“What do you mean ‘gone’? They’re working in Florida or Texas?”
“They were.”
“And now?”
“Now they’re gone. For good.”
I should check on him.
Gurnov’s go-phone vibrated. He looked at its small screen. It showed a text message from Julio:
215-555-3582
MULE AT BAG CLAIM
Finally! Good news!
Gurnov, waiting for an update, went back to watching the activity at the Sanctuary.
Ten minutes later, Gurnov’s primary cell phone rang.
He looked at it and answered in Russian: “Everything okay, Nick?”
“I’ve been thinking. I need you to handle the product.”
Product?
“Okay. What is going on?”
Gurnov’s go-phone vibrated. He read Julio’s update:
215-555-3582
MULE JUST LOST LOAD
Gurnov blurted, “Shit!”
“What happened?” Nick said, still in Russian.
“Nothing. Just realized I lost something.”
He texted back:
LOST??? HOW WAS IT LOST?? ARE YOU SURE?
It was a moment before Nick said, “Jorge Perez is up to something.”
“What do you mean?”
“I keep replaying what was said during the call this morning.”
Me, too, Nick.
“And what, Nick?”
“He’s up to something. I smell it. If I caught him smuggling those Cubans, who knows what else he is up to. That could have blown everything, the girls and the coke.”
“No argument.”