One Rough Man - Brad Taylor [50]
“I’m the person they threatened. I don’t want to be a part of this either. Whatever my uncle owes you, I’ll help him to repay. Whatever is in the package, I’ll make sure you get a replacement. If you would just get my uncle on the phone, we can sort this out.”
I saw Jennifer’s face go white at whatever the man was saying. I quit trying to get the phone.
“Please, please don’t hurt my uncle.... I’ll do what you want.... Whatever you want . . .”
She looked me in the eye, her expression pleading for help, and said, “Pike wants the phone.... I don’t know. . . . Please . . . Here’s Pike.”
She held out the phone with her hand over the microphone and said, “Talk to him. Please . . . do something. I don’t know what to tell him. I don’t know anything about a package. Don’t let him hurt my uncle.”
I snatched the phone and put my own hand over the microphone. “Why in the hell did you give him my name and tell him his men were dead? I’m trying to help us out and you’re sitting there digging a grave for both of us. Focus on your own damn grave and leave me out of this!”
“Please . . . Talk to him.” The fear on her face cracked my anger.
Shit. She’s telling the truth. I looked at her for a second, making up my mind.
I removed my hand and said, “This is Pike.”
“I didn’t know the extent of the damage to my operation. Is what she says true?”
I gave up any pretense of operational security. If someone was recording this, I was already screwed.
“Yes, it’s true, but I only reacted to what they did. The assholes came on my boat and tried to knock me out. When I stopped that, they pulled out a knife and tried to gut me. I have no idea what this is about, but I’m not going to be held accountable for your team losing their cool. I really didn’t want anything to do with this. They escalated, not me.”
“I don’t give a shit about your excuses. I only care about the fact that your interference will cost me profits. I don’t have my package because of you. I’ll give you a choice. Either get the package and deliver it to me or I’ll take the profits out of your skin.”
Shit. That was the last thing I wanted to hear. What in the world had this girl gotten involved in?
He continued. “Don’t test my patience. If you wish, you can run. It’ll just increase the pain of your death. Put on the girl.”
“Hang on, hang on. I’ll get your package. We don’t have it here. I just met the girl, and she’s been out here all week.”
“I’ll make this plain, as I’m not sure my English would be able to get across any subtle nuances. Bring me the package or I will kill your uncle in a very slow, painful manner.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I don’t speak Spanish, so I’ll talk slow as well. It’s not my uncle and I don’t give a shit about him.”
I saw Jennifer snap her head around, looking at me like I was a piece of dog shit on her shoe. I held up a finger and continued. “The package is probably at her house in town. We’ll go see if it’s there.”
I waited a beat, hearing only silence. “You still there?”
“Yes. I’m now trying to decide if I want the package more than the pleasure of killing you. Let’s get something straight: I will slaughter you and anyone you have ever known if you speak to me in such a manner again. Do you understand?”
Oops. I guess that wasn’t so smart. “Yes.”
“You and Jennifer call me when you have the package. If you don’t call in the next six hours, you can start the clock ticking on your life. Tell the girl her uncle will be skinned alive.”
I hung up the phone and looked at Jennifer’s ashen face. Yeah, I’ll be sure and relay that bit of sunshine.
29
It took relatively little time for us to determine that there was no package waiting at Jennifer’s apartment. She went to her computer to see if she had a FedEx tracking number, or anything to indicate something was on the way, but came up empty.
Jennifer said, “What the hell am I going to do now? I don’t even know what’s supposed to be in the package, so I can’t even fake it.”
I needed to get some background before I offered any advice. “What was your uncle