Chapter Ten
Barbosa sat on a bench in the exercise yard with a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He gazed up at the orange sky and exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air. Cigarettes and yard time were precious commodities in prison. Commodities he purchased with wads of cash smuggled into the prison by his agents.
“Time's up,” barked a gruff voice.
He glanced up at the guard. “Not yet.”
“What did you say?”
“NOT YET!”
Barbosa flicked the half-smoked cigarette at the exercise yard’s chain fence and fixed his eyes on the concrete wall fifty yards distant.
“On your feet!” barked the guard. “On your feet or I'll break your god damn arm.”
“What’s the time?” asked Barbosa as he rose.
“Time for you to go back to your cell.”
“I don't think so.” Barbosa fixed the man with a dark stare.
The guard's lip rose in a snarl as he raised his baton.
A massive explosion reverberated throughout the yard, and the guard’s face went from rage to shock in a split second.
Barbosa smiled as the air around him exploded in a cacophony of screeching metal. He turned and saw a garbage truck slamming its way through the prison's walls and fences. It made it through two layers of barriers before it ground to a halt.
Masked men flooded in through the breach as the hiss of gas replaced the noise of the crash. Gunfire filled the air as the guards in the towers fired at the truck. A rocket streaked over the wall and detonated against the armored glass of one of the towers. Barbosa covered his nose and mouth with a hand as figures moved toward him.
“Shit!” managed the guard before an AK rattled and he was cut down in a hail of bullets.
The roar of a two-stroke engine sounded as a circular blade sliced through the fence that separated Barbosa from the assailants. In a matter of seconds the exercise yard was breached. One of the figures thrust a gas mask into his hands and he donned it.
Gunfire raged as the men led him back to the garbage truck and out through the hole it had smashed through the prison walls.
Outside a half-dozen black GMC SUVs were parked along the fence. No less than twenty gunmen were blasting away at the towers with assault rifles and rockets. The wail of a siren rang in his ears as the men bundled him into one of the vehicles. Wheels spun and they accelerated away. Safely inside, Barbosa removed his mask and tossed it onto the seat.
As he gave the prison one last glance a massive fireball rolled into the air and the glass vibrated as the garbage truck detonated.
“A parting gift, boss,” said the only other person in the SUV, the driver.
“Nice touch.”
The convoy of black SUVs sped along a highway into the desert and onto a side road. They belted down a dirt track until they turned onto a small airfield. Barbosa's vehicle pulled in alongside a business jet parked under floodlights in front of a rusted hangar.
“Time to fly boss,” said the driver.
One of his men opened the door and directed him into the waiting jet. As he mounted the stairs, a curvy stewardess in a tight outfit greeted him with a tumbler of his favorite whiskey on ice.
She closed the doors as the jet’s turbines whined pushing them smoothly forward. He took the stewardess’s cue and relaxed in a plush leather seat after downing the whiskey. The engines roared and they lurched off the tarmac and banked hard. Barely a minute had passed when the jet leveled off and the intercom buzzed.
“Sir, we've entered Mexican airspace.”
Barbosa clapped his hands together. “Excellent, now bring me a phone. There's business that needs taking care of.”
***
“Dokka dokka dokka, here comes the helicopter.” Rick flew a spoonful of food around Junior’s head as the boy squealed with delight, flapping his arms like a deranged bird. The boy was secured in his high chair in the kitchen of their apartment.
“Open up. Here comes the SEAL team.” He shoveled the food into Junior’s mouth and the toddler swallowed it in a single gulp.
“More, more,” he demanded.
“OK, here it comes.” Rick saw his phone flash on the counter as he reloaded the spoon. “Babe can you grab that?” he asked Jenny who was preparing dinner.
“Sure thing,” she said, picking up the phone and checking the screen. “It’s a message from Ernie.”
Rick pushed another food-laden spoon into Junior’s mouth. “What’s it say?”
“Bravo has escaped and is at large.” She frowned. “Who’s bravo?”
Rick placed the spoon down. “Babe, you know how we discussed contingency plans?”
“Yes, is this–”
“An emergency? Yes. Can you look after Junior? I’ll grab our bags and meet you at the car.”
“Is Bravo the cartel guy?”
Rick nodded as he shrugged off the apron he’d been wearing to feed Junior. “Yeah, and he’s escaped. We need to get Junior to World’s End and wait for the others.”
“World’s End?” asked Jenny as she wiped the toddler’s face.
“More, heli bopper,” demanded Junior.
“We have to go on a trip. More heli bopper then,” said Rick. He turned back to Jenny. “World’s End is a safe house that TJ setup in case something like this happened. Ernie is going to meet us there.”
“Do you think Barbosa is going after Mike?”
“Yeah, it makes sense. He’s already got Axe.”
***
TJ jammed the last of Deb's boxes into the back of the SUV and closed the trunk. He checked his watch. It was a little after midnight. They'd made good time in getting everything ready for the recovery op.
As the others came downstairs his phone buzzed. It was a message from Rick.
Barbosa has escaped. Taking Junior to World’s End.
“Shit!”
“What's wrong?” asked Ali.
“We forget something?” said Deb.
“No, Barbosa escaped.”
The look of horror on Mike's face reflected his own emotions.
“We need to roll on Axe now,” he said.
TJ locked eyes with Deb who slowly shook her head. “No, it's too dangerous. You and Ali need to head back stateside and get to World’s End. Ernie, Rick and the girls will meet you there.”
Mike clenched his jaw. It was a look that TJ had seen before and it meant his teammate was about to defy his directions.
“I'm not going anywhere without Axe.”
TJ was about to speak when Deb placed a hand on his shoulder. “Mike, you and Ali head back stateside. TJ and I will grab Axe and meet up with you there.”
Ali shook her head. “No, we can't let you do that.”
“You don't have a choice. You stay in Mexico and Barbosa will find you. He has no idea who I am.”
“He knows TJ,” said Mike.
TJ shook his head. “Deb can't go alone. Plus, we don't have kids. You and Ali have to think of Junior.” TJ winked. “I mean, imagine if Rick raised the poor kid. He wouldn't stand a chance in life.”
“So that's it then,” said Deb in an authoritative voice. “TJ and I will recover Axe.”
Mike looked like was going to object, then his shoulders slumped. “Fine, but don't take any unnecessary risks.”
TJ let out a grunt. “Oh, that's rich coming from you.” He reached out and shook Mike's hand. “We'll see you guys at World’s End.”
Chapter Eleven
The jet’s stairs lowered and Barbosa, now dressed in a well-fitted suit, descended the steps. He paused on the tarmac and took a deep breath of the night air. “Oh how I love you, Mexico!” he bellowed before striding across to the man waiting alongside a silver Mercedes G-Wagen armored SUV.
“Juan Duvan, my friend.” He embraced his deputy in a bearlike hug. “Your plan was brilliant.”
The mustached enforcer slapped his boss’s shoulder. “It's good to have you back.”
The two men entere
d the vehicle and it drove off the airfield followed by four SUVs.
“Where is my family?” Barbosa asked. “I thought they would be here.”
“They're at the fortress. I thought they would be safer there. The Cali Cartel has been pushing the boundaries of our friendship. I'm looking forward to having you here to deal with them.”
Barbosa raised a hand. “That can wait. First things first. Where is the dog?”
“He's at a facility outside Cabo.”
“And the boy?”
Duvan dropped his eyes. “We are yet to locate him or his parents.”
Barbosa scowled. “Bring the dog to me and find the child.” He managed a faint smile as he imagined the horror on Michael Saunders’ face as he watched a video of his loyal dog tearing his son’s throat out. Yes, vengeance was going to be sweet and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.
***
TJ placed the Improvised Explosive Device he'd constructed under a shrub and toggled the switch that armed it. He'd already set two other devices and this one completed an arc a hundred yards from the western side of the ranch.
Stealing through the scrub he worked his way around to the eastern side where he'd left Deb, watching the front of the hacienda. They were dressed in a similar fashion; jeans and dark pullovers to blend with the shadows. TJ was carrying a backpack loaded with equipment. The pair also had balaclavas rolled up on their heads and night-vision devices stowed in their pockets in case the half moon disappeared behind a cloud.
“Any movement?” he asked.
“No, it's dead to the world. How did you go with the distractions?”
“They'll blow if we need them.” They touched as he passed her the garage remote.
Deb closed her hand around his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Let's do this.”
TJ smiled as he moved through the darkness toward the ranch buildings. Behind him, Deb was watching the front of the main hacienda. If anyone appeared she would detonate the charges, buying him time to grab Axe and withdraw.
He paused at the edge of the yards and fished the night-vision monocular from his pocket. A quick scan of the ranch buildings confirmed it was all clear, so he moved silently toward the location where he'd seen the cages and heard Axe's bark.
As he stalked forward a strange rumbling noise came from the hacienda. He paused and then almost laughed as he realized it was someone snoring. Creeping along the side of the building he stopped a few feet short of the metal cages.
“Axe, Axe, boy.”
There was a low whimper from inside and TJ spotted a shape inside the cage. He moved across, pressed his hand against the wire and was rewarded with a warm nose and wet licks.
“Axe, buddy it's you. I knew it was you.” TJ felt tears forming in eyes.
The dog growled.
“Hey, buddy–”
“What the hell are you doing?” snarled an accented voice behind him. “Turn around real slow.”
TJ complied and found himself staring into the barrel of a pistol.
“Don’t move gringo.” The man turned his head slightly and yelled out in Spanish.
There was a grunt and then yelling from inside the hacienda before a light snapped on.
“Oh shit,” whispered TJ.
“Oh shit is right, gr–” The sicario's eyes rolled back into his head as a Taser crackled. His arms dropped to his side and he convulsed as an electrical charge coursed through his muscles.
TJ grabbed the pistol as the man dropped, revealing Deb standing behind him with the flashlight Taser in her hand. “I'm sorry, he must have snuck out of a back door.”
There was another shout from inside and the sound of a weapon being cocked. TJ shrugged out of his pack and grabbed the bolt cutters inside. Slipping them onto a chain he cut through it and opened the cage.
Axe bounded from inside and jumped on the Chief, licking him. TJ snapped a lead on his collar. “Let's get you out of here.”
Deb led as they dashed from the cages to the yards. TJ and Axe were halfway across when a burst of gunfire stitched the sand in front of them. He felt a bullet tug at his shirt and nick his arm as he raised the pistol.
There was an almighty flash and TJ thought he'd been shot until he realized that Deb had detonated the bombs he'd planted.
In the light from fireballs he saw two men at the front of the hacienda. Both were fixated on the blast. TJ aimed the pistol and fired. He hit one and the other beat a hasty retreat into the building.
“Come on!” yelled Deb.
TJ fired one last shot and followed her into the scrub. Axe ran by his side as she led them along a trail they'd used on the way in. Behind them a gun barked and bullets hissed over their heads.
They were halfway to the truck when TJ realized the bullet that he thought had nicked his arm had actually gone much deeper. Blood drenched his side, and he couldn’t raise his arm. He felt the pistol slip from his grasp as he ran.
By the time they reached the SUV he was feeling light-headed and short of breath. Deb opened the rear door and Axe leaped into the back seat.
“Deb, you'll have to drive.” He winced.
“Are you hurt?”
“I'm OK,” he said climbing into the passenger seat.
She started the engine and navigated the track back to the main road. Axe shoved his head between the seats and whined softly as he pushed his head up against TJ. He patted the dog’s head with his good hand as his vision spun. “Good boy.”
He felt the overwhelming need to sleep as his head rocked forward against his chest.
“TJ, stay with me.”
He faintly registered Deb's voice as he fought to stay awake.
“Don't you die on me you selfish bastard. Don't you leave me.”
“I won't. I can't. I love you,” he managed before passing out.
Chapter Twelve
Barbosa snatched a heavy tumbler from the desk in his study and flung it against the wall. It hit the rosewood paneling with a dull thud leaving a dent and dropped onto the thick carpet. “How the hell did they find the dog?” he screamed at Duvan.
“I don't know, boss. They must have had help,” his head of security responded tentatively.
“Of course they had help.”
“My men hit one of them. There was a blood trail leading to a vehicle. I warned out our people all the way up Baja. We've got our police running checkpoints and people checking every hospital, doctor’s surgery and pharmacy. They won't get far, we'll find them.”
“You better.” Barbosa took a new glass from a tray on his desk, added ice cubes and poured himself a new drink. “I want you to triple the bounty on Petty Officer Saunders and his family. Spread the word.”
“You still want him alive?”
“Yes, I want him alive. He's going to pay for everything he's done to me. Now, get out there and find that dog.”
Duvan left the office with his phone pressed to his ear. He had contacts in almost every US agency with interests in Mexico. If the dog was still on the peninsular his people would find out where he was being hidden.
***
TJ's eyes snapped open and he reached for a pistol that he wasn't wearing. As his eyes slowly focused he realized he was lying in a bed in a well-lit room with a white ceiling. He winced as he sat up so he could take in his surroundings. There was a single window with a blind and a door opposite the bed.
As the activities of the night before came flooding back he went to raise his arm and found there was a tube running into the back of his hand. A sideways glance confirmed that someone had put an IV line in. A check of the opposite arm also revealed that his gunshot wound had been dressed.
There was a soft whine from beyond the edge of the bed and a wet nose gently nudged his hand. “Hey, Axe,” he croaked.
The door to the room opened and he turned his head to see Deb carrying in a tray.
She placed it on a side table and sat on the edge of the bed. “You gave us quite the scare last night.”
“An Agency safe house.”
“Did you stitch me up?”
“It was the least I could do. I let you down last night. That first guy should never have gotten past me.”
TJ reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. “You were amazing.” He tipped his head toward his arm. “You saved my life.”
She turned her hand and interlocked their fingers. “There was a moment there when I thought I'd lost you.” A tear formed in her eye. “I realized I couldn't bear the idea of you not being in my life.”
They locked eyes and TJ squeezed her hand. She edged forward on the bed and he leaned forward until their lips touched. His heart raced as the kiss gained in intensity. Deb's hands ran up his torso to his face and he took his good arm around her back and pulled her closer.
Axe whined from the side of the bed and made a beeline for the door. As TJ and Deb broke for air they spotted his tail disappearing out of the room and laughed. Then he kissed his wife again. This time her hands wandered south and for the first time in almost a year he felt her touch.
He winced and lifted his injured arm to pull the needle and IV line from his hand.
“You lost a lot of blood,” Deb whispered.
“I almost lost a hell of a lot more.” He managed to slip his hand under her shirt and release her bra.
“This isn't going to fix everything.”
“No, but it's a good start, right?”
***
Rick skidded a Polaris ATV to a halt behind a rocky outcrop. Leaping from the seat he grabbed his M4 carbine and headed up a goat trail. It was a chilly winter’s day, but he still managed to work up a sweat under his body armor. By the time he crested the ridge he was breathing hard. Pausing for a moment he took in the sweeping vista of desert that reached out to the horizon. World’s End was a rural property that belonged to a close friend of TJ's. The owner, a former Agency man, had added some significant security improvements. One of those was the reason Rick was out patrolling the perimeter.
Signed SEAL'd and Delivered Page 7
