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  Barbosa smiled. “How's the family, Mike? Alison and the little boy, Junior, right? It must be so nice to be able to spend time with them. Family is so important, don't you agree?”

  He stepped forward. “I'm going to kill you. Just like I killed your worthless brother.”

  The smile dropped from Barbosa’s face and for a split second Mike thought he had gotten to him. However, rage was soon replaced by a smirk. “Have fun searching for your dog.”

  “If you tell me where he is, I’ll make it quick.”

  “OK, we're done here,” said TJ. He turned to the camera in the corner of the room. “Guard!”

  “I'm sorry, TJ,” Mike said as they climbed into his truck having left the prison. “That bastard got the better of me.”

  “Understandable.”

  As Mike exhaled and inserted his key in the ignition his phone vibrated. He took it from the center console and examined the screen.

  “What is it?” asked TJ.

  “A blocked number just sent me a video. It's downloading.”

  Mike’s heart shuddered when the video started playing and he recognized Axe savaging a broom handle behind a mesh fence. He watched the short clip twice then passed it to TJ.

  “At least we know he's alive,” said the Chief.

  Tears formed in Mike's eyes and he clenched his fists as he visualized Axe being tortured by Barbosa's men. “I need to go back in there and beat it out of him.”

  “Bud, he's not going to tell you. But, if we get this video to the right people, they might be able to give us a lead.”

  “Your guys in the FBI?”

  “No. I think we need a little more clout.”

  ***

  Deborah Lines sat in an expensive leather chair behind a glass desk in her corner office at Style Cuisine Magazine. The statuesque brunette wore an immaculately tailored two-piece suit, white blouse and had designer glasses perched on her pointed nose.

  Rocking back in her chair she tapped the glass with a Mont Blanc pen as she read a report on her Apple laptop. According to one of the Agency’s analysts, there was a vigilante organization actively targeting criminals and despots with impunity across the globe. It all sounded a little fanciful to her. However, the reason the document caught her attention was that it named a former work colleague of hers as one of the organization's founders. Vance and she had been close friends when they’d started out in the Agency. However, they had lost touch and he’d reportedly been killed in a terrorist attack in the UAE in 2003.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw that it was a message from her recently separated husband, TJ.

  “What does he want?” she mumbled as she opened the message and read the brief paragraph. Then she tapped the attached file and watched the short video.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Storming out of her office she weaved her way through an open plan workspace until she reached a door marked Archives. A thumb scanner gave her access to an airlock where a second device checked her retina. Finally, a door opened giving her access to a space the size of a small bedroom packed with screens and pieces of high-tech looking equipment.

  “Deb, how are you?” asked one of the four people sitting at workstations in the room, a middle-aged woman with blonde bangs.

  “I'm good, Lu. Look, I just emailed you a file. Can you bring it up?”

  “No problems.” Her fingers danced on the keys and the video TJ had sent appeared on screen. “What is this?”

  “This, this is your priority. I want everything you can get me from this video.”

  “This got anything to do with TJ?”

  Deb nodded. “Yeah, that's the dog from his team.”

  “The hero matchmaker?”

  “The one and only. Allegedly he's been abducted and this is the only lead that TJ and his guys have.”

  “Ah, huh.” Lu had already loaded the file into three different programs and had set a bank of supercomputers to work. “So, how are things going with TJ?”

  “He's moved out.”

  “So, not well.”

  She sighed. “In the last five years we've spent next to no time together. I barely know the guy anymore. How long do you need to work this video?”

  “Give me an hour.”

  “I'll be in my office.”

  Moments later Deb was sitting back at her desk gazing at a photo she'd taken from the bottom of her filing cabinet. It was a picture of her and TJ on a beach in Mexico. The ruggedly handsome SEAL operator had his arm around her waist and they both wore broad smiles; a happier time. Sighing she returned the photo to the cabinet and turned back to her computer. She'd help TJ find Axe and then she'd need to break off all contact.

  Chapter Seven

  TJ pushed open the door to the café and spotted Mike, Ali and Junior sitting in the far corner. The SEAL and his wife looked like they hadn't slept. He knew how that felt. He'd been up all night contacting buddies in the FBI, DEA and every other three-letter agency, trying to get some assistance in locating Axe.

  “Morning, guys.” He sat at the end of the bench seat next to Ali.

  Almost immediately a waiter appeared with a coffee. “A triple espresso Americano!”

  He shot Mike a nod of appreciation and took a sip. “OK, guys. I've got good news and bad news. My contact managed to rip some information out of the video Mike was sent.”

  “Do you know where he is?” asked Mike.

  “We know the broad area where the video was uploaded.”

  “And?”

  “It was down in Mexico on the Baja peninsula near Cabo San Lucas.”

  “Barbosa,” growled Mike.

  “TJ, is there any way we can get a government agency to help?” asked Ali.

  “No one's going to stick their neck out for a dog.”

  “Even a decorated war hero?”

  He shook his head.

  “Momma, where Axe?” asked Junior from where he was sitting next to Mike.

  TJ's heart lurched when he saw the look of concern on the boy's face.

  “We could head down there and take a look around,” said Mike, his voice cracking.

  “Mike, you’d be playing right into Barbosa’s hands.”

  “I can't just give up on him.”

  He faintly registered the jingle of the door behind him. The expression on Mike's face told him someone he recognized had entered the café.

  “Ali, Mike, good morning.”

  TJ turned to face his estranged wife.

  She smiled politely. “Terrance, do you mind if I join you?”

  “By all means.”

  Deb sat and gestured for the waiter. “I hope you don't mind, TJ sent me the video of Axe. I had my people work on it.” She ordered a latté.

  “Your people?” Ali wore a confused look. “I thought you worked for a culinary magazine?”

  “We have diverse interests. The bottom line is we managed to identify the device that recorded the video.”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah, TJ said. Axe is in Cabo, I'm going to head down and find him.”

  “Mike, that's not a good idea. The cartels have a strong presence down there. A military guy sniffing around is only going to draw heat.”

  “Look, Axe has saved me, Ali and TJ more than once. We can't hang him out to dry.”

  Deb nodded. “I get that, but you need to understand the risk.”

  “This lead’s already 24 hours old. The risk is if we don’t move now we’ll lose him forever.”

  Deb’s coffee arrived and she sipped it. Once the waiter had departed she turned to TJ. “What do you think?”

  TJ locked eyes with Mike. “Axe is a member of my team. If Mike goes down there I’m going with him.”

  “I thought as much.” She took another sip. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements for equipment and accommodation. It’s going to look strange if I head down with the boys.” She paused. “Ali, how do you feel about joining us? With you we can pass fo
r two couples on a holiday. It would go a long way to reducing our risk profile.”

  Mike shot his wife a concerned look.

  Ali exhaled. “I can do that.”

  “Who will look after Junior?” asked Mike.

  “Rick and Jenny,” replied Ali. “You know how clucky she’s been recently. Plus, it will only be for a few days right?”

  “If we move fast,” said Deb.

  “Then we better get organized,” said Mike.

  “Give me a few hours to get some equipment together and then we’ll meet at yours,” said Deb as they bundled Junior into his stroller.

  “This means the world to us guys,” said Mike as they departed.

  Deb finished her coffee and made to leave. She took two paces toward the door before turning back. “Terrance, don't get any funny ideas. I'm doing this for Ali, Mike and Junior.”

  He nodded. “Got it.”

  She left and TJ sat finishing his coffee. A plan was already forming in his head as to how they were going locate Axe. They'd need to set up a surveillance net and sweep the town with specialist equipment. Having Deb on board was going to make the job a hell of a lot easier. His thoughts wandered from the pending mission to his now estranged wife. They'd never worked together before. Maybe this was the opportunity they needed to reconnect. As quickly as the thought emerged he banished it from his mind and downed the last of his coffee. The mission was recovering Axe, and that was precisely what he was going to do.

  ***

  The look of horror on Rick's face confirmed that he was terrified of the idea of babysitting Junior. “Can't I go to Mexico?” he asked.

  Mike and Ali had driven their son around to his godparent's house as part of their preparation for the mission to rescue Axe.

  “No you can't,” said Jenny. “Remember when we agreed to be his guardians?” She arched an eyebrow. “That comes with certain responsibilities. You need to man up.” Her voice softened. “Plus, think of it as a dress rehearsal.”

  “Dress rehearsal for what?”

  Mike, Ali and Jenny all stared at him.

  “Wait, Jenny, you're not…”

  His fiancée shook her head. “No, you dolt. But, we did talk about having kids soon.”

  “Oh yeah, right.” Rick shot Mike a look of relief. “In all seriousness, brother. If you need backup, I'm there.”

  “I need you here, bud. If anything happens to Ali and I… you and Jenny will be Junior's legal guardians.”

  Rick reached out and grasped his teammate's shoulders. “That’s not gonna happen. We'll take good care of him, bud. You focus on getting Axe back.”

  ***

  Mike loaded his and Ali's suitcases into the back of his pickup while she locked the house. As he turned to see how she was doing he spotted one of Axe's favorite toys under his deck chair on the front lawn. In his mind, he could see his best friend playing on the grass with Junior.

  “We're going to get him back,” said Ali as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

  The toot of a horn caught their attention and they saw a grey SUV pull to the curb. Through the windshield, Mike spotted TJ at the wheel and Deb in the passenger seat. The two alighted and joined them at the truck.

  “You ready to roll?” asked TJ.

  Mike managed a smile. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

  “I've booked accommodation at a resort,” said Deb. “The rooms are adjoining so we can coordinate the search.” She gestured to the SUV. “We’ve got all the gear we're going to need.”

  “What about border control?” asked Mike.

  Deb shrugged. “Taken care of.”

  TJ handed Mike a hand-held radio. “Crypto and frequency are loaded. We'll lead.”

  “OK then.” Mike and Ali climbed into his truck and reversed out onto the road where TJ and Deb were waiting in their own vehicle.

  As they started down the road, Ali spoke, “Something tells me that Deborah isn't a food critique.”

  Mike nodded. “She’s CIA.”

  They drove in silence before Ali spoke again. “Mike, what if this is a trap. What if Barbosa wants you to come and try to rescue Axe?”

  “Deb wouldn’t have agreed to help if she hadn’t accounted for that risk.”

  “Why do you think they’re keeping him alive?”

  He exhaled. “I don’t even want to think about that. I just want to get down there and find him.”

  Meanwhile, in the vehicle ahead Deb and TJ were traveling in silence, TJ behind the wheel. “Remember that time we drove down to Tijuana for the night and you…”

  “Terrance, there's no need for the nostalgia. Let's keep it professional.”

  To TJ the comment felt like a backhand to the face. He hunched forward and concentrated on the road.

  “I'm sorry,” Deb said softly. “I do remember that trip. You'd just come back from Iraq. We hired that little bungalow down on the beach.”

  He smiled. “Yeah and that dog you fed followed us home and snored like a freight train on the porch. I didn't sleep a wink.” He paused. “You always had a soft spot for strays.”

  From the corner of his eye, he caught the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.

  “Well, today we’re not hunting strays. We’re hunting for Axe. Now keep your mind on the job.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” TJ maintained his composure but inside felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this trip would help them reconnect and maybe, just maybe, it could rekindle the spark that he desperately hoped was still smoldering in the depths of her heart.

  Chapter Eight

  Mike parked his pickup alongside TJ’s SUV in the garage of the villa that Deb had booked in Cabo. He carried their bags up a short flight of stairs into an open plan living, kitchen and dining area. The ocean sparkled through the broad windows beyond a wide golden beach.

  “Wow,” said Mike as he dropped their bags.

  Deb emerged from a door to his right and gestured to the room opposite. “Your suite is through there. We’ll set up the gear in here on the dining room table.”

  Mike helped TJ bring some additional cases of equipment up from the SUV as Ali unpacked their bags in their room.

  “Things can’t be that bad if you’re sharing a suite,” said Mike as they retrieved the last of the equipment from the car.

  TJ sighed. “Separate rooms.”

  By the time they’d brought all the gear up into the villa Deb had set up a laptop and laid out some of her specialist equipment. Mike identified smartphones, a small commercial drone and a bunch of other electrical devices. He shot Ali a questioning look.

  “OK guys, here’s the plan.” Deb spun her computer so they could see a satellite image of the area on screen. “We know the phone that made the video has been active in Cabo. I've broken the town down into search sectors.” She gestured to two phones that lay alongside black nylon pouches. “We’ll use mustang surveillance devices to get a fix on the phone and then go from there.”

  “They easy to use?” asked Mike.

  Deb nodded. “Yes, they're already configured. The antenna array is in the pouch; leave that in your car if you go out on foot. The basic unit has a range of about fifty yards.”

  “What happens after we locate the phone?” asked Ali.

  “Then this goes from a find and fix operation to recovery, and that just happens to be the boy's specialty.”

  “Damn, straight,” said Mike. “Let's get out on the ground and find this dirt bag.”

  “Mike, I need to cover off on a few points.” Deb’s tone was stern. “You need to remember your cover story. We’re not down here searching for Axe. We’re down here on a couple’s retreat. That means we at least need to look like we're having a good time.”

  Ali and Mike nodded.

  “And if you get compromised the drill is to head straight back to San Diego. Make sure you keep all of your personal effects on your person.”

  “I take it the room can’t be linked to us,” said TJ.

  “Correct.”
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  “Is that it?” Mike asked impatiently.

  “Yes, that’s all.”

  Mike rose and took the mustang unit from the table. “I’ll set up in the truck.”

  Ali waited till he was gone. “Deb, Mike and I appreciate this so much. You’ve gone above and beyond to help us find Axe and that means the world to us.”

  A smile appeared on Deb’s face. “We all owe a lot to that dog.”

  TJ clapped his hands. “Agreed, let's go out and find him.”

  ***

  Mike drove the pickup along a wide street bordered on both sides by small blocks of faded stucco apartments. They passed a row of dune buggies parked in front of a bar and Mike turned to his wife, who was studying the mustang device. “Anything?”

  “Not yet.”

  He slowed the truck and indicated to turn right. “We'll box around this suburb then move to another sector.”

  “Mike, aren't people going to get suspicious if we keep driving around? Not as many cars on the road as I expected.”

  They crossed the main highway and headed down a side street. “One last circuit and then we'll find somewhere to eat.” Mike scanned both sides of the street as he drove.

  “Deb is very efficient.”

  “Yeah, brutally so.”

  They drove in silence.

  “I think she still loves him,” Ali said as they reached the end of the block.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Just a feeling.”

  “Yeah, well according to TJ there's no feeling left. That's the problem. She's gone completely cold on him.” Mike turned the truck down another street. “Still nothing?”

  Ali shook her head.

  Mike smacked his hands against the wheel in frustration.

  She reached across and touched his shoulder. “Babe, this was never going to be easy. We're going to find him. It's just going to take a little time. How about we get something to eat and check the bar area?”

  He accelerated the truck. “That's a good idea. Barbosa's guys will be neck deep in booze and broads.”

  “I'm not going into a strip club.”

  Mike managed a chuckle. “With the mustang we don't have to. Keep it in your bag and we can walk past.”