Deadly Journey (30 page)

Chapter 51

Outed

Surfer cocked his
head to one side, with an equally lopsided grin on his lips.

‘So, who do you think I am?’ I asked.

Surfer did a three-sixty turn to make sure
no one was listening and moved close to my ear.

‘You’re that bent DEA agent everyone’s been
looking for. Man, that was some daring heist. I should have known right off. It
was on CNN twenty-four seven and front page on all the papers.’

‘You’re mistaken.’

‘No mistake and you know it. Listen, your
secret is safe with me. I figure I owe you more than the few bucks we scrubbed
for you watching my back. But—’

‘But what?’

‘Look, if you have it stashed away, how
about cutting me in when I get out of here? I could be your representative to
your gang. You know, watch out for your interests, and make sure your family is
looked after. I mean, that’s what the MS-13 guys in here do and they’ll never
see the light of day, but they still run things on the outside.’

‘Really, I don’t know what you’re talking
about.’

‘Have it your way. Think about it, but if I
were you I’d stay in the cell all day. If anyone else finds out who you are,
you’re meat for the scavengers.’

It was hard to figure out if that was a
veiled threat, but staying in the cell wasn’t an option as the rain poured down
once again.

The rest of the day, I couldn’t help but
think about what he had said. If the others did find out, I would have to be
careful how to handle the situation and try to turn it to my advantage.

The following day, a guard advised me at
breakfast to be at the gate at 10:00 a.m. for visitors. Standing at the gate,
Surfer watched my back, as he had done all morning. The gate drew open and I
was ushered through the usual procedures and into the interview room. At least
I knew it wouldn’t be Mary, not since finding out the times the public could
visit. When the guard said visitors, I assumed one would be my lawyer, but I
still couldn’t work out who the other would be, unless Angelica had arranged to
meet up with the FBI for them to interview me again.

The door opened and in walked my visitor.

‘Kurt, thank goodness they let me see you.’

I scrambled to stand as he walked over,
throwing his arms around me in an embrace and a few back-taps. ‘Rob, thank God
you’re here.’

‘I had to flash my ID and convince them it
was department business, but yeah, thank God.’

We separated and he pulled up a chair
beside me as I sat.

‘So you’re not here on business?’

‘Hell, no. Just come to see my buddy and to
see what the hell’s going on. Damned FBI won’t let me near your case. Agent
Walters is freezing me out. I’m guessing he’s still holding a grudge. You had
any contact with Mary, a phone call, or a letter?’

Walters!

I had a bad feeling about Agent Walters’ involvement and his
grudge.

‘No, nothing since I called and she dropped
the phone.’

‘Yeah, it’s hit her hard.’

‘How is she? What about the kids?’

‘The kids are fine. They’re at her
mother’s.’

‘Yeah, I know, I saw a picture.’

His eyebrows rose.

‘Long story. I’ll tell you later. How’s
Mary?’

‘Last time I saw her she was fine, but
heavily sedated.’

‘Has the FBI grilled her about me?’

‘Yeah, the usual background stuff. They
questioned me too, and the guys at the agency. Listen, tell me all that’s
happened. Start from the beginning. Have you any idea at all who kidnapped you
from outside the crack house?’

‘Not at all. They put a sack over my head
and threw me in the trunk of a car.’

He stood, took off his jacket, hung it on
the back of his chair, and then did a spin. ‘See, no wire. I’m here for you,
buddy. What’s said in here stays in here.’

‘I hope you’ve got plenty of time. What
time is it?’

Rob pulled back his shirt cuff. ‘Ten after
ten.’

‘New watch?’

‘Yeah, I lost mine a few weeks back. Bought
this today.’

I sat back and studied Rob. I knew he was
my buddy, but I couldn’t understand him not talking about the case against me
in the US.

‘Listen, Rob, when I was captive, I saw a
television report about a gangland massacre near the border. Do you remember
–
Carlos Lopez and Greg Hines, the ones who gave us loads of
crap a while back? Did you get involved in the investigation? Only I think they
kidnapped me.’

‘Carlos and Greg, doesn’t ring a bell.
Wait, yeah, I remember those scumbags, but no, I didn’t get involved. So that’s
who was involved. Homicide will have dealt with that case. I don’t figure
they’ll be anxious to solve it in a hurry. Anyway, go on. Start at the
beginning. I have a meeting later this morning.’

I relayed the events of the past few days,
giving Rob a condensed version, still mindful of what my attorney had said in
case any of it got back to the FBI. As much as Rob was my friend, we’d both
lied enough times to get confessions from suspects to support a prosecution.

‘So, you’ve been set up in fine style.’

‘Afraid so.’

‘The guys who kidnapped you, did they talk
among themselves? You know, give you any clue I could follow up on as to who
put the contract on your head?’

‘No.’

‘What about Perez? If he bought the hit
out, did he give even the tiniest clue as to who it could be?’

‘Nothing, but if I had his laptop and if it
contains the information I think it does, it could have a payment listed and
name my kidnappers. Hell, it may even have an email saying who put the hit on
me. Then again, it could be a blank hard drive.’

‘Yeah, it’s a pity you don’t have it. So
where do you think this Leandra will be?’

‘I don’t have a clue. When are you due back
home, Rob? I mean, are you going to have the time to try and find me some
witnesses?’

‘Time’s not a problem. I have meetings
arranged all week down here with my counterparts. Any investigation doesn’t
have to end with me going home, but then you know that.’

‘Oh, yeah, the new job.’

Rob shrugged his shoulders and tapped his
nose with his finger. ‘You never know what intelligence we can come up with to
support what happened now that I’m in this job. Still, I don’t get why you
didn’t just tell the FBI all this.’

‘You know the score with forensics versus
uncorroborated testimony. Then there’s the animosity between Walters and me,
and he’s running the show.’

‘Hmm. Yeah, It does look pretty damning.
Open and shut if it was our case. You don’t suppose Walters could have anything
to do with all this? Word has it that he was involved in black ops during his
army days.’

‘Not much of a motivation to want me dead
with Walters losing out on promotion.’

‘Well, he did make threats to see you in
the gutter. Listen, I have a meeting soon. I’ll write down my new cell phone
number in case of emergency. I’ll get back to see you before I go back to El
Paso to report on my progress.’

We both stood and he embraced me. Then Rob
walked to the door and gave it a knock. As the door opened, I caught sight of
one of the heavily tattooed MS-13 faction shuffling along past the doorway and
glancing my way.

Rob collided with Angelina as she appeared.
Rob stepped outside. The guard left the door open.

‘Who was that?’ she asked.

‘My friend and partner from the DEA, Rob.’

‘I do hope you have not made a statement.’

‘No, just talking. Only said enough to have
him look for witnesses. I’ve held some things back.’

‘Good, don’t trust anyone. We need to keep
things close to our chest for now, especially from the FBI and their Agent
Walters.’

‘Oh, him. He visited me the other day, but
I said nothing to him after he charged me. Have you spoken to him?’

‘No, but we met in front of the judge. I
was sure we’d get you bail and the investigation widened until he turned up
with a statement about what you’re alleged to have done north of the border.’

‘Should we be talking with the door open?’

‘Oh, sorry, I’m waiting for my assistant.
She’s in the rest room. I’m afraid your case is going to take a lot more work
than I can handle on my own. Otego told me he is waiting for forensics coming
back from the scene you mentioned at the barn. They managed to get a
fingerprint off a knife stuck in a corpse and they’ve sent off clothing and
blood samples from the corpses for DNA tests.’

I sunk my head into my hands. ‘You know
it’ll be my fingerprint on the knife and their blood on the clothing I was
wearing when they arrested me.’

‘Yes, I gathered that from what you told
me. But, hey, let’s not worry. It’s going to be our priority to fight the
extradition. The possible sentence is going to be far more severe in the U.S.
Having said that, we may just have the answers to strike a deal. We could have
some leverage to sidestep the charges, or at least have the term reduced
–
north and south of the border. It’s just going to take time.’

I removed my hands and lifted my head. ‘What
are you saying?’

‘Nothing just yet. I’ll tell you when my
assistant arrives and we can close the door.’

I could only hope her idea of leverage
wasn’t something as stupid as thinking I was guilty and trading the whereabouts
of the goods from the heist and where Perez had been holed up, although I did
have information about the fake exploration vessel.

Outside in the corridor, I saw a guy
wearing a crumpled suit. He handed my guard a couple of letters. The guard
sauntered into the room, passed me the letters, and gave me a pen to sign for
their receipt.

‘You’ve been served,’ said a guy in the
suit, popping his head around the door.

‘Served?’

I looked at the envelopes. Both had El Paso
court addresses. Nervously, I fumbled at opening the first letter. My fingers
trembled so much I could open the seal.

‘Here, let me.’

I handed Angelica the letters. I watched
her open first one letter followed by a sigh and then the other. Her brow
furrowed and her nose twitched.

‘Go on then, what are they?’

‘Something you could do without right now.’

Chapter 52

Devastating News

Angelica eased
the letters across the table.

‘I can’t help you with these. You’ll need
to get advice from an American lawyer.’

I picked up and read the first document,
headed “Temporary Restraining Order” and detailing that I was not to have
contact with Mary, Claire, or Craig either directly or indirectly for a period
of ten days. Glancing at the second document, all I could focus on was the
words “divorce proceedings” when I lost all composure. I covered my face with
my hands.

‘No, no. Freaking no. This can’t be
happening.’

I clawed at my forehead and then tugged at
my hair.

‘Sorry. I know it comes at a bad time.’

‘Bad time? Why is she doing this? I’m stuck
in a Mexican prison for Christ’s sake. Why so quickly?’

I slipped my head through my shackled
wrists and repeatedly head-butted the table.
I guessed Walters knew
about this when he visited me and that’s what he meant, saying I was toast as
far as Mary and my kids were concerned.
When I lifted my head,
Angelica’s face flushed. I wasn’t sure if her reaction was out of sympathy or
out of embarrassment at seeing a grown man with tears pouring down his cheeks.

‘You have to get me out of here.’

‘Listen, I’ll try my best to have you
released, but you need to be strong. It won’t happen overnight and there’s no
guarantee. Look at the situation from your wife’s point of view. You were on
the FBI’s Most Wanted list in America for murder and now you’ve been charged
with murder of a family
–
including children. She’s
protecting your children. Think about that.’

‘But I’m innocent. She doesn’t even know my
side.’

‘Yes, but look at all the damning evidence
and the media frenzy they’ll be facing. Mary and the children will be
struggling to come to terms with all they are presented with as facts.’

Angelica handed me a tissue. The sound of
clip-clopping heels echoed in the corridor. My chest tightened and sweat
dripped from my brow. The assistant arriving couldn’t come quickly enough, I
thought; then suddenly the steps ceased. All I could hope was that whatever
trickery Angelica had planned, it would get me off the hook, so I could fight
the restraining order and divorce. I at least wanted to talk to my kids over
the phone.

‘Kurt, I’m going to leave you for five
minutes. Try to calm yourself while I have a word with my assistant.’

Angelica stood and slipped out of the room,
closing the door behind her. Now that I was alone with my thoughts, the court
papers brought the death and ingratitude saying to mind. Now I faced the
possibility of a death sentence, and I also faced the ingratitude of the woman
I loved. That one person, on whom I thought I could depend, had put a final poisonous
concoction in my heart to take away any reason I had left to live. There was no
reason to look forward to anything in my life anymore, only death and
ingratitude for a lifetime loyalty. I just wished I could meet the person who
coined the phrase to look him or her in the eyes and to say
–
you’re right.

Calmness descended at the inevitability of
the situation and then anger. All I wanted was to get even. But to get even
with who? Perez was dead and so were the punks who had probably kidnapped me, together
with Squat. Angelica was right. Under the circumstances, Mary was protecting
our kids. I shook my head in silent resignation, then the door opened and
closed.

‘Kurt.’

I looked up. My jaw dropped open in
disbelief. I pushed my chair back and stood.

‘You? How—’

‘Shush, call me Christina. It’s a long
story.’