Chapter 39

"How did you know?" she asked.

"There were too many coincidences. The boats just happened to be off shore when he showed up there. You happened to get me away at just the right time. Too many coincidences, so you have to be in on it. You had to speak pretty good English to know what we were saying to take advantage of the weaknesses. It just dumped it all on your doorstep. Now, I don't know or care about your money, what I care about is my reputation for never having lost a client. So I'm going to bring him back. What I really want to know is why he ran."

"We could not get into the United States because of what happened in our homeland years ago. We could get in to testify before the UN on war crimes. We agreed to name names, but we don't know anything. When my husband tells the UN that, they will ship us home and probably to a prison.

So we get in this country and we run. Since we are paying you to hide us, we expect to walk away from here. Instead you demand we stay here until we testify as a condition of letting us into the country.

On the first night we heard you argue about the threats all being from the outside. So Tobias decided to see what he could arrange. We would run away find a place to settle, buy new identifications and we just stay. Illegals are no big deal to your government.

My task was to distract the compound sitter, which I am sorry to say was you. Tobias though you would be perfect. He doesn't understand that women understand schemes better than men. We are the number one schemers." she said.

"Well, you are going back to the old country no matter what. So what can you tell me, and remember I have no problem using this cleaver," I said.

"Oh I do believe you, that is why Tobias told me nothing," She said.

"Bullshit, you would never have led me into those woods, without a plan to get you out as well," I informed her.

"He said he would work out something once he was settled. He left me one bank account with enough money for bribes," she said. "That is the one I was moving around earlier."

"He was never intending to come back for you. It is good that he left you money, but I bet you find he tried to block it but was too late. He left money, so that you wouldn't talk. Once he doesn't need you, he will try to grab that money as well. If that didn't at least cross your mind, you wouldn't have moved it when I suggested it.

"Who provided the boats?" I asked.

"Tobias never told me. He didn't want you to force me to talk," Ginger said.

"Ginger right about now you want to be turned over to the authorities. Because I am seriously thinking I don't need you any more. When I am sure I have all the information from you, it one of two things. If you tell me everything you know, and convince me that you have, I will turn you over to the FBI. If on the other hand, I have to damage you to get that information. I can't very well deliver damaged merchandise to the FBI now can I?"

I waited a long time for her to rethink her position. "Where was he going from here?" I asked.

"Somewhere in Florida. I swear," she said trying to win favor with me. "That is all the told me he didn't even know where."

"Who supplied the boats?" I asked.

"I honestly do not know," she said.

"How did Fred contact them?" I asked. "Before you answer you better hope I'm going to believe you."

"He had the address of a few mercenaries from our country, Ones who fled to the states after the rebellion," she said.

"Which one did he call?" I asked.

"He didn't call anyone. He handled it all on the Internet," she said. "He took his Netbook with him when he left."

"You will give me his contact information now," I said making it obvious that things were about to take a turn for the more violent.

"I can't. You can do anything. I still won't tell," she said.

"You will talk. It's just a matter of how many body parts you have left." Without another word, and with a single blow, I swung the cleaver to bury itself in the table top. I also grabbed her pinkie finger and broke it. I imagine the pain was substantial but at least the finger would heal and I proved the point. She screamed and the guard rushed in.

"Everything is fine. She has about nine more joints to go," I said to the guard. I held my breakfast down barely. I was glad we had skipped lunch. I wasn't real sure that I could do it again, even if she didn't talk.

"How are you going to contact him, and who furnished the boats?" I asked.

"I don't know who furnished the boats, but I know he is a Mercenary from the old country. He is some kind of gangster here I think. I swear that is all I know." she said.

"How do you plan to contact him?"

"I can't tell you that," she said.

"I trust you on that, but I can't turn you over the FBI now. So if you have no more information for me, I guess I will have to kill you. After that I will feed you to the fish out there in the lake." I said. I removed the pistol and got ready to kill her. I was not nearly as bothered by a dead body as one screaming in pain.

"Wait, if I tell you how to find him, will you let me leave," she asked.

"Of course, not right away, but you won't be harmed. I promise." It was all bullshit, but she wanted to believe it and it made her easier to control.