This was it. He had seconds left to convince them he could salvage what he’d lost. If he couldn’t…
“What if we don’t walk away?” Sal blurted, his question echoing off the cellar’s stone walls.
Emilio’s movements halted. With his weight on his expensive heels, he turned and faced Sal once more. “What are you suggesting?”
“What if we take them?”
“The cards?” Felix’s dark brows bunched together. “Are you deaf or just stupid?”
“I’m not talking about taking the cards.” Sal kept his eyes on the man in charge. “I’m talking about taking the tourists.”
Felix released a low curse. “Just let me shoot him, Emilio,” he grumbled. The gun was still pointed directly at Sal’s head. “This idiot’s wasted enough of our ti—”
“Wait.” Their boss raised his left hand. “I want to hear him out.”
“He probably doesn’t even have a plan. This is all just some lame attempt to save his own ass. Why allow him to manipulate you like this?”
“Why?” Emilio’s narrowed gaze slid in Felix’s direction. “Because I’m still the one in charge.” With the intense reminder still hanging in the air, the dangerous man turned his attention back to Sal. “Go on.”
“There’s another ship planning to arrive a week from tomorrow,” Sal informed him. “Very upscale.”
Felix snorted. “And you plan to what? Board the ship and take everyone hostage?”
“Not everyone.” Sal kept his tone steady despite the desperation turning his blood to ice. “A small group.”
Emilio stared back at him. His expression was unreadable. “Explain.”
“Marcus said registration for the river hike and dune buggy combo excursion was nearly full. I’ve helped my cousin run that exact tour more times than I can count. I know the route, and I know the perfect spot to strike. We ambush the group and hold them hostage until their families have paid.”
Was it risky? Sure. But it wouldn’t be the first time a group of unsuspecting tourists got caught up in such a situation. If others could pull it off, Sal was confident he could, too.
“I’ve researched dozens of incidents just like what I’m suggesting. Nearly every time, the families of the hostages, or the hostages’ governments, paid the demanded ransom. We’re talking twenty people, Emilio. We demand a million for each person, we’ll bring in more than six times the amount of money we lost.”
“You mean, the moneyyoulost by wasting our time going after the wrong guy.” Felix, the bastard, brought his fuck-up back into the equation. “Not to mention you’re talking twenty tourists against you and your cousin. Will you and Marcus be prepared if those people fight back?”
Still down in his humiliating position, Sal shot the arrogant man a look. “Fight back with what? The tourists won’t be armed, Felix. Theycan’tbe. Customs would never allow them through.”
And even if someone did manage to make it past Customs, ship security would catch up to them when they attempted to board.
“And it wouldn’t only be my cousin and me,” Sal explained. “There are others. Men I trust with my life.”
“That’s good, considering your life is, in fact, on the line.” Emilio took a step toward him as he mulled over the idea. “Let’s say I agreed to this plan of yours. Where would we hold the hostages?”
“Same place we hold our other merchandise.”
“The old warehouse?” Felix huffed out a loud breath. “This is insane, Emilio. He’s talking about deliberately bringing a bunch of witnesses into the heart of our operation. What happens if one of them gets free and—”
“It’s no greater risk than using that same warehouse to hold our other product before moving it,” Sal quickly assured both men. “Marcus and I will personally keep the hostages secured in the north side until we get the money.”
Marcus was the only member of his family he was still in contact with. He was also the one he’d ever been able to count on.
“And after?” Emilio’s interest gave Sal hope when he’d thought all was lost.
He looked up at his boss with earnest. “After payment is made, we see to it that the hostages disappear.” Just like all the others.
Only these captives wouldn’t be sold as sex slaves like the others. Unless…
Another idea struck. A brilliant, potentially ass-saving idea.