Her stomach churned. It seemed like she’d only made it out of the cartel’s frypan into her own government’s fire. They were supposed to be on her side.
-o-o-o-
But instead of someone coming in and explaining how the DEA cops had made a terrible mistake, whoever was in charge made her wait. And wait. The chair was very uncomfortable, probably intentionally so. It seemed like her mom had had plenty of time to reach the Federal courthouse in Denver, but she didn’t appear.
Would these pricks tell Gloria where they’d stashed her daughter? It seemed more likely they’d give her a bullshit-filled bureaucratic runaround.
More time passed. She’d seen that kind of thing on TV, too. They were trying to freak her out, and it was working. Her hands shook worse than ever. She needed a lawyer in the worst way, but they were so expensive. Wasn’t she entitled to a free one?
She walked to the door and tried the handle—locked. Was she under arrest? Why no Miranda warning?
Questions kept coming, but no answers. She really should’ve paid more attention while watching those damned cop shows.
Soon, Viola felt like screaming. But she didn’t want them to know how easily they’d rattled her. And none of these assholes had threatened her with physical punishment. Just psycho-torture.
Spending so much time with Carlotta and maniacs like Hector should’ve toughened Viola up more. She was turning into a complete failure as a human being.
-o-o-o-
Casa Santiago
Carlotta sat behind her desk facing two assholes covered with blood. It took all her willpower to keep from grabbing her Glock out of the top drawer and shooting them. But the last time, the cleaning crew couldn’t get the blood out of her carpet. They’d had to replace all of it.
She would’ve felt more compassion for these fools if some of that blood they wore was their own. But it was Diego’s. He’d been killed in a shootout with the fucking DEA, and these two useless idiots had grabbed Diego’s body and bolted. “Tell me again what happened, and remember, I just received a copy of the videotape.”
They repeated the same story. It sounded like Diego had been paying more attention to some blonde slut than to Viola’s safety. Well, he’d paid for his sins.
How should these two pay? She leaned forward. “Twelve lashes each.”
They nodded, looking relieved that she hadn’t picked a worse punishment.
“Report to the back patio now.”
They thanked her for her mercy and took off. Now she had to figure out who would mete out the punishment. For the last year, Diego had handled her dirty work and handled it well. Her throat tightened. You idiot! How could you let yourself be distracted by some slut at such a crucial moment?
But she didn’t have the time to whine to the dead. Who should she replace him with? She thought about that, but no obvious candidate came to mind. Hector was a possibility, but too much of a thug. No subtlety. No cunning.
Carlotta considered a few more candidates before remembering—Tito. He was big and strong, but young. Only twenty-six.
She ruminated over several other candidates. But none of them came as close as Tito to meeting her needs. He’d just have to learn on the job like most people did.
She sent an encrypted text to Pablo. Diego is dead. The DEA stole our Viola. I need Tito to replace Diego. Tell him to bring the cat of nine tails and meet me on the back patio. Everyone must attend punishment.
By the time she reached the back of the house, the guards she’d sentenced had taken off their shirts. Tito was in the process of tying their hands up to one of the rafters. That would keep their bodies stretched out, making his job easier.
A half-dozen men and twice as many whores also showed up for the show. Normally, dozens more would’ve come, but most of Pablo’s crew were busy offsite taking control of other businesses.
As soon as the two men were secured, Carlotta said, “Proceed.” She was in no mood to dawdle.
Tito, to his credit, whipped them hard. The first man gasped and groaned as the knotted strands of leather dug bloody divots out of his back.
Carlotta breathed in deeply. There was something about the scent of fresh blood soaking into leather that gave her a thrill. It reminded her of the whippings her father would give to those who’d disappointed him. God, how she loved dominating these strong, dangerous men.
When both fools had suffered enough, their buddies cut them down and carried them to the barracks. The women pretended to care about how badly they’d been hurt, but Carlotta had seen the excitement in their eyes, too.
“Well done,” she said to Tito. “You will replace Diego on my staff, at least tentatively.”
He grinned. “Thank you, Señora. I will do everything possible to please you.”
Hopefully, he wasn’t just blowing smoke up her dress. “Your next job will be to text Juanita at the Denver County Jail. The Feds have stolen our Santa Muerte. Juanita must warn her holiness to keep her big mouth shut, or terrible things could happen to her and her mother.”
Chapter 18
Byron Rogers United States Courthouse, Denver
Eventually, a tall, thirty-something brunette breezed into the interrogation room. “You Viola Hawkins? Is this the right room?”
Viola wondered how many young women the asshole Feds had locked up in the Federal building on a Thursday afternoon. Before she answered, she reminded herself not to let this pinheaded bureaucrat knock her off balance. “Yep, that’s me. I’ve done nothing wrong, so let me go, and you can move on to your next police screw up.”
The woman gave a mirthless laugh. “I’d love that too. You cannot imagine how much. I’ve got three other emergencies stacked up behind you. By the way, I’m Assistant US Attorney Liz Chambers.”
She held out her hand to shake. Viola ignored it. That was just another part of the Feds’ con.
Chambers drew back her hand and sat across the table. “I just listened to a handful of DEA agents whine about how ungrateful you are and how much precious information about the Santiago cartel you must’ve learned over the last few days. They think it’ll help them fight crime and all that jazz. They’ve got a point, don’t you think?”
“How long have you been a prosecutor?”
Chambers paused for a moment then said, “Eleven glorious years fighting for truth, justice, and the American Way. God bless America.”
“Then you know much better than I do how Carlotta Santiago handles people who talk to cops about her business.”
The AUSA grimaced. “Sure, the drug cartel bosses can be nasty. But as I’m sure Agent Wilmington explained, we can and will protect you. And our criminal justice system will break down completely if innocent witnesses refuse to share their evidence.”
“At the moment, I am a lot more worried about my own skin than the fight for truth, justice, and the American Way. I’ll think about what you said, but right now, I want out of here.”
Chambers sat down. “What’s your hurry? We’re just getting to know each other. Here’s the problem. The Santiagos have killed over a hundred people so far this year, all across the West. They are by far the dominant drug pushers on this side of the Mississippi. But none of their lowlifes will turn on the higher-ups. In short, we need your help to put scumbags like Carlotta and Pablo behind bars for the rest of their evil lives. Then, you will allow new potential victims to live in peace.”
Viola didn’t bother to suppress a groan. “Gee. I wonder why nobody who works for Carlotta wants to stick his head in a noose? You’ve proved my point.”
They argued back and forth until Viola stood. “Anyway, I’ve had enough police BS for one day. Unless I’m under arrest, I’m walking out of here. And if I am under arrest, I want a lawyer.”
Chambers sighed. “Who said anything about arrest? We’re trying to solve a serious criminal justice problem together. Why are you so damned anxious to get back out on the street where they can grab you again?�
�
That was a problem she’d have to face after getting out of the Feds’ hands. “Bye.” Viola headed for the door.
The AUSA stood and rubbed her face with her hands. “I’m sorry I haven’t explained things very well. I need more sleep.”
It was the first thing she’d said that Viola thought had been honest. But that wasn’t Viola’s problem.
Chambers beat her to the door. “Give me a minute, so my boss can yell at me again.”
Viola didn’t get pissed off easily, but she slammed her fist on the table. “No! Let me go, now!”
Chambers blocked the doorway. “Sorry. My house, my rules. Stay put for a moment.”
The woman closed the door behind her.
Viola had had enough of acting like a lady. She gave the finger with both hands to the mirrored wall.
-o-o-o-
Jackson Memorial Hospital, Boulder
Athena breathed a sigh of relief when she and Beau arrived at the hospital. He’d called along the way to warn them to be ready. As soon as he pulled up to the ER, a young guy dressed in scrubs hurried out with a wheelchair.
He helped Athena into it. A moment later, something happened down below. Her legs became warm and wet. “I think my water broke.”
The orderly smiled and pushed her through the ER entrance. “No worries. Just means your baby’s anxious to meet you face-to-face.”
The guy wheeled her down a hall to an elevator that took her to another hallway in the maternity ward. Her doctor was waiting in a birthing room. Beau, who was also her Lamaze breathing coach, showed up a minute later. This was finally going to happen.
-o-o-o-
Casa Santiago
All morning, a stream of new flunkies arrived and begged Carlotta to spare their miserable lives and accept their devoted service. She usually agreed because she’d taken control of hundreds of new businesses in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. She was desperate for help.
To ensure their loyalty, Carlotta always demanded tribute, usually in the form of family members she could hold as hostages. A man might tearfully promise to stay loyal, but he was far more likely to remember that promise if Carlotta held his oldest son as insurance.
And if one of her new managers didn’t have a son, she reluctantly accepted a daughter or wife, but too often, Hispanic men only cared about their namesakes. So, Carlotta always insisted that men who offered female hostages also provided a fifty-thousand-dollar cash payment.
By midafternoon, Carlotta had already collected two dozen boys and young men for Pablo to train as fighters, and her waiting room was still packed. Isabella, her assistant, entered Carlotta’s office. “Next up, my glorious jefa, is a jerk from Albuquerque. Sancho Gomez runs nine restaurants formally owned by the perverted Rojas. My research shows he has a twenty-year-old son, but the father claims he hasn’t seen his favorite kid in over a week. Instead, he brought the 50K and a daughter.”
Carlotta groaned. “We have too many females here already. Tell him to find the boy or find a new line of work.”
Isabella smirked. She was a sarcastic little nina, but Carlotta put up with her because Isabella catered to Carlotta’s every whim. “Don’t be hasty, Your Magnificence. I think you want to see this girl. Young and gorgeous. If you don’t want her, I’m sure Pablo will be thrilled to have her.”
“Fine. You better be right. I’ve no more time to waste on lying fools.”
Carlotta met a swarthy, potbellied man about forty. He was almost bald, and his neck was disfigured with hairy moles. A salesman’s smile filled his face, and he pumped Carlotta’s arm until she yanked her hand away.
“Thank you, thank you so much, for seeing us. Jasmine is thrilled to meet you.”
His daughter hid behind him. He ushered her forward.
As usual, Isabella had been right. The girl was stunning. A remarkable example of young womanhood, with a long narrow face and expressive doe eyes. Her lips were full, and she had an amazing bosom for an eighteen-year-old.
In fact, she looked a couple of years younger. This woman-child gave Carlotta an innocent smile, and Carlotta felt a thrill of excitement down low. It’d been a couple of years since she had felt instantaneously ravenous, just like the first time she met Heidi.
But last night, her girlfriend had stayed in the Lone Tree apartment, claiming she had too much work to manage after losing her assistant manager. Maybe that had been a blessing in disguise.
Carlotta glared at the man. “We have too many girls here already.”
“She’s eighteen, a woman, and a virgin.” The man spoke with his fake smile firmly plastered over his face. He handed over a copy of a birth certificate, but everybody knew how easy those were to fake.
“Any doctor can confirm her innocence,” the man said, “and she’s very obedient. She will eagerly do anything you or Pablo ask.”
Carlotta was disgusted by how eagerly he threw his daughter to the wolves. “I only want boys or men. You have two days to bring me your oldest son, or I will find someone else to manage my new restaurants.”
That wiped the smile off his face. “I haven’t seen him for over a month, Señora. I think he’s in Mexico.”
“If you don’t bring him within two days, Sancho, we’ll find him, and he’ll regret putting us to the effort. In the meantime, leave the girl and give Isabella the fifty thousand dollars in surety.”
The man’s brow furrowed as he handed over a suitcase. He knew better than to ignore a direct order. “I’m sorry to annoy you, Señora. I will do my best to find my son.”
She’d had enough of his excuses and waved him out of her office. “Two days, or you’ll be much sorrier.”
Isabella led him away and closed the door behind them. Carlotta motioned for Jasmine to sit in front of her desk. The girl did, her back straight and her hands folded in her lap like she was in church.
“I’m sorry Sancho gave you away so callously, but maybe it’s for the best. I can’t imagine that he’s been much of a father.”
Jasmine shook her head. “He’s been wonderful but very worried lately. I promise you, I’m a very good cook and cleaner.”
Carlotta was puzzled. Didn’t Jasmine understand her father had given her away to become a prostitute? Was she that naïve? “How much of what your father said was true? Don’t lie to me. I have many ways to discover the truth.”
The girl nodded several times. “Papa gets confused. My brother is a student at the University of New Mexico. He’s going to be an engineer, and he is working at Papa’s businesses all summer. I saw Miguel at one of the restaurants yesterday.”
In other words, the old man was a lying bastard. “Was your father truthful about you?”
“I am eighteen, and I haven’t slept with boys. Don’t want to.” She grimaced. “They’re disgusting.”
“How about girls?”
Jasmine blushed. “Yes, girls. Much nicer.”
A stronger thrill than before blasted through Carlotta. “Come with me. You can show me what you like to do with them.”
Jasmine just looked puzzled.
Carlotta took her hand, opened her office door, and stepped into the hallway.
Isabella stood there, grinning like an idiot.
“I told you so, Your Imminence. But what about all the people waiting to see you?”
“Let them wait. And wipe that smirk off your face.”
-o-o-o-
Byron Rogers United States Courthouse, Denver
When Chambers opened the door to the interrogation room, she waved Viola’s mom, Gloria Hawkins, inside. Chambers left them and closed the door again.
Gloria saw Viola and froze.
The problem was, Viola was still dressed up like Santa Muerte. She ran up to Gloria and threw her arms around her mom.
She hugged her daughter back, just as tightly. The older woman trembled, and a wave of relief flowed over Viola.
They held each other silently for
a moment. Viola was so grateful to feel her mother in the flesh.
When they let go of each other, Gloria asked, “What did they do to you, honey? Turn you into some kind of demon?”
Viola did look pretty weird with the wild makeup on her face and coal-black hair. “It’s a long story, Mom, but first, these jerks won’t let me go. And watch out, they’re listening to every word we say.”
Viola added the last part because Gloria had a hair-trigger temper.
“No, I think they’re okay. Mainly, they’re worried about you getting kidnapped again.”
By then, Viola knew better. “The thing is, these prosecutor people want me to talk about everything that happened over the last few days. That could get me killed, Mom. Actually, it could get us both killed.”
Gloria’s eyes opened wide. The K-word had exactly the effect Viola had hoped for.
“What?” Gloria yelled as she looked at the mirrored wall.
The Feds obviously hadn’t told Gloria the full story. “Yeah, you know all those movies about the mob chasing innocent witnesses and shooting them in the face or chopping their heads off? That’s what the Santiago cartel likes to do to snitches. They even have a hitman named the Viper running around Colorado right now. That’ll be convenient when Carlotta Santiago wants to kill us.”
Gloria burst into tears, which was the only sane response. Viola cried, too. This was too much for ordinary people.
Chapter 19
Jackson Memorial Hospital, Boulder
Two hours after Athena arrived at the hospital, God blessed her with a healthy son weighing eight pounds and two ounces. His name was Leonardo Aegeus Kazan, but only Beau knew. For the moment, Athena left her baby’s name unstated so he could stay as anonymous as possible. The blue band around his wrist identified Leo as B26319.
The natural birthing process had been as tough as she’d expected, but she was already feeling better. Beau had been a great coach. That augured well for the future. He’d always shown a soft spot for kids.
The nurses took the baby away for a thorough checkup, and the doctor left the room.
Anointed (Vanished Book 3) Page 13
