“As recently as within the past two weeks, sir.”
Abundio sat back, nodding.“Ask Armando for my personal laptop and put all of that information on there, please.And show him where it is to show me.”
“Yes, sir.Did you have any other questions?”
Abundio stared into space for a moment.“Many, but likely none you can answer.Not at this time, anyway.”He offered him a wan smile.“I will have more for you to do in the next several weeks, I’m certain.Thank you, that’s all for now.”
“Yes, sir.Thank you.”He closed the laptop, stood, and without being asked returned his chair to its position in front of Abundio’s desk.
Abundio watched as the man absurdly tried to match the position perfectly, obviously looking at the indentations in the rug, finally prompting Abundio to laugh.
“Your respect and attention to detail are both noted, but where you have positioned it is fine.”
Pink rose in the man’s cheeks, and he nodded.“Sorry, sir.Thank you.”He took the laptop with him.Moments later, Abundio heard him talking to Armando out in the other room.
Abundio swiveled his chair to stare out the window.
This is not where he anticipated his life to lead.
A missing nephew and his cartel now rudderless.
A traitorous daughter who only had to let Abundio into her thoughts, and he would’ve supported her research.
Although with him directing it, obviously.
Her meeting with a Russian who not only wasn’t, but who should also be dead.
A man who turned out to be the father of one of his mysteriously missing men, a coincidence that absolutely could not be one.
His life currently devoid of an heir to his empire.
He didn’t want his company to be scavenged among his remaining, distant relatives or purchased by a competitor.
He waited for a while until he heard the computer tech finish and leave.Then he turned and stood, rounding his desk as Armando appeared in the office doorway.
“Sir, I have all the information you requested on your laptop.”
“Good.I like that kid.Make sure to pay him well for this.Cash.Say, twenty thousand.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We can trust him?”
“Yes, sir.He was highly vetted by me when he was hired.There is nothing in his background that leads me to believe he has a secret history.”
“Excellent.We’ll utilize him a lot over the next weeks and months.”
“Sir?”
Abundio smiled.“We might very well be undertaking a snipe hunt, as they call them, but Iwillhave my curiosity sated and will not stop until then.”Abundio headed toward the stairs.“Also, I want to see Reyes tonight.Here.I don’t care how late it is, and I don’t care if we need to chopper him in.Make sure to emphasize that he is not in trouble.Quite the opposite.I am very satisfied with his performance and wish to discuss expanding his role in the cartel.You may tell him that much, but no more.Also, he’s not to say where he’s going or who he’s meeting with.”
“Yes, sir.I will do it.”Armando left.
At least Abundio knew he could trust that man.His wife and son had been tragically killed in an auto accident several years before, and Abundio moved him into the main house.
In all honesty, he’d hoped Miranda would strike up a relationship with him, although he’d never mentioned it to either of them.Had he, he knew Miranda would have resisted simply to be willful.
That won’t be possible now.
