Shaking his head, Walker agreed. “Let’s just hope he got us a bird that’ll handle the mission.”
Continuing to taxi into the hangar, they watched as a stocky man approached, his salt and pepper hair in a military buzz, his dark eyes pinned to them, and an automatic rifle slung about his shoulder.
“Friend or foe?” Walker asked sardonically.
“That’s Joseph,” Drew replied. “Can’t say he’s a friend, but he’s all we’ve got.”
Climbing from the plane, Walker watched as Drew and Joseph approached each other, handshakes offered and given. Making his way around the front of the plane toward them, he felt Joseph’s appraising gaze rake over him.
“Joseph, meet my friend Walker. Walker, this is Joseph Martinez.”
Extending his hand, it was clasped in Joseph’s firm shake. Walker was impressed…the handshake was not a grip with threatening intent nor was it weak. “Good to meet you, Joseph. Thanks for your help.”
“You may need to save your thanks until after you see what I was able to get,” Joseph said with a shrug.
He led them around to the back of the metal hanger to where another man was standing next to an old, small, four-seat R44 Raven helicopter. “Four seats?” He turned to Drew who was already protesting.
“Joseph, fuckin’ hell. We’ve got to get four people out.”
Joseph’s dark eyes snapped, and he barked to the man near the helicopter, speaking in rapid Spanish. The conversation did not last long, although the flurry of words and gesticulations between the two would have been amusing to watch if Walker was not sure that another recalculation in their mission was getting ready to take place.
Throwing his hands up to the side, Joseph said, “My apologies. The word given to me was that you would need four seats, not a total of six. Although, to be honest, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten a six-seater anyway. As you can imagine, the police and military are grabbing every resource they can.”
Walker and Drew eyed each other, unspoken words between them plotting out what needed to change. It would now involve two helicopter trips to get everyone out. Turning to grab his bag from the airplane, Joseph’s words halted him.
“Unfortunately, in an area as poor as we are, there are people who will take advantage of any situation. I have reports that roving gangs are moving into resort areas, looking to loot and steal anything they can from vacationers who are fleeing the area.”
Turning, Walker pinned him with a hard stare, waiting to see if there was more, but he did not have to wait long.
Joseph continued, “And of course, the ever-present cartels are immediately looking to take advantage of the country’s unfortunate situation. The Gulf Cartel has recently been pushed out by the upstart CJNG…the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. They’ve even managed to rival the Sinaloa Federation and have made their moves in this area.”
“Do you suspect that we’re going to have trouble with them?” he asked.
Shrugging, Joseph replied, “It’s my understanding they’re already setting up roadblocks and moving into some of the resort areas. I would suggest, my friends, that at first light you’re in the air.”
Looking at his watch, he knew that dawn was only a few hours away. Shaking his head, he ground his teeth in frustration as Drew cursed under his breath. “We’ll have to make two trips,” he said unnecessarily.
“Two and two?” Drew asked.
“No, no way. We’ll get the three girls. You get them back here and make sure they’re safe with Joseph and his firepower and then you can come back for me and the chaperone.”
Nodding, Drew agreed. “I’ll check out the bird and make sure we’re ready.”
He sighed and finished getting their bags from the plane. Their easy mission just became significantly more challenging, and he just hoped this was the last surprise they were handed.
9
Julie peered out into the dark night after rushing to the window. Unable to determine what was going on, she nonetheless could hear men yelling in the distance. Hernando rose unsteadily from the bed, and she turned to offer him assistance, but he waved her away.
Moving beside her, he cocked his head and listened to the sounds coming from the main resort hotel.
“What is it? What are they saying—”
His hand on her arm halted her questions, and his eyes bore into hers as he said, “We must leave. Immediately.”
The ludicrousness of his words would have made her laugh if not for the concern in his voice. “Why? Please tell me.”
He jerked his head to the side, peering down at the three sleeping girls on the floor before lifting his gaze back to hers. “I do not know who is out there,” he said, “but they are not good people. My guess would be that looters have decided that a resort is a good place to steal from vacationers who have been frightened out of their rooms.”
“Looters?” She may have posed the word as a question, but she knew exactly what he was talking about. She remembered stories of looters in the United States after hurricanes had devastated an area and many people fled their homes. Television cameras caught people robbing and mugging others in an effort to steal from unoccupied homes and shops. Her mind raced with fear and she asked, “I think the men coming for us will be here tomorrow…I mean today...in a few hours.”
He was already shaking his head. “We cannot wait and take that chance. I cannot bear the thought of something befalling you or the girls.” Turning to her, he grimaced. “Ms. Baxter, I need to get you to safety.”
Jerking her head up and down, she said, “Yes, okay. Okay, fine.” Her mouth may have been agreeing, but she had no clue what to do.
“We might be able to get to the van. It’s parked on the side of the building away from the main road. But I don’t know what the main roads will be like. They may be filled with looters…or worse.”
Eyes huge at his dire implications, she repeated, “Worse?”
“There is an element of our society, Ms. Baxter, that does not just reside in the underworld, but in everyday life. There are Cartels, who in many ways rule parts of our country. Here in the Yucatán, our lives are much better and safer than in other places in Mexico. But I have no doubt, as opportunistic as they are, they will find a way to take advantage of the situation.” He lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders, his fingers digging in almost painfully. “We must go. We must go and hide from the evil that is creeping toward us until your rescuers can come.”
As though his final words crept past the fog of denial, she jolted into action. Hurrying over to the other side of the room, she dropped to her knees and began shaking the girls awake as quietly as she could, shushing their sleepy protestations.
Tiffany, as usual, awoke quickly. Placing her fingers over the teenager’s lips, Julie gave her head a sharp shake. Jackie was next, and she quieted her the same way. The sleepy-head of the group, Andrea, was sitting up grumpily, but with Tiffany and Jackie sensing something was wrong they hushed her as well.
Whispering, Julie said, “There are looters at the main hotel. It’s only a matter of time before they make it down the path and come this way. We’ve got to get out of here now in order to protect ourselves.”
She hated the look of fear that replaced the sleepy confusion in the eyes of all three girls. She tried to steady her voice, shaky to her own ears, and said, “Put everything in your bags. Go to the bathroom, but don’t flush the toilet. We don’t want to make any noise at all. I’ll get everything else, and then we’ll slip out the back, and Hernando can get us to the van.”
Tears shimmered in Tiffany’s eyes, but she obeyed, scrambling up with Andrea and Jackie. While they used the bathroom, Julie put the pillows and blankets back in the closet and ran her hand over the bed, smoothing where Hernando had lain. Catching his gaze, she said, “In case they come in here it won’t look like there was anyone using this bungalow.”
He nodded, a slight smile curving his lips as he said, “You are very smart, Ms. Baxter.”
“Not really,” she admitted, “I just read a lot of suspense novels.” Not wanting to speak aloud any more than necessary, she raced to her bags to finish pushing everything into them. The small refrigerator in the bungalow held more bottles of water, and she took all that she could carry in her backpack. The girls came out of the bathroom, and she rushed in after them, quickly using the toilet.
As they finished gathering their bags, Hernando also made a trip to the bathroom. As he came out, they moved to the back door and slipped out into the night.
“Ms. Baxter?” Tiffany barely breathed, “How will the rescuers know where to find us?”
Moving through the thick jungle of trees around the back of the resort toward the employee parking lot where Hernando had left their van, she had no answer for Tiffany. And that thought terrified her.
An hour later, hiding in the ruins of the Chichén Itzá temple, Julie knew exactly what terror truly was.
They had easily slipped through the dark jungle, following Hernando’s lead, and made it to the employee parking lot on the side of the resort. That parking lot was quiet, and Hernando whispered that the looters probably figured the workers had nothing but poor automobiles and no valuables. He unlocked the van, grimacing as he put more weight on his leg. Julie sent him a questioning look, he shook his head, and she assumed he was indicating that he did not want her assistance.
Turning to the girls, she made sure they climbed into the van, stowed their backpacks, and she added the instructions for them to lean over, keeping their heads down. She had no idea why that suggestion sounded good other than she had seen it in movies, so she made it nonetheless.
Once they were all settled, Hernando started the van, and suddenly, her heart pounded out of her chest at the thought that others would hear the sound.
He must have understood her concern, because he said, “They are making so much noise, I do not think that they will hear us. But I’m going to drive with our headlights off. I’ve been over these roads giving tours for twenty years. I have no doubt that I can get us over to the ruins.”
“Can’t we go farther?” she asked. “Can’t we go all the way to your village? Or Mérida? Or...I don’t know...somewhere?”
As he gently pressed on the accelerator and they slowly moved out of the parking lot and onto the short road leading to the ruins, he said, “I don’t trust what may be on the roads right now. Until we know that the police or the military will be coming to deal with the looters and gangs, I don’t want to take a chance with your safety.”
“Will we be safe at the ruins?”
“We will be able to hide there because they will not expect anyone.”
It only took a few minutes for him to make his way to the ruins, driving around to the side and parking the van in the jungle nearby. Carrying their bags, she and the girls followed him to El Caracol, the observatory temple. Visitors were not allowed to climb the steps, but without any preamble, Hernando began the painful ascent, motioning for the girls to follow.
Tiffany moved up behind Julie, and said, “Give me your bags, Ms. Baxter. We can carry those, while you help Hernando.”
Heart warmed at the girls’ caring suggestion, she divested herself of her backpack and bag, handing them to the others before turning to Hernando. Pushing aside his protestations, she shoved her shoulder under his armpit, wrapped her arm around his waist, and assisted him upward.
When they were halfway up, he signaled for her to stop. “I’m going to stay here so that I can keep an eye out for anything untoward. I’m not expecting any trouble, but I’d like to be sure. You take the girls and go on up to the top level, into the observatory. We will stay here until daylight. I can call my cousin who lives in a nearby village to see what the roads are like at that time. If they are passable, then I’ll leave once you know your rescuers are on their way.”
With a short nod, she helped him to settle against the stone steps before moving with the girls up to the top. The climb was arduous, the steps steep, and when they reached the top she stood and stared at the small door leading into the arched, stone building. The idea of being in the dark in an ancient structure that could topple on top of them at any moment was terrifying.
“Maybe we should stay out here,” Andrea whispered, her eyes staring widely ahead as well.
“Maybe you’re right,” she replied. “But let’s move around to the backside.” Leading them around to the side closest to the jungle, they settled on the ancient stones, the sounds of the jungle all around and the black of the night encasing them.
Tate looked up from his computer screen and twisted his head around, catching Mace’s eyes. “They may have a problem, boss. I’m keeping track of what’s going on in the Chichén Itzá area, and the police are reporting widespread looting. There’s also chatter of cartel movement in the areas affected by the earthquake.”
Mace stood and walked over to where Tate was once again looking at his computer screen. He stared silently for a moment then calmly ordered, “Get this to Walker and stay on it. I want a lock on the chaperone’s phone as well as each of the girls. We’re round-the-clock until we know they got everybody out safe.”
He walked back toward his desk and saw Sylvie’s wide eyes pinned on him. He changed directions and headed straight to her. She stood as he neared, and he placed his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb sweeping over the apple of her cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Drew knows how to land a plane or a bird anywhere, and Walker is one of the best I’ve ever seen at being able to recalculate the plan of a mission.”
She offered him a small smile and lifted her face for a light kiss before sitting back down at her desk.
“Mace?” Babs called out softly from the desk next to Sylvie’s. Gaining his attention, she said, “I know Drew’s got the mission covered, but with the changes…do you need me?”
He cocked his head slightly to the side, listening as she continued, “Three girls. Three teenage girls and one chaperone.” Shaking her head as though to clear her thoughts, she added, “Drew may need assistance from another female if the girls are separated from their chaperone. If things get hairy…if I can be of use…I’m here.”
Mace considered her for a long moment, but her gaze never wavered.
“This…I could handle,” she added, her gaze hardening as though challenging him to deny it.
Dipping his chin, he acknowledged her offer, knowing the struggle she must be feeling. “I’ll let you know. Thanks.”
With that he walked back over to his desk, overseeing the call between Tate and Walker, the satisfaction of knowing he had truly hired the best for his LSI Keepers moving through him.
10
Getting off the phone with Tate, Walker growled as he headed toward Drew readying the bird. “Got more problems,” he said, gaining Drew’s attention. “Tate just called. Looters are in the area of the resort near Chichén Itzá, so we may have a more difficult time landing and getting to the girls.”
Drew turned and faced him, a scowl on his face that Walker knew matched his own. “Fuckin’ hell,” he cursed. “Lawless men scouring tourist areas are not just going to be looking for loot, and those four young women are sittin’ ducks.”
Pulling out his phone, he said, “Tate is getting a lock on their phones. I hadn’t planned on calling the chaperone until we arrived at the resort. I’m going to give her a call now to see exactly where they are before we take off.”
Drew grabbed their bags and tossed them into the bird before continuing his preflight checks as Walker headed off to the side, noticing that Joseph and his workers were no longer around. Glad for the privacy, he placed his call.
“He…Hello?”
The soft voice that so hesitantly answered his call shot his brain straight from the mission directly to the photograph he had memorized of Julie Baxter. Not one to give into imagination, he could hear the fear mixed with hope in that single word.
“Hello. Is…is anyone there?”
&n
bsp; Blinking, inwardly cursing that his silence had caused her more concern, he quickly replied. “Ms. Baxter?”
“Um…yes.”
“My name is Walker, from Lighthouse Security Investigations. Tiffany Daniels’ father hired our company to escort you safely back to the United States.”
An audible sigh accompanied by, “Oh, thank God,” met his ears.
“Ms. Baxter, I don’t want to alarm you, but we received intelligence that there may be—”
“Looters!” She was still whispering, but her voice was clearly alarmed, surprising him with her words. “Our guide heard them in the resort, and we snuck out. We’re not there!”
“Our company is getting a lock on your phones, Ms. Baxter, so we’ll know exactly where you are—”
“I know where we are,” she said softly. “We snuck away from the resort, and Hernando was able to get us to our van. He didn’t want to take a chance on the roads, so we went back over to the ruins. We’re hiding in the El Caracol temple of Chichén Itzá.”
“The where?” he growled, mentally recalculating again. “Can you be more specific? We want to be able to land the helicopter as close as possible.” Looking up, he caught Drew’s lowered brow, questioning gaze, and mouthed, ‘They left the resort and are in the ruins. Get Tate.’
“Do you know where the ruins of Chichén Itzá are?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m getting a map of the ruins as we speak,” he said, his finger moving over the tablet that Drew was holding out for him. “What was the name of the temple again?”
“It’s the observatory. It’s the only building that has a domed top to it.”
Seeing the barest hint of blue in the east against the rest of the dark night sky, he knew it was almost dawn. “Ms. Baxter, we’re leaving now. We’ll be there shortly. We’ll land as close as we can to you, but I want you and the others to stay hidden until we’re there.”
Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations Page 5