Page 6 of Wicked Suspicion

Locked.

He rested his hand on the hood. Cold.

The four-wheel drive had been parked here for a while. Vargas’s men were watching this side of the pyramid and drove here rather than walk across the clearing, it was the only thing that made sense. He would have had his men in position hours before Case arrived.

But why a rental?

Case messaged Ski and Baggs. They wouldn’t be near the ruins, but the captain had insisted someone be in the vicinity. As if he’d have a chance to send a mayday if things went to hell. Maybe they’d be close enough to hear gunfire. With a shrug, he headed toward the rendezvous point. None of Vargas’s lieutenants would appreciate tardiness.

The air was heavy with humidity and the ground was thick with vegetation. It made walking difficult, but there was supposed to be a path.

It was another fifty yards or so before he found the track. There were signs someone had walked through here recently, but after spotting the Jeep, that wasn’t a surprise. He moved as fast as possible until he neared the ruins.

He felt eyes on him.

Case slowed his pace, walking more cautiously and scanning the area. A man stepped onto the path, blocking him. Two others emerged from the undergrowth and flanked him.

The first guy gestured with his weapon, and Case raised his hands over his head.

Quickly, efficiently, they searched him. They didn’t miss a single weapon, or anything Case could use as a weapon, but then Vargas hired pros.

“I will escort you to the clearing,” the leader said in Spanish.

It only took moments before they exited the trees. There wasn’t much space clear of undergrowth. The rainforest was trying to reclaim the site and winning the battle.

The man left him in the center with an order to stay put. As if he was going anywhere. Not only did his two cohorts remain, standing menacingly on either side of him, but Case knew there were more men, concealed and waiting for him to make a wrong move.

Casually, as if he was merely curious, Case looked around the ruins. A large step pyramid to his left loomed over the small clearing. Trees and other vegetation nearly swallowed three sides. To his right was a low rock wall with carved figures decorating it. If all hell broke loose, it was the only cover he’d have. The odds of reaching it before taking a bullet were slim.

Case felt twitchy. Exposed. Surrounded. He sensed Vargas’s men on every side. He eyed the stone wall again. No, he’d never make it if shooting broke out.

Low clouds gathered in the distance, suggesting it would rain soon, but for the moment, it was sunny. He wanted to be finished with this and back in his vehicle before the skies opened up.

“What are the chances we’ll be out of here before the rains come?” he asked in Spanish.

“That will be up to Señor Vargas,” the man on his left said. “He’ll arrive shortly.”

Adrenaline surged. Vargas was coming here in person. Not one of his lieutenants. This was a surprise, and it raised another question.

Why the fuck had Vargas set the meeting out here? The last time they’d talked in his office. Case was reasonably confident this wasn’t a plan to murder him. It was too elaborate, and he’d been given too much notice. It would be easy enough for someone to put a knife in his side in Trujillo.

He cooled his heels for about twenty minutes before Vargas made his appearance, coming from the direction of the stone wall. He was surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards. Case turned to face him, putting his back to the pyramid.

Julián Vargas was approaching fifty. His build was slender and wiry. He stood a few inches shorter than Case. His hair was shaggy, hitting his jawline, and wavy. There was a jagged scar on his face, so old it was a white line. His brown eyes had a coldness to them, a flatness.

“You’re punctual,” the drug lord said. “I like that.”

“I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Case said, as if he’d known Vargas would be making a personal appearance. “Why are we meeting here and not in your office?”

“You don’t appreciate the beauty of the rainforest?”

Case shrugged. “It’s a curious choice, given what happened here last year.”

“Not so curious when one considers the message the location sends.” His facial expression never changed, but the man’s eyes became harder.

“That life is fragile, and it can end at any moment without warning.”

Vargas inclined his head. “Even violently, if a man should anger the wrong person.”

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