Broken Promises
Chapter Sixteen
Within minutes after having hung up the phone with Jake, Laura had begun her search through the endless piles of boxes that she had locked away in what remained of her home office. Much to her surprise it hadn't taken her but a half hour or so to find Frank's file.
It consisted of two parts. The first had been provided to her when she'd first taken his case. In it was the entire background for Luis Mendoza that had been provided to him to learn and study. The second section was a compilation of all of the notes that she had written while he had been under her care. Forgoing her own notes momentarily, she decided to refamiliarize herself with Luis' past.
The "history" that had been developed for him was one of a harsh and sometimes bitter childhood. The father had died when Luis would have been 10 and as a result he was left with an emotionally detached and abusive mother. Reading through the rest of the details, it became clear to her that Luis would have an inherent distrust of almost any female he would ever come in contact with in his life.
Other parts of the file had to do with supposed contacts…..jobs completed……that sort of thing. Pushing the rest aside, she reached for her own pile of notes. As she hefted the rather sizable folder onto the table next to her, a smaller file slipped from the back and fell to the floor, scattering its contents in the process. Cursing to herself, Laura knelt on the floor and retrieved the papers. Once she had them together, she once again sat in her chair and nonchalantly glanced at the file that had fallen. The papers were unfamiliar to her but she immediately recognized the notes as being a part of Frank's psychological evaluation when he went through his first indoctrination into Luis Mendoza's world.
Suddenly fascinated, she pushed her own files to the side momentarily. For the life of her, she couldn't recall having read through this particular part of the file, and was now anxious to see what another psychologist had made of Frank's behavior.
Most of it was blasé and dry. The process had taken nearly 5 to 6 months, which, from what she could understand, was longer than usual. She searched for the reason, as she flipped through page after page. Finally, she hit pay dirt.
"Agent Donovan is very proficient with both weapons and covert operation techniques. But after many attempts, and subsequent failures, to submerse the subject's own personality and sense of ethics, other methods will need to be explored."
Other methods? Laura didn't particularly like the sound of that. What had they tried that had failed? She put these thoughts aside as she continued on.
"Time and again the subject has balked at performing any action that would be considered unethical or immoral in his eyes, and this is where the difficulties lie. Some way must be found to bypass this part of the agent's behavior.
"In reviewing other similar case files, we have come across other techniques that have proven successful. We will try them here as well. As such, it has been decided that the problem will be addressed from another angle.
"In the upcoming weeks, he will make contact with a variety of different agents. Their purpose here will remain unclear to him, but ultimately we look to pair him with one who will, in many ways, balance his abilities."
A cold feeling of dread began to seep through Laura's bones causing her to visibly shiver. On the surface, what she read implied that he would be paired with another agent and the two would complete the mission together. But somehow, she believed the intent was much darker than that. They meant to subvert him……to turn him into something that he wasn't. Skimming ahead, she passed the endless entries about which agents had been chosen, but one thing was immediately evident…..all of the agents were women. Frowning at what that implied, she continued.
"After nearly two weeks, we have narrowed our search down to two. Upon observation, it is apparent that Agent Donovan is drawn to the one, and has easily struck up a friendship of sorts with her. His relationship with the other is difficult to explain, at best. Although he obviously dislikes her in many ways, it has been noticed that his eyes rarely leave her whenever she is in sight. It is this relationship that we choose to enhance and pursue.
"Having now narrowed down the field, so to speak, his contact with both other agents will be encouraged and, of course, studied in depth."
A deep-seated anger began to boil within Laura as she read each line. They had set him up and then had observed him like some sort of lab rat. The idea sickened her, but still she continued on.
"The difference between the two agents chosen is extreme. One is intelligent, sensitive and engaging and the attraction and friendship between she and Donovan has blossomed. The other is forceful, cunning and manipulative. And while Donovan seems almost repulsed by her presence, he is obviously just as, if not even more so, attracted physically to her. The final test could be the deciding factor as to whether the mission can get underway."
Final test?? What the hell had they come up with as a final test? Reading about her husband's obvious attraction to two other women was difficult, to say the least, although she knew that this had all happened before the two of them had ever even met.
Flipping to the next page, she was dismayed to find the sheets were out of order. Shuffling through the papers, her agitation grew. As luck would have it, the sheets with the information that she sought, were missing. Grabbing the rest of the files, she quickly rifled through them, but after a half hour or so, she gave up. It would seem that she was not destined to know the details of this final test.
Her eyebrows furrowed with concern and aggravation, Laura turned now to her own notes. She forced herself not to read every single line, because she knew all to well how easy it would be to immerse herself in the details. Instead, she scanned each sheet looking for the information that she'd originally sought. Almost an hour later, she finally found what she'd been looking for.
Lucia Cortez.
Now that she saw the name in black and white, the implications hit home for her. Without having seen the missing pages from the other psychologist's notes, she could easily ascertain that this Lucia was the one that Frank had both been strongly attracted to and repulsed by.
In his own words, he had once described the woman as both, "….a cold-hearted, scheming bitch" and "a luscious piece of fruit, waiting to be devoured." The dichotomy was chilling.
….waiting to be devoured.
She read those words over and over. 15 years ago, he had been more than willing to divulge every minute detail of their frequent, and sometimes violent couplings. His reason for doing so, at first, baffled her, but it soon became clear that he liked to see Laura uncomfortable, embarrassed and off balance. Just one more way he had of keeping their sessions together under his control.
….waiting to be devoured.
She pushed the paper with those words on it away from her, and sat back in the chair. She stared at the sheet before her almost willing that it would turn to dust and blow away. The chill that had invaded her body earlier returned ten-fold. Wrapping her arms around herself, her thoughts turned dark and despairing.
She trusted Frank, and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would always remain faithful to her, but then there was Luis…… Speaking of this alter ego as another person disturbed her. Could he possibly suppress his own will and personality so much that he would be able to betray what they had together? The question caused a piercing ache to develop in her heart. Rising quickly form the chair, she needed desperately to get away from this room and the files it contained. But as she pivoted to walk toward the door, she suddenly stopped. On a shelf across the room was a photograph in a wooden frame. Walking slowly toward it, she lifted her hand and flitted her fingertips across the glass' dusty surface. As she stared at the photo, a single tear fell from her eyes.
Lifting the picture from the bookshelf, she carried it with her as she unhurriedly left the room and returned to the main level of the house. Almost as if she were in a daze, Laura sauntered over to the living room sofa and sank into its comforting softness. Her gaze never once left the picture in her hands as she once more traced her fingers across its surface.
It still seemed like just yesterday that she and Frank had married, and in the picture she saw their beaming smiles as testament of the love that the two shared. A love, that she knew was unbreakable…….or so she hoped. Twice they had walked through hell and lived to tell about it. And as she sank slowly to her side, her tears now falling freely down her cheeks and the picture clutched firmly to her chest, she prayed to God that he would deliver them from an even greater evil that she could just see beyond the horizon.
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Just before 2:00 AM, the car carrying Frank, Lucia and Manuel slowed and turned down what appeared to be an abandoned dirt road. As the car continued further into the dense forest, Frank began to wonder if they had perhaps taken a wrong turn, but then he began to spot them……armed lookouts stationed every 50 feet or so along the drive. A half mile or so later, the car broke free from the surrounding jungle.
Pulling up in front of a rather elaborate 3 story mansion, the car finally stopped. Exiting the vehicle slowly, Frank never took his eyes off of the immense structure. Juan had indeed done very well for himself. Of course, he knew all to well, that this same house had belonged to the last cartel leader, and would more than likely go the next after someone got brave enough to take Juan out as well.
"Come, my friends," Manuel instructed as he walked from around the other side of the car. "Juan will be waiting for you."
"Perhaps we should wait until the morning," Frank suggested.
Manuel laughed heartily. "Luis…..have you remembered nothing of our compadre? It's still early! Did you ever know Juan to sleep before 4 AM or later?"
A knowing smile graced Frank's lips. He did remember. 4 AM? Dawn was more like it, and then, of course, he almost never went to bed alone. The thought made him pause, and he turned slightly to see Lucia following faithfully behind him. Holding out his hand, he waited until she grasped it. "Stay close," he murmured low enough for her ears only. A short nod told him that she understood.
The three entered through a giant set of wrought iron doors into what appeared to be a courtyard of sorts. Milling around within the area were some dozen or so men carrying semi-automatic weapons. Frank gave Manuel a quick look.
"A neighboring competitor made some inhospitable remarks a few nights ago. Juan made sure that the man knew the words were not appreciated," Manuel explained, but Frank read the hidden meaning. Another cartel leader had threatened Juan, and in turn Juan had sent a violent message in reply. The equivalent of saying 'fuck you', but instead he'd used bullets and grenades. So many heavily armed men so close at hand told Frank that Juan was expecting some sort of retaliation. Frowning heavily, he continued on as Manuel made his way into the house itself.
Once inside, Frank could hear laughter and music coming from a room a short distance away. Winding their way down a short hallway, the three emerged into a large sprawling living room. A half dozen or so overstuffed sofas and twice as many matching chairs filled the room, and on nearly every one was either another of Juan's armed guards or a half naked woman.
Following the sound of laughter, Frank finally spotted the man himself. At the other end of the room, Juan was more than enjoying the efforts of a nubile young woman as she gave him an energetically erotic lap dance.
Manuel motioned for Frank and Lucia to stop as he approached Juan by himself. He leaned over and spoke quietly to his boss, who never took his eyes off of the young woman who now straddled his lap. Only after the song ended and the girl slid off him, did Juan finally turn his attention to his guests.
The look on Juan's face at first was unreadable, and Frank began to wonder if coming here had been a monumental mistake, but then a slow smile began to creep across Juan's features until his face was practically lit up with the brilliance of it.
"Luis!!" the man bellowed. "How the fuck are you, my friend?" he asked as he slowly stood from the chair and approached.
"Juan…..it's been a long time," Frank answered, now smiling himself.
"Too long," Juan agreed as he took Frank into a crushing embrace.
Frank appraised the man standing before him. Whereas Manuel had been worse for the wear, Juan was the exact opposite. An almost gangly youngster of barely 20 had turned into a strong, virile man who held an air of authority and power.
"You look good," Frank commented.
Juan smiled in appreciation. "So do you, but……" he paused as he held a hand up to ruffle Frank's short hair. "What the hell?"
Frank couldn't help but laugh. "What can I say? It's just too fucking hot here for all that hair."
"That I can understand." That said, his attention now turned to Lucia, who had been standing by patiently as the two men exchanged greetings. "Sooooo…..this is the lovely Lucia, eh?"
Lucia smiled nervously. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Juan laughed and said, "What is it with you two? No one remembers how to speak Spanish anymore?" he chided before taking her hand in his. "The pleasure is all mine," he told her while his eyes studied hers carefully. A sinister smile slowly graced his lips when he noticed that he was making her uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze.
Quickly turning away from Frank and Lucia, Juan motioned with his hands for several of the parties revelers to depart. "Come….please, sit…relax. We have much to catch up on. Perhaps you would like drinks, yes?"
After a flurry of activity, the three finally sat down and made themselves comfortable. Looking nonchalantly around the room, Frank noticed that only a half dozen of Juan's armed guards remained, and all of the women were now gone.
"Sorry to break up your party," Frank offered.
Chuckling, Juan replied, "Mi amigo, that was no party, just a little late night entertainment," he explained, waving his hand as if the group of scantily clad women had meant nothing. "Besides, this is too important! I've been wandering around this house like a little boy waiting for you to arrive. Damn, Luis! It is so good to see you again."
Frank couldn't help but smile at Juan's seemingly genuine enthusiasm. "I think I've been anticipating this meeting as much as you have."
Juan moved then to sit on the coffee table facing Frank. Leaning forward, he dropped his voice so that only his two guests could hear. "You know me……you know that this is what I've dreamt of all my life," he explained as he swept his hand around the room, motioning to the opulence surrounding them. "But it has a high price, my friend. There are very few that I can really trust. But with the two of us working side-by-side once again, we can be invincible."
Frank nodded his head knowingly. "That's why I'm here. After 15 years of working for idiots, I'm finally back where I belong."
"You are indeed, Luis," Juan stated with a warm smile on his face. But that smile soon changed into something else……something dark and mischievous. "I have a present for you."
Frank's eyebrows furrowed even while he was still smiling. "A present? What the hell for?"
Juan began to laugh. "For your homecoming, idiot! You didn't think I would allow a momentous occasion like this to pass without a celebration of sorts, did you?"
"I don't want a celebration. I don't want any gifts. Welcoming me to your house is present enough," Frank stated humbly.
"Well, nonetheless, a gift you will get. Two actually, but the second will come a bit later," Juan explained cryptically. Rising from his seat, he approached a table across the room and opened one of the drawers. Retrieving a large envelope, he returned to where he had been just seconds earlier. Sitting back down, he fingered the clasp to the item he held in his hands.
"You spoke of the 15 years you spent in the States working for men who had no appreciation for your talents." Juan paused to look up at Frank, who nodded in recognition. "That should have never happened. The way things went down….." he recalled, shaking his head sadly, "….how everything fell apart so suddenly…..for many years, I knew that there had to be something more to it. Some vital piece of information had been leaked. Someone had betrayed us."
Frank stared at the man before him, and didn't know quite what to make of what he was saying. Was Juan implying that he had been the source of the leak? And that this invitation was all some elaborate set-up for revenge? Before Frank had a chance to think things through any further, Juan continued.
"It has taken me many years, Luis, but I was finally able to pinpoint the person responsible for such atrocities."
"And?" Frank prompted, still not sure where Juan was going with this.
Juan smiled, although a bit sadly. "This is my present to you, my friend…..mi hermano. The one responsible has been eliminated." That said, Juan handed Frank the envelope.
Frank opened the clasp and could see that the envelope contained photographs. Sliding them out, he began looking at what Juan had presented to him. The pictures, which had obviously been taken with a telephoto lens, showed a man in his fifties walking into a downtown hotel. Frank looked up from the photos questioningly.
"This…." Juan pointed to the image that Frank was holding, "this is the man who was behind the whole operation. Do you recognize him?"
Frank looked at one or two more shots before responding. "No….should I?"
"You would have no reason to. That is unless you've been working for the US government all of these years," Juan joked. "His name is Raymond Marsh. He was a member of the CIA."
"CIA?" Frank asked anxiously. "You're kidding me. What the hell would the CIA have to do with a drug operation in Colombia? I thought this was the DEA's jurisdiction, so to speak."
"Indeed….what would the CIA have to do with us? Unless of course they'd sent in someone undercover."
Frank leaned back in the chair and stared at Juan. He didn't like the insinuation that someone close to them had been a mole. It bothered him….greatly, and it showed on his face.
"Luis…..look at the next photo," Juan prompted, seeing the upset on his friend's face.
Frank sighed heavily and did just that. The picture was of the same man, only this time he was lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor of his hotel room. "You did this?" Frank asked with great concern in his voice.
Juan smiled. "I have certain…..connections. The matter has been dealt with. The man who caused your exile has been eliminated."
Frank rose from his chair and paced slowly about the room while he looked through the photos once more. Killing a CIA operative could bring serious if not fatal repercussions, but knowing that his friend had done so in order to avenge what had happened to him 15 years ago filled him with a sense of honor that he could not describe. Setting the photos down on the nearest table, he turned to Juan. "I will never be able to repay you for what you've done," he declared solemnly.
Juan also rose and walked toward where Frank was standing. "You and me, Luis. We are brothers. Although not born from the same family, our bond is thicker than blood. Together we will rule an empire." The two embraced once again, finding a kinship with the other that both had missed desperately.
Pulling away from Frank, Juan added. "There is one other thing, however. Tonight, I will eliminate the mole who betrayed us so many years ago." Reaching behind him, Juan pulled out a gun that had been stashed in the waistband of his pants. Pivoting quickly, he aimed the gun and fired. Lucia's face registered immeasurable shock as the bullet hit its mark…..directly in the center of her forehead. She was dead before her head hit the cushion of the sofa.
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