Mexican Heat (Nick Woods Book 2) Page 29

  “You seem,” Rivera said, “to always forget that I attended the same law school that you did and I’m aware of what laws I may or may not be breaking. Your suggestion has been noted and declined. With witnesses, so you can breathe easier.”

  The Secretary of Finance, a reasonable man and friend of Rivera, said in a humble and respectful voice, “Mr. President, what is going on? The armed men in here. The tone of your voice. The statement that we can’t leave.”

  “We’re at war, Lorenzo,” Rivera said. “That’s what’s going on.”

  “We’ve been at war,” said Sanchez, the Secretary of Interior, though he had sat down and his tone was a bit more deferential.

  “That's right,” Rivera said. “We’ve been at quote war,” he raised his fingers in the motion of quote marks, “for nearly five years now and we’ve gotten nowhere. My time as President could almost be up. I was elected to take care of the Godesto Cartel and I’ve tried to do so within the letter of the law since the day I took my oath. But we’re no closer today to accomplishing that task than we were then. I campaigned on this goal and it’s what the people wanted. It’s also what they wanted when I ran for re-election.”

  He paused and took a deep breath. “Now, since my time is nearly up, we’re going to move more aggressively.”

  No one said anything to that, and Rivera’s tone made clear it wasn’t up for discussion.

  The Secretary of Environment reached for his phone -- probably to tell his wife it would be a long night -- but Rivera said, “Don’t touch that phone. No one is to use any phone or device unless I directly instruct them to. And if any of these security officers see anyone using a device, they have been ordered to immediately arrest them.”

  “Under what authority?” blustered Sanchez, the Secretary of Interior, in an almost weary voice.

  “My own. I’ll deal with the legal implications later, but for now, it’s my personal opinion that some of you are working with the cartels and possibly even planning a coup.”

  “That’s absurd,” the Secretary of Education said.

  Roberto knew it was, as well, but he couldn’t admit it in front of these officers.

  “I must take the threat seriously,” he said, in what was certainly the most ridiculous statement he had ever made as President. He knew the statement cost him nearly all of their respect with such a fear-based, off-the-wall remark, but it had to be done. He could do damage control later, if he survived the next two days.

  Rivera shifted his attention to the Secretary of Communications.

  “Olivia, call your people. I want them to draft an emergency press release stating that the Godesto Cartel and the Red Sleeve Cartel have broken their alliance and are going to war with each other. We urge all citizens to be on full alert and as cautious as possible.”

  Olivia was scribbling down Rivera’s words on a legal pad before her.

  “But, Mr. President,” the Secretary of Tourism said, “that’s not true. And such a baseless -- and fear-based -- claim will only give the American media more ammo to tell their people not to visit here. They may talk about this for two days, and bring up the background of both cartels, and their history of reckless violence. We really don’t need this hit on our already struggling tourism industry.”

  “I’m aware of that,” Rivera said. “Your objection has been heard.”

  “Mr. President,” the Secretary of Economy said, “this is irresponsible. Our country’s finances are already gasping and our businesses are at their breaking point--”

  Rivera held his hand up and stopped him mid-sentence.

  “Sir, if I may,” the Secretary of Defense said, his tone so reverential as to prevent Rivera from cutting him off. As a formal general, Ignacio Arango was the oldest and most respected person in the room. When he spoke, even the most puffed-up politician stopped to listen. “We really need not spread misinformation. You’ve said before that once you lose your credibility, you can’t recover. If we say the Godesto Cartel and Red Sleeve Cartel have split and are about to go to war, we’ll have no standing once it’s proven false.”

  “We’re going to make it true,” Rivera said, causing several Cabinet members to gasp.

  “But, sir,” Arango, the Secretary of Defense, said, “we haven’t provided you any counsel. Or approved any of these ideas. We’re not even sure what you’re planning.”

  “I haven’t asked you for any,” Rivera said. “I’ve been asking and receiving counsel from every person in this Cabinet for the past five years, not to mention hundreds of experts in our military, intelligence, and police forces. And if we’re honest, we’ve had more setbacks than progress.”

  Rivera looked away from the table and said, “We’re doing it my way now.”

  The trucks sat parked right where they were supposed to be, and on schedule to boot. Nick had entered the abandoned warehouse grounds alone, with just his vehicle and two Primary Strike Team members. If it had been a trap, then the damage would be minimal and the rest could split up and make for the border, with Marcus in charge.

  But it was no trap. Twelve green Toyotas, with blue police lights across the cab and rails in the back for troops, sat in the parking lot. Keys rested in the ignitions and they had full gas tanks. Nick radioed two of his vehicles to drive around the perimeter confirming there was no trap. Then they repeated their paths working further and further out.

  Nick trusted President Rivera, but as Ronald Reagan had said to the Soviets, “Trust, but verify.”

  Once it was clear that there was no trap, the rest of S3 pulled in. As all the vehicles piled in, Nick could feel their strength. Like an angry army of wolves waiting to rip into another pack that had crossed over into its territory. It was going to be a bad night for the Godesto Cartel.

  With S3 on site, footlockers were unloaded, gear tossed into the bed of trucks, and men shifted into teams. Each of the members knew the plans, knew their assignments, and knew the importance of spending as little time as possible in the pick-up location.

  Now, with the trucks in hand and the most dangerous phase of movement to the assembly area complete, Nick could breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, technically the shooting still to come was more dangerous, but Nick could handle that kind of pressure.

  It was moving as a large unit or having to rely on a politician that scared him the most. Especially a politician trying his best not to drown.

  The Cabinet meeting remained tense and uncomfortable, but President Rivera wasn’t close to done. The Butcher and the Godesto Cartel had backed him into a corner and could taste victory, but in doing so, they had created a desperate man. A man with absolutely no fear.

  Nick’s plans had been brilliant. With just one or two men of his talent in the right place, Rivera could have crushed the cartels without needing the assistance of the Americans. And no doubt Mexico had men of Nick’s talent, but the honest ones in the military and police forces never lasted long. They were killed, passed over for promotion by dirty leaders, or corrupted in many cases. Or they just got pissed off and transitioned to other careers after being disgusted by incompetence and corruption.

  Mexico had a cancer, and it would need to be cut out. Like amputating an arm. And it started tonight with what were mostly Nick Wood’s plans.

  Rivera turned to his Secretary of Defense, Ignacio Arango.

  “Ignacio, I want you to get with the head of the Army and ask him for his best hand-to-hand expert. One name. And I want this man delivered to the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 within two hours.”

  Arango had a questioning look, but didn’t say anything in reply.

  Rivera looked to the Public Security Secretary, Gerardo Jimenez, who managed all the federal prisons. “Gerardo, by the time this hand-to-hand expert arrives, you will have it arranged so that he is accepted into the prison without notice and placed in the same cell as,” Rivera looked down at the yellow legal sheet, “Edgar Argel. Make sure one of your men gives him an authentic shank, as well. One that was
actually made in the prison from scraps, and that was seized recently.

  “This hand-to-hand expert will kill Edgar Argel, who, for those who don’t know, happens to be one of the highest ranking members of the Godesto Cartel that we have incarcerated. And once Argel is dead, then our man will slash the symbol of the Red Sleeve Cartel his back. Have him study precisely how it should look according to prior times they’ve left their mark in the backs of other victims. I’m sure we have police photos of this.”

  “That’s impossible,” said Jimenez, the Public Security Secretary. “You can’t just sneak someone into Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 and then sneak them out.”

  Rivera slammed his hand down on the desk.

  “That is precisely what the Godesto Cartel did to kill Hernan Flores. Surely, if the cartels can do it, then you can do it. Otherwise, you will hand in your resignation and I will personally lead the prosecution against your corruption and involvement of the death of Flores.”

  The Public Security Secretary said nothing.

  “Finally, once we’ve removed our man from the prison, and provided him with a good ten thousand dollar bonus, Jimenez will issue a press release tomorrow claiming a member of the Red Sleeve Cartel killed Edgar Argel of the Godesto Cartel. And I expect someone from the Red Sleeve Cartel to be named.”

  “That’s unconscionable,” the Attorney General chimed in. “You can’t just frame someone for something they didn’t do.”

  “I’m betting,” Rivera said, “that the worst man of the Red Sleeve Cartel that we have incarcerated has probably done everything from execute people to burn women and children alive. I don’t care who’s picked. Ask the warden to name the worst one. If it makes you feel better, pick one of them that raped little girls. It doesn’t matter to me. Either way, I’ll sleep fine. But we will have a name and photo of a Red Sleeve Cartel member to accompany the news release of the death, and that news release better have a good-sized picture of Edgar Argel’s carved-up back in nice resolution and detail. I want everyone in the country, even those who can’t read, to know the Red Sleeve Cartel killed Mr. Argel.”

  Rivera looked back to the Secretary of Defense.

  “Finally, one last thing before we adjourn this meeting. General, it’s my understanding that the inmate population of the federal prison in Nayarit is mostly composed of Godesto Cartel members. Some of their best men, all corralled off on their own so there’s no prison violence with other cartels. That makes sense, I know, but it also provides a unique opportunity. Given that more than eighty percent of their prisoners are Godesto Cartel men, you will create a disturbance working with Jimenez, who’s going to be a busy man tonight.

  “I want this disturbance to lead to a break out. I literally want you, Jimenez,” Rivera grinned, nodding to his Public Security Secretary, “to open the doors of this prison. Call it a malfunction in your after-action report. Or maybe gross corruption. Whatever plan you can concoct, I don’t care. But Ignacio, what I do care about is this: I want a platoon of your coldest, hardest killers waiting a quarter of a mile away, standing by to move in. Once the doors are open and the break-out begins, your men will rush in to support the out-numbered nightshift of jailers, who will certainly be calling for help against this set of mad men.”

  Rivera leaned forward and stared as hard as he could into the steady eyes of the former general.

  “And they will kill as many of the cartel members as possible. The cartel members will probably stop running quickly, once they see all the automatic weapons open up on them, so it’s important your men kill them in a way that provides plausible deniability. No execution shots to the head. Instead, have your men lay in the prone and shoot into them sideways if the Godesto members immediately lay down. Or come up with a better plan. I don’t care. But, I want at least seventy percent of them killed. Killed. Do you understand?”

  Arango understood completely, and hadn’t felt this good about a set of orders since the day he had taken his oath of office as a young man, more than thirty years ago. Thinking of all the men he’d lost to the cartels over the years, the former general was eager to get started. His leash had finally been removed and the Godesto reign of terror and violence was about to run into an angry and vengeful Ignacio Arango. He would personally make sure that the best and most loyal men were selected for the task. And by “loyal,” he meant men who also knew how to keep their mouths shut.

  Then, the Secretary of Defense had another thought. With a slick grin, the former general said, “What if a fire accidentally started during their escape attempt and unfortunately killed the majority of them?”

  “An even better idea,” Rivera said, “but anyone running out gets shot down.”

  “Might look bad,” cautioned Arango.

  “Just some soldiers fearing for their lives,” Rivera said.

  He glanced down at the unfolded sheet of yellow memo paper and then lit it with a lighter. No way did he want these notes falling into anyone’s hands. The paper caught, the flame rose, and he dropped it on the carpet, ensuring it burned completely before stamping it out. They could worry about the burn mark on the carpet later.

  “Finally, Mr. Secretary of Defense, you will call up your generals and devise plans to invade at least three of the Godesto Cartel’s strongholds. I don’t care which three, but they are to be surrounded, hit hard, and as many weapons and drugs seized as possible. Oh, and make sure cellphones among troops are seized prior to the orders being issued. The units are to be isolated so that no warning gets out before their departure.

  “Meanwhile, our Attorney General, you will get with our best intelligence experts tonight and by the time the banks open tomorrow morning, you will have judicial orders seizing every possible account that could be tied to the Godesto Cartel. Practically any account in Mexico that looks shady and has more than two hundred thousand dollars in it, I want it seized. Period. And I want it seized one minute after each of these financial institutions open. No warning to any of those affected, of course.”

  “Since you went to the same law school as me,” the Attorney General replied, “I’m confident that you know this isn’t legal.”

  “I know,” Rivera said, “and I don’t blame you all if in a couple of days you all inform the media that I was acting like a madman and breaking dozens of laws. I’m okay with that, but I’m not okay with the Godesto Cartel ruling Mexico for a single day longer. I’m not okay with the Godesto Cartel being able to attack the Presidential Palace, kill influential citizens such as Juan Soto, or conduct any operation they can conceive of. I know we’ll have to release the funds, but they can see what it’s like to operate without them while we hold off their high-priced attorneys.”

  Rivera projected as much confidence and fight as he could muster. Hands on his hips, an edge of fear upsetting his stomach, he stared down his Cabinet and prepared to give his war speech. And perhaps some of his last instructions as President of Mexico. Make it look good, he thought, and stood even taller. It was time to stand bravely in complete defiance of the Godesto Cartel and those in Congress who were trying to bring him down.

  “Tonight, my esteemed Cabinet, we finally fight back and commence all-out war against the Godesto Cartel. Maybe it’s true that if we destroy them, another will replace them, but we will set the precedent that no cartel can threaten the government of Mexico as the Godesto Cartel has done. Our entire focus will be on the Godesto Cartel. Leave the Red Sleeve Cartel alone. The other, smaller cartels, as well. If we have Red Sleeve men awaiting trial, let them out. We’re going to shift the balance of power and we need the much weaker Red Sleeve Cartel to make as many gains as possible in the time that we have left. Just as a monopoly will damage a country, so too will a cartel that becomes too powerful. Tonight and tomorrow, we reset the balance of power.”

  Rivera walked to the door and looked back.

  “As far as I’m concerned, this meeting is over. Those of you with tasks to do, please jump on making them happen. And I
apologize, but you all will need to place your phones and internet devices on the table before leaving the room. I’ve had rooms in the Presidential Palace prepared for you, but none of you will be leaving the building tonight. Some of you will be busy, others bored, but it’s what the job requires for the next day or so. And I have several staff members prepared to call your families to alert them that you have been tied up in an emergency meeting, but none of you will be allowed to make outgoing calls except as duty requires, and that will be in the presence of a witness.”

  And with that, Rivera shut the door. Firmly.

  Chapter 36

  The trucks were crammed with equipment and boxes of ammo and supplies, including jugs of water. The mission called for a two- or three-hour timeline, but Nick and Marcus weren’t ones for taking chances. They absolutely could end up cut off and surrounded.

  The entire team of S3 had geared up in assault vests and helmets. The team had packed the stuff away for the transit here, but now it was “go” mode since they had the trucks to hide behind. And their S3-issued olive drab cammies combined with the vests, helmets, and trucks would make them look like a police force to casual passers-by. At least close enough for an operation in the middle of the night. And where they were going, most people didn’t want to go looking too closely at cops. They’d be moving in the other direction, most likely.

  This was where a leader was supposed to give a speech, Nick knew.

  “Pull it in,” he hollered.

  He dropped a tailgate and jumped up to the bed.

  He took a knee, leaned his M4 against his leg, and removed his helmet. The team slid in close, forming a half circle around him.

  “Well, gang, this is it,” Nick said, fiddling with his helmet strap. “I can’t deny that the whole shebang has been a clusterfuck up ’til this point. Hell, Marcus and I didn’t even know if we would have trucks waiting on us until we arrived just a few minutes ago. And you all have served long enough to know that lining up logistics is Planning 101.”