The Harvesters

by William J Manning

  I lean down and kiss him passionately; I arch my back and take all of him inside.

  Chapter 33

  I wake up, and the bed is a disaster. The sheets twisted in a knot; and he’s gone, leaving me in the wreck of a bed. I hope he keeps to his word, but I gotta a good lay out of it if not. I get Gabriella out of the picture, and Radomir is mine. Won’t have to worry about her using my past to sabotage my efforts to incriminate Radomir.

  I crawl out of bed and stretch my arms, and yawning. That was a wild night. I went from nearly being killed by an assassin to sleeping with him. Definitely something to write home about.

  I sit down on the sofa, checking my texts. There’s a one from Jerry.

  We did it, Lobos. Radomir’s guys just blew up one of Gabriella’s drug labs in Juarez.

  Good. Now we just sit back and watch the dominoes fall.

  Yep, they’re officially at war now.

  Good work and tell Munroe good work.

  What’s our next move?

  Nothing right now, just lie low. I gotta a thing I need to take care of at the moment.

  Okay, we will sit tight, Lobos

  Okay, TTYL.

  The door opens, and I snatch my gun off the table and aim it at Santos, who’s carrying bagels and two coffees.

  “You just going to sit around naked waving your gun at people all day?”

  I place my gun on the table and laugh. “Should I even bother putting my clothes back on?”

  He beams a lusty smile at me. “Well, maybe not right now. I’m enjoying the scenery.”

  He places the bagels and coffee on the living room table. “Coffee and cinnamon bagels right when I wake up? I fail to see how you’re still single.”

  He flashes a half-smile. “Women frown upon Hitmen for the Cartel.”

  I take a bite of the bagel and wash it down with a sip of coffee. “Well, there’s that.”

  He pops the lid off his coffee and dumps two packets of sugar into it.

  I never understood people putting sugar in coffee. If you want something sweet, drink a damn soda in the morning and be done with it or hot cocoa.

  “So, do you have a plan yet?”

  “Well, your plan to get Gabriella and Radomir to go to war with each other worked. So she will be heavily focused on Radomir.”

  “But how do we sneak into her house and retrieve the flash drive? The place is not exactly relaxed on the security detail.”

  “I’m well aware of that.”

  “Okay, so what’s your plan?”

  He places the lid back on his coffee cup. “In Mexico, when she was at war with a rival, her security detail moved her to a safe house with a panic room.” He takes a sip of coffee. “I think when they move her this time; that will be your chance. Your little ruse was an accidental stroke of genius.”

  I smirk at him. “I have my little moments.”

  “Take it down a notch, amiga.”

  I finish the bagel. “Here relocation is that standard during times of war?”

  “Yes. Every time she has gone to war, this has been her usual SOP.”

  “So this could benefit us then, but won’t she suspect something is up if you’re not there with her?”

  “Unfortunately, that is why you’re doing this alone. I think you know what would happen if she suspects I am helping you. In fact, you’re supposed to be dead, so please keep this quiet as possible.”

  I bite my lower lip and smile. “Thanks for that. I really didn’t feel like dying.”

  “Sure. No problem.” He places his hand on my knee, caressing my leg, sending a tingling sensation through my body. “I missed you so much, Devora.”

  My brow creases as a chuckle slips out. “You mean it was nice to fuck me again. C’mon don’t get all mushy on me, Santos.”

  He lets out a brief chuckle. “That too. You still got some good moves.”

  “So do you.”

  His phone lets out a ping; he pulls it out and scrolls through it. “As I expected, they’re moving her to a safe house. Get dressed and head over to her hacienda.” he places a key on the table. “That is to her office, and it works on her desk drawer as well.”

  “Damn, she really trusted you.”

  “That was her mistake, especially when she refuses to heed my advice on Volkov. She cussed me out and belittled me when I advised against crawling in bed with his organization.”

  “Well, you warned her.”

  “Several times, to be exact.”

  “Why the hell does she need Radomir? Can she just kill him and take what she wants?”

  “She could, but that would not sate her ego. No, she likes to wield power and power over others.”

  “So she’s like every other Narco with a god complex?”

  He laughs. “Yeah.” he takes a sip from his cup. “So I guess after we finished with Gabriella and Radomir, you’re going to come after me for the Harvesters I killed, right?”

  I shrug. “Probably not, but we can’t do this again, the sex, I mean.”

  “Ah, Yeah, cop and Cartel hitman just wouldn’t work out. Whew! That lets me off the hook.”

  I throw a napkin at him. “Ass.”

  He laughs. “Okay, I’m fucking devastated. Is that better?”

  I nod. “Much better.”

  “Anyway, as much as I enjoy seeing you naked, you need to get dressed and head down to Marathon.”

  “How many guards are there going to be?”

  “There will be a few stragglers left behind to protect her property.”

  “Like how many?”

  “Five or six.”

  “Any attack dogs?”

  “No. Gabriella never has used guard dogs to protect her property.”

  “It’s good to know I won’t get my ass chewed off then.” I stand up and head to the shower. “Want a quickie before you go?”

  He yanks his shirt off. “You talked me into it,” he says with lust in his voice.

  Marathon, Florida

  I park my car across the street from Gabriella’s two-story Spanish villa-style home with a terracotta roof. I rack the slide on my suppressed 1911 and slip on my ski mask. Stepping out of the car, I head down a narrow breezeway leading down to the beach. Good thing it’s nighttime; otherwise, I would’ve been spotted a mile away in this area. Part of me is suspicious this is a trap Santos is leading me into, but the other part doesn’t think it is. I guess we’ll see which part is right.

  I reach the back of the house and turn my head toward the elevated patio.

  Elevated patios are smart when you live on the beach. It reduces the risk of flooding from a storm surge… sometimes.

  Need to get in the house and get that evidence against me and get out without being seen or having to kill someone. But that’s the point of a throwaway gun I got from Santos.

  Not a standard police issue.

  I wait for the guard to toss his cigarette and head back into the house. I creep over to the balcony and hide in the bushes. The coast is clear, so I pull myself up to the porch and then scale a garden lattice with vines entangled around it. I reach the terrace, and there’s light radiating on to the balcony’s red marble floor. My body tenses when I see a shadow stretching across the ground. I draw my Colt, waiting on him to come into my view. The shadow disappears when the guard shuts off the lights.

  Thank God. Dangling on the side of a wall in a gunfight is not my idea of fun times.

  I holster my weapon and leap on to the balcony and straddle the railing and sling my other leg over the ledge. I lean against the wall, peeking into the room. The room is pitch black, with no one inside.

  Okay, let’s see if the key works here.

  I slide the key into the lock and gently twist the lock; it moves. I inch the door open slowly in case it’s a squeaker, but no squeaking. It appears to be a well-oiled door. Creeping through the blackness, with nothing but the full moon illuminating the room enough to see Gabriella’s desk. Rummaging through the desk drawers, they�
�re all open except the last one.

  Let’s see if Santo’s desk key is legit, too.

  I slide the key into the desk, and it unlocks as well. The drawer contains the flash drive he mentioned.

  Finally, something has gone right.

  The doors open, and the room lights up, revealing six men armed with SMGs aimed at me.

  Damn it all to hell, I spoke too soon.

  Chapter 34

  “Nice try, Agent Lobos. Place your guns on the desk and step back, love. After I inform Gabriella of this, she will make you and Munroe a celebrity.”

  Heavy British accent, Gabriella has PMCs on her payroll, too, it seems.

  I stare at him, sizing him up. A plethora of scenarios play out in my head in a millisecond. Neither of them has a favorable outcome for my situation.

  “I am not the bloody one, cunt! Lay your guns on the fucking desk and step back now!”

  Shit!

  I place my 1911 on the desk and my revolver.

  “Good, lass. Is that it?”

  “I believe so… oh, wait, I have this here.” I reach into my coat, pulling out a flashbang.

  He gestures to the desk with his MP5. “Good, lay it the desk.”

  I can’t let myself get captured; these psychos will torture and rape me to death. This’ll have to be quick, quick. I yank the pin on the flashbang and toss it at their feet. Automatic fire sprays my position as I dive to the floor, shredding the bookshelf behind the desk. The flashbang explodes, filling the room with blinding white light, silencing the bark of their automatic weapons. I peak over the desk, and they’re on the ground clutching their eyes, frantically blinking and rubbing their eyes, trying to regain their vision. I snatch my weapons off the desk along with the thumb drive and quickly scale back down the lattice, and race to my car I slam my foot on the gas and speed off back to the hotel.

  ***

  I sit down on the bed and slip the thumb drive into my laptop to make sure I got the right drive didn’t have time to check it at Gabriella’s office. I open up the thumb drive and double click on one file. There are pictures of Santos and me back in the day in bed together, and a video of him and me fucking in that hotel in Mexico. Another photo of me helping him take out Juan Vargas LTs.

  I think it’s safe to say I got the right one.

  I dial up Santos. “Where are you on getting the copies from the lawyer?”

  “Oh, I am about to pay him a visit right now.”

  “I should warn you, they may be expecting you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Some British dude at her house called me by my name.”

  “Mierda! I gotta move fast then, and you need to watch your ass. They’ll be gunning for you now.”

  “Now, I wonder how long the war I instigated will last.”

  “It won’t take long for Gabriella to do the math.”

  “You watch yourself too.”

  “Will do. Gotta go. I see the lawyer.” The phone hangs up.

  I throw the drive on the floor, and it lets out a crunch underneath my foot.

  That’s that now. When he destroys the other drive, we can get back to Radomir.

  My cell rings. “Go ahead, Sarah.”

  “Where have you been, Devora? I haven’t heard from you since the other day.”

  “I’ve been taking care of stuff on my end of this case.”

  “Your end? Aren’t we all on the same end?”

  “There’s more than one end to this.”

  “Is this other end a threat to us?”

  “No, it’s being taken care of.”

  “Can you tell me what it is?”

  “Just leave it alone.”

  “Why are you so cagey?”

  I sigh. “Why the hell are you being so damn nosey?”

  “Look, if what you’re doing affects us, I need to know.”

  “It doesn’t, so you two can rest easy.”

  I lied; of course, what I’m doing affects Munroe and me because if Santos can get his hands on that other USB drive, Gabriella has lost her hooks in us. I just didn’t want to hear her shit about working with Santos.

  “Okay, I’m just concerned, especially with you being cagey all of a sudden.”

  “It’s fine. It’s nothing for you to concern yourself with.”

  “I hope not.”

  “I’m just glad our plan to pit them against each other worked.”

  “Me too.”

  “Anyway, Sarah. I will get back to you when I deal with this stuff on my end.” I hang up the phone.

  ***

  Twenty-four hours later, I get a call on my cell from an unknown number. “Hello?”

  “Devora… you gotta get out of there fast.” He groans in pain.

  “Santos, what happened?” My voice raises

  “Took a round to the chest. I destroyed the drive and thought I got away clear, but on my way out, some asshole of Gabriella’s saw, I killed the attorney and destroyed the drive. You got to get out of there. They are coming for you next, Devora.” Gunshots cut the phone call short.

  I hear a knock at the door. “Come on, Agent Lobos. Open up.”

  I draw my weapon and walk to my bed while keeping my eyes on the door. I holster my sidearm and pull my Mossberg cruiser from under the bed and move to the left side of the door. “Identify yourself,” I demand.

  “Agent Lobos, we need to talk. You have something that belongs to Ms. Trevino. Breaking and entering is a very serious crime, Agent Lobos. Surely a federal agent would know that.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Well, let us search your hotel room, and if we don’t find it, we let you go, amiga.”

  Bullshit.

  “I gotta better idea.”

  “We’re all ears, lass.”

  “How about you and your boyfriend leave? And I don’t have to blow your fucking entrails out all over my hotel room.”

  He scoffs. “Tsk, Tsk. A beautiful lass like yourself shouldn’t be so prone to violence. It’s very unattractive.”

  Jesus, where the hell is he from Victorian England?

  “Look, just open the door, lass. Stop being a bloody cunt.”

  I look through the peephole and realize it’s the same British guy I blinded with a flashbang and a narco soldier I’ve never seen before. So far, only two assholes. They’re really selling me short.

  “Okay. I’m opening the door now. Don’t shoot me, please.”

  “Relax, Love. Just open the door, and everything’ll be fine.”

  I unlock the door and peer down the sights of the shotgun. A tall glass of water steps into my view. The shotgun roars, blowing his head to pieces, slinging brain and skull onto the wall. I cock the shotgun and fire a round through the door. The Narco falls to the ground screaming, clutching his leg that’s now a shredded piece of meat. I try to move out to get some answers, but he fires his handgun, forcing me to duck back into the room. His gun goes click. He frantically tries to reload, but I rush him, kick the gun out of his hand, and jam the shotgun into his chest. “Gabriella is going to slice you into Chorizo, puta.”

  “How’d ‘you find out about Santos going to Mexico?”

  “Fuck, you. Vete a la mierda perra.”

  I raise my shotgun and blow his brains across the ground—the twelve-gauge echoes off the buildings in the street. Sirens wail in the distance as a reply to my little Wild West show. Police vehicle’s speed into the lot of the hotel and slam on their breaks. They jump out of their squad cars and aim their weapons at me. “Drop your gun and get down on your knees!”

  “Easy, fellas, I know the drill.” I place the shotgun on the deck. The cops rush up the steps and slam me to the ground and cuff me, removing my guns. They stand me to my feet and march me down to a squad car, and put me in the backseat. The uniform pulls out his notepad. “What’s your name?”

  “Special Agent Devora Lobos of the DEA. Those two slabs up there are or were with the Trevino Cartel. No
w they’re just worm food.”

  “DEA, huh? You got an ID on you?”

  “My shield’s on the nightstand.”

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later, the officer returns. “Okay, we found your badge, and it looked legit to me, but I need to contact your boss and confirm. What’s his name?”

  “Administrator Robert Tanner.” I give the officer his phone number.

  He dials the number and talks for a few moments and then hands the phone to me. “Lobos, what part of leave this case alone did you not understand?”

  The officer motions for me to stand up and turn around; he unlocks the cuffs and pulls them off.

  “You didn’t seriously expect me to just walk away from this. I mean, how long have you known me?”

  “I was hoping you became more compliant with procedure over the years, but I guess I was hoping for too much.”

  “That you were.”

  “So what happened at the hotel?”

  “I stole and destroyed the leverage Gabriella had on us. Well, they came back to retrieve it, and a bloodbath ensued.”

  “Look, give the officer his cell back, and I will call you on yours.”

  I hang up the phone and give him his cell back. I head over to my car and sit in the driver’s seat. My cell rings, and I answer it. “Okay, bring me up to speed.”

  “After you kicked me off the case, I and Munroe and that PI teamed up and started attacking their revenue streams and making it look like they’re doing it to each other.”

  “Wait, so you’re the reason there’s a full-blown war between Volkov and the Trevino Cartel again?”

  “Yes. That’s the last thing we need is them two making an alliance. You’d have a super cartel in Miami if that was allowed to continue, so I chucked a wrench in their plans.”

  “Wish you could’ve done that without turning this city into a war zone again.”

  “Sorry, but there was no other way. Not with the shitty hand I was dealt.”

  “How’d ‘you steal the evidence from Gabriella? I mean, how did you find it?”

  “Santos.”