Page 87 of Fixed Asset

“You got a problem with that?” Pete finished by asking.

“Me?”

Pete dipped his chin.

Cat thought about it for a moment. Then she smiled.

“Nope. I actually love that the assholes who cause so much pain and destruction with their greed will now be paying my car payment.”

Pete looked at me and smiled.

“Good. Now, Ryan, tell us about this island.”

By the time Shep called back, we’d thoroughly checked out the island the best we could electronically. We’d also looked into Tortuga Bay and the ocean route to get to the island. The seaside town was small but had an airfield. Pete had also called Berta to ask her if she had any allies in that area. Unfortunately she didn’t. He didn’t ask about Tom’s connection to Maria; that was for a different day when we weren’t on the clock.

“I got two things for you. I ran some of Carlos’s known associates. You won’t be surprised to know they’re not big into credit, banking, or credit cards. But I found one, a woman, Gloria Alverez. She charged gas in El Riito. Then again southwest in Santa Ana. Again in Mexicali. From there, she caught the 5 and headed south. I got another charge in Playa Hermosa. The last charge is in Chapala, where the 5 turns into the 1. That highway dead-ends in Tortuga. It’s a twenty-two-hour drive. I can’t get her all the way, but in the vicinity. The rest of the gas would’ve been paid in cash.

“I called Tom. He reached out to his insider in Carlos’s organization and got back to me. First, Gloria is Carlos’s woman—as in, his girlfriend and also the woman who runs his stable. She takes care of the girls, and I use that term loosely, but Gloria oversees the prostitutes. Second, the auction in Juárez is set. Carlos’s second-in-command is handling the sale since he’s not there, and there are no out-of-town buyers coming in, which confirms Calista isn’t there. I think it’s a safe bet Carlos and Gloria took Calista to Tortuga.”

“Any word in any of those dark holes you peruse about a Russian being sold in Mexico?” Aiden asked.

“I don’t bury the lede.” Shep blew out a breath. “I would’ve led with that.”

Pete looked like he was deep in thought.

“What’s on your mind?” Mase asked Pete.

“I don’t like leaving those other women up for auction.”

“We can’t save—”

“Them all, yeah, Mase, I know. But I know there’s an auction; it’s sitting heavy in my gut.”

I was about to suggest calling Takeback, but then I remembered Mia shouldn’t go anywhere near Juárez, and getting her to stay behind would be like me convincing Catarina to sit this op out.

It just wasn’t going to happen.

“Me, Ryan, Gavin, and Fallon hit Juárez,” Aiden suggested. “You, Mase, Cat, and Jack hit the island.”

“Shep, what’s your intel on the auction?”

“I don’t have much. Word is there are ten girls. They’re from Carlos’s stable. He’s rotating out.”

I wasn’t the only one who grunted in disgust.

“I can have a workup in a few hours. First I need to make the arrangements for the flight down to Baja. There’s a larger island north of Natividad. Cedros. It has an airport. It would also be a good place to handle the sale. It’s worth checking out the island before you head to Natividad.”

“El Morro,” Ryan confirmed. “Fifteen kilometers.”

“Correct. Did you get the workup I sent over on Calista Ventura?” Shep inquired.

“Yeah. Thanks for that,” Pete answered.

I still didn’t know who the model Tom had referenced was, but the pictures Shep had sent over, along with a full dossier on Calista, proved she was pretty enough to be a model. Long blonde hair, blue eyes. I thought she resembled Kate Hudson if Kate had longer hair.

The report also included her occupation—freelance investigative journalist. Something Tom had conveniently left out. She had written numerous articles on the sex trade and an exposé on Washington elites using high-dollar escorts, and the women who serviced these men. She hadn’t named any of the men but gave enough detail that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who the piece was about.

She also smartly wrote under pseudonyms—three of them to be exact. And she didn’t only report on trafficking; under one of the pen names, she exposed corruption. Meaning if her pseudos ever got out, she’d be in danger. Which seemed moot seeing as she’d already been kidnapped.