Yesterday's Darkness

  Her red lips tightened as her eyes shifted to the side. Her thoughts twirled but she managed to keep them inside. She pulled herself away from the pending feelings and twisted the cap off of the bottle.

  He secretly shared her thoughts. She encompassed everything that he adored about women. All the attributes he desires wrapped up in one petite package. He watched Anna pour two drinks and considered what it would be like to have her as his wife.

  It wasn’t the first time that he considered the option. A year and a half before her father passed away so no real dilemmas existed with that past issue. Anna brought up the idea several times but now avoided the conversation. If she knew his situation she may have never even brought up the idea.

  Legally, right now anyway, they couldn’t get married if they wanted to do it. He never had the courage to tell her the hard truth of his yet dissolved married. Although he and his wife had been separated for some time, he was still legally married. Even during his marriage he always managed to see Anna never losing his desire for her but never telling her.

  “Buzzzzzzz! Buzzzzzzzzzz!” The cell phone vibrated against the wooden table next to the chair. Michael Andrews’ cell continued to buzz as the sound filled the room. Garcia rushed over, picked it up, and looked closely at the caller ID.

  One eight hundred preceded the numbers, but he answered the call anyway. He pressed the answering key then listened. Anna watched from across the room and he felt the tension of her ready to scold him for trying to work during her rare visit.

  To ease the tension he winked at her. The jester curved her apprehension enough to force a smile across her face. As the voice on the opposite end spoke he grabbed a pen to make some notes. He never said a word but delighted at the information. After disconnecting the call he sat back stroking his goatee.

  No one knew how easily distracted he tended to get, except for Anna. When she gave him a sly smile instead of an irritated stare, he knew that she was going to get her way tonight. She craved to receive his undivided attention.

  “Hun, I’m going to go to the restroom ok?” she said.

  Garcia drifted into another deep thought session that circled around the recent phone call. “Uh hu,” he said.

  He never noticed when Anna came out of the restroom and stood directly in front of him.

  “Martin, are you going to ignore me all night?” she said.

  Anna stood with both drinks in her hand. Her unbuttoned white blouse remained fully opened. Beneath the blouse only a pair of white laced panties and black stockings were visible. Aside from that she wore a pair of six inch heels but nothing else.

  Sometimes, life is just a little past perfect, Garcia thought.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  The eastern rays from the morning’s rising sun projected spotlights through the rectangle windows of the yacht’s bedroom. Anna’s nude body laid sprawled half draped under the covers snuggled against Garcia. A small flash shot from the souvenir Metropol cigarette lighter as he lit his morning cigarette.

  He pulled in the nicotine then slowly released the toxins into the air. Sunlight shot multiple rays through the smoke dancing in the fumes like his rare blissful thoughts.

  With the bedroom’s door opened, Garcia had a direct view of Mike’s cell phone. It remained where he left it on the small table in the living room. For now this item had proven to be his most valuable asset. Much like the bedroom’s small rectangle windows, the phone existed as a gateway to so much more. He observed the phone reveling in what it unknowingly delivered right into his hands.

  The one eight hundred number call he answered the previous night placed him at the right place at the right time. The call sent to Mike’s phone turned out to be the last piece of wanted, or rather needed information. The automated message electronically generated a courtesy call detailing and audible review of Michael Andrew’s itinerary. The courtesy message verified the time of arrival, room selections, and hotel reserved for the weekend.

  Like killing at a suicide camp, some things just fell in place far too easily.

  Garcia reached over Anna to picked up his blackberry. Although he remained cautious most of the time, he was never concerned about his calls being traced when using his cell phone. The phone had a US number but also had international capabilities so sensitive business deals were conducted on it. To maintain his privacy he rented the phone from a company out of the Woodland’s Texas and changed on a weekly basis.

  No one could trace his number. He called in his reservations to proceed with his plan. No matter what time of day or night, when a call was made directly to Flo Martinez’s private number she always answered.

  Very few people had her direct number. As the owner of Ace travel agency she stayed in high demand but the phone only rung twice before it was picked up.

  “Hey Poppi! Back from Russia so soon?” she said.

  “Yes indeed I am Flo,” Garcia said.

  “So where to this time? A whirl wind romantic get away with your favorite travel agent?”

  The office to Ace Travel had not opened yet but for Garcia, it was always opened. He could hear her laptop computer coming to life. Flo already logged online ready to make flight arrangements for him and that was one of the reasons that he always used her.

  The flirtation began the first time they met and had never stopped. He never took her up on her blatant propositions and that seemed to encourage her to press him even more. The nudge to travel with him was not a joke.

  He imagined her biting the bottom of her lip as she waited for his response. He also pictured her still in her sleep attire with her pink laptop computer on top of her bare thighs. The very same thighs in fact, that caught Garcia’s attention when he first spotted her walking into her Lewisville office the day they met.

  Initially he made a play for her. After discovering that she owned a travel agency, Garcia changed his physical attraction for her to opt for a business relationship. Now Ace took care of all his travel needs.

  “You do realize that, I’m going to call your bluff one day,” he lied.

  “Sure you will handsome. So where are we headed to now?”

  “I need two tickets to San Antonio leaving sometime today. The other ticket will be in my driver’s name Tyler Fowler.”

  “Hum, Tyler huh?” Flo said with an air of distaste. She did the same thing whenever he mentioned Tyler’s name.

  “Yes your favorite person,” Garcia joked finding an odd pleasure in the way that Tyler made most of the people around him squirm with discomfort.

  “Not my favorite person. I only met that guy one time and there is just something about him that, I don’t know. He had this condescending smirk and he just creeps me out.” She paused. “Everyone can’t be a charmer like you right?”

  “Charmer? Me?” Garcia smiled.

  “Like you didn’t know. Anyway, let me get your reservations in, first class right?”

  When Garcia spoke, his voice caused Anna to stir next to him. She snuggled closer but remained asleep as her head rested against his chest.

  “On second thought, make that three tickets. Add another for Anna Souza.”

  “Anna huh? Well lucky girl, am I next?”

  “Oh you know you are,” he lied.

  The next call Garcia made was to Tyler, all plans were channeled through him. Garcia made sure that wherever he was, Tyler stayed very close since he was the eyes behind Garcia’s back.

  With the Fuse now in the loop, all the pieces were in place. Tyler would organize the rest of the team. Three of Garcia’s guards would drive to San Antonio fully armed to meet them there. The flight with Garcia, Tyler, and Anna would leave that evening. The next day, hell paled in comparison to what was scheduled to arrive in San Antonio.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  Michael sat in his office reviewing the hotel reservations. After printing out the form he looked over it one more time just to make sure everything was in order. He shifted in his chair uneasily as
the fought the anxiety that continued to rise. Being away from the bar for the rest of the weekend sounded much better then it felt.

  He committed himself to the San Antonio trip with the boys and Kelly so there was no turning back. They planned on leaving early the next morning for the six-hour drive. He would work one last full shift but leave a little early as long as everything at the bar was in order.

  He hoped that he covered all the basis. In a meeting he arranged before the club opened, Mike alerted the employees as best as he could. Everyone got the message to remain on full alert keeping his or her eyes peeled for anything out of place. He left out specific details to the entire group but more information directly related to Garcia was giving to the few people that he left in charge.

  The busy night ran smooth and the constant contact between Mike and his staff put his worries at ease. Even with that level of comfort, some reservations remained about leaving for the whole weekend. Ok Mike, you have done all that you can, he assured himself.

  Before leaving he spoke to a few of the regulars. While appearing engaged in conversation, his side vision focused on what was going on all around him. Amazingly enough, even with everyone watching everything closely, one person still managed to slip past the heightened security. Before anyone noticed, the person sat in the VIP area.

  The opened door to Mike’s past had allowed another person to walk right through it. This person arrived from a much earlier time in Mike’s life and took a seat in the present.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  The stranger rested his hands together on his legs then crossed them. Michael Andrews knew very little about him for that simple fact that no one did. Besides that, he and Michael never actually met in person.

  Yet even without a physical meeting the history between them was a definite one. He sat in Mike’s establishment knowing all about him as well as his past. He also knew exactly what Michael Andrews looked like and watched him from across the club just as the bar owner disappeared through a back door.

  Up until that point he had gone virtually unnoticed just the way the liked it. As soon as the waitress spotted him in her area, she made her way over to him.

  “I’m sorry sir I just noticed you. Have you been waiting long?” she smiled.

  “No, not long. You’re fine my dear,” he said.

  She smiled weakly with a look of relief. He guessed that she had her fair share of disgruntled customers working in a bar but he would not be one of them.

  “Thank God! I wasn’t up for another pissed off customer,” she said placing a hand on her hip. “You know there are two things I have learned in life. One is that the moon rotates around the earth, and the second was that the earth rotates around VIP customers,” she said.

  He laughed. This seemed to make her even more relaxed. She talked fast and had a lot to say with her new level of comfort.

  When she finally ran out of words she eyed him close. “You don’t fit into the category of my regulars. I mean no offense but you sort of stand out and remain unnoticed at the same time. I use to work at a men’s clothing store so I noticed your clothes. You have very good taste.”

  “Why thank you,” he said.

  “Seriously, the white shirt under the cream sports coat is very stylish. Very nice. I’m sorry I have been going on and on. What can I get you to drink?”

  Soon after she asked him for his order, Mike exited from the back then disappeared again. He turned his attention back to the waitress.

  “Oh yes, I think I will have a scotch on the rocks please. Lagavulin if you have it, if not Johnny Walker black label would be adequate,” he said.

  “Hey I love the accent. Are you from England?”

  “Something like that,” he said.

  “Oh ok. I’ll see if we have the Lagavulin.”

  Before she could walk away he called out to her. “Also my dear, would you be so kind to notify Mr. Michael Andrews that I would like to speak with him?”

  “Sure, no problem. What is your name sir?”

  “Just tell him that I’m and old friend,” he smiled

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  Samantha poked her head into Mike’s office. “Big Mike, a friend of yours is here. He wanted to see you.”

  “Really? Who is it?”

  “Don’t know he just said an old friend.”

  “What does he look like?”

  Samantha angled her head up, thinking of the answer. “Ummmm, in his late fifties I guess, could be a little younger. Very well dressed. He has a gray beard but it was trimmed down neatly. Also, very sparkling light eyes that reminded me of my grandfather. Not in an old way but in a wise kind of way, know what I mean?”

  “Yeah sort of.”

  “He also had long silver hair that was pulled back to the back into a pony tail. Dressed very nice. Did I already say that?” She placed a finger on her chin. “He has this mysterious thing about him that I kind of like.” When she saw the blank look on Mike’s face she stopped. “Is any of this ringing a bell?”

  “Honestly, no,” Mike said.

  She hunched her shoulders. “Anyway he ordered some Lagavol or something. Do we have any of that?”

  “You mean Lagavulin, that’s a high end scotch. It’s not something that I keep stocked.”

  “It’s ok, he also said that he would take some Johnny Walker if we didn’t have it. I was going to shoot for that anyway and pretend they didn’t have the other umm, whatever in the hell that was,” she said.

  The desk phone rung cutting off their conversation. Mike held up one finger before turning his back to answer it. “Hello Memphis bar.”

  When no one answered Mike hung up. He thought about the conversation he had with Samantha. “Wait a second. Is this guy in your VIP area?”

  He spun back around but she was already gone. Mike jumped up and quickly made his way out of the office. As he made his way to the VIP area, flashbacks of the night when Garcia visited him shot into his head.

  It can’t be him again can it?

  With all the people on the look out he doubted that it was Garcia. But you never know.

  When the area became visible, he spotted the stranger looking directly at him. The face did not register. In Mike’s line of work it could have been an old customer or a new complaining one. He placed his reservations aside, smiled, and made his way over to the stranger.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  “Hello Sir I’m Mike Andrews, how can I help you tonight?” Mike smiled.

  The man leaned forward and then back again in his seat. He crossed his legs then extended his hand offering Mike to take a seat next to him. His confidence made Mike ponder the identity of this man.

  “Mr. Andrews, I do believe that the question is what can I do for you? You did leave a message on my phone requesting to see me correct?”

  Mike dropped into the chair. His muscular legs felt as if they could no longer support his own weight. Now he knew the man’s identity and the shock overcame him. Mike faced the man he had heard so much about, the boss of bosses. Aside from that Mike also realized that this was also the husband of the woman Mike killed over fifteen years ago, Daniel Carlos Perez.

  The one telephone conversation between them seemed like a lifetime ago and in a sense, it was. Michael remembered going through an obsessive period trying to find out as much as he could on Perez as well as Garcia. The scarce information proved to be very hard to get but the picture painted of Perez was one of an underground legend. Perez served as the quiet power that the Mexican cartel was built around.

  For most, Perez was not even real. He worked behind the scenes pulling the strings and ordering the deaths of hundreds with a simple nod of his head. He controlled the entire inner workings that encompassed the major drug trafficking between Mexico and the United States. Nothing happened without his knowledge or approval, both were never an option.

  During the time period when his second wife was killed, Perez rise in power made him one of the to
p five cartel bosses. Now he was the boss. After Elvia’s death he poured himself into his work showing no mercy to anyone in his way. Fifteen years later his power had expanded to an immeasurable level.

  The power never decreased but according to underground insiders his ways had changed. His later years calmed him enough to allow a more business like approach to his operations. Still with one call he could have you and your entire family eliminated.

  When the waitress arrived with the glass of Johnny Walker, a shot of Patron was also on her tray. The Patron was for another customer but Mike took it for himself.

  “Would you get another one for them please? On the house, ok?” Mike downed the shot in one gulp.

  The waitress shrugged, “Ok, no problem.”

  After the tequila shot, Mike got right down to business.

  “Mr. Perez first of all, thank you for coming here. I know that you are a busy man so I won’t beat around the bush. Recently Martin Garcia popped up in my club.”

  Perez’s eyes widened but only slightly. Mike went on to tell him all the details that transpired that night. After that he caught him up with the current situation.

  “The main reason I called you was because I need your help. I need you because I know all about Garcia and there is no way I can do this alone. I need your help if there is any shot I’m going to have to take down Garcia,” Mike confessed.

  The expression on Perez’s face remained unreadable. Throughout the entire time that Mike spoke, nothing was said. After finishing his speech, Mike sat hopeful, silently waiting for a positive response.

  Perez averted eye contact. He instead kept his eyes on the glass of Johnny Walker turning the glass slowly by its base. He took a sip of the drink before placing it back on the table then removed a fifty-dollar bill from a gold money clip retrieved from his jacket. He placed the fifty dollars under the drink glass, stood and walked away.

  Mike felt as if the air had been taken out of him. He dropped back hard into set and watched as Perez made his way to the exit. As Perez moved through the club Mike noticed something else.