Brett Battles - Exit 9

“Ash and I need to have a conversation with Chloe,” Pax said to Madigan. “Any quiet place we can talk?”

“You can use the gym. No one’s in there.”

“Thanks.”

Since Chloe was the most familiar with the facility, she led the way.

As soon as they were alone, Ash gave her a hug. “Good to see you.”

“You, too,” she said.

Pax was next. “I could get used to a beautiful woman like you hugging me like this.”

She playfully slapped his shoulder. “Well, don’t. If anyone asks, I’ll be sure to say I’ve never let you within five feet of me.”

Pax looked around, and motioned to some chairs in the free-weights area. “Why don’t we have a seat?”

Once they were settled, Chloe eyed them both. “So, join you doing what?”

Before Ash could say anything, Pax held up a hand. “First, we need you to be straight up with us. How’s the leg?”

She let out a quick laugh and nodded. “I get it. You need to be sure.”

“That we do.”

“I take it this is a mission.”

“We’ll get to that. Now, your leg?”

She got up and lifted her left leg so she was only standing on her right. She then began hopping up and down. “It’s got some permanent pins, and there’s a plate right here.” She leaned down and touched a point on the side of her shin. “Sometimes when I get really tired, I limp, but my limp is faster than most people’s walking pace. Along with everything else Madigan’s been putting me through here, I go on a five-mile run every day, and on weekends Ramona and I go on a ten-mile hike.” She sat back down and looked Pax in the eyes. “The leg is what it is, but it’s never going to stop me.”

“I’m sold,” Ash said.

Pax shook his head. “All you had to do was say it’s fine.”

She glanced at Ash then Pax. “It’s fine.”

“You’re in,” Ash told her. “But only if you want to be.”

“I want to be.”

“Let me finish first.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes. I do.” Ash paused. “Chloe, this isn’t going to be easy. Matt would probably put our chances of success at ten percent.”

“Five,” Pax corrected.

“The point being, I’m not sure how many of us are going to make it back, whether we succeed or not.”

“How many of us are there?” she asked.

“With you, there’ll be eight.”

“Not a lot to start with.”

“No.”

She shrugged. “I’m still in. Better than hanging out here and waiting for the end of the world.”

Pax stood up. “Great. Let’s go get you outfitted in cold-weather gear and get under way.”

“Wait,” she said. “No one said anything about cold weather.”

17

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Hector Ramirez was supposedly out questioning suspects regarding a rash of burglaries at several boutique hotels in the Palermo area. What he was really doing was much more enjoyable.

There was no one who could get him as excited as Gabriella. At least once a week, he would sneak away for a few hours in the afternoon so they could have some time together.

Though Hector was married, he wasn’t cheating on his wife. Gaby was his wife. Even after fifteen years together, she still was the most sensuous woman he’d ever met. While most of his colleagues wanted little to do with their spouses, Hector wanted everything to do with his. Happily for both of them, Gaby felt the same way about him.

They were on the living room couch, Gaby’s body straddling his as she moved in a rhythm all her own. She gave him a devilish smile as she pushed her dark hair behind her ear.

Oh, God, how had he ever gotten so lucky?

As he reached up to caress her breast, his phone rang. Annoyed, he looked over at the coffee table where it lay.

Without slowing at all, Gaby said, “Go ahead.”

“It can wait.”

Up and down she went. “I want you to answer.”

He sneered, knowing the possibility that it might be his boss-the danger of discovery-would turn her on even more.

Careful not to do anything that would throw off what she was doing, he reached over, nabbed the phone, and looked at the screen.

“Who is it?” she asked, her voice hushed.

“I don’t know.” There was no name, and the number was not one he recognized. “I’ll let it go to voice mail.”

“No, go ahead. See who it is.”

She was crazy, this wife of his, and he loved that about her.

He accepted the call and put the phone to his ear. “Ramirez,” he said.

“Uncle Hector? It’s Patricia.”

Immediately, he put his hand over the phone and whispered. “Stop. Stop.”

His wife slowed, but didn’t completely halt.

“Uncle Hector?” his sister’s daughter said again.

“Patricia, how are you? Is everything okay?”

“Patricia?” Gaby whispered, confused. Then her eyes grew wide. “Our niece?”

Hector nodded. Gaby immediately rolled off her husband and sat down beside him.

“I’m…um…okay,” Patricia said.

“You sound like something’s wrong.”

She hesitated for a moment. “Did you get my message yesterday?”

He had, but between the hotel robbery investigation and dinner out with Gaby and their friends, he’d forgotten. “I’m sorry. I was very busy and couldn’t call you back.”

“It’s okay.”

“So what’s going on?”

“I, uh, found something, and showed it to Rodrigo. We both thought maybe we should show you, too.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure. We thought it might have something to do with…drugs, maybe.”

Hector sat up. “Drugs? What are you talking about?”

She briefly told him what she had found.

“Where is this?”

“In our old neighborhood. You know, the one we lived in when I was a kid.”

If his niece was right, and the shipping container held drugs, then…good Lord, that could be one of the biggest seizes ever in the city. But if it was drugs, surely no one would have just left it there unwatched. According to Patricia, she’d been there twice already without anyone stopping her. That seemed inconsistent with what he knew about the business.

But he did have to admit that whatever it was, the situation was odd.

“Where can I meet you?”

“I’m using the payphone outside the store outside Cervantes Market. How about there? Remember? It’s the one we used to get fruit at. It’s close to what I want to show you.

“I know it,” he said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Okay.”

He hung up. Gaby said, “What’s wrong?”

“Patricia and Rodrigo found something strange.”

“Strange how?”

As he stood up and started pulling on his clothes, he repeated Patricia’s story.

“Drugs,” she said when he finished. “That’s not your area. Maybe you should have someone else check it.”

“I doubt it’s drugs. In fact, it’s probably nothing. Maybe the owner is just using the building for storage.”

She didn’t look convinced.

He leaned down and gave her a kiss. “I’ll be all right.”

“Back this way,” Patricia said.

They were at the old abandoned house. Hector didn’t remember it from when he visited his sister’s family in the past, but both Patricia and Rodrigo assured him it had been empty even back then.

His niece and nephew led him into the building, through an open spot near the top of a wall, then a secret hole at the back of a cabinet. They showed him the damaged wall, the container, the roof, and the peculiar box Rodrigo said he thought controlled everything.

It all confirmed what Hector had thought when Patricia told him about the place over the phone-it was odd. Beyond that, he had no answers.