Cold Day In Hell (19 page)

"He's got a second home." Ty hoped like hell the man had an idea where this hidden house might be. If not, the chances of rescuing anybody had just gone to hell.

"Yes."

"How did you find it?" Ana leaned closer.

"His son. We'd heard rumors he went to a private school. The Ortega's are long-standing members of Saint Mary's parish. It stood to reason the boy would attend their Catholic school. We watched for days, but eventually we spotted him, which was easy to do. The young man looks just like his father."

"You followed him home?" Ty asked.

"We did." The man pointed to a location on the map. "It's a fortress. Well hidden and well protected. Taking the compound will not be easy. People will die."

Ana's eyes widened. "Then we don't take chances. We take his son. There's nothing more important to a Colombian father than his male offspring. Ortega will gladly trade."

"Slow down," Ty cautioned. "We have to think this through. We can't go off half-cocked."

"We can't slow down." Ana's words fired across the table.

Their host covered her hand with his, settling her down as if he'd given her a tranquilizer. Damn, Ty wanted to know that trick.

"He's right." The guy patted her hand affectionately. "We don't know that we can get to the boy. My men tell me he has personal bodyguards with him at all times."

Ty pushed a notepad across the table and asked the man to sketch the building locations on Ortega's secret property. As the drawing and oral description continued, he realized this knowledge would save days of recon. That Ana had planned to sneak off and keep this information from him burrowed under his skin.

"We'll take a look at this place in the morning. Can you lead us part of the way in?"

He nodded. "Ana told me where you are staying. Expect two of my best men at dawn. They will accompany and assist you in any way. If you desire, they'll go with you should you decide to breach the compound."

Had Ana told the man why he and Marcus were here in Colombia? Ty had to be honest about the mission. "You should be told that we've been sanctioned to take out Ortega."

The man flicked his fingers as if shooing away the news. "You kill one fly, and another replaces it. What we need in our country is change."

"I understand." Ty stood, feeling they'd been dismissed.

Tears rimmed Ana's eyes. "If you knew where Lina and Pablo were, why haven't you done something? We have to act now, tonight. Tomorrow could be too late."

"Your impatience and disrespect are insulting." The wrinkles on the man's face deepened with a frown. He rolled up the map, handed it to Ty, and stood. "Do you think I would not save my own sister if I could?"

Ana's face crumpled like that of a scolded child. Ty and Marcus rose and walked to the door and waited. Neither was about to go outside unannounced.

"I'm sorry. I know you would move heaven and earth to save her." Ana opened her arms.

The man pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they stepped out onto the porch. He escorted them to the car. After goodbyes were said, he grasped Ty on the shoulder. "We aren't a violent group. But know this, if you need help, I will supply you with more men and additional weapons."

"Thank you. We'll try to do this quietly, but it's good to know we have backup."

"Take care of her." He nodded toward Ana.

"We'll do our best."

"
Dios contigo
. God go with you, my friend."

Ty drove to the motel wondering if the weary warrior realized he'd let his identity slip. He was Ana's adopted uncle. Ty admired the man and his dedication to fight for his country even while being hunted by criminals and the very law he defended. He'd come across as calm and dedicated. In fact, he was nothing like Ana. Her earlier hotheaded decision to sneak off might've been made out of love, but Ty wasn't sure he could trust her not to go off half-cocked again.

He waited until she was safely in her room before he went inside. The doors between their rooms were still open, so Ty closed the one on their side.

Marcus was on the phone, so Ty changed into a pair of sweats, not really paying attention to the one-sided conversation. Marcus covered the mouthpiece.

"This is your op. Jack Fury is finally here. He wants to know where we're staying."

Ty thought a minute. "Tell him. He can ride herd on Ana tomorrow while we're gone."

Marcus relayed the address, hung up, and then set the alarm clock. They'd meet their escort in the motel coffee shop. His face lit up with one of his rare smiles.

"What's funny?"

"I left out the part about the babysitting assignment."

****

Over coffee with complete strangers, it was agreed the pair of citizens group men would lead Ty and Marcus into range of Ortega's home, nothing more. The rest would be belly-crawling, observing, memorizing details, and identifying potential places that might house Lina and Pablo. There was no need to put anyone else in danger.

Jack Fury arrived at the coffee shop an hour later. By then, Ty and Marcus were in the booth eating fried eggs on a bed of rice and beans. Ty briefed Jack on the reconnaissance trip and then parked him in the room adjoining Ana's. He wasn't nearly as ticked off as she was going to be once she woke up and discovered she'd been left behind.

This morning wasn't about rescue. They had to know what to expect. Was her family even there? If so, were they alive? How many guards would he and Marcus have to deal with? If an extraction was needed, he preferred to perform the entire op undetected. Blowing up the entire place like he had the manufacturing compound probably wasn't going to be an option. Not that he had anything against fireworks. He loved lighting up the night, but in this instance, an innocent boy lived there.

Ty followed the old, weather-beaten pickup to the outskirts of town and down winding back roads. The houses grew larger and more secluded with each mile.

The taillights on the old pickup blinked twice, letting him know the house was just ahead and they were about to be on their own.

A tall, rock fence surrounded the unseen house and grounds. The only opening appeared to be an iron gate, which no doubt, was heavily guarded.

"I fuckin' love it." Marcus chuckled and scribbled something on a notepad. "Bastard protected himself right into becoming an easy target."

He was right, building a fortress in the middle of unimproved property with a thicket on three sides made penetrating fairly easy. Anyone with the training and skills he and Marcus had could get close, find a safe spot, and observe. He drove around to the far side of the thicket and parked behind some overgrown foliage. Ty felt the tide shift in their direction.

"Damn, I should've added NVGs to the list of things I needed you to bring."

"Be thankful the sun is coming up, and you have binoculars." Marcus dropped his notepad on the seat and pulled on a pair of leather gloves. "Ready?"

"I'm out." Ty exited the car, moved to the tree line, and focused the spyglasses on the rock wall.

Marcus gave a hand signal and then walked the opposite direction. He'd station himself where he could observe the front of the compound. It would be their last communication until they met at the car in a couple of hours. Having him along took a load off Ty's shoulders. He trusted Marcus. That trust had started the first day they'd collided on the University of Texas football field and had grown over the years.

Ty came to a place along the rock wall where thick vines covered the surface. He looked for trip wires and then tested his weight in a couple of places. He replaced the binoculars in his hand with a knife, just in case he ran into a guard. Then he started his climb.

Killing would be a last resort, but sometimes even the best plans turned to shit. He paused at the top, listening for any sounds of life. Hearing nothing, he pushed himself up. He exhaled a sigh of relief. A huge tree proved more than adequate coverage. He'd found the perfect observation point.

The house was massive. Two levels of opulence with balconies at most of the windows. Rock paths appeared to circle the house, no doubt for a patrol. He'd time the distance between the guards' rounds. One row of rocks came straight out into the landscaped yard, around the Olympic-size pool and two outbuildings. A second walk led to a three-car garage. Was no one allowed on the grass?

He scanned the perimeter with the binoculars, making mental notes and memorizing every tree, shrub and flower. The guards were easy to spot. Ty watched closely to learn their habits and mannerisms. He'd assess how they stood, walked, paid attention. Even the expression on their faces would indicate their quality and dedication. In his opinion, they were relaxed and at ease. Not at all alert and watchful.

Movement from the back door drew his gaze to an older woman who let a dog outside. Damn. A dog, even a medium-size one, added a layer of concern. The woman waited until he did his business. She cleaned up his mess and then walked to the smaller of the two outbuildings. She and the animal entered and stayed inside for ten minutes. Whatever was in there sure excited the dog. He barked his lungs out. Ten minutes passed before the woman took the mutt back to the main house.  

Ty's curiosity rose to a new level. He'd already noticed the building's windows were black. Not the kind of darkness that came with no lights on, these had paint on them. It was the perfect place to hold hostages.

Two men in suits came out and entered the garage. Minutes later, they drove off in a limo the size of a rail car. Marcus would be watching closely.

There were still too many questions without answers. The whys ate at his gut. Like why would Ortega keep Ana's folks alive? He had to be planning to use them to get to her.

Two hours went by fast, and Ty returned to the car half-satisfied. Taking out Ortega wasn't going to be an issue, but based on his observations, if Lina and Pablo were there, getting them out alive would be a challenge.

 Marcus waited at the car. Neither spoke until Ty drove onto the main highway. Marcus picked up the vibrating cell off the seat.

"You have messages." He put down the phone, pushing it toward Ty. "Six missed calls and three voice mails all from the same number."

"Probably Ana. Put it on speaker."

"Oh, hell no. My ears are too tender to listen to her rant." Marcus grabbed his notepad and started writing.

"Bullshit. You wouldn't have brought her either."

"You're right, but I wouldn't have left without telling her why."

"Talking to her wouldn't have done any good." Ty wasn't going to argue a moot point. "What did you see up front?"

"The most interesting thing was a man and teenage boy came out and got in the limo. Ana's uncle nailed the description of Ortega's son. There's no doubt who fathered that kid. I'm adding a diagram of the house to the route out here. And I took pictures."

Ty glanced at the phone when it vibrated a reminder. "Just play the voice mail."

Marcus grunted but did as asked.

"This is Jack. Call when you get this."

"Oh, shit. That can't be good." Marcus returned the call as requested then held the phone between them.

Ty's heart jumped to the back of his throat. All he needed was for Ana to have decided to take matters into her own hands. Gravel crunched under the tires. He steadied the wheel and steered the car back into his lane. 

"Very fucking funny," Jack blurted out without saying hello. "When are you coming back?"

"We're thirty minutes out." Ty's pulse slowed closer to normal. "Why? Can't you handle one small female?"

"Right. This is the same woman who pointed a gun at me. Just get your asses back here, so I can get a room of my own."

The line went silent. "He hung up on us?" Ty laughed at the stress in Jack's voice.

"Yes, he did. I'd wager a buck or two he's pissed at you." Marcus dropped the cell on the seat. "So it's true. She really did threaten him with a gun."

"Yeah." Something deep stirred as Ty remembered her standing over his hospital bed, her face damp with tears. "But they both came through. Saved my life."

"She's probably wishing she hadn't. It wouldn't have busted your ass to talk to her before we left."

"You don't know her," Ty said adamantly, driving his point home. "She would have tied herself to the hood."

"What I do know is you're in for a world of hurt. I may bunk in Fury's room tonight. He can tell me how she got the best of him while you slug it out with the lady."

"Good idea. See what you can learn about him."

"Why? Don't you trust him?"

Ty scrubbed a hand across his chin. "I don't distrust him. Supervisory Special Agent Dalton Murphy sent him, which means he has good credentials. But he's here as a liaison and only if we run into trouble with the Colombian government. He's not included in the physical part of the mission."

"Then somebody should tell him." Marcus leaned back, dropping an arm across the back of the seat.

"He knows. Use your time with him to punch up the fact he's here in liaison capacity." 

Chapter Sixteen

Ana's effort at keeping her temper in check eroded with Ty's every word. She'd spent the day with her stomach in knots. Worry for his safety and hopes he'd return with news her parents were alive had exhausted her. She clung to the hope that maybe they were in the building with the blacked-out windows.

"Stop patronizing me before I take a lamp to your head." She glanced around the room, deciding which one to use.

"I didn't think you'd listen to reason." Ty folded his arms across his thick chest.

"That's a true statement." Marcus nodded his head and smiled.

Ana shot him a look intended to shut him up. His head had flipped back and forth like he was watching a tennis match.

"You're not helping," Ty muttered. 

Marcus's grin spread further. "Really, I can't remember his exact words. It was something about you tying yourself to the hood."

"Jackass," Ty snarled at Marcus before turning back to face her. "My only thought was your safety."