Page 7 of Healing Love

She was perfection and his finger landed on her turned-up lips.Miriam.A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Giving himself a mental shake, he slid the photograph into his pocket and picked up his now-cold coffee, dumping it into the sink. Then he did exactly what Jack had directed him to do.

By the time Cam made it to the compound the other Saints were present. Bart clapped his hand on Cam’s shoulder and said, “Did missions like this when I was a SEAL, bro. This one’ll be tough. Swear to God, if I could go and blend in, I’d do it.”

Cam chuckled as he gazed at Bart’s surfer looks and Blaise’s Nordic appearance and replied, “Sorry, guys. Can’t see you being able to blend in.”

The men settled around the conference table, having already begun preliminary planning. Luke set up the secure video conference with Marc’s CIA contact.

“Todd? Good to see you,” Marc greeted the screen. “We’re all here and just need to get the latest you’ve got for us.”

The contact nodded and immediately asked, “Hear you’ve got a man that can get on the inside? Full blooded Hispanic?”

The camera switched onto Cam, and he saw Todd’s gaze scrutinizing him. After a moment, he nodded and continued with his intel. “Good. The earthquake hit in the mid to southern part of the Gulf of California. Los Mochis, in northern Sinaloa, has a huge agricultureeconomy. Sugarcane, cotton, rice, and the largest exporters of mangoes.” He paused and looked directly into the camera before continuing, “And marijuana as well as poppy.

“The Red Cross sent their contingencies through the airport at Los Mochis and then transported them by land to the various farms, villages, anywhere they could set up makeshift hospitals. Our intelligence indicates that several nurses were initially taken, but we’ve only had visuals of three. One was identified as Sister Genovia, an older Catholic nurse, Sharon Torson, a nurse from California, and Miriam Delaro.”

“What can you tell us about the cartel?”

“The goddamn cartels change with every death or capture. They are constantly at war with themselves, and I sometimes wish we’d let them just kill each other off if there weren’t so many innocent casualties. The largest and one of the most powerful cartels, the Beltran-Leyva Cartel, splintered when a few of the Beltran-Leyva brothers were captured. Right now, the area is run by the Sinaloa Cartel, often referred to as The Federation.”

Cam and the others were quickly taking notes on their tablets when Todd stopped them. “Gentlemen, let me just tell you that those of us who have been fighting the drug wars have studied this type of information for years. There’s no way I can give you everything you need. So, let’s concentrate on what you’re facing.”

Jack gave a curt nod and Todd began again. “Their way of life—and it’s been this way since they were born. It’s all they know—blood, violence,killing, viciousness, and getting rid of anything or anyone that even remotely might stand in their way. Women are used for sex, drug carrying, and then killed horrifically.”

Cam rubbed his hand over his face, his stomach beginning to churn at what he might find. Looking around the table, he saw similar expressions on the rest of the men.

“But the good news is these nurses were taken because they possess valuable skills. Chances are they’re being housed separately from the masses and well taken care of. The difficulty will be getting to them…and then getting them out.

“Cam? We’ve got some inside people in place right now. If Marc will fly you down, we can get you to the people who can get you in. You’ll pose as a laborer in the fields, but with so many injuries from the earthquake, they’re taking anyone. If you’re willing, we’ll get the coordinates and send the rest of our report to you right now.”

Cam nodded and the video conference ended. Silence reigned around the table. “I need to get close enough to that hospital,” he said. “Whatever we plan, that’s got to be my initial goal.”

“This isn’t going to happen in just a couple of days, Cam,” Jack said. “But then, you spent almost two years undercover in a gang, so I reckon you know how to take things slowly.”

“I got this,” he said.But what shape will she be in when I get to her?He reached up, fingering the St. Camillus medallion hanging around his neck.The Patron Saint of the Red Cross. Keep her safe until I can take over the job.

In her apartment in Richmond, Miriam was used to the peaceful nights where her sleep was only occasionally disturbed by the neighbors below. But here, in Mexico, the noises of the night kept her awake despite her exhaustion.

A fan rotated from the ceiling, moving the mosquito netting around. Shadows danced in the room from the moonlight peeking in through the wooden shutters. The air was stifling hot. She could hear the gentle snores from Sister Genovia and the tossing of Sharon.

But more than the exhaustion, backbreaking work, lack of sleep, and mediocre food was the constant fear coursing through her blood, entering every breath, and filling her nightmares.

What day is it?Counting backward, she realized that she had been in Mexico for fifteen days. Ten days with the Red Cross in a farming hospital outside Los Mochis and the past five days with a drug cartel. The memory of her first day seemed so long ago.

I arrived at the airport, was transported through streets still strewn with rubble from the earthquake and made my way to the main hospital in Los Mochis. I worked there for three days, in triage and emergency, paired with someone who spoke Spanish.

The Spanish that I studied in high school was too far in the past to assist me now, but I quickly picked up enough words to check on the patients’ basic needs. A nearby hotel that suffered few casualties to the structure housed most of the Red Cross personnel. I called my parents every day, filling them in with stories of what I was doing, what I saw of the area and how nice my accommodations were, compared to what they had feared.

On the fourth day, many of the medical personnel were bused to a farming community on the north side of Los Mochis. The land outside of the city was beautiful and the effects of the destruction were minimal to the eye. Sister Genovia was among the nurses, and I marveled at her stamina for a woman in her sixties. A few of the nurses were unhappy about leaving the city but most were excited to be seeing a different area of the country.

Passing by several villages, I saw crumbled brick buildings, leaving the villagers without any housing at all. Finally, we arrived at the makeshift hospital that was serving a large agricultural area. The line of potential patients was as long as their wait.

Disembarking, we were hustled inside and quickly put to work. The makeshift hospital designated areas for triage, emergencies, non-emergencies, and surgery. After a long day, we were shown to our tents. I was assigned to a tent holding ten women in five bunk beds. Sharon claimed a bottom bunk quickly and Sister Genovia was given the only other bottom bunk available. I threw my things onto the top bunk before we headed off to the chow hall.

For the next week, I rose early, worked all day, and then enjoyed the company of the other Red Crossvolunteers in the evenings. They came from all over and the opportunity to serve with them gave me a sense of pride. Making sure to call my parents every evening, I assured them I was fine.

The eleventh day in Mexico would be a day that would live in my mind…and fears…forever. Rising early, we made our way to the chow hall before reporting for our shift. As we walked over to the medical tent, three SUVs careened around the corner. I thought at first that they were bringing in more medical emergencies, but before I could blink, four armed men wearing fatigues jumped from the vehicles. Bandanas covered the bottom of their faces making their eyes seem blacker. But I barely noticed their faces when my focus was on the weapons pointed directly at us.

Ordered into the vehicles, we stood numb until one of the nurses turned and ran screaming back toward the chow hall. Three shots rang out in the morning and to my disbelieving eyes, the nurse pitched forward, falling flat onto the ground, her back riddled with bullets. Another nurse bent over and immediately retched as Sister Genovia grabbed her, holding the heaving woman up.

---