Part 6 (2/2)
”No coffee?” said Nathan. ”I would have expected a pot of coffee in an operations center.”
Jose smiled. At least he recognized it as an ops center. That was a start. ”I can get a fresh pot going in the canteen, along with some lunch for you and your family. Come on in.”
Nathan took a few hesitant steps into the expansive room. ”I think we'll grab a bite to eat at a taco stand on the way out.”
”That would not end well for you.”
”I'll grab some Imodium at a pharmacy,” replied Nathan.
”You'll need something stronger than that on these streets. I a.s.sume you've pieced together where we brought you?”
”Mexicali.”
”Former heart of the Sinaloa cartel's US distribution system. The Mexicali plaza, as they called it, was the most profitable of the eight Sinaloa border plazas. Nearly everything got through the border station. At one point, a joint DEA/US Customs undercover investigation indicated that forty drug s.h.i.+pments got through the ten-lane crossing for every s.h.i.+pment detected. Now? Nothing gets across, and the city has devolved into a violent, unmitigated s.h.i.+thole. Perfect for hiding our little operation, but n.o.body goes topside without cartel permission and a serious armed escort.”
”Which I presume you can arrange for us-soon.”
”Why the hurry?” he said, hoping to get a better gauge of Nathan's situational awareness.
”Do you really have to ask? It's only a matter of time before Cerberus rolls into town and starts waving around enough money to dissolve any of the loyalty you've cultivated over the years. Please tell me you're aware of the consequences of bringing us here.”
Very aware.
”I considered those consequences before we decided to rescue you. I knew it spelled the end of our Mexicali stay.”
Nathan appeared to consider his words, and for the briefest moment, Jose thought it might be that easy. He should've known better than to get his hopes up.
”I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you,” said Nathan.
”At least hear what I have to say, and if you don't mind doing me a favor, can you convince David to listen?”
”I think he has enough on his plate right now.”
”We don't have a lot of time, as you pointed out,” said Jose.
”All the more reason to move this discussion elsewhere.”
”Give me an hour at the most. I'll get some coffee going and dig up some decent rations. Your wife should be here, too.”
”You don't want her in the audience.”
”Probably not, but I know how it works,” said Jose. ”All in or all out. At least that's how my family rolled.”
”Yeah? So your family's here, too?” said Nathan, defiantly.
”No. I lost them in the Albuquerque firestorm.” Jose quickly mastered the tears before they could surface. It was his parlor trick, leaving nothing for an observer but the slightest pause in his speech.
”Oh. Sorry. I didn't-I can't imagine,” said Nathan. ”I thought everyone-you're not from California?”
”This is way bigger than California, Nathan. That's what I need to show you,” said Jose, glancing at the wall-size maps covered with symbols on the far eastern wall of the room.
Nathan's eyes followed, stopping when they reached the maps. Jose watched as he took them in. They were too far away for him to decipher the strategic or tactical significance of the symbols and markings, but surely close enough for him to feel the gravity of their purpose.
”Let me show you where to find David,” said Jose. ”Shall we reconvene in fifteen minutes with coffee and hot chow?”
Nathan nodded, his eyes drifting from the wall to Jose. ”I can't make any promises,” he said.
”I just want an opportunity to explain the bigger picture, and why you're important enough to sc.r.a.p our location here.”
”I'll see what I can do,” said Nathan, hesitantly. ”Have you tried talking to David yet?”
Jose grimaced. ”We were up nearly until dawn burying his wife. I haven't wanted to bother him-but time is running short.”
”He buried Alison already?” said Nathan, looking confused. ”What happened to the whole proper burial thing you promised?”
”Proper takes on a whole different meaning in Mexicali. After a long discussion with David, we decided on a more practical burial service. More private.”
”Where did you bury her? Never mind. I don't want to know,” said Nathan, shaking his head. ”And he was fine with this?”
”He was far from fine with it, but he knew there was no other realistic option. A quarter of the city's remaining population perished in the violence and chaos that followed California's border closure. The funeral industry vanished nearly overnight. It was all they could do to bury the hundreds of bodies produced every day.”
”You just dug a hole outside and buried her in it?”
”We have a place set aside for this kind of thing, on the outskirts of city. It was the best we could do under the circ.u.mstances.”
”And you weren't going to tell me any of this before I walked over and woke him up?”
”He doesn't blame you,” said Jose. He blames me, for not getting there in time.
”I got him into this,” said Nathan.
”That's not how he thinks, and you know it. I believe your father shares the same warrior ethos?”
”I don't like how much you know about me.”
”Funny thing is, I'd never heard of you until two days ago.”
”Nothing funny about that,” said Nathan.
”I suppose not, but you'd be surprised to learn how much has transpired on your behalf between then and now. Your arriving here is just short of a miracle. Let me show you where you can find David so I can explain why.”
CHAPTER 11.
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