Revenge in Barcelona Read online

  Awards and Praise for Kathryn’s Books

  Waking Up in Medellin (A Nikki Garcia Thriller)

  Waking Up in Medellin was named “Best Fiction Book of the Year—2017” by the Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference and also won Killer Nashville’s “Best Fiction—Adult Suspense—2017.” It was also a finalist for the Roné Award—2016.

  Waking Up in Medellin by Kathryn Lane, is as hard to put down as an unscratched lottery ticket. Nikki Garcia is the accountant version of James Bond. Our heroine flies to Medellin, Colombia to ascertain if the president of a major steel company is guilty of embezzlement. Her financial forensic skills and tenacity are apparent as she bulldogs her way to finding evidence. As a result of her investigation people begin to die, and brings her closer to meeting the same fate.

  There are so many good guys, bad guys, and many that can go either way that the story moves at lightning speed toward an explosive finish. As a comparison, Grisham comes to mind.

  Review by Robert Selby, screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at the Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference

  Waking Up in Medellin isn’t your run-of-the-mill thriller, but a story with a unique plot and characters that are original and sophisticated. Nikki is a character that will arouse the interest of readers, one who reminds me of the characters in Sidney Sheldon’s novels. The narrative is impeccable and Kathryn Lane is deft with the first-person narrative. It is a story with powerful conflicts, escalating swiftly and culminating in a satisfying denouement.

  Review by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

  Danger in the COYOTE ZONE (Coyote Zone – A Nikki Garcia Thriller)

  Coyote Zone won first place in the 2018 Action/Adventure Category of Latino Books into Movies Award and was a finalist in the Thriller Category at the 2018 Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference.

  Coyote Zone is the thrilling new installment in the Nikki Garcia series by Kathryn Lane. Once again, Lane takes her readers to exotic locales with glutinous helpings of adventure and intrigue. The heroine, Nikki Garcia, is drawn back into threatening circumstances when her client’s daughter is kidnapped from the local food court by a Mexican coyote and sends our heroine into undercover work that threatens her life and those of the young victims she needs to rescue.

  Review by Robert Selby, screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at the Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference

  Coyote Zone is a dynamic thriller.

  The action is so fast-paced the reader never has a chance to catch their breath until the very end! Nikki is engaging and realistic, and I loved following right alongside her throughout the action. All the characters are well developed and most of them very likeable. Readers will hate the characters meant to be hated, particularly with the hefty subject matter Lane tackles.

  With bad people working on several sides, it is hard to figure out how this story is going to end until the actual end. Clues are given, but the plot keeps twisting and turning so the reader will have to wait until the last chapter to know for sure who the bad guy is. “Coyote Zone” by Kathryn Lane is highly recommended reading for fans of the genre.

  Review by Paige Lovitt of Reader Views

  Kathryn Lane’s spunky Latina heroine, Nikki Garcia, is back in Coyote Zone. When the story opens, Nikki is vacationing in the Yucatan with her fiancé Eduardo, but their lovefest is interrupted by a call from her new boss, Floyd, to investigate a kidnapping in San Miguel de Allende. Not only is this a page-turning thriller with twist after heart-wrenching twist, but it brings awareness to the very real issue of human trafficking.

  Review by Sharon Marchisello, author of Going Home and a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/

  Coyote Zone compels and thrills with trademark Kathryn Lane qualities: page-turning suspense, contemporary “ripped-from-the-headlines” conflict, dangerously high stakes, and passionately evoked romance. You will see the world differently after accompanying these memorable characters to a zone where “the devil is on the loose.”

  Dr. Cliff Hudder, Member of the Texas Institute of Letters and author of Pretty Enough for You and Splinterville

  Kathryn Lane’s riveting Danger in the COYOTE ZONE keeps the reader spellbound as Nikki Garcia enters the shadowy world of human trafficking and races against time, corrupt officials, and ruthless criminals. You cannot put this book down.

  Hipolito Acosta, a highly decorated US Immigration and Naturalization Service Officer (retired) and author of The Shadow Catcher, The Hunt for Maan Singh, and Deep in the Shadows

  Backyard Volcano and Other Mysteries of the Heart (Short Story Collection)

  Backyard Volcano and Other Mysteries of the Heart was named “Best Short Story Collection—2018” by the Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference.

  Here is compelling language, absorbing mystery and—at every turn—the possibility of magic. Readers will be captivated by resourceful characters who carry the weight of tradition, yet fulfill the promise of transformation.

  Dr. Cliff Hudder, member of the Texas Institute of Letters and author of Pretty Enough for You and Splinterville

  Revenge in Barcelona

  Kathryn Lane

  Copyright @ 2019 Kathryn Lane

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Revenge in Barcelona is a work of fiction. The characters, places, and events in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  ISBN 978-1-7332827-3-4

  First Edition

  Printed and Bound in the USA

  Published by:

  Tortuga Publishing, LLC

  The Woodlands, TX 77381

  [email protected]

  [email protected]

  Editor: Sandra A. Spicher

  Kathryn Lane photo: Mindy Harmon

  Cover Design and Interior: Bobbye Marrs

  For my husband, Bob

  My son, Philip

  And in loving memory of my mother, Frances Lane

  Contents

  Awards and Praise for Kathryn’s Books

  Maps

  Notes on Places and Language

  List of Characters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47


  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Maps

  Notes on Places and Language

  Streets in Barcelona

  Avinguda—Avenue

  Carrer—Street

  Carretera—Road

  Passatge—Passageway, as in narrow street

  Passeig—Promenade

  Arabic Words or Phrases

  As-salamu alaikum—Arabic greeting—May peace be with you (first person who greets)

  Wa alaikumu as-salaam—Arabic greeting—With you as well (response)

  Insha Allah—God willing

  Hafiz—Person who has memorized the entire Koran

  Hajji—Muslim person who has successfully completed pilgrimage to Mecca

  Subḥah—String of prayer beads where units (100, 25, or 33) represent the names of God

  Takiyah (not to confuse with taqiyya)—short, rounded skullcap, often worn for religious purposes

  Kufi—Hand-crocheted round skullcap

  Skullcap—Close-fitting cap; especially a light brimless cap for indoor wear

  Thobe—Ankle-length loose robe worn by Muslim men with a shirt-like tailored top

  Hijab—Traditional Islamic headscarf for women

  Halal—Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted, such as food prescribed in the Koran

  Qiṣāṣ – retaliation in kind, “like an eye for an eye”

  Romani Words

  Gadjo or gadji—Denotes outsiders living within Romani community, a non-Rom

  Romanipen—The spirit of being Romani

  Duikkerin—Fortune telling

  Famous Barcelona Locations

  Port Vell—Old Port, Barcelona’s harbor marina area

  Barri Gòtic—Gothic Quarter

  Casa Batlló—Antoni Gaudí remodeled an existing building in1904–1906, in the Modernist style, for the Batlló family for their home; now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  Casa Milà—Gaudí designed and built the house, which was fraught with legal and financial issues, for the original owner, Pere Milá. It’s popularly called La Pedrera for its façade, which resembles a quarry; now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  Sagrada Famìlia—Famous Gaudí church, Basìlica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famìlia. The work performed by Gaudí on the Nativity façade and the Crypt of Sagrada Famìlia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  Parc Güell—Antoni Gaudí designed and built this whimsical park, called a “playground for the mind.” The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Barcelona iconic symbol.

  Templo Tibidabo—Church on Tibidabo Hill, full name: Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor de Jesús

  Words or Phrases Used in Spanish or Catalan

  Trifásico – Espresso with a drop of brandy and a bit of milk, another Catalan specialty

  Gitana—Gypsy or Rom woman

  Bandolero—Bandit

  Tablao—Flamenco stage

  Cantaor—Flamenco singer

  Vale—Okay or any of its equivalents

  Mi querida amiga—My dear friend

  Sicario—Hitman

  Hòstia—Host, or sacramental bread, a powerful swear word in Spain

  Senyora – Señora in Catalan, lady, ma’am, Mrs. or Ms.

  List of Characters

  (This list is provided for the reader’s benefit. Characters are loosely listed in order of appearance. A few minor characters are omitted.)

  Nikki Garcia—Private investigator at Security Source, a firm in Miami, Florida; formerly a corporate fraud auditor

  Eduardo Duarte—Nikki’s fiancé, a Colombian citizen and medical doctor

  Floyd Webber—Nikki’s boss and owner of Security Source, a firm in Miami, Florida

  Cristóbal Arenas—Colombian national

  Hamilton Espinoza—Investigator at Security Source in Miami, offstage

  Taiwo Adebayo—Nigerian man

  Olani—Yoruba woman from Nigeria

  Dayo—Olani’s daughter

  Kehinde (Kenny) Adebayo—Nigerian man, Olani’s husband

  El Saraway—A guest at the Majestic Hotel

  Pedro—Concierge at Majestic Hotel

  Carmen Cardoso Azar—Nikki’s aunt

  Luis Azar—Carmen’s deceased husband and Paula’s father

  Paula Azar—Carmen’s daughter and Nikki’s cousin

  Fadi Massú—Paula’s fiancé

  Hassan Farooqi—Florist in Barcelona

  Captain—Saudi Arabian hajji, catamaran boat owner

  Rafael González—Antiterrorist investigator with Grupo de Operaciones (GEO) from the Spanish National Police, Lola’s husband

  Lola—Yoruba woman, Rafael’s wife

  Selena—Romani woman, flamenco dancer, Lola’s friend

  Cleric in Barcelona—Imam at small Islamic center

  Rosa Gebarra—Romani woman, Salena’s fellow flamenco dancer, Hassan’s wife

  Milena Webber—Floyd’s wife

  Carlos Azar—Paula’s uncle, her deceased father’s brother

  Jamila Massú—Fadi’s mother

  Fernando Massú—Fadi’s father

  Javier de la Mata—Floyd’s Interpol contact

  Charlotte—Floyd’s assistant in Miami office, offstage

  Alberto Mariscal—Detective on Rafael’s antiterrorist team

  Teresa—Agent, researcher, and computer expert on Rafael’s team

  Sonia Ussam—Owner of flower shop in Barcelona

  Pepe—Rafael’s driver and also an antiterrorist agent on Rafael’s team

  Emil El Aremi—Palestinian with Lebanese passport

  Chapter One

  Barcelona, Spain

  Friday Morning

  Nikki Garcia scanned the crowd gathered in the baggage claim area at Barcelona’s El Prat International Airport, searching for anything unusual—a person keeping an eye on them or a familiar face hidden by disguise—as she and her fiancé, Eduardo Duarte, waited for their luggage. Satisfied she had discovered nothing out of the ordinary, she slipped her bare feet into a pair of tennis shoes she’d been clutching under her arm. One at a time, she rested each foot on the stationary outer edge of the luggage carousel to tie the laces. Twelve hours of flight time from the Yucatan Peninsula to Barcelona had made her ankles swollen and puffy. She’d walked barefoot from the plane to baggage claim to get the blood circulating in her lower extremities.

  “Am I being irrational?” she asked, standing straight again. “I don’t want to be mowed down like a rat.” She shivered, thinking of Juana la Marihuana.

  “We’re safe,” Eduardo said. “No one but Floyd and your aunt Carmen know we’re here.” He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Let’s just relax and enjoy ourselves.”

  “The Mexican job probably won’t be the last time I’ll work undercover,” she whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, “but I’m not likely to ever meet anyone as courageous as that marihuana-smoking bag lady.”

  “With her designer pup and that crow. They helped crack the case.” Eduardo smiled, his chestnut-brown eyes beaming. “That’s all behind us. We’re on vacation now. And think about our wedding! Watch out, Barcelona, here we come.”

  “Ah, yes,” Nikki said. Her expression changed from somber to bright. “Where I met my childhood sweetheart.”

  “When you were my mysterious Nicolasa,” Eduardo whispered in her ear.

  Nikki’s body tightened. She tilted her head up to speak softly in Eduardo’s ear. “I hate that name. That’s why I changed it to Nikki when I became a US citizen.”

  “I saw you working before I fell asleep. Anything interesting?” Eduardo asked.

  “Just researching Cristóbal Arenas.” The man who had placed a price on her head. Her life in danger, her boss, Floyd Webber, had arranged for
the trip to Spain to keep her safe. On the flight, she’d tried to sleep, and when that failed, she tried meditating but her mind would not relax.

  “Find anything you didn’t already know?” Eduardo asked.

  “A little. On the I-24/7 database.”

  “Interpol?” Eduardo asked, his face reflecting surprise. “How can you access Interpol?”

  “One of the guys who consults for us in Miami, Hamilton Esparza, set me up with an account as his admin assistant.”

  “Nikki, one last time. Please level with me. Are you CIA?”

  “Don’t start that again,” she said, sighing.

  “So what did you find?”