Jacqueline’s Quest

by TL Reeve

  Jaqueline came to Murray's side and he handed the phone to her. The play of emotions across her face told him everything and reflected how he felt as well. Her brother wasn't what he'd expected. He was broader than Scotty, muscular. His eyes were filled with a sadness Murray experienced too many times. He wore a white ribbed tank top like the man strategically cropped out of the photo, except for the corner of his shirt and shorts. Christian's hair had been shaved close to the scalp and he had several tattoos, or maybe he'd always had them. He never thought to ask Jaqueline about it, due to her protectiveness over her brother.

  Murray pointed to Christian’s arm. “Are those new or has he had them?”

  She shook her head and swallowed hard. “No. They’re new. He’s afraid of needles. He’d never do it.”

  “Shit...” Murray wrapped his arm around her. “He appears healthy though, and he’s smiling, that’s good, right?”

  Jaqueline stared up at him. “Maybe. I don’t know. He’s non-verbal.”

  "Then, for now, we have to believe he is happy. It will make the next part easier for us."

  She nodded. “You’re right.”

  “No,” he said, “I’m not right. Unfortunately, it’s the only way I can concentrate on the mission though.”

  Jaqueline handed the phone back to Miguel. “Thank you.”

  “Not a problem.” He slipped the phone into his back pocket. “Sorry for the interruption.”

  “No need in apologizing. I’m glad Santiago could facility that for them.” Noah pointed at the map. “Now, if we can continue.”

  Murray nodded.

  "All right, there will be four armed guards on the entrance from the tunnel. They will have metal detectors, so if you think you're getting any firearm into the building, you're wrong. If you think you'll be able to bring any types of devices into the building you're wrong. They also can't be bought off. Raul has a strict policy at the club. Anyone seen hurting the merchandise is given a chance to redeem themselves—through mutual combat. Since Santiago has come to the cartel, he has been Raul's, right-hand man. He has also been the one to take down anyone who breaks the rules. The second biggest rule of Raul’s cartel, don’t accept bribes.”

  “What’s the punishment for bribery?” Thomas asked.

  “A slow painful death,” Miguel said. “Raul cuts out their tongue and buries them in the desert for the birds.”

  Murray frowned. “Damn, that’s fucked up. Talk about painful death.”

  “But effective,” Miguel added, and Murray agreed.

  “Once you’re inside, you have time to mingle with the submissives available for purchase. You can either make a silent bid on the person of your choice, or you can bid on them during the auction, the latter part goes fast if you’re bidding. Of course, Raul wants each person to have as much time with their new toy before the evening is over. When the auction is over, you will leave the same way you arrive.”

  “Which brings us to the next point of order,” Noah said. “We’re not exiting the way we came.”

  “Breach?” AJ arched a brow.

  “Yes. The minute Luca bids on Christian, we will breach.” Noah held up a small listening device. “This has already been placed in the club in strategic places. It is undetectable and can pick up conversations at least five hundred feet away from it.”

  "They're also noise-canceling, so no one who is listening in, will have to strain to hear what's happening over the music," Miguel added. "When I return, I will make Santiago and Scotty aware of the situation. They will know when it is time to breach and when you will arrive. Don't be overeager to go to him." He looked to Murray and Jaqueline. "Same for you, too. Don't run to your sister's side or your brother's."

  “Understood,” Murray stated.

  Miguel gave Noah his full attention. “If there is nothing else, I should return. I don’t want to raise any suspicions.”

  “We appreciate it,” Noah said. “Thank you.”

  “The best way to thank me,” Miguel replied, “is to shut that place down for good.”

  "Then you're in luck because we intend to," Noah said.

  Luca stepped forward then. "I made contact with my person inside the Federales," Luca said. "We have a meeting set up for two this afternoon, so we can go over the plan with them." He placed a stack of photographs on the table. The one on top had been off the front of the building. "This is how we'll go in."

  “Through the front?” AJ stared up at him. “Won’t they see you coming?”

  “You do worry about me, how... Endearing.” Luca smirked as he pulled a red marker from his pocket then grabbed two of the pictures. “My people will be stationed here.”

  “In the quad area?” Murray stared at the photos. “Why?”

  “There is a festival, nothing major, more for the coming holidays. With all the noise and people, no one from the club will notice the Federales enjoying the event. At midnight, when the final auction has concluded, I will send the signal to breach.”

  “How?” Noah asked. “No cell phones can get in.”

  Now, Murray understood what AJ said. The murderous look in Luca’s eyes would frighten anyone who didn’t know the man or what he stood for. “Don’t worry about it, I have my ways. This is my town and my people. Just be ready at midnight.”

  “Fine,” Noah said. “We’ll go over the plan in greater detail with the officers at our meeting before we leave for the club. Until then, I suggest everyone begin preparation. Once we’re a go, there’s no backing out. Our countdown has begun. T-minus eight hours and counting.”

  Chapter 8

  They were going to get through this. Santiago had to assure Hannah of such. Somewhere along the lines, over the last year and a half, he’d fallen in love with Murray’s sister. She was beautiful inside and out. He didn’t care about her wheelchair or her AMF. Fuck, he’d carry her everywhere if he had to, just to have her by his side.

  It also made him a bastard for keeping secrets and wanting to keep her to himself.

  Because, in the end, he knew he’d have to give her up. Hannah deserved to return to her life before the kidnapping. She earned her freedom more times than Santiago could count. Seen more shit than she should have ever been exposed to and been an unwilling accomplice to everything Raul dabbled in.

  He stared at the photograph on his phone and frowned. He should have deleted it the moment he sent it to Miguel to show Murray. Since Scotty's arrival, Santiago realized one thing; it was getting harder and harder to not blow his cover. Even as he sat at his desk, the urge to find Hannah and tell her the truth, made it almost impossible to sit still. And, after the conversation Scotty had with her, Santiago had a feeling he'd have to explain what was going on sooner rather than later.

  I’m fucked.

  Santiago scrubbed his bald head.

  Tonight would be a test for him and Hannah. There was no way Murray wouldn't seek out his sister. Already Santiago had some ideas forming in his head about what he could do with Hannah to put on a show—one of the situations included a blindfold and noise-canceling headphones. It would mean sensory deprivation for Hannah, but in the long run, it would save her the embarrassment of being seen or knowing her brother was in the room. The second meant putting on a full show, in front of her brother, with no exceptions. Personally, Santiago didn't believe Murray could sit there without throwing down.

  The other part of having a plan in place would mean following through with his gut instincts and telling Hannah the truth with the possibility of destroying all of the trust he'd built with her over the past few months since Raul handed her ownership over to Santiago. Truth be told, it wasn't her trust in him, he cared about. It was his trust in her. For all he knew, Hannah had become loyal to Raul and anything he said to her in confidence could be used as another nail in Santiago's coffin.

  Yet, if he didn’t say anything and shit hit the fan, which he’d been worried about too, Hannah would be left defenseless. Plus, there was the added factor of seeing her
brother for the first time in ten years and the movement in her legs coming back slowly but surely she could do something stupid like rushing to his side without a second thought. Hannah was the perfect ticking time bomb. If Santiago didn't snip the right wires in the right order, the whole operation would blow up in their faces.

  So, what did he do?

  Each direction he went in, might lead all of them into a trap. For all he knew, Raul had been setting him up from the very beginning.

  It wouldn’t surprise Santiago. Though the FBI kept his record in place along with the help of LAPD’s Rampart Division, his technique was different than most. He was a natural brawler. Growing up in East LA, Santiago spent a good chunk of his time in the boxing ring and learning mixed martial arts, earning a reputation for being ruthless. However, when he’d been given the rare opportunity to help change a community then go deep undercover, his skills improved and he became a refined hellion, too pretty for words. He showed no mercy and had zero regrets when it came to killing people.

  In his mind, they were bad people and they deserved to die. In the cartel, there weren't any judges or juries either. There were only executioners. If Santiago wanted to make it out of there alive, he had to follow through on his commitments.

  Unfortunately, when he told Hannah the truth, she might see him in the same light as the others—a thug, hell-bent on the destruction of society. She might try to escape or worse, run straight back to Raul. Fuck. He’d never been in knots like this before. Every move he made could be his last. The walls were closing in on him. He’d been in for too long and under too deep. Santiago stared at the back of his hands. Death and forgiveness. They were the two tattoos he’d had done the minute he found out about the case.

  They were ironic.

  They were hypocritical.

  He wasn’t religious in any way. He was practical. Shit happened. Death was inevitable. No one could save his soul, not even him.

  Yet, as he sat in the tattooist’s chair and watched as the Virgin Mary came to life in reds, blues, yellows, and oranges, he had a moment of clarity. Maybe being undercover in the Nieto Cartel was his penance. It was true he needed a good old fashioned wake-up call. He'd been running the streets with La Rasa for so many years he lost his humanity. Perhaps, he'd never get it back. But, still, he was trying to earn it.

  A soft knock came at the door before it opened and Hannah wheeled herself in. She almost didn't need it anymore. Her balance was on point. Her steps were a bit shuffled and labored, and she tired quickly sometimes, however, she pushed on. Unfortunately, if Raul found out the truth, Hannah would become disposable and her life would be snuffed out. Santiago made a deal with her. She could come to the enclosed rooftop pool with him. They could walk, swim, and relax to build up her strength as long as she stopped standing in her room. A small price he believed she'd pay to feel an ounce of normalcy after being stuck in her chair for so long.

  Hannah placed her hands in her lap after coming to a stop in front of his desk. Today she wore one of her pleated tennis skirts, a lavender blouse, and a periwinkle cardigan had been draped over her shoulders. Instead of her hair being down, she’d made two Dutch braids, pulling it away from her face. A flash of fear entered her eyes when she glanced up at him, and he hated it.

  The majority of her terror came from Raul's men. They were all nasty bastards—including him. Nevertheless, Raul's men carried the stench of death wherever they went. No amount of showering or cologne they wore covered it up. They were also the ones who took advantage of all the men and women in the club when Raul wasn't looking. Thank fuck, Raul had the presence of mind to have all of the girls sterilized or else pregnancy and abortions would out of control.

  “What’s going on, butterfly?” Santiago could barely get the words past his lips. The maelstrom brewing his stomach churned and twisted.

  “I have to know the truth,” she whispered. “I have to hear all of it. From you.”

  When she glanced up at him, a single tear slipped from her crystal blue eyes and tracked down her cheek. His heart broke. The churning grew worse, to the point he thought he might puke. Scotty told her. It’d been the only thing that made sense. “We can’t here.” Santiago ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Too many ears.” Even uttering those statements could get them both killed. He had to take precautions.

  “I have a car,” she whispered. “Raul wants me prepared for tonight.”

  The thought of never seeing her again was like a fist to the stomach. He couldn't breathe and it felt as though his heart ceased its beating. He knew with the plan already in place, Murray would be saving his sister, however, having it be a plan and seeing the plan unfold, were two different things.

  “Sure, butterfly,” he murmured. “I’ll go with you. It’s my duty to prepare you for your new Master.”

  Another tear splashed onto the black leather glove covering her hand. “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” Santiago murmured. “When would you like to leave?”

  Hannah swiped away her tears. “Now. The sooner the better.”

  “Should I have Carlos drive us?”

  She shook her head. “Only us.”

  A bit of the knot tightening his gut released and he could breathe better. “Sure. I don’t have anything pressing at the moment.” He stood then and crossed to her. “You’re too pretty to cry, butterfly.” He placed his finger under her chin. “Too strong.”

  She flashed him a watery smile. “I hate all of this.”

  So did he. “It’s almost over.” There was a double meaning to his words. It was subtle and he feared Hannah might have missed it. Yet, as he stared down into her stunning blue eyes, he caught a glimpse of her determination and resolve there.

  “Yes, it is.” She squared her shoulders and pushed off, rolling toward the door. “We shouldn’t be out long. I have to be ready.”

  The trip down the elevator and out of the building, into the garage, had been silent. Since everything was bugged throughout the establishment, it meant not being able to say all the things he'd wanted to say. Including not wanting to let her go. Once they were situated in the car, he pulled the jammer from his jacket pocket and placed it on the dash.

  After he turned it on, he sighed and glanced at Hannah. “There, now we can talk freely.”

  She stared at him. “Then it’s true?”

  “You’ll have to be a little more specific,” he said, pulling away from the building.

  “Scotty said I shouldn’t trust you.”

  Santiago snorted. “Scotty has a point. Mierda, Hannah.” Nervous energy wriggled through his stomach like a pit of vipers anxious for their next meal. “I am going out on a limb here—”

  “I’m not loyal to Raul. Never have been. I’ve done whatever it took to survive.” She wouldn’t look at him and he understood the implications of her words.

  His heart sank. She’d bartered with her body to stay alive. And, like the ruthless bastard he was, he used her too. “Hannah, I—”

  “I have a plan.” She turned in her seat. “It’s a last resort situation. I won’t go to some man who’ll use me because of my malady.”

  Every word she spoke had been another knife wound to his heart. Santiago heard it in her tone. The conviction in her voice, made him want to keep driving and never go back. “Don’t.” The word fell from his lips, strangled by the emotional toll his body was taking. “Don’t say it.”

  "There's nothing left for me," she whispered. "Nothing. I have been stripped of everything. My dignity. My self-worth. My mind and body. I am a plaything to these men. Nothing more. Nothing less. If I leave the club tonight, I will die. I'd rather take my own life on my terms than being forced to live another day a shell of my former self."

  Oh, God. He was going to puke. The idea of Hannah, his beautiful butterfly ending her life because of Raul, brought him to his knees. "I have something to tell you." He couldn't wait any longer. He had to confirm everything Scotty said and hope to God she forgave
him later. As long as she lived after everything was said and done, he didn't care about the rest. "What Scotty said is true. Only, I'm not who you think I am either."

  She stared at him, a blank look on her face as tears continued to stain her cheeks. “Who are you?”

  “My name isn’t Oscar—” Santiago closed his eyes and blew out a slow breath. “It’s Special Agent Santiago Velasquez. I’m undercover for the FBI.”

  Her startled gasp did nothing to settle him. For long moments she said nothing, and he worried maybe she’d laid a trap for him instead. “You are working with Scotty?”

  “Kind of?” Santiago rolled his shoulders. “He wasn’t supposed to be in the club.”

  “Wait.” Hannah stared at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Santiago explained as best as he could what happened to Scotty. “He’d been on his way here to help you.”

  “No. None of this makes sense.” Hannah shook her head while pressing her fingers to her lips. “How—I don’t understand.”

  Again, he tried to explain the situation. He’d been placed there to find out if the rumors about the club were true, along with finding out if Bexley Alexandria Iniguez was Raul’s daughter. He never expected to be embedded with the cartel for over a year, nor had he expected to meet Hannah. It was a fluke.

  “There is a determined woman on the outside as well,” Santiago said. “She’s the one who found you and her brother inside the club.”

  “How?” She rubbed her forehead. “I sound like a broken record. Scotty said my brother is coming for me.”

  "I'm not sure how," he answered. "What I can tell you is everything Scotty said is true, except for not trusting me. I hope you can believe me."