Page 5 of Jacqueline's Quest

Scotty sat down beside AJ. His eyes were wild with rage. His hands clenched and unclenched on the table as he fought to sit still. Everyone, Murray knew from experience, dealt with situations differently. To be the type of person who could be taken from everything they knew and turned into a fetish, couldn’t be easy.

“I’m fine. I’ll do it.” Scotty wouldn’t meet any of their gazes as Thomas spoke for him.

“You’re not acting fine,” Thomas pointed out while signing.

“Continue,” Asher said, staring at AJ and Scotty.

"From the outside, it appears to be abandoned. The club members use none of the original entrances and exits, instead opting for a building down the block. The Hispanic Heritage Museum has several below-ground entrances to a system of tunnels leading through Juarez. One of them also happens to end at the basement entrance of the club. Events at Emporio de Monstruo coincide with the museum exhibitions and on the days when club members want to sample the merchandise, they can use the tunnel connecting the buildings—accessed through the parking structure located behind the museum."

“How does no one see into the building? Can’t the... I don’t know, music or screams or whatever, be heard from outside?” AJ asked.

"The windows are blacked out on the bottom floors. Most of the activity is done there. However, higher up windows are clear. Those floors house the victims. It's where they are kept during the day unless they're being put through their paces. It's how I saw Hannah and my brother Christian."

Another series of photos filled the screen. "As you can see, the space is immaculate. They can't have their merchandise getting sick or getting hurt. They'd lose money and clients."

“Well, at least there’s that,” AJ muttered.

"I have been to the government, the Federales, everyone I can think of to have someone acknowledge this wretched business," Jaqueline said. "However, money talks in Mexico. The cartels have a stranglehold on everything here. If you utter their name without it being in kind, you're hanged. Steal from them? Dead. The police are so afraid of their own shadow, most places can’t keep a police force and if they do, you can bet some part of the cartel has put their men into positions of power.”

“How have you not been killed?” AJ hedged.

Murray asked himself the same question while sitting in her security office. Jaqueline pushed the line of sane and stupid. She’d jumped headlong into trying to get her brother back, she’d forgotten about her safety first. Thinking about it, pissed him off. “I’ve asked the same question.” He shook his head. “I don’t think she has a lick of self-preservation.”

Jaqueline rolled her eyes at Murray. “I live in the middle of nowhere with a topnotch security system, plus I am ex-Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales—Mexican Special Forces.”

"Kind of a badass name," AJ said.

"Thank you," Jaqueline replied. "I can protect myself, despite what Murray believes, but at some point, someone will come at me for trying to get my brother back. I have to take down the Nieto Cartel and Raul Iniguez before that happens. And, this is the first step."

"Raul Iniguez, you said?" Thomas sat forward. "As in the drug runner and money launderer Raul Iniguez?”

“Yes,” Jaqueline answered. “But, he’s also the Jefe for the Nieto Cartel, a fact he’s tried to keep hidden for years. It keeps the target off of his back from other cartels who want his territory. Let me guess, he’s on your radar, too?”

Thomas chuckled, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “I’ve been working the Nieto case with my regular partner for the last five years, and we never put two and two together. We thought he was low-level.”

“Well, now I know why Tex brought us all together,” Jaqueline murmured. “Slick bastard—Raul. He prides himself on keeping his title hidden. Heard a rumor he had a child.”

"I'll tell you like my husband told Thomas and Duncan," Noah said. "Bex is off-limits for now. She is an abused kid who is struggling to just make it, let alone having some FBI or ex-Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especialeswhatever-the-fuck, creeping around her, causing her problems. You want her, we do it Mateo’s way.”

"Understood," Jaqueline said. "The girl is off-limits."

“So, what are the mission parameters?” Thomas asked.

“The mission is this,” Murray stated. “There is an auction coming up soon. When you arrive here, we’ll work in conjunction with the Federales. We have two men on the inside for us. One is Miguel Ángel, he has infiltrated the club as their bartender for events and on nights when members want to partake. Then there is Santiago Vasquez. He’s one of Tex’s guys—”

“We know of him,” AJ said. “Never ran an op with him, though, or met him.”

"Good reason you haven't," Murray stated. "He's been embedded with the Nieto Cartel for about a year or so now, according to Tex. He'll be the one supplying us with passes."

“Once we’re in the auction, the mission gets easier.”

AJ laughed and shook her head. “I’m not sure your definition of easy and mine are the same.”

Jaqueline snickered. It was warm, inviting and full of life. “All we have to do is pretend we’re enjoying the scene. Fulfill our obligation of being couples and bid on my brother and Murray’s sister.”

“See, so simple.” AJ’s words dripped with sarcasm. Thomas narrowed his eyes and shook his head. AJ shrugged. She wasn’t lying. It wouldn’t be easy.

Murray and Jaqueline had already talked about all the intricacies of the club, the three new additions were only now understanding the vile den of debauchery they would be entering. What made it harder for them was Scotty. Putting him into a position of vulnerability couldn’t be easy for any of them. Hell, exposing himself to a dynamic he never thought he could get into, threw him for a loop, but he’d do anything for his sister, including call Jaqueline Mistress, even if it went against his proclivities. “When the auction is over, we’ll collect Christian and Hannah and be on our way. The minute all of us are free from the building, the raid will begin.”

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