“Solandro?” Chad asked.
“Could very well be him. That’s why I’m worried about Nate. All we have is a name, yet no one can give us a face, a description, or anything concrete on him. It’s like he really doesn’t exist.”
Chad thought about that a moment.
“You know on my last two assignments I was in Panama.”
“Bro, you’re not supposed to give out information like that.”
“Michael, you’re my fucking brother. If I can’t trust you, then I’ve got no one, nothing. Just fucking listen to me, will ya? I was in…South America.” Chad began to say then paused and looked at his brother waiting for his acceptance at the less exact location.
“Go on, wiseass.”
Chad chuckled. “I remember the way I felt about the business dealings and watching the leaders and their men prepare for something. At first I thought it was some sort of celebration. You know those guys like to party, but this was different. Someone of importance was coming, and it was scheduled for during the night. Since it had nothing to do with my mission or why I was there, I didn’t return to watch. The same thing occurred while I was in the last place, near the first place. This has been building and building for over a year. Whoever that guest was, they very well could be the new power player in South America.”
“It makes sense, Chad. The missions I went on went a little deeper into the field if you know what I mean. My informants say that Santos wants greater power and dealings in the United States. They claim he needs pull, power, and connections. I think that is why Nate was called into the field. He’s been dealing with things in New York and around Dallas. Mason has been doing a bunch of operations with a group of men in LA and Chicago. I have a feeling it may all be connected to Santos and this guy Solandro.”
“I guess we need to decide if we go to the commanders with this guess of ours or we sit tight and wait for more concrete evidence.”
“I just don’t want that concrete evidence to be a captive or dead US soldier.”
Chapter 3
Alexa stared at herself in the mirror in her bedroom. The room was beautiful and it was all hers. She didn’t have to share with Sally or anyone else. That gave her privacy and alone time she looked forward to and embraced. However, times like these, when the wind was blowing outside and the threat of a passing thunderstorm in the night slowly approached, she felt the trepidation deep within her. No subconscious pep talk would help her get through it. She shivered now, just thinking about the fear that would overtake her later in the night. Sally’s words today at Stella’s Boutique stuck with her. So, Sally was putting on a front of confidence and happiness when really she was scared and on guard?
Why can’t I be like that? Alexa wondered as she ran the brush through her wavy, long dirty-blonde hair. With the fall and winter months coming, her hair would get darker. Not quite brown, but not that sun-kissed, summer look she always had. She put down the brush and lifted her hair slightly off her shoulders, turning side to side slowly as she wondered what she might look like with a new hairstyle.
Back in Georgia, she had Sally help her cut it to shoulder length, hoping she would appear less appealing to the workers and her uncles. It also stopped them from grabbing a handful of her long locks before shoving her into a wall or down a flight of stairs.
She squeezed her eyes tight and released her hair. Shaking her head she tried to think of better things. She had learned a lot about the drug dealing business. Not that she wanted to go that route, but there were certain aspects to take from what she observed.
The uncles were ruthless and always knew their men’s and their business associates’ weaknesses. Everyone had one and some had more.
Like Conseco’s fear of snakes. When the uncles found out that Conseco, a drug dealer and operator from the Dominican Republic, was double-crossing them by asking dealers for a higher percentage of interest on loans that the uncles were supplying in both drugs and money, he suffered the consequences of ripping them off. Conseco had a fear of snakes. When his men found him, he was covered with hundreds of poisonous rattlesnakes and the uncles’ message was clear.
She walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Glancing around the room, she saw how bare it was. No pictures, no items that meant anything to her. Her past ruled her life even now when she was safe.
She thought about Dixie Chix and the other women. They were all so strong and confident. They were also her family and she wanted to start making better memories.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to buy a camera.
With thoughts of taking photographs of the town, her family, and Dixie Chix, Alexa began planning some positive activities and hoped that this would lead her to a more confident and happier life.
* * * *
“Where are you headed off to?” Sally asked Alexa as she pulled on a sweater and grabbed the keys to her beat up Mazda.
“I’m taking some of your advice and I’m going to start living my life with a bit less fear and a more positive outlook on the future.”
“Oh really, and how are you doing that?” Sally asked just as Juliet entered the kitchen.
“What are you all dolled up for?” Juliet asked with a half smile before she yawned.
“I am going to Bart’s Surplus Store. I have been eyeing some cameras there for a while and I’ve been saving up.”
“Why not just drive into Cellar County and hit the RadioShack or Walmart?” Juliet asked.
“Oh, no I wouldn’t want to take the chance with Mel. He might go and quit on me.” She didn’t really like her Mazda, which she called Mel. She just couldn’t go and buy a new car off a lot because she didn’t have a line of credit and she didn’t want to spend all her cash outright and buy a new car.