Chapter 5: Déjà Vu

Teresa got out of the cab and realized the driver was still holding out his hand with her change in it. She had not noticed the drive to the airport, the flight, or the drive to the Madagascar offices. It all felt like a blur.

She had not been formally introduced to the lawyer the Swiss bank had assigned to the deal, but it didn't stop her to find Alina Alicante's office in less than 10 minutes.

Teresa found herself walking in with a determined stride even before the secretary had announced her arrival.

Alina Alicante was a beautiful woman, with precise features, big blue eyes, and dark wavy hair, who stood up from her desk the moment Teresa walked in.

Once the door had been closed, she said with a nice tone: "Mrs. Valdez, finally having the pleasure to meet you!"
Despite trying for a while, Teresa had not been able to figure out what she would tell the woman once she confronted her, so she said the thing that came to her mind: "I wish I could say the same thing. What is your relationship with my husband?"

She had been called 'a straight shooter' before by former associates, but now even she got startled at the brusqueness of her voice.

A shadow past over Alina's face and she inhaled deeply before saying in a regretful tone: "I guess you have heard!"

"I want You to tell me!' Teresa said coldly.

Alina's brain was spinning. Evidently the set up had worked, and Blondie had seen them kiss and had reported to her friend. Carlos had wanted her to make James unsettle Mendoza, but Alina had an opportunity to stick the imaginary knife herself and as she wanted to be in Carlos' good graces, she wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides she did fancy James Valdez and his absolute reaction this morning had hurt her feelings. There had been no faltering, no hesitation in his refusal! And Alina was sure he liked her. Men liked her. Always!

"We have been working closely since I was sent from Zurich…One thing led to another…" Alina tried to control her voice. It needed to sound a little regretful, but still thrilled by her 'thing' with James.

"How long?" Mendoza's voice was ice cold.

"A week only…I'm sorry…He is...ahh…" And as Alina was preparing to say, 'a remarkable man', Teresa Mendoza turned briskly on her heel and walked out.

As Teresa slid the key card over the electronic panel on the door of the loft and walked in, she froze her in her tracks.

Kelly Anne, face distorted, make up smeared down her cheeks, was skulking behind a couch, sobbing uncontrollably, while James and Pote, who had broken the coffee table were throwing punches at each other in the middle of the living room. Their faces were raw with blows and scrapes, their eyes flashing angrily at each other.

James's jaw was set tight with inscrutable resolve, while Pote's red gaze was marked by a fierce frown and grim stark severity. She had never seen the men so furious and so out of control.

Before she could say anything, Pote swung and as James moved swiftly, Pote missed him completely and threw himself off balance. James used the opportunity to drive his fist into Pote's solar plexus, just under the heart. Teresa yelled at him to stop it as Pote doubled over, winded and helpless. But somehow his knees locked stiffly, and his legs didn't fold.

Just then James grabbed a patch of his hair and pulled it up to force him to raise his head. Then he pulled his right fist back at shoulder height, hesitated in the precision of his aim for a long second, and then rammed his fist into Pote's jaw. His eyes were full of anger distorting his face.

Teresa screamed again, but none of the men seemed to have heard her. Only Kelly Anne kept repeating 'stop it, stop it' in a high-pitched voice as if in a trance.

It seemed like the full force of James's shoulders and back had been in the blow as Pote's lips pouted and his eyes squinted in a wince. He looked like he would slump on the floor, but he held a second too long preparing to swing again. Teresa's brain worked with a lightning speed as her leg shot out and hit him in the knee fold, toppling him forward.

One man down!

James was ready to pounce and when she whirled around and kicked him in the groin, he was caught by surprise.

He stopped short and as their eyes met, she said through her teeth: "Stop it! Both of you! Did you not hear me, carajo?"

James didn't lower his fists for a long second, looked at her, then at Pote who was trying to get up from the floor, and realized that he himself had trained Teresa in this particular kick.

The thought somehow brought him to his senses because he lowered his fists and said in a cold voice: "I would assume you were on the plane and that's why you didn't take my call!"

Teresa had not thought of an answer as her mind was accosted by the déjà vu of having to act now, having to take a position now, while she found herself fearful and insecure. She had felt the same angst after she had escaped the bombed compound in the jungle, making it to Phoenix, only to have Pote find spying tech toys in James's room.

She had been slow to react then and had lost. She had hesitated because she had wanted more information and had hurt James's feeling badly. Now, he was standing in front of her, demanding they talked, and she felt a gripping coldness in her heart because she was not ready to have such a conversation with him.

Why? She wondered. In both instances she had known how much he meant to her…and just as before she only needed a little clarity on how she felt, what the developments would mean for them…for her…

"Alina told me everything!" Teresa heard herself say.

"What 'everything' exactly?" James said fast.

"Everything…that happened!" she added more softly wondering if she believed Alina.

"And you believe her?" His lips barely moved, and his eyes seemed black.

"I need time to process it all…and to sort this coke issue here…" Teresa was stalling, it was obvious.

Pote had lifted himself up from the floor and had slumped on the couch as Kelly Anne hovered above him, checking his eye.

James just shook his head as if in pain: "You owe me to hear it from me…She kissed me…out of the blue…and I pushed her back…and nothing happened…not now…not before! You gotta believe me!"

His voice was earnest as he moved to the door and Teresa managed to say: "I believe you…but I need time…please…"

She couldn't gather her bearings and as James read her clearly, he sighed, shook his head and walked out the door without another word.

Marcel Dumas sat in the Siete Gottas bar in downtown New Orleans and sipped his morning cappuccino when his cell rang, and he was surprised to see it was La Reina herself.

His Spanish had improved dramatically as he had been faced with the need to communicate with people in Castel Fioto's circle and some of them had only passable English.

"Hola, mi Reina!" Marcel sounded thrilled as he answered the phone.

"Hola!" Teresa's voice sounded dejected and not a bit surprised that he had greeted her in Spanish.

"What's up?" came out on autopilot as he had been texting her about his progress in Spanish often enough in the past year and the lack of enthusiasm in her voice now, told him there was a problem.

"I…actually we…our hotels …have got a 'coke' problem!" Teresa said flatly.

Marcel didn't take the news lightly. He had to 'make calls' and 'call her back."

In an hour Teresa had seen the coke herself and had returned with limping Pote and upset Kelly Anne by her side to the apartment.

When her she got a call from a blocked number, she picked up fast to hear Castel Fioto's melodic voice: "Hola Teresa! I understand you are again being forced in the game! And that is a big problem!"

"It must be pretty big if you are calling me yourself!" Teresa couldn't force herself to sound anything but grim serious.

"Yes, true. It's someone else's coke in my territory. Have you heard the name Mr. Wong?" Castel said.

"No. Should I have?" Teresa said.

"How about Bustamante?" Castel pushed.

Teresa's breath caught. "Yes, he is the manager the Swiss bank sent to oversee the expansion of the Madagascar hotel. I haven't met him yet! But his staff is causing me problems…already!" Teresa was not sure why she shared, but she knew that Bustamante wouldn't be happy when she told Zurich that Alina Alicante was out! And she had the very firm intention of doing exactly that!

"What other problems?" Castel inquired.

"Ahh…'men' problems…I feel like my life has just exploded!" Teresa exhaled deep and sat down on the couch staring at the broken coffee table. "And that I am in the center of some crazy conspiracy!"

"Tell me more, por favor! This is a secure line." Castel said, voice full of curiosity.