Page 61 of Healing Love

“Can you tell from where?” Jack asked.

“Got a read from the towers. Call came from Texas, near the Houston region.”

Luke pulled up the intel provided by the DEA on the Sinaloan cartel’s reach into the United States and sent it to the tablets each man had in front of them.

“Jesus, they’re everywhere,” Bart said. “I wasn’t going to believe that this was a real threat from close inside, but the cartel has their hand in most of Texas.”

“They’ve got ties into almost every state,” Chad stated, carefully checking the information.

“That’s not all,” Cam growled. “Look in Virginia.”

Monty, pulling up intel from the FBI, agreed. “They’ve got a far reach, even into rural Virginia counties.”

“So, we’re not looking at the call necessarily coming directly from Mexico, but could be one of their cohorts here?” Marc asked.

Jack looked around the group before his gaze landed on Cam’s hard face. “Right now, with what we’ve got, looks like she needs more security at this time instead of investigating the call.”

The other men nodded, but not happily. Each would rather be actively finding the threat instead of waiting to see when it would rear its head once more.

“She staying with you?” Monty asked, looking at Cam.

He nodded, his jaw still tight with anger. “Yeah, going to keep her at my place. She’s not working right now since she quit the hospital.” Seeing the surprised expressions, he explained, “She needs a change of scenery.”

Chad stated, “That’ll actually be good, man. Easier to keep up with her when she’s not in a hospital.”

Cam looked down at his hands for a moment, then shook his head. “Jesus, this is fucked. Down there, I was doing something. Active. Working toward getting her the hell out of there. But this? This is like waiting to see what’s going to happen next. We’ve got no fuckin’ thing to work on.”

Monty spoke up, “There’s been no overt threat yet. The words spoken in the phone call were to unsettle her. Make her nervous. That’s where you come in, bro. You take that on.”

“He’s right. We provide security while working the problem the best we can, but you take her emotions. You give her what she needs to feel safe,” Jack agreed.

Cam silently nodded, but wondered if that would be enough.

Bethany and Miriam had just shared cell-phone numbers and arranged a date to visit when the men returned upstairs.

Jack nodded to Bethany before asking Miriam to join them at the large dining room table. Cam sat next to her, pulling her chair close to his. The other men settled around as well.

“Okay, here’s what we have and it’s not much at this time,” Jack started. “We can tell the call did not come from Mexico. In fact, it came from Texas.”

“Texas?” Miriam exclaimed. “I don’t know anyone from Texas.”

Cam squeezed her shoulders, and she twisted up to look at his face. “No,cariña. It came from somewhere in Texas, but the threat is still from someone in Mexico.”

Her forehead crinkled in thought as she slowly shook her head. “I just have no idea what’s happening.” Looking around the table, she said, “I was just a nurse. No one of importance. I treated whoever came in, but they were mostly workers, farmers, guards, and some others that were dressed nicer, but still…no one.”

“Tell us about that night you were taken to dinner at the main compound,” Jack prodded. “We know youtalked to DEA, but their interest was more cartel related. I’d like to hear your version, focusing on the people there.”

“It was…uncomfortable.” She lifted her gaze back to the men as she continued. “You know when you’re in a social situation, but you don’t know what role you’re supposed to play and your stomach feels hot inside because you get nervous?” At this point, none of the men appeared to recognize what she was talking about at all.

From behind, Bethany spoke, “Yes, I do.” She caught Jack’s eyes and moved toward the table. “I don’t suppose you men experience it, but sometimes women do. You go to a work party and the boss seems flirtatious. You’ve got no idea what to do. Is he being polite? Is he coming on to you? Do you flirt back or is that a big no-no? Sure, some women eat that up but, honestly, there are a lot of us that when we’re in a situation like that, we just get nervous and don’t have a clue how to act.”

Miriam was nodding her head emphatically. “Yes, Bethany, that was exactly it!”

“Okay,” Jack said slowly, “Why don’t you just tell us what happened…and how it made you feel.”

“Once we got there, we were all in awe at the place. It was almost palatial and looked completely out of character for its surroundings. When we sat down to dinner it was Dr. Ernesto Villogas and his wife and then he introduced us to Juaquim Guzman, who seemed to be in charge. Also at the dinner table was his wife.” At this she wrinkled her nose slightly.

Bart chuckled. “I take it you weren’t too impressed?”

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