The slap that he heard next stopped any further thoughts. He couldn’t listen to her being beaten and do nothing. A second slap, even louder had Sean moving.
“I’m coming down!” he shouted and with his hands in the air walked slowly down the stairs. At least if he were in the mix, they had a chance. Better to die a stupid hero than a coward, he thought.
Luis slapped the bitch again, evening up the redness of the cheeks. She fell to the floor and began to sob loudly.
“Who did this?” he asked again grabbing her long blonde hair and pulling her to her feet.
The shout from upstairs made him jump which, thankfully, his men failed to notice as they once again swiveled expertly towards the staircase.
As the man appeared on the staircase, Luis caught his breath. It couldn’t be, he had watched his uncle carve this man to pieces. He had watched every grizzly minute of it and had sleepless nights ever since because of it. This man was dead.
The man to Luis’ right had been with them that day and he could see that he too was reacting in the same way. It couldn’t be. He could also see how nervously he was training his weapon on the man they knew as Sean Fox.
“Hold your fire!” he said with as much command as the shakiness of his voice would allow.
“Don’t hit her again,” warned Sean, pointing to Luis.
Luis subconsciously stepped away from Katie. The sight of the ghost of Sean Fox brought back many old tales he had heard as a child during the day of the dead festival.
“But you are…” stammered Luis.
Sean could see he had completely freaked two of the Mexicans. The other was struggling to comprehend what was freaking out his two colleagues while trying to keep his weapon trained on him.
“Sean Fox,” replied Sean, his hand outstretched as he walked towards Luis. “Pleased to meet you!”
“Dead!” continued Luis, looking down at the outstretched hand in disbelief.
After a couple of seconds, Sean withdrew his hand and moved towards Katie.
“I think she’s mine,” Sean reached down and helped Katie her to her feet.
Luis finally pulled himself together and shook off the tales of dead rising, devils and whatever other nonsense his head had been filled with as a child and aimed his Desert Eagle at Sean’s head.
“I watched Sean Fox die, who the fuck are you?!” he said with some conviction.
Sean reckoned if he were going to be shot, they’d already have killed them. For whatever reason, they hadn’t come to shoot in retaliation. There was something they needed. Sean’s contacts. Katie had mentioned that was why they were keeping an eye on her.
“Let’s talk about James,” replied Sean taking control and walking towards the living room, ignoring the huge barrel that was staring him in the face.
Sean led Katie away and the two Mexicans looked at Luis for direction. He nodded acceptance and signaled them to follow. He needed to know what had happened. He could save face later if there was a later, depending on how El Jefe reacted to what he was about to uncover.
The sight of the bullet-ridden wall and the body of another Los Zetas was not a pleasant welcome for Luis, payments would need to be made to the man’s family. Los Zetas always looked after the family of the fallen. Two down, two large payments, Luis’ mood worsened.
“Please, sit down.” Sean waved towards one of the sofas, inviting the Mexicans to take a seat.
Only Luis sat down. His two men took up positions either side of the living room, their weapons ready.
“What happened to my men?”
“Your men?” asked Sean quizzically.
“My uncle’s men,” he clarified automatically and immediately chastised himself inwardly for falling for such an obvious trick.
“So you are the nephew of the boss of Los Zetas!” teased Sean, adding very deliberately and slowly. “That must make you a very important person, very powerful!”
Sean didn’t watch Luis, he watched his men. If they understood English they would react to what he said. One man did, a smirk appeared on his face. That told Sean everything he needed to know. This guy was the boss’ nephew but commanded little respect and whatever he did was thanks to his uncle.
“Yes it does!” said Luis with some conviction and confidence. “So what happened to my men?”
“I killed them!”
“Why?”
“They pointed their guns at me!” smiled Sean looking towards the two gunmen.
Both gunmen flinched. Hector and Miguel were experienced ex-soldiers and would not have been easily killed.
Luis was taken aback by Sean’s candor. He expected a little more contrition in the current situation. He had two men covering them with guns and had their child hostage. Yet he felt he was the underdog.
He raised his gun and pointed it at Katie.
“I don’t think you are fully appreciating your position,” threatened Luis.
“Whoa!” Sean raised his hands, he had played him too hard. “Sorry, I promise, I fully appreciate our position. I didn’t catch your name?”
Luis’ hand began to shake ever so slightly as he held the massive pistol aloft. He willed himself to pull the trigger but couldn’t. He had never killed anyone before. Starting with an unarmed helpless woman wasn’t going to be the easiest of first kills. Sean’s timely and quick intervention was going to save his reputation in front of his men. As far as they knew, he would have done it.
“Luis, my name is Luis,” offered Luis bringing the gun back down, his arm muscles welcoming the move.
Katie let out a breath, her first since the gun had been aimed at her. Sean kicked himself. This was a young man with serious respect and authority issues and he had pushed him too far. He had almost got Katie killed. He had to play him, not wind him up.
“Luis, I’m sorry,” he reiterated. “Your men shot first, I shot back,” he pointed towards the wound on his leg in confirmation that they had indeed fought him in some way.
“But Sean Fox is dead, so who are you?” Luis asked for the third time.
“My name really is Sean Fox.”
“And the man we killed?”
“Another Sean Fox.”
Katie shifted nervously in her seat, uncomfortable with the discussion and Sean’s constant insistence that there were two of him.
“So you are no use to us,” offered Luis.
“Depends, on whether I’m the right or wrong Sean Fox,” replied Sean mysteriously.
“And how would I know?” asked Luis quizzically, playing along with wherever Sean was headed.
“I suppose if I could give you the contacts and leads to the East coast distributors, I would be the right one. If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be.”
“Can you?” the hope in Luis’ voice gave away just how desperate he was.
“Where is James?” asked Sean.
“He is safe, can you?” asked Luis again.
“Where is James?” reiterated Sean.
“Can you?!” Luis asked more forcefully.
Katie kicked Sean’s ankle. She wanted him to stop.
“Yes!” replied Sean definitively.
Chapter 25
General Yuri Borodin looked at the pilot as though he were mad. “What do you mean we have to put down?”
“It’s a no fly zone, Sir.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, tell them I’m on board!”
“I have, they told me even if you were the President of Russia, you’d still not get in by air.”
In all his years as a senior member of the Russian military, he had never been told he couldn’t do anything.
“Ignore them, I’ll have their heads when we land!” he boomed in outrage.
The pilot, under no illusion who was his boss, continued on their original path.
Vasiliy sat next to Borodin quietly. He was used to watching him throw his weight around, of which there was plenty to throw. He knew he’d not hear the end of the outrageous suggestion that, he, General Borodin, could not fly wherever he needed to go, for some time. Vasiliy pitied the poor fool on the ground, who did not know what was about to hit him. Siberia would be his next posting but only if he were lucky and Borodin’s mood lightened before they landed.