The bartender came over and he asked her for a beer, as he drank it, he realized that he was being watched. The eyes on him belonged to a man standing in the office doorway. The man had a stocky build and a full head of white hair.
When the bartender came over and placed a fresh bowl of peanuts in front of him, he asked her who the man was.
“Oh, that’s Sean, Sean O’Neil, he’s the owner,”
“Would you ask him to come over here, please; I need to speak to him.”
The bartender smiled. She was a redhead in her mid-twenties, with a bright smile and a freckled cleavage that she wasn’t shy about displaying.
“I was hoping that you would want to talk to me.”
He held up his left hand and showed her his wedding band.
“Taken,”
She turned the wattage down on her smile and it went from sexy to pleasant.
“Most guys don’t care about that; your wife’s a lucky girl, now sit tight and I’ll get Sean.”
He watched as she relayed his request to Sean O’Neil, and when the man approached him, he saw that there was fear in his eyes.
“Mr. O’Neil?”
“Yes?”
“I’m looking for a man named Jimmy White, do you know him?”
“Yeah... um, I know Jimmy, but I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“Why are you sweating?”
O’Neil shrugged.
“It’s a hot day.”
“Outside, yes, but it’s like a freezer in here. Mr. O’Neil if you think I’m looking for Jimmy to harm him, you’re wrong. I’m his brother-in-law and I’ve come here to find him.”
“Brother-in-law? How do I know that’s true?”
“Hold on a second,” he said, and took out his wallet. He flipped it open and showed O’Neil a picture of Jessica. “That’s my wife, Jimmy’s sister. If you know Jimmy, then I’m sure you can see the resemblance.”
O’Neil nodded as he studied the photo.
“She’s more beautiful than Jimmy will ever be, but yeah, I see the resemblance, but mister I got bad news. Jimmy was here, but he’s gone now. He and Reina went off to lie low at the home of a friend of hers, but I don’t know where it is.”
“Please think for a moment, did he give you any clue where he might be going?”
O’Neil shook his head, but then something occurred to him.
“North Central Avenue, Jimmy said that Reina’s friend lived just off of North Central Ave.”
He smiled.
“Thank you Mr. O’Neil; you’ve given me a place to look.”
“You’re welcome, but I’m not sure how much help that is, that road is miles long.”
“It’s a place to start, which is more than I had before.”
“I wish you luck, I always liked Jimmy.”
“What was he driving when he left here?”
“That old, rusty oil burner of his, a blue Ford,”
“Here’s my card, if you hear anything, give me a call at the number written on the back.”
“I’ll do that, but mister, Jimmy’s in deep shit. I hate to say it, but the smart play might be to stay as far away from him as possible.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“He’s family.”
CHAPTER 8
He left the pub and took a cab to a rental agency, where he rented his second vehicle of the day. He was not about to make himself an easy target by going back to the hotel to retrieve his car.
This time around, he opted for a pick-up truck. The silver truck cost twice what the earlier car rental had, but the huge vehicle had a powerful engine.
As he coasted in and out of streets that ran off North Central Avenue, he kept an eye peeled for any sign of Jimmy.
O’Neil had been right, it was a long road, but fortunately, the homes in the area were mostly large, single family properties. Had the area been full of apartment houses and underground garages, he would have had almost no chance at finding Jimmy.
As it was, he thought his best hope was to get lucky and spot Jimmy’s car. Judging by what O’Neil said, it was a rust bucket, and most of the vehicles he saw sitting in driveways were newer models.
As he drove along, he took out the cell phone he had taken off the dead man, Mike. It was time to check in.
***
Jessica said, “Cartel?” and he could hear the worry in her voice.
“Yes, specifically a man named Donato Sierra. Jimmy ran off with his wife, Reina.”
“They’ll kill Jimmy, won’t they?”
“No, because I won’t let them, but to keep him safe I have to find him first.”
“And what about you, has anyone tried to harm you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
“And the one who tried to hurt you?”
“Dead, all dead,”
“All?”
“Seven so far,”
“Good lord!”
“Yes, and I’ve no doubt there will be more, that’s why I’ve got to find Sierra and end this.”
“How will you do that?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“All right, but listen to me; I want you to get help. Maybe Tyler can fly down there, or Blue, what about Blue Steele? She lives in Texas; she could be there in hours.”
“This isn’t their fight, and besides, there’s no time, this will be over in hours. What I need more than another gun, is information.”
“Then call Carly, maybe she can help.”
“I need specialized knowledge about the players here, and I only know one person who can help me with that.”
***
DEA Agent Steve Szabo answered his phone with a noncommittal “Hello,” but once he spoke back to him, he thought that he detected a smile enter Szabo’s tone.
“It’s good to hear from you. It’s nice to know that my old cellmate hasn’t forgotten me.”
“I wish I could say it was a social call, but the truth is I need information.”
“What kind of information?”
“Your kind, I’m in Texas and the natives aren’t happy about it.”
“Still making friends, eh?”
“Something like that, but let me explain.”
***
“Donato Sierra? Yeah, I’ve heard of him. Word is he smuggles pot and cocaine across the border from Mexico. He’s fairly small time though, don’t get me wrong, his distribution network, the dealers and the mules probably runs into the hundreds, but as far as enforcers, hired muscle, he’s got a crew of maybe fifty guys.”
“It’s a few less than that now.”
When Szabo next spoke, he could hear the concern in his voice.
“You’ve been busy, but now you’ve stepped in it. Sierra will keep coming until you’re dead.”
“That’s why I want to get to him first. If I kill him, then maybe I can make a deal with whoever takes his place.”
“If one of his men took his place he might be just as ruthless.”
“True, but he’d have no reason to care about Jimmy, or me.”
“That might work, but your first priority should be finding your brother-in-law, no?”
“I’m looking as we speak, but so far I’ve had no luck.”
“Let me make a call. I’ve got a buddy who’s an INCD agent in that area. It’s the Mexican equivalent to the DEA. I’m sure he’ll know where we can find Sierra.”
“We?”
“Damn straight! You called me for help didn’t you? Well, I don’t do things half-assed. It’s we now.”
“Thanks, Steve, with your help Jimmy just might make it out of Texas in one piece.”
CHAPTER 9
Donato Sierra couldn’t believe what he was hearing on the phone.
“Say that again, Miller.”
“I said Mike and his boys are all dead.”
“Dead?”
“As doornails,
this can’t be Jimmy’s brother-in-law, can it? I mean, hell, he’s just one guy.”
Sierra was in his office, inside the sports bar he owned. He was in his mid-forties, with dark, wavy hair and gray eyes. He was a big man, but not fat, and gave off the impression that he was in control at all times, an impression that was accurate until a few days ago. That all ended when his wife ran off with Jimmy White.
Sierra let out a long breath before he spoke into the phone.
“All right, I underestimated him. The dude must be Special Forces or some such shit, but his luck is about to run out. I’ve got everybody out trying to track down Jimmy and bring Reina back. He can’t kill them all.”
“Why the fuck is Jimmy still around?”
“Because he’s a moron, that’s why. He doesn’t have a dime to his name and he’s driving a car that could quit at any moment. Meanwhile, I’ve got a network of dealers and junkies just praying that they spot him so that they can cash him in. He’ll never make it out of Texas alive, and even if he did, I’d find him again. One way or another I’ll find him.”
“About Mike and his boys, I’m putting the blame for this on De La Rosa. It’s a story that the DEA will buy and it’s well known that he wants your territory.”
“Yeah, do that, if the DEA is breathing down his throat then he won’t have time to take advantage of things while I’m... distracted.”
“What about Reina? Are you gonna take her back?”
“That’s my business!” Sierra said, and slammed the phone down.
He got up and paced around his office for a few moments, before walking back to the desk and plopping into his chair. After a moment, he reached over and grabbed a picture of his wife. As he was wistfully running a finger over her face, his phone rang.
“Sierra,”
“Donato, it’s me.”
Sierra sat up straight in his seat as a smile lit his face.
“Reina? Baby, where are you?”
“Donato, we need to talk.”
“Absolutely,” Sierra said, as he wrote down the number on the caller ID.
CHAPTER 10
He had been down every street that ran off of North Central Avenue and come up empty.
He had gone from keeping an eye out for Jimmy, to keeping an eye open for Jimmy’s car, to scrutinizing any driveway with a fresh oil stain that may have been caused by a car such as Jimmy’s, which reportedly was leaking oil and belching smoke.
This last tactic led him to stop at several homes and peek inside garage windows, all to no avail.
He was getting nowhere, but couldn’t think of anything else to do, and by the second hour, he knew the avenue’s adjoining streets better than most local residents did.
His phone rang. It was Szabo.
“Have you learned anything?”
“I have, I know where you can find Sierra.”
He pulled off to the side of the road and readied a pen.
“Let me have it.”
Szabo was silent, just dead air on the phone.
“Steve?”
“I’m conflicted about giving you this info, buddy. It’s like I’m telling you where to go to die.”
“You think that I’ll just go to wherever Sierra is and just charge in there?”
“Yes.”
“You’re right. I will. I don’t have time for anything else. I can’t find Jimmy and even if I did, Sierra would still have to be handled.”
“I can be there in a little over an hour, two hours tops.”
“I appreciate the offer, but you’re a Federal Agent, if you get involved in this directly it could end your career.”
“Fuck that! We’re talking about your life.”
“Szabo?”
“Yeah?”
“I promise not to die, now give me the address.”
“Shit, all right, it’s a sports bar on U.S. 83.”
Szabo gave him the name and address of the bar and he thanked him.
“Don’t thank me. I’m not sure it’s a favor.”
“It’s a huge favor; you may have just saved my brother-in-law’s life.”
“Are you going there now?” Szabo asked.
He hesitated in answering, as two large, black SUV’s flew past his truck with a limo bringing up the rear.
“Buddy, hey buddy are you there?”
“I’m here, and to answer your question, no, I won’t be going to see Sierra. I think he’s just come to me.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll call you later, Steve.”
“You’d better.”
He ended the call and pulled back onto the road. What little glimpse he got of the men in the SUV’s told him that they weren’t tourists, and although he couldn’t be certain, he thought that he’d seen the muzzle of a shotgun.
The caravan was driving in a sparsely populated section of the road where much of the area was scrubland. When they turned down a narrow two-lane road, he grew certain about their intended destination.
It was a farmhouse, a secluded farmhouse that he had paid little attention to because of its rundown condition, and because he had quite falsely assumed that Reina’s friend would be living in one of the newer homes in the area.
Still, he now had an intimate knowledge of the side roads and byways in the area, and he used a bumpy dirt track to drive diagonally towards the property in a bid to arrive at the rear of the farmhouse before the SUV’s and limo, which were taking the circuitous street route to the front door.
He jumped from his truck and raced to the front of the property seconds before the vehicles arrived.
***
As his entourage led the way towards the long wooden steps of the wide front porch, Sierra slid out of the back of the limo and followed with the chauffeur taking up the rear.
As the first man placed a foot on the bottom step, he moved from his place of concealment behind a tree and rendered the chauffeur unconscious with a single blow, then, he gripped Sierra about the neck and placed a gun to his head.
Eight men turned towards him and brought out their weapons, as the front door of the home opened and Jimmy stepped out with a woman he took to be Reina.
Sierra stiffened in his grasp, but didn’t tremble.
“I take it you’re the brother-in-law? You’re a dead man; you know that, don’t you?”
“I’m not the one with a gun at his temple,” he said.
“Bro?”
The single word came from Jimmy, who stood in the open doorway and looked down on the scene in equal parts wonder and fear.
“Hello Jimmy, it’s good to see you’re in one piece.”
Jimmy looked down at the eight men with guns and then back at his brother-in-law.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to take you home. At the back of the house is a pick-up truck with the keys in the ignition. Take Reina and drive away.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here and make new friends.”
Sierra spoke to his men.
“If Jimmy moves his ass one inch, shoot him, but don’t harm Reina.”
He pressed harder on the gun at Sierra’s head.
“If anything happens to Jimmy, something will happen to you.”
“Stop it! Goddamn all of you, stop it!”
The words came from Reina, who reached over and took Jimmy’s hand.
“Donato is here because I called him.”
“What? Why?”
“To end this, to save you, Jimmy, Donato will not harm you if I go back to him. It’s the only way, and I was a fool to think that I could ever leave him.”
Jimmy placed a hand against her cheek.
“Reina, no, we’ll, I’ll, I’ll, no... I can’t lose you.”
“And I can’t lose you, and I will if I don’t go back to him. I see that now, but this way, this way you’ll be safe.”
“And what happens to you?”
“I go back to my life.”
“Back to a man that treats you like property? No, no goddamn it. Sierra you son of a bitch, step out from behind your men and face me like a man.”
Jimmy began charging down the steps, but halted, when a shotgun was thrust against his chest.
“It’s the only way, Jimmy,” Reina said. “The only way,”
“Get in the limo, Reina,” Sierra said.
Reina walked down the steps and over to Sierra.
“You swear that you’ll never harm him?”
“I swear it. Now, get in the limo and we’ll put this nonsense behind us.”
Reina turned.
“Goodbye, Jimmy.”
“Reina, no!” Jimmy cried.
“It’s best,” she said, afterwards, she climbed into the rear of the limo with tears in her eyes.
“Now what?” Sierra said to him, as he spoke over his shoulder with his neck craned.
He thought about Sierra’s question as he looked around. They were twelve counting the one lying on the ground and all of them were sweating from the oppressive heat, and all but a few of them from apprehension. He was holding Sierra close, so close that he could smell the man’s sweat above his own, along with the odor of cigar smoke and alcohol.
His main concern was to get Jimmy to safety. Once that was accomplished he could deal with Sierra, but that would come later, and without doubt, would take place in an arena of Sierra’s choosing, but that couldn’t be helped, for after all, he was on his turf.
“Jimmy will walk to the back of the house and get the truck. While he’s doing that, your men will place their weapons atop the porch and then walk away. When I think they’re far enough away, I’ll release you and Jimmy and I will drive off.”
Sierra nodded as well as he could within his grip.
“It’s acceptable.”
“Jimmy, go get the truck.”
Jimmy didn’t move. He just stood atop the third step and stared at the limo.
“Jimmy!”
“Right, okay, I... I’ll be right back.”
Once Jimmy walked off the steps, he said, “Your men?”
“Guns on the porch; do it now,” Sierra ordered.
One of the men, the man with the shotgun spoke up.
The TAKEN! Series - Books 5-8 (Taken! Box Set Book 2) Page 21