Warriors in Paradise
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Authors: Luis E. Gutiérrez-Poucel
Tags: #Mystery, #Thriller, #Suspense, #Action & Adventure, #Acapulco, #Washington DC
Warriors in Paradise
Luis E. Gutiérrez-Poucel
Copyright © 2014 Luis E. Gutierrez-Poucel
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 150083615X
ISBN 13: 9781500836153
Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back—
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
—Rudyard Kipling
And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
—Haruki Murakami
Dedication
For my children:
Never stop dreaming.
Sometimes some dreams do actually come true.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Fighting in Paradise
Morning
Lunch and gym
Night promises
Acaquila and good tequila
A damsel in distress
Friends in Paradise
Morning
Santi’s flashback
Noon
Afternoon
A rainy rematch
Dinner
Who are we?
Dancing
Morning
Skiing
Afternoon
Home sweet home
Shower heaven
Food and lies
Chapter 4: Independence Day Party
Noon’s morning
Breakfast in Paradise
Moving in
Park and shop
Afternoon night
Independence Day party
Chapter 5: The Death of a Road
Sand, salt, and Santi
Walrus, golem, and Charlie
Trash, Valentina, and Caleb
Santa Cruz Clinic
The prosecutor
Waking the Beast
Decision time
Boarding the yacht
Talking to the captain
Talking to the lawyer
The loves and hates of Nicanor Toro
Helicoptering to Mexico City
The Mexican Bull
Good, better, and best
The Bull’s lair
The Bull’s staff
Mama’s boys call home
Charlie’s flashback
Charlie talks to Mom
Uncle to the rescue
Catching the Praying Mantis
Talking to the Praying Mantis
Chapter 8: Deeper into the Rabbit Hole
Friends and family
The Warrior Gene
Driving to Vienna
Talking to Mom
Planning the plan
A little help from a friend
Caleb flies again
Paying a visit to a friend
Catching the Wolf
Talking to the Wolf
Life is but a mirror
What a puzzle
Caleb’s flashback
Beginnings of a plan
Illusion and disguise
The field before the battle
The plan
Plan busted by reality
The Blue Unicorn
Terry
New light
Breakfast with American royalty
Catch a sack of bad luck
The first call
The fixer
The second and third calls
Preparing for the exchange
The trade
Getting together
The girls tell their story
Parting ways
Back to where it all started
Turmoil in Paradise
Chapter 13: An Unfriendly Visit
No sleep for the weary
A doctor for my friend
Seven deadly sinners
Good-bye, lover
Dealing with chaos
A farewell for Sandra
Night after day
Acknowledgments
Special thanks are due to
Charles Woodruff, Joe Wroblewski, Ricardo Halperin,
Gloria Silvestre Khokar, Douglas Tracht, and Rebecca Poucel.
And my eternal gratitude to the Gutierrez Bunch,
Lester, Christopher, Cassandra, and Sabrina,
particularly to my partner in crime, Marie-Louise.
Thank you all for your patience and for putting up with me.
Prologue
Acapulco, Guerrero, México
“T
here are too many people here,” the Mexican said. “Let’s take this elsewhere.”
Charlie responded, “Let’s do that, little man.”
The Mexican wasn’t small, but Charlie was trying to rattle him. He was about six feet two inches compared to Charlie’s six feet five inches. He wore a blue shirt, white pants, and white sneakers. He had Mediterranean good looks, the type of face that could pass for Spanish, French, Italian, or Mexican. He had a large forehead; thin, straight, dark brown hair; bushy eyebrows; brown eyes, long eyelashes; a straight, narrow nose; a small mouth with smiling lines; a chiseled chin; and medium-size ears with some scarring. He looked like an action actor or a muscular wrestler. He was around Charlie and Caleb’s age. He weighed 220 pounds compared to Charlie’s 250 pounds.
They exited the nightclub, turned right onto a side street and walked all the way to the end under the infuriating drizzle. The night was hot and humid. By the time they got there, they were soaking wet from sweat, rain, and humidity. The Mexican said to them with a smile, “There is still time for you girls to walk away.”
Caleb appeared indifferent.
The little shit’s arrogance and confidence annoyed Charlie. Charlie laughed and responded, “Why don’t you walk away, you little son of a bitch?”
“OK,” the Mexican answered, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Who wants to go first?”
He had challenged Charlie, and Charlie was upset by the rain and the night that had not lived up to his expectations, so he was going to take out his frustration on the Mexican.
Charlie said, “I’ll go first, since I’m sure it will be your last, because you’re going down on your ass in ten seconds flat.”
The Mexican responded with his irritating smile. “Bring it on, pretty boy.”