Sam’s favorite form of relaxation was to lie back in a comfortable chair, smoke a Cuban cigar, and mentally count his gold bars, coins, diamonds, bearer bonds, and liquid goodies secured in his safe. By the time he counted his $50 million, he would have finished his cigar and would be fast asleep. Beats the hell out of counting sheep, he thought.
As usual, the men concluded the meeting with a salute to Echeneis as they touched their glasses of Henry IV cognac. Each man boarded his helicopter as it landed on the helipad. Off they would go in separate directions to ports unknown to anyone on Angel.
Chapter
4
Salvador Vargas (Max) was meeting with the leaders of the Sinaloa gang to plan their next move in their running battle with the Zeta. He was still pissed at the attack on his freighter, Heaven. A response was in order, notwithstanding his men managed to kill the entire attacking force. Sam asked him to drop it. “That’s overkill, Max. Overkill always leads to more problems, which have to then be solved.”
Max listened to Sam on this point, but he preferred the Mexican way. Zeta had a price to pay for their attack on the ship, and it had to be the Mexican way.
The night air was pleasant as the brain trust of the Sinaloa sat on Salvador’s open veranda. The cooks were barbequing one half a steer in the Central American fashion. Salvador took a big draw on his Cuban cigar, slowly exhaled the smoke, looked around to make sure they were safe, and then called the meeting to order.
“Gentlemen, we are here to decide how we are going to punish Zeta for attacking our ship, Heaven. This was a direct challenge to our ability to ship our product freely in the Gulf of Mexico. We are still able to operate in the gulf, but I’m tired of these bastards nipping at our heels.”
Jose chimed in. “Yeah, boss, we need to chop some heads off. Maybe kill a few family members. That’ll get their attention. We’ve been too passive lately. They might be getting the idea we’ve turned into a bunch of pussies.”
“You know, boss,” said Miguel, “Jose might be right. We’ve gotten so involved with our Boston bankers that we’ve sort of forgotten that judicious use of violence is necessary, especially here in Mexico. The Boston boys are so afraid of adverse publicity that they have been able to tap us down a little bit. I agree we shouldn’t stir up anything publically in the U.S. Our job is to keep Zeta in line and out of our business here in Mexico.”
Salvador (Max) leaned back in his chair, propped his feet up on the table, took a sip from his wine glass, took a drag on his big cigar, and as was his fashion, took a pregnant pause as he contorted his face into what looked like the image of deep thought. “Men, I’ve been thinking. Why don’t we go after their head banker in Monterrey? They are totally dependent on this guy to handle all of their money. They are nowhere near as modern and versatile as we are. They don’t own their own bank. If we wipe him out, they are in deep trouble. We’ll put Josh on the job.”
“Boss, what if they go after our bankers?” asked Jose. “Aren’t we just as vulnerable as they are?”
“Not by a long shot. We own our own bank in Belize, which is the base of our operations. We actually control the guys who run the bank. If there is ever a fallout, those guys are loyal to us. With our banker’s help, we all have accumulated assets in our own individual control all over the world. Our assets are also separated from our banker’s assets. And, El Chapo’s money is always separated from ours. If they die tomorrow, we would continue with the same business plan, simply in the hands of new bankers. We have people in our employ who have been trained to take the banking responsibility if necessary. We would have to locate a couple of US bankers, but this would only slow us down for a short time. We need to remember that we owe a great deal to Boston for keeping us dedicated to a flexible and profitable business plan. Give me a vote, yes or no.”
Jose and Miguel were on board. “Boss,” said Miguel, “let me do the job. I need the action.”
“Can’t do it, Miguel. We can’t afford to lose you. We can’t afford the action to come back to us. We’ll have Josh get one of his friends out of Colombia to handle the job. Zeta will know we did it, but they won’t have any proof.”
Julius Ferdinand was a powerful banker in Monterey, Mexico, who controlled an extensive empire throughout Central and South America. Josh was well acquainted with Julius. He would develop a plan to take him out in grand style.
Max called Josh on one of his safe phones. “Josh, this is Max. The boys have approved your plan to handle Julius. Are you ready?”
“Yes, Max, I’m on the job as we speak.”
“In the way of background, Josh, our people have determined that Julius takes his safety seriously. He always drives in an armored car. He always has four professional bodyguards around him. When he travels, he also has several gang members in the area and at least two additional lookouts. His weakness is his avid support of the arts. He can always be counted on by the symphony orchestra as well as the ballet companies. He has been known to fill in, if needed, as the first violinist in a professional string quartet.”
“Max, that’s how we’ll get him. Julius has arranged for a group of friends to have a private preconcert dinner at his club in Monterey for a special concert being held in his honor. Julius considered this location very safe. He arranged for a full epicurean affair, white gloves and all. It will be far and away the best meal this group of twelve will ever eat.
“Max, I’ve had my associates plotting every move Julius makes, and everything points to an attack at the club. We’re already working on arrangements to carry out the job.”
“That’s great,” said Max. “That’s the reason we’re giving the job to you. You’re the best.”
“We actually know, Max, the date and time of the epicurean dinner. This kind of activity will require some extra staff, including at least one extra master chef.”
“Okay, Josh, you take care of the details. “
Josh knew that there were several world-class chefs at the Sinaloa’s resort in Belize. Josh made one call and set the plan into motion. On the noon flight from Cancun to Monterey was, in Josh’s view, the most beautiful chef in the world. She was a five foot eleven beauty from Colombia named Judith. At five o’clock that same afternoon, she was hired as a temporary chef for the special event. Josh would have been shocked if she had not been hired. Among her many talents, Judith spoke French, and her specialty was French cuisine. The head chef was French. He fell in love with Judith at first sight.
This beauty had turned out to be useful to Josh on more than one occasion. The fact that Judith was also a student of the fine art of lovemaking only enhanced her attraction for him. Being a coldblooded killer to boot made her priceless. With her gifts, getting a man into a vulnerable position, unprotected, was child’s play. Julius, however, had demonstrated no history of chasing women, so the plan they worked out was designed uniquely for Julius.
Judith and Josh met in a small restaurant on the outskirts of Monterey. “Judith, are you satisfied with the plan?”
“Yes, Josh. Well, I didn’t know the head chef was such a lover boy. I’ve had to satisfy his hunger a couple of times. You don’t really care, do you?”
“No, just save some for me. What I was referring to is our plan for Julius.”
“Oh, sure. We’re in good shape. I have it worked out to switch one of the flower arrangements on Julius’s table before the event starts. Fortunately for us, the club has several extra vases they are using for this event. They are large enough to do the job. When will you have the device ready?”
“I’ll have it delivered to you the morning of the event before you go to work. At a convenient point during preparations, you can knock one of the arrangements to the floor. That will give you the opportunity to switch the arrangement to the rigged vase. Of course, you could prepare a special arrangement for Julius and make a big deal in a special presentation. If that doesn’t work o
ut, you can simply attach the device under the table, but it will be better to use the flower arrangement in the vase.”
“How far can I go from the building before I activate the device?”
“As soon as you walk out the back door, you may activate the device. You can go a good distance, but don’t. You will need to be sure that Julius is at his seat before you walk out the door. Walk out the door, activate the device, and walk calmly down the driveway. We will be waiting for you.”
“Sounds good, Josh. Now finish your steak. You and I need to go party. You know how a little action makes me horny.”
“Judith, you’re some kind of bad ass. To hell with the steak. Let’s get out of here.”
“If Julius could just know what kind of unbridled pleasure he will bring to me, he might be able to smile as he departs this life for his great reward in the hereafter.”
Hand in hand, like teenage lovers, Josh and Judith walked the two blocks to Josh’s hotel. Josh had no problem spending Sinaloa’s money. He had the best room in the best hotel in Monterey. Josh had barely shut the door before Judith shed her clothes. What a sight! Judith, always the aggressor, was tearing at Josh’s clothes before he could remove his hand from the doorknob, pulling him toward the king-sized bed. For these two, a king-sized bed was necessary to contain their active mating habits.
This was not the first time Judith and Josh had celebrated their mutual sexual desires together. Judith had tested Josh’s abilities and had found him uniquely qualified to satisfy her needs. Few men could leave her as exhausted as he could.
Early the next morning, they both lay in bed, satisfied with their night of unfettered debauchery.
“Josh, I only have one regret about this job.”
“Yeah? And what would that be?”
“We won’t be here long enough for me to abuse your body. So, big boy, you’re going to have to take care of me every chance we can make the time. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Judith, my body I will gladly give you. After all, you are the best piece of ass in the world.”
“If you have the energy, big boy, roll over here and talk nasty into my ear.”
“Gladly!”
Judith faced the day of the party with the certainty that all would go well, at least for her. Judith went out of her way to hug and kiss all the help as they came in. Life had favored her in many ways. Today was no exception. The guest arrived in their finest clothes. The waiters were dashing in their tuxes and white gloves, and the chefs were decked out in their tall white hats. The flowers on the table were beautiful, and she was the hit of the party, as always.
After the usual pre-event chatter, all the guests took their seats. Judith observed that Julius placed himself in the middle where he could receive the proper praise for this event from his guests. Judith was sure that most of the guests had never been treated to a real epicurean feast and were truly impressed.
Judith listened carefully as Julius spoke: “Gentlemen, let me welcome you to this event tonight. When we finish here, we will all go across the street and listen to the production of Carmen. As the leaders in Monterey, you have earned the position of highest esteem. You are leaders in government, in business, in charities, and in other community activities needed by the common people in Monterey.
“Each of you will find in front of you an iPad Pro, properly engraved with your name in memory and celebration of this event. It is truly my pleasure to be surrounded by an august assembly such as you. Now, let us eat, drink, and make merry.”
Judith’s interest was to make sure Julius did not change anything that would affect her plan. She saw that nothing had been changed that would affect the timing of the plan.
The guests stood and raised their glasses in salute to Julius. All were aware of his power as the financial genius who controlled billions of dollars of cartel money. Seated here with this very powerful man was almost like being blessed by the pope. Perhaps financially it was better than being blessed by the pope. Unlike the pope, Julius exercised real power.
Judith handled herself in a way to gain attention. She was decked out in a short black-and-white dress with a stylish chef’s hat. Her large breasts were pushed up for all to see. If she leaned over just right, the guests were rewarded with a good view of her nipples. It was an exciting view, but most of the men could not pull their eyes from her ass, which was only covered with white string bikini panties. There was very little left for one’s imagination. Judith enjoyed the banter with the guests.
Judith directed her attention to Julius, treating him like a baby. With each course, she would personally feed and pamper Julius. “Now, Julius, let me straighten your napkin. Can I get you more water? Would you like extra wine?” Each time afforded her an opportunity to expose her breasts or grab his hand in hers and clinch them to her breasts. She had Julius eating out of her hand. He managed to grab her ass at least a couple of times. He got no resistance. She rewarded him with several views of her ass and managed to rub against him several times. Surely by accident.
Judith was having so much fun with the guest she decided to take the grand exposure of her lovely ass into the kitchen. While the chef and crew were excited to be so entertained, she did manage to slow down the operation. She managed to render what normally was a smooth, classical epicurean affair into a rather drawn-out peep show with excellent food. This crowd of men was totally into the show being put on by Judith; they were not complaining.
Judith managed to hit every table with some display of her assets. Before the main dish was served, Judith got the special flower arrangement she had designed and got the female servers to join her in making a special presentation to Julius. Everything was in place. The beautiful vase containing the explosives sat directly in front of Julius. The lady waitresses joined Julia in singing a version of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and then led the guests into a spontaneous toast to Julius on the special occasion.
Judith was impressed with Julius, who looked like a really nice guy. She enjoyed her chance to entertain him as a parting gift. She saw the smile on his face and gave a return smile as she managed to rub herself against him as she turned to leave the head table. As she was walking toward the side door, breaking off from the other servers who were headed to the kitchen, she concluded that we all have to die, so why not with a smile on your face. She cherished her ability to help start that final journey with all of these gentlemen, smiling a big smile as she passed by. She made it a great point to stop at several tables on the way out and kiss at least one of the guys and whisper in his ear, “Love you!”
Judith stepped outside, turned, and made sure that everyone was in place and engrossed in the main dish, which was being served at the time. Judith was satisfied that she had completed her task with all the aplomb possible. She flipped the switch to on, walked a few paces, and pressed the red button. All hell broke loose. Julius and his important guests all lay dead on the floor. She turned long enough to observe the waiters near the table were likewise killed. As she continued to walk down the driveway toward the waiting car, she noticed that those who were still moving around were running toward the exit, screaming and falling over each other. At that point, no one noticed the beautiful woman casually walking down the driveway to the street, where she entered a waiting vehicle. Judith was taken directly to the airport, allowing just enough time to change clothes. When she exited the car in the sunglasses, wig, and dowdy dress that came a little below her knees, she looked totally different. She boarded the flight to Cuba. From Cuba, she would take a puddle hopper to Belize City.
Other than a fleeting memory of the beautiful young chef, there would be no record of her real identity. Her passport, name, and all official documents she used were forged. The survivors began to question whether this beauty was real or simply an apparition produced by the trauma of the explosion.
Chapter
5
&nb
sp; Chic’s fears that he was going to be called back into the case involving Ken Renfro came to life when he received a voicemail from Dr. Fletcher Renfro asking that he call him. Chic returned Dr. Renfro’s call and arranged a meeting at Dr. Renfro’s home. Chic arranged the meeting for a Saturday afternoon when Vanderbilt didn’t have a football game scheduled. Chic had checked and knew that Dr. Renfro was a Vanderbilt football fan.
Dr. Renfro met with his family prior to Chic’s arrival. The whole crowd was there: Ann, Ken’s mother, and a retired nurse, Dr. Myra North, Ken’s sister, a professor of English at Vanderbilt University, and Dr. John Renfro, his brother who was a neurosurgeon. Dr. Renfro’s house was very nice and in a great neighborhood, but it couldn’t be classified as a mansion. Dr. Renfro had done well in his family practice. This family group was certainly financially capable of underwriting at least a basic investigation into the present whereabouts of Ken.
As was the practice with Chic, he pulled up to the front door at 2:00 p.m. and rang the doorbell a little ahead of schedule. Ann, Dr. Renfro’s wife, opened the door. “Mr. Sparks, I assume.”
“Yes, ma’am, and with me is Suzy.” Suzy was a petite, redheaded bombshell, outgoing and captivating. She taught gym in college, and her physical fitness was obvious. Until she encountered Chic, she had been a fully committed rounder. Together, Chic and Suzy made everyone’s list of first among the pretty people.
“Come on in and let me introduce you to the family.”
After the introduction, Chic took over.
“Folks, it is a real pleasure to meet with you today. I want you to know that Ken was my friend. I can’t tell you what all he was into, but he left me this handwritten note at his house.” Chic gave Ann a copy of Ken’s note. “In fact, this note is the only thing we found in the house. In spite of our diverse views about the meaning of life, I called Ken my friend.
Medusa's Lair Page 3
