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An hour later, I’m unlocking the key to Sunset Brokerage. The office is small with an entry room and a reception desk, and one door to an office in the back. The plaque in the hallway reads Sunset Brokerage, as does the outside listing of businesses inside the building. It’s a testament to how quickly the CIA can work.
I flick on the lights and leave my office door open. Blinds cover the one window in the office. The view is of the building across the street. When standing next to the window, I can see the corner of the intersection of the office building.
There’s a hard rap on the outside door, and the door opens before I get to it. A tall man with broad shoulders and piercing light blue eyes enters.
“Ryan,” I say, grinning at my old friend. Yeah, in the past he was technically my boss, but he’s a hell of a lot more than that now. He clasps my hand, and we go in for a man hug and a brisk clap on the back.
He’s in cargo shorts and an untucked button down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. His outfit makes me feel overdressed.
“Imagine my surprise when I heard you’re on CalTan.”
“Eh, could be a boring few weeks.” As far as I can tell, unless Rafael Toro does indeed contact me, there’ll be jack shit for me to do. “Are you guys tracking Ivan?”
“FBI has surveillance on him. He met with one guy on the docks in LA. He’s partied. Driving around in a rental car. I’d say there’s a fifty-fifty chance he’ll make his way up to Santa Barbara. Someone pulled a full background report on Damian Garcia.”
“Probably Rafael. He seemed to know about the debt.”
“Also pulled a credit report on Sunset Brokerage.” Rafael’s been busy.
We each take seats in the front entry room. He gestures to the empty receptionist desk. “Shelly Patel will be here tomorrow.”
“She’s Arrow, right?”
“Yes. FBI would’ve been at least a week getting someone to cover, so we plugged our own. She’s good.”
“I remember her. She has young kids.” Former military, jet black hair, olive skin, about five foot five.
“Not so young anymore. Approaching high school now.”
I blink and inhale, not liking the brutal passage of time.
“Yeah. Imagine my surprise when I heard Sophia’s your partner on this.”
“Small world, right?” I study Ryan for any hint of anger, but there wouldn’t be. There’s no way he could know what’s been going on between Sophia and me.
“Where is she?”
“Two days’ leave. San Diego. Left this morning.”
He checks his wrist. “Let’s get to it. Operation CalTan ramped up after we busted two DEA agents in San Diego. One agreed to be an informant.”
“You trust him?” Lots of cases gain traction when one guilty party agrees to play nice with law enforcement in hopes of a more lenient sentencing or impunity, but there’s always a trust component.
Ryan’s expression is blank. “Haven’t met him. The Toro cartel typically transports drugs into the US through Miami, Delaware, and more recently Los Angeles. The LA port is a recent acquisition. We think since their volume has increased substantially over the last year, he’s looking for additional launderers. That’s where you could come in. Maybe.”
“How is Arrow involved?”
“Doing some monitoring on the Colombia side that the US doesn’t want to be tied to.”
“Only in Colombia?” I ask.
“On this project, for right now. Mexico, Colombia, China…same side of different coins. Tensions are rising between countries because we’re decades into this so-called drug war, and things are worse than they’ve ever been. Everybody’s pointing fingers. But, like anything, it’s a matter of who’s profiting.”
“You getting a better idea of who’s profiting from the US side?”
“Usual suspects.” His lips purse thoughtfully. “Not much changes. Your buddy, Toro, he’s got contacts here. He could be valuable since he’s a relatively new player in the US market. Previously, the Toros routed drugs through Mexico, but either those relationships soured or he’s looking to cut the middle man. If you can get in with him, we could learn a lot. The stalwarts are too good at covering their tracks.”
“You’ve been watching Toro for a while?”
