Above Ground (34 page)

“Twice?”

“First time on Sunday when you found the money.”

Jack shrugged and said, “You helped me become a Mexican hero.”

“That was one favour. You saved two of my family. Then did it again yesterday. Figure I owe you three more favours.”

“Yesterday I wasn't alone,” replied Jack. “My partner was actually the one who found out where they were being kept.”

Damien nodded.

“How are you going to explain Vicki's injury?” asked Jack. “They'll know it's not fresh.”

“Accidentally chopped it off when she was backpacking in the wilderness. Was a two-day hike to get back out. Katie said she fell.”

“Their clothes aren't what you would call hiking clothes.”

“The docs know it's not true ... but they also know who we are. All they needed was an excuse to write down on some form. They're too afraid to call the police.”

“Good thing you didn't try and pull that stunt with Natasha.”

Damien grinned and said, “I know better. She'd probably slash my throat with a scalpel.”

“You find out the answers to my questions?” asked Jack, choosing to ignore the remark.

“Yeah, I did.”

Jack listened closely as Damien told him everything he had found out. He didn't mention how Leitch and Ray died. He summed it up by saying, “There are some details that are best left unsaid. If I was psychic, I might make a prediction that Leitch and Ray are deep-sea diving. Bet they remembered their weights but forgot their tanks.”

Jack gave Damien a long, hard stare. He realized he was holding his breath and slowly exhaled. He then asked, “So now what? You know Carlos is going to come after you.”

“Yeah, I know. But what was I supposed to do? By the time I figured out who Ray was, it was too late for apologies. Besides, Carlos was going to kill me anyway. He wanted me to make the last payment myself in Colombia. Once I did that, he would have whacked me and my family.”

“So what will you do? Take your family and hide? Carlos is not going to let this drop. Especially when he finds out ... what you did.”

“He already knows. I let Ray talk to him just before ... a certain procedure.”

“His revenge could be swift,” noted Jack. “He's already set up here laundering money through coffee companies. He'll have guys looking for you or anyone else you know.”

“I know. I don't know what to do. It's not like I'd ever get a chance to nail him first. All I wanted to do was save my family.”

“You're not the only one who wants Carlos. He made this personal for our side. I want him!”

Damien's thoughts were still on his own family and he said, “I've got guys guarding my house. I thought of moving everyone to some other country, but with Carlos's money and connections, it would probably be just a matter of time.”

“Witness protection program?”

“Fuck you. I'm not testifying on anything. I'd take my chances with Carlos first.”

“If I told you a way to get to Carlos, would you help?”

Damien eyed Jack suspiciously and then said, “Maybe. What are you thinking?”

“You would have to pretend to be my informant and —”

“Not a chance! I'm not being a rat to —”

“I said pretend! You won't say anything we don't already know or would find out.”

Damien looked at Jack curiously and then asked, “What's your plan?”

“It's really quite simple. There's another cartel in Colombia that rivals Carlos's. It's called the Ramirez cartel. With your connections, I bet if we were in Colombia, you could connect with that cartel in less than a week.”

“Diego Ramirez. He lives in Cali.”

“You've heard of him then?”

“I've been to his villa for dinner.”

“Perfect.”

Damien grunted and said, “His prices were a little steep.” He then glanced around and added, “But I guess, ultimately, not as steep as Carlos's.”

“Is Carlos based out of Cali too?”

Damien shook his head and said, “Nope. A small city called Buga. It's less than an hour's drive north of Cali.”

“Close enough,” said Jack thoughtfully.

“Close enough for what?”

Jack looked at Damien closely, then said, “Time for you to meet my partner, then we'll discuss strategy.”

“Fine by me. I want to shake O'Reilly's hand, too, for what you guys did last night.”

“O'Reilly's busy looking after his own family. My new partner is Laura Secord.”

Damien's face registered his surprise, then he said, “Jesus. A fucking broad?”

“A fucking broad? This is from someone who once told me that there could be a ‘certain degree of verisimilitude' to what I say? The same guy who asked why cops tend to ‘lard on the tough talk'?”

Damien stared at Jack but didn't respond.

“You sound like you think I'm one of the bozos who work for you!”

Damien frowned and said, “That's upsetting. I think you might have a point. Sometimes it's hard to think you're not just some guy from another chapter.”

“That kind of scares me,” said Jack, wondering if Danny was right.
How close am I to being one of the bad guys?

“You trust her? Your new partner?” asked Damien.

“She's the one who found your family last night. She's smart ... pragmatic. I trust her. Something I don't feel about too many people.”

“If Carlos finds out I'm in Colombia, he'll slowly skin me alive. I mean that literally.”

“Do you want Carlos or not?”

“It's either him or me. Do I really have a choice?”

“Then let's do it. Come on, I'll introduce you to Laura. Your life will be in her hands. I suggest you don't call her a ‘fucking broad'.”

Damien shook hands with Laura. The meeting was brief as Jack quickly reiterated what Damien had just told him. He then told them about his plan to trap Carlos.

When Damien left, Laura looked at Jack and said, “Find me a ladies' room. I shook hands with him. I know it's psychological, but I need to wash.”

“Likewise,” said Jack.

“Then your plan says we go to the office and lie to the people who are on our side?”

“Exactly,” said Jack.

“Oh, man...”

Anti-Drug Profiteering investigators arriving at work were greeted by Jack and Laura, who had called a meeting. Randy Otto from I-HIT also attended. They listened attentively as Jack and Laura described the Carlos cartel and outlined the Colombians' money-laundering activity orchestrated by Ray and Leitch through a chain of coffee shops.

Jack paused as different investigators hastily wrote notes, then he looked at Randy and said, “Yesterday, while I was being detained in the office, Laura did some checking and found several businesses and a warehouse that the Colombians have invested in.”

“I've made copies for all of you,” said Laura, sliding sheets of paper across the table.

“Laura and I met our informant early this morning,” said Jack. “Last night things went sideways. Leitch was skimming money that he shouldn't have. Our
informant says Leitch met with Ray last night and then disappeared.”

“The Colombians teaching Leitch a lesson?” asked Randy.

“Excellent guess,” replied Jack. “It shouldn't take long to verify. Find Ray and you may find Leitch. If all this is true, and I believe our informant is reliable, evidence of the money laundering is likely in Leitch's office or in a safety deposit box held by his secretary.”

“It won't take long to find out if Leitch is missing,” said Randy, checking his watch. “He should be at work by now. Someone toss me a phone book and I'll call his office.”

“I suggest everyone jump on this,” said Jack. “As soon as the Colombians know we're on to them, they'll head for the border.”

Randy quickly learned that Leitch had not shown up to work and had missed a scheduled meeting with a client that morning. His girlfriend reported that he hadn't come back to his apartment last night.

Four hours later, Leitch's secretary went to her bank and tearfully turned over records to ADP involving the laundering scheme. It didn't take them long to search the warehouse and several businesses. It was apparent that the Colombians had already fled.

Bloody bolt cutters with traces of human tissue, along with blood on sacks of coffee beans, were located at the warehouse. The investigators submitted the evidence for DNA examination and believed that Leitch had paid the ultimate sacrifice for his crime. Later the DNA was found not to match, but that did little to undermine the Colombians' violent reputation.

Elvis watched Laura as she quietly ate her dinner. Her eyes were distant and her face was without expression.

“Seems you did well today,” he said.

“Yeah, it tastes good,” she replied.

“I'm not talking about the chops
I
just cooked. I heard what you and Jack did at work today.”

The focus returned to her eyes. She leaned back in her chair and asked, “What do you mean? What did you hear?”

“I was talking to someone in ADP. Heard they've frozen $2.4 million in Colombian drug money. Not bad for your ... second official day at work.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, it's a good start.”

Elvis noticed that Laura's eyes returned to some distant view. A view that he wanted to see.

“Menu?” asked Holly, while pouring Jack a cup of coffee.

“No, thanks. Just on my way home for supper. Natasha's expecting me.”

“You just pop in to say hi?”

“Came to ask you a question.”

Holly took a seat in the booth across from him and said, “Go ahead.”

“Do you believe in capital punishment?”

It was a question Holly hadn't expected, and the surprise registered on her face. “I never really thought about it before, but ... yes, I believe in it now. Why? It doesn't really matter. Even if you catch the guys, it's not done here.”

“People don't always know what is done and what isn't.” Jack reached in his pocket and took out a twenty-dollar bill and said, “Remember this?”

“That the same one?”

Jack nodded.

“I told you I wouldn't accept it until you caught the guys.”

Jack nodded, stood up, tossed some coins on the table, and said, “This is for the coffee.” He then ripped the twenty-dollar bill in half and dropped one piece on the table. “I'm working on the second half. Appreciate it if you keep this between the two of us.”

Holly sat in a stunned silence as he walked away.

The following day, Isaac summoned both Jack and Laura into his office and gestured for them to take a seat.

Isaac smiled and said, “I've been apprised by ADP and I-HIT about the intelligence you two gathered this week. A lot of money and assets have already been frozen. It would appear that you're responsible for destroying a major organized crime family before they could get too established. Well done!”

“Thank you, sir,” said Jack and Laura in unison.

“However,” said Isaac, “there are still a few loose ends. For one, that lawyer is still missing and presumed murdered. For another, when it comes to the Colombians, it is obvious that none of the main players have been apprehended.”

“I warned our units that they would likely flee for the border once the investigation started,” said Jack. “Unfortunate, but not really anyone's fault. I think the Colombians took that precaution after Leitch was kidnapped.”

“Your informant in this matter, is it the same person you cultivated last year with O'Reilly?”

“No, sir. This one just came on board yesterday,
but obviously his information is proving to be both valuable and accurate.”

“Obviously,” said Isaac. “Who is it?”

Jack paused to take a deep breath and slowly exhaled before saying, “It's the national president of Satans Wrath.”