Scarcity (Jack Randall #3) (26 page)

They all watched as the blood found its way through the cracks around the tiles. Armando and Carlos stepped back to keep their boots clean. The Butcher said nothing. He simply set the machine down well away from the expanding puddle before standing and holding out his hand. Armando reached into his jacket and removed a large envelope. The man took it and immediately began checking its contents.

“Sorry about the mess.”

The Butcher ignored them as they gathered up the machine and plastic bag. He was still counting the money when they left.

•      •      •

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to the gates of a small airport outside the city. Armando now wore a set of surgical scrubs and an ID badge from the largest hospital in the area. He picked up the machine and walked through the small FBO to see the flight crew waiting in the crew lounge. He set the machine on the floor in front of them and picked up the clipboard he had balanced on top. One of the crew checked the machine’s digital readout as well as the seals covering the lid. Satisfied, he nodded to his partner who was examining the paperwork. He checked his watch before asking a question.

“Harvest was thirty minutes ago?”

Armando shrugged and smiled. “
No hablo.
”

The crewman made a face but just nodded. He signed the form even though he couldn’t read it and handed the clipboard back to him. They didn’t have time to mess around with paperwork. They only had a few hours to get the heart to Baltimore. The paperwork was someone else’s problem. A to B was his and he wasn’t going to be the one to hold things up.

The jet engines screamed as the pilot fired them up. The two crewmen gathered up the machine and moved out onto the apron.

Armando just smiled. They would now drop off the baggie and go home. He mentally counted his money, now increased by half a share, as he walked back to the van.

Mexican policemen charged with kidnapping
September 11, 1999—BBC
 
 

—NINETEEN—

J
immy woke with a start and immediately located his gun as his brain processed the sounds around him. Once he determined there was no threat, he let his head fall back onto the pillow with a sigh. The all too familiar feel of the cold metal in his hand coupled with the view of another hotel room ceiling served to remind him of what he was doing. It was a reminder he was getting quite tired of. But leaving the job he had was not as simple as it was for other lines of work. For now it was something he just had to accept. Besides, it was too early in the morning for thoughts of that nature.

He swiveled his head around to find the clock. The light around the drapes told him the sun was barely above the horizon and the clock confirmed this. He could also hear the morning news on the TV in the next room. Manuel was on duty, and had either fallen asleep or was letting Jimmy sleep past their agreed scheduled time. He doubted it was the former, and the smell of coffee meeting his nose served to support that. Either way, it was time to get up.

He pulled himself to a sitting position before scratching the stubble on his face. He set the gun back down on the nightstand before standing and walking to the bathroom. As he walked by the door he heard Manuel change the channel, confirming that his partner wasn’t asleep. After a piss and a mouthful of hotel mouthwash, he put on a pair of shorts and opened the door.

The room was pretty much as he had left it the night before, as was his partner. Manuel looked tired, as expected, and he was in the same position Jimmy had left him in the night before. A room service tray with a fresh pot of coffee sat on the table next to a full ashtray. The remains of some late night meals sat next to him on the couch and Jimmy watched him slowly get up as he entered the room.

“Thank God. I gotta process some coffee. Watch the screen for me. Be nice to not take it with me for a change.”

“See anything?”

“Nothing all night.”

Jimmy just smirked and nodded while he poured himself some coffee. He hated the waiting, too. Manuel handed him the phone from the pocket of his hotel robe as he hurried past. Jimmy sampled the brew while he walked toward the couch. Not wanting to sit yet, he stood behind it where he could see the two screens. The TV showed a talking head on CNN updating everyone on the latest trouble in the Middle East. The laptop sitting on top of it provided a picture of the row house as seen from the camera they had hidden in the garbage can. Jimmy looked for any changes, but saw nothing new.

Manuel returned from the bathroom and rubbed his face. He also needed a shave.

“You want I should shower first?”

“Yeah, go ahead, I’ll order us up some breakfast.”

Manuel returned to the bathroom while Jimmy took his place on the couch. He searched for and found the hotel menu on the crowded coffee table before clearing a spot for his feet. They could be here for days. Might as well eat well.

He divided his attention equally between the laptop and the menu. They would only get one shot at this. He couldn’t afford to get too distracted.

He heard the shower start.

•      •      •

Lenny had traded his car for a borrowed FBI Suburban, and he now expertly adjusted the large coffee in his hand as he maneuvered through the DC traffic. At least he could avoid the damn traffic circles today. Something he hated as they always forced him to use both hands while he looked over both shoulders. Last time he’d spilled his coffee as he crossed DuPont circle, burning himself and barely avoiding hitting a man on a bike. The man had smacked his car with his gloved hand before giving him the finger and pedaling off through the traffic. Lenny had returned the gesture despite the man’s back being turned. Made him feel better. Anybody dumb enough to ride a bike through DC traffic deserved to get hit, as far as he was concerned. Lenny was a big believer in Darwinism.

This morning he wasn’t making the roundabout trip he had forced himself to make in the past. Today was moving day for Angel. He was going to pick up him and his keepers and drive them to Quantico. There he would be housed in the brig with a small number of US Marshals and plenty of Marines outside. No press would get within the base. Lenny hoped it was enough. He had no illusions as to the cartel’s reach. They had shown in the past that they were willing to go to any length necessary to silence those who spoke out against them. As a result, Lenny preferred secrecy over brute strength. So far it had worked.

But the evidence had to be presented to the grand jury and Angel would have to start making appearances. Once that started, the word would be out and there was no turning back. With so many people aware of who Angel was and what he was saying, his location could no longer be kept secret, hence the switch in locations. Unfortunately for the grand jury, they were about to be sequestered as well. The whole thing could take months. Lenny didn’t envy them.

But his part would soon be over. All he had to do was pick the three of them up and deliver them. Lenny had timed the transfer to fit the DC traffic. By the time they got back on the road, traffic would be lighter, and he wouldn’t be heading against it either.

He finished his coffee as he took the last turn. He hoped Jake and Charlie hadn’t killed their protectee.

•      •      •

Jimmy slumped back into the couch and sipped his coffee. He watched the screens but his mind was elsewhere. He wanted out. But how to do it? He had started working for Oscar years ago and he actually thought he had the man’s respect. But Jimmy was no fool. He could have all the respect in the world from Oscar, but it wouldn’t matter in the least if Oscar considered him a liability. Oscar would think about it for all of two seconds before he took care of business. That was just the way he was, and nothing was going to change it. He remembered a brother-in-law the man had. He’d thought that marrying the boss’s sister meant he could conduct business without Oscar’s permission. The sister had been told it was a rival who had killed him, but everyone else knew otherwise. If Oscar lived through his ordeal and was somehow found guilty, he would still run his empire from prison. His brother did not have Oscar’s abilities, but with Oscar’s guidance he might be all right for a short term. It was all up in the air right now, anyway. If Oscar came through all this, Jimmy would ask him to let him retire, but he’d do it from a distance and have an exit plan ready just in case.

His thoughts turned to Jessica. She had no idea what he did and he hoped to keep it that way until it no longer mattered. She thought he worked for a security company and guarded rich businessmen traveling around the world. It worked to explain his sudden departures and absences. He had lied to many women in the past. This was the first time he had felt dirty doing it. But his past was certainly nothing to be proud of, and some things were better left there.

His thoughts were brushed aside as his partner entered the room. A towel clothed him at the waist while he rubbed his head with another.

“Coffee?” Jimmy asked.

“God no. I drank a whole pot last night.”

“I got breakfast on the way. Thanks for the extra sleep.”

“Seemed kinda pointless to wake you up. No way I’m gonna sleep until this caffeine wears off anyway. No use both of us being up that early. I’ll get a nap later, maybe after I use the gym.” He smacked himself on the stomach.

Jimmy smiled at that. Most men would kill to have Manuel’s abs. He could have been on the cover of a fitness magazine if he hadn’t chosen his current line of work. Besides, he tended to get cranky when he missed a workout. He rubbed his head some more with the towel before turning and tossing it over a chair.

“Isn’t that our boy?” he nodded toward the screen.

Jimmy looked up to see a figure moving across the grass. He quickly picked up the remote and silenced the TV. He leaned closer in time to see Lenny climb the steps of the row house. He knocked on the door before turning to look up and down the street.

“That’s him.”

Jimmy reached in his pocket and pulled out the phone.

•      •      •

Lenny searched the street for any wandering people that looked out of place, but it was post rush hour quiet. The normal setup for this type of security would have been a second security team across the street in another house. One equipped with cameras and lots of firepower. But Lenny had vetoed that as the circle of people in the know would have been too large. Secrecy was still the best policy, in his opinion. After his search for people, he checked every car on the street as he got closer until he was well past the house. He continued on to the intersection and pulled a quick U-turn before parking in front of the house. Should he leave it running? He dismissed the thought as paranoid and shut the SUV off.

Extracting his ample frame from the driver’s seat, he adjusted his belt before walking slowly up the walk. Watching the window, he was rewarded by some movement of the curtain as one of the Marshals checked him out. Probably Jake, he thought. Charlie seemed to prefer sitting down to work.

The stairs creaked as he climbed them and he was forced to pause as the locks were thrown open. The door soon opened to reveal Jake’s smiling face. Lenny entered and Jake scanned the street behind him before shutting the door. He noted the packed bags waiting just inside. Evidently the boys were more than ready to go.

“Morning. Our boy ready?”

“He’s dragging ass a little. Not sure he likes the idea of the Marine base too much. Evidently he doesn’t trust the boys in green to take care of him.”

“Yeah, well . . . I don’t care. Let’s get moving.”

Charlie emerged from the kitchen. He had heard the conversation and couldn’t agree more. He was sick of Angel and was looking forward to going home. He had an ex-wife and two kids he hadn’t seen in some time. The kids didn’t know it, but the relationship was undergoing a second start.

“I’ll fetch him.”

Charlie made the short walk to the bathroom and pounded on the door.

“Let’s go, shithead, it’s moving day.”

The door opened and Angel emerged as he tucked in his shirt. He chose to ignore the remark from Charlie and concentrated on Lenny.

“The Marines? You call that secure? The gangs have all penetrated your military. You telling me you don’t know that?”

“Would you prefer prison?”

“I’d prefer something safer.”

“Like what? Camp David? It’s booked this week. You get what you get.”

Angel glowered at Lenny, but kept his mouth shut. He didn’t have much of a choice anyway. He stepped into the bedroom to retrieve the small bag of clothes and toiletries they had provided him. They were his sole possessions in the world at the moment, and he didn’t want to leave them behind. He stepped out to find them all waiting by the door. Jake stuck his weapon in his belt before giving them a nod. It looked clear. He opened the door and held it for Lenny.

“All right, gimme a bit of a head start.”

Lenny stepped through the open door and onto the front porch. He scanned both directions quickly before starting down the steps.

•      •      •

“There’s the cop.”