will.”
“You couldn’t leave and call for backup?”
“Not in time to help her.”
“Shit,” Adam muttered, understanding the dilemma.
“The other guy was staring me down, spoiling for a fight. He’d warned me away from this girl before.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I was looking at her.”
“She’s pretty?”
“Very.”
“Go on.”
“I got this feeling that he didn’t like what was happening. But he couldn’t step up, either. So I just tackled him.”
“Jesus, Ian.”
“Yeah. He fought hard, obviously.”
“Was he armed?”
“He always carries a knife.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t shank you.”
Ian nodded. “The target came out to break it up, and the girl got away.”
“How did you get away?”
“I told him the other guy was taunting me. We both pretended like the fight had nothing to do with the girl. He bought it.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. But I’m a good customer, so maybe he cut me some slack.”
Adam leaned back in his chair, mulling the story over. “Okay, but why not report it? You took a gamble and it paid off. The girl is safe.”
“If I make a report, my judgment will be questioned. I’ll be taken out of the field for a psych eval and a physical exam. Maybe even reassigned.”
Adam glanced at Ian, wondering if that would be for the best. He didn’t say it, because he knew his friend hadworked hard to get close to these guys. Ian wouldn’t give up before he brought them down.
“There’s another complication,” Ian admitted.
“What?”
“The girl … I know her.”
Adam straightened in his chair. “You know her?”
“It’s Maria Santos. From El Caracol.”
“No way.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“You’re crazy,” he said, refusing to believe him. “Her face was bruised and battered when you found her.”
“The swelling went down after a few days. I recognized her.”
He searched Ian’s good eye, trying to assess his mental acuity. Undercover work had a way of messing with your mind, eating away at your soul. Adam knew that from experience. “Did she recognize you?”
“I doubt it.”
“This is why you stepped in, isn’t it? You’ve always been bugshit over that girl. You left CBP, quit Border Patrol—”
“I hated that job, Adam.”
“And you like this one? You enjoy living in a dump, looking like a bum?”
“Do you enjoy destroying people’s dreams? Keeping families apart?”
“Fuck you,” Adam said tiredly. “Fuck you if you think you’re doing something more honorable than I am.”
Ian went back to his bowl of soup, finishing it with swift, angry motions.
“If this girl from El Caracol remembers you, you’re done. She could blow your cover at any moment.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Ian said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“You can’t keep this a secret, Ian. You’re endangering yourself and the investigation.”
Drops of broth clung to his goatee, proving that his manners had become just as raw as his appearance. “Are you really going to lecture me on rules and procedures?” he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re the sneakiest bastard on CBP,” he said, rising to his feet. “And now you’re a fucking hypocrite, too.”
Adam stood and walked over to the fridge, annoyed. Ian was pissing him off, but he had a point. He grabbed a beer for himself and a soda for Ian, making a peace offering. “Kari’s store got vandalized last night.”
“Whose store?”
“Kari Strauss’s. She owns Zócalo, on E Street.”
Ian popped open the soda. “You’ve been watching her?”
Adam nodded. He might be a sneaky bastard and a hypocrite, but he couldn’t lie to his best friend.
“I’ve seen her before,” Ian admitted. “She’s nice-looking.”
Adam took a pull on his beer, thinking about her smooth, tanned legs. “Yes, she is.” He’d seen a glimpse of her panties today, purple with little
“You couldn’t leave and call for backup?”
“Not in time to help her.”
“Shit,” Adam muttered, understanding the dilemma.
“The other guy was staring me down, spoiling for a fight. He’d warned me away from this girl before.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I was looking at her.”
“She’s pretty?”
“Very.”
“Go on.”
“I got this feeling that he didn’t like what was happening. But he couldn’t step up, either. So I just tackled him.”
“Jesus, Ian.”
“Yeah. He fought hard, obviously.”
“Was he armed?”
“He always carries a knife.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t shank you.”
Ian nodded. “The target came out to break it up, and the girl got away.”
“How did you get away?”
“I told him the other guy was taunting me. We both pretended like the fight had nothing to do with the girl. He bought it.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. But I’m a good customer, so maybe he cut me some slack.”
Adam leaned back in his chair, mulling the story over. “Okay, but why not report it? You took a gamble and it paid off. The girl is safe.”
“If I make a report, my judgment will be questioned. I’ll be taken out of the field for a psych eval and a physical exam. Maybe even reassigned.”
Adam glanced at Ian, wondering if that would be for the best. He didn’t say it, because he knew his friend hadworked hard to get close to these guys. Ian wouldn’t give up before he brought them down.
“There’s another complication,” Ian admitted.
“What?”
“The girl … I know her.”
Adam straightened in his chair. “You know her?”
“It’s Maria Santos. From El Caracol.”
“No way.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“You’re crazy,” he said, refusing to believe him. “Her face was bruised and battered when you found her.”
“The swelling went down after a few days. I recognized her.”
He searched Ian’s good eye, trying to assess his mental acuity. Undercover work had a way of messing with your mind, eating away at your soul. Adam knew that from experience. “Did she recognize you?”
“I doubt it.”
“This is why you stepped in, isn’t it? You’ve always been bugshit over that girl. You left CBP, quit Border Patrol—”
“I hated that job, Adam.”
“And you like this one? You enjoy living in a dump, looking like a bum?”
“Do you enjoy destroying people’s dreams? Keeping families apart?”
“Fuck you,” Adam said tiredly. “Fuck you if you think you’re doing something more honorable than I am.”
Ian went back to his bowl of soup, finishing it with swift, angry motions.
“If this girl from El Caracol remembers you, you’re done. She could blow your cover at any moment.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Ian said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“You can’t keep this a secret, Ian. You’re endangering yourself and the investigation.”
Drops of broth clung to his goatee, proving that his manners had become just as raw as his appearance. “Are you really going to lecture me on rules and procedures?” he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re the sneakiest bastard on CBP,” he said, rising to his feet. “And now you’re a fucking hypocrite, too.”
Adam stood and walked over to the fridge, annoyed. Ian was pissing him off, but he had a point. He grabbed a beer for himself and a soda for Ian, making a peace offering. “Kari’s store got vandalized last night.”
“Whose store?”
“Kari Strauss’s. She owns Zócalo, on E Street.”
Ian popped open the soda. “You’ve been watching her?”
Adam nodded. He might be a sneaky bastard and a hypocrite, but he couldn’t lie to his best friend.
“I’ve seen her before,” Ian admitted. “She’s nice-looking.”
Adam took a pull on his beer, thinking about her smooth, tanned legs. “Yes, she is.” He’d seen a glimpse of her panties today, purple with little
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