“What do we have?” Director Chavez asked.
“The hotel has five hundred guests this week, but approximately one hundred went on optional excursions today. Of that number, only two returned to the resort. We successfully diverted two busloads when we figured out what was happening. Javier Villalobos commandeered the other bus and let thirty-seven of the thirty-nine passengers go. With that said, we have, by my rough estimate, four hundred twenty to four hundred thirty guests and employees being held.”
“By employees, are you referring to employees of the hotel or the tour group renting it this week?”
“By all accounts, all the hotel employees were paid handsomely not to show up today. If you see anyone in a hotel uniform, they’re in on the plot. The employees I’m referring to are from SOS Tours only.”
“Four hundred twenty to four hundred thirty friendlies. How many hostiles?”
“Between forty and sixty. We outnumber them, but they have the advantage. If we try to take them out by force, the hostages could get caught in the crossfire—if the Jaguars don’t take them out first.”
“Have you tried negotiating with them?” Luisa asked.
The commander shook his head. “They don’t want to talk to me. They’ve been waiting for you. Why do you think I’m so glad to see you guys?”
“I thought it was my pretty face,” Director Chavez said.
The commander’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. Director Chavez clapped him on the shoulder to boost his flagging spirits. “Good job, Hector. I’ll take it from here.” He turned to one of the men dressed like a security guard. “Since your boss has been waiting to talk to me, you might as well tell him I’m here.”
The faux security guard with a jaguar tattoo on his left forearm eyed Director Chavez contemptuously as he gripped a Beretta in one hand and a nickel-plated Sig Sauer in the other.
“He already knows. He’ll send for you when he’s ready.”
Director Chavez was a powerful man who possessed and wielded great authority. He obviously didn’t enjoy being treated like a lowly errand boy. The muscles in his jaw crawled as he bit back his fury in order to avoid putting the upcoming negotiations at risk.
“Do you have a plan?” Luisa asked as they waited for Javier to stop playing games and get down to business.
“I have a couple things in mind, but I want to hear what he has to say before I put anything in motion. I want to end this peacefully, but if Villalobos’s demands are unreasonable, he will leave me no choice but to use force.”
“How do we do that without endangering the hostages?”
“That’s the part I haven’t worked through yet.” Director Chavez rubbed his chin as he pondered the dire situation. “I want to save everyone, but we have to accept the possibility that some losses might be necessary in order to achieve our ultimate goal.”
Luisa thought of the hundreds of people on both sides of the law who had already fallen victim to the Jaguars. Soldiers, rival gang members, farmers, students, and countless others who had been unfortunate enough to cross the cartel members’ paths. There had already been too many losses in this war and, if she had anything to say about it, there wouldn’t be any more. Not today at least.
A few minutes later, the hit man with two guns and a bad attitude tucked the Beretta in his waistband and tossed Director Chavez a cell phone.
“The boss is ready to talk to you now.”
Director Chavez regarded the phone as if it might be booby-trapped. Then he turned to Luisa.
“How do I place this damned thing on speaker?”
Luisa examined the phone’s display and pressed the appropriate icon.
“Director Arturo Chavez. Who am I speaking with?”
“Don’t try my patience, Chavez,” Javier said. “You know who this is.”
“Tell me what you want, Villalobos, so the women you’re holding can put this incident behind them and try to enjoy what’s left of their vacations.”
“Straight to the point,” Javier said humorlessly. “Don’t you want to get to know me better before you try to fuck me?”
Director Chavez’s cheeks colored from anger, embarrassment, or both.
“My people have you and your men surrounded, Villalobos. You can’t possibly escape. Your only hope of survival is me. Stop playing games and tell me what you want so everyone can walk out of here alive, including you.”
Javier’s laugh was as sinister as Vincent Price’s during his heyday as the king of horror. Filtered through the cheap throwaway phone’s crackly speaker, the sound sent chills down Luisa’s spine.
“You want to know what I want?” Javier said. “Okay, I’ll tell you. I want one hundred million dollars in cash and safe passage for me and my men.”
“Let’s be clear. If I get you what you want, you will release the hostages unharmed?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die. On second thought, I’d better not say that too loud. Your men are probably listening and they’re itching to kill me. Unlike my grandmother, I’m not going to take the easy way out. And I may take a few of your men with me just for fun.”
Director Chavez patted the air with his free hand, trying to control someone he couldn’t see.
“What happened with your grandmother was tragic, I admit, but the outcome was her decision. You can make a different choice, Javier. A smarter choice.”
“My grandmother was the most brilliant person I’ve ever met in my life,” Javier said, anger creeping into his voice. “She taught me everything I know. Now I have to learn from her mistake.”
“What mistake might that be?” Director Chavez asked cautiously.
“She should have killed that bitch Luisa Moreno the first chance she got instead of giving Moreno time to dig up the dirt on us and our organization. If she had, you and I wouldn’t be having this tedious conversation right now. You know what? I’ve changed my mind. Besides the money and the free ride, there’s one more thing you can get me.”
“What do you want?”
Luisa knew what Javier was going to say even before the words left his mouth.
“I want Luisa Moreno.”
❖
Javier’s men had ordered everyone to be quiet, but Finn heard women whispering all around her. She tried to block out the words of comfort, the guilt-ridden apologies for past slights, and the promises of what everyone would do if they were fortunate enough to get out of here alive as she strained to hear Javier’s half of his animated telephone conversation. She had missed the first part of the call because he was out of earshot. Once he moved closer, she tried desperately to bring herself up to speed.
Javier’s lack of deference meant he probably wasn’t talking to his boss, but she could tell by his demeanor he was talking to someone important. Someone who might be able to save their lives.
“I knew I should have studied Spanish instead of French in high school,” Ryan said. “I can’t understand a damned thing he’s saying. What’s he going on about? Who is he talking to?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Enough time had passed for the Federal Police to travel from Mexico City. If Luisa and her cohorts had arrived, Finn and her fellow guests’ collective nightmare might be about to come to an end. Or perhaps it was just beginning. Because if the police were here, now the real drama was about to begin.
“He must be talking with the Federales,” she said. “The legitimate ones, not the corrupt ones he’s paying to be on his side. I think he just gave his list of demands.”
“What does he want?” Jill asked.
“One hundred million dollars and safe passage for him and his men.”
Aurora blew out a disgusted sigh.
“A hundred-million-dollar payoff? That’s never going to happen.”
“Why do you say that?” Finn asked. She knew the American government had a long-standing policy about refusing to negotiate with terrorists. Did the Mexican government have a similar rule? If so, did this situation apply?
> “There’s no way in hell the Mexican government will pay these bastards that kind of money and let them walk out of here scot-free,” Aurora said. “Not with everyone watching. These guys might have been able to get away with holding us captive if there weren’t news helicopters circling overhead and a beach full of curious spectators watching this spectacle play out. After those forty-three students were found burned alive, neither the government nor the tourist industry can afford another scandal. The president might have felt pressured to pay up just to keep things quiet. But it’s too late for that now. This scandal has already broken. Neither side wants to come out on the losing end, but I don’t see them meeting halfway. The government can’t make any concessions or they’ll look soft. And these guys aren’t going to back down because they have nothing to lose. If anything, they’re going to dig in even harder.”
“Where does that leave us?” Jill asked.
“Exactly where we are now.” Ryan glanced at the gunmen ringing the room, one every few feet and two in front of each exit. “Caught in the middle.”
“Shh.” Finn hoped she had translated Javier’s last sentence correctly. “I think he just said he’s changed his mind.”
“Yeah? Is he letting us go?” Finn’s expression caused the hope in Jill’s voice to fade before it could take root. “What does he want?”
“Not what,” Finn said disconsolately. “Who. He wants Luisa.”
“The cop you’re seeing?” Ryan asked. “Why does he want her?”
Finn could think of only two possible scenarios, neither very desirable. “Either he wants to kill her or he wants her to watch me die.”
“We can’t just sit here,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to do something. It’s just like on the bus. There are more of them now, but the numbers are still on our side.”
“Unless you’ve got a stash of C4 in your pocket, the firepower’s still on theirs.”
“I don’t care. The next time they let us out to use the bathroom, I’m making a run for it.”
“If you manage to get away, what do you think will happen to the ones you leave behind?” Aurora asked. “The ones who can’t run.”
Ryan’s cheeks colored as she regarded Aurora’s wheelhair. “I’m sorry, but I’m tired of sitting around waiting for someone to rescue us. Maybe it’s time we saved ourselves.”
“I hear you,” Finn said, “but we’re in over our heads with this one. We might have had an outside chance of success on the bus, but we have zero chance here at the resort. Even if we managed to fight our way past the guys in here, there are more waiting outside. I know it’s frustrating, but we need to leave it to the professionals this time. It might take a while, but I know they can come up with a way to get us out of this.”
“How can you be so certain?” Ryan asked. “You saw how badly the state police bungled the attempted rescue when we were on the bus. Instead of saving us, they put us and themselves in even more danger. Based on that sad performance, do you really have that much faith the Federal Police can do much better?”
“No,” Finn was forced to admit, “but I have faith in Luisa Moreno, and that’s all that counts.”
❖
Luisa put down her guns and began stripping off her protective gear.
Director Chavez placed his hand over the cell phone’s speaker.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Moreno?”
“I’m trying to save the hostages. Villalobos asked for me. I’m turning myself over to him.”
“What are you trying to do, get yourself killed? Put your vest back on. I’m not letting you anywhere near that guy. Let me keep trying to negotiate with him first. The initial demand is rarely if ever the final one. If we agree to fulfill his request too soon, he’ll think we’re weak and he’ll ask for more, not less. I need him to show us a sign of good faith before I even think of giving him anything. And there’s no way in the world I’m letting him walk out of here with a single peso, let alone one hundred million dollars and one of my best officers to boot. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Director Chavez looked at her to make sure they were on the same page, then nodded and returned to his call.
“All right, Villalobos. Let me get this straight. You want money, transportation, and Officer Moreno. If I give you these things, what do I get in return?”
“You get to walk away with your reputation intact,” Javier said. “I’m offering you a chance to be a hero or a scapegoat. You can be the man who saved four hundred thirty hostages or the man responsible for getting them all killed. It’s your choice. What will it be? Are you going to give me what I want, or are you going to keep wasting my time?”
“It’s after seven. The banks are closed at this time of day. Even if one were still open, it would take several hours to put that kind of ransom together. One hundred million dollars is a lot of money.”
“You don’t need to go to a bank when you have piles of cash sitting in evidence rooms all around the country. You have at least five million dollars of our money, in addition to the assets you’ve seized from other cartels. Unless the president has spent it all paying for that cushy property in the Lomas district his soap star wife got on credit from a government contractor, your people are sitting on a hell of a lot more money than I’ve asked for. You have one hour to give me my share.”
“One hour isn’t enough time.”
“One hour, Chavez, or I start shooting hostages. One will die every fifteen minutes until I get what I want. Don’t make me wait too long or the price will double. So will the body count.”
“Be reasonable, Javier. I’m trying to negotiate in good faith. Give me the courtesy of doing the same. One hour isn’t long enough and you know it. You’ve got to give me some leeway.”
“How much time do you need?”
Javier’s world-weary sigh made him sound even more like a petulant child than his exorbitant demand.
“At least twelve hours,” Director Chavez said. “Maybe more. The amount of money you’re demanding is above my pay grade. I need time to get clearance from my superiors. If they approve, then I’ll need time to locate the money and arrange transportation for you and your men.”
“You have six hours, not a second more. And don’t forget about the most important part of my request.”
Director Chavez eyed Luisa. “I can get you the money, and I can round up enough vehicles to get you and your men safe passage out of here, but there’s nothing you could say to convince me to hand over Officer Moreno to you.”
“You know what they say. Actions speak louder than words. And I think it’s time I showed you that your actions have consequences if you cross me.”
“Villalobos, wait,” Director Chavez pleaded, but the line had gone dead.
A few seconds later, Luisa heard screams from inside the theater. Then the double doors on the right side of the building opened and Javier walked out with a weeping woman in tow. The woman had short hair and broad shoulders. She was wearing sandals, board shorts, and a loose-fitting tank top over a black sports bra. A silver ball and chain necklace dangled between her breasts. She looked ready for a day at the beach or a night by the pool. Instead, Javier forced her to her knees and placed the barrel of his gun to the back of her head.
Luisa raised her AR-15 and set her sights on Javier. She flexed her finger against the trigger but didn’t squeeze. She had the shot. The one she had been waiting for her entire career. With one bullet, she could put an end to Javier Villalobos, but at what cost? He was only one man. Even if she killed him, there were sixty more just like him standing between her and Finn. And countless more under his command. Killing him wasn’t enough. But it was a damn good start.
“Stand down, Moreno,” Director Chavez ordered. He turned to the rest of his troops. “That goes for you, too. Lower your weapons. All of you.”
Luisa and her colleagues reluctantly complied, but it didn’t stop Javier from pulling the trigger. The woman’s lifeless body p
itched forward as she fell facedown on the sidewalk.
Javier looked up. His words were aimed at Director Chavez, but his gaze was focused on Luisa.
“You’ve got six hours. See you then.”
❖
Finn pulled Katie into her arms and tried to assuage her grief over Sasha, but she could barely control her own fear. She could still see the panicked look in Sasha’s eyes and the stricken expression on her face when Javier pulled her from her seat and marched her outside. She could still hear the gunshot that had taken Sasha’s life—and Katie’s heartfelt wail for her lost friend. Sasha’s death had obviously been meant as a warning. Would it force the Federal Police to give in to Javier’s demands, or compel them to stand their ground?
“Do you still want to sit around and do nothing?” Ryan asked. “Any one of us could be next.”
“I think we should wait for the deadline to pass,” Jill said. “If he gets the money he asked for, he might let us go.”
“How can he?” Ryan asked. “Whether he gets the money or not, we’re witnesses. All of us have seen his face. So has everyone outside. He executed Sasha right in front of them.”
Finn pressed a hand over Katie’s ear as fresh sobs racked her body. Ryan’s voice softened.
“He doesn’t intend to let us go. If he doesn’t get the money, he’s going to kill someone else. And he’ll keep killing until he runs out of victims, the Federal Police give in to his demands, or someone grows some balls and takes him out. And if he does get the money, he’ll probably use some of us as human security blankets to escort him to safety while his men use the rest for target practice. We’re dead either way.”
“What’s your plan?” Finn asked.
Ryan shrugged. “I don’t have one yet, but we have six hours to figure something out. Otherwise, these guys will start picking us off one by one. I don’t know about you, but I would rather die on my own terms than someone else’s.”
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