Dead Line

by Jack Patterson

  “I’ve learned that good coffee—like so many things in life—can’t be rushed. You can’t be rushed to drink it and you certainly can’t be rushed to roast it. Most people make mistakes when they don’t spend the time to think things through. We make impulsive decisions and what could be a great idea is worthless. So many entrepreneurs look at the coffee market and think they are going to dominate because they have a good product. But it takes more than a good product to be successful. It takes hard work. It takes determination. It takes patience. And most of all, it takes someone who is willing to roll their sleeves up and do whatever is necessary to help a dream take flight.”

  Cal scribbled down Hernandez’s words. It actually sounded like good business advice—until Cal remembered who he was interviewing after a chilling statement.

  “When someone is committed to an idea, they don’t let anything stand in their way. Nothing. They do whatever is called for to see it through.”

  Cal couldn’t be sure, but he would’ve sworn he saw Hernandez’s nostrils flare during that final comment.

  For the next 45 minutes, Cal gathered all the information for a great profile piece on Hernandez. Kelly captured the power of Hernandez with tight portrait shots, especially when he began blowing ringlets from cigar smoke.

  It was 2:20 and Hernandez was anxious to conclude the interview, as was Cal.

  “So, is this everything you need?” Hernandez asked.

  “I think we’ve got everything,” Cal answered. “Kelly, do you need any more shots of Mr. Hernandez.”

  “Nope. I think I’m good.”

  “OK. It looks like we’re ready to go then, Mr. Hernandez. Thank you so much for allowing us to come out and do the interview on such a short notice.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Hernandez said. “But if we had more time, I could have taken you downtown to see our roaster. That’s what you get for being impulsive and not taking the time to plan for things. Just remember that Mr. Murphy: If you want to be successful, you need to plan for it.

  He grabbed Cal by the arm.

  “Acting impulsively will get you killed,” Hernandez added.

  Terror washed over Cal’s face as he froze, staring at the cartel boss. He couldn’t hide his fear, which was now pouring over him in waves. The look on Cal’s face had to be addressed.

  “Killed, as in, killed in business,” Hernandez added. “You do know I was speaking metaphorically, right?”

  Cal nodded on the outside but he was shaking his head on the inside. He knew Hernandez wanted him dead that instant. And since he likely knew Cal was coming, Hernandez was prepared. Cal feared they might not ever make it past the driveway alive.

  Neither of them said a word.

  CHAPTER 27

  CAL TURNED ONTO THE QUIET TWO-LANE ROAD and drove toward Juarez. A rocky hillside served as a barrier on the right side of the road, while a perilous ravine invited a treacherous end on the other. He glimpsed at his rearview mirror several times. Nothing. After a minute of driving, he exhaled and broke the silence.

  “Kelly, I think that guy near the door when we went into Hernandez’s house was the same guy who tried to kill us yesterday,” Cal said.

  Kelly stared blankly at him without saying a word.

  “Are you OK, Kelly?”

  She broke her gaze before releasing whatever emotions she had repressed.

  “Am I OK? Am I OK?! We were just inside the home of a ruthless monster who has more money than he knows what to do with but has decided to kidnap a little boy. He apparently has already tried to kill us! We are in one of the most dangerous cities in the world! And we don’t know if anyone is actually watching out for us right now! So, no! I’m not OK, Cal. I’m terrified for my life, for your life, for that poor kid’s life—and I just want out of here!”

  She folded her arms and sank into her seat.

  Before Cal could think of a soothing word to console her, he became distracted by the truck approaching him from behind at a rapid speed.

  “What the …”

  Before Cal could issue a warning to Kelly, they both lurched forward as the truck hit them from behind.

  Bam!

  Kelly screamed. Cal began to lose control of the car as the jolt from behind forced him to start weaving across the road. He glanced in his mirror to see a large black truck bearing down on their car again.

  “Do something, Cal!”

  But his options ran short. Slam the car into the hillside and try to out run the thug? Pull the emergency brake and attempt to do a 180 on a two-lane with no margin for error? Slam on the brakes? None of his choices had safe outcomes.

  “Cal! Do something!

  “There’s nothing I can do!”

  The truck quickly pulled up next to Cal in the outer lane and forced his car off the side of the road, pinning the passenger side door against the hillside. The truck rested close enough to the car that Cal was unable to open his door. They sat there helpless.

  “What are we gonna do?” Kelly asked. She frantically tried to roll down her window, but there wasn’t room for her to squeeze through the opening between the car and the hill.

  “I don’t know, Kelly. Pray?”

  Just then, a bulky man stepped in front of their car. He was carrying a sledgehammer.

  “Oh, my God, Cal, we’re gonna die! He’s gonna beat us to death!”

  Kelly’s hyperventilation almost led to her passing out. Her eyes grew wild and a horrifying shock set in across her face.

  Smash!

  The hammer came crashing down onto the windshield as the glass splintered in a thousand directions from the point of impact.

  Kelly kept screaming, only stopping to take a deep breath and scream some more.

  Cal rummaged through the glove compartment and under the seats for a gun. It was an FBI vehicle, which should have a weapon somewhere. No luck.

  Smash!

  This time the hammer ripped through the windshield and pulled some of the glass away with it. Two more hits and it’s going to be all over.

  Cal couldn’t make out the face of his attacker but he was big. He briefly considered they might have a chance since it would be two against one. But he could see the man’s girth and realized speed would be their only weapon, though they couldn’t get out to use it.

  Smash!

  The hammer pulled away almost a third of the windshield as more of the shattered glass sprinkled across the ground. Cal never thought it would end like this. Bludgeoned to death at the hands of a cartel henchman. This is why he didn’t do drugs. Not only were they bad for you but they also meant you crossed paths with people like the one beating down his windshield.

  Kelly was still screaming when the fourth blow to the windshield all but annihilated it. She curled up into a fetal position, covering her head with her arms. Cal thought his final act of bravery might be to give Kelly a chance to escape. He thrust himself in front of her as the man ripped the remaining block of windshield off the car.

  No saving little Jake. No reuniting a boy with his parents. No leaving Mexico alive. It was all but over.

  CHAPTER 28

  THE FBI AGENT POSITIONED at the top of a hill overlooking the two-lane road leading to Mr. Herandez’s compound didn’t want to answer his phone. It was Agent Solterbeck, the mastermind of this plan. He wouldn’t like what he was about to hear.

  “Any sign of Cal and Kelly?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Weren’t they supposed to be back an hour ago?”

  “At least. The appointment was for an hour and a half. It’s four-thirty now.”

  “Have you seen anything else?”

  “Just a few cars here and there. And a small smoke cloud.”

  The agent studied the winding road below. No sign of Cal and Kelly’s car. In the distance was a small beat-up blue car rambling along. It was the first vehicle he’d seen on the road for the past forty-five minutes.

  “A small smoke cloud?” Solterbeck asked. “Can you tell what
’s causing it?”

  “No, but this is Mexico, sir. It could be anything. It could be a farmer setting his field on fire, a neighbor burning tires.”

  “I don’t like this. Drive around and see if you can see anything else. They should have checked in a long time ago.”

  Five minutes later, the agent was driving along the two-lane road, searching for clues to Cal and Kelly’s whereabouts. Two miles down the road, he turned around a bend and saw a small plume of smoke rising from the ravine. He wanted to stop and investigate, but there were several vehicles parked along the road with people trying to determine how they could help.

  The agent slowed down to talk to an old man hobbling across the road.

  “Que paso?” the agent asked.

  The old man explained that there were two people in the car who were dead. The car was burned and the people were burned so badly that they looked all black.

  About that time, a police car pulled up and an officer got out and began rambling down the embankment. That was the agent’s cue to leave. He pointed his car in the opposite direction and looked down the ravine. The car wasn’t recognizable any more but he could tell it was an agency-issued vehicle.

  He picked up his phone and dialed Solterbeck.

  “It looks like Cal and Kelly are dead,” the agent said.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, I just left the scene. The smoke was coming from a car fire and there are two bodies burned beyond recognition. It looks like our special operatives are dead.”

  Solterbeck let out a string of expletives before abruptly hanging up. The plan had failed.

  * * *

  NOAH GREETED ELLEN at the airport with a kiss and a long embrace. The worst part of this ordeal was the fact that they weren’t together during this time. They figured it would raise fewer questions if they were apart. More than anything, they needed to put on the appearances of normalcy to avoid suspicion.

  “Have you heard anything?” she asked.

  “Not today,” he answered.

  “So we don’t know if they rescued him yet or not?”

  “No. I was supposed to get a call from the FBI an hour ago, but nothing.”

  Just then Noah’s phone buzzed. It was from an unrecognizable number.

  “Noah Larson,” he answered.

  “Noah, this is Agent Solterbeck.”

  “Have you heard anything?”

  “No, we haven’t. And I’m afraid we have some sad news.”

  “Oh, no.” Noah crumpled into a seat, awaiting the worst. Ellen put her arms around him as anguish washed over her face.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not Jake.”

  “What is it then?”

  “It’s Cal and Kelly. We believed they were murdered today by Hernandez’s people.”

  “Oh, no. That’s horrible.” Ellen begged to know what had happened. He mouthed that Cal and Kelly were dead. She started crying, realizing the implication of their deaths.

  “Yes, I’m afraid Mr. Hernandez must have suspected they were working with us and killed them.”

  “So, what now? What are you going to do?”

  “We’re going to sit tight for now and figure out a plan to rescue your son.”

  “Are you kidding me? Sit tight? The Super Bowl is 48 hours away.”

  “I’m aware of that—and that’s why we want to make sure we have the best plan possible to rescue Jake. I know this is tough, but please be patient with us. We’re all working around the clock to save your son.”

  “OK, thanks.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  Noah ended the call. He turned toward Ellen and hugged her again. Then they both started crying softly. Hope that they would ever see Jake alive again began to fade.

  CHAPTER 29

  WHEN THE SLEDGEHAMMER RIPPED into the windshield for the fourth time, Cal was expecting the worst.

  Instead of reaching inside the car to jerk Cal and Kelly out, the hulking man offered his hand in assistance. “Hurry up and get out, Mr. Murphy. I need you to move quickly if you want to save that boy,” he said.

  Cal hesitated but then held his arm out for the man to help him. Maybe this guy is so cruel that he wants to offer me hope before crushing me! As soon as the man helped Cal out of the car and onto the ground, Cal thought about running. If he could find a way back to Juarez, he could escape and tell the FBI what he learned. But there was Kelly. If he ran now, who knows what this beast might do to her. Cal decided to stay put.

  Kelly stopped screaming long enough to realize that the man had decent intentions despite his dramatic entrance into their vehicle. She allowed him to help her out of the car before rushing to hug Cal. They both stood and stared at the man, not sure what was going to happen next.

  “I must apologize for my violent introduction, but it is necessary for your safety,” the man said. “My name is Carlos Rivera and I want to help you.”

  The journalists said nothing. Cal noticed a handful of intimidating tattoos on Rivera’s arm, but not “La Pelona.” His trust needed to be earned.

  “I understand you might not trust me, but you have to believe me,” he said.

  “Why are you trying to help us?” Cal asked.

  “I know this might sound crazy to you, but I want to help. I know I work for Mr. Hernandez and do many horrible things for him. I have to. I have no choice. But I also have a six-year-old son. And I no longer can sit by and watch them abuse Jake the way that they are. It’s cruel. Mr. Hernandez’s sense of decency is gone. He’s going to kill Jake when the Super Bowl ends. He has no intention of returning him once he gets what he wants. That’s how he works.”

  Cal took a moment to let everything sink in. His life wasn’t over, but neither was his fight. Rivera actually wanted to help him.

  Rivera continued.

  “I know you might want to run and never come back, but you still have time to save Jake.”

  Cal hadn’t considered leaving altogether but maybe Kelly had. However, Rivera’s explanation and plea seemed to resonate with her.

  “What do you want us to do?” she asked.

  “My cousin is waiting at the bottom of this ravine. He will take you some place safe. Mr. Hernandez is moving Jake today and it will be much easier to rescue him at that location. Tomorrow, attend the Saturday morning mass at San Augustín Chapel and speak with Padre Francisco. He will tell you what to do next.”

  Cal peered across the street and into the ravine. Large boulders clung to the steep incline.

  “Are you sure this is safe?” Cal asked.

  “Anything is safer than Mr. Hernandez knowing you’re alive,” Rivera said.

  Cal and Kelly looked at each other and prepared to cross the road.

  “Wait, before you go, I need your wallets, passports, cell phones, everything,” Rivera said.

  “How are we going to contact anyone?” Cal asked.

  “You won’t. And it’s best that you don’t for now. I’m going to make it look like I caught you and killed you. It’s the only way to keep you safe for now.”

  Cal and Kelly fished everything out of their pockets and handed them to Rivera.

  “Now go. You need to hurry.”

  * * *

  RIVERA WATCHED THE JOURNALISTS run toward the ravine, descending out of sight. He walked to the back of his truck and pulled a tarp back across the bed. Beneath it lay the dead bodies of a man and a woman. Rivera had no idea who they were. Two people who got in the way of something Mr. Hernandez wanted to do, he suspected. They had been in the walk-in cooler for three days and Hernandez had asked him to bury the bodies earlier in the day. He decided against it. Planting their bodies in Cal and Kelly’s car would confirm his story.

  He loaded the bodies into the car, buckling them into place. Rivera inserted the man into the driver’s seat and the woman in the passenger’s side. He stuffed the pockets of the dead bodies with Cal and Kelly’s belongings. Before finishing his masterpiece, Rivera beat on the side of the car with his sledge
hammer a few more times for good measure. He then put the car in neutral and pushed it toward the rocky ravine. It rolled about 50 yards down the ravine until coming to rest against a large boulder.

  Rivera scrambled down the rocks toward the car. Armed with a gas can, a lighter and a few strips of old rags, he prepared to finish the job. He doused the vehicle with gasoline, taking extra precaution to ensure that the bodies were soaked. After circling the car to make sure he was ready, he inserted the rags into the gas tank. He lit the inside of the car on fire before lighting the rags. Then he ran.

  He was halfway back up the ravine before he heard the first explosion. Kneeling for cover against a boulder, he looked back down to see flames engulfing the car. Surely someone from the house would have seen the explosion. They would assume Rivera completed his special assignment.

  CHAPTER 30

  CAL AND KELLY REACHED THE BOTTOM of the ravine in time to see their car explode against the clear afternoon sky. They were supposed to be in that car, probably dead long before it went up in flames. And if they wanted to live, they hoped other people would believe they were inside it. But they weren’t. The game wasn’t over. People’s lives were still at stake. There was no time to mull over the danger they had just escaped.

  They both looked at each other with knowing glances. Somehow they were still alive.

  “It gets worse before it gets better, right, Cal?” Kelly said.

  “Remind me to enroll for photography classes when I get back, OK?”

  Kelly smiled, breaking a half hour of tension.

  They began walking along the dusty road, waiting for their mystery chauffeur to appear.

  “Look, I know you feel bad about this and that you’re to blame for dragging me into all this, but I’m here because I want to be,” Kelly said.

  Cal didn’t look up.

  “I never should have brought you here.”

  “You didn’t, Cal. You asked me to come because you needed help. And I came because I wanted to help you and help a little boy get back to his parents. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

  “I can’t help it. Back there …” Cal paused. Tears welled up in his eyes. “Back there, I don’t know what I would have done if he tried to kill you first. I felt helpless.”