Second novel from the R.M. Dolin, WHAT IS TO BE DONE, trilogy, Copyright 2021
Trophic Cascade – SYNOPSIS
A man’s been stabbed, a woman murdered, and given Sympatico’s violent history with Miguel, Jake assumes the worst. Rushing to her room, he’s relieved Sympatico’s there but is embarrassed he startled her coming out of the shower. Armando and Marcos are dispatched to Miguel’s ranch but to work through multiple layers of law enforcement barricades, Armando must call in many favors. What they learn is the murdered man was one of the Texans at the Al Azar earlier that day and the murdered woman, like Sympatico, was trafficked from Bolivia.
Agent Alvarez arrives in Albuquerque to investigate subversive activities but Jake and his cohort of Americans for a New America (ANA) have countermeasures in place. Things are starting to get back to normal when Padre crashes an ANA meeting to announce he’s opening a half-way house for human trafficking victims. Sympatico continues her slow but steady recovery but the constant threat of what Miguel might do leaves her unsettled. While helping Jake in the distillery, he tells her the story of how he came to New Mexico with Emelia and talks about how life should be lived in the present, which is ironic given he lives in his past. He tells her about Padre’s halfway house encouraging her to both work there and consider going out with either Dario or Chance, but she’s not ready for such things.
On his return from giving a lecture about the impact of Hugo Chavez on South America, Padre joins Jake and Armando at the Al Azar for a drink that morphs into a discussion on the role of evil in human history. Jake questions why Bishop Abbadelli allows a priest to play in a Salsa band, so Padre tells the story of the ‘Trumpeter of Krakow,’ and how he made the bishop cry when he played the Hejnal Mariacki for him. When he plays the mournful trumpet solo for Jake and Armando, they both struggle to hide their tears.
Sympatico’s first day at Padre’s halfway house is filled with excitement and a sense her life is finding a peaceful purpose. Meanwhile, Miguel confronts Jake demanding Sympatico back and is about to throw down until Dario intervenes, which causes Theresa to engage the Mexican underground to help return Sympatico to Bolivia. While drinking bourbon in the courtyard with Jake, Chance fabricates a story about what happened in Worland and why he’s on the run. Jake knows it’s a lie but it’s not for him to judge.
With threats escalating, the ANA debate their obligations to the world, while furthering plans to bring down Miguel’s operation and deal with Alvarez who shows up using the murdered Texan as a pretext. Miguel learns about Padre’s halfway house and fears Sympatico may go underground, so he makes his move, but Jake arrives in time to protect her. Miguel’s boss, Ramon, grows impatient with Miguel and worries about Alvarez since the feds don’t usually meddle in his operations.
On an otherwise quiet afternoon, a wild dog pack attacks Sympatico in the courtyard. Quando does what he can, but he’s outnumbered. Rushing from the distillery, Jake battles the dogs shooting five while Dario gets the sixth. Dario treats their wounds, and while sedated, Jake talks nonsense about his hero dog who he sleeps beside on the dining room floor. Sympatico wanders in and lays down beside them, realizing that with her two heroes is where she’s supposed to be.
Jake tells Sympatico the story of how he and Emelia met at a sidewalk café in Paris as he readies his crew for the three-day Albuquerque wine fiesta. While his crew sets up their festival tent, Jake bumps into Padre, whose there to perform with his salsa band and promote his latest social justice cause, “Padre’s for Peaceful Protest.” Midway through the day, undercover cops arrest Jake and Armando for over-serving. When shown the incriminating evidence, Jake sees it’s an Alvarez plant and finds a flaw leading to their release. With that distraction dispatched, Jake steps away from his tent to watch Padre perform. He invites Sympatico but she chooses to wander around first unaware Miguel and Ramon have men trailer her. Miguel exploits an opportunity to grab Sympatico and seems likely to succeed until Jake, Dario, and Chance rush to her rescue. In the mayhem Miguel manages to get away with Sympatico and takes her to Ramon’s Albuquerque compound. Ramon explains that everything he’s prepared to do can be avoided if she’ll sign over the $150M settlement her Abuelo won for the Bolivian Miners against corrupt corporations, but Sympatico would rather die than betray the Miners and their families.
At a late-night emergency ANA meeting the Tracker App finds Miguel’s location and rouse to split Miguel and Sympatico away from the rest of Ramon’s men is planned. Dario leads the mission and unavoidably kills one of Miguel’s men. With Sympatico safe, the ANA get busy using cyber skills to dismantle Ramon’s operation and free his trafficked captives. Padre starts the process of returning the girls to their homes utilizing the Mexican underground. He convinces Jake that Sympatico needs to go as well, causing Jake to confront what it means to lose her. Now that Sympatico’s finally free, she chooses to stay and build a life working at the halfway house. While neither will admit it, the intense bond Jake and Sympatico share cannot be broken.
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