Free JET - Sanctuary by Russell Blake Page A

come in. He’d have bet money that he would see at least a few of the Soto crew put in an appearance, but he would have lost his wager, because the lobby remained empty – and there was no other way in or out of the hotel.
    His eyes narrowed as he watched his men enter the lobby at the start of the attack and then move into the courtyard after shooting the clerk. Followed by nothing in the lobby for four minutes, according to the counter, then the first of a number of couples and individuals running for the door. Bastian guessed the gun battle was already over by then – this appeared to be the guests clearing out after the shooting had stopped, which made sense.
    Wait. There. He stopped the tape when he came to Alejandro, gun in hand, moving through the lobby, followed by his brother. Bastian pressed play and watched as nothing else happened, and finally a couple with a small child ran past the reception desk. Then nobody more.
    Which was impossible.
    Where were the shooters who’d helped the Sotos?
    None of it made sense.
    He rewound and stopped at the couple with the child. There was something…familiar there. What was it? The man was wearing a baseball cap, and from the elevated angle of the camera, Bastian couldn’t make out much of his face. But the woman…
    Bastian stared at the image and grunted, then paged through his iPhone messages until he came to one he’d received from Antonio earlier in the evening. He opened the attachment and stared at the photo, and then held the phone up next to the monitor as he muttered to himself.
    “Well, I’ll be damned…”
    “What is it?” asked his second-in-command, Felipe, as he nervously checked the time.
    “The woman. On the tape. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the same one as in the photo Antonio sent us earlier. The one with the half-million-dollar price on her head.”
    “What? Let me see.” Felipe rounded the counter and stared at the image for a few moments before nodding. “Could be. Hair’s shorter. But the face…”
    Bastian stood. “Time’s up. The cops will be here in another couple of minutes.”
    “You’re going to leave the tape?”
    “I have to. That was part of the deal with the cops. Don’t worry, though – all our men are dead, so they won’t be talking. And if it gets the Sotos into even more hot water, hey, call that a win.”
    They jogged out to the SUV, and then Felipe veered left to where the gunmen’s SUV was parked, keys in his hand. He slid behind the wheel and started the engine and was following Bastian’s vehicle out of the lot when the first set of emergency lights appeared on the road from town.
    Bastian placed a call on his cell phone as his driver put distance between them and the hotel. The cab stank of blood and human waste from the bodies in the cargo area, but he ignored it as he waited for an answer. When the call picked up, the voice on the other end of the line sounded excited, and there was considerable background noise.
    “Where are you?” Bastian snapped.
    “Behind the Sotos. But they’re getting away. That damned truck of his is a rocket.”
    “Keep after them. Are you in the lead vehicle?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you see anything at the hotel?”
    “We didn’t stop. The Sotos were pulling away when we arrived.”
    “Damn.”
    “Why?”
    “Looks like they had help. The woman Antonio broadcast a few hours ago.”
    “Woman!” A pause. “Now everything makes sense…”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “When the Sotos were in front of the hotel, they were talking to a family. Then everyone loaded into their car and they took off.”
    Bastian nodded. “When you catch up to them, kill the woman if you can’t take her alive.”
    “Will do.”
    “And be careful. It looks like she’s working with the Sotos. Which means the warning that accompanied the photo wasn’t a mistake. She’s dangerous as a snake. We’ve already lost six good men tonight to her. Don’t make it seven.”
    “I