Cobb by Maryann Jordan
27
Having stood directly outside the door, Cobb had listened to Josie’s scream. His knees nearly buckled at the sound of her voice. Tate’s hand landed on his shoulder, the barest touch that let him know his friend knew exactly what he was feeling. The two men lifted booted feet and kicked out in unison, easily popping the door open. With weapons drawn, they rushed in.
His gaze instantly took in the occupants of the room, zeroing in on the threat facing Josie as she punched outward, her small fist making contact. Carmen, blood streaming from her nose, stumbled backward, her arms windmilling to remain upright. Drew rushed forward, his immense height towering over the woman as he grabbed her wrist, exerting the pressure necessary for the hypodermic to drop from her hand. Tate’s weapon was trained on Timothy, but the younger man’s hands were in the air as his body shook. Bray quickly bagged the hypodermic, placing it in a container before shoving it into his bag.
Cobb dropped to his knees and grabbed Josie, who was staring at him through wide, still-dilated eyes. Swinging her up into his arms, he stalked over to the edge of the bed and sat, holding her tightly. She cradled her injured hand but placed her face directly in front of his and chanted, “I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.” A trail of dried blood was on her arm, and as though she anticipated his imminent roar, she rushed, “That’s where I got the needle earlier. Honestly, Jorge, I’m fine.”
Cobb kept his arms around her, unsure if the shaking was from her or himself. He glanced to the side and watched as Drew pulled out a gag for Carmen.
Timothy was pale, sweating profusely. “What’s gonna happen? Christ, we’re in Mexico. We’re never going to get out. Christ, why did I come here?”
Cobb stood, his arm still around Josie. Bray moved in and bent low, checking her pupils. “You steady on your feet, Josie?”
She offered a wobbly nod, and Bray shot a look toward Cobb before looking back at her. “You did great, Tiger, but we’ll all be close as we get out of here.”
While their medic checked Josie, Cobb took the opportunity to approach Carmen, who eyed him warily. “We’re going back across the border. While I would love nothing more than to leave you to the cartel to carve up at their leisure, we’re taking you back with us.” His face held no emotion, but rage burned in his veins. “I’m telling you right now we’re getting out of here. We’ll get you turned over to the FBI. If you don’t want that? If you try to alert anyone here to our presence? I will leave your ass to the cartel to deal with.”
Tate pulled out a gag, but Timothy shook his head. “I won’t say anything. I won’t do anything. Just get me the fuck out of here, please.” Tate chuckled as he continued to gag Timothy.
Checking with LSI, they received the all-clear that the security was still disabled. Moving quickly into the hall, Drew and Tate hustled Carmen and Timothy along, finding neither giving resistance. He picked up Josie and carried her out despite her soft protests. “Babe, we can travel quicker out of here if you let me carry you. Right now, I don’t trust that you have your full abilities with the drug still running through your body.” Ready for an argument, he should have known she would offer no fuss. Acquiescing, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they hustled out of the doorway and down the stairs.
The guard at the top of the stairs that Drew had subdued was just beginning to stir. Grinning, Drew bent, dragging Carmen along with him, and pressed against the artery just long enough to render the man unconscious again. Standing quickly, he jerked his charge along as she fought against the gag.
At the bottom of the stairs, Bray exited first, then signaled for the rest of them to follow. Slipping back through the shadows of the alley, they arrived at their truck. Cobb set Josie’s feet onto the concrete carefully, making sure she was steady. Bray stepped over, his arms reaching for her while holding Cobb’s gaze. “Go on, I’ve got her.”
Cobb hated to let her go but knew there was no other way. He watched as Bray climbed into the back, then turned and assisted as Josie scrambled up into the bed of the truck. They disappeared underneath the boxes. Drew shoved Carmen into the small space then followed her, sitting close enough to keep her under control. Tate did the same with a wide-eyed Timothy.
Back in the driver’s seat, Cobb rumbled out of the alley. Receiving a message from LSI, he answered, “Talk to me.”
“Floyd has reported that someone may have alerted the border guards that something is up. They are checking every truck,” Mace said. “Follow your backup plan.”
Turning away from the border bridge, he left Ciudad Juarez and traveled on a road toward the north. The Rio Grande was not deep at several junctions but the U.S. Border Patrol had the area under close surveillance. Receiving the notice from LSI that Floyd was waiting for them at the backup rendezvous, he turned off the headlights and moved closer to the river.
“Look for an ally,” Josh radioed. “He should be close. Someone Floyd set up.”
A man stood in the road, a rifle slung over his shoulder. Bringing the truck to a stop, Cobb kept his eye pinned on the man as he walked toward the driver’s side. He rolled down the window and peered at the man with suspicion.
The man stuck a cigarette into his mouth and inhaled deeply before letting out a long curl of smoke. “You ever been to Faro El Palmar?”
Shaking his head slowly, Cobb kept his left hand on the steering wheel while unobtrusively sliding his right hand to his weapon. “No.”
“Pity. A beautiful lighthouse is on the point.”
Cobb lifted a brow, then slowly raised his right hand to his shirt, pulling up the sleeve, exposing the lower half of his lighthouse tattoo.
The man stared, then nodded. “Yes… a beautiful lighthouse.” He inclined his head toward the border. “Cross here. You can make it. Your people are on the other side. I’ll get rid of the vehicle.”
He held the man’s gaze for a few more seconds, then nodded. Still keeping his hand on his weapon as he climbed down, he hustled to the back and called out, “Let’s go.”
Tate alighted first, quickly followed by Timothy, who anxiously looked around. Tate unlocked his handcuffs and removed the gag. “One word and—”
“No, man, I’ll be quiet!”
Drew stood at the back of the truck bed and lifted Carmen by her arms only to settle her onto the ground. Tate unlocked her cuffs but before he removed her gag offered her another warning. “You seriously do not want to be left over here. So, keep your fuckin’ mouth shut.”
Her gaze jerked over to the Mexican with the rifle and licked her gag-swollen lips, nodding.
Anxious to get to Josie, Cobb raised his hands as soon as Bray appeared with her. She smiled, her eyes lighting as soon as her gaze met his. She immediately fell into his arms and kissed his cheek.
“You can let me walk for now.”
He agreed but kept her right by his side. The four Keepers shook the man’s hand, never knowing or needing to know his name. They knew he would be paid well for his assistance, and he’d get a truck out of the deal, as well.
The crossing area for the Rio Grande was easy to traverse due to the lack of rain. The group hurried through the water that in some places was only knee-deep, led by Cobb with Josie’s hand in his. Lights on the other side provided guidance, and they were soon in the U.S., greeted by Floyd standing with several agents wearing jackets emblazoned with FBI on the back. Others were with the Customs and Border Patrol, CBP on the backs of their jackets.
Cobb’s body tightened as Tahoma Starr stepped into the light and his gaze landed on the initials IDTF stitched into his jacket.
“International Drug Task Force?” Cobb asked, his gaze not wavering even when Tahoma nodded.
Tahoma’s gaze scanned the group, lingering on Josie before pinning Carmen with a hard stare. Stepping forward, he looked at his co-aide to the senator. “Had my eye on you for a while, so I gotta tell you, even though I’m a step behind these guys in getting my hands on you, this feels fuckin’ good.”
“You want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Cobb growled.
Tahoma turned and walked toward him. Leaning to the side, his gaze scanned Josie. “Are you okay? Your parents are waiting to hear.”
Cobb heard the gasp behind him, and Josie popped out to his side. She looked up at Tahoma, her body still weaving slightly. “Oh, God, I need to tell them that I’m okay—”
“I’ll get word—”
Interrupting Tahoma, Cobb snapped, “My people already have.” He knew that LSI would be in contact with her parents, and it might be selfish as fuck, but he had no desire to let Tahoma fuckin’-task-force Starr step in at the last minute as though he had saved the day.
Floyd looked at Carmen, then turned to Cobb. “Been wanting to get my hands on Carson Wright for several years. Can’t thank you enough.”
Drew shook his head, saying, “You can have her, man. It’s a pain to listen to her.”
The agents loaded Carmen and Timothy into two separate vehicles as Timothy began turning on her immediately and her curses and threats rang out in the night.
Josie moved in closer to Cobb, and he breathed easier as his arm wrapped around her again. Giving her weight to him, she squeezed his waist as she looked up at Tahoma. “I don’t understand. You don’t work for my dad?”
“I was undercover, Josie. My people have been working on the drug trafficking between the Grand King Casino, which is secretly run by the Sinaloa Cartel, and getting drugs and drug money into the U.S. Carmen came across our radar, and I was tasked to get close to see what I could find out. I had no idea she was using an alias of Carson Wright, a person the FBI has been looking for. Until your father mentioned your clinic’s financial difficulties, I started to put it all together.”
“So, you knew Carmen could be a threat to Josie but let it ride out anyway?” Cobb said, his barely-controlled rage returning.
“Babe… I’m safe. Let the dragon rest.”
He jerked his gaze back down to Josie, his brow knit until he saw her twinkling eyes staring up at him, an exhausted smile playing about her lips. Bending, he kissed her lightly, and with the touch of her lips, he calmed.
Ignoring Tahoma, Cobb offered chin-lift thanks to the others and escorted Josie to Floyd’s extra-long SUV. Climbing inside, he guided her to the middle seat and wrapped his arm around her, loving the feel of her head on his shoulder. Drew rode shotgun next to Floyd while Bray and Tate filled the back seat.
Closing his eyes, Cobb breathed a sigh of relief. Years of missions, some more successful than others. But there was nothing quite like the feeling of heading home after one where the objective had been met. But now, he knew there was no comparison to the feeling of the woman he loved being in his arms, safe and secure.
