Page 101 of Dash

“It’s okay.” I patted her back. “Do you need to take a break for a few?”

“No.” She straightened and wiped her eyes. “Trev’s come a long way to tell us something. I want to hear it.”

I looked at Druid, who sat in his wheelchair next to Mina, surrounded by my crew. Every person in the room wore a serious expression as they waited to hear what Druid had to say.

“Let’s talk Coco Martinez,” Trev announced.

“Or as I prefer to call him,” Mina put in. “Mr. Evil.”

“What I’m about to tell you is everything we’ve learned about him,” Trev continued. “Coco is a supplier of funds and fentanyl to the cartels.”

“You mean the Valdez Cartel,” Guzman put in.

“I mean the cartels, plural,” Trev clarified. “He’s a facilitator many different cartels located not only in Central and South America, but all over the world. This fucker is every-fucking-where. Asia, Africa, Europe, the US. He’s not just a facilitator, he’s a logistical connector. He moves massive quantities of drugs around the world and all kinds of illegal goods. He rules the commodities black market. He even runs an extensive human trafficking operation.”

A shiver shook Thena’s body. I held her closer to me.

“Pervert piece of shit,” Cooper muttered under his breath.

“Yeah,” Guzman agreed. “Fuck the fucker.”

My feelings exactly.

“Think of Coco as the one stop shop of the illegal world,” Trev said. “He deals in arms and weapons of all kinds. His network is one of the most impressive setups we’ve ever come across, and you all know we’ve come across some twisted shit.”

The guys nodded in agreement, their faces growing more somber by the moment.

“That explains his access to the designer poison that almost killed Goddess,” Kai noted.

“And the Iranian drones that attacked us,” Ferranti added.

“His accounts show he does business with sources in countries that are hostile to the United States,” Trev explained. “He’s part of a geopolitical coalition that aims to destroy the US and its allies. They refer to themselves as NWO, short for the New World Order. We believe he’s got tangible connections to wealthy, influential Americans who’re betting the US will fall to the New World Order.”

“Wait.” Thena frowned, looking confused. “Why would influential Americans want the US to fail and help establish a new world order? They live here. They make their bucks here.What’s their motive?”

“Think of them as short sellers,” Trev suggested. “They’re betting against democracy. They’re planning on making billions out of the downfall of the US and its allies. Some of these big shots’ earnings are so large and their corporations are so vast that they compete with nations for power, profit, and relevance.”

“Patriotism gets in the way of that,” Bozeman concluded in his deep voice.

“Precisely.” Trev sighed. “Creatures like these are loyal only to themselves. They’re happy to bet against democracy and sell their country in exchange for a seat at the NWO table. We have evidence that suggests Coco’s backed by one heavyweight American patron.”

“You mean Coco has a global sugar daddy?” Ferranti asked, knuckling his chin.

“Yes,” Trev said. “His patron is someone big.”

Guzman ran out of patience a second before I did. “Are you gonna tell us who Coco Martinez is or what?”

“I can’t tell you who Coco is.” Trev huffed. “He’s gone to great lengths to protect his identity, but I can tell you that he’s ruthless and well connected, and that he’s a very effective agent of global chaos.”

“So, wait, you came all the way here and almost gave Goddess a heart attack to tell us how mean the bad guy is?” Guzman rolled his eyes. “Bro, we knew that shit. And by the way, how’s that any help to our search for the Astor sisters?”

“Excellent question.” Trev paused. “It’s relevant because we’ve come across a crucial connection.”

“What is it that you’re not telling us, Druid?” I met my friend’s stare and spotted the conflict boiling there.

“Oh, hell,” Mina gasped, her brain moving ahead of the rest of us. “You don’t know who Coco is, but you do know the name of his American patron.”

Trev’s eyes shifted to Thena.

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