Chapter Twenty-One
While I waited in the recording studio—Alan Manzone’s version of the home office—I made the call I was reluctant to make.
Hands down, I would’ve preferred Dillon or Jared as my partner in the field in Colombia. But since Jena had my best men with her, that left my sixth man off the bench: Harrison.
Fuck, I’d almost prefer Skyler over Harrison, except Skyler didn’t even know how to load a gun, much less use it. And in Bogotá there was every possibility there’d be bullets and blood.
I’d only gone into a hot zone once with Harrison. He had competent skills and military training, but I didn’t know him well enough to have a good read on him as a man, and I didn’t like teaming with someone I wasn’t sure was a team player.
He came off as a bit of a hotshot and a little arrogant—GI Joe wants-to-be-the-hero syndrome—but he’d served, his military record was impressive, and Jared vouched for him before he’d been hired. That made Harrison the winner of my private lottery of who gets to serve with Graham in Bogotá.
Well, maybe my asking personally for his help would flatter him, and that would get him to bust his hump for me, and hopefully not make me regret this.
I studied Harrison’s picture icon on the screen of my phone—I hadn’t exactly remembered what he looked like until I found him in my contacts—told myself fuck it, and hit dial.
Three rings sounded through the speaker, stretching my nerves, until I heard an abrupt, “Yes.”
I glared at the phone.
What was it about people that they never said hello anymore? Then I remembered he couldn’t pick up it was me on the caller ID since I was using a burner cell. Frankly, I should have counted myself fortunate that he answered.
“It’s Graham Carson.”
“Graham. Long time no speak.”
Yep, it was the lack of caller ID. The second he heard it was me he unbent and was less prick-like. I took that as mild reassurance it wasn’t a mistake to reach out to him.
“What you doing, Harrison? You on a contract or what?”
“Or what.” He laughed. “Just sitting around in Brea with my cock in my hand.”
“Well, let go of your cock and grab your Glock and meet me at The Kettle at 1900. That joint on Highway 1 in Manhattan Beach. I have an assignment for you.”
“Really?” He sounded surprised. That wasn’t reassuring. “Jared said he had nothing on the books available. That it’d be a while until I got my next contract.”
“Jared’s a lazy motherfucker. He doesn’t know what it’s like for guys like us to sit on our tail all day like he does every day.”
We both laughed.
“You want to talk numbers and job?” I asked.
“Hell yeah. Is the contract with you?”
“Yes, I’m the entire team. This one is on the QT. You don’t tell anyone. Not even Jared. Probably less than a two-week hop. South of the border. You up for that?”
“Are we talking in the field instead of the shit we do for the rich and famous?”
“This is real world. As real as it gets.”
“Groovy. Let’s rock ‘n’ roll, brother, like we did in the old days.”
I heard sounds from beyond the studio door. “See you at 1900,” I said quickly and clicked off the phone.
I rose to my feet as Alan entered the studio.
“Sorry to make you wait so long, Graham. Never a moment to myself in this house and the second I need a hand, I can’t find anyone.”
I laughed as Alan took a chair near the sound board and I settled back on the couch.
“Thanks for dropping what you were doing to talk to me.”
He grabbed a cigarette and lit it. “I owe you, and that’s something I won’t ever forget. So give it to me straight, Graham. What do you need?”
He leaned back in his chair and assessed me through the smoke curling from his lips. It was harder than I thought to ask him for the help I needed, because there was no way to explain the details that would make my requests not sound random.
I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “I can’t answer any questions about this, Alan. It’s better for you that I don’t.”
He nodded as if he got what I was saying beyond the words I spoke. “I appreciate that. You going to tell me what you need?”
“I’ve gotten myself into a situation.”
“I figured as much. You show up here with Leland’s daughter, your mother, and no Lee. You know that Lee and I go way back. We’re good friends.”
I nodded. “What I’m doing, I’m doing for Lee—”
He held up a hand to stop me. “You don’t have to explain. I only wanted you to know where I was coming from. What small apprehension I had before we talked, I consider it gone. I don’t need you to explain a damn thing you do to me.”
“I never expected to be coming to you with my problems, Alan.”
“That’s what friends do. You ask and I do.”
There were no words to make this sound right, so I stopped trying to find them. “I need to leave my mom and Ella here with you. This is the safest place I could think for them to stay while I’m doing what I need to do.”
Alan’s eyes widened. “Done. As long as you need, I’ll treat like my own, part of my family. But something tells me that’s not everything you need.”
My gaze locked on his. “I need transport south of the border for me and another man. This one I can’t do on a commercial plane. I need to get in and out of my destination without TSA security checks or customs.”
He took a long drag of his cigarette. “Lee’s all right, isn’t he?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That’s what I need to find out.”
“Travel isn’t a problem. I can get you shipped wherever you’re going, no receipt and no address, tonight if need be, with a phone call.”
“Thanks. Last thing.”
Alan grinned as he stubbed out his cigarette. “You’re full of surprises tonight, buddy.”
The irony of that comment hit me in a good and bad way. “I’ve had my share of surprises lately.”
“What’s your last thing?”
“Cash, Alan. I need cash. Where I’m going, you don’t get what you need with a credit card.”
He laughed. “Fuck, Graham. You saved that for last. Cash I got. How much?”
“To be safe? Five million US.”
Alan sat back. “Oh fuck. Is this ransom for Lee? This isn’t a hostage thing, is it? I didn’t hear anything on the news about an American businessman being kidnapped in Mexico.”
“No, it’s not ransom,” I quickly assured him. “And that’s all I can tell you.”
He rummaged in his pocket for his cell. “Barclays bank can have five mill here in roughly two hours. Does that work for you?”
“It more than works. Thank you, Alan. For everything. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”
After the money arrived, I had three hours to kill before meeting Harrison. I went to the bedroom Alan’s wife, Chrissie, directed me to take since she thought I was staying there, too, and lay down in the quiet to think and plan.
Things were finally going my way.
Agent King hadn’t found us.
Margie Holt and her Hornet were gone.
Ella and Patricia were settled into bedrooms with Alan Manzone and his family.
Harrison was available and I was confident he’d join me on this excursion.
I had a suitcase full of cash.
Another full of weapons and ammo.
And a way to travel undetected into Colombia.
Not a bad day’s work. Sometimes all you needed was one good friend to pull everything back together from the edge. It didn’t hurt that Alan Manzone was a billionaire.
I took a fast inventory of my gear before I packed up and headed out to say goodbye to Patricia and Ella. I found them on the back patio, reclined on loungers to watch the sunset, chummy like the oldest of friends with Chrissie.
“You girls getting along OK?” I asked.
“Graham,” Patricia chided, shaking her head. “You don’t call women girls these days. It’s not correct.”
Chrissie laughed. “You can call me a girl any time, Graham.”
Ella frowned. “I am a girl. Why is that wrong?”
“It just is,” Mom said then made a goofy face. She noted the case in my hand and frowned. “You going somewhere, son?”
“I have a business appointment.”
Ella’s gaze shot to my face and sharpened. “You said you weren’t leaving.”
“I won’t be long,” I promised.
I leaned over and gave her a tight hug. It made me sick in my stomach to lie to her, but if I told them more, they’d want to know more, and it was better just to leave and later have Alan deliver the cover story we’d agreed upon to explain my absence.
I set down my case and with my thumbs I brushed across Ella’s worried cheeks. “You be good for Grandma and Chrissie.”
I planted a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m always good, Poppy.”
“I love you, Ella Bella.”
“I love you, too.”
Saying goodbye to my loved ones before shipping out never got any easier. Not even when my next stop was Patricia.
Instead of my customary kiss on the top of her head, I gave her a firm hug as well. “See ya soon, Mom.”
“Wow, a hug and everything tonight.” I felt her arms tighten around me before she eased back. Her brow furrowed. “You OK, Graham?”
I nodded. “I’m great.” Then I forced a smile. “I’m just jealous I have to work tonight and can’t stay here drinking wine and enjoying the sunset like you girls.”
Patricia laughed, pointing at me. “He’s impossible. That’s all there is to it. I’ve already told you, don’t call us girls.”
I winked at Chrissie and that earned me one of her charming lopsided grins.
“Night, everyone,” I said and left quickly before they could stop me again.
The emotion was clogging up my throat by the time I reached the driveway and climbed into the Porsche Alan lent me. Two minutes later, I was on the road to Manhattan Beach and my next stop was Bogotá. I only hoped it wasn’t too late for Lee.