Tortured Spirits by Gregory Lamberson Page A

a restaurant called Coucher du Soleil. Whoever your contact is will reach out to you there.”
    â€œYou don’t know who that is?” Jake said.
    â€œAs a precautionary measure, no. Tell him what you need, and he’ll arrange it. We’ve dug a tunnel that leads beneath the prison. Most likely you’ll use that to get in and out. Once you’ve met your contact, you have five days to carry out your plan. Since the resort will know you’re booked for seven days, Malvado’s secret police will know that, too. The sooner you move, the better.”
    â€œOnce we have your husband—”
    â€œYou’ll travel to the northeast tip of the island. French pirates smuggled rum there once. We’ll have a boat waiting to bring you back to the US, but it can leave only at night.”
    â€œAnd if we’re caught?”
    â€œYou’ll be tortured and killed in El Miedo. No one but us will ever know you were there.”
    â€œJust how helpful will our support be?”
    â€œAny of the men or women who join you will lay down their lives for my husband. They’re fighting for Pavot’s freedom.”
    â€œThen why haven’t any of them tried this on their own?”
    â€œThere have been previous attempts. Twenty years ago … ten … five. Each incident resulted in new security procedures, with Andre relocated to a different cell. If you fail, it will upset our intelligence again.”
    â€œIf we fail, we’ll be killed.”
    â€œIf you fail, you’ll pray for death.”

    Jake followed Maria to the same car rental agency where he’d gotten his Ford Fusion. He couldn’t believe she had tailed him to New Orleans and then Florida and that she had figured out so much about Katrina and her zonbies. He had underestimated her threats to watch him. He laughed at the thought of her disarming Fernando and his men. She was a tough cookie. Good NYPD. He had to keep his eye on her.
    Maria exited the rental agency office and openedthe passenger door, then eyed Edgar in his cage. “Am I supposed to ride in back so he has a good view of the glove compartment?”
    â€œPut him back there. He’s used to it.”
    Maria unbuckled the seat belt around the cage, which she lifted in two hands. “Sorry, partner.”
    Edgar croaked as Maria positioned the cage in the middle of the backseat and secured it with a seat belt and shoulder strap. Then she sat up front and closed the door. “Now I really feel naked. First no gun, now no car.”
    Jake pulled into the street. “I know what you mean. I hate to travel without a piece.”
    She turned in his direction. He could not see her eyes behind the dark sunglasses. “You’re not traveling naked. You fired off that shot in the alley next to your hotel in New Orleans.”
    â€œI drove from New York. I had no trouble transporting my gun.”
    â€œIs that why you drove from New York?”
    â€œNo. I drove because I won’t let Edgar out of my sight.”
    Maria shook her head. “I’m still not sold that’s him.”
    â€œYes, you are, or you wouldn’t be going with me.”
    â€œMaybe I just don’t want to let you out of my sight. Maybe I’m afraid that if anything happens to you, I’ll never get to the bottom of this.”
    â€œI’m risking my life to save my friend. You’re risking yours for the same reason, not to solve a mystery.”
    â€œMysteries,
plural. I’ve got more than one file on you.”
    â€œI don’t know if I should be flattered or worried.”
    â€œWhat happened in that alley?”
    â€œThree clowns jumped me. They thought they could hold Edgar for ransom.”
    â€œYou needed to fire your weapon at birdnappers?”
    â€œIt was a warning shot. There were three of them.”
    â€œSo? I turned the tables on Miriam’s boys, and there were three of them.”
    â€œYour guys were