“That’s my guess. But why wouldn’t he have reached out to you? This is the kind of situation where a UC should be in contact with his handler.”
Why didn’t Rocco call her? Sure, he was disappointed and upset with her personally, but this had nothing to do with whatever was going on between them. He was too damn good at his job to let their personal issues interfere with the op. Right?
Jemma was second-guessing herself, wondering if their intimacy had changed Rocco. Maybe when he walked out on her, he walked out on their professional relationship, too? But then he should have called Tank or the Proteus Team.
So why didn’t he?
She paced back and forth in front of the Jeep.
There was a critical piece of the puzzle that she was missing. She thought back through all the details Rocco had learned since she’d stepped in as his handler.
Eddie Baez tipped off the DNCD to the drug shipment. The same drug shipment he was supposed to provide security for. Why? Rocco mentioned Dante was pissed that his team wasn’t going to be used. But El Sombro told Dante he had a different shipment that would need his attention. A shipment that Rocco found out waslikely weapons, which relied on a connection provided to El Sombro by Eddie Baez.
Did Eddie betray El Sombro?
Or was this all a part of the plan?
Jemma thought back to the location tucked away in the Samana jungle that she and Rocco had found before. Could something be happening with the arms trafficking while the DNCD celebrated a major drug bust on the other side of the island?
Rocco had been in direct contact with Dante, staying at the enforcer’s home over the weekend. If Rocco overheard Dante discussing the arms trafficking shipment, it made sense that Rocco would follow him, hoping to get intel to share with the DoD and ATF.
And because of what happened between them, it also made sense that Rocco would keep her in the dark. She’d told him to focus on the drug shipment. She would’ve discouraged him from investigating the guns if she knew what he was up to. But Rocco wouldn’t be deterred. It was the more significant threat, even if it didn’t fall under their jurisdiction.
Was Rocco closer than she thought?
Could he be in Samana?
There was only one way to find out.
“I think I might know where he is. If you don’t hear from me in six hours, send the Proteus tactical team to this location to look for me,” Jemma said, then typed the coordinates of the Samana jungle into the phone.
“Got it,” Lenny said, then added. “Be careful, Jemma.”
Chapter 45
The night was much shorter than Rocco had expected.
On his way to the bedroom, he’d stopped off to piss, then overheard Dante on a call.
“It’s happening tomorrow night?” Dante had asked, then was quiet. “I’ll mobilize and head out now.”
He’d watched from the darkened hallway as Dante gathered his armory, made a few more calls, then left the house.
The call had to be related to the arms shipment, which was technically out of his jurisdiction for the op. He could alert Proteus and the DoD, but he didn’t know what to tell them. Couldn’t be sure his hunch was correct. The best thing to do was follow Dante and determine if he could get intel that would help the DoD bust a future shipment of guns trafficked by El Sombro.
Following at a far enough distance on a rented moped, Rocco had traveled across the island, trailing Dante to the Port of Puerto Plata, where he and his men picked up four trucks hauling cargo containers from the dock. The trucks left under the cloak of darkness and arrived in the Samana jungle shortly after midnight.
Rocco hid his electric motorbike near a dense copse of trees,then maneuvered his way through the fauna closer to the clearing. Dante supervised the dismantling of the cargo containers, then the trucks departed, leaving him with half the men and half a dozen cargo containers arranged in a semi-circle around the perimeter of the clearing.
The heavily armed men erected electronic devices strategically within the jungle. Rocco realized the devices were designed to disrupt cell signals. His phone was fucking useless. There was no way to alert Proteus of his location. He kicked himself for not calling before he left Dajabon, but it was too late for regrets. He also couldn’t let The Two Carlas know he wouldn’t be coming in for his shift at the clinic. It wasn’t the first time he’d abandoned them with no notice. They’d be okay, but give him hell about it tomorrow.
Rocco huddled against the jungle floor, motionless as he waited for the next moves. The armed men had vacated the area in the trucks, leaving a single SUV with Dante inside. He’d watched the sunrise and the sunset from the spot as Dante remained in the SUV, waiting for … Rocco didn’t know what. After twenty hours, the debate on whether to stay or leave raged in his mind until he decided to see this through. There could be useful intel for the DEA or the DoD if he exercised patience.
But that left him alone with nagging thoughts of … Jemma.
Dante’s words haunted him.
When you love someone.
