“Like I said, I’d been following Diaz. They got on a boat. I got on a boat. They rode out to the platform. So did I.”
“In the storm? How is that possible?”
She looked at him incredulously. “I grew up in Florida. I’ve surfed in the aftermath of hurricanes. I’ve been piloting boats since I was ten. If it had been a Cat One or Two, maybe not. But a tropical storm, if you know what you’re doing, you can manage. And it’s lucky for you that I did. I thought that’s why you hired me. For my local expertise. And my balls under pressure.”
“What happened?”
“I called ahead. At first my phone wasn’t working, but I finally caught a signal. I told them they were coming. They were ready for them, but it was still a hell of a fight. Those four were true warriors, I have to give them that. They didn’t go down easy.”
“And the product?”
“Mostly intact. We took a few casualties there, though.”
“And the bodies?”
“In the drink. Diaz and the others will never be found. We cut out the lungs. Bodies will go down and stay down.”
“Good thinking. And your work killing the Storrows and that old woman was truly appreciated, Cheryl. They could have ruined everything. The bonus I paid you for doing that probably was inadequate.”
He seemed to realize this was not praise enough. “And you’ve just earned yourself another bonus after last night. An enormous one. And a promotion. We’re going to get you out of that uniform and into a suit. You can take over Winthrop’s position.”
“Won’t he have a problem with that?”
“He would, except I had him killed for allowing Diaz to infiltrate us. And we’re moving the operation. My logistics guys are crunching the numbers now. I’m thinking Alabama.”
“One problem?”
“What’s that?”
“Stiven Rojas.”
“What about him.”
“He’s your partner in the slave trade.”
“So what?”
“You told me he gave you an ultimatum.”
“He did.”
“And now with all this, what do you think he’s going to do? It’s not exactly a clean exit.”
“I’m thinking that I’ve become important enough that Senor Rojas will need to listen to my terms. Pipeline trumps product. I can get product on my own. I already did. Asia and Africa. Lots of poor, stupid people there. But Rojas can’t duplicate my pipeline. He doesn’t have the requisite connections.”
“Still, a dangerous game to play with the man.”
“I’m not underestimating him. But when you have an advantage you have to seize it.”
“Exactly my thinking.”
This comment did not come from Landry.
Puller had kicked open the door and stepped into the study.
Behind him charged Diaz, Carson, and Mecho.
They all had their guns drawn and pointed at Lampert.
Lampert stared first at them and then glanced at Landry in astonishment.
“You set me up?”
“Afraid so.”
“Do you realize what you’ve done, you idiot?”
“I’m not sure you’re aware of the full extent of it.”
Landry unbuttoned the two top buttons of her shirt and pulled the wire and recorder out. She handed them to Puller. She turned back to Lampert.
“I saw an opportunity and seized it,” she said and added in a hollow tone, “but don’t feel like I got anything special. Life in prison instead of the needle. Some deal.”
“I don’t think you’re going to get the same deal,” Puller said to Lampert.
Lampert said, “How did you get past my security?”
“You should tell them to check the interior of every vehicle more thoroughly. With Landry at the wheel they just passed us through.”
Lampert looked from him to Landry. “You idiot.”
“They had me dead to rights, Peter. Sorry.”
“I’ll have you killed in prison.”
“You can try,” said Puller. “But I think you’ll have more important things to think about.”
“I’ll hire the best lawyers.”
“You’re going to need them,” said Diaz. “And I’m going to push hard to have you tried in Colombia. The Americans are too soft. Justice is much swifter in my country.”
Puller cuffed both Landry and Lampert.
“Now let’s go,” said Puller. He motioned with his Mu. Lampert rose and looked at Landry.
“You’re dead. You’re all dead.”
Then he walked out with the others behind him.
They reached the front courtyard, but then Puller stopped abruptly.
“What is it?” asked Carson.
Mecho was looking around warily too.
“Down, now!” yelled Puller.
Right as he said it the guns started firing.
CHAPTER 93
Puller had spotted the shooters’ positions a split second before he hit the dirt.
He pulled his Mil and fired in an arc, emptying its mag. It was a defensive measure, solely designed to give him a few seconds to take up a new position and plan a counterattack. He took cover behind a car, gripped his MP5, and surveyed the area in front of him.
“Puller!”
He glanced behind him. It was Carson. She’d taken up position behind a stone column outside the front entrance.
She was pointing to the left.
Puller looked in that direction and his gut tightened.
Diaz was lying facedown in a pool of blood. Even from this distance and in the darkness Puller could tell she was dead.
He looked around for Landry and Lampert.
Landry was cowering behind a tree. She yelled to Puller, “Lampert ran off]”
Puller looked up ahead, to where the shooters were.
He had one person unaccounted for.
Mecho.
Puller didn’t think the big man had run off. He was wired to fight just like Puller was.
Puller looked back at Carson after a wave of bullets was fired over his position.
With hand motions he communicated to Carson what he intended to do. She nodded and tightened her grip on her gun.
Puller turned back, his gaze flitting over all relevant points.
It was on the second pass when he saw him.
Mecho was directly on the shooters’ rear flank, his gun aimed at them.
It had been neatly done, Puller thought.
There were six shooters.
Puller looked around for the vehicles they had come in, but saw none.
Then he thought the shooters were actually Lampert’s bodyguards.
A second later he noted the lumps of flesh lying around the ground.
They were the bodyguards.
This was a new force to be reckoned with.
And they hadn’t come by car.
Puller considered deliberately the tactical situation.
There were three of them, six on the other side.
In his mind the other side was woefully undermanned. They should have sent more guys.
Puller counted to three, rolled out, and opened fire with the MP5. It was a feint only. Again, he was aiming at nothing. He was drawing attention. A moment later he drew counterfire. They were totally focused on him.
Carson’s weapon fired twice. One of the shooters went down. Another clutched at his arm and dropped his weapon. Good as out of the fight.
Two down, four to go.
And that was before Mecho struck from the rear.
The two shooters nearest to the big man went down a second later. One with a bullet to the medulla. The other with a knife strike to the heart.
Even with a wounded arm Mecho had more than enough strength to wield a killing blow with the blade.
Four down, two to go.
The two remaining shooters shifted their attention to Mecho.
Now it was Puller’s turn.
He did a zigzag run to the left and then shot back to the right.
He lined up his targets and squeezed off two shots from his Mu.
Head shots both.
Kill shots both.
Six down. Zero to go.
But then Puller’s mind went back to the hotel room at the Sierra.
In a millisecond his brain worked through the facts.