Free McKuen’s Revenge by Andy King Page B

good faith compromise. Everybody would save a mountain of legal fees.
    It would all work out. Keeping Liv Reneaux was never the plan, it was all about driving McKuen and Dennis Reneaux crazy.
    She never planned to hang on to all of the land either, only the strip she needed for security. This offer would give her double the land she had intended to keep and save her a ton of cash.
    She wondered why the outfit gave a damn. Reneaux couldn’t be connected, so McKuen was more valuable than she thought. Good.
    Pleased, she texted Ty, told him a deal was in the works and he’d better trace the leak. Now.
    A nasty smile marred her lovely features. It was a good day for inspiration. IRS attorney, Pete Shapiro, was next.
    _____
     
    Liv lay on a small mattress. Dennis was never secretive about his work or his sideline earnings, and she had accepted the danger. She didn’t think she was being held for ransom. This was probably meant to freak him out. No doubt it was working. Just stay calm.
    Her clothes and hair were dry, and the room was warm. Her eyes wandered around the ceiling. A small seam didn’t join the next one like the others, maybe a concealed camera. OK, show no fear. The lights went out.
    It seemed like hours passed. Still dark but she thought it might be morning. She banged on the door with a plastic water bottle. A sleepy-looking guard cracked the door an inch.
    “I’m hungry!” she yelled. “You have to feed me!” She gave him a sullen eye.
    He looked at her like, “Shut up, bitch,” and closed the door. She heard a lock click and the lights went on.
    Using a coffee can for a toilet wasn’t that big a deal. She’d been through worse, camping. At least they left some toilet paper. Hunger made her mad, though. She was eating for two now. She folded her arms and pouted.
    Later the door cracked open. A hand held out a wrapped item. She got up and grabbed it.
    “More water,” she said. “ Agua .” The door shut.
    She devoured the burrito, probably from a food truck and nowhere near big enough, but anything beat nothing. She burped. Better.
    Might as well sleep. She rolled over and closed her eyes.
    The lights were off when she woke up. Time seemed elastic, her biorhythms fading. Until then she’d done pretty well holding back depression, but lying there, she felt a tear slide to her ear. She missed Dennis, and all the fun they had planning the nursery.
    The dark was slowly winning. For the first time since the nightmare started, she was afraid she might die, their son might not be born.
    She heard the door unlatch. The lights went on. A short Latino stepped in. She was bigger but he looked tough. He pulled out a small water bottle and handed it to her with another burrito.
    “Maybe tomorrow,” he said in a whisper.
    Before she could reply, he slipped out the door. She heard the latch. Glad for the food and water, she sat on the mattress and ate, then lay back, sipping. The lights went out.
     
    Ty sat in front of a monitor. Screw the psych angle. Sometimes CeCe thought too much. Need to look for an opening. It’ll happen sooner or later, and when it does…
    _____
     
    Even after a shower and clean clothes, Dennis felt like hell. He got a mug of coffee, dragged himself into McKuen’s office and plopped on the sofa.
    “Looks like I got something for Coil, wanted to run it by you.” McKuen swung around. Dennis took a sip.
    “She asked me a few days ago if I heard anything about H, could I let her know,” he said. “You know, those beach smugglers?”
    “Oh yeah.”
    “Had Zolo ask around. One word came back, you’re never gonna guess.”
    “Not even gonna try.”
    “Montebello.” McKuen’s eyes went hard.
    “Kinda wondered what might happen out there,” he said. “Too big to fold up and go away.”
    “Yeah, thought you’d want to know before I give it to Coil.”
    “Well thanks, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a closed book.”
    “I’m going to use it for leverage, see if I can