VENGEANCE REAWAKENED

by Fredrick L. Stafford

  Molka and Nathan exchanged a quick glance.

  Romansky continued. “This lake is only 17 kilometers due east from the Atlantic coast. Due east from there, waiting in International Waters is a privately leased commercial fishing vessel. This vessel, however, has been reconfigured to carry and launch a seaplane.”

  Molka smirked. “The same seaplane which nearly took our heads off tonight.”

  “Yes,” Romansky said. “And had you not interfered, once we had the Kozlovs in our boat, we would have taken them to that seaplane, to fly them out to the waiting vessel to begin their journeys to their well-deserved lifetime cages.”

  Nathan sipped on his wine. “And any violations of Brazilian law and-or the brother’s civil rights be damned.”

  Romansky downed a shot. “That is for the courts and judges to decide.”

  “Your plan was daring and sounded workable,” Molka said. “And it turns out our interests don’t conflict.”

  “That is not precisely true. Cardoza is wanted by the Republic of Mauritius for participating in major bank fraud and money laundering activities.”

  Nathan offered a perplexed face. “The Republic of who?”

  “The Republic of Mauritius,” Romansky said. “It is an island nation in the Indian Ocean known for its varied flora and fauna and offshore banking. As a favor to the Mauritians, we were also to take Cardoza with us and turn him over to them.”

  “Really?” Molka looked past Romansky and out at the black lake, and then she turned to Nathan. “Um…excuse us, Inspector Romansky. We’re going to step outside a moment and talk.”

  “No, you stay here and talk.” Romansky stood. “I will step into the men's room a moment.”

  Molka watched over her shoulder as Romansky weaved through the crowd toward the bathroom.

  “What’s up?” Nathan said.

  Molka turned to him. “When you went to the Wall of Hopefuls, you said on the way out of the favela, Cardoza stopped by a trafficker’s house, a big, muscular bald guy, right?”

  “Yes, why do you ask? Wait, do you think that’s the guy Cardoza called tonight to give him and his friends shelter?”

  “I know it was,” Molka said. “Could you describe that house and the surrounding neighborhood in good detail and then recognize it if you saw it again?”

  “I’m an artist. I could sketch it. What are you thinking?”

  “I’m still putting it together in my head. But I’ll tell you shortly.”

  A few minutes later, Romansky returned to his seat, downed his other shot, and picked up his fresh beer. “When I finish this, I will call my men to pick me up and take me back to my cabin, and I will sleep on my depression.”

  “Could you please stay a bit longer?” Molka said. “I want to tell you why the Counsel wants Cardoza.”

  Romansky rubbed tired eyes. “To be completely truthful and—no offense to you both—I do not really care. I only hope for whatever reasons it ends badly for him someday.”

  Molka smiled. “You’re not the only one who’s said that to me. But after I tell you why the Counsel wants him, I’m going to tell you how that could end your depression.”

  PROJECT MOLKA: TASK 6

  SUNDAY

  APRIL 25TH

  CHAPTER 38

  Abreu’s Home

  Forbidden Zone

  Esperança Favela

  10:01AM

  Abreu leaned against his third-floor balcony shirtless gazing out on another tragic day in his realm.

  The sliding glass door behind him opened, and a tee shirt and jeans-wearing Felipe stepped out and closed the door.

  “How are your guests?” Abreu said.

  “Mr. Cardoza is still asleep in your bed, and the Russians are watching TV—what do you mean, my guests? This is your place.”

  Abreu laughed. “That doesn’t mean I claim them.”

  “Mr. Cardoza asked me to go to his house and collect some clothes and grooming items and then go buy the Russians some clothes and grooming items.”

  Abreu glowered and shook his head. “No way. That million a day just buys him protection. Not fucking butler service too.”

  “It’s cool,” Felipe said. “He’s paying me a lot to do it. And then he wants me to drive out to his lake house and talk to his man Dimitri and have him bring his boys here for some reason.”

  “He wants his boys here to help guard him until I set the meeting with the IDI pussies.”

  “Have you heard back yet?”

  “I haven’t called them yet,” Abreu said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I haven’t decided if I’m going to set that meeting yet.”

  “What do you mean?” Felipe said.

  “I mean, who the fuck does he think he is asking me for sanctuary? Sleeping in my fucking bed. Bringing his fucking Russian mafia trash friends into my house. What, does he think I need his money that bad?”

  Felipe shrugged. “Well, he is by far your best customer, and before you did business with him, you were still mostly broke and living down in—”

  “Shut up. He always throws all his important connections in my face: the police department, the mayor’s office, the fucking president. But when he really gets in trouble, does he call them? No, he comes to me: the low-life favela boss. And he hasn’t even bothered saying thank you.”

  Felipe leaned on the rail next to Abreu. “Just like how you told me when you were with the freedom fighters that whole war could have been avoided if the rich would have just acknowledged the poor and maybe just once in a while said thank you for serving them.”

  “That’s true. And Cardoza reminds me of those rich privileged fuckers who ruined my life.” Abreu spat down on the junky-looking, older silver Honda sedan parked at the curb in front of his house. “That’s why I’m thinking about taking him out.”

  Felipe looked at Abreu, and a sly grin crossed his lips. “I know that look. You’re not thinking about it. You’ve already decided to do it. But what about his boys? They could cause real problems for us afterward. Especially if they joined the IDI.”

  “That’s why they get taken out too.”

  Felipe nodded. “Good. So, when are we going to do it?”

  Abreu gazed out at his realm again. “Just as soon as I get all the money I can from him.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Major Fernandes’ Field Headquarters

  Rio de Janeiro

  10:39 AM

  “And that’s it.” Molka—dressed in her black tracksuit and white cross trainers with high ponytailed hair, wearing her black-framed glasses—concluded her presentation standing before a large whiteboard and moved back to her middle seat in the warehouse’s former office converted into a briefing room.

  To her right, Nathan sat dressed in a pressed white polo shirt and teal shorts and accessorized with teal-framed glasses, teal earrings, and teal sandals.

  Romansky sat dressed in a beige tee shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers to her left.

  Across the room, the handsome-faced Major Fernandes—again handsomely attired in a light gray turtleneck over charcoal dress pants—stood leaning against the wall with arms crossed, observing the bullet points Molka wrote on the board in black marker.

  Major Fernandes turned to Molka and spoke in English. “If I follow your reasoning, as bizarre, convoluted, and insane sounding as it may be, your associate, Nathan, has visited Alejandro ‘The Bull’ Abreu’s headquarters-home in the Esperança favela, correct?”

  “Yes,” Molka said. “When Cardoza took him to see the Wall of Hopefuls, they briefly stopped there on the way out of the favela.”

  Major Fernandes continued. “And you have contracted a favela tour guide who—based on Nathan’s description of the building and the surrounding area—has located Abreu’s headquarters-home on a map?”

  “Yes,” Molka said. “We met with the tour guide—his name is Olavo—this morning, and he knows exactly where it is and has personally seen it several times.”


  “And this Olavo—who you witnessed as having special access through the corrupt police checkpoints and the CV lookouts—has agreed to lead my team to that location, correct?”

  “Correct,” Molka said. “He suggests your team dress and poses as a tour group he’s guiding. And Nathan will also accompany your team to personally verify Abreu’s headquarters home when you arrive.”

  Nathan shot Molka a perplexed glance.

  “An excellent precaution,” Major Fernandes said. “And how much and when will you pay this tour guide Olavo for his services?”

  “More than he makes giving tours in several years. Half before and half after. But I believe he’s an honest guy anyway.”

  Major Fernandes continued. “And when my team and I arrive at Abreu’s headquarters-home—and confirm Abreu is there—we will not just find Abreu and a few of his soldiers, we will also find Gabriel Cardoza and two of his criminal friends—Russian fugitives: the Kozlov brothers—who are all taking refuge with Abreu from what they perceive as an imminent threat by the IDI, correct?”

  “Yes,” Molka said. “We confirmed Cardoza mistook Inspector Romansky and our attempts to apprehend him and the Kozlov brothers last night near his lake house as an IDI assassination attempt.”

  “And how have you confirmed this?”

  “That’s classified, major.”

  Major Fernandes nodded. “Of course. And in return for your assistance, we will turn Cardoza over to you and turn the Kozlov brothers over to Inspector Romansky from the Russian Security Service, correct?”

  “Yes,” Molka said.

  “Inspector Romansky will then agree not to pick up Cardoza on an outstanding warrant as a favor to the Republic of Mauritius, correct?”

  “Yes. He will not mention Cardoza in his report.”

  Major Fernandes leaned against the wall and folded his arms again, and allowed a slight smile. “And at the end, we would all walk away getting exactly what we wanted, correct?”

  “That’s my plan.”

  “Did I leave anything out?”

  “No,” Molka said. “But Inspector Romansky and I have a request, and I have one suggestion.”

  “Your request first.”

  “Inspector Romansky and I would like your team to bring our detainees to an extraction location just outside the Forbidden Zone and turn them over to us there. Olavo found us a place to park our vehicles.”

  “That would not be a problem,” Major Fernandes said. “And your suggestion?”

  “I think you should add a few women to your team to make it look more like a legit tour group.”

  Major Fernandes nodded, turned, walked to the whiteboard, crossed his arms again, and again viewed Molka’s bullet points.

  Molka presented a “what do you think?” face to Nathan.

  Nathan presented an anxious shrug.

  Molka presented a “what do you think?” face to Romansky.

  Romansky presented an anxious shrug.

  The trio bore wishful stares into Major Fernandes’ back.

  After a few more excruciating, silent moments, Major Fernandes faced Molka. “I have only one thing to say to your bizarre, convoluted, and insane-sounding plan.”

  “Yes, major?” Molka said.

  “Can you be ready to execute it in 3-hours?”

  Nathan waited for Molka outside the field headquarters next to their parked rental vehicles.

  A few minutes later, Molka exited the building messaging on her phone. She stopped next to her car and addressed Nathan. “I apologize for not telling you beforehand that I want you to accompany Olavo and Major Fernandes’ team to the target.”

  Nathan looked down and shuffled his sandals in the dirt lot. “Ok, I wasn’t just hearing things then.”

  “No,” Molka said. “It occurred to me during my briefing that Major Fernandes might not be willing to take his team in on the word of a favela tour guide. But he respects the Counsel, and having a Counsel employee with him who has actually been to the location adds the credibility that I think closed the deal with him.”

  Nathan flashed a concerned face. “Well, if that’s what needs to be done….”

  “Thanks.” Molka opened her car door and tossed her purse inside. “Follow me to the airport so I can turn in my car, and then we’ll meet with Maximillian and turn in our equipment, except for my sidearm that I’ll keep in case Cardoza acts up on the drive. Then I’ll take over the van and drop you off at the entrance to Esperança. Olavo’s cousin will meet us there and take you to Olavo’s house on his motorcycle. I just messaged Olavo, and he said you can wait there with him until it’s time to link up with Major Fernandes’ team. And after you two guide them in, you’ll go back to Olavo’s house, and his cousin will bring you to meet me at the extraction location.”

  Nathan exhaled and stared off into the distance. “You move so fast. This thing is moving so fast.”

  Molka nodded. “You’re nervous about going back into the Forbidden Zone. I don’t blame you. But you’ll be in good hands with Olavo.”

  Nathan continued to stare into the distance. “What we did at the lake was almost like a fun game. Until it wasn’t. I was really scared. And now all my instincts say I’m in way over my head, and I should contact Raziela and tell her she needs to get someone else to help you. But I know that would destroy your plan and maybe cause you to fail your task.”

  Molka placed her hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “I would really appreciate it if you stuck this out for me.”

  Nathan offered Molka a nervous smile. “Alright, I will. But only because it’s for you, dear heart.”

  CHAPTER 40

  Manuel’s Auto Repair and Custom Audio Shop

  Esperança Favela

  Just Outside of the Forbidden Zone

  2:39 PM

  It only took an extra 250 reais from Molka for Olavo to arrange that his other cousin Manuel close his shop for the day so Molka and Romansky could use it to conceal their vehicles.

  The one-story, violet-colored building featured twin garage-style doors, bright fluorescent lighting, and interior walls filled with shelves stacking auto parts and auto sound systems.

  Molka backed the green van Nathan rented through the open left-side garage door, parked, shut the vehicle off, exited, pulled the garage door closed, and sent a message to Romansky to proceed there from his downtown Rio waiting position.

  Earlier, right after dropping Nathan off, she returned to Major Fernandes’ field headquarters, where she was allowed to sit in on Major Fernandes’ briefing to his team on the operation. She departed the headquarters for Manuel’s shop with a gift: an encrypted tablet on which she could watch Major Fernandes’ own camera drone’s live video of the operation.

  Romansky’s horn tap outside the shop prompted Molka to raise the right-side garage door for him.

  He backed a large, white windowless commercial van into the shop, shut the vehicle down, and exited. The van’s side door opened, and his two men from the lake—dressed in tee shirts, blue jeans, and tac boots, jumped out and immediately pulled cigarette packs from their pockets.

  Molka addressed Romansky. “Could you ask them to do that out there?” She pointed to a side door exit. “This building doesn’t belong to me.”

  Romansky spoke to his men in Russian, and they stepped outside to smoke and then he addressed Molka. “Can you brief me on the briefing?”

  Molka motioned to a small office in the back. “There are chairs in there.”

  They moved inside the space, which contained a grease-stained wood chair, a green filing cabinet, a grease-stained rolling office chair with Molka’s purse hanging from the backrest, and a steel desk piled high with auto-repair manuals, car audio magazines, and various paperwork.

  Molka sat in the office chair, and Romansky occupied the wood chair.

  Molka began. “The assault team consists of 15 members, three of them women. Major Fernandes will lead it personally. They will all dress as tourists: tee shirts, shorts, jeans,
sneakers. Each will wear a civilian backpack holding their weapons and equipment. And for their extraction, they pre-positioned a huge, armored, riot control-type vehicle with a battering ram attached to the front.”

  “Where is that vehicle pre-positioned at?” Romansky said.

  “In a garage they leased just outside of the Forbidden Zone.”

  Romansky grinned. “Ah, they copied what you did here.”

  “No,” Molka said. “They placed that vehicle there months ago.”

  “Months ago?”

  “Yes. They’ve been planning this type of assault for a long time. Just before the assault begins, the armored vehicle will drive at top speed toward Abreu’s house timed to arrive within two minutes of the assault’s start.”

  “They expect to be in and out in only two minutes?”

  “Major Fernandes said if they’re not, they’re in trouble. Then they’ll load the detainees and themselves inside the armored vehicle and force their way out of the Forbidden Zone. They expect there to be a lot of small arms fire and possibly some makeshift roadblocks from the alerted CV soldiers.”

  “And once clear,” Romansky said, “they will come here and give us our people?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how will the actual assault proceed?”

  “Major Fernandes was talking quickly during this part of the briefing,” Molka said. “So I might not have picked up all the details because of my limited Portuguese, but what I did catch is that they will first place a sniper on the roof of the building across the street. He’ll use his optics to look inside Abreu’s apartment on the third floor and confirm he’s home.”

  “What if he is not home?” Romansky said. “Do they wait?”