Hidden Prey (Lawmen) by Cheyenne McCray Page A

you can.”
    She looked from the location of the scene back to him. “I think I’ll remember more if I get out.”
    He shook his head. “Too dangerous. You need to stay right here in your seat.”
    Her throat worked as she swallowed. “Of course.”
    She stared at the taped-off area and she looked as if she might gag at the memory of what she’d seen. Landon wasn’t surprised. She’d seen a man’s face get blown off. That would be traumatic for anyone who didn’t deal with violent death on a regular basis.
    “The man who shot Miguel wore a suit.” Tori’s forehead wrinkled in concentration. “It clearly wasn’t a cheap suit. In my career I see a lot of men in pricey suits, and his definitely was.”
    That could narrow the field a bit, Landon thought. Only those high on the food chain could afford an expensive suit. Very high up.
    “Do you remember anything else?” Landon asked.
    She frowned. “Miguel called him by something unusual… “Like El…and something starting with a P, I think. It’s on the tip of my tongue.” Her eyes widened. “He called him El Puño. The Fist.”
    Landon’s pulse quickened. Expensive suit and called El Puño. That could only mean one person. “I’m going to have you look over more mug shots.”
    He went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. He removed his tablet from where he’d put it inside the center console and set it in his lap. He took a flash drive out of his pocket and inserted it into the USB port on the tablet. He opened a file on the flash drive. The file held photographs of every key member that had been identified in the Jimenez Cartel. He touched the tablet and brought up six images of key members from the cartel.
    Tori pointed to a man’s image from one of the surveillance photos. She looked like she wanted to scream when she saw the photograph. “That’s him. He killed Miguel.”
    “You’re certain?” Landon asked.
    “Absolutely.” She nodded. “No doubt in my mind.”
    “Alejandro Jimenez, also known as El Puño.”
    “Yes.” She nodded again, vigorously this time. “Yes.”
    “The son of the Jimenez Cartel drug lord.” Landon hadn’t intended to say the words out loud. Shit.
    “The drug lord’s son?” A look of horror crossed Tori’s face.
    Landon reached out and put his hand over hers. He could feel it shaking. “You’re going to be all right, Tori. We’ll make sure of it.”
    She buried her face in her hands. When she looked at Landon again, she appeared worn and drained, and he wrapped his arms around her.
    “Shhh.” He held her securely. “It will be all right.”
    “Could I possibly have witnessed an execution by anyone more dangerous than him?” Her voice sounded strained as she drew away. “I saw the drug lord’s son commit murder. I’m a witness against an organization so ruthless that they won’t stop until they hunt me down.” Her throat worked as she swallowed. “I don’t know if I can do this, Landon.”
    “You can.” He put conviction into his tone. “You’re a strong woman.”
    “I don’t feel strong.” She bit her lower lip before adding, “Not at all.”
    He remembered her strength last night when he’d told her she didn’t have to testify. Everyone had a breaking point, and this might be hers.

CHAPTER 9

    Gregory’s toes barely reached the floor as he dangled by metal handcuffs that were linked over a hook. The hook was fastened to a chain that hung from a beam high overhead in the abandoned warehouse in South Tucson.
    Nothing would gel in his brain, and he was fast losing touch with reality. Every bit of him hurt, agony his constant companion. He’d been beaten, his leg shot so that the bone had shattered, and most of his fingers had been broken one at a time with pliers.
    “This will end if you give me the address.” Pablo sounded as if he would be doing Gregory a favor.
    If Pablo killed him now, he would be doing Gregory a favor. He didn’t know how much more of this he could