Mega #02 Baja Blood (3 page)

“Off limits,” the nurse said. “And don’t wink at me.”

“I wasn’t,” Shane said. “I was blinking. Blinks look like winks when you only have one eye.”

“Whatever,” the nurse said. “Follow me.”

Shane turned and gave his brother a thumbs up as the double doors closed behind him. Max laughed and looked about the waiting room, studying the others that sat, stood, paced, and grumbled.

A woman with her son and daughter in tow stood at the reception counter, her hands gesticulating. Max couldn’t hear what she was saying since she was making a point of keeping her voice down, but it was obvious she wasn’t happy. The boy turned around and caught Max watching them. Max gave the kid a wave, but the boy didn’t respond, just kept staring.

The boy’s sister turned around to see what caught her brother’s attention. Max waved to her too, but received a glare in response instead of a blank stare.

“Nice kids,” Max muttered, his hand going to the left side of his face and his missing ear and scars.

The woman’s voice started to rise and the kids blanched at the scene their mother caused. Max didn’t want to keep looking, but since everyone else now was he didn’t turn away.

“He hasn’t answered his phone in days!” the woman shouted. “All I need to know is if he came for his check up yesterday.”

“Ma’am, I cannot tell you that,” the receptionist stated. “As you have admitted yourself, he is you
r
e
x
-husband, not your
c
urren
t
husband. It is against the law for me to give you any information without his consent.” The receptionist checked her computer monitor. “And I do not see that consent here in his file.”

The woman grabbed the monitor and tried to turn it around so she could see, but the receptionist smacked her hand away.

“Hey!” the woman yelled. “You can’t assault me like that!”

“I can and I will, ma’am,” the receptionist said. “Do I need to have security escort you from the premises?”

“You’re goddamn right you do!” the woman screamed. “Because I’m not leaving until you give me some information!” She grabbed her daughter’s upper arm and shook it. “He hasn’t paid child support in two months. You want my children to starve, is that it? Are you such a heartless bitch you would rather my kids not eat than risk violating my deadbeat ex’s precious privacy? I was married to a SEAL for ten years; I am fucking sick of privacy!”

The mention of the SEALs got Max’s attention and he stood up and walked slowly towards the counter. The boy saw him coming, reached back and grabbed his mother’s hand, his eyes locked on Max’s face.

“Not now, Jack,” the woman spat.

“Ma’am, I’m calling security,” the receptionist said, picking up her phone.

The woman grabbed the phone and yanked it from the receptionist’s hand and was about to hit her with it when Max rushed forward and stopped her. The woman looked at the hand clamped around her wrist then up at Max’s face. She blanched at the sight, but recovered quickly.

“Do you mind?” she snarled at him.

“Do I mind what?” Max asked, not letting go. “Watching a good looking lady like you get tossed out of here on her ass? Yeah, I mind. No one should treat a fox like you that way.”

The woman sputtered and blinked, unsure of how to take the compliments from a stranger while the stranger also held her arm immobile.

“Mind you own business,” the woman said finally, yanking her arm free.

“I was trying to,” Max said, waving at the waiting room and the spectators. “But you kind of distracted me.”

The woman looked about and a range of emotions crossed her face as she saw everyone staring at her. Her features finally settled on a mix of resigned embarrassment. Then her eyes went wide as two officers of the VA Police marched over to her.

“Hold on, boys,” Max said, stepping between the woman and her children and them. “I got this. We were just leaving.”

The police officers glanced at the receptionist. She in turn glanced at Max then back at the officers and shrugged.

“Then go,” one of the officers said. “You are disturbing the other patients.”

“On our way out,” Max said, looking down at the children. “Ready, kids?”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the woman snapped.

“Keeping you out of the brig,” Max said. He looked at the police officers. “You do use a brig, right?”

“We have a holding room,” the other officer replied.

“Well, even though that’s not as scary sounding, I’ll bet it has the same piss smell as a brig,” Max said. “Am I right?”

The officers just glared at Max.

“Right,” Max said. “We’re outta here.”

He took the woman by the elbow and started walking her to the exit. She tried to resist at first, but as the police officers fell in line behind them, she stopped her struggles and let Max steer her and the kids outside.

Once the automatic doors slid shut, and they stood on the sidewalk out in the bright sunlight, she yanked her elbow free and whirled on Max.

“I don’t know who you are, but I didn’t need your help back there,” she snapped.

“Yeah, you did, Mom,” the girl said.

“Smart kid,” Max said. “I’m Max Reynolds. I heard you say your ex was a frogman. Me too.”

“You’re a SEAL?” the boy, Jack, asked. “Does your face hurt?”

“Jack!” the woman snapped.

“It’s fine. I was a SEAL,” Max said. “I’m in private security now. And no, my scars don’t hurt.”

“Another frogman. Great,” the woman said. “You skip out on your wife too?”

“Nope,” Max said, holding up his hand to show his empty ring finger. “Never been married.”

“Then the women of this country dodged a bullet.”

“Ouch,” Max said. “That’s a sharp tongue you have there. Got a name to go with that tongue or should I call you Crazy Angry Ex-wife Lady?”

The woman started to respond then saw the amused look on Max’s face and laughed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s been a shitty few months. I’m Helen Sherman.”

“Good to meet you, Helen,” Max said. He bent down in front of the kids. “And this guy is Jack, I heard. What’s your name, pretty thing?”

“Carli,” the girl replied.

“Hey, Carli,” Max said.

He stood up and pulled out his phone then looked at Helen.

“What’s your ex’s name?” Max said as he hit the contact for his uncle.

“What?” Helen asked. “Why?”

Max held up a finger as Thorne answered.

“What, Max?” Thorne responded on the line.

“Hey, Uncle Vinny,” Max said. “Good to hear you too.”

“You in trouble?”

“No, just need some help with something,” Max said as he pulled the phone away from his mouth a little and looked at Helen. “What’s you ex’s name?”

“John,” Helen replied. “John Sherman.”

“Hey, Vinny, could you make some calls and see what you can find out about a former frogman named John Sherman?” Max asked, putting the phone back to his mouth.

“Right now?” Thorne responded. “I was taking a nap.”

“Good for you,” Max said. “Keep that specter of Death off your back a little longer.”

“Max, I love you, but fuck off.”

Max smiled at Helen and the kids, walked a few feet away and lowered his voice.

“I’d really appreciate your help on this,” Max said. “I’m at the VA with Shane and this woman came in with her kids. Sounds like her ex-husband has skipped out on her. I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

“She’s hot, isn’t she?” Thorne asked, sighing.

Max turned back around and looked at Helen.

“Uh, yeah,” he smiled at her. She smiled back. “Very.”

“Fine, fine,” Thorne said. “What was the guy’s name again?”

“Sherman,” Max replied. “John Sherman.”

***

“Fuck,” John said. “What kind of monster are you that would kill kids?”

“Oh, I’m just a businessman,” Espanoza said.
“
I’
m
not the monster. I’m the man that hires monsters. Would you like to hear what those monsters will do to your children, Mr. Sherman? Would you?” John didn’t reply. “Let me tell you anyway. First, your children will have to watch as my men rape your ex-wife in front of them. She will be violated in ways that I can’t even imagine, not being a monster myself. Your girl and little boy will have their heads held and eyelids sliced off so they cannot look away. Shall I go on?”

“Mr. Espanoza, please…” McCarthy begged. “You don’t need to do this.”

“You cannot get your men under control, James, so I will,” Espanoza said. “Where was I? Oh, yes, what happens next? Once the monsters are done raping your ex-wife, they will move on to young Carli then little Jack. Finished with their fun, my men will then systematically dismember each one, piece by piece, keeping them alive for hours on end. Finally, once their bodies can take no more, they will be mercifully killed by an ice pick to the back of the brain.” Espanoza tapped the back of his own head. “Right here.”

Bart and Mike gulped loudly and Espanoza turned his attention on them.

“Mr. Stern never married, but he does have a mother living in Yuma, Arizona that will get the same treatment,” Espanoza said. “And Mr. Pearlman is a homosexual, both parents deceased.”

Several of Espanoza’s men spat on the dock at the word “homosexual”.

Espanoza frowned at the actions, but didn’t reprimand them. Instead, he just shook his head, looking over at Mike. “Forgive them, they come from another culture,” Espanoza continued. “I, myself, have nothing against the gays. As long as they do as they are told like everyone else.”

He turned to a man standing off to the side. Tall, thin, with a ragged scar across his throat, the man walked over to Espanoza, leaned in and whispered into his ear.

“Ah, thank you, Diego,” Espanoza smiled. “I have been told we have a list of some of your former lovers, Mr. Pearlman. It wasn’t easy since you did not come out as gay until after your president rescinded your country’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. But, as I have said, I am a man that understands the importance of information. It only took a little digging to find your gay friends.”

“Fuck you,” Mike snarled.

“I hate to break it to you, Mr. Pearlman,” Espanoza replied. “But I am not gay, so that will not be possible.”

***

“Here are blankets and pillows,” Gunnar said, dropping the stack of bedding on the couch. “They can fight over who gets the floor.”

“Don’t you have like an inflatable mattress or something?” Kinsey asked.

“No, Kins, I don’t,” Gunnar replied. “I have a guest room instead with a very comfortable bed. But it’s occupied by a woman that figured out how to turn pancakes into flaming projectiles.”

“You still pissed about the drapes?” Kinsey asked, planting her hands on her hips. “Or is that attitude about me staying with you? I’ve said a hundred times I’m ready to move out on my own again.”

“No, no, sorry,” Gunnar said. “I’m just still tired, okay? I don’t want you to move out.”

He went to her and wrapped his arms about her, kissing her on the cheek.

“Get off me,” Kinsey said.

“Come on, don’t be a poop,” Gunnar said. “Who’s my favorite junkie?”

“Fuck you, Gun,” Kinsey replied, struggling not to smile.

“Come on, say it,” Gunnar grinned, nuzzling his head against hers. “Who’s my favorite junkie?”

“Kinsey Thorne,” Kinsey said.

“Damn right,” Gunnar said, pushing back and holding her by the shoulders. “We cool?”

“Yeah, we’re cool,” Kinsey said.

***

Espanoza turned and watched as the last bales of cocaine kilos were loaded into the subs. He smiled as the backs of the subs were sealed up tight, leaving not a trace of a cargo area, returning them to their almost perfect whale facsimiles.

“Remarkable,” Espanoza said. “You have done an excellent job, Dr. Morganton.”

“Thank you,” Dr. Morganton replied quietly. “I have one more adjustment to make.”

“No time, I’m afraid,” Espanoza said. “Unless you want to argue the point?”

“No, that’s fine,” Dr. Morganton said as she looked at one of the subs. “They’re set.”

“James? Are your pilots ready?” Espanoza asked, turning to McCarthy. “There is a time schedule to keep.”

McCarthy looked at John, Bart, and then Mike. The three men glared at him, but one by one they nodded. McCarthy gave them an apologetic nod in return.

“They’re ready,” McCarthy said. “But this is it. After they make the delivery, then we are out, got it?”

“Of course,” Espanoza said. “I have paid you a great amount of money and I am sure you would like to spend it.”

“I would,” McCarthy said. “And so would my pilots.”