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“I keep seeing JJ’s face when I go to sleep,” I told him. “I don’t know if it’s meant to bring me a sense of peace like he was there watching over me. Or if he’s trying to tell me to not stop. Never give up. Until this bastard is buried six feet under or behind ten feet of reinforced concrete and steel bars.”
“It might be both. I don’t think it’s meant to cause you grief. I’d like to think he’s still protecting you.”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
The doctor came through the door. “You can go in now,” she told us.
Leo Vargas was fully awake and handcuffed to the bed he was lying in. I slapped down a file on the hospital table as Davis unpacked the evidence that had been collected and cataloged. “We owe you an apology, Mr. Vargas. Apparently, in our haste, we forgot to read you your rights. You'll be free to go after we review everything with you. The doctor said you are healing up just fine and should be ready for release soon.”
His eyes darted back and forth from me to Davis. “Um, no! I remember they read them to me.”
“Hmm,” I said, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. “I don’t see any notation of that. Davis, do you have anything on your end?”
“Let me call Pearson and see.” He made a quick call that lasted less than thirty seconds. “Nope, he doesn’t have any recollection.”
“Well then”—I clicked my tongue—“our bad.” I kept my face flat and unemotional. “In either case, we don’t have enough to hold you. I mean, there’s a mountain of evidence here”—I tipped my head to the bags Davis had laid out—“but none of that is yours, is it?”
“You can’t let me out. You can’t do this.”
I leaned in close. “Sí. I can. And I will.”
“Por favor.”
I turned away, saying, “Lo siento, señor. I’m sorry.”
“My wife, she’s a good woman. My son is innocent.”
I flipped through the paperwork. “I know. I can see that from what I’ve read in this file our team put together. Once we figured out who you were, that is. It took a while, but—”
“I didn’t have a choice. They threatened me . . . my family.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vargas. I know you’re scared, but there’s nothing we can do,” Davis said from the end of the bed.
“What? No, wait! If I walk out of here, they’ll think I cooperated with you. I'll be dead.” He dragged his hand across his throat in a manner that said he’d be taken out.
“Yes, you will.” I cocked my head to the side, unsmiling. “Because you see, right now, I have word from the higher-ups that they’re looking for you, staking out your place, watching your family.”
“Pretty sure there’s a price on your head,” Davis piped in, shaking his head.
“Or”—I paused for dramatic effect—“you can tell us everything you know about López and the Tiburónes operation. And we will protect you.”
“How can you protect me?”
“We will scoop up your wife and kid and relocate you.”
He closed his eyes with his head against the pillow.
“You’ll have to cooperate with the DEA and whoever else. But”—I sighed—“you’ll be alive.Allof you.” I emphasized the one word I knew would get his attention and make him take the bait.
It took less than ten seconds for Leo Vargas to see that the only choice he had was to fully cooperate. Sure, he could take a chance. But living outweighed loyalty.
As pleased as I was that we secured him, I didn’t smile. “Okay, why don’t you start at the beginning and take us through it from there?”
* * *
Davis’s face lit up with a smug grin when we reached the outer limits of the hospital. “What did I tell you?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said as I bumped my hip to his.
