Cautious excitement lit his face. “And?”
Holding the little notebook in both hands, I turned it around, so he could see
it. Arabic characters filled the page, interspersing the occasional bits of English.
“Some of the names aren’t English, Kayden.”
He rose and took it from me. “True, but some of them ring a bell.”
“Guess we have proof that Tito’s definitely the go-to guy for slimy
connections.” My uneasiness about snooping through Ramirez’s things
disappeared under a slow growing fury that a marine would betray his country in
such a way.
Kayden handed the notebook back. I re-wrapped it with the surviving rubber
band, then set it aside with the others. He closed the locker and motioned for me
to help him push it back into place. “We need to find him.”
Kneeling on the floor, I pushed as he pulled. “Guess we stake this place out?”
He didn’t get a chance to answer. The unmistakable sound of the front door
slamming open shot me to my feet as I drew my gun, all of it happening in one
smooth motion.
For a big man, Kayden moved quick, much faster than me. By the time I hit
the hall, he was already at the end, bearing down on a wiry, strung-out Hispanic
male. A male that bore no resemblance to Tito’s photo.
By the time twitchy boy realized there was a threat, it was too late. Kayden
dodged his initial clumsy punch, returning it with a wicked quick blow that doubled him over. Then Kayden wrapped his other hand around the back of
twitchy boy’s neck and spun him deeper into the apartment.
Without taking my eyes off the two men, I kept my Sig tucked against my thigh, and slid around Kayden to nudge the door shut with my foot.
Kayden shoved the guy onto the couch.
“What the fuck, man?” The question emerged as a croak, as twitchy boy
fought to suck air into his abused diaphragm. His eyes darted wildly between Kayden and me as he cringed back into the cushions. “Take whatever you want,
but I ain’t got shit right now. Swear to God!”
“Not looking to score, asshole,” Kayden growled, his face dark with evil
intent. It was a look that would scare me shitless if I didn’t know any better. As it was, twitchy boy trembled like a leaf. Kayden leaned in. “You Tito?”
The kid’s head did a jerky shake in the negative. “Carlos,” he squeaked.
“Where’s Tito?”
Confusion clouded Carlos’s sallow face. “Tito?”
“Don’t play stupid with me.” Kayden crowded in until mere inches separated
them, enunciating each word. “Where is Tito?”
“I…I don’t know, man. He asked me to watch his shit.” Carlos’ eyes darted
between Kayden and me. When he spotted my gun, he couldn’t hide his flinch.
“Look, I don’t know where he is, okay?”
Ignoring his plaintive whine, I asked, “When did you see him last?”
“No sé.” Kayden straightened, and then shifted his weight causing Carlos to
recoil. His hands jerked up to protect his face. “Swear to Jesus, I don’t know, man!” he bleated. “Maybe, like a week ago? Maybe two? He came over one
