by Thomas Shaw
Kerri Ann was the completely out of control seventeen year old daughter. She had been rebelling against her parents through her teenage years and this could be a source of real trouble.
On and on SAM went, filling Donny in on every detail about the Castaic family and their business dealings. He learned that SAM had scheduled an appointment for him on Thursday morning to meet with Juan’s business managers. They would be talking about purchasing heavy equipment for a series of new projects they would be bidding on.
It was late afternoon as Donny took a forty-five minute cab ride to the famous Cadillac Hotel where he would be staying for the next couple of days.
Taxco Guerrero, Mexico…
It was early evening when “Black Gold” made its final approach to the private airstrip just east of this old silver mining town. Wesley Hannaford, a well-known oil baron from the United States and his copilot pushed the modified Learjet, tail first, into the wooden barn like hangar and rolled the large sliding doors closed. Wesley instructed the fuel service to top his plane off with Jet fuel and bring the rental car around to the side door so they could load their baggage. He made it clear that they would be in Mexico for at least three or four days and then drove off.
Quantico, Virginia…
“We’re right on schedule… so far,” Ed said to his team. “Let’s get some sleep; these next few days might get intense.”
15
Friday Morning, Mexico City…
Juan was having his normal morning meeting with his managers. “Well, how does it look for purchasing heavy equipment from this company out of New York?” said Juan, starting the meeting with a fresh cup of coffee and a Cuban cigar.
“I’ve got to tell you boss; this guy knows more about Cranes, Earth movers and big D series cats than anyone I’ve ever talked to,” said his manager. “He knew every hydraulic pressure, fuel consumption, even the mean-time between failures for each unit. He knows the difference in tonnage moved by a union operator verses a factory trained operator. I’ve never seen anything like it. On top of this he speaks perfect Spanish and says he has a five handicap,” the manager said with emphasis on his last statement.
“Single digit from his resume; I don’t see how this guy has the time to play golf,” Juan laughed, as he looked at the open folder in front of him. “This guy sounds interesting… where did you say he was staying?”
“The Cadillac Hotel,” was the replied.
“Let’s get him over here as our house guest. I would like to get to know this Donny Briscoe a little better,” Juan said. “Let’s see if he will play a little golf with us tomorrow,” as Juan motioned to one of the maids hovering just out of hearing range. “We’re going to have a dinner guest this evening… let’s have something special.”
By 1:00 pm that afternoon Donny Briscoe was moving his luggage into one of the guest rooms of the Castaic mansion.
Only the maids and servants seemed to be in this three story house at this time of day. Donny walked around without restriction taking notes of everything he saw, all the while passing this information back to SAM. One of the more important things Donny passed back to SAM was the large number of video surveillance cameras he noticed. He was just walking into the backyard which held a huge swimming pool when he sensed someone was standing behind him.
“Hello Mr. Briscoe, do you enjoy the view?” she said, in Spanish.
“It’s very beautiful,” he said matching her Castilian accent.
Donny could clearly see she was surprised by his accent.
“Are you from Spain?” she asked, in a quizzical manor.
“No… but I was in Madrid for about a month on a job site and stayed with a family that spoke with that same beautiful Castilian accent. I guess that’s where I picked it up,” Donny said, in perfect Spanish.
“You said you stayed with a family… do you remember their name?” she asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. It was the Cisneros family, Raul and Maria. They had two children, a boy and a girl. I’m sorry but I don’t remember their names,” Donny said, apologetically.
“I can’t believe it,” she said, suddenly stopping herself in mid-sentence, realizing she had not introduced herself. “I must apologize… my name is Juanita Castaic,” she held out her hand.
Donny took her hand but leaned over and politely kissed each side of her cheeks as was customary in Spain and some parts of Mexico. “I see you’ve already heard about me… was it good, bad or ugly,” Donny asked jokingly.
Juanita ignored the comment and asked with true misunderstanding, “What does single digit golf mean?
The question caught him off guard but he managed a quick laugh. “It’s a way of keeping score. It really doesn’t mean much of anything.”
“Well Mr. Donny Briscoe I hope you enjoy your stay in Mexico. I must excuse myself as we are having a special dinner in your honor. I think it has something to do with that single digit thing.” She shook her head, turned and walked back into the house. Just as she was entering the house she turned and said, “I hope we get a chance to talk more about Madrid and the Cisneros family; they are friends of mine.”
SAM knew the Cisneros family were on vacation and would be impossible to validate the meeting with Donny on this short notice.
On the way back to his room Donny stopped at a set of heavy double doors across from the main dining room. As per SAM’s instructions Donny quickly opened the left door and walked into the darkened room. He found the book shelves along the wall and quickly attached a micro listening device under one of the lower shelves and was back in the hall in less than five seconds. If anyone was watching the cameras, it would look like he accidentally went into the wrong room.
Back in his room, Donny unpacked his suitcase and laid down on the king-sized bed for a quick power nap.
The phone beside his bed was ringing as Don slowly opened his eyes and the room came into focus. “Hello,” Donny said, in a husky voice.
“Hello Mr. Briscoe,” said a cheerful voice. “This is Juan Castaic, your host for the next few days; I look forward to getting to know you better so we can talk more about your equipment. Dinner will be served in one hour but I would like for you to join us to have a cocktail if that’s alright.”
“Sure…I’ll be down in ten minutes,” Donny said noting they were speaking in English.
He quickly changed into a pair of Dockers khaki pants, a golf shirt with a Pebble beach logo and loafers. His European looks were highlighted with the touch of a successful American entrepreneur.
Donny could hear voices in hearty conversation as he approached the area where he had had a conversation with Mrs. Castaic earlier. As he entered the room he immediately recognized three of the men he had met with the day before.
It was easy to spot Juan Castaic, even from the back. He was perfectly groomed from head to toe and clearly demanded the respect of everyone in the room.
All eyes turned to Donny as he entered the room which prompted Juan to turn and immediately hold out his hand to introduce himself. “I hear you are a walking encyclopedia when it comes to heavy equipment… Mr. Donny Briscoe,” Juan said, in perfect English.
“Some people think I have a photographic memory but I like to think I’m just fascinated with the technology of this amazing equipment,” Don responded in Spanish.
“Well, I must say you’ve impressed my boys,” Juan said, shifting to Spanish.
Drinks were freshened and Donny passed on the offer of a Cuban cigar. Conversation soon settled into horsepower, fuel economy and tons of earth being moved. This group of men clearly knew what they were doing when it came to heavy equipment. Twenty minutes into the cocktail meeting, Donny heard the soft sound of three quick strokes what must have been a gong.
“Sounds like dinner is served,” Juan said, motioning toward the door.
The dining room was setup in a very formal manner from the antique place setting to the white starched jackets worn by the servers. Juanita motioned
to each person inviting them to sit at a specific location.
All eyes were soon focused on the strikingly good looks of the blonde girl standing next to Juanita.
Juanita had been through this process many times and was quick to make introductions. “This is Kari Ann… our daughter,” she said, hoping to dissuade the obvious attention she was getting. “I think everyone knows her except our new guest; Kari Ann this is Donny Briscoe who is doing business things with your father. He will be our guest for the next couple of days.”
Kari Ann never lowered her gaze as she looked directly into Donny’s eyes. “I hope you enjoy your stay,” she said, with a slight grin.
It was almost like SAM was reading his mind when her voice broke his train of thought. “She is seventeen years old, totally spoiled and could clearly cause us problems,” SAM said, in her matter of fact voice.
Donny felt a little self-conscious as he let his eyes linger on her perfectly proportioned five foot seven inch frame. Her long blonde hair framed a face that any camera would immediately fall in love with.
“I want to thank your family for their warm hospitality while I’m here on business,” Donny said, with a little nod of his head.
That seemed to do the trick as they took their seats as if on cue. Dinner progressed normally with the expected conversations about the upcoming jobs that included the heavy equipment that Donny would most likely be providing.
From time to time Donny would glance at Kari Ann only to find her looking directly at him. He would smile and redirect his attention to one of the other dinner guests.
“This meal is excellent,” Donny said. “Is it fresh quail in a Truffle sauce with rice and black beans?”
“You’re very observant,” Juanita said, obviously impressed. “Our Chef worked in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Hotel. He is famous for his Truffle sauce. I’m surprised that you picked it out so quickly.”
“When you travel as much as I do you can’t help but pickup on things like that?” Donny said, with mock sincerity, as he was informed about the sauce and every other factoid about the dinner only moments before from SAM.
“One of my boys said you were a walking encyclopedia, I’m beginning to think he was right,” said Juan, who had remained silent through most of the dinner. “I’ve heard enough about diesel engines and Truffle sauce; let’s talk about GOLF!” Juan said, pushing back from the table.
“Am I to understand that you have a five handicap?” Juan said, with a hint of challenge in his voice.
Suddenly the table conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at Donny. “Well… as any golfer knows, you have good days and bad days. But on a real good day I’ll have a five handicap,” Don said, with as much modesty as he could muster.
“My friends sitting here at this table are some of the best amateur golfers in Mexico and we have a tee time at eight o’clock tomorrow morning and are hoping you will join us.” His competitive voice was becoming more pronounced.
“That sounds like a great offer but I’m afraid I must decline. I didn’t bring my clubs with me,” Donny said, sounding truly disappointed.
“No problem,” Juan quickly added. “I have, how you say, excellent connections at the Country Club where we are going to play. I’ve already called Raul the head pro and asked him to meet with you tomorrow morning, a couple of hours before tee time, to set you up with anything you need. Don’t worry about the cost. I’ll write it off as a business expense.”
“I don’t know how I could turn down such a gracious offer; I’d be honored to play golf with you tomorrow,” Donny said, which brought a smile to Juan’s lips. The challenge was confirmed.
“Let’s adjourn to the -study- for a cognac and a good cigar,” suggested Juan.
The men stood up first as a courtesy to the ladies.
“Keri Ann and I will pass on the cognac and cigars but I know you men love your time in the study, so we will bid you a good evening and look forward to seeing everyone for dinner tomorrow,” Juanita said, with practiced words.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to bow out as well,” Donny said. “Jet lag is catching up with me and I’m going to need all the help I can get to be competitive with you guys tomorrow.”
“Just press the buzzer by the side of the bed if you need anything,” Juan said. “My driver will be waiting for you at the front door at six o’clock in the morning to take you to the Club. Let’s meet at the driving range fifteen or twenty minutes before tee time so we can hit a few balls to warm up,” Juan said as he and his “boys” walked across the hall toward the double doors of the study.
Donny walked back to his room, looking forward to some private time to collect his thoughts and get some rest. After about twenty minutes of non-stop information streaming from SAM about the conversations in the study, Donny asked her to stop so he could get some rest.
The secret microphone was picking up the conversations about how this group of men had pulled off the heist of the century. They were talking in detail about how they had gone to Germany to steal plans on how to make the first known working model of a nuclear fusion generator using anti-matter as the fuel. This was the Holy-Grail in the Physics world for the generation of unlimited amounts of electricity without using petroleum products. The team of scientists in Quantico couldn’t be more interested. Donny on the other hand couldn’t be less interested, all he wanted to do was take a shower and get some sleep.
It was a little past nine when Donny stepped out the shower. Feeling much refreshed he walked out of the bathroom, stopping for a moment with a towel over his head to savor the smells and dry his hair. He suddenly had the feeling there was someone in the room. He quickly pulled the towel from his head and was shocked to see Kari Ann lying on the bed wearing one of his long sleeved shirts.
Donny quickly gained his composure and slowly tied the towel around his waist.
“Well I see you’ve met Mr. Midnight,” Donny said, struggling to start a conversation and at the same time alerting SAM that something was amiss.
“Who is Mr. Midnight?” SAM inquired. Donny ignored her as he walked to the edge of the bed.
Kari Ann was lying on her stomach with her hands propped under her chin. It was clear that she wasn’t wearing anything under his shirt. “I must say I’ve never met anyone as interesting as your Mr. Midnight,” Keri Ann said, sounding very mature for a seventeen year old.
“What in the world are you doing in my room at this…” Keri Ann cut him off. “I’ve been watching you all night and it’s clear that you think I’m attractive so I thought it would be fun to get a little more acquainted.”
“Don’t you think your parents would have a different view on how we’re getting acquainted?” Donny said, trying to sound stern.
“She’s seventeen… get her out of your room immediately,” SAM said with urgency.
“You’re going to have to leave,” Donny said, with finality.
“Do you see that little button on the night stand right here?” as she casually pointed to it.
“If I press that button and say a few choice words, there will be four of the meanest guys you ever thought about meeting, coming through that door with one thing on their mind; to rescue me,” she said, with smug defiance.
“So, to get to the point, I’m not going to leave but I think it would be a good idea if you would introduce me to your Mr. Midnight; as you call it.”
It was clear that she had been in this situation before, probably many times before.
“Well, I must say, you are very persuasive,” Donny said, hoping to buy some time, waiting for instructions from SAM, but all she said was, “Get her out of your room immediately.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Donny said suddenly. “How would you like to learn how to play a game that I was introduced to while I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago?”
“And what kind of game would that be?” She asked skeptically.
“Well, let’s just say it will make meeting Mr. Midnight ab
out ten times more exciting,” he said with a devilish smile.
“How long does it take to learn how to play this – game?” she said, with less amusement.
Donny walked over to his suitcase and fished around in one of the side pouches. He quickly pulled out a small glass ball with a string attached
“Here it is,” Donny said holding up what appeared to be a necklace.
“Scoot over, so I can lie down next to you,” motioning with his hand.
The smile on her face told Donny he was back in control; at least for a few minutes.
Donny laid down next to Keri Ann so they were both on their stomachs, lying shoulder to shoulder crossways on the bed.
“Now pay attention so you can show your boyfriends how to play this game,” as he watched her curiosity beginning to peak. Donny had Keri Ann position her arms in a triangle so she could rest her chin on the top of her hands that were clasped together. He held the little glass ball a foot in front of her face with about four inches of string between his forefinger and thumb. The glass ball had dozens of highly polished facets covering its surface like a micro version of a disco ball. As he moved the string back and forth between his finger and thumb the ball would turn slowly to the left then back to the right.
“I think you will find this interesting and easy to do,” Donny said. “Just watch the ball and listen to my voice as I speak to you in a slow deliberate manner.”
“Watch the ball turn to the left… now watch as it turns to the right,” Donny was saying, as he matched his cadence with Keri Ann’s breathing.
“Turn to the left… turn to the right.
