Just Needs Killin by Jinx Schwartz Read Free Book Online Page B

and was considering doing the same, when it was too late. A black and white screeched into the parking lot at the store, followed by a truckload of heavily armed Marines. Almost everyone in the tienda started packing up computers and making for the exits. To Denny's credit, he remained sitting at the table with me.
    "Miss Coffey?" the biggest cop said. I looked behind me, snagged Po Thang's collar, and pushed him forward. "Uh, this is Miss Coffey. What's he done?"
    They were not amused.
    When they motioned me toward their car, Denny said he would take Po Thang with him, and keep an eye on my boat. When he asked the head fed when I'd be back, he got a shrug. I took this not to be a good sign.
     
    I was soon alone in the back seat of a souped up Crown Vic, pondering my fate.
    Most people will find this hard to believe, but I've never been in jail.
    I've been detained, delayed, and interrogated by several international agencies over the years, but never actually locked up.
    During the ride into Loreto, a grim future took hold of my thoughts, conjuring pictures of bare cells, mean-looking women, and (probably my worst fear) no privacy or freedom. The cops had the lights whirling, siren howling, and were doing at least a hundred miles an hour. One had to wonder what the big hurry was; after all, they had me, and Ishikawa wasn't gonna get any deader.
    And my car mates weren't talking, not that I could hear them over all the noise even if they were.
    Trying to think of positives about this mess, I came up with a dismally short list. One, I was not handcuffed. This surely had to mean something good, right? And two, I knew Jan was frantically trying to contact the American Consulates in both Tijuana and Cabo San Lucas, as well as Chino's cousin, a lawyer of some sort in Loreto. Hopefully, my mouthpiece would beat me to the jailhouse. Did they even have bail down here?  Oh, and three, there was a nice metal mesh grill protecting me from the cops in the front seat.
    My head throbbed, but that was no surprise, what with ugly scenarios whizzing around up there, banging against my skull like a pinball machine in overdrive. Oddly enough though, what worried me the very most was Jenks's reaction to all this. Would this be the straw that finally broke Jenks's infinite patience?
    Okay, so maybe I have this stupid habit of getting in over my head. It's how I am, and he knows it. But I'd only been in Mexico now for a little over six months, and he's flown back from the Middle East three times when I got into a jam. Maybe I should have thought twice before going off on a lark with Jan? I've heard tell that some people actually look before they leap, but where's the fun in that?
     
    The black and white took a sudden right turn, throwing me against my seat belt and banging my head into my metal mesh protection. A sign flashed by: Aeropuerto Internacional de Loreto.
    Oh, hell, I was being deported?

CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    I have, in the past, been asked to leave a couple of countries, but deported?
    Can one be deported without proof of citizenship to the country to which they are being deported? They didn't know I had my passport and Arizona Driver's license with me, and I sure as hell wasn't gonna tell them. Day was that your good word was all that was needed to get into the US, but not now. On the other hand, deportation looked mighty appealing when compared with a possible lifetime in a Mexican jail.
    We screeched to a halt in front of the airport entrance, lights and sirens heralding a break in what is most likely a pretty humdrum work day between infrequent flights. Unfortunately, a plane had just landed, so passengers gawked while the driver cop opened both my door and that of his boss. Well, some passengers stared at us. Others seemed fascinated by something else afoot inside the terminal. 
    The head fed adjusted his pants and gun, growled something at the driver, who hurried to cut the siren and lights. My ears still rang, but not loud