I’ve heard of fingerprints lasting up to forty years on certain surfaces. Normally being exposed to the elements might degrade any prints, but this shell had been encased into a notch in stone. We may get a lucky break. Why didn’t the police catch this when the prints would have been fresher?”
“Hector Borrego was just another dead cartel leader,” he said. “The police would’ve seen his murder as a gift.”
“Then why is Ruiz pushing to solve this case now and using me to do it?”
“It would appear our Vice President has a personal agenda.” Rafe glared toward the setting sun. “He’s either trying to stir things up between the cartels or he’s targeting the Borregos for a reason we have yet to discover.”
“Then why use me to do it?” she pressed.
“Because you’re a pit bull, Athena. No matter where this investigation leads, you will find the truth and expose a killer. It’s what you do.”
He jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“You and the Omega Team don’t compromise on what’s right,” he said. “Whatever happened five years ago, you will force the truth to come out. You have to. Everything you and Grey are building depends on it.”
He’d seen the excitement in his sister’s eyes when she uncovered the new evidence. Rafael wasn’t sure he wanted to see her enthusiasm be replaced with the shame he knew would come. Athena had the reputation of her Omega Team to think about now. Rafael hadn’t considered how this could affect his sister and the future she and Grey were making. He’d brought this terrible thing to her door.
Damn it! What would she do?
Rafe wished he hadn’t reached out to her and he regretted accepting her offer of an interview in Florida.
“It’s getting dark,” she said. “We did good, little brother. When we get back to the hotel, I’ll have Jacquie run the shell casing through our handheld fingerprint identification system to capture it digitally. She can upload the scan into our worldwide databases. I don’t want Ruiz to know our findings until we’re sure of what we have.”
Rafe’s stomach clenched. Jacquie would be the first to know he was a killer. He wanted to stop his misery and just confess to his sister, but before he opened his mouth, Athena pocketed her prize and headed back down the hill.
Coward!
His sister had the evidence to convict him, but once his name came out, he would never stand trial in Cuba. The Borrego cartel—or Ruiz with his personal agenda—would see to it that he died a horrible death.
Rafe was one step closer to the justice that he’d sought years ago when he dared to leave his shell casing behind with his fingerprints on it. If he truly believed in retribution, he had to play things out and stay strong.
His courageous sister had always been a good teacher on how to live. Perhaps she would now show him how to die.
***
“What’s that?”
Athena stopped dead still and turned to listen. The sound of an engine came over the rise, followed by another until the noise played with their ears. The guttural rumble came from all around them and grew louder until Athena cringed at the intensity. Goose flesh raced over her skin and her scalp prickled.
“Get to the car,” Rafe called out and grabbed her arm. “It’s our only cover.”
Athena raced for the vehicle and didn’t stop until she jammed her back against metal. With her brother at her side, she craned her neck to see where the noise came from.
A black truck cleared ground and bounded over a hill. Two men were inside the cab but others clung to a roll bar and carried AR-15s and M4 Carbines. Across the road, more SUVs raced from cover, loaded with armed men. They circled Athena and Rafael until a thick cloud of dust made it hard to see.
They were outnumbered and without weapons on foreign soil. Athena only hoped these men wouldn’t let their bullets do the talking for them.
Chapter 6
Borrego Ranch
Athena stood her ground as if
“Hector Borrego was just another dead cartel leader,” he said. “The police would’ve seen his murder as a gift.”
“Then why is Ruiz pushing to solve this case now and using me to do it?”
“It would appear our Vice President has a personal agenda.” Rafe glared toward the setting sun. “He’s either trying to stir things up between the cartels or he’s targeting the Borregos for a reason we have yet to discover.”
“Then why use me to do it?” she pressed.
“Because you’re a pit bull, Athena. No matter where this investigation leads, you will find the truth and expose a killer. It’s what you do.”
He jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“You and the Omega Team don’t compromise on what’s right,” he said. “Whatever happened five years ago, you will force the truth to come out. You have to. Everything you and Grey are building depends on it.”
He’d seen the excitement in his sister’s eyes when she uncovered the new evidence. Rafael wasn’t sure he wanted to see her enthusiasm be replaced with the shame he knew would come. Athena had the reputation of her Omega Team to think about now. Rafael hadn’t considered how this could affect his sister and the future she and Grey were making. He’d brought this terrible thing to her door.
Damn it! What would she do?
Rafe wished he hadn’t reached out to her and he regretted accepting her offer of an interview in Florida.
“It’s getting dark,” she said. “We did good, little brother. When we get back to the hotel, I’ll have Jacquie run the shell casing through our handheld fingerprint identification system to capture it digitally. She can upload the scan into our worldwide databases. I don’t want Ruiz to know our findings until we’re sure of what we have.”
Rafe’s stomach clenched. Jacquie would be the first to know he was a killer. He wanted to stop his misery and just confess to his sister, but before he opened his mouth, Athena pocketed her prize and headed back down the hill.
Coward!
His sister had the evidence to convict him, but once his name came out, he would never stand trial in Cuba. The Borrego cartel—or Ruiz with his personal agenda—would see to it that he died a horrible death.
Rafe was one step closer to the justice that he’d sought years ago when he dared to leave his shell casing behind with his fingerprints on it. If he truly believed in retribution, he had to play things out and stay strong.
His courageous sister had always been a good teacher on how to live. Perhaps she would now show him how to die.
***
“What’s that?”
Athena stopped dead still and turned to listen. The sound of an engine came over the rise, followed by another until the noise played with their ears. The guttural rumble came from all around them and grew louder until Athena cringed at the intensity. Goose flesh raced over her skin and her scalp prickled.
“Get to the car,” Rafe called out and grabbed her arm. “It’s our only cover.”
Athena raced for the vehicle and didn’t stop until she jammed her back against metal. With her brother at her side, she craned her neck to see where the noise came from.
A black truck cleared ground and bounded over a hill. Two men were inside the cab but others clung to a roll bar and carried AR-15s and M4 Carbines. Across the road, more SUVs raced from cover, loaded with armed men. They circled Athena and Rafael until a thick cloud of dust made it hard to see.
They were outnumbered and without weapons on foreign soil. Athena only hoped these men wouldn’t let their bullets do the talking for them.
Chapter 6
Borrego Ranch
Athena stood her ground as if
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