Page 29 of Fast Vengeance

“Well,” he said to her, settling the receiver back into its cradle. “I guess that’s it. Time to go.”

“I’ll get the children. You check on Sophia.”

He found his wife in their bedroom, standing at the window that overlooked the back of the house, gazing out at the pool and the immaculate grounds surrounding it. Wrapping an arm around her waist from behind, he kissed her temple. “It’s time. Ready?”

She nodded and pressed her lips together, her eyes shimmering with tears.

He hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry, mi amor,” he murmured. “You know we don’t have a choice.” Authorities were getting too close for comfort, both Mexican and American.

Taking her hand, he led her downstairs to where his mother was helping the children put their backpacks on. Everything had been prepared long ago, every detail well rehearsed. Including the game they had devised for the children. As far as they were concerned that was all this would be: a wonderful game.

Life was all about games, after all. Except in this case, only the winners survived.

“Abuela has a surprise for you,” his mother told them, and Fernando’s heart ached at the excitement on those precious little faces as they gazed so trustingly up at her. “Remember the tunnel we talked about? Well, we’re going on an adventure down a secret one right here in our house.”

Isa’s dark eyes widened. “We have a secret tunnel?”

“Oh, yes. It’s very special.” She held out a hand to each of them, gave a confident smile. Maria Diaz never showed fear or any other weakness, no matter what was happening. Not even when her husband had been murdered in front of her more than two decades ago. She was the strongest person Fernando had ever known, and his role model throughout his life. “Are you ready?”

“Yes!” they both squealed, reaching for her hands.

Together as a family they headed down to the safe room in the basement, their head of security following discreetly behind them. Others were already stationed at the tunnel exit, ensuring the area was secure.

The safe room was state of the art, no expense spared. In the luxuriously appointed bathroom in the downstairs suite, he opened up the shower door.

“Watch this,” he said to the children, and pressed what looked like a button for the steam shower on the wall. The tile floor slid open, revealing a tunnel lit with lanterns set into the ceiling.

Isa’s eyes went wide and Pedro gasped. “Wow!”

Fernando smiled and turned to his wife. “After you.”

Sophia put on a brave face. As his wife she had known this day might come. Sad as she was to leave this house they loved, their fortress was no longer safe. “Come on, let’s go,” she said, even managing to put some enthusiasm into her voice. She took the children’s hands and started down the concrete steps. His mother went next.

Before following them, Fernando looked back over his shoulder to his head of security. “Destroy the entrance when I signal you.”

“Of course.”

Taking the heavy duffel bag from him, packed with supplies and cash, Fernando followed his family into the staircase. Leaving now would buy them some time and relieve the pressure. Authorities would launch a manhunt for Nieto soon. He would take care of Montoya later, once he and his family were settled.

One problem at a time, one step at a time, he told himself as the trap door slid shut above him. Locking them in this subterranean labyrinth that led to the waiting boat. They had planned for this. Thought of everything.

El Escorpion always had a plan ready for every possible contingency.

Chapter Nine

Why was it that time always seemed to drag by when he was looking forward to something? Brock glanced at his watch for the tenth time that morning and struggled to wrestle his focus back into place. He still had a bunch of emails and paperwork on his desk to deal with that had piled up over the course of the team’s deployment.

He looked up at a knock on his door to find Commander Taggart there. “You busy?”

“No, please. Save me from myself.” He gestured to the files waiting on his desk.

Grinning, Taggart stepped in and shut the door. “Yeah, being stuck back behind a desk sucks, doesn’t it? Welcome to my world.” He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back onto his heels. “Just got a call from the Mexican Attorney General.”

Oh? “What about?”

“Apparently they got a tip that generated a solid lead on a possible location for El Escorpion yesterday afternoon. SF raided the mansion but there was no one there and the place had been totally cleaned out. As in gutted. The office had been blown up, and so had the safe room. All the computers were charred beyond saving, and they’d shredded and burned all the paperwork in the place, too.

“They found a tunnel entrance, but whatever blew it up filled the first section full of concrete and rock so they can’t get in there and no one’s sure yet where it lets out. Somewhere close to the water, though. They’re still searching for it. I’m told they were close, missed him by a matter of hours.”

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