Page 112 of Code 6
“Only your government is stupid enough to use it on entire villages for the whole world to see,” said Liu. “I’m more selective. Or ‘discreet,’ shall we say?”
He dropped the match on Javier’s body. A foot-long flare shot up from the gel, which quickly reduced itself to a glowing, white-hot circle that burned with the intensity of a nuclear meltdown. The sickening smell of burning flesh filled the cabin.
“If you force me to strike another match, I promise you’ll hear screams like you’ve never heard before.”
Patrick could only guess at who this man was, why he’d paid someone so much money for Buck’s code, and how, apparently, he’d been swindled. But circumstances compelled only one answer to his question.
“Yes,” said Patrick. “Code Six is all you need.”
Liu put the pack of matches back in his pocket, took a rag, and wiped the gel from the hostages’ legs, first Olga, and then Patrick. He rolled the rag into a ball and held it under Patrick’s nose so that he could smell the concoction.
“Javier was smart. He spoke the truth and got the bullet. If you’re lying to me, you’re going to wish you’d never been born.”
Patrick stared back at him, trying to remain strong, but it was impossible to hide his fear. Liu seemed to enjoy the smell of burning flesh, and he seemed genuinely disappointed that Javier was already dead—that there were no screams to go with the sickening stench. Patrick would have never dreamed it possible, but there was no denying how he felt at that moment.
He wished Javier were still in control.
Liu grabbed his pistol and took aim at Patrick’s forehead. “I’m going to unchain you now, take you to the latrine, and let you wash your hands. Then we are going to prepare for your next call with Kate Gamble.”
“Mynext call?”
“You’re going to do all the talking.”
“What am I supposed to say about Javier?”
“Nothing. Not a single, solitary word about him. Or about me.”
“So you want them to think Javier is still alive?”
“Meet the new kidnapper,” he said, a smile creasing his lips. “Same as the old kidnapper.”
Chapter 51
Kate took a direct flight from Dulles and landed in Cali that evening. Enrique Salazar, her father’s most trusted bodyguard, was at her side. A driver met them at the airport. He greeted Enrique like an old friend and he offered much more than a ride to their hotel.
“For the pretty lady, I have the Glock 27 concealed-carry pistol. Ten rounds of forty-caliber ammunition readily accessible in your pocket or purse. For Señor Enrique, the Glock 19 with shoulder harness for concealment. There are two extra magazines, nine-millimeter cartridges, fifteen rounds each.”
Kate opened her purse, but Enrique stopped her before she could tuck the pistol away.
“What did I tell you to do when someone hands you a gun?”
Enrique was a former Green Beret with three tours of duty in Afghanistan. He was fearless but not reckless. They’d spent two hours at a firing range before their flight, including a crash course in gun safety.
“Check the chamber,” she said, doing so, “and make sure the safety is on.”
“Captain Salazar never changes,” said Diego.
“Sounds like you two go way back,” said Kate, and she quickly got the story. Diego had served with Enrique in Afghanistan before joining the DEA. He was now an expat living in Cali doing private security.
Kate’s hotel was in the San Antonio neighborhood, a twenty-minute ride from the airport. It was a misty night, typical of the September–November rainy season in Cali. Rainbow-like rings surrounded theglowing streetlamps. Thewhump-whumpof the windshield wipers punctuated the silence.
“Can we talk about the elephant in the backseat of the car?” asked Enrique.
Kate knew the expression, usually expressed in connection with “the room,” but she wasn’t sure what he meant. He filled in the blank.
“Is there a Code Six?”
“There was.”