Dead Man's Land Jack Patterson (classic novels txt) 📖

to know. It’s dangerous for you to stay here any longer. You need to get out of the country while you still can.”

Cal cocked his head and eyed the man. “And why is that?”

“There are some things happening right now that could create trouble for you within the next day or two.”

“Such as?”

“I can’t go into details.”

Cal sighed. “What? It’s above my pay grade?”

“Actually it’s a matter of national security.”

“Whose national security?”

The man looked over his shoulder and then refocused on Cal and Kelly. “Look, if you’re going to ignore my suggestion and stay here, at least be helpful and find out what Prado really knows.”

Cal looked at Kelly and they exchanged bewildering glances.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Cal said.

“The murder that Prado witnessed—that’s the reason they brought him back. Find out what he knows and get out of here. There are going to be some disturbances occurring on this island in the next couple of days, and if you’re still here, the Cuban government might find a way to use two American journalists as scapegoats, if you know what I mean.”

Cal stamped his foot. “No, I don’t know what you mean because you keep speaking in some code, like I’m supposed to know what’s really going on.”

The man looked behind him again. “Just heed my warning. You won’t want to be around when everything goes down. It’s going to get ugly, especially for your baseball player friend.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re just going to have to trust me.”

The man turned and slipped back onto the street and seemed to vanish.

Cal and Kelly returned to their hotel room. Once they shut the door, Kelly wasted no time.

“What was that all about?”

Cal held up his index finger on one hand, while putting his other index finger to his lips. “Shhh.” Then he mouthed, “They might be listening.”

He grabbed her hand and led her into the bathroom where he turned on the water in the bathtub and the sink. “If our room is bugged, we can’t talk about that.”

“Who was that guy?” she asked.

“I have no idea.”

“Do you think we should get out of here, like he suggested?”

Cal shrugged. “We still haven’t got what we came for, which is an interview with Prado. We need to hear his side of the story, even if it is just parroting what he said yesterday at the game. I want to look in his eyes and determine if he’s lying or not.”

“And then what? Just leave Prado here when all hell is about to break loose?”

“Only if you believe mystery man. Who knows if he’s telling the truth? He could be a total crackpot for all we know.”

“Well, I’m not leaving without him.”

“And how exactly do you intend on getting Prado out of the country with us? In a suitcase?”

She took a deep breath. “If I have to.” She paused. “We need to figure something out. We can’t just leave him here.”

“Maybe he wants to stay here. His daughter is here.”

“He was trying to make a new life for himself before all this happened. If he does make it, he’ll be able to pay someone to bring her out as well.”

Cal shook his head. “I don’t know. How are we going to arrange that on such a short notice? We can’t exactly take him with us as a member of our mission team—a team we’re not even really spending much time with.”

“Call someone, Cal. You know plenty of people. Maybe someone in the underworld can help you.”

“I spend all my time dragging people in the underworld into the light. I’m not exactly someone they want to talk to.”

She batted her eyes at him. “Just do it for me,” she pleaded. “Please?”

“Okay, when you beg like that—I’ll make a few calls. But if we get caught—” Cal’s voice trailed off.

“I know, I know. It’s a big risk.”

“We have to think about Maddie, too. This isn’t just about us on some wild adventure. Our daughter is the most important thing in our life. You’re the one who’s helped me realize that I need to place safety first.”

“I know. And I’m sure Isabel is the biggest thing in Prado’s life too, which is why he’s trying to make a better life for her. We can’t just leave him here in this godforsaken place. I think we can do this and be safe.”

He cut his eyes toward her. “All right. I’ll go along with this for you—and for him. But there’s no room for error here.”

Kelly waved him off. “Don’t worry about the details. You just figure out a way to sneak him off the island and back home. I’ll take care of the rest.”

CHAPTER 33

PRADO KICKED AT THE DUSTY cell floor and cursed under his breath. A perfect plan had gone sideways—and he was left to wonder how. He’d never heard of the Cuban government retrieving a player who’d defected. If he had, it certainly would’ve made him think twice about his plan to escape. Now regret was the only thing to keep him company in his cell.

How could I have been so stupid?

He wanted to see Isabel again and kiss her soft chubby cheeks. He lay back on his cot and closed his eyes, conjuring up images of her in his mind. She danced and giggled—and he picked her up. A smile crept across his face before the clanging of metal snapped him back to reality.

“Get up. It’s time to go,” one guard said while another rushed in and put handcuffs on him.

“Where are we going?” Prado asked.

“Just keep walking and keep your mouth shut, traitor,” the guard said as he shoved Prado forward.

Prado shuffled along the hall, stumbling forward with each push from the guard.

He muttered a quick prayer underneath his breath, hoping it wasn’t the end.

A big door swung open and they were heading into the lobby where plenty of activity was taking place. Other criminals were being processed. Police officers scurried about with file folders and