Page 62 of Allegiance

“Normally, we have to follow rules, and that’s why I’m using you on this. We searched them, and we found an owner. That’s how I knew we had a problem.”

Maura was curious.

“How?” she asked.

She explained.

“We had intel that someone was helping Chevy from El Gato’s past. Once I heard that name, I knew we had issues.”

They listened.

“When you guys went in and blew the compound, there was one man who was in charge of Teague’s security. It was his right-hand asshole, Cruz Santiago. He was the one who got El Gato to safety, and then had to go MIA because El Gato was pissed his wife and kid were left in the compound to die.”

She got it.

Someone else from Columbia was in play again. Why was she not surprised?

“So El Gato dies, and Cruz Santiago suddenly reappears? That’s hella suspicious on a good day. On a day like today, that’s a neon sign pointing down from over his head.”

Yes, yes, it was.

And it was an issue.

Anyone tied to El Gato was a shitshow. Look at the mess it was causing because the Marines didn’t take down everyone in that compound, and they let Chevy slip past them.

Now, they’d play catch up.

“He’s the owner of the businesses because you know Chevy is NOT going to play that game. He knows we’re looking for him, so he’ll lay low.”

Yeah, he was too careful.

“We can’t hit the places,” Jagger said. “If we do, and it’s a legit business, we just killed innocent people. We also throw up a signal flare that we’re onto him.”

Oh, she was aware.

“Exactly. That’s why I’m giving you the name of the cops. My suggestion is to start there and begin whittling away at them. You might be able to find Cruz, and in the last-case scenario, you can kick in the doors at the modeling agencies.”

Maura was quiet.

“What’s up, Major?” she asked.

“I’m working on a plan, and this might actually help. I’ll work out the details, and then discuss it with the team,” she admitted.

Elizabeth didn’t care.

As long as they handled it.

“My hope is to have Marines heading into the locations in Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, China, and any other place tied to this to try and find the missing women. You have the list. I’m good at finding killers, but even I have to admit, that this one…he was very good at covering his tracks.”

Jagger was aware of what it would take.

“We have to find Chevy and Cruz.”

She laughed.

“Well, that’s not going to be easy. We know he has a place somewhere,” she said. “Our intel is coming back with nothing. I’m talking full-on criminal silence. We’ve given you access to the street cameras, facial recognition, and all the tech we can muster. If you can’t find him popping up, that’s a bad sign.”

Remmy agreed.