Page 29 of Echoes and Oaths (Guardian Security Dynasty #4)

“You know it. Hope you can cook. My stomach thinks my damn throat has been cut.”

“Simple food, but it’ll fill you up.”

“That’ll work,” Z said. “See you then.”

“Brando, does Dr. Wheeler have access to Esteban’s file?”

“I can make it happen. ”

“Do it and tell him I need a call as soon as he’s digested it.”

“Roger that.”

Jinx was outside sorting the eggs he’d collected. Eira’s family would depend on any payments they could get before the cartel exploded. He wouldn’t disappoint them by not doing the chores Eira had done daily.

“I have Dr. Wheeler on comms for you.”

Jinx tapped his ear. “Go.”

“Dr. Wheeler, Jinx is on the line. I’m clear,” Brando said. Jinx turned around and leaned against the table he’d been working at.

“Jinx, do you have five minutes?”

“Yes, sir. And if I didn’t, I’d make the time.” Esteban was too much of a question mark not to get as much information about the man as possible.

“I just finished your psychological briefing on Esteban Ortega. I can send the file through when we get done.”

“Thank you.” Jinx crossed his arms and stared out over the pasture where Eira’s milk cows were lying down and chewing their cud. “Tell me about him. ”

“All right, here’s the rundown. Esteban Ortega grew up hurting animals.

Then killing them. He has no empathy. No remorse.

By sixteen, he’d already killed at least two people.

All of this was documented while he was in a local prison before he was transferred to Torcorón and became involved with Tren de Aragua.

Once the police transferred him to that hellhole, he flourished.

Most people would have been crushed, but he learned the system.

He used it. Built contacts and learned the mechanics of fear.

I’m reading several different files to glean that information.

The people who remained at the prison after the Venezuelan government retook it were thoroughly debriefed.

Everyone knew of Esteban. He was mentioned in at least twenty different files.

This guy didn’t survive hell; he flourished in it. ” Dr. Wheeler sighed.

Jinx grunted. “Sounds charming.”

“I speculate he’s worse now. If what Brando briefed me is correct, and I have no reason to assume it isn’t, you believe he’s El Fantasma, the Ghost. I’ve done several workups on what we know about him and his work.

If I meld what I know about Esteban into those workups, we have a pretty full picture of what this man is.

He’s moving between Venezuelan cartels as an assassin, and in his capacity with the organization he’s building, he’s brokered deals across Mexico and Central America.

What we’ve learned is he has the logistics, drugs, arms, and trafficking tools in place.

He doesn’t have connections to the organizations in Europe. ”

“That’s where I come in,” Jinx said.

“Your cover has those connections?” Dr. Wheeler asked.

“Yes, and then some.”

“Be careful. This guy is a primary psychopath. High-functioning. No conscience. No loyalty and absolutely no fear. He doesn’t react emotionally.

Threats bounce off him. Fear makes him sharper and more interested.

If you try to talk him down, he’ll eat you alive.

No speeches, no hesitation with this one, Jinx.

Fast and final. I cannot stress that enough.

So, the quick version of all of this. His murders are never random.

Everybody he drops is a step up. He has no loyalty.

None. Family, friends, blood ties, none of that matters.

If they’re useful, they live. If not, you’re disposable.

The only thing a man like this would respect is raw power. Period. Esteban doesn’t get handled.”

“No, he gets ended,” Jinx said casually.

“Exactly, and if he even sniffs you’re onto him, he’ll hit first. He’ll use anyone, innocents included, to do what he thinks he needs to do.”

“Noted.”

“Be careful, Jinx. Don’t let this mission make you forget where the edges are.”

“I know where they are, Doc. I have a firm grip on them.”

“Good,” Dr. Wheeler said, and Jinx could hear the relief in his voice.

“Hey, Doc, one more thing. Tomás Ortega is Esteban’s little brother. He’s using Tomás to control the cartel here. What is the dynamics between the two of them?”

“Ah. Family dynamics. Esteban would treat Tomás like an asset. Not a brother. He’d think of Tomás as a disposable chess piece. He’s useful if he’s obedient but expendable if he’s weak.”

“He is weak. Very weak. Why is Esteban keeping him around?”

“Two reasons I can think of. First, blood is useful. It makes the cartel look like a family business when Esteban finally makes those contacts he’s looking for in Europe, a consolidation of power.

He’ll look stronger. The second is loyalty.

Not his, but Tomás’s. The kid grew up under Esteban’s shadow.

He’s been conditioned by the past trauma of growing up around Esteban already.

Tomás obeys because he knows if he doesn’t, Esteban will eliminate him. ”

Jinx narrowed his eyes and stared at the toe of his boot as he asked, “So, how tight of a leash do you think Esteban has on Tomás?”

“Well …” Dr. Wheeler hesitated. “Speculating here, but I’d say not as tight as Esteban thinks. Tomás has to know he’s being used. I’d say Tomás would resent the hell out of Esteban, telling him what to do and when to do it. Why?”

“I want to work Tomás against Esteban. The idea started before I knew Esteban was controlling Tomás. Would it still work?”

Dr. Wheeler made a sound deep in his throat.

“You’d need to give him what Esteban never will, your respect.

Feed the man’s resentment. But don’t push it.

Make him think any loyalty to his brother is suicide.

Make him think loyalty to you is the way to survival.

Tomás is weak. He won’t move away from his brother unless there’s a safe exit.

My gut is telling me if you build that bridge, he’ll run like hell to get away from his brother. ”

“How would I do that?” Jinx wanted as much information as the doc could give him .

“Speak to Tomás like an equal. Ask his opinion, even if you already know the answer. Casually mention how people are replaceable to someone like Esteban.”

“He doesn’t know I know Esteban is controlling him.”

“Then make up a story, some type of string to pull him along, where he could easily swap his brother for the person in your story.”

“Got it.”

“Suggest a better future if things were different, but this is important. Tomás needs to think all this is his idea. If he thinks he’s being played, you’ve lost. Throw the board and pieces away and punt because he’ll run to Esteban with what he suspects.”

“Well, thanks for the tightrope act,” Jinx said with a humorless laugh.

“I’ll send my report, and Brando can load it. Be careful, Jinx. I’ve dealt with someone like Esteban before. Don’t hesitate, and I say that from experience.”

“You’ll have to tell me about that sometime,” Jinx said. “Thanks, Doc. I’ll talk to you when I’m on the other side of this.”

“I look forward to it. Wheeler out.”

Jinx turned back to his work. He hit the tone to summon his operator. As soon as the line connected, Jinx snapped, “Brando, put Z back online.”

“Copy,” Brando said immediately.

“What’s up?” Z asked.

“Did Raven give you the directions to the safe house?” He finished placing the eggs into the cartons as he spoke.

“Yep, and the stash location,” Z acknowledged.

“I think Tomás will move me in sooner rather than later. As in tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest. There are food and weapons there. Brando can give you my location based on the comms. From my conversation with Dr. Wheeler, it could take weeks before I’m positioned for action.”

“I copy,” Z said. “Anything you need me to do while you’re gone?”

“Eira’s mother.”

“Raven left me a long two-page letter in freaking Italian. I’ve spent most of the day translating the damn thing. I know where she is and about the aunt. I’ll take care of them until you need me.”

Jinx could hear Z’s eyes rolling from where he was standing. “I’m not sure how this will play out. You could be here for no reason. And she did that so no one else could read the letter. ”

“Whatever. It was a dick thing to do. She could have written it in English and put it in the stash.”

“That’s true, but do you expect that from her?” Brando said.

“No,” Z admitted reluctantly. “I’ll get Eira’s mom out of the country when she’s willing to leave. Brando, I’ll need an escort for her. I’m not leaving Jinx alone.”

“Raven,” Jinx said. “She knows Raven.”

“Done,” Brando said. “By the way, they’re out of Venezuela’s airspace and heading home.”

“To my ranch, right?”

“Yes,” Brando acknowledged. “I hope you don’t mind. I called your ranch manager and told him they’d be arriving. He said he’d get supplies and make sure they got settled. His wife is going to get diapers and all things baby.”

Corey and Helen Macy were amazing with the animals, and he had no doubt they would be wonderful to his little family.

Their son was a large animal vet who practiced north of his small spread in Hollister.

Having Eira and Teo safely home with them sent a surge of relief through him.

Jinx felt the lingering worry lift from his shoulders. “Thank you.”

“You know we’ve got your back,” Brando replied. “Whatever it takes. ”

“As long as it takes,” Jinx and Z answered at the same time. Jinx tapped to mute his comms, and then he closed his eyes and let the last connection to the world outside of Mateo Rivas slip away.