LITMIR.BIZ

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would call hiking clothes.”

      “The docs know it’s not true ... but they also know who we are. All they needed was an excuse to write down on some form. They’re too afraid to call the police.”

      “Good thing you didn’t try and pull that stunt with Natasha.”

      Damien grinned and said, “I know better. She’d probably slash my throat with a scalpel.”

      “You find out the answers to my questions?” asked Jack, choosing to ignore the remark.

      “Yeah, I did.”

      Jack listened closely as Damien told him everything he had found out. He didn’t mention how Leitch and Ray died. He summed it up by saying, “There are some details that are best left unsaid. If I was psychic, I might make a prediction that Leitch and Ray are deep-sea diving. Bet they remembered their weights but forgot their tanks.”

      Jack gave Damien a long, hard stare. He realized he was holding his breath and slowly exhaled. He then asked, “So now what? You know Carlos is going to come after you.”

      “Yeah, I know. But what was I supposed to do? By the time I figured out who Ray was, it was too late for apologies. Besides, Carlos was going to kill me anyway. He wanted me to make the last payment myself in Colombia. Once I did that, he would have whacked me and my family.”

      “So what will you do? Take your family and hide? Carlos is not going to let this drop. Especially when he finds out ... what you did.”

      “He already knows. I let Ray talk to him just before ... a certain procedure.”

      “His revenge could be swift,” noted Jack. “He’s already set up here laundering money through coffee companies. He’ll have guys looking for you or anyone else you know.”

      “I know. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I’d ever get a chance to nail him first. All I wanted to do was save my family.”

      “You’re not the only one who wants Carlos. He made this personal for our side. I want him!”

      Damien’s thoughts were still on his own family and he said, “I’ve got guys guarding my house. I thought of moving everyone to some other country, but with Carlos’s money and connections, it would probably be just a matter of time.”

      “Witness protection program?”

      “Fuck you. I’m not testifying on anything. I’d take my chances with Carlos first.”

      “If I told you a way to get to Carlos, would you help?”

      Damien eyed Jack suspiciously and then said, “Maybe. What are you thinking?”

      “You would have to pretend to be my informant and —”

      “Not a chance! I’m not being a rat to —”

      “I said pretend! You won’t say anything we don’t already know or would find out.”

      Damien looked at Jack curiously and then asked, “What’s your plan?”

      “It’s really quite simple. There’s another cartel in Colombia that rivals Carlos’s. It’s called the Ramirez cartel. With your connections, I bet if we were in Colombia, you could connect with that cartel in less than a week.”

      “Diego Ramirez. He lives in Cali.”

      “You’ve heard of him then?”

      “I’ve been to his villa for dinner.”

      “Perfect.”

      Damien grunted and said, “His prices were a little steep.” He then glanced around and added, “But I guess, ultimately, not as steep as Carlos’s.”

      “Is Carlos based out of Cali too?”

      Damien shook his head and said, “Nope. A small city called Buga. It’s less than an hour’s drive north of Cali.”

      “Close enough,” said Jack thoughtfully.

      “Close enough for what?”

      Jack looked at Damien closely, then said, “Time for you to meet my partner, then we’ll discuss strategy.”

      “Fine by me. I want to shake O’Reilly’s hand, too, for what you guys did last night.”

      “O’Reilly’s busy looking after his own family. My new partner is Laura Secord.”

      Damien’s face registered his surprise, then he said, “Jesus. A fucking broad?”

      “A fucking broad? This is from someone who once told me that there could be a ‘certain degree of verisimilitude’ to what I say? The same guy who asked why cops tend to ‘lard on the tough talk’?”

      Damien stared at Jack but didn’t respond.

      “You sound like you think I’m one of the bozos who work for you!”

      Damien frowned and said, “That’s upsetting. I think you might have a point. Sometimes it’s hard to think you’re not just some guy from another chapter.”

      “That kind of scares me,” said Jack, wondering if Danny was right. How close am I to being one of the bad guys?

      “You trust her? Your new partner?” asked Damien.

      “She’s the one who found your family last night. She’s smart ... pragmatic. I trust her. Something I don’t feel about too many people.”

      “If Carlos finds out I’m in Colombia, he’ll slowly skin me alive. I mean that literally.”

      “Do you want Carlos or not?”

      “It’s either him or me. Do I really have a choice?”

      “Then let’s do it. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Laura. Your life will be in her hands. I suggest you don’t call her a ‘fucking broad’.”

      Damien shook hands with Laura. The meeting was brief as Jack quickly reiterated what Damien had just told him. He then told them about his plan to trap Carlos.

      When Damien left, Laura looked at Jack and said, “Find me a ladies’ room. I shook hands with him. I know it’s psychological, but I need to wash.”

      “Likewise,” said Jack.

      “Then your plan says we go to the office and lie to the people who are on our side?”

      “Exactly,” said Jack.

      “Oh, man...”

      chapter thirty-four

      Anti-Drug Profiteering investigators arriving at work were greeted by Jack and Laura, who had called a meeting. Randy Otto from I-HIT also attended. They listened attentively as Jack and Laura described the Carlos cartel and outlined the Colombians’ money-laundering activity orchestrated by Ray and Leitch through a chain of coffee shops.

      Jack paused as different investigators hastily wrote notes, then he looked at Randy and said, “Yesterday, while I was being detained in the office, Laura did some checking and found several businesses and a warehouse that the Colombians have invested in.”

      “I’ve made copies for all of you,” said Laura, sliding sheets of paper across the table.

      “Laura and I met our informant early this morning,” said Jack. “Last night things went sideways. Leitch was skimming money that he shouldn’t have. Our informant says Leitch met with Ray last night and then disappeared.”

      “The Colombians teaching Leitch a lesson?” asked Randy.

      “Excellent guess,” replied Jack. “It shouldn’t take long to verify. Find Ray and you may find Leitch. If all this

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