A/N: Sorry folks for taking so long for the new chapter, but I had and still have a bronchitis and wasn't up to post a new one.

Thank you all a lot for your reviews and Hello to my new readers as well.

Please tell me what you think, I really appreciate it. Thank You!

Chapter 3

It was during lunchtime on the following day that found Horatio entering the anteroom of Gonzalvez' office. The Big Boss had been out the night before and so Horatio had had some time to think of possible answers to Antonio's inquiring questions. Not that he was actually afraid of being interrogated, but it never hurt to be prepared in advance.

"Is he in?" he asked the secretary with a small smile plastered on his face. Julian Evans wasn't particularly known for being a gentleman, but he knew it was always a good thing to be on a secretary's good side. No one knew more about the boss and his moods than a secretary. He was talking from his own experiences here.

"He is," she nodded, "and he isn't happy."

"I wonder why," he rolled his eyes and grinned, when she gave him an amused look.

"He's waiting for you actually, so better don't keep him waiting. You know how he is…" she trailed off, because they both knew exactly how Antonio Gonzalvez acted when he was in a bad mood.

"Mhm," Horatio just mumbled to himself. Being his right hand hadn't spared him from the one or other unfortunate episode. Not every one of his scars on his face was fake. If people thought that Julian Evans was a little sadist, then they hadn't met Gonzalvez yet. "You know where my will is."

"Of course and I also know that you will leave everything to me," she winked at him.

"In your dreams Maria, in your dreams," Horatio chuckled and straightened himself before he knocked on the door and then entered the door.

"Ah Julian, just the man I was waiting for."

"Sir," Horatio gave him a small, polite nod and walked to the massive oak desk. If he told anyone that the office of one of the major drug lords actually looked like one of a judge or a doctor, he was sure no one would believe him. Gonzalvez loved to buy expensive things with his money and money he surely had enough. There were four things that mattered to Gonzalvez: money, women, drugs and outer appearance. He wasn't some unschooled twit from the streets who had been lucky, no he had an academic background and this made him both dangerous and unpredictable.

"I'm not happy with yesterday's episode," Antonio continued and motioned the other man to take a seat.

Horatio took this as a very good sign, but he kept on being submissive. They both knew that it was an act, but it did show Antonio that Horatio feared him enough to forget his own ego. "If I may say that, Sir, I found it quite unpleasant as well."

"Unpleasant?" Antonio raised his brows. "I don't think that this is word I would use."

"Yes Sir," Horatio nodded quickly. "I'm sure that you've already been informed about what happened last night in every detail?"

"Yes, this stupid shit of a captain will certainly learn that we are not to be fooled with," the other man growled darkly.

"The question is rather if he will live long enough to actually learn a lesson," Horatio smirked dangerously.

"We will see about that," the other smiled as well. "So how much did we lose?"

As the one being in charge of economic part of the business, Horatio pulled out a sheet of paper. Who would have known that leading a crime lab would come in favour when leading a drug empire, or well, helping to lead a drug empire? Horatio definitely not. "I talked to Miguel this morning and he told me that the cops were able to stop two trucks. We calculated the drugs that arrived at the meeting point and the ones that had already been on the trucks, plus the drugs still on the ship…and well yeah, assuming that the captain didn't cheat on us and actually had the total value we ordered with him, we lost about 300 packages."

"300?!" Antonio exclaimed and jumped from his chair, which made Horatio cringe. "Do you know how much money that is? This creepy little shit of a captain, he'll hope to have never been born once I get my hands on him," he seethed.

Horatio wasn't sure if this was a rhetorical question or not. Of course he had averaged out how much money they had lost last night and he was sure that Antonio knew it as well, hence the outburst, but Horatio decided to answer nevertheless. "About 3 or 3 ½ millions."

"Stupid cops, always getting in my way," the man mumbled to himself as if he hadn't heard Horatio. "Did I give them any reason to disrupt my business?" he suddenly turned to Horatio, who couldn't help but blink at him.

"Ah..Sir?"

"This stupid cops," Antonio started again in a tone as if he would talk to simple minded person. "I'm leaving them alone, doing their business and all I ask for them is giving me the same courtesy."

Well this was certainly one of his mad-moments as Horatio liked to call them. "Absolutely, Sir. We hardly kill anyone and if those junkies kill themselves, it's hardly our fault. I guess they just found us yesterday because someone was on their way to get some donuts so their lazy arses would get only bigger."

Antonio had to laugh at that. "You're really the witty one, aren't you my dear Julian? I can always count on you to make a sarcastic comment. Well..well…," he sat down again, his elbows on the desk and his chin resting on his hands. "What's your plan?"

"My plan, Sir?"

"Yes of course, how will we get our property back? There is this nice villa in Argentina that I want to buy…"

"Oh..uhm…this might be a bit tricky."

"Well you're a very clever guy, aren't you? I'm sure that you have something up your sleeves." And his tone was telling Horatio that there could only be one answer to that.

Horatio cleared his throat and rubbed the spot on his right forearm where his tattoo was hidden beneath his shirtsleeve. Most guys in the "family" featured their tattoo on more visible places like the neck or the face, but Horatio had wisely decided to have it on his forearm. "Well to be honest I don't see that many ways to get the drugs back. I can only assume about what might be a plan."

"Then start," Antonio leaned back.

"Well I'm not sure who has taken possession of the drugs, it might be the FBI, DEA or the Crime Lab," he started and seeing the other nod, he continued, "regardless, they will process the drugs, take fingerprints and whatever else they do with such things," he shrugged. "I've read in the newspaper that once they don't need the drugs any longer, they will transport the drugs to incineration, you know, like they do with all these illegal products from… China. In other words, they will destroy it."

"Interesting…"

"Yeah…"

"So what do you suggest?"

"Well I can't say how long they will need to do their things with our drugs, but since it's quite a lot, I don't think that they will leave it in their lab for a long time. If we find out when they will transport it, we could.. well…ask nicely to get it back," he grinned.

"It's a good thing that we're such nice guys," Antonio laughed. "Good, good," he nodded his approval. "Will you be able to find out?"

"I think so, Sir," Horatio nodded. "I do have this contact…"

"Yes, yes I know you do. Heard that your two minions had some fun with him."

"Everyone gets what they deserve," Horatio just shrugged nonchalantly.

"True, very true. Well then, do your best to find out. I count on you, Julian."

"Yes, Sir, I'll have some answers soon," Horatio assured him.

"You better have," Antonio raised an eyebrow. "And now excuse me, Fernandez told me that he has good news concerning one of his little projects."

Now this was interesting. Fernandez was their chief designer of new drugs. A brilliant man, he just worked in the wrong field. "Oh?"

"Yes, something we've been working on for some time now. It will be revolutionary, I can tell you," the other man gushed with excitement.

"I see," Horatio nodded and did his best to conceal his curiosity. He had learned quickly that too many questions could cause unpleasant reactions. "I'll take my leave then and come back to you once I know something," he stood up and just waited for Antonio's dismissal.

"Don't let me wait too long, Julian."

"Of course not," another nod and he quickly made his way outside the snake pit.

"I see you survived. Seems that I don't get hold of your possessions just yet," Maria drawled when she saw him.

"So sorry to disappoint you, Maria," he drawled back. "But I better leave before he changes his mind."

"Not a bad idea, not a bad idea," she hummed to herself and continued her work.

Horatio just ignored her and walked back to his quarters. Now he had to find another kid for a message, because he needed to talk to Frank as soon as possible. He had absolutely no idea how he would make Frank to spill plans about the drug transports, but he didn't have any other choice. Antonio wouldn't be happy with him if he came back with empty hands.

"Damn it all," he hissed and reached for a cigarette. Life as the right hand of a drug lord really was nerve-racking.

tbc