“Already on it, sir. And we are monitoring the asset’s known communication frequencies and cell phone numbers so if they contact anybody, we’ll be able to verify them.”
Jameson smiled to himself. “Good work.” He turned back to his files then glanced at the man. “As you were. Just…keep me informed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Somewhere Over Northern Mexico
Raul sat down and tried to squeeze his hands together to keep them from shaking. “I’m sorry, Jefe. I must seem a complete fool to you.” He opened his hands and the shaking worsened. “We head a drug cartel and yet…I had never been shot at before.”
Mario Gomez leaned back in his seat and wiped the spent powder from the gold-plated Colt that he had been “shot” with to stage his death. “And I carried only two magazines, hermano.” He grinned at him. “Looks like we both have much to learn, eh?”
Raul forced himself to breathe slower. A quick glance out the window and his brain knew that they were safely away from the immediate danger, but his heart continued to thump harder in his chest. He turned to El Fantasma and paused, noticing the look on the other man’s face. “Something else is wrong.” It wasn’t a question.
Mario nodded slightly. “They saw me.” He sighed as he leaned back in his seat and removed his Panama hat. “Bravo knows who I am. I’m certain.”
Raul shook his head adamantly. “We were too far from them. They couldn’t have—”
“I saw Bridger’s face before we took to the air. I’m sure he recognized me through the optics of his rifle.” He sucked at his teeth in frustration. “I fear this will not be as easy as I had hoped.”
Raul forced his breathing to slow and turned to him. “So what do we do? Try to reinforce our holdings and defend from the Sinaloa or go after your mortal enemy?”
Mario scoffed as he leaned back and placed the hat over his eyes. “Both.” He yawned, surprising Raul at the ease he exuded. “I will gather our forces in the states.” He lifted the hat and gave him a knowing look. “And those who survived the attack at the villa, and those posted at the others.” He slipped the hat back over his eyes. “And you will go to Mexico City and prepare our counter attack for Esmerelda.”
“Señor, do you not think that we should wait and—”
“Waiting makes us appear weak, Raul.” He took a deep, cleansing breath. “We cannot allow the other Dons to think that we are now susceptible to being taken over.” He shook his head slightly. “No, we must counterstrike, and, if possible, remove Esmerelda from the board.”
Raul pushed out a nervous breath and turned to face him, his voice low. “Señor, perhaps you should lead this attack. Surely the Bravo team can wait until we have dealt with the threat to our business.”
Mario shook his head slightly. “Raul, do you know why I even considered taking on this business?”
He nodded slightly. “Teresa.”
He sat up suddenly and removed the hat from his face. “That is correct. Teresa.” He sat forward, his face a mask of anger. “I was sent in to take down Murillo and his business. I spent two years of my life endearing myself to him.” His jaw quivered as he recalled his history. “I loved her more than my own life.”
“That was why you told Don Murillo the truth.”
“Si, and he should have killed me. But because he loved his hermana as much as I did, he let me live. I agreed to feed Bravo false information, pointed them to our enemies, gave them small fish to fry so that they could feel that they were accomplishing something…” He swallowed hard, his mind taking him where he didn’t want to go. “And they struck that bridge, regardless. I told them that Don Murillo wasn’t in that caravan, and they chose to blow it up anyway.”
Raul reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his. “I still feel the pain, señor.”
Mario nodded and turned away from him. “From that day forward, I swore vengeance.” He turned away so that Raul wouldn’t see his eyes tearing. “I sat by her side day and night…the doctors pleading to let her go. To unplug her life support.” He stared at the ceiling, looking for God. “I prayed harder than I have ever prayed.” He sniffed back the tears then turned and gave Raul a hard look. “But I asked for the wrong thing, Raul. I prayed that God would let her live…” He felt his voice crack. “But I should have asked that she recover. That she come back to me.”
“I am sorry.” It was all he could think to say.
“She lived.” He sniffed back angry tears. “She fought to stay with us. Nurses and physical therapists, all of them fighting to keep her body from withering. But…her mind…her soul? It left her on that bridge.” He shook his head angrily. “I know this now. I…tortured her. Forced her to remain here…with me.”
“You cannot know the mind of God, señor. You did what you thought was best.” He patted the man’s shoulder. “Don Murillo knew this.”
“That’s the ONLY reason he left his business to me, Raul. He put the two most precious things he had in my hands and now…now they are both gone.”
“The business is not gone yet, señor. We will fight to keep it. We will kill Esmerelda and take the Sinaloa’s assets. We will double our strength and—”
“No, Raul.” He turned and gave him a look he couldn’t read. “YOU will take their assets and YOU will rebuild our business.” His eyes turned hard and his fists clenched. “I will take the war to Bravo team, and, should I fail, I will know that Don Murillo’s business is in the best hands.”
Raul swallowed hard and nodded. “Si, señor. I will do my best.”
31
In the Skies Over Northern Mexico
“You had
