Deadly Journey (35 page)

Chapter 61

Slight Detour

When I looked at
the satellite view on Google Maps, the RV was intact and there was no gray Ford
parked alongside it on the old image. Scrolling a short distance west from the
RV, I saw the shadow of a wind turbine come into view, and then the turbine
itself surrounded by a picket fence. Zooming out, I traced my finger south
through the forecourt of a gas station, across the border road and over the
fence.

‘There it is. That’s what I’m looking for.’

‘And what’s that?’ Pedro asked.

‘There, that small industrial complex south
of the border.’ I zoomed out further. ‘See that wind generator, that’s the
entrance to the drug-smuggling tunnel and that’s the RV where they held me
before sending me under the border. I don’t remember any bends in the tunnel,
so I figure that building is the exit point.’

My finger stabbed at the screen.

‘Well done,’ said Pedro, giving me a round
of mock applause. ‘What good will that do you?’

‘I’m not sure yet, but it’s more than I
knew five minutes ago.’ I panned out to gain a wider image. ‘I figure it’s an
hour’s drive from El Paso.’ I scrolled over to the east and down. ‘There we
are, that’s where we are, and there’s Ciudad Juárez. How long do you think it
would take to get to the industrial complex?’

‘Around one and a half hours if we cut
through the back roads. Why the hell do you feel a need to go there?’ he asked.

‘We may not have to, but I have an idea.’

‘Yeah, well, let me give you a better idea.
Leandra has some packed meals in the back of the SUV. Let’s eat and then be on
our way and forget the tunnel.’

‘Great idea,’ said Leandra, and sliding her
backside off the mattress, she headed outside.

Pedro kept his scowl together with his eyes
glancing in my direction. ‘Come on, what are you scheming?’ he asked.

‘I can’t go ahead without trying something.
I promise if it doesn’t work when I’ve made a few phone calls, I’ll forget what
I have in mind and we can move on. But if I go, you can watch Leandra and if I
don’t come back, you can set off without me.’

‘No one is watching anyone and there’s no
way you’re going anywhere on your own,’ Leandra said as she breezed into the
bedroom. ‘Look what happened last time. We’re here together and we stick
together. Now explain what’s on your mind.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ I saluted Leandra.

‘I’m listening,’ said Pedro.

I ran through what was on my mind.

‘That’s stupid,’ Pedro said. ‘How do you
know if you arrange to meet, your friend won’t set you up for a fall and have
the authorities waiting to pick you up?’

‘I don’t, but that’s where you come in, if
you’ll watch my back? I think I know where Rob is coming from better than
anyone. I doubt he’ll contact the authorities.’

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Leandra
asked as she set the Tupperware on the mattress.

‘I’m sure.’

Pedro punched his hand in frustration. ‘Damn
you, Kurt. Leandra, just tell him no.’

‘I can’t. I can understand he needs to know
what’s happening, although I don’t agree with giving Rob the computer.’

‘You’ve got to trust me on this.’

Leandra held her hands in the air in
surrender.

‘Okay, but we need to study that Google
image and make sure we have a getaway plan,’ Pedro said.

‘Right, while you two do that, I’ll go
outside where there’s a better signal and make the calls. If nothing comes of
it, then fair enough, we’ll be on our way.’

Stepping outside the patio door, I took a
deep breath. Fishing in my pocket, I took out a piece of paper with scribbled
phone numbers and dialled Rob’s new cell phone number.

‘Rob, it’s Kurt.’

‘Kurt, thank goodness you called. I have a
lot to tell you.’

‘You should have told me about Mary before.’

‘Oh, that, sorry. I just couldn’t bring
myself to break the bad news, what with the court injunction preventing you
from you seeing the kids and all. How are you holding up? Do you have a message
for her?’

‘Tell her thanks. I’ll survive.’

‘Where are you calling me from? That’s a
cell phone number on my screen.’

‘I’ve broken out of prison.’

‘What? Did I hear that right?’

‘You heard, I’m on the outside. What have
you found out?’

‘Oh, Jesus, you’re putting me on the spot.
Found out, right, well, yeah. Where to begin. I got some good intel to put you
in the clear for north of the border. It all just needs to be corroborated.
I’ve also found some interesting things in Walters’ background from his days in
Black Ops. He’s still in Mexico. I hear he’s met up with one of his informants
from MS-13. He’s really pissed at your attorney having Perez’s computer.’

“Listen, if this is going to take forever,
we should meet up. Where are you?’

‘Ciudad Juárez. I’ve just finished a
meeting here. Did you find your girl with the computer?’

‘Yeah, I have it. Can you meet me in three
hours?’

‘Where?’

‘It’s not far. Maybe an hour’s drive from
where you are. I have the computer for you and you can tell me how you’re
progressing at the same time.’

‘Have you checked out what’s on the
computer?’

‘No, there’s too much data. I’ll leave all
that to you. Besides, the battery is almost done.’

‘Damn, Kurt. Don’t go getting pulled over.’

‘Don’t worry, once bitten and all that.’

‘Give me the details and I’ll be there.’

I gave him all the details, closed the call
and then dialled El Paso Homicide Division. ‘Jeff, how did your inquiries go?’

I listened intently to his reply and after
exchanging words, I arranged to phone back later in the day.

The third call was a long shot, but I got
through to the person I needed to speak to and once our business was finished,
I pressed the OFF button.

‘Well, what are we doing?’ Pedro asked as
he walked up beside me.

‘We’re going to the industrial complex
–
now. I can eat on the way. If we get going now, it gives us
plenty of time to reconnoitre the area so we know there’s no trap being laid
before the meeting with Rob. But I still say, he won’t call the authorities.’

‘How do you see it going down?’

‘You watch my back. Leandra can stay in the
car and I’ll meet up with Rob. After that we can be on our way and you can
finish your mission.’

‘Okay, let’s do it now.’

Chapter 62

Moment of Truth

The light started
to fade as we reached our destination. Pedro pulled off the road and parked
behind a thicket of bushes.

He said, ‘Let’s get this done with.
Leandra, you stay here.’

‘You’re not leaving me here on my own.’

‘Stop whining. You’ll do as you’re told,
woman. The men will do their work and then we’ll be away. The sooner I get you
back to your family the better. I do have other things I could be doing.’

Leandra sulked at Pedro’s sexist remark and
drew her knees up to her chest. Pedro climbed out of his seat, walked to the
back of the SUV and opened the rear door. I joined him as he rummaged around in
his backpack. He took out some night-vision binoculars and picked up his scoped
assault rifle.

‘Stay here and I’ll go scan the area.’

Pedro disappeared through the bushes and I
opened the door.

‘Come on, stretch your legs. He didn’t mean
anything by what he said. It’s just soldier’s talk.’

‘I’ll give him soldier’s talk. If he wasn’t
helping us, I’d have slapped the back of his head.’

Leandra kicked a few stones around to vent
her displeasure before the smile returned.

Darkness quickly fell over the landscape.

‘Incoming,’ Pedro’s voice called out, and
he joined us. ‘It’s all clear out there and he hasn’t arrived. I suggest you go
down there and find a way in before he gets here. The buildings look deserted.
If I see a convoy arrive, or a chopper in the distance, I’ll call your number.
If that happens, abort and get the hell back here.’

‘Understood.’

Crossing the road, clutching the computer,
I followed a hedgerow and turned into the industrial complex. Pedro was right,
the place was deserted, with dilapidated buildings and smashed windows. A stiff
breeze whipped up the dust and stung my eyes. When I arrived at the building I
saw a sign hanging askew over the entrance shutters. Menéndez Fruit Packing, it
said on the sign.

There were no windows and with my back to
the wall, I shimmied around the side of the building until I reached a door. A
chain secured to a bracket on the wall hung across the door, fastened with a
padlock. I looked around on the ground and picked up a large stone. When I took
hold of the padlock, I saw that the stone wasn’t necessary and I placed it back
on the ground. The padlock was already smashed open and the chain unthreaded
from the door handle. I tucked the laptop under my arm, drew my Glock from the
back of my waistband, and slowly opened the door.

At a vibration on my leg, I jumped, my
heart skipping a beat. Taking my cell phone from my pocket while juggling my
gun and the computer, I flipped it open and read the text message. I looked
around, nervous of the light from the display and closed it, smiling at the
message.

Closing the door behind me, I opened my
cell phone again and used it as a flashlight. A conveyer belt ran through
plastic sheeting draped like the slats of a blind. I pushed them to one side
and headed on through until I reached a pile of wooden fruit crates. I pulled
two off the pile to make a seat and sat, closing my phone.

Sitting in the darkness, I placed the
computer on a crate next to me and waited, tucking my pistol back in my
waistband. Opening and closing my cell phone quickly, I checked the time. Rob
was fifteen minutes late.

The door opened and I nearly jumped out of
my skin at the noise of his entry. It sounded as though Rob had stumbled into a
box of crates and they hit the floor with a crash. A bull elephant couldn’t
have made as much noise. An energy-saver light glowed above me, and then
started making pinging noises as it fired up to full strength. While affording
some light, it still left the room dull and shadowy.

‘You in here, Kurt?’

‘Over here, Rob. Through the curtain.’

Rob parted the slats, stepped through the
curtain and stopped. ‘Well, well, who’d have thought? I see you’ve brought the
computer.’

‘Yeah, it’s here.’ I patted the laptop. ‘You’re
right, who’d have thought we’d be meeting like this.’

‘You’ve come a long way from that
snot-nosed kid I first met at middle school. Who’d have thought you’d turn out
to be a villain and an escaped fugitive.’

‘Yeah, surprising how our childhood shapes
who we are. Remember our first meeting?’

‘Can’t forget. I thought I was going to
whup your ass until you turned the tables on me with those crazy moves of yours.’

‘And we’ve been friends ever since. Where
did it go wrong, Rob?’

‘Why are you saying that?’

I eased off the crate and lifted my
T-shirt. ‘I’m not wired if that’s what you think. Just you and me, Rob. Time
for some honesty.’

Rob laughed. ‘I know we’re alone. I arrived
long before you. Where did it go wrong? Let’s see. Nah, the list is too long.
You always were the smartass. Grabbing Mary when I went to the toilet at the
nightclub was the biggest smartass move you ever made. I swore I’d get even one
day.’

‘Ah, Mary. I wondered where she came into
all this, but I didn’t like to think that scenario was true.’

‘You were too dumb to work it out.’

‘Oh, I think I’ve worked it out, all right.
Was she in on the plan to have me killed?’

‘Nah, too sentimental for me to even
suggest. She wouldn’t divorce you, even though we’d been having an affair for
two years.’

His words stabbed at my chest. ‘Well she’s
divorcing me now. You have the job meant for me and I can’t set foot on
American soil, so you can go live happily ever after in my shoes.’

‘I can when we’ve finished here.’ He
slipped his hand inside his jacket and pulled out his pistol. ‘I just need to
finish what I started. I hope you’re not expecting the cavalry?’

He took hold of a slat and dragged the curtain
open. My jaw dropped. Leandra and Pedro sat on the floor, gagged, their backs
fastened together with duct tape. Rob fished in his pocket and held up a pen
drive.

‘I’d say that’s all the loose ends tied up,
wouldn’t you?’

My chest constricted my breathing and I
froze. ‘Aren’t you curious how I knew you put the hit on me?’ I blurted out for
all I was worth, in a vain attempt to keep him talking.

‘Got to admit, I’m wondering.’

‘You continually whining about wanting a
coffee before I sent you searching for drinks started me thinking. Then there
was the watch. You wore my watch at Mary’s press conference. I thought it was a
signal at first to show you were on my kidnappers’ trail.’

He gripped his wrist. ‘Oh yeah, that watch.
I guess that was a mistake.’

‘The only place you could have got it was
from the tunnel, but you told me when you visited me in prison that you didn’t
visit the RV.’

‘Well, you’re right and at the same time
you’re wrong. I don’t know about any tunnel. The young thug I tortured told me
where your firearm was and the watch was with it in the chocolate box under the
sink. The punk also told me that the Perez cartel had bought out my contract
for the hit. Still, I got even with them for double-crossing me.’

‘So it was you who slaughtered them and
then tipped off the Cobra cartel where I was held?’

‘Well, yeah.’

‘And I guess then it was you who put the
MS-13 up to killing me back there in prison?’

‘Got it in one.’

‘Then there’s the fact that Black Llama
contacted our office, but you never told me.’

‘Oh, yeah, the Black Llama. Never mind
that, how did you guess about me and Mary?’

‘Like you always say, Rob
–
instinct. If you think it, it’s likely true. And I’ve sure had
plenty of time to chew things over.
You weren’t interested in talking
about the divorce and my kids when we met, a true friend would have done that.
All you were interested in was if I had any idea who put the hit on me. It was
that, and setting my mind on Walters as a suspect.
If you’d
have had the guts to tell me you two were an item, you wouldn’t have had to
wait for her to divorce me. I’d have divorced her.’

‘I bet you’ve had plenty of time to think.
In fact, I bet you wish you hadn’t escaped to give you more time to think.
Still it’s all for nothing. Who do I kill first, you or your girlfriend?’

‘Just tell me one more thing, before you do
anything. Was it you who shot Angelina?’

‘Unfortunate, but yes. When I heard from
Walters that she was offering the computer for a deal, I had to get my hands on
the hard drive. Like you said, if Perez was that meticulous at recording
things, it might name me as the one who put the hit on you.’

‘So was it you who followed us here?’

‘Yup. I got your assistant’s address from
Angelina’s office and I’ve followed her and her shadow here ever since. Gotta
say, I didn’t expect you breaking out of jail. You could have knocked me over
with a feather when you walked past me outside the prison in those priest’s
clothes.’

He racked the slide to put a bullet in the
chamber of his pistol. I stood akimbo. My palms were sweaty. I started to think
I’d messed up with having the meeting.

‘Speaking of surprises, I guess you won’t
be expecting the guy standing behind you to pull the trigger and blow you away.’

‘Kurt, Kurt,’ he said and shook his head. ‘This
is not a B movie drama.’

Seeing a shadow, I needed the distraction,
when I heard a tinkle of metal on the concrete floor to his right. He wavered,
pointing his gun in the direction of the sound. I reached for my gun from
behind my waistband and dropped to one knee. His aim deflected. I flinched at
the flash of powder and an explosion of sound. Instantly, I heard a bullet
ricochet next to where I knelt. A dark figure standing beside Rob with a pole
brought it crashing down on Rob’s gun arm and then he swung it horizontally
into Rob’s gut. Rob doubled up and dropped his gun, the figure kicking it out
of reach.

‘He’s all yours.’

‘Jesus, you waited long enough.’

‘Sorry, but it was too interesting to
intervene.’

I rushed over to Leandra and Pedro and tore
at their binding. ‘Did you get it on camera?’

‘It’s all on my cell phone, man,’ Surfer
said and showed the whites of his teeth with a broad smile. ‘What should I do
now?’

‘Look in his pocket for the roll of duct
tape and secure him. He should have a pen drive. Pass that to me. I’ll free
Leandra and Pedro.’

Leandra clung to me, tears streaming down
her face. Pedro darted over to Surfer and helped him to bind Rob.

‘What now?’ asked Pedro. ‘And who the hell
is this?’

‘I’ll tell you who
he is on the way,
and maybe you can tell me how Rob got the jump on you two. First we need to
find the entrance to the tunnel.’ My eyes rolled in all directions. ‘Look,
there at the end of the conveyer.’ I pointed. ‘There’s a chain and pulley over the
top of the hopper.’

Pedro tugged at the chain and slowly the
hopper lifted to reveal the entrance to the tunnel. I walked over to the tunnel
and picked up a small burlap sack from the floor. Turning, I knelt down,
slipped the bag over Rob’s head, and pulled the drawstring to secure it around
his neck.

‘Surfer, hand me your cell phone.’

He passed me the phone and I tucked it into
Rob’s pocket.

‘Enjoy your journey,’ I said.

Surfer found the light switch in the tunnel
and with the help of Pedro, they guided Rob down the ladder, one step at a
time. I retrieved my cell phone, looked over the hole, and dialled a number.

‘Your parcel is on its way for collection.
Check his pockets.’

‘Will do. Listen, like you asked, it’s just
my partner and me. We’ll only notify DEA about the tunnel when we get back to
headquarters.’

I walked away from the hole.

‘Thanks, Jeff. I don’t suppose you could
take him there in the trunk?’ I shook my head. ‘No, sorry, no one deserves
that. He’ll have plenty of time to work out his life once he’s in prison.’

With Rob on his way to justice, we all
walked back to our SUV. I opened one of the canvas bags, took out some bundles
of hundred-dollar bills and handed them to Surfer.

‘Here, don’t spend it all at once. There’s
enough to pay off MS-13 and extra to buy you a small business. Be good and look
after that girlfriend and daughter of yours.’

‘Man, that’s cool.’

Surfer grasped my hand and we shared
shoulder nudges.

‘Give it another twenty minutes and you can
get under the border through the tunnel.’

‘No sweat. My girlfriend has already driven
through the border and she’ll be waiting at the gas station. Good luck.’

Surfer walked away and I placed my arm
around Leandra.

‘No more heroics, please,’ her moist eyes
pleaded.

‘Don’t worry, we just need to finish our
trip, then we can rest easy.’