Clint rested his arms against the granite table top and sighed.
“Lydia was getting her master’s degree in computer science. She already had a double major in computer science and criminal justice. She intended to go to work for the Federal Ministerial Police. She’s seen the devastation that the drug cartels wreaked on her country and she wanted to fight against them.”
“She’s a computer geek? Like you?” That was from Finn who was looking at him in amazement.
“She’s so much more than just a computer geek. She tried to explain to me how she has this boring degree, but it has a little extra emphasis on cyber-crimes. She’s so full of shit. When we really got to talking, I realized just how good she is. Then I saw what she could do on a computer—pure magic. Plus, she has a network of people that tells me she’s been at this for quite a long time. Long before college. She’s fucking amazing.”
“Been doing a little computer canoodling, have you?” Darius teased.
“She’s been sick. Our boy needed to figure out some kind of way to canoodle,” Finn said grinning broadly.
“Anyway,” Clint said raising his hands. “When this attempt on her life was made, even though it was made by a US Marshall, it still showed any and all Hidalgos are targets. We figured Lydia was the easiest to get to because she wasn’t at the safe house. She wanted to use that. She wants to use herself as bait so we can flush out the bad guys.”
“Again, I say no. Fuck, no!” Drake crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair and plopped his boots onto the table top.
“You wouldn’t last two minutes with her. She’d hand you your dick, Drake.” Clint grinned to himself, imagining Drake trying to tell Lydia what to do.
“You’re pussy-whipped my friend.”
“Call me whatever you want. But you have to call her, brave, and right.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”
Finn chuckled. Clint couldn’t blame him. Drake was damn near pouting.
“Okay, now you understand why the woman is so adamant she participate in taking these bastards down. And of course I’m not going to allow her to use herself as bait. But, I am going to have her be a very active participant in finding a way to give her life back. We have to cut the head off this cartel and it’s Alfonso Guzman.”
“She must’ve been incensed when she found out her dad was working with the cartel,” Darius said as he perused the file Grogan had left.
“That’s another thing that’s so impressive. She is loyal to a fault. I’m positive she’s pissed, but she barely says a word against her father.” Clint caught glimpses of Lydia’s anger, but she almost always tamped it down. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? In the end, he tried to do the right thing.”
“I wonder how much of it was due to Lydia.” Darius turned over one of the papers in the file and started skimming the next.
“I don’t think she had any idea what he was into. But I think it was probably because of her he tried to make things right,” Clint agreed.
“Okay, she’s part of the team. Now what do we do to make sure that absolutely nothing fucking happens to harm one fucking hair on her fucking head?” Everybody stared at Drake.
“How do you really feel?” Finn finally asked.
“Step one is to split up the family. They are expecting we will be keeping them together, and that stops immediately.” Clint pressed a button on his computer, and his screen displayed on the wall. It showed a map of the US, in the middle of Texas was a star.
“Okay, so does each one of them go with one of us?” Drake asked. “Who goes where?”
“We have to keep Mr. Hidalgo with the US Marshalls. But, they will have one of you with them. Since he’s going to be testifying the Marshalls wouldn’t let him out of their sight. Beth will be the one staying in Texas. She’s going to San Antonio.”
“So four of us are going to be utilized?” Darius asked.
“Negative,” Mason answered. “Captain Hale has a mission that requires three of us to ship out in forty-eight hours. Clint can explain how this will work.”
“Mason has been thinking of bringing a sixth person onto our team, and this is an opportunity to test him out. His name is Jack Preston.” Clint smiled when even Drake gave a nod of approval.
“Jack’s family has a ranch in San Antonio. Beth is going to go with him. Finn, you’re going to be attached to Mr. and Mrs. Hidalgo.”
“You’re not splitting them up?”
“Lydia said it would be too much of a strain on her mom if she was separated from her dad. She’d know. You’ll be going to Chicago.”