Chapter 27: Past and Present Collide
A/N: Check the Postscript for terminology. There’s not much.
Hector’s POV–(All Conversations in Spanish)
There’s a reason I left the Kings. I was sick of the bullshit. I was sick of looking over my shoulder, hoping I didn’t get caught by feds or stray bullets. I believed in the ideals the gang was originally founded on, of protection, self-determination, and pride in culture, but I was never a drug pusher, pimp, or murderer. I’m Catholic —lapsed, but still, I have limits.
It wasn’t until I met Ranger that I realized that you could leave and still have a life. I realized that if I intended to live past 30, I needed to get out while the getting was good. I am a premier-level hacker, and I didn’t need the Kings to do that.
I got out and I’ve never regretted it. I’ve never looked back. If anything, my determination to stay alive has given me an even more fearsome reputation than the one I had while in the gang.
So when Ranger detailed his current mission, I had no problems agreeing to help. Because of my hacking, I maintain contacts up and down the East Coast. I know someone everywhere. This was merely payback for all the years of support and belief in me. For moving my Mom and sisters out of harm’s way when I told him I was getting out. For giving me a job and a way to take care of them that restored their pride in me. Ranger is my true brother, and I will go to bat for him. I will take bullets.
Follow up on intel? No problem.
I got a message Saturday, encrypted. My first assignment. Attempt to come with power. A-town. Boys ghosted to NC and checked in. ASAP.
OK. This is simple and great timing. I called Danny, explained that I would need a car to go follow through for Ranger. I had everything else.
Danny promised that everything would be ready for my arrival. If I needed something he forgot, just say the word.
The Explorer is dark green, like the one in Trenton, 10 years old and looks decrepit if you aren’t looking closely. If you know what to look for you see the armor cladding, the non-shred tires, and the bulletproof glass. There’s plenty of firepower under the seats. Danny came through. He asked no questions. The keys were in the apartment when I arrived, and there was a note.
The only tracking for this vehicle has been switched to my phone.
Danny did not fail. He’s long been the only XO I like and one of the biggest reasons I pressured Ranger to move the servers to Atlanta. He’s proving himself now.
This is the first time in a long time I’ve been this suited up. Three guns, five knives (I prefer knives), Kevlar and personal tracking devices. The gloves and hat are in my pockets. I’m not taking chances. Angelita is stubborn and still needs protection of her own. She might be asleep right now, but tomorrow is always another day.
It’s after 0200 and the trip to Doraville is quiet. I know who I’m looking for and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve needed to deliver some payback for a while. I finally pull up outside a house three blocks away from the target and walk around quietly, surveying the neighborhood. It’s amazing what you can find in public records. Mauricio thinks no one knows about this house. His mistake. I’ve buried every RangeMan’s paper trail so deep you can never find any of us. I’m amused every time the girls at the Bonds Office try to find Ranger.
I check for alarm systems and find one, linked to a competitor. No problem; 15 minutes later, he’s defenseless and his alarm company is no wiser. No other protections on this house. Sitting duck.
I open the windows and climb inside. I tiptoe down the hallways and survey the house. Inside one bedroom I find piles of money, already counted, clipped, and in duffle bags. I grin. Mine now, and I don’t have to deliver the payback personally. I carry the duffles back to the window and leave them there. I’ll pick them up on the way out.
Further exploration of the house finds the target passed out on the couch in a family room. Good. Don’t have to move him away from innocents. I don’t find anyone else in the entire house. I quickly survey Mauricio. No phones, no weapons in sight. I check underneath sofas, find two assault rifles and move them well out of the way. No knives. One .22 on his ankle; I remove it from the holster. That causes him to shift slightly, but I don’t stop. I’m not taking bullets tonight.
Finally, I’m ready. I flip him off the couch, put my knee in his back, and handcuff him. He’s trussed up before he’s even awake.
“What the fuck! Look, I don’t know who the fuck you are but you ain’t gon like how this shit goes down—”
Blah blah blah.
“Hello Mauricio. Long time, no see.” I love the sound of silence. Now he knows who has him, and I’m sure he’s trying to figure out which offense I’m going to get him over. Easy; this shit’s business, but the offense is very personal.
“Hector, man, shit, you, you . . . Imma catch up, I promise, man, I just, I mean . . . “
He’s in tears. No one has ever lived through an encounter with me, but he will. I’m already earmarked for some time in Hell; I won’t add his body to my count. Besides, I’ve got the duffel bags.
“I will allow you to live if you give me the information I need. I don’t need you dead, but it won’t make a difference to me. Understand?”
He nods rapidly. I want to laugh at him but I can’t.
“Who ghosted?”
Silence. He doesn’t want to rat to me since I divorced, but his life is on the line. Quick tap upside his head reminds him of his precarious position.
“Reynaldo, man, that shit took everyone by surprise. We didn’t even see it coming,” he babbles.
What the hell? Since when do Incas sell out? See, that’s why I’m out. “Who was he working with?”
“Man I don’t know, I don’t—”
I cock the gun next to his temple. “Don’t play with me. I saw your digital footprint all over that intrusion.”
All of a sudden his memory has improved. “Mason. A feeb named Mason. His partner is Jackson. They’re in North Carolina, Charlotte or a suburb. A squad’s been dispatched.”
“Who’s the blow man?”
“I dunno, and that’s no lie, Hector. We left that on the NC boys. We got enough trouble trying to cover our tracks and clean up before the feds are on our ass.”
Too late, bro. They’ll be on everyone else in four hours and your non-arrest is going to look suspicious as hell. “Who was Rey working with?”
“Treces. Treces and Pedro.” Fuck. An Inca and a don? Shit just ain’t the same.
“I know that. Which Treces?”
“We never met ’em. You’ll need to get his phone records. I couldn’t manage it. Verizon is a bitch to hack.”
That’s true, but it can be done. Thanks for the clue, Mauricio. “How are you involved?”
“I was supposed to hold the cash. Keep everything ready for the ghost, only that fucker ghosted and told no one. Pedro was just found tits up in Morrow yesterday. I’m moving in the morning. Hector, man, please, please don’t. I wanna live. Please.” He’s crying hard now.
See, this is why I’d never trust Mauricio with my life. Jesús, what an idiot. This fucker was set up and doesn’t even realize it. He can’t even lie well. He said he was surprised by Rey’s defection, but he was a part of it. I put the gun away and flip him over. Now that he can see me, I pull the knives.
He pisses himself.
“You realize that you’re very behind, right? That shit’s not cool. I told you when you got involved to never fuck up. You did.”
“Man, Hector, I promise I’ll catch up. I just gotta stay alive. I know I’m not right, that I haven’t been right, that I need to make things right with her—”
“You’ve been fucking up for 2½ years. You want me to believe you now? You made these promises before. I promised you when you saw me you wouldn’t like it. Now I’m guaranteeing it, but I’m a man of my word. I don’t need you dead, and when I walk out the door you’ll still be alive. For how long is not my concern.”
I punch him in the chin like Ranger taught me, enough to make him pass out, but not enough to kill. I take my knife and carve a reminder of my visit in his skin. I’m done and he’ll never forget again. I got what Ranger needed and delivered some personal payback. Life is good.
I remove all bindings, shove the assault rifles back into place, and basically put the house back to rights. I pick up the duffle bags and exit. I shove the duffle bags into the Explorer and reset the house’s security system. No hint I was ever there.
I drive to Stone Mountain, where my cousin Nikki lives with her son, Hector Manuel. I’m close to and very proud of my little namesake, and I make sure to call at least once a week. He is my son and I love him. Nikki has the funds for anything she might need and for her and Hector Manuel to come visit me at least four times a year. When she got pregnant, I warned her that fucking with Reyes meant she’d always have a connection.
This is one of those things I regret most from being in the gang. If not for me, she might never have gone near Mauricio. I warned Mauricio that his child support should never be late, especially after she named the boy after me.
Until now, he’s been a huge disappointment to both me and Nikki. I think carving ‘Pay your fucking child support’ in his chest will encourage him not to disappoint further.
I pull up outside her apartment and knock on the door. Nikki answers, looking angry and irritated until she sees me. Then she’s happy, throwing herself into my arms. I hug her close and walk her back inside.
I move to look at my little boy. Everything I have will go to him, and I’m stocking away a substantial nest egg. It’s not as if I’ll ever have kids. He’s beautiful, everything I ever wanted to have myself. I can’t believe he’s almost three! Time for me to start making trips to Georgia. Perhaps I should consider moving here? My men are based here, and now that I don’t have the threat of prison over my head, I can breathe easy. These thoughts consume my mind as I return to the living room.
“Hector, not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but really, four AM? Man,” Nikki shakes her head and smiles, “I gotta be at work at 8.”
“I know. I apologize. I needed to see you. I dropped in on Mauricio. Your back child support is coming soon, but some major shit’s about to go down so he’s gotta flee. I’ll be by with the check before I leave Atlanta.”
She blinks then starts to cry. “Cousin, thank you. I’m past due on everything. That’ll help.”
Now I’m angry at her. “There’s no need for that, Nikki. You should have told me or pulled more money from the account. I don’t want Hector Manuel to go without.”
Nikki pulls herself up to her full height and glares at me. Ooh. I’ve angered the Momma. “I understand that Hector, but he’s still my child. It’s my responsibility to meet his needs. Mine and Mauricio’s. I can’t beg you for help all the time. You already do so much for both of us. I don’t ever want—”
At this, I pull Nikki into my arms and hug her. “I know, cousin, I know. You know he’s my heir, he will get everything I have. I just want him to have everything he needs now.” I grin. “Like a house. A yard with green grass and other children in the neighborhood to play with. The best school district. A fútbol team to play on.”
I’m poking and tickling her now. This is a long standing disagreement between us. I’m ready to provide it now, to give Hector Manuel the best of everything. Nikki has her pride; she’s not moving until she can afford it. I respect that. I’m just impatient. Hector Manuel should not be forced to go without for any reason when his uncle will see to all his needs.
“And now that Mauricio has seen fit to provide for his son it should ease your burdens,” I add, leaving her to hiccup through her laughs.
The mention of her spineless ex-boyfriend sobers her. “Hector, don’t lie to me. Is Mauricio still alive?” She looks scared.
“He is, for the moment, but you need to watch your back. He’s the bag man and the others are either dead or ghost. They’ll be looking for him, and they’ll come to you. That’s why I’m holding off on getting you the check. If they check your apartment or accounts I don’t want you looking suspicious.”
“So you already have the money?” she asks.
“Downstairs in the truck. I have no idea how much. Gotta count it and get it deposited, but you’ll get it. Tap the account I gave you to pay your bills and I’ll get you his money before I leave. I’ll put word out that you should be left alone. Until I’m sure that you will be left alone, make sure you have your trackers with you at all times. Make sure Hector Manuel wears his bracelet.”
She relaxes and nods. Nikki knows that my reputation will prevent most harm from coming to her.
“Anyway, I don’t want to keep you up all night. Just want to know if I can drop in while I’m here to see him, play with him, maybe take you two out to dinner? I’ll be here for two weeks so perhaps I could babysit him this weekend?”
Nikki looks as if I’ve handed her the world. “Hell yeah, you can have him anytime you want. I need a break and I have exams to study for. Wanna take him now? I hate leaving him in that daycare, and if something major’s going down he’s safest with you.”
I’ll investigate his daycare later in the morning. Right now, I can’t pack duffle bags fast enough. A server room is not the best place for a little boy so I’ll need to modify my plans and stay in the control room.
I don’t care. I get my heir for the day, maybe longer. I’ll do whatever’s necessary. I plant another tracking device on Nikki’s car and inside her purse, take Hector Manuel and return to RangeMan Atlanta.
A/N: Conversations in English, Spanish where indicated.
Tiny fingers are poking my eyelids. I open them to find my precious boy in my face, grinning.
“Tío! Tío, levántate. ¿Puedo ver la televisión?” (Uncle! Uncle, wake up. Can I watch TV?) Nikki said he was advanced for almost three. I need to check that his daycare is the best.
I do a quick diaper check and change (Dry. That’s my big man!) and sit him in front of the TV while I make a quick breakfast. Ranger sent a message that he got my info and will let me know if he needs anything else. I also sent the info to Manny, who is following up on a different angle. 0800 sees us in the server room, shocked faces all around.
“Este es mi sobrino. Su nombre es Hector Manuel y él estará en la oficina y fuera de mí. Usted tiene algún problema con él, ven a buscarme. Tiene casi tres años y es un niño muy bueno.” (This is my nephew. His name is Hector Manuel and he will be in and out the office with me. You have any problems with him, come find me. He’s nearly three and is a very good boy.)
Every man nods and we set out to accomplish the day’s goal. By noon we are ahead of schedule. Hector Manuel has been content to watch his cartoons, eat his snacks, and take his nap, but at noon he gets antsy. He’s not the only one. Time to check on Angelita.
We go to 5 and head to the CO’s office. Hector Manuel slips from my grasp and runs directly at the target. Angelita is surprised to find a little boy climbing into her lap.
“Er . . . hello? Who are you?” she says, confused.
“Hi! I’m Hector. Who are you? You’re pretty,” Hector Manuel replies, reaching for a pen. I hide a laugh and pretend I don’t understand this conversation. Ram quickly translates for me, looking as confused as everyone else.
“I’m Stephanie. Is Hector your . . . ” Angelita trails off. It’s clear I’m not his father. My orientation prevents that, and Hector Manuel is a ringer for Mauricio.
“Tío Hector?” Hector Manuel points to me. “Tío Hector is my tío.” This causes everyone nearby to laugh. Ram translates for Angelita and turns to me.
“Er, Tío Héctor, ¿quieres decirnos qué pasa aquí? ¿Quién es este hombre poco atractivo?” (Er, Uncle Hector, wanna tell us what’s up here? Who’s this handsome little man?) Ram asks, pulling Hector Manuel into his lap and pushing a piece of paper in front of him.
Ah. I need to buy some coloring books and crayons. He repeats the question in English for Steph.
I smile. “Este es mi corazón, mi sobrino Héctor Manuel. Él vive en Atlanta y llego al verlo por primera vez. Haciendo un poco de de niñera, si el CO no le importa. Los dos estamos inquietos por algo de comer. ¿Cuál es el plan?” (This is my heart, my nephew Hector Manuel. He lives here in Atlanta, and I get to see him for once. Doing a little babysitting, if the CO doesn’t mind. We’re both antsy for some lunch. What’s the plan?)
Ella would be proud. She thought Angelita needed to spend some time around well-behaved children who would not scare her. Moreover, it would be nice for her to see a man involved with a child, to give her an idea of how Ranger might act with a child. Problem was neither of us knew any children in Trenton close to Angelita that she would not have already met. Hector Manuel is fulfilling a lot of goals right now.
This is a brilliant move. I can see that the idea has been planted. Angelita has not taken her eyes off Hector Manuel yet. I hadn’t thought about the fact that Hector Manuel looks like what a child between her and Ranger might look like. He’s perfect, a gorgeous café con leche color with light brown eyes and curly black hair. He’s coloring the piece of paper and chatting with her. It’s child Spanglish, hard for even me to understand unless I’m entirely focused on him, so I’m letting it wash over me. What I’m picking up is he’s hungry, he loves his uncle, he loves his mommy, he thinks Angelita’s pretty, he wants a dog, etc. Basic three year old thoughts.
Danny and Chase are debating restaurants. This time they have to choose something healthy because they’ll make their first satellite office visit after lunch, so the trackers will be on. Finally, the restaurant is decided. We take two separate cars because I need a child seat.
Angelita is in my car and I’ve disabled audio monitoring.
“I didn’t know you had any relatives around here, Hector. Have you made plans to go see them?”
“Nikki is the only person I want to see and I saw her early this morning. We’re playing the plans by ear. I want to give her some time to rest and study for her exams without Hector Manuel, and I want some alone time to play with him.”
“What’s she studying?”
I grin. “Computer Information Systems at Georgia State. Very highly ranked program and I want her to be a manager, not a programmer. I taught her to program years ago. I want her to keep going and get her MBA while she’s in an academic mindset, but she’s pushing back on that. She wants to get out into the workplace and earn money for her and my son.”
Angelita is looking in the back of the car at Hector Manuel. Nice to see car trips still put him to sleep. He’s looking very drowsy right now.
“I never imagined you to be close to any children, Tío Hector,” she grins. “He’s a handsome little boy. Every child I’ve seen at that age is a screamer.”
I smile. “He’s in that sweet zone right now. Almost out of the terrible twos, old enough to walk, talk, and express his needs. That’s why I’m so happy to spend some time with him over the next two weeks. Nikki is hoping time with me, around a man, will finish off his potty training. I have no idea how to do that, so I need to look it up.” I’m slipping the occasional Spanish word into the conversation to see if she can still follow.
Angelita grimaces. “More miss than hit, I know that.”
Good. It’s becoming natural to hear Spanish. I smile. “Nikki’s got him in the trainers and she says that he knows when he needs to go and is pretty good about telling you he has to go potty. Just trying to reinforce it now and prevent accidents. I’ve been letting him watch me go so he gets the idea.”
Angelita laughs. “You’re really involved. It’s sweet.”
“Well, he’s it for me. I was there when he took his first breath. He’ll always be my little man.”
Lunch is good. I’m surprised to see Angelita take point with Hector Manuel, cutting up his chicken fingers and wiping his mouth. He has very good table manners. She and Ram seem captivated by him, which makes me very proud. Danny pulls out pictures of his boys and we admire them. He has two boys, six and eight. It’s a reminder of why we do the jobs we do.
It’s for the little boys and little girls we all love. That’s why we put ourselves in danger. So they don’t have to.
Steph’s POV
I’m nervous about this first satellite trip. I spent the morning with Danny, reviewing the estimations for his branch, and I now understand Chase’s slip. The reserves in Atlanta were in bad shape, mostly due to the bad capture rate. Atlanta wasn’t operating at the wire like Trenton, but having all those outstanding bonds was wreaking havoc on the budget.
I decided to hold another skip tracing workshop for their group. That’s what will help this branch the most.
Since they only have three big bonds outstanding, the budget is in much better shape and they’ve got everything straight again. Danny’s finance degree has really been helping him out in keeping this branch afloat, but I still think that Atlanta needs to be broken up. Charlotte is big enough for its own branch and I’m keeping notes on what I see.
Hector and Ram have their own instincts that I’m taking advantage of. So far, they report that everything they see appears to be above board. Danny doesn’t have the hyper-secretive nature of the other XOs. Ask him a question and he’ll answer, no attempt at a run around. Same with his men; they appear to be honest and hard-working and prepared to answer any questions they’re asked.
Ram reports that I’ll want to take a closer look at the Hospitality contracts, just to ensure that Atlanta can handle it. That’s Danny’s only issue; because he’s wanted into that arena for so long, he’s tempted to go after contracts that are bigger than he can really handle. It’s a symptom of the reserves issue; he wanted those big contracts to stabilize the havoc the outstanding bonds were playing with his budget. Part of my review will be for him to stick to contracts at $500,000 or less and let the reputation build before going after the big fish.
Today’s satellite office trips are west, towards Birmingham. Danny wants to show me these offices first because he’d like to drop them and redeploy those men east, towards Charlotte. They rarely have anyone run in this direction and don’t have many bonds in Birmingham. A quick look at everything else he has going on shows a really well run office, if big. Given how long it took us to get to the restaurant for lunch I now understand the need for satellite offices. They’re not optional; they’re completely mandatory.
Today’s surprise was little Hector Manuel. The Spanish lessons with Hector have been paying off. I understood bits of the Spanish conversations, even before Ram translated. I can barely understand Hector Manuel, but that’s because he mixes Spanish and English within his sentences naturally. I can see even Hector has trouble following him sometimes.
Hector Manuel is a beautiful little boy. The few times I’ve allowed myself to imagine what a child with Ranger might look like have been remarkably similar to what Hector Manuel actually looks like. I’m fascinated by him and found myself willing to help feed him during lunch.
Even now, I can’t help but look at him every so often. Hector isn’t watching me, per se, but I can see him looking at me out the side of his eyes and smiling. He’s very proud of his nephew. I know it’s surprising, but Hector Manuel is a very well behaved child. First one I’ve seen.
Even more surprising is Hector’s obvious love and devotion to him. He refers to and treats Hector Manuel as if he were his actual son. I can’t help but wonder if Carlos . . . nope, not going there.
Dangerous thoughts. Rings still make me nervous and the birth control held, thank God.
We reach Anniston, AL and climb out. I decide to ditch the wheelchair this time and pull the crutches. I’ll use them if I really need them. We walk in and Danny introduces everyone. The branch guys are polite and smiling and I’m just beginning my review when it happens.
Hector Manuel has had enough.
I watch as he completely breaks down and has a tantrum in the office. He’s crying, flailing his arms and legs. This is what I’m accustomed to, and I brace myself for at least 30 minutes of crying, pleading, begging and shouting by Hector to calm the child.
Hector is not rattled. He merely sits on the floor with him and rubs his back. Within five minutes, Hector Manuel is sitting up, hiccupping and sucking his thumb. Hector makes a call to someone and, at the end of the call, picks Hector Manuel up and rubs his back. The child is asleep in minutes.
“Lo siento. Me olvidé de la siesta. Por favor, continúe.” (Sorry. I forgot about nap time. Please continue.) Ram translates the sentence, but I’d gotten most of it. The word forgot is new.
I’m stunned. I’ve never seen that. Never. I’ve seen veteran mothers break down crying in grocery stores trying to stop a child tantrum. Hector did it in 10 minutes.
The branch review continues but I continue to watch Hector Manuel. He’s completely out. I turn to Ram, ask him to take my crutches and go grab the wheelchair from the SUV. He returns with the wheelchair and I sit and motion for Hector Manuel. I know Hector wanted to check some things and I don’t mind holding Hector Manuel. He’s sound asleep.
The men in this satellite office remark that it’s quiet most of the time. They have a few contracts for monitoring but otherwise, they spend their time playing Solitaire. They wouldn’t mind transferring back east. I turn to Danny.
“Any place around here for a quiet moment?”
“Sure Steph.” He wheels me into a quiet office, where I write some notes. I’ll sign off on Danny’s plan to move these men back east as soon as he picks up enough contracts to offset what we’ll lose dropping the monitoring contracts.
Hector Manuel shifts in my arms, and I’m completely captivated by him. Sweet, well-behaved, and beautiful. Hector returns but I motion that I’ll keep him to give him time to look around on his own. For some reason, I don’t mind holding this little boy. My clock isn’t ticking, but he’s the first child I’ve seen that hasn’t completely scared me.
Besides, I can always pass him right back to his uncle if he starts screaming.
Post Script
Ghost: to disappear, flee the area
Blow man: hit man
Treces: Spanish for 13, a reference to MS-13
Don: number two in the gang
Tits up: dead
Divorced: left the gang
Bag Man: Someone who transports goods or money between to people in a criminal activity
