Introductions were made and Jack explained to Rubalcava why he had come to El Paso and told him he was in Mexico against orders.

“For you as a policeman to come to Mexico is extremely dangerous,” said Rubalcava, “but for you to come here as an undercover agent … I would not classify it as dangerous.”

“You wouldn’t?” asked Jack.

“No. I would classify it as suicidal. It is for good reason your government does not want you here.”

“I know it is dangerous,” sighed Jack, not wanting to dwell on the matter. “Do you have any thoughts or ideas on something I could do to entice Tio into the U.S.? Is there a popular attraction in El Paso I could offer to treat him to?”

“No, from what you say, I suspect Tio is wanted in the U.S., otherwise he would not hesitate to go there,” said Rubalcava.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” admitted Jack.

“We have photos of two men taken by the apartment security camera in Canada for you to see,” said Adams, handing the photos to Rubalcava. “The picture of the guy sneering at the camera is good, but all we have of the other guy is that he is missing his left earlobe.”

Rubalcava studied the pictures briefly. “I do not recognize the man who is sneering, but the man who is missing an earlobe might be Eduardo Cortez. He is an enforcer for the Guajardo cartel. A very dangerous man who was hired from the military. Several years ago, he got in a fight with his brother over a woman and his brother bit his earlobe off.”

“Nice brother,” said Jack.

Rubalcava shrugged. “Eduardo shot and killed him for it the next day.” He handed the photos back to Adams.

“Our Canadian friend took me to an interesting place yesterday,” said Adams, who then told Rubalcava about the place they had found in the desert.

“The area you were in indicates it is the Guajardo cartel you are dealing with,” said Rubalcava. “The Sinaloa cartel does not operate in that vicinity. They also haven’t been here long enough yet to have that sophisticated of an operation. Maybe in a few years they will, but not now.”

“Sort of what I thought,” replied Adams.

“You said it looked like they were clearing out?” asked Rubalcava.

“Half the trailers looked empty,” said Adams. “I also saw men taking furniture out of one of the other trailers.”

Rubalcava nodded thoughtfully. “Rumours have circulated the Guajardo cartel is creating a new smuggling route. A man, who had been drinking too much, bragged in a cantina about making a lot of money. He said he was put in the back of a truck he could not see out of, and that he, along with many other men, were taken to work building a tunnel. He was murdered an hour later, but the rumour is out.”

“Any idea who murdered him?” asked Jack, wondering if it was the same men who murdered Porter.

“I think it was one of my men,” replied Rubalcava, “but I cannot be sure which one.”

Jack inwardly cringed at the comment and the danger Rubalcava endured, yet the man talked in a friendly tone like old friends talking about sports. Except this game was deadly.

“Jack, perhaps I could discover the tunnel if you could identify some of the mules being used?” continued Rubalcava.

“I’ll do my best,” replied Jack.

“What do you think the chances are of following Slater’s truck once it is taken from the motel?” asked Adams. “Do you think they will use the tunnel, or rely on the hiding spot in the truck and cross the border normally?”

“I think they will cross the border normally,” said Rubalcava. “They have much less to fear from our customs than they did when they entered the U.S. from Canada.”

“I bet you’re right,” agreed Adams.

“I also have some business addresses in Juarez that Earl Porter and Clive Slater have invested with,” said Jack, flipping through his notebook. “We asked our liaison officer in Mexico City to make inquiries and he passed it on to the federales. They said the addresses were legitimate companies. The one for Porter apparently makes tourist trinkets and the one for Slater is a fruit company.” He showed Rubalcava his notebook. “Do you want to write them down?”

“I don’t need to,” Rubalcava replied. “I know it. The two streets are separated by the same building, which is owned by the Guajardo cartel. They do run a fruit company from the building, but I suspect for Porter and Slater it was only an excuse for them to explain their trips to Customs.”

Adams’s eyes picked up someone who peered at them from around a corner at the end of the alley. “Don’t look now,” he said. “It’s probably nothing, but someone stuck their head out from around the corner at the end of the alley. Keep talking while I walk in the opposite direction and go around the block and come back on him.”

Jack looked at Rubalcava. His eyes never even flickered and he maintained his friendly composure while taking to Jack. One very cool guy …

“So … Canada, there is lots of snow there, yes?” Rubalcava asked, as Adams walked away.

“Not at the moment,” replied Jack. “It’s a big country. Some places get very cold in the winter, but only the most northern places have snow this time of year.”

“I have never been there. Last year my family and I were given a holiday to go to Israel. It was nice there.”

“I see,” said Jack. Given a holiday? Guess that explains who helped the Israelis with the PLO’s drugs- for-weapons initiative … “I think I know why you were treated so nicely by the Israelis,” he added.

“Oh?”

“A small matter of five mansions in the desert?”

Rubalcava smiled and said, “I wondered how long it would take the Americans to figure it out. I wondered if John had told you.”

“You hadn’t told him?”

“It wasn’t his business, but I am pleased they were smart enough to figure it out.”

“Aren’t you worried about the other cartels finding out?”

“They were happy to get rid of the competition. They think I did them a favour.”

“Sounds like it worked out.”

“Except the two remaining cartels will become even more powerful,” brooded Rubalcava.

“Yes, but at the same time, with your limited resources, it gives you one less organization to focus on.”

“True.”

“Still, you really do put yourself at risk,” said Jack. “Why do you do it?”

Rubalcava sighed and said, “This is not the Mexico it is supposed to be. Here in Juarez … with the Guajardo cartel and the Sinaloa cartel, the greed and lust for power will mean the violence will only get worse.”

“I’ve heard they are killing each other. Maybe not such a bad thing.”

“It is not only each other,” said Rubalcava. “Many innocent people are being murdered. The cartels have no reason to fear anyone. Many honest policemen, judges, and prosecutors have been murdered. And it’s not just people connected to the judiciary. Our citizens are also being murdered. They often kidnap our women right off the street. Sometimes the drug couriers take them to a stash house and use them for several days to entertain themselves while they are waiting for deliveries. Some of the bodies that have been found were terribly mutilated.”

“How can you stand living in Juarez?” asked Jack, watching as Adams turned the far corner in the alley before turning back to face Rubalcava.

“Because it is my country,” replied Rubalcava, sounding indignant. “I am determined to stop men like Guajardo, or the jackals who work for him, like the Carrillo Fuentes brothers, from doing what they are doing. If they are not stopped, this plague will reach far beyond Juarez. You know yourself it has already touched Canada.”

“You have to be the bravest man I’ve ever met,” said Jack.

Rubalcava smiled and said, “I am not that brave. I am just afraid to break a promise to my wife. I promised her I would do my best to make Mexico a better place for our two sons. Someday I hope to see it.”

“Meeting us here … this might not be good,” said Jack, with a slight movement of his head to indicate the alley behind him.