by KJ Bell
Maria frowns when I come into the kitchen. She’s alone, wiping down a few tables.
“What are you up to?”
“Let’s just say that Eduardo’s bank accounts are a bit fatter, and in a day or so, Mr. Torrente will soon be questioning how that came to be.”
“And how exactly is Torrente going to find this out?”
“I’m going to tell him.”
She drops the rag in her hand and walks toward me. “You’re just going to call him on the phone and say, ‘Hey, Eduardo Montez is stealing from you.”
I’m going to be honest with her, and then, I’m going to have to work extra hard to explain why this is a splendid idea. “I’m not calling him. I’m going to go to his house and tell him.”
“Tug, no! You can’t do this.”
“Listen to me—I’ve never made you a promise, because I knew eventually I’d fuck up, and hurt you, but I’m doing it now. I’m promising to protect you. Now trust me to do that.”
“And who is going to protect you? You can’t go to Torrente’s home and throw out accusations.”
“They aren’t accusations. I have dated and irrefutable proof.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you everything. You just have to trust me.”
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. I’m using the one thing Eduardo doesn’t have behind him. Brains.”
“Don’t underestimate him. He may not have a brilliant IQ, but he’s street smart, backed by years of deviant behavior. He won’t be easily tricked.”
“No, but he’ll never see it coming.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I love knowing he’s going to pay for what he did to you.”
“It’s the desire for revenge that got me into this mess.”
“No, sweet girl. Desperation and love for your family did, but it’s revenge that’s going to get you out.”
I expect her to continue arguing, but instead she looks directly at me. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“I do, and I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“I don’t know where to go. I can’t risk going to your place, and I can’t go back to my apartment. All of Papa’s things are there.”
“I’ve already taken care of it. We’re staying at Tori’s. Veronica packed some of yours and Javier’s things, and took them to the house earlier today.”
“Thank you.”
“This has been a hard day for you. I just want to make it easier.”
“You have, and I love you for it.”
I leave Maria and Javier at Tori’s, and cross the border. It’s ten after nine in the morning when I make my way into Sid’s office.
“Do you have an address for me?”
The look on his face as he leans back in the chair is infuriating, and he’d better not try to talk me out of this.
“I’m not thrilled about giving it to you, but I have it. You’re playing with fire. If Torrente calls your bluff, you won’t leave his house.”
“I’m well aware of what I’m walking into.”
He bolts forward, his fist pounding into the desk. His thick, wrinkled eyelids are droopy and swollen red, like a man who spent his entire life drinking and working. I know he’s seen horrific things in both the military and his professional life, but his experiences don’t mean anything to me.
“Are you sure about that? Shit, Aidan. Is this girl worth dying for?”
As I look across the desk at a man I’ve known my entire life, I know my commitment to see this through is unwavering. “Yes.”
He sags back in in his chair, his head lifted, staring at the ceiling. “Must be some magical pussy she’s got.”
I fly out of the chair and reach across his desk, grabbing a handful of his shirt.
“What the fuck did you say? Don’t ever speak that way about her, or you’ll be out on your ass.”
He grabs my wrist and pulls until he frees his shirt. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’ve known you since you were a little kid. I’m worried about you. These people you’re messing with are dangerous. They’ll cut your throat, and then what good will you be to this girl?”
My fingers work through my hair. “This is going to work, Sid. I have the documents showing all of the deposits into Eduardo’s accounts over the years. I convince Torrente that he’s been played and leave. My girl is safe, and Reese gets my money back. The plan is foolproof.”
I can tell by the way he shakes his head, he thinks I’m mistaken, that I’m like most young men who think they’re invincible. Maybe I am, but I have to try. “For your sake, son, I hope it is.”
My eyes pop open when I hear my cell ringing. I bolt up from the guest bed at Tori’s house. After Tug left this morning, I felt drained and only laid down for a second. I pick up the phone and realize it was closer to three hours when I see the time. I don’t recognize the number, but answer it anyway.
“Did you miss me, baby?” The sneering voice on the other end of the line shoots shivers up my spine. The hairs on my neck dart upward with such force it feels like bugs are crawling in my hair. “I hear you breathing.”
“How’d you get this number?”
His menacing laugh filters through the line, sending goose bumps up my arms. “Is that all you have to say to me? I’m hurt. No, ‘Of course, I missed you,’ no ‘I love you.’ No apology for stealing my fucking dope?” His voice has risen to shouting, and I’m terrified, but his next question sends me into complete and utter panic. “How’s your son, Maria?”
My shaking hand struggles to hold the phone. “Leave him out of this.”
“You brought him into this, bebé. Do you know where he is?”
I don’t, and that fear has me charging down the stairs into the living room. The room spins in circles around me as I listen for Javier’s voice. The house is completely silent other than my heart pounding in my ears and my teeth chattering. I wince when I bite my tongue, tasting blood. As I bring the phone to my ear, ready to surrender to Eduardo and tell him he can have whatever he wants as long as he gives me back my son, I hear a laugh. A laugh so pure and beautiful I sob into the phone. Javier’s laugh. I look through the slider and find Javier with Drew and Tori on the beach, playing.
“Yes, I know where my son is,” I say, out of breath.
“But you weren’t sure for a moment. You felt doubt. That feeling is never going to go away, especially now that I know where you live, and where you work. I’m coming for you, bitch.”
I feel like vomiting, but I keep my voice calm. “I won’t let you hurt him.”
“I’ll do whatever I want, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.” I stagger around in a circle with my fingers pressed to my lips, expecting to hear that he’s on his way, or worse close by. His next sentence is intended to intimidate me, but it thrills me, so much so I almost laugh. “You’ll have to leave Mexico eventually, and I’ll be ready when you do.”
I knew he wouldn’t come here. He’d never risk getting caught. He’d be deported and tried for international crimes, and he’s nothing more than a scared coward, hiding behind his gang. His threat means I can’t bury Papa in Watsonville, but at least I know my baby boy’s safe.
I should call Maria and share my plans, but I know she’ll try to talk me out of going. The jet is fueled and ready when I arrive at the airport. In just under three hours, the plane touches down in Monterrey, Mexico. I turn on my phone and see all the missed calls and texts. Without reading them, I send Maria a text telling her I’ll be home tonight and shut of my phone.
After I secure a car, I drive the winding roads up the Mitras Mountains and into the affluent neighborhoods nestled away in the rocky slopes of northwest Monterrey. Small communities of Mexico’s elite — drug lords, modern-day pimps, and city officials — living the high life while much of the country starves, many of them living in poverty, depending on a government that has no intention of saving them.
I roll up slowly to a home surrounded entirely by ten-foo
t high stucco walls. The guard tower extending ten feet above the walls is my first indicator I have the right address.
I’ve dealt with shady people since taking over Gibson Capital. Men with unexplainable wealth and reach, of questionable character, but those men needed my services and weren’t threatening. The closer I get to the gate, the more I doubt my decision to come here, but I have to protect Maria and Javier. Today may end badly for me, but if I don’t try, things will end badly for all of us. The power Eduardo holds over Maria has to end, and, more importantly, he needs to suffer.
I turn into the driveway, stop at a call box, and push the button. The metal heated by the late afternoon sun burns my fingertip, a blister forms instantly. When a voice tells me to wait, I stare at the wrought-iron gate, expecting it to open. A man on a golf cart approaches from the other side.
The cart stops short of the gate, its driver getting out watching me as the gate opens. He wears dark jeans and an army brown T-shirt. A thick jet black beard covers most of his face, and I think he looks more like a Middle Eastern terrorist, than a Mexican—well terrorist. The gate opens fully, and as he comes to my open window, he asks. “Qué es lo que quieres?”
“I’d like to speak with Mr. Torrente,” I answer in English, testing to see if he understands me.
“Who the fuck are you? How’d you get this address?”
Apparently he speaks English clearly, although with a thick Spanish accent.
“My name is Aidan Hunter. I’m an American businessman, and I have some important information for Mr. Torrente.”
“He’s not interested.”
And here’s where I get brave and put my life on the line to save my girl. “He has a thief in his organization. I think it would interest him very much.”
“Does this thief have a name?”
“Eduardo Montez.”
“Stay here.”
He trudges away from the car, talking into his phone, rocks and sand crunching loudly under the weight of his black combat boots. After a couple of minutes, he hangs up and returns to the window. “Come with me, Mr. Hunter. Leave the car here.”
When I step out, he whirls me around and slams me into the hood of the car. His hands move over every pocket and search under my clothing, the process thorough and completely emasculating. I don’t try to fight him or speak. I need these men to trust me.
He yanks on my arm, pulling me toward the golf cart. I sit in the passenger seat, and we drive through the trees to an expansive Spanish-style mansion. The man jerks me from the golf cart, keeping a firm grip on my arm as we enter the front door to an intimidating foyer with marble pillars and flooring. The room sparkles as sunshine beams through the windows, reflecting off hundreds of tiny glass squares strung from an enormous chandelier above my head.
“Wait here.” The authoritative tone he uses stops me in my tracks.
My eyes move from side to side. The walls are adorned with an impressive collection of artwork. The sale of one painting could feed a small country. I stare at one in particular. Although I don’t recognize the artist, the quality is exceptional. It’s of a woman holding a tiny infant, shrouded in a soft pink blanket, the artist capturing the miraculous moment in the mother’s expression to perfection.
“Do you like it?” a deep voice asks from behind me.
I turn toward the voice, taken aback by the man before me. He’s distinguished and professional. I don’t know what I expected—white suit, silk shirt, shiny shoes, and gold chains, maybe. His tailored suit is charcoal grey with thin pin-stripes, his dress shirt, crisp white cotton, unbuttoned at the top and without a tie. The dark hair covering his head is cut close and his face is cleanly shaven. He could be any one of thousands of reputable businessmen. But he’s not. He’s the leader of the largest drug cartel in Mexico and someone who would kill me without thinking twice.
“It’s exquisite,” I answer his question with regard to the painting.
“It was painted from a photograph the day my daughter was born.”
My hand shakes mildly as I extend it in his direction.
“Mr. Torrente, I presume. It’s a pleasure to — ”
His grip is firm as he shakes my hand. Nerves fire through me with so much intensity, I’m sure he can feel the vibration through my skin.
“I know who you are, Mr. Hunter. Gibson Capital is a global company, and I do have friends with legitimate businesses.”
His tense lips relax, but he doesn’t smile.
“Please accept my apology for coming to your home unannounced, but I wanted to speak with you in person,” I say, surprised with how relaxed my voice sounds, considering my insides are convulsing wildly and I feel nauseous.
“Shall we talk?” he asks, motioning for me to walk with him. We enter a sitting area, and he tells me to sit down. The white leather sofa squeaks when I sit. After I decline a drink, he pours himself one and says, “So, you have information for me about Eduardo Montez.”
“Yes, sir, I do. He approached my firm about investing some money, and the amounts are from large overseas accounts. I had my team look into who he was and discovered a connection to you. The amounts are staggered in a way that suggests he’s skimming from you.”
The ice cubes clank against the edge of the glass as he sips his drink. The condensation beading on the outside of the glass is thick and as it trickles down the side, I realize my hands are sweating profusely, and I wipe them on my slacks. He sets the glass down and rubs his chin. “Mr. Montez has always paid me.”
I inhale slowly, preparing the bluff of a lifetime. My ability to negotiate with people and blur reality has made me and Gibson a success, but this isn’t a typical meeting, or a mainstream client, and I feel sweat wetting my collar, dripping down my spine.
“That is what he’s led you to believe, but I think he distributes slightly higher than what he’s reporting to you. Not enough to be noticeable, but because of the quantity, a nice amount that’s grown over the years.”
His expression gives nothing away as he snaps his fingers toward a giant of a man, dressed in army fatigues who I hadn’t noticed was filling the doorway. The man approaches him and he says, “Check this out.”
The man leaves, and Mr. Torrente takes another swig off his drink. He dries his lips on the back of his free hand. I can tell by his slightly squinted eyes, he’s processing my words carefully, but that he doubts Eduardo and is worried what I said might be accurate.
“I met Eduardo when he was just a small boy. He is the son of my best friend here in Mexico, a poor man who refused to work with me even though he knew I could make him a wealthy man. When Eduardo was seventeen, his father died, and he begged me to give him a job, to make him a man. One of my top guys in America was stealing from me. I told Eduardo if he went to the States and found this man, I would put him in charge of his own territory. Three days later, the thief’s head showed up in a box at my house. Now you want me to believe that this same boy who would murder for me, my best friend’s son, would steal from me?”
I fear I’ve read this man wrong, but I remain focused. “Yes, sir. People change.”
His expression taunts me. He regards me as though I’m prey, like a mouse he’s luring to its death with tiny scraps of cheese.
“What’s in it for you, Mr. Hunter? I would think the commission you stand to make from a deal with Montez would be substantial.”
I could lie and kiss his ass, tell him I was looking out for his interests, but I don’t. “It’s personal for me.”
His lips curl slightly, but I wouldn’t say he smiles. He holds his glass up in mock toast. “Ah. Let me guess. A woman, Mr. Hunter?”
“A young girl at the time he raped and abused her.”
The right side of his top lip lifts, and he shakes his head.
“Young men in the cartel these days don’t know how to behave. The power’s gone to their heads, but I cannot control this. I need them to be ruthless and stonehearted. It benefits me a great deal when my staff do
esn’t possess empathy.”
I stand from the couch, feeling brave and take a step toward him.
“I understand, but Maria is with me now. She had to leave the Bay Area to escape him, and I want him out of her life.”
“Maria?” His question is asked with sincere curiosity.
“Yes, my girlfriend. He claims she — ”
“What is her last name?”
“Santiago.”
His eyes flash with surprise or anger, I can’t tell.
“How old is she?” His demand comes out in a ferocious roar, and there’s no mistaking his emotions. He’s frantic. I open my mouth, and then close it, not sure if I should answer. “How, old, Mr. Hunter?”
“Twenty-two.”
The vein in his neck bulges, and he slams the glass down on the marble bar. I try to remain calm, but I’m nervous that Eduardo did tell him about the money Maria stole all those years ago, and now I’ve been the one to rat her out. My mind races, coming up with a way to defuse his anger, when the man from earlier returns to the room and whispers in Mr. Torrente’s ear. He leaves, and Mr. Torrente glares at me.
“My people claim Eduardo is selling to them at a reasonable price. It was a good bluff, Mr. Hunter, but unsuccessful. What should we do about you coming into my home and making accusations about my people?”
Sweat soaks my shirt under my jacket. My heart hammers behind my ribs. I have to stay composed or he’ll see right through me. “The money is in his accounts. I have his bank statements to prove it. It had to come from somewhere. Perhaps he’s working another cartel.”
“Perhaps.” His expression softens. “Come with me outside, Mr. Hunter. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
It’s after midnight when I walk through the door at Tori’s house. Maria charges into me and pounds her fist into my chest repeatedly. I grab her arms and hold them at her sides.
“Don’t ever do that to me again!” she yells. “I’ve been freaking out. I thought I’d never see you again.”
I grab her face and kiss her lips, her cheeks, her nose, planting dozens of kisses on her face and head. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t risk you talking me out of going to see Mr. Torrente, but it’s over. Eduardo won’t hurt you.”
