Hard Target: Elite Ops - Book One (17 page)

Beyond that little clearing of vegetation there was no indication that a town was ahead. Baxtla sprang up seemingly out of nowhere, a dusty wide spot in what could scarcely be called a road.

Two donkeys grazed in a ditch beside the main drag. Several chickens scratched about in the middle of the dirt and gravel track, cackling and flapping as Leland drew closer. A handful of storefronts lined the dirt street, including a grocery and a tiny motel. At the far end stood a picturesque church.

The cantina beside the motel appeared to be the only one in town. A faded flamingo with feathers more brown than pink was painted on a large piece of warped plywood beside the entrance. Besides the donkeys and chickens, no life was apparent.

“It’s almost seven o’clock. Maybe everyone is in the bar?” he suggested. Seemingly unfazed, Leland parked in front of the cantina. “Are you ready for this?”

“Does it matter if I am or not?”

His smile was grim. “Not really, but I need you to hold it together.”

“I’ll be fine.”

He laughed but there was no humor in the sound. “I know what
fine
means when a woman says it.”

He shook his head and reached past her to pull the extra weapons from his pack on the floor. He shoved the larger gun into his waistband and checked the magazine on a smaller one before sticking it into the top of his orthopedic boot along with the GPS locater.

“It’s five till. Let’s do this.”

“Are we taking the money inside?” she asked.

“Yeah, our backpacks, too. This truck would be the first place someone would look.”

He was right. The dilapidated vehicle would be an easy mark for anyone interested in the strangers.

“So we’re just going to walk in there with the money?” she asked.

“I can’t think of a better way to do it. To get Zach back we’ve got to play exactly by the rules laid out for us.” He was closer to her on the bench seat than he’d been the entire drive, and he was staring at her again. His eyes seemed cooler than she remembered.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

His gaze warmed. “It’s okay. I’m going to be with you the entire time.”

He reached out to brush her cheek with his knuckles, and she felt a white-hot sensation race down her face and neck. The jolt she got when he touched her was reflected in the expression on his face. He’d felt it, too.

His hand dropped as if he’d been burned. He swallowed visibly. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be
fine
.” He grinned at her, obviously trying to lighten the moment, but she was too scared to be cheered.

They got out and hurried toward the sad-looking Cantina El Flamenco. Swinging through the traditional half doors, they entered a darkened room. Anna’s eyes gradually adjusted from the bright sunlight outside.

Ceiling fans spun lazily overhead, and an old-fashioned bar ran along the back wall with a large mirror behind and several barstools in front. The floor was concrete. Tables and chairs were scattered about. One table was covered with the remains of a domino game and another held a deck of cards and four half-finished drinks.

Curiously, a pool table that looked brand new was to the side of the bar. A door between the billiards table and bar was halfway open. Several glasses, partially filled with liquor, were on the sturdy oak counter, but the place was deserted.

“Where is everyone?” she asked, gripping the strap of her borrowed pack.

Leland straightened beside her. “Seems customers left in a hurry,” he said.

“What would cause patrons to leave unfinished drinks at their places?”

“Baxtla’s a cartel town. The law-abiding citizens know when it’s best to get out of harm’s way.”

His words sounded ominous. She tried to swallow and couldn’t, her mouth was too dry.

Now that he’d said so, she could see it was obvious these folks knew trouble was coming.

“Hello?” Leland called. “Anyone here?”

Anna’s heart rate ratcheted up and she forced herself to breath as he pulled his revolver from the shoulder holster. He wound around scattered tables toward the door beside the bar and was about to knock when it slowly swung open.

Chapter Nineteen

L
ELAND TIGHTENED HIS
grip on the Ruger, every instinct inside him screaming
setup
. Behind the door an older gray-haired man was seated at a scarred captain’s desk. At the sight of Leland’s gun, the man raised his hands from the workspace to the back of his head.

“I am unarmed,” he said in precise but slightly accented English. “I have a message for the woman.” He nodded toward a manila envelope at the corner of the desk.

Leland surveyed the windowless room, empty but for the man and the large piece of furniture that seemed strangely out of place. There was no way in or out unless one walked through the bar, still he didn’t relax. “Where is everyone?” he asked.

“People in this town have a strong sense of self preservation. They know when to leave people alone to discuss
business
.”

Great
. The old man confirmed what he’d told Anna moments earlier. Everyone knew what they were doing here.

“Anna, pick up the packet and bring it back before you open it.”

He didn’t lower the gun even when she stood beside him once more. She eyed him before ripping the envelope open and turning it upside down. A braided, multi-colored strand of leather fell into her palm along with a folded sheet of paper.

Leland recognized the item before Anna murmured, “Zach’s bracelet.” He took the note while she turned the leather over and over in her hands.

The letter was written in block letters again, but the handwriting was different from yesterday’s ransom note.

Leave the cash here. Go next door to the motel and wait for instructions. A message will be sent explaining where to pick up the boy.

“You can’t believe we’ll do this.” Leland glared at the man as Anna studied the note. “Just leave the money and trust you to return the boy? We require more than a bracelet as proof of life before turning over the entire ransom.”

Beside him Anna made a noise of protest, but Leland put his hand on her arm to keep her silent.

The old man gazed at her with something akin to sympathy in his eyes. “As I said, I am only a messenger. The men who have the boy wish him no harm. They realize he is ill. Currently he is being cared for in the appropriate environment with proper medication. It will take several hours to transport him here safely. They would like you to be their guests while you wait next door.”

Guests?
Right.

Leland felt a flash of anger but tamped it down. “We’d prefer to keep the money with us until the boy is here.”

The man shook his head. “That is impossible. There will be no exchange unless you leave the money with me now.”

Anna made another small keening sound in her throat. Leland glanced her way. If possible, her face had grown more pale, and she was biting that lower lip that always caused a serious tightening in his gut.

The man continued. “Do as you’re instructed and the boy will be fine.”

Anna touched his arm and he felt that shock of contact he’d noticed earlier in the truck. “Leland, please. We have to do as he says. If they have Zach—”

“Oh, they have him,” said Leland. “The bracelet proves it.” He moved closer to the desk. “Who do you work for?”

“Does it matter?” asked the old man. “You just need to follow the instructions.”

“Whose instructions? Does Tomas Rivera have her son?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, but every man in this town knows you have cash. News like that spreads quickly. Keeping it safe until the exchange tomorrow could prove daunting. Even for you, Mr. Hollis.”

Jesus, they knew who he was.
Leland had almost convinced himself that this situation had nothing to do with him and the cartel wouldn’t figure out he was in the area till they were gone.

He refused to allow the shock to show, but the old man had him. This was Rivera territory. If the cartel chose to come after Anna, the ransom, or him, Leland would be hard-pressed to stop them. If that happened, his argument was pointless. The money wouldn’t be around tomorrow for the exchange anyway.

“Follow the instructions and you only have yourselves to keep safe. Won’t that be challenge enough?” asked the old man.

“Without the cash we have no bargaining power, nothing to ensure her boy will be returned.”

The man directed his words to Anna. “The people who have your son will keep their word. I can assure you.”

“The people who took him in the first place?” Leland’s voice was harsh, but subtlety wasn’t working. No huge surprise. “They kidnapped an extremely ill boy. We have no way of knowing what
the people
will or won’t do.”

“Leland, please—” Anna reached out to grab his hand.

He ignored her. “We’ll leave half the money here with you tonight. You can have the other half when the boy is delivered.”

“That is not what I was instructed to do.” The man’s eyes flared.

“You don’t have a choice. We leave you with half or we leave you with none.”

S
TILL ON AUTOPILOT,
Anna followed Leland out of the cantina toward the small motel next door. She was furious at what he’d done, the chance he’d just taken with Zach’s life. Yet she was willing to wait until she got him alone to hash it out.

The air was cooler and smelled like rain. The bright sun from earlier might never have been. The time felt later in the evening than it really was. Only thirty minutes had gone by while they were inside. Slow, fat raindrops began pelting her head as they hurried along the dirt sidewalk. They stepped through the motel’s doorway as a huge clap of thunder rumbled, warning of more stormy weather to come.

Anna shook the water out of her hair and gazed around the lobby. It was a tired-looking establishment but clean. They waited as the desk clerk, a teenage girl wearing a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt, fussed at someone on the phone in barely accented English about the hotel’s low butane supply. She ended the call with a rude Spanish expletive and checked them into a room that was already reserved in Leland’s name.

The people who had Zach had known this was a forgone conclusion. They’d even known Leland was bringing her. What else had already been decided that Anna had no control over?

By the time they got to the room she was shivering, but not from the drop in temperature. Her shaking had started when Leland emptied half the ransom onto the old man’s desk. Their contact had insisted they leave without the empty duffel bag. Leland had transferred the other half of the money to his and Anna’s backpacks.

“For your safety,” the man had said. “So no one will believe you still have the cash. I could keep you safer if you left it all.”

Leland didn’t believe showing themselves on the street without a duffel bag would make a difference, but he’d been willing to be cooperative on that point and she was grateful.

He closed their motel room door, and Anna heard the thumb latch click. There was no chain. Despite her anger, she was relieved they only had the one room. She didn’t want to be left alone anywhere in this town.

Leland toured the accommodation, still carrying his backpack, but didn’t explain what he was looking for. Their scantly furnished room was on the front of the building with an open window facing Baxtla’s main thoroughfare. Scuffed dark wood paneling made it feel like they were in a cave.

Rain poured from the sky and lightning flashed close by. A double bed and rickety dresser were the only pieces of furniture. On the plus side, they had a private bath.

Leland pushed aside the threadbare curtain billowing in the storm’s breeze and peered through the window’s dilapidated screen before speaking. “I don’t like being where everyone knows we are.”

“Me, either.” She put her backpack on the bed. “But shouldn’t we be safe? Anyone watching would think we no longer have the cash, right?”

“That was the idea, yes. But I’m not confident our little ruse worked.”

Anna sank onto the multi-colored spread, shuddering as the mattress gave an ominous squeak.

“Why did you do that?” She heard the anger in her tone, but at this point she didn’t care what he thought.

Leland didn’t look surprised at her question. He knew what she was talking about. “It was the only way to keep any bargaining power.”

“How can you be sure the kidnappers won’t take our not-following-instructions out on Zach? It would be so easy to hurt him.”

He scrutinized her a moment before answering. “I can’t be sure of anything, but one thing I do know. If we’d given that man all the ransom money, we would never see Zach alive again.”

Her face blanched and for a moment she couldn’t speak. She feared Leland was right, but his bluntness frightened her. Tears burned at the corner of her eyelids. She felt light-headed, dizzy, and definitely not up for a repeat of fainting at his feet like yesterday.

“I need to eat something,” she muttered to herself.

“When was the last time you had a real meal?” His Southern cadence was more pronounced now than it had been earlier.

“Coffee this morning.”

“Coffee doesn’t count.” He strode toward her from the window.

“The last time I had a meal was the night before last when I was with Max.”
When I had too much to drink and not enough to eat.

Leland studied her face for a moment before swinging his backpack onto the bed beside hers and digging into one of the pockets. “That I can fix. Let’s eat.” He slid his shoulder holster off and put it beside their packs along with the gun from his waistband.

She thought he would have only freeze-dried fare, but he came up with an energy bar, some granola, and chocolate candy. He ran water from the bathroom tap into a sport bottle with a special built-in filtration system.

“Don’t want to add
turista
to this experience,” he said, handing her the water bottle.

Uncomfortable sitting on the bed, she stood and sipped before biting into the energy bar, surprised at how famished she was. He took the filtered water and poured some into one of the freeze-dried packets, using the old dresser as a counter.