Hunt Them Down(70)
Of course I know. I was with him.
“I had no idea, sir.”
“Why can’t the CIA protect their own? You’d think they’d have special teams for that, wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know their procedures.”
“Where are you headed next?”
“Not sure yet,” Hunt said, still keeping things vague.
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” McMaster replied, his tone indicating he understood Hunt’s reticence about sharing more information. “And, Pierce, please tell Cole I’ll make sure Katherine’s safe.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The Black Tosca’s close circle of advisors was once again reunited in her lavish dining room. The only senior member missing was her cousin Hector, so there were four instead of the usual five. The men seated around the dining room table were getting jumpy. It wasn’t a secret that Hector’s operation on American soil hadn’t been the complete success they were hoping for. The Black Tosca wanted to reassure them, to let them know that everything was under control. There was no reason to expect any blowback from the local authorities—most of them were in the cartel’s pocket—or the Mexican government. As for the United States government, it would never dare an incursion deep into Mexico, especially an urban area like San Miguel de Allende.
“Why didn’t Hector eliminate the girls in Miami? Is there really a need to go through all of this here?”
As a businesswoman, Valentina Mieles understood her advisor’s concerns. The man—a fifty-year-old accountant—was a math genius and an essential element of her organization. But he wasn’t a risk-taker. This was something she had long ago accepted, but what she couldn’t tolerate was his tone. Defiant. Insubordinate. She’d give him one chance to retract.
“What are you afraid of? Tell me. I’m curious.”
All eyes turned toward his end of the table. They all knew she didn’t care for subordinates questioning her judgment, and even less so in front of the group. He swallowed hard before he looked at her again, his face flushed. He had definitely caught her drift.
“With all due respect, Valentina, and I apologize if I sounded impertinent—believe me, it wasn’t my intention—what I wanted to say was that this end of the operation won’t generate any revenue for you and that, perhaps, this could have been dealt with differently.”
He was right, of course. It would have indeed been preferable if the whole operation could have been carried out in the United States, but a series of unfortunate events had forced Hector’s hand. She’d never heard of Pierce Hunt before, and, to be honest, she was surprised that one man could have caused Hector to change his plans. Even Mr. Granger had failed to check in with a progress report, something that had never happened before. Mr. Granger was a valuable asset; his access to Daniel McMaster was priceless. This access would become extremely helpful to her organization once Tony Garcia and his top lieutenants had been taken care of.
Mr. Granger better be alive, she thought. Nicolás was good, but he wasn’t Cole Egan.
Nevertheless, she wanted to see this through. For once, she wasn’t propelled by greed but by vengeance. Her taste for revenge wouldn’t be satiated until she heard the screams of agony from Tony Garcia’s daughter. Only then would her mind allow her to think of something else. She let the silence stretch out a few more seconds, taking pleasure in seeing her accountant sweat bullets. She considered different possibilities and options. That was why she was so good and the one standing at the head of the table. Her ability to seize an opportunity in a chaotic situation and to adapt quicker than anyone else to a changing environment was her key to remaining in power.
She narrowed her eyes on the accountant, but she spoke to everyone.
“I understand your concerns, gentlemen, but you know as well as I do that to succeed in our business, we need to constantly revise our business plan. Taking over the Garcia family’s distribution network will allow us to move a lot more product, and the cost associated with its distribution will drop significantly. I’ve been communicating very closely with our major trading partners, and I’ve assured them that we’ll be operational within the next thirty days.”
“What if Tony Garcia doesn’t surrender?” one of her deputies asked. “His men are very loyal to him.”
“I’m well aware of their loyalty to him,” she hissed, but she continued more calmly, “Tony Garcia’s world is crumbling around him. Within the last thirty-six hours, we killed his father and kidnapped his daughter. He also managed to get shot by one of our men on the ground.”
The Black Tosca gazed at the four stunned, silent faces around the table. They were all looking at her, wide-eyed, waiting for her to continue.
“He’s straddling the threshold between life and death, I’m told.”
A few smiles appeared on the men’s faces. One of them said, “So even if he doesn’t chop his head off, we’ll get him in prison.”
The Black Tosca nodded. “Inside the system, he won’t have the kind of protection he’s accustomed to on the outside. He’ll be an easy mark.”
“So why’s Hector bringing the girls here? I was under the impression that the kidnapping was to bring Tony Garcia to his knees.”