Gabriela had to ask. “Who is Jones?”
“Malik Jones. You’ve met him.” Dylan grinned. “He’s the big black dude who was my black-market sales assistant.”
Gabriela remembered him, of course. “I guess he knows you pretty well.”
“I guess he does.”
Tower got back to business. “Here are some things you two should know. Ruiz’s death has caused serious instability. In the past twenty-four hours, a cartel war has broken out along the border. There have been more than a dozen killings, part of a power struggle.”
Gabriela had expected that.
“What I’m about to tell you now is classified.” Tower’s gaze moved from Gabriela to Dylan and back. “Luis Sánchez has asked the US to enter him into witness protection. He wants to turn state’s evidence for the DEA against the cartel and his brother-in-law, who is, as you know, the president of Venezuela.”
Gabriela gaped at Tower, trying to grasp what he’d just said. “He…what?”
Tower repeated it. “That’s what you accomplished by killing Ruiz, Ms. Marquez. The cartel blames Sánchez. He’s smart enough to know he won’t survive long without help. You did one hell of a job—both of you. Enjoy the champagne. You earned it.”
Tower left the two of them alone.
“I can’t believe it.” Gabriela looked up at Dylan. “Sánchez giving evidence against the Andes Cartel and the president? This could bring the entire regime down.”
Dylan smiled, brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Maybe you’ll be able to go back to Venezuela sooner than you think.”
And for the first time in so long, Gabriela felt hope for her parents’ homeland.
* * *
The flightto Miami lasted a little more than three hours.
Dylan could see Gabriela’s spirits slipping as they prepared to land. “When you get a phone, call me. I’ve got a lot of time off coming, so I’ll be around.”
“No missions for a while?”
“Not for a couple of weeks, at least. How about you?”
“I imagine I’ll have a few months off. I’ve got to put my life back together again—find an apartment, get hooked up to utilities and WiFi, buy a car, probably spend some time with my parents here in Miami.”
“They’d better give you a medal.” He didn’t know if the CIA gave medals.
“I don’t think they’re going to be as pleased with me as Mr. Tower was. If I’d stayed indoors and let them take the journalists, I wouldn’t have been abducted. None of this would have happened. You’d have left on the helicopter with the rest of your team.”
“Maybe not. We might not have found the hostages. Remember thatyouprovided the intel that enabled us to move quickly to rescue them.”
Tower looked up from his tablet. “I have a lot of respect for the Agency, but sometimes it can be too focused on narrow objectives. No one on Cobra’s team would face a reprimand for trying to protect the lives or freedom of US citizens.”
That made her smile. “Thank you.”
Dylan lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You’ve faced scarier assholes. You can take those bastards.”
Their flight had no sooner landed than Tower passed on gate information to Gabriela. “An Agency representative is waiting for you there. I’ll escort you.”
“Thanks.” Gabriela shook Tower’s hand. “And thank you for all that you and Cobra have done on my behalf.”
Dylan waited for Tower to disembark, but the idiot just stood there. “Tower, man, don’t you need to use the restroom or something?”
Tower got the hint. “I’ll be on the tarmac.”
Dylan waited until he was gone, then drew Gabriela into his arms and kissed her, drawing it out, making it last, not wanting to let her go. “I don’t know where this will take us, but you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Don’t let those bastards at Langley get you down. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”