MATEO LUIS
The day was long and Farron held onto his cell phone tightly as if afraid that it would sprout wings and fly away. In his mind, he was making plans, working things out in his head. He glanced down at his wife who had fallen into an exhausted sleep against him. If he made the slightest move, she would wake up. Everyone in the house who loved him knew what he was going to do and he didn't feel free to roam around the house. His twin would be on him every step of the way. Although steadfast and wily, his brother couldn't watch him at every minute. There were a few things about this house that Donovan had never discovered. It was exactly what would help him escape the watchful, stubborn eyes of the federale. He shook his head just the slightest. He was already trying to emerge, but that was okay, because in a few more hours, his former self would come raging out. He passed his hand over Kara's soft hair, knowing that his touch might awaken her. Perhaps that was what he wanted to do. If she was awake, he couldn't slip out undetected. However, he had made up his mind. If Raphael Ortiz wanted his head on a stick, he would get it. He hoped he could see Brittany and Bryce just once before his final sentence. After all the years of skirting the authorities, getting breaks, and probation instead of prison, tonight he would face the proper punishment for a yellow dog: death. He loved his wife desperately, loved his children the same, but he cut such emotions off. Mateo Luis had no wife or children. If he kept telling himself that, he could get through this, get through it and do what he needed to do to bring Brittany and Bryce back to their mother's arms. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments and kept a hand in Kara's hair, stroking it gently. Soy Mateo Luis. Tengo no esposa ni a niños. Pago una deuda con mi vida. Es la manera Colombiana. El Bretaña y Bryce Donovan son víctimas en el juego. Yo los volveré a su madre. [I am Mateo Luis. I have no wife or children. I am paying a debt with my life. It's the Colombian way. Brittany and Bryce Donovan are victims in the game. I will return them to their mother.]
* * *
When Donovan noted the time, he realized that he had seen his own wife and children a total of ten minutes today. Of course, it wasn't unusual for him to be away from them, but not when they were in the same house. Telling Cody and Monica he was taking a break, he went upstairs. He found Loralei and the kids in the guest room/nursery Kara and Farron had set up for them. He saw the three of them all crowded onto a chaise lounger. He had no way of knowing this, but Loralei had tried putting the children back to bed numerous times. Each time she did this, they'd both begin crying or would demand that she let them 'out' with her. Donovan didn't say anything at first. He glanced down at his little family and asked with his eyes if there was enough room for him on the chaise. Without a word, Loralei drew her legs toward her. The movement didn't bother either child that much.
"It's been a very long day," she said, her voice taking on hushed tones. Both Tristan and Rachel were exhausted, but they kept waking up.
He reached out and allowed his fingers to caress her ankle. He was almost certain that she had no feeling in her legs. "You're right, it has." She stretched her legs out just the slightest, and he drew them across his lap. He looked away from her for a moment, and ran his hand distractedly along a spot of flesh on her leg. "A lot of shit has taken place between Farron and I over the years. Most of it just touched me, but some has touched you. We've worked it out and I have to say that I love my brother more now than I did as a child. I can't see what he did and I'm glad I can't, but above all else, I see who he is now, and I…" His voice completely died out.
He was taking another long guilt trip. It was all over him. He had been burning on work mode for several hours and now it was time to take a break. "Frank, there's nothing else you can do for them."
He shook his head. "No. There were tons of things I should have done, but didn't. And now, he's set to walk in a trap. I don't intend to let him do that. He wanted me to be with and to see my children growing up; I want to do the same for him, but I don't know if he'll allow it." He had yet to look at her. He kept his eyes focused on her legs. After a long moment, he finally fixed his eyes on her face. "If anything happens to them, Loralei, I don't…I don't know what I'll do, and I can't promise that any of them are coming back. I hate it," he spat. "I hate it and there's nothing I can do about these feelings inside me. I've been in these types of situations more times that I care to remember, but never has it touched my family like this. I once told a man that I win more than I lose, but it never struck me how utterly arrogant that was, and I can't say those words to Farron or Kara, because I don't know if this can be won. Not this time, not with these people, and I hate myself because of it. I have never felt so utterly helpless in my life."
Loralei shifted positions to give her enough room to sit up. The children barely noticed the shuffle. She cupped his face in her hands and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She didn't say anything, because mere words wouldn't suffice. After she broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers and held tightly onto her hand. He never understood how she could stand to live with a human barometer or how she could take the different edges of his personality. There were two sides to him, as there were his brother. They were very, very lucky men to have wives like Kara and Loralei. It was a thought that ran through his mind almost every day of his life. He drew away from her and kneeled down close to the children. As he had done many times while they were sleeping, he kissed two fingers and pressed them against each child's forehead. He brought himself up to his feet and gazed down at his wife. He mouthed 'love you' before he turned and left the room.
* * *
It was growing later by the hour and Farron was losing his patience. He noticed that Kara was wide-awake and pacing again. If Jesus' son was anything like him, he would contact Farron in the most unique way he could dream up, and it wouldn't involve a simple cell phone call. Earlier, the federales assisting with the case had finally triangulated Ortiz's location. When his brother commanded his agents to go, Farron had turned on the dark side of his heart. He argued with them for thirty minutes or more before Donovan backed down. In Spanish, he had told his brother that Ortiz wouldn't harm the children, not until he had what he wanted. And now the hour was growing later and later. After watching Kara make another circle around the room, he approached her and put a stop to her lunatic pacing.
"Shel," he whispered. "Take a Valium and go to bed. I'll be up shortly."
She scrutinized his features for three minutes or more. He didn't sound like her Farron. It was a terrifying thought. "You're trying to leave, aren't you? No, Farron, I won't."
"Please," he whispered against her lips. "Please go upstairs and sleep."
At that point, Loralei intervened. "Come on, Kara."
However, Kara wasn't having it. Farron watched as his wife fought back at Loralei. He had never seen this behavior in her before. Loralei didn't seem to notice at all, she continued to prod her until they had actually gotten upstairs. She was arguing with and cursing at Loralei the whole way. Silently, he thanked his sister in-law. She was going to make his escape easier than he first thought. Shrinking back from the rest of the group, Farron went off into an alcove that was the most beautiful part of the house. It was only a small space, no more than 12 x 12, but the moon shined in through a low bay window and seemed to make the room glow. Crazily enough, it was almost…holy. A few weeks ago, Brittany had had a bad night and couldn't sleep no matter how hard her parents coaxed, begged, or pleaded. He had sent Kara to bed because she had been up many hours with their daughter. It was his turn. Farron took his squalling daughter into his arms and carried her to the alcove. The moon was shining as brightly that night as it was tonight. He remembered thinking that just a couple of years ago no one would have caught him even touching a baby. He had been terrified of Rachel for the first three or four weeks of her life. Simply put, he was afraid to love, afraid to open his heart enough to let another inside. It was a welcomed change, of course. Farron had held the baby against his shoulder as her squalls went on and on. Eventually, she began to quiet. Oddly, each time he moved her out of the moonlight, her sniffles would begin again, but the instant he moved her back, she would settle down. He had spent the night in that alcove, cradling his daughter in his arms. By morning, he was exhausted and achy all over, but also entirely at peace. He had never felt so loved or needed in his life.
He had never felt so empty before. He wanted to give in and cry, but he couldn't. It wasn't the time or the place. He gazed out the window and waited. He had been clutching his cell phone so tightly that his hand had begun to ache. The sound was well muffled in the alcove, but he still heard a distinct chirping noise. This was no call. Ortiz, the little fuck, had decided to send a text message. Not the most original idea in the world, but at least no one could hear it ring. He glanced down at the screen, hit a button, and retrieved his message. He snarled the moment he read it.
* * *
"Why did you do that, Loralei," Kara demanded.
"Please keep your voice down," Loralei said. "Make him think you took the pill and go to bed as he asked. Both of us know he's going to try to leave without anyone tailing him. What he doesn't know is that we will follow. Once you get set up, I'm going to go to Cody for a tracking device. Frank's probably going to kill me when he finds out what I've done, but at least someone will know. As soon as he moves, come get me. I'll be just down the hall."
What her sister in-law had suggested was insane, but at this point, nothing made sense anyway. If it meant keeping Farron from sacrificing his life, she would do anything. Although Loralei had described her time in the FBI as a 'truly Laurel and Hardy' tenure, she had served and could still handle a gun. "This will work," Kara said rather than questioned.
"It will."
* * *
Farron tore away from the alcove and the comforting moonlight and slipped over to the back staircase. He had no desire to be observed right now. It was time to crack out Mateo and end this once and for all. Before he went about preparing for his death, he slipped into his and Kara's bedroom and noticed that she had gone to sleep as he asked. He leaned over as far as he dared, whispering his love for her in her ear, and then placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Asleep, his Shel looked just like an angel. She would go on and have a decent life, he was sure of that. He left her and closed the door behind him. There were several rooms in the house and most of them were used as guest bedrooms. However, there was one they used as storage and had filled it with things here and there that they intended to throw out. One of those 'things' was an old trunk that Farron kept with him wherever he went. Mostly, it fit with his old lifestyle and he was more than ready to get rid of it, but right now, he was grateful that he had kept it this long. He kneeled down and popped the lid open. There were several items of clothing inside and it was the type he used when in Florida or Colombia. It was the clothing of Mateo Luis. He never understood why he hadn't thrown it away when he and Kara became engaged, but it didn't matter anymore. Mateo would die tonight for his sins. He grabbed an armload of garments and carried them into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and dressed silently in black leather pants, a matching jacket, and a black button down shirt. Carefully, he gathered all his hair into a ponytail and secured it with a rubber band. Swiftly, as if it hadn't been five minutes since he had last done this, he braided the hank of hair and secured the end with another band. After one final cursory glance in the mirror, he was satisfied.
Quietly, he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. There was a hidden exit in the home. Only he, Kara, and the Everett family knew of it. Kara had once told him it was used as some type of escape tunnel by her great grandparents who were paranoid about 'the bomb.' As if expecting this to happen, he had learned every inch of this tunnel. He knew how to move about undetected. It was almost like a game to him. He made his way toward the exit that would lead to the tunnel. As he strolled casually down it, he glanced down at his cell phone. There was still a good signal. He stared down at the text message again. It was time to make contact with Raphael Ortiz. He hit a button and his phone began to 'call back' the number from which the message was sent. After a couple of rings, the pincha [prick] answered.
"Raphael, es Mateo. Estoy en mi manera. Que a los niños se preparen para ir a su madre." [Raphael, it's Mateo. I'm on my way. Have the children ready to go to their mother.] Raphael laughed heartily. Mateo wondered if he had been snorting his father's cocaine.
"Muy bueno, Mateo. Los mocosos que chillan estarán listos. Tu los verá antes tu muere, prometo." [Very good, Mateo. The squalling brats will be ready. You'll see them before you die, I promise.]
"Muy bien, Raphael. Antes cuelgo, hago por favor una cosa para mí, tu serato pequeño. Coma mierda y muera." [Very well, Raphael. Before I hang up, please do one thing for me, you little fucker. Eat shit and die.] Mateo stabbed the 'end' key and stuffed the phone into his jacket. He had effectively escaped the house without detection [or so he thought] and now he had to find transportation. He was in for quite a drive.
Loralei looked up and nodded when Kara entered the room. Cody hadn't been too happy when she asked for a tracking device. It wouldn't take long for Donovan to notice their absence, so she knew they would have to move their asses. Kara led Loralei through the escape tunnel [the very one into which Mateo had disappeared]. She figured Farron had gone through here. When they saw fresh footprints in the dirt, they were convinced. Toward the end of the tunnel, both women saw the lights that secured the grounds around the clock. The two women swiftly moved through the trees, hoping that it would provide enough cover. When they made it to the front driveway, Loralei and Kara dove for Loralei's car. Loralei attached the tracking device to the underside of the glove compartment and hoped it was working. Loralei pulled the car out of the drive and kept her headlights off. As soon as they were on the deserted suburban street, she flicked them on. They drove for a little while before Kara gasped. Loralei visibly jerked in her seat, immediately thinking that something was wrong. Her eyes followed the same path as Kara's.
"Oh God," Kara moaned. The headlights of Loralei's car had illuminated the figure of a young man breaking into a car. It was Farron, nearly unrecognizable in black leather and tied back hair. Neither woman had ever seen him like this. "Did he see us?"
Loralei shook her head. "I don't think so. He might have ducked down when we approached." She coasted the car to a halt a few blocks up. Loralei parked between two cars just up the street. "We'll wait. Soon enough, he'll pass us."
Mateo came out of his tight crouch. He vaguely wondered if the occupants of the vehicle that just passed saw him. It mattered little. By the time the police were summoned, he would be long gone. Add grand theft auto to your exhaustive list of sins, Mateo. Good job.
"I think this is him," Kara whispered.
They ducked down as the car moved past them. When it was out of sight, Loralei put her car in gear and carefully pulled away from the curb. "We're leading the team right to him, Kara. It's going to be all right."
* * *
Cody watched the small blip on his screen. He knew exactly what part of town they were heading toward and he couldn't believe it. No way. They're not going where I think they are. Couldn't be. I'm hallucinating. Yes. That's it.
Donovan's attention was drawn to the screen. What the hell was Cody doing? Before he had the chance to actually voice the question, his heart began to pound alarmingly fast. Jesus Christ. He took off upstairs as fast as his feet and legs could carry him. Except for Tristan and Rachel, the guest room/nursery was vacated. He ran down the hall to Kara and Farron's bedroom. Nothing. There was, however, a note for him. He snagged it down off the dresser mirror. I requested a tracking device from Cody. Don't yell at him, Loralei had written. We can blend in better than you and your team. Cody is watching out for us for now, but I suggest you see him as soon as you read this note. Love you. LD. He balled the note up into his fist. Goddamn it. What the hell did she think she was doing? He absolutely didn't intend to lose his entire family in one shot. He tore back down the stairs and into the living room. It was at that juncture Cody began to await the wrath of Donovan.
"I can assure you we will discuss this later," Donovan said severely. "But right now, I'm focused on getting everyone back home safe and alive."
Cody cleared his throat. "Sure, Boss." He hoped Donovan would give him time to say goodbye to the kids before he killed him. "They're going toward Alca Huete's old hideout."
"What," he asked in disbelief. He shook his head. "Of course they are. Kara nearly died in that building. I wouldn't be afraid to guess that Brittany and Bryce won't be within ten miles of there. Goddamn it," he swore. "Farron just signed his fucking death certificate." Donovan nodded toward Jake and Alex. "It's time to get the hell out of here. Separate cars. Stay well away from the area. We'll have to launch our attack on foot."
--To be continued…