Ready to Kill Read online

She raised her chin slightly. “I know. I have a friend who’s teaching me.”

  “And . . . ?”

  “I saw you give my father some cash.”

  “I see . . . What are you offering?”

  She sucked her teeth. “Not that.”

  “It’s past your bedtime, sweetheart. I’m over twice your age and not interested. Let’s try again. What’re you offering?”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Nice meeting you, Antonia.” He turned to leave.

  “I know stuff.”

  “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  “Something’s happening tomorrow.”

  “Such as . . . ?”

  Again, she didn’t respond.

  Estefan nodded toward the road. “The money’s in my truck. I trust twenty-five hundred córdobas will do?”

  “It’s a good start.”

  “So tell me about your friend.”

  She cocked her head impatiently.

  “Right . . . I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Estefan picked up his pack, climbed the bank, and walked at a good clip toward the road. He could make better time along the rim of the bank. He knew Nathan couldn’t see him because of his proximity to the trees lining the river. Nathan had to be wondering what was going on. When he reached a safe distance from Antonia, he pulled the radio.

  “I’m heading back to my truck. The girl wants cash for information.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “She’s tight-lipped until she sees some green.”

  “I guess the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Santavilla.”

  “I’m heading over to my pickup to get it.”

  “We’ll keep eyes on the area and make sure no one else approaches her position.”

  “I’d appreciate it. I’m reluctant to admit this, but she got behind me.”

  “How close did she get before you heard her?”

  “That’s just it—I didn’t hear her at all. But to answer your question, ten yards. She said she has a friend who’s been teaching her. She knows what ‘clear your six’ means.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Tell me about it. She must know someone who’s a cop or in the military.”

  “Your father’s letters spoke of her desire to leave Santavilla. Maybe this guy’s her ticket out of there. He must be the white shirt your father mentioned. How much money does she want?”

  “I offered twenty-five hundred córdobas, and she told me it was good start.”

  “Her friend could be Raven,” Harv added.

  “Harv’s right. She could be the break we’re looking for. Tell her there’s more if she keeps the info flowing. What’s your take on her?”

  “She’s confident but hard to read. If I had to bet, I’d say she knows a lot.”

  “Play up to her ego, then. Keep her talking.”

  “That shouldn’t be difficult.”

  Eight minutes later, Estefan descended the creek’s bank and found Antonia in the same place, finishing a cigarette. She flicked the butt into the water.

  He handed her a wad of bills. “We’ll start with this and see how far it goes. If I like what I’m hearing, there will be more.”

  She tucked the money into her waist.

  “A helicopter’s going to land at the lumber mill tomorrow. Everyone knows why.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “It takes the gold out of here.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The man who’s teaching me stuff is one of El Jefe’s white shirts. All the other white shirts report to him.”

  Estefan knew about the white-shirt reference from his dad’s letters. El Jefe’s lieutenants wore white buttoned shirts to distinguish themselves from the other men. “Did he tell you that?”

  She nodded.

  “How many white shirts are there?”

  “Five, I think.”

  “How many men does El Jefe have?”

  “Maybe twenty, but only a few stay in town.”

  “At the lumber mill?”

  She nodded.

  “How many?”

  “Usually five.”

  “Do any of his white shirts stay in town?”

  She made a pshh sound. “Hardly, they might get their shoes dirty.”

  “The white shirt who’s teaching you stuff, what’s his name?”

  “Franco.”

  “Last name?”

  “I don’t know it—he never told me.”

  “What happened to your father’s ear? I didn’t ask him.”

  “Franco came into town with a bunch of his men the night before Tobias was killed. They cut my dad’s ear off, because he was hoarding gold to pay for my mom’s medicine. Tobias tried to stop them, but they beat him up.”

  Estefan took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. None of this was in the letters.

  “What does Franco look like?”

  “I don’t know. He just looks like a guy.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Maybe forties. I’m not really sure.”

  “Is he tall and thin, short and fat, what?”

  “He kinda looks like you. You know, the same build. He has really dark eyes. He thinks they make him look tough.”

  Estefan felt his skin tighten. “Does this guy have a small round scar above his left eye?”

  She hesitated, then nodded.

  Raven.

  Her eyes had changed, confidence giving way to fear. “He’ll kill me if he finds out I’m talking to you.”

  “He won’t find out from me.”

  “Are you going to kill him?”

  “And if I am?”

  “That’s going to be difficult by yourself. He has lots of men.”

  “I’m used to working alone.”

  She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. “You mind?”

  “They’re your lungs . . .”

  She seemed to sense his next question. “Franco gives them to me.” She cupped the match with both hands, took a deep drag, and blew the flame out with her exhale.

  Estefan recognized the technique. “Did he teach you that?”

  “What?”

  “Shielding the flare of the match.”

  “He’s always paranoid someone’s watching him. When we’re together, he’s always looking around, even when . . . you know.”

  “For what it’s worth, my advice is to steer clear of him. Whatever he’s told you is a lie. Let me guess, he said he’s going to take you out of here someday.”

  She nodded.

  “Do you honestly believe that?”

  “He’s never lied to me.”

  “Trust me, he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Look, all I can do is warn you. You have to decide what to do. How do I get ahold of you later?”

  “If you call the house at ten in the morning, my dad’s up at the mines. My mom’s in the gold mill. There’s nobody there but me, but I have to go to work at noon.”

  “Where do you work?”

  “At the Perezes’ store. I work the late shift until eight at night.” She went quiet for a moment.

  “Does he give you money?”

  “I’m not a whore!”

  “Hey, calm down. I didn’t say you were.”

  “I’m a mistress.”

  Estefan nearly laughed. Is that what you are?

  “He gives me nice clothes and stuff. We have a flat TV and a satellite dish. We even have a dishwasher. He’s teaching me how to shoot guns. I can hit a beer can at fifty meters.”

  “You’re using a scoped rifle?”

  “He says it’s his favorite gun of all time. A ‘remilard,’ or something.”

  �
��Remington?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Another piece of the puzzle. “You said a helicopter’s coming tomorrow. Franco told you that?”

  “He flies it himself. He said he’d give me a ride someday. I’ve never been in one.”

  “Do you know when he’s coming?”

  “He always comes before I go to work.”

  “So sometime before noon?”

  She nodded.

  “How do you contact each other?”

  “He calls the house twice, but he only lets it ring once each time. It’s our secret code. I’m supposed to call him back from the pay phone.”

  Estefan waited.

  “No way. I’m not giving you his number.”

  “When does he call?”

  “We usually talk really late when everyone’s asleep but not always.”

  “Aren’t you worried people will find out? You know, that you’re his mistress?”

  “I’m not the only one. All of the white shirts have girls here. It’s not really a secret.”

  “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to suggest you were a prostitute.”

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Nearly all the girls my age are selling themselves to the miners. Younger ones too. They trade sex for gold and turn it in on free Sunday.”

  “What’s free Sunday?”

  She took another hit. “It’s why my dad got in trouble. El Jefe lets the miners pan gold on Sundays, but they have to trade it in for cash at the end of the day. Some of the miners don’t turn all of it in. El Jefe calls it hoarding.”

  “How much gold can they pan in one day?”

  “I don’t really know, but Franco told me most of them get around two or three hundred córdobas for it.”

  Estefan took a step forward. “Antonia, why did you come out here? Was it just for the money?”

  She looked down. “I liked your father—everyone did. He was a really nice man. I was there when he got shot.”

  “Will you tell me about it?”

  For the first time, she showed some emotion and wiped a tear. “I was at the church meeting just before it happened. He went out to the work bus to greet the miners like he always does, and he handed something to my father. It looked like money. That’s when I heard it. There was a loud sound, like a whip. I didn’t know what the sound was.”

  “It’s a supersonic bullet. It makes a small sonic boom. How long was it between that sound and report of the rifle?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You should’ve heard a thud sound right after the crack.”

  “I did hear it. I remember because it echoed like thunder.”

  “Was it about one second?”

  “I think so, but I’m not sure.”

  “But the two sounds weren’t really close together, right? There was a delay?”

  “Yes, I remember it. Mrs. Perez ran over to your father and held his hand. Everyone else was too scared. I think he died pretty fast. She held his head and said a prayer. I felt really bad for him. It took the police forever to get here, and nobody would talk to them.”

  “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m glad he didn’t die alone.”

  “Mrs. Perez really liked him. She’s been really sad lately. She hardly comes into the store anymore.”

  Estefan needed to up the stakes. “You’re in a dangerous relationship. The man who considers you his mistress is the sniper who killed my father.”

  “Because he knows about rifles?”

  “Other things too. He also shot the manager at the lumber mill a few months ago.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Look, Antonia, you seem like a smart girl. I don’t know what you’ve got going with him. It’s none of my business, but I don’t want you to become his next victim. I’m serious. He’s not what he appears to be. Don’t trust him at all; he’s just using you until he doesn’t need you anymore.”

  “Maybe I’m using him.”

  “Then you’re playing a very dangerous game. Think about what I told you, okay?”

  She didn’t react.

  “I have to go. The nice stuff Franco’s buying for you? The money and clothes? His promise to take you out of here? It’s not worth selling your soul. Deep down, I think you know that.”

  He couldn’t see her face, but her body language suggested she was about to cry again.

  With that, Estefan walked away. When he looked back a few seconds later, she was gone. She must’ve climbed the bank, but he needed to be certain she wouldn’t follow him. Estefan pulled his radio and turned the volume up a little.

  “You guys copy?”

  “We’re here.”

  “Do you have eyes on the girl?”

  “Affirm. She’s heading for the church.”

  “I’m ninety-nine percent sure her boyfriend, who goes by Franco, is Raven.” He told Nathan and Harv about the scar—the scar he had given Raven during a fistfight when they’d both been drunk right after the war.

  “This is gold,” Nathan said. “She’s our connection to Raven. Good work, Estefan.”

  “I think she’ll stop at the general store and call the guy.”

  “Let’s hope she does. We want Raven to know you’re in town asking questions. Harv?”

  “Yeah, I agree. It’s possible he’ll try to neutralize Estefan using men from the lumber mill without coming up here himself.”

  “Not a nice thought,” Estefan added.

  “Then we’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Nathan said.

  “Maybe I should drive into town and check into the hotel using my real name.”

  “That’s a good idea. We might be able to set a trap.”

  “I’ll camp with you guys up there tonight. We’ll take turns keeping watch. Three sets of eyes are better than two.”

  “Okay, she turned right at the church, she’s heading toward the general store. Do you think she suspects you were playing her?”

  “It’s hard to say, but my gut says no. She was too busy playing me.” Estefan took a minute to update them on most of the stuff he and Antonia talked about, especially the part about the helicopter and Raven keeping some of his men at the lumber mill. “I’m a pretty good judge of BS, and I was just hip deep in it. She even faked some tears.”

  “Then you think she’ll call Raven?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “She just passed the store. It looks like she’s heading home without stopping at the pay phone.”

  “I trust my instincts—she’ll call him.”

  CHAPTER 21

  “Let’s drink more water,” Harv suggested.

  He and Nathan downed a pint each. Neither of them felt dehydrated, but given the heat, they should be sweating more than they were.

  Nathan kept his eye to the scope, scanning the area surrounding Mateo’s house.

  “Well, at least this confirms what Estefan believed all along. Raven’s definitely our shooter,” Harv said.

  “It pisses me off he’s sold his skills to someone like Macanas. I never saw this coming.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Nate. People change, but I’d like to know how he got hooked up with Macanas.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good question.” Nathan couldn’t conceal the bitterness in his voice. “He sure as hell didn’t respond to a help-wanted ad in the paper. Sniper needed, past experience preferred.”

  Harv didn’t respond.

  “I’m just venting. We held people’s lives in our hands, and it took a heavy toll. We’ve never killed anyone for monetary reasons or for personal gain. We literally had licenses to kill, even domestically, but we held ourselves to the highest possible standard. We never killed an innocent to make our jobs easier. You remember the damned chain-smoker who kept us
from entering that warehouse in Romania?”

  “How could I forget? We froze our asses off. Look, I know you feel we’re partially responsible because we trained him, but Cantrell’s right. Raven has free will. As far as we know, no one’s forcing him to murder anyone. Like Cantrell said, you can’t blame the academy’s instructors if a cop goes bad. Life doesn’t work that way. I mean, how far do you take it? Do you blame the makers of Jack Daniels for drunk drivers? If a guy kills someone with a baseball bat, do you blame the tree it came from?”

  “I get that, Harv. I guess I’m . . . I don’t know . . . feeling betrayed.”

  “You have been betrayed, both of us have.”

  “He seemed okay at the time. Yeah, he liked his job a little too much, but I never doubted his loyalty. He was an extremely dedicated combat soldier who never complained or made excuses. When he made a mistake, he didn’t deflect the blame. I meant what I said to Cantrell. I liked the guy.”

  “Maybe you saw some of yourself in him.”

  Nathan went silent and knew Harv would give him a moment to collect his thoughts. He liked that about his friend. “Without knowing anything about Raven’s activities after the kilo units broke up, there’s no way we’ll ever know how he got connected with Macanas. Hell, for all we know, they met at the local racquetball club or strip joint.”

  “We could take Raven alive and wring it out of him.”

  “It’s going to be hard enough just killing him. And I guess it really doesn’t matter how he went bad. I’d just—”

  “I’ll be at my truck in thirty seconds.”

  Estefan’s voice brought Nathan abruptly back to the mission at hand.

  “Wait there for Harv. I’m sending him down to collect the rest of our gear. We don’t want to leave anything in your truck.”

  “Since I’m already down here and you guys can keep an eye on my six, I should head over to the lumber mill and have a look around. I’ll do it after I check into the motel. We also need to scout the area where the helicopter lands.”

  “Make it quick. If Antonia calls Raven from her house, you might have unexpected company down there. Raven might use his men from the lumber mill to go after you.”

  “Do you guys have eyes on the place from there?”

  “Yes, but it’s a lot farther away. From our current position, it’s got to be over thirteen hundred yards. That’s beyond the limit of my NV weapon scope. We’ll need to relocate to cover you. Your diesel’s loud, and Mateo’s house is about fifty yards from the main road. Even if she doesn’t see it, Antonia will hear your truck for sure. Let’s keep playing her. Leave your headlights off. She’ll think you’re trying to sneak in there. Like I said, we have to consider the possibility she’ll use the phone inside her house to call Raven, but I’m pretty sure Raven wouldn’t want her to do that. The call would show up on her father’s phone bill.”