“So what will you do? Take your family and hide? Carlos is not going to let this drop. Especially when he finds out ... what you did.”

“He already knows. I let Ray talk to him just before ... a certain procedure.”

“His revenge could be swift,” noted Jack. “He’s already set up here laundering money through coffee companies. He’ll have guys looking for you or anyone else you know.”

“I know. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I’d ever get a chance to nail him first. All I wanted to do was save my family.”

“You’re not the only one who wants Carlos. He made this personal for our side. I want him!”

Damien’s thoughts were still on his own family and he said, “I’ve got guys guarding my house. I thought of moving everyone to some other country, but with Carlos’s money and connections, it would probably be just a matter of time.”

“Witness protection program?”

“Fuck you. I’m not testifying on anything. I’d take my chances with Carlos first.”

“If I told you a way to get to Carlos, would you help?”

Damien eyed Jack suspiciously and then said, “Maybe. What are you thinking?”

“You would have to pretend to be my informant and —”

“Not a chance! I’m not being a rat to —”

“I said pretend! You won’t say anything we don’t already know or would find out.”

Damien looked at Jack curiously and then asked, “What’s your plan?”

“It’s really quite simple. There’s another cartel in Colombia that rivals Carlos’s. It’s called the Ramirez cartel. With your connections, I bet if we were in Colombia, you could connect with that cartel in less than a week.”

“Diego Ramirez. He lives in Cali.”

“You’ve heard of him then?”

“I’ve been to his villa for dinner.”

“Perfect.”

Damien grunted and said, “His prices were a little steep.” He then glanced around and added, “But I guess, ultimately, not as steep as Carlos’s.”

“Is Carlos based out of Cali too?”

Damien shook his head and said, “Nope. A small city called Buga. It’s less than an hour’s drive north of Cali.”

“Close enough,” said Jack thoughtfully.

“Close enough for what?”

Jack looked at Damien closely, then said, “Time for you to meet my partner, then we’ll discuss strategy.”

“Fine by me. I want to shake O’Reilly’s hand, too, for what you guys did last night.”

“O’Reilly’s busy looking after his own family. My new partner is Laura Secord.”

Damien’s face registered his surprise, then he said, “Jesus. A fucking broad?”

“A fucking broad? This is from someone who once told me that there could be a ‘certain degree of verisimilitude’ to what I say? The same guy who asked why cops tend to ‘lard on the tough talk’?”

Damien stared at Jack but didn’t respond.

“You sound like you think I’m one of the bozos who work for you!”

Damien frowned and said, “That’s upsetting. I think you might have a point. Sometimes it’s hard to think you’re not just some guy from another chapter.”

“That kind of scares me,” said Jack, wondering if Danny was right. How close am I to being one of the bad guys?

“You trust her? Your new partner?” asked Damien.

“She’s the one who found your family last night. She’s smart ... pragmatic. I trust her. Something I don’t feel about too many people.”

“If Carlos finds out I’m in Colombia, he’ll slowly skin me alive. I mean that literally.”

“Do you want Carlos or not?”

“It’s either him or me. Do I really have a choice?”

“Then let’s do it. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Laura. Your life will be in her hands. I suggest you don’t call her a ‘fucking broad’.”

Damien shook hands with Laura. The meeting was brief as Jack quickly reiterated what Damien had just told him. He then told them about his plan to trap Carlos.

When Damien left, Laura looked at Jack and said, “Find me a ladies’ room. I shook hands with him. I know it’s psychological, but I need to wash.”

“Likewise,” said Jack.

“Then your plan says we go to the office and lie to the people who are on our side?”

“Exactly,” said Jack.

“Oh, man...”

chapter thirty-four

Anti-Drug Profiteering investigators arriving at work were greeted by Jack and Laura, who had called a meeting. Randy Otto from I-HIT also attended. They listened attentively as Jack and Laura described the Carlos cartel and outlined the Colombians’ money-laundering activity orchestrated by Ray and Leitch through a chain of coffee shops.

Jack paused as different investigators hastily wrote notes, then he looked at Randy and said, “Yesterday, while I was being detained in the office, Laura did some checking and found several businesses and a warehouse that the Colombians have invested in.”

“I’ve made copies for all of you,” said Laura, sliding sheets of paper across the table.

“Laura and I met our informant early this morning,” said Jack. “Last night things went sideways. Leitch was skimming money that he shouldn’t have. Our informant says Leitch met with Ray last night and then disappeared.”

“The Colombians teaching Leitch a lesson?” asked Randy.

“Excellent guess,” replied Jack. “It shouldn’t take long to verify. Find Ray and you may find Leitch. If all this is true, and I believe our informant is reliable, evidence of the money laundering is likely in Leitch’s office or in a safety deposit box held by his secretary.”

“It won’t take long to find out if Leitch is missing,” said Randy, checking his watch. “He should be at work by now. Someone toss me a phone book and I’ll call his office.”

“I suggest everyone jump on this,” said Jack. “As soon as the Colombians know we’re on to them, they’ll head for the border.”

Randy quickly learned that Leitch had not shown up to work and had missed a scheduled meeting with a client that morning. His girlfriend reported that he hadn’t come back to his apartment last night.

Four hours later, Leitch’s secretary went to her bank and tearfully turned over records to ADP involving the laundering scheme. It didn’t take them long to search the warehouse and several businesses. It was apparent that the Colombians had already fled.

Bloody bolt cutters with traces of human tissue, along with blood on sacks of coffee beans, were located at the warehouse. The investigators submitted the evidence for DNA examination and believed that Leitch had paid the ultimate sacrifice for his crime. Later the DNA was found not to match, but that did little to undermine the Colombians’ violent reputation.

Elvis watched Laura as she quietly ate her dinner. Her eyes were distant and her face was without expression.

“Seems you did well today,” he said.

“Yeah, it tastes good,” she replied.

“I’m not talking about the chops I just cooked. I heard what you and Jack did at work today.”

The focus returned to her eyes. She leaned back in her chair and asked, “What do you mean? What did you hear?”

“I was talking to someone in ADP. Heard they’ve frozen $2.4 million in Colombian drug money. Not bad for your ... second official day at work.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, it’s a good start.”

Elvis noticed that Laura’s eyes returned to some distant view. A view that he wanted to see.

“Menu?” asked Holly, while pouring Jack a cup of coffee.

“No, thanks. Just on my way home for supper. Natasha’s expecting me.”

“You just pop in to say hi?”