“You’re not going in as well?” asked Jack. “I thought ... man to man ... you would wish to avenge your brother!”

“I will revenge when it is safe,” replied Carlos. “There is a small bridge to the villa. I do not think it wise to cross bridge until my men have Damien.”

Jack looked at the two bodyguards in the front seat and noticed four more standing outside near the car. I’m dead!

Carlos continued to stare at Jack and said, “You know that I telled my men to kill you in Canada. Yes?”

Jack saw the distrust in Carlos’s eyes. I’ve got to gain control — and his trust — fast! He smiled and said, “That was simply business. I understand that.”

“That man my men shoot. The news it say his baby cannot walk. What you think?”

“I think ... I’m glad you made a mistake and didn’t shoot me.”

Carlos was determined. “I am told you upset that my men try to drown the policeman’s baby. Yes?”

Jack shrugged and said, “It was expected that I should look upset, so I did.”

Carlos leaned closer. “Tell me. What woman think when she see her baby die in water?”

Jack’s mind flickered back to an undercover operation years earlier when he had purchased child pornography. The operation was successful, but he had found it humiliating and degrading to even pretend to be that kind of person. Now I have to pretend to be worse — to be like this man. He looked at Carlos and laughed, and then said, “I think she squirmed ... just like a baby kitten when you light it on fire!”

The shock was evident on Carlos’s face, and then he sat back and laughed too.

Jack watched him laugh but also saw something else. A glimpse of a holster on the side of his waistband under his jacket.

Carlos then slapped Jack on the shoulder and said, “Yes, amigo. That is what I think too!”

“I would like to see Damien squirm when you catch him,” said Jack. “Just like a kitten!”

“He will, amigo. He will squirm long time.”

“But if your men kill him, we will not see that. It is better if we go with your men.”

Suspicion returned to Carlos’s face. “No! We wait here!”

Jack’s mind raced for a solution. “How will your men catch him?”

“I send everyone to drive fast to the villa. My men call me when safe and we go see.”

“Damien might be killed before you catch him. I know how to catch him alive.”

“Alive? How?”

“Have some of your men sneak up to the back of the villa first. Then have the rest of your men drive up to the front really fast. The more vehicles the better. We could go too but stop at the bridge. Damien will get scared and run out the back door. Bingo!”

“Bingo?”

“You would have him! Your men could jump on him in the dark!”

Carlos thought for a moment, then said, “That is a good plan. I want caught him alive!”

“There is a small problem, but I can fix it.”

“Problema? What problema?”

“Damien sometimes sets a booby trap.”

“What is booby trap?”

“A grenade to go off. It could kill your men and warn Damien.”

“He has a grenade,” said Carlos quite simply. An item that did not surprise him.

“Give me my phone back and I will call the woman who is with him. She will tell me about the trap and she could describe what the villa is like and what room Damien is in.”

“This woman. She think she work for the policia?” asked Carlos.

“Yes. She is an informant. She is who told me about Damien. She hates him. She is expecting me to call. She thinks the police will arrest him tonight.”

“I hate him also,” said Carlos. “But you phone her and maybe Damien hear her speak.”

“I do this often. We talk most nights at this time. Damien thinks it is her father who calls. You can listen as I talk.”

Carlos thought about it for a moment and then said, “Okay. I listen. You make mistake and you squirm like a kitten on fire a long time.”

Jack was thankful that Laura answered.

“Listen closely,” said Jack. “I am outside your villa right now with the top boss. We are going to wait here until after his men raid the villa and catch him.”

Laura felt sick when she heard the words. “You mean he’s not coming in here to —”

“That’s correct,” Jack interjected. “Listen carefully to what I say and please do exactly what I ask.”

“I understand,” replied Laura, wondering if Carlos was listening in to Jack’s conversation like Ramirez was hers.

“From your tone, I know that you are being listened to ... correct?”

“Yes,” replied Laura, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at Ramirez.

“I want a description of the inside of the villa. It is important to know which room the men need to run to. I know you can’t talk right now, but as soon as you can, I want you to get a pad of paper and a pencil and draw a picture of the inside of the house. I am worried about the booby trap near the back door. I presume it has been set?”

Laura paused and then said, “Yes,” hoping it was what Jack wanted to hear.

“When he is getting ready for bed, make an excuse to go outside. Say you’re emptying the garbage. Take the paper and pencil and leave it on the bridge under a little rock. Then get out of there. I will draw a sketch to show the boss the booby trap and then the men will rush the house. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

When Laura hung up, Ramirez looked at her and said, “I don’t understand. Why does Carlos not go to the villa? He has lots of men.”

“That’s the problem,” replied Laura. “He has so many men he doesn’t need to risk his own life. He isn’t going into the villa until after.”

“As long as he crosses the bridge. That is most important. Otherwise my men will have to ram his car with the truck. That might not be so good for Jack.”

“No, that wouldn’t be good,” agreed Laura.

“And his car is strong. He might still escape.”

“I need a pencil and some paper,” said Laura. “Then I’ll cross the creek farther down the road and come up past the villa and leave it on the bridge like Jack asked.”

“I don’t understand,” said Ramirez. “Why did Jack say there was a booby trap?”

“We do not know what is being said between Carlos and Jack. It is best we do this.”

Ramirez shrugged and said, “If you wish. I have a pen and paper in the glove box.”

“Pencil and paper,” replied Laura.

“There is a difference?”

“Yes.”

Damien peeked out from under the bridge and saw an SUV slowly driving toward him. It stopped and two men got out and quickly ran toward the bridge as the SUV sped off.

Damien gripped the pistol tighter and ducked as the men slid down the embankment near the bridge. He watched as they scrambled to hide in some bushes.

Moments later, someone was walking on the bridge above him. He heard the sound of a stone grate on the plank above his head and caught a quick glimpse of Laura’s face in the moonlight as she bent over. She then continued walking across the bridge and out onto the street. Now what the fuck is going on?

Immediately the two men left their hiding spot and went to the top of the bridge. Damien heard them whisper and then heard one place a call on his cell. Seconds later, they both headed down the street. Damien peeked out again and saw one of the men staying in the shadows as he followed Laura down the street. The other man was carrying a pad of paper and stopped to wait a short distance down the street.

Damien saw Laura nervously looking back as the SUV arrived again. The man with the pad of paper quickly climbed in and the SUV drove away. She stepped back and hid in the doorway of a building, oblivious to the other man who was creeping closer.

chapter thirty-nine