Page 66 of Colombian Chemistry

“That’s not the point of the story,” I said. “The point of the story is we need to get her father free from the Jungle Kings and figure out how to get them both safe for good.”

She leaned forward on her elbows. “Oh, I think it’s exactly the point of the story. You risked your life for this girl for free, and you’re going to risk it again just to save her father to make her happy. The point of the story is you fell for a girl.”

Normally I would have argued back with her because normally, it wouldn’t have been true. I didn’t fall for girls... ever. But this time, her words were as accurate as her aim with throwing knives. I had fallen for a girl. Head over heels, irrevocably in love to be exact.

I just shrugged, and that was enough for her to know my answer.

“Good for you, Marcus. You deserve some happiness,” she said.

Knox nodded his agreement, and Wes mirrored it from the screen.

“Marcus called me last week and told me who I needed to locate and where,” Wesley said. “I’ve been hard at work scouring every security camera in Cartagena and hacking into the cell phones and radio frequencies the Jungle Kings use.”

“And?” I asked on bated breath. “Did you find him?”

Wesley snorted. “Of course I found him. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

I grinned wide. “You’re damn straight you found him. I knew you would.”

“Never doubt our Pretty Boy for a second,” Knox added.

“They’ve got him held in a compound just on the outskirts of town. I’ve been live-streaming their security feed, and most of the time, they have him in a lab down in the basement.”

“What’s the defense look like?” Knox asked.

Wesley blew out a puff of air. “Not good, guys. This place is locked up tighter than a frog’s ass. We’re talking motion sensors, armed guards every ten feet, electric wire perimeter, and guards on patrol inside twenty-four seven. These cartel dudes aren’t fucking around when it comes to security.”

“Makes sense,” Knox said. “They not only have the cops to worry about but each other. If they weren’t well guarded, the rival cartels could swoop in there and clean them out. They must have hundreds of millions in money and drugs in there.”

“So, can you hack the security system and bring it down?” I asked Wesley.

He shook his head. “These guys are good. I’ve been trying to get control of their systems all week with no luck. Seems they have their own Wesley on staff somewhere, and he’s done a kick-ass job keeping them secure. They have some pretty impressive cybersecurity and a server inside the compound. I need someone to plant a bug in the server that will open a door for me to get in. If someone can do that, I can drop the defenses, and other than the armed guards, you can waltz right in undetected.”

“They aren’t going to let us in easy to get that bug planted,” I said.

“Well, maybe not you guys.” Piper grinned. “But I bet they let me waltz straight in.”

“Anyone would let you waltz in anywhere you wanted, Piper,” Wesley chuckled.

A proud smile stretched her full, red lips.

“She’s definitely our best option to get in and get that bug planted,” Knox agreed.

“I’ve been hacking the emails of the top members. There are three. Pedro Perez, as you know. He’s the head honcho. Then he has two lieutenants. Cruz Mateo and Rafael Hernandez. They handle security and the day-to-day stuff. I can’t find any other names that jump out as far as running the business end of things. Everyone else seems to just be hired thugs.”

I drummed my fingers on my glass. “So, how do we get Piper in?”

“That’s the good news. Cruz and Rafael hang out at a local bar most Wednesday nights. They meet with the local drug suppliers. They often bring prostitutes or women they pick up back to their compound for private parties afterward.”

“So, if I pretend to be one of their ladies, they’ll bring me right in.” Piper smiled.

“That’s my thought,” Wesley said. “From their emails and texts, they are planning on meeting their contacts this Wednesday at eight.”

“That gives us two days to prepare,” I said. “But you guys, I just want to be clear, I know I’m asking a lot. I know we’re not getting paid, and you’re putting your lives on the line. If anyone wants to back out, I swear I won’t hold it against you.”

“Are you kidding?” Knox snorted. “I’ve been bored senseless sitting on my ass in Costa Rica. I’m starting to get soft.” He pushed on his abs that were anything but.

“I live for this shit,” Piper smiled. “And if our Marcus has gone and fallen for a girl, then we’re going to do everything we can to help said girl. Your girl is my girl.”