And there was the question of how the assassin had escaped, which still lingered in Cruz’s mind – as well as how the Sinaloans had known that the arms dealer had been the leak.
Cruz mentally went down the list of everyone who had been privy to the task force’s moves and dismissed them one at a time as potential traitors. Briones had proved his loyalty with blood, as had many of his group chiefs. They put their lives on the line every day to combat the cartels and had all lost more than their fair share of men to the bastards. There was no way they would sell him out for money. Even if some of them were corruptible, and he didn’t deceive himself that they were altar boys, passing information to El Rey went beyond anything they would risk. It was high treason, especially if it resulted in the death of the president. Even the most larcenous and greedy man drew the line somewhere, and that was not a line – it was a twenty-meter-high wall.
His driver opened his door for him, and he gratefully sank into the seat, feeling exhausted by the presentation as well as the course of the last few days. He’d attended a memorial service for the men he’d lost at the apartment – there was literally nothing left of them after the explosion, so it was the best they could do – and had tried to comfort the wives and children of men he’d known only in a professional sense, and even then, not particularly well. His words had sounded hollow to him even as he’d uttered all the usual clichés. It was disheartening – the assassin was winning every round. Which meant that the trend wasn’t Cruz’s friend.
As much as it pained him, he would need to begin a quiet investigation into his group leaders, to see if anyone had recently come into some inexplicable money or had bought a car or home outside of their pay range. He couldn’t just discount the possibility someone had rolled, as improbable as it was to him. Harsh experience had long ago taught him to expect the worst, and then be happy if the outcome turned out anything less than horrible. While he was now happy with his new life with Dinah, there were still nights where he awoke in a cold sweat, dreaming of his family’s final moments, or reliving the day he’d opened the special delivery box to find the heads of his wife and young daughter in it, with a scorpion in each of their mouths. He hoped that eventually he could keep the horror at bay, but during times of stress their ghosts came back to haunt him.
Thank God for Dinah. They were building a life from nothing, and she was a perfect partner. He felt guilty talking shop with her – he’d never told her that El Rey had been responsible for her father’s death, preferring to leave the fiction in place that it had been some sort of crazy, or a robbery gone horribly wrong. Better to let the dead slumber in peace than allow them to ruin the lives of the living. Knowing the truth wouldn’t have helped Dinah get over the heartbreak of a murdered parent, so there was no point to sharing it with her.
As the car wound its way through traffic on the way back to headquarters, Cruz remained silent, lost in his thoughts. They only had a few days to go until the president’s speech, and he didn’t like their chances. Barring a miracle, Cruz dejectedly realized that he wouldn’t be able to catch the assassin in time, which meant that the only thing that stood in the way of El Rey murdering the president was his security detail.
That wouldn’t end well.
~
El Rey put the final touches on the device he had so painstakingly assembled and smiled at the thought of the seemingly near escape from his apartment. He’d caught the cleaning woman paying just a little too much attention to him, and she’d been a hair too quick to avert her gaze when he’d noticed her. The effort to appear uninterested had appeared almost comical to him, and he’d quickly determined that his days in the apartment were over. That night he’d moved his few belongings out under cover of darkness and had rigged things to provide a nasty surprise for anyone breaking into his place. Which he had no doubt would be the police.
He’d seen the news coverage of his old photo and had thought that he’d sufficiently altered his appearance to be in the clear, but the woman had somehow matched him. It happened, occasionally, and rather than dwell on it he’d cleared out. But he wasn’t worried. It had been a fluke, plain and simple.
He stepped back from the work table and inspected his project with pride of craftsmanship. It would do.
Now all that remained was to get it within range of the president, and the rest would be history in the making. Then he could go back into retirement and savor the life of a rich man in South America – a future that in no way seemed bad. It would all be concluded soon enough, and then he would disappear, never to be heard from again.
~
Don Aranas greeted his guest, Estaban Mareli, and offered him a seat at a small table in the open air of the courtyard. This particular home was built in a typical hacienda fashion, around a private central court with a fountain, with Saltillo tile underfoot and rustic sponge painting in bright orange and purple hues splashing color on the walls. The water tinkled in a pleasing way, creating a kind of Latin Zen effect.
“Coffee?” Aranas offered to Mareli, gesturing at the white clad man waiting in the wings by the dark alder and stained glass French doors.
“Please.”
Aranas held up two fingers; the man nodded before turning to enter the house.
Mareli studied Aranas’ face for a few moments. “How are you, my friend?” he asked.
“Ah, you know. Things could be better. We’ve lost a number of shipments on the Mexican side of the border over the last few months. An irritant, although in the end, not material,” Aranas replied.
“Yes, I’ve seen the numbers. I agree it’s unfortunate. But sometimes a necessary cost of doing business, eh?”
“Perhaps. But I liked our luck better under the last two regimes. This one seems to be favoring groups that aren’t aligned with our interests, and that is causing complications.” Aranas rubbed his chin. “I thought we had it taken care of, but it appears not.”
“Well, the only thing that is sure is that nothing will remain the same. Change is everywhere. We adapt or we perish,” Mareli offered.
The coffee arrived, and neither man spoke until the steward was out of earshot again.
“Yes. Change. Speaking of which, we had another regrettable occurrence recently. Our mutual acquaintance, Carlos Herreira, was passing information to the Mexican authorities. Steps had to be taken,” Aranas said.
Mareli feigned surprise. “The authorities? Jesus. What are people thinking these days? I don’t understand it. He was always dependable, and then one day he goes and does something like this…?” He put one hand on the table and studied his nails, as if for guidance. “What is there to say? When a dog goes rabid, you have to put him down, even if you love him. I’m sure you only did what was necessary.”
Mareli had known this was going to be the subject of the discussion, but figured a show of indignation was obligatory. He lifted his fine china cup and took an appreciative sip of the rich brew.
“You introduced us.”
“Seven years ago. And the man was as reliable as a Swiss watch until now.”
“Hmm. He was indeed. I do not hold it against you. He was honest, until he wasn’t. And he paid the ultimate price for his treachery,” Aranas said.
Mareli showed no emotion, but internally he was relieved. One never knew how the cartel chiefs would react, although Aranas was one of the most stable of the bunch. What the fuck had the idiot been into that he’d crossed the Don? It didn’t take a genius to understand that was suicide.
“So how can I help you today? How can I be of service?” Mareli asked, wondering what the drug lord wanted. He suspected he knew, but didn’t want to presume.
“Our arrangement is still working well – once the drugs hit the border, we’ve had minimal problems, which is good for everyone. I’m grateful for the protection, as always, even if I do think it comes at a steep price,” Aranas observed. The fifteen percent of the profit he paid Mareli’s group for safe passage into the U.S. and assistance with distribution
always came up, but there was no negotiation. And in truth, it was worth it. In the old days, they could expect at least ten percent losses due to law enforcement and sometimes more. It netted out to be roughly the same, but there was peace of mind with Mareli. “I only wish our Mexican officials were as honest as you are. You do a deal with them, and then they stab you in the back as you’re getting up from the negotiating table. A pity, and unforeseeable, but it is what it is.”
“Our arrangement has survived the test of time,” Mareli agreed.
“Carlos’ untimely demise has put me in an uncomfortable situation. I need you to find me someone to replace him. Someone you can vouch for, who will be dependable. I think this year and next will be banner years in the arms trade for Mexico, and my demand is strong. I’m asking you to help me with this. I don’t like dealing with the freelancers that come and go. Yet another headache I can do without.”
Finally. The real reason for the summons. Aranas needed another conduit for weapons. Not unexpected, considering the conflict he was involved in, or the abrupt termination of his last vendor.
“I will ask for a recommendation. There might be an existing entity, or someone who wants to get into the business. We can take care of the supply issue on our end, but he’s largely on his own with the Mexican side. Let me talk to my people and see what we can come up with,” Mareli assured him. “Is this an urgent matter?”
“No, but I don’t want to wind up in a situation where I have to go into the open market when I’m having other difficulties. As you know, word travels fast, and if rumors of my group being unable to secure necessary arms were to circulate, it would embolden my enemies.”
“I see. I’ll make this a priority. You have nothing to worry about,” Mareli said, returning to his coffee.
They discussed the economics of the trade, and the shifting product mix – heroin was down with the worldwide glut since the U.S. had invaded Afghanistan and production was booming. Cocaine demand was down five percent, but methamphetamines were up fifteen. It was a volatile market, but one they understood innately.
Mareli provided more than simple protection. He was also instrumental in cementing the banking relations that allowed Aranas to launder his funds. He’d set up several companies in Panama to handle cash deposits moved through their casino operations and had interests in numerous banks in the region, as well as in Texas and Miami. It was a seamless mechanism, where the cash that didn’t hit Mexico would get deposited in his banks in the States, and the Mexican money moved to Panama. From there, it was scrubbed and could be converted into legitimate funds – for a ten percent fee, of course.
An hour after he arrived, their meeting was over, and Mareli sank into the soft leather of his Mercedes limousine’s rear seat with satisfaction. Once they were underway, he made a series of calls, arranging for his jet to be ready to take him to the U.S. that afternoon. He’d stop at his hotel for his passport and to close out the bill, and then be on his way.
The final call was to a U.S. number, using a different phone – with a state-of-the-art attachment that would scramble it with military-level encryption, rendering it indecipherable to eavesdroppers. The odds of a call being intercepted were remote, however it was protocol and, as such, not to be ignored.
The odd ring of the secure line in Virginia sounded, and after switching through a series of relays, a familiar voice answered.
“How did it go?” Kent Fredericks asked, sounding like he was two feet away.
“Good, good. It was as expected. He needs another gun runner.”
“Maybe he shouldn’t have put a bullet through the head of the last one,” Kent observed. His division in the CIA had gotten a report on the killing almost in real time.
“Apparently, our boy was playing both sides of the field. The man found out and took action.”
“I thought he was selling to everyone? What’s the big deal?” Kent asked.
“He double-crossed the wrong guy, is what happened. Now we need another reliable source. I’m hopping on the plane and will be there in time for dinner. You free?”
“For you? I’m always free. Pick you up at the airport?”
“You bet. I’ll fill you in on the rest when I get in.”
“10-4.”
Chapter 26
Ramirez stood with his hands on his hips, his dirty coveralls stained with mystery fluids, a cigarette twitching between his lips as he stared at a bank of red clay planters and debated his options with his assistant, Paolo.
“How the hell would I know what happened? Sometimes the damned things die. That’s how nature works. You live, you die,” he exclaimed, drawing a lung full of smoke.
“It looks like something killed them. Maybe pollution?” Paolo speculated.
“I doubt it was the smog. They’re Mexican plants. They were raised on this stuff,” Ramirez rasped, before succumbing to a phlegmy coughing fit for thirty seconds. When he was done, he dabbed his eyes and resumed smoking, with a wary glance at the offending cigarette.
“So what do we do?”
“We call someone, and they bring new ones. These have had it.”
Ramirez glared at the dead shrubs as though they’d committed suicide for the sole purpose of complicating his life. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. They were only two days away from the president’s speech, and the plants on either side of the east doors to the legislative meeting hall, at the top of the massive stairs leading up to the distinctive façade, with its huge mural depicting an eagle clutching a snake, had chosen this moment to give up the ghost. It wouldn’t do to have dead vegetation marring the entrance of the Mexican congress and spoiling the photo opportunity. Wouldn’t do at all.
That evening, workers appeared with hand trucks and dutifully hauled away the planters that housed the palms, replacing them with healthy new examples. One of the employees, in particular, seemed especially enthusiastic about the duty – no doubt because he was new and somewhat of a dimwit. The others griped about having to work late with no overtime pay, but he just smiled his idiotic grin and adjusted the flat-brimmed company baseball hat he’d been issued as he whistled, rolling the heavy planters up the ramp on the side of the stairs.
The workers’ supervisor approached once the crew chief had made a call, and the small group of laborers stood by the delivery truck as the boss inspected their work.
“This one is crooked,” he said, pointing to a planter on the right side of the door. The crew chief waved for the men, and two of them trotted up. “Straighten it out,” he ordered.
A few minutes later, the supervisor nodded, and the task was completed.
The men piled into the back of the truck, happy to finally be going home after another hard day of earning their living with their backs and their hands.
~
Cruz got the call the next morning as he was settling in behind his desk at headquarters.
“They found a bomb,” Briones announced.
“Where are you? Who found a bomb, and where?”
“I’ll be right in. Give me two minutes,” Briones said and hung up.
Cruz fixed him with a curious stare when he sauntered in five minutes later, munching on a muffin. He took one of the seats at the meeting table and leaned back before speaking.
“Bad day for Señor El Rey. The bomb dogs found his device this morning on a sweep of the building.”
“What? At the congress?” Cruz exclaimed. The president’s speech was that afternoon.
Briones nodded. “One of the planters by the mural, not thirty feet from where they were setting up the podium. It was buried in it, with a triggering device. Remote controlled. Enough Semtex to take out everything for a hundred yards. He’d wrapped it in ball bearings inside a protective plastic sheet to keep it from being damaged if they watered the plants. Clever. About the size of two footballs. It would have killed everyone on the platform.”
“The same basic approach as he used the last time,” Cruz mused.
&
nbsp; “Yes. That’s what I was thinking. But thanks to a sedulous beagle, he’s been foiled,” Briones said with glee.
Cruz got up and poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat opposite Briones at the table.
“Doesn’t that seem kind of sloppy to you?” Cruz asked.
“Not necessarily. They were lucky to have found it. He probably figured it would be the typical lackadaisical approach, and nobody would notice. As it was, it took them three tries to figure it out. One of my buddies was on duty there doing backup security for the president’s advance detail, and he said the handler thought the dog was interested in the planter because he had to go.”
They both chuckled at that, and then Cruz became serious again.
“It just seems too easy. When have we ever dealt with anything related to El Rey where it was easy?”
“But it wasn’t. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. The odds favored him getting away with it. He might well have. It was just lucky that the dog was persistent, and that we put the president’s staff on high alert. Maybe if they hadn’t been, the bomb squad would have pulled the dog away and never thought twice about it. I think this was a victory for the good guys, sir,” Briones concluded.
“I hope so. But I’m skeptical. Nothing he’s ever done has made it easy for us,” Cruz said stubbornly. “No matter. Maybe you’re right. Today is a win.”
~
That afternoon, Cruz and Briones signed in and went through the security cordon around the congress site, where they watched the combined efforts of the soldiers and the president’s guard to sanitize the area. Cruz had to admit that the display of force presented an impressive deterrent. Still, Cruz and Briones were on alert, second-guessing every precaution and watching for any possible weaknesses in the security. They walked around the entire compound, noting that all the steps they would have taken, had been. The park across the way from where the president would issue his state of the union address had been closed to all but spectators who were being methodically searched, and the apartments beyond it were under watch. The freeway would be closed a few minutes before the president arrived, and kept closed for a half mile in each direction until it had concluded. Cruz had to concede that there seemed to be little chance for an assassin to try for the president, although he still had a nagging feeling that they’d gotten off too light.
Revenge of the Assassin Page 20