Extracting Mateo

by Tl Reeve

  He whistled. “Damn.”

  “Welcome to my security system.” She motioned for him to enter.

  He ambled down the stairs and stared at the equipment. Like the base, she had several screens set up. Instead of different missions being projected, the monitors showed multiple angles of her property. “Damn, this is fancy.”

  “Thank you. Sit. We’ll talk.”

  Murray sat in the chair she offered. “I’m not hoping for much.”

  She nodded, sitting beside him. “Ten years is a long time. I can understand how you feel. I wouldn’t get my hopes up, either.” She hit a few buttons on the keyboard in front of her, and an aerial view came into view. The black and white photo showed Murry a building about three stories tall and dilapidated.

  “What’s this?”

  “Where your sister is,” she said. “I’ve reconned the area.”

  Murray stared at the picture. “You’ve lost me.”

  “It looks abandoned, yes?”

  He nodded. “Very much so.”

  “It’s not. Inside is a high-end club for men and women who are interested in the unique.” She showed him a few photographs of the inside. Sure enough, the inside wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Even though they were in black and white, the richness of the interior showed through.

  “The unique?” His stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a fetish club, for...” She lowered her gaze. “Freaks.”

  Irritation skimmed across his skin. “Okay, but I still don’t understand why my sister is there.”

  “Freaks,” Jaq said. “You know, those with abnormalities.”

  Murray blinked. “Are you saying?” His stomach pitched. Bile burned at the back of his throat as he gagged. He stood and began to pace, willing himself to keep from puking. “They’re using my sister as a freak? Because she had AMF?”

  Sorrow filled Jaq’s chocolate-colored eyes. “Yes.”

  Murray shoved out of the cramped C&C and raced outside. He heaved the meager contents from his stomach the minute his knees hit the hot sand. Tears burned behind his eyes. The idea of his sister being used for someone to get their rocks off, caused him to vomit once more. Ten years she’d been stuck in that cycle. He trembled as the first tears began to roll down his cheeks. Oh, God, Hannah. I am so sorry.

  A long shadow appeared in front of him, seconds before Jaq placed her hand on his shoulder and handed him a bottle of water. “I’m sorry, Murray. I know this is a shock. My tact is lacking.”

  Murray gave a watery laugh. “Don’t think there’s an easy way to break this kind of news.”

  “True, I could have eased the blow a bit more, though.” She kneeled beside him. “If you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to explain more.”

  “Sure.”

  She sighed. “Three years ago, my autistic brother disappeared.”

  Murray lifted his gaze to her. “What?”

  “Yeah.” She rubbed her forehead. “I’ve been trying to get into that fucking place since I found out Christian was there. Unfortunately, due to the rules, singles aren’t allowed in there, it’s a couples only club.”

  Murray groaned as his stomach pitched again. “Fuck.”

  “I have gone to the police. The government. I have tried everything to close this place down.”

  “Let me guess, the cartel owns it, and everyone inside is corrupt?” Murray cocked a brow.

  “Good guess,” she said. “It is run by the Nieto Cartel. All government officials get kickbacks and membership. They're sick mother fuckers.”

  Bebito sat down in front of Murray and whined before licking his face. “Is your brother still in there?”

  She nodded. “I've caught a couple of glimpses of him over the years. It's why I called Tex. I saw this girl, she was white. Pretty thing. In a purple wheelchair. She didn't fit the norm. All the...”

  “Freaks,” he grunted.

  “They’re Mexican. She stood out. I don’t know how long she’s been in there. Physically, she appears well. Mentally...” Jaq shrugged. “Anyway, I told Tex what I saw, and he jumped on it.”

  “So, what’s your plan?”

  She grinned. “Now that I’m not alone...”

  “We’re going in? But won’t they know you?” Murray drank down the water then grimaced when his stomach cramped due to how cold it was.

  “No. No one on the inside saw me. Together, we’ll pose as a couple looking for a little entertainment,” she stated. “However, I have one favor to ask of you.”

  “Shoot, you’re doing this for me,” he said. “Ask away.”

  “Can you get another couple out here? Patrons are only allowed, one person... Toy. Your sister and my brother are our priority, but...”

  “Say no more,” he said. “I’ll make the call.”

  Jaq helped him up. “Let’s go inside. I have some information for you to go over, and then we’ll start coordinating with our new team.”

  “Lead the way.” Murray glanced out over the property as they made their way back to the house. Hang on a little longer, Hannah. I’m coming.

  To be continued in...

  Check out the first chapter of Rule Breaker below...

  “Juan is waiting for you in Room One, Doctor Rae.” Maria placed the patient’s folder on the table next to her. “He says his belly is aching again.”

  Didn’t surprise her. Even in the twenty-first century, cholera could rear its head at the most inopportune time. Three weeks ago, monsoon season started, and with it the rains. Puerto Nariño, Colombia, took the brunt of the last storm. The flood washed away a good portion of the roadways, killing the water supply and rudimentary sewer system. Within days, the majority of the people had some symptoms of cholera. Thankfully, the Red Cross brought in supplies to combat the deadly bacterial disease.

  “I’ll be right there.” In the six months since she’d taken the assignment, Rae Kenzie had put in long hours for some of the most rewarding work. She’d been all over the world and didn’t think she could ever work at a stationary hospital again.

  While in medical school, Doctors Without Borders had come to her classes to explain their programs. It wasn’t a recruiting thing. She needed real experience first. Taking a position in emergency medicine had been worth it in the long run after her residency. The quickened pace came in handy while working some of the most heinous war-torn areas. Sure, she gave up the luxury of home to work in some of the worst conditions, but she’d do it again in a heartbeat.

  As a pediatrician, she’d been highly sought after. Her training in infectious disease and autoimmune therapy had made her a gold star at the top of the chart. It also put her in some of the most dangerous conditions. Last year, she’d been in Syria. She feared Aleppo would fall before long, and those children left behind would die as well. She prayed every night the United Nations would step in and put a hard stop on the destruction.

  “Dr. Rae. Dr. Rae!” A little dark-haired girl ran straight for her. Isabella Sanchez. The girl’s toothless grin always warmed her heart. Rae had set her arm after her home collapsed under a brutal wind. The bright pink cast had lifted the girl’s spirits, but not as much as a bowl of strawberry ice cream.

  “Isabella.” She hugged the girl tightly. “How are you, sweetheart?”

  “Good. Mamá has present for you.”

  Her mother presented Rae with a package wrapped in plain brown butcher paper and white twine. “Gracias por ayudar a mi hija.”

  “De nada.” She smiled, untying the rope. She’d never hesitate to help Isabella again if the need came. She placed the cord on the counter and opened the paper. The beautiful multi-colored shawl sitting inside the wrappings took her breath away. Bright reds, golds, and greens were complimented by ivory and cream. She almost didn’t want to touch it. “For me?”

  Isabella’s mother nodded. “Si.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Por Isabella.”

  She placed the gift on the desk and enveloped the woman i
n a hug. “Por Isabella.” Yes, the people didn’t have much in the tiny village, but what they did have was heart, in spades. She stepped back then took the little girl’s hand. “Come on, let’s see how your arm is doing today.”

  Maria grabbed up her package and carted it behind Rae as she made her way down the hall to one of the open rooms. When she had the little girl on the table, she glanced at Maria, who nodded. “Okay, Isabella, let’s get your cast off so Dr. Rae can x-ray your arm.”

  Rae closed the door behind her and set out for Juan’s room. She knew the little boy wouldn’t be there if he felt well. He’d been a trooper through the worst of the sickness. When she stepped into his room, his father was sitting in the chair next to the table while the little boy lay with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. The pallor of his skin shocked her. Green along his jaw gave way to pale cheeks and a bit of yellowing under his eyes. She frowned.

  Rae grabbed his folder and glanced at his symptoms. Upper abdominal pain. Yellowing of the skin. Fever. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Poor kid. She gently nudged him and, though the poor baby was sicker than a dog, he grinned. “Hi, Juan.”

  “Buenos días, Dr. Rae.” His lips thinned as he rolled onto his back.

  “Not feeling well today?”

  He gave a quick shake of his head and pointed to his bloated belly. “Hurts.”

  “I bet it does. Maria already took some blood, so I won’t be doing that again.” She glanced at his father. “Has he eaten anything in the last two days?”

  “No.” Sadness filled his father’s eyes. “Nothing.”

  “Give me one minute.” She squeezed his shoulder and walked out. The small lab they used was across the hall from his room. She had a sneaky suspicion she knew what happened to him. But, to treat it properly, she needed the right diagnosis.

  Sitting on the printer, the white piece of paper held the key to what ailed Juan. Sometimes curing one disease brought on another. And, in the little boy’s case, he hadn’t been the exception to the rule. He went big. Acute pancreatitis. There were several different antibiotics she could use with modifying his diet a little. Bland foods at first. Nothing acidic, not even fruit. Then, little by little as he got better, they could add more of his favorite foods.

  She crossed the hall and entered the room. “You’re going to be just fine, sweetheart.” Rae showed the father the diagnosis and then explained it in as simplest terms as possible. Juan would need antibiotics and rest. In a few days, he would start feeling better, and in a week, he should be back to playing soccer with his other playmates at school.

  The relief in his father’s eyes almost knocked her feet out from under her. Juan’s family had been hit particularly hard during the flood. His mother and baby sister had been washed away. His older brother had been badly hurt and transported to a hospital in Bogotá where he remained in a drug-induced coma to help reduce the swelling in his brain. The situation was still touch and go.

  “Gracias.” His father gripped her hand in an affectionate way.

  “My pleasure.” She smiled as she setup his IV so he could get some fluids into him.

  On her way back to Isabella’s room, she stopped to wash her hands and check the schedule. She had a few appointments to go for the day, but the majority of the people who came to see her and her team were walk-ins, and a good portion of them tried to pay. To see the relief on their faces when she waved off their money or their goods when they left was payment in full.

  The door flew open and a man carrying twins no more than nine months old rushed into the small waiting room. Sweat rolled down his brow, the pulse at his neck throbbed, and his face twisted with fear. His rapid Spanish made it hard for her to keep up. She held up her finger as she rushed to him to grab one of the babies.

  “Maria!”

  The door to Isabella's door flew open and her assistant ran out. “What's—merde!” She took the other baby from his arms as the man began speaking again. “They were playing. A snake. They've been bit.”

  “Let's get them to a room. Does he know what bit them?”

  “Si.”

  A woman rushed through the door carrying a bag.

  “Is it dead?” She gave Maria a sideways glance as the man wrung his hands while he spoke. No way in hell they needed a live poisonous snake in the office.

  “He killed it. Chopped off the head.” She grinned as she laid the baby on the table beside his sister. “I got a puncture mark on him.”

  “Nothing on her.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she removed the shirt and shorts the baby girl had been wearing. “I'm not seeing anything. I think she's okay.” The little girl stared up at her while the boy didn't move. His skin turned a sickly shade of white, probably from shock and fear. To be on the safe side, they had to know what they were dealing with. “We need the snake.”

  “I'll get it.”

  The woman appeared at the door at the same time Marie opened it. The mother handed the duffle to her. Worry etched the mother's face.

  “It's not poisonous.” Maria sagged as she looked into the bag. “It's a baby anaconda.” She poured the remains of the reptile on the counter.

  She gulped. The nasty slithering mess fell on the floor in a heap. “So gross. To be sure, we'll take blood from him and watch the bite area. I'll also give him a shot of penicillin to be on the safe side.”

  The little girl smiled up at her, and she lifted the baby. “She is fine. No bite. We're going to take good care of him.”

  “Beto.” The father lifted his chin toward the boy.

  Rae grinned. “Beto.” She touched Maria's shoulder. “Get him hooked up to the IV and pump some fluids into him. I'll finish up with Isabella.”

  “On it.”

  “Have a seat.” She pointed to the chairs. “I'll be back.”

  She exited the room to finish up with Isabella's x-ray and cast, then she'd check on Juan. By now, he should be feeling a little relief. She opened the door and found Isabella giggling with her mom. “Ready for that x-ray?”

  “Yes, Dr. Rae.” She hopped off the table and followed her down the hall to the small room at the back of the office.

  “Does your arm feel better?”

  She nodded.

  “Good.” It looked better, too. The swelling was almost completely gone, even the bruising had diminished. She laid the child's arm on the board below the machine and went through the procedure to take different views of her bone. Then she took the little girl into the room to examine the film.

  “Well, would you look at that.” She pointed to the area where the break had knitted together. “Almost healed. I think we can do a soft cast now. No more plaster.” She guided Isabella back to her room, then went to the storage area and grabbed a soft cast. A couple more weeks and she'd be good to go.

  As she opened the door, the rev of jeep engines sounded in front of the office. She closed her eyes. Not now. Today isn't the day for this bullshit. The patient room door behind her opened and the twins' father stepped out.

  “Always come. You hide. Kids.” He patted her arm. “We fix.”

  “I can't let you do—”

  “We fix.” He hurried her to the room. He spoke to his wife, who handed over their daughter while Maria gathered up their son. “Go.”

  Rae turned to Maria. “Get Juan.” She went back to grab Isabella and her mother while Maria went for the other little boy then hurried to their safe place.

  The slamming of doors accompanied shouts. Her heart pounded. She had no protection here except for the police, and she realized quickly they were as corrupt as the guerillas supposedly protecting the jungle around them. More like the cocoa fields. Rae placed her finger to her mouth as she grabbed Isabella by the hand and hurried to the back near the x-ray machine.

  The voices grew louder. Anger laced their words. The kids were looking to her for help and she had no idea what to do. In the six months they'd been there, they'd never been subject to anything like this. The only rea
son she knew about the guerillas was because a couple kids who’d gotten into the cocoa plants appeared at her door sicker than shit, puking up their guts. Those who weren’t sick had been shot or stabbed. Maria had to explain it to her.

  Crack! The first shot rang out, followed by another. The screams of frightened children, along with the adults, rent the air. She hurried to get them to the safe room below ground. “Hurry.” She glanced over her shoulder and watched through the window as the men began shooting each other, which made no sense at all. When standing at the door to hurry more people into the clinic, she saw more men coming down out of the hills in front of them, their uniforms the same as those the guerillas wore. The baby in her arms squealed and cried out, drawing the attention of one of the men.

  His eyes narrowed as a slow, devious grin twisted his features. He raised his gun, pointing it at her. Her heart lodged in her throat. She couldn't move. She stared down the barrel of his long rifle, her death becoming an inevitable situation.

  None of the stuff people say in the movies happened. Her life didn't flash in front of her eyes. She didn't have a chance to lament about not talking to her mother last weekend when she said she'd call home, but overslept.

  Thwack! The man's body fell forward. She expected to see another person behind him; however, no one was there. She muffled her relieved cry and hustled Isabella to the back room. After opening the trap door in the floor, she climbed in with the children. “Stay in the darkness.”

  She huddled them together as the gunfire continued to ring out around them. At some point, someone would come looking for them. Then what? She didn't know. She didn't want to think about it right now. She needed to keep the children quiet. Their parents had put their lives on the line to help her, and she had a duty to protect them.

  Maria flipped on the light of her phone. Juan sat beside her, his little body shaking as the ravages of the infection worked through him. She could only hope they wouldn't be down there long so she could get him back on the antibiotics and the pain meds. Beto lay sleeping in her arms while Isabella held her arm to her chest. Shit, the cast. She must have dropped it during the commotion. When they got out of there—if they got out of there—she'd put the cast on her arm and give her a small dose of pain medicine. It was the least she could do after dragging her away from her mom.