“Ace, what was that?”Iasked.
“My beautifulAnna,” the man’s voice returned. “Nowyou are finally mine.”
“Sara.”Myvoice was stern and sharp.
“I heard,” she replied. “Shit,I’velostAnna.Irepeat, there is no sign of her.”
“Archer, we’ll find her,”Kerrigansaid. “Donot deviate now.He’sstaring at you and has his hands on his hips with no weapon in sight.Makethe approach.We’llfindAnna.”
I walked toward the target, who was now staring right at me with a grin.Hespoke asIapproached.
“I see your men, as well as the sniper in the parking garage,” the man said, letting me know he was observant, but not observant enough to see both of the snipers. “ThevehicleIcame out of is running, and we’re both going to get into it.”
“Just that easy?”Iasked him politely, thoughIadmired his confidence.
“If you’d like to see your wife again, yes.”Hisresponse sent up even more red flags thanI’dalready raised.
“As we speak, she is being loaded into a van and headed to the same placeIam supposed to take you.”Hespoke quietly, as though he were informing me to help me, not because he wanted to kill me. “Butonce we meet there, the plan is to separate you, so if you want to get there before they move her, we need to go now.”
“Who are you?”Iasked him, anger seeping through my voice asIwas done with this shit.
“You knew my brother,Manny,” he said, causing shockwaves to roll through me. “I’mHectorMadeira, andI’mhere to help save your life and your woman’s.Butthe minute we step in that car, you refer to me asPedroandPedroonly, do you understand?”
I nodded, but beforeIcould respond with the questionIneeded to ask,Colemaninterrupted in my comms. “Archer.Hectorworks for us.He’sour undercover agent who went quiet.”
“Once we get into the vehicle you will forget everythingIjust told you.Doyou understand?”Hector’svoice conveyed the severity of the situation very clearly.
“Yes,”Iresponded. “Let’sgo.”
“You’re going becauseItold youIhave your wife and you want her back,”Hectorsaid as he guided me to the car.
Trusting my gut on this one and hopingManny’sbrother hadn’t switched sides,Iopted to follow him.
He opened the back door, andIgot in, followed by him sliding in behind me.
“Let’s go,Rocco,”Hectorspoke to the driver.
The man took out a gun, handed it back toHector, and then drove the vehicle onto the street.
Hector pointed the gun at me and spoke loud enough for all of us to hear. “Youdo anything funny or get smart, you get a bullet in your head before you see your wife.Clear?”
“Yeah.”
“We gotPaganoand his crew,”Coleman’svoice sounded in my ear. “Takingthem in now.”
“Archer, we’re following you andAnnafrom your trackers,”Kerrigansaid. “Dependingon how far they take you, we may lose comms, soIwill tell you this now.Unlesshe’s turned,Iwould trustHectorMadeirawith my life.Hejoined the force after he got out of the military, wanting to help nab thePaganosfor killing his brother.Unlessyou feel in your gut that something is off, follow his lead.We’llbe following your tracker and will assist with extraction and rescue.”
I heard everythingKerrigansaid.Knowinghe was right and we may not be able to keep comms established,Idecided to try to get as much information asIcould now so that they could hear.
“Where are you taking me?”Iasked.
“Nice try motherfucker,”Roccoresponded.
“It’s fine,”Hectorsaid. “Hewon’t live to tell anyone anyway.”
He sneered at me, but there was no malice in his eyes.Thiswas clearly all for show.
“We’re taking you to one of our safe houses,”Hectorsaid. “Youcan say goodbye to your wife one last time before you die.”
