It was simple. Chemzonic and The Alvarado Cartel were one and the same, and had been since Chemzonic’s founding in 2001.
The cartel owned several ancillary businesses as well, such as a chemical drum manufacturer and two trucking firms. They had also bribed or threatened over two dozen people to keep their secrets safe.
Within an hour of the raids, the killings began, as Alvarado tried to stop the damage and punish those who betrayed him, but all the key witnesses and their families had been placed on planes to unknown destinations before the raids began, and the harm they caused to Alvarado’s drug pipeline was epic.
The cartel could recover from it, eventually, and at great expense, but in the meantime, their customers in the western half of The United States would be supplied by others, such as Damián Sandoval, who was already making inroads into Alvarado’s Mexico City territory.
***
Malena stood beside her husband’s chair as they watched the press conference begin.
Alvarado’s office TV took up most of one wall and was a hundred inches across diagonally. It made the people on the screen look life-size.
Special Agent Jake Garner was flanked by local agents from the FBI’s Oklahoma City office, and he explained in general how the raids were carried out.
When one of the reporters asked if their original informant had a code name, Garner stared into the cameras and smiled.
“His name is Tanner; at least, that’s what he calls himself.”
Alvarado’s face went white, which lasted only a second before it turned crimson. He reached into the top drawer on his desk, removed a gun, and fired at the TV until the gun was empty and the television destroyed.
Malena knelt beside her husband’s chair and took his hand.
“It has to be a coincidence; our Tanner couldn’t be behind the raids on the plants... could he?”
Alvarado’s breathing was ragged from the exertion caused by rage, but he calmed himself enough to speak.
“Rico said it best. Tanner is a devil, I believe it, and I believe something else.”
“What, Alonso?”
“The devil is coming here. Tanner will make it past Martinez’ men, past the multitude hunting him for the bounty, and he will be outside our walls. It is just a matter of time.”
“Then we’ll leave,” Malena said, and even as the words left her lips, she knew her husband would never run.
Alvarado leaned over and kissed her.
“I will stay, but you will go. I want you somewhere where you’ll be safe.”
“No Alonso, we stay together and we work together, just as we did when we took over Mexico City.”
Alvarado let out a sigh, and then nodded, as he drifted off into memory, the memory of his second rise to power.
***
Mexico City 1998
Malena Alvarado smiled with genuine pleasure as she was greeted by her best friend, Ari Deleon.
Ari was the wife of Juan Deleon, and Juan was Alonso Alvarado’s best friend, and a former associate in the defunct Mercoto Cartel.
Ari and Juan’s home was spectacular and sat on over fifty acres. Malena had been their frequent guest. That is, whenever she wasn’t visiting her husband at the rehabilitative facility where he was recovering from his injuries, the ones he had received at the hands of Tanner Six.
Juan had been one of Alvarado’s top men in Matamoras, one of his Knights as he liked to call them, another of his Knights had been Damián Sandoval, but Sandoval had staged a coup when Alonso had been injured, and Juan was forced to make a choice.
Either he followed Sandoval, who was also a friend of his, or he would be killed.
Not a tough decision for most, and Juan had been no exception.
Although he did what he could for Malena and Alonso, they were considered persona non grata. If Sandoval knew that Juan was still in touch with Alvarado, he would have had him killed.
Ari looked out at the van Malena arrived in.
“Why such a big boxy vehicle, Malena, did you have to sell your cute little sports car?”
Malena kept the smile on her face, but it took effort.
“Alonso and I are not peasants, Ari, and the van is new. It was equipped for Alonso.”
“For Alonso? I don’t understand; I thought he was a cripple now.”
The side door on the van slid open at the push of a button and revealed Alonso Alvarado.
Alvarado was sitting in a wheelchair, but he had a pair of crutches across his lap. The chair lowered to the ground mechanically, and although it seemed a struggle, Alonso stood with the aid of the crutches.
Ari’s hand flew to her mouth, and she told one of the servants to fetch her husband.
“What’s wrong, Ari? You don’t look happy to see me,” Alvarado said.
Juan appeared. He had been Alvarado’s best friend since they were children and Alonso and Malena had named their only son after him, but when Juan saw Alvarado standing in his courtyard, he looked as upset as his wife.
“Good Lord, Alonso, are you trying to get all of us killed, man? Do you know what would happen if Sandoval knew you were here?”
Alonso smiled.
“Aren’t you going to invite me inside, Juan?”
“Yes, yes, get in here, but you cannot stay.”
It took over a minute, but Alvarado made it up the stairs and into the house on his own power, but once inside, he fell into a thickly cushioned chair in the foyer.
The house was massive, and the foyer alone was as big as some homes. A chandelier hung from the thirty-foot ceiling, and above it, a skylight gave a view of the stars.
Juan looked distressed that Alvarado had sat, and he stood before him pleading.
“It is so good to see you up and about, Alonso, but you really cannot stay here. We were taking a chance letting Malena visit us, and Sandoval might accept her presence in his territory, but never yours.”
Alvarado made a face of disgust.
“Look at you! You’ve become Sandoval’s dog, and that traitorous bastard took advantage of my being attacked and then killed Hector. Hector Mercoto was a friend, Juan, not just the head of our cartel, and the second he’s dead you bow down to Sandoval. Tell me, do you lick the man’s balls as well?”
Juan’s arm shot out as he pointed towards the door.
“Leave, or so help me I’ll kill you myself and give you to Sandoval as a gift. You have no right to talk to me this way, and consider me a friend no longer.”
Alvarado held out one of the crutches and pointed its tip at Juan’s chest.
“I stopped thinking of you as a friend the day you became Sandoval’s lapdog.”
After sliding down a lever on the side of it, Alvarado gripped the middle section of his right crutch and squeezed it as hard as his injured elbow joint allowed. It was enough, and the small charge at the tip of the crutch went off, to discharge six metal pellets.
Their impact staggered Juan. He looked down at his chest as six distinct red splotches appeared on his white shirt. The splotches expanded, met, and became one huge bloody stain.
Juan looked up as if he were gazing through the skylight, and then he fell forward and smacked the green marble floor like so much dead meat, which is what he was.
Ari had opened her mouth to scream when Malena jammed a knife in her back, and then twisted it.
The scream died in Ari’s lovely throat, she fell to her knees, where, after making a strangled cry, she collapsed beside her husband.
Juan’s second-in-command walked over and stood to the side of Alonso’s chair. He was named Cesare, and he too had known Alonso since they were children, but unlike Juan, he had never betrayed Alonso, he had simply played along and built alliances.
Most of Sandoval’s people in Mexico City were still loyal to the old Mercoto Cartel, even if Sandoval had killed its leader. They would follow Alonso Alvarado, who they knew as a man of strength.
Cesare looked over at the two stunned servants, who in turn looked aro
und for Ari and Juan’s bodyguards. When they saw that the bodyguards weren’t present, they knew that the attack had been well planned.
Cesare smiled at the servants.
“Bring in the belongings from the van. The Alvarado Cartel has begun.”
CHAPTER 22 – Take a message
After the press conference ended, Jake Garner was asked to join the head of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Division.
Her name was Jacqueline Thornton, and when Jake stepped into her office, he saw that she was not alone.
There was a man seated before her desk. He was about forty-five, short, and looked as if he could blend in anywhere. On the street, Jake wouldn’t have sent him a second glance, but given where he was, he assumed the man was a spy.
Thornton stood and grabbed her laptop case from the desk.
“Special Agent Jake Garner, this is Dan Matthews, and I will let you two gentlemen talk in private.”
“Thank you, Jackie,” Matthews said. He then stood and walked over to Jake to shake hands. “That was excellent work you did today. It’ll cripple The Alvarado Cartel for months.”
“Thank you, but it was all handed to me by our informant.”
“Tanner, and don’t bother with the code name business. I know that it’s actually the name he goes by.”
Garner studied Matthews more closely.
“You’re CIA, correct?”
Matthews smiled.
“I was, but now I’m in the private sector, and my employer is very interested in Tanner.”
“And who would that employer be?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, and I’m hoping that you have a way to get in contact with Tanner.”
“I don’t. He contacted me at the office in New York City. We’ve had prior dealings, and I guess he trusts me enough to hand this information to me.”
“Oh, I know all about those prior dealings, they occurred in the nation of Guambi.”
“You and your employer are well informed, and if you want Tanner, that means one thing, you’re looking for an assassin.”
“No sir, we are looking for the assassin, and if he comes aboard he will be paid well for his unique set of skills.”
“As I said, I can’t help you.”
Matthews handed Jake a business card that had a handwritten phone number on it.
“If you somehow contact Tanner, please pass along our offer of employment and give him that number.”
“As I said, I have no way to contact him.”
Matthews grinned.
“Yes, that is what you said. Goodbye Agent Garner, and again, congratulations on a job well done.”
Matthews left the office, and Jake took one of two seats positioned in front of the desk. As Matthews suggested, he had lied. When Tanner contacted him, he also left Jake a way to contact him back via email.
Thornton returned to her office and smiled at Jake.
“Dan Matthews is mysterious, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, and how long have you known him?”
“We met at Dartmouth, and he went into the Company, while I joined the Bureau.”
“And who does he work for now?”
“I don’t know, but I do know that when he went private three years ago, it was to take an offer from Burke.”
“Conrad Burke, the defense contractor?”
“For his company, yes.”
“I see, and thank you.”
After Jake left Thornton’s office, he went out and bought a cheap phone, and once he had it activated, he sent a message off to Tanner.
CHAPTER 23 – Goodbye kiss
At the house in Oklahoma City, Alexa showered quickly and then went downstairs to find Tanner awake, and a pot of coffee made. The preparations they put in place took longer than they thought they would, and they had worked until the early morning hours.
“Did you sleep well?” Tanner asked.
“I did, and you?”
“I got a few hours in, but I stayed awake after you went up and performed a second check on the work we did. It all seems good.”
Alexa looked at the time on her phone.
“I should be going soon if we’re sticking to the plan, but I don’t like that we’re separating, and this trip you’re sending me on, it feels like busy work.”
“It’s necessary; we’ll need a place to go once it’s known that we’ve been living here, and while you’re taking care of that, I’ll be out making sure that the house gets discovered.”
“But what if you don’t show at the rendezvous point when I return?”
“I’ll be there. But if I’m late, wait for me, and if you don’t see me for hours... you’ll know that someone is a million dollars richer and that I’m dead.”
Alexa frowned at those words.
“Don’t die, Tanner, I have plans for you.”
Tanner smiled.
“That’s good to know.”
“I meant that I need you to help me kill Alvarado, well, it’s the main reason.”
“This plan will work, and by the end of the day we’ll be somewhere safe and we won’t have a hit team on our trail”
“Are you certain that there is a hit team looking for you?”
“It’s a logical assumption, and today we’ll flush them out.”
“Fine, but when will we head to Mexico?”
“I’m not sure, but Tanner Six managed to talk sense into me in his emails. I need to come up with a plan for killing Alvarado and not just charge at the man like an enraged bull. Once I have that plan, we’ll go to Mexico.”
“Does that mean that you trust me?”
“I do. It’s why I’m sending you off alone to establish our new place, and you remember where I told you to go?”
“Yes, and I’ll be back as soon as I can, but what then?”
“We’ll go see Tanner Six.”
“He’s close then?”
“Yes, he’s very close to where you’ll be going.”
“I can’t wait to meet him, and to tell my Papa about him. He’ll be very interested in what both of you are like.”
“Your Papa? That’s the man that raised you, Rodrigo?”
“Yes, he saved my life, kept me safe, and I owe everything I am to him.”
“I know what that’s like, Tanner Six and I have a similar relationship.”
“I see, and maybe someday you’ll tell me about your history. After all, you know everything about me.”
“Yes, maybe someday,” Tanner said.
After a light breakfast and a final act of preparation, Tanner walked Alexa out to her van, where they stood by it, talking.
“If you get spotted or pursued while you’re still close, give me a call,” Tanner said.
“I can take care of myself,” Alexa said.
“Yeah, I saw what you did to those bikers.”
Alexa stared at Tanner.
“I should get going.”
“Um-hmm,” Tanner said, as he stared back at her.
Their lips moved towards each other at the same time, and when they met, the kiss lasted for several seconds.
As they separated, each saw that the other one was smiling.
Alexa touched him on the cheek.
“I’d better leave now or we’ll be off schedule.”
“Right, and be safe, Alexa.”
Alexa waved and smiled as she drove off, and Tanner smiled back at her.
He hadn’t lied when he said he trusted her, however, this was a final test, a verification of that trust.
Alexa knew his plans, knew where he’d be, and the extent of his weapons and ammo. If Tanner were attacked while she were absent, it would likely be by people she sent.
He shook his head ever so slightly, because he knew that she was what she said she was, another victim of Alonso Alvarado, the man who was otherwise known as Martillo.
Tanner spent another hour at the house making sure that everything was in place, and then he set off across the field behind the house and headed fo
r the buildings in the distance.
He needed a car and would steal one, then, he would hunt for those who were hunting him, and once he found them, he would lead them back to the house. The trap was set, and now it was time to spring it shut.
CHAPTER 24 – That’s easy
MEXICO
Tanner wasn’t the only one preparing for battle, and at the Alvarado compound, Alonso was watching as work was being done to fortify their defenses. He was on his crutches and standing near the fountain in the courtyard.
Shards of glass were being secured atop the entire twenty-foot high wall to make it even tougher to scale.
While that was being done, a second gate was being installed ten yards out from the first one. It would allow a vehicle to enter a walled-in area, where it would then be checked for explosives or stowaways, and when it was completed, any vehicle entering the compound would have to make its way through two separate checkpoints. The old gate was also being reinforced, so that nothing short of a tank could bust through it.
There were tents being erected beside the barracks, and as soon as the extra cots arrived, more men would be placed outside the compound to defend its walls in case of an attack.
Robert Martinez of Hexalcorp had suggested the changes, and Alvarado had agreed with every one of them. The ease with which Alexa penetrated their defenses made him realize that he’d been taking his safety for granted.
Where before Alexa’s visit, one man used to drive around the compound’s wall three times a day, there would soon be a hundred men outside at all times, along with dogs and long-range snipers. There would also be new solar-powered lights installed out in the surrounding desert, and jeeps would regularly patrol the terrain.
If Tanner couldn’t make it to the walls, he certainly couldn’t make it over them.
Martinez had been checking that the glass was being applied to every area of the wall, but after climbing down a ladder, he walked over to speak with Alvarado.
“It’s coming along fine, although I still say it’s a mere precaution. My strike team is on the ground in Oklahoma, and as soon as they get a bead on Tanner, well, he’ll die.”
Alvarado sighed wearily.
“I don’t even remember how many times I’ve heard those same words; all I know is that they’ve never come true.”
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