Bracing for the Storm

by Matt Lincoln

  “I promise you, Santiago is thinking of the long game,” Xavier assured us. “We just don’t know how yet.”

  This Santiago guy has been over-the-top since the beginning, Rosa signed empathetically. He’s not going to back down now.

  “Do you think he’s getting too big for his britches?” I wondered aloud. My fork was forgotten in my hand by this point. All I could think about was Linda.

  “It’s possible,” Doc said as he grabbed his beer bottle. He pursed his lips in thought before taking a sip. “He’s been so accustomed to getting his way by any means necessary, that maybe it’s clouding his judgment.”

  “That is a fair assessment,” Xavier said. “Although, we could still be missing a piece of the puzzle. He could have other plans that we haven’t uncovered yet. We need to tread forward with caution.”

  I agree, Rosa signed while nodding her head vigorously. We need to be careful and stay on high alert.

  A few moments passed while we continued to eat, the sounds of scraping forks and clinking glassware echoing in the background of my thoughts. I needed to get the word out to Linda about all of this, especially in light of our recent phone call. There was little I could do to keep her away from this entirely, so I had to do the next best thing and make sure she was as prepared as possible.

  Her last set of coordinates had put her close to machine guns this morning, and I had been trying to tamp down the unsettled feeling in my stomach since yesterday. I wasn’t really hungry, and I had been hoping that just seeing this platter of authentic Colombian food would change my mind, but it didn’t quite do the trick. I moved most of the food around, forcing myself to eat the egg and plantains and chorizo. I hoped that would be enough to keep me sustained until I heard back from Linda and knew she was okay.

  I looked up to find Rosa staring at me, her spoonful of tripe soup hovering over her bowl. She raised one eyebrow at me questioningly.

  I shrugged. “You know I’m still worried about Linda.”

  Rosa nodded and put her spoon back down into the bowl. I know. I’m sure she’s okay. You gave her the information she needed.

  “I know, but still…” My voice trailed off as I stared down at my plate. “I will feel better once I’ve heard from her.”

  “You’ll feel better after we take down this damn fortress,” Doc interjected.

  “Yeah, I agree,” I added, looking around at my team. “What’s the plan with all of that again?”

  I saw an uneasy look get exchanged between the three of them. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, but before I could question it, Xavier spoke up.

  “Hawthorne and Angie are on their way down with the additional weapons and supplies,” Xavier stated as if he had it all perfectly memorized. “They also reached out to Hawk and his guys. Once they’re here, we will meet up and gear up for the attack.”

  Hawk had been a childhood friend of Hawthorne’s. He had opted to join the Marines, which led to a lot of name-calling among us, but he was reliable, fast, and trustworthy. He had a small group of other former Marines that he could call on for missions like these, and his guys were always ready to go.

  “What about the attack on the Coast Guard?” I asked intently, my food all but forgotten by this point.

  “I do believe that it should happen simultaneously,” Xavier added, looking to Doc and Rosa for support. “If they send all of their force out to sea, they will be more vulnerable on land. I say we split up.”

  “Split up? Split up how?”

  Jake, Rosa signed as she waited for my full attention. I turned to look at her across the table.

  “Rosa? Why does it feel like the three of you discussed this without me?”

  Because we did, she replied simply. We would kick you off this mission entirely except for one thing.

  I scoffed. “Yeah, what’s that?”

  “Wraith,” Doc said, taking a sip of his beer. “We need Wraith, and she doesn’t exist without you.”

  “We spent a lot of time last night discussing the pros and cons,” Xavier continued. “We can do this without Wraith, which puts us at a severe combat disadvantage, or we send you out to help the Coast Guard and risk your personal feelings clouding your judgment and putting us in danger.”

  “Wow, don’t hold back,” I muttered, my eyes darting from one team member to another as I took this all in.

  “We’re putting a lot of faith in you to keep your act together,” Doc pointed out. “But we would be foolish to not take advantage of Wraith since we have her.”

  “It would be,” I stated matter-of-factly. “She’s awesome.”

  Rosa rolled her eyes. Don’t make us regret this, she signed with a disdainful look on her face.

  “So, to answer your question,” Xavier continued, “we will split the teams. You, Doc, and Rosa take Hawthorne and Angie onboard the Wraith to help out the Coast Guard, while I will stay back and help Hawk and his team with their mission behind the fortress walls. With everything I have set up so far, I should be able to guide them through without a hitch.”

  “This sounds like a solid plan,” I thought aloud. “We just don’t know when it will happen.”

  “Reach out to Linda,” Doc added over the top of his beer bottle. “Give her a heads-up. Hawthorne, Angie, and Hawk and his guys will all be here by tomorrow. We will brief them on everything and be ready to go.”

  “I’m tracking the cartel activity,” Xavier assured me. “I’ll let you guys know as soon as I find something. In the meantime, be ready.”

  When our server arrived, I asked him to wrap up my meal to go. I’d eat the rest once I’d heard from Linda, confirmed she was alright, and was able to warn her about the imminent attack.

  29

  Linda

  When we pulled back into San Juan after the second bust, I was beyond exhausted and happy to be home. The DEA flooded our pier as we unloaded the evidence we had collected from the latest bust.

  Knowing that the cartel would have machine guns helped us out a ton. Watson ordered us to ensure the .50 cals were all set up outside, and we had sat in the dark in the early morning, waiting for the go-fast to pass the cutter. Luckily, it was lined up to pass right by us before the sun rose, and hidden by the cover of darkness, we were able to shoot out their engine before they even saw us. Stranded at sea, with all of our firepower facing them, they hadn’t even tried to fight. Watson and I had been incredibly nervous about this one, but it had been the easiest interception so far.

  I stepped past the DEA agents on the pier to find myself a modicum of privacy before calling Jake. When he didn’t answer, I left a message.

  “Hey, Jake, we just pulled into San Juan. We will be here overnight while the DEA collects everything, and we prep to go back out. I wanted to thank you for the information. It went flawlessly, and I’m fine. I hope things are good with you. Call me back.”

  I hung up the phone and stared out at the bay. There was a cruise ship in, and I was struck by the juxtaposition of the cruise ship full of cheerful vacationers next to the stacks of cocaine being unloaded onto the pier. I thought back to my recent conversation with Slade on the bridge and picked up my phone to make another call. I almost hung up when I heard the phone start to ring, but I willed myself not to.

  “Hello?” His voice was a bit muffled, but it was definitely Chris.

  “Hey, Chris!” I said cheerfully. “It’s Linda.”

  “Oh, hey, Linda!” he replied, sounding much more upbeat. “It’s been a while. How’ve you been?”

  “I’m doing great,” I replied. It was a bit of a stretch to say that, but he didn’t need details. “We actually just pulled in today, and I was wondering if you had any plans. I need a break from work, and I was hoping to do something exciting, try something new, you know…”

  There was a beat of silence on the other end, and then Chris responded. “Yeah, actually, I’ve been trying to get these guys out to the Bacardí factory, but they keep bailing on me. Do you want to go tonight?”
/>
  “Tonight?” I looked back at the chaos on the pier. I knew they’d clear it up quickly, and I hoped that I could slip out of here relatively soon. “I think I can do that. What time?”

  “I’ll pick you up at five,” he replied casually. “Text me your address.”

  “Will do!” I chirped before hanging up the phone.

  I turned to look up at the cutter and took a deep breath before crossing the brow back onto the boat. I worked my way over to Watson’s stateroom and found him walking out with a small bag.

  “You heading out?” I asked.

  “Yes, and I suggest you do the same,” he replied. “Driscoll is staying behind to oversee things, and Sanchez is on watch. They won’t need you unless you hang around and give them a reason to.”

  I smirked and gave Watson a curt nod before turning into my stateroom to collect my laundry and whatever else I wanted to take off the boat. With my bag slung over my shoulder, I made a quick exit off the boat and into my Jeep, taking off against the late morning sun.

  After I pulled into my garage, I checked my phone to find no missed calls from either Jake or my boat. Confident that they wouldn’t call me back into work by this point, I brought up my bag and took a shower. I spent a bit longer selecting the perfect outfit for this evening, opting for a flowy yellow sundress that fit snugly around my waist and offered a sweetheart neckline and thick straps that crisscrossed on my back. The thick black stitching along the edges allowed me to pair my black sandals with it, and I grabbed my small black purse to tie it all together. I left my hair loose, which was a nice change from the bun it was constantly in on the boat, and used a few pins to keep it off my face. Once I was ready to go, I unpacked my bag, put everything away, and threw in a load of laundry before making myself a cup of coffee. I took my mug out to the small balcony off my living room and looked out across the way.

  The building was on an angle, which allowed both myself and my neighbor to have a waterfront view, even if it meant we both had to turn our heads. I looked down at the traffic below and watched it run along the water. At this time of day, the traffic was pretty light, especially during a weekday.

  I thought back through everything I had been through so far. I had been here for a few months already, although it hadn’t seemed like it. Time was certainly flying by, and there was still so much of this island to see. I was glad to be going out tonight to try something new and to be with someone that was not involved with the Coast Guard or the cartels. I might actually be able to feel like a normal person for once.

  After a couple of cups of coffee and a finished load of laundry, I received a text from Chris.

  I’m here. Not sure where to park. Meet me downstairs?

  I smiled and grabbed my purse on the way out the door, taking a moment in the mirror to tuck a few haphazard curls into place.

  When I got downstairs, I saw a sleek black Dodge Challenger sitting out front. The passenger side window opened, and Chris leaned over from the driver’s seat.

  “Wow, you look stunning,” he gushed. He scrambled to get out of the car, but I already had my hand on the passenger door handle.

  “Don’t get out.” I laughed. “I’d rather struggle to get in here on my own than have you witness it!”

  Chris laughed and sat back in the driver’s seat as I slid into the car next to him. “That wasn’t so bad,” he said with a smirk. “Now, I feel inconsiderate.”

  “Nah, you’re good,” I said with a smile. “That wasn’t bad at all. Whose car is this?”

  “This belongs to Luke’s wife.” He ran the palms of his hands over the leather-wrapped steering wheel. “I’m surprised she let me borrow it, but Luke’s standing duty or something today, so I couldn’t borrow his car.”

  I had never met Luke Sanchez’s wife, but I had to admit she had excellent taste in vehicles. This car was gorgeous. The black leather interior was complemented by bright red stitching and red seat belts, and the large touchscreen showed the active navigation route ready to send us right to the Bacardí factory.

  “Well, it’s amazing. I wouldn’t have let anyone borrow this thing. She must trust you.”

  Chris laughed. “We’ve known each other since forever, so I’d hope so by now. Still, though, it’s a lot of pressure, being responsible for all of this.”

  Chris shifted into drive and slowly merged into traffic. I had to admire his restraint. He drove it well, never once revving the engine or accelerating any quicker than was necessary. He was definitely more careful than I would have been.

  When we arrived at the Bacardí factory, we turned in through the entryway, which was lined by two white concrete walls. Each wall sported gilded lettering that spelled out the word Bacardí, making for a very dramatic entrance. We pulled into the parking lot, and this time, Chris made it a point to hustle around to the passenger side to open my door for me and help me out.

  We walked over to a covered outdoor pavilion that had a bar to the right and a cashier to the left. Chris led me over to the cashier for our wristbands and a small vibrating pager, and then we headed over to the bar to await the start of our tour.

  “So, what kind of tour is this?” I asked as we walked across the pavilion. Chris had handed me a small token, and I flipped it over in my hand as I spoke.

  “It’s a mixology tour,” he replied with a grin as we sidled up to the bar.

  “A mixology tour?” I asked, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

  “Yeah, you know, they’re supposed to show us how to make drinks.” Chris shrugged.

  “Hmm.” I pursed my lips thoughtfully. “Should be interesting! So, what’s this for?” I flipped the coin in my hand.

  “That is for your free drink.” I turned to see the bartender that had sauntered up to us. He was tall, with sun-kissed skin and gelled-back dark hair.

  “We get free drinks?” I asked incredulously. This was a great start to a tour.

  “You do,” he replied with a warm smile as he swiveled a menu toward me. “Here are your selections. You can upgrade to the drinks on the bottom row as well if you’d like. You would just have to pay the difference.”

  I looked over at Chris as a mischievous grin split both of our faces. We handed over our coins and ordered our drinks, and the bartender got to work in front of us. He made the entire process look incredibly seamless. Once our drinks were in front of us, we scooped them up and clinked our glasses together.

  “So, what now?” I asked playfully.

  “Well, we can walk around, check out the area.” Chris shrugged as he glanced around the pavilion.

  “I bet we can catch some great photos back there.” I pointed to the back of the pavilion, where a long stretch of green grass led out to the water beyond it.

  “Let’s check it out.” He smiled and gestured for me to lead the way.

  We walked through the pavilion, where they had multiple sets of tables and chairs scattered throughout the floor, and out the back, where the sky opened up behind the palm trees. A nice breeze cut through from the water, and I had another moment of pure appreciation hit me. I live here.

  “Thanks for coming with me,” Chris said next to me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “Of course! It’s been on my list of places to go.” I took a healthy sip of my mojito. “Oh my god.”

  “What?” Chris’ head whipped around to face me.

  “This is the best damn mojito I’ve ever had,” I gushed as I took another sip.

  Chris took a tentative sip of his Cuba Libre before shrugging. “Tastes like a Cuba Libre,” he said with a grin after noticing my expectant face.

  I chuckled into my glass and turned back to face the water. “Seriously, though, thanks for inviting me.”

  “My pleasure,” he replied in a low voice as he followed my gaze out to the water. “I’ve wanted to come here since we got here, but we haven’t gotten around to it, and I got tired of waiting.”

  “Well, I’m glad we both get to do this together,” I
replied with a smile, looking over at him.

  He looked back at me and smiled warmly. “I’m glad you called me.” Suddenly, Chris jumped and then laughed as he pulled the pager out of his pocket.

  “I guess it’s time for the tour,” he said as he held it up for my benefit.

  I let out a sharp laugh. If the dancing lights were any indication of the vibration strength, I was not surprised that he jumped.

  We followed the crowd to a trolley car, where a man in a Bacardí Hawaiian shirt collected the pagers and ushered us into our seats. They were bench seats, and Chris and I sat in the far back. I noticed that Chris sat closer to me than was necessary since we were the only ones back there, but I didn’t mind at all. I stole a few furtive glances at him as I sipped on my cocktail, happy I had made myself call him earlier.

  The beginning of the tour gave us a bit of the history of the company, and then we were led into a room where we had our own individual bar setups. After we made our first drink, I realized that it may have been a rookie move to drive here. There was no way either of us would be able to drive after all of this.

  We made three drinks, and we drank all of them as we went, which made the entire experience a bit messy. The last drink that we made was the mojito. It was also the one that had the most ingredients and the highest number of steps, which didn’t seem wise to me. Chris and I fumbled through making each drink, creating a mess through the process and laughing through the entire thing. By the time we stumbled out of the room, we were giggling and holding each other up. The sun was setting, throwing splashes of red across the darkening sky.

  I stopped for a moment and looked up, appreciating the beauty surrounding us. I fumbled in my pocket for my phone.

  “What are you doing?” Chris asked huskily, his arm still slung around my waist.

  “Calling us a cab,” I suggested as I fished out my phone.

  “I can call my own?” he said into my ear. It sounded like a question.