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“I can’t get him to cough up the details. He’s being close-mouthed about this one.”
Ben came to the threshold. “Bridget might have something.”
Finally. Maybe they were about to get a much-needed break.
Trace and Nico followed him into the living room. “What did you find?” Trace asked her.
“One of the variations on the five names Hugo has been using to buy property around Ciudad de Oro is Julio Vargas. Yes, I know it’s a common name in Mexico. However, Julio appeared out of nowhere and bought a plot of land that just happens to have a warehouse on it. The warehouse has been empty for years and the city government was so happy to unload that white elephant, they didn’t care who bought it or what the plans were for its use. Didn’t hurt that he paid for everything in cash.”
“Did you notice something out of the ordinary aside from the cash purchase?” Nico asked.
“Out of all the warehouses in and around Ciudad de Oro, this was the only property with no activity until last week. A place that held no interest for anyone has a contingent of guards all of a sudden. Traffic picked up in the area, but the warehouse is not on a main thoroughfare. The electricity was turned on last week and water restarted but no renovations. There’s no record of the type of business to operate out of the place.”
“Definitely unusual,” Joe said.
“That’s not all. I talked to Zane about accessing the Fortress satellite, which is amazing and fun, by the way.”
Trace chuckled, as did the rest of Shadow.
“Anyway, he talked me through the process and I captured several images to show you.” She set the laptop on the coffee table and her fingers flew over the keyboard. An image of a large warehouse filled the screen as the operatives crowded around her. “It took a while, but I found the schematics for the building when it was built. I haven’t found a permit to renovate the warehouse since it was built. However, the city fathers aren’t known for their honesty. If someone paid officials enough money, a permit could have been lost in transit.”
“You said the warehouse is heavily guarded?” Ben glanced at her.
“See for yourself.” More finger strokes and the screen contained a wider view of the area.
Trace frowned. Fifteen men guarded the property, not including any stationed inside the warehouse itself. “AR-15s. Can you zoom in? We need to see what else they’re carrying.”
A moment later, the view went to a split screen with closeup photos of two men. Both wore black pants and t-shirts. Aside from the rifles, they carried two handguns each, one in a shoulder holsters, the second strapped to thighs.
Ben pointed at a section of the screen. “Zoom in on that portion.”
Bridget adjusted the picture and moved out of the way so the operatives could see the enhanced still shot on the screen.
Nico whistled.
Bridget looked at Trace, an unspoken question in her eyes.
“The guards have grenades”
“Grenades?” Blood drained from her face.
Joe scowled. “Are you kidding me? Hugo must be an idiot. You can’t use grenades around gas unless you have a death wish.”
“You’re sure the warehouse has been inactive until last week?” Nico asked as he studied the photo.
“That’s what my information indicates.”
Trace looked at his team leader. “You think the warehouse is empty aside from the gas?”
“Maybe. Looks like he planned a major move even before we took out his father. However, I doubt Hugo has filled his warehouse with weapons yet. His father hasn’t been dead long.” He frowned. “Why hasn’t Hugo announced plans for his father’s funeral?”
“He claims his father wanted his ashes to be spread over the ocean,” Bridget said. “Supposedly, Pedro didn’t want a funeral and Hugo is honoring his wishes.”
Joe grunted. “That man doesn’t know anything about honor.”
“Do you speak Spanish, Bridget?” Sam asked.
She shook her head. “Zane installed translation software on my computer. I’ve been using that to translate documents and conversations I found on the Internet. I don’t know if Hugo’s assertion of his father’s wishes is true, but Pedro’s people are going along with the plan. Hugo is more focused on ramping up his place in the gunrunning business than he is on handling his father’s affairs.”
