Murder in the Tenderloin (Peyton Brooks' Series Book 2)

by M. L. Hamilton

  “No, they decided that a gun makes most everyone equal.”

  He eyed her up and down, but he didn’t speak.

  “What do you want, Garza? You can’t possibly want to measure ourselves and see which one is taller, can you? Why did you ask for me?”

  He looked up at the mirror. “You and me, we got us a connection.”

  “We don’t have a connection,” said Peyton, fighting a shiver of distaste.

  His eyes shifted back to her. Those eyes, so devoid of humanity. She could see him making a gun out of his fingers again and her hand curled into a fist on the table. She forced herself to take a deep breath and release it.

  “You need me, cochina. You and them…” He nodded at the mirror. “You sitting on a bomb and when it goes off, there’s gonna be bodies. Many bodies.”

  Peyton forced herself to open her fist. “Why the hell would I believe you’re going to help us?”

  He leaned on the table, bringing himself as close to Peyton as he could with the chains shackled to the floor. “Two days ago a seven year old boy was shot in the stomach. Ernesto Ortega.”

  She hadn’t been on the call because she’d been home, but they were talking about it yesterday at the precinct. “Go on.”

  “Ernesto Ortega, he’s my nephew. Daniela, she’s my sister.”

  Peyton searched his face. For the first time, she saw something in his eyes, something real. “Ortega?”

  “My mother’s maiden name.”

  “Okay. Go on. Is that why the DEA couldn’t find a real social security number or birth certificate?”

  He gave a short nod. “They’ll find shit if they look up Daniela Garza.”

  “Who shot your nephew, Luis?”

  He looked down. “You gotta know things first.”

  “So tell me.”

  “When Daniela and me were little, we lived in LA. Papa, he took us to Mexico a lot. We spent months at a time down there, seeing family, but Papa, he was working.”

  “How?” asked Peyton, but she suspected she knew.

  Garza looked up at her from beneath his brows. “He smuggled drugs from Mexico into the United States. It was easy. He was a citizen. They didn’t even question him.”

  “How did he get it across the border?”

  Garza gave a laugh. “Papa, he told them he had a shop. He sold ‘real’ Mexican shit, like clay statues and shit, but inside was bag after bag of coca.”

  “Did your mother know what he was doing?”

  Garza shrugged. “She say she don’t, but you know, it’s hard to walk away from the money when you got two kids, jefe.”

  “Did he bring you into the business?”

  “No. One time, we go to Mexico and he f’d up. The federalis shoot him, kill him in the streets. Now I got a sister and mother to take care of and I’m thirteen.”

  “So you joined the gang?”

  Garza nodded. “I took over my father’s job. What else I do, jefe? It goes good until Daniela turns seventeen. El Viento, he sees her and soon they get married. A few years later, she has Ernesto.”

  “El Viento?”

  “He’s the head of the cartel down there.”

  “What’s the name of the cartel? Who is El Viento?”

  “Not yet,” he said, glaring at her.

  Since he was talking, Peyton let him have that. “Go on.”

  Garza scraped his gold teeth across his lower lip and played with the chains on his wrists. “He starts beating her, Daniela. She takes it because she’s afraid to leave him. He tell her he kill her if she do, but then he start on Ernesto.”

  Peyton exhaled. She could almost see where this was going.

  “She take Ernesto and run away. We move to San Francisco. Mama, she change her name, you know, in court…”

  “Legally?”

  “Yeah, legally. She change it back to her maiden name, say Papa dead. We get someone to make up social security cards for Daniela and Ernesto, so she can work. I buy the house on Utah and I move on the Aztecas.” His voice trailed off. He stared hard at Peyton. “Always, we worry about El Viento, afraid he find us.”

  “And he did?”

  “All a sudden, the cartel, they get interested in the Aztecas, gonna make them big. I know it’s El Viento, but I think, he can’t come here. He’s in Mexico, he have no green card.”

  “But he did?”

  Garza lifted his eyes to the mirror and they simmered with hate. “I don’t know that you can buy a green card.”

  “Buy one?”

  He shifted and looked at Peyton. “Yeah, little jefe, with $500,000 there’s your green card and they don’t give a damn where the money come from neither.”

  Peyton resisted the impulse to look over her shoulder for confirmation. It wouldn’t do any good anyway. She didn’t think they’d tell her. “Why didn’t you run again?”

  He stared at her so long, she wondered if he was going to continue.

  “I freaked and shot your papa. He pull me over the same day.”

  Peyton swallowed hard. She could feel her heart speed up, pumping adrenaline through her body.

  “I just freaked.”

  That was it. I freaked and her father was dead. She fought for composure. Breathe, Peyton, she told herself.

  You gotta be in control at all times, sweetness, her father would say. The moment you lose control, all manner of bad things happen.

  “Why are you telling me this, Garza?”

  He motioned between them, his chains rattling. “You and me, cochina, we connected.”

  Something clicked in Peyton’s head. “Wait. Are you saying this El Viento shot his own son?”

  “Yeah, and he’ll kill him too.”

  “And Daniela?”

  “Yeah, but first, he take away everybody she love. First her son, then Mama.”

  “And you know he’s running the cartel here?”

  “I know.”

  “You’ve got to give me his name, Garza?”

  He leaned back in the chair, stretching out his legs beneath the table. “I’m gonna give you his name, jefe, but you gotta give me something in return.”

  We don’t deal with terrorists in this country. “I don’t owe you shit, Garza.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t want seven year olds dead on your streets, cochina. I see what he did to El Miedo. There gonna be hecka heads if you don’t listen to me.”

  Peyton glanced over her shoulder, then faced him again. To hell with the DEA. He was right. This was her city. “Go on.”

  The minute the words left her mouth, she could hear a frantic taping on the glass. She ignored it as Garza leaned forward again.

  “I give you El Viento, but you gotta give me something.”

  “We aren’t going to reduce your sentence.” She knew that probably wasn’t true. To stop a cartel infiltration, they’d probably give him that and more. No matter what the DEA said about not dealing with terrorists, she knew ultimately they would.

  He shook his head. “This is between you and me, little jefe.”

  Peyton frowned. “What?”

  “I give you El Viento, you do something for me.”

  “Look, Garza. I will never forgive you for what you did. Never. What makes you think I’ll do a damn thing you ask?”

  “Because you will, because I know.”

  Peyton searched his face. Slowly he smiled, showing his gold teeth. “Go on,” she said, clenching her jaw.

  “Me and you know what happen the minute I give you El Viento. I take a shiv in the yard.”

  He was right. The minute he told her anything, he was dead.

  “After you hear I’m dead, you go to my mama and you tell her what I did. You tell her how I help you.”

  Peyton shook herself, not sure she heard him right. “I’ll make sure someone goes to her.”

  “No, it’s got to be you, jefe. Only you. And you tell her, you tell her how I help you.”

  “Why? Why me?” Peyton realized her voice was rising.


  He motioned between them again. “Because you and me, we got a connection.”

  Peyton released her held breath in a shivering pant. Go to his mother and tell her her son was dead, pretending she gave a damn? What the hell did he think? The moment she heard he was dead, she’d be celebrating. He’d taken her father from her and she didn’t owe him a damn thing. In fact, she could promise him she’d do it, but she didn’t have to. She didn’t have to do a damn thing he asked of her because he’d be dead. Dead, and in hell where he belonged.

  “Fine,” she said. “Give me the name.”

  He smiled. It was a slow, knowing smile and it made her spine crawl. God, he was an animal.

  “Just one more thing, little jefe,” he said, leaning as close to her as the shackles would allow. “When you go after El Viento, you go for the kill. You don’t try to arrest him, you don’t try to deport him, you blow his fuckin’ brains out or I promise you, he will make this city bleed.”

  Peyton suppressed a shiver. “Give me his name.”

  Luis Garza stared into her eyes. “Raphael Peña,” he said.

  Peyton blinked twice. Raphael Peña. Raphael Peña, the Reverend O’Shannahan’s neighbor.

  * * *

  Venus heard the voices down the hallway. She would recognize the first one anywhere. She crept to her door and looked out. Two Hispanic men were talking with the nurse…well, one was. El Viento. He could charm a cobra.

  She threw on her shoes and grabbed the little handbag that held all of her worldly possessions: a few dollars, her bus pass, and the prepaid cell phone El Griego had given her. Then she snuck down the hall to Athena’s room.

  Athena was sitting in the chair by the window. Someone had gotten her to dress in a sweat-suit, which Venus figured was the first thing that had gone right in a long time. She ran to her. Her heart was pounding and she felt nauseous. Somewhere in the back of her mind came the thought that she should just leave without Athena, but the small girl with the haunted eyes had been her only friend…ever. She couldn’t leave her here. And she knew, she just knew they’d come for Athena, not her.

  “Come on, honey. You’ve got to get up.” She pulled Athena to her feet. “Where are your shoes?” She dove under the bed and found a pair of leather slip-ons. Bending down, she lifted each of Athena’s legs and pulled the shoes over her feet.

  Rising, she grabbed the cell phone out of her bag and turned it on. Her hands shook so bad, she had a hard time typing the text message. She hoped it was understandable, but she didn’t have time to fix it. Pressing the send button, she shoved the phone back in the bag.

  The voices were coming closer. Venus wrapped her arm around Athena’s shoulders and started moving her toward the door. She didn’t think they had time to escape the hospital now, but if she could find the security guards, they were both armed. It was their only chance.

  “Look who came to see you,” said the nurse as she came around the corner of the door. She was a little round ball of a woman with short, mousy brown hair. She looked momentarily surprised to see Venus, but Venus spent a lot of time down here with Athena. She’d even gotten them to move her to a room that was closer. “Can you believe this? Athena’s uncle came all the way out from Texas to see her. Your parents wanted to come, dear, but your sister is so sick.”

  El Viento stepped into the room behind her and the smile fled from his face. Venus had always thought him handsome, until he’d taken his cigar and burned holes in her arm. She’d told Peyton she didn’t know who ran the Aztecas, but she did. Everyone did. He made sure he left his mark on all of them. Her hold on Athena tightened.

  Behind him came the boy, Felix. His eyes flitted anxiously between El Viento and Venus. Venus figured it was the first time he’d seen Athena since she blew out his cousin’s brains. That almost made her smile.

  Athena’s head lifted and her eyes focused on them. When her mouth opened, Venus knew she was going to scream, but no sound came out. She began trembling against her.

  “I think she recognizes you,” said the nurse.

  El Viento smiled at her. “I think so too. Would it be all right if my son and I took her for lunch in the cafeteria? I thought maybe some time out of this room would help her remember who we are before we move her back to Texas.”

  “As long as you don’t leave the hospital, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  As he came toward Venus, she shrank back against Athena. “The nurse told me how kind you’ve been to my niece. Would you join us for lunch? I think my niece would like that very much.” When he held out his hand, he made sure Venus saw the gun in his waistband.

  She looked at the nurse, pleading with her eyes, but she seemed oblivious. Venus knew if she said anything, El Viento would kill the little round woman. He took Venus’ hand even though she didn’t offer it. His eyes met hers and he began applying pressure.

  Venus clenched her teeth, trying to ignore the pain, but he kept tightening. Beside her, Athena had begun to whimper, burying her face against Venus’ shoulder. The pressure increased until Venus sucked in air and forced herself to nod. He released her.

  “Let’s go,” he said, placing his hand on Venus’ back and pushing her toward the door.

  Athena planted her feet, pulling back, shivering in terror.

  “Felix, help your cousin. She’s a bit unstable right now,” said El Viento.

  Felix hurried to Athena’s other side and together he and Venus got her to stumble toward the door. El Viento gave the nurse his hand as they passed her. “I appreciate the help you’ve given me.”

  She gave him an uncertain smile. Venus wondered how she could ignore the strange way Athena was acting, but then in a psych hospital, she probably saw a lot of strange behavior.

  “Please have her back in an hour.”

  “Certainly. We’ll just be in the cafeteria if you need to find us.”

  Venus searched for the security guard as they shambled awkwardly to the elevator. Athena was pulling back, trying to shake off Felix’s hold, but he had her so tightly pressed against him that she couldn’t really struggle.

  El Viento pressed the button for the elevator and as they waited, he smiled at the passing nurses and patients, but then he glared at Venus, forcing her to lower her eyes. When the doors opened, he held them with one hand.

  “Get in!” he commanded, pulling back the jacket so she could see the gun.

  Venus didn’t want to get into that elevator. Would he shoot them both in there? But before she could do anything, Felix shoved Athena hard and they stumbled inside. As the doors closed, Venus felt like she was going to hyperventilate. She reached for Athena and for the first time, the girl clutched her back.

  The elevator descended to the lobby and El Viento didn’t pull his gun. When the doors opened, he curled his hand on her elbow, gripping hard, and he and Felix propelled them into the hallway. They turned immediately to the left and angled down the empty corridor. Venus saw signs saying Personnel Only everywhere and it occurred to her that one of them had canvased the hospital ahead of time.

  She didn’t question what they wanted. The Aztecas owned her and Athena, and they took what they owned. Beyond that, Athena killed El Griego. They couldn’t let that go, they couldn’t allow a woman to kill one of their own and go unpunished. Somewhere along this route, both of them were going to die.

  The exit loomed before them. The sign said it was alarmed and should be used only in the case of emergencies. Still, El Viento made for it without hesitation. Just as he was about to depress the handle, a security guard rounded the corner.

  “Hey, you can’t go out that way!” he said, moving toward them.

  With cold precision, El Viento reached into his waistband and pulled out his gun. Then he leveled it on the security guard. The man staggered to a stop and raised his arms.

  Without hesitation, El Viento pulled the trigger.

  The man careened back, blood splattering on the wall behind him. Slowly he slid down and crumpled at its base. A h
ole gaped where his throat had been. Athena’s scream was drowned out by the sound of the siren on the emergency door as El Viento calmly pushed it open. Venus felt herself propelled backwards through the door and sensed a car behind them.

  Slowly the emergency door swung closed, leaving the guard on the other side.

  * * *

  Magdalena sat on the floor in the hallway, listening to El Griego and El Miedo shouting in the other room. She kept her eyes closed. If they thought to investigate they would think she’d passed out drunk or drugged.

  “He’s gonna kill us!” shouted El Griego. “He’s gonna blow our brains out!”

  “We didn’t do nothing. He can’t blame us for the truck catching fire.”

  “You were in charge of the warehouse. You were the one who was supposed to protect the shipment.”

  “Tell me what I was supposed to do? It was a fire.”

  “Yeah, but how come the truck took most of it. It wasn’t an accident, vato. It was set.”

  “How’s that my problem?”

  They fell silent. Magdalena fought the smile that threatened and clutched the crucifix. Some of her sin had been lifted, but there was more. It wasn’t enough to stop them temporarily, she had to stop them forever.

  “What’s it say?” came El Miedo’s voice.

  “He wants us to meet him.”

  “Where?”

  “An abandoned apartment building about a block away. The one he’s trying to buy.”

  “When?”

  “Now.”

  The silence was heavy. Magdalena resisted the impulse to peek around the wall. They both swore, then she heard their footsteps headed toward the door. She scrambled to her feet and waited until the outer door closed. Running to the window, she looked out and marked where they went.

  “What you doing, girl?” asked Venus at her back. She’d been listening to music in the room the girls shared.

  Magdalena never took her eyes off El Griego. “Following him.”

  Venus made a hissing noise. “You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

  Magdalena waved her off.

  “I’m serious, girl. He find out you’re following him, he’ll put that gun in your face and pull the trigger.”