MY FATHER'S KILLER: Kayla's Story

by Cassandra V. Wyatt

  Agent Sullivan was trying to get a better picture of the full scope of the Montenegro operation and what they could potentially be up against if he was actually able to assemble a viable task force in time to help Anita and her friends. His gut feeling told him that not all of the members of the Montenegro would be stationed in just one or two places. A smart drug lord would keep his resources scattered so that in the event that something went wrong, like a takedown, the cartel while fractured, would still retain enough members to be able to function.

  After pulling all the information that was available about the Montenegro Cartel, he went about studying each detail as quickly and carefully as he could. On his desk were pictures of Escobar.

  Valentino and his top henchmen and their last known location which turned out to be Winbush, Virginia. Agent Sullivan walked over to the map and located Winbush and then Lambert. The distance between the two was exactly thirty-two and one-quarter miles. He remembered that Anita mentioned a warehouse by a river. He double-checked the notes he was taking while he was speaking to her. Here it was, The Whitebrook River. He went back to the map and saw that the Whitebrook River ran through and connected several cities, two of which were Winbush and Lambert. It was entirely possible that under the right conditions, the cartel could easily transport drugs and travel undetected using the river.

  He made a call to the Lambert Government offices. After being transferred to two different departments, he finally had the information he needed. He went back to the map and circled an area close to the river.

  Several years ago, The Precision Plastics Manufacturing Company was stationed in Lambert, Virginia. An economic downturn had resulted in a major company down-sizing and out of the jobs that were left many were shipped overseas. Eventually the company shut down operations in Lambert altogether. They had been stationed at a warehouse off of The Whitebrook River. Agent Sullivan was now sure he was on the right track. All he had to do was convince the DEA that the information he had obtained was valid enough and the situation compelling enough to move on. Even though time was running out, he was relatively sure he might be able to help Anita’s friends after all. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

  Chapter 18

  The warehouse in Lambert was alive with movement. Activity levels were picking up as Escobar’s people prepared for the upcoming shipment. While Escobar’s security force maintained a constant vigil from the roof and on the ground for any unwelcome visitors, the men inside moved with a calculated efficiency as they followed Escobar’s orders to the letter. They could not afford to make any mistakes. Not only could a mistake negatively affect the incoming shipment, it could cost them their lives.

  They also knew firsthand how ruthless Escobar could be when it came to his property.

  Each one of the men knew that there were some errors that were somewhat forgivable while others were not. They also were fully aware that in this business, no one was truly indispensable. All it would take is one small misstep that threatened Escobar, his money or the drugs that brought him his money and death would soon follow. If one were unfortunate enough to be slated for execution, he would be quickly replaced and no one would bat an eye or question Escobar’s authority. Therefore, each man pursued his given task with as much precision and proficiency as possible.

  Luciano was in charge of communications. He informed Escobar that the last report he received indicated that the trucks were about 75 miles outside of Winbush. Once they arrived, they would be warehoused there until Friday then loaded onto the waiting boats and trucks and shipped directly to the warehouse in Lambert. Since it was a fairly straight run from Winbush to Lambert with no customs or border agents it was the perfect set-up. Escobar knew that activity on the river was never monitored which was one of his primary reasons for choosing the location in Lambert.

  However, as simple and straightforward as it might seem, Escobar was smart and not one to leave anything to chance. Even without border patrol, he would never allow any shipment to be transported as is, least of all one as large as this one. Approximately 6,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $110 million was carefully divided into kilos that were covered in rubber, sealed in plastic and wrapped with duct tape. This rendered the drugs undetectable even to the most experienced drug-sniffing dog. The keys would then be stashed in multiple shipments of air conditioners and skin cream. Some would be transported via the river and some by ground. The shipments would be scheduled to leave in one hour increments of each other.

  Escobar’s distribution chain was long. His labor force was estimated to be in the thousands and included everyone from the smugglers to the armed bodyguards that secured the facility not to mention those in local law enforcement. Everyone who worked directly within the cartel and those employed as independent contractors were well paid for the level of risk they assumed to be a part of the operation. Being in this business was far from cheap, but the profits more than compensated for the “salaries” he paid out.

  Escobar was introduced to the drug trade by his uncle when he was 12. He was smuggling drugs across the border by the time he was 20 and by 30 he was in charge of the very cartel his uncle had once headed. Now here he was, 60 years old and still going strong. He understood well the intricacies of the game and that the dangers he potentially faced were not always from outside of the organization. There would always be someone who wanted to take his place; someone who would be willing to kill him to attain the top spot as the head of the cartel. This was something that Escobar would never allow as long as he had the resources to eliminate the threat before they got to him.

  On more than one occasion he was forced to violently deal with subversion within the ranks. Those who did not fall in line or secretly wanted to take over were dealt with as speedily and ferociously as possible. They were presented as examples of what would happen if anyone ever attempted to cross him. Escobar tended to be creative and ruthless in his executions. The ferocity with which he went after those he considered his enemy was well-known. The inhumanity of his punishments were usually sufficient to keep any unrest at bay. He ran his operation with an iron fist and no mercy. If he had done it any other way, his position as the leader of the cartel would have been usurped a long time ago.

  Escobar’s right hand man, Luciano arrived to let him know that everything was in order and to inquire if anything else was needed. Escobar told him no and watched as he walked away. Luciano had been with him from the very beginning and was one of his most loyal men. Escobar knew that Luciano would give his life for him; he only hoped that it would never come to that. A little more than fifty years in the business, his time might very well be running out. He hadn’t told anyone but he was seriously considering retiring once he settled this business with the Richards woman. He knew exactly who he would name as his replacement.

  In the meantime, he needed to ensure that things were truly in place. It’s not that he didn’t believe in or trust Luciano, it was just that his personal paranoia was acting up. He had never had a shipment of this size housed in Lambert. He had to make sure that every single detail was observed with absolute accuracy. To overlook the minutest point could spell disaster for them all, himself in particular. “Precision is the key,” he thought to himself as he proceeded to make his rounds.

  ***

  Detective Woods was feeling anxious. After getting off the phone with Escobar, he really wasn’t sure how to proceed. Obviously, Escobar was depending on him to facilitate the meeting with Kayla’s mother but he felt oddly reluctant to force the issue even though he knew what was at stake. His Chief had not approached him about any measures the DEA wanted or intended to take and he knew better than to broach the issue again. The Chief had made it quite clear that Detective Woods was the last person he wanted to speak to.

  He looked around the squad room before he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and took deep, slow breaths in an unsuccessful attempt to clear his mind and settle his nerves. On the one ha
nd, if he didn’t make sure that the meeting with Escobar took place by Friday, he would be signing a death warrant for all of them. On the other hand, if he made sure that the meeting moved forward and anything went wrong, the Chief would probably take great pleasure in killing Woods himself. Although he didn’t want more blood on his hands, he knew that he could not afford to wait for the Chief. He picked up the phone and called Kayla.

  Once again, Kayla stared at her phone as it rang. Even though she knew they had to schedule the meeting by Friday, she was loath to even speak to Detective Woods. Finding out about his involvement in her father’s murder left a really bad taste in her mouth and the sound of his voice literally chafed every nerve in her body. Anita looked at her and in a slightly exasperated tone asked, “Well, aren’t you going to answer it?” Slowly swerving her head in Anita’s direction, Kayla responded, “I don’t want to talk to him.”

  Anita studied Kayla’s face for a moment. She was fully aware that she was struggling with the knowledge that the officer she had trusted for the last three years had been lying to her. Even though the feeling of betrayal ran deep, Kayla needed to understand that because they had no direct line to whoever it was they were supposed to meet, Detective Woods was their only contact. He was the one who would keep them updated and the one who would notify them of the actual meeting date. She may not like it but she had to keep communications open with him.

  “Answer it,” Anita insisted.

  “It can wait,” Kayla retorted.

  “Give me your phone.”

  “I said I don’t want to talk to him.” Kayla’s tone was snappish and a little sulky, not unlike that of a little kid who’s just been told to go to bed before their favorite show was scheduled to come on.

  Seeing the stubborn resolve written all over Kayla’s face and noting the unyielding posture that Anita had taken, Lawrence decided to resolve this standoff and reached over and grabbed the phone.

  “Hello.”

  Kayla shot him a dirty look; her face was a mask of anger and annoyance.

  “I was trying to reach Kayla Richards. Is this 384-555-0102?”

  “It is. Hold on.” Lawrence held the phone out to Kayla. She looked at the phone then back at Lawrence.

  “Oh dear God, she’s really in brat mode now,” Anita thought as she took the phone from Lawrence. Kayla’s displeased look shifted from Lawrence to Anita who ignored her. She put the phone on speaker.

  “Detective Lawrence, this is Anita. Kayla’s unavailable right now, can I help you?”

  “Hello Anita. I just wanted to let her know that the meeting is set for Friday night at 11:30.”

  “Okay, Friday at 11:30 p.m. I’ll be sure to tell her.”

  “Thanks. Anita?”

  “Yes Detective Woods.”

  “Please make sure that they understand that they have to be there on time, no exceptions.”

  “I will.”

  “Thanks again.”

  Anita turned to Kayla. “You already know what that was about. Now go tell Mama Ann.”

  Kayla was visibly irritated but she got up and went to the kitchen to give her mother the news. Mama Ann shook her head in affirmation. “Fine, we’ll be there by 11:15,” she said as she turned to continue talking to Aunt Nat. Kayla examined her mother from head to toe. Gone was the look of resignation, fear and confusion. Instead she appeared strong and resolute. Maybe these two should have met a long time ago. Aunt Nat appeared to have a very positive impact on her mother. Kayla returned to the living room.

  “What’s your problem Kayla? What were you trying to do?”

  “I just didn’t want talk to him.”

  “What if he had been calling to say that the meeting was scheduled for tonight or tomorrow and you didn’t take the call? Do you realize what would happen if your mother missed that meeting?” Anita was fuming.

  “Well he didn’t and she’s not going to miss anything.” The petulant tone had not left Kayla’s voice.

  “What’s the big deal?” she asked flippantly. Anita mentally reminded herself of how much she loved Kayla and what she must be going through. It was the only way she was able to keep from strangling her. Instead of continuing this back and forth with her that was going nowhere, Anita turned her attention to Lawrence.

  “Do you think we should all go?”

  Lawrence thought for a moment. “If we do, they’re never going to let me in with my gun. I think it would probably be best for just Kayla and her mother to go and you, Aunt Nat and I will be somewhere hidden but close by.”

  Anita’s stomach did a slow roll. She could hear the words that Lawrence didn’t speak as clearly as if he had. What he didn’t say was that the only ones they were really expecting were Mama Ann and Kayla and any extras may be unwelcome to the point of it being a problem. The three of them would stay close by in case of trouble but hidden because if they were seen, their presence could very easily be perceived as a threat. That could set off a series of events that could very well end up with Kayla and Mama Ann dead.

  Chapter 19

  Agent Sullivan had been running on sheer adrenalin ever since he found the warehouse and the river on the map. When he felt that he had accumulated sufficient information, he went to his supervisor. He felt a sense of urgency that he could not explain; his many years in the field gave him a keen sense of when things were wrong or about to go wrong and he strongly felt that this was one of them. His supervisor, on the other hand, did not share his feelings. He seemed unfazed by the fact that no notifications had been received from the DEA in relation to the Montenegro Cartel. If anything was going on of any magnitude, he was sure they would know. Frustrated and bewildered by the response he received, Agent Sullivan went back to his office.

  ***

  Escobar took a break from his micro-management of the warehouse activities and called Detective Woods. He had decided that a change of plans was in order and he wanted the meeting with the Richard’s women to take place tomorrow night at midnight. Upon hearing this news, Detective Woods was puzzled.

  “But I already arranged for them to come on Friday at 11:30.”

  “And I, as the head of this operation, have decided that it will take place tomorrow. Another thing Detective, there’s a matter that I need to speak with you about. I’m going to need you to be here tomorrow at 11:00 p.m.”

  “Is something wrong?” Detective Woods again felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

  “Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just be here.”

  Escobar hung up.

  Everything within Woods was literally screaming at him not to go. There was no one he could go to for help. The Chief would probably brush him off and tell him to just call Kayla and inform her of the change. Then he would probably tell him to stop worrying and just suck it up; this is what happens when you decide to get in bed with the devil.

  After desperately trying to come up with other options and coming up blank, he once again called Kayla. She was still unavailable so he gave the message to Anita. Then he settled back in his chair to think.

  ***

  Anita relayed the message to Kayla who then relayed the message to her still surprisingly calm mother. While Kayla was out of the room, Anita approached Lawrence.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” she told him.

  “So do I.”

  “What’s going on with you?”

  Anita looked down and fidgeted just a little. “Nothing. Just nerves.” she said without looking him in his eyes.

  Lawrence studied Anita carefully. “Don’t lie to me Anita.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Yeah, you are. I can tell. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. You’re just being paranoid.”

  Lawrence remained silent while Anita grew increasingly nervous. His eyes never left her.

  “Stop staring at me like that. You’re making me nervous,” she looked back toward the kitchen to see if Kayla was coming yet.

  Without a
nother word, Lawrence grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her toward the front door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m about to get the truth, that’s what.”

  Just then, Kayla came into the living room. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, we’re just going to have a little cousin to cousin chat. We’ll be right back,” Lawrence answered.

  “Well alright then,” Kayla said as she watched them head out the door.

  Kayla might be crazy, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew something was up and they just didn’t want her to know. She stood off to the side and watched them from the window. Lawrence, who was visibly agitated, got right up in Anita’s face. Anita uncharacteristically kept her head down and appeared to be way more timid than Kayla had ever known her to be. Kayla couldn’t hear what Lawrence was saying but he began to gesture toward the house and there was no denying the forcefulness of his body language. When his hands weren’t clenched into fists, he was waving them around and pointing at Anita. Kayla knew he wouldn’t hurt her but if someone who didn’t know any better saw this display, they might think differently.

  After watching for a few minutes, Kayla went to sit down and wait for them to come back inside. Several minutes later, she heard the front door open. She watched as Anita and Lawrence entered the living room. Anita walked ahead of Lawrence whose brow was crinkled with worry. They sat on either side of Kayla. A chill ran up Kayla’s spine.

  “Anita has something to tell you.”

  Kayla looked at Anita. “What’s wrong?”

  “I call the Agent who was in charge of my brother’s case to see if he could help.”