“Where is he?”
“The Flores family has a box directly above section one oh three—directly across the stadium from us.” He slipped Sean a pair of binoculars. “I already scoped it out when I arrived. The kid is there; so are Carson Spade, Gabriella Romero, and one of the Flores brothers. Four other men, two I pegged as bodyguards, two I believe are associates. I couldn’t stay long—this disguise is nonexistent. I’m sure Dante already alerted Gabriella to my presence, and she’s a wild card.”
“You’re going to have to clue me in later,” Sean said. He looked through the binoculars and adjusted them. He saw mostly a sea of red and white, the team colors.
And then he saw Jesse.
The kid was watching the game intently. His hair was longer than in the photo Sean had seen, long enough to curl at the ends just like Sean’s hair did. He wore a home team jersey that was too big on him, and held a bag of popcorn.
Sean’s heart rate increased. That was his son. He should be taking him to games, showing him how to play soccer and baseball. He should be watching him play in Little League or coaching his soccer team.
Focus. Sean turned the binoculars to the rest of the group. Carson wasn’t sitting next to Jesse—he was in front of him, next to a relaxed older man. Jesse was sitting between the only female in the group—Gabriella Romero, Sean presumed—and a broad-shouldered dark-skinned man with a mustache. He looked all bodyguard.
“We wait until they leave.”
“I hate that plan.”
“I’ve gone through the possibles and this is the only way it’s going to work. Unless the kid needs to use the bathroom, we’re going to wait until the group leaves. I will split him off from his group, using the crowds as a diversion. We need to act fast. Spade or one of the entourage will notice pretty quick if the kid isn’t with them. You have to convince him not to make a scene. If he goes quietly, we get out fast. If he argues, we bolt. Without him. You may have authority from his mother, but that doesn’t give you rights here in Mexico when Carson Spade is his legal guardian.”
Sean wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Kane didn’t talk much, so when he had a speech, Sean paid attention.
He nodded.
“Follow me.”
Sean followed Kane around the south end of the stadium until they reached section 103 where Jesse sat with his group. Cheers erupted when the home team scored a goal, putting them ahead 2–1 with two minutes left. Sean stopped where he had a vantage point, but Kane pushed him forward, around the corner, and up the stairs that led to the upper balcony. After the goal, many people started to leave.
Kane pushed Sean into an alcove—a food stand had once been there, but it was shut down now—and said, “Stay here.”
Sean waited. And waited. The stadium roared several minutes later, and thundering applause, shouts, and footfalls filled the arena. Where the hell was Kane?
He almost left. He watched from his vantage point as masses of people filed past him. They didn’t seem to be ending. Then suddenly Kane emerged with Jesse by the arm.
“Let me go!” Jesse said. With the noise from the crowd, no one would be able to hear him.
Kane gave Sean a look that said they had little time.
“Jesse,” Sean said, “your mother sent me to bring you home.”
“No way, she would have told me. Who are you?”
“My name is Sean, and your mother and I were friends years ago. You need to trust me. As soon as we get out of here, you can call her.”
“Yeah, and you have a puppy you want me to help you find.”
Kane was watching the crowd. “Sean, time.”
“Jesse,” Sean said, “your stepfather is bad news, and he’s put your life in danger. Your mother hired me to find you. You need to come with me now.”
He reached for him, took him by the arm, and suddenly Jesse started screaming. “Let me go!”
Sean didn’t want to scare him, but what was he supposed to do?
“Carson Spade is working for the drug cartels, and you’re not safe with him!” Sean said, pulling Jesse toward him.
Jesse lashed out, scratching Sean. He saw Sean’s gun under his jacket and kicked Sean in the balls. Sean fell to his knees and Jesse slipped away.
“Kane! Grab him!”
Kane did and at first Sean was relieved, then Kane said in a low voice, “Jesse, do not tell anyone about this. You will put your mother’s life in grave danger. We’re coming back for you.”
Then he let him go. Jesse ran.
“What the hell?” Sean said. “Why?”
“We have to go, Spade already alerted security. If the kid talks, we’re fucked.”
Sean slammed his hand against the stone wall and followed Kane.
That didn’t go anything like he had planned.
*
Jesse ran away from the two creeps, but he had no idea where to go. He headed back toward the seats they’d been sitting in, fighting the crowds.