With all the straps buckled down and all the zippers tightened, Adriana turned her attention to a napkin next to the bag on the table. It was all she’d had when Tommy called her back to give her the details of how to find the pilot she’d requested.
She’d answered the phone quickly. Tommy’s voice sounded odd, as if he was trying to hide something. A few minutes later, she found out why.
“This pilot is great, and he’s exactly what you need for this kind of job. He’ll get you in and out and won’t ask too many questions about it. He doesn’t come cheap for stuff like this, though. Just so you know.”
“Money isn’t a problem. You know that.”
Tommy chuckled. “I know, but it’s rude to assume those kinds of things. I always like to be informed so there are no surprises. Besides, you’re going to need to make a significant withdrawal to pay this guy.”
Her lips parted in a slick grin. “I keep an extra stash around just in case I need it for such things. How much?”
He paused a second. “My guy told me for something like this he wants twenty grand. And that’s a discount rate for a friend. He said he’d have charged a stranger double that.”
It was an expensive proposition. Then again, there was hazard pay to consider. She’d never paid that amount of money to anyone for such a service. Still, the number didn’t even make Adriana flinch. “Works for me,” she said without hesitation. “If he’s fast, I’ll even tip him.”
“You’re pretty desperate to get to this place, huh?”
“Don’t even ask what it’s about, Tommy. This is a personal thing, and I have to take care of it. I don’t want you or Sean getting involved.”
The truth was, she wouldn’t mind if Sean got involved. He was always good in a fight. But this was her deal, her father’s life on the line. Adriana had always been independent. Depending on someone else for help was something she actively avoided. If the situation arose where she didn’t have a choice, Adriana would make the call.
“Okay. I understand. You want to handle it yourself.” He paused for a moment before speaking again. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your father dropping off the radar would it?”
“It’s not your concern, Tommy, though I appreciate you asking. I have it under control.” Truthfully, she didn't, but she was doing all she could.
Deep down in the pit of her stomach, she felt like a pawn in a high-stakes chess match. Never in her life had Adriana felt so trapped in a situation. Not even when she’d been kidnapped by a madman in Greece.
Questions fluttered through her mind. She wondered, if the man holding her father knew the location of the Bellini, why he would go through all the trouble of setting up this whole scenario. It seemed as if strings were attached to her and the other players involved. If that was the case, she wanted to know when the strings would be cut or what she could do to cut them herself.
“You still there?” Tommy interrupted her thoughts.
“Yeah. I’m here. Tell me about this pilot.”
Tommy gave her the contact information for the pilot and how to find him. With all her stuff packed and ready to go, she picked up her phone and made the call to the pilot, an older man named Jackson Kennedy. She hoped that he was all Tommy cracked him up to be.
17
Allyson stared across the bar at the bartender. According to her sources, he was the guy to talk to about getting in with Espinoza’s inner circle. She knew simply walking up and asking for an introduction wouldn’t work. Getting an audience with one of the biggest drug lords in the world would require something a little more subtle.
As the sweaty, balding man stared at her cleavage from the other side of the counter, she reconsidered the term subtle. She’d dressed as provocatively as possible, wearing a tight black dress with a white belt and bright red lipstick. The skirt only went halfway down her thighs and showed off her sleek, toned legs. Every guy in the bar noticed when Allyson strutted in, and not a single one bothered to question what a pretty blonde girl like her was doing in a dump like this.
Getting out of Amsterdam hadn’t been as difficult for her as she thought it would be. Her friend in London pulled a few strings and put out false reports that the woman responsible for the shooting had been wearing a disguise. They were to be on the lookout for a brunette with a cropped, short cut. The report spread quickly, and several women that fit the description were taken into custody for questioning. Most of them would be set free, at least Allyson assumed as much. It was unlikely any of the women were found with a weapon or could be put at the scene of the shooting.
A bead of sweat rolled down her neck, trickling into her dress between her breasts. The bartender’s eyes followed it every inch of the way.
“I’ll have a Tecate,” she said, pretending to ignore his lustful gaze.
“Sure.” He reached under the bar and grabbed a semi-clean mug. Then he turned around and pulled a can out of the refrigerator. He opened it and set it next to the mug, still enamored by the strange woman’s sexuality. “First time in Guadalajara?” he asked.
Her lips curled just enough to make him even more curious. “No.” She tilted the mug and poured the beer, slowing it enough to get a nice even head of foam. She took a long sip and set the mug down. The bartender watched every move as if he was hunting a wild animal, assessing her with every passing second.
“I don’t remember seeing you in here before. And I think I would remember a flower as beautiful as you,” he winked as his eyes wandered to her breasts once again.
The line was beyond cheesy. She wondered where the man learned to speak such good English, and how to so poorly hit on women. This guy had sleazeball written all over him. She sized him up immediately as the type who liked to be slapped around a little.
Allyson took another sip of the beer. “No. I haven’t been in this bar before.” She took a quick glance around at the dingy surroundings. Gray paint peeled from the walls. She noticed the old wooden floor creak in several places when walking in. Taking another look now revealed the worn planks were on their last legs, some prying themselves free of the flooring and sticking up a half inch from the others. The mirror behind the bar had a thin layer of dust coating it. She didn’t want to know how long it had been since the thing was cleaned.
“Like I said, I’d remember—”
“I heard what you said,” Allyson cut him off and took a big gulp of beer, taking the contents down to less than half the mug. “And to answer your other questions, no, I’m not from around here. Obviously, I’m American. Oh, and if you were wondering if I might hang around for a while, that answer is also no. I’m looking for someone and came in here to get a beer.”
The bartender smiled, revealing a crooked set of teeth underneath his black mustache. It was hard to tell which needed to be cleaned more, the teeth or the mirror.
He placed both hands on the counter and leaned forward. “I like a woman with some spirit,” he said, rolling his words together with his thick accent.
I figured you would, creep.
“I’m a guy who knows how to find people,” he continued. “Tell me who you’re looking for, and maybe I can help. If you’re nice to me.” He raised an eyebrow after finishing the last sentence.
One of the drunks at a corner table chuckled.
Allyson twisted her head and fired darts from her eyes at the loner. “Find something amusing?” He wasn’t sure how to take her and for the moment quieted down. She returned her attention to the bartender. “As for you, I thought you liked a woman with spirit. Sounds to me like you don’t want someone to be nice to you.” She reached over the bar and grabbed his collar. Her fingers squeezed the shirt tight around his neck, and she yanked him closer. Two other men off to her right both jumped up from their chairs, ready to pounce if she made another move.