Chapter 6 - The Funeral They Planned for Me
The date circled on Tomas Salazar’s calendar was less than twenty-four hours away.
My funeral had already been scheduled.
Rachel Kim wanted everyone moved immediately.
“Federal safe house,” she said.
“No.”
She stared at me.
“That wasn’t a request.”
“I don’t work for you.”
“No, but apparently half the state government wants you dead, so perhaps tonight is an excellent evening to experiment with cooperation.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
I pointed toward Isabella and Sofia.
“They go.”
Isabella stood.
“No.”
“You’re going.”
“You don’t decide for me.”
“Someone has photographed your daughter sleeping.”
“And you think I’m leaving you to handle this alone?”
“Yes.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Probably.”
Sofia raised her hand.
Everybody looked at her.
“What?” Isabella asked.
“Are we having a family fight?”
Gabriel coughed into his hand.
“No,” Isabella said.
Sofia looked between us.
“It sounds like one.”
Rachel muttered, “Smart kid.”
Eventually, Isabella and Sofia agreed to go with federal protection.
Before leaving, Sofia walked to me.
She held out a braided pink bracelet.
“What’s this?”
“My lucky bracelet.”
“You need it.”
She shook her head.
“You need it more.”
I crouched.
“You want me to wear pink?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel laughed.
I took the bracelet.
“Fine.”
Sofia tied it around my wrist.
“Don’t die.”
The words hit harder than any threat Victor had sent.
“I won’t.”
“You promise?”
I looked at her.
“I promise.”
The safe-house vehicles left.
Gabriel stood beside me.
“You’re getting attached.”
“She’s seven.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
I ignored him.
Our plan was simple.
Which meant I hated it.
Federal agents would release false information suggesting I planned to visit my mother’s grave at dawn.
If Victor or Tomas moved, we followed.
At 5:12 a.m., Victor called.
I answered.
“You’ve become difficult to reach,” he said.
“You’ve become difficult to trust.”
“I never wanted this.”
“You shot at a church.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“Your men were.”
“No.”
I frowned.
“Then whose?”
“Vale’s.”
“You expect me to believe you’re innocent?”
“No.”
His answer surprised me.
“I expect you to understand I’m not the only enemy.”
“You threatened Sofia.”
“I threatened you.”
“You used her photograph.”
“To make you stop.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t understand what happens if Vale falls.”
“Tell me.”
“He takes half the city with him.”
“Good.”
“Judges. Police chiefs. Businesses. Your companies.”
“My companies?”
“Your father built everything inside Vale’s system.”
I felt anger rise.
“Then burn it.”
Victor laughed once.
“You really have changed.”
“Where’s your father?”
Silence.
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I haven’t seen him in eight years.”
“Then why does he have pictures of you?”
“What?”
I gave him the address in Montana.
For the first time, Victor sounded shaken.
“That property is still active?”
“You knew it.”
“My father used it when I was a kid.”
“He has a calendar with my funeral marked.”
Victor swore.
“Ramon, listen to me carefully.”
“I’m listening.”
“If Tomas is alive, Vale has lost control.”
“What does that mean?”
“My father doesn’t work for Vale anymore.”
“Who does he work for?”
“Nobody.”
“That’s worse.”
“Yes.”
Then Victor said something I wasn’t expecting.
“My father killed your mother.”
The words were simple.
Almost quiet.
My vision narrowed.
“You knew.”
“Not when we were kids.”
“When?”
“After my own mother died.”
“How long?”
“Fourteen years.”
I gripped the phone.
“You stood beside me every day.”
“Yes.”
“You called me brother.”
“I know.”
“You watched me mourn her.”
“I know.”
My voice dropped.
“And you said nothing.”
Victor’s voice cracked.
“I was ashamed.”
“That’s not enough.”
“No.”
“Then why should I believe anything now?”
“Because my father is coming for both of us.”
The call ended.
Gabriel had heard everything.
“He may be telling the truth.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should.”
“I trusted him.”
“Trust and truth are different problems.”
At dawn, I drove to the cemetery with federal surveillance hidden around the area.
My mother’s grave sat beneath an old cedar tree.
MARIANA ORTEGA.
Beloved Mother.
Beloved Wife.
I stared at the stone.
“I’m sorry.”
A voice behind me said:
“You look like Alejandro when you apologize.”
I turned.
An older man stood twenty feet away.
Gray beard.
Thin frame.
Scar along his cheek.
Tomas Salazar.
He held no visible weapon.
“You killed her.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No denial.
My hand moved toward my coat.
Tomas lifted both hands.
“If you kill me now, Vale wins.”
“Give me one reason not to.”
“Because Mariana wasn’t the only Ortega woman I was ordered to kill.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Your father had another child.”
The cemetery disappeared around me.
“No.”
“A daughter.”
“You’re lying.”
“Two years younger than you.”
“My parents only had me.”
“Your mother gave birth while living under protection.”
I stared at him.
“Where is she?”
Tomas smiled sadly.
“That is the right question.”
“Where?”
“She was hidden.”
“By who?”
“Me.”
My hand closed around his collar.
“Tell me.”
A gunshot cracked.
Tomas jerked.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
I dragged him behind the headstone.
Federal agents moved.
“Shooter!”
Another shot.
Then another.
From the tree line, a man ran.
Agents pursued.
Tomas gripped my coat.
“Vale knows.”
“About my sister?”
“Yes.”
“Name.”
Tomas struggled to breathe.
“Her name is Lucia.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
I shook him.
“Who does?”
May you like
He looked directly at me.
“Isabella.”
