Spies & Stilettos: A MacKenzie Family Novel, Book 18 (The MacKenzie Family)

by Liliana Hart

  “I will, baby.”

  “You will what? Who is baby? Who are you talking to?” Toro demanded.

  He reached out for her, but she slapped his hand away.

  “I’m talking to myself, and I will save Marguerite. You can bet your bald ass on it, Toro.”

  She shoved her thumb and index finger beneath the neckline of her blouse and into her bra, pulling out a matte black flash drive. Squeezing her fingers around it, she closed both eyes and focused on her breathing—in and out—in and out.

  “Thank you, Toro.”

  “For what?” His anger at again being insulted was more visible.

  “For allowing me to speak with my family member.”

  She uncurled her fingers and let the flash drive slide from her palm and onto his laptop’s keyboard.

  He watched as if in disbelief that it was so easy, or as if he expected something else to follow. But no. Elena wanted to shift strategic gears and reward him for “good behavior.” She hoped it would pay dividends later in the really tricky part of the process when it came time to secure Marguerite’s release.

  “Just like that? What’s the catch?”

  “There’s no catch. While I understand you live in a vile world where honesty means nothing, I do not and will not live in that world. We made a deal—video call for data.”

  Toro held the small device between his fingers. His eyes narrowed and the furrow of his thick brow pulled his already bushy eyebrows into a single line. She almost laughed at his primitive actions. It was like he’d never seen the technology before.

  Suddenly, he threw the flash drive on the ground.

  “Now give me the real device,” he demanded.

  “Hey!” She reached for it. “That’s sensitive information.”

  Toro kicked it into the street. His dark forearm trembled as his hand gripped the tabletop. His eyes lifted but never made contact with her. She knew he was looking for his men—or hers.

  “That’s crap. I want the real data. The entire scrape, not this sample of junk.”

  “I should’ve known you couldn’t be trusted. I told you, I do not have the full device with me. I will not give it to you until my niece has landed safely in the United States.”

  “Why not just ask for a miracle, because that’s what it’ll take to get what you want.” He howled with laughter. “Give me the disk.”

  Two men appeared from nowhere. They marched with stiff, scissored legs until standing at attention before Toro. He held his palm open and glared at her.

  This is it. Stay strong and go for broke.

  “Yo, stupido. What don’t you understand? I don’t have the full flash drive with me. I’m not crazy enough to bring it until Marguerite is released.” She knew she needed a big scene. It was the only way to make him understand. To shock him into believing her. So she dug in her heels and shoved back, the old wooden chair crumbling apart behind her.

  The two men, one about her height and the other one much shorter, but crazy thick with muscles, stepped back a bit. They watched her hop over a slight curb and onto the street before lunging her way.

  “Don’t put your hands on me,” she snarled.

  They stopped and she groaned as she tugged at her left boot, and then used her swollen foot to kick off her right. She dropped her khaki pants down to the ground while all three men froze in confusion. Next, she yanked the lightweight long sleeve shirt up, over her head, and threw it to the ground too. She stood there in the still of the night in nothing but a bra and panties.

  “Not convinced?” she challenged them.

  She stripped her bra off and then stepped out of her panties.

  “Now, Toro. The choice is yours, but I’d pick up that flash drive with top-secret information and shove it into your computer or up your ass. It really doesn’t matter to me, but I expect you to believe me when I tell you I don’t have the full flash drive.”

  He averted his eyes and flipped his fingers for her to get dressed. He also directed the taller henchman to retrieve the flash drive.

  “Son of a bitch,” gasped Archer. “Baddest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Elena wanted to smile as she dressed, but the overwhelming pride that rose inside was almost more than she could bear. She’d faced her demons and kicked their ass. Yes, indeed, she’d not be a victim to anyone ever again. Even if it meant taking all of her clothes off.

  “You again surprise me, Señorita Elena.”

  “Toro, I’m not looking for trouble by coming here. I’ve got a product because you took my niece. I know how the game is played. Don’t forget, you killed my father because he refused to produce a product for you. I am delivering a sample to show you good faith.”

  “We shall see.”

  Toro powered up his laptop. The screen was reflected off of the pair of thick black, horn-rimmed eyeglasses he’d pulled from his pocket. He fumbled the flash drive before finding the port to insert it.

  Elena pulled up another chair and kicked the one she’d collapsed to the side. She leaned back and tried to look casual as she watched charts and graphs pop into each reflective lens. She also watched Toro’s eyes rapidly scan back and forth across the eleven-inch computer screen.

  He was quiet for a long time.

  She began to bite at her fingernail but shoved both hands beneath her knees instead.

  The slightest, most maniacal grin first appeared as a hint of satisfaction, and erupted as a fissure of excitement. It had worked—she’d deceived him.

  “This looks okay.”

  “Okay, my ass. It’s the most valuable data you’ve ever put your paws on.”

  “My dear, you’ve been in the United States too long. You’ve lost your decorum.”

  “You mean like kidnapping and killing?”

  His head swiveled toward her. “I’d mind my tongue if I were you.”

  “You’re not me. Now don’t bullshit me, Toro. That information alone is worth millions. I don’t want your money—I want my niece.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “You have until tomorrow morning.” Elena tossed the phone and note that Audrey had given her on the table. “I want Marguerite to call me from this cell phone once she touches down in the United States. She is to be delivered to these coordinates. There will be someone waiting for her. Just land, drop her off, and fly away. Simple.”

  “Do you really think it’s that simple?”

  “If you want the jackpot, it better stay simple.”

  “That’s only half of the deal.”

  “Once she calls me, I’ll message you and meet back here to deliver the entire flash drive. Then you go back to your hole in the wall and plug it in.”

  “How do I know you can be trusted?”

  “Damn, Toro. You’ve seen me naked. How can I not be trusted?”

  “True, but I saw you naked about seven years ago.” He licked his lips.

  “Stay calm, Elena,” Brady radioed.

  “No, you saw a child naked seven years ago. That is disgusting, and so are you.”

  “We’ll agree to everything, except prior to dropping the girl off, I want you in my office setting up the data on our secured network. Just to be safe. You understand?”

  “Then what? You kill me?”

  “Ha, like you said, I’ve seen you nude. Why would I want to kill you?”

  She eased up from the chair and pointed to the phone she’d given him.

  “I’ll be expecting Marguerite’s call in the morning.”

  “Don’t hold your breath, young lady.”

  Elena began to walk away. Before she disappeared into the void, she called back to him.

  “Save your threats, Toro. Just do as I said—simple.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I’d kiss you if there wasn’t a hit squad of rabid mercenaries after us.”

  Brady appeared out of nowhere to intercept Elena. To distract the cartel after their meeting, she had been instructed by her team to head back toward the decoy golf ca
rt. While Audrey and Archer covered their movements, Brady and Elena would circle back behind them.

  The cartel hit men assigned to follow Elena would have a nice surprise waiting.

  “Got her.”

  “Roger that,” Audrey said.

  Brady saw the reflection of light that came from the decoy golf cart headlight remote activation. He knew they had about a twenty-second count to clear away from that side of the town. He grabbed Elena’s hand and began to run.

  “Arggg.” She stumbled.

  “I’m so sorry. I forgot about your ankle.”

  Brady bent down and swooped her from the ground. He took off with her in the fireman’s carry position. It looked awkward because she was draped over his shoulder with her head hanging over his ass. But it was the most efficient way for him to carry her from the area.

  The booming explosion rattled the small town. Brady felt shock waves of heat ride up the back of his neck, but he kept jogging.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes, but I think my eyebrows were singed off.” She tried to laugh but Brady heard how the jostling affected her speech.

  “I think we’re okay now.” He set her down.

  “Why did the golf cart explode?”

  “Ever heard curiosity kills the cat?”

  “Yes.”

  “They got curious. It went boom.”

  “Won’t that mess up tomorrow?”

  “No worries. They’ll be very ready to deal in the morning.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I hid a camera in our room, along with clues that made it look like you were there alone. Obviously, they ransacked it. I also planted a few documents and a passcode that allows them to discover a cache of data in a security cloud. Once they crack into that cloud account, they’ll find MacKenzie data. A stingy download will show them that the data matches the data you gave them on the disk.”

  “It’s a flash drive.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Whatever. The thing is, they suspect what you gave them is high-level insider info. Once they feel like they’ve gone behind your back to confirm it, they’ll have no choice but to negotiate.”

  Elena stopped hobbling and leaned against one of the mud and stick huts on the outskirts of town. They were still several hundred yards away from Archer and Audrey, but she seemed to be suffering from the injured ankle.

  “You okay?” Brady helped stabilize her.

  She pulled him in and pressed her mouth hard against his. Brady flinched for only a second, but then sank into her embrace. His body was still on high alert, as he knew those killers who survived the blast were still looking to put a tail on Elena until the morning’s meeting. But he’d long dreamed of her kiss, and killers or cartel be damned, he was going to enjoy the moment.

  “Wow, what’s that for?” he whispered in her ear.

  “I feel alive.”

  “Yeah, that felt pretty alive to me, too.”

  “No, Brady. I was scared to death back there, but suddenly it all faded and I realized who got to make the decisions for my life—me. The victim is gone—the old and new Elena is back.”

  “Can I be honest? I really love the new Elena.” Brady hugged her before tossing her arm over his shoulders and nudging her to move again. “But we do have to make it to the rally point soon.”

  “Coming?” Archer asked over the radio.

  Brady heard Archer’s question but before he replied, he saw shadows that danced between two dilapidated structures. He pulled back on Elena and motioned for her to squat down in the darkest area behind the burned-out building they had attempted to use for cover.

  “Repeat, are you coming to our location?”

  Brady recognized the tense tone in Archer’s voice. Their little kiss had placed them behind the timeline for extraction. The longer they lingered, the greater their chances were of getting trapped. The figures were too close for Brady to speak without being detected. He clicked the button on his headset that caused the squelch to crackle twice.

  “Roger that. You can’t talk because of company.” Archer interpreted the nonverbal signals.

  Brady turned to Elena and pressed his finger against his lips. She nodded and knelt down. She almost disappeared into the ink black spot at the western corner of the structure.

  Brady inched toward the break between the buildings. The light from the cantina in the center of town was casting the two long shadows. The same light would also limit Brady’s vision because he’d have to peer into it to make out the bodies. He knew the poor locals had already been through enough, so he didn’t want to over escalate the situation in the event they were just being forced to stand watch. On the other hand, if they were carrying weapons, they had to go.

  He made sure not to lean against the wall. That would create sound to give away his position. Brady looked between the gap until he spotted two men standing about eight feet off the street. They looked casual enough, until he spotted the pistol in one man’s hand and the machete in the other.

  Damn, I hate machetes.

  There was no way around the guards. They were already at the most outlying stretch of town. Neither did he want to fight them. He never doubted he’d beat them, but the attention drawn by fighting would attract others.

  “Still okay?” Archer asked.

  Brady clicked the squelch button.

  “Roger that.”

  Archer didn’t say it, but time was getting thin. He had to make a move. It wasn’t in the Navy SEAL manual, but it had worked before. Brady picked up a medium weight rock. He heaved it as far as he could in the opposite direction—and waited. Seconds later, he heard the thud and smash against what sounded like old tin. The two men, who looked to be in their early thirties, jumped at the sound. Brady held in a chuckle. That trick worked every time.

  The two men, dressed in their baggy clothes and oversized hats, shuffled out of the alley and moved clumsily toward the sound. Elena, who he assumed had seen the ruse, was already by his side and ready to make a run for it.

  “Moving,” Brady said over the mic.

  “Roger,” Archer replied.

  Brady and Elena sprinted past the open gap between the two old buildings. It was no more than about fifteen yards. They’d cleared the other side, but it wasn’t as pitch black. Light from other sources helped soften the effects of a moonless sky.

  “Be careful where you step.” Brady helped her traverse over scattered debris.

  “Thanks, Brady. My ankle is killing me.”

  “I know, but they’re just up ahead.”

  “Do not move, or I will kill you,” slurred an ancient but excited voice in Spanish.

  The man racked the slide on his shotgun. The sound was unmistakable and unnerving. A shotgun at that range would shred both of them.

  Brady froze. “Okay, but don’t shoot, mister.” He also spoke in fluent Spanish.

  “I knew where you were heading. I’m not stupid.”

  “No one said you were. You’re much smarter than the others. You caught us.”

  “Do not make fun of me,” the man growled.

  Elena bumped her hip against Brady’s. He glanced at her. Her facial expression showed that he should look at the man. But Brady shook his head no. He’d think of an escape, but not at the moment.

  She tapped him again.

  He ignored her.

  “Not making fun, sir. You caught us fair and square.”

  Brady had an idea as he sensed the man had moved closer. He carefully slid his feet back so that he’d be within grabbing distance. If the man was as old as he sounded, Brady would have no problem grabbing the weapon. Brady hated to kill the man, but he’d always operated by the rule that if you wanted to die, you’d carry a gun.

  “Maintenance man,” Elena whispered in English.

  “You sure?”

  “Think so.”

  “It’s me, my friend.” Brady tried to sound friendly and familiar. “From the hotel.”

  The man jabbed th
e barrel of the shotgun into Brady’s spine.

  “I know who you are. I will be rich.”

  “You will be dead,” said Archer. “Drop your weapon.”

  “Thank God it’s you, Archer,” Elena said.

  Brady spun around to help Archer loosely subdue the old man. They’d be long gone soon and there was no need to hurt him.

  “How’s the ankle?”

  “Still tender.”

  Archer took one of her arms across his shoulders and Brady took the other. The three began moving through empty spaces like a tank. Each realized time had in fact run out.

  “Gringos. They are over here. Catch them,” the old man began to yell.

  They kept running but it wouldn’t be long before they had more capable hunters on their ass.

  “Why didn’t you gag him?”

  “Shit, Archer, I thought you did.”

  “You grab his gun?”

  “No. I thought you did.” Brady laughed through snorts of air.

  The three of them fell to the ground as buckshot pellets from a shotgun’s blast ricocheted off the building and junk cars strewn around the area. Archer rolled to his back and leveled his compact submachine gun between his knees. Brady grabbed his elbow before he opened fire.

  “What the fuck, dude? These are peasants and farmers.”

  “Yeah, with guns that kill.”

  “Get ready,” Brady ordered.

  He raised his weapon and unleashed a burst of .223 caliber firepower that was sure to stop peasants or professionals in their tracks.

  “Move,” Brady ordered, eyeing the golf cart.

  Potshots and angry shouts began to clutter the once serene night. It was an odd combination of ruthless killers, sympathetic locals, and fearful resistance. In the middle of it all was one of their very own who’d come home to do the right thing. Brady felt the burden for Elena, who only wanted to do what any of these people would do—save their family.

  “Get us out of here,” Archer yelled.

  They pushed Elena into the front seat. Both men climbed over the sides into the back. Normally they would’ve laid down for cover, but since the bullets kept coming toward them, they each knelt to prevent Audrey or Elena from getting hit. Of course, they weren’t just kneeling bullet catchers. They unloaded hundreds of rounds back into the town. At this point, everyone in Xpujil was an enemy combatant.