Out of the Shadows (Falcon) (16 page)

“I’m stiff as a rod already.”

“Good, we’ll start in the elevator.” She stopped as if an afterthought. “Did you get the files I asked for?”

“They’re in the room, but you’re going to have to work you sweet ass off to get them.”

She looked at him and raised a brow.

He chuckled. “I want it all tonight, baby.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Only a miracle and a fast car allowed Brody and Kate to get to the village before Chavez’s men showed. They barely skidded to the side of a stucco hut before the shooting began.

Looking around, Brody rubbed
his fingers along the edge of his jaw. The villagers had done exactly what he’d instructed. They dug a small ditch around the village, drained the gasoline from the Olds, and poured the accelerant on the ground. After doing that, they covered the trench with dried brush.

Once the
y lit the fire they had time to shoot Chavez’s men at random. Several were killed, but Brody knew they couldn’t hold off the assailants forever. And they didn’t have to. Just long enough.

Kate and A.J. killed several
of the attackers. A.J. managed to blow out the tires of one vehicle and the men abandoned it and ran toward La Hacienda.

Emotionally Brody
felt good about everything they’d accomplished. With each confrontation, the villagers grew bolder.

Soon Chavez’s men
would return to La Hacienda. However, right now Brody’s body screamed in pain. He’d taken a beating and every joint and muscle ached. His back contracted every time he straightened his shoulders.

And
Kate had to be suffering even more after how Chavez had treated her. She didn’t complain, though. As bad as Brody felt, he was grateful they hadn’t been cut to pieces when diving through the window.

Cheers rang out in the small villag
e, grabbing his attention. A smile crept across his face as he watched the people celebrating another victory.

Brody hugged Kate and slapped A.J. on the back. They had made a difference today and that was important to everyone.
Even A.J. looked healthier, and more like his old self.

As the crowd gathered
, Brody said, “You need to realize you can live in fear, or you can fight for the right to live in peace. It’s your choice.”

“Today we made them run away,” Alberto said, his rifle held high. “We beat them.”

“Today, Alberto. There’s always tomorrow,” Brody reminded.

“But if we remain strong...”

“You have to face the fact that Chavez has many men who can still come to your village and kill your families.”

“How do we stop them
?”

Usually he fought to the bi
tter end no matter the odds. That’s how he rolled. Now things were different. “We put our heads together and come up with a plan.”

The people cheered with renewed
hope. In the distance Father Ayaaya eyed him carefully. No doubt he feared burying his parishioners. Brody didn’t want that either, but there came a time when a man had to fight.

Brody walked to the padre and put his arm around his friend. “I know this talk of viole
nce disturbs you, Father Ayaaya. But every man must do what he has to for the protection of his family.”

With a tight
, condescending smile, the padre said, “I am aware of that, Mr. Brody. But killing solves nothing.”

“Don’t you agree
that Chavez is brutal to these people? Hasn’t he harmed them enough?” For fuck’s sake, what did it take to open the man’s eyes?

“Only God can determine th
at. It isn’t our place to kill.”

Brody studied the padre closely. He suddenly didn’t like what he saw. A man
unwilling to fight himself but not against others dying for his cause. “I’m sorry you and I disagree, padre. There comes a time when every man has to make a stand. Violence thrives because men do nothing.”

The padre stepped away and turned to his church. “There was no violence here until you brought it.”

Brody stood in the courtyard and thought of the religious man’s words. Had he brought trouble to these people...to their lives? If that was true then he’d accomplished nothing.

“What’s wrong
, Brody?” Kate asked. Her delicate brows furrowed. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek as he realized how proud he was that through all the crap, Kate had not broken down. CIA or not, she was still a woman. However, she had balls of steel. He’d trust her to cover his back any day. His mind wasn’t going to go to the part where he admitted his feelings for Kate.

B
rody rubbed his jaw and stared at the church. “The padre isn’t too happy with us being here. He says we brought all this trouble to his people.”

Kate touch
ed his shoulder. “Do you believe that?”

He gazed into her intense blue eyes then down at her full mouth. Through all t
his she still smelled of honeysuckle and warm summer nights. He pulled her to him and captured her lips. They were warm, moist and welcoming. He drew her closer against his chest and deepened the kiss, but was careful of her split lip. His head spun and her warm slick body melted into his.

Breaking the kiss, he said,
“I don’t know what I believe.”

“Let me explain some
thing.” She waved her arm toward the village. “Look around, Brody. Do you see any young women or boys other than Manny? Say between the ages of sixteen and,” Kate shrugged her shoulders, pushing her shirt tight against her full breasts. “I don’t know, twenty?”

H
is gaze roamed over the village. He thought back to earlier when he and Kate had first arrived. “No, there aren’t any.”

She put her hands on her hips and Brody nearly lost it. His palms itched to cup her warm, taut breasts.
“Wonder where they are?”

Brody looked again then folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I do.”

“Most have been sent to neighboring cites to stay with relatives.”

“Why?”

“When I first came here
, my assignment was to see how powerful Oscar’s guns and weapons stash was and if he was a threat to our security. He was. I also learned he was the key operative in this area for human trafficking.”

“What
?”

“Oscar Chavez used to take
young women and boys from these villages and sell them on the slave market.”

The news made Brody stagger with
disbelief. “I didn’t know that.”

Motherfucker.

“The reason I almost got caught escaping is because he held a trailer of young women and boys waiting for delivery about five miles south of here. I couldn’t leave those innocent children behind.”

Brody pulled her to him and squeezed. His heart thudded loudly in his chest
, and his eyes watered. How cruel could a man be? “I’m proud of you.”

Hands on her
shoulders, he held her away so he could look at her. Even battered as she was,  her beauty blindsided him. The blond hair he loved to caress, her full, delicious mouth and eyes that shot arrows of passion into his heart.

No one could question her courage
. Few men were as brave as Kate Stone. “I’m glad you did that.”

She blushed weakly, shyly
. “So am I. After they were released I told them to warn their families that they had to go away and stay far from this place.”

Brody surveyed
the village and the Mexican people who’d suffered at the hands of a madman. How could a parent live with the fact that daughters and sons were being sold as sex slaves?  

He couldn’t help but wonder why the padre didn’t want to stop the kidnapping of innocent children. Instead he blamed Brody for bring
ing violence to an area that Chavez had made impossible for decent people to live. That didn’t make sense.

Roberto and the other villagers came to him with a bottle of tequila. “We want to make a plan. One we can do when you must go away.”

For once Brody felt unsure what to say. It would be nice if he had magical powers right now instead of being a mere mortal. “I’ve just learned that Chavez has been taking your children to sell on the slave market. I’m shocked to hear that.”

The padre came out and stood off in the distance, listening.
He and the man of the cloth were about to have a come-to-Jesus meeting.

“I told him about the tractor trailer full of young
children I released two years ago when I came here,” Kate said.

Salina
crept toward Kate with tear-drenched eyes and trembling hands. When she stopped, she stood inches from Kate. She pulled her into an embrace. Several women joined in the hugging.

It was a fucking love fest.
“We did not know who had saved the ones held prisoner. But one was my sister,” Salina said. “She is in Mexico City with our aunt.” Salina kissed Kate’s cheek. “Thank you for risking your life.”

Kate looked uncomfortable. “It’s my job.”

Salina and the other women smiled. “You do your job very well, Miss Stone.”

Brody noticed the padre staring
at him. Maybe he and Kate were useful after all.

“Tell us
what we must do,” Manuel asked.

“I promise you, before this is all over
, Oscar Chavez will either be dead or imprisoned in America. And La Hacienda will be gone.”

Cheers went up and Brody pulled Kate against his side.

A.J. stepped out of the hut and joined them. “Thought I’d come out and see what all the ruckus was about.”

“Glad you’re up and aroun
d. Jake will be here before long. You and Kate can get out of this hellhole.”

“You
’re not going?”

“I’ll go home when Chavez is dead. I can’t leave these people alone. The minu
te we leave they’ll be slaughtered.”

“Maybe the padre can broker a peace treaty?”

Brody looked at the padre talking to several small children. He appeared to be a man who cared about his flock. He was a man of God looking for a peaceful resolution to this mess. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to speak with him about going to La Hacienda to see if Chavez would be willing to talk peace.

“Maybe, but I don’t know if C
havez is a man of God. Maybe money is his God.”

“Let’s ask him tomorrow,” Kate said.

“No, tonight you leave with Jake and A.J. I won’t be far behind.”

“You
honestly think we’ll leave you here?” A.J. said.

“I’m not giving you a choice.”

“You’re getting awfully mouthy for a man who probably doesn’t have a job when he gets stateside.”

“I don’t have to work for Falcon
Securities, and you know it. How many offers do you get a year to work either for the government or private industry?”

A.J. rubbed his freshly shaved chin. “Quite a few.”

Brody laughed. “All we have to say is we once worked with Falcon and the bid goes out and the price comes back high.”

“Okay, so you can get another job. But you better call Jake and tell him we need another day to settle this mess.”

“Yes,” Kate said. “I think by tomorrow we should have this situation wrapped up.”

“I want you and A.J. safe. My biggest fear is Chavez will get one of you again. I can’t take that
chance.”

“Call and ask him to hold off for tonight.
Might be a storm brewing to the west.”

Brody looked out and felt the wind whipping up. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”

A.J. turned to walk away. “Blow the damn place up.”

***

Dallas, TX

Tony was in Frank’s office when Jake walked in
with a Monster drink in his hand. If his agent thought he’d done wrong, it sure didn’t show in his face. As a matter of fact he looked rather smug. That pissed Frank off. Frank sat behind his desk while Jake flopped into the chair Zoe had vacated earlier. “You fly Brody to Mexico to get Chavez?”

“Yeah, him and a CIA agent he’d kidnapped.”

Frank jumped up from his seat. “Have you gone completely crazy, Jake? I know I don’t need to tell you how dangerous that was, or what a mess it put me and this company in.”

With his ankle resting on his thigh, Jake folded and unfolded the hem of his jeans.
“No, boss you don’t. I already know. But I had a choice. I could either fly Brody there safely, or he’d try to fly the plane himself and kill them both.”

Frank clamped his mouth shut. He hated it
when one of his agents had a good come-back. “So you aided and abetted?”

“Yes
, sir, I did.” Jake tipped his canned drink and gulped.

Frank said
with a grunt, “You shouldn’t have, Jake. I don’t like it one bit.”