Read Online Witch Lights by Michael M. Hughes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael M. Hughes
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where Ellen and William were. They picked up Ellen’s locator. The one in her earrings.”
“What? They found them? So they’re going to get them?”
Mantu turned off the blowtorch. “No. That’s the problem.”
“Why not?” Ray’s face grew hot.
“Too much of a risk. You’re the one who is important to them right now. They sent me and Ramón to get you and bring you back. Ellen and William…they’re…I hate to even say the words Jeremy used….”
“Say it.”
Mantu turned, his eyes red. “They’re low-priority. At least for now.”
“Those fuckers,” Ray spat.
“But you are the one they need. It’s not like they don’t care about Ellen and the boy. They’ll get them out. But for the time being, he said, they’re not worth the resources it would take.”
“I’ll show them some resources. And shove those resources right up their asses.”
Mantu waved his hand. “Jeremy thinks Lily is somehow behind it. And he can’t afford what it would take to go up against her group right now. It’s way too risky, and too likely to result in a field full of dead Brothers. And maybe a dead Ellen and William, too.”
He stood up. “So who took them? Who is he?”
Mantu poured water on the melted metal and it hissed. “That’s the other problem. You remember Pablo Escobar?”
“Yeah. The drug lord, right? Didn’t Clinton take him out?”
Mantu nodded. “Well, the man who has Ellen and William makes Escobar look like my high school weed dealer. He’s got a fucking fortress sitting way in the middle of nowhere. Helicopters, antiaircraft guns, a posse armed to the teeth. He wipes his ass with hundred-dollar bills and then uses them to pay off the entire Guatemalan government. And the DEA. And a bunch of congressmen whose names you would definitely recognize.”
“So what are we going to do? How are we going to get Ellen and William back? Me and you?”
Mantu laughed. “What makes you think I have the slightest idea?”
—
Mantu buried the melted locators in the weeds, then both men climbed back in the van. He patted underneath the driver’s seat. “The van had a locator, too. Right here.”
“Did you burn that?”
Mantu laughed. “Remember when we stopped to get gas? And I grabbed us lunch at the
taqueria
?”
“Sure.”
“Remember when I was putting air in the tires and that bus full of church people pulled up? With the big picture of Jesus on the side and the sign on the front saying it was heading to Tegucigalpa?”
Ray nodded.
“I stuck it in the wheel well. As far as Jeremy knows, we’re already fifty miles from here.”
Ray couldn’t help but laugh. “How many jobs do you have? A dentist, a comedian, and now James Bond.”
“And don’t forget—your mother’s favorite lover.”
Ray rolled his eyes. “Wait a minute—what about you? Don’t you have a transmitter stuck in you somewhere?”
“I did,” he said. “Until yesterday when we were in the safe house.” He pulled his short sleeve over his bicep. A gauze bandage covered an inch of his skin, and blood had soaked through it and dried. “I dug that bitch out myself. Nearly passed out when I finally got it. Now you understand why I needed to get drunk.”
—
Ellen awoke to find William wide awake and breathing heavily next to her. He was shaking, and she could feel his sweat on the sheets and the heat rolling off his skin.
“What’s wrong, honey? Are you sick?” She reached out and felt his forehead. It was hot and clammy.
“Something bad is happening,” he whispered. “Down in the basement.”
“Shh, William, baby, you’re just having a bad dream.”
“No.” His forcefulness surprised her. “It’s happening. Right now.”
She sat up. “Come here,” she said. He hugged her. It always felt bittersweet when he hugged her like that. Some boys his age were already acting like sulky teenagers and wouldn’t even look at their parents, much less hug them so unself-consciously. One day he
“What? They found them? So they’re going to get them?”
Mantu turned off the blowtorch. “No. That’s the problem.”
“Why not?” Ray’s face grew hot.
“Too much of a risk. You’re the one who is important to them right now. They sent me and Ramón to get you and bring you back. Ellen and William…they’re…I hate to even say the words Jeremy used….”
“Say it.”
Mantu turned, his eyes red. “They’re low-priority. At least for now.”
“Those fuckers,” Ray spat.
“But you are the one they need. It’s not like they don’t care about Ellen and the boy. They’ll get them out. But for the time being, he said, they’re not worth the resources it would take.”
“I’ll show them some resources. And shove those resources right up their asses.”
Mantu waved his hand. “Jeremy thinks Lily is somehow behind it. And he can’t afford what it would take to go up against her group right now. It’s way too risky, and too likely to result in a field full of dead Brothers. And maybe a dead Ellen and William, too.”
He stood up. “So who took them? Who is he?”
Mantu poured water on the melted metal and it hissed. “That’s the other problem. You remember Pablo Escobar?”
“Yeah. The drug lord, right? Didn’t Clinton take him out?”
Mantu nodded. “Well, the man who has Ellen and William makes Escobar look like my high school weed dealer. He’s got a fucking fortress sitting way in the middle of nowhere. Helicopters, antiaircraft guns, a posse armed to the teeth. He wipes his ass with hundred-dollar bills and then uses them to pay off the entire Guatemalan government. And the DEA. And a bunch of congressmen whose names you would definitely recognize.”
“So what are we going to do? How are we going to get Ellen and William back? Me and you?”
Mantu laughed. “What makes you think I have the slightest idea?”
—
Mantu buried the melted locators in the weeds, then both men climbed back in the van. He patted underneath the driver’s seat. “The van had a locator, too. Right here.”
“Did you burn that?”
Mantu laughed. “Remember when we stopped to get gas? And I grabbed us lunch at the
taqueria
?”
“Sure.”
“Remember when I was putting air in the tires and that bus full of church people pulled up? With the big picture of Jesus on the side and the sign on the front saying it was heading to Tegucigalpa?”
Ray nodded.
“I stuck it in the wheel well. As far as Jeremy knows, we’re already fifty miles from here.”
Ray couldn’t help but laugh. “How many jobs do you have? A dentist, a comedian, and now James Bond.”
“And don’t forget—your mother’s favorite lover.”
Ray rolled his eyes. “Wait a minute—what about you? Don’t you have a transmitter stuck in you somewhere?”
“I did,” he said. “Until yesterday when we were in the safe house.” He pulled his short sleeve over his bicep. A gauze bandage covered an inch of his skin, and blood had soaked through it and dried. “I dug that bitch out myself. Nearly passed out when I finally got it. Now you understand why I needed to get drunk.”
—
Ellen awoke to find William wide awake and breathing heavily next to her. He was shaking, and she could feel his sweat on the sheets and the heat rolling off his skin.
“What’s wrong, honey? Are you sick?” She reached out and felt his forehead. It was hot and clammy.
“Something bad is happening,” he whispered. “Down in the basement.”
“Shh, William, baby, you’re just having a bad dream.”
“No.” His forcefulness surprised her. “It’s happening. Right now.”
She sat up. “Come here,” she said. He hugged her. It always felt bittersweet when he hugged her like that. Some boys his age were already acting like sulky teenagers and wouldn’t even look at their parents, much less hug them so unself-consciously. One day he
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