"At least his parents and other relatives survived. He sacrificed himself to protect them," Lieutenant Lopez said as he walked over to the group after escorting his wife and two sons back to the barracks. His voice carried the weight of Colonel Martinez's story. "This is a hopeless war. There's no victory in sight."
Jack exchanged a look with Jason, noting the heavy expression on Lopez's face. He decided to offer some reassurance. "That's why we're here—to help you fight them. Don't lose hope. We've already made some progress, haven't we?"
"Damn it! Dante Vega is just a nobody—a lackey who collects cash for Doza. A 'bagman.'" Mandy Ellis stormed out of the interrogation room, grabbing Jason's water bottle and downing it in one gulp.
By "bagman," she referred to low-level gang members tasked with collecting protection fees from local businesses. Despite his flashy clothes and luxury car, Dante Vega was just a minor player who rarely, if ever, saw Doza in person.
Within hours, anyone linked to Vega would sever all ties. If this were on U.S. soil, Jack might have been able to follow the trail up the chain of command. But in Mexico, relying on the fractured and inefficient official institutions was a futile endeavor. By the time any lead surfaced, it would likely be too late.
The Latina woman captured earlier, part of one of Doza's many hit squads, proved equally unhelpful. These small groups, resembling mercenaries, had to prove their loyalty to Doza before being formally absorbed into his cartel.
In essence, neither the captured woman nor the three gunmen Jack had killed were even formal members of the cartel. Jack spent nearly two hours interrogating her, only to hear yet another tragic backstory: a beauty pageant contestant who fell into drug addiction and was coerced by her boyfriend.
It was a cliché. Any failed South American female drug dealer could tell a similar tale. The successful ones became queenpins; the failures ended up hustling for $20 in the slums.
After handing the "hitwoman" over to Colonel Martinez's team, Jack joined Mandy Ellis and Rita Alfaro to review the day's findings. Dante Vega had provided a list of names—mostly low-level enforcers and a handful of mid-tier operatives. While not groundbreaking, it was worth verifying each one.
Rita Alfaro's team at CISEN (Mexico's Center for Investigation and National Security) had made some progress, towing back Dante Vega's white Mercedes and extracting its GPS data. Jack was now cross-referencing the movements of Vega with the list of suspected Doza-controlled businesses in the area.
"Why would a low-level bagman frequently visit a talent agency?" Jack asked, pointing to a specific location on his screen.
"What do you mean?" Rita Alfaro leaned in, intrigued.
"This Reyes Talent Agency," Jack said, tapping on the company name.
"Can you dig up information on this agency? As much detail as possible, especially any connections to Doza," Jack said, stretching. His joints cracked audibly as he stood. "I need a walk. I'm going stir-crazy in here."
"I'll join you. Two days in this room, and I can barely breathe," Mandy Ellis said, following Jack out of the operations center.
On the rooftop, Jason was already waiting, staring blankly at Sonny, who was playing soccer with Lopez's two sons on the field below.
"Anything new?" Jason asked, addressing Mandy rather than Jack. His question wasn't about the Doza investigation.
"Nothing so far. Colonel Martinez's wife and kids are in Spain, and all his and his relatives' assets are clean. No red flags," Mandy replied.
"Lopez's family has a death bounty on them, so he's also in the clear. That leaves us with two possibilities," Jason said cryptically.
Jack had privately shared his suspicion of a mole within their ranks, a theory Jason agreed with. He had also informed Mandy Ellis, whom he trusted after years of working together. While the CIA had a history of dubious dealings, Jason believed Mandy wouldn't stoop to informing a drug lord. The risks were too high for a frontline operative.
"I can vouch that the CIA isn't compromised in this operation. My reports lacked detailed action plans, and the timeline doesn't align. Doza's response was too fast," Mandy explained. Despite her initial misgivings about Jack's involvement, her objections weren't personal.
The mole had to be someone on the Mexican side. Only three people in Mexico knew the details of their operation against Gonzales: Colonel Martinez, Lieutenant Lopez, and Rita Alfaro. With the first two now cleared, that left only one suspect.
"What's your take on Rita Alfaro?" Jack asked. While he hadn't interacted much with her, he knew Mandy had.
Mandy pondered for a moment. "She's an excellent operative, but I don't know her well. We've had a few casual conversations. Her parents are deceased, and she has no immediate family—no marriage, no children. On paper, she's flawless."
"Flawless, huh?" Jack muttered, repeating the word. "Did she tell you that herself? Have you verified it?"
Mandy shook her head. "Not yet. She's a trained intelligence officer, so it'll take time to dig into her background without tipping her off."
"Do what you do best, Mandy," Jason said gravely. "If we don't root out Doza's mole, they'll eventually set a trap we won't see coming."
Years of experience told Jason that danger was looming.
Unaware of the Americans' suspicions, Rita Alfaro handed Jack a file half an hour later.
"I think we might have a lead," Jack said after skimming the file. He circled several points and handed it to Mandy.
An hour later, everyone gathered in the operations center.
"The Reyes Talent Agency is owned by a highly successful businesswoman, Carla Reyes," Mandy began, standing before a screen displaying a photo of a poised, middle-aged Latina. Though older, she exuded sophistication, dressed in designer clothes.
"Why do you sound sarcastic? Like you're putting air quotes around 'highly respected'?" Ray Perry quipped, lounging casually in a folding chair.
"Because I am," Mandy replied. "The agency primarily recruits beautiful women, grooms them as models or celebrities, and connects them with so-called 'high society.'"
Rita Alfaro clicked a remote, displaying images of stunning women with striking figures.
"A glorified pimp?" Clay Spencer whistled suggestively.
"So what's the issue with Carla Reyes?" Jason asked.
Under the watchful eyes of Mandy and Rita, Jack cleared his throat and explained. "I found it odd that a low-level bagman like Dante Vega frequently visited such an upscale talent agency. Upon re-interrogating him, he admitted the women there were out of his league. However, he often ran errands for Carla Reyes, delivering these women to high-end clubs or luxury hotels."
Ray Perry nodded. "So you're saying Reyes' agency is actually a Doza front, supplying women to keep his mid- and high-level operatives loyal?"
"Exactly," Jack confirmed. "While there's no overt connection between Reyes and Doza on paper, Vega claims her agency serves as a tool to maintain internal loyalty within Doza's cartel."
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American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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