. They had Samuel two years later. There’s also Maria and Jesus. I only found out about them when I was forced to return.” Luis stared at his hands clenched in his lap. “I only came here on holidays and for last few years, not even then. I wasn’t welcome. A reminder I suppose.”
Nathan reached out a hand and placed it on Luis’s knee closest to him. “I know what it’s like not to be wanted. My parents abused me then threw me away when I was fifteen. I was fortunate. My uncle found me, bleeding, traumatized, and aimlessly wandering the street. My aunt and uncle later adopted me.”
Luis huffed. “Be thankful that you have someone who cares about you. I have no one. I’m sorry, that sounds terrible.”
Nathan smiled sadly at Luis. “What happened?”
“My papa died in prison several months ago. Danna ordered me home. I had no choice.” Luis scratched at the wall with a fingernail. “Originally, I think she wanted me to take Papa’s place and run the business. Like I wanted to have anything to do with the business of growing and selling drugs.” He snorted, returning his gaze to Nathan. “I was in premed. I want to be a doctor like you.”
Nathan squeezed the knee under his hand. He could easily feel the bones beneath the skin. Luis was pale, underweight and from the shadows under his eyes, stressed and not sleeping well. He had to revise his original estimate of Luis’s age. If Luis had been in premed, that would put his age closer to twenty.
“You know about me?” Nathan asked him, wanting to know more about the intrig
uing young man before him.
“How could I not?” Luis leaned forward excitedly. “The great Dr. Nathan Kirkfield? We were studying your groundbreaking work in cardiology.”
Nathan smiled at Luis’s enthusiasm. “Great, huh?”
“Yes! Your grafting technique…” Luis’s face abruptly fell. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Danna will not pay for my education. I love medicine and I had the highest grades in my class, but without Papa’s money… I had no choice but to come back and do what she wants. I have no money of my own and without a job it was impossible for me to stay.” He averted his gaze. “I knew where the money came from. That’s one of the reasons I want to be a doctor, to give back, and try to make up for the evil my family has done.”
Nathan had to admire the young man before him. Luis had such conviction. But it was more. Something about him struck a chord with Nathan. Maybe, it was that Luis’s life mirrored Nathan’s own so much. That is, if you discounted the fact that Luis’s father had been a drug lord. If Uncle Matt, now his dad, hadn’t taken him in, his life would have been very different. Beaten and thrown out of his home by parents who had hated him, he would have been living on the streets or more likely dead a long time ago.
“Luis, when Kelly comes for me and I know he is coming, I want to take you with me.”
“What? How?”
“My brother is a lawyer and if he can’t sort out the immigration paperwork, I’m sure he knows someone who can. My dad’s company awards tuition to deserving students and if your grades are as good as you say they are then I can’t see why you wouldn’t qualify for one. At the very least, I can help you get the student loans you would need.”
Luis grabbed Nathan’s hand and clutched it tightly. “Do you think so? You don’t know me and you would still do this for me?”
A thump banged above their heads and they both briefly looked up. When no further sounds came, Luis released Nathan’s hand and straightened his shoulders.
“Thank you, Doctor Kirkfield, but I must decline your kind offer,” Luis said softly.