Failed State (A James Winchester Thriller Book 1) (James Winchester Series) James Samuel (best book clubs txt) 📖

Failed State

A James Winchester Thriller Book One

Copyright © James Samuel 2021

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter One

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Charcoal smudged the bloody sky as the sun set over Mexico City. The slums stirred to life as criminals went to work. The streetlights switched on all at once, lighting the way down the main avenues. In the safer northern borough of Gustavo A. Madero, a young, little-known senatorial candidate, climbed down from a train at the La Raza metro station. The newspapers deemed her the favourite to take the senate seat in next month’s election.

“That’s her,” said Fernando Gomez.

“Go.” Alex Parejo, his boss, touched him on the shoulder.

Despite the setting sun, most Mexicans had barely finished work. La Raza’s usual chaos spiked as a great mass descended on all platforms and clogged the tunnels leading to the surface. This part of Mexico City experienced little serious crime. The elderly populated this district, escaping the notice of drug smugglers and hitmen.

Fernando butted people out of the way with his shoulder as he shadowed Luna Carrea. Few knew the candidate by her small stature or dark eyes, which is why she walked around in public at all. No easily recognisable Mexican politician would be stupid enough to walk the streets alone.

Carrea strode through the long tunnel decorated with images of space exploration on her right flank. She didn’t look over her shoulder, safe in the knowledge that La Raza posed no danger. Fernando had followed her for the past couple of nights. Strictly speaking, she only came to Mexico City to visit her mother, but his bosses knew what else she was up to.

The crowds blocked the stairs, and Carrea slowed to try to force her way through the mob of Mexicans hurrying for the buses. It gave Fernando the chance to hover within a few feet of her. Her jet-black hair hung halfway down the back of her smart business suit. He thought he detected a hint of lavender wafting from her skin.

Fernando slowed to avoid overtaking her. He felt Alex watching him closely. If he carried out this job correctly, he would certainly get his promotion to the sicarios, and then who knew how far he would go?

Carrea pushed her way onto the street above. La Raza exited onto a long avenue, with two lanes of traffic on each side. Fernando knew he had to take care. There were few places to hide on this avenue. Carrea turned the corner and Fernando lingered, allowing her to gain some distance.

“Should I call the car?” Alex loomed up behind him.

The streetlight above shined directly on Alex, his tattoos appearing like bands of leather wrapped around his neck and face.

“Five minutes.” Fernando nodded. “It’s too dangerous on this street. There are too many people and nowhere for the car to stop. This is where the police patrol.”

“It’s your job.” Alex leered at him. “Just remember, there will be consequences if things go wrong.”

Fernando straightened up and tried to look determined. He knew the penalties for failure within the Santa Maria de Guadalupe cartel. The upper echelons of the cartel hierarchy had hesitated over entrusting the job to him in the first place. Only Alex’s intervention had given him the opportunity his peers spent a lifetime waiting for.

“I don’t understand why we’re doing this,” said Fernando without thinking.

A stream of slurs whistled between Alex’s clenched lips. “She’s no friend of ours. We want friends in high places. She won’t cooperate, so we solve the problem. That’s all you need to know.”

He cowered at Alex’s eruption. No, it didn’t matter whether he understood or not. It wasn’t any of his business. Whatever his bosses wanted he would carry out without question.

“Go, you don’t want to lose her.”

Fernando continued tailing Carrea with Alex’s rebuke ringing in his ears. Even though she wore heels, she had travelled almost four blocks by the time he resumed the hunt. He eyed the police station huddled underneath the bridge. Those were no mere police officers but the Federal authorities; much harder to corrupt and far better trained.

His gaze didn’t linger long enough to risk attracting the attention of the officers smoking outside the station. The entrance to the highway bordered him on the left. He looked around him and jogged a little as a line of cars zoomed by. With only a couple of blocks between them, he tried to count the seconds in his head. The car would arrive in approximately three minutes. He couldn’t afford to get his timings wrong.

Fernando increased his pace until he came so close he could almost reach out and touch her. He gritted his teeth as he prepared for the final act. Carrea turned around.

He almost stopped too, caught in her suspicious eyes.  By the grace of God, he carried on walking like she hadn’t spooked him. Fernando came level with her. He stared straight ahead and kept moving. Fernando mouthed a silent curse. She’d rumbled him. What was he supposed to