A Touch of Regret by Gary Ponzo

Author:Gary Ponzo [Ponzo, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Jake watched Nick and Matt in front of the car working with the drone while he adjusted the camera on his laptop, getting it ready for wide-angle range. They were trying to locate the Falcon with a hawk. These Audubon illiterates were driving him crazy. Matt held the drone while Nick smoothed out the feathers of the fake hawk, as if anyone would be fooled by the mechanical device.

Nick’s phone buzzed on the console. Jake picked it up and Tommy’s name popped up on the screen. Nick was walking away from the car so Jake answered.

“Hey, Tommy, this is Jake. Nick is outside working with Stevie’s drone.”

“Tell him to forget the drone, I know where Gallardo will be in ninety minutes.”

“Seriously?” Jake said, getting excited.

“Gallardo goes to a cemetery every Sunday after lunch to visit his father’s grave. I’ll text him the location. Tell Nick if you leave right now you can get there before Gallardo arrives.”

Jake’s chest heaved out from anticipation. “Is it in Mexico?”

“Yes, but not far below the border.”

Jake hesitated, thinking things through in his mind, hearing Nick tell him they were not crossing the border to get Bruce.

“You got it?” Tommy asked.

“Yes, of course,” Jake said. “Send over the directions. I’ll give Nick his phone right now. Great work, Tommy.”

# # #

Matt fought with the bottom of the drone, trying to get the lid for the battery case shut securely, while sweat trickled down his cheek. “You know we could have done this in the car where there’s air conditioning.”

“I didn’t think this would take so long,” Nick said. “You need help?”

“No, I’ve almost got it. They spend so much money on the technical stuff, then cut corners on the easy shit like a plastic cover for the batteries.”

The Explorer idled with Jake inside working on the laptop to synch up the drone with the program. Nick glanced over and saw Jake climbing into the front seat. He didn’t think very much about it until the car started rolling backward.

“Uh,” Nick said, watching Jake toss a couple of bottles of water out the window then roll the Explorer straight back and away from Nick and Matt.

“Where is your friend going?” Matt asked.

“He’s not my friend. He’s Stevie’s friend.”

Jake made a hard move and swiveled the SUV into a 180-degree turn, then spun the tires along the desert floor, leaving a dust trail in its wake.

Nick reached into his pocket for his phone. “Fuck. My cell is in there.”

Matt shook his head, while pulling out his phone. “I’ve dealt with terrorists who haven’t caused this much trouble.”

# # #

Jake was on the interstate heading south toward the border when Nick’s phone rang on the console for the tenth time. Each previous time he ignored the call, knowing who it was, but this time he’d made it to the paved highway and felt safer about the conversation.

He tapped the phone and put it on speaker. “Hey, Matt.”

“This is Stevie.”

Jake looked at the display and saw SG this time.

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