The Cartel Enforcers (The Bill Dix Detective Series Book 2)

by Swinney, C. L.

  While walking over to Kovach, Dix made eye contact with Petersen. He motioned for Petersen to take Romero and Sullivan with him. He had a feeling the conversation with Kovach was going to be nasty. But, if everything ended okay, he hoped Kovach would help him grab food for the team and give him a ride to headquarters.

  Chapter 19

  * * *

  Doug Kovach felt as though he’d lost complete control of the situation and his life. Oddly, the shootout his team had been in was the last thing on his mind. His thoughts were consumed by Jose Calderon. He wasn’t getting the answers he needed for him and he was running out of time. I’m a damn Group Supervisor, who do they think they are moving Pedro and not telling me anything about it?

  Kovach saw Dix walking toward him and as he watched Dix, Kovach realized he truly and genuinely liked the man. He admired what Dix stood for, justice and truth. However, he pondered the fact that he may have to kill him if he caught on to the charade. Business is business. He surprised himself that he could even think this way.

  Dix saw Kovach was on his cell phone.

  When he hung up, Dix said, “Well, it seems we have a bunch of leads now. Unfortunately, we have another shooting and another dead body.”

  “I was just told the guy you shot in the building is Juan Ramirez, aka “Shorty.” Looks like Felipe was beating him for answers when you guys showed up. It seems Felipe forced him to fire on you guys. A real deal turf war just crossed over into San Diego. The wheels have fallen off the bus,” replied Kovach as he shook his head feigning disgust.

  Dix did not like war, and certainly not on American soil. This whole thing was an international frenzy now. Washington D.C. would send federal agents from CIA, FBI, DEA, while state and local law enforcement would quadruple their efforts in the San Diego area. He didn’t mind all the resources being involved, it was having too many chiefs involved that bothered him.

  Dix looked Kovach directly in the eyes. “Doug, I’m not entirely sure you’ve told me everything about what we’re dealing with. Turf wars in the U.S. and rival cartel members beating and killing people in San Diego is a whole new ball

  game. It’s time you’re up front with me, regardless how deep you’re in the middle of all this.” Dix studied Kovach while making the statement in an effort to get a read on him. Two decades worth of interrogations and training on reading people made him believe that when his gut said there was a problem; there was a problem.

  Kovach looked away. “Get in the car. As usual, you’re right, but even the great Bill Dix won’t be prepared for what I’m about to tell you.”

  Dix cautiously got into the vehicle with Kovach and acted as though he was checking his text messages while turning on the recording function on his cell phone. He placed the cell phone between his legs and rested his hand on his holster. While Kovach got into the car, Dix discreetly unlocked the safety measure on his holster. Just in case, he thought.

  Kovach began driving out of the area and turned to Dix and said, “Bottom line, I’m in over my head. I’ve made some decisions that have potentially compromised hundreds of investigations over the last ten years.”

  The hair stood up on the back of Dix’s neck. “Doug, what the hell are you talking about?” He hoped what came next wasn’t as bad as he was anticipating.

  Kovach’s mind raced in a hundred directions. He wondered if he should tell Dix everything. He thought he was more intelligent than Dix and decided he’d tell him yet another lie to make the investigation point toward another agent and not him.

  Kovach replied, “Man I don’t know what’s going. Bosses won’t tell me shit about Pedro, and I’m starting to think Romero is involved with the cartel.” Kovach noticed Dix was caught off guard by his statement.

  “You better have some great facts to support that statement Doug. He’s been your best agent for years. You said you trusted him. What would change your mind now?”

  Dix was sure Kovach had just lied to him as his eyes demonstrated deception, but he was attempting to gather intelligence by pretending to entertain the thought that Romero was the leak. And why would he try to throw me a curve ball now?

  “Romero is related by marriage to one of the drug mules we caught with Pedro during the last seizure. He was one of three or four people who knew where Pedro had been the entire time, at least until the bosses moved him,” he replied with a shrug.

  Dix recalled how Romero asked everyone if they knew where Pedro was while they were messing with the SWAT guys at the hospital. But, he was asked to find information, he thought. However, he could see how easy it would be for Kovach to point the finger at him. But, he wasn’t completely sold. Not yet.

  “Lots of people have connections to people they don’t care to discuss once they get married, especially when they’re wearing a badge. Even if it’s true, what does it matter if Romero is connected to a drug mule by marriage? It’s circumstantial at best and it doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.”

  “Well what about the fact that only a few people knew where Pedro was after the initial attack?”

  He huffed. “Doug, you’re in that small group of people, and just because you are, I didn’t single you out and say you must be the leak. He or she could have overheard a conversation and figured out the rest easily.”

  Dix noticed Kovach was red in the face and was becoming increasingly more defensive. He sensed he may never get the full truth.

  Kovach looked for a way out. He determined the more he talked to Dix, the more he would become a problem. And one more problem was the last thing he needed.

  There was a long awkward silence in the car as they stared at each other- both wondering what the other was thinking. Kovach pulled into a McDonald’s drive thru. When the clerk asked him what he wanted to order, he didn’t answer. He was preoccupied with trying to figure out how to make his team disappear and make a run for it with his family.

  “Kovach!” Dix yelled while pointing at the drive thru window. He snapped out of his disturbing day dream and fumbled to place the order.

  After he ordered and moved forward to the window, Dix continued, “This case is not going to work itself out unless you’re upfront with me. Whatever you’re into, I can help, but not if you don’t tell me what’s up.”

  The server handed the food to Kovach who passed it to Dix. He noticed Dix’s hands were full and figured if he’d ever have the upper hand on him, this would probably be it. What am I thinking, he thought, have I lost my damn mind?

  “I’m being straight with you. I’m not the leak. Romero seems like a good candidate, but I have no real proof. Any way you slice it, I’m going to be transferred half way across the globe when this is done. I’m headed for another divorce and my daughter doesn’t even know who I am,” said Kovach somberly.

  Dix detected truth and deception in what he said. Trouble was, which was which, he thought.

  “You’re right, there’ll be blowback, but that doesn’t mean you shut out your friends,” Dix stated.

  Kovach chuckled. “This goes down bad for me no matter what happens. Let’s just get back to headquarters and see if you can work some magic with Felipe while we get surveillance up on his brother.”

  There was another long silence in the car as they drove to headquarters. Dix used the time to consider all that he knew about the case and where it was headed. Kovach used it to calm down and further plot against Jose Calderon.

  Kovach looked down at his watch. “Shit, two hours left.” Instead of pulling to the rear of the headquarters in the secured area to park, he drove to the front of the building. He pulled over to the curb. Dix took that as his cue to get out with the food and drinks.

  Dix got out and tried to bend down and ask Kovach why he only had two hours left, but he mashed on the accelerator and took off without saying a word. His gut told him Kovach was in trouble. He decided he’d only share his growing concerns about him with Petersen. At this point, the mole could be anyone, and he was nowhere closer to solving who it was. B
ut, based on his recent actions, Dix shook his head while he added Doug Kovach to the list of possible suspects.

  Chapter 20

  * * *

  Kovach drove around town for thirty minutes trying to get his head straight. He pulled abruptly over to a curb in a recently remodeled part of town and retrieved his service weapon from his hip. His arms began to shake and he began to cry like a child. He had not allowed himself to cry like this since he was young, but it felt good. He placed the barrel of his semi automatic weapon on his temple and considered pulling the trigger. Slowly he tapped the trigger with his index finger. Memories of good times flooded his mind. Pull the trigger, you coward.

  His cell phone began to ring. He jumped half way out of his seat. He threw his gun in the passenger seat and tried to regain his composure. He looked down to see it was Jose Calderon calling him.

  “I’ve still got time,” answered Kovach, “I’m waiting for a few more pieces of the puzzle until we meet.”

  Calderon was irritable. “I’m just checking on my favorite HSI group supervisor,” replied Calderon, “and making sure you don’t have plans of pulling that trigger you keep tapping.”

  His heart stopped. He frantically reached for his weapon and scanned the area for suspicious vehicles or people. How the hell does he know, he thought while trying to find Calderon’s men, he must have eyes on me.

  “I’m not entirely sure what you’re up to, but putting a bullet in your head is not an option. My boss wants his thirty million dollars. If I don’t give it to him, I’m dead and so are you.”

  He locked his eyes on a small blue minivan a few blocks down the street. The van appeared to have a single male adult in the driver seat. The driver was motionless. Kovach only noticed him because his head was taller than the head rest. He realized he wasn’t breathing. He took a breath, come on, think.

  “By now you’ve picked up my man in the van on the street. You’ve most likely neglected to see the man with a sniper rifle to your right.”

  Kovach looked up and could see the reflection of a scope pointed directly at him. Dammit.

  “Listen Calderon you can’t kill me. I’m the only person who gives you half a shot at getting your boss’s money back. Besides, I’ve already alerted law enforcement to these people you have watching me so I hope they’re expendable to you.”

  Calderon laughed. “Absolutely expendable. As are you. You’ve got one hour to meet me with the information I need or you are no longer useful. If you continue to test me, the men I have at your daughter’s school and your wife’s work will dispense of your family.”

  “You bastard! You won’t get away with this, you’ve gone too far.” He wanted to kill Calderon with his own hands, but only after he tortured him. He had a moment of clarity and wondered if he could save his wife and daughter. He decided it just was not possible. He had no other play. Calderon had too many men and knew too much. How did this go so wrong?

  Kovach slowly snapped back to reality. Be calm, you got this.

  “I’ll be at the location with the information. Pull your men off my family or you and I will settle this like the O.K. Corral. You made me as evil as you, and at this point, I don’t care if I die.”

  “Do as you were told. You have no other moves. And for the record, you aren’t prepared for what I’m capable of,” Calderon replied coldly.

  Kovach felt he was finally getting under his skin, which was exactly what he needed for his plan to work. He’d been plotting against Calderon the moment he crossed the line and drug his family into this. Now he just hoped he’d live long enough to destroy him.

  “We’ll see Calderon,” muttered Kovach as he hung up and quickly drove to his office to complete the plan before his time expired.

  Chapter 21

  * * *

  Jose Calderon was more impatient these days. Given the circumstances, he was extremely uptight and waiting around for Kovach made him angry. Based on their earlier conversation, he wasn’t even sure he’d show up, but his two hours were now up.

  He decided to check on the status of the men he ordered to watch Kovach’s wife. None of them answered, which caused him to spit on the floor in disgust. He wanted to know what the hell his men were doing and why they weren’t answering his calls.

  Okay, he thought, I’ll check on the men watching Kovach’s kid instead. Again, there was no answer.

  “God dammit,” he yelled out loud. He assumed there was a problem, otherwise, one of them would have answered or called him back. The question was, how big was the problem, and was Kovach involved?

  He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. He saw Kovach driving up to the abandoned warehouse they had used for years as a meet location. He watched him calmly park and exit his vehicle. He was carrying a manila file. Kovach then went to the trunk of his vehicle and retrieved a large burlap sack. He turned to walk toward him. Calderon noticed he looked disheveled. His eyes were red and he was clearly fatigued. He must be hitting the bottle again, he thought.

  “I thought you may have tried to take off before giving me the information I needed,” said Calderon condescendingly.

  Kovach gave a disturbing laugh. “This is the last time I help you. You made a huge mistake bringing my wife and kid into this.” He handed the file he’d snatched earlier in the day to Calderon containing the information he would need to have a real shot of getting the money.

  Calderon looked over the information approvingly. As he thumbed through the pages, he kept an eye on Kovach. He could see the burlap sack appeared to be weighted based on the strain showing on Kovach’s face while he held it. He was curious about what the sack contained.

  “You’re awfully quiet. You going to tell me what’s in that sack?” he said while pointing at the burlap.

  Kovach walked over to Calderon and tipped the burlap sack over. The head of Calderon’s second in charge rolled out and rested near his Gucci loafers.

  Both men immediately drew their weapons and trained them on each other.

  “You’re a dead man!” Calderon said through strained teeth. He was seething and had his finger on his trigger.

  “I’m not too sure about that Jose. What’s the problem, you don’t like seeing your man’s head at your feet?”

  “Once I get the money, you will become our greatest enemy. I will not let this go without revenge. You’re a dead man!” Kovach chuckled and knew he was deep under Calderon’s skin now.

  They starred at each other and slowly circled in the ultimate standoff. Kovach was prepared to die and Calderon could sense it. Calderon had greater business to handle before he could deal with Kovach and Kovach knew it.

  “I thought the greatest enemy you had was Pedro Munguia?” answered Kovach.

  Calderon huffed. “My people found him. With any luck, he’s dead. You’ll be joining him soon.” He considered killing Kovach right then and there; however, he noticed a vital piece of intelligence in the manila file was missing.

  Before he could ask about it, Kovach casually said, “You made an egregious error messing with my family. Be very careful of making all these threats, Jose. I’m liable to get a conscious and kill you or take you in; I’m not sure which one.”

  Calderon was furious. He wanted nothing more than to torture and kill Kovach. Calm down, he thought, his time will come. He realized he needed him alive at least a little longer. The fact of the matter was he needed him and wasn’t about to fail El Hefe.

  “Where are the blueprints to the warehouse?” Calderon asked.

  “Oh, they aren’t in there?” Kovach snorted in disgust.

  “No asshole, they’re not.”

  Kovach sensed he was pushing Calderon to his limits. He needed him to be so mad that he would make a mistake. He was hopeful he would focus on him instead of the warehouse so he and Dix would be able to capture him with charges that would surely stick.

  Kovach smirked at Calderon. “Sorry Jose, I thought they were in there. Let me go check the car.”

 
He slowly walked over to his car, never putting his back to Jose, and retrieved the blueprints for the warehouse. Unfortunately for Calderon, these blueprints were slightly altered in an effort to confuse him. Calderon was smart, but the work done on the blueprints was undetectable.

  Calderon had put his gun away and was on his cell phone when Kovach met back up with him with blueprints in hand.

  He hung up and said to him as he handed over the blueprints, “Good. Your actions have caused us to move this whole thing up a day. I expect you to cause a diversion on the other side of town. I hope for your family’s sake you don’t have any more tricks up your sleeve.”

  “I’ve taken care of the men you sent for my family. It’s me and you now, Jose. You’re gonna get one shot at the money. Mess this up and the money is ours. I hope for your sake you don’t fail. You know what your boss will do to you and your family if you botch this up.” Kovach rather enjoyed

  flipping the tables on Calderon.

  Calderon’s face was beet red and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Truth of the matter was, if he did fail, El Hefe would torture and kill him. In addition, no matter how much he despised Kovach, he truly needed him. Attacking a police warehouse was never a good decision. However, telling El Hefe “no” would have been an even worse idea.

  “You needn’t worry about what my men or I will do. You got a few of them; I’ve got plenty more. I’ll call you tomorrow to confirm the time of the diversion. If I detect any tom-foolery, you’re dead.”

  Kovach laughed and replied, “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, pick up your man’s head and get the hell out of here.”

  Calderon spit at Kovach’s feet and kicked the head across the dirt lot before getting in his car and speeding away.

  Well that went well, thought Kovach. He retrieved the head, placed it in the burlap sack, and put the sack in a cardboard box. The box was pre-labeled by Kovach and addressed to Calderon’s restaurant, El Diablo. It’s time to blow the cover on Jose’s restaurant, thought Kovach, and if he somehow survives what I’m about to do him, a human head showing up at El Diablo should shut him down.