Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  “Have you had contact with your daughter?”

  “Yes, I just managed to get hold of her, but we could only talk for a moment. She and two friends are with a chaperone on a two-week tour of the Mayan ruins. According to their itinerary, they were at a resort next to the Chichén Itzá ruins. She said the resort is destroyed, but they’re okay. I tried to make some calls, but it’s chaos down there. I even tried to book a private jet to get me there, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to get to her in time by the time I get a clearance to travel there. My wife is hysterical, and I confess that I’m not much better.”

  Walker heard Senator Daniels’ voice crack, and he thought of how terrified his sister would be if anything happened to his niece. He swung his head around, making eye contact with Mace, and with a nod indicated that he was in.

  Mace gave Senator Daniels a moment to pull himself together, then said, “Sir, I’m going to need you to send me everything you’ve got. I need their names, passport information, itinerary, phone numbers, everything. I’ll hand you back over to my administrative assistant who will get the information from you and give you a secure email to use.”

  “So…” the Senator began, then cleared his throat. “So you’ll take this? You’ll go get my daughter and her friends?”

  “Absolutely, sir. We’ll start initial planning right now, and as soon as we get the information from you, we can move forward.”

  With a nod, Sylvie took the call off speaker and began to talk calmly to the Senator, getting the information from him. Hanging up, she looked over at Mace and said, “He’ll get it to us in a few minutes, and I’ll send it to the screen.”

  Mace turned toward Walker and said, “You want this?”

  Nodding, he replied, “Absolutely. I know some of the others have missions they’re working on currently, but my slate is almost clean.” Looking toward Drew, he asked, “What about you? Can you get us in and out?”

  Drew had been an Air Force pilot with their Special Ops and could fly planes as well as helicopters with ease. Walker noted the spark in Drew’s eyes as he grinned and nodded.

  “I’ll start lining up flights and birds,” Drew said, immediately plopping back down into his chair with his fingers on his keyboard. Looking over his shoulder, he called out, “Babs? Come on over here and help me get these things lined up.”

  “You just want me sitting next to you, big boy,” Babs quipped, standing and moving over to a chair next to him anyway. Casting him a narrow-eyed glare, she said, “Just make sure you keep your big mitts on the keyboard and off my leg or you won’t be able to use your fingers for anything since they’ll be in little miniature casts.”

  “Damn, you’re a hard woman,” Drew replied as he winked at her before turning his attention back to the screen.

  Mason and Walker walked over to another computer, watching as Sylvie forwarded the information to them. Tiffany Daniels, age seventeen. Jackie Dumont, age seventeen. Andrea Tucker, age sixteen. Julie Baxter, chaperone...who looked barely out of her teens. Shit, three teenage girls and a young female chaperone. Checking her age, he was stunned to discover that she was thirty years old. Her passport photograph was not flattering, but he could still admire her beauty. Dark hair, pale complexion, dark eyes, and lips that held a slight smile as though she had a secret and could not wait to spill it.

  Blinking, he pushed her appearance to the back of his mind and continued to read. Counselor at the small, private high school in Florida. Still, she must be completely out of her element. Hoping they would be smart enough to stay with the group and out of trouble, he, Mace, and several of the others began planning the mission.

  “The resort they were staying at is a four-star resort, so they should have plenty of food and bottled water to last until we can get there.”

  Blake, working at his station, called out, “I’m working intel on the area. No way should the Senator need to be heading into this mess. There are at least four drug cartels that are working the area in the Yucatán, from Cancún westward, including the area where the girls are. For vacationers coming in and staying at resorts, there haven’t been a lot of incidents, but I’m already seeing chatter of movement. With the instability of villages, cities, and resorts due to an earthquake, they would be quick to move in, ready to take advantage of the lessened police protection.”

  “I’d feel a fuck of a lot better if the girls were already in Cancún,” Walker said. “According to their itinerary, they would’ve been there in two more days.”

  “I got a plane that can get us down to Florida where we can refuel, and then we can make it to Mérida,” Drew said. “Once we get there, I’ve got a contact that can get a bird for us to get to the resort to pick up the girls and get us back to our plane.”

  Printing off the information that he would need, Walker said, “We can pack from here, get what we need, and head straight to the airport.”

  With a curt nod from Mace, Walker grabbed the papers off the printer, called over his shoulder for Sylvie to send the rest to him, and headed down the hall to their equipment room. Drew followed, and they grabbed duffel bags and began to pack weapons, Kevlar, food, water, and some clothes.

  Standing, they faced each other, both with slight grins on their faces. The smiles were not for a lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation, but the itch to be in the middle of a mission, knowing success was at the end, was a high that they understood well.

  Walking back through the large room of the compound, they accepted the back slaps and well wishes from the other Keepers. Shaking hands with Mace, Walker headed straight to the elevator. Turning, he caught Drew stopping by Babs’ desk. Her expression warred between defiance and concern.

  “Be safe,” she said, her voice low.

  Drew’s ever-present cocky response did not come forward, much to Walker’s surprise. Instead, Drew held Babs’ gaze for a few seconds before he winked and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you have a chance to miss me.”

  The elevator door opened, and as Walker stepped through, Drew was right behind him. An hour later, they were airborne, heading to their first stop in Florida.

  7

  Julie had tried to keep the fear her out of her voice when talking to Senator Daniels, hoping to instill confidence in both him and the girls that were standing there looking at her. The adrenaline had passed, and she felt shaky but hoped that they would be able to find Hernando soon. Senator Daniels had assured her that he was hiring the best security company to get them out of Mexico and that as soon as he had the information, he would call her back and let her know who was coming to their rescue.

  Looking at the girls, she said, “Okay, our plan is still the same. Let’s keep walking around and see if we can find Hernando. Tiffany’s father is hiring a private company to come down here and escort us safely back home.”

  They had circled the entire area at the back of the resort where the two swimming pools were but decided to look down a palm-lined path that led to a parking lot toward the side. There they found more staff and tourists who were resting in the shade, and over against the trunk of a tall tree, Hernando sat propped up.

  “Oh, my God, there he is!” she cried out, hustling toward him with the girls in tow. Dropping to her knees next to him, her gaze immediately dropped to his bandaged leg and ripped, bloodstained pants.

  Before she had a chance to ask him what had happened, he grabbed her arm and cried, “Praise God! I was so worried and could not get around to find you.”

  Andrea burst into tears, and Jackie wrapped her arms around her. Julie knew the girls were suffering from the same shock and adrenaline rush that she had, and their emotions were bubbling to the surface. Sending a quick smile toward the others, she turned her attention back to Hernando.

  “What happened? How bad is it? Do you need a doctor or hospital?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “No, no. I had come in from the parking lot and was headed to my room when part of the ceiling fell. It c
ut my leg, but someone came around with bandages and wrapped it up.”

  “We’ll stay with you, but let’s see if we can get you somewhere more comfortable.”

  Handing her backpack and bag to Tiffany, she assisted him to stand but was concerned when he leaned over to whisper.

  “I don’t want to leave you and the girls until you have been rescued, but I will soon need to go home. I talked to my son and I’m needed. My daughter will soon have a child, and my wife is concerned about the roads.”

  She did not want to say anything out loud for the girls to hear, but she stammered, “Oh,” terrified for them to not have him with them.

  He held her gaze, a pleading expression on his face, and she gave an imperceptible nod. As they made their way slowly to a grassy area, still away from the others but where they could be seen if someone was assisting, she tried to comfort everyone.

  “I’m sure the hotel will be able to provide some food and more water for us all, so if we sit here, we’ll be able to get some when it comes around. And since Tiffany’s father is sending someone to pick us up, I’m sure they can be here tomorrow, and we’ll just wait for them.”

  She hoped her voice carried more assurance than she felt looking around at the scattered staff, no one seeming to be in charge.

  Keeping in the shade from the afternoon sun, she closed her eyes as she leaned back against the trunk of the palm tree. Andrea had curled up on the grass, her head resting on her backpack, and appeared to have fallen asleep. Tiffany and Jackie had done the same, but their eyes were still open, sleep having not yet claimed them. Twisting her head around, she saw that Hernando’s face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead.

  Leaning closer, she whispered, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  His dark eyes opened, and he smiled, although it appeared forced. “No, no, Ms. Baxter. I confess that my leg gives me pain, but tomorrow it will be better. After I see you and the girls safely away, I’ll go to my home where I have a neighbor who is a doctor.”

  “If I could get you there myself, I would,” she said.

  “Oh, Ms. Baxter. I have to say that you and the young ladies here have been one of my most favorite tour groups of all time. At first, when I heard that I was going to be spending almost two weeks with three American teenagers, I was sure that it would test my patience. I apologize for having such uncharitable thoughts before even meeting all of you. But their interest, questions, and decorum, along with having you as their companion, has made this tour memorable.”

  Her heart warm, she said, “That’s lovely of you to say, Hernando. It’s been a wonderful trip for us as well.” Unable to keep the snort from slipping out, she added, “Well, at least until an earthquake rocked our world.”

  He chuckled also before closing his eyes once more. Hearing voices in the distance, she looked over and saw some of the staff pushing carts with what looked to be sandwiches piled onto platters. Speaking to Tiffany and Jackie, she said, “Stay here. I’m going to get us some food.”

  She stood and quickly moved to one of the lines, impressed that the tourists were queuing up in a civilized manner. She recognized one of the restaurant servers when she approached the cart, and asked, “May I get enough for my group?” Gaining his approval, she was given a tray on which she placed five sandwiches, several bags of chips, and a platter of fruit. One of the other workers also gave her five bottles of water, for which she offered her grateful thanks. Walking back to the corner of the yard, she wished she had more coins to be able to give to the workers but was afraid she might need them later. Determined to send money back as soon as she returned to the States, she hurried toward her charges.

  They devoured the sandwiches, chips, and fruit, and drank thirstily. Hernando thanked her, but she waved her hand, and said, “You’ve taken good care of us for the past two weeks, we can certainly repay you by helping take care of you now.”

  She looked at the three girls and could see fatigue and stress pulling at them. “Girls, when I was in the food line, I heard others say that the bungalows were not so damaged, and the bathrooms there still work. How about we go check them out?”

  “Oh, God, yes!” Tiffany enthused.

  Amanda added, “I thought I was going to have to go to the bathroom in the bushes!”

  “I desperately want to wash my face!” Jackie said as she jumped to her feet.

  Not wanting to burden Hernando with keeping an eye on all their bags, they loaded up and walked down the path toward the bungalows. Finding an empty one, they went inside and took turns using the toilet. With clean towels and washcloths there, they washed their faces before reapplying sunscreen.

  When she left the bathroom, she noticed Jackie staring toward the bed. “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  Jackie looked at her, and said, “I was thinking that Hernando would be more comfortable if he was in here than out in the yard.” Her face scrunched in thought, and she added, “But maybe that’s selfish. I know there are other people that would like to be indoors as well.”

  Uncertain what to do, Julie looked outside and recognized one of the hotel managers walking along the path. Calling to him, she asked, “Would it be all right if we brought our tour guide in here to rest? He’s injured his leg, and it appears this bungalow isn’t being used by anyone else.”

  Nodding emphatically, he replied, “Of course, Ms. Baxter. We are in the process of letting some people back into parts of the hotel that appear to be fine and assigning bungalows to some others. I am more than happy for your group to use this room for the night. We hope to have buses here tomorrow to transport people out as soon as we find out if the roads are passable.”

  Smiling, she said, “Thank you so much. We’re expecting someone to come for us tomorrow.”

  Leaving Andrea and Tiffany behind in the bungalow, Jackie and Julie hurried across the yard to Hernando. Explaining what they had for him, they assisted him to stand, helping him back. Once inside, he protested loudly that they should have the bed, but they insisted.

  He lay down to rest, and she grabbed blankets and pillows from a closet, creating makeshift beds on the floor. The sun had gone down behind the tall trees nearby, casting the room in shadows. The girls quickly fell asleep, but Julie was restless.

  Her gaze roved around the inside of the bungalow, thinking it would have been perfect for a honeymoon. Small and intimate. The dark rattan furniture and colorful pillows giving it a casual, comfortable feel. She stood and walked over to the window, barely able to see the yard, but it looked as though most people had found a place to go for the evening. Looking up into the night sky, she wondered who might be coming for them and hoped they were already on their way. Fearful for the girls, she prayed, Please God, let our rescuers come tomorrow. She had read enough romance novels to imagine the rescuers being tough, ex-military types. Snorting, she thought, Yeah, right. Probably an older man will show up and do nothing more than fly us somewhere.

  Fatigue finally pulling on her eyelids, she walked over to the beds on the floor and slid under the blanket. It seemed as though sleep had barely pulled her under before shouts in the distance caused her to jerk awake, heart pounding once more.

  8

  Walker, belted into the copilot seat in the Cessna Turbo Stationair airplane, listened through the headsets as Drew received landing instructions from his contact in Mexico. Easy-going Drew appeared agitated which heightened Walker’s curiosity and added a small bit of concern. Keeping quiet, letting Drew do his job, he waited until the communication stopped.

  “What’s up?”

  “We took extra time to make sure we had the Mexican manifest ready for Immigration, but the airport in Mérida is chaos. Cancún is no better. There was some minor damage to the airstrips, flights were canceled, and their infrastructure can’t handle that many people trying to leave all at one time,” Drew said.

  “This large of an earthquake had repercussions for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction,” Walk
er surmised. “And it’s right in the biggest vacation area of Mexico. The tourists are all looking to leave.”

  Nodding, Drew said, “I’ve secured a place to land on a small, out-of-the-way, private strip. It’ll actually be good for our purposes, only it’s going to be harder to get the bird I wanted to have once we arrived.”

  Walker acknowledged Drew’s irritation, but they were masters at changing plans in an instant. They had originally secured a large helicopter, capable of carrying six passengers, planning on taking it from the Mérida airport to the resort where the girls would be waiting for them.

  “ETA?” he asked.

  “Calculating the changes to our destination, ETA is about twenty minutes.”

  Looking at the map, he said, “It’s a hundred and twenty miles from the resort to the Cancún airport. Can we divert to the Mérida airport after we get the girls?”

  Shaking his head, Drew said, “Mérida may be closer, but it was also closer to the epicenter of the earthquake. They shut it down completely. The landing strip we’re going to is between Cancún and Mérida. My contact is working on securing a bird and having it there when we arrive. That’ll still be the fastest way.”

  Drew began the descent, and Walker stared out into the dark night, watching as the lights from the small, private airstrip came into sight. In the dark, the ground was indiscernible except for the lights guiding them in on the sides. With anyone other than a Special Ops pilot he would have been concerned, but he trusted Drew explicitly and relaxed as they landed with a few bumps and jolts and taxied to the single building at the end.

  “Is this a cartel airstrip?” he asked, staring at the thick forests barely illuminated by the lights around the building.

  Chuckling, Drew commented, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” Sobering, he added, “Actually, this is run by a private company whose owner was former Mexican military. Who he allows to fly in and out of here, I don’t know, and I didn’t ask.”