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“The geniuses.” The men all stared at Rivera, then back at Brooke. “As you well know, if North Korea were to get its hands on those children, they would never be found again, nor would they ever be normal again. You mustn’t let that happen.”
“On that, we can agree,” said East. “But I am curious, Mr. Rivera.”
“Lomas. Just Lomas,” he grinned.
“Alright, Lomas. I’m curious. What are you getting out of this? I mean, other than the DEA agreeing to leave you alone for the foreseeable future, what do you get? There’s no money exchange here. No prisoner exchanges. What else is there?”
“Revenge.”
“Revenge? Revenge for what?” asked Brooke. “I haven’t found anything that says you’ve met in conflict.”
“We haven’t.”
“Lomas, we want to cooperate here, but it would be wonderful if we knew what this was really all about,” said Brooke.
“Do you know what’s on the other side of this mountain?” he asked. They all nodded, knowing that the mountain park and the mansion were on the other side.
“We know. Sutton’s late wife’s mansion. What does that have to do with anything?” asked Brooke.
“Were you aware that there is a tunnel beneath the mansion? One that stretches all the way to this restaurant.”
“We were aware of the tunnel, but it stopped at an underground spring. A spring filled with dead bodies and a cave formerly filled with a biochemical weapon.” He let out a long, slow breath, nodding.
“Then you were able to get to it,” he nodded. “That’s good. That’s very, very good. But the tunnel, once upon a time, ran all the way here so that those coming across the border could come into the restaurant and disappear toward the mansion. It may have collapsed, but it was there at one time.”
“What does this have to do with anything?” asked Eazee.
“Indulge me for a moment,” he smiled. “My brother and I met with Sutton on behalf of Ramos nearly forty-five years ago. I was a young man. Just turned twenty-two. My brother was older, wiser, or so I thought. We spent a week here. A week I will never forget.
“Sutton’s wife was very beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. In fact, she was perfect. I have never found anyone since that time to compare to her beauty. When I left, I asked her to leave with me, but she refused. She was a few years older than me and didn’t think it would be appropriate. She believed that Sutton was a good man.
“It didn’t take her long to see that he was not. By that time, it was too late. She was pregnant. With our child.”
“Your child?” frowned Brooke. “Morgan is your child?”
“She is. I believe Sutton knew almost instantly that she wasn’t his.”
“Her eyes,” said Liffey. “She has green eyes like yours.”
“Yes,” he nodded with a sad smile. “I only saw her twice after that. Once, when she was about six years old. She was so beautiful, so perfect. She took my breath away. The next time, she was nearly twenty. That’s when Sutton recognized how much we looked alike. I should have taken her then. I should have gone against her mother’s wishes and taken her with me.”
“Why didn’t she let you?” whispered Brooke.
“She hoped to eliminate Sutton herself and start anew. We would start a life together. It was only a few years later he killed the love of my life and then sold my daughter to Ramos. I have been after both men since that time.”
“Well, I’m happy to say that we solved one problem for you,” said East, “but there’s still the matter of Sutton.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “Do you, do you know where my daughter is? Is she safe?”
“She’s safe,” said Liffey. “She’s safe, happy, and, from what I understand, in love.” Rivera’s face lit up with a smile, nodding his head at the happy news.
“Excuse me a moment,” said Brooke, stepping out of the room.
“You cannot allow the North Koreans to get the children, and you must not let Sutton live. If I have to kill him myself, I will.”
“No offense, Lomas, but you’re not exactly a choir boy yourself,” said East. “You sell drugs that kill men, women, and children every day. That doesn’t make you any worse, or better, than Sutton.”
“I know that you’re right, but it feels different. It feels less criminal.” Brooke walked back into the room, her phone in her hand.
