All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.
Authors Note:
Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It means the world to me.
Thank you also for hanging in there with me, RL has been crazy I recently got a promotion at my job but they still expect me to do my old job as well so I've kinda been swamped with that.
***Warning***
Another reason it's taken so long is because I've struggled with this chapter. There are hints to torture and some horrific things that happens and I've gone back and forth in regards to how far I should go and what I should include.***
I hope it's not too much and you are able to enjoy this chapter. It is a necessary part of the story line.
Washington DC – Getting Horrible News
The Wednesday Evening after the Club
Cmdr Franklin was sitting at his desk finishing up some paperwork so he could call it a day when his SAT phone rang.
He wasn't sure who was calling since he wasn't expecting a call from either Carlos or Avi, but he decided it would be best to answer it any way so he picked it up and answered it.
He listened very carefully to what the person on the other end of the phone had to say. After he had listened for a while and they had finished he was not very happy. What he had heard had been very upsetting and it made him very angry. He tried to argue with the person on the phone because he didn't want to believe what they were saying.
When the person argued back telling him that what he was saying was truth and then he put the final nail in the coffin when the person on the phone asked the Cmdr what reason did he have to lie to him. The Cmdr agreed and their conversation continued for a little longer.
After the call ended the Cmdr slammed the phone down and picked up the closest thing to him, which happened to be his stapler. He threw it across the room screaming, he felt a little of the tension leave him when it slammed into the wall it broke into several different pieces.
After a few minutes he was finally able to calm down some and get his thoughts straight. He started thinking that the shit has definitely hit the fan and he didn't like it at all. He didn't understand how anyone had found out about them or figure it out enough to get to them.
He knew all those years ago when it had first happened that if the opportunity came up for him rectify the situation that he would jump all over it, because he thought that it would have been the right thing to do.
He also knew that when he finally got the chance to start snooping around again that this could end up being a risky mission and had the potential of being a complete disaster but he thought that they had taken every step to keep something like this from happening, but clearly they hadn't done enough.
He was starting to think that it wasn't worth the possibility of there being any more casualties and maybe he should just call them and make them come back home and leave it alone. His pride and ego be damned.
This was his biggest fear when he first thought about this mission and how all of this shit that happened would all be for nothing because she might not even want to leave and come back where she belongs.
But after getting that phone call he had a new fear because the worst possible scenario has changed, now it was the possibility of his boys getting caught. He was thinking about everything that could happen to them and it was making him sick to his stomach. He now knew what could happen to them and the different ways that they could be tortured and left to die.
Then he had another thought and that was he knew his boys loved what they did and were two of the best and they took a lot of pride in their work. So before he could make this decision he needed to speak to them and tell them everything that's happened.
This recent development means that it's their lives that could be in grave danger and it's only fair that they get to make the choice of whether they want to continue with the mission or just drop it and head home.
He sighed as he looked over at the clock that hung on the wall to see what time it was. He noticed that it should be late enough that they should be done with their classes for the day and should either be already home or just getting home, so it would be a good time to call them.
He picked up his SAT phone and hit the speed dial number that he for them and then listened to the phone ring for a couple of times.
Carlos finally picked up the phone and said "Sir."
The Cmdr said "Carlos, how are you?"
Carlos replied "I'm good sir, what's up?"
He said "I have some news that I need to share with the two of you and then we need to have a discussion about where we want to go from here. If Santos isn't near you then you need to go get him so he can be a part of this conversation."
Carlos said "Just a second sir." Then he heard him calling for Lester and then Lester running into the room.
Carlos stated "He's here now sir and and I'm putting it on the speaker."
The Cmdr replied "Good, I just received a phone call with some very disturbing news."
Carlos started to have a sinking feeling and quickly said "Is everything OK, sir?"
The Cmdr said "No it's not and this is going to be one of the hardest conversations that I've ever had to have."
Carlos said "What's happened sir?"
The Cmdr sighed and said "OK the best way to say it is to just act like it's a band-aid and rip it off, so here it goes. Sometime late Sunday night or very early Monday morning Avi's house was set on fire and burned completely to the ground."
The Cmdr hesitated for a second but continued "The reports that have been received determined that whoever did this started the fire in the middle of the living room with some type accelerate that was sprayed all over the inside of the house so that it would spread fast and completely burn the house down leaving nothing but the ashes before anybody could do anything."
Carlos and Lester both sucked in a breath and Lester said "Holy Shit, do they have any idea who did it and what about Avi and his son were they in the house?"
The Cmdr said "From what I heard the reports don't have a clue as to who did this and it also specified that there were no human remains found in the house or anywhere on the property. So it's presumed that they were away or out of the home when it happened. "
He paused for a second and then continued "When the authorities were writing the report they started talking to the neighbors that were in the neighborhood. There was one particular neighbor that stated in the past week and half there were a number of men that stayed at Avi's house. She claimed that at the most there were 4 guys that were there at various times but that there were always two of them there at all the time. She described the guys as the big bulky type but said they were very loud and inconsiderate. She only mentioned that part because they were always coming and going throughout all hours of the day and night. They didn't care about anyone else because they were always really loud."
He stopped for a moment to see if either of them wanted to ask any questions but when they stayed silent he continued "Then the neighbor mentioned that she noticed that on this past Thursday morning Avi's son came home from the University, which she found odd because she knew that his classes weren't over and usually he was a real stickler for going to school and getting good grades. He was trying to better himself. Once he got there she said that all of them going in and out of the house pretty much stopped. Then on Saturday night she stated that she noticed them leaving because she when outside because of how obnoxious some of them were being. She said they sounded really drunk and were being really loud which made some of the neighborhood dogs bark nonstop for about an hour. She then went on to say that there were 6 people that walked out of the house and got into a huge black SUV. She did say that Avi and his son were with them because she saw some of the other guys holding them up and helping them walk. "
Carlos quietly said "Fuck!" and then in a voice that was just a tad louder he asked "Have they located their bodies yet?"
The Cmdr cleared his throat trying to gather his thoughts before saying "Yes, they finally found their bodies earlier today. The person that called me is a mutual contact of Avi's and mine. Avi had contacted about a week before all of this happened because he felt like something was off. He told our contact that he thought he was being followed and that he knew something really bad was going to happen. Avi told him that if anything happened to him or his family to immediately call me because we were working on something together and what was probably going on had to do with it."
He took a deep breath and continued "After he had found out about Avi's house burning down he managed to get a hold of someone and contacted them about getting a copy of the official report regarding the fire and then that same person contacted him after they found the bodies and gave him a copy of the official report of that. He received it right before he called me. He gave me a brief description of what had happened with the fire and what happened to Avi and his son. He also gave me some in site as to where they were found and what the condition of the bodies were in when they were found."
Lester asked "Where were they found and what happened to them? Were they able to determine who did all of this?"
The Cmdr replied "I can only to tell you what I know right now, which isn't a whole lot because I don't have the complete report yet. I was told that the condition in which the bodies were found was pretty much indescribable. They were found in an old warehouse that is used by the local fishermen to hold their equipment after they get back from being on the water. As far as the authorities are concerned they are saying that there aren't any clues as to who could have done either crime. Which we both know is a load of crap because I'm pretty sure everyone knows who did it. I tried to voice my opinion to my contact and he basically said that even if it was him it wouldn't matter since it's been deemed there were no clues found and they can't find anyone who is willing to talk, nothing can be verified."
Carlos said "You think that it was Jimenez's and his men don't you?"
Carlos and Lester got really quiet waiting for the Cmdr to answer and when he finally did he replied "Yes, but like I said there's no way that we can prove it and now is it seems that he's done a disappearing act again making it even harder to pin it on him. Trying to find anyone may have witnessed it and would be willing to talk to tie this to him or any of his men will be pretty much impossible. If we try to put any pressure on the authorities for them to take a closer look at him or his organization would look extremely suspicious and could potentially put the two of you in a very dangerous situation, if you aren't in one already."
Carlos questioned "What do you mean sir?"
The Cmdr replied "What it all boils down to is what Avi or his son could have possibly told them. I know you boys too every precaution in regards to keeping your real identities a secret but all of that could change now because we don't know what Avi or his son could have told them. There is a huge chance that your covers have already been blown. Do you remember what I told you about the condition in which they were found, well I'm pretty sure they were asked questions in regards to what they were doing or who they were working with. I say this with a heavy heart but I don't know that if I would have been able to withstand what they went through without talking."
Lester started to get concerned so he said "What the hell had happened to them."
Taking a deep breath he continued "Here's what I know, once my contact heard about Avi's house being burned down and that no one was inside, he started trying to locate Avi. He knew that a few years ago Avi had a chip implanted under his skin. This made finding him easier than if they had to search everywhere for him."
He took a deep breath and continued "When general area that he was in was located my contact then called his team in. They decided that it would be best to call the authorities. Once the police got to them and my contact explained things and they all started searching until they found the bodies."
Taking a second to gain his composure he said "It was a good thing that Avi was chipped because that was the only way he was able to be identified. It is just an assumption that his son is the other body. It wasn't hard to tell that they had been brutally tortured and then murdered. However, the cops downplayed what they saw and decided that this was pretty much a fishing accident and closed the case."
Carlos was outraged and said "Are fucking kidding me, if they could tell that they had been tortured and killed then why the hell would they consider it a fishing accident?"
The Cmdr said "Because whoever did this made sure that their message was received loud and clear to anyone that either came across them or found them. They were the example for all to see regarding what happens to someone who gets too close to people that they shouldn't be."
He continued with "The cops around that area aren't stupid and they know who truly controls things and there is no one that will challenge him."
He breathed in and then continued "If you really want to know what happened to them in detail and I really think that you should because you need to know what you are up against and exactly what type of man that you are dealing with. I should be receiving the full report from my contact in the next few hours and I can fax it to you."
Lester trying to keep his anger at bay said "To be honest with you sir, I would love to see those reports so that that I know exactly what those son of bitches did to them, so when I get the chance to see them I can repay them and do the same things to them that they did to Avi and his son."
Carlos said "We'd appreciate it if you would sir, because I absolute agree with Lester regarding meeting up with those bastards."
The Cmdr said "I know that you are already thinking about getting revenge but you need to understand somethings and you need to think long and hard about how you want to proceed with it once you get those reports later. Things could get really dicey for you two and your lives could end up in real danger if you decide to pursue this. Keep in mind that there are only 2 of you and he has a whole Army full of people at his beckon call and they won't mind doing to you what they did to Avi and his son, no matter who you are friends with. If it they feel you are a threat to the family they will do whatever it takes to makes sure that the two of you are taken care of."
He continued by saying "So I suggest you take the next couple of days and really take the time to think about everything that you've learned and decide if this job is worth your lives, because I'm going to tell you I don't think it is."
Carlos was about to speak up when the Cmdr stopped him by continuing "I feel this has gotten way too dangerous and you two haven't been able to speak to Stephanie and figured out what's going on with her or even want she wants to do once she finds out."
Carlos responded "You're right and on top of it we can't even talk to her right now because she's disappeared as well. We found out when we went to that club on Saturday night. We were supposed to meet up with her and when we got there her best friend and boyfriend told us that on Thursday morning Estefania's bodyguards came over and said that was a family emergency. They told her that she needed to go home ASAP and then she packed her stuff and left with them. Her best friend said they had no clue what was going on other than she left and said she hoped she would be back soon, but she did mention that it wasn't due to any type of medical emergency."
The Cmdr said "Well isn't that interesting."
Carlos said "Yeah but it makes sense that when he disappeared he would take her with him, especially if he thought that there was any type of danger to her. She was always saying how overprotective he is when it comes to her, which was one of the reasons that he demanded to meet us. So here's what we are going to do, we promise to take your advice and once we've read over the report, we'll take a couple of days to decide what we want to do and how we want to handle things. One of the biggest reasons I'm agreeing to do this is because you're right, what just happened was totally unexpected and it was something that none of us would ever anticipate to happen."
The Cmdr said "Thank you Carlos. I'm glad that you agreed to that and I will fax you the report as soon as I get it. Is there anything else?"
Carlos and Lester both said "No sir." and then the Cmdr hung up the phone.
Universidad de Los Andes –Merida Venezuela – Turmoil and Tough Decisions
Carlos looked at the Sat phone to make sure that the call had been disconnected before he threw it on the bed and yelled "Fuck!"
He rubbed his hand over his face and said "What the hell am I supposed to do and where do I go from here?"
Looking confused Lester said "What are you talking about, man?"
Carlos sighed and walked slowly over to his nightstand and opened the top drawer and pulled out something from it.
He handed it to Lester and said "I wasn't planning on showing it to anyone, but I think you need to see it and so you really know what's going on."
Lester looked at it and noticed it was a really worn piece of paper that was folded. He carefully unfolded it and started to read it.
After Lester was finished he looked at Carlos and said "Holy shit dude, this is seriously messed up. How do you feel about her? I mean I know that you get somewhat jealous when she talks about her boyfriend but I thought that was just for show."
Carlos said "Yes, I do have a clue on how messed up this is, trust me that's all I've thought about since I got that letter. As far as what my feelings are for her, if I'm being perfectly honest, I think I might be falling in love with her."
Lester shook his head and said "Carlos, there is no way that this would ever work. You know that right?"
Carlos took his hands away from his face and glared at Lester and said "You don't think I don't fucking know that this may never work and I tried not to let my feelings towards her get to me, I really did. Because you and I both know that in our line of work that letting your feelings get to you will get you killed quickly, but no matter how hard I tried to ignore it she found a way to sneak her way into my heart and I just can't help it."
Then Carlos sighed and said "You want to know the biggest thing that's so fucked up about this whole situation? I've even thought about this to the point that if she didn't want to come back to the US with me, that maybe I would stay here and be with her. I don't know if I could stand to be away from her."
Lester screamed at him "Have you lost your freaking mind? You're actually serious about this. If she doesn't want to go back home, you are willing to stay here. You know that if her father ever finds out the truth about who you are or what you were doing here that he'd have you killed on the spot, regardless of her possible feelings for you?"
Carlos nodded his head and said "Yes, I know that he would. I would have to make sure he never found out."
Lester argued back "Umm dumbass. What part of the phrase HE WILL KILL YOU do you not understand? And do you think you would do give everything up that you have and throw away your entire life just to stay here with her."
Carlos sighed and said "I know that none of this makes any sense and I'm terrified about what it all means. I know I have to make a decision, but this is really tough and this just doesn't affect me this affects her as well.
Lester was frustrated beyond belief and looked him dead in the eyes and said "Maybe after we get this report and you've had a chance to read it and you see what kind of father she has and that will help you make the right decision."
Lester threw the note on the bed and then he stormed out of Carlos' room.
Carlos just sat on the bed and picked up the note and stared blankly at it, he didn't need to read it anymore he had already it memorized. After staring at it for little bit he folded it back up and put it back in the drawer.
He lay down on his bed and started to wonder about how his life had gotten so fucked up.
After that Lester and Carlos decided to avoid each other for a while, with Carlos staying in his room and Lester sitting on the couch in the living room and watching TV.
A few hours later a beep sounded indicating that a fax was coming in.
Lester got up from the couch and walked over to the machine and waited until all the pages had printed out. He picked up all the pages and started reading them.
After Lester had gotten through a few pages Carlos walked up and stood beside him.
When he had gotten to a particular part Lester let out a low whistle. Carlos just raised his eyebrow at him and Lester ignoring him just shook his head.
Once Lester was finished reading the report he to all the pages and straightened them up. He looked over at Carlos and said "I'm not sure you want to read this, but then maybe it would be beneficial for you considering the circumstances."
Carlos said "Why do you say that?"
Lester angrily waving the papers in front of Carlos and replied "Because this shows you exactly the type of man that Osvaldo really is and what he is capable of doing or what he can have his people do. It would also do you good to remember that all Avi did was take pictures of her and his son only talked to her once. They were not dating or living with or loving his daughter. You DO NOT want to have this man a part in your daily life."
Carlos just stared at him in disbelief. He'd never seen Lester this pissed off before. He knew that whatever was in that report must be really bad. He almost didn't want to read it, but he knew he had to.
So Carlos put his hand out for Lester to hand him the report so that he could see for himself just how bad it was.
Lester put the report in Carlos' hands and then started to walk away and then turned around and said quietly "I'll be in the garage."
Carlos nodded his head and sat down at the small desk and started to read the report.
He looked down at the first page and it saw these words:
The Official Report in the Avi and Santiago Gutierrez Case
He flipped that page over and saw on the next page:
This File Contains the Findings in Regards to Avi and Santiago Gutierrez's House Burning Down and Their Deaths
Carlos read over the next few pages as it detailed everything that the Cmdr had told them in regards to the house burning down as well as some new information. It had described what accelerates had been used and then went on to describe in great detail some things that were quite disturbing.
That made Carlos pause to stop and think about what type of people these men really were. It honestly made him question himself whether he wanted to continue reading the report or not. If they could be that heartless in regards to animals, then what they might have done to Avi and Santiago would be ten times worse. He was honestly questioning their sanity at this point and he was just getting started.
He decided that it would be best to go ahead and finish reading it so he could get it over with.
He skimmed the rest of the pages that pertained to the house and then got to the page that started with their deaths.
He took a deep breath and started reading the pages very carefully and slowly. He wanted to read it word for word.
Once he had finished reading the entire report the only thing that he could do was to just sit there in disbelief.
He had been captured by what he thought were some of the cruelest men in the world and they had tortured him, but after reading that he decided that what he had gone through was nothing compared to what Osvaldo's men had done to Avi and his son.
One of the questions that he was asking himself was did Osvaldo have a hand in this himself by telling his men what to do or were his men acting of their own accord. No matter the answer he knew that whoever did this they were some sick and twisted individuals.
He also decided that with this knowledge he could totally see Osvaldo orchestrating Estefania's death the way it had appeared to have happened.
He thought about what Lester said about being nuts for thinking about staying here and after reading the report he knew that it wouldn't be in his best interest to stay. It's pretty clear that if by some chance Osvaldo ever found out who or what he was, then Osvaldo wouldn't hesitate to kill him or have him killed and it would be with no questions being asked.
He wondered if he got the chance to talk to Estefania and explain to her what type of man that Osvaldo was, would she believe him and if she did would she be willing to leave. He wondered if Osvaldo would let her go or would he try to keep her locked up and not let her escape.
He decided that no matter what he needed to talk to her and he wasn't going anywhere until he got that chance. He didn't know what her reaction would be but he knew that he needed to tell her the whole truth.
The best case scenario would if he could convince her to come back to the states with him. One thing he needed to make sure of was to be careful with what he does when it comes to her because Carlos now knows that at the first sign of trouble Osvaldo will have no problem with whisking her away and keep her hidden until he deems it's safe to return.
He yelled for Lester to come back in his room.
Once Lester appeared he said "I've read the entire report and I know what I want to do and what needs to be done."
Lester lifted his eyebrow at him, urging him to continue, so Carlos said "I need to wait until she comes back, I have to talk to her and explain to her what's happened and who Osvaldo really is. I can't in good faith leave her with that monster. I have to let her know what he's capable of doing or at least what his men are capable of doing."
Lester nodded his head in understanding and said "OK, then we will stay here until she gets back and you have a chance to talk to her but you have to abide by whatever she says and if she determines that you are wrong and doesn't believe you then we leave. Agreed?"
Carlos looked at him and said "You do know that you don't have to stay with me, right? You are free to go home."
Lester said "Oh no, I'm not leaving your sorry ass here and have to explain to Tia Maria and Tio Ricardo what happened to you. They would both smack me upside the head and demand that I come right back here and drag your dumbass home."
Carlos laughed and then he put his head down and quietly said "You're right and I agree with what you said, if she doesn't believe me or doesn't want to leave then we'll leave and head home."
Lester walked into Carlos' room and grabbed the Sat phone. He figured that the Cmdr was probably still reading and dissecting the report just like they had done and that he would still be available.
He walked in front of Carlos and handed him the phone and said "You're in charge so you're the one to tell the Cmdr what you decided."
Carlos picked up the phone and punched the speed dial button then as it was ringing he put the speaker on.
The Cmdr answered within 2 rings and said "I was expecting your call."
Carlos said "Yes sir, I imagine that you were."
The Cmdr said "So what have you boys decided to do?"
Carlos was about to answer when Lester stepped up and said "Sir, we have decided to stay and complete the mission."
The Cmdr seemed shocked and said "Are you really serious?"
Carlos replied saying "Yes sir. What Lester is saying is that we are going to try to complete our mission. We decided that we are going to stay until Estefania comes home and we've had a chance to see her. My intention is to get her alone so that I can speak to her in private. We have some things that we need to clear up and some of those things includes telling her exactly who we are and why we are here and what type of man that Osvaldo really is."
The Cmdr replied "Are you sure that's a good idea, what if she decides that you are lying and then ends up telling him. He'll come after you or send some of his goons after you to kill you?"
Carlos said "That's a very real possibility sir, but you should know that Lester and I have made a pact that no matter what happens whether she believes us and wants to come back with us or if she doesn't believe us and wants to stay, we will have a plane that will be leaving within the hour of that conversation. Either way he wouldn't really have time react."
The Cmdr said "So you have thought about this and have some type of plan in action. I'm glad, but the threat is still very real, you know he has people that can move from country to country and he still may come after you."
Lester spoke up and said "Yes sir, we are very well aware of what his people can do but we will take every precaution, even if that means we have to disappear ourselves for a while."
The Cmdr said "Very good then, it sounds like you have thought about everything very carefully. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"
Carlos and Lester both said "No sir" at the same time and then the call was disconnected.
Carlos looked over at Lester and said "I really appreciate you sticking this out with me."
Lester nodded his head and said "Anytime man, I've always got your back."
Carlos said "Thanks man, now we just have to hope that Estefania comes home soon, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be."
Lester shook his head in agreement.
They stood up from the table and went their separate ways. They each wanted to think in private so they could decide what they wanted to do while they were waiting for Estefania to come home, both of them hoping that it would be really soon.
Tia – Aunt; Tio – Uncle
If anyone is interested in hearing the gory details of the report I can absolutely create one, but keep in mind that sometimes I can go into a very dark place which is why I didn't really want to add it to this chapter.
It is absolutely not needed for the story line.