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“I’m happy with you too.” It was the best afternoon I’d spent with a woman, and when it was time to pick up Mickey, I was sad to see her go. “Be safe, and let me know how you’re doing when you can.”
“I will,” she sighed softly. “I promise.”
I kissed her long and hard at the door. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”
Chapter 23
Lacey
“We have a meeting today with Umberto Garcia, he’s the opposition leader of the For The People movement. He’s agreed to talk to us, but on his terms and his turf.” Carlton had turned out to be a much better asset than I imagined. It wasn’t just his fluent Spanish that helped, but the fact that the man seemed to know people everywhere. “It’s a three-hour drive from the city.”
I nodded as Carlton rattled off the details and sucked in a deep breath. Three days in Caracas had yielded a ton of content from the field that included interviews with current government officials, slice of life pieces with locals caught in the middle, and beautiful photos of this gorgeous country. “Garcia, he used to be a stock analyst right?”
“Yep. Left that behind after making a gazillion dollars to hold government officials accountable for everything from broken campaign promises to corruption.”
“All right, great. I have plenty of questions for him.” I felt like I was back in college with all the research and cramming I’d done to formulate intelligent questions that would give me the answers I needed. It was tiring, but it was beyond exhilarating.
“Good. We should head out in the next fifteen minutes.” Despite his easygoing spirit and laidback demeanor, Carlton was as serious as they came when he was in work mode. “Don’t dress for the office. Jeans and boots, hiking boots if you brought ’em.”
I nodded and dug the worn hiking boots from the bottom of my suitcase. “Okay, thanks.” Carlton had advised not unpacking to ward off theft attempts, and to make it easier for a fast getaway if necessary.
“You’re doing great Lacey. Stop worrying.”
“I’m trying,” I told him around a sigh. I was happy to be here, excited to see the city even if everyone was in a state of bated breath, waiting to see what would happen next. “I can’t stop the anxiety.”
“Good, it’ll keep you alive.”
“No pressure,” I sighed and then laughed. “I’m okay. Good. Great.”
Carlton’s deep laugh echoed in the room. “You’re fine, Lacey.”
The drive was more than three hours, which gave me and Carlton even more time to chat and get to know each other. “Have you been all over the world too?”
He nodded. “Trice, maybe more. It’s a good life, but it’s stressful as hell.”
“But you’ve got plenty of awards to show for it, and tons of bylines. Must be rewarding.” I could only dream of having such a storied career.
Carlton, for his part, was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. “I just tell the stories, and if it helps people become aware of life outside their small cage, I’m satisfied. The awards are nice because it means I get first shot at tagging along with the best journalists.” He quirked a grin as his big hands deftly handled the uneven terrain that took us to Umberto Garcia’s compound in San Juan de los Morros. The main building was a one-story brick structure that blended into the forested wilderness around it. It was impressive, but not what I expected for a man worth millions of dollars.
“Wow, this place is incredible.”
“And strategically situated,” he added cynically. “Behind this place is where a national park starts, which is basically the wild.”
I nodded absently for a long moment before we got out of the car and were approached by Garcia and two armed men. “Ms. Gregory. Mr. Linelli. Welcome to San Juan de los Morros.” He smiled a picture-perfect politician’s grin.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Garcia.” He wasn’t at all what I expected, dressed like a soldier instead of a businessman or a politician. In fatigues and combat boots, a big black automatic weapon was draped across his back, camouflage hat shielding his face from the oppressively bright sun. “This is quite a home you’ve got, beautiful and fully integrated into the natural landscape.”
He smiled. “My wife would appreciate that sentiment if she were here, but shopping in London has taken her away for the foreseeable future.”
More like he’d sent his family away to keep them safe from unrest and from his political enemies. “Lucky woman.”
“Well, I have worked hard in my life to give my family every advantage.” A perfect political answer if I ever heard one.
“Yes, and now you’re a man of the people, doing what most men in your position would not.”
He chuckled. “What is that?”
“Worry about the have-nots when you have so much.”
“It is a sad state of the world when that is the fact, isn’t it?” Umberto and his men led us to the back of the property where an oversized umbrella sat a few feet away from a bright and striped tent. “You can use the tent if you like to keep your equipment cool.”
