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.When Gage finished, she said, “Ernesto Navarro paid off Acusador Cortez Redon to insert you into Berga as an undercover agent.” She began explaining about Redon and Navarro, all while holding the Smith casually aimed at his chest.Her final words clapped like thunder:“You have been thoroughly deceived, Mister Hartline, by the state attorney Navarro thought was his confidant.Redon was taking Navarro’s money while also working with Los Leones.They cooked up this entire deception so Los Leones could find Navarro, and kill him.In the process, you were sold out.”As she spoke, Gage fought to keep his vision steady.A whirling occurred in his mind, the type that was once a precursor to his old post-traumatic-stress migraines, the debilitating cripplers that once haunted his every day.And, although he would certainly approach this situation with reason in the hope that this little lady would lower her guard, the sixth sense deep in Gage’s organism, the one that had warned him about potential trouble on the isle of Crete, the one that sent him hurtling on a cosmic collision with Nicky Arnaud, and the one that had kept him alive over a dangerous twenty-three year career, told Gage that he’d been bent over and screwed, for lack of a better comparison.“If that’s true,” he rasped, “why wouldn’t Acusador Redon just tell Los Leones when and where he would be having a meeting with Navarro? Why use such an elaborate setup, instead?”“You already know the answer, Hartline.Navarro was unconscionably vigilant.My source tells me he never announced where the meetings were, and would send for any and all visitors with his own security people.”Gage pondered what she said—it made sense—but the onset of stress was preventing him from thinking clearly.Slow down, Gage.The game just changed.Slow down and think.He turned his thoughts to Capitana de la Mancha.Given her tone and body language, this woman, this warden, wasn’t about to let him escape from here.He had a distinct feeling that this prison, her fiefdom, had lined her pockets with Europe’s dirtiest money, creating a cinder-block killing machine for Spain’s burgeoning gang, a place where many walked in and no one walked out.Had he been blessed with the luxuries of ample time and freedom, Gage would have loved to do a forensic accounting of de la Mancha’s finances—not to mention the banking records of her gangster guards.He shifted slightly in his seat.“One question, capitana, comes to my mind.Don’t you fear for your life when working with Los Leones? If you’re complicit with them, and being paid as I suspect, why don’t they ask you to allow their prisoners to escape or put ridiculous demands on you?”“There have never been any escapes from Berga, nor will there be.”“And what of the ridiculous demands?”“Since you jumped ahead with your assumptions, I will, too.As you know, Navarro and his son are no longer threats to Los Leones.I don’t like killing, Mister Hartline, I’m not that cold.” She paused, resetting her expression.“But these people, all of them, the Navarros included, are savages.They’ll kill one another whether I’m here or not.And trying to stop them is, as you Americans so eloquently say, like shoveling shit against the tide.It’s useless.”Gritting his teeth, Gage said, “So you figure, screw it, I may as well get rich off their blood.”“That’s not it.”“Well, what is it?”“It’s either cooperate or die,” she said with indignation.Though her statement didn’t exactly make sense to Gage, he moved on, asking, “And what about me, capitana?”“Yes, well, your deal is a bit more tricky, Mister Hartline.And you destroying that León’s face yesterday didn’t help things, either.You nearly killed another one on the stairs.” Clucked her tongue.“You’re quite violent.”“I don’t cotton to gang rape, capitana, though you obviously have no problem with it.”“I had no idea that was happening.When I learned of it, I ordered it stopped but you had already halted it.”“I was too late.Then the guards you sent to stop the rape allowed Cesar to be killed.”“I won’t argue that.”“Why do you allow it?”“Los Leones run things here.They did.They do.They will.And had I, or any of the guards, tried to stop the killing of Cesar, it would invite certain death.”“So you can stop a rape, but not a killing?”She shook her head.“I don’t expect you to understand.”“If fear rules your life, then you don’t need to be a prison warden,” Gage said, disgust dripping from every word.“Understand this: given my broad powers here at Berga, if I decide to send you back out in that bay, you’re dead inside of ten minutes.” She tilted her chin up, waiting for him to respond.Gage was emotionless.“Rather than do that, I’d like to propose a deal, Mister Hartline.”Gage sucked on his teeth, viewing her paintings.“Mister Hartline…did you hear me?”He ignored her.“I said I have a proposition.”“Listen, lady…my proposition is for you to open the doors and let me walk out.Now.Even if Navarro was double-crossed, there is official paperwork on me, filed in the U.S., stating that I was hired by the Spanish government to be placed into Berga as an undercover agent.”She shook her head.“That won’t work, for two reasons.”“What reasons?”“First, if I allow you to make contact with the U.S., it’s me who will die.”“How will anyone know?”“Los Leones now have a bounty on you, Mister Hartline.I’m the only person keeping you alive.It was me who had you thrown into that dark cell, thereby protecting you.”“Why?”“While Los Leones may be vicious, they’re not very bright.” She gave Gage a tight smile.“They know you were paid a large sum of money.If you can produce that money, I might be able to bargain your life with it.”Given the tenor of the conversation leading up to this point, this demand wasn’t at all surprising to Gage.He believed every word.He also believed her choice of words, using “might,” was key.She might be able to bargain his life.Yeah, sure.Once she had the money, he’d be getting a necktie to match Cesar’s.“If I don’t agree?” he asked.“I think you already know the answer to that question, Mister Hartline.” She gestured toward the main bay.“I’ll send you out to the floor with word that you won’t cut a deal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.When Gage finished, she said, “Ernesto Navarro paid off Acusador Cortez Redon to insert you into Berga as an undercover agent.” She began explaining about Redon and Navarro, all while holding the Smith casually aimed at his chest.Her final words clapped like thunder:“You have been thoroughly deceived, Mister Hartline, by the state attorney Navarro thought was his confidant.Redon was taking Navarro’s money while also working with Los Leones.They cooked up this entire deception so Los Leones could find Navarro, and kill him.In the process, you were sold out.”As she spoke, Gage fought to keep his vision steady.A whirling occurred in his mind, the type that was once a precursor to his old post-traumatic-stress migraines, the debilitating cripplers that once haunted his every day.And, although he would certainly approach this situation with reason in the hope that this little lady would lower her guard, the sixth sense deep in Gage’s organism, the one that had warned him about potential trouble on the isle of Crete, the one that sent him hurtling on a cosmic collision with Nicky Arnaud, and the one that had kept him alive over a dangerous twenty-three year career, told Gage that he’d been bent over and screwed, for lack of a better comparison.“If that’s true,” he rasped, “why wouldn’t Acusador Redon just tell Los Leones when and where he would be having a meeting with Navarro? Why use such an elaborate setup, instead?”“You already know the answer, Hartline.Navarro was unconscionably vigilant.My source tells me he never announced where the meetings were, and would send for any and all visitors with his own security people.”Gage pondered what she said—it made sense—but the onset of stress was preventing him from thinking clearly.Slow down, Gage.The game just changed.Slow down and think.He turned his thoughts to Capitana de la Mancha.Given her tone and body language, this woman, this warden, wasn’t about to let him escape from here.He had a distinct feeling that this prison, her fiefdom, had lined her pockets with Europe’s dirtiest money, creating a cinder-block killing machine for Spain’s burgeoning gang, a place where many walked in and no one walked out.Had he been blessed with the luxuries of ample time and freedom, Gage would have loved to do a forensic accounting of de la Mancha’s finances—not to mention the banking records of her gangster guards.He shifted slightly in his seat.“One question, capitana, comes to my mind.Don’t you fear for your life when working with Los Leones? If you’re complicit with them, and being paid as I suspect, why don’t they ask you to allow their prisoners to escape or put ridiculous demands on you?”“There have never been any escapes from Berga, nor will there be.”“And what of the ridiculous demands?”“Since you jumped ahead with your assumptions, I will, too.As you know, Navarro and his son are no longer threats to Los Leones.I don’t like killing, Mister Hartline, I’m not that cold.” She paused, resetting her expression.“But these people, all of them, the Navarros included, are savages.They’ll kill one another whether I’m here or not.And trying to stop them is, as you Americans so eloquently say, like shoveling shit against the tide.It’s useless.”Gritting his teeth, Gage said, “So you figure, screw it, I may as well get rich off their blood.”“That’s not it.”“Well, what is it?”“It’s either cooperate or die,” she said with indignation.Though her statement didn’t exactly make sense to Gage, he moved on, asking, “And what about me, capitana?”“Yes, well, your deal is a bit more tricky, Mister Hartline.And you destroying that León’s face yesterday didn’t help things, either.You nearly killed another one on the stairs.” Clucked her tongue.“You’re quite violent.”“I don’t cotton to gang rape, capitana, though you obviously have no problem with it.”“I had no idea that was happening.When I learned of it, I ordered it stopped but you had already halted it.”“I was too late.Then the guards you sent to stop the rape allowed Cesar to be killed.”“I won’t argue that.”“Why do you allow it?”“Los Leones run things here.They did.They do.They will.And had I, or any of the guards, tried to stop the killing of Cesar, it would invite certain death.”“So you can stop a rape, but not a killing?”She shook her head.“I don’t expect you to understand.”“If fear rules your life, then you don’t need to be a prison warden,” Gage said, disgust dripping from every word.“Understand this: given my broad powers here at Berga, if I decide to send you back out in that bay, you’re dead inside of ten minutes.” She tilted her chin up, waiting for him to respond.Gage was emotionless.“Rather than do that, I’d like to propose a deal, Mister Hartline.”Gage sucked on his teeth, viewing her paintings.“Mister Hartline…did you hear me?”He ignored her.“I said I have a proposition.”“Listen, lady…my proposition is for you to open the doors and let me walk out.Now.Even if Navarro was double-crossed, there is official paperwork on me, filed in the U.S., stating that I was hired by the Spanish government to be placed into Berga as an undercover agent.”She shook her head.“That won’t work, for two reasons.”“What reasons?”“First, if I allow you to make contact with the U.S., it’s me who will die.”“How will anyone know?”“Los Leones now have a bounty on you, Mister Hartline.I’m the only person keeping you alive.It was me who had you thrown into that dark cell, thereby protecting you.”“Why?”“While Los Leones may be vicious, they’re not very bright.” She gave Gage a tight smile.“They know you were paid a large sum of money.If you can produce that money, I might be able to bargain your life with it.”Given the tenor of the conversation leading up to this point, this demand wasn’t at all surprising to Gage.He believed every word.He also believed her choice of words, using “might,” was key.She might be able to bargain his life.Yeah, sure.Once she had the money, he’d be getting a necktie to match Cesar’s.“If I don’t agree?” he asked.“I think you already know the answer to that question, Mister Hartline.” She gestured toward the main bay.“I’ll send you out to the floor with word that you won’t cut a deal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]