Taking Control: Shadows Everywhere

"Welcome," He said standing on the white steps leading into the estate.

It seemed a strange greeting while we were surrounded by men wearing army fatigues and carrying loaded rifles. Even stranger when one considered our haggard appearance and wretched smell. Still, he seemed genuine enough with his wide smile and polite nod of his head. Who he was and why we were there was the top two questions on my mind, but I adopted a wait and see approach.

"You must be exhausted from your journey," He said.

"We were planning on reaching a hotel by tonight," I said.

"You are welcome to stay here for the night. I have made accommodations for you in any case," He said.

"Thanks, but we'd rather find our own place," Jack said.

"Do you always allow your driver to speak for you?" He asked.

Jack raised an eyebrow at me, but wisely kept quiet. I said, "He forgets his place at times. I'll whip him later."

I think Gina almost swallowed her tongue by the look on her face. Fortunately, no one said a word to contradict me. I had the feeling they thought we were some sort of smugglers, and playing into that misconception was our best way out without undue difficulties. It would have been nice if I could have filled everyone in on the plan, but I had to rely on them being smart enough to figure it out on their own.

"Regardless," I said, "My driver is correct, we cannot stay the night."

"I understand, of course," He said leading us inside. "You are free to go after dinner, but perhaps you'd like to freshen up a bit before hand?"

The thought of a shower, even if I had to put the same old clothes back on, was very tempting. On the downside, we did not know what or who we were dealing with and getting naked, wet and soapy under those conditions was a little scary. Refusing the suggestion though, was not only impolite, but consider, if you were having dinner guests, could you eat in the company of four people that had not bathed in several days? All things considered, I figured we had little choice. We would just have to be careful.

"That would be nice," I said.

We were led upstairs by two of his guards. The boys were directed into a room and Gina and I were directed into another. Inside, we found fresh clothing, nice clothing, had been set aside for us and it was unsettlingly in our respective sizes. These people knew way too much about us and we knew far too little about them. Gina and I showered in turn and dressed quickly, leaving us feeling a little dirty still, but infinitely better than when we arrived.

I opened the door to the hallway and discovered a guard standing there, waiting for us. He led us downstairs into the dining hall where Jack and Brian were already waiting with the gentleman who had greeted us. They were smartly dressed in freshly pressed suits and they were clearly pleased at the appearance of our evening gowns. It felt a little like Prom night only I was not sure which one of the boys was supposed to be my date. Brian sat next to me at the table and Jack sat across from me. It was very confusing.

Dinner arrived in the hands of a waiter. He meticulously laid out the platters, and dropped our napkins in our laps. While he worked I watched the man at the head of the table, he seemed slightly nervous. I had reason to be nervous, my companions had reason to be nervous, but what would make this man, who had forced our presence upon himself have to be nervous about? It was a curiosity I had to scratch.

"Forgive my bluntness," I said, while dinner courses were being served to every plate, "but why am I here?"

"Why for dinner of course," He said.

I smiled and shook my head. "Who are you?"

"Your host," He said.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"To enjoy a nice quiet meal with you," He said. "I get so few visitors here. Is it really so much to ask?"

"We are rather pressed for time," I said. "Perhaps another time would work better for all of us."

"Seeing as I allowed you to cross the border, I thought perhaps we might be able to do some other business as well," He said.

"I see," I said, not seeing at all. "What kind of business?"

"Eat first, we'll discuss business after," He said.

He gestured toward the plates and glasses. The food smelled incredibly good, especially so after not having had a decent meal in so long. What stopped me was the way he kept trying to push us toward eating. His own plate was essentially barren and while he had served wine to us, he had only a clear glass of water by his plate. Something was definitely wrong and my instincts were telling me this was one meal I would be happier skipping.

"I think it's time we were leaving," I said, dropping my napkin on the untouched plate of food before me. I pushed my chair back from the table and started to stand. The cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of my head, forcing me back down into my chair.

Our host said, "I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"I suggest you have your man put his gun away and reconsider your position before somebody gets hurt," I said, glaring at our host.

"It is you who should reconsider, Miss West," He said. "I hold all the high cards and if you choose to resist it will only be you and your friends who will get hurt."

His eyes dared me to try something, anything. I turned away from him and exchanged a knowing look with Jack. He was right with me, although I could see a lack of confidence in his eyes. Brian and Gina would catch on quick enough, but if I handled things right, it would be over before it started.

I rocked my chair backward into the man standing behind me. The movement knocked him off balance and shook the gun from head long enough for me to move. I grabbed blindly behind me and caught hold of his tie. Using the momentum of my rocking I yanked hard on the tie until his chest met my shoulder and with a simple shift of weight, I threw him face first onto the table. Jack grabbed for the gun, but it slid off the table and through his fingers, crashing on the floor behind him.

The guards behind Jack went for their guns. A reflection off the newly askew serving tray told me the guards behind me were doing the same. Jack and I moved at the same time. My heel caught on the seat of my chair and I kicked, sending it sliding across the floor into the closest guard behind me. Stumbling on it, he stopped reaching for his gun long enough to throw the chair aside. By the time he was going for his gun again, I was on him. I rammed my knee into his groin and used my momentum to force his fall backward. Slipping my hand beneath his chin I pushed his head back for a solid crunch against the wall.

I ripped the gun from his shoulder holster as he slipped unconscious to the ground. Turning to find the other guard behind me, I was just in time to watch Brian finish him off by smashing his dining chair over the man's head. On the other side of the table Gina was lifted up off the ground and thrown a good three feet to land on top of the table, but she had managed to knock the man's gun away, sending it sliding under the table. Jack was holding his own against the only other guard standing and our host was doing his best to scramble to the exit. I aimed for his butt and pulled the trigger, taking him down and getting everyone's attention.

"Enough!" I said, keeping the gun trained on our host, squirming on the floor while holding his butt. "Get your hands up."

Would you believe it worked? Jack even got a good punch in and the poor guard just stood there and took it. Our host apparently believed the hands up order did not apply to him. I walked over to him and kicked him in the butt, not hard mind you, but just to get his attention. It worked too. He howled.

"Hands up," I said as he glowered up at me.

Reluctantly he moved his hands from their protective, coddling position to above his head. Jack joined me while Gina and Brian went about securing the weapons and guards. It would only be a matter of time before more showed up and although holding their boss was a big advantage, if they thought there was a chance to recapture us without undue risk to him, they might well try it. The less free roaming bodies in the room, the better.

"Now what?" Jack asked.

I asked, "What are you asking me for?"

"Well I just be your lowly driver Miss West," Jack said with a horribly fake southern accent.

"Cute," I said and he replied, "I thought so."

"You want to question him or should I?" I asked.

Jack shrugged and said, "I thought you didn't like my interrogation techniques."

"It's not like we have time for you to yank his fingernails out," I said.

Jack nodded with obvious disappointment, "True," He said.

"What should we call him?" I said.

"He did introduce himself as our host or was that hostess?" Jack said.

"So, Cupcake? Or maybe Ding Dong?" I said.

"I vote for Cupcake," Brian said and Gina added, "Me too."

"Cupcake," I said and nudged him with the toe of my shoe against his wounded backside.

He groaned and said, "Bitch."

Jack said, "I think he knows you."

Ignoring Jack, I said, "I'm going to count to three and if you aren't telling me everything that's going on here and who is behind it, I'm going to give you a third asshole. One."

Cupcake's face blanched and he said, "He'll kill me."

"Not if she kills you first," Jack said and I nodded.

"Two," I said.

Cupcake said, "I was only supposed to keep you hear."

"Why?" Jack asked and I said, "Very good question."

Jack said, "Thank you."

"Really, I would never have thought to ask. It's fortunate you were here," I said.

"I do what I can," Jack said with a shrug.

Cupcake asked, "Are you two insane?"

Jack and I looked at each other and then back down at Cupcake. I said, "Now, that's an odd question from a man about to get shot in the butt because he won't answer a few simple questions."

"Very odd," Jack said nodding.

"Maybe he likes pain," Gina said. "I hear some guys are into that sort of thing."

"Well how does that work?" I asked.

Brian said, "I think that means you shoot him in the ass and then he'll tell you everything."

"Makes sense," Jack said.

I said, "Works for me," And adjusted the gun for a nice shot of his still whole buttock. "Three."

Cupcake said, "Wait!"

"Are you saying you aren't into pain?" I asked.

"Yes," He said and I pointed the gun at the floor, away from his buttock.

"Then you want to tell me everything, right?" I said.

"No," He said.

I pointed the gun back at his buttock and said, "Make up your mind."

Jack said, "He's stalling."

I nodded in agreement, steeling myself to follow through on what was supposed to have been an empty threat. The fact we were not dead said a few things about the intentions of those pulling the strings. If they had just wanted to capture us, they could have done so easily enough right at the border. They moved us to where we were for a reason and Cupcake knew that reason. He might not know he knew, but the devil is always in the details. It was time for him to talk, one way or another.

"Last chance," I said, my finger tightening around the trigger.

"I was supposed to drug all of you and then deliver you to him at the airport," He said. "That's all I know, I swear."

"Who?" I asked.

"I don't know his name," He said.

"What does he look like?" I asked.

"I don't know," He said.

"You aren't being very helpful," I said.

"He always kept to the shadows. I couldn't see his face. His people just called him Sir," Cupcake said.

Jack said, "Sounds like your man in the shadows."

I nodded and Gina said, "Sounds like there is a story here. Care to share?"

"Later," Jack and I said.

"What airport and when?" Jack asked.

"San Cristobal, a half hour from now," He said.

"Isn't that where our team is flying in?" Jack asked, looking at me.

"You can bet that's not a coincidence," I said.

I reached down into Cupcake's jacket and found his cellphone. My fingers dialed Tom's number from memory. Jack raised an eyebrow watching as if to question why I knew the number so well. I ignored him and listened to the ringing, a silent mantra begging Tom to answer echoing in my head. The call switched to his voicemail and I disconnected.

"No answer," I said.