Baja Blues: The Boy Who Played With Marbles (Liza McNairy Mysteries Book 2)

by Dan Glover

  "Maybe Reilly is right, Danners."

  "What should we do, Hank?"

  "We need to look at this objectively. You know as well as I do that if those guys had guns they'd have us dead to rights tonight. Seems to me they were just looking to scare us away. Why would they turn around and kidnap Liza? It doesn’t make sense. They'd have to know we'd just come right back to that church, and this time with the authorities in tow. No... if you really want my advice, we go home. Odds are we'll find Liza already there ahead of us."

  "I don’t like it."

  "Neither do I, Danners... but you asked me, and I'm telling you what I think."

  Part of him wanted to go back to that church with guns blazing... to take out that weird ass priest and as many of his minions as possible. But what if Liza wasn’t there? What if she really had gone home? Instead of rescuing her, they'd all end up inside a Mexican prison cell by morning. Up north, he was someone to be reckoned with... a deputy sheriff with one of the largest police forces in America. Here, he was no one. Just another crazy fucking gringo run amok.

  On the other hand, what if he was wrong and someone really had taken Liza against her will? Could he live with that? By the time they made it back to Los Angeles to verify if she was there or not, it might well be too late to mount a rescue.

  What would it hurt to go back to that church and poke around a bit? He'd dress all in black... do the covert thing. One man could blend into the scenery a lot better than two or three could, and besides, what use would Danners be in a gunfight? Wannabe Ranger be damned... the man would probably just piss himself.

  Reilly was Bureau. That meant something. But the man was pure desk from the looks of it. Probably never'd been in any sort of firefight. If bullets started flying his way, he'd go tharn... like a rabbit caught in the middle of a road with a car fast approaching. End up getting not only himself killed but everyone who was with him.

  "Maybe you're right, Hank. I guess I'll pack up and go."

  "I think that's the best thing you can do, Danners. I'll be along shortly. I just want to say goodbye to someone first."

  Chapter 49—Walking

  (Through Tombstones)

  1

  "What the hell are you doing here, Bureau boy?"

  "I told you I'm not a boy, boy. I could ask you the same thing, Lupo."

  "Listen, Cooper... calm down. I came down to reconnoiter the area... that's all. You're just fouling things up by being here."

  "I guess I got as much right as you to be here, Lupo. More... at least the FBI is a recognized agency in Mexico. You're flying alone and you know it."

  "Bullshit. You're as much on your own here as I am and you know it. If your superiors knew you were here, your balls would be in the meat grinder."

  "Yeah, well... I'm not letting you do this alone, Lupo."

  "At least you dressed for the occasion... no pink tights or tee shirt. Come on, then... let's see what we can find."

  Reilly didn’t believe that Liza went back to Los Angeles any more than Forthright. On the other hand it was a bit of a surprise to find Hank Lupo crouched out back of La Iglesia de los Cinco ángeles… well, maybe not so much. Honestly, he expected Danners to be here too. Had the man actually done as he said and gone home? Highly unlikely. No, Forthright was around somewhere.

  "What's this?'

  He'd gone to Forthright's apartment building to help him carry a washer down to the basement for one of the tenants. Afterwards they'd gone inside for a beer. None of that twist off shit for Danners Forthright... the man only kept real beer in his fridge. While searching for a bottle opener, Reilly'd come across a small wooden box. Curious, he looked inside.

  "It's a medal."

  Danners had shrugged, like everyone kept medals hidden away in drawers.

  "What... did you buy it on eBay or something?"

  "Yeah... that's just what I did, Reilly. I bought it on eBay."

  Only for some reason he didn’t believe the man. He'd actually been kidding when he asked Forthright if he bought the medal. It had that authentic look to it that only a practiced eye could see. So on a lark, he ran Danners Forthright's name through the Bureau database.

  According to his file in FBI headquarters, New Mexico, Danners Forthright was involved with a Rangers unit... HHC 1st Cavalry Division, Company E, LRRP Detachment. Reilly'd read the file over twice. The man earned a Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism under fire. Were they talking about the same man he knew? And if so, did Hank Lupo know that too?

  Late fireworks were still popping around the village. The townspeople were in the midst of celebrating the Day of the Dead... el dia de los muertos, and tonight seemed the culmination. The Sea Goat hovered just on the western horizon like a monster rising up out of the ocean as a cool breeze blew across the sand tickling the fronds and mussing the feather grass bursting forth around the edges of the cemetery.

  No moon tonight. So dark he could scarcely see the white sandy path in front of him leading to the church... that old burnt out hulk of a building masquerading as a temple of worship. Was Liza inside? Possibly... but the windows were dark. The whole area looked deserted.

  "I'm going in...cover me, Reilly."

  "Cover you? I can't see shit, Hank."

  "Just listen... if you hear anyone approaching, whistle... you can whistle, right?"

  "Yeah, Hank... I can whistle."

  The man had to be crazy going into that place alone... but then again, what else was there to do? Sit around in the weeds all night and hope maybe they'd let Liza go? The odds were she wasn’t in there anyway. They had to know that old church'd be the first place they looked when she turned up missing.

  The cemetery gave him the willies. Oh, he didn’t believe in that crap about the dead coming back to life... but there were a lot of places for people to hide amongst the tombstones.

  2

  "They say this whole area is haunted."

  "And who says that, Elena?"

  "The peasants... that's all part of the chupacabra legend. The story goes that when God cast out Lucifer from heaven, this is the spot where he fell. They say that's why the ground groans all the time. You'll hear it, especially at night when everything is still."

  "I don’t get it... what does the ground groaning have to do with Lucifer falling here?"

  "I don't really know. From what I understand, when he fell he broke into a million pieces and each part was alive. Those are the demons that take on shapes like the chupacabra. They are constantly searching for souls to inhabit... to gather power... so that one day Lucifer might reassemble into his former glory and take his rightful place."

  "That's why they sent Father Fletch to Santo Tomas..."

  "I'm not sure I understand, Reilly."

  "The man is an exorcist. He battles demons that have taken over people... especially children. He belongs to some obscure sect that's been around for two thousand years. That's what they do... they perform exorcisms on people."

  "How do you know that?"

  "As a favor to McNairy and Forthright I accessed the data base the Bureau keeps on the Catholic Church. At first we thought Fletch was a pedophile... that the Church sent him here to keep him out of the United States. We were wrong."

  "So you're saying Fletch is really a good guy?"

  "I don’t think so... not anymore. Something happened to the man. Hell, who knows. Maybe he became possessed himself. Whatever happened, Fletch is one dangerous hombre. Stay away from him, Elena."

  What was that? It could've been just the wind. Jesus, he wished Lupo would hurry his ass up. That building couldn’t be that big. He'd had time enough to search the place from top to bottom and then some. What would he do if Lupo disappeared too? He couldn’t call his superiors back in the States. Oh... by the way, I lied to you guys. I'm not sick. I'm down here in Mexico surrounded by demons and renegade priests and I need you to send reinforcements right away. Yeah. That'd go over real well.

  "Are you a religious man, Reilly
?"

  "How so, Elena?"

  "Do you believe in Jesus Christ as the Savoir?"

  "You know, I did once. But I also believed in Santa Claus too. Now, not so much... how about you?"

  "I was raised Catholic. My mother worked double shifts to send us to the nuns in Ensenada... not that it did me any good. But yeah, I believe... I have to have something to hold onto... you know?"

  Maybe that's what he needed now... to utter a prayer, to whisper an appeal to Jesus to save him from all the shit coming down around him. Hell, what would it hurt... right? How did it go? Jesus, I'm heartily sorry for offending you. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, please send a little of your loving my way... and hey, if you can spare a bit, send some Hank's way too... and don’t forget Liza...

  3

  When the hand touched him on the shoulder he thought he'd done went and shit himself. He recognized the aftershave immediately, though. Christ, could he splash on a little more? Maybe it'd wake the dead.

  "Goddamn it, Lupo... do you really have to sneak up on me like that?"

  "Sorry about that. There's no one inside, Reilly. I even checked the cellar. Come on... let's get out of here before someone returns."

  "I'm with you on that, partner."

  "So what do we do now, Reilly?"

  "I say we find out where that Tortuga guy lives. I have a feeling that bastard is mixed up in everything."

  "Who?"

  "They call him Tortuga... that's his nickname. Turtle. Elena told me how the guy is in cahoots with Fletch. The pair of them operate some weird cult called del Encuentro. If Liza isn’t at that church, I bet Tortuga has her stashed somewhere."

  "Or I was right all along and she went back to Los Angeles after her falling out with Forthright. Maybe the girl is finally wising up to his faggot ass."

  "If you really think that, then why were you at that church tonight, Lupo?"

  "I just wanna be sure. Me and Liza go way back."

  "Well, come on. Let's get back to my cabin. I'll see if I can run a search on that asshole Tortuga and find out where he lives."

  Chapter 50—Dreaming of Marbles

  (With Dragons in Tow)

  1

  The marbles were the key. Tonight he'd eaten a particularly spicy meal just before going to sleep. That's what brought on the dreams... the dragon dreams. He had to know if Liza really went home to Los Angeles. If the dreams didn’t show him, he'd leave first thing in the morning.

  Now he was walking through a vast meadow with no idea how he got there or what he was doing. He noticed he'd brought along the bag of marbles that belonged to Eduardo... the one that Elena had given to him when they took the case. About the time he noticed he had the bag in his hand, he dropped it.

  The marbles had fallen out into the grass forming a strange pattern. One marble seemed as if it had a green fire burning inside of it. As he stood over them looking down upon the marbles he realized he was now flying while staring down at the old Catholic cemetery behind Fletch's church. It seemed as if he could overlay the image of the tombstones with the patterns formed by the marbles.

  Some of the marbles were clumped together. Those were the graves they'd dug up and discovered multiple caskets laid on top of one another. The bright green marble sat in the dead center of the cemetery, right over top of an ornate crypt.

  It'd been over forty years since his days in the jungle but he melted back into its grace within a matter of minutes. Most people had a tendency to fight it... that loss of control. Danners had learned long ago to give into it and in that fashion become that which one feared the most.

  He'd rather have a rifle but procuring one in Mexico was problematical. The handgun he brought with him was technically illegal though since he was a member of a private security firm he was allowed to carry, if he applied for a license. Being as he didn’t plan on staying in Mexico long and that to get a license required going to Mexico City, he hadn’t bothered with that formality.

  There was a reason why the peasants confronting him at the church only had machetes and pitchforks... rifles were illegal to own in Mexico. In fact, the Glock 9MM he carried was forbidden as well, especially with the fifteen round clip.

  Someone was beside him. At first, he could only see a mist... a cloud... like a thunderstorm forming over the cemetery. And then Elena Stamper appeared floating in the night air like a butterfly coming home to roost. She sighed as she spoke to him, as if she was put out with him for not already knowing what she had to tell.

  "Eduardo once told me that each marble he kept in this bag represented someone he knew. See? This one is for me and that one for mother. And this one... this marble that glows so brightly green... that one was given to Eduardo by my boyfriend. Do you remember his name, Danners?"

  "Tortuga..."

  He woke with the name still on his lips. It'd been one of those dreams he had every so often that stayed with him. Even now he could see the pattern formed by Eduardo's marbles lying in the tall grass. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did... the one on fire... that marked the spot where he'd find Liza.

  On his way to the cemetery he passed by an old dilapidated shack. Instinctively he knew Tortuga lived there. It was nothing more than a hovel built of drift wood set back from the ocean in a secluded spot surrounded by boulders. His first inclination was to storm the place... to kick in the plywood door, kill Tortuga, and rescue Liza. But what if she wasn’t there? No... he had to be patient... to wait... to melt into the jungle crowding in around the shack. In time, someone would appear.

  Each move he made seemed to mirror those he'd already seen in the dream. He remembered his days plunging through the jungles of Vietnam... how he used to clear his mind while on reconnaissance... to let the fight come to him rather than forcing it. He'd see it all unfolding before it ever happened and know just the right spot where he'd have to go to best protect the men.

  Something deadly was stalking him now. He couldn’t recall what prompted him to leave that spot outside Tortuga's door nor did it matter. Sand under his bare feet still warm from the day... somehow he'd lost his shoes. Left them behind. Didn't occur to him to wonder why. He could feel it now...

  2

  That soft groaning sound he sometimes heard just before he dropped off to sleep coming up from below, as if the earth itself was alive with pain and fury, writhing to be free. The demons were coming for him.

  He could hear Elena's voice again. Whispering. Whimpering. Stop. Don't look, Danners. They aren't real. The shapes he saw out of the corners of his eyes moving in undulating patterns that seemed to mirror his own heartbeat... he forced himself to ignore them. If he became distracted he'd lose the scent that drifted up from the sand leading him onward to where he belonged at this particular instant.

  He didn’t have much time. These people... they'd be back soon... they had plans for Liza. She was some sort of sacrificial lamb... an offering to whatever odd gods they worshipped, or demons. But why was he back at the cemetery behind the church? That tomb rising above the graves... set dead in the center... it was on fire like that marble in his dream.

  The iron gated door was padlocked. Risking just a bit of light from the flashlight he carried in his pocket he saw the lock was new. Someone had been here recently, within the last day or two. An old rusty lock lay at his feet broken into pieces.

  His first inclination was to shoot the lock off. Too dangerous... the noise might well alert the village to his presence here. Even if he found Liza inside, by the time he got her out they'd be upon them... the swarm out of hell, willing to sell their lives to do the bidding of Fletch. No... he had to think of another way, or rather to not-think.

  Then it came to him. The padlock was shiny new and strong but the door it held shut was rusty old and weak. The hinges would give way with just a little nudge. A lever... he needed a lever. The fence surrounding the cemetery... it'd been constructed of wrought iron bars some of which had busted off from their welds and were now lying
loose on the ground. He'd tripped over one and nearly fell.

  "Liza... are you in there?"

  Though he wanted to shout all he could do was whisper. Could she hear him through the iron and stone? Then he felt more than heard it... a rap tap tapping sound... three shortly spaced taps and then three long raps. SOS. SOS. SOS. Over and over again.

  Liza... she'd touched that green marble. He'd almost forgotten that. She said how it reminded her of Lissi's eyes and she grabbed the marble to hold it up to the light. He'd chided her for it... for marring the impression of Eduardo that the marble might've still held. But there was a reason why she felt compelled to touch it... and now he knew.

  He woke with a raging thirst and an upset stomach, reminders of the meal he'd eaten just an hour prior. Rising from bed and dressing quickly he grabbed his gun and a can of coke before padding barefoot from the cabin into the still of the cool and starry Mexican night. Was he really awake this time? He supposed he'd know soon enough.

  Chapter 51—Trapped

  (In Doubt)

  1

  Can you hear me, Lizzi? Listen... I'm here for you.

  "I do, Lissi, sissy... a thousand kisses deep."

  She had to be locked inside a tomb. Probably in the Catholic cemetery behind Fletch's church. Though they'd blindfolded her, the trip had only consumed minutes so wherever she was taken had to be close to the cabin.

  When the knock sounded at the door, she thought Danners had come back to apologize, to beg her forgiveness. That goddamned temper of hers... Jesus, she always knew it'd get her in trouble. And sure enough...

  "Why are you knocking, DanDan? Just come on in... the door's open."

  It'd taken her a second to realize the man rushing at her wasn’t Danners Forthright at all. Her reflexes were slowed by the line she'd tooted a few minutes prior... just something to take the edge off. Though she fumbled for the gun in her ankle holster, she was too late. The impact of the something man knocked her back onto the bed and before she could make another move three more hombres had her in their grip.