Page 64 of Extraction
“It’s what I don’t see that interests me.” The prize becomes fish food circled back in my mind from when Nicole shared what Rafael had said. Cole and Mike joined us. “I think I might know where they went.” I pointed to the yellow foam keychain in the photo then moved the photo and showed them it was now gone from the hook. “Rayo de Sol II,” I read from the tag.
“Any idea where the closest marina is?” Mark asked, and John held up his phone and nodded like he found it.
“Let’s move,” Cole ordered and headed back to the SUV. I pocketed the photo as I ran from the house.
The marina was twenty minutes away, and it gave me time to recheck myself as I sat in the back. I needed my head on straight. I pretended I didn’t notice Nicole as she checked her phone every few minutes.
Stress ate away at me, and I closed my eyes and leaned my head on my propped-up arm. I never imagined myself ready to be a father, but that meant nothing now. I knew I’d have endless support and love from everyone at Shadows. Still, it was a lot to process. I wanted to pull out the photo and study every line and curve of their faces but couldn’t risk Nicole seeing. She was anything if not observant.
Of course, the most important questions were who killed Talya and where my son was. I was ready to kill. A bullet wouldn’t be enough for whoever took the mother of my child from me—from us. I gave in and remembered how she felt under my touch and how much I craved her body on mine. Years ago, I’d come to know that there could be no future for her and me. Her being from a prominent Cartel family and me with my job. Her face came to me, then suddenly it wasn’t Talya anymore. It was Nicole looking up at me from under the sheets.
My eyes popped open, and I blinked a few times, then squeezed them tightly shut again as my head was a jumbled mess of confusion.
“Hey,” a hand slid over my arm and squeezed it, “we’re here,” Nicole said softly.
I looked at her and forced away the memory that still clung to my subconscious.
“We’re here,” she repeated. Her phone vibrated at that moment, and she looked down at it and her mouth gaped. “I need to take this.” She rushed out of the SUV and moved a good fifteen feet from the rest of the guys. What I found more interesting was she made sure she kept her back to us. I jumped out, and John handed me a ball hat.
“You good, buddy?”
“Yeah.” I started to check my gear. We wouldn’t be carrying our rifles into the marina, just our handguns. I snagged my bag from the SUV then Nicole turned around and I read her lips.
“—no right to speak to me that way. I’m doing everything you asked and—” She moved her hand to cover her mouth, and I missed the rest of what she said. John came and stood next to me. His expression told me he was worried about how I was handling everything.
“Who’s Nicole speaking to?”
John shrugged. “Probably a friend. You sure you’re good?” he asked as I closed the car door rather hard.
“Yeah, all good.” I wondered who Nicole really had been talking to, I didn’t think it was a friend.
“All right,” Cole jogged over, and we gathered around him, “entrance is here, and the boat slip for Rayo de Sol II is number twenty-six. Same groups as before. Paul, you guys head right to the slip and see if the boat’s there, Mark and I will gather info from the staff, while Mike and Keith, you guys go talk to the locals. Let’s go. Nobody does anything until we know what we’re up against.”
Nicole hurried over and fell into step with John and me. “Good call?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Yeah.” She seemed off, and John glanced at me, but let it go. One thing at a time.
The marina was a bit rundown in spots, but the dock itself was high tech and up to date.
I spotted a young kid, maybe sixteen or seventeen, spraying off an expensive looking catamaran. The moment he saw us, he went for his radio.
“Please,” I held up a hand and spoke Spanish, “we’re looking for someone, and I promise it isn’t you.”
“Until it is,” he huffed and turned off the hose. He tossed it down at his feet. “Americans, yeah?” I nodded. “Let me guess. You’re looking for slip twenty-six?”
His words made my chest squeeze to the point of pain. “We are.”
“Well, like I said to the other guys, I don’t?—”
I shifted my weight on my heels. “Other guys?”
“Some Ruiz soldiers showed up here tossing their weight around.” Nicole placed a hand on my back as she stepped around me, and the kid’s mouth dropped open. I knew she’d probably dealt with the Ruiz family since she mostly worked the southern part of Mexico.
“You’re Nicole Winter from the Washington Post?” His mouth was open.
She plastered on a smile and shook his hand as he fangirled over her. “Nice to meet you.”
He got all excited. “Adan, I’m Adan. My dad has the biggest crush on you.” He laughed while I fought not to roll my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
