Uneven Exchange (16 page)

“Stay here,” Torres whispered before leaving the room. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

TAKEN

While waiting for either Rico or Ramón Torres to return, Alexandra relaxed in the dimly lit room. The steady cadence of Santiago’s heart monitor had a mesmerizing effect. Exhausted from her lack of sleep, Alexandra’s thoughts became jumbled. Within minutes, her head slumped forward to the bed as she dozed off.

Alexandra was abruptly awakened by a homicidal grip over her nose and mouth. She struggled to scream to anyone who might hear but realized in horror she was unable to breathe.

Her captor used his free hand to grab her shirt and then forced her to stand. The change of position inadvertently caused his gripping hand to adjust, enabling her to rapidly inhale. Alexandra increased her struggle for freedom, but her attacker’s brutal strength prevented her from escaping. As she felt the force of a huge man propelling her through the doorway, a side exit to the hospital loomed closely ahead, just beyond the deserted corridor.

When they reached the swinging glass doors, the strong man opened them using Alexandra’s skull as a battering ram. Upon impact with the thick glass, a fibrous haze clouded her mind, and she had to fight desperately to remain conscious.

Her captor then slammed the front of Alexandra’s body against a car while he tied her hands together behind her, using the weight of his body to pin her in place. He then opened the passenger door. With her back arched beyond its natural limit, he pulled her away from the car and pushed her into the seat. Although still unable to see his face, Alexandra knew the heavy, labored breathing belonged to Carlos Camacho. She could still smell the stench of the cigar on his breath.

She landed sideways in the seat and rushed to pull in her feet. They barely avoided the slamming car door. As Camacho hurried around to the driver’s side, his face was finally revealed. He jumped in and gunned the engine.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Alexandra screamed, fearing for her life. “Take me back to my brother now. I demand you!”

Sweating profusely, Camacho lifted his bulky frame and reached into the front pocket of his black jeans. He retrieved a glass vial and held it up for her to see. Laughing arrogantly, he jeered, “Your demands mean nothing!”

Trying not to reveal her terror, Alexandra could only stare at the tube. “What is that?” she finally asked, hoping to sound convincing.

“You know exactly what it is!” He slapped at her face with the back of his hand. “Don’t you dare play dumb with me.”

Alexandra envisioned her worst nightmares coming true. She knew no matter what she said, Camacho would not listen. She leaned her throbbing head against the window and tried to think of a way out. The coolness of the pane provided little comfort. As the tires roared over the loose gravel, she prayed for a miracle.

“Get over here,” Camacho sneered as he reached across her waist to lock his hand on to her right pelvic bone. Violently, he pulled her away from the door and closer to him. Alexandra closed her eyes in disgust when she felt his hand searching for an opening in her blouse. As he made his way beneath the fabric, his rough fingers finally connected with her bare skin.

Without the use of her hands, Alexandra could only thrash about to ward him off.

“Oh, I see you like it,” he taunted just before she clamped her teeth into the side of his arm.

“
¡Puta!
” he hollered in pain, crashing his fist into the left side of her jaw. Completely dazed and too frightened to move, Alexandra sat motionlessly. When familiar road signs came into view, she realized they were minutes from the hacienda. She also realized that in the absence of Santiago and Rico, Carlos Camacho was in complete control. She had to find a way to escape.

When the car rolled to a stop in front of the main house, Camacho got out and sauntered around to open her side. Nonchalantly, Alexandra positioned her foot firmly against the door and waited. The instant he released the lock, Alexandra pushed hard to explode the car door open and smash it into him. Camacho reeled backward, losing his balance.

Alexandra jumped out and sped toward the front gate.

“
¡Alto!
Stop!” One of the guards yelled.

Alexandra froze. Slowly, she turned to face the loaded weapon. “Gordo, it’s me, Daniela. Camacho has gone
loco
!”

Camacho staggered to meet the guard. “Don’t listen to her,” he yelled. “She tried to kill Miguel! I have proof!”

“Mago? I tried to kill my own brother? Don’t be a fool.”

“You brought poison with you in this vial. I found it under the table where you were both sitting.”

“That’s a lie! I love my brother.” In her state of terror, the tears flowed easily. Sobbing, Alexandra pleaded with the guard. “Gordo, I beg you, please! I’m going to miss my plane. They are flying Mago to Mexico City for an operation. I need to be with him. Help me, please. Camacho is crazy!”

In an obvious state of trepidation, the guard looked awkwardly from Alexandra to Camacho. Feeling as though she was gaining ground, Alexandra continued, “Please, just let me go with my brother now. Then when we return, you can tell my brother everything Camacho said. I have nothing to hide.”

“You have nothing to hide because I found it,” Camacho hollered. “You are not going anywhere. Gordo, get back on patrol!”

“Gordo, as Miguel Santiago’s sister, I order you to let me leave.” Alexandra’s voice commanded authority.

The guard hesitated, clearly not knowing whose orders to follow. In a surprising move, Camacho whipped his firearm from the rear of his jeans and pointed it directly at the guard’s temple.

“I, Carlos Camacho, am Santiago’s number one man. Not some whore who tries to kill him,” he said slowly. “Now get back on patrol and leave us alone, or I will blow your head to pieces.”

The guard immediately walked away.

Camacho grabbed Alexandra’s arm more tightly than necessary. He led her into the deserted house and headed straight for her bedroom. Once there, he threw her onto the bed. Alexandra was gripped with fear as she knew what to expect next, and with her hands still tied, she was unable to escape.

First, Camacho unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the fleshy mass of his overweight gut, and left it on as he sat in a chair and removed his boots. Then he stood and sashayed toward the bed. When his hands moved to the fly of his jeans, a mixture of disgust and terror overcame Alexandra.

“Mago will kill you.” Her voice quivered.

“He’ll never believe a word you say. Not when he finds out about the poison,” Camacho challenged, letting his pants drop.

“What poison? I told you! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I hope you make love as good as you lie,” he said, drooling.

Alexandra’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Camacho. In a steel tone, she said, “Maybe I can’t stop you from raping me, but you can be certain of one thing. No matter what happens, it will
never
be making love.”

By this time, Camacho had stepped out of his pants and was mounting the bed. His gut rolled over, covering the top of his dingy yellow briefs. Beads of sweat had collected on his chest. She choked as vomit threatened to climb up her throat.

Camacho pushed her shoulders aggressively, forcing her to lie back. He straddled her hips and began to untie the satiny belt of her blouse. Alexandra squeezed her eyelids shut and turned her face as far sideways as possible, trying to escape the range of his foul, hot breath. Too frightened to formulate a specific prayer, she repeated the name of Jesus over and over in her mind. Then suddenly, the weight was gone.

Alexandra opened her eyes in time to see Camacho being heaved across the room. Rico nailed his obese body against the wall and pummeled his face with blow after blow. Within seconds, Camacho slumped unconsciously to the floor.

Rico rushed to Alexandra. “Quick, let’s get out of here!” he said as he rapidly untied her hands.

Without saying a word, she followed Rico out to the Mercedes. He glanced around, then opened her door. After helping her in, Rico set the lock and hurried to the driver’s side. Once inside, he started the engine and pulled away.

When they were beyond the gate and on the safety of the road, Alexandra asked, “Where are the guards?”

“I took them out.” Rico offered no further explanation.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MISSING

Kevin

Kevin’s fist crashed onto the conference room table. “Where the hell is she?” he thundered.

Conner placed a compassionate hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay. We’ll find her, boss.”

“Find her? We shouldn’t have lost her in the first place. What happened?” he screamed.

“We don’t know, boss,” Armando said. “One minute she was in Santiago’s room, and the next minute she was gone.”

“Was she with anyone?” Kevin pressed.

“First Rico and then Torres,” Armando said. “What happened after that, we don’t know.”

“What about Camacho? Where was he?”

“Home,” Conner replied.

The door to their meeting room opened and Ramón Torres entered. As he looked around the room his expression turned to one of concern. “What’s happened? What’s going on?”

“It’s Alexandra,” Kevin answered. “She’s missing.”

“Missing? How can she be missing?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. I’m glad you’re here, Ramón. Now maybe you can help fill in some of the missing pieces.”

“She was alone when I left her,” Torres volunteered. “Alone, of course, with the exception of Santiago.”

“How long ago was that?” Kevin questioned.

Torres checked his watch. “Whew,” he said, expelling a loud breath of air. “I’m not sure. Maybe thirty minutes, or forty minutes max. I had to make some calls and confirm our flight plan. But what about Ricardo Aleman? Is there any sign of him?”

Kevin looked at Conner and Armando for confirmation. They shook their heads, and he answered, “No, not a one.”

“Well, apart from me, Aleman was the last one to see her,” Torres explained.

“He couldn’t have been the last one,” Conner said.

“Come again?” Torres asked.

“Somebody took her,” he said. “Plus, I’m positive it wasn’t Rico.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because it’s not his style,” Armando said. “Rico loves Daniela and knows how much Santiago means to her. He would want her to be at her brother’s side.”

“That’s right,” Conner agreed. “So we’ve ruled out Rico, and Santiago doesn’t count. Who’s left?”

“Carlos Camacho?” Kevin guessed.

“I don’t know, SAC. We saw him head for home.”

“Then maybe our tight little hospital group isn’t so tight,” Kevin suggested.

“Oh, Kevin, I cannot believe that,” Torres said. “We handpicked a select few especially for this job.”

“Handpicked or not, something went wrong.”

Torres moved his head slowly from side to side. “Yes, something did go wrong, and it is my fault. I am very sorry for leaving her alone.”

“Ramón, no,” Kevin said, instantly regretting his outburst. “I’m sorry. None of this is your fault, and I take full responsibility. You had to make the arrangements. The problem is I assumed too much. I assumed that, with Santiago laid up, Alexandra would be safe.”

“It’s our fault too, SAC,” Conner added. “We should have kept a closer eye on her.”

“You only did what you were told. Let’s forget worrying about laying blame and find our girl. Ramón, can you stall the plane?”

Solemnly, he shook his head. “We either leave here in fifteen minutes or we don’t leave tonight.”

“Crap. Well, I’m not leaving without her,” Kevin announced.

Armando and Conner exchanged glances.

After several quiet moments, Torres spoke softly. “We have waited a very long time for this moment.”Kevin breathed deeply and just stared at the wall as the heat of frustrated anger crept up his neck. Then, after a long pause, he responded, “You’re right. Thank you, Ramón.” He turned to face his agents. “Conner, Armando, are you two guys willing to stay behind?”

“Of course we are, for you, boss. We’ll do whatever you need.”

“Yes, SAC, whatever. Just name it.”

“The
it
is simple. Find her. Please find Alexandra.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

BROKEN COVER

Alexandra

Rico darted his eyes from the rearview mirror to the road ahead, then pressed his foot firmly on the gas pedal. Santiago’s Mercedes blazed forward toward their destination in the old city of Mazatlan. Alexandra tried in vain to hold back tears, but the tumultuous mixture of stress, fear, and revulsion released itself into the form of uncontrollable sobs.

“Baby, come here.” Rico gently reached over to pull her closely. “Shush, Alexandra, shush,” he soothed. “You’re safe now. Everything’s going to be okay.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder and tried to suppress her tears. Then her eyes bulged open as she realized what Rico had just said. He had called her Alexandra. She didn’t move as thoughts whirled through her mind.
What do I do? What do I say? He knows!
She then straightened to sit erectly and dried her eyes. In a casual tone, she asked, “What did you call me?”

Instead of answering her, Rico just stared at the road. After several minutes, he finally responded, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. With all that’s happened, for some reason I assumed you knew. But how could you?”

“Knew what?” she asked, her voice still shaking with fear.

“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I work for the DEA.”

Totally caught off guard, Alexandra stammered, “I don’t understand. Then why did they need
me
?”

“They needed you in order to bring Santiago out alive and to bring me out me as well. We could not have done it without you.”

“I still don’t understand.” Alexandra’s head throbbed, and she was having a hard time grasping what Rico was telling her.

“You saw how segregated Santiago keeps his men,” Rico explained. “You also saw how well guarded he is. Getting to him would have been possible, of course, but difficult without blowing my cover. Then if I did get to him, what would my chances have been of escaping?”

Alexandra stared silently ahead. Rico’s shocking revelations had left her speechless. Her emotions had finally reached their crescendo, and physically she was thrashed. Without the energy to do more, she concentrated on the drone of the tires rolling over the asphalt as they sped along. But with each revolution of the tires, the pain in her head shot up another notch. Alexandra had no idea of their destination, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

After approximately half an hour, Rico turned the Mercedes onto a narrow dirt road. He parked the car close to a fence and instructed Alexandra to get out on his side. With a protective arm around her shoulders, Rico guided her up the path leading to an adobe-brick house and knocked firmly on the door.

It took several minutes for the porch light to illuminate, and then several more minutes for the door to open.

“Rico,” a short, slightly plump woman exclaimed. “It’s after midnight! What are you doing?”

“I’m so sorry, Yoli, but we need your help.”

“Of course, Rico. Whatever you need. Come in, please come in,” she said while unlocking and opening the screen door. Her gaze immediately moved to the gash on Alexandra’s forehead, and she directed Alexandra into the tiny living room. Using a motherly tone, she instructed her patient to sit on the sofa, then said, “I’ll go and get some ice for you.”

Ever grateful, Alexandra practically collapsed onto the soft cushions. Rico sat next to her and held her hand for comfort. As he lightly brushed the strands of hair away from her cut, she watched him examine the swelling of her jaw. When Yoli returned with the bag of ice, he asked, “Do you have any antiseptic or perhaps a bottle of rubbing alcohol?”

“
Sí
, Enrique, I think I do!” Helpfully, she rushed out of the room while Rico applied the ice pack.

“Enrique?” Alexandra asked. “I thought Rico was short for Ricardo?”

“Enrique is my real name. Enrique Hernandez. Ricardo Aleman is the name I use for my cover. But, Enrique or Ricardo, I still go by Rico.”

“Oh,” Alexandra replied, realizing she had not bothered questioning his credentials with the DEA. She placed her hand on the ice pack to free his, then asked, “I’m sorry, but how do I know if you’re telling me the truth? Can you prove you really do work for the Administration?”

“Sure, you can ask Yoli,” he answered playfully.

Alexandra’s tone remained serious. “I don’t know Yoli, so that wouldn’t prove a thing.” She started to ask for his credentials, an ID or something, but since he was working undercover, Alexandra quickly realized the absurdity of her thoughts.

“Well then, ask O’Neil the next time you see him.” Rico grinned at her.

Just hearing Kevin’s name made her feel homesick. “What’s his first name?” she asked cautiously.

Rico laughed deeply. “Is that my test? If I can tell you O’Neil’s first name, then you’ll believe I’m with the DEA?”

“Don’t tease me,” Alexandra responded wearily.

Rico grew serious. “I’m sorry, Alexandra. I don’t mean to make fun of you, and by the look of you, it shouldn’t be hard for me to remember what you’ve been through.” He inspected her forehead with a concerned look, then called out over his shoulder, “How’s it coming, Yoli?”

“I hit the gold mine with an old first aid kit. Be there in a sec.”

“Okay, thanks.” Rico turned to face Alexandra again. “Now back to me and back to O’Neil. His first name is Kevin, and his middle name is Patrick, and his wife’s name is Casey, and they have two kids, Randee and Tanner, and shall I go on?”

“Oh, Rico, I want to believe you. I want this whole thing to be over, but—”

“But, nothing. Alexandra, you have to trust me. Anyone could know the names I just gave you, but I’m not anyone. I was Kevin O’Neil’s partner until I went in undercover and he got promoted to SAC. Before sending you, Kevin asked me to protect you. So how do you think I am doing so far?”

“Well, you did save me from Camacho, and once again, I thank you for that. But I still don’t get it. If you were undercover, how did you talk to Kevin?”

“We have our ways. I usually check in about once a week.”

“Why didn’t he tell me about you? I would have felt so much safer.”

“He didn’t tell you in order to protect my cover. If you weren’t able to get to Santiago, I would have had to stay under.”

Alexandra nodded, finally understanding. She smiled gently at him and said, “I sincerely meant it when I said thank you for saving me. I don’t think I’ve ever been more afraid in my entire life.”

“It was my pleasure.” Rico smiled. “I would be happy to save you anytime.”

Alexandra wrapped her arms tightly around his neck while silently thanking the Lord for her safety.

Rico returned her hug as Yoli came back into the room. Her arms were loaded with an assortment of first aid supplies. “Our nurse is here,” he said, gesturing to Yoli. “Alexandra, I would like you to meet Yolanda De la Cruz. Yoli for short.”

“I am so pleased to meet you, Yoli.” Alexandra stretched out her left arm to shake Yoli’s hand while still holding the ice pack in her right hand. “Thank you very much for helping us.”

Yoli cupped Alexandra’s extended hand gently between her own. “Any friend of Rico’s is a friend of mine.”

Alexandra immediately felt welcomed by Yoli’s effervescent demeanor. “Well, I do thank you,” she said, feeling pensive. “About your last name, De la Cruz? Are you any relation to Armando De la Cruz?”

Yoli laughed. “Armando? Yes, I admit it. He is my baby brother.”

“He is?” Tickled by the news and grinning, she turned to Rico, and asked, “Then you must know Mando too?”

“So now it’s Mando?” Rico responded slyly. “Of course I know him.”

“Does he ever,” Yoli exclaimed. “Why do you think I can’t get this man to marry me? They’re always off together, chasing other women. Now move aside,” she announced while nudging Rico with her knee. “This poor girl needs attention.”

Rico stood from his kneeling position in front of Alexandra. “I think that’s my cue to get rid of the car. Yoli, any chance there is room in the garage?”

“Sure, there’s plenty of room,” Yoli said. “Just move the paintings to one side.”

Rico left to hide the car while Yoli proceeded to nurture Alexandra. Still holding the ice pack in place against her jaw, she winced as Yoli applied the antiseptic to her open wound.

“I’m so proud of what you are doing,” Yoli said.

“You know about me?” Alexandra questioned.

“I know a little but not much. Sometimes Rico comes here to call headquarters,” Yoli explained.

“Are you two…an item?”

“You mean Rico and me? Ha! I wish!”

“But, what you said…”

“Oh, about Rico marrying me? I was only kidding. Of course I love the guy. He is like a brother to me, and he is gorgeous, no? But Rico’s heart belongs to Daniela, and only to Daniela.”

“Since he was working undercover, wasn’t that all just a setup?”

“I’m not sure. It probably was a setup at first. Rico will have to explain, because I do not know the whole story. But I do know he fell in love with her, proposed to her, and he is still madly in love with her.”

“Have you met Daniela?”

“No, but Rico carries her picture. I must say your resemblance to her is amazing. To me you do look exactly the same.”

In silence, Alexandra pondered Yoli’s last comment. Thinking of her own appearance and the similarities she shared with Daniela, Alexandra watched as her hostess drew near to finish applying the bandage. She noticed the smooth softness of Yoli’s skin and the rosiness of her cheeks. Yoli finished just as Rico returned.

“Thanks, Yoli. The Mercedes is hidden from view. By the way, where’s your car?”

“I sold it, since I’m planning to turn the garage into my studio. Besides, who needs a car here in Mazatlan? Not with the easy access to
Pulmonias
.”

“I don’t get it.” Alexandra laughed. “You don’t need a car because it’s easy to get pneumonia?” she asked, confused.

Rico and Yoli both joined in the laughter as they explained the term. Along the coastal roads of Mazatlan, people used open convertible cars in place of taxi cabs.
Pulmonias
, the proper name for the cute, taxi cab replacements, was also the Spanish word for pneumonia.

“So you see, Alexandra,” Rico explained. “They are called
Pulmonias
, or pneumonia in English, because that is what you can catch while riding out in the open.”

“I thought Mazatlan is predominantly warm.”

“Warm, but not always dry,” Yoli exclaimed. “Just try being stuck riding in a
Pulmonia
during an unexpected cloudburst.”

“Then are you certain it was a good idea to get rid of your car?” Alexandra asked.

Of course I am! You see,
Pulmonias
are part of the adventure of living in Mazatlan. Who wants to be cooped up in a car when you can experience the open air?” Yoli pretended the wind was rushing through her hair by pulling up a few strands. Her comical expression made them both chuckle.

“How are you feeling?” Yoli asked in a caring tone when their momentary laughter had subsided.

“I feel so much better now. Thank you.” Alexandra held the ice pack back out to Yoli. “The ice really helped.”

“I put butterfly bandages on Alexandra’s head,” Yoli explained to Rico. “But I really think she needs stitches.”

“That cannot happen,” he said firmly. “We can’t take the chance of going out.” He looked directly at Alexandra. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay, Rico. I understand.”

“Alexandra, it’s very late and you need to rest,” Yoli said. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I’m starving, but I think I’m too tired to eat.”

“Rico, how about you? I know you are always hungry, but do you want to eat now or wait until morning?”

He grinned. “I can wait until morning. Besides, I still need to check in.”

Yoli winked at Alexandra. “How about scrambled eggs mixed with chorizo, homemade beans, and fresh tortillas?” she asked in an enticing tone.

“Oh, Yoli, that sounds wonderful,” Alexandra exclaimed.

“Sure does,” Rico agreed, practically drooling.

Yoli bent to lift the lid off a hand-carved pine chest located in front of the sofa. When she straightened up, she handed Rico a colorful blanket. “Well now!” she said playfully. “Since I’ve further aroused that appetite of yours, you can get a good night’s sleep and dream about tomorrow’s breakfast. Will you be comfortable on the sofa?”

“The sofa will be perfect. The only thing I need now is our secured phone.”

Yoli pointed to the side table in the corner. “It’s still in the same place, there on the bottom shelf.”

“Great. Thanks, Yoli.”