A Dubious Terrain (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 4) Page 3

  Banyon took a gulp of his drink and then spoke. “Wolf, what more do you know about the Black Diamond?”

  Immediately an old but strong voice filled the room. “It has been on earth for over ten thousand years. It came by meteor.”

  “Where is it now?”

  “Actually, it is in the Las Vegas area.”

  Banyon remembered the final chapter in the diary, written by Professor Adam Wesley. Wesley noted the Black Diamond had been moved to ‘Area 51’ in the nineteen seventies. It was in Southern Nevada near Las Vegas.

  “You mean ‘Area 51’ don’t you?”

  “It no longer resides there,” Wolf supplied the chilling answer.

  “Is it still in possession of the federal government?”

  “A Federal employee has it, but the correct answer is no.”

  “Can you tell me exactly where the diamond is right now?”

  “You know that I can’t. It might change history. I cannot do that.”

  “Okay, where was it yesterday?”

  “It was at the MGM hotel on the Las Vegas strip.”

  “What was it doing there?”

  “I do not read minds Colt. I just see things from the past.”

  Changing tack Banyon asked Wolf another question. “Does Agent Gamble know that I can talk to you?”

  “That I do not know, but he has witnessed you and me talking on video feeds from your house and has probably put two and two together. I suspect he knows about us.” He did say that my house was bugged, thought Banyon. Who else knows?

  “Should I trust him?”

  “I see no reason not to. I have been checking up on him. His history is filled with good deeds and he has solved many crimes for the FBI.”

  Switching back to the Black Diamond, Banyon asked “Is the history of the Black Diamond as amazing as I have read about in the diary? I mean is it true?”

  “Yes.”

  “How does it work?”

  “It draws energy from anything around it, even air, but metal is the prime conductor. It has to be in some ones hand. If any metal gets to within six feet of the diamond, its energy is absorbed and it turns to dust. It then passes the energy to anyone that touches it, especially if held in the left hand. If you hold it too long, it absorbs your energy as well.”

  Banyon changed subjects again. “I have some questions about Loni? Can you research her background?” Banyon was very concerned about his sexy partner. She seemed to be able to do things that no one else he knew could do. Was she over organized or was there another force at work?

  “I will do as you ask.”

  Banyon and his spirit mentor continued to talk for twenty minutes more, but stopped when Loni, back from her shopping spree, came charging into the family room. Loni did everything fast. She stopped and stood there tapping her foot with impatience. Banyon nodded that it was okay to for her to talk. His conversation with Wolf was over.

  “Colt, I have a bad feeling about this case,” she whined.

  “No kidding,” replied Banyon.

  “I’m serious,” she exclaimed as she pounded her little fists together.

  “I know you are. As best as I can figure, Wolf told me about the Black Diamond in a dream, and now Agent Gamble gives us the actual diary in my dream. I believe that Agent Gamble wants us to recover the Black Diamond for him. The problem is it is already in the hands of a government employee and that means it’s in the government’s hands, but not the FBI.”

  “Do you think that Agent Gamble is corrupt?” Loni was always looking for a conspiracy.

  “Wolf says no. But, why does he want it then and why not use proper channels?”

  “So, who could hide it from the FBI?” Loni had been an FBI agent when they had met. She believed in the FBI.

  Banyon thought for a second. “I’m pretty sure it is someone from Homeland Security. This could be a big problem for us, you know.”

  “Working against the federal government would be considered treason. Gamble wants us to participate in a conspiracy,” Loni ranted. “We could wind up in jail or worse.”

  Banyon also remembered that Homeland Security had been the agency that had confiscated the prize from their last adventure.

  “I know.”

  “They don’t like us,” Loni noted.

  “I am aware of that too. I don’t think that Homeland Security is all bad, but it appears that the real conspiracy is a few government employees. One of them has stolen the Black Diamond. We need to get it back before something very bad happens.”

  “I wonder what the plan is for the diamond this time?” Loni said as she slid into his lap for comfort.

  “But there may be a bigger problem to deal with,” Banyon said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I think that Agent Gamble knows that I can talk to a spirit.”

  Chapter Five

  Mexico is a fascinating country. It is desert to the north, jungle to the south, and has some of the best beaches in the Americas lining its long coasts. However, the country is not overly endowed with natural resources and much of the land is not farmable. It is one of two countries bordering the United States and is extremely poor. Most of all, it is corrupt. The native people were corrupted by the Spanish centuries ago. The Spanish brought them religion — Catholicism — but also brought the country major diseases, European style war and one more thing, greed. These things have kept the ever growing population tied to the sparse land.

  Several decades ago, it looked like Mexico was going to become a center for manufacturing of American goods. But, the Chinese promised cheaper goods and the continuous corruption killed the desire for Americans to manufacturer there. The country has become good at only too things; being the stepping stone for people to illegally pass into the United States, and along with that, the center of many drug cartels that bring drugs over the same routes the illegal aliens traveled to enter the United States. The cartels rule by fear and are ruthless in their dealings with anyone that gets in their way. It is a tough place to live. Killing of other cartel members and any civilians in the way was increasing at an alarming pace. Border towns just across from the United States had become the new wild west.

  ***

  The Oritz family was just sitting down for breakfast on their farm a little south of Ensenada, Mexico. As usual they were up early and had already tended to their animals. Now it was time for their traditional breakfast.

  There were two very pretty daughters in shorts and loose tops in the house. They were aged fifteen and sixteen. They set the long table as the mother made the family a hardy meal. The father and the three boys, ages twelve to fourteen, came inside and washed up. They then sat around the big table. As was their tradition, the seven of them held hands as the father gave a blessing. The family was deeply religious and followed the Catholic faith.

  They had much to be thankful for. Their above average-sized family farm produced a wide variety of vegetables and the butchers paid top pesos for their meat. The farm was doing well and it looked like a good harvest this year again. Juan the father was looking at his children. He was seriously considering sending at least one of his boys to school. He felt he could afford to let one get an education, it would be better for the farm. One of his boys would be the first to finish high school in the Ortiz family. He considered an education for his young daughters, but decided they would need to get married to get out of the house.

  Suddenly they all hear a noise. The eldest daughter bolted from her chair and to the front window to see what was going on. She saw two black Ford Explorers heading down the dirt entrance road to their farmhouse.

  “The cartel,” she screamed at the top of her lungs. No one in their part of Mexico could afford fancy trucks like the Explorer except a drug cartel. They all reacted.

  The mother immediately started praying, the daughters grabbed each other and cowered in a corner. The father and boys ran to grab their rifles. They knew that it was probably futile, but they meant to attempt
to defend the family. If a Cartel came to visit, people died.

  As Juan and his three boys stood on the porch with their rifles cocked, he wondered what he had done to offend the drug dealers. No one from his family had left the farm for many weeks. Only he had gone to town to sell some vegetables to the farm stands and he knew he had not offended anyone on that trip. He searched his brain for any reason the Cartel was coming to call. Visions of horror flashed through his brain. These were not gentle men, nor were they professional killers who would put a bullet in your head and walk away. The Cartel men were sadistic brutes. Juan realized that any of his family lucky enough to be alive after the shooting stopped would be tortured and beaten then trussed up for the real show. His daughters would face unimaginable horrors, maybe his wife too. Cartel men were known to defile, torture, and completely humiliate women in front of their family. It was the Cartel way to earn respect. The men of the family were forced to watch until the Cartel men were through with the women; then everyone died.

  The two trucks skidded to a stop one behind the other. They were broadside to the front porch about ten feet from the front steps. Juan and his sons took careful aim and prepared to fire when the doors opened. They all knew that it meant certain death, but they prepared if to fire anyway. The Cartel used powerful automatic weapons that would kill Juan and his sons quickly, but the farmers saw no alternative.

  The driver’s side door of the first truck opened slowly and Juan spied two arms sticking up in surrender. None of the other doors opened It has to be a trick, he thought, but the driver got out with his hands held high in the air, he was also unarmed and turned towards the porch.

  “Ola,” the tall and handsome man spoke.

  “Leave this place,” Juan growled.

  “My friend, we need to talk.”

  “What does the Cartel want with me?” Juan was not easily fooled by slick people and this guy was one of those.

  The man dropped his arms and opened them in friendship. “Drop your weapons, Juan. If I wanted you dead, you would already be cut to ribbons. We are just going to talk inside, out of the hot sun.” He walked up onto the porch and right past the Ortiz men. He opened the front door and went inside.

  “You boys stay here and watch,” Juan ordered his sons. “I’ll go inside and find out what this snake wants.” All three boys nodded in agreement despite being scared out of their wits. “Point your guns down. We do not want anyone to be hurt,” he said softly as he left.

  When Juan returned to the inside he found the dark man relaxing on the couch in their small living room. Juan shooed his girls to their rooms and told his wife to go as well. He then sat on a chair across from the well-dressed man.

  “You may address me as Felix,” the man all but ordered. “We should get to know each other more, Juan.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because we will be doing business together, that is why,” Felix stated bluntly.

  “What kind of business?” Juan suspiciously asked.

  “People business,” Felix calmly replied.

  “I want no dealings with the Cartel,” Juan growled as he slashed with his arm, meaning that his decision was final.

  “I’m afraid that you have no choice,” Felix countered. “You have a nice looking family Juan. Don’t make me hurt them, especially those pretty little virgin daughters,” Felix threatened as he looked at his nails.

  “You wouldn’t,” Juan screamed as he came out of his chair attempting to choke Felix. Felix was prepared. He pushed the small coffee table with his leg and it crashed into Juan bruising his knees and sending him back into his chair. He screamed in pain and grabbed his shins.

  “Now, sit down and shut up, if you value the lives of everyone in your family. Oh and by the way, I know where your sister lives. She lives with your mother, doesn’t she? Do we understand each other?” Felix said this with a finger pointed in the air.

  Juan realized that he was a trapped rat. The only possible way out of this mess was to hear what Felix wanted. “Si.” He knew that the drug Cartels routinely murdered whole families to make a point.

  “Alright now we are getting somewhere.”

  “What is it you require of me,” he said as he hung his head in resignation. He knew that no matter what, something bad was going to happen.

  “I want to rent your boys,” Felix held out his arms. “It is not so bad, my friend. It will only be for a few days.”

  “I do not understand?”

  “We have need of the services of three young boys from a good Catholic family for a… eh…special project.”

  “What special project?” Juan asked as he narrowed his eyes. The Cartel didn’t do special projects for anyone except themselves and it usually included violence.

  “They will actually help the Latino cause in America. This is true, I swear on my mother’s grave,” Felix made the signs of the cross to emphasize his point even though he had no idea who his mother was or if she was dead or alive.

  “You would send them to America?”

  “Yes, that is the plan.”

  “None of them even speak any English.”

  “They will be well chaperoned. There will be no need for them to speak English, only to follow a few simple orders.”

  “Why do you want to use my boys?” a suspicious Juan inquired.

  “This project is not for the Cartel. It is to help a friend in America. We can’t use anyone connected to the Cartel.”

  “What is it that they must do?”

  “They must be themselves,” Felix said expansively and opened his arms. “They would show people in America what a real Mexican man is like.” Felix studied Juan’s face and then threw out the clincher. “We will also pay you handsomely for your help.”

  Suddenly interested Juan asked, “How much will you pay?”

  “You will never have to worry about a mortgage on your farm again,” Felix replied with open arms. “I guarantee it.”

  Realizing that maybe he could send all three of his sons to school if he had no mortgage, Juan asked Felix a question. “How long will they be gone?”

  “They should be back here at the farm within a week,” Felix lied.

  “They do not like the Cartel,” Juan reasoned shaking his head. “They may cause you some trouble, they are very strong-headed.” Juan was now negotiating. Haggling like he did when he sold his vegetables. He was good at it.

  Felix wasn’t worried about their will. He would have them drugged minutes after they left the farm. “I see,” replied the Cartel man displaying many white teeth. Felix realized that Juan would help him.

  “They may not listen to you,” Juan continued.

  “But, if you tell them to help us they will. I know that you are a strong and fair father. You have raised them well,” Felix said as he attempted to motivate Juan. Felix needed the boys to go voluntarily and Juan was the key.

  Juan agreed. “They are good boys.” He said as he warmed to the idea and shook his head positively.

  “That is why they are perfect for our project.”

  “Will they be together on this project? They have never been apart.”

  “Like glue,” Felix promised.

  Trying to be light-hearted, Juan said, “Well, there is no reason why my sons should not get some of life’s experiences. This may be a wonderful adventure for them and you promise that they will not be exposed to any of your drug wars, right?”

  “No drug wars for them,” Felix pledged from the edge of his seat. “And your mortgage will be terminated as of today.”

  Juan scratched his scraggily beard. He was buying for time as he thought things through. His choices were to die right here and now or possibly come out of this experience a very success farmer. But he didn’t want Felix to think he was too anxious and willing. He also knew handling his boys would be easy. He knew that his boys would to this for the family. He really didn’t need to order them, but Felix didn’t know that.

  “I have always t
reated my boys like men. I will call them here and let them decide our fate,” he spoke with Latino machismo.

  Juan quickly left the room and returned with his three sons. They stood in a row across from Felix.

  “Boys we need you to come with us for a very important project. You will be gone a week,” Felix casually said.

  “Where will we be going?” the youngest asked. He had never been anywhere but to the small town to deliver vegetables.

  “You and your brothers will be visiting America. It is the land of opportunity they say and you will have the chance to help your family.”

  “But, who will help father with the farm?” the oldest asked.

  Juan jumped in, “Your mother and sisters will help. Boys, understand that this will help us financially and maybe you all could go to school.”

  “Really?” the youngest said.

  “So you will do it?”

  “If it helps the family, we are obligated to help. We will go with these men,” the oldest declared as he pushed out his chest.

  ***

  Felix was asked to eat breakfast with the family as an honored guest. He sat at the head of the table in Juan’s seat. Felix explained expansively that the boys would be in no danger and were in for a great adventure. After they finished breakfast, the boys packed small bags with the minimum clothes for a week. The mother and sisters gave them big hugs and the boys proudly piled into the first explorer, just as Felix told them to do.

  Felix stopped by the second vehicle and the driver lowered his window. He told the driver of the second vehicle to stay at the farm.

  “Don’t harm them until you get my call,” he told the three men inside as he pointed with his finger at the men to make sure they understood. “Keep anyone away from visiting the family,” he added.

  “How long will we be here?” the driver asked.

  “This will be done in less than a week,” Felix replied.

  “Why don’t we just kill them today?” the driver asked.

  “The boss wants them alive until this is over in case the boys need convincing. Follow your orders. Besides he has two young virgin daughters to keep you company.” Felix knew that his men would be more than happy to hold the family prisoner until they got the phone call.