The hangar looked like the beginning of several horror movies Jo had watched. Rust, primer, and military tan were splotched across the metal surface. Inside wasn’t much better with parts of what looked like the inside of engines strewn over several surfaces their entrails trailing to the oil-stained floor.
They left the beat to hell hangar and made their way through a side door to a nicer hangar that held two small planes.
“Your dad seems to know his way around,” Ian said as they approached Joseph and a white-haired man with a face like tanned leather left in the sun too long. His blue-gray coveralls were stained with grease and worn.
“Thanks, Mick.”
“No problem, Mr. Smith,” Mick said his chin tipping in acknowledgment.
“Consider us even.”
The old man shook his head. “Never even. You and your daughter saved my grandbaby. You come by here anytime you need me.” He tapped the side of a small twin-engine plane painted white with blue trim. “Treat her good.”
Joseph shook the man’s hand. “I always do, Mick. See ya this evening.”
With that, the man disappeared into the door they’d just come through, and Joseph motioned her and Ian toward the plane.
“Who’s going to drive this thing?”
Joseph laughed as he slid into the pilot’s seat. “It’s called flying Jo, and I’ll be your pilot. Strap yourself in and let’s get this done.”
Shock poured into her. He flew? Was there anything he couldn’t do? Her father fiddled with several buttons and switches before turning the plane on. It was loud. Ian passed a set of headphones with a microphone attached to her. The second she put them on the cacophony from the engines muted, and she could hear what Joseph and Ian were saying.
“It’ll take us about two hours to get there, so sit back and relax.”
“How are we keeping her in this prison?” she asked.
“We’ve got two victims that were Mexican citizens,” Ian answered.
Jo nibbled her thumb as she sorted through the victims she knew. None of hers were from Mexico.
“The one in Michigan and the one in Georgia.”
“No.” They were both American citizens, she had their information.
“Yes, the Michigan man was from Mexico studying at the college there. Whereas victim number two, in Georgia, had dual citizenship.”
She didn’t remember the dual citizenship piece. “I remembered Michigan after you pointed it out. But are you sure about the other—”
“Yes, I’ve got the file here.” Ian lifted his leather satchel. “Along with both of their birth certificates. Joseph suggested I bring everything.”
“Way to go, Dad.” She patted his shoulder.
Joseph snorted. “Just logical, Jo. This way we have it at our hands. It’s always a good idea to make things as easy as possible when people are doing favors for you.”
“And her being arrested here is a favor?” Her eyes drifted to the view below. The blue jeweled ocean sparkled in the cloudless sky. Today was turning out better than she had imagined. The spa package was fine, but Lucy being captured was the best gift her father could ever give her. To see the serial killer get what she deserved would bring closure to a lot of lives, Jo’s included as it would give Rian and Evan peace.
“No, them keeping her in their prison is the favor.”
Jo arched a brow. “Will she be able to bribe her way out?”
“Nope. Again, it’s why I want all our ducks in a row.”
Curious, she needed to know. “Who’s your contact?”
“A Commissioner General—”
“With the Federal Police?” Ian asked.
“Yes.”
“Damn, Joseph.” Ian’s face paled.
Jo didn’t know much about the ranks in Mexico but based on Ian’s reaction the man must be intimidating. “Aren’t the Federal Police mostly focused on drug cartels?”
“Yes, but my contact is willing to help smooth the way to keep a serial killer behind bars.”
“Why?” she shouldn’t ask, but her mind spun so many stories about how her father could have this contact. “Why is he willing to go out on a limb and help you?”
Joseph cleared his throat. “His son was kidnapped. I was on a mission and ended up rescuing him as well as several other hostages. The Commissioner appreciated it, especially since I was hurt in the process.”
“The Thailand incident. The one that distracted Karma so much she stopped calling me when we all first met.” She had heard so many stories now from Karma and Jenna it was easy for her to pick out which adventure it referred to.
“Yes. Now can you two shut up while I land this thing? Swear, I prefer having Juliette with me. She knows how to not ask so many questions.”
Probably because she was there when everything went down, Jo thought but bit down on her tongue to keep from voicing.
From the plane, Joseph herded them to an SUV that wasn’t as nearly nice as the one he had driven them around in San Lucas. This one was older with several dents in the sides and was tan instead of black. He waved to the guy in the hanger before he hopped behind the wheel of the car and pulled onto another dirt road filled with potholes. Within a few minutes, they were heading down a dusty road with a view of the city ahead.
“Won’t your friend park the plane?”
“No. It’s Mick’s nephew. He’ll leave it alone, and we’ll be back to take off in a few hours.”
Jo fell silent and let Joseph focus on the insane drivers as they wove deeper into Mexico City. Finally they stopped at a nondescript building. It looked like a million other government buildings, gray and drab.
They entered the lobby, and Joseph pointed to uncomfortable looking plastic chairs in gray and white while he went to the receptionist’s desk. The gray theme found its way into the building with the only splashes of color in the flags on either side of the entrance, and Mexico’s emblem etched into the tiles. Even the
