Chapter 14
US Army Special Forces, informally known as “Green Berets” for their traditional headgear, is a special force of soldiers carefully selected, specially trained and capable of extended operations in extremely remote and hostile territory. All of them are highly skilled in ‘infiltrated and exfiltrated specified operational areas by air, land and sea’.
Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm have been two of the many missions they had shown their unique capabilities. They are the elite unit of the Special Forces and their motto is ‘De oppresso liber’ that’s it; to liberate the oppressed.
Ray Mathews aka ‘Snake’ was once a ‘Green Beret’. That was of course before he died in Afghanistan three years ago. Yep. That’s what his file says. It figures.
I’ve been reading his record service and I have no other choice but to admit I’m quite impressed. He was decorated with The Medal of Honour and he even had a Purple Heart. I can’t fucking believe it.
Lieutenant Raymond Mitchel Mathews received the two highest military decorations because, while a member of the US Army, he distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.
How the fuck did this honorable soldier become ‘Snake’?
————-
I’m trying my best here to keep my mind focused on business and not wander with thoughts about Hanna and Snake in the same sentence, but it’s a more than difficult task. I’ve seen what that fucker can do to another human being and the possibility that he’s the one who kidnapped Hanna is not only making me sick but making me crazy.
Ricardo told me not to think about that or I’ll jeopardize whatever slight chance Hanna has to survive her captors. However he also warned me about the physical state in which Hanna might be already after being missing for more than 48 hours.
I can’t still get over the fact Ricardo is so cool with all this mess, and even though I have already realized he’s not gonna say shit about himself I can’t help but wonder if this fucker is as dangerous as any of his contacts. There’s no way a man like him, with his underground connections, is walking around without anyone wanting to kill him or lock him in prison. Who are you, Ricardo Montenegro?
Visions of Hanna being tortured and raped have been haunting me since she was taken and if Snake is around her I don’t even dare to think the atrocities that sick bastard may have in store for her. Hanna is a trained FBI special agent, that’s true, but Ricardo and I suspect that if one of those special black ops teams kidnapped her so as to pull intell out of her, whatever she knew, she’s probably already spilled out, that’s if she’s still alive. Damnit!!
I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I can’t seem to stop my brain from torturing me with visions of Hanna’s body marred beyond recognition.
God, please, help me. Don’t let me fall apart or my woman will die before I have the chance to show her how much I love her and how much I need her with me in my life.
I had no other choice here, so I have to pull myself together, following Ricardo’s advice. I can’t fail her now, not again and I won’t.
—————-
We’re back in LA, back to the place where everything started more than one year ago. I’ve been out of this city for just for a few days but it seemed like an eternity. I can’t believe how many things have happened in such a short period of time.
As we ride to the center, memories of my days locked in Lompoc are coming back with full force especially since I can’t get that fucker Snake out of my head. That was the first fucking place I met him after all.
I shut my eyes tightly, rubbing my forehead, forcing my mind to go back inside those damn walls. I have to relive that living hell again so I can remember anything concerning Snake. If it was in any way linked with Snake it might be useful now even if back then it was insignificant. Every single event, every single conversation, every single rumor, every single fucking thing.
Fuck! Nothing. I can’t remember fucking shit right now. My damn brain is not co-operating with me, at least regarding Snake. Damnit!!
I focus my mind on the intell I do know. That way, I won’t be thinking about Snake and what he can do to Hanna if he’s the one who has her. I’m silently praying to God, let us be wrong. Maybe we are lucky and Snake is not the one who kidnapped her.
So far, The CIA, the FBI, Reynaldo Casamajor, Hanna and I are all in some way linked to one single thing; the truck. That fucking truck loaded with those fucking weapons. And that’s the first trace we’re going to follow.
Like we suspected, Reynaldo has connections inside the transport labor union. It figures. That way he has access to an extensive fleet of trucks to carry weapons from one place to another. Honestly, I’m not surprised about that. Somehow I was already expecting that news.
In any case, those fuckers are not going to say shit and we can’t do anything to make them change their minds or force them to co-operate with us. Why? Because the transport labor union is protected by the invisible veil of support that the Mob offers them. There’s no way Ricardo is going there though. The farther away we stay from the Mob, the longer we’ll stay alive, and so will Hanna.
However Ricardo’s contact says that they had nothing to do with an FBI agent by the name of Hanna Miles. So that seems like a dead end. Nevertheless, Ricardo crossed glances with me in silent dialogue; they might not have something to do with her, but those fuckers knew she was an FBI agent. I bet that just as the FBI keeps files on the mob, the mob keeps files on them as well. What a fucked up world we live in!
I’m starting to envy all of those citizens who live their lives oblivious to this sickly reality that is surrounding them. Almost all of them are living in their happy existence ignorant of these facts taking place right in front of their faces.
We leave the bar where our little meeting with Ricardo’s mob contact took place, heading to the port in search of my contact back then. When we reach the place, asking for him we are informed that the fucker died in a car accident around a year ago. I don’t need anyone telling me, I can figure out the date by myself. Yep. A couple of weeks after I entered Lompoc.
I narrow my eyes in suspicion, locking eyes with Ricardo who chuckles, shaking his head. I don’t need to ask him. Neither of us believes the official version for a minute but for different motivations.
I knew that fucker pretty well and he was a hell of a driver, almost as good as me or Vince. Hell, we even raced against each other on more than one occasion. The fucker knew what he was doing, racing his car. That’s the reason why I’m not buying for a minute all that bullshit about a car crash.
Ricardo’s suspicions are based on his own experience. He says that car accidents and heart attacks are pretty common ways of dying among those who are dealing with guys on the dark side of the street. In any case, we are again where we were at the beginning.
————
“This fucker ‘Snake’ is not dead, Ricardo. He’s locked in Lompoc.” I say as a matter of fact. All I have for an answer is a snort as Ricardo keeps typing on the keyboard.
I turn my head, looking at the screen and I blink, completely puzzled. There’s nothing else other than numbers and letters, running up, changing in seconds, and the screen has been showing that for the last ten minutes. This is ridiculous.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?” I asked him, tapping my hand nervously on the table. Ricardo glances at me, grinning.
“Hacking her secrets FBI files.” He replies. And all of sudden the screen turns black, just showing two little blank spaces asking a name and a password.
I looked around, frowning in concern. I can’t believe we’re here hacking Hanna’s FBI secret files while the kid sitting at our side in the other booth is downloading free porn from the Internet. Damn! We’re a couple of crazy fuckers, doing this shit in a damn cybercafe during day light.
Ricardo frowns a little, entering Hanna’s full name. Good. We only need the password. He enters a nickname: ‘Ice Queen’. Nothing. Wrong password. Damn! He tries several times with ‘Dominic’, ‘Dom’, ‘Toretto’, ‘Richie’, ‘Ricardo’, ‘Elaine’, ‘Rey’, ‘Crystal’ and even ‘Santos’ and ‘Miguel’. Wrong password. All of them. Fuck!
I notice he’s starting to lose his cool with every new attempt, getting more and more frustrated. When he’s done with all the possible words that might have any sense for Hanna, he starts with dates.
Holy shit! From Hanna’s birthday to mine, going from each and every date that could mean something for Hanna has been entered and none of them are valid. He even types the date Hanna and I met.
Ricardo curses under his breath in Spanish, grunting in frustration. Then he leans back in his seat, closing his eyes, rubbing his chin. Now I know he does that when he’s lost in thought. Funny, I’m getting good at this, watching people, noticing small details like that one.
All of sudden, he snaps his eyes open and turns to look at me. “Tell me the date when Hanna and you made love for the first time.” Ricardo says like he’s asking me about the weather.
I can’t help and a deep growl escapes my lips. I can’t fucking believe it!
“Come on, Toretto, we’re running out of time. You have to know it. If she’s your woman you must remember the exact date and probably even the hour.” He says, grinning like a loony. “If you’re going to feel better, I’ll tell you Elaine and mine.” He adds, a mischievous gleam sparkling on his eyes.
“Fuck you.” I mutter through clenched teeth, typing the date. Ricardo chuckles, shaking his head. Sometimes I swear I’m restraining myself so as to not beat the shit out of big dark guy.
Access granted.
The screen turns white with two paragraphs written down and a link to the damn files. I frown deeply, reading silently the first one.
“Richie, if you’re reading this then everything fell apart. I don’t know if I’ll be already dead by the time you find this, but in any case I’m sure you will know what you have to do with the intell. Please, Richie, take care of him. He’s a tough guy but he’s not like them. No matter what he says, don’t let him die for me because then my death wouldn’t have meant shit. I’m going to miss you, Richie, my dark knight in shinning armor. I’ll see you on the other side. Tell Elaine I love her. Hanna.”
There’s another paragraph bellow. I swallow an invisible knot that came from nowhere and blinking I fix my gaze on those printed words.
“Dominic, I’m sorry for all this shit, baby, but there was no other way to get you out of prison alive. I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you and I hope you will forgive me some day. I will always love you, Dominic, with all my heart and soul. Forever. Hanna.”
I clench my teeth as I shut my eyes tightly, forcing back tears of anger and pain. She’s not dead. Hanna is not fucking dead. There’s no way in hell my woman died. I refuse to believe that. No way. I’m not giving up on her that easily. I’d kill her myself before she even dared to die, leaving me alone.
I swallow hard against that invisible knot that’s almost choking the life out of me as I conjure a vision of Hanna laughing. In that vision she’s wearing one of those dresses she likes. The night breeze makes it float as she walks to my side. She’s staring at my eyes, whispering my name in her deep hoarse voice. Dominic.
Hanna’s eyes are sparkling like stars in a clear night. Those beautiful green eyes, grayish sparks around the pupils are talking to me. I can hear the words and it feels fucking good. I love you, Dominic. She loves me. My woman loves me. Hanna loves me. And that’s the reason why she’s not dead. She loves me and I have to tell her that I love her too.
I’ve already lost a lot of people I’ve loved and I’m not losing her too. There’s no fucking way I’m letting her go. I’m going to kill all those fuckers and I’m going to find my woman and bring her back home with me. That’s what I’m going to do. Bring my woman back home with me; where she belongs. That’s my new goal.
All of sudden the words I just read are echoing inside my brain and I snap my eyes open, blinking against my blurry vision.
I look at Ricardo. He’s staring at the screen; his jaw is tightening so hard, his neck muscles are clenched, his hands in fists. Somehow Hanna knew we were going to hook up together if she was in danger. This was the only way to have access to her secrets files. Ricardo and I together. She needed both us at the same time and in the same place. What the hell…?
I suspect Ricardo is one of the few guys in this country who would be able to hack top classified FBI files and I’m the only one who could have known the password apart from Hanna herself.
And what’s that shit about getting me out of prison alive?! I wasn’t in danger there, was I?
My mind goes back of its own will to my imprisonment in Lompoc as I narrow my eyes, lost in thought. Snake.
I think I’m starting to lose my sanity because all of sudden a strong suspicion springs in my mind. That fucker should have been locked in another cellblock and not with inmates like Lester, Pette, Harrison and the kid. Fuck! Marcus! What if Snake killed the kid to provoke me? What if that bastard was searching for an easy way to force me to fight with him, to kill me?
Damnit! If that’s true, the pieces of the puzzle would start to fit in their rightful place. I wonder if Hanna was aware of that and that was the reason why she organized this charade so she could get me out of prison before Snake could kill me? I wonder if she suspected I was in danger even before someone ordered to put me out of the picture?
Fuck! How the hell did I end so deeply stuck in this shit?
Time seems to slow down around us. Ricardo tilts his head, looking at me. His gaze is as cold as ice, emotionless. His face turns unreadable, expressionless. And all of sudden I can feel the danger radiating from his body, like an invisible powerful wave, washing over me. We lock eyes and all I can read is one single word flashing on those dark eyes. Death.
I stretch my back without letting go of his cold gaze, nodding in silent agreement. His lips twitches in an evil grin as he slowly nods ‘yes’. Then he turns his attention back to the screen and scrolling the mouse, he presses the link Hanna left for us.
There are at least ten documents waiting to be read. So we make ourselves comfortable and start with our task.
The first five are bank account reports. There are different banks and all of them are located in tax havens. The Grand Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Panama and Gibraltar among others. Several payments and refunds have been made through these accounts over the last two years. Always between corporations. But among others there’s one firm that appears almost constantly. Phoenix Ltd.
The amount of zeros printed are giving me a headache and all of sudden Hanna’s words on the day she arrested me pop inside my brain.
“You’re not gonna make it, Dominic. …You have been playing a dangerous game with people that don’t like to lose their money….”
I read the last date Phoenix Ltd received a payment. Fuck! The day Reynaldo hosted his damn party for me, killing his own contact because the poor asshole wanted a bigger cut on that deal.
Ricardo narrows his eyes as he reached for his jacket pocket, growling. He pulls out a CD, inserting it in the unit, copying the files as we keep reading the other documents.
Holy shit! Phoenix Memorandum of Association detailed their activities. It seems to be a firm whose main activity is the import and export of goodies but there’s no reference to what exactly they are importing and exporting. However, it’s not like I need to make a great effort to figure it out. Taking into consideration all the recent events they surely are weapons, drugs and who knows what else. Maybe even people. Damn, that last thought sends shivers up my spine.
The next document contains the names of Phoenix Administrative Council members. I’m reading the names but I don’t recognize any of them. Who knows where and who these fuckers are?
Suddenly, Ricardo growls deeply as he points with his index finger one of the names.
Bilkins, George C.
Damn, that name should ring a bell and actually I’d swear I’ve heard it before, but where and when?
“Puto cerdo corrupto.” Ricardo hisses through clenched teeth and at his words the light bulb lights inside my brain. Fuck!!
“Hanna’s boss.” I whisper, looking at Ricardo. In response, he turns his head and our gazes meet one more time. I narrow my eyes, holding his cold gaze as he flashes me with a predatory smile.
“Let’s pay him a visit.” He said, as his smile turns evil. In response I grin devilishly, nodding ‘yes’. Ricardo copies the rest of the files and wipes away any trace of his visit to the FBI’s core before we left the cybercafe. “You drive, Toretto.” He says to me as he hands me his keys. “I gotta make a couple of phone calls. We’re gonna need to go shopping.” He adds, getting in the car, chuckling at his own words.
Damn! I swear this fucker is starting to get on my nerves more than I would like to admit. It seems to me I’m going to have the privilege of watching Ricardo Montenegro doing whatever he does the best and actually I’m not sure anymore if I want to be a witness to that.
———
I park the car in front of the FBI headquarters in LA, at the other side of the street. Ricardo connects Hanna’s laptop, inserting the CD. He’s going to check what other files Hanna had while we wait for our targets to show up.
One of the documents is a copy of two phone calls, transcriptions between Bilkins and two unidentified guys. Over the conversation they are talking about the ‘Ice Queen’ and the need to get rid of her as soon as possible before she completes her mission. The reasons seemed to be she knew too much and she was out of control. Fuck! Who are those two other guys Bilkins was talking with?
Ricardo explains to me that, according to the slang they’re using to talk with each other, he suspects Bilkins was once without a doubt a military and the other is surely one of the black ops who kidnapped Hanna. No wonder. Bilkins is old enough to be one of those soldiers who were involved in ‘Operation Phoenix’ back in the Vietnam War. I wonder if Hanna’s boss was trained by Lee, becoming one of those Phoenix team members.
However, how is it that a CIA black ops specialist ended up being the special agent in charge of the FBI LA office? I thought the FBI and the CIA were fucking each other for years.
What if Bilkins since the beginning has been a mole, working undercover for the CIA using his connections and status inside the FBI for the other agency’s benefit?
Damn, this is getting worse and worse at every step we take.
Ricardo is completely absorbed in his reading, like he was memorizing each and every single word that appeared in those transcriptions.
At this point there’s only one more file left. As soon as Ricardo opens the file, he knit his brows at once. I glance at him and he’s narrowing his eyes with his gaze fixed on the document that is flashing at him. He’s completely shocked.
I lean in slightly so I can read what he’s reading and I blink my surprise. It’s a forensic report. Actually a copy of a girl’s autopsy. There are no names on that report. Neither the chick or the forensic surgeon.
“Coño.” Ricardo mutters through clenched teeth. I look at him with a puzzled expression written all over my face. “So you found who killed her, huh, princesa?” Ricardo whispers to himself, shaking his head.
“Who’s that chick?” I ask him, frowning in concern. In response, Ricardo enlarges the only picture enclosed.
Holy shit!! That chick looks exactly Crystal. They are so similar they could pass for twin sisters.
“Magdalena Félix Salazar. She was ‘El Padrino’s’ granddaughter.” He replies as he disconnects Hanna’s laptop, closing and putting it inside its bag. Then he looks at me and elaborates. “Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is a Mexican drug lord known as ‘El Padrino’, he’s the cocaine czar of Mexico and premier leader of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s.” Ricardo pauses for a second as he pulls out a cigarette, lighting it up. “Gallardo was arrested in 1989 but while incarcerated he remained one of Mexico’s major traffickers, maintaining his organization via mobile phone until he was transferred to a maximum security prison a few years later.” Ricardo explains as shakes his head. Taking a deep puff off his cigarette, blowing out the smoke. “At that point, his old organization broke up into two factions: the Tijuana Cartel led by his nephews, the Arellano-Félix brothers, and the Sinaola Cartel run by former lieutenants.”
I lick my lips, lost in thought, frowning deeply. “What does this Magdalena chick have to do with Hanna?” I ask him.
Ricardo closes his eyes, rubbing his chin as he blows the smoke through his nose. After a long moment, he blinks, opening his eyes, fixing his gaze on a spot only he can see.
“Magdalena’s dad was killed while ‘El Padrino’ was in prison and she moved to US with her mom. They came here and her mom married with a ‘gringo’. The fucker was beating her constantly and Magdalena ran away.” He pauses one more time, sighing hard. “I saw her a couple of times in the streets, she was selling her body. Then I fucked up and my ass landed in Lompoc. When I served my one year sentence I went to look for Hanna. I don’t know how she met Magdalena but somehow they became close friends while I was in prison.”
Fuck! I don’t even want to think what Hanna was doing to meet that chick. I don’t need that kind of information and honestly I don’t give a damn now. I only want Hanna with me. Now it makes sense to me why Hanna is so attached to Crystal. That little bitch and Magdalena are as alike as two drops of water.
Ricardo throws out the butt and lights another cigarette as he keeps talking about the girl.
“One day Hanna told me Magdalena was missing for three days. It wasn’t something new. Chicks in the streets are constantly coming and going. Sometimes they are lucky and get a client who has her for a few days. But after a couple of weeks someone told Hanna that Magdalena had been savagely raped by at least two fuckers and then they had given her an overdose of coke. Some shit about a wild party that got out of hand.”
Oh, fuck, no! Reynaldo’s party. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She was the girl his partners raped. Jesus! Vince and I were there, we were at that fucking party. Magdalena was that chick. Damn, Vince had been hitting on her when all of sudden Rey showed up, demanding her attention. Magdalena obliged because that fucker was the host and the one who was going to pay her. Oh my God, if we had known back then…
That’s why Hanna is so determined to destroy Reynaldo. She’s avenging her friend’s death. That’s why Hanna doesn’t want Reynaldo in prison. Fuck! Reynaldo is now with Santos in Baja California and they are both with the Tijuana Cartel.
I remember Ricardo’s words when I asked him why the hell he was helping Hanna. She had all the intell and she knew both of us might be able to put the pieces together if we shared the information we had concerning Reynaldo. Fuck! Ricardo is right. Hanna may be a mess but the ‘Ice Queen’ is a cold bitch and when she’s in, she’s in all the fucking way.
“That fucker Rey is now exactly where we wanted him from the beginning and we’re not letting him go, Toretto. No matter what, that sick bastard is not gonna get out of this shit.”
Hanna wanted to make sure that no matter what happened to her, Reynaldo was going to pay for Magdalena’s death. Hanna is going to hand Reynaldo to Magdalena’s family so they take care of the Cuban, paying him back.
Ricardo must be putting all the intell together inside his brain, just like I’m doing because all of sudden he explodes, laughing out loud, shaking his head. He knows that as soon as Magdalena’s uncles know who was behind their niece’s dead they are going to sacrifice Reynaldo.
I bet Hanna had accidentally ran into all this shit involving the CIA, the FBI, Bilkins and the Phoenix team while on her research about Reynaldo Casamajor. Fuck, Hanna, you were digging your own grave without even realizing it, baby. I wonder why she kept going ahead in spite of the obvious danger that was gliding over her head. Why, Hanna? Why you didn’t leave all this shit behind? What was pushing you?
We’ve been ‘shopping’ and the trunk of the car is loaded with our purchases. Ricardo took me to meet a guy whose name alone might lead you to think he’s a porn star or some shit like that. ‘Big Sexy’. That’s until you take a look at him. More than 264 pounds of black guy with black leather, black bandana on his shaved head and smoking a Havana cigar.
The house was surrounded by at least five black SUV with smoked glass and guys all over the place packing automatic weapons, while chatting, listening to music and playing videogames. Not to mention the chicks. Shit, shit, shit. Where the fuck were all those hot as hell chicks when I was oblivious to Hanna’s existence? Damn!
He gave us an amazing welcome, embracing Ricardo, tapping his back like they were friends since kids. Then he turned his attention to me, narrowing his eyes as if he was thinking whether I deserved his trust. After a couple of minutes, ‘Big Sexy’ shook hands with me and tapping my shoulder, he told me to make myself comfortable.
That big fucker knew his deal and it wasn’t the first time Ricardo did business with him. Ricardo phoned him on our way to his home, so when we arrived ‘Big Sexy’ had a damn arsenal already waiting for us, knowing in advance what kind of weapons Ricardo liked. He even offered us his help, saying that ‘Richie’s Princess’ was his family too.
I can’t help myself and a slight grin tugs my lips as I remember ‘Big Sexy’ closing the deal with us while he was scolding his kid brother because the little asshole was drinking milk directly from the bottle.
I swear I never met such an assortment of bizarre people walking around, dealing in the dark side of the street. And here I thought I’d seen a lot of things in my life. Damn! I’m just a naïve asshole.
Ricardo elbows me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I lean forward, following his line of vision. Now, look who’s leaving the building, dressed in their impeccable suits. Asshole agent number 1 and asshole agent number 2; Stuart and Terry. Hanna’s subordinates.
I narrow my eyes, growling. I have a talk pending with those two dicks. Ricardo grins wickedly as he tells me to follow them. It seems I’m going to see my wish granted after all.
Stuart and Terry park their car in front of a café, buying donuts and coffees. Ricardo nods at me and we get out the car at the same time, heading directly to them. The fuckers are so immersed in their chatting they don’t even sense our presence.
We get in their car at the same time and Ricardo pulls out his shiv, pressing it against Stuart’s ribs. I’m starting to wonder where the hell he packs them. Those shivs are appearing and disappearing from view in a matter of seconds. I swear he looks like a damn magician.
“Oh, shit!” Terry mutters, screwing up his face. Ricardo chuckles as he tells them to drive. He doesn’t need to repeat himself. His tone of voice is not leaving any room for complaint. Hell! I shivered slightly at hearing it. I bet those two are going to piss themselves in less than an hour.
———
Ricardo looks at me as I clean my bloody hands on Stuarts’ white shirt that is on a table, grinning. Then he turns his head to Terry who is panting hard through thinned lips. Stuart already passed out after the beating. I guess he wasn’t that tough after all.
Ricardo shakes his head in disappointment, mumbling something about these FBI agents are trained like damn SEALS but they are just a bunch of pussies who can’t take a bit of pain. Then he walks to Terry’s side making him flinch as soon as he notices Ricardo’s hard glare, shuddering violently with fear.
Big dark guy crouches in front of him, pulling out once more his shiv, playing with it between his fingers as he asks Terry about Bilkins. The warehouse is almost in darkness because the day is setting down. The only light is dusk light.
Again, Ricardo doesn’t need to ask his question twice because Terry is speaking so fast, spilling all he knows about Hanna, Bilkins and the fucking case that I’m starting to think he’s going to choke on his own saliva.
It was all a trap. The FBI set a trap for Hanna and then they left her on her own, hoping Reynaldo would kill her and me in the process. Fucking bastards!
When he’s done, Ricardo smiles devilishly and gets to his feet, pulling out his gun. Without give a second thought he shot them. I don’t even blink at the sound of the gunshots. Those two were accomplices because they knew about it and neither one of them made a move to at least make Hanna aware of the real situation that was taking place behind her back. Two less motherfuckers to worry about.
Ricardo taps my shoulder as we get in their car. We go back to where we left my car parked and I follow Ricardo to the outskirts of LA, near the desert.
When we arrive, we set their car on fire with both corpses inside the trunk. As soon as the local police find it they’ll probably report their death as a settling of scores. Two less dirty FBI agents out of the way. Fuck them.
I lean on the car, closing my eyes. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Those fuckers wanted Hanna dead and she probably knew it, but that fact didn’t stop her. She wanted for me to be safe and that’s why she kept with her plan even though she surely suspected they would end up killing her. Damn, Hanna, why baby? I’m not worth that, beautiful. I’m not worthy of your life, baby.
Now more than ever I want to put my hands on Bilkins. That fucker has a few things to explain before he joins his subordinates in hell, and damn it all if he’s going to see another daylight.
Next stop, Bilkins’ house.
Chapter 15
Lies 14
Chapter 14
US Army Special Forces, informally known as “Green Berets” for their traditional headgear, is a special force of soldiers carefully selected, specially trained and capable of extended operations in extremely remote and hostile territory. All of them are highly skilled in ‘infiltrated and exfiltrated specified operational areas by air, land and sea’.
Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm have been two of the many missions they had shown their unique capabilities. They are the elite unit of the Special Forces and their motto is ‘De oppresso liber’ that’s it; to liberate the oppressed.
Ray Mathews aka ‘Snake’ was once a ‘Green Beret’. That was of course before he died in Afghanistan three years ago. Yep. That’s what his file says. It figures.
I’ve been reading his record service and I have no other choice but to admit I’m quite impressed. He was decorated with The Medal of Honour and he even had a Purple Heart. I can’t fucking believe it.
Lieutenant Raymond Mitchel Mathews received the two highest military decorations because, while a member of the US Army, he distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.
How the fuck did this honorable soldier become ‘Snake’?
————-
I’m trying my best here to keep my mind focused on business and not wander with thoughts about Hanna and Snake in the same sentence, but it’s a more than difficult task. I’ve seen what that fucker can do to another human being and the possibility that he’s the one who kidnapped Hanna is not only making me sick but making me crazy.
Ricardo told me not to think about that or I’ll jeopardize whatever slight chance Hanna has to survive her captors. However he also warned me about the physical state in which Hanna might be already after being missing for more than 48 hours.
I can’t still get over the fact Ricardo is so cool with all this mess, and even though I have already realized he’s not gonna say shit about himself I can’t help but wonder if this fucker is as dangerous as any of his contacts. There’s no way a man like him, with his underground connections, is walking around without anyone wanting to kill him or lock him in prison. Who are you, Ricardo Montenegro?
Visions of Hanna being tortured and raped have been haunting me since she was taken and if Snake is around her I don’t even dare to think the atrocities that sick bastard may have in store for her. Hanna is a trained FBI special agent, that’s true, but Ricardo and I suspect that if one of those special black ops teams kidnapped her so as to pull intell out of her, whatever she knew, she’s probably already spilled out, that’s if she’s still alive. Damnit!!
I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I can’t seem to stop my brain from torturing me with visions of Hanna’s body marred beyond recognition.
God, please, help me. Don’t let me fall apart or my woman will die before I have the chance to show her how much I love her and how much I need her with me in my life.
I had no other choice here, so I have to pull myself together, following Ricardo’s advice. I can’t fail her now, not again and I won’t.
—————-
We’re back in LA, back to the place where everything started more than one year ago. I’ve been out of this city for just for a few days but it seemed like an eternity. I can’t believe how many things have happened in such a short period of time.
As we ride to the center, memories of my days locked in Lompoc are coming back with full force especially since I can’t get that fucker Snake out of my head. That was the first fucking place I met him after all.
I shut my eyes tightly, rubbing my forehead, forcing my mind to go back inside those damn walls. I have to relive that living hell again so I can remember anything concerning Snake. If it was in any way linked with Snake it might be useful now even if back then it was insignificant. Every single event, every single conversation, every single rumor, every single fucking thing.
Fuck! Nothing. I can’t remember fucking shit right now. My damn brain is not co-operating with me, at least regarding Snake. Damnit!!
I focus my mind on the intell I do know. That way, I won’t be thinking about Snake and what he can do to Hanna if he’s the one who has her. I’m silently praying to God, let us be wrong. Maybe we are lucky and Snake is not the one who kidnapped her.
So far, The CIA, the FBI, Reynaldo Casamajor, Hanna and I are all in some way linked to one single thing; the truck. That fucking truck loaded with those fucking weapons. And that’s the first trace we’re going to follow.
Like we suspected, Reynaldo has connections inside the transport labor union. It figures. That way he has access to an extensive fleet of trucks to carry weapons from one place to another. Honestly, I’m not surprised about that. Somehow I was already expecting that news.
In any case, those fuckers are not going to say shit and we can’t do anything to make them change their minds or force them to co-operate with us. Why? Because the transport labor union is protected by the invisible veil of support that the Mob offers them. There’s no way Ricardo is going there though. The farther away we stay from the Mob, the longer we’ll stay alive, and so will Hanna.
However Ricardo’s contact says that they had nothing to do with an FBI agent by the name of Hanna Miles. So that seems like a dead end. Nevertheless, Ricardo crossed glances with me in silent dialogue; they might not have something to do with her, but those fuckers knew she was an FBI agent. I bet that just as the FBI keeps files on the mob, the mob keeps files on them as well. What a fucked up world we live in!
I’m starting to envy all of those citizens who live their lives oblivious to this sickly reality that is surrounding them. Almost all of them are living in their happy existence ignorant of these facts taking place right in front of their faces.
We leave the bar where our little meeting with Ricardo’s mob contact took place, heading to the port in search of my contact back then. When we reach the place, asking for him we are informed that the fucker died in a car accident around a year ago. I don’t need anyone telling me, I can figure out the date by myself. Yep. A couple of weeks after I entered Lompoc.
I narrow my eyes in suspicion, locking eyes with Ricardo who chuckles, shaking his head. I don’t need to ask him. Neither of us believes the official version for a minute but for different motivations.
I knew that fucker pretty well and he was a hell of a driver, almost as good as me or Vince. Hell, we even raced against each other on more than one occasion. The fucker knew what he was doing, racing his car. That’s the reason why I’m not buying for a minute all that bullshit about a car crash.
Ricardo’s suspicions are based on his own experience. He says that car accidents and heart attacks are pretty common ways of dying among those who are dealing with guys on the dark side of the street. In any case, we are again where we were at the beginning.
————
“This fucker ‘Snake’ is not dead, Ricardo. He’s locked in Lompoc.” I say as a matter of fact. All I have for an answer is a snort as Ricardo keeps typing on the keyboard.
I turn my head, looking at the screen and I blink, completely puzzled. There’s nothing else other than numbers and letters, running up, changing in seconds, and the screen has been showing that for the last ten minutes. This is ridiculous.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?” I asked him, tapping my hand nervously on the table. Ricardo glances at me, grinning.
“Hacking her secrets FBI files.” He replies. And all of sudden the screen turns black, just showing two little blank spaces asking a name and a password.
I looked around, frowning in concern. I can’t believe we’re here hacking Hanna’s FBI secret files while the kid sitting at our side in the other booth is downloading free porn from the Internet. Damn! We’re a couple of crazy fuckers, doing this shit in a damn cybercafe during day light.
Ricardo frowns a little, entering Hanna’s full name. Good. We only need the password. He enters a nickname: ‘Ice Queen’. Nothing. Wrong password. Damn! He tries several times with ‘Dominic’, ‘Dom’, ‘Toretto’, ‘Richie’, ‘Ricardo’, ‘Elaine’, ‘Rey’, ‘Crystal’ and even ‘Santos’ and ‘Miguel’. Wrong password. All of them. Fuck!
I notice he’s starting to lose his cool with every new attempt, getting more and more frustrated. When he’s done with all the possible words that might have any sense for Hanna, he starts with dates.
Holy shit! From Hanna’s birthday to mine, going from each and every date that could mean something for Hanna has been entered and none of them are valid. He even types the date Hanna and I met.
Ricardo curses under his breath in Spanish, grunting in frustration. Then he leans back in his seat, closing his eyes, rubbing his chin. Now I know he does that when he’s lost in thought. Funny, I’m getting good at this, watching people, noticing small details like that one.
All of sudden, he snaps his eyes open and turns to look at me. “Tell me the date when Hanna and you made love for the first time.” Ricardo says like he’s asking me about the weather.
I can’t help and a deep growl escapes my lips. I can’t fucking believe it!
“Come on, Toretto, we’re running out of time. You have to know it. If she’s your woman you must remember the exact date and probably even the hour.” He says, grinning like a loony. “If you’re going to feel better, I’ll tell you Elaine and mine.” He adds, a mischievous gleam sparkling on his eyes.
“Fuck you.” I mutter through clenched teeth, typing the date. Ricardo chuckles, shaking his head. Sometimes I swear I’m restraining myself so as to not beat the shit out of big dark guy.
Access granted.
The screen turns white with two paragraphs written down and a link to the damn files. I frown deeply, reading silently the first one.
“Richie, if you’re reading this then everything fell apart. I don’t know if I’ll be already dead by the time you find this, but in any case I’m sure you will know what you have to do with the intell. Please, Richie, take care of him. He’s a tough guy but he’s not like them. No matter what he says, don’t let him die for me because then my death wouldn’t have meant shit. I’m going to miss you, Richie, my dark knight in shinning armor. I’ll see you on the other side. Tell Elaine I love her. Hanna.”
There’s another paragraph bellow. I swallow an invisible knot that came from nowhere and blinking I fix my gaze on those printed words.
“Dominic, I’m sorry for all this shit, baby, but there was no other way to get you out of prison alive. I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you and I hope you will forgive me some day. I will always love you, Dominic, with all my heart and soul. Forever. Hanna.”
I clench my teeth as I shut my eyes tightly, forcing back tears of anger and pain. She’s not dead. Hanna is not fucking dead. There’s no way in hell my woman died. I refuse to believe that. No way. I’m not giving up on her that easily. I’d kill her myself before she even dared to die, leaving me alone.
I swallow hard against that invisible knot that’s almost choking the life out of me as I conjure a vision of Hanna laughing. In that vision she’s wearing one of those dresses she likes. The night breeze makes it float as she walks to my side. She’s staring at my eyes, whispering my name in her deep hoarse voice. Dominic.
Hanna’s eyes are sparkling like stars in a clear night. Those beautiful green eyes, grayish sparks around the pupils are talking to me. I can hear the words and it feels fucking good. I love you, Dominic. She loves me. My woman loves me. Hanna loves me. And that’s the reason why she’s not dead. She loves me and I have to tell her that I love her too.
I’ve already lost a lot of people I’ve loved and I’m not losing her too. There’s no fucking way I’m letting her go. I’m going to kill all those fuckers and I’m going to find my woman and bring her back home with me. That’s what I’m going to do. Bring my woman back home with me; where she belongs. That’s my new goal.
All of sudden the words I just read are echoing inside my brain and I snap my eyes open, blinking against my blurry vision.
I look at Ricardo. He’s staring at the screen; his jaw is tightening so hard, his neck muscles are clenched, his hands in fists. Somehow Hanna knew we were going to hook up together if she was in danger. This was the only way to have access to her secrets files. Ricardo and I together. She needed both us at the same time and in the same place. What the hell…?
I suspect Ricardo is one of the few guys in this country who would be able to hack top classified FBI files and I’m the only one who could have known the password apart from Hanna herself.
And what’s that shit about getting me out of prison alive?! I wasn’t in danger there, was I?
My mind goes back of its own will to my imprisonment in Lompoc as I narrow my eyes, lost in thought. Snake.
I think I’m starting to lose my sanity because all of sudden a strong suspicion springs in my mind. That fucker should have been locked in another cellblock and not with inmates like Lester, Pette, Harrison and the kid. Fuck! Marcus! What if Snake killed the kid to provoke me? What if that bastard was searching for an easy way to force me to fight with him, to kill me?
Damnit! If that’s true, the pieces of the puzzle would start to fit in their rightful place. I wonder if Hanna was aware of that and that was the reason why she organized this charade so she could get me out of prison before Snake could kill me? I wonder if she suspected I was in danger even before someone ordered to put me out of the picture?
Fuck! How the hell did I end so deeply stuck in this shit?
Time seems to slow down around us. Ricardo tilts his head, looking at me. His gaze is as cold as ice, emotionless. His face turns unreadable, expressionless. And all of sudden I can feel the danger radiating from his body, like an invisible powerful wave, washing over me. We lock eyes and all I can read is one single word flashing on those dark eyes. Death.
I stretch my back without letting go of his cold gaze, nodding in silent agreement. His lips twitches in an evil grin as he slowly nods ‘yes’. Then he turns his attention back to the screen and scrolling the mouse, he presses the link Hanna left for us.
There are at least ten documents waiting to be read. So we make ourselves comfortable and start with our task.
The first five are bank account reports. There are different banks and all of them are located in tax havens. The Grand Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Panama and Gibraltar among others. Several payments and refunds have been made through these accounts over the last two years. Always between corporations. But among others there’s one firm that appears almost constantly. Phoenix Ltd.
The amount of zeros printed are giving me a headache and all of sudden Hanna’s words on the day she arrested me pop inside my brain.
“You’re not gonna make it, Dominic. …You have been playing a dangerous game with people that don’t like to lose their money….”
I read the last date Phoenix Ltd received a payment. Fuck! The day Reynaldo hosted his damn party for me, killing his own contact because the poor asshole wanted a bigger cut on that deal.
Ricardo narrows his eyes as he reached for his jacket pocket, growling. He pulls out a CD, inserting it in the unit, copying the files as we keep reading the other documents.
Holy shit! Phoenix Memorandum of Association detailed their activities. It seems to be a firm whose main activity is the import and export of goodies but there’s no reference to what exactly they are importing and exporting. However, it’s not like I need to make a great effort to figure it out. Taking into consideration all the recent events they surely are weapons, drugs and who knows what else. Maybe even people. Damn, that last thought sends shivers up my spine.
The next document contains the names of Phoenix Administrative Council members. I’m reading the names but I don’t recognize any of them. Who knows where and who these fuckers are?
Suddenly, Ricardo growls deeply as he points with his index finger one of the names.
Bilkins, George C.
Damn, that name should ring a bell and actually I’d swear I’ve heard it before, but where and when?
“Puto cerdo corrupto.” Ricardo hisses through clenched teeth and at his words the light bulb lights inside my brain. Fuck!!
“Hanna’s boss.” I whisper, looking at Ricardo. In response, he turns his head and our gazes meet one more time. I narrow my eyes, holding his cold gaze as he flashes me with a predatory smile.
“Let’s pay him a visit.” He said, as his smile turns evil. In response I grin devilishly, nodding ‘yes’. Ricardo copies the rest of the files and wipes away any trace of his visit to the FBI’s core before we left the cybercafe. “You drive, Toretto.” He says to me as he hands me his keys. “I gotta make a couple of phone calls. We’re gonna need to go shopping.” He adds, getting in the car, chuckling at his own words.
Damn! I swear this fucker is starting to get on my nerves more than I would like to admit. It seems to me I’m going to have the privilege of watching Ricardo Montenegro doing whatever he does the best and actually I’m not sure anymore if I want to be a witness to that.
———
I park the car in front of the FBI headquarters in LA, at the other side of the street. Ricardo connects Hanna’s laptop, inserting the CD. He’s going to check what other files Hanna had while we wait for our targets to show up.
One of the documents is a copy of two phone calls, transcriptions between Bilkins and two unidentified guys. Over the conversation they are talking about the ‘Ice Queen’ and the need to get rid of her as soon as possible before she completes her mission. The reasons seemed to be she knew too much and she was out of control. Fuck! Who are those two other guys Bilkins was talking with?
Ricardo explains to me that, according to the slang they’re using to talk with each other, he suspects Bilkins was once without a doubt a military and the other is surely one of the black ops who kidnapped Hanna. No wonder. Bilkins is old enough to be one of those soldiers who were involved in ‘Operation Phoenix’ back in the Vietnam War. I wonder if Hanna’s boss was trained by Lee, becoming one of those Phoenix team members.
However, how is it that a CIA black ops specialist ended up being the special agent in charge of the FBI LA office? I thought the FBI and the CIA were fucking each other for years.
What if Bilkins since the beginning has been a mole, working undercover for the CIA using his connections and status inside the FBI for the other agency’s benefit?
Damn, this is getting worse and worse at every step we take.
Ricardo is completely absorbed in his reading, like he was memorizing each and every single word that appeared in those transcriptions.
At this point there’s only one more file left. As soon as Ricardo opens the file, he knit his brows at once. I glance at him and he’s narrowing his eyes with his gaze fixed on the document that is flashing at him. He’s completely shocked.
I lean in slightly so I can read what he’s reading and I blink my surprise. It’s a forensic report. Actually a copy of a girl’s autopsy. There are no names on that report. Neither the chick or the forensic surgeon.
“Coño.” Ricardo mutters through clenched teeth. I look at him with a puzzled expression written all over my face. “So you found who killed her, huh, princesa?” Ricardo whispers to himself, shaking his head.
“Who’s that chick?” I ask him, frowning in concern. In response, Ricardo enlarges the only picture enclosed.
Holy shit!! That chick looks exactly Crystal. They are so similar they could pass for twin sisters.
“Magdalena Félix Salazar. She was ‘El Padrino’s’ granddaughter.” He replies as he disconnects Hanna’s laptop, closing and putting it inside its bag. Then he looks at me and elaborates. “Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is a Mexican drug lord known as ‘El Padrino’, he’s the cocaine czar of Mexico and premier leader of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s.” Ricardo pauses for a second as he pulls out a cigarette, lighting it up. “Gallardo was arrested in 1989 but while incarcerated he remained one of Mexico’s major traffickers, maintaining his organization via mobile phone until he was transferred to a maximum security prison a few years later.” Ricardo explains as shakes his head. Taking a deep puff off his cigarette, blowing out the smoke. “At that point, his old organization broke up into two factions: the Tijuana Cartel led by his nephews, the Arellano-Félix brothers, and the Sinaola Cartel run by former lieutenants.”
I lick my lips, lost in thought, frowning deeply. “What does this Magdalena chick have to do with Hanna?” I ask him.
Ricardo closes his eyes, rubbing his chin as he blows the smoke through his nose. After a long moment, he blinks, opening his eyes, fixing his gaze on a spot only he can see.
“Magdalena’s dad was killed while ‘El Padrino’ was in prison and she moved to US with her mom. They came here and her mom married with a ‘gringo’. The fucker was beating her constantly and Magdalena ran away.” He pauses one more time, sighing hard. “I saw her a couple of times in the streets, she was selling her body. Then I fucked up and my ass landed in Lompoc. When I served my one year sentence I went to look for Hanna. I don’t know how she met Magdalena but somehow they became close friends while I was in prison.”
Fuck! I don’t even want to think what Hanna was doing to meet that chick. I don’t need that kind of information and honestly I don’t give a damn now. I only want Hanna with me. Now it makes sense to me why Hanna is so attached to Crystal. That little bitch and Magdalena are as alike as two drops of water.
Ricardo throws out the butt and lights another cigarette as he keeps talking about the girl.
“One day Hanna told me Magdalena was missing for three days. It wasn’t something new. Chicks in the streets are constantly coming and going. Sometimes they are lucky and get a client who has her for a few days. But after a couple of weeks someone told Hanna that Magdalena had been savagely raped by at least two fuckers and then they had given her an overdose of coke. Some shit about a wild party that got out of hand.”
Oh, fuck, no! Reynaldo’s party. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She was the girl his partners raped. Jesus! Vince and I were there, we were at that fucking party. Magdalena was that chick. Damn, Vince had been hitting on her when all of sudden Rey showed up, demanding her attention. Magdalena obliged because that fucker was the host and the one who was going to pay her. Oh my God, if we had known back then…
That’s why Hanna is so determined to destroy Reynaldo. She’s avenging her friend’s death. That’s why Hanna doesn’t want Reynaldo in prison. Fuck! Reynaldo is now with Santos in Baja California and they are both with the Tijuana Cartel.
I remember Ricardo’s words when I asked him why the hell he was helping Hanna. She had all the intell and she knew both of us might be able to put the pieces together if we shared the information we had concerning Reynaldo. Fuck! Ricardo is right. Hanna may be a mess but the ‘Ice Queen’ is a cold bitch and when she’s in, she’s in all the fucking way.
“That fucker Rey is now exactly where we wanted him from the beginning and we’re not letting him go, Toretto. No matter what, that sick bastard is not gonna get out of this shit.”
Hanna wanted to make sure that no matter what happened to her, Reynaldo was going to pay for Magdalena’s death. Hanna is going to hand Reynaldo to Magdalena’s family so they take care of the Cuban, paying him back.
Ricardo must be putting all the intell together inside his brain, just like I’m doing because all of sudden he explodes, laughing out loud, shaking his head. He knows that as soon as Magdalena’s uncles know who was behind their niece’s dead they are going to sacrifice Reynaldo.
I bet Hanna had accidentally ran into all this shit involving the CIA, the FBI, Bilkins and the Phoenix team while on her research about Reynaldo Casamajor. Fuck, Hanna, you were digging your own grave without even realizing it, baby. I wonder why she kept going ahead in spite of the obvious danger that was gliding over her head. Why, Hanna? Why you didn’t leave all this shit behind? What was pushing you?
We’ve been ‘shopping’ and the trunk of the car is loaded with our purchases. Ricardo took me to meet a guy whose name alone might lead you to think he’s a porn star or some shit like that. ‘Big Sexy’. That’s until you take a look at him. More than 264 pounds of black guy with black leather, black bandana on his shaved head and smoking a Havana cigar.
The house was surrounded by at least five black SUV with smoked glass and guys all over the place packing automatic weapons, while chatting, listening to music and playing videogames. Not to mention the chicks. Shit, shit, shit. Where the fuck were all those hot as hell chicks when I was oblivious to Hanna’s existence? Damn!
He gave us an amazing welcome, embracing Ricardo, tapping his back like they were friends since kids. Then he turned his attention to me, narrowing his eyes as if he was thinking whether I deserved his trust. After a couple of minutes, ‘Big Sexy’ shook hands with me and tapping my shoulder, he told me to make myself comfortable.
That big fucker knew his deal and it wasn’t the first time Ricardo did business with him. Ricardo phoned him on our way to his home, so when we arrived ‘Big Sexy’ had a damn arsenal already waiting for us, knowing in advance what kind of weapons Ricardo liked. He even offered us his help, saying that ‘Richie’s Princess’ was his family too.
I can’t help myself and a slight grin tugs my lips as I remember ‘Big Sexy’ closing the deal with us while he was scolding his kid brother because the little asshole was drinking milk directly from the bottle.
I swear I never met such an assortment of bizarre people walking around, dealing in the dark side of the street. And here I thought I’d seen a lot of things in my life. Damn! I’m just a naïve asshole.
Ricardo elbows me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I lean forward, following his line of vision. Now, look who’s leaving the building, dressed in their impeccable suits. Asshole agent number 1 and asshole agent number 2; Stuart and Terry. Hanna’s subordinates.
I narrow my eyes, growling. I have a talk pending with those two dicks. Ricardo grins wickedly as he tells me to follow them. It seems I’m going to see my wish granted after all.
Stuart and Terry park their car in front of a café, buying donuts and coffees. Ricardo nods at me and we get out the car at the same time, heading directly to them. The fuckers are so immersed in their chatting they don’t even sense our presence.
We get in their car at the same time and Ricardo pulls out his shiv, pressing it against Stuart’s ribs. I’m starting to wonder where the hell he packs them. Those shivs are appearing and disappearing from view in a matter of seconds. I swear he looks like a damn magician.
“Oh, shit!” Terry mutters, screwing up his face. Ricardo chuckles as he tells them to drive. He doesn’t need to repeat himself. His tone of voice is not leaving any room for complaint. Hell! I shivered slightly at hearing it. I bet those two are going to piss themselves in less than an hour.
———
Ricardo looks at me as I clean my bloody hands on Stuarts’ white shirt that is on a table, grinning. Then he turns his head to Terry who is panting hard through thinned lips. Stuart already passed out after the beating. I guess he wasn’t that tough after all.
Ricardo shakes his head in disappointment, mumbling something about these FBI agents are trained like damn SEALS but they are just a bunch of pussies who can’t take a bit of pain. Then he walks to Terry’s side making him flinch as soon as he notices Ricardo’s hard glare, shuddering violently with fear.
Big dark guy crouches in front of him, pulling out once more his shiv, playing with it between his fingers as he asks Terry about Bilkins. The warehouse is almost in darkness because the day is setting down. The only light is dusk light.
Again, Ricardo doesn’t need to ask his question twice because Terry is speaking so fast, spilling all he knows about Hanna, Bilkins and the fucking case that I’m starting to think he’s going to choke on his own saliva.
It was all a trap. The FBI set a trap for Hanna and then they left her on her own, hoping Reynaldo would kill her and me in the process. Fucking bastards!
When he’s done, Ricardo smiles devilishly and gets to his feet, pulling out his gun. Without give a second thought he shot them. I don’t even blink at the sound of the gunshots. Those two were accomplices because they knew about it and neither one of them made a move to at least make Hanna aware of the real situation that was taking place behind her back. Two less motherfuckers to worry about.
Ricardo taps my shoulder as we get in their car. We go back to where we left my car parked and I follow Ricardo to the outskirts of LA, near the desert.
When we arrive, we set their car on fire with both corpses inside the trunk. As soon as the local police find it they’ll probably report their death as a settling of scores. Two less dirty FBI agents out of the way. Fuck them.
I lean on the car, closing my eyes. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Those fuckers wanted Hanna dead and she probably knew it, but that fact didn’t stop her. She wanted for me to be safe and that’s why she kept with her plan even though she surely suspected they would end up killing her. Damn, Hanna, why baby? I’m not worth that, beautiful. I’m not worthy of your life, baby.
Now more than ever I want to put my hands on Bilkins. That fucker has a few things to explain before he joins his subordinates in hell, and damn it all if he’s going to see another daylight.
Next stop, Bilkins’ house.
Chapter 15