Angel urged him to settle down. ‘Hector, listen to me. I know you’re upset. You have every right to be. I can’t even imagine the terror you’re feeling. But I need you to tell me everything. Not a little. Not a lot. But everything. It’s the only way I can help.’
A few seconds passed before Hector nodded. Slightly at first, and then a full nod, as if it took that long to finally give in. For a man like Hector, it took a lot to admit that he needed help from anyone, even his best friend. Normally, he had the world by the balls, not the other way around. ‘OK, I’ll tell you. But it doesn’t leave this room.’
‘Of course not. This is between us.’
‘I’m serious,’ he growled. ‘If this gets out, our enemies will pounce. I can’t afford to show weakness.’
Angel nodded in agreement. He knew what was at stake.
Over the next few minutes, Hector filled him in on everything. The phone calls. The threats. The initial request. And worst of all, the silence. Twelve hours had passed since Hector had received a proof-of-life. One from his daughter, but not from his son. Both men had been in the kidnapping game long enough to know that it was probably just a ploy. Nothing more than a scare tactic to speed up negotiations. On the other hand, they had also seen the alternative. Maybe something had happened and the boy was dead.
Hector tried not to think about it.
Angel asked, ‘What does your gut tell you?’
‘About what?’
‘The kidnappers. Why did they target you? For money? For power? For revenge?’
He shrugged. ‘Probably all three.’
‘Maybe. Or maybe not.’
He wasn’t in the mood for games. ‘Explain.’
‘If this was about power, why did they go after your kids? They were already in your house. They got past your guards and your security system without detection. If they cared about power, why didn’t they just creep down the hall and shoot you in the head? That would have made a much bigger statement than a kidnapping.’
Hector glared at him. ‘Are you trying to make me feel better?’
‘As a matter of fact, I am. In our business, the only way to get power is to take it. They had their chance to steal your crown, but they passed on the opportunity. Why would they do that if they cared about power? The truth is they wouldn’t.’
Hector shrugged. He wasn’t in the mood to think.
Angel continued. ‘I think revenge is the most likely reason. You make your living from kidnapping, and someone abducted your kids. I think that’s too coincidental to ignore.’
‘You’re probably right.’
‘I’m sure money will come into play at some point, but so far they haven’t asked for cash. Or have they?’
‘No money. Just the medallion.’
Angel shook his head. It didn’t make sense to him. Hector had millions upon millions of dollars, but so far the only thing the kidnappers had requested was a relic Hector had bought at a private auction for less than 20,000 dollars. Why would they do that?
‘I don’t get it. What’s so special about this medallion?’
Hector sighed. ‘Everything.’
14
Payne had nothing to hide. He truly didn’t know why Maria was calling. The last he’d heard, she had earned her doctorate in archaeology and was living in Italy. Or somewhere near there. He honestly didn’t know because he wasn’t that close to her. Other than a work-related adventure a few years back, the only connection they shared was his pissed-off best friend, who had dated her briefly before things fizzled out. To this day, Payne still didn’t know what had happened between the two of them, because Jones refused to talk about it, but the glare on his friend’s face proved he wasn’t over it. Or her.
With that in mind, Payne decided to tread cautiously.
He answered the phone in front of Jones. ‘Hello.’
‘Jon, is that you?’
‘Yes. Who’s this?’
‘It’s Maria Pelati. Do you remember me?’
‘Of course I remember you.’ He pointed towards the exit and urged Jones to follow. ‘Hang on just a minute. It’s really loud in here. Let me walk outside so I can hear you better.’
‘Please hurry. I think I’m in trouble.’
Noticing the tension in her voice, Payne pushed his way through the crowd while Jones hustled to keep up. ‘Almost there. Give me two more seconds …’
Payne opened the door and stepped into the bitter cold. His clothes and hair were quickly coated in snow. Except for two smokers huddled near the doorway for warmth, the sidewalk was completely deserted. On a night like this, even hookers stayed inside. Searching for privacy, Payne glanced in both directions and spotted an empty bus shelter about twenty feet to his left. Although it wasn’t heated, it was better than nothing. Not only would it protect him from the gusting wind, it would save his lungs from the second-hand smoke.
Payne ignored the elements and headed that way.
Jones, who was slowed by the crowd and the bouncer, emerged a moment later without his coat or gloves. This time, he didn’t shiver or complain about the weather. His emotions were keeping him warm. A little too warm.
‘Where in the hell are you going?’ he shouted.
‘In here,’ Payne replied as he ducked into the shelter. Made of tempered safety glass, the walls were covered with ads for local businesses. A wooden bench was bolted to the ground. A fluorescent light glowed overhead.
‘Jon, are you there?’ she asked.
‘I’m here,’ he assured her as Jones joined him inside the shelter. ‘If it’s OK with you, I’m going to put you on speakerphone, so DJ can listen in.’
She took a deep breath. ‘David’s there?’
‘Yes. Is that a problem?’
She paused. ‘Maybe.’
‘Great,’ Payne said, completely ignoring her response. He didn’t care how many problems it caused Maria. There was no way he was going to keep this conversation from Jones. Not with the anger in his best friend’s eyes. Instead of condensation, Payne half expected to see flames coming out of Jones’s nostrils. He was that pissed.
Payne turned on his speakerphone. ‘You’re on with both of us.’
She remained silent for the next few seconds, unsure of what to say.
The moment lingered a little too long for Jones.
‘Are you there?’ Jones blurted.
‘Yes,’ she said meekly. ‘I’m here.’
As soon as he heard her voice, the edge in his softened. He could tell something was wrong. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.’
His anger quickly turned to concern. ‘Where are you? At home?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m at a hotel.’
‘Where’s the hotel?’
‘Cancún.’
‘Cancún? What are you doing in Mexico?’
‘I came here for a job, but …’
‘But what?’
She swallowed hard. ‘Something happened.’
Jones glanced at Payne, looking for an explanation, hoping he could fill in the details that were currently missing. But Payne was lost for words. He was just as confused as Jones, maybe more so, since he had no idea why she would call him in the middle of the night. Then again, neither did Jones, which was why his temper had flared when he saw her name on Payne’s caller ID. For a few terrible minutes, he had assumed his best friend had betrayed him.
Jones quickly regained his composure. ‘First things first, are you hurt?’
‘No.’
‘Are you safe?’
‘Maybe.’
‘That’s not good enough,’ Jones snapped.
Payne put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed, urging him to calm down. Anxiety would only heighten the situation. ‘What do you mean by maybe?’