Dancing with Mr. Blakemore Read online

  The look of amusement on Rentería’s face was priceless. “He seems nothing like you Seňora. He is special, no?”

  Watching Kevin hang upside down in the swing, Odessa wanted to be offended, but in truth, her brother was not a hard charger like their father. In his current position, he did favor a special needs person. As the oldest, she spent more time with Big Sarge, and he must have rubbed off on her more than her brother and sister. Slowly, she went to her brother’s aid, trying desperately not to touch the floor.

  Saxton spoke softly to Rentería, “We are done with this. I want no more of it.”

  “Tell me that again after the cruise.” He handed Saxton an envelope. The man did not look back as he made his way to the town car waiting for him, “Good seeing you both. I will be in touch.”

  If bad ideas could be measured in square footage, then he and his wife had just inherited 40 acres, leaving Saxton feeling like the mule. He was starting to feel more like a jackass because something else was definitely going on here. However, with the Trodat’s arriving tomorrow, the wedding taking place the day after, and the whole couples dance routine, Saxton was out of sorts.

  There was no way the day could get worse.

  He was wrong about that as well.

  Rentería looked over at Saxton, “Where did you stash Mateo?”

  As Saxton turned to face the spot where he had left the vicious man hogtied and unconscious, his heartbeat accelerated as his eyes connected to an empty spot that should have held his captive. Mateo was gone.

  The trademark Panamanian hat that Rentería sported hit the ground as he turned quickly to grab Odessa, who was also about to hit the concrete in a dead faint. He held her in his arms as he watched a very angry Saxton come to grips with the latest development: Kevin was also no longer behind Odessa. He too was gone.

  It would have been easier to wrestle the pig away from that hungry snake than to get Odessa to hang back at the hotel. Saxton tried in his most patient voice to explain why she needed to allow him to go after Kevin alone, “Baby, you are emotionally compromised...” was all he managed to utter.

  “I will show you emotionally compromised!” Odessa told him as she pulled out her spare suitcase that was loaded with more weapons than a trained assassin. “I am going to compromise Mateo’s asshole if he touches one hair on my brother’s head!”

  Rentería had come back to the hotel with them to see if there was anything he could do, but it was more amusement than anything else to see the always stoic Mrs. Blakemore in a tirade.

  “Sweetheart,” he tried again...

  “Don’t sweetheart me, Saxton Blakemore! You and Seňor Rentería know Mateo better than anyone and there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to do something horrible to my brother!” She yelled as she placed two loaded clips in her hoodie jacket and two more in the back of her pants. It was nearly comical as she stuck her .22 in her sock, looking up at him, eyes scanning the room like Dora Trodat sneaking in the back door with an armful of towels.

  “You are right. And both Seňor Rentería and I can attest to one thing about Mateo. He likes an audience. He’s not going to do anything without us being there to witness...” Saxton got quiet as he looked at Rentería, trying to find the right words without making her worry more. He continued, “...his creativity.”

  Rentería pointed his index finger at Saxton with downturned lips and wide eyes as if saying, not bad.

  Odessa pulled out a Bowie knife and a small blade that she sheathed and stuck up her right sleeve. “Let’s not disappoint him! We need to get this show started!” She grabbed the door handle, pulling the door so hard it slammed into the wall, leaving the imprint of the handle in the sheetrock.

  Slumped-shouldered, full of concern, but following her anyway, Saxton headed for the door, only to be stopped by Rentería. “I am curious, Saxton,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes, “who is scarier, your wife or her father?”

  Saxton, his facial expression contorted in a mock grimace, slowly pointed at his wife standing at the elevator and looking at the two of them impatiently. Her eyes did not blink as she looked at Rentería. “If Mateo has harmed my brother, I am going to kill him.”

  It now became evident to Saxton, that maybe that was the desire of Rentería all along.

  Chapter Twelve - Partnering Up

  Several things were happening all at once, leaving Saxton full of a weird feeling of being both anxious and overwhelmed. At this particular juncture in the two days from hell, it was still unclear what was more disturbing, Victorio Rentería in the backseat of their economy car with his limo trailing behind them or being turned on by the look of determination on Odessa’s face. Both scenarios were awkward, but the latter was more disconcerting because he was sporting a massive boner that was rubbing against the steering wheel of the tiny car. He had removed the baseball cap and placed it in his lap to shield it from his companion’s eyes, but what he really wanted was to hold his wife and make love to her while asserting his assurance that things would be well. He knew it was not possible because in his heart, he wasn’t certain himself.

  Odessa’s eyes were transfixed on the screen, her eyes following the red dot, her mouth calling out streets where Saxton needed to turn right or turn left. It amazed Rentería that Saxton followed her directions without hesitation and without qualms. His wife could barely pick out a shirt and tie for him without double checking and questioning herself. There was something special about the two of them and he knew it from the moment he met them at his Villa in Mexico. Her resolve and calm amazed him even in the most adverse situations, her wedding included. He could not be remiss in even feeling some pride in her perfect placement of a bullet into Delgado’s head when she took the man’s life to save his. He liked this woman. Odessa Blakemore inspired him. Because of her, he was determined to free the women his cousin had captured and was holding hostage. No one deserved what his cousin Mateo was doing and if it had not been for Divine intervention, Odessa would have been part of the product line of sexual offerings. Her fierce spirit broken.

  “The red dot has stopped,” Odessa said softly as she looked up from the screen to see they had arrived at a shipping yard opposite the bay of the cruise line ports. Not only had the red dot stopped, it had also disappeared.

  “If he is in one of the containers, it is masking the signal,” Rentería added.

  It was at this moment that a horrific thought formed in Odessa’s mind as she turned in the seat to face their back seat passenger, “Does Mateo also sell young men?”

  Rentería’s lips were tight as he met her unwavering gaze, answering her silently as she handed the phone to Saxton. It was all she needed to know. Her brother was being held captive by, as her husband had so aptly called him, one of the worst humans on the planet.

  Saxton drove the compact car behind two broken rail cars, cutting the engine. From under the seat he pulled out his favorite nine, a bungee cord, and a big ass knife that made Rentería say, “Oooh!” This was also the point in the adventure when Saxton the husband switched over the Saxton the spy, and he applied his kick ass face.

  Locked, loaded and equipped, he looked at his wife, when she asked, “Ready?”

  He leaned over in the seat, kissing her hard on the mouth, “Fuck yeah!”

  “Let’s dance, Mr. Blakemore,” she said as she opened the car door and immediately went into a crouch, scooting around to the front of the car. Rentería climbed out of the driver’s side, removing his jacket and hat, paying little attention the mud covering his $3,000 shoes.

  Stealthily, they crept along the sides of the containers, Saxton eyeing his phone for a sign, a signal, or a hope of a red beep, but Odessa stopped short and held up her hand. To their right was an airfield. In the distance, she could see a plane on approach. Using her index and middle finger, she tapped her wrist twice, pointing at the sky.

  Rentería asked loudly, his palms turned upwards, “What does that mean? Saxton, I don’t know the signals, what i
s she saying?”

  The Blakemores both placed fingers upon their respective lips, indicating to the cartel leader he should be silent. His eyes were wide as he mouthed to them both under his slimly trimmed mustache, “I still don’t know what that means!”

  Saxton pointed to the plane, his finger making a trail in the air, down to the ground, pointing at the landing strip. “That plane is landing in five minutes, to pick up cargo and take back off in less than two.”

  “Oh,” Rentería’s lips mouthed, realizing they had to stop the plane from being able to take back off.

  Odessa turned her hand over, tapping three times on the base of her wrist and pointing at Rentería, who again asked loudly, almost in a whine, “What does that mean Saxton? I don’t understand the code signals. What is she saying?”

  “She is saying, go and stop that damned plane from taking off after it lands. You have 3 minutes!” He gave the man a slight shove, who surprisingly didn’t balk, but headed off in a trot towards the landing strip.

  Odessa closed her eyes, trying desperately to tap into her mental databank of the private planes the company she worked for insured. She spoke aloud, sharing her thoughts and calculations with her husband.

  “Hawker Beechcraft, seats six, can fly up to 2,160 nautical miles.” She was quiet for a minute. “The flight distance between San Juan and Miami is roughly around 900 plus nautical miles, which means it can fly in and back out without refueling.”

  She turned to look at Saxton, “If he gets my brother on the plane, we will never see him again.”

  “Then we have to stop him,” Saxton said as he bent low, leading them both towards the back of the rail cars to a large building that was lightly guarded. As they rounded the side of the building, her senses were on overload, smelling so much, but it was her brother’s scream that made the hairs stand up on her neck. A tear rolled down her cheek. This is all my fault. He shouldn’t be here.

  Saxton grabbed her by the shoulders. “By the numbers Mrs. Blakemore, by the numbers. Keep your eye on your six, scan your sectors, do your job! He is your brother second and our mission first. Save the mission, clear the path, send for backup.”

  He wiped the tears from her cheeks, giving her a quick squeeze in his arms before holding up his right hand, starting the countdown from five.

  Four.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  A large explosion erupted to their right, bringing all the guards running forward from the building that had been shielded from sight by crates, rail cars, and big equipment tires. The Hawker had landed but a fire on the runway was not going to allow it to take back off. Rentería had come through and that fire would bring loads of backup, police and government agents.

  There was no way around it. It was time to dance.

  Chapter Thirteen - Cue the Music

  It was official, Mateo Rentería was the worst human on the planet.

  Strapped into a harness above an encasement very similar to the one that had housed Jesus was Kevin. However, the snake in this cage was larger than Jesus and very hungry. Kevin’s predicament was only worsened by the large cut on his right butt cheek, which was dripping blood into the water below, sending the snake into a frenzy. Mateo had found the tracking device Saxton had planted and cut it out, not bothering to remove Kevin’s pants. The cut was ugly and the blood was seeping out. As Saxton’s eyes trailed upwards, he also noticed the harness had been frayed, and each movement by Kevin loosened the rigging, hastening his arrival to the snake’s dinner plate. There was only once chance to get him down, which just may work out in their favor.

  Odessa had moved to right of the encasement and tapped on the glass to distract the snake, but stopped short when she saw the side view of a woman leaning on a cane, yelling at Mateo.

  “You did this to me you rotten bastard!” she lunged at the man she attributed to her years of pain, but he sidestepped her, laughing as she hit the ground.

  “Get her up off the floor, so she can witness me bring my enemies to their knees as Judas has his dinner,” he told a dark haired gentleman.

  The man, scowling, obeyed Mateo’s orders and helped the lady up from the floor. An ugly scar ran from the strawberry blond hairs of her left temple down to her chin. The skin was puckered around the wound, which appeared to have been caused by a deep burn. If not for the defacement, she could have been considered quite pretty.

  “Maybe, you should be Judas’ dinner and I can sell the young man to the highest bidder,” he laughed loudly as he pulled her face towards his crotch. “Even with the hideous scar you gave yourself, it still does not keep me from wanting you.”

  The helper turned his back as Mateo began to tear at the woman’s clothing. She tried to fight back, but his right fist came down on her temple, rending the woman unconscious. “Why do I even bother with this puta?” Mateo said as he kicked the woman in her bad leg with his pointed-toed, silver-tipped cowboy boot. “She was always full of fancy ideas. Scarring her face was stupid. For what a man wants from a woman, he doesn’t need to see her face. You hear me Vanessa?” The unconscious woman had not.

  His distraction was all Saxton needed to climb up the back of the cage, jury rig the bungee cord on the rafter, create a makeshift Swiss seat, and swing over the cage. Kevin’s eyes were wide when he saw Saxton swing over the line and wrap his legs around him. Judas must have sensed his meal was about to be snatched because the snake snitched on them, hissing and slamming his body against the glass. He hit the glass cage so hard it cracked.

  Odessa jumped back, startled, as Mateo spotted Saxton and began to shoot at the harness.

  Two shots.

  Two bullets.

  Two misses of the dangling men.

  The third shot got the harness.

  The fourth shot hit Saxton in the right arm.

  His weapon dropped into the encasement, but he used the inertia from his swinging to hoist them over the sides of the glass just in time to land on the floor with a thud on his arm that was dripping blood from the bullet wound. Saxton rolled right to avoid getting hit as Odessa came from behind the glass shooting at the henchmen who were still in the building and had not come to see about the blast outside.

  Mateo had his eyes on Kevin, as he pointed at the cracked glass and shot. The glass splintered and Judas was making a beeline for her brother’s butt. Saxton yelled at him, throwing his spare .9mm, followed by the clip.

  Odessa yelled at Kevin, “Lock and load, Kev.” But he was transfixed on the snake slithering out of the cage. The gun hit the young man in the forehead and the clip hit him in the lip. A wounded Saxton jumped in front of the snake, and using his left hand, he threw his knife, nailing the snake in the head. It was not enough to stop the hungry beast until Odessa began putting bullets in the slithering menace’s head. Saxton’s right arm was now oozing blood and Mateo had slipped in behind him, placing the muzzle of the gun to his temple.

  “It would appear, Saxto, that we have been here before, no? Kind of like deja vu, eh amigo?”

  This time it wasn’t Odessa that put a bullet into Mateo, but Rentería.

  Mateo’s slumped to the ground, pulling the trigger of the weapon, but the last round had been fired at the glass. The gun only made a clicking sound as it and its owner hit the concrete floor.

  Rentería kneeled at his cousin’s side, holding him as the blood spurted from his the wound in his chest. “You should have killed me,” Mateo told him, “I will never forgive you for this.”

  “Save your strength. The medics will be here soon,” Rentería spoke to him softly.

  “All of you thought you were better than us, but I made just as much or more money than you. I bought my own plane, my own villa, by my own efforts. Nothing was given to me.” Mateo coughed and sputtered. “I didn’t need some fancy American education, I built it all on my smarts, my brains, and my willpower!”

  A sadness lingered in Rentería’s eyes as he watched his cousin fighting for a lif
e that he was about to take from him, literally and figuratively. Kevin turned his head when he saw the cloth placed over Mateo’s nose and mouth, while Rentería applied pressure until the legs stopped moving.

  “He’s not dead, just unconscious,” he told them as three men carried Mateo’s body out to the airplane.

  Rentería spoke in Spanish to the warehouse employees as they began to quickly clean up the scene. “Seňora Blakemore,” Rentería said, pointing to the blonde on the ground, “Will you see that she gets home safely?”

  Odessa gave him a nod, watching him walk away in bloody pants, covered in soot, shoes caked in mud and limping.

  “Enjoy your cruise,” he said as the chaos around them was cleaned up, including the nearly 300-pound dead snake.

  In less than 30 minutes, the warehouse appeared as if nothing untoward had occurred inside the building. Saxton was bandaged by the paramedics sent by Agent Roget. The bullet was removed as an impatient Odessa fussed and fawned over her husband with Saxton loving every minute of it.

  Kevin, in the midst of so much occurring in such a short period of time, sat with Vanessa, listening to her words. Her story was not much different from many of Mateo’s victims; a minute of bad judgment had cost her ten years of her life. She had scarred her face to make herself less appealing to customers. She told Kevin of the time she attempted to run away, but Mateo had her leg broken. He allowed it to heal on its own, unset, which is why she limped and needed the cane. While she recounted her story, Kevin took notes, making a list and asking few questions.

  Quietly, Agent Roget stood behind Kevin, listening to how well the kid handled the distraught woman, making her feel at ease as she gave him very pertinent information.

  “Agent Roget,” he asked, “we will see to her getting home, right?”