Page 34 of Scarred Souls

So he did. From his friend, Brandon, who was some hacker genius on a mission to eliminate human-trafficking rings after his sister had been tragically kidnapped and murdered, to the cartels and other organized-crime syndicates he and his crew of supersoldiers had eliminated one by one.

The things he told me were both courageous and heartbreaking. So many women’s lives had been saved, but not all of them. I supposed every story of triumph over evil included innocent casualties. How many people would die to remove my father from his throne?

“Your turn to share,” Vaughn said, snapping me from my thoughts. “Where can we find Carlos Espinoza?”

“I already told you. I don’t know where the compound is. Before I handed myself over to Alvarez in Guadalajara, I hadn’t visited Mexico since I was a child.”

“And you have no idea where he lives?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I know he owns homes all around the country, but the only one he ever called me from was in Acapulco.”

Vaughn’s brows shot up like this news surprised him. “Not the mountains?”

“No. I suppose being one man in a busy city makes him hard to find. Plenty of snake holes to slither into.”

“Your phone calls. Were they audio or video?”

“Both.” I took a tentative sip of coffee and was pleased when my stomach tolerated it. “And before you ask if I have his number, I don’t think he ever called me from the same phone twice.”

Vaughn shifted in his seat. “What can you tell me about the video calls?”

“There were no street signs in the background or addressed envelopes in plain sight if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Maybe not, but I’m betting there are details you don’t even realize you know. You’d be surprised what we can decipher from the smallest of clues. I need you to talk with Brandon and Sage. They’ll have a bunch of questions that might help narrow down our search field.”

“And what happens if you find Carlos?” I asked.

“The team goes in and exterminates the rat’s nest.”

Dread overcame me. If I helped Vaughn find my father, I could be sending him and his teammates to their deaths. They’d better be prepared for what would meet them.

“Just so we’re clear, how many mercenaries are on your payroll? One hundred? Two?”

Vaughn chuckled. “No, Gatita. A dozen operators are all we need. Our guys are highly trained.”

Twelve men against the forces my father commanded? Vaughn’s team would be slaughtered.

“What you’re proposing is suicide. Carlos has no shortage of weapons and the support of la Mano Roja. They’ve been preparing for this day and will have traps. You’ll need an army to face off against them.”

“Careful.” He raised a brow. “It almost sounds like you’re worried about me.”

He didn’t seem remotely concerned about the strength of the enemy. Clearly, his guys weren’t amateurs since they’d eliminated other cartels leading up to this. But the PCC wasn’t in the same league. They were more powerful, cunning, and ruthless than any cartel this country had ever known.

“This might surprise you, but I’m not okay with sending a dozen men to become cannon fodder for my father. If I help you find his compound, I’m complicit in those deaths. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Enough people had already lost their lives because of me. I hadn’t killed them, but they’d still be alive if we’d never crossed paths. As far as I was concerned, their blood was on my hands.

Vaughn leaned forward with a look of distaste. “So you’d rather we back down and let the cartel carry on trafficking, terrorizing, and murdering?”

“Of course not.” I scoffed.

“Then get on board and help us find your father, because there’s no chance in hell we’re not going after that son of a bitch. I’ve taken point on plenty of our missions, which means I’ve been first on the scene when we’ve found trafficked women. If you’d seen the things I’ve seen…” His eyes darkened as though those disturbing thoughts replayed in his mind. “We need to stop this shit fast so those women don’t have to spend a minute longer in captivity. And if Carlos Espinoza has a hundred men waiting for us, that just means our team gets a little target practice before we put him down.”

I didn’t like this. Not one bit. My only hope was that if we found the compound, Vaughn would realize they were outclassed and rethink his plans.

All the same, his dedication caused a strange feeling to unfurl inside me. He might be a jerk, but he risked his life to help those who couldn’t help themselves.

And what had I done to stop my father? Played dead. Pathetic. In my heart, I knew hiding here doing nothing was spineless.

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