“Can you find it, Jack?” challenged El Pero.

“The entrance is in the kitchen?” replied Jack, looking around. The floor was made from yellow ceramic square pieces of tile. The grouting was a light brown and Jack looked to see if there was an area where the grouting was missing. It all looked in order.

The kitchen table, cluttered with empty beer bottles and a deck of cards was light-weight and easy to see underneath. The countertops were also cluttered with empty beer bottles, a few dishes, and men’s magazines. Nothing seemed particularly out of place.

Jack glanced at the fridge and stove, then looked at Big Al and raised his eyebrows.

“It is not under the fridge or the stove,” replied Big Al smugly.

“Is it okay if I search the rest of the house?” asked Jack, desperately wondering if Lily Rae was nearby.

“No, the entrance is in this room,” said Big Al.

“Then I give up.”

Big Al smiled and went over to a counter. On the wall behind it was an eye-hook from which a key-rack hung. He turned the hook sideways and Jack heard a small click. As this happened, Big Al grabbed the end of the counter and swung it away from the wall. One section of the counter was on hinges, attached to another section of the counter. Big Al then let go of the spring-loaded switch and the hook returned to its upright position.

Jack stepped forward and looked at the shaft that led into the ground from where the counter had hidden it. A ladder on the side of the shaft descended out of sight.

Big Al leaned in the hole and flicked a light switch. “Go ahead, climb down. Berto will show you.”

Jack climbed down the ladder after Berto. The ladder descended about one storey underground. When he reached the bottom, he came to a tunnel about twice the width of his shoulders. Periodic overhead lighting stretched for as far as he could see, given the darkened conditions.

“Wow! This is really something,” said Jack.

“And much cooler down here away from the sun,” replied Berto.

“Speaking of cooler,” said Jack, fishing to see if he would learn any further security details, “the two men upstairs with the automatic rifles are fairly dark. They must spend a lot of time outside in the sun, as well.”

“No, no,” replied Berto. “They are darker because they are not Mexican. They are mercenaries who have come here from South America. There are other teams who supply perimeter security. The house is never left empty.”

“I see. You and Eduardo seemed like friends when you greeted them, so I thought perhaps you were in the military together.”

“We have had similar training, which is what makes us friends,” replied Berto.

“It looks amazing,” said Jack, gesturing with his hand down the tunnel. “I have seen enough to know you are capable of moving a lot of dope.”

“You can walk along it if you like.”

“That’s okay,” replied Jack. “I should be getting back.”

“We have a special cart we use for moving big loads,” said Berto, as they were climbing back up the ladder. “But I think we need two carts. With one, it always seems to be at the wrong side.”

“Then you would have two at the wrong side,” replied Jack.

“You’re probably right,” chuckled Berto.

“So what do you think?” Big Al smiled when Jack reappeared into the kitchen.

“It’s fantastic. What about the other end? Is it well-protected?”

“Yes, much like here,” replied Big Al.

“Absolutely incredible. Your organization is exactly who we want to do business with.”

“That is great, amigo. I will have my men drive you back to your motel now. Señor Damien will be pleased, yes?”

“Yes, but first, is there a bathroom I can use?”

“Around the corner and down at the end of the hall,” gestured Big Al with his thumb.

Jack headed down the hallway. The first room held a laundry tub, under which was a thick lead pipe fastened close to the wall and used as a drain. A pail and bottles of cleaning fluid were in the corner, along with a dirty mop that had bloodstains on it.

Jack grimaced and continued on. The next room was a bedroom and the door was open. He glanced in and saw two mattresses on the floor and a cheap dresser.

The next room down the hall was padlocked shut.

Bingo … Jack nervously looked back to make sure nobody was watching and then held his breath and put his ear to the door and listened. He did not hear anything. Come on Lily … please be alive … We’ll get you out of here …

The sound of movement in the kitchen caught his attention so he quickly continued down to the washroom. He waited a moment, flushed the toilet and returned to the kitchen.

“I see you’ve got a bedroom door padlocked shut,” said Jack. “What’s in there?”

“Oh … that’s the men’s entertainment room,” said Big Al.

“Entertainment?” asked Jack.

“They get bored, so they keep women in there.”

“With the padlock, I take it they are not putas,” said Jack, smiling.

“No, we would not risk such a person knowing about Casa Blanca,” replied Big Al. “The women in there don’t come back. Whores make money. To kill them would not be good for business and would make some of our colleagues angry.”

“A bedroom does not seem very secure,” noted Jack. “Have you ever had anyone escape?”

“No. A woman cannot get out of there,” said El Pero. “At least not alive.”

“Would you mind if I see for myself?” asked Jack.

Big Al shrugged and said, “Why not.”

“I’ll show you,” offered El Pero, removing a key from the rack over the counter.

Jack, Big Al, and Eduardo followed El Pero down the hall. Jack watched in anticipation as El Pero fumbled with the padlock and opened the door.

Jack took a deep breath and stepped inside the room. He looked at the naked young woman who was curled up with her back to them on a bare mattress on the floor. Her long red hair told him he had found Lily Rae.

The mattress was so stained and dirty that the original colour was unknown. Jack didn’t know if he wanted to cry out in anguish at her suffering or feel elation because he had found her. He tried to look disinterested in Lily as he looked around the room.

The room was empty of any other furniture and stunk of urine and feces. A plate of beans and rice was beside the mattress, but the beans had gone mouldy. Beside the plate was a plastic bottle full of water.

The only window in the room was covered with a thick sheet of plywood fastened to the wall with a multitude of screws.

Big Al spoke in Spanish to El Pero as Jack walked over to the closet. It was evident Big Al had not realized Lily was there and was still alive.

Jack slid one of two bi-fold closet doors open to reveal a plastic pail that explained the odour. The pail was the toilet. He pushed the door shut and tried not to let his rage show.

Lily had not moved and remained with her back to everyone. He stared at her to see if he could tell if she was breathing. Bruises covered her back and legs, but they were turning yellow and were obviously not fresh. Whatever fight she once had in her was gone.

“I am sorry, Jack,” said Big Al. “This is the girlfriend of the hombre who robbed us. I did not know she was still alive. I will have my men deal with her at once so you can assure Señor Damien that there are no … what you say … loose ends.”

“There’s no need to kill her,” replied Jack. “I can see there is no escape.”

At the sound of Jack’s voice, Lily turned her head to face the men. Her eyes fixed on Jack and he could see the new hope flash across her face at the sight of seeing a gringo. She half-rose from the bed and extended her hand toward him. “Please,” her mouth tried to say, but her throat was dry and only her lips mouthed the word. She swallowed several times and finally croaked out an audible plea. “Help me. You are English. Please …”

Jack’s face hardened at the role he knew he must play. He grabbed her face with his hand and shoved her backwards onto the mattress. “Fuck off, bitch!”