Steele's Case of Maria's Tito

Steele's Case of Maria's Tito

The company was growing quickly. Two high-profile cases have made them almost as famous as Hammer and his Broadway wife. Maria moved back to the office to become Sam's Assistant Office Manager. She was very smart and spoke three languages. Blake's new assistant was Imani Baker, a black woman from NYU with a degree in Linguistics. "Im" as she is called, speaks several languages. She was working at the UN until she grew tired of endless translations of speeches that meant nothing. At Steele Investigations she was able to use her skills to communicate with several international communities in New York. Combined with her friends at the UN, she was able to translate many of the languages spoken in the city. Between Steele and Hammer, she was busy. Since she did most of her work on a computer, she was able to work from Blake and Sam's apartment most of the time.

Blake had lived in the building long enough to be very comfortable moving around in it. He could go to the café, or any other business on the first floor. The managers of each took care to make sure he wasn't bothered and had whatever he needed. Especially since he had gotten Fat Tony to remove their "protection" insurance and he had lowered their rent as long as they took care of the neighborhood. He took to going to the café nearly every morning for breakfast. He didn't feel it was right to make Imani do any cooking for him, but she did make his lunch many days. She insisted and he didn't want to go downstairs twice in a day. Sam and Maria were okay with him wandering the building. They trusted everyone downstairs.

Sam and Blake were talking about a family. There were two large apartments on their floor, which was the third floor. The fourth floor had several apartments that were managed by a management company for them. The people in the only other apartment on their floor had decided to move out. Blake had a crazy idea to combine both into one large suite so they could have room for children. At first Sam worried about the loss of the rental money, but the idea of room for her babies changed her mind.

It took six months for the permits and construction to convert the third floor into one suite, but it was done. By the time it was ready, Sam was pregnant. Her due date will be in the fall and Maria will run the office until Sam decided to come back.

Blake was very happy with how things were turning out. When he woke up in the hospital to find he was alive, but blind, he felt hopeless. It had been Sam that rescued him from despair and gave him a reason to live. Her trust in quitting her job with the NYPD to move in with him, even when he figured he would be an invalid for the rest of his life, gave him the determination to fight. It was her that pushed him to activate the brain he was given by the bullet to begin an investigation company. He loved her more than life itself and was happy she wanted to give him children.

Blake was in his usual booth for breakfast one day when Alma Esteves, the Puerto Rican owner of the café, came to see him. "Mr. Steele, your wife wishes you to come upstairs to the office immediately, please."

That was unusual and she helped him to the lobby elevator. He arrived at Sam's office to find Sam in the hall. "We have bad news about Maria's grandfather."

"Grandfather? He'd have to be in his nineties by now."

Sam spoke quietly. "He was ninety-one and he was murdered yesterday in Miami. She's on my couch now and is shaken up. Imani will be here in a minute, and I think we need to take her to our apartment. We have those new rooms, and we might want to keep her with us for now."

Blake had no problem with that, but now he wanted to talk to Maria. Sam led him into her office and over to the couch. Maria stood up when he came in and hugged him. "I can't believe it. Who would want to hurt that sweet, old man?" Blake was surprised when she jumped into his arms, but he just held her until she could recover. Sam finally took her by the hand and helped her sit back down. Blake took his chair by the fireplace and waited for Maria to speak.

Sam sat beside Maria. "Please tell Blake what you know."

Maria finally was ready to speak. "My Tito's name was Artemio Perez. He left Cuba in the sixties and settled in Miami. He did very well and was a respected man in the Cuban community. He has been retired for twenty years. I can't understand why anyone would kill him now."

Sam put her arm around Maria. Blake spoke up. "We'll find out why and who did this, I promise you. We want you to stay with us until you feel better."

"I can't do that. I must go to Miami."

"We know, and we will send Imani with you to Miami."

Sam took Maria upstairs, leaving Blake with his thoughts. Blake called Case, their financial investigator, and Bobby, their computer specialist to come to Sam's office.

When they got there, he was ready. "I want the two of you to research Artemio Perez. He was a ninety-one-year-old Cuban living in Miami for the last sixties years. I need financials and anything you can find that might explain why anyone would want to murder him."

"We're on it, boss." They left.

Sam came back to tell him Imani was willing to go to Miami and promised to take care of Maria. Blake told her what he had done. "Good. I can't imagine why anyone would do that."

Blake was deep in thought but looked up when she spoke. "I have a couple of ideas, but I'll wait until we get more information. I think I'm going home now. How does the expecting mother feel?"

"My feet hurt, but otherwise, I'm good. I'll make it to dinnertime."

He kissed her, rubbed her belly a little, and went back upstairs.

Blake found Maria and Imani talking in the living room when he got back. They were talking about her grandfather, or Tito as Maria called him. Blake asked Maria to tell him whatever she wanted about her Tito.

"Tito was always there when I was growing up in Miami. We lived at his house when I was young until Dad was established enough in Tito's business to afford a house. Tito paid for my college education. He was Dad's dad, but he was my "Tito"."

"Do you remember anything about his business from then?"

"No, but Papa would. He still runs the family business. I'll talk with him when I get down there."

"Good. I may want to talk to him also. Do you think we could arrange that after everything is over?" She nodded.

Imani had taken Maria to get some clothes that afternoon and she went to bed.

They flew out the next morning to Miami. After they left, Blake asked Sam if she was up to a flight to Miami and back. She said she was thinking about that too, and they flew out the day before the funeral.

The funeral was a traditional Cuban funeral. Blake and Sam sat in the back, not wanting to intrude. Imani sat with them.

After the funeral and they had paid their respects, Maria took them to Tito's large home. It was spacious and beautiful. They had put out a large feast to pay homage even though Cubans didn't always do that.

Maria and Imani were staying there, but Blake and Sam had a hotel room nearby. Sam was showing, but not uncomfortable yet. Maria's family doted on Sam and had her and the blind man sit and let them take care of them while they were there. These were wonderful, thoughtful people. Blake was immediately drawn to them. He could see where Maria got her strength and determination. As he sat in the dark, taking in all the sounds and smells of the meal, he grew angry at what life had dealt this family, and he determined to avenge this man.

Maria knew she couldn't let this go. She will find who killed her Tito and make him pay. She decided to remain in Miami until this was finished. When she told Blake and Sam, they understood and offered to let Imani stay and help her.

"No, I can't do that. Sam needs Imani, especially if I'm not there. I have family here. I'll be okay."

They all agreed, and Blake, Sam, and Imani left the next morning.

When Blake got back, he had reports from Case and Bobby waiting.

He and Sam called them into Sam's office.

Case went first. "Artemio Perez came to the US in the summer of 1961. He came with $200,000 American dollars and began his business. He supplied goods to the surging Cuban population in Miami and one grocery store grew into an empire of stores around southern Florida. He turned over control to his son, Raul Perez in 2004 and had been living quietly in Miami since."

Bobby was next. He does a lot of his work on the dark web and his report is darker. "Temo Perez was rumored to have been a member of Castro's "26th of July" movement that eventually overthrew Bautista in 1959. In 1961 he suddenly left for the US under cloudy circumstances. He was allowed by Cuba to sail to the Dominican Republic and from there to the US. The main bank in Cuba transferred his money to the DR where he was able to put it in the Bank of America. It has long been believed by the resistance to Castro that Temo had been helped by Castro, but no one has ever been able to make a clear connection. Once he was in the US, however, he became a large supporter of the anti-Castro movement in Florida and made many large donations to the cause. He was active until he retired in his seventies and had been quiet since."

"Thanks, guys. Let me know if you find anything else out."

Blake had ideas, but he needed Maria to fill in some blanks.

Maria started with her father, Raul. "Papa, what do you know about Tito's death?" Most of her conversations in Miami were in Spanish, Cuban Spanish, but Spanish.

"I have the police report here." He handed it to Maria. The report stated that he was in the park that he had been playing checkers in for twenty years when he got up to go to the bathroom. He never returned and was found stabbed to death in the restroom. The report was signed by Detective William Baker.

"What are you hearing?"

"The police are calling it a robbery gone wrong. They found his wallet in a trashcan nearby. All the money had been removed."

"Do you believe that?"

Her father sat down heavily, and sighed. "Probably not, but what can we do?"

"Well, as my boss, Mr. Steele says, sometimes you need to kick over some rocks to see what scurries away."

Raul just shook his head. "Just make sure it isn't a scorpion. I know you're not going to let this go but be careful." He kissed her on the forehead and left her to her thoughts.

Maria had to admit, it was possible. Crime in that park is a problem. She did wonder where her grandfather's bodyguard/driver was when this happened. She would have to ask and went looking for him.

Benito Batista was a man in his forties that had worked for the Perez family for years. He was a huge man and former military. No one really knew what he had done in the military, and he never talked about it. She found him at the company headquarters.

"Ben, can I talk to you?"

He looked like she had stabbed him. She couldn't miss the painful look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Miss Perez. I let him down. I went behind him, but didn't go into the bathroom."

He looked so pitiful she couldn't yell at him. She just put her arms around him as he burst into tears. "It's okay. Tito would understand."

When he finally calmed down, she let go of him and they stood looking at each other for a minute or two.

"Ben, we are going to find who did this and make them pay, I promise you. Will you help me?"

"Oh, yes ma-am. Whatever I can do."

"Did you see anyone or anything that day that stands out to you now?"

"I've been trying to re-live that day ever since, but I can't remember anything different. The same old guys and the same number of young, tough guys that always hang around the park."

"Thanks, Ben. We'll find them."

Ben nodded and walked away.

It was time to talk to Detective William Baker. She headed for the local police station.

Blake had an unusual idea that he needed to bounce off an unusual "friend". He called Charles O'Keefe. O'Keefe is CIA and they have worked together before. He needed some background, and he knew it would make some people very unhappy.

O'Keefe wasn't happy to hear his voice on the phone. "What the hell do you want, Steele?"

"Is that any way to treat the man who did so much for your career?"

"So much that everybody here thinks you're the genius, and I'm the lucky stiff that ran into you. What do you want?"

"Do you know if anyone that has ever been connected to Cuba that is still alive?"

"No, we're not going there. Cuba has been the graveyard of many CIA operatives' careers, and it won't be mine."

"No, this is just deep background. I'm investigating Cubans, not Americans. I would like to talk to someone who had experience in Cuba."

"How far back?"

"The sixties."

"You're shitting me. They'd be in their eighties by now."

"Probably nearly ninety. I just need background from that time. Can you help me or not?"

Charles O'Keefe has been doing very well in the CIA. His little "involvement" with Steele had caused his name to be known at Langley, and he was determined to not let Steele get in the way of that. However, he had read everything they had on Castro and Cuba, and he did wonder about a couple of details. If Steele could answer a question or two for him, maybe he should point him in the right direction.

Blake could hear O'Keefe considering what he was going to do. He grunted and grumbled for a couple of minutes. "Look, I may know of one man still alive who was there, but I don't think he'll talk to anyone. Let's just say his career was blown up in Cuba."

"It won't hurt you to at least give me his name."

"It'll probably hurt you, but now that you mention it, that'd be worth it, after all. I'll call you."

Case came to tell Blake he had one more detail about Perez. He told Blake the transfer from Cuba came from the Cuban government bank. That was interesting.

Detective William Baker came to the waiting room to get Maria. He knew about the Perez family, of course, but she had been in New York for years, and he had never met her. He was surprised by her dark and smoldering look. Her eyes seemed to burrow through him when she shook his hand and thanked him for seeing her.

"Of course, Miss. Perez, anything I can do for you." She smiled her best come-hither smile. She could tell he was at least intrigued, and she was determined to make that work for her.

"Detective..."

He interrupted her. "Please, call me William."

"Of course, William, thanks. I want your honest, off the record opinion of how my grandfather died. Just between you and me." She moved closer to him as she talked. By the time she was finished, she was only about six inches from his ear. She could see in his eyes that he was uncomfortably nervous.

He backed up and cleared his throat. "Miss Perez..."

"Please, call me Maria." Two can play that game.

"As you wish, Maria, I personally think it was too clean. No one saw or heard anything. Even the muggers in that park aren't that good. But, more importantly, they would have to take the chance there would be no one else in that public bathroom when he decided to go in. Your grandfather's bodyguard was standing just outside, so the killer had to walk right by him without raising suspicion. That is someone who was cool, and professional, in my opinion. However, the robbery theory is the final verdict of the Miami Police Department."

Maria took his hand for a second longer than necessary. "Thank you so much, William. I appreciate your honesty."

She turned and slowly walked away to allow him a good solid view for the longest.

William Baker watched her walk away. He knew she was playing him, but it still felt good. Her family is very influential in the Cuban community and being stationed there as a white cop didn't make it any easier for him. None of that mattered as she walked away. Her smoldering eyes and perfect ass were all he could think about.

He may have been nervous around her, but she felt that he was almost certainly dead on with his theory.

O'Keefe called Blake back early the next morning. "I found him, but I don't think he is going to be willing to talk to you. You'll have to find him first."

"Great, where is he?"

"Living in a cabin in upstate. His name is Gary Wire, and he is ninety."

"How can he still be living in a lonely cabin if he's ninety?"

"If you can find him, you can ask him. I'll send you his GPS, and good luck not getting killed."

Great, that's all Blake needed. A risky trip into the woods just to play out a hunch. He'd need some help, and he called Buck Thompson. Buck was former military that works for him now.

"Buck, can you come up here for me, please?"

"Sure thing, boss. Right there."

It didn't matter to Blake because he was blind, but Buck makes an entrance whenever he comes into a room. He is 6'6" and a solid 240. And being a former Ranger, he knew how to take care of himself.

He explained what he needed, and Buck just shook his head. He wasn't surprised. Blake had gotten him in some real sticky situations before, so this wasn't anything new. "Boss, how badly do you need this information? He's as likely to shoot us as he is to talk to us. He's too old to give a damn."

"I know. That's why I need you to bring some friends so we can convince him to talk to us."

"How much convincing?"

"Nothing physical. He's ninety, for God's sake. I just don't want him to shoot me before I can at least talk to him."

"Okay, boss. When?"

"First thing in the morning."

That night, after dinner, Blake casually mentioned to Sam that he and Buck were going to interview a witness in the morning. Her tingly senses perked up, and she started asking questions.

"Why do you need Buck just to talk to someone?"

"He might not want to talk to me."

"And Buck is going to beat him up?"

"No, of course not. However, a large man is more intimidating than a blind man. I'm afraid I need him."

"What are you looking for?"

"He's former CIA and worked in Cuba. We need a little unofficial background."

"And he's not interested in reliving the past."

"Something like that. He's old and bitter. Buck may be able to convince him we mean him no harm."

"I know you're not telling me everything, but I'll just have to leave it to you."

Early the next morning, Buck and a couple more of their men headed upstate. They followed the GPS until they were deep in the woods. They stopped by a small lake when the GPS said they were there.

Blake stayed in the car while the three men spread out to find the cabin. While they were gone, Blake heard a noise outside the car and knew Wire had found him. He decided to admit it first. "Mr. Wire, we mean you no harm. I just need to talk to you for a few minutes. It is off the books, and no one knows we are here."

Now, Blake had to wait for Wire to decide what to do next.

It didn't take long. "Who told you were to find me?"

"Charles O'Keefe."

"That son-of-a-bitch. If I ever see him again, I'll kill him."

"That's what he said you'd say."

"So, what makes you risk your life coming into my woods, and why are you staring straight ahead?"

"One, I'm blind, and two, I need to know if you remember a man by the name of Artemio Perez?"

"You're a God-damn blind man wandering around these woods. You are nuts."

"Maybe, but those snipers that appeared to walk off can kill you any time they wish. I just want to talk to you for a minute, and we will be gone forever. Your choice."

Wire hadn't seen another human since his last trip to the store for supplies. He only had his dog as company. He had seen the three men head into the woods, and was pretty sure they weren't back yet, but he hadn't survived thirty years in the field without a good sense of judgement. Besides, he couldn't remember half of what happened sixty years ago. Maybe it would be quicker to just answer a couple of questions and get them out of here.

Blake hoped Buck would come back and see the situation. Blake had confidence in Buck, but he hoped Wire would just answer the question, and they could be gone.

Wire must have decided. "Well, you're lucky about one thing. There is one man I hate more than the CIA and that man is Artemio Perez."

Blake let out a slow, long breath at Wire's admission. So, there is something about the past.

"Okay, why do you hate him?"

"He was in the revolution with Castro. He was close to Castro, and we thought we had turned him. He fed us information right up to the end. Right up to the point he led us into a trap. We lost several good men that night. It was just after the Bay of Pigs. We were trying to save face by killing Castro before Kennedy came for us. He was pissed at the CIA, and we needed a win, quickly. All of us who survived were recalled and were reassigned to the wilderness for the rest of our careers."

"Did you hear what happened to Perez afterwards?"

"Sure, Castro allowed him to leave, and some say paid him off. I have wished him dead for nearly sixty years."

"Well, you can die in peace now. He was murdered last week in Miami."

"I guess one of the old boys finally came for him."

"Maybe, but not likely. Everyone knew he went to Miami. If any of your men wanted to kill him, they had sixty years. All it would have taken was a little vacation to Miami."

"I know. There's only one or two left, anyway, and they'd be older than dirt by now, just like me."

"Well, Wire, I asked my question, and you answered it. So, we'll leave you alone. I hope this information will give you a little peace."

"Yeah, right up until I die in the woods, alone. Now git."

He whistled and the three men came out of the woods and got into the car. They left Wire staring at them as they headed back to town.

When he got back to the office, he briefed Sam. She was so relieved he survived she didn't even ask any questions. She just looked him in the face for a second and then hugged him. "Don't make our baby fatherless before it is even born."

His blind face stared at her. He spoke softly, "Point heard and understood, my love."

He knew he was pushing Sam. She was pregnant, and also had to always worry about him getting himself into situations most blind people wouldn't consider getting into. He loved her and would try to be more thoughtful. Maybe after Maria's little problem.

He would have to call Maria and give her this information. He wasn't sure how she would take it, but he had to tell her.

Blake called Maria and gave her the information from Wire. He also told her about his thoughts on the information.

Maria thanked Blake and tried to think about her next step. It had to be to talk to Sergio Valdez. Sergio is one of the last remaining friends of her grandfather that had come over around the same time he had. Maybe Sergio could tell her something about what really happened in Cuba all those years ago.

Sergio is now in a senior home. This home had mostly old Cubans, many of whom had come over. That generation was quickly dying off. After all, it has now been sixty years. She went to the front desk of the home and asked to see Sergio. After several minutes, an attendant pushed a frail, old man into the lobby in a wheelchair. She rose to meet him and took his hand.

"Thank you, Senior Valdez, for seeing me."

He lifted his head. "I'm happy to meet Temo's granddaughter. I don't have much time left, and I would like to clear a few things up before I meet whatever judgement awaits me."

Maria sat down on a chair beside him and the attendant left them alone. "What is your name, child?"

"Maria."

"Ah, the Holy Mother. I hope your namesake guides you to the peace you need."

"I pray to her every night for just that."

"I guess you wish to know about Temo and me in Cuba with Fidel?" She nodded. "We were with Fidel from the beginning, even before he was imprisoned. When he was released, our movement really took off. It spread steadily until Bautista had the army try and kill us all. We were successful, and Fidel took control of the government. Everyone was excited. The prospect of free elections was joyous, and the country rejoiced."

He stopped and hung his head. She took one of his wrinkled, frail hands in hers and held it gently. "I know this is hard for you. Thank you for telling me whatever you can about my grandfather."

A sparkle seemed to grow in his eyes as he looked at her. "Temo was my best friend in those days. We stood beside Fidel from the beginning. However, after he came to power, he refused to have free elections like he had promised. Temo was okay with that. He said the country needed stability, and he would give Fidel the time to have open elections when it was safe." His eyes hardened as he thought back. "I could see more of what was in Fidel's heart. I felt he would never have open elections, and I grew restless, waiting. Finally, I had to tell Temo that I believed Fidel had betrayed our revolution by becoming a dictator on his own. I told him I had to oppose them from then on, and we parted ways."

Maria squeezed his hand harder and waited for him to become strong enough to continue. She could tell this man didn't have long, and she hoped she could help him unburden himself before he passed.

"I became one of the leaders of the anti-Castro movement and for two years I didn't see Temo again. The battle had started all over again, this time with Fidel as the dictator and oppressor instead of the liberator. After a couple of years, it was obvious to everyone that Castro had no intentions of having any free elections. It was then I heard from Temo again. He sent word he wanted to talk to me. We had a secret meeting in which he told me I had been right, and he wanted to join me. I urged him to stay in Castro's inner circle and inform us whatever he planned on doing. I even introduced him to a CIA man; I forget his name."

Maria interrupted. "Wire, his name was Wire."

His eyes got big. "That's right. How the hell do you know that?"

She smiled. "I told you. My people are investigating. We will find out who killed my grandfather."

Again, he shivered, and the attendant came over to them. "I'm afraid he's too weak to continue. I need to take him back to his room now."

Sergio held up his hand. Maria looked at the man. "Just a couple more minutes, please."

The man looked at Sergio and Sergio nodded. He agreed and backed off out of range of their conversation.

"I was never part of his conversations with the CIA. All I know is a couple of months later, we were notified to be ready to strike the capital the next morning. I marshalled all our men and waited. Nothing happened and we left. Later, I found out from Wire that Temo had betrayed them, and they were ambushed by Castro. They lost several men, and Wire had to leave the country. I couldn't believe it. Temo was on our side, why would he betray the Americans?"

She could tell he was almost done. "One more question, I promise."

"Did you ever speak to Temo again?"

"Yes, he came to see me. It was very risky for him. My men wanted to kill him, but I told them to let him speak. He swore he didn't betray Wire and his men. He promised he didn't know how they knew about the assassination attempt that night. In the end, I believed him and let him go. He left the country a couple of days later. That's all I know."

Maria got up, bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for trying to liberate our people. I promise your name will not be forgotten in Miami amongst our people."

He sank back into his wheelchair and smiled. He was finished. The attendant took him away and Maria sat to think about what she had learned.

Most of the world thought her grandfather had betrayed Castro to the CIA and then told Castro about it. That would explain why Castro let him leave and gave him money. That part fits, unfortunately. If that was true, however, why did the CIA do nothing for sixty years? They aren't known as a forgiving lot. There is a piece she was missing, she was now certain of that.

When she got back to her father's house, she called Blake and told him about her conversation with Valdez and asked him to add him to the list of people investigated.

Imani wrote it down for Blake. He then continued. "Wire believes your grandfather betrayed him to Castro, but I don't believe that is true."

Maria concurred. "I've come to the same conclusion. Castro did pay him and send him out of the country, but we need to find out why before we assume he did it. Do you have any more reasons?"

"Just one, and it's the best one. If he had betrayed the CIA, they would have killed him in Miami almost immediately. It's not like they hadn't done something like that before. Even by the mid-sixties, they had already attempted or succeeded in over a dozen assassination attempts or coups. They tried at least twice, and maybe three times to kill Castro. This must be one of those times."

Maria couldn't believe it. "You mean the American government sanctioned an assassination of another countries leader?"

"You sound surprised. We have done this for two hundred years. It is always about power, and our government wants power and land. They always have. Ask the native people, ask the Mexican people. We take what we can. And the worst of the bunch is the CIA. They do what they want, even if the President doesn't know."

"That can't be true."

"It is true, and the world has the proof. The Iranian hostage takeover was an accident. The new Iranian government didn't want it. College students got excited and began celebrating the new regime. It would be later when they would find out it didn't work out so well for them, but that was later. Before anyone knew what was happening, the students were marching on our embassy. Our embassy people had long been removed. The only people left in the compound were 66 CIA people who were ordered to stay behind and shred thousands of records of the CIA's activity in all the Middle East and Asia. Teheran was the headquarters of the CIA's Middle East and Asian activities. They had twenty-five years' worth of records of the CIA's dealings. Reports detailing coups, assassinations, everything they had done since 1950. There were reports with the agent's name, what he was ordered to do, and how he carried it out, in detail. The new Iranian government asked the students to release the hostages before the US attacked them. Carter didn't push at first because he was angry the CIA hadn't evacuated their personnel as ordered. Since it was only the CIA taken hostage, he wanted to punish the CIA. It was only when he was about to lose the next election that he tried to rescue them."

"The students took bags, and bags, and bags of shredded documents to all the junior high and high schools in Tehran and asked them to put them back together. The students were able to completely restore the documents. Iran then released the entire history of the CIA's dealings in the Middle East. The world now has the exact details of the CIA's behavior for those twenty-five years. The US government has never officially commented on it. So, we know the CIA acts on its own behalf whenever it feels threatened. If your grandfather had betrayed the CIA's attempt toward Castro, and they knew where he was living, he would have been dead long ago. Therefore, I must conclude that Wire is mistaken about what happened."

The line was silent for a couple of minutes. Maria finally spoke. "Well, that's inspiring. So, where do we go from here?"

"We are now sure someone else tipped off Castro. We will need to research whoever was suddenly richer after the attempt in Cuba. How about you take a shot trying to find more people still alive from that time, and I will have Case and Bobby work on your new lead, and anyone else who suddenly became more powerful during that time."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks." Maria hung up.

Blake had Imani put his jazz on and give him a whisky. He sat back in his chair to think. He has questions.

Is there a reason he was murdered sixty years after the events in history he was involved in? Is there something else in his life? Maybe Cuba had nothing to do with him being murdered? Could it be a random robbery? How do we talk to the Cuban gang that "runs" that area?

He made a note to ask Maria about that.

Maria was all too aware of the gang problem in Miami when she was growing up. When Castro decided in 1980 to let people leave Cuba and come to America, Carter decided to allow thousands. There were so many criminals and gang members sent to Miami that later Carter insisted that Castro take some of the worst back. Castro ended up taking 3,000 of the worst criminals back, but that still left a large gang population. Until Miami-Dade and the Feds RICO'ed the gangs, they were very powerful in the fabric of the Cuban American people of Miami. Even now, the underworld was still around. Maria knew one or two she grew up with that might still have some connections. Most are either dead, in prison, or retired and trying and live in peace now.

She started with Ben. In the security business in Miami, he would have to be knowledgeable of who might be a threat to Tito. She found him at the company headquarters. "Ben, I need some advice."

"Sure, Miss Perez, whatever I can do."

"I need to talk to any of the old gang members in the area of that park that might still be alive. Can you find me one or two?"

"You don't want to go anywhere near them, ma-am. Even in old age, they are dangerous. If they'd survived this long, they would have been ruthless. I don't see any reason for them to have softened in retirement."

"I need someone now that would know about that park the day Tito died. I know gang members watch over their territory, and I think they may know who killed my grandfather."

Ben shook his head. "I'm sure they do, and I'm just as sure they will never tell you. I saw a couple of them around that day, but they didn't appear to be watching where we were. They were in the other side of the park."

"Have you ever talked to one of them?"

"One or two, whenever they got too close to the boss. They never seemed to be worried about us, and we never had any problems."

"I'd like to talk to one of the guys who were in the park that day, and maybe, one of the old guys. Someone like Demon or Spider."

"Good God, lady, you really are digging up the past. I haven't heard those names in twenty years. They must be dead or in prison."

"I grew up with them. Maybe, if they're still alive, they would be willing to talk to me. Otherwise, the others?"

"Those young ones aren't going to come anywhere near us. We would have to talk to their bosses, and that isn't happening. Maybe one of the old guys who has been retired for a while. I'll check and let you know."

"Thanks, Ben."

Maria's head hurt. She was standing in the lobby of her grandfather's company, with his large portrait staring down at her. His smile seemed to be talking to her. He always told her to learn the why before assessing the what anytime a crisis arose. Now, as he smiled down on her, she was trying to find the why. His death was the what, and she was so angry she could kill anyone she thought might be the cause. Of course, she had to think clearly, as he always seemed to do in a crisis. This meant she had to put her anger aside, at least for now. She had to think clearly. It would be difficult to navigate the complicated political ways in the Cuban community. Now she really missed her grandfather. He had always been a master at walking between the various factions of Cuban politics. Her people always have the tendency to show their emotions when they get mad, but Tito wasn't that way. The worse the situation, the cooler he seemed. She desperately needed that calmness now. She said a silent prayer to her grandfather, asking for his wisdom to help her find who had done this and why.

Blake was resting in the apartment in his favorite chair. Imani had left him with his whiskey and jazz before she headed downstairs to work with Sam. He was tired and worried. He was worried that Sam was overworking herself with Maria gone, and he was worried about Maria in Miami. He knew she had her family circle to help and protect her, but whoever killed her grandfather would not sit idly by and allow her to find him without striking out in self-defense. The last thing he had told Raul, her father, before he left was for him to have someone watch over her until this was over. Raul had told him he had the perfect man. Blake could only hope the man was good. Blake never felt as worthless and helpless as he did now since he had awakened to discover he was blind. Then he had Sam to pull him out of despair. Now, it would be up to him to figure this out.

His thoughts were interrupted by a call from Sam requesting he come to her office. After he arrived and sat down in his favorite chair by the fireplace, he was ready.

Sam started. "Case has the story of Sergio Valdez."

"Sergio Valdez, now eighty-nine and living in a senior home in Miami, joined the 26th of July movement of Castro when he was just nineteen after Castro was released from prison by Batista. He stayed until Castro refused to have free elections after taking power in the early 60's. Afterwards, he had a falling out with the new government and led a gorilla movement until it became too dangerous to remain in Cuba. He escaped to America, where he worked with other free Cubans in Miami to try and overthrow Castro. The details of his activities are sketchy at best. Word of mouth says he worked with the CIA during these attempts. That's all we have."

As Blake listened half-heartedly, there was nothing new there. Blake was getting an idea, but he would need more information. After Case left, he had Sam call O'Keefe and ask him to meet Blake. O'Keefe agreed, at the same restaurant they had met at before. Imani took Blake there and then sat at the bar. O'Keefe came in a few minutes later and sat down.

"What is it now, Steele? I can't keep meeting you like this."

Blake whispered. "Of course you can. You know you only come when you need something, so stop pretending."

He grumbled under his breath and then said. "All right. How are you doing with the old Cuba's death?"

"Please, why would the CIA be interested in an old man who used to work with the agency sixty years ago?"

"It is who he worked with that the agency is interested in."

"I can't help but think your records show everyone he worked with in your many attempts to kill Castro."

"I'd rather call it attempts to liberate Cuba, and we have names. What we need is who were the closest men to Castro early on."

"I don't suppose there is any way I could read any of those files?"

O'Keefe laughed. "You are kidding, almost no one in the CIA is allowed to read the Cuba files. I haven't read them all myself."

"Please, don't try my patience. Of course you've read everything, probably at least twice. If we're to get anywhere, you'll have to be more forthcoming, or we are wasting our time."

"We have names, but we need to put motives to each. We still believe it was Perez that tipped Castro off on that attempt. That is why Castro gave him the money and helped him get to Miami. Wire was and is sure of it."

Blake got louder. "You're telling me that after Perez double crossed the CIA, took Castro's money and ended up in Miami, they just let it go? And they let him live a wonderful life for the next sixty years, and then killed him?"

"Keep it down, please."

"Then stop wasting our time. You know that is bullshit. It wasn't Perez that blew up your plot. You're here to find out who did, and you're hoping I can find out for you."

O'Keefe nodded. "Okay, no one cares about this any longer, but it has bothered me since I joined the agency. I am hoping you find the leak as you look for Perez's killer. That's why I'm staying close to you."

Blake sat quietly for a couple of minutes. Should he ask the question now or wait for later. When O'Keefe started fidgeting, he decided to just do it. "The question is, was it a Cuban or an American that tipped Castro."

He expected O'Keefe to object, but when he didn't, he knew he had hit a nerve. "I see. You think it is possible the leak was one of your own back then."

"Let's just say it has crossed my mind as I read the reports."

"And you are wondering why kill Perez now? What is the great need to not wait for him to die in the next year or so."

O'Keefe looked at Blake carefully, Sometimes, he would forget Steele was blind. He certainly didn't act like a blind man, and he always had these young, beautiful women watching over him. They were smart too, and he was jealous of how Steele could instill such loyalty in his employees. That definitely was not a strong point in his company. Anyone would lie about you to gain anything.

He finally got up to leave. "Just keep me informed, okay? I'll try to help you if I can." He got up and left.

Imani took Blake back to his apartment and left him to go help Sam. When he was alone, he called Maria. She wasn't home, but they promised to have her call when she returned.

He settled into his recliner, drank his whiskey, and put his thoughts in order.

He was now almost certain he knew why Perez had to die now. He was not yet certain if the killer was now satisfied. The CIA had smelled a rat sixty years ago, and are still working on the case, no matter what O'Keefe says. He is way too eager to "help" Blake. He never trusts the CIA, and he knows whatever they are after, they will kill whoever they think they need to in order to get it. Maria is in danger, and he needs to talk to her as soon as possible. The answer is in Miami, and he needs to go there.

That evening, after dinner, Maria called her father to talk to him. She was staying at Temo's house, and she asked her father to come over.

He came over and they sat down in Temo's warm and comfortable den. It was a very masculine den, but Maria always felt safe there. It was easily her favorite room in her Tito's house. The last few days, she has fallen asleep, wrapped in a blanket, in her Tito's favorite recliner. The butler and maid watched over her. She felt safe. He had a good security system, and Ben had a room there. Maria had asked him to stay on, and he had agreed.

"Sweetheart, I'm glad to see you settling into this house. We haven't read the will yet, but I know he wanted you to have this house, and I agree. It will be somewhere you can always come. The company will pay for the staff and bills for as long as you own it."

Maria had to sit down. This home, the one she grew up in and considered her anchor to life, was now hers. It was more than she could comprehend, and she started crying.

Raul hugged her and let her cry it out. He had always hoped his baby girl would someday come home, and maybe, this house would be the draw to bring her back to him. That thought made him tear up a little also.

She looked at him and they both laughed. "I guess we're both just old, softies."

"Where it comes to my baby girl, I confess freely. I can hope this house will eventually bring you home. I just hope it is while I'm still alive."

When they had composed themselves, Maria asked her question. "Poppa, do you remember my friend everyone called "Spider"?"

"Of course. I didn't trust that kid. His father was big in the Latin Kings, at the time one of the biggest Cuban gangs in Miami. He had a friend with another strange name. What was his?"

Maira smiled. "Demon."

"That was it. A couple of Rhodes Scholars if I ever saw one. What in the hell do you want with that gang member?"

"First of all, we don't know what he did after the Feds RICOed the large gangs. When was that, around 2002, or 2003?"

"Around there. I haven't heard anything about him after his father went to prison."

"I just wanted you to know that I've asked Ben to find him. I have a feeling the actual killer was a gang member hired by someone else for something about the past. I don't know what yet, but I'm going to find out. Spider can fill me in on the gang scene here now. I'm sure one of the gangs running the area now is responsible for the actual hit on Tito. That is where I will start."

Raul shuddered a little at the mention of today's gangs. They aren't as dangerous as the original gangs from the eighties and nineties, but they are still dangerous in their own right. He really didn't want his daughter to get too close.

"You just be really careful, sweetheart. And I mean, really careful."

After he left Maria, Raul went looking for Ben. "I understand Maria has asked you to find Spider?"

"Yes, sir, she has."

"Do you think you can find him?"

"Sure, he's not a gangster now. He's "respectable" now. A lawyer and influential in Cuban politics here. You just know him by his real name. Julio Caberra."

"No shit. Julio Caberra is "Spider" of old?"

"The one and the same. I was about to tell Maria when you came in."

"Okay. But promise me you will stay by her side, not matter what she says, until this is over."

"I will die before I let another Perez die. I will live with the shame of what happened to your father, and it will NEVER happen again, I swear."

They shook hands and Raul patted him on the shoulder before he left.

Ben went looking for Maria and found her still in her grandfather's den. She was just sitting in his chair, holding a beer, and staring at the unlit fire in the fireplace. He stood in the doorway for a few moments. He didn't really want to disturb her, but he had what she wanted. "Miss Perez."

His voice brought her back from wherever she was, and she turned to face Ben. "Ben, I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

Ben hung his head. "I still miss him, too." She nodded. "I've found Spider for you."

"Wonderful. Is he still around?"

"He certainly is. Do you remember his real name?"

"I know it was Julio. That's all I remember."

"It is. His name is Julio Caberra. He is a bigtime lawyer and mover in the Cuban political scene in Miami now. His father had sent him to U of F, and he had moved on to an Ivy League school for his law degree."

Maria whistled. She was expecting another thug, tattooed up the ass, with prison records, etc. Now she finds she could just get an appointment and see him in his office.

"One other thing, Miss Perez. You father says I must stay with you from now on to ensure nothing happens to you."

Maria smiled, thinking about her father. She would never admit it to anyone, but having this huge, former military man with a grudge with her would definitely make her feel safer. "Okay, Ben. I don't want to get you in trouble with Poppa. I'll call and try to get an appointment."

She looked him up on-line and called his office. She asked to speak with Julio Caberra. The receptionist put her through to his secretary. "May I speak with Mr. Caberra, please?"

"In what reference, ma-am?"

"It is something from his past. Just tell him Maria Perez wishes to speak to him."

"Hold on a moment." The line played nice, Cuban music while she waited. The secretary came back on the line. "Ms. Perez, Mr. Caberra is with a client at the moment, but he wants to know if you are free for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, I can be free."

"Good, I'll text you the address. Is 7 P. M. good for you?"

"It will great. Thanks for your help."

"It is my pleasure. Good afternoon."

She had to admit his staff is very professional. So, they both got out of Miami to do something better. At least safer.

She told Ben they were going to dinner that night.

Blake arrived in Miami with Imani that afternoon. Imani couldn't stay. She had to be with Sam, so she just made sure Blake was safe with Maria and then flew back to New York.

"Mr. Steele, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you, and I wanted to make sure the proper precautions have been taken."

Maria smiled and called for Ben. "Mr. Steele, I'd like to introduce you to my bodyguard. Ben, this is my boss, Blake Steele. Mr. Steele, met Ben."

When Blake shook Ben's hand, he was immediately in a better frame of mind. That was a strong, worn hand. That with the sound of his voice told Blake this was a man that could take care of himself. "I'm very happy to meet you, Ben. I can tell she is in good hands."

"I promised her father, and I promise you; nothing will befall Maria while I'm here."

"Thank you, Ben. I'll sleep better at night knowing you're with her."

She patted him on the arm. "Thanks, Ben." He nodded and left the room.

"Big guy."

"Yeah, former military man. He was grandfather's bodyguard and is convinced he allowed him to die. He will never forgive himself, and he will die before anything happens to me."

"Good to know. Now, about why I'm here."

Maria led him to the den and settled him on the couch. She sat down beside him. He started. "Where are we?"

She recounted everything she had done and found out since they last talked. Blake listened quietly and carefully until she was finished.

She knew his way and sat back to wait him out.

Finally, "I have come to the same conclusion you have. One of the present-day gangs was paid to kill your grandfather. Who and why is all we need to find. Your old friend would be a good place to start. I think I'm going to visit your police friend. I need to understand the present gang situation and see if he has any ideas about which of them might be ambitious enough to take a hit like that. Could you introduce me to him?"

Maria thought back to that cute policeman, William Baker. He seemed smart, and he was obviously interested in her. She hadn't come to Miami to look for a boyfriend, but who knows? "I'll call him and tell him you're coming. I'll also get you someone to help you around while you're here."

She called the company and asked for Stella Gonzalez to come to grandfather's house. Maria liked her, and her father says she is one smart cookie. He has plans to move her up in the company.

When Stella arrived, Maria introduced her to Blake. "Stella, this is my boss in New York. He is blind, and he needs to be guided around Miami while he is here. You will have a company driver to take you around. Please assist him in whatever ways you can."

Stella smiled sweetly. This is just what she had been looking for. She was thirty-one and had worked for the company for six years. She had moved up regularly but was ready for the big leap everyone needs to get above the ceiling that everyone but a select few bump up against. That could only come from the family, and this could only help. "Mr. Steele, it is a pleasure to meet you. I would be delighted to assist you while you are in Miami. If you need anything, just ask." She had almost slipped up. He is blind, and she almost said she would "show" him around before catching herself. She also knew that a megawatt smile would be worthless here. She would have to depend on her brains for this one.

Maria called Baker and set up an appointment for Blake to meet with him that afternoon. Stella guided him to the car, and they were off. He didn't talk to her, so she knew enough to leave him alone. If he wanted to talk, he could initiate it. The last thing she wanted to be was a "chatty Kathy" around him.

Blake had forgotten the girl's name by the time they got into the car. He was thinking about what this cop could help him with. After what Maria had told him about the cop, he was hoping Baker could help him with the present-day gangs in Miami.

William Baker was happy he would have another connection with the Perez woman. He was willing to help her boss if it meant he might see her again. He went to the lobby and picked Blake Steele up. William hadn't been told he was blind, but, whatever. He also hadn't been told about the striking Cuban woman assisting him. Does the Perez family just have an endless supply of hot Cuban women?

He had to clear his head quickly. "Mr. Steele, if I can do anything for you, I would be happy to. Anything to help Miss Perez find whoever killed her grandfather."

Blake knew by the tone and inflection in Baker's voice that he was completely smitten by Maria. That might come in handy. "Thank you, Detective. I appreciate whatever you can do."

He led them to a small office down the hall. Stella helped Blake into a chair and started to leave. Blake stopped her. "Please, miss, I want you to stay." She smiled at herself as she agreed and sat down in a chair. She was happy. As they say, you have to be in the room when it happens.

"Now, detective..."

"Please, call me William. It never hurts to know a cop wherever you go."

Blake kept his face blank as he replied. This man will be asking his assistant for a date any day now. He might lose her to him. He reminded himself to ask the young woman her opinion of him once they get back to the car. "Of course, William. Maria said you could help me. Let's see how much?"

William tried to keep his face blank, but that comment about the Perez woman made his heart skip a beat. He might have a chance there, after all. She did have connections in Miami, family and friends. Maybe she was considering relocating.

"William, I need an assessment of the current state of the Cuban gangs in the area of the murder."

This was something every cop at his station was well aware of. The gangs try to not bring any attention to themselves as they "run" their neighborhoods. This park borders two such neighborhoods. "The park is in a neighborhood that the "Reyes del Mundo", or "Kings of the World" "control", and they do have a high opinion of themselves. There is another gang that borders that park, they are the "La Mando Derecha del Diablo", or the "Devil's Right Hand." They are commonly referred to as just "del Diablo" in the neighborhoods around there."

Blake grunted. "So, "Kings" and "Devils"? Sounds like some upstanding citizens."

"Don't underestimate either group. The police keep an eye on them, but, otherwise, we stay away as long as they don't threaten the locals. The neighborhoods have unspoken rules, and we don't know exactly how it works, but the people there have grown up with it, and they seem to work it out. The gangs have more trouble with each other than they do with the people in their neighborhoods."

"I suppose you have no one in either group that would talk to me?"

"Anyone that talks to an outsider, especially someone who might be a person of authority would face the harshest punishment."

"I figured that. Do you have a list of the names and pictures of some of the prominent members of each gang?"

William smiled to himself. He had guessed correctly what this man would want and had already prepared a file with names and pictures of the leaders of both gangs. "I do have such a file. I already made you a copy. I was pretty sure that was what you were coming for." He handed the file to Stella.

Blake's opinion of this man went up as they were walked out of the building. He was smart and had already figured out who had almost certainly carried out the hit. He would tell Maria later.

Dinner was at seven. Maria hadn't brought anything to wear to an important meeting, so she had Ben take her to one of the nicest dress shops in the area. She bought a nice, but not too reveling dress. She wanted Julio to know she was successful in her own right when she sat down with him.

Julio Caberra couldn't help himself when he got Maria's call. It brought back a wave of thoughts and memories from his childhood. Most of the kids in elementary and high school were afraid of him because of his father, but not Maria. She never called him a thug or gangster like most of the kids did behind his back. If she had something to say to him, she said it to his face, and he always appreciated her for that. It wasn't always nice what she said, but he knew it was how she really felt. She was one of the influences that made him start doing his homework in high school. All his friends ignored high school roaming the streets, just as he had most of his life. It was when he saw one of his friends get shot down in the street that he began to think that, maybe, Maria was right, and he decided to at least get a high school diploma. He had no idea what he would do with it, but he wanted to show her he wasn't a punk. By the time he got admitted to Florida, she was already gone, and he never got to tell her.

He went to the restaurant early, only to find her already there. He saw Ben sitting at the bar, and it made him smile. The family wasn't taking any chances, and he was happy about that. She stood up and he hugged her. "You look wonderful, Maria. Of course, you always did. I always wondered why you were friends with me. I'm sure your father and grandfather weren't happy about that." She just nodded, slightly. "I looked for you when I got admitted to U of F, but you'd already gone."

"Yes, Tito sent me away to school. He wanted me to be as far from Miami as I could get. I ended up at NYU."

Julio nodded toward Ben. "I'm glad you have your angel with you."

"Father has no intention of letting anything happen to me." They ordered dinner, and for the next hour, they reminisced about the old days, where so and so were, what happened to others. Once dinner was over and they had retired to the bar, it was time. "Julio, I know you don't have ang connection to your father's old world, but I was hoping you could at least point me in the right direction. My boss and I are convinced one of the present gangs was hired to do the actual killing. I know no one would talk to me, and I know no one will ever admit to anything, much less who hired them, but I'm going to find them, and the person who hired them, I promise you."

Julio sat at the bar, looking into those dark, steel-hardened eyes. He was afraid of this. She'd get herself killed trying. He had to at least delay her. "Look, I still have some connections. You're right, no one will ever tell us who or why, but we might be able to fill in a few details. Give me a few days. I have someone I can talk to. Can you do that, for me?"

That was more than Maria had a right to hope for. He was now a high-profile lawyer, and he couldn't be seen in those old worlds now. Maybe he still talked to "Demon." She'd give him time.

"Thank you for whatever you can do. I am so proud of you. We both managed to get out. It was easier for me than you, and you have done wonderful things." They stood up and Maria hugged him. She kissed him on the cheek, nodded and smiled at him, and left with Ben in tow.

She called Stella to find where Blake was. She told her he was in his room at Tito's house. Maria had insisted he stay with her. One, she was lonely, and two, she wanted Ben around. She asked Stella to see if he could meet with her in the den when she got home. Stella promised to get him there.

When Maria walked into the den, Blake was sitting in front of a fire the butler had laid and ignited. Maria knew he loved fires in fireplaces, and she watched him sit there until he spoke. "Maria, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to tell me what you found out?"

She shrugged. She keeps forgetting he can hear like a dog or cat. "Sure, if you will tell me yours?"

She sat down on the couch and curled her feet under her. She loved this room. If she were to move home, it might have something to do with the connection to her family, but this room would play a role.

"Julio says he still has some connections, and he wants me to give him a couple of days to let him look for them."

Blake nodded. "He is probably trying to get you to not stick your nose into gang wars."

"I'm certain of that. He was happy to see Ben following me around. I don't think that will be necessary. If this was a one-time job, the last thing whoever paid for this would want would expose themselves again. Anyway, that will give me a couple of days to look into the legal aspects of Tito's will. I want to talk to his attorney."

"I talked to your boyfriend at the Police Station. He is promising, handsome and smart. Good prospects."

"Wait a minute. How do you know what he looks like?"

"You are forgetting Stella. She seemed impressed." Maria had forgotten Stella. That was the type of man she would be interested in. Maria couldn't really blame her. She liked him, too. She just had no plans to remain in Miami. Maria wished Stella well under her breath.

"How did it go with Detective Baker?"

"You mean, William?" Blake laughed, a big, hearty laugh. It made Maria a little embarrassed and she laughed also.

"Yeah, I mean, William. What can he do for you?"

Blake took out the folder and handed it to her. "Look at this." Maria opened the file and studied the faces and names for several minutes. Blake just soaked in the heat from the fire and relaxed. He loved a fireplace. He had spent many afternoons in Sam's office in front of her fireplace. He often woke up to find the company's business had floated by him in the office while he slept.

"Your boy is smart. He had that already for me when I got there. He had figured out they were the most likely to have killed your grandfather. The killer is probably among those faces."

Maria had an idea and called Ben. Ben came downstairs. He had apparently been asleep. He was dressed in just shorts and a robe that didn't do anything to hide his physique or battle scars.

"Ben, you didn't tell me you had been asleep. Go back to bed. We can talk in the morning."

"No, I'm here now. It's okay. What can I do for you?"

Maria pointed toward Blake. "Mr. Steele?"

"Could you look at these pictures tomorrow and see what you know about them? Maybe one or two were in the park that day. One other thing, what did you think of Caberra?"

Ben was looking through the file when Blake asked that question. He stopped and thought about it for a second. "He's smart and determined. He fought his way out of that lifestyle. Most never could. About his honesty, forgive me, ma-am, but I have my doubts. He is a successful lawyer, after all."

Maria didn't want to think about that. Maybe Ben was right, but she was willing to give Julio the benefit of the doubt until she was proven wrong. "Thanks, Ben. I'm sorry I woke you up. You can take the folder and study it tomorrow. Good night."

Ben nodded and left the room. "You know he could be right."

"I know. I haven't talked to Julio in nearly twenty years. He was known as Spider back then. Our past friendship is no guarantee he has my best interests in mind. Who knows, he may be the one that hired the gang in the first place. We'll see. Come on, Mr. Steele. Let me take you back to your room."

She led him to his room and went to bed herself. The thoughts that Julio might not be as he seems made sleeping hard for her that night.

The next day, she called the offices of Juan Gonzalez and Associates. He was an old friend of her grandfather's and had been his attorney for many years. She asked Blake to go with her. She had no idea what he could do, but just being there gave her courage at a time when courage was running low.

They didn't have to wait long until Juan Gonzalez came bursting into the waiting room. She stood up, and he engulfed her in a bearhug. "You're all grown up, my dear. I remember going to your grandfather's house to bring him some papers, and you'd be there, playing in his den while we worked. I'm very sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man."

"Mr. Gonzalez, let me introduce you to Blake Steele. He owns the company I work for. He is here to help me find who did this to my grandfather."

"Mr. Steele, this is Juan Gonzalez, a good friend of my grandfather, and the man who knows more about his life than anyone alive." Gonzalez looked at Blake, then Maria and tapped his eyes. He nodded.

"Happy to meet you, Mr. Steele. Let's go into my office where we can be alone and more comfortable." Maria took Blake by the arm as she had done so many times before Imani, and led him to the office.

When they were comfortable, Gonzalez started. "I can guess why you're here, Maria. Your grandfather's will?"

She nodded. "That, and a couple of other things."

Gonzalez took out a folder and opened it before him. "Your grandfather's will is to be read on a specific day. He instructed me to read it one month to the day after his funeral. I have no idea why he was so specific, but I will honor his request." Maria had no idea why, but Blake immediately could think of a couple. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone about the will until it is read, but, I feel, because of what happened to him, I wanted to let you know a few of the details. If you hadn't called me, I would have called you this week." He took out the will and turned to the page he wanted. "You are to get the house, with the costs of operating it to be paid by his company as long as you own that house."

Maria nodded. "My father told me as much, unofficially."

Gonzalez nodded. "I figured he would. That wasn't why I wanted to talk to you. There is another provision in this will that is very specific. He wrote his memoirs, and they are due to be published soon. He instructs the publishing company to pay you whatever profits there may be. He left the manuscript to you in his will."

He closed the folder. "There you have it. I have no idea what that means."

Blake had a really good idea what that meant. Now he knew why someone would kill him after so many years. That memoir must name whoever had betrayed the CIA those many years ago. He must still be alive and worried about his legacy or continued safety. He spoke up. "Do you have the original manuscript?"

"No. It is in a safety deposit box at his bank, along with his mementos of days gone by."

"When the will is read, Maria will have the authority to open the box?"

"You are correct."

Maria was staring at Blake. It was dawning on her what that manuscript meant. It was the motive. At last, they had the motive. They had to get their hands on that manuscript.

They said their goodbyes and told him she would be there for the reading. Maria took Blake by the arm and headed for the car. Once inside the car, they sat and talked.

Maria started. "He named names, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he knew he didn't have long, and he wanted to finally clear his name before he died. Someone didn't want his name cleared. They had used him as the patsy all these years, and they weren't going to let him ruin it in the eleventh hour. How long is the time left on the month?"

Maria sat and counted back in her head. "Seventeen days. Gonzalez will read the will two weeks from Monday."

Blake sat back. "Then, we'd better get a move on." He didn't speak the rest of the trip back, and she let him be.

Ben had traveled with them to the lawyer's office, but he didn't speak or get in the way. Blake liked this former military man. He was quiet and always spoke in a measured tone. Blake could understand why he'd been successful in the military. Thoughtful and intelligent; He never gave anything away.

Once they got back to the house, Ben asked to speak with both. They all convened in the den. "Miss Perez, I did notice one of the men you gave me. He was in the park that afternoon, walking away from us before I found your grandfather. He wasn't hurrying, just strolling with his friend." Ben took out the picture of the man and handed it to Maria. He was a member of the El Diablo gang. That gang was the one the park was bordered by, not the one that had the park in its territory.

Maria held up his picture and read it out for Blake. "His name is Fernando Diaz, but his gang name is Mada Cuchillas or Cucho. Mada Cuchillas meant knife killer and the paper talked of his skill with a knife. Blake and Maria both realized in that instant. They had found their killer. How do they turn that into the person who hired him?

Ben was listening to the conversation between them. His face was calm, his eyes betrayed nothing. Inside, however, he was reverting back to his military days in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his team had completed many missions behind the lines. Although in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were no lines. Anyone you met could be on either side. They had infiltrated many villages hunting for the leaders. They would kill the target and then find a way out. No one was ever coming for them. They didn't exist. They were on their own, and he liked it that way. There were no smart-ass lieutenants around polishing their bars while his mem died. Ben realized he had let that asshole walk right by him after he killed his boss. This man would pay and pay dearly. Ben wasn't worried about these boy gangs and their imagined toughness. He would gut this guy, and make them understand, there were some people you left alone. He was already running through the names of men he trusted in his mind, looking for a couple that he could call. He came back to the room when he realized Maria was talking to him. "Ben, you okay?"

"Yes, fine, ma-am. You might if I go? I have some errands to run."

Maria looked at his face, but it didn't betray anything. She was beginning to understand Ben a little better, and she knew she would never want to meet him in a dark alley in another life. "Sure, Ben go do what you need to do."

When he was gone, Blake voiced what both were thinking. "I do believe your friend is going to handle "Mr. Knife Killer" himself. And I bet it won't be private."

Maria knew he was right. They just had to find out whatever they could before the inevitable happened.

Julio called Maria Monday morning. It was now two weeks until the will would be read. He asked to meet with her alone. Blake was very much opposed to the idea, and he threatened to tell Ben if she tried to go alone. They finally compromised on her wearing a wire with Ben and a couple of his friends listening, close enough if needed. These weren't his military friends, just friends in Miami, but they'd do in a pinch. They wired her up and tested it out. It worked fine. Blake was staying at the house. He would be useless. It was times like these he felt so angry. He called Sam and told her where they were. She then talked him off the ledge he had cornered himself on. She was good at this. She had been doing this ever since he woke up in the hospital.

"Blake, remember what you must come home for. We have a baby coming in a few months. I will need you with me. I can't do this alone, I need you, you understand. So, get your head on straight, do what you do so well, and get your ass back to me, you got it?"

"Thanks, sweetheart. You always know how to talk sweetly to me when I need it. I love you and will see you in a couple of days."

Maria and Julio were meeting in a small coffee shop in a busy area. Maria went in to find Julio sitting by himself in the corner. She described to Ben where he was sitting before she went toward him. Ben told her to let him know exactly where Julio was in case they had to come in quickly.

Maria ordered her coffee and sat down. "Julio, thanks for whatever you were able to do."

"I don't have anything definite. However, I have the man they called Demon. He just got out of prison last year. You remember Demon?"

"Of course I do. He was your best friend."

"Yeah. I've been sponsoring him and have him in a small apartment. He is working in a small Cuban restaurant owned by a friend of mine. I thought you might like to speak to him. We will have to do this quietly. He wants no one to know."

"So, how do we do it?"

"He must see his parole officer every two weeks. That is tomorrow at the courthouse. We could quietly divert him after his meeting while still in the courthouse. Everyone is used to him going there every two weeks, and no one wants to follow him there. You'd have about five minutes before his delay would look suspicious."

"Five minutes would do fine, thanks."

"I will call you and take you to the room. Everyone there knows me, and I have a security guard I've helped before who will slip us through. Be around the courthouse at nine and I will call you with the details."

"Thanks. You do realize I won't be alone."

"Why not? You can just wear the wire again." He smiled. The look on her face was worth it. "I assumed you had. I certainly would have. Say hello to Ben for me and I'll see you tomorrow."

She sat drinking her coffee. She would not make that mistake with Julio again. He was very smart. That meant he could be very dangerous, also.

Blake and Ben argued with her to no avail. She was going alone. Blake had to smile. She reminded him of Sam; smart, determined, and didn't let anyone tell her what to do.

She decided not to wear a wire in a federal building. She met Julio the next morning, and he quietly slipped her in a side door. They were met by a security guard, and he took them to a small room. Julio told her the guard would make sure no one bothered her, and he would be back with the man formally known as Demon in an hour.

Almost an hour later, Julio came in with a beaten down man with tattoos nearly everywhere on his body. Julio introduced him. "Juan, you remember Maria Perez?" The man nodded. "She has a question to ask you. I need you to tell her the truth. This will never come back to you, you have my word."

He was quiet and surly, but he didn't leave. He needed Julio's help. Julio was the only reason he wasn't still in prison, and had a job, and a place to live. He would do whatever Julio needed him to do, even lie. This time, Julio had assured him they wanted the truth. Okay with him.

"I believe you're familiar with La Mando Recha del Diablo?"

"The devils, yeah I've heard of them."

Maria's face hardened. "I don't have time for bullshit. You know several of them, don't you?"

"Yeah. There were several in prison with me."

"You know a man called Cucho?"

"The knife killer? Yeah, sure, why?"

"Let's just suppose for a minute, okay? You're not saying anything definite. We are just guessing, okay? Suppose Cucho was told to kill someone, who would do that?"

"The head of his gang, of course."

"And that is..."

"No, no, no. Everyone knows his name. You don't need me for that."

"I'm not talking about El Guapo. He isn't fucking around with daily bullshit. I want the man who runs the day to day for the devils. I'm not going to look him up. I just want to have a place to start."

Juan hadn't bargained for this. "No. I'm sorry Julio. I owe you everything, but if she starts messing with him, they will know it came from you through me. I can't be looking over my shoulder the rest of my days. I'm sorry."

Maria knew she had lost this man, and she couldn't blame him. "It's okay, Juan. I understand. Julio, just let him go. I'll find out what I need another way."

Julio patted his old friend on the shoulder, and Juan slipped out of the room. "I'm sorry he's too scared to help you."

"No, that's okay. Thanks for your help. Maybe if I need a good lawyer in Miami, I'll call you."

He hugged her. "If you call, I'll answer, I promise. For old times." He took her outside to her car and she went home.

She explained what happened and how afraid he was. Blake spoke up. "Maybe your new cop friend can help us? Why don't you call him. You might even get a dinner out of it."

Great, that was all she needed right now. When she called him, he told her he would be free in an hour, and she could come by the station.

He came to the lobby and took her back to his office. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Perez."

Okay, she didn't want to date him, but she needed him to be a little more comfortable around her. "Please, call me Maria."

He smiled. "Of course, Maria, and I'm William. What can I do for you?"

"I need the name of the man who runs the gang named La Mando Reche del Diablo?"

"You don't mean the head guy, you mean who runs that area by the park?" Maria was impressed. He is quick on his feet. "How about a cup of coffee?"

Maria at first thought that was strange, but the look in his eyes told her he was not hitting on her. "Sure, I could use a good cup of coffee right about now."

When they were clear of the station, he whispered into her ear. "That building has ears. We must be careful." He took her to a small Cuban coffee shop nearby. It was quaint, but busy. Plenty of people and plenty of noise. When they had their coffee, he led her to a small booth in the back.

As she sat down, she started it out. "I guess you didn't want a date with me. I'm thinking it has something to do with the Miami Police Department."

"First of all, don't assume I don't want a date, but that is not why we are here. And yes, it is about the MPD. It is rumored under everyone's breath that the captain of this precinct knows the local gang leader for the Devils. It has been whispered for a while that it goes deeper than that. That's all I can say. Be careful if he finds out you are looking into him. He's dangerous."

"I take it you don't want to mention his name here, am I correct?"

He smiled. "I think this is wonderful Cuban coffee, don't you?"

They stood up and Maria kissed him on the cheek. "We'll discuss the other item later."

She called Ben. He was nearby, and she wanted him to come and get her before she left the shop. He was there within two minutes. When she explained what he had told her, Ben suddenly became very quiet. She could see his eyes narrow, and his face harden. He made a phone call, and they waited until he got a call back. "Let's go, Miss Perez. You do exactly what I say. There is a police car sitting outside. It may be nothing, but it may be something. I have a man across the street."

He led her out of the coffee shop and into the sunlight. He positioned the cop car behind them, and they began walking down the street. His man called a minute later to say the car wasn't following them. They got into their car, and as they were ready to pull out, the cop car came driving by, slowly. The cops inside looked at them, and Ben smiled and nodded. They continued down the street and Ben took her home.

When Blake heard about the two policemen, he called Baker. He knew Baker wasn't involved, but he wanted to warn him. "Detective, I hope the date went well?"

Baker knew something was wrong. Steele calling their meeting a date was deliberate. "From my point of view, it was wonderful."

He shouldn't do this, but what the hell? "Maria liked it too. However, I must tell you, the coffee was cold. You might want to find another coffee shop."

They had been made. "Thanks, Mr. Steele. I'll make sure we go to a nice restaurant the next time."

Blake hoped he got the message. He liked the young cop, and he knew Maria did. What your back, kid, for at least another week or so.

Ben called a conference. Blake, Stella, Maria, and a couple of men nobody knew. Blake could tell by the tension in the air something was wrong. He decided to let the others take the lead in the conversation until he knew what had happened.

Ben didn't waste any time. "It appears the man who ordered the hit on Mr. Perez was the captain of our local police station." Maria looked him up on her computer while Ben was speaking.

"His name is Carson Cunningham. He's a twenty-five-year veteran with several decorations. No hint of corruption noted."

Ben continued. "Maria met with her cop friend in a local coffee shop, and by the time they were finished, a cop car was outside waiting for her. They made a point of driving by us slowly and staring at us. It was a warning to leave them alone."

Blake was not surprised. He had already figured there had to be someone in authority involved. Now they knew who it was. They were now only one step from the man who had set this up with Cunningham.

While Ben and his men discussed how to keep Maria safe, Blake called Sam. "Please have the boys investigate a man named Carson Cunningham. He's a cop down here. I want to know everything about him by the morning."

He could hear Sam's worry in her voice. "What, a cop? You're not going to do very good in a shootout, you know."

"Yeah, that's why I want you to put Buck and a couple of his boys on a plane. I need a little muscle down here I trust. Ben has a couple of guys, but I want my guys too."

That made Sam very worried. She tried to keep her voice calm as she said she would. Blake finally talked to her about the situation. "Honey, it will be okay. I'm blind, and as you reminded me, I can't be in any shootouts. I intend to stay right here in this house until the will is read in twelve days. I intend to stay alive to hold our child. It'll be okay, I promise. I want Buck to make sure of it."

When there was a lull in the conversation in the room, Blake took the opportunity to tell Ben what he had done. Ben was happy, but Maria was mad. "What the hell are you doing? You bring some outside muscle into this situation, and you could blow everything up."

"I know, Maria, and they will stay out of Ben's way unless he needs them. They are coming to secure this house. I don't believe they would be stupid enough to attack this house, but I have no intention of leaving it up to a bunch of drugged up juvenal delinquents."

Ben liked the idea a lot and promised to show them the security details of the house and provide them with firearms. Firearms are easy to obtain in Miami.

Blake also called O'Keefe. "You might want to keep tabs on Wire for the next couple of weeks."

"What, that old man?"

"Yeah. Call it a hunch. This thing is now into the Miami Police Department. Someone is still worried, and we are being threatened. I'm not taking anything for granted. I'm not accusing him of anything. I just think you might want to know where he is for the next couple of weeks, that's all. One more thing. Wire told me there were a couple of his old boys still alive. I need the names of these guys. I know you know who they are, and I don't want them showing up here with an Uzi."

O'Keefe begrudgingly told Blake he would check on the old man and send him the names, if he could find them.

Buck arrived with two of his men the next day. It was now eleven days until the will is read. Ben walked Buck through the systems in the house. It was really the compound, since there are a couple of other buildings on the same grounds. Everything was surrounded by a ten-foot stone wall. This house was some old governor's house many years ago, and it has been remodeled. It didn't lose the charm but was solid underneath. There was a garage, and a workshop also on the grounds. Buck took one look at the layout and decided to put his two men in the garage. It had a small apartment above, and Buck and Ben figured whoever came for them would more than likely go straight for the house. They would then be able to come at them from behind. At least, that was the hope. If they try to clear the garage first, they may never make it to the house.

It didn't take long for Case to call with their findings on Carson Cunningham. "Boss, you've got a live one there. He has it hidden very well. He obviously has a good computer man, because I had to get Wang to dig into him. On the surface, everything looks just like what a police captain should look like. A nice, decent-sized home in a nice neighborhood. A couple of two-year-old cars, a decent savings account at his bank, a nice 401K from the police. It is what Wang found on the dark web that tells us who he is. He has a second identity. His name is also Peter Parker. I guess he likes Spiderman. Anyway, it is definitely him, and he has a couple of million set aside. He also has a bank box at a different bank. The money is in a off-shore account, the Cayman Islands. He's as dirty as he can be."

"Do we have any connection to other people? Have you traced his history under either name yet?"

Yeah, I was coming to that. It seems before he joined the Miami Police Department, he was a spook for the CIA. He got the job at MPD twenty years ago on a recommendation from the head of the CIA at the time."

"Do you know how long he was with the CIA? Twenty years ago puts him around 2000. I need to know where he was for the forty years before."

"He didn't join the CIA until 1980, right out of college. One of those eager beavers that want to kill for their country types."

"That is a good job, boys. I need one more thing. I need to know about his father, and any friends of his father that might have been in the CIA in the sixties."

"Okay. We didn't go back that far, but we will and let you know."

"Thanks guys. Stay on it."

Blake asked the butler for a whiskey and settled into Artemio Perez's favorite chair. He was beginning to like this chair. It was firm, but comfortable. It had power so he could put his head back and his feet up as much as he wished. He would have to tell Sam about it. He hadn't bought any furniture since Sam moved in and insisted she wanted to update his old furniture. At the time, he would have done anything she wanted. Come to think of it, he'd still do anything she wanted.

This case was coming together. Now they know who the killer was, and who hired him. They still need the original man who ordered it, and why. Blake was sure the why has something to do with what Artemio Perez wrote in his memoirs about the past. Blake was sure he had named the person who tipped Castro off and was paid very well for the information. Blake even had an idea why Castro had sent Perez to America afterwards. What better way to throw off the scent than drag a red herring across the trail. One thing Blake knew for certain, the CIA was elbow deep in this entire thing. And Charles O'Keefe knows it!

For the next week, Blake didn't leave the house. Maria and Ben ran down a couple of leads. They discovered where 'Mr. Knife Man" lives and where he hangs out. Maria had the same two policemen around her and Ben most of the time. Ben was able to get each's picture during their travels, and they sent them to Case and Bobby.

Bobby called Blake a couple of days later with what they knew. "Boss, the two are veteran cops with MPD. One is a sergeant, and the other is a patrolman. There is no obvious connection to Cunningham, but there must be, and we will find it."

"Keep at it. I need information. We are only a week from the reading of the will. Once Maria has possession of the bank box, it is over, and Cunningham knows it."

Blake asked Ben and Buck to formulate a plan in case they must go and find the parties involved. He was very sure they would come to them, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Both Ben and Buck decided on the next Friday night. The will would be read first thing on Monday morning and they figured whatever Cunningham would try, it would be over the weekend. They wanted him to understand they would be prepared. Maria also wanted to be present when they dealt with Cucho. Ben was very unhappy about that, but he knew he wasn't changing her mind.

Maria was more than ready. She had been seeing that man's face in her nightmares ever since they identified him, and she wanted to remove him from her dreams. They were so close.

There was one person Blake hadn't heard from, O'Keefe. He thought O'Keefe would at least want to keep tabs on him. His not calling was not a good sign. Blake could only guess what that might be and put in the call himself.

When O'Keefe finally picked up his cell phone, Blake could tell he was not in a good mood. "What do you want, Steele? I'm busy here."

"I still need the names of Wire's team. I know you know them, what's the issue?"

There was a long silence until, "Look, I must go out of town for business the next couple of days. We can talk later."

Blake laughed. "Well, you won't be needing a jacket for Miami this time of year."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He hung up, but Blake got a text the next minute from him that said only, "Tomorrow."

He had something he could only say privately. This can't be good. Not good for the CIA, maybe, but Blake was certain he knew what it was, and he told Maria O'Keefe would be there tomorrow.

O'Keefe arrived on Tuesday. Maria took Blake to meet him. He was in a small hotel under an assumed name, of course. When they walked in, Maria noticed right away that O'Keefe was worried.

She led Blake to a chair and helped him sit down. "If you made this trip, there is something you want, quietly. So, what is it?"

O'Keefe looked at Maria before he started. She didn't like that look, but he started. "I traced Wire's entire team, not just the two still alive. I found one very interesting name that was on his team. Boyd Cunningham survived the attack but was in pain for the rest of his life. He died in 1995."

Maria just blurted out. "Not Carson's father?"

Blake spoke up. "I knew Cunningham had gotten into the CIA from someone he knew, and the logical choice would be his father. But you didn't come all the way down here just for that?"

Blake could hear O'Keefe shifting around in his seat. "Just spit it out."

"When I investigated Cunningham senior closer, turns out he had money hidden away."

Blake laughed. "Sure, in the Cayman Islands."

"God-damn it, Steele. Why do I bust my ass for something you already knew?"

"I didn't know anything for sure. It is only a reasonable deduction that the money Carson Cunningham now has in the Caymans came from his father. My guess is, Boyd had worked behind your back for most of his career. It takes a long time to accumulate over two million dollars secretly. So now, you're here because of the manuscript. You are afraid Perez will name Cunningham as the one who betrayed your men. You are also afraid of what else he knew. The last thing the agency needs is another expose book."

"We didn't even know he was writing his memoirs until a lawyer we use in Miami told us about it. That was only a few months ago. We hadn't even decided how to approach Perez when he was killed."

Blake nodded. "Now, you are faced with a couple of problems. Who gets the manuscript, and what are they going to do with it?"

O'Keefe nodded and looked at Maria. "We know who will have it. We just don't know what Maria wants to do with it."

Maria sat down on the bed. "I haven't even thought about it."

"You must think about it soon. The only thing the publisher is waiting for is the final approval from the manuscript's owner. That is you, now."

"Look, I haven't even read the damn thing yet. How can I decide without reading it first?"

"A fair point. I have told no one else in the agency about this. If you promise to talk to me after you've read it, I will wait to do anything."

Blake spoke up. "Now that we've got that cleared up, do you know where Wire is?"

"Strangely, no. My men searched that woods and there is no trace of him."

"I suggest you look back at any of the alias he used during his days with your agency and see if any of them turn up in the system. My guess is one of them traveled to Miami recently."

O'Keefe just looked at Maria and she held up her hands. "Good idea, I'll make some calls."

Blake continued. "One last thing, your lawyer in Miami wouldn't happen to be Julio Caberra, would it?"

"God damn it to hell, Steele. You're making me worried if you're a security risk."

"You know I'm not. You know where I am and what I'm doing most of the time. Don't pretend. It's just that he went from the son of a gang leader to a prominent lawyer and influential leader in the Cuban community in a few years. That takes money, and help."

"His grades in the University of Florida were good, but not great. What drew us to him was his ability to marshal the Cuban students together to improve their position in the Florida system. We don't do well with the Cubans. Something about our failures concerning Castro. We are always on the lookout for help in that community. We paid for his law degree and set him up with a few contacts to get him started. We have nothing to do with his law practice."

Maria was angry. "If you tell me Julio is crooked, we are going to have a problem."

"No, not crooked about his work in Miami. He sometimes defends people for us, and he tells us if he hears anything. That's it. He's clean as far as we're concerned."

Blake had enough. "Okay, for now, we agree that Maria will talk to you before deciding what to do with the manuscript or give the final approval for the publication. You might want to rethink that statement about paying for his law degree, if I were you. You will see if you can find Wire here and let us know. Are we done for now?"

Blake knew he had caught O'Keefe in a lie. They hadn't paid for his law degree. Blake had a pretty good idea who did. He just needed to confirm it.

Everyone nodded and Blake and Maria left. Maria was very upset about Julio's involvement with the CIA. Blake was much more sanguine about how Julio got his start. "Look at it like this, Maria. We all must fight to survive. I've used O'Keefe at times when I had no choice but to ask him for help. I've also used the information he has given me. I don't trust him, but I still need to use him occasionally. If that was the only way for Julio to get started in law in Miami, you must give him a little slack. You can also understand, he will have to pay the piper someday. I'm sure he is aware that" He paused. "For now, you have a very important decision to make after you read the manuscript. Let's get back and see how Ben and Buck are doing."

They all gathered at the house the next morning. It was now Wednesday, and Ben and Buck decided to act on Thursday evening. They weren't going to give Cunningham the chance to strike first. This plan was simple. They knew where Cucho lived and where he hung out. They decided to wait for him to go home and take him there.

Baker called Maria to tell her Cunningham was taking the weekend off. Something about fishing, he wasn't sure, but he wanted her to know. Maria thanked him, sweetly. Too bad he lives in Miami.

The only argument was with Maria. She insisted that she be there when they interrogate Cucho. Ben didn't want her there because of how it was going to end. However, that was the exact reason she had to be there. She wanted to watch the man that killed her Tito as he died a slow and painful death. Pure hatred. Ben and Buck both knew that it was not good for a soldier to let emotions dictate what they do. Ben says that, but he knows what he is going to do to Cucho when he has him, and he doesn't want Maria to see it. There was no changing her mind, and Blake finally told them to accept her decision, and let her live with it.

They decided Buck would stay at the house and let Ben and his men handle it. They arrived at the nightclub around 11:00. One of his men went in to walk around and make sure he was there. He was. Now, all they had to do was wait for him to leave. He finally did at 1 A. M. They followed at a discrete distance until he walked into a nice apartment building. Research told them what apartment number he had and the code to get into the lobby. When he was upstairs, they waited. An hour later, his place was dark, so they entered the building and climbed to his floor. Maria drove the van around to the back and waited for the men to bring him down. Ten minutes later they dragged him out the back door and into the van.

Ben drove and he seemed to know where he was going. Maria had no clue. They finally pulled up to an old, abandoned building in a nearly deserted part of town. One of his men broke the door down, and they dragged him inside.

The building was dark and smelled like no one had been in there for a while. They had brought their own lights and set up a bright light in front of the chair they tied him to. When they were ready, they threw a bucket of water on him. He jumped like he was in shock.

"Hello, Fernandez. Sorry we had to disturb your sleep. You feeling okay now?"

"Who are you?"

"Let's just say, friends of Artemio Perez."

The sound of that name hit his face like a death knell. He'd done this enough to know how this was going to end. "Look, I liked the old man. I wasn't there to kill him, just ask him a couple of questions. He got angry and attacked me. I stabbed him before I knew what had happened. I'm sorry. I liked him. I'm sorry."

Maria stepped up out of the shadows. "That's it. A business exchange gone bad. That's how you say my grandfather died?"

"But I swear, I didn't want to kill him. It was an accident, I swear."

He started crying, especially when Ben stood over him. "This won't be an accident, I can promise you." He had a car battery with him, and he attached jumper cables to them and stood in front of Cucho. He attached the other end of the cable to the metal chair he was sitting in. Fernando Diaz jumped like he was riding a bucking bull. Ben only left them there for a few seconds. "Anything else you have to say? Who hired you?"

"I swear I don't know."

"Too bad." He attached the cables again and Fernando began jumping around again. This time he left them on longer. When he finally released him, Fernando just slumped down in his seat. He was barely conscious. "Anything you want to add?"

"Okay, okay. It was Captain Cunningham. He needed to know where that manuscript was. That is all I know, I swear it."

Ben just looked at this defeated man. All the anger within him melted away. Nothing he could do to this man would bring Perez back. Now, it was time to move up the ladder another step."

He pulled out his gun, but Maria put her hand on his arm. He turned to look at her, but the coldness of her face made him think better of it. He handed her the gun and stepped back.

"This is for you thinking you run our neighborhoods, this is for my grandfather, a man who stood up to Castro. You know what they say about bringing a knife to a gun fight..." She shot him in one leg. He started screaming. She then shot him in the other leg, and he was almost delirious. By the time she shot him in the head he was past caring anyway. She calmly handed Ben his gun and walked out to the van.

Ben reminded himself to never cross that woman before he began the next step. They unloaded the rest of the goods in the van. Within a few minutes, the old warehouse was ablaze. They heard the firetrucks as they cleared the area.

Everyone was waiting for them when they got home. Blake was in the den, and Buck's men were on lookout, as always. They were all too worked up to sleep, so they sat up most of the rest of the night, discussing what was next. This was going to be much harder. They wouldn't be able to sneak up on anyone any longer. The news that Cunningham was off the grid this weekend made it certain he was intending to do something.

Friday morning, O'Keefe called to tell Blake one of Wire's old aliases turned up flying into Miami on Wednesday. The battle was set.

It would be Cunningham, two of his men, Wire and any of the Diablo gang that wanted revenge for Cucho. To counter that, they had Buck and his three men and Ben and his two men.

Around noon, Buck's man called in to say someone was heading toward the door. Ben was ready to pounce when Maria stopped him. "Wait, it's Baker. What is he doing here?"

They let him in. He was dressed in civilian clothes. Maria almost hugged him but caught herself in time. "William, what are you doing here?"

He looked at the battle-harden men surrounding him. "I thought maybe I could help, but I can see you have better men than me to help you."

Maria couldn't help herself. She hugged him. "Thank you, William. I think we can find something for him to do, don't you Ben?"

Ben shook his hand and introduced him to the rest of the crew. While they told him their plan, Maria went to find Blake. Blade beat her to the punch. "I see your boyfriend is here to help."

He couldn't see her blush, but he knew what it meant. "Too bad he lives in Miami." He couldn't see her face, but he didn't have to. Maria was moving back to Miami when this was finished. Between her family and Baker, Blake knew she would be okay, but he'd miss her very much. She had spent a couple of years as his assistant, and he had gotten to know her very well. Imani was a wonderful woman, and he was sure she would be just as capable as Maria, but it would take time.

Maria broke into his thoughts. "You know what I'm thinking, don't you? Of course you do, you always do."

"I'm thinking I'm going to miss you very much, but I see a wonderful life for you here."

She bent down and hugged him hard. "You've taught me all I know about investigating and thinking things through. You know I'll be calling you when I need advice."

"My dear, I would be offended if you didn't call me."

They agreed it would probably be Saturday night. That would give Cunningham another night to fall back on if Saturday failed. They put Buck's best shooter in the garage upstairs apartment with a sniper rifle. Ben could get whatever he wanted, and he had two sniper rifles, a box of shock grenades and night vision googles for them. He was used to night fighting, and he had confidence in Buck's men also. He had six seasoned soldiers. He'd take them against any cops or punk gangsters any day. Ben put his best man with a rifle upstairs covering the back of the house. They now had the clearing before the house covered on both sides.

Willim admitted he really hadn't fired anything bigger than a shotgun or his service revolver. He had only fired an assault weapon a couple of times during training. Ben put him in the den with Blake and Maria. Maria insisted on having a firearm, but they told her she would have to protect Blake. She looked at William and he nodded. "Don't worry about us. She'll protect Blake and I will protect her." She smiled to herself.

They were ready. They had the staff make a large bunch of sandwiches before sending them home. They were not going to leave them in the line of fire, and they didn't want any civilian witnesses to what might happen.

Ben had his two men covering the back. One was upstairs with the sniper rifle, and the other was in a pool shed beside the pool. He would be twenty yards from the house and have a clear view of the backyard. He had two weapons. A large gun with a silencer on it, and his AK15. He also had his pistol in his belt.

The sniper had his night vison glasses and enough ammo. He also had an automatic weapon for closer support and his handgun.

Buck was to watch over the front of the house, and Ben was watching the back. Anyone that gets by the snipers would be handled by them.

They were as ready as they could be. Nothing would happen until late in the night. Maria and William took bottles of water and sandwiches to each of the men stationed outside a couple of times until dark.

At 10:00 P. M. they turned the lights off in the house. Now they wait. It was two in the morning before the sniper in the back called out movement. He counted six men climbing over the wall by the trees in the back. They were wearing ski masks, and it looked like swat gear. Ben called out to each man and told them they would have to aim for the head or lower leg area. That is what are usually the most vulnerable areas. None of them were wearing a helmet like real SWAT. That makes it easier. Just shoot them in the head and they would go down.

The sniper in front called in another six from the front. They had cut the power, but they didn't need it anyway. They all had their night googles. Maria and William put them on, and they had Blake lay down behind the large couch in the den. Now they wait.

The sniper in the back was the first to fire. He waited until all six were near the pool before opening fire. He got two before they could react. The man in the pool shack got a couple more, and only two made it to the house. They shot out the sliding glass doors that lead to the pool and came into the house. Ben shot both before they could get out of the kitchen.

Buck and his guys weren't doing quite as well. The sniper got one, but the second man missed. Five of them made the front door. They had the slammer, a hand-held driving ram used to break down doors.

They hit the front door, and it exploded off its hinges. Buck got the first two before a hail of gunfire drove him back into the house. He retreated toward the back of the house. These were obviously the cops. They moved quietly and decisively. Buck saw military training in how they covered the rooms of the front of the house. They were in and out of the office in a matter of seconds and moved toward the downstairs bedroom. Fortunately, the den was in the back portion of the house and Ben was already there, waiting. Buck let them go through all the rooms in the front. He motioned for Ben to take the left, and he took the right.

The machine gun took them by surprise. Ben figured Cunningham wasn't taking any chances. They destroyed the entire front of the house in a blaze of thousands of bullets. It was the sniper in front who got the gunman. He could see him in the large living room windows firing into the house indiscriminately and put him down with one well-placed shot in the head. He also called in that three had SWAT helmets. Buck's other man in front followed them in and found the shooter in the living room dazed, but still alive because of his helmet. Just as the man got to his knees, Buck's man shot him in the throat, and he fell over.

That left four. Ben got the first man who walked into the hallway. He didn't have a helmet on, and his head exploded when Ben hit him in the face. They then started throwing shock grenades down the hall before moving forward. Each one blew large chunks out of the walls, but Ben and Buck were not there.

There was another hallway from the kitchen to the front of the house and Ben went toward the front of the house. He encountered another man coming his way and he didn't have a helmet. He also didn't have his gun pointed forward. A rookie mistake he would never live to try again. Ben shot him before he could raise his gun.

They were down to two by the time they broke into the den. Ben and Buck rushed the den as gunfire erupted there. Smoke and darkness covered the entire room. In the darkness, Ben bumped into one of them, and they struggled together. Buck saw William laying over Maria and firing at the other man. Buck shot him in the back of the leg and he collapsed on the ground. In an instant, William was up and on top of him. He didn't hesitate but put a bullet through his throat.

Ben had the last man down with his gun to the man's throat. He had stopped struggling and just surrendered.

Ben had Buck hold the man while he went to try and get the power back on. Fortunately, they had only thrown the main breaker, and he was able to restore the electricity to the house. Some of the rooms' lights didn't work, but many did. The den's lights worked, and they were able to see the devastation inflicted on the house. William tried to pull Maria up, but she pulled him down on top of her. He smiled and kissed her. She then let him pick her up and they hugged. She whispered into his ear, "I guess I'm moving back to Miami." He kissed her again.

They pulled the helmet off the surviving man. It was one of the cops in the police car that had been following them. They found Cunningham with the machine gun. The other cop was who led the back assault, and he had made it to the kitchen, where Ben had cut him down. The rest were just gang members, and they really had no chance in a fight among professionals. It made Ben mad as he looked at each to make sure they were dead. None of them were more than twenty-five-years-old.

William called it in to dispatch and they were surrounded by cops within ten minutes. The supervisor in charge called his boss immediately, who called his boss, who called the police commissioner.

Within thirty minutes, they were surrounded by half the command structure of Miami's police. William made his off-duty report and handed over the only survivor of the assault team.

Everyone was separated into different rooms, and for most of the rest of the night, they were answering questions. Only Blake was spared the grilling. He was blind and saw nothing. He didn't volunteer his thoughts, and they let Maria lead him upstairs to bed. As they went up the stairs, Maria whispered to him. "I guess I am moving to Miami."

Blake whispered back. "He'll make a wonderful husband."

She was smiling as she left him in his room. She knew he was right. She already knew she'd marry that cop. After all, he had knocked her down and thrown himself on top of her while shooting at the bad guys. What more proof does any woman need.

Around dawn, Maria finally insisted on calling her attorney. Julio had given her his card with his private number. Even though it was early on Sunday, he answered after only two rings. "Maria, are you okay?"

"Well, I'm okay, but my house isn't. It was shot up last night and the police are being a little difficult. I wonder if you could come to my grandfather's home and assist me?"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't answer any more questions until I arrive." Maria informed the police that her attorney was on his way and that they would have to wait for him to ask any more questions of any of them. He would represent all of them.

The police commissioner took her outside to speak to her privately. "Your attorney is whom?"

"Julio Caberra."

The commissioner looked surprised, but he told her they would wait.

Julio could not believe the damage he saw as he pulled up to the house. He was even more shocked when he walked into the vestibule. Walls had been shot out, mirrors and pictures blown off the walls, and blood everywhere. He hadn't seen anything like this since his childhood, and that was about his father's friends.

Julio and the commissioner spoke privately for several minutes. It was finally agreed that everyone had said enough, and they were all allowed to leave.

Maria called her father to explain what happened, and to tell him she was okay. He told everyone to come to his house. When Ben told Raul what William had done to protect Maria, Raul looked at William in an entirely different light. This man either loves his daughter or takes his duty very seriously. Either way, Raul was impressed.

When Raul saw the size of their group, he reconsidered and called a friend of his that owned a hotel franchise. They were given an entire floor and everyone except Blake went to clean up and get some sleep.

Once Blake was settled, he called O'Keefe. "I'm sure you know about last night already." He assured Blake he knew. "Wire wasn't among them, but Cunningham was. He had a very illegal machine gun, but it didn't do anything for him but destroy Maria's house."

"We found Wire, and had the police pick him up on a phony passport charge, for now."

"I would like to be there when you speak to him, if I may?"

"I've seen you interrogate. It'll be okay with me. Where are you?"

Blake gave him the name of the hotel, and O'Keefe picked him up in an hour. O'Keefe led Blake into the police station where Wire was being held. A few minutes later, they were sitting with Wire in an interrogation room.

Wire started the conversation. "Look who's here. The blindman is back."

Blake nodded. "I'm back and you flew here on a forged passport. At your age, that'd be a life sentence."

"Spare me the good cop, bad cop routine. What'd you want from me?"

O'Keefe sat back and let Blake have his run at Wire.

Blake continued. "Let me run by you what I think happened, okay? You can correct me wherever you want. You will need to give us something to make that passport thing go away." Good thing Blake was blind. He couldn't see O'Keefe waving his hands, but Wire could.

"I think you'd better check with your CIA handler here before you make any promises you can't keep."

Blake ignored both. "In 1961, the CIA sent you with a team to assassinate Castro. You had native Cubans that were going to assist you. Cunningham was one of your boys. After it blew up in your face, he was quick to point the finger at Perez as the cause of the failure. The agency already had enough bad press from the Bay of Pigs, and now, a failed assassination attempt. They were happy to publicly blame a Cuban, but privately, they knew it wasn't him. They blamed each of the survivors from the agency. They knew one of you had to be blamed. It ruined each of your careers. You were pretty sure who it was, weren't you?"

"It's a nice story. I haven't been this entertained in years. Do go on."

Blake took out a folder from his case. "I guess it is time to talk about your secret bank account that you have been living off of for years." Blake needed O'Keefe to watch his reaction. He didn't have Maria here to read his face. "You've been blackmailing Cunningham for years, but now, the truth might come out. You were just as anxious as Cunningham to not have that come out. What did you do, help finance this little operation?"

Blake stopped and put his folder away. It had done whatever good it could do already.

"You can't prove it wasn't Perez."

"I can't? O'Keefe, let me ask you, have you ever known the CIA to be screwed over and just let the culprit walk away?"

"Not really, no."

"Me either. So, that means the CIA knew Perez had not told Castro about the assassination attempt. That only leaves someone from your team. I believe you've known that for sixty years and have used that to your advantage."

Blake waited for O'Keefe to say something. Finally, "Wire, it would be better for you to tell us the truth. You know what we do to people we deem to be unreliable. I'm the only reason you're still alive now. If you tell us what we want to know, I'll let you go and you can live out the last few years in the woods. If not, you won't make it home alive."

Blake had to admire his bluntness. Of course, Wire knew O'Keefe could do just as he says. He could make Wire disappear anytime he wanted.

Wire sat looking at O'Keefe for a couple of minutes. "Okay, if I tell you what I know, I don't end up in a ditch somewhere?"

"If I like it, maybe." Again, Blake liked O'Keefe's ruthlessness. There was only one problem with his approach. Now, Wire will say anything he thinks they want to hear.

Blake had to intervene. "Look. Wire, we have most of it. All we want you to do is fill in some blanks. If you can do that, we'll be satisfied, right O'Keefe?" O'Keefe was silent. "Right, O'Keefe?"

"Alright, what the hell? Answer Steele's questions and I'll get you out of here."

"Did you know it was Cunningham that tipped Castro?"

"No, I figured it out later while the "interviews" were ongoing. It seemed to me they were harder on Cunningham than anyone else. I began to wonder why. That could be the only reason. That, and they didn't kill Perez in Miami. The fact they left him alone was enough to convince me he had nothing to do with the betrayal."

"When did you confront Cunningham?"

"Not until we were both sidelined. He didn't seem to care, and I was angry. He finally admitted to me he had made a lot of money warning Castro. I didn't blackmail him. He offered and gave me $100,000 dollars in my own offshore account. He gave me the account number and the password to access it. I've been living off it for over forty years."

"That's not enough money to last forty years."

"It is when you live in the woods. I didn't touch it until I retired. It had grown to over $150,000 by then, and I've been taking a little at a time since."

"That explains the past. Now, for the present. Why are you here now?"

"I got a call from Cunningham telling me to get down here, that we had a problem. I was supposed to meet him yesterday, but he never showed up. When I saw the news, I was preparing to get out of here when I was picked up. That's my entire story."

Blake motioned to O'Keefe for them to go outside. O'Keefe led Blake to the hallway. "Are you buying this story?"

"I am. Wire is too old to participate in anything like yesterday. He could have just run away. He had enough money that he could access from anywhere in the world. Why come here, unless it is as he says. Let him go."

O'Keefe wasn't happy, but he had to admit Steele was right. He had the police drop the charges and let him go.

O'Keefe took Blake back to his hotel. Blake remined him they were not finished. "I will call you Monday after we see the manuscript."

This left Blake with no one left who could have paid to kill Perez if Cunningham hadn't done it. It had to be him.

Sunday passed quietly for everyone but Maria and William. They finally decided to date, and the date ended up at William's place. Maria didn't leave until Monday morning.

Everyone was sitting in Juan Gonzalez' office conference room bright and early Monday morning to have the will read. All of Maria's family were there, as was Ben, and a couple of Perez's old friends.

Gonzalex opened the meeting with some general comments. He then opened the file on his desk. "This is the last will and testament of Artemio Fernando Perez. I will skip the legalese and get straight to his assets.

I do hereby leave my company to Raul and Benita, brother and sister. Raul gets sixty percent and Benita gets the remainer. Raul is to provide for Benita for the rest of her life until one or the other dies. Upon the death of both, the company will be sold, and the proceeds will be given to Maria Perez. My house will be given to Maria Perez and the expenses for said house will be paid by the company for as long as Maria owns it. She will be free to sell if she so chooses. The manuscript I have been working on for many years is finally finished. It is in my savings box at the bank. I give it to Maria Perez. I wish my true story to now be told. A publishing company has a copy, and they are only waiting for the family to give final approval before it is published. I bequeathed to my old friend, Ben Batista, the sum of $200,000. He shall also have a job for as long as the Perez family owns the company. I give to the five longstanding household staff the sum of $100,000 each. My personal savings and investments shall be divided between Raul and Benita.

"There are other details, but that covers the people in this room. I have a copy for each of you if you wish it. Maria, here is the box number with the key that opens it, and the address of which bank holds it."

They sat and talked about Artemio Perez for several minutes. Maria called William and asked him to pick her up at the lawyer's office. She wanted him with her when she opened the box. Ben insisted on going with her for security reasons, and she agreed. When William arrived, the three of them headed for the bank.

The bank manager came to see her when she explained who she was. "I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. He was such a sweet old man. Let me take you to the vault. I'm afraid I can't allow all of you in the vault. Just her and one other."

Ben told them he would stay outside, and they went inside. They came out ten minutes later, carrying a large bag with everything from the box inside.

They hurried to the car and were heading out when Raul called Maria. "Where are you, Maria?"

"This is Ben. I don't know where her and William are at this moment."

"You need to find them. I have some process server here with a court order sealing that box until there is a court hearing next Monday."

"Okay, I'll go looking for them."

He hung up and told them what her father had said. Ben knew something was up. "You must read that manuscript before we seal it up in the attorney's office. William, take her to your apartment and read this as fast as you can. Then reseal it and I will then take you to your father. Understood?" They both nodded. "Then hurry up and get out of here. You have one hour."

They hurried to William's place, and she began skimming the manuscript. William made notes of what she called out until they had managed to get to the end of the manuscript. They then sealed it back up in the box and called Ben. He picked them up and headed to Raul's home. Maria called Julio and asked him to meet her there.

When she arrived at her father's house, the server was still there, and Julio had just arrived. He demanded the order and read it quickly. "Okay, this is a court order for you to seal your grandfather's box in his lawyer's safe until it can be determined who owns it. That's crazy, He wrote it and everyone knows that. What do they mean, until ownership can be determined?"

The server just held his hands out in a shrug and made Maria sign his proof of delivery.

They told everything to Blake. He sat still and thought about it for a while. The rest went into the kitchen and had lunch. Blake didn't move. After dinner, everyone reconvened in Raul's den. Blake finally spoke. "I want you to call the publishing company and tell them to put their copy of the manuscript in a safer place. Tell them they should expect someone to try and steal it this week. Ben, you need to put a guard in that lawyer's office, quietly. He should expect someone to try and steal it this week."

Even Maria, the one person in the room who had seen Blake work before had to ask. "What are you talking about?"

"We all agree this is a bogus case that will be thrown out the first day. So, what is the purpose of delaying a week with everyone knowing where the only two copies are? It is to give someone the time to arrange to steal both copies and destroy them. That is the only answer that makes any sense. And you should hurry."

By the end of that day, Ben had found a broom closet at the end of the hallway of the attorney's office. Buck's men had gone home on Sunday, after the police had released them. However, Buck stayed to make sure Blake was okay. He and Ben decided they would watch the office and Ben set up a schedule for the two of them, as well as the other two of Ben's men. They figured it was probably safe during normal work hours. They broke into his office and put a camera that could see the safe from a quiet place. They would be able to watch and see during the nights and the following weekend.

Raul called the publishing company and told them they would have an answer by the next week, but that they should move the manuscript to a secure location because they have received threats about it. They agreed.

Once Maria and Blake were alone, she read her notes out loud to him. His photographic memory would remember every word she said. They now knew what her grandfather knew, or thought he knew. Now it was up to them to prove it.

Blake had Maria call the police commissioner and ask to meet with him. She had no idea what Blake had in mind, but she had stopped trying to figure him out a long time ago. He agreed to meet with them on Wednesday morning.

Maria drove. Ben and Buck were busy with their surveillance from Monday night and Tuesday night. The camera started recording with any movement in the office. There had been some, and they were investigating.

When they were seated in the commissioner's office, he asked what he could do for them.

"How is the investigation of our little incident at the Perez house?"

"The former policeman has admitted what Cunningham had done. We are laying everything on him, with his former partner now our chief witness."

"For a little consideration at sentencing, I assume."

The commissioner frowned at Blake, but Maria knew he was wasting his time, trying that on Blake.

"The reason I am here is to help you find the real leader of this attack on your city."

"What do you mean, the read leader? We have him."

"No, him dying in the assault was the perfect answer for his boss. He will now be able to continue in business without threat. At least, unless Perez' manuscript ever sees the light of day. I would like for you to hold a press conference on Thursday just before five P. M." Blake had Maria open her purse and take out a beat-up looking letter. "I wish you to state that you will have new evidence of a conspiracy that led up to the horrifying events of the last weekend. You will say we are bringing you the evidence on Friday morning. If you can do that, we can prove that you still have a snake in your community. Are you willing to do that?"

"I need something to hold up to show them when I say such things."

"I don't really think you want that. If they believe you have seen the evidence, that puts your life in danger. If you say we are bringing it to you in the morning, then they know you haven't seen it yet, and you will be safe."

"And, if nothing happens, what then?"

"You just say it was stolen and blame us. That still keeps you out of danger."

"Is it that important?"

"I think it is life and death how this goes."

"Okay, at 5 P. M."

Maria led Blake away and they went back to the hotel.

Maria asked Ben and Buck to make plans to have someone watch Blake's room on Thursday night. She anticipated trouble. She didn't need someone to watch her. She knew William would be there. He has been there every night so far. This time, he would have to forgo the sex and be ready with his gun. She figured he could go without for one night if it meant this whole mess would be over.

So far, the only thing that tripped the camera at the lawyer's office was the cleaning crew. Blake told them to watch for anything unusual about the cleaning crew. If it was him, he told them he would pose as the cleaning crew to get in.

Blake called Case and asked him to get him some new information as quickly as he could. He then called Hammer and asked him if he would ask Anthony Carbione a question for him. Hammer said he'd try.

On Thursday morning, they got a call from the publisher. Their copy had been stolen sometime on Wednesday night. Even with the precautions they had taken, it was still stolen. That told Blake they would be coming on Friday night, because the press conference would necessitate a change to their schedule. They would need that last manuscript before Friday.

Blake talked to Sam every night. And every night Sam asked Blake to come home. It had almost been a month, and she needed him home. Every night he would say soon. On this night, he could tell her it would be in one or two days.

Sam had known the challenges she would face, being with a blind man and giving up her good job with NYPD to start an unknown venture with Blake. It was a choice she had no difficulty making. She had known she loved him long before the accident, and it seemed the natural thing to do under the circumstances.

She had made certain allowances for his blindness that she wasn't sure he even knew. She had ordered a unique perfume that she wore every day. She knew Blake's other senses have heightened since he lost his eyesight. She knew he would know she was there because of the perfume, and that was how she wanted it. She also wore a special trinket bracelet that made a slight tinkling sound as her arm moved. She knew he would pick up on it, but that was by design. She wanted him to know where she was when she was in the room with him. Concessions made in the name of love.

Blake did know why she wore the perfume and the bracelet, and it made him love her even more. Her consideration of him without coddling was exactly what he needed. He made a vow to himself while in Miami that he would never do this again. He would never be separated from Sam again.

The press conference was a hit with TV. The commissioner announced a new clue to what the media was now calling, "The Murder of the Cuban Freedom Fighter". The commissioner took no questions but said everything would be made clear on Monday and walked away from the press.

Blake listened from the hotel room and was mildly impressed. He figured the one thing the commissioner knew was politics, and he played it great. The trap was now set. Hopefully he will be home by Monday.

Blake reminded everyone that it would be either tonight or Saturday night. He bet on tonight.

Maria took Blake to her father's house. "Poppa, will you please keep Mr. Steele here with you, safe?"

"Of course, my dear. I will have a bodyguard for him the entire time here." He hugged his daughter. "Ben told me what William did for you when the shooting started. You've made a wise choice, and I approve."

She whispered into her father's ear. "I do love him. I guess I'm moving back to Miami."

Raul held his daughter and cried unashamedly. His little girl was coming home!

It happened that night. A second cleaning crew showed up after the first one was done and gone. Ben called his two men, then Ben and Buck came out of their closet and crept up to the lawyer's door. It had been left open a crack for easy escape, but it also allowed easy entry for them. They heard movement in the lawyer's office. The outer office was clear, so they moved toward the door with guns drawn.

Ben eased the door open slightly to see one man trying to crack open the safe while the other man was going through the files on Juan's desk. They knew there were three men total, and Ben suspected the third was in the corner providing cover for the other two. Ben motioned Buck back and then motioned for Buck to get in the only corner that would provide a clear shot at the man when he opened the door. When Buck was ready, Ben hid behind the secretary's desk and dropped a paper weight. The thud was clear and distinct. The door was pushed open, but no one rushed out. Ben watched from under the desk as the third man surveyed the room. Ben looked at Buck and hit his hand on the desk. Buck nodded and bumped into a set of drawers.

The third man turned just enough to look at that side of the room, and that allowed Ben to lift up enough to shoot him over the desk before he could turn his gun back toward Ben. The man tried to raise his gun, but Buck shot him also, and he was down.

They rushed into the room to find two terrified men holding up their hands.

Ben's other two men arrived in time to drag the dead man out of the room. They wrapped him in plastic they had brought for the occasion. They then took the rug in front of the desk that was now bloody with them. Ben led the two men out with them, and they went down to the van.

Ben found a deserted trash bin and they dumped the body. They found a deserted alley and stopped the van.

"Okay, boys. This is going to go one of two ways. You tell me everything you know, and maybe we will let you walk out of this van. You don't convince us, and you join your friend in the trash. You're choice."

It was not a hard choice, and the two sang quickly. They had been hired by the third man. They were connected to him by a man that connects people with specialties with customers without the usual niceties. They gave him the name of the man. Ben could tell they were telling the truth. They were scared to death. Ben took their wallets and removed their driver's license.

"Here's how this is going to work. If I find out that you told anyone about us, we will come and find you. You know what that would mean. We are in the same world as you. Just melt back into the underworld, and we never met, you understand? Otherwise, it's the trash bin for both of you. If either talks, both dies."

They looked at each other and nodded to Ben. "Go, get out of here."

Buck wasn't so sure. "You're taking a chance letting them go."

"True, but they know how this world works in Miami. They'll try very hard to forget about us."

Saturday dawned with the manuscript safe. Case called Blake and gave him the information he requested. Later that day, Hammer called to say the Don of New York had agreed to his request, and the call had been made. Blake thanked Hammer, and Hammer asked when he was getting back to his pregnant wife. "I know, I'm an asshole for leaving her there. She's not alone, but you're right. I hope to be home the first of this week, and Anthony's favor will help with that."

Blake asked Maria to call Julio Caberra and ask him to come to her father's house.

Blake asked Ben and Buck to wait in the other room within hearing distance, but out of sight. Just in case they needed help.

Blake was ready. He asked Raul if he and Maria could speak with Caberra. He wasn't happy, but he finally went to join Ben and Buck.

Julio arrived with his usual bodyguard. Blake asked if the bodyguard could wait in the hallway while they spoke. Julio looked uncomfortable but finally agreed and sent the man out into the hall.

Blake started the conversation. "I want to thank you for coming."

"Sure, whatever I can do for Maria."

"I'm afraid we are past helping Maria and need to concentrate on your survival."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Unfortunately for you, my research and discussions with other associates of yours is fast making your position untenable."

"You've lost me again, Mr. Steele."

"I always wondered what the connection to Artemio Perez could be to you. You are far too young to have any direct connection with anyone from the sixties. Unless, of course, it is your father, the supposed leader of a gang that came from Cuba in 1980. The only problem with that would be his age. He was only twenty-five when he arrived in this country. How did this kid, fresh off the boat, and barely speaking any English, rise to the position he ultimately did?"

Caberra wasn't talking any longer, but only Maria could see him begin to sweat.

"As the organized crime gangs that Castro sent here to create chaos began to take hold, your father suddenly moved very quickly up in the world of crime. By the time he was thirty, he was the head of the Latin Kings, and ruler of much of southern Miami. How did that happen so quickly? We both know, don't we Julio?" Blake waited a moment before continuing. "Just so you know, I called Anthony Carbione, the Don of New York crime families and asked him to speak to Chicago. He agreed and spoke to a couple of powerful crime bosses there and confirmed what I suspected. The Chicago mobs already ruled Chicago, what with the Daly machine in their pocket as partners. They were looking to expand, and they made a deal with New York and the west coast to be allowed to move into Miami without competition. They agreed to share in the profits, and the deal was done. They needed a smart and vicious young man to head up their organization in Miami. Your father applied for the job by killing the head of the other main Cuban gang that had come here. He killed the leader in a vicious attack that killed several of his leaders and crippled them for years. Chicago was so impressed, they made him their unofficial boss of Miami. It stayed that way until he went to prison when the Feds began breaking up those gangs."

"By the time you were old enough to go to college, the gangs were in disrepair and struggling. They fought between themselves, and many innocent people were getting killed. They had your father appoint another boss and then sent the muscle to enforce his rule. By the time you graduated from U of F, things had calmed down considerably. But Chicago wasn't content with that. Their position in Chicago had changed by the turn of the century, and they needed fresh sources of income."

Blake paused to take a shot of whiskey before continuing. "Enter Julio Caberra, the son of their old ally. They sent you to Harvard. They wanted a more sophisticated power behind the muscle. When you finished, you came home, and they set you up in practice and sent you enough high-profile clients to make you profitable and powerful. For the last ten years, you have orchestrated much of the crime in this city at their direction."

"It is a nice piece of fiction, Mr. Steele. I think you'd have trouble winning a case in court with that evidence."

"You are quite correct, Mr. Caberra. Fortunately for me, I'm not in a courtroom now, just the underworld of organized crime. I happen to have some connections there. You know evidence is not needed, only suspicions. The whispers among the old men. That is what always gets a crime boss. They always end up sending some eager young man trying to make a name for himself to do the dirty work. How many times have you done that, Mr. Caberra? For Artemio Perez, perhaps?"

Maria's eyes flashed at the mention of her grandfather. Blake couldn't see it, but Caberra did. Blake continued quickly. "I don't know why you told Cunningham to send someone after Perez. I imagine it was for the manuscript. Perez knew much of what I've said here now, and they were afraid he'd spill the beans, including on you. They had too much in you to let that happen and ordered you to clean up your mess. How am I doing, Mr. Caberra?"

"You know the sad thing about all this? He didn't even mention anything about you, or your father, or Chicago. Nothing. He left all that out. You killed him for nothing." Blake was almost done. "I do have to admire how you played the CIA against the crime families."

Blake could tell he had two very agitated people in front of him.

"This is what I'm going to do, Mr. Caberra. Nothing. I've spoken to Chicago, and I will let them decide what to do with you. However, if you don't leave Maria and her family completely alone, my friends in New York will make sure you do. It's time you leave this house."

Caberra got up in a daze and walked out to join his bodyguard, and they left.

After a minute, Maria came and sat down on Blake's lap and just cried. He let her cry. Ben, Buck, and her father entered to see her crying, and they quietly slipped back out.

An hour later, everyone was in Raul's den. Blake explained everything to each of them. He then said his goodbyes. He and Buck were flying out that evening.

He called Sam and asked her to have Imani pick them up at the airport.

When it was quiet, Maria came up to Blake and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, boss. I'll never forget you. I found more than I came looking for, and it is all because of what I learned from you."

He smiled. "Don't sell yourself short, young lady. And William is a very lucky guy. I think the two of you will make a very good team. Good luck, my dear, and thanks for all the time you wasted in my apartment, when all you wanted to do was go downstairs and help with a case. I'll never forget you."

Imani was there to meet them, and she took them home. Blake thanked Buck and had her take him home.

When he walked into their apartment, he smelled her perfume and heard the tinkle of her bracelet. She was waiting for him. She would have bowled him over if he hadn't been prepared for the attack. As it was, he caught her in his arms and just held her off her feet for a couple of minutes. When she finally got down, she led him to his favorite chair, handed him his whiskey and sat down on his lap. She had the computer turn on some soft jazz, and the two of them just enjoyed being together again. Blake knew he'd never put Sam in that position again, especially since he would be a father in a few months. A FATHER!