Dead Man's Land by Jack Patterson (digital e reader .txt) 📕

Cal reached the top and then spun around to offer his hand to help, starting with Kelly, as they ascended the ladder. Once everyone was safely on the roof, they turned around and froze.

Click.

“Not as clever as you think?” The driver of the truck stood a few feet away. “Up here, Carlos.”

A few moments later, the other guard scrambled up the ladder and joined them on the rooftop.

“Well, look here. The gang’s all back together again,” Ortega quipped.

The guard glared at him. “Keep your mouth shut or we’ll shoot you right now and leave you to die while we take everyone else. The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that our boss said it was imperative that we bring you back alive.”

“So, you’re not going to shoot us?” Ortega asked. He didn’t wait for a reply. In one smooth motion, he rammed the butt of his gun into the guard’s chest before training his weapon on the driver.

The driver raised his hands.

“Now, put the gun down nice and slow,” Ortega said.

Torres grabbed the guard’s gun and pointed it at him. “Stay down.”

Cal wandered over toward the edge of the rooftop and dialed a number. He needed to speak with his lone friend at the FBI, Tom Corliss.

“Cal, how are you? I heard about what happened to you in the woods a few weeks ago? Are you okay?” Corliss said.

Cal didn’t make small talk. “At the moment, I’m not.”

“Anything I can help you with?”

“I hope so. It’s a long story, but basically I need you to ensure our safety crossing the border from Mexico into Brownsville, Texas. And I need you to be the one who gets us. There are several other agents on the case—Waller and Hampton.”

“Out of the Seattle office?”

“That’s them. I need you to make sure they don’t intercept us because they are going to put Victor Vegas back on the streets in exchange for the person who’s with me.”

“And who’s with you?”

“Vicente Prado, the Cuban baseball player.”

“Well, I’d love to help, Cal, but I’ve got to have a reason to get involved. I can’t just fly down to Brownsville because you need my help—at least not in any official capacity.”

“What about an unofficial one?”

“I’m not sure how that would go over either.”

“Okay, look, tell your boss that I’ve got some information on a human trafficking ring going on down here. That’s one of the crimes you investigate.”

“Are you telling me the truth or spinning a tale?”

“What difference does it make? It gives you an excuse to come down here and be a hero.”

“If I tell my boss that but come back with nothing, it’s going to blow back on me.”

“Okay, okay, it’s real. And it’s far more sinister than you think. There’s that—and something else I have for you. Just hurry up and get down here.”

“I’m on my way,” Corliss said. “I’ll be there later this afternoon.”

CHAPTER 53

WALLER LOOKED AT HIS WATCH and growled. He wanted to be anywhere but stuck in a stark room all day. This whole case had been a slew of unfortunate events and screw-ups. And frustration over being in the dark about what was really going on. What made this Cuban baseball player so special that Homeland Security would want him so bad? What information could he really have?

Even after they captured him, Waller doubted Prado would talk. He’d been traumatized more than once—and it never looked like he was doing anything on his own volition. Somebody else was always in charge, a perennial pawn in a game that remained a mystery to Waller.

Waller shook his head and rubbed his face and glanced at his watch again. “Weren’t they supposed to be here by now?” he asked Hampton.

Hampton shrugged. “Maybe they got detained. Those lines at the border can be a bear sometimes.”

“You don’t think they would try to drive over, do you?”

“I have no idea. I thought they’d walk the bridge and we’d get a call as they arrived so we can exchange Vegas for them. But apparently nothing has happened yet.”

Waller stood up. “I’m going to the bridge.”

“What about the exchange?”

“I’ll come back for Vegas as soon as I see them on U.S. soil. But just sitting here all day is making me crazy.”

Hampton nodded. “Okay, just call me when something goes down. I’m gonna stay here.”

Waller headed toward the exit when one of the guys at the front desk got his attention.

“Weren’t you waiting for a Cal Murphy to come through today?” the man asked.

Waller walked over to his desk and nodded. “He’s one of five people I’m waiting for, yes. Is he here?”

“No, but I just got off the phone with an FBI agent from Chicago who told me to hold him if he came through here. You guys really need to get your act together.”

Waller sneered at the man and walked away. He couldn’t imagine why the bureau would want the reporter—but he knew there was no use in questioning it at this point.

He wanted some answers from somebody, fast.

CHAPTER 54

AFTER TORRES AND ORTEGA tied up and gagged their prisoners on the roof, they cleaned their pockets out, taking all the cash they had on them. Once they descended from the rooftop, Cal suggested they relocate. He recommended they wait for at least an hour before they tried to approach the border crossing.

“Why wait?” Torres said. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

“I’m sure Munoz has more henchmen at the border crossing. We don’t want to risk it.”

“Then let’s go to another crossing,” Ortega said. “There’s more than one here, I’m sure.”

“I’ve got someone set up to meet us at the Fort Brown Border Patrol Station,” Cal said.

“Hopefully this isn’t another fed,” Torres said.

“It’s a friend,” Cal answered.

“What kind of friend?” Ortega asked.

Cal sighed. “Look, if you want to stay here and spend a few weeks trying to stay alive with Munoz after you all while trying to figure