“There’s no need to explain, Rebecca,” replied Lazarus. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. You love her, she loves you. That’s all I need to know. I wouldn’t separate the two of you for any reason.”
“I have to make a few calls,” said Lazarus. “Are you good with looking after the dogs?”
“Sure,” Rebecca replied, “and I’ll check on Angelique in a little while. I assume she’s sleeping in your bed?”
“She is,” he responded. “But then again, you knew that was coming.”
“It would’ve taken a blind man to miss that one,” she replied with a smile.
The smile faded as Rebecca looked him in the eyes; all business now. “I’m happy for her, Lazarus, but I’m warning you. If you break her heart, you’ll have me to answer to, world famous Chameleon or not.”
“You have my word,” Lazarus promised with a deep bow.
“From what little I’ve learned about you, your word is all I need,” said Rebecca as she got up and surprised him with a hug. He returned the hug back gently.
“Now, go do what you need to do. The kids will be just fine.” Lazarus smiled when she referred to them as ‘the kids’.
“Thank you, Rebecca. I’m sure Langston will do just fine in your care.” He turned and headed to the deck, grabbing his sat-phone on the way.
*****
The call to Katsumi went quickly. She’d worked out the itinerary to Argentina, securing first class seating from Houston to Buenos Aeries. She’d expected traveling on a Friday would make it a challenge to get him out of Corpus Christi. She was pleasantly surprised to find 9 seats still available on the first flight out. The weather forecast was good for South Texas, so there shouldn’t be any weather delays. Katsumi had arranged through a local contact, in Buenos Aires, to lease a house for Garza, about 8 kilometers south of the city. It was a small one-story ranch on 5 acres with the closest neighbor 3 kilometers to the south. LJ was on the way and would arrive in Buenos Aires that evening. He would be ready to execute his part in the plan Lazarus had drawn up.
*****
Lazarus spent the next 2 hours on the back deck in one of the shady areas, sipping Kibiki and enjoying a Gurkha Symphony. As 7 o’clock approached, he decided it was time to get ready to meet with Garza. He went in and checked on the ladies. Rebecca and the dogs were in the living room watching a movie; Angelique still asleep in the master bedroom.
“Rebecca?” When she looked up, he said, “I’m leaving for Corpus. I should be back here around midnight.” He handed her several hundred dollars in cash. “If you need anything use this. I don’t want anyone leaving credit card trails at this point.”
Rebecca took the money and thanked him. “I’ll let Angelique know when she wakes up. I’m going to let her sleep as long as she wants. Whatever you did to her, it seems to have been the perfect sedative.” She winked with her best poker face and got a grin in return.
“I’ll see you around midnight then.” Lazarus went over to Langston, whispering a command in his ear and then rubbed his back good-bye. As soon as he left, the shepherd moved closer to Rebecca and lay down by her feet. He’d been given another charge to protect and protect her he would.
Chapter Forty-One
Lazarus took the Range Rover to the storage facility and swapped it out for the Expedition. The location had been perfect for his needs, low tech with no cameras. Numerous vehicles were usually parked on the south end of the property, shielded from view by a line of live oak trees. The Ford and Rover were just two more vehicles no one paid any attention to.
He drove to the La Quinta, his mind flooded with questions. That was unusual for him, to say the least. Lazarus was thinking about life with Angelique. How would it affect him? What changes would he have to make? Could he truly keep her safe, considering his line of work, without caging her in? That was something Lazarus would never do to her. Question after question; begging for answers.
He stopped what he was doing and sat in the middle of the room, closed his eyes and focused inward. Slowly he brought his heartbeat down, rhythmically breathing as he cleared his mind. The answer to all the questions came as one - none of them mattered. The answer was as simple as it was complex. Lazarus brought himself slowly and steadily back to “now” which was all that mattered. That’s where he would live with Angelique, just as he had since the day he killed the priest, all those years ago.
Lazarus stood up, finished changing, packed and went down to the lobby to check out of both rooms.
The desk clerk was polite but requested “Cooper” pay for the night for him and for Mr. Ronnebaum; his purported fishing buddy, since it was well past check-out time.
“No problem, sweetie,” said Lazarus in his Texas drawl. “I figured as much. It’s only right, so add it to the total and let’s settle up. I was plannin’ on stayin’ a couple more days, but somethin come up and I gotta head to Lubbock tonight. It’s a family thing, nuthun bad, jest needs my attention.”
He settled the bill and handed two twenties to the clerk. “Would ya do a favor for me an’ give this to the maid? She did a damn fine job. Never bugged me ‘bout bein’ messy, or the odd hours.”
“I’d be happy to,” she replied. “Do you happen to know her name?”
“Hell, I can’t remember. She’s Hispanic, short an’ sorta chubby, no offense, an’ prolly round fifty or so.”
“That would be Carla,” she said smiling. “I’ll see she gets this in the morning.”
“I appreciate that. Ya’ll take care now, and hopefully I’ll be back this way agin soon.”
“Drive safe, Mr. Cooper,” said the desk clerk. “We’d love to have you stay with us next time you’re in Rockport. Please thank Mr. Ronnebaum for us when you see him, too.”
Lazarus tipped his hat, “Count on it, darlin’,” and headed out the door.
*****
He arrived at Cole Park a little before 9:30, parking across the street. He went over the papers Katsumi had left with him. Everything was in order, and as always, the highest quality. No matter how many times Katsumi put these packages together; he was still amazed at the attention to detail. The documents included a passport, driver’s license, credit cards, social security card and miscellaneous items that added credibility to the identification. She’d included a collection of photos, shopped to include “family” members. They were all items expected to be found in someone’s wallet. Lazarus spotted the black Mercedes pulling in at 9:50. Enrique didn’t see the Expedition anywhere, so he parked on the south end and got out. He walked down to the pier, wandering along slowly, doing a fairly good job of remaining inconspicuous.
Lazarus headed south down Ocean Drive; making a u-turn at Louisiana. He entered the park from the south, parking close to Garza’s SUV. He walked along the edge of the park, avoiding the path Garza had taken until he got to the pier. Garza was out at the end alone, leaning on the rail. He startled Enrique when he spoke from about three feet behind him, “Evenin’, Enrique.”
Garza jumped a little, turned and replied, “Good evening, Cooper. Damn it though. You could give someone a heart attack, sneaking up like that,” he added with a sheepish grin.
“Didn’t mean to startle ya,” said Lazarus, who very much meant to. “I reckon ya didn’t hear me comin’ up the pier. Must be these new sneakers I picked up at Walmart. Don’t make as much noise as them ole boots of mine.”
Garza looked at the package, “Is that for me?”
“Yep; thems yer new identification papers, Eduardo,” grinned Lazarus.
Lazarus handed him the envelope. “Now, here’s some stuff ya ain’t gonna wanna write down, so’s ya best remember it all.” He continued, “There’s gonna be a driver waitin’ for ya in Buenos Aires. He works for the boss. He’ll have a sign with yer new name on it, so be lookin’ for it. By the way, ya might wanna go over them papers a few times tonight. Try an’ git yer driver’s license number memorized along with the cell, yer address in Houston an’ all that. Remember, ya
got dual citizenship in the US and Argentina. That’s real important. You was born in Houston, but yer parents was from Argentina. They’re both dead. There are copies of their death certificates if’n ya need them, along with a birth certificate for ya. Memorize the back story in there about yer folks, you bein’ an only child an’ all. When ya got it all down, knowin’ the story well enough that is, ya need to burn it.
“The driver’s gonna to take ya to a place about 8 clicks south of the city. It sets on 5 acres an’ it’s a nice place from what I hear. Yer lease is paid up for a year. Eduardo Hernandez wired the money to a feller in Buenos Aires who handled everythin’. The key’ll be in a lock box by the door. The code to the box is 5150, like the Dierks Bentley song. Don’t forgit it or yer gonna be breakin’ into yer own home.”
“5150, like the song, got it,” replied Enrique. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Yep; we had to change the delivery on yer money. The Deutsche Bank had too many controls. We couldn’t get a safety deposit box without yer finger print. We sure as hell don’t want yer finger print on a damn bank safety deposit form.”
“I agree,” said Garza. “So, what’s the new plan?”
“Boss is sendin’ ya a laptop via UPS. It’s marked books with an Argentina shippin’ address, so’s it won’t have to go through customs. It’ll be delivered to ya before ten in the mornin’, day after tomorrow. The truck’ll be a fer real UPS one, so’s no one’ll think it’s somethin’ hinky. Besides, ya ain’t got a neighbor within 3 miles, so’s it’s prolly not gonna matter anyways.” Lazarus continued, “The laptop is encrypted, so here’s the key. Ya stick this here thumb drive in one of them ports an’ it’ll unlock it. Don’t lose that fucker. It’s one of a kind. Ya might wanna tie it to your dick for safe keepin’.” Lazarus laughed at his joke. Garza looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
“My dick?” exclaimed Garza. “I don’t think so, but I get the point. I’ll have it somewhere secure.”
“Good idea, amigo. Those airport boys can get pretty touchy-feely so don’t go stickin’ it in your ass. Those full body cavity searches leave ya feelin’ like someone owes ya a fuckin’ dinner.”
Garza shook his head. “I get it, Cooper; Jesus Christ though, my ass?”
Lazarus chuckled. “Just makin’ sure ya don’t take this here too lightly. No key? No money.”
“Like I said, I got it. I won’t lose the thumb drive,” assured Garza. “I have to admit though, I was pretty sure I’d ruined everything by meeting with my brother.”
“Well, pardner,” said Lazarus, “ya was about a cunt-hair from fuckin’ up the whole she-bang. Fortunately, fer you, the boss don’t like people messin’ with his business. Yer one lucky fucker, Enrique, I’ll say that much. Truth be told, I sorta figured the boss would put the kybosh on the whole deal an’ jest take all the damn money hisself.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate his integrity, especially after I screwed up like I did,” said a contrite sounding Garza. “I feel bad about Hannah, too. She was the girl I told him might be involved. I honestly didn’t think Ramon would kill her, since he didn’t have his money. If I’d known he was going to do it, I would have given him the money.”
Garza was lying, and Lazarus knew it. Garza didn’t give a shit about Hannah, and he sure as hell wouldn’t have given Ramon the money back, not by a long fucking way. Lazarus let it go without comment.
“The extra hundred grand ya kicked is goin’ to her family. Don’t git me wrong, the Chameleon’s as pissed as all get-out about that girl. He’s gonna give the money to her family. He don’t keep no blood money he didn’t earn.”
“I’m glad,” said Enrique, sounding almost sincere. “I’m sure her family could use it.”
Lazarus wasn’t telling Garza everything. He was actually giving 250 thousand to the family. Hannah had two sons, aged 11 and 16. The money would help with college in the future, as would the Second Chance Foundation.
Lazarus, his face set like stone, stared Enrique in the eyes. “One thing ya best be rememberin’, amigo, don’t ever mention his name or what he did for ya to no one. He gits wind of that an’ he’ll be on ya quicker than a duck on a June bug, the outcome of which ya ain’t gonna like one damn bit. We clear on that, Enrique?”
Garza swallowed hard, “Crystal clear.”
“Time to hit the road, Enrique, my work here’s done. Ya’ll be careful an’ keep yer head down. If’n you don’t go livin’ too high off the hawg, ya oughta do fine.”
Garza extended his hand which Lazarus took. “Thanks again, Cooper, for everything. I appreciate all you did for me.” Garza held out an envelope with his left hand. “This is for you. Now, before you go and say anything, I assume you get paid very well. I want to give you something for a vacation or whatever you want to do with it.”
Lazarus took the envelope. He opened it and looked inside. There were five bundles of hundreds wrapped in mustard colored wraps. That indicated there was ten thousand dollars in each one.
“Damn, Enrique!” exclaimed Lazarus. “Fifty large is a hell of a vacation fund. I’m gonna accept yer generosity and lay it up for somethin’ special. I been wantin’ to go to Australia an’ this oughta more than cover a month down under. I appreciate this, Enrique, means a lot to me.”
“It’s the least I could do, Cooper,” said Garza. “I hope you take that trip, too. Australia is amazing. I’ve been there twice, and I know you’ll love it.”
“Then Australia it is,” grinned Lazarus. He gave Enrique’s hand one more good shake. “So, it’s adios, Enrique, an’ good luck.”
Releasing his hand, Enrique replied, “Adios, my cowboy friend. Take care and stay safe.”
Enrique turned and leaned back on the railing as Lazarus walked to the Expedition smiling. A smile that would have sent chills down Enrique’s spine.
Chapter Forty-Two
Lazarus woke early the next morning, around 4:00 am. It took him a minute to realize it wasn’t Langston snuggled in next to him. He smiled as he remembered the welcome home from Angelique. Lazarus decided he might need a bigger shower at home. He kissed her softly on the forehead and eased out of bed. Angelique stirred, but didn’t wake. Lazarus slipped into a pair of linen pants and threw on a tee shirt before heading to the kitchen. Langston joined him moments later and stretched out by the patio door, soon dropping off to sleep again.
An interesting day lay ahead. Closing a contract was usually simple. The target was eliminated, and the remains disposed of, leaving bits of information and electronic trails to muddy the waters. This would be different.
Lazarus had put together his most elaborate closure ever for this one. There were risks. The more elaborate the scenario, the higher the risk. In spite of that, Lazarus wasn’t concerned. He believed his plan would not only work, it would work to perfection. He’d doubled and tripled checked all the variables and recognized the greatest opportunity for failure lay with Garza. If he inadvertently used his real name, or failed to make the flights as scheduled, the money would simply disappear, and Lazarus would leave Enrique twisting in the wind. “Not bad for a worst-case scenario,” he thought to himself as he ran through his morning physical and mental routines.
Lazarus was finishing up his Tai-Chi when he noticed Angelique watching him from the hallway. She was naked; the lights under the cabinets added shadows to her curves. There was no self consciousness in her. She was comfortable in her own skin - naked or clothed.
“Good morning, Mon Cheri,” he said, bowing deeply. She was flattered by the bow, feeling special for it.
“Good morning, Lazarus,” she replied. “I thought perhaps I could interest you in a little more shower time this morning.” She smiled in her impish way, running her hands over her breasts.
That was all it took. Five minutes later they were in the shower. Lazarus taking her gentler than was his nature, making sure he didn’t squeeze her ribs or kiss her too hard on her still healing lips. It di
dn’t matter to Angelique as she climaxed under his gentle touch.
*****
When they were finished, Angelique toweled off, wrapped one around her hair and crawled back into bed.
“Now that is the way to treat a lady in the morning, sir,” she said contentedly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going back to sleep for a few more hours.”
Lazarus kissed her, “Not at all. I’ve got a lot to do today and now, thanks to your perky breasts, I am running a bit behind schedule.”
Angelique yawned, “It’s not my fault they’re perky. I’m just built that way,” she winked and snuggled down under the sheets, blowing him a kiss before closing her eyes.
Lazarus slipped out, a very satisfied look on his face, as he headed to the kitchen. “Damn good way to start the day indeed,” he said to Langston lying by the door, who harrumphed and put his head back down.
*****
It was 6:30. Garza should be at the Corpus Christi airport by now. Lazarus wasn’t worried about him getting on the plane. He knew his time in Texas was up. Staying was no longer an option. If Garza didn’t get on that plane, he knew would be a dead man - one way or the other. If his brother didn’t get him the Chameleon would.
Lazarus was roused from his thoughts as Rebecca entered the kitchen yawning. She was wearing a pair of boxers and a white cotton tank top which left little to the imagination. She seemed unconcerned he was sitting there as she went about making coffee and toast. Lazarus found it amusing.
“Mind if I join you?” she asked as she sat down across the table from him, not waiting for an answer. “Thanks,” she said, as though he had actually invited her, adding to his amusement. “Can I ask you something?” she said as she took a bite of the toast, her words slightly mumbled. Again, she went on without waiting for an answer. “Why do they call you the Chameleon anyway?”
Lazarus grinned at her direct approach. He liked this girl more and more as he got to know her. “No one will ever accuse you of beating around the bush,” he said somberly.
Evolution of a Killer Page 25
