Ready to Kill (20 page)

CHAPTER 23

“Estefan, I think she sees your headlights. Go ahead and kill them a little early.”

“Copy. How’s my speed?”

“You’re looking good. She’s on the move. Keep going.”

Estefan slowed a little. He didn’t want to wreck his suspension. The low half-moon gave him enough light to see the overall width and direction of the road but not its neglected surface. Considering the size of this town, he thought the road ought to be in better shape. He supposed getting FOMAV out here to make a few passes with a road grader was like expecting to find a short line at the unemployment office.

Rolling into the center of town, he saw no sign of the girl. On the same side of the street as the Perezes’ store and Mateo’s house, the motel stood about one hundred yards farther north. Estefan had stayed there a few times over the years. You didn’t have to pay extra for clean sheets, but every room was multiple occupancy: one human and lots of cockroaches. It was a simple rectangular building with a hip roof. All the doors faced the street. Small windows on its rear wall allowed air to flow through. The owner would be grateful for his business, even if it meant getting up at 0100.

“Where’s the girl?” Estefan asked.

“She left the pay phone in a hurry and went across the street to the tavern. I lost sight of her behind the building.”

“She should be able to see my truck by now, even with the lights off.”

“She can hear it coming for sure. Park behind the motel to keep the ruse going. Don’t forget to remove your face paint before you check in.”

“I already did. There’s nothing I can do about my combat uniform; walking into the place in my underwear isn’t a good option.”

“I don’t know. You might get a package discount.”

“Very funny. I’m the one in the shit down here.”

“You never had a chance to look around the church. When we saw the girl, our plans changed. You took her out to the river.”

“You want me to check it out before I head over to the lumber mill?”

“Hold off, I’ve got another idea. Let’s see what Antonia does after she watches you check into the motel.”

Driving past the tavern, Estefan felt the girl’s surveillance, but he avoided looking in her direction. He pulled into the gravel lot behind the motel and parked next to some rusty cars that looked like they hadn’t moved in years. After locking his truck, he walked around the corner to the office, making sure to look over his shoulder a few times. If Antonia were lurking at the tavern, she’d hidden herself well. He pressed the doorbell and heard a muffled chime. Half a minute later, he faked pressing it again and leaned in toward the door, pretending to listen. He was actually stealing a glance toward the tavern, but its north wall created deep shadows, and he saw no sign of the girl. As he turned his head, he caught the odor of a cigarette in the light wind coming from the southwest. She was definitely over there somewhere.

Antonia took a hit from her cigarette and helplessly watched the smoke drift toward the motel. She immediately put it out and hoped the guy wouldn’t smell it. She should’ve tossed it when she’d first heard his truck coming. There was no recovering from this mistake; the smoke was on its way. She was about to relocate when a light came on inside the motel office. A few seconds later, Mr. Fernandez opened the door and waved the guy inside. The timing was perfect. She’d head up the street to the gas station. Although the tavern offered a decent view of the motel, the gas station was directly across the street. She’d be able to count doors and tell Franco the exact room number.

She ran north along the dirt alley paralleling the road and angled across a vacant lot. A glance to her right confirmed the light was still on in the motel’s office. The gas-pump island offered an ideal place to hide. The pumps were big enough to screen her entire body, and the old convenience store blocked the moonlight. He’d never see her.

Nathan saw the girl reemerge on the north side of the tavern. “She’s on the move again. She just ran up the street to the gas station. She’s hiding behind the pumps. It looks like there’s a clear line of sight from there to the motel room doors. I’ll let Estefan know where she is once he enters his room.” He watched for a moment, then saw Estefan leave the motel’s office and head down the walkway lined with doors. After he lost sight of Estefan, he pressed the transmit button a couple of times, making Estefan’s radio click in his pocket. He didn’t want to say anything, because he didn’t know if the motel room’s window was open.

“Copy. I’m here.”

“Antonia’s across the street hiding behind the gas pumps. Pull the curtain and turn on a light. We want her to think you’re settling in for the night.”

“It’s like an oven in here. I’ve gotta open the windows. I’ll turn my radio down to a whisper. She’ll never hear it from across the street.”

Even with the curtains pulled, Nathan’s scope registered a tiny amount of bleed light escaping the room onto the gravel. “Is there a rear window?”

“Yes, it’s next to the bathroom, but it’s fogged glass. There aren’t any curtains.”

“Does it open? Can you get through it?”

“Yeah, it opens. It’ll be tight, but I can get through.”

“Okay, sit tight for now. I have a feeling Antonia’s next move is to the pay phone to report your room number. Wire up your radio, and be ready to move out.”

“Should I leave the light on when I leave? There’s no TV in here.”

“No, turn it off when you leave, but keep it on for now.”

This place is stark
, thought Estefan. It looked clean enough, but all it contained was a bunk bed and a nightstand. The only place to sit other than the floor was the bed. The horrid purple carpet had been worn through in a triangular pattern between the door, the bed, and the bathroom. He supposed this room served its purpose. He’d been in worse, but this one ranked in the top five. At least the nightstand drawer contained a Bible.

Check-in had gone quickly. Estefan hadn’t recognized the young man handling night-shift duties, but he’d opened the office, taken Estefan’s money, and given him a room key without complaint.

Already a sheen of perspiration had formed on his face. Time to get out. He radioed Nathan to confirm he was leaving.

“Okay. On second thought, leave the light on. Do you have any cover behind the motel when you climb out?”

“Not really. My pickup is back there with some other cars, but if anyone’s watching, they’ll see me for sure. I’ll be a silhouette in the bathroom window.”

“Well, it seems unlikely that anyone but Antonia’s out there, and she’s in front. Harv has eyes on the lumber mill. Should be low risk. We’ll keep eyes on the girl and let you know if she heads for the phone. Go ahead and slip out the back window, but hold position near your truck.”

Estefan clicked his radio in response and reached for the rear window.

“There are a few lights on at the lumber mill and ore-processing plant,” Harv told Nathan, “but I don’t see any activity.”

“If Raven’s men are going to ambush Estefan, they’ll need his room number.”

“And they won’t have it until Antonia relays that to Raven.”

“Right. I need a break,” Nathan said. “Alternate eyes between the tavern and lumber mill.”

“You got it.”

Nathan secured his M40 rifle, walked a few steps away, and stretched his arms over his head. He bent at the waist a couple of times and twisted his torso. “Maybe we should pick an SP overlooking the front of the motel, not the helipad and lumber mill.”

“That would mean relocating to the west, across the river on an east-facing slope.”

Nathan nodded. “That will take at least twenty minutes. I have a feeling Antonia will be on the move before that. Let’s stay put for now. We’re zeroed from this SP. I think we’re good.”

“If things turn ugly down there, Raven’s men will probably disable Estefan’s truck. Unless we steal a vehicle, we’ll be looking at a long hump back to our extraction point.”

“You’re raining on our parade, Harv.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to think everything through.”

“Unless Macanas can mobilize dozens of men to canvass the entire area, we’ll get back to our EP okay.”

“What about Estefan?” Harv asked. “Assuming we kill Raven, Macanas won’t be real happy about it. Estefan won’t want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.”

“You’re making it rain harder.”

“I know, but seriously, if we kill Raven, I don’t see how Estefan could stay in Nicaragua with Macanas still in the picture.”

“There’s no way we’re going after Macanas,” Nathan said. “We made it perfectly clear to Estefan. We said we’d help him with a surgical strike against Raven, and that’s the end of our involvement.”

“Agreed, but I don’t think Estefan’s thought all of this through.”

“We may have to pull some strings and get him a new life in the US.”

“Think he’ll want to do that?”

Nathan sat back down and shouldered his weapon. “I have no idea.”

“We could offer him a job.”

“Yeah, we could. He’s more than qualified. I’m on the tavern. Switch back to the lumber mill.”

“Do you think Estefan’s hell-bent on killing Raven?”

“It sounds like it. Why do you ask?”

Harv didn’t answer right away. Nathan gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

“If we take Raven alive, he could cut a deal with the Nicaraguan authorities and put Macanas behind bars.”

“That’s an interesting idea, but it’s going to be ten times harder taking him alive than killing him. And you assume the Nicaraguan justice system is ready and raring to go to prosecute Macanas. I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. If the opportunity presents itself to bag him alive, we’ll let Estefan decide. Estefan knows Raven’s just the trigger man. The true source of his father’s murder is Macanas.”

“Are you saying we let Estefan decide if Raven lives or dies? I’m not sure that will sit right with me, and I know it won’t sit right with you, especially if he chooses death.”

“You’re right,” Nathan said. “It won’t. We’re not killing Raven if he’s out of the fight and in our custody. And we aren’t looking the other way while Estefan does it. There will be no summary executions on our watch.”