“I know there are a few charter outfits here in La Isabela,” said Jonathan. “What am I looking for?”
“A jet,” Chris replied, “For, say, ten passengers or so. I want Gomez convinced and I want to be sure we have enough room for everybody. However, I’d suggest you get a plane from HeliPro back home.”
“I can do that,” said Jonathan, HeliPro being a public charter provider on the surface though managed by the Discreet Activities agency behind the scenes. “But why?”
“A few of reasons,” Chris explained. “For one, if Gomez has the plane traced, he’ll see it came from Canada which will add even more credibility to our charade. Secondly, I’d rather have you or one of your people flying us around than a hired local. Last of all, we could get Leslie and Dave on board and down here quickly. As of now, I’m Scorpion. I’ll need bodyguards.”
Chapter 7 – Sunday, December 14, 2014
Gregorio Luperón International Airport, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, late morning
The door to the waiting room opened and a smiling security official announced, “The flight you are expecting will be here soon, Señor Gomez, should you and your guests wish to see it land.”
“Gracias,” Gomez replied before turning to the others. “Gentlemen, shall we?”
Preceded by Hector, Gomez stepped out of the room with Martinez, Washington and Chen following, and crossed the wide corridor to the glass wall on the opposite side which allowed an unobstructed view of the apron, taxiways and runway beyond. They waited in silence for a minute or so and the gun-metal grey Gulfstream G280 appeared from the west, seemingly floating in the air as it approached and descended to a flawlessly executed landing.
As the five men looked on, the small jet coasted forward as it slowed and turned onto the taxiway almost directly in front of them then veered onto the apron to come to a stop one hundred feet or so to their right. The engines powered down and several ground crew members followed by an immigration official and two security guards moved onto the apron as the airstairs lowered on the plane’s opposite side.
“Your boss travels in style,” said Gomez with approval. “I look forward to meeting this Scorpion.”
* * * *
“Shortly before we landed, Jonathan contacted me and asked that you wait for him and Chris on the plane,” said the pilot, Lucas Rega, while Bernie Avery, the co-pilot, lowered the airstairs. “It should just be a couple of minutes. Bernie and I will get the immigration stuff cleared in the meantime.”
“Will do,” replied Dave McCall, still seated in the cabin with Cathy, his wife, and Leslie Robb. “Did Chris or Jon tell you what was up?”
“Only that they would meet you here and, speak of the devils, here they are,” said a smiling Rega as two men sporting ground crew attire boarded the plane. “Good morning, gentlemen. I’ll go deal with immigration while you greet your guests.”
“Thanks, Lucas. We won’t be long,” Jonathan replied as he and Chris removed the caps and ear muffs they wore.
“Nice of you to join us on such short notice,” said Chris to the three passengers. “Cathy, I’m pleased you could make it. Sandy and Josée were thrilled to learn you were heading down here.”
“You’ve known me long enough to know I’d never refuse a free Caribbean vacation,” Cathy replied. “Thanks for the invitation.”
“A token of appreciation for letting us borrow your husband,” said Chris before addressing Leslie. “I’m sorry Dominique wasn’t available. I am hoping to salvage some vacation time while we’re here so it would have been nice to have her along as well.”
“No worries. She’s stuck in Paris with a bunch of deadlines to meet,” Leslie explained then winked. “I’ll have her for Christmas though so you can take us somewhere fancy then if you like.”
Chris grinned and replied, “We’ll decorate the house real nice and have you over.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” said Leslie as she watched both men remove their orange coveralls, revealing the casual attire they wore underneath. “What’s with the get-ups, guys?”
“Martinez called Gomez last night to tell him I was coming in today,” Chris explained. “Gomez suggested he wanted to be here, wishing to greet me when I arrived as a show of respect. When Martinez told him it wasn’t necessary, Gomez insisted and went on to say he had connections and could get them into the secure area to meet me when I got off the plane. Luckily, Miguel Ortega, our police contact, was able to get us in here, allowing me to step off the plane to Gomez’s satisfaction.”
“We’re ready when you are,” Rega announced as he climbed back into the plane and returned the passports to his three passengers.
“Thanks, we’ll be out in a minute,” said Jonathan. “Who’s flying with me later?”
“That will be me,” Rega replied. “I’ll stick with the plane and Bernie can take a break.”
“Thanks, Lucas,” said Jon then turned to the others. “Okay, folks, very simple. Chris is Scorpion and we’re his security. Logically, as Scorpion’s bodyguards, Martinez has met you several times in the past and knows who you are. We’ve briefed him a bit about you both. You’ve seen the photo of his I sent so you know what he looks like. Any questions?”
“All pretty straight-forward,” said Dave as Leslie nodded in agreement.
“It should be,” said Jonathan before turning to Cathy. “You’ll stay on the plane for a couple of minutes until we’re gone. There’s a car waiting to take you and Bernie to the hotel. You’re expected and Josée and Sandy are waiting for you.”
“No problem. Thank you,” Cathy replied, giving her husband’s hand a squeeze. “You all be careful out there.”
“There shouldn’t be any reason for concern today,” said Chris before smiling and adding, “Unless I screw up, in which case this fine crew will cover for me.”
* * * *
“Here they come,” said Martinez, gesturing toward the plane.
Gomez turned to observe the approaching party as they headed toward an entrance to the terminal near the plane, accompanied by a security officer. Within seconds, the group disappeared from view as it reached the building then reappeared inside the corridor some distance away and headed toward Gomez and company.
“Scorpion is the one in the middle?” Gomez asked the foursome approached, following the security officer.
“Yes, the light haired one,” Martinez confirmed.
“And the redhead’s his wife? Girlfriend?” Gomez murmured with interest. “That is one gorgeous lady.”
“Hottest bodyguard I ever met,” Martinez corrected. “Along with Dave, the tall, lanky dude.”
“She’s a bodyguard?” Gomez asked in surprise. “She looks like a model.”
“Les is one dangerous lady,” Martinez warned. “Piss her off and she’ll tear you apart.”
“Good to know,” said Gomez. “Who’s the guy behind them?”
“Jon,” Martinez replied. “Pilot, bodyguard and jack of all trades. Pretty much the boss’ right arm.”
They ceased their conversation as Chris and his entourage reached them and came to a halt.
“Gentlemen,” said Chris. “I wasn’t expecting a welcoming committee but I thank you for being here. If it’s alright with you, we’ll let this gentleman lead us out of here and we can introduce ourselves in a couple of minutes.”
He smiled at Gomez and gestured him to go first then nodded at the waiting security officer to go ahead. Moments later, they were out in the sunshine, their escort having taken a trajectory not generally accessible to travelers which bypassed the regular immigration control area. After crossing to the parking lot to get away from the hustle and bustle of arriving tourists, the group paused for greetings and introductions.
“Allow me to welcome you to the Dominican Republic,” said Gomez, extending a hand to Chris. “I’m Pedro Gomez and this is my assistant, Hector.”
“Good to meet you,” Chris replied, shaking Gomez’s hand and nodding at Hector. “I’m D
ennis Roy and this is my team, Leslie, Dave and Jon. Thanks for being available for my visit on such short notice.”
“I thank you for coming to meet with me so quickly,” Gomez countered, “And for considering me as a partner in this new venture. I’m confident you will find any or all my locations acceptable to your plans.”
“That’s what I’m here to see,” said Chris. “Where do we start?”
“I was thinking we’d start with my closest resort, Paraíso de Ángeles, where we could visit and have lunch,” replied Gomez. “Then I could show you the other two in Puerta Plata before heading to Sosua and Cabarete. Tomorrow, we will go to Boca Chica and Punta Cana.”
“We want to remain close to marinas,” Chris replied, “So we won’t waste our time with Sosua or Cabarete. I could use some lunch so let’s do that and visit your three local spots. When that’s done, we’ll hop on the plane and get this tour wrapped up today.”
* * * *
Whereas a car trip from Puerta Plata to Boca Chica then on to Punta Cana and back would have consumed over nine hours, barring traffic, total flight time in the Gulfstream had been less than an hour from start to finish. In addition, Gomez had added efficiency to the tour by ensuring appropriate and timely ground transportation to and from the resort at both locations. As a result, the group had landed back in Puerto Plata four hours after originally taking off and returned to Gomez’s private terrace for a drink to cap the day’s activities.
“And so, my friend,” said Gomez at he settled at the table across from Chris and Martinez. “Do you have any impressions you are willing to share with me at this time?”
“One of my concerns was your capability of incorporating this kind of operation with sufficient discretion,” Chris replied. “Resorts have a high turnover of visitors coming in and out and you don’t want it to become common knowledge that the room back there is a coke lab. Now that I’ve seen your resorts for myself, I don’t see any reason why any one of them wouldn’t make a great location. They all have areas which can be easily restricted from guests without drawing attention.”
“My intention with every resort I built or renovated,” said Gomez, wishing to further emphasize Scorpion’s observation, “Was to keep the guest areas as shielded as possible from the whole ‘behind the scenes’ aspects related to running the place. You will never see staff carrying kegs of beer or cases of liquor through a dining room or by the pool to get them to a bar. All product is moved from storage areas through designated corridors running behind the bars, kitchens and so on. The same is true with deliveries which all go to the receiving area without exception, out of view of the guests. I am certain the discretion you wish can be easily maintained.”
“I’m sure it can,” Chris agreed. “The other aspect I’m pleased with is the locations of the resorts. They’re all in busy, bustling sectors with a lot of traffic coming and going. I want discrete and private but definitely not secluded. That can attract a lot more attention than hiding out in the open.”
“Yes, I always thought it was better to blend in,” said Gomez. “We clearly think much alike and I am pleased my resorts meet your approval.”
“They certainly do,” Chris confirmed. “If you’re still interested and can get set up with the right people quickly enough, we’re in business.”
“I understood you were considering other options,” said Gomez. “Will you be going forward with any of those as well?”
“I don’t see why I’d need to if you can handle the volume and deliver the quality,” Chris replied. “Setting up my own shop would mean having to man it and I could never get a location as secure as your resorts. If you’re looking after all the refining, that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
Gomez nodded, looking pensive and asked, “What kind of money are we talking about?”
“Three grand per finished kilo for the first three shipments,” Chris answered without hesitation. “That will provide you with a healthy profit even after production costs. If quality and consistency is maintained, I’ll increase that to thirty-five hundred as of the fourth shipment. I believe in supplying the best product possible, in fact, I insist on it. If you can deliver that, you can expect a long and profitable partnership, my friend.”
“I already have the impression you and I will work very well together,” said Gomez. “And I am definitely interested in your proposition but have given it some thought since Pablo first discussed it with me. Since the biggest problem with cocaine trafficking in recent years has been its transportation, I would like to see your yacht and submarine system for myself before investing any time, money and effort in this venture.”
“With all due respect, Pedro, if you’re not involved in the transport–” Martinez started then stopped abruptly when Chris raised a hand.
“The man does have a point, Pablo,” said Chris though his gaze remained on Gomez. “After all, I insisted on seeing his properties before agreeing to do business and he will be taking on some risk with this venture. In all fairness, he has a right to make sure we’re running as tight a ship as possible, no pun intended.”
“Sorry, boss,” said Martinez. “Just trying to minimize who-knows-what even more after the crap we went through last year. No offence, Pedro.”
“Don’t get me wrong, buddy,” Chris replied. “I want you to stick with that attitude. All I’m saying is, if we’re going to trust Pedro with twenty tons of paste per year, we can show him how we’re going to get it to him. Anyhow, we’re still going to have to determine the best way to get the stuff to the resorts and back to the boats and our friend here should be in on that.”
“No offence taken, Pablo. I understand and respect you for being cautious,” said Gomez before turning to Chris. “I continue to be impressed by your way of thinking, Dennis, and I appreciate your trust. Of course, I will offer whatever advice and assistance I can to ensure we are successful.”
“I have a feeling this is going to work out nicely,” said Chris, standing and extending his hand across the table to Gomez. “Welcome aboard, Pedro. Now, I hope you’ll forgive me if I break up the party but it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”
“Of course,” Gomez replied as they shook hands. “When can I expect to hear back from you?”
“I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” said Chris. “It might take a day or two to line things up but be ready to go on a little cruise in the near future. In the meantime, I’d like you to start planning for a first lab. I’m convinced you’ll love what I’m going to show you and I’d want us to move with the next shipment as soon as possible.”
“I already have suppliers in mind for anything I might need,” said Gomez, “And I also know a few guys with experience who will be happy to work for me on this. We will be ready when the time comes.”
“I’ll be sending someone to work with your people the first time around,” said Chris. “As I mentioned, the quality has to be there so my man will train your guys on the exact process to follow.”
“Anyone who works for me understands the importance of following orders,” Gomez reassured. “My men will follow the instructions they receive and we will produce the best cocaine on the market.”
“The best is all I ask for,” Chris replied with a grin before addressing the others who lounged about on the terrace. “Okay, folks, we’re out of here.”
“Hector will show you out,” said Gomez. “Have a good night.”
He watched as the group filed through the French doors and moved out of view onto the mezzanine and down the stairs to his office below. Crossing to the bar, he poured himself a snifter of cognac then walked to the balustrade to observe the partying guests around the pool below. A few minutes went by and he heard Hector ascending the stairs inside before stepping out onto the terrace.
“Have you learned anything about the plane?” Gomez asked as he turned toward his assistant and bodyguard.
“It’s a charter from HeliPro, a Montreal company,” Hector replied. “
The flight plan to here was filed yesterday afternoon, pilots of record are Lucas Rega, who works for HeliPro, and Jon Taylor, who booked the plane in the name of a numbered company.”
“Was any tracing of these companies done?” asked Gomez.
“The charter company has been around for a while,” said Hector. “Nothing special with them. The numbered company belongs to another which belongs to another and so on; they’re shells, which makes sense for a guy like this Scorpion. Do you have any doubts about him?”
“No, especially because of my past dealings with Martinez,” Gomez replied, “But we can never be too careful. I’m pleased the information about the plane and flight matches with what I was told. I now look forward to seeing this ROV system in action. If that is satisfactory, we will be looking at a very bright and profitable future.”
* * * *
Club-Style Villa Resort, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 7:25 p.m.
“Well, that was quite a day,” said Chris as he dropped into a recliner. “Being an international drug lord isn’t as easy as I thought it was.”
“You did great, Chris,” said Leslie. “You have Gomez convinced. Hell, you almost had me convinced.”
“I can’t disagree with Les,” said Jonathan, once again pacing the room. “Seems like there’s nothing like yachts and robot subs to prove one is on the up and up.”
“I tried to get him out of that one,” Martinez piped in before turning to Chris. “If you had followed my lead, Gomez would have backed off. It would have been easy to make him understand why it was none of his business. Now, he’s expecting to see the yachts and ROVs we’re using.”
“Indeed he does,” Chris agreed, “And I followed your original lead to make sure we hooked the bastard. If he was testing to see if we were bluffing, agreeing with his request quashed that in a hurry. The guy is hungry for a piece of this and I’m going to do everything necessary to convince him he’s getting it.”
Sins in the Sun: A Vigilante Series crime thriller Page 6
