Page 31 of Operation: Silent Angel
“I’ll call you back in five minutes,” Ruiz said and then put his phone into his pocket.
Cooper exited the men’s room and went right back to his chair, where Madison sat upright in hers.
“Mother, get ready with the mic. Ruiz took a call while in the head and asked the caller to call him back in five.” Cooper knew that if the caller was a loud talker, there was a chance part of that side of the conversation could also be picked up with the super mic.
Instead of coming back to his lounge chair right away, Ruiz walked in and through the Preferred Club bar. “I’m on him,” Madison transmitted as she rose from her chair. She tied a scarf-like wrap around herself and slipped on her sandals. She followed Ruiz out to a food cart where a resort worker was grilling up carne tacos just past the Preferred Club bar. “He’s getting lunch,” she whispered. “Coop, I’m getting us tacos.”
“Excellent,” Cooper said.
Ruiz got two in a small boat from the man doing the grilling and Madison watched his back as he retreated back into and through the Preferred Club bar. She placed her order and waited only a few minutes before the man placed two of the food boats in her hands.
When she returned to her lounge chair, Cooper was just getting out of the water. The four others were still wading waist-deep in the large infinity pool, blending in with the rest of the resortguests. Ruiz sat on his lounger eating his tacos and sipping a recently delivered mojito.
Cooper waved the poolside drink server over to them. “Can we get a couple of club sodas with lime or lemon, whatever you’ve got.” Then he straddled his lounge chair and dug into his tacos. Whenever he turned his head to view Madison, he clearly saw Ruiz as well as his four team mates in the water. “These tacos are really good,” he transmitted. “I’m sure Ruiz will be here for at least the next half hour if you want to get some, team.”
Briana and Roth both immediately got out of the pool and dried off. They placed an order with the poolside drink attendant for a couple of virgin strawberry daiquiris. Then Roth walked in the direction of the taco cart to get them lunch.
Ruiz lifted his phone to his ear. “I’ve got him on the super mic,” Mother transmitted. “The call is in English and I’m picking up a few words from the caller, male, New York accent.”
From the pool, both Lambchop and Laura Lee’s gaze shifted to the couple from New York they’d spoken to on the shuttle bus. They’d waved to the couple earlier when the couple took a couple of lounge chairs across the pool from them. They’d actually been surprised that neither the husband nor the wife had gotten into the pool yet. “No way. He can’t be talking to Ruiz,” Laura Lee said, transmitting her words to the rest of the team. She was surprised to see that the husband had his phone to his ear.
“Mother, can you shift the super mic to the couple across the pool from Lambchop and Lah-lee?” Cooper asked. His gaze flickered up to the balcony where Mother sat. The sun, shiftingpositions, now beat relentlessly on the building. Mother had little shade. He had to be baking up there.
“Negative, they’re too close to the building for me to get a good line on without exposing the equipment,” Mother replied. “I’ll let you know the second Ruiz’s call is over, though, and we’ll see if it lines up with his call ending.”
“What is being discussed, Mother?” Yvette asked.
“From what I can make out, I think the caller is trying to arrange a time to pick out his own product with Ruiz.”
“If that means what I think it does, I’m going to throw up my breakfast,” Briana said. “We have to stop that from going down.”
“We will MP,” Lambchop said.
“It sounds like tomorrow morning is the shopping day they’ve agreed on,” Mother said. “They’re planning to meet in a parking lot at a grocery store in Cancun.” There was a long pause. “And the call just ended.”
Lambchop was facing the New York couple. “Yeah, his call just ended too,” he confirmed.
“Lambchop, you and Lah-lee need to cozy up to them and see what you can learn,” Yvette ordered.
“Affirmative, we’ll try to make some dinner plans with them,” Lambchop replied.
“Mother, you have to be getting hot up there. It doesn’t look like you’ve got much shade,” Cooper transmitted.
“Affirm, Coop. It’s getting toasty. I’m going to need a dip in that pool soon to cool off.”
“I’m a registered guest,” Yvette broke in. “After Ruiz comes up to take his afternoon nap, I’ll bring you down with me. It did feel very nice yesterday afternoon.”
“So you think Ruiz is going to go up for a nap after lunch, Control?” Laura Lee asked.
“He strikes me as a creature of habit. I think he will,” Yvette said.
“Sounds like you want some time in the pool, Control,” Madison broadcast. Her voice clearly showed she was joking. “You and Mac can take a turn tomorrow if you like.”
Yvette chuckled. “I may take you up on that tomorrow, Xena. From where I’m sitting, so far you’ve all had a cushy morning.”
“It’s been rough,” Roth said. “I just ordered virgin daiquiris.”
Yvette laughed with him.
