“Is that you, Pierce?”
“I’m calling to check on the bystander I shot. Last time we talked, he was in surgery. Tell me he’s okay.”
“He’s okay. Last I heard, they were about to release him. He’ll be fine, but that doesn’t mean he won’t sue. And there’s the warrant.”
The innocent victim he’d hit with a bullet was safe, and that was all Hunt cared about. He’d deal with the potential lawsuit and warrant later. McMaster wasn’t about to rat him out to the local cops. He knew what was at stake.
“Thanks for letting me know, sir.”
McMaster changed the subject, and his voice grew cold—almost stern. “Is Cole with you?”
“He’s close by, yes.”
“What’s his role in this, Pierce?”
“I think it would be better if you—”
“He’s my daughter’s husband, damn it! He’s with the CIA, isn’t he?”
The CIA? Cole? That was ridiculous. The CIA wouldn’t touch Cole Egan with a ten-foot pole. Hunt was about to ask McMaster what kind of weed he smoked but thought better of it. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to play the CIA card. Those guys were involved in a lot of shit overseas. If Egan wanted to keep his family—and stay out of jail—hinting that he was CIA wasn’t a bad idea, at least for the short term. He’d have a chat with Egan about it.
“As I suggested earlier, I really think you guys should have a serious man-to-man talk, you know?” Hunt replied, staying vague.
“I fucking knew it!” McMaster exclaimed. “I knew it. A goddamn spook! Did you know, Hunt, that he called me in the middle of the night to ask me to either relocate my daughter or, at the very least, to send a security team to her house?”
Of course I know. I was with him.
“I had no idea, sir.”
“Why can’t the CIA protect their own? You’d think they’d have special teams for that, wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know their procedures.”
“Where are you headed next?”
“Not sure yet,” Hunt said, still keeping things vague.
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” McMaster replied, his tone indicating he understood Hunt’s reticence about sharing more information. “And, Pierce, please tell Cole I’ll make sure Katherine’s safe.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The Black Tosca’s close circle of advisors was once again reunited in her lavish dining room. The only senior member missing was her cousin Hector, so there were four instead of the usual five. The men seated around the dining room table were getting jumpy. It wasn’t a secret that Hector’s operation on American soil hadn’t been the complete success they were hoping for. The Black Tosca wanted to reassure them, to let them know that everything was under control. There was no reason to expect any blowback from the local authorities—most of them were in the cartel’s pocket—or the Mexican government. As for the United States government, it would never dare an incursion deep into Mexico, especially an urban area like San Miguel de Allende.
“Why didn’t Hector eliminate the girls in Miami? Is there really a need to go through all of this here?”
As a businesswoman, Valentina Mieles understood her advisor’s concerns. The man—a fifty-year-old accountant—was a math genius and an essential element of her organization. But he wasn’t a risk-taker. This was something she had long ago accepted, but what she couldn’t tolerate was his tone. Defiant. Insubordinate. She’d give him one chance to retract.
“What are you afraid of? Tell me. I’m curious.”
All eyes turned toward his end of the table. They all knew she didn’t care for subordinates questioning her judgment, and even less so in front of the group. He swallowed hard before he looked at her again, his face flushed. He had definitely caught her drift.
“With all due respect, Valentina, and I apologize if I sounded impertinent—believe me, it wasn’t my intention—what I wanted to say was that this end of the operation won’t generate any revenue for you and that, perhaps, this could have been dealt with differently.”
He was right, of course. It would have indeed been preferable if the whole operation could have been carried out in the United States, but a series of unfortunate events had forced Hector’s hand. She’d never heard of Pierce Hunt before, and, to be honest, she was surprised that one man could have caused Hector to change his plans. Even Mr. Granger had failed to check in with a progress report, something that had never happened before. Mr. Granger was a valuable asset; his access to Daniel McMaster was priceless. This access would become extremely helpful to her organization once Tony Garcia and his top lieutenants had been taken care of.