Kitabı oku: «Recovery Force», sayfa 3

“Can you meet me?” Vince Gagliardi’s voice inquired.

“Where and when?”

“I’ll get back to you within an hour.”

Dead air followed and Bolan realized Gagliardi had hung up. He pushed the disconnect button, stared a moment at the screen and then tucked the phone in his shirt pocket. The call had all of Bolan’s senses on alert. The Executioner and Gagliardi had agreed that if the DEA agent sensed he might be in trouble or his cover blown, he’d contact Bolan with those words so that Bolan would know to stay clear. Their agreement was if something like that went down, no calls and no meetings.

Okay, so the heat was already ramping up. Bolan had figured that his assault on Casco’s three underbosses at the club might generate quite a bit of suspicion. After all, the police wouldn’t have conducted such an attack, which narrowed the possible source of information regarding Los Negros’s use of the club as an official meeting place for Casco’s people. That left either the hitters coming from Los Zetas or a traitor inside Los Negros. The search for a leak would eventually work its way into Los Zetas, as well, and that would put Gagliardi at risk irrespective of the fact he was still pretty low in the ranks.

Bolan had prepared for such an eventuality. He knew he’d have to tap some alternate sources of information. His first concern had to be Gagliardi, however. He didn’t want to blow the DEA agent’s cover but he also owed the guy a hell of a lot. He couldn’t just take the risk that Gagliardi would be discovered, never mind the fact that if Gagliardi got blown, Casco’s people would force him to talk. The DEA trained their undercover agents to resist many forms of torture, but every man had a breaking point: Gagliardi couldn’t hold out forever.

Bolan keyed in a number by heart and the voice of Aaron Kurtzman answered on the first ring. Affectionately known as “Bear” among his close friends and allies, Kurtzman served as Stony Man’s chief technical wizard. He was a specialist at computer programs, data manipulation and retrieval and cybersecurity; he commanded a team of some of the greatest technical minds ever assembled. The skills of his team rivaled even those in places like NASA, DARPA and the NSA.

“Striker, how are you?” Kurtzman greeted his friend.

“Doing good, Bear.” Bolan hadn’t planned to enlist his Stony Man friends but with the life of a DEA agent and good man on the line, he didn’t see much choice. “I need your help.”

“Name it.”

“I need to get a location on a DEA agent named Gagliardi, first name of Vincent. He’s currently working an undercover narco op here in Phoenix. His probable location should be recorded in the files of his case officer.”

“And you need me to crack it.”

“You mind?”

Kurtzman let out a booming laugh. “You kidding? Been looking for a little excitement since I got back from leave. How soon you need it?”

“Yesterday,” Bolan replied. “This guy’s in trouble, and I need to find him before his cover’s blown.”

“Give me a quarter-hour and I’ll call you back.”

“Roger that. And thanks, Bear.”

“Don’t mention it.”

True to his word, Kurtzman called fifteen minutes later with a location. Bolan hadn’t even bothered changing out of his blacksuit. He barely had time to return to his hotel and retrieve his equipment bag, where his full arsenal was stowed. There might not be another chance. The mission had gone into high gear. The stakes were up and the numbers were running down. A totality of the circumstances had dictated the parameters of the mission this time, and Bolan found little choice but to follow the trail Fate had laid ahead of him. Either way, it didn’t matter to Bolan. If he could create more chaos for Casco by hitting Los Zetas while buying Gagliardi time to break away from whatever mess he’d stepped in, so much the better.

Bolan had become an expert in improvisation long ago. From jungle hell-grounds to battlefields littered with Mafioso vermin, the Executioner forged a new kind of warfare. He’d learned to hit the enemy hard and fast, give them no corner. He continued his War Everlasting with the maintenance of one primal goal: put the enemy down and keep them there. And that’s what Bolan had come to Phoenix to do.

Yeah, the Sun City blitz had begun.

4

“I’m telling you, Rumaldo, this cabrón was no damned Zeta. This dude was some kind of soldier or something.”

Rumaldo Salto, enforcer and head of Hector Casco’s personal guard, folded his meaty arms and leaned against a pillar of the portico outside Casco’s home. “A soldier, eh?”

“Yeah,” Claudia Pacorbo said. “Like a commando, see. Dressed all in black. Big and mean. And he had some kind of special gun, you know, like an automatic gun.”

The story was too wild to make up and yet Salto had serious trouble believing her. For one thing, Pacorbo was known to do a little too much nose candy and that kind of habit didn’t promote clear thinking. Second, the boss had assigned him to stay put and watch the house and grounds while he sent his spies to the streets to get the full story. But nearly an hour before dawn, Pacorbo showed up at the front gate in a taxi cab without a dime to her name—Salto had to fork out nearly a hundred bucks for Pacorbo’s twenty-mile ride from south-central Phoenix to the east side of Scottsdale—with a cockamamie story about a commando dressed all in black and toting a machine gun.

Then again, Salto had already heard the first reports coming back as evidence that supported Pacorbo’s wild story. First, two of the guys assigned to protect Casco’s chief shot-callers were dead and riddled with too many bullets to have come from one or two guns. Second, the other girls had gotten into the truck this alleged commando had been driving under the promise he was going to “take them home.” That most definitely smelled of serious trouble. The only thing Salto wondered was if the trouble was coming from the cops, Los Zetas, or a freelance troublemaker looking to score some action.

“Okay…okay, chica. I’ll tell you what, I’ll talk to the boss and see if he’ll meet with you. But I’m telling you, girl, if you’re pulling my leg just to score some money for smack, you’re going to get a smack. And it won’t be the kind you’re thinking.”

“Fine,” Pacorbo said, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder with smug indifference. She folded her arms and added, “You go talk to Hector.”

Salto shot her a dirty look before turning to head inside. The cool air felt good against his face. Barely morning out there and it was already muggy and hot. Salto wasn’t much for the heat, a surprising twist of fate for a native-born Mexican raised near Juárez on the American-Mexican border. Before joining Los Negros, Salto had trained quite a while in the Sonoran Desert and resided for some time in Hermosillo. Eventually, like so many of his Los Negros brothers, Salto entered the U.S. illegally for the sole purpose of working in the employ of Hector Casco.

The honor was all Salto’s, no doubts there. Casco turned out to be one who ruled with a firm but fair hand, and while he didn’t pay that well, he treated each man with dignity. In fact, most wouldn’t have looked at a guy like Casco and marked him as the second ranking overseer of the Sinaloa cartel. Casco was known among certain circles as a man of distinct tastes who prepossessed a classic air of style and dignity. Additionally, Casco donated to a number of worthwhile charities—anonymously, of course, since it wouldn’t do for his enemies to know his true identity—while rubbing elbows with the social elite in Scottsdale under an assumed identity.

It was Casco’s ability to continue his charade of identity that amazed Salto most. The fact nobody had yet betrayed him spoke to his skill in this area. Actually no one, with the exception of the heads of the Sinaloa cartel, even knew the details of Casco’s alternate alias. They were not allowed to accompany him to the various social events in which he engaged, save for his driver, And neither Salto nor any of the house protection team were permitted to leave the grounds except when off duty.

Salto had once considered following Casco but decided against it as too risky. If he were discovered they would most certainly mark him as a cop or a traitor, and a traitor’s mark was not something he wanted to acquire while inside Los Negros. Not only could it mean death, but even if he were to explain it as mere curiosity he would also be ostracized and no longer enjoy the freedoms and protection of the organization. Salto had worked too hard, come too far, to ever let that happen.

Salto rapped on the slightly ajar door to Casco’s study, and then poked his head through the opening at a grunt of acknowledgement. Casco sat at his desk scribbling furiously on a notepad. There wasn’t a phone or computer in sight; Casco didn’t believe in such things as they could be traced back to him. There was a house phone but that was all. Any correspondence was either handwritten, output via a thermal typewriter or delivered in-person between Casco’s couriers.

A courier had been Salto’s first job after coming into Casco’s employ. The job was tough and extremely dangerous given the list of Casco’s innumerable enemies. A courier was nothing more than an information mule. He carried nothing of material value, but the knowledge a courier possessed was priceless to rival gangs, and particularly to Los Zetas. None of Casco’s enemies had ever caught a courier, which is probably why Casco continued to operate with the freedom he did. Still, he knew that luck wouldn’t last forever. Eventually, they’d get to a courier and the guy would spill his guts, and then Salto would have to start earning his money for real.

“What is it, Maldo?” Casco demanded, using a shortened form of Salto’s name. Nobody else but Hector called him that.

“Boss, the Pacorbo chick demands to see you.”

“I’m busy,” Casco snapped. “And I’m not about to give that bitch any more money. You tell her to go suck it off Julio or one of the clubbers. She ain’t going to get change from me. I know what a gold-hopping whore she is.”

“Uh, sure, boss…but—”

Casco had returned to his work as if he hadn’t heard Salto. Nearly a full minute passed before he looked up and noticed his house boss still standing there and pinned him with an icy stare.

Salto took a deep breath and blurted it out before he got in trouble. “She showed up here looking pretty hard, Hector. And she claims that what happened to our boys last night was not the doing of Los Zetas.”

“Bullshit.”

“That’s what I told her and she insisted.”

“And you believed her?”

“When she tells me to basically go fuck myself if I don’t let her see you, yeah, that gets me to start wondering. And then she tells me about this dude, the guy that she claims took them out, dressed all in black like some kind of commando, shooting this chatter gun and stuff. And she claims he took out all three of our guys from quite a distance, almost like a sniper or something.”

Casco’s pallor went a noticeable gray, and something flickered in his eyes. “Did you say he was dressed all in black?”

When Salto nodded, Casco’s mouth dropped open as if he wanted to say something.

“What is it, boss?”

“If that’s true, then that is a problem…a very serious fucking problem.”

It wasn’t often that Casco got excitable, but Salto could tell this had his boss on edge. He talked as if his mouth was dry as cotton, and some beads of sweat were visible as they glimmered in the light. Casco had a reputation of being a tough, fearless son of a bitch who didn’t worry about nothing or nobody. Yet every day the guy had to worry his enemies would track him down and kill him. He had to worry about underlings who might betray him, and rivals who might try to undercut his operations.

“You know who this guy is?”

“Maybe,” Casco said, clearing his throat. “Maybe I do. You remember Jose Carillo?”

“Panchos Carillo?”

When Casco slowly nodded, Salto felt a stabbing sensation to his chest. The very name conjured a cornucopia of memories. Most of it had been before Salto’s time, but he couldn’t imagine too many guys his age not hearing the legend of Jose “Panchos” Carillo. The deceased Mexican mob leader had brokered a deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia to provide protection for his massive drug-smuggling operations after the collapse of his only rival’s empire. Unfortunately, an equally determined faction of a Chinese triad known as the Kung Lok had set their sights on the American Southwest, as well.

As the story went, one man was credited with bringing down both sides in a bloodbath that lasted a couple of weeks and went from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and El Paso to Canada. It was even rumored that this same bastard—who dressed in black and used military tactics—took the fight to Hong Kong and closed the attempted Kung Lok operation into utter chaos. Carillo and his closest advisors were eliminated, along with some high-ranking officials in the American government, and this individual was credited with racking up a body count so great on both sides that they never recovered.

“You don’t think—”

Casco lifted a hand to cut him off. “We won’t make any assumptions. The first thing we must do is verify this. Go get the bitch.”

Salto turned and immediately retrieved Pacorbo. As they entered Casco’s study, Salto caught the strong odor of cigar smoke. This surprised him, since his boss didn’t typically smoke in his home. He chose to go outside to enjoy his cigars, and the fact he’d fired up inside the house—in his study, no less—told Salto all he needed to know about how his boss was taking this news.

“Have a seat,” he said to Pacorbo, gesturing to a nearby couch.

She practically fell into the plush cushions and propped her feet on the coffee table in a most disrespectful fashion. Salto looked in Casco’s direction with horror but it seemed his boss decided to overlook the indiscretion. He would have ordered the bottoms of the feet beaten of anyone else who had done such a thing. Casco appreciated fine furniture and didn’t tolerate anyone treating his possessions with indifference.

Casco sat on the edge of his desk and took a long mouthful of smoke, letting it out slowly before he addressed Pacorbo. “Maldo tells me you have some information about the man who killed three of my people last night.”

Pacorbo said, “You damn bet I do. But I got a question for you, first.”

Casco smiled but it lacked graciousness. “And what might that be?”

“What would this information be worth to you?” Pacorbo said. “Because once I tell you what I saw, I’m gonna have to get out of here for a while. Lay low.”

“Why’s that?” Salto asked.

“Quiet,” Casco said to him. He returned his attention to Pacorbo. “I would have to give the matter some additional consideration, but I suppose that I would initially ask you the same question.”

Pacorbo expressed confusion. “Say what?”

“How much is the information worth to you? Is it worth say, perhaps…your life? Or maybe it is not so much, maybe it is only worth one or two of your fingers. Or how about a nipple? After all, you have two of them.”

“What’re you talking about? You know me, Hector.”

“Yes, I do.” Casco took another purposeful draw from the cigar before continuing. “Which is what begs the question, does it not? You are known for being an opportunist, Claudia, and loose enough to do anything for a little blow. You are also a noted loudmouth, and obnoxious with a zest that borders on stupidity. How you ever got the nickname of Angel I will never understand, because you are anything but. So here is my proposal. If what you tell me sounds legitimate, I will allow you to leave here with all of your body parts intact. I will even arrange for a one-way trip to anywhere you wish. If you lie to me, however, or I believe you are exaggerating even a little, I will have to reconsider our relationship and refer you to some people who are not reputed to be lenient toward your kind.”

Pacorbo sat in stunned silence.

Salto had to admit that Casco’s words had surprised him a bit, as well. He’d never seen Casco lose his temper beyond a show of irritability here and there, and he certainly hadn’t heard the guy make open threats. On some level, Salto marked Casco’s reputation as a very dangerous man. Salto had already believed it, for the most part, but this exchange only served to reinforce any doubts that might have crept into his mind.

“So would you like to proceed telling me exactly what you saw or have you changed your mind?”

“I saw what I saw, Hector. I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not, but I saw what I saw.”

“Okay, then, I’m listening.”

Pacorbo took a deep breath and then burst into a five-minute dissertation on everything she had seen and heard, leaving out none of even the smallest details. Salto would intermittently look at the boss’s face, but Casco sat in such stony silence that Salto couldn’t get a read on how her words affected him up or down. When Pacorbo finished her spiel, Casco took several thoughtful minutes to consider what she had said, puffing absently at his cigar. Finally, he mashed the stogie into a giant glass ashtray on his desk, folded his arms and stared at Pacorbo.

“You know something, Angel…I believe you. I really believe you.”

Salto produced a deep sigh of relief under his breath at the same time as Pacorbo produced an audible one, and Salto realized both of them had been on pins and needles. That’s when Casco’s next statement caught him totally off guard.

“Maldo, take her out of here. Make sure she doesn’t come back.”

“What?” Pacorbo screamed.

Pacorbo started to stand but the deep cushions made it difficult, and before she could gain her feet, Casco stepped forward and slapped her hard across the side of the head. The blow sent the young woman reeling. She landed against the sharp edge of the marble coffee table, the blow enough to split open the skin on her scalp but not render her completely unconscious. Pacorbo let out a shrill cry and tried to stand, but before Salto could react, Casco was all over her.

“Boss, what are you—?”

“Shut up!”

Casco turned furiously onto the woman and began to pummel her with his fists. A couple of times he kicked her in the tailbone with the heel of his shoe, a move that made Salto wince a bit. Salto stood almost twice the size of Casco, and yet he remained still and rigid as if his legs were cemented into the floor. After at least a full two minutes of continuous brutality, Casco ceased the battering and straightened his shirt collar. All that remained of Pacorbo was a whimpering, sobbing mass of bruised flesh.

Casco looked at Salto and his expression left no doubt as to the intent behind his words. “Get her out of here.”

Casco was ordering Salto to take Pacorbo from there and dispose of her—but why? It had been some time since Salto had to bust a cap on anyone, and he couldn’t ever remember doing a woman. Not a helpless, defenseless woman like Pacorbo. What threat could she truly pose to him?

Well, it didn’t matter much because Salto knew damn good and well if he didn’t do as he was told that he’d be the one Casco ordered eliminated. And that just wouldn’t do. Reluctantly, but with haste so as not to incur further wrath, Salto dragged the poor, battered woman to her feet and hauled her ass out of there. She moaned and her head lolled on her chest, but she was only semiconscious. As he half dragged, half carried her limp form across the tile floors of the hallway to the front foyer—her stiletto heels click-clacking with eerie regularity whenever they hit the seams between the tiles— Salto noticed no blood other than from her scalp wound.

So Hector hadn’t hit her in the face or any areas that would draw blood. He’d struck her only with body blows. Why? Was it something about disfiguring a woman that maybe bothered Casco? If he had, it certainly would have bothered Salto. He wasn’t into beating on women, as a general rule, much less offing them. But if Hector said it had to be done, it had to be done.

Salto got her into one of the house cars, a plain sedan, and clubbed her with the butt of his pistol. He thought about putting her in the backseat but then thought better of it and opted for the trunk.

The drive down to a secluded area of the city beneath the I-10 freeway took ten minutes. He hauled her from the trunk and dumped her onto the cement. Salto pulled his pistol and put it close to her head. He took a deep breath, willing himself to get it over with, but his hand began to shake. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d done this shit so many times he couldn’t remember the count. Yet here he was like a scared little girl, not even able to end this little tramp’s misery. Maybe that was because deep down he actually liked Claudia Pacorbo a bit.

After another minute of indecision, Salto stowed his pistol. He pulled a roll of cash from his pocket and peeled off a few hundred bucks. He then scrawled out a quick note that read, “Leave and don’t ever come back.” He stuffed the cash and note in an exposed portion of her bra.

Then Salto jumped into his car and drove away, never looking back.