Part 28 (1/2)
”One more? I thought I was coming here to get my last payment for the photographs. And you said you'd reimburse me for them taking my laptop.”
t.i.tus looked at the young man. This was the guy who had taken the pictures of Rita? Macias must've been reading his mind, because he again jabbed the automatic into his kidney, telling him to keep his mouth shut. t.i.tus's lower back was getting sore from his repeated jabbing.
Macias pulled the Navigator keys out of his pocket and tossed them to the young man.
”In the shopping center over there, there's a Lincoln Navigator parked in front of the supermarket. Dark blue. I want you to go over there and get it and drive it to San Marcos. Watch for the first Texaco station on your right as you come into town. Exit off there and go to the station. You'll find another Navigator just like the one you're driving. Your money's in the glove box. Drive off. You're through.”
Elias Loza stared at him. ”Why am I doing that all of a sudden? That wasn't in the deal. ”He glanced at t.i.tus. ”It looks to me like s.h.i.+t's coming apart here. There was no driving a car in the deal. If this ... if s.h.i.+t's coming apart here-”
”Nothing's coming apart, ”Macias said. ”We're just staying flexible. You gotta be flexible, too.”
”I don't want flexible. I want the rest of my money.”
”Well, your money's flexible ... it's not here. It's in the other car ... in San Marcos.”
Loza stared at Macias. t.i.tus could see him thinking: Either the money's in the other car or ... this son of a b.i.t.c.h could shoot me right here.
”That's it, then?”
”Yeah, that's it.”
Disgusted, but more scared than anything, Loza bent down and got his camera bag. When he straightened up he looked at t.i.tus and then back at Macias.
”I don't know what's going down here, ”Loza said, ”but, me doing this, it doesn't feel right. And I don't have a gun, nothing... .”
Macias swore. t.i.tus guessed he'd love to just shoot the guy and get the h.e.l.l out of here, but he wanted the tag that he thought was on the Navigator to be headed out of the city. Suddenly he lifted his s.h.i.+rt and pulled the automatic from the waist of his trousers. He tossed it to a surprised Loza, who caught it against his stomach with his free hand.
”Get the h.e.l.l out of here, ”Macias said.
Loza looked at the gun, then at Macias, and cut a glance at t.i.tus. For a brief, sweet moment, t.i.tus thought Loza was going to shoot Macias. But it was a fool's moment, and Loza turned and walked out of the garage.
Chapter 58.
Romo Cal found the Navigator in a cl.u.s.ter of other cars in front of the supermarket. Rather than trying to work at a distance, he decided to barge in close and go for broke. He parked three cars away from the Navigator so that he was on the opposite side of it from the grocery cart storage rack.
Walking away from his car, he fiddled with his keys as he pa.s.sed the Navigator on the way to the cart storage. He saw nothing. He pulled out a cart, pretended he forgot something in the car, and walked past the back of the Navigator again. Still he saw nothing. At his car, he opened the door and pretended to get something and then once again walked toward the Navigator on the way to the cart he'd left at the storage rack.
Still seeing nothing that made him suspicious, he got even with the back of the Navigator, left the cart, and slipped in between the cars and looked in. Nothing. Quickly he went to the cart again and headed toward the front of the supermarket as he pulled out his cell phone.
”The car's empty, ”Cal said to the van. ”Nada.” ”Nada.”
”Keep your eyes on it, ”Burden said. ”We'll get back to you.”
As Cal closed the phone, he glanced back just in time to see a man walking toward the Navigator through the aisles of cars. He was looking around, pausing, looking, and coming on. Finally his attention focused on the Navigator, and he headed straight for it. Quickly, Cal reversed his direction, pus.h.i.+ng his cart. The guy glanced around and saw Cal, but disregarded him.
Cal watched the guy as he began checking out the Navigator as if he were unfamiliar with it. The guy looked up and looked around. What was this? Was he going to steal it? Then the guy walked up to the door and pointed his remote key lock at it; the Navigator squeaked, and the guy opened the door.
He still had one leg outside on the pavement when Cal moved around the rear b.u.mper of the Navigator and blocked the door just as the guy tried to swing it closed. Instantly Cal's automatic was in his face.
”Don't breathe, ”Cal said. ”Are you alone?”
The guy nodded yes.
”Who are you?”
”Elias Loza.”
Cal moved the barrel of his automatic to Loza's mouth, touching his lips. Now he saw that Loza had been carrying a bag, and it was sitting in the seat with him.
”What's in the bag?”
”Camera.”
”Armed?”
The guy nodded yes.
”Where?”
Loza looked down. ”Right here.”
Cal moved the barrel between Loza's eyes and reached in and found the automatic in the front waistband of his pants. He was surprised to see it was the same gun he'd jammed down between the car seats for t.i.tus. He hit the clip release, but it was empty.
”Where the f.u.c.k'd you get this?”
Loza didn't even have to guess if the name would have any meaning. ”Jorge Macias.”
”Where is he?”
”Look, I don't have anything-”
”Where!?”
”Over there ... other side of the shopping center ... one of those houses ...”
”What are you doing here?”
Loza told him.
”What's the address over there?”
Cal was already pulling out his phone as Loza gave him the address.
”Another man with him? ”Cal asked.