Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) by Freya Barker Page B

most of the time, except that last day when he came into my room. He was scared and it was the first time I’d seen anyone come to visit him."
    We've been at this for a couple of hours now in the conference room at the GFI office. Gus had called Caleb in earlier to 'go over things' and seemed a bit taken aback when I showed up in tow. Before I could justify being there, Caleb calmly stated that since I was already involved, possibly had information to add, and given I’m a fully qualified investigator working for GFI, he failed to see why I shouldn't be present. The men locked eyes for a moment in what seemed to be a silent power struggle, but Gus broke it by giving Caleb a nod and turning to me with an apologetic grin. Men.
    So for a couple of hours, I've been immersed in all things cartel; learning about the downed airplane and the possible connection with the Klesh, a known gang based out of Shiprock, and apparently headed by none other than Caleb's brother. One of the men killed in the crash in Shiprock was the younger brother of this guy, Ernesto―the creep who was hanging around Larchwood. Jesus, sometimes the world is too small. The picture Gus showed me confirms it though. Although grainy, there's no doubt in my mind it's the same guy, and that leads to this current line of questions.
    "Why have their father, if Juan really is their father, in a home in Grand Junction? Why not closer to home?" I want to know.
    "Few reasons I could think of; one being that the likelihood of anyone knowing who he is in Colorado is far less than back home in Mexico. Another possibility is that having their father set up in Grand Junction gave them an excuse to travel into the country on a regular basis. Providing him with the best possible care would've been a valid point to having him placed in the States as opposed to back home. Could be a combination of the two, I don't know, but I do know that they wouldn't want someone privy to the ins and outs of cartel business to start slipping up on information due to a mind that is failing."
    I’m stunned when I look at Gus.
    "What do you mean 'someone privy to the ins and outs of cartel business’? Juan? That sweet little old man? You're shitting me. He wouldn't hurt a fly. For fuck's sake, he was flirting with me every day. I even talked about my daily progress on finding my biological parents with him."
    "That 'sweet little old man' is the one who built the cartel up almost from the ground, and on the bodies of hundreds, Katie."
    An involuntary shiver runs down my back. Holy shit. Never looking at seniors the same way again, I can tell you that.
    "Okay," Caleb interjects, "so we know who all the players are on the cartel side, and it's up to me to figure out if and how it ties in with the Klesh and Shiprock. We also need to make sure you stay safe, Katie. The killing of the nurse worries me. Was she a witness to something?"
    "She was actually the one that warned me to stay away from Ernesto; told me he was a creep and she didn't trust him. Apparently, she had tried looking at Juan's files before but was caught by Larchwood's director and threatened. She was pretty scared that night. When I heard she was dead, I thought of him right away."
    I can feel the reassuring squeeze of Caleb's hand on my leg. It helps. Thinking about Sue pulls me down. Finding out Juan was a brutal cartel boss gone soft in the head almost completely crushed my faith in humanity, and in my judgement.
    "Saturday you're heading back down, Caleb?" At Caleb's nod, Gus continues, "Okay, I'll see if I can get Neil to come down here by then. The place above the diner is available. I'll have a talk with Arlene; make sure I can put him up there. I think we may need a bit more manpower. I’m not liking the feel of this case, it has too many inroads into our lives. I also suggest you hit the shooting range, Katie. Don't know how your accuracy is since the injury, but better you find out before rather than after you need