The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Mountains was home to many species of animal, bird and vegetation. The eastern slopes were wetter because of the moisture laden winds from the Gulf of Mexico. There were a number of smaller, dry valleys on the west side and that was the area they were headed for. Carlos remembered his first visit to Juanita's home and the shock he'd felt at seeing what her father had created.
Benito Gonzales had forged a compound that was virtually impenetrable from the land, and harbored an operation that even his own father admired. The man had used the rocky terrain of the valley to forge a home out of the natural beauty. There was an area north of the compound that had been carved to Benito's specifications and had been used as a gaming area for Gonzales and his guests.
The area was known as the maze, to those who lived there, but was unknown outside of the Gonzales family, unless you vowed to keep the secret. That vow was sealed in blood and resulted in death if you even spoke of The Maze. Carlos knew of at least a dozen men and three women whose bodies were hidden in the cave at the center of the maze.
"We'll soon be at the checkpoint, Juanita. It might be a good idea to contact your padre and let him know we're home," Dante said.
"My Padre is expecting us," Juanita assured him. "Carlos' padre is also here and he will be surprised by the gift we have brought him."
"Si, he will be very surprised and pleased. He has wanted revenge for my brother's death for many years and now he will have it," Carlos agreed as the van continued along the sharp turns in the road.
"Slow down, Manuel, or you will get us all shot," Juanita warned. She knew the guards at this checkpoint would not hesitate to shoot them if they thought it was an enemy who'd come to expose the Gonzales Compound.
"Si," Manuel Ortega agreed and slowed the vehicle down as the road ahead narrowed with barely enough space for one car. The guard's station was up ahead, and he drew to a stop near the cabin to wait for the guards to come to him. Their weapons were held in front of them until the first man reached the window and spotted Juanita Garcia.
"Welcome home, Señora Garcia."
"Gracias, Raymond, my padre is expecting us," Juanita told him.
"Si, Señora, Senor Garcia is with him at the main house," the guard told her and signaled for another man to open the gate.
Juanita looked at the woman in the other seat and smiled at the thought of her being in the maze. It was unusual to have two people for the games, but she had a feeling that once her father-in-law was through with McGarrett he would be more of a hindrance than a help. The heady sense of power made her hungry and she glanced at her husband. Perhaps, while her father and father-in-law took their revenge on McGarrett, she could rid herself of excess energy by taking her husband to bed.
Carlos smiled as his wife looked at him and knew exactly what she wanted. Perhaps there would be time before dinner, if not then tonight promised to be interesting indeed. He glanced toward the back where Dante sat with McGarrett and wondered what his father would do to him. Whatever it was, he felt just a hint of pity for the SEAL.
Kono knew there was nothing she could do until the time was right. She'd listened to the conversation between the people in the vehicle, and understood there was to be some kind of game she was to play. She'd heard the words Muerto, Maze, death, and cave and recognized a few other Spanish sounding words. No matter how she tried, she could see no way out of this mess, and it sounded like Marcos Garcia would not go easy on Steve.
Steve knew once the van stopped things would probably go from bad to worse for him and Kono. He knew Marcos Garcia by reputation, and knew the leader of one of the most dangerous drug cartels in Mexico was bent on avenging his son's death. He could handle that, what he couldn't handle was what the bastard might do to Kono. From what he did know, Marcos was not a man who hurt women, at least not by his own hands, but that didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind.
"Welcome to your worst nightmare, Commander," Dante said as the van pulled to a stop in front of an adobe building that sat at the center of a small clearing.
"Keep him here until I tell you to bring him," Carlos ordered and exited the vehicle. He moved to the opposite side and opened the door for his wife as two men walked out of the house.
"Where is this woman you spoke of, Juanita?" Benito Gonzales asked as he hugged his daughter.
"She is in the van. She was disrespectful to Carlos and needs to be taught a lesson," the pretty woman answered.
"Carlos, you said you were also bringing a male captive I would be interested in. where is he?" Marcos Garcia asked.
"He's in the back," Carlos answered as two men pulled Kono from the van and held her between them.
"She is a pretty one," Benito observed. "Put her in the cage until we meet your other guest."
"Kono, you try anything stupid and I will see that he never walks again. Comprender?" Juanita asked.
"Yes," Kono snarled and stumbled as the two men dragged her away. She let her instincts kick in and kept her head down as she checked out as much of the compound as she could.
"Who is this bastardo?" Marcos asked of the bound man when the back doors of the vehicle opened.
"His name is Commander Steve McGarrett!" Carlos said and pulled his wife close as he watched his father's face.
"McGarrett… what relation is he to John McGarrett?"
"He's his son," Carlos answered as Dante pushed the captive out of the van. He cut the ropes that secured his ankles and arms together and watched as Dante and another man pulled him to his feet.
"Is that right? Are you John McGarrett's son?" Marcos asked.
Steve had seen the two men drag Kono across the clearing and knew there was nothing he could do to help her yet. He nodded slightly and felt his chin gripped by a strong hand.
"Si, you have his eyes," Marcos spat. "Your father killed my son and now I have you. It is poetic justice and I will gladly show you how easy a man can beg for his life."
"Your son was no better than his father and deserved what he got!" McGarrett managed.
"My son was young and trying to make a name for himself. To prove that he was worthy of my love and your father shot him and left him for the animals."
"Sounds like my father did the right thing." Steve's head was rocked back by the force of the fist that struck his right cheek, but he smiled in spite of the blood that dripped from the cut on the inside of his lip.
"It will be a pleasure watching you suffer," Marcos told him and turned when his daughter-in-law placed a hand on his arm.
"I would ask a favor of you," she said.
"Anything," Marcos said and kissed her hand.
"Do not kill him…"
"I cannot promise you that, Hija, he deserves to die for the sins of his father."
"Si, Padre, I agree, but would it not be more fitting if he dies with his puta?"
"She is his puta?" Marcos asked.
"They work together as part of a unit called Five-O. They deny they are together, but that does not matter. It would be fun to watch her trying to get him to safety…after you have your fun with him," Juanita said.
"Mi Hija is correct, Marcos. If you let him live they could both be put in the maze and hunted. You and I could lead the hunt," Benito suggested.
"Carlos and I want to be part of it," Juanita said and smiled at McGarrett. "I wonder if this puta of yours is as strong as you think. Can she get you both out of this alive?"
"Kono's smart," McGarrett told her.
"That is good news, because she will need to be smart in The Maze. It is not an easy place to survive and being hunted will make it that much harder for you both to survive," Juanita told him and turned to her father-in-law. "It would be a fitting tribute to your hijo if you were to kill your son the same way you would kill a wild animal."
"Mi Hija speaks the truth, Amigo. If you need to use your fists on him, then do it, but don't kill him. With him and his puta we should have some real sport," Benito observed.
"Excuse me, Senor Gonzales, but I think you should not underestimate this man. He is a SEAL and is well trained in pain and survival. You would be wise to take that into consideration before you decide to let him live," Dante explained.
"He won't live, but he'll have a sporting chance to survive is he's man enough to do so," Marcos told him. "I have dealt with SEALs before and believe me they can be stopped by a bullet placed just right or a knife wound that is not detrimental in itself, but will cause dangerous blood loss. Benito, can I use your special room?"
"Certainly, Mi Amigo, but only if you allow me to join you," Benito Gonzales said.
"It would be my pleasure," Marcos told him. "Carlos will also join us. It is time he took part in things of this nature. His brother deserves vengeance."
"I would like to be there as well," Juanita said and felt her husband wrap his arms around her.
"Juanita, this is not something for a young woman to witness," Marcos observed.
"My hija has never been sheltered from these things, Marcos. She has been involved in many hunts and is as good as or better than her brother," Benito assured him.
"Where is Rodrigo?" Juanita asked.
"He is in Cancun and will not return until the business with the Vargas brothers is finished," Benito told her and looked at McGarrett. The man had a silly grin on his face, but there was no mirth in the way he stared at him. "Dante, bring him to the dungeon…I know that is such a silly old-world term, but it is what it is. Marcos, why don't we eat before we join McGarrett…after all we will need our strength to get him through this?"
Steve stood his ground, but a blow to his lower back sent him to his knees, still, he stared at his captors with a glare even Danny would have been proud of. He regained his feet without breaking eye contact with Benito Gonzales and knew this man and his daughter were the ones to be feared. They didn't give a damn who they hurt as long as they put on a good show.
"You are an insolent bastardo, aren't you?" Benito said as he stood toe to toe with the SEAL.
"Set me free and you'll see exactly how insolent I am," McGarrett told him and was sent to his knees once more.
"You'll soon find out that insolence is no match for my imagination. Take him away, Dante."
"Si, Senor Gonzales," Dante said and motioned for the two men to grab the captive.
5050505050
Kono paced in her cell, painfully aware of how small the space was. Cage was the operative word here because the four sides were metal and it was set at the center of a much larger room. She could see more than a dozen large crates stacked against one wall, two large sinks and a table with several Bunsen burners of colored liquid on it were opposite the crates. Two large steel doors were situated twenty feet from the table and reminded her of the doors on a walk in refrigerator. Several bare strands of light bulbs were strung from a beam above the cage and illuminated most of the room. A large rodent, she refused to call it a rat, scurried along the lower crates and what she'd seen in its mouth left her chilled to the bone.
Inside her cell was a sink and toilet and a roll of toilet paper, but that was the extent of the amenities. Kono looked at the cot and moved to sit down as she tried to make sense of what was happening. How the hell had a day of surfing wound up getting her and Steve kidnapped by some drug lord's daughter and son? Would they be in this position if she'd curbed her anger at Carlos Garcia for dropping in on her wave? Surfing was the one love she had that could make her blood boil, especially when people who had no sense of surf turf thought they could do as they wanted.
Kono knew she needed to curb that kind of anger when she got out of this mess, and lay back on the cot with her fingers linked behind her head. God, help her, but what about Steve. She'd been thrown in here and left to steam while who the hell knew what was happening to McGarrett. She understood that Marcos Garcia wanted more than an eye for an eye over his son's death.
No matter what happened, Kono vowed that she would get them both out of this mess, and when she did she'd apologize to Steve for getting him into this mess.
TBC
