Page 40 of Operation: Silent Angel
“We can retrieve anyone,” Lambchop said. “I want his name and exact location.”
“What, you think I have all the deets on my clients? I don’t. All I can tell you is he likes virgins; his currency is always good when it hits my account, and I ship the girls per his instructions.”
“How do you ship them?” Mac pressed.
“Usually by the private plane he sends to a little dirt landing strip out in the middle of fucking nowhere. Occasionally, a meeting at sea between here and Isla Mujeres,” Ruiz said.
“When was Bella put on the plane?”
“Last week,” Ruiz said. “As I said, long gone.”
Mac wasn’t done trying to recover Bella, but he switched topics. “Who was the American who visited you at the pool today, the one you owe money to?” Mac asked.
Ruiz tried to hide that the question had caught him off guard, but he didn’t cover his reaction well enough.
“I want a name and how to reach him,” Mac said.
Ruiz shook his head and pinched his lips together.
“Dislocate his other shoulder,” Mac told Lambchop.
“Wait!” Ruiz said as Lambchop raised his fist. “You don’t know who you’re trying to get info on. There’s more going on than your pay grade has let you in on.”
“The American. Is he CIA or DEA?” Garcia asked.
By the expression on Ruiz’s face, everyone in the room knew Garcia had asked the right question. Yvette guessed DEA based on the region of the world they were in. If they were anywhere in Africa or the Middle East, he would be CIA.
“My question is, if a U.S. agency is using you and someone at Interpol is protecting you, why do they still have you on the Red List?” Mac asked him.
“Pop my shoulder back into its joint and I’ll tell you everything,” Ruiz said.
“Tell us about your involvement with the American agent first as a show of good faith, then we’ll pop it back in,” Lambchop said.
“I’m about to pass out here, from the pain,” Ruiz complained.
“Then you better talk fast before you pass out,” Mac said.
“Names and places,” Ruiz said.
“And cash,” Garcia added.
“Yeah, he takes a cut, protection money to stay out of my operation,” Ruiz said.
“We need the name,” Mac said.
“Solomon, Gus Solomon. Or at least that’s what he goes by down here.”
Yvette typed the info into the chat box on the laptop that was open with Caleb Smith at HQ. He’d assign different intel points to the members of the Digital Team to run down. They were all working on this and would work into the night.
I assume DEA, but there’s a small chance he’s CIA
“We were told you have a free pass to travel through any region, regardless of the cartel that controls that area,” Garcia said.
“They all make money from my operation and are supplied with what and who they want,” Ruiz answered. “Put the shoulder back in if you want more.”
Lambchop nodded to Roth, who then freed the hand of the dislocated shoulder. He zip-tied the other hand to the chair before he maneuvered Ruiz’s shoulder back into its socket. It took some effort and brought a few groans, curses, and even a scream from Ruiz. Roth bent his arm up and secured it in a makeshift sling. “You’re going to want to keep it immobilized for a week or two for the soft tissue to heal.”
“Who is protecting you at Interpol and why? And why do they still have you on the Red List?” Mac repeated.
