The Chase (26 page)

“T
he legendary Bat Masterson never entered my mind.” Ryan pushed the Up elevator button. “Makes me feel stupid.”

“I’m right there with you.” Tigo motioned to him about approaching agents. “Yet ‘Bat’ could be either Bates or Masterson.”

“Let’s camp on Masterson being the man Jo-Jack told us about. If the Arroyos believe he’s charging too much for guns and ammo, his days are numbered. I bet they’re looking for another supplier, and we’ll fit the bill tonight.”

“Then there’s Arnold Bates,” Tigo said as the elevator opened. “But I’m thinking he might be pushing Masterson out of the game. Working with the Arroyos to cut them a deal. He could lower the price, give the gang a better deal, and still make money.”

“One of them is tipping us off about transports. Let’s hope we find out more tonight. I’m ready now.”

Tigo chuckled. He’d been thinking about this meeting with Cheeky for months. Everything was in place.

Kariss ate a Caesar salad at her desk. She could be working at home, fine-tuning her first chapter and working on the next one, but this office held an alluring fascination. The main reason why she stayed was to listen to agents’ conversations. While she typed away in her cubicle, lingered in the break room, or studied the squad board, she learned their opinions, their methods of approaching cases, and their moods.

Her phone rang shortly after one o’clock. A quick glance showed the number was Gilberto’s. Probably Xavier.

“Good afternoon, Kariss, I have great news.” Xavier’s excitement spilled into his voice.

Her stomach did a little flip. “Have you located Delores?”

“I’m a lot closer. My friend says he knows where her boyfriend will be tonight. He’s meeting with some of his friends near an apartment complex. She might be with him. I have the address and the time.”

“So you’re going to approach this man while he’s with friends? That sounds dangerous.”

“I have to take the chance.”

“Delores isn’t stupid. She must know the nursing home is being watched, or she’d have returned to see her grandmother and been picked up.”

“If we wait, she could run where we’d never find her … or Benita’s little brother or sister.”

Why did he have to say
we
? “I’m assuming the address is in your part of town.”

“Yes, about fifteen minutes from Gilberto’s.”

“He’s going with you, right?”

“He refuses. Says I’m a fool. I told him if I can find Delores tonight, the FBI would be happy, and I can find out what happened to both of my children.”

Kariss had seen enough trouble over the past several weeks, and she feared Xavier was walking into more of the same. “Is Delores’s boyfriend a gang member?”

“I don’t know. I think my friend would have told me.”

“Is your friend involved in a gang?”

“No. But he’s thinking about it.”

Later she’d talk to Xavier about staying away from his new friend. “Why don’t you get a couple of agents to go with you?”

“I’m afraid they’d scare away the people I need to see.”

That much was true. “Do you have a gun?” The words tumbled out before she thought them through.

“No. But I think I need one. Do you have one?”

“Yes.”

“Can I borrow it?”

“Xavier, handing over my gun to you is against the law.”

“Then come with me.”

“How would I pass for Hispanic?”

“It’ll be dark.”

“I can’t do it, Xavier. Your part of town doesn’t like white skin. I’ve already been shot, remember?”

“True. I’ll call you when I learn something.”

“How can I talk you out of this?”

“You can’t. I have to try.”

Could she pass for Hispanic? She had light olive-colored skin. “How long do you think this will take?”

“Not long.”

“Can’t this wait until I discuss the situation with Tigo and Ryan? They know how to apprehend people.”

“You are the only one who can help me, the only one who seems to understand the importance of a child’s life. Why don’t you come? If anyone asks, I’ll say you’re with me.”

Kariss glanced around her, knowing she should back away. But if she didn’t go, Xavier would go alone and he might need help. If she accompanied him, the possibility of danger existed. She rubbed her lower back.

“What are you going to do?” Xavier said.

How could she send him into a lion’s den without help? “What time should I pick you up?”

L
ate Monday afternoon, Tigo and Ryan completed every detail for the night’s meeting with Cheeky. They shared an early dinner and drove back to the office to work until it was time to slip into disguise. Operation Wasp was under way. Tigo sensed the adrenaline bumping against the sides of his veins.

Tigo alerted Natalie of his late arrival, possibly into the wee hours of the morning after her shift changed. Due to his lack of phone access, he referred the nurses to his mother’s priest and hoped that precautionary step wasn’t needed.

In his work space, he turned his attention to Cherished Doe and the reports highlighting the search for Benita’s mother. Gathering up the file, he walked to Ryan’s work area. “We’re coming up with nothing on finding Delores Olvera. She’s either back in Mexico or hiding out or dead.”

“I’m guessing the director of her grandmother’s nursing home warned her before we positioned agents.”

“I should have asked Kariss and Xavier to stay put until we had agents in place.” He hated being inept. “I bet the director phoned Delores while Kariss talked to me in the parking lot. Think about it. Delores might have sent the man who shot Kariss.”

“Why not get rid of Xavier too?”

Tigo shrugged. “Maybe she has an ounce of decency left and doesn’t want to see him hurt.” He considered Delores’s MO. “She’s a strong suspect here, and the fact she took money from him for five years doesn’t make her look innocent.”

“True. The idea of her getting away with killing her own child keeps me working on it.” Ryan’s frustration echoed Tigo’s. “I understand Xavier’s and Gilberto’s bitterness.”

Tigo leafed through the file. “I’ve been thinking about the interviews with Gilberto. Remember he saw Delores with a ‘bad man.’ Why did he say he was bad? By the way he looked? Did the man have a police record? Gang markings?”

“Or did he think the man was bad because he was with Xavier’s wife?”

“One way to find out.” Tigo picked up his phone and pressed in Gilberto’s number. “Xavier said Delores had done some bad things and had boyfriends. I’d like him to explain his definition of the word ‘bad.’ “

Gilberto responded on the third ring. Tigo greeted him and posed the questions.

“The man with Delores was part of a gang,” Gilberto said. “Arroyo markings. I didn’t say to her what I wanted that day because I knew he’d kill me. She didn’t have any of the female Arroyo tattoos. As much as I despise her, I can’t imagine her going through with the initiation.”

Tigo understood. Women who wanted to be a part of the gang were sexed-in, beaten, or suffered whatever means the gang devised that involved pain and terror. “Do you know his name?”

“No. Haven’t seen him or Delores since then.”

“Do you remember anything about him that could help us run a face recognition?”

“Typical Arroyo. He talked with a lisp, but that doesn’t help you.”

Tigo remembered the call he received from Candy’s phone. That man had spoken with a lisp too. He had to be stupid not to think his impairment wouldn’t tie criminal activities to him. “Thanks. She’s running with a rough crowd. Is that why Xavier said she’d done some bad things?”

“My brother’s angry and hurt. He doesn’t sleep at night — always thinking about the past and weighing things she told him. When he learned about Delores visiting her grandmother, he became more obsessed. Always he remembers her lies.”

“What kind of lies?”

“Oh, she’d tell him she was going to see her grandmother, but she’d stay out all night. Always an excuse. When she returned with alcohol on her breath, she’d say she had a drink at her grandmother’s. The problem was her grandmother’s old, and her mind wasn’t good. No easy way for him to check up on his wife. Now he knows Delores lied to him.”

“Where is Xavier now? I’d like to talk to him about the danger of searching for her when she’s been seen with an Arroyo.”

“I wish I knew. He left with Miss Walker about thirty minutes ago. They were going to talk about some lead he has on Delores. I told him it was stupid, but he says she has a gun.”

Tigo’s temples pounded. What was she thinking? “You’re right. They could get themselves killed.” How many times had he uttered that phrase to Kariss? Did she have to flatline to get the message? “If you hear from them, please contact me.”

Tigo wanted to throw his phone.

“What’s going on?” Ryan’s voice jolted him out of his fear — and worry.

“Kariss and Xavier are out somewhere talking about Delores. He thinks he has a lead. And she has a gun.”

“Is she nuts? Call her. Her CHL hasn’t been approved, and what she’s doing is illegal.”

Tigo pressed in Kariss’s number and waited until her voice mail responded with a generic message. “Kariss, this is Tigo. I need to talk to you now. Stay away from the southeast part of town. We have reason to believe that Delores may be mixed up with an Arroyo.” He turned to Ryan. “Not a thing we can do except wait for her to call. Those two are going to end up dead if we don’t find a way to stop them.”

“What makes you think Delores is mixed up with an Arroyo?”

“The man Gilberto saw Delores with was one of them. That was three years ago, but she could still be with him. Could be the same man who called me using Candy’s phone. Both had a lisp.”

“What drives Kariss to help Xavier?”

“I know exactly why.” Tigo stared into the face of his friend. “When I researched her background, I learned that when she was in college, she worked summers at a day care. There was a fire, and she tried to save a toddler. Both suffered from smoke inhalation, but the child died. The part of Kariss that walked through fire to save a child has never changed.”

“Now I understand why she was so determined about finding Cherished Doe.”

“I should have addressed it. Thought she might bring it up.”

“Can’t blame yourself, Tigo. She makes her own decisions. Hopefully she’ll call before we have to leave.”

“We won’t be answering any calls after we leave here tonight. When I see her again, I’m going to lock her inside that fancy condo and keep the key.” That was after he made sure she was alive.

K
ariss gripped her 9mm as though it were her best friend and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. Darkness shadowed her and Xavier as they walked between dilapidated apartments toward a deserted building that held no lights. Angry voices emerged sporadically from the residents. A scream. A child cried. Latino music beat to the steady strum of a Spanish guitar. The smells of poverty and desperation lingered. Oh, she wished Tigo was with her instead of Xavier. She’d made a foolish decision to come here, especially since she couldn’t pass as Hispanic in an area where she could get her throat cut … like Candy. She’d probably seen her last sunset. The gun in her trembling hands was not metal courage. In fact, she’d broken the law by bringing it.

Xavier believed Delores lived in this crime-seeped, roach-infested apartment complex that should have been condemned a decade ago. He had a lead on a man by the name of Tiny who was supposedly Delores’s boyfriend.

Kariss should have warned Xavier about lowlifes here going by different names. Tiny was probably the size of a giant. She should have researched the name, seen if he had a record.

Nothing good could ever come from this section of town.

“Xavier,” she whispered. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t like the looks of this area. If Delores lives here, we can find her in the daylight.” And bring reinforcements.

“You go back to the car if you’re scared. I’ve come this far, and I’m not turning back.”

She had the gun, and if she left him, he could be hurt. “What makes you think you have the right address?”

“My friend said Tiny would be at this place tonight, and he’s expecting me. I’m hoping he can tell me where to find Delores or if he knows about my child.”

“What has this man done for you to trust him?” She knew she’d lost her mind, yet still she continued on with Xavier. Why … why had she let this go so far?

“He’s a good friend. He knows what finding Delores means to me. His wife left him and took their three kids. He hurts too. If I need money, he’ll hook me up with the right people.”

“Are you crazy? He’s probably into drugs or something.” She tugged on Xavier’s shirt. “Have you dragged me into a nest of drug dealers?”

“Don’t worry. I told my friend I wasn’t interested. All I want is to find my child.”

“We’re going to get killed.” Logic twisted at her heart. “This is it. I’m leaving. You can come with me or stay here. I’ve been a complete idiot. You can call Gilberto to pick you up.” She whirled around.

“Tu no vas a ningun lado.”
The low Spanish voice telling her she wasn’t going anywhere wrapped a noose around her heart. “You want to see Tiny. We take you to see him.” The man ripped the gun from her hands and yanked her purse from her shoulder. His hand dug into the upper part of her arm where the bullet had grazed her. She cried out.

“You escaped us too many times. No more.”

In the dripping heat a chill raced up her spine. In that moment all of her fears — the ones that robbed her sleep and the ones she discarded — had come true. They were going to die.

She’d come to her senses too late. Xavier’s friend had set them up. These men must be Arroyos, but she couldn’t tell in the dark. Surely Xavier had not done this on purpose … Would he have sold her out for information about Delores and his child?

The truth paralyzed her senses. Yes, he would. His child meant more to him than anything on this earth.

Tigo had no idea where she’d gone. She’d turned off her phone and hadn’t checked messages for hours.

Calm down. Think. She had money. People in gangs could be reasoned with, and money was the key. But did she have enough to satisfy them?

“I’m not interested in seeing Tiny.” Her voice cracked.

“Too bad.”

“I think you have me mistaken for someone else.”

“Shut up.”

“Can you let her go?” Xavier’s firm voice soothed her. “It was my idea to bring her. She’s only trying to help me find my child.”

Thank you, Xavier. At least she’d go to her grave knowing he hadn’t betrayed her.

The man shoved Xavier to the parking lot pavement. “One more word out of either of you, and you’re both dead.”

Did God still know her name? Was she ready? She’d become a Christian when she was ten years old, and she understood what it meant. But life had thrown too many wrenches.

God, I don’t deserve mercy, but please help us.

Three men pushed Xavier and Kariss between the apartment buildings toward the parking lot. What few people were outside didn’t question what was happening. As though they didn’t care. Her legs felt like lead, as if they carried her to certain death. Could this be another nightmare and soon she’d awaken? She hoped so.

Or was the impending doom a product of her own stupidity?

They crossed the parking lot and went down a black alley. When they reached a darkened building, the men shoved her and Xavier along the left side and to the rear. A man opened a door and ordered them inside. For the first time, she caught a glimpse of their captors.

Crossbones.

Arroyos.

Just as she feared.

Just as she knew.

The low hum of a voice met her ears, along with a laugh. She stole a look at Xavier, who displayed no emotion. Was this type of treatment what he expected? After all, he lived in Mexico where cartels had taken over much of the country. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk sense into these men.

They walked down a narrow concrete hallway to an open area where nothing but a few chairs remained. In the dim lighting, four Arroyos stood behind one man, the obvious leader. She couldn’t see his face. No women were there, and the knowledge of what these men could and would do crept over her.

Two white men dressed in suits talked to the one who stood out from the other Arroyos. The businessman doing the talking was older, gray haired, with beard and mustache and glasses. The one behind him looked younger, with light-brown hair. What good did it do to memorize facial details? She wouldn’t live to give Tigo the information.

“We’re ready to do business,” the Arroyo leader said in Spanish.

“I can supply a shipment in seven days. Are you ready to deal?”

The businessman spoke with a Spanish accent. What were the two men selling? Drugs? Guns?

“Yes. Where do we make the trade?”

“I’ll let you know next Monday.”

“How do we know you can be trusted?”

The businessman laughed. “I’m no fool. You’ve checked out my credentials just like I’ve checked out your method of doing business. I’m selling my guns and ammo cheaper than your current supplier. I should ask for a deposit, but not this first time. If anything goes wrong, my price goes up.” He glanced at Kariss and Xavier. “Who are these people? This was supposed to be a private meeting.”

The second businessman pulled a handgun. Another firefight? Kariss sucked in a breath.

“I see you delivered what I asked for,” the leader said to the men holding Kariss and Xavier. “Been looking too long for the pretty lady.”

“It was easy. Found both of them outside. Said they were looking for Tiny. Just like my man said. Fell right into our plan.” The man behind her pushed her forward. Another did the same to Xavier. He’d been lied to by a man he called friend.

“So you want Tiny? He’s dead. Shot at a hospital where you were working with cops.”

“I’m not a cop,” Xavier said, maintaining his stoic composure.

“But she is.” The leader pointed to Kariss. “You witnessed a shooting, and one of ours was killed. That was a bad mistake.” The leader eyed Xavier. “I heard you wanted to talk to me about a woman. What do you want?”

Xavier took a step forward. “I’m looking for Delores Olvera.”

He laughed low and guttural. “I heard you might want a job, heh?”

“No. I want to find Delores.”

“Why should I help you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Kariss studied the leader. She’d seen his face on the squad board. He had high cheekbones and a mass of acne scars. A deep dimple sunk into his left cheek. Cheeky Lopez.

“I don’t give anything away. You want to know about Delores, then you do business with me. I give the orders.”

“I’m looking for my child. Delores is the mother. The child is four years old, almost five.”

“Hmm. Boy or girl?”

The last question ground at Kariss’s heart. The poor man had no idea.

“I don’t know.”

Cheeky smirked. “Are you stupid?”

“I was deported before the child was born.” Xavier spoke like a man in control. Even in the depths of danger, she mustered respect for the simple man who desperately wanted to find his child.

“Like I said. You’re stupid. Maybe she killed it. Told me she killed the other one. Too much trouble.”

Xavier clenched his fists. “Maybe she did.”

“We’ll talk later. You help me. I help you. First I need to take care of the pretty lady.”

Kariss shivered, digesting every word.

“She’s a friend helping me find my child.”

“She’s been using you. I said she’s a cop.”

Xavier’s eyes flew to Kariss then back to Cheeky. “I don’t know anything about that.”

Cheeky walked to Kariss, his boots resounding on the concrete floor. He grabbed her jaw and squeezed. “You won’t leave here alive.”

“That’s right.” The businessman strode up beside Cheeky. “I know who she is. Sent one of my men to prison. Tried to bring an indictment against my law firm. She’s FBI.”

“No. You’re mistaken.” Desperation had sunk to the bottom of her soul. She had no idea what the businessman was talking about. “I’m not
policía
… FBI.” She nearly choked on the acid rising in her throat.

“Ah, that’s why she was at the hospital,” Cheeky said. “Check her for a wire. Make sure she didn’t bring any friends. Get her phone.”

“Look through my purse.” Desperation made her physically ill. “Nothing’s there to show I work for the FBI.”

The Arroyo nearest her tossed her purse to another man, then he searched her. His hands slid over her body, embarrassing and frightening her. When nothing was found he slapped her.

Cheeky turned to the businessman. “Want to do the honors?”

“I do.”

She gasped, her knees weakening along with any resemblance of courage.

Cheeky stepped back, and the business man pulled a gun from inside his suit coat and aimed.

“Please. You’re wrong. I’m just here to help Xavier find his child.”

“And to our good fortune,” the businessman said.

Reality pounded into her nightmarish situation. She couldn’t call on God again after leaving Him behind with all the things she’d done …

Please.

Xavier protested. Then he tried to stand between her and the shooter. Cheeky smirked and pushed him to the floor beside her.

The businessman lifted his gun.

Narrowed his eyes.

Then drew it back. “I have a better idea.”

Cheeky swore. “You haven’t the guts to kill her?”

The businessman stared at Cheeky, his eyes narrowed and evil. “No one lives who accuses me of being a coward.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I want a little … shall I say, entertainment from our FBI friend. As a part of our little agreement I’ll return her to you when we conduct our transaction. Unless she angers me. Then I might have to get rid of her myself.”

“She’s cost me time and money. Chop her up and send her to the FBI as a warning. I’d rather see her blood run now.”

“You don’t trust me, Cheeky? I’m supplying you with 250 AK-47s for two hundred and forty grand, and you don’t trust me to deliver this piece of trash or kill her myself?”

“I have people watching.”

“So do I. Would you like a few more references?”

Cheeky hesitated, then nodded. “I’m fine. Just bring her with the guns.”

The businessman smiled. “Be on time with the money, and I’ll count every cent of it before you receive one rifle.”

Kariss sucked in a breath. Time … this horrendous exchange of money, guns, and her blood had bought seven days for her to figure out how to survive.

The businessman replaced his gun and shook Cheeky’s hand. “Deal. Don’t let me down. The Skulls would like my business too. But you impressed me with your operation.”