***
In Mexico City, Hector Ramos put away his phone. He was the one who had informed Alvarado about the seven men who were murdered at the private club.
Hector was in his car and headed for a meeting. He and three others met twice a week for lunch at the home of one of the men, to discuss any problems that were going on with the distribution of product, as well as the growing threat posed by Damián Sandoval.
Alonso Alvarado had become obsessed with the trouble in New York City and his hunt for the man called Tanner, and Sandoval had been slowly encroaching on their territory.
It would seem that Alvarado was right to be concerned about Tanner, but Hector was secretly happy about the slayings.
One of the men killed at the private club had been his rival within the cartel and had recently been chosen to hold a coveted position. Now that the man was gone, Hector would be tapped to take his place, and that move upward would triple the amount of money he made.
It would also mean more free time, something Hector desperately wanted so that he could be with his mistress more often.
He pulled into the driveway of his friend’s home and could tell by the cars parked there that he was the last to arrive.
Hector grinned, once he was moved up and running an entire district, he would hire a driver, and after a few more years had passed, he was certain that he would be running the entire city.
Hector walked around and knocked on the back door as he always did, but his mind was in the future, and the glories and prestige that were to come.
As the door opened, Hector smiled in greeting, but the grin faded as he took in the bloody corpses of his friends, which were sprawled on the floor around a table.
The man who had opened the door was staring at him with the most intense gaze he had ever seen, and Hector had time to whisper one last word before he died.
“Tanner?”
CHAPTER 21 – Time is running out
The two thugs who had uncovered Alexa’s name and address went to her apartment and discovered that she had moved out months earlier.
One of them made a call, and several Federales owned by Alvarado came to the area to interview neighbors, while hoping to learn where Alexa had moved to after she had left her apartment.
The truth was that she had been living out of her van and a succession of motels, while she spent months gathering intel on the cartel and killing the men who worked for it.
Other Federales were searching her background, but that would take time and could involve bribes and threats.
When a neighbor suggested that another neighbor, a young woman named Sylvia, had been a friend of Alexa’s when she lived in the apartment building, the Federales made talking to Sylvia their next priority.
They broke into Sylvia’s apartment when they received no answer, and later learned that the woman was at her job in Churubusco, which was a thirty-minute drive.
The Federales got back in their vehicle and drove to Churubusco to ask Sylvia what she knew about Alexa.
Following right behind them were the two thugs Alvarado had tasked with finding Alexa’s family.
If Sylvia refused to talk to the Federales, she would not refuse to speak to them.
Great pain tended to loosen stuck tongues.
***
Amy nearly leapt out of her skin when her phone rang.
She was still in her car and staring at Rodrigo’s home, but Alexa’s father and his companion had yet to return from their trip.
The Tin Horsemen had returned to the car and were waiting with Amy, Scar and Bruise had walked to a restaurant on the highway and returned with lunch, but Amy had barely eaten, as her nervousness had made her lose all appetite.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, honey; please tell me that you have Rodrigo and Emilio?”
“No, Spenser, we’re still waiting.”
“Leave there, Amy, you’ve done all you can do, but Dante just called and told us that Alvarado knows Alexa’s name, and knowing that, it won’t be long until he finds out where Rodrigo lives.”
“Oh God, but Spenser, I can’t leave, Rodrigo must be warned.”
“Alexa has left him numerous messages on his cell phone and the land line. Hopefully, he’ll check his messages as soon as he walks in the door.”
“Hopefully?”
“Yes, but in either event, you and the boys have to leave there, or you may be harmed.”
“Are you at least close to us?”
“No, we’re still in Mexico City.”
Amy was silent for a moment. After taking a deep breath, she spoke.
“I’m staying. I promised Alexa that I would get her father to safety and that’s just what I’m going to do.”
“Amy, this is no time to be stubborn. Baby, we’re talking about your life here.”
“I understand that, Spenser, and I won’t change my mind. Tell Alexa that I will see her father to safety.”
Amy heard Spenser curse beneath his breath, and it was followed by a sigh.
“You are one stubborn woman, do you know that?”
Amy grinned.
“I do, and we’ll all see you at the rendezvous point later, I promise.”
“I love you, Amy.”
“I love you too, Spenser,” Amy said, and sitting beside her, Abrasion balled his hands into fists.
***
After Spenser ended the call, he saw that Alexa was looking at him. He, Tanner, and Alexa were preparing to cause Alvarado more grief, as they made plans in the rear parking lot of a convenience store in Mexico City.
“Amy is staying?”
“Yes, and it worries me.”
“I’m concerned as well, but Papa should arrive home soon.”
“We could head there now if you’d like to, Spenser?” Tanner said.
Spenser blew out a great sigh.
“I would go there in a heartbeat if she was close, but it’s two hours away, and Alexa’s right, her father should be home soon. Let’s just keep going here and I’ll stay in touch with Amy by phone.”
Alexa touched Spenser on the arm.
“If it makes you feel any better, although I’m concerned, I’m not worried, and I feel that they will be all right.”
Spenser smiled.
“If you’re not worried than I guess I shouldn’t be either, so let’s get back to work.”
***
Sylvia Venta was seated inside her cubicle at the insurance company she worked at, and looked up at the two stone-faced Federales.
Sylvia had dyed red hair and had been eating lunch at her desk when the men appeared. She wiped her hands on a napkin and answered their questions.
“Yes, I know Alexa Lucia. She was a neighbor.”
“We were told you were friends; do you know where she’s moved to?”
“No, and we were more like friendly than actual friends. But Alexa was friends with the woman who owned the gym we worked out at.”
“What’s the name of this gym?” the man asked, and then they were off to find another link in the chain that would lead them to Rodrigo’s doorstep.
***
Amy and the boys were standing outside their rented SUV as she filled them in on the growing threat they faced.
“It’s just a matter of time until some of Alvarado’s men come here, and so I want you guys to take the car and head to the rendezvous point.”
Amy had handed Scar the keys, and he stared at them as they sat in the palm of his hand.
“What? You want us to just leave you?”
“When Rodrigo shows, I’ll ride with him and Emilio, but it’s too dangerous for you to stay here.”
Bruise looked torn. He hated any kind of pain and was smart enough to fear Alvarado, but he had enough heart not to leave an unarmed woman to fend for herself.
“Yo Scar, we ain’t leaving are we?”
“No, we’re not,” Abrasion said. “I mean you guys do what you want, but I’m not leaving Amy here alone.”
“I want you all to go, Lionel. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if any of you boys got hurt.”
Abrasion freed his arm from her grip.
“We’re not boys, and I know I’m not as big and tough as Spenser, but I’m not a coward either. I’m staying.”
Scar handed Amy back the keys.
“We’ll all stay, but we’ll keep watch too, and if we see anybody that doesn’t look cool we’ll call you and give you the heads up.”
Amy felt relieved and anxious at the same time, but she sent the boys a smile.
“Thank you, guys.”
Scar draped his arms over the shoulders of Bruise and Wound.
“We’re the Tin Horsemen, and danger is our business.”
Bruise and Wound agreed with Scar, but Abrasion said nothing. He was still angry that Amy had called him a boy again.
“Lionel,” Amy said.
“Yeah?”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Amy,” Abrasion said, but he wasn’t. He had a broken heart.
CHAPTER 22 – Beauty to die for
While riding in the rear of his stretch limo, Enrique De Jesús, had just learned about the second attack in the city, as four more Narcos were found shot dead inside a home.
The murders had been called in by an anonymous tipster, but Enrique had no doubt that Tanner was behind the slayings.
Enrique De Jesús had been given the job of managing Mexico City after Rico Nazario was chosen to run New York City, and the last thing Enrique needed was a nightmare like Tanner screwing things up.
His call to Alonso Alvarado had not gone as he expected. He had assumed that the man would send him help to deal with Tanner, but no, Alvarado seemed content to let the American do as he pleased.
Why not? Enrique thought. Hell, if I was sitting inside an impenetrable fortress with an army to protect me, I wouldn’t care what happened here either.
It then occurred to Enrique that Tanner being in Mexico City could be a huge opportunity if he were to kill the man.
If he could hand Tanner’s corpse to Alvarado there would be nothing that the drug lord wouldn’t give him.
He would also leapfrog ahead of Rico Nazario as being the next in line to rule, since Rico had failed to kill Tanner when he had the chance.
Enrique’s ruminations on the matter ended as he realized that his two bodyguards, who were seated across from him, were staring out the side window and grinning lasciviously.
It was a woman, and she was a hell of a woman. She was riding beside the limo in a jeep that had its doors and top removed.
The short red dress she wore exposed her long legs, as the wind pushed the hem of the dress even higher, while whipping her dark hair about in the breeze. Up top, was revealed a generous portion of her breasts, which jiggled with every bump in the road.
Enrique found it impossible to take his eyes off her.
Enrique’s bodyguards were practically drooling, and when the woman turned her head to look towards them, Enrique felt as if she were staring directly at him, but that wasn’t possible because the windows were heavily tinted.
“Oh shit,” one of the bodyguards said. “If that dress were any smaller she’d be naked.”
Enrique didn’t need the dress to grow smaller; he was already imagining the woman naked.
She was matching the limo’s speed and continuing to stare at them, then, she smiled and winked.
“The bitch sees the limo and smells money,” the second bodyguard said. “I bet she’d let you do anything you want to her, Mr. De Jesús.”
Enrique smiled, and then he reached for the button to roll the window down, a window made of bullet-resistant glass, but the first bodyguard held up a hand in warning.
“Mr. De Jesús, maybe that’s not a good idea, sir.”
Enrique laughed at the man.
“You worry too much, Sebastian, and she’s too good to pass up. Besides, where the hell would she hide a gun in that dress?”
The window lowered and Enrique smiled at the woman.
Enrique was over forty, but he had stayed trim, was possessed of a dazzling smile, and wore enough bling to let any woman know he had serious money.
The woman smiled back at him and then pointed up at the roof of a three-story apartment building.
The building was behind the sound barrier and nearly half a mile away, but Enrique could see that something up there was reflecting the sun.
When he looked back at the woman, he saw that she had decreased her speed dramatically, and was actually signaling to take the next exit.
Enrique was about to tell the driver to follow her, but then a high caliber rifle round put a hole in his chest the size of a baseball, and he died without ever knowing it.
The bodyguards both fumbled at the window controls, but two more shots ended their efforts, and the limo moved smoothly down the highway.
Up front, its driver sang along to a tune on the radio, and was oblivious to the fact that he was suddenly in control of a hearse.
***
Tanner was waiting for Alexa near the off-ramp, and after she abandoned the stolen jeep, she walked over in a pair of six-inch heels and climbed into the car Tanner was driving.
“Spenser called, he made the shots,” Tanner said.
“I’m surprised you didn’t do it. I think you’re a better shot than he is.”
“I wanted to be close to you in case there was trouble.”
“That’s sweet, but all I had to do was wear this dress, and I feel like such a slut in it.”
“Hold on to that dress, we may need it again.”
“Really? You think this trick will work twice?”
“No, but you can wear it when we’re alone.”
Alexa laughed.
“I’ll do that, and what will you be wearing?”
Tanner ran a hand along her naked thigh.
“I’ll be wearing a smile.”
CHAPTER 23 – Truckin’
Alvarado was growing impatient again, as the search for Alexa’s loved ones seem to be taking too long.
When he asked one of his sources why they couldn’t trace her family by searching computer records, he learned that it was suspected that her name might be an alias.
No one her approximate age with the name Alexa Lucia was listed with CURP, which was an acronym for Clave Única de Registro de Población. CURP was the agency that issued citizen ID numbers.
Alvarado told the man to find a source inside the Federal Electoral Institute, which issued voter ID cards, because it was almost impossible to live in Mexico without possessing one. Other than voting, the card was used to open bank accounts, and most merchants asked for it when they sold beer.
“That may take time, sir?”
“I know, but there are other ways of tracking down her family, and I have men getting closer to them as we speak.”
After setting his phone down, Alvarado received another call, and he learned about the death of Enrique De Jesús.
“Tanner, you son of a bitch,” Alvarado whispered, and he had to fight the desire to send men to Mexico City to search for Tanner.
When the urge passed, he smiled.
Let the bastard and his friends do all the damage they want. Alvarado told himself.
He would not split up the force he had at the compound.
Tanner was smart, he did have to give the man that much credit, and if he hadn’t been warned about the fact that he would be stowed away in a shipping container, the man might have made it inside the compound.
Martinez had given Alvarado the notes the strike team had gathered concerning Tanner’s tactics, and the depth of the man’s cleverness was impressive.
Still, no amount of guile would help Tanner once he was captured. However, in the meantime, Alvarado wondered what new damage Tanner would inflict upon his business, and he tried to think of where he would strike next.
When the answer came to Alvar
ado, he felt sick inside, but then dismissed it entirely. There was no possible way that Tanner could know about the facility he was thinking of, and besides, he already had enough security guarding the place to hold off an army.
The facility was not only disguised, but also underground, which made it infinitely more difficult to breach, and it was so secure that Alvarado had designated it as a backup refuge in the event that his compound had fallen.
It was located only eight miles away from where Alvarado sat, but there were no drugs there, but rather a stockpile of cash, which was just waiting to be laundered or used to buy weapons. The bills were mostly American dollars, but there were also pesos, and their combined value was currently over fifty million.
Alvarado reached for his phone, changed his mind, reached for it again, picked it up, and then placed it back atop the desk.
Tanner wasn’t interested in money. He was in Mexico to seek revenge.
Alvarado spun his chair around and gazed out the patio door, and after closing his eyes, he fantasized once more about the atrocious acts of violence he would inflict on Tanner and Spenser.
The very thought of it made him shiver with pleasure.
***
As he lay flat atop a sand dune, Tanner used a pair of binoculars as he attempted to look at Alvarado’s compound, but due to the aperture of the terrain, all he could make out was the top of a wall and the flagpole beyond it.
Behind him was an old structure made of corrugated metal, and to the left of the building and up a hill was a narrow road that saw little traffic.
There were Spanish words handwritten across the front and sides of the building in large letters that when translated read, Ramos’ Pool Cleaning Service.
Tanner had watched one of the business’ ratty white vans return and drive into the building, and except for the fact that it rode low to the ground and seemed wider than a normal van, he never would have suspected the vehicle was armored and transporting cash.
“How did you discover this place, Alexa?” Spenser asked. He was lying on her right, while Tanner was on her left.
The three of them were wearing camouflage outfits similar to the one Alexa wore the night she breached Alvarado’s compound, but in the bright light of an afternoon sun, they were still easy to pick out.
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