The Omega Team: Hot Target (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Jordan Dane Page B
Authors: Jordan Dane
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than she did. If he knew the truth, the merciless killings would start again. Her decision wasn’t to save Rafael, alone.
Athena would have to sacrifice the ethical foundation she and Grey had built the Omega Team upon—to stop Camila.
Yes, she understood everything.
At the sound of boots bounding down the staircase in the hall, Athena looked to the open door and saw Rafferty. She knew by the expression on his face that he hadn’t found her brother. He shook his head and waited by the door for her to finish.
“Thank you for your courtesy. I will leave you…in peace.” Athena turned her back on her enemy and left the hacienda with Rafferty at her side.
She had no idea where to look for Rafael—but she wouldn’t leave Cuba without him.
***
Athena walked out of the Borrego estate with Rafferty. Camila followed, but kept her distance. She had nothing more to say and nudged her head to her men to stand down. The crisis had been averted, for now.
Ruiz furrowed his brow and waited for her by his vehicle.
“I take it Rafael is not here?” the man asked and shifted his gaze to Rafferty, who shook his head.
“No. He’s not here,” Athena said. “Where else can we look for him?”
Athena didn’t know why she trusted Camila not to lie to her about kidnapping her brother. A gut instinct. The woman didn’t strike her as someone who would play games. If she wanted Rafe dead, she would have done it and signed her work with a knife.
That thought made Athena sick.
“There’s been a development while we were searching for your brother.” Ruiz looked concerned, but before Athena could ask what he meant, a phone rang.
Victor Torres, Ruiz’s second in command, took the call after he saw the number displayed. It must’ve been urgent to interrupt his boss. With a somber face, the man listened and barely spoke. He rushed to Ruiz and leaned into his ear, whispering.
“Survivors?” Ruiz asked his man.
Torres only shook his head, no.
Ruiz raised his chin and took a deep breath before he spoke. Athena held her breath waiting for him to tell her what had just happened.
“We must go. Now.” He grabbed Athena’s arm and rushed her to his armored limo.
“Why? What’s happening?” Athena asked.
“The San Ignacio cartel abducted your brother.” Ruiz shoved her into the backseat, surrounded by his men to cover them.
“What?” she asked. “How?”
“My men found witnesses who said he was taken off the streets in downtown Havana. By the descriptions, we confirmed his abductors were from this rival cartel. I warned you it was not safe, but you and your brother ignored me. These men, they do not need a reason to abduct wealthy Americans.”
When they were alone in the backseat, Ruiz hit a button to give them privacy from his driver.
“Your brother was being held at a small rancho, west of Havana. My men got an anonymous tip and raided the residence, but they found the men butchered in a barn. The bodies carried the mark, the Borrego brand carved into the skin. Camila got to them first. I don’t know how she found out where your brother was.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would she threaten to—” She stopped before she told Ruiz anything of the private conversation she’d had with Camila.
“She threatened you? In what way?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Maybe the San Ignacio cartel thought they could extort more money from her to hand him over. Either way, it seems obvious Rafael was a pawn in all this. Do you have any idea why?”
A pawn, yes, but who had the most to gain?
She couldn’t breathe, or think clearly. Rafael, what happened to him?
“When you asked your man if there were any survivors—” Athena’s eyes burned and a lump wedged tight in her throat. “Torres shook his head, no. Did your men find Rafael? Is he—?”
She couldn’t say it.
“No survivors. Lo siento .” Ruiz couldn’t look her in the eye.
“Oh, God.” She made the sign
Athena would have to sacrifice the ethical foundation she and Grey had built the Omega Team upon—to stop Camila.
Yes, she understood everything.
At the sound of boots bounding down the staircase in the hall, Athena looked to the open door and saw Rafferty. She knew by the expression on his face that he hadn’t found her brother. He shook his head and waited by the door for her to finish.
“Thank you for your courtesy. I will leave you…in peace.” Athena turned her back on her enemy and left the hacienda with Rafferty at her side.
She had no idea where to look for Rafael—but she wouldn’t leave Cuba without him.
***
Athena walked out of the Borrego estate with Rafferty. Camila followed, but kept her distance. She had nothing more to say and nudged her head to her men to stand down. The crisis had been averted, for now.
Ruiz furrowed his brow and waited for her by his vehicle.
“I take it Rafael is not here?” the man asked and shifted his gaze to Rafferty, who shook his head.
“No. He’s not here,” Athena said. “Where else can we look for him?”
Athena didn’t know why she trusted Camila not to lie to her about kidnapping her brother. A gut instinct. The woman didn’t strike her as someone who would play games. If she wanted Rafe dead, she would have done it and signed her work with a knife.
That thought made Athena sick.
“There’s been a development while we were searching for your brother.” Ruiz looked concerned, but before Athena could ask what he meant, a phone rang.
Victor Torres, Ruiz’s second in command, took the call after he saw the number displayed. It must’ve been urgent to interrupt his boss. With a somber face, the man listened and barely spoke. He rushed to Ruiz and leaned into his ear, whispering.
“Survivors?” Ruiz asked his man.
Torres only shook his head, no.
Ruiz raised his chin and took a deep breath before he spoke. Athena held her breath waiting for him to tell her what had just happened.
“We must go. Now.” He grabbed Athena’s arm and rushed her to his armored limo.
“Why? What’s happening?” Athena asked.
“The San Ignacio cartel abducted your brother.” Ruiz shoved her into the backseat, surrounded by his men to cover them.
“What?” she asked. “How?”
“My men found witnesses who said he was taken off the streets in downtown Havana. By the descriptions, we confirmed his abductors were from this rival cartel. I warned you it was not safe, but you and your brother ignored me. These men, they do not need a reason to abduct wealthy Americans.”
When they were alone in the backseat, Ruiz hit a button to give them privacy from his driver.
“Your brother was being held at a small rancho, west of Havana. My men got an anonymous tip and raided the residence, but they found the men butchered in a barn. The bodies carried the mark, the Borrego brand carved into the skin. Camila got to them first. I don’t know how she found out where your brother was.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would she threaten to—” She stopped before she told Ruiz anything of the private conversation she’d had with Camila.
“She threatened you? In what way?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Maybe the San Ignacio cartel thought they could extort more money from her to hand him over. Either way, it seems obvious Rafael was a pawn in all this. Do you have any idea why?”
A pawn, yes, but who had the most to gain?
She couldn’t breathe, or think clearly. Rafael, what happened to him?
“When you asked your man if there were any survivors—” Athena’s eyes burned and a lump wedged tight in her throat. “Torres shook his head, no. Did your men find Rafael? Is he—?”
She couldn’t say it.
“No survivors. Lo siento .” Ruiz couldn’t look her in the eye.
“Oh, God.” She made the sign
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