5. Five

Carlos

I hurry back to my car the moment Isaiah and I part ways. I don't have time to waste, Joey could already be on the other side of the world right now. I search for my friend Malcolm"s name, hitting the call button when I land on it.

"Hola."

"Malcolm, how are things? I"m hoping you can spare some time out of your busy life to talk to an old friend."

"Carlos? I thought you were on vacation."

I laugh. "When is a man like me ever able to go on vacation?"

"You could use one, I"m just saying. Maybe it"ll help you not be so uptight. How long has it been since you"ve been out and had some fun, got lost in a sweet honey? I have a few new ones at the parlor who could help you relax. Even a few males if they"re more your thing."

"I didn"t call because I need a whore. I called, because I need that favor you owe me."

He sighs loudly into the phone. "I didn"t ever think you would cash it in. When does the almighty Carlos ever need anybody"s help?"

"Looks like today may be that day and it"s not really for me, it"s for a friend. His boyfriend is missing."

"And I would know where he is, because? Maybe it's time you take a step back and let others deal with their own problems for once."

"How about you worry about what's going on in your own house instead of worrying about me. What do you know about the Mendez Brothers and their business dealings with Santana?"

"Why would I know anything about that? I don"t mess with the Mendez brothers. You know I don"t run that kind of establishment. My whores aren"t here against their will."

"Maybe not, but that doesn"t mean they are there because they have a choice either."

"Everyone has their way of paying off debt. You know I don"t give handouts. If they want their kid in the best schools, their parents" debt paid off or to help pay off a loan shark, then I got a way for them to do it. It"s their choice to sign that contract."

"So business is good?"

"Business is great."

"I'm guessing the clientele is too then and so are the new contacts. I need you to help me get in the next auction the Mendez brothers may be attending."

"Mira, I don"t know what kind of trouble your friend is in or the shit you"re planning to stir up, and I don"t want to know. I want no part in it."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Last time I checked, when a man like you makes a promise, he never backs down. Are you telling me you are no longer a man of your word?"

"My word is only good if it doesn"t involve my body being cut up and tossed in the nearest ocean."

"Do I need to remind you of the many men who want you dead and why you"ve been left breathing this whole time?"

"And if I help you, I"m just as good as dead anyway. You are no match for these men, no one is."

"You underestimate a man like me. They are merely men and no man has ever been too much for me to handle. You forget my job consists of taking down pieces of shit like them every day."

"These guys won"t be taken down without anyone noticing. Their operation is bigger than you and me. It doesn"t matter how many guns you have or the tricks you have up your sleeve. It"s a very organized system and you"ll have way more problems to deal with than two brothers."

"This is why I must get in without having to cause chaos. This is where you and your friends come in. All I need to know is when the next big auction is and how I get in."

"You won"t give this up, will you?" He huffs out a breath.

"You out of all people should know I don"t give up easily. I wouldn"t be the man I am today if I did."

He pauses for a few seconds causing the line to go quiet. "I may know someone who can get you into the next auction. You must find your way from there. Keep in mind that the men who attend these things aren"t low rollers, especially not the men the Mendez brothers deal with."

"Getting the money won"t be a problem for me."

"It"s not only about the money, you need to ensure you fit in. You and I both know you were never a man with the taste for fine liquor, nor are you the suit wearing type."

"Maybe not, but I"ve always been good with blending in and I"ll have you know I put on a suit today for a funeral I almost attended."

He chuckles. "Almost? You mean Santiago"s? Let me guess, still hiding in the background? Going by many names?"

I hide in the shadows and remain in the dark for a reason. I don"t work most of the family businesses and I"m hardly ever seen with my brothers. The fewer people know who I am the better. It makes it easier to hunt down the men I"m hired to kill without them seeing me coming.

I deal with people behind a screen mostly. They didn"t need to see me and I didn"t need to see them. I just need to know who they are looking for or who they need dead and once the money is wired to my account, I complete the job. This time it"s different. This time it's a bit more personal.

"The fewer people who know who I am the better," I finally say.

He sighs loudly into the phone. "Since you refuse to let this go and I never back out of a promise to the men I owe my life to, I"ll call in a few favors myself. I have a friend who can assure you get a spot at the next auction. These events are normally invite only."

"Finally, what I want to hear. Now, was that so hard?"

"I hope you know this will cost you a little more than the favor I owe you."

I grit my teeth. "I figured it might."

"Good, glad we are on the same page for once. Meet at the spot where you first told me to go fuck myself in thirty minutes and don"t be late."

I can tell by the ease in his voice, he knew I wouldn"t be. I never ask for favors. I never had a reason to. The sex trafficking ring is a whole other ball game and the less screw ups I make, the better. I want to get in as quietly as possible without ringing any suspicions. I"ll find out where Joey is being sold, purchase him, and bring him home. Deep down I know it won"t be as easy as it sounds. Nothing in this world ever is.

"See you there. You"d better have already made a phone call to your friends by the time I arrive."

"These things can take days, Carlos."

"Hopefully for your sake it won"t take more than a few hours, and I have a feeling you have ways of speeding up the process. A man like you always does."

"I"ll see you in twenty-five," he says before the line goes dead.

I pull up in front of the hotel he'd told me to, hoping I remembered correctly. Relief sinks in when I notice a familiar car in the parking lot. Things may change over time, but Malcolm's going to have that red Cadillac until the day he dies. The cool air hits my face the moment I pull open the motel doors. This place is still the shit hole I remember it to be. I head for the bar, taking a seat on a stool, staring down at my phone. A man takes a seat next to me, holding something in his hand. He doesn"t speak until the bartender walks away. "You Lo?"

I nod at the use of a nickname Malcolm usually has for me. "How"s it going man? Long time no see."

He nods, coming closer. "I was told to give you this," he whispers in my ear, giving me a hug, and sliding something in my pocket. He pats my shoulder as he pulls away. "Nice seeing you again, vato." the guy I"ve never seen before says. "Don"t be a stranger." He winks before exiting the hotel. I chuckle, heading for the elevator, waving at the clerk on my way there.

I wait until the doors close behind me and reach in my pocket. I pull out a white card with a hotel number on it, hating what I have to do next. I slide in the card until the door blinks green and I"m able to push it open.

Malcolm is sitting on the bed wearing nothing but a white robe. I shut the door behind me, walk closer, and he sets down an envelope on the nearby nightstand. "The instructions are in that envelope. Make sure to do exactly what it says, or you"ll blow the whole thing. The man you're meeting is named Ethan. He will have everything you need to get you into the auction, and he will also have new identification for you. You will meet him in an hour in the place stated in the note I left you in the envelope."

He stands up, untying his robe and letting it fall to the floor. "I held up my end of the bargain, it"s time you hold up yours."

I nod, swallowing down the lump in my throat, ready to close my eyes and envision he"s someone else to make my next step easier.