Page 41 of Operation: Silent Angel
“If I’m still on the list, that means it isn’t someone high enough to get me the fuck off it,” Ruiz said. “And the why, isn’t that obvious?” He glanced from person to person. None of his captors had figured it out yet. “You really are dumb muscle in low pay grades. Certain people are getting very rich from my services. Illegal enterprises need slave labor, be it to harvest, process, or traffic drugs or other products. The demand for forced sex workers is higher than ever. I have a vast network with sophisticated communications in place that won’t be easily replicated. And it all depends on me to exist. No one else can step in and take it over. They cannot allow me to be eliminated from the picture. I’m too important.”
Mac’s stomach turned as he listened to Ruiz’s egotistical rant, and he was mostly sickened because he believed Ruiz was telling the truth. Well, about everything except them being dumb muscle in low pay grades. People were getting rich from the trafficking of slave labor and sex workers, as Ruiz said, and he knew the demand was higher than ever.
“And yet, here you are tied to a chair in front of us,” Mac said. “I could put a round through your head right now, regardless of how important you are.”
“But you won’t do that for two reasons,” Ruiz said, too cocky for a man in his position. “First, if you do, you have no hope of finding Bella Sanguino, and the second reason is because you want to know who at Interpol protects me. They are now your primary target.”
Yvette’s blood boiled, listening to Ruiz. Etched across the stone faces of the four men she knew very well, she saw the discipline she expected from them. They wanted to shred the cocky SOB, dismember him, crush him. But they wouldn’t because you couldn’t get intel from a dead man. And getting the info they needed was more important than ending the piece of shit sitting in front of them.
“Additional target,” Mac corrected him. “Do not think for a second that you are off the hook for your many crimes.”
“Talking will keep you alive. Nothing keeps you from your day in court,” Lambchop added.
“Then what incentive do I have to talk?” Ruiz threw out casually. “If you want information, there has to be more in it for me than staying alive. I could go to my grave, but I bring all my knowledge with me.”
Yvette’s phone rang an incoming call from Shepherd. “Big Bear,” she told the others. She pressed accept call and brought the phone to her ear. “We have Ruiz detained, and he is sitting in front of us.”
“We have the green light to take him and the entire network down, including whoever is running cover for him at Interpol and any other agency. He gets a deal of immunity and protection if he spills it all,” Shepherd said.
Yvette’s gaze had been on her teammates as she listened to Shepherd. They would have taken the entire network down, even without official approval. Ruiz getting a deal wouldn’t sit well with any of them, especially Mac. She doubted Shepherd liked it. “I’ll let him know,” she said.
“Keep me apprised,” Shepherd said before disconnecting the call.
Her gaze swept over the others, first Garcia, then Lambchop, Roth, and it finally settled on Mac. “Okay, we have a green light to take down the entire network, all of it.” Her gaze shifted to Ruiz. “Today’s your lucky day. Complete immunity and protection in exchange for actionable intel. And I mean every last detail, starting with the exact location of Bella Sanguino.”
A satisfied smile spread over Ruiz’s face as curses slipped from the lips of the team. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Mac growled. His hands fisted, and Yvette was sure he was going to punch Ruiz out of frustration and anger. “Bella Sanguino’s exact location,” he sneered, his face leaning into Ruiz’s.
“On a boat named the Delphi Princess in a nearby marina.”
“You said she was put on a plane to Dubai,” Roth said.
“I lied,” Ruiz said, unremorseful.
Mac exchanged gazes with Garcia and Lambchop. Yvette wasn’t sure who was going to be the heavy of the three men. They all had the ability to do it very well. She didn’t have to wait long for the answer to her unspoken question. Seconds later, Lambchop’s fist made contact with Ruiz’s face. His head snapped back, and blood instantly ran from the corner of his mouth where his lip split.
“That’s for lying previously. I’ll fucking break bones for each lie you tell us going forward,” Lambchop warned. “You may have immunity, but that doesn’t mean I can’t beat the truth out of you if needed.”
“Just remember, the offer is out there, but if we feel you’re not cooperating, we’ll fucking end you,” Garcia added.
Mac hit record on his phone and set it on the coffee table in front of Ruiz. “Names, dates, places, contact info, dollar amounts, and accounts. Anything and everything you’ve got,” he said.
Yvette conferenced Smith in, who took detailed notes on all Ruiz said. The Digital Team would be busy. They wouldn’t take anything Ruiz said at face value. Running down the intel would prove out how valid the information was. For the next forty-five minutes, Ruiz spoke about his operation. He gave them the names of the Interpol official, of every dirty agent and officer on both sides of the border, every customer, and every destination his product was trafficked to. His product was not only humans but also drugs and weapons.
“Jimmy and Claudia Perez from San Antonio, who you had dinner with tonight?” Mac asked when Ruiz appeared to be done.
“One of the transportation hubs in my network. Sorry, I forgot about them,” he said.
Lambchop punched him in the abdomen.
Ruiz gasped and doubled over. “I didn’t lie. I honestly forgot,” he said when he could suck a breath in.
“You just had dinner with them,” Garcia sneered.
“They are in a special category. Our dinner may have seemed civil, but they are not providing me with their services of their own free will. I bankrolled their operation at startup, for which they still owe me a lot of money.”
“Why are they here? Why the dinner?” Mac asked.
“They made a payment on their balance owed. Far too much business is being conducted these days without the primaries sitting with each other, don’t you think?”
