by James Samuel
“But who?”
“Usually a cartel. They’re the only organisations with enough money to buy a politician’s loyalty. I wonder which one bought him. It could only be one of two. La Familia or Santa Maria. Nobody else in Guanajuato has a big enough presence.”
“So, what’s the solution?” asked James.
“We take him.” Diego had a glazed look in his eyes. “We take him, and we find out who bought him.”
“Oh, come on. This is just getting messy now. How many times can we kidnap or kill someone? The mission was to kill Quezada and that’s the end of it. I’ve no interest in Mexican politics.”
“This is not about politics. This is a personal insult to me. You promised me that if I needed a favour you would do it without question. I’ve decided. This is your favour. This is your way of repaying me. We kidnap Rosher and we make him talk.”
James took a deep breath. The wind rustled through the willow trees in the garden. Their long leaves fluttered as the breeze caressed them. He knew he had no other choice. For want of a better solution, he needed Diego, therefore he needed the governor.
Chapter Thirteen
Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico
On the home turf of La Familia, Celaya slumbered. The only signs of life were the stray dogs picking at the garbage bags on the street. One of the most dangerous cities in Guanajuato enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
Fernando crouched down in the cargo hold of the aeroplane piloted by one of Santa Maria’s professional pilots. Only tonight they weren’t performing a drug drop for their men on the ground. Three bodies lay on the floor of the cargo hold. They were shirtless, beaten beyond all recognition. Members of La Familia Celaya.
“The Sinaloa cartel did this once before,” said Alex.
Fernando gulped. It wasn’t the bodies that scared him but the rickety aeroplane. The floor shook beneath his feet, a few inches of metal protecting him from the world below.
“Quezada liked your idea about making Rasgado the new secretariat. A stunt like this will have all the papers talking. It’ll goad Camacho into taking action. And when he doesn’t get results, the president will remove him.”
“I’ve never flown in a plane like this before,” Fernando admitted.
Alex scowled at him. “Where are your balls, Fernando? Did you leave them on the ground?”
“No,” Fernando snapped. “It’s just this is a small plane, and it looks old. You can see the rust on the inside.”
“We’re coming over the centre of Celaya now,” the pilot called from the cockpit.
“Get ready,” said Alex. “When the doors open, start rolling them out. They’ll land over El Centro.”
Fernando nodded, barely managing to hold down the contents of his dinner. A couple of minutes later, the doors opened. He imagined how warplanes opened like this to drop bombs on the unsuspecting inhabitants below. He didn’t want to think about how these bodies would explode on impact, leaving a meaty mess strewn across the streets.
The whoosh of the air invading the inside of the plane hit Fernando full in the face. He couldn’t help but stare at the twinkling lights below him like they flew above the stars themselves.
“Fernando!”
He blinked and started mechanically as he rolled the bodies of the deceased. Like a bomber crew, they unleashed their cargo. One by one, the three bodies fell from the low-flying plane. Fernando watched them disappear into the night, imagining the splat as they came down from a few thousand feet.
“They’re away,” Alex called to the pilot above the roar of the engines.
The pilot closed the bomb bay doors and started his ascent as the two narcos wiped their brows, a job well done.
Chapter Fourteen
León, Guanajuato, Mexico
At a little gas station just outside of León, a fleet of four cars had gathered, Diego’s Land Rover among them. James had arrived with Diego to meet the friends he’d recruited for the kidnap of Rosher. The turnout impressed him. Only now did he see the real influence Diego wielded within Mexico.
James leaned against the car as Diego’s crew went to the bathroom, bought snacks from the gas station, and milled around smoking cigarettes. They didn’t seem like professionals, but they would have to do. The golden hour started to descend, speckling the milk chocolate-coloured mountains in gold leaf.
“You think this will be enough?” asked James.
“Sure. If anything, it’s too many people. Rosher is holding an event in downtown León, and he’ll need to take this road out of the city to make it back to Guanajuato. We’ll know when he’s coming because the police will start to slow down traffic and close a lane for him to get through.”
“And our plan?”
“They already know the plan. I told them already. I didn’t think you needed to hear the Spanish version.”
“I haven’t heard the English version yet.”
Diego batted a dismissive hand at him. “Nothing too complex. Nothing you haven’t done before.”
“Which is?”
“We have a convoy of four cars. Probably Rosher will have a couple of police cars escorting him at the front and the back. Maybe we’ll see some cops on bikes as well. We’ll perform a bastardised rolling roadblock manoeuvre to stop the convoy. Once Rosher is stopped, we throw him in our car.” Diego patted the front of his Land Rover. “Drive him to the safe location and that’s that.”
James knew the rolling roadblock manoeuvre well. Blackwind taught their agents how to avoid it if they were ever on the run from the police. Usually, three or four police cars would surround a fleeing vehicle on all sides and gradually slow down, forcing the driver to an unglamorous halt.
“And what’s your plan for the police?”
“If they have to be killed, they have to be killed. Expect a shootout. These men are going to cover our tracks while we get Rosher out of the way. The cops won’t follow us for long. The incompetence of the Mexican police force is famed across Latin America.”
James sucked on the end of his cigarette as he digested Diego’s words. It all made sense. The men he’d employed for this mission weren’t designed to get home safely. They were human shields, cannon fodder, whilst the professionals carried out the real work. James wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Diego checked his watch. “Get everyone into the cars.”
A flurry of activity ensued as Diego’s men dragged their compatriots out of the store and scrambled for the cars.
“He’s left the building. They’ll take him straight onto the road, this road, and from there onto the highway. When we have him, we’ll take the free roads through the villages.”
James jumped into the Land Rover and strapped on his gear. He already had his body armour underneath his shirt. Now he threw on his gloves and his fire-resistant glasses. He loaded his Glock 19x and checked his ammunition.
“We’ll be the backup car. They’ll distract the cops and let us swoop in. Once they disable the car, it’s our job to get Rosher out.” Diego picked up a radio. “You there?”
James heard a crackly voice reply in the affirmative.
“Lead car, start moving along the road now. As soon as you see the police lights, slow down.” He waited for the reply. “Alright, they know to follow the lead car at regular intervals. We’re not moving until we see the convoy move past this gas station.”
Diego and James threw balaclavas over their heads. James adjusted his glasses underneath the mask.
“You trust these men?” asked James.
“As long as it’s not too complicated. They’re not really a step above narcos. If they weren’t working for me, they’d be working for them sooner or later.”
The second car left the gas station. A couple of minutes after that, they saw the first police car and a couple of police motorcycles pass them. Then came the big black car that could only be Rosher’s, with another police car taking up the rear. Their final car skidded out of the gas station to make up the ground.
>
Diego lingered for a count of five before he too pressed the accelerator. The burst of speed pressed James back into his seat.
When they emerged onto the road, they saw the rear police car ahead of them. Their man had managed to take the rear. Everyone was in position.
“Start slowing down,” Diego ordered over the radio.
James squinted to see up ahead. He couldn’t see the lead car, but he could see the whole convoy slowing down. One of the police motorcycles fanned into the inside lane to assess the situation.
“Second car, close him in on the side.” Diego paused for just a moment. “Now shut him off in the back. Force the police car and Rosher together.”
James watched as the entire rolling roadblock crammed the convoy together. The convoy couldn’t help but find itself being forced into the car of the governor. The rolling roadblock happened fast, with the whole convoy grinding to a halt in the middle of the highway.
Police officers left their cars with their guns primed. Shots popped across the highway as Diego’s men took cover.
“Alright, screw it.” Diego threw the radio to the floor and brought the car to a halt a little way behind. “Go, now.”
When James flew out of the car a little way back, he saw police officers and masked men duelling across the lanes. They would only have a small window before the police inevitably summoned backup.
James opened the door of the Land Rover and fired at the rear police car. With pinpoint accuracy, he struck an officer in the leg. He went down screaming but alive. Diego shot the nearest officer in the head.
“Go, Diego,” James shouted across the car.
As they got behind the trailing police vehicle, James saw the destruction playing out in full in front of him. Diego’s men and police officers lay wounded and dead in the middle of the road. Some of Diego’s men had automatic weapons, whereas the police had shotguns.
Rosher’s car sat just ahead. A couple of officers had surrounded it, whereas the others hid behind their own cars.
James leapt up from behind the police car and unleashed two shots at the officers protecting the governor. They both went down, crippled but still alive.
He crouched and hurried towards Rosher’s car as fast as he could. James tried the back door of the car. Locked. Using the butt of his gun, he smashed the back window and pointed the gun in the back. Rosher and his wife cowered on the floor.
“Don’t move.” James levelled the gun at Rosher.
He stood and unlocked the door of the car from the inside as the bullets flew around him. Wrenching the door open, he reached in to seize Rosher. James grabbed him by the collar and pulled.
His wife screamed and clung to her husband. Diego moved in and struck Rosher’s wife across the face with the back of his hand. She flew back against the seat with a moan.
“Hello, Alfredo,” said Diego. “Remember me?”
Diego threw the pleading Rosher to the ground. In the vivid light of the golden hour, James saw Rosher to be nothing more than a short, bald fat man with a dark stain growing between his legs.
“Get him to the car,” said James. “I’ll cover you.”
The police hadn’t noticed the now captive governor as they fought for their lives. There were only about three or four officers remaining. James laid down some suppressive fire as they crept back towards Diego’s car.
James turned back to make their getaway when he heard a scream. Rosher’s wife had crept past everyone and leapt upon Diego’s back to claw at his face. James hurtled towards them, as Diego threw Rosher in the back whilst trying to disengage his hysterical wife.
“We don’t have time for this.” Diego tried to strike her but missed.
James seized a handful of hair and tore the madwoman away from Diego. He threw her to the ground and Diego hopped around the other side of the car. James put a hand on the door to close it, but the wife moved with startling speed to throw herself into the back of the car with her husband.
“Forget it,” James muttered.
James jumped into the passenger seat as Diego kicked the engine up and sped away. He sped straight through the middle of the two opposing sides, smacking an officer with the side of the car.
James’ heart leapt as the officer flew over the hood of the car and hit the ground. He watched the rear-view mirror, willing him to move. His body twitched slightly, and James let his shoulders sag. He didn’t need another needless death on his conscience.
“Know the drop-off?” asked James.
“I know it.” Diego’s features sharpened as he glared at the road. “And make that bitch shut up, or I shoot her.”
James peered at Rosher and his wife. The governor had his arms wrapped around his wife. She spoke in rapid-fire Spanish. James only detected the curse words.
“I mean it,” Diego growled.
James fixed the governor with a hard, threatening stare.
Rosher whispered into his wife’s ear. It took a few minutes, but she eventually calmed down. Like a deflating balloon, she sank into her husband’s embrace and wept silent tears.
James had selected the place for them to hide before the operation. He’d had the bright idea of calling Francisco and asking if they could use their bordello to hide the governor. It was a long shot. Francisco only laughed and told him not to cause too much trouble.
The bordello and its collection of buildings served as the perfect place to hide the captured governor. It came with a garage where they could hide the car just in case the police sent up a helicopter.
James and Diego met at the front of the car before deciding what to do with their hostages. Diego pulled off his sweaty mask to reveal some marks on his cheeks from where Rosher’s wife had scratched him.
“Well, that went better than expected. Not a mark on us,” said James.
“Better than expected.” Diego tossed his head. “We’ve got a crazy bitch in the back of the car. Why’d you let her in?”
James threw his hands up. “What was I supposed to do? Pull her back out in the middle of the road when people are shooting every which way?”
“You should have just knocked her out.”
“I’m not going to hit a woman if it isn’t necessary. There are certain unwritten rules everyone has to follow.”
Diego grunted. “Englishmen…”
James didn’t have the desire to argue with Diego. He knew many Mexicans had no qualms about striking a woman who got out of line. James opened the door and jabbed his head at them to get out.
Rosher’s wife had calmed down as the governor cradled her in his arms. Her mascara had left dirty streaks down her cheeks. She didn’t move, paralysed with fear.
“Rosher, don’t make me hurt you,” said James. “Get out of the car. We just want to talk.”
Rosher reassured his wife in a low murmur and climbed over her to get out of the car. He took her by the hand and helped her out of the car. The state governor barely came up to James’ shoulders.
“Didn’t your secretary tell you about my visit?” asked Diego.
Rosher gulped and approached Diego. “It’s just business. Nothing personal.”
Diego gave him a disgusted look. “Take them to one of the rooms inside. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
James didn’t feel the need to guide the governor and his wife towards the bordello. They went of their own accord, finally accepting the situation they’d found themselves in. Rosher opened the door of the bordello and waited in reception.
“You got a room for us?” said James to the blonde bespectacled woman behind the desk.
“Francisco called,” she said. “First door on the left.”
James gestured at them. “Go.”
Rosher and his wife obeyed dutifully. James followed behind them. The room Francisco had allocated for their needs came with the burning stench of disinfectant. It had a single bed in the corner and a barred window.
“Wait here.” James closed the door behind them and locked it using the k
ey stuck in the door on the outside.
Finally, James could relax. He wiped his brow and licked his lips, eager for a cigarette after the chaos of the day. He met Diego in the reception room. Diego’s hardened expression and the shaking of his head made James fear for the safety of Rosher’s wife.
“Don’t hurt her.” James gripped his elbow. “She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Diego pulled his arm away. “That bitch needs to be put in line. She says one word and I’ll do what her husband should have done a long time ago.”
“Calm down, Diego. They’re locked in the room so they’re not going anywhere. Relax.”
“Relax,” Diego said from between gritted teeth. “Oh, I’ll relax.”
James watched Diego advance towards Rosher’s room. He paused for a second to consider whether he should follow Diego to make sure he didn’t hurt Rosher’s wife. Another dead body was the last thing they needed right now.
Chapter Fifteen
James leaned against the hood of the Land Rover. From the sounds coming from inside, James could tell his compatriot had just spent five minutes screaming obscenities into Rosher’s face for turning against him. He didn’t hear a peep from Rosher or his wife.
James looked up when Diego re-emerged. “So, how did it go?”
“Rosher is a pig. No honour and no respect.”
“Why do you say that?” James lit another cigarette and blew the smoke away from Diego.
“We made certain promises to support each other’s ventures. He didn’t even have the guts to tell me he didn’t want to continue our business together.”
“No, it’s almost like he thought you were going to overreact or something.”
“Don’t try me, Winchester. This isn’t the time.”
James ceased poking the bear. He took a long drag and stubbed out his cigarette under his foot. He heard the faint sound of helicopter blades somewhere in the distance.
“Get the car into the garage.” James looked to the sky and moved towards the safety of the bordello. “Let me talk to Rosher. If you can’t keep your temper, there’s no point.”
