“I’m sure you also noticed they want it done long range,” Lo said. “We want this close and personal. Besides, it’s too easy for them to ambush us there when we don’t know how many assholes have been read in on the op. I trust Van and Floyd, but they take orders, which means leaks. We’d have to go old school, and map out every damn spot we could get picked off from.”
Lois hit all the low points. The three of us sipped in quiet contemplation. “I wonder if Carl is still enthused about how well we alter plans.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Frank’s done plenty of business in Arizona. How do they like their air conditioning out there, brother?”
Frank grinned across Lo at me. “Can’t live without it, especially Eastern European bandits.”
“Are you thinking a service call at the ranch, or luring him into town?” Lois was working both scenarios in her head, and I’m sure arriving at the one I’d already picked to investigate.
“Too many soldiers for a service call unless we brought a tank,” I confirmed for her.
“So you’re thinking of going out there and sabotaging the AC unit to the point it will take more than a service call to fix it. I remember you did a number on the Riviera villa AC unit where that slime bag Iranian diplomat lived we had to retire. That was a sweet one, but he didn’t have soldiers.”
Lo started laughing inexplicably before downing the rest of her shot. “You played the lazy, arrogant French workman so well, I wanted to shoot you myself. We fixed his AC alright.”
“I’ll do the same thing to Largos’s unit – add propane. The problem will be sneaking in to do it. Carl already included in his info that Largos has a half dozen men on and off there, but they don’t do sentry duty. He included a lot of satellite footage I didn’t have time to go over. Ever wonder why we have to tippy toe around this prick? Let’s face it. His minions won’t have any trouble figuring out who aced him if we do him long distance. Why involve us at all. If they know he’s there, why not send in an FBI tactical team, surround him, and drag his ass out?”
Lois pushed her empty shot glass forward. Jerry hurried to fill it. “It smells like set-up, but they knew we wanted Largos so it wasn’t a hard sell. I went a little overboard on the contract acceptance. Now, the reality of how many thumbs are in this pie is starting to sink in.”
“We could bust in and do a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on them.” That lightened the mood, but not much. I went on. “First things first. We’ll find out if he ever does leave his hacienda to frequent favorite places in town or a mistress’s place, or whatever, just like Velez. If he does, I say we shit-can the fancy stuff, and snatch him old school, no matter what. If we can’t find a way to do that, or he never leaves his place… hey… wait a minute. We’re doing this ass backwards, Lo. Why not wait until he decides to leave for the airport, whenever that will be?”
Lo sat up. “That’s good stuff, Rick. The same one way in and one way out route Largos thinks is so cool, because he can monitor any approach in advance, also leaves him with one way to get to the airport when he leaves. He may already have reservations for a flight out for all we know. If he doesn’t, we’ll sure as hell be able to find out when any reservations are made. He doesn’t stay anywhere very long. I’m damn glad we talked this out, Rick. We can get a lot better prepared to stop him on the road than anywhere. We’ll have to keep it to ourselves though. We’ll need Carl in on it, but he’s the only one.”
“Agreed. Even if Largos has his own private plane, he has to file a flight plan.” It felt like the old days, busting bad guys during the day, and brainstorming the next op at night. We couldn’t do it as often, but it sure made for an exciting day. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”
“I’ll bet you will. That was one sweet tune-up you did on Speedy. I showed it to Frank before I left for the workout.”
“I think you should have skipped the workout, Rick,” Frank said. “You had one hellacious day, including the school sign up.”
“On the plus side Jim and I talked out our home invasion case together, and the thirty-something principal at Lewis Middle School wanted to give me a lap dance.”
I almost caught Lo in between swallows.
“You… bastard…” she croaked while Frank and I patted her back. “Right in front of Jim?”
“No, but Jim caught on right away to the innuendos. He confronted me in the parking lot, but I played it off as a non-happening. I’m thinking he’s going to pepper that one into the conversation with Stacy and I when we’re by ourselves for his own entertainment - at least I hope he does it when we’re by ourselves. He has an edge to him.”
“Yeah, he does,” Lo agreed. “I don’t know whether to be worried about those two young punks or not. All of it has been entertaining as hell though. I don’t want Temple busted for messing with a kid Jim’s age.”
“I haven’t figured out a plan of attack for going on the offensive in that arena. I could wave the white flag, and urge birth control. I can imagine what would happen if I began playing the moralistic ‘do as I say, not as I did’ card.”
“It looks like the movie bigwigs are leaving,” Frank said. “I guess we can get something to eat if you two are ready.”
“I’m ready.” Those two doubles went right to my toes. Lo took Frank’s arm, and we rejoined our group in time to say goodbye to Cheech and his director. Once they left, I sat down between Stacy and Jim across from Frank and Lo.
“Quincy is impressed,” Karen announced. “He had been interviewing everywhere for someone to play the part opposite Temple, but he didn’t like any of them. Quincy thought the gym film clip was so good, he may incorporate it as a guide threaded into the screenplay story. He says real life chemistry seldom translates on screen, but he thinks these two may be the exception.”
“Best of all,” Trish added, “he actually liked Jim. He said there are enough big names in the movie, which is a sure hit sequel anyway. Ken and Jadie convinced Cheech to take a look at their workout video they made. If he likes it, he’ll become the distributor for it.”
“All great news,” I acknowledged, looking at my clone. “What did you think, kid? This movie business is a hell of a big step.”
“He loves it all, Pop,” Temple chimed in, hugging his arm.
“I can answer for myself, Shortcake.”
Jim’s retort caused pandemonium at the table. Jim kept his eyes locked on Temple’s, but then he smiled. She smacked his shoulder.
“You brat!”
* * *
We all ordered our dinners. The staff hurried the order. Our favorite waitress, Katy, served it with her usual expertise. She flirted with Jim the whole time, which drew confused stares from Temple. Jim remained polite with smiling acceptance of her attention. As I saw Temple get more perturbed by the moment, and Lois deriving marked pleasure every moment, I knew who was behind it. I let Jim know what was happening. He nodded, and passed it on to Temple. She stared at Lo.
“You’re mean, Lo!”
Of course my partner shook her finger at me. “Damn it, Cantelli. Mind your own business. Another second, and Shortcake’s head was about to explode.”
Katy laughed and patted Jim’s shoulder. “It was a cute gag.”
“That’s what you think, Katy,” I informed her. “Now you’re in thrall to Brunhilda the Dark there. It won’t end well for you.”
Lois folded her hands in front of her, the tight squinty eyed look of the Gorgon washing over her features. Katy’s smile disappeared. Then she slapped my shoulder. “You bunch are too scary for my taste. I’ll be back with refills.”
Then I spotted Donald Blanco coming in, dressed in a suit. He talked and laughed with the greeter before striding through to the back.
“Don!” I stood up and extended a hand to my old cellmate from one of my overnight camping trips in the tank. “You look great! I heard you were one of the night managers now.”
“It’s great seeing you, Rick.” He shook m
y hand, and leaned in conspiratorially. “There won’t be any gunfights at the OK Corral tonight… will there?”
“So… now you’re all civilized, and wanting no part of your old tank cellmate. I am deeply hurt.” I pouted to no avail. “Anyway… sorry about the other night. The last thing in the world I wanted was to have Dane Ramos and his boys confronting me right outside the entrance. Did you meet Jim and Stacy that night?”
Don nodded, grinning and putting a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Yep. The conniving little punk rolled me out of the whole story of how we met. He wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Jim stood and shook hands. “Sorry, Don. I was so screwed up with what happened, I talked without thinking what I was saying. When you told me you’d met my Pa in the tank, I couldn’t quit until I had the details.”
“We were all upset after that night, Jim. Don’t give it a thought. My whole life changed after the cell episode.” Don grabbed Jim’s shoulders. “Stay on course, young man. Listen to Rick. The old geezer, and his partner Lois know how everything in the world works. Ignore them at your own peril.”
“I will, Don. Thanks.”
I walked Don away. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me in the tank, Don. It’s hard to put into words what your work here means to me. My friend, Captain Staley thought I was nuts, but you sure proved him wrong.”
“I love this place, Rick. I’m taking piano lessons from Vince. The Collinswoods want me to play whenever I want if the restaurant is running smooth. Vince says I’ll be the next ‘Casablanca Sam’.”
Uh oh. I have an idea. “That’s good news, because some of us will be coming in on Monday and Wednesday too. I believe most of our movie star crew will be joining us. Could you find a song on Amazon, titled ‘Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus’. If you could learn the melody on the piano, we’re going to have some fun on Wednesday night. I plan to direct something, and ask my friend, Cheech Garibaldi to listen in. Jim and Temple are going to sing the song in the movie. I have an idea for you to be the ‘Magic Negro’ for a scene in the movie.”
Oh man… did Don enjoy that one. He stepped away, pointing at me while he was having trouble speaking. “I…I’ll be ready on Wednesday.”
Don suddenly grabbed my arm, leaning towards me. “Damn, Rick… you’re a killer. How are you doin’ with all this grandfather shit, and movie star business. I think of all that’s happened in the last week, and I wonder how in hell you can even get up in the morning.”
Well hell, kid, this surprise shit is what life’s all about. I stifled myself, and explained it in wise geezer language. “We embrace the good times and good things, Don. We grip them to us like a zombie on a brain eating binge. We don’t let go until someone puts a stake through our heads.”
I waited with smiling countenance as Don loudly enjoyed my explanation. He simply waved me off, and made his way into the back. Good Lord, kid, I hope you take my humorous explanation to heart, because that is life in a nutshell. I felt a hand on my arm. It was Stacy. She looked wonderful. The black spaghetti strapped dress she’d slipped into after the workout fit her like a well matched glove. With her blonde hair tied back in a tight ponytail, she looked like a kid to me. It’s a geezer curse that others see us wrinkled, aging jokes with a shudder when we even look at each other with passion. It’s the natural order of things. Young folks don’t want to contemplate ever reaching sixty, let alone experiencing it with passion.
“You look thirty in that dress, my dear, and you give me thirty year old thoughts while enjoying it.”
“You’ve had a long hard day for even a twenty year old, Rick. Do you really feel as good as you’re letting on?”
I hugged her to me, because Jim helped us both to hit the rocks of realization. “We’re working with what we have, Stace. I’m fine. I’ve enjoyed this day in nearly all aspects. How was your perspective on it?”
“I had a wonderful day until Jim told me you were getting biblical with the Lewis Middle School principal.”
“I did not, but I knew the twerp would sneak in Principal Jagoe’s flirting somewhere. I’m glad it wasn’t in front of everyone else. For now, I’m not getting biblical with anyone but you, and I don’t plan on changing in the future.”
“Good. I figured Jim was teasing me. He’s settling into all this complete with smartass coping mechanisms. He can be entertainingly annoying. I wish we had a better idea how to handle him and Temple.”
“We’ll have to keep them busy, which reminds me, I may have to leave you and Jim for a few days. It’s a piece of old business Lo and I have to take care of. When I go, it will be sudden, with no warning. I think we have all the dangerous loose ends tied up, but I’ll have Bone, Trish, and Steve look in on you two while I’m gone.”
“Please come back to us.”
“Absolutely. I haven’t tried out all my little tricks on you yet.”
Chapter Eleven
Old School
After long loving, Jim and Temple goodbyes, we dropped Temple off at her place. Jim would have to go into work with me in the morning again, so I sent him to bed at ten. Stacy and I had an erotic date on tap for tonight. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish with my first love until nearly midnight. The phone woke me a couple hours later. Even I knew the phone rings at 2 AM when there’s bad news on the horizon. In this case, Lo gave me news of another kind.
“I need you to swing by for me and our emergency trunk out of my safe-room. We’re heading to North Island Naval Air Station. Carl called. The whole op is in the toilet. After I told Carl last night what we had planned, he liked it. He called. Largos will be flying out of Prescott tomorrow on a midnight flight. Carl can get us a military propjet ride out of North Island to Love Field near Prescott. He’ll fly with us.”
I was already on my feet, dressing in jeans, t-shirt, and hiking boots. I kept a go bag ready for this. “I’ll be there in fifteen, Lo. At least this will be a short stakeout.”
“That it will.”
I disconnected. Sitting next to Stacy, I reached down to take her hand. She woke in startled fashion. “Rick?”
“I have to go sooner than I thought. Last night was incredible.” I bent down to brush her lips with mine. It escalated into a breathless, panting lock of arms. I held her away after a moment. “Je T’aime.”
“Je T’aime, Rick,” Stacy whispered back.
* * *
We scouted each possible site along the route from Ranch Largos. Although I had a silencer for my M82 Barrett, we didn’t want a lot of noise carrying back to the hacienda. There would be a gun battle. How much of one depended on the guys Largos brought with him. Going to a commercial airline takeoff with armed bodyguards is not possible, which made my plan much more feasible. I figured the driver would be armed, but he was going out first.
Lo found a spot on our terrain photos where we had a straight line of sight nearly a mile long on route 89 without houses. We were gambling Largos would take the most efficient route. If he didn’t, then he’d have to stay in play. Sooner or later he’d be back, especially with the problems we planned to give him at the hacienda if we missed our chance at his ass this trip. It was a main route, but we’d be in cover of darkness. Lo drove the all-terrain Jeep Cherokee Carl had waiting for us at Love Field. He and I watched both sides of the route for a possible nest.
“There on the left, fifty yards ahead,” Carl called out. Lo drove to the roadside.
“Perfect,” I acknowledged. “I’ll take the driver out at the spot where he rounds the curve. I’ll blow the engine out after. It will be close order drill after that from you two. I need confirmation on which one is Largos real quick if I’m to keep him alive.”
“Are you sure the two of you want to play it this way?”
“Look Urkel, this is personal,” Lo retorted. “If you don’t want a piece, we’ll say goodbye to your white virgin ass and be done with you. Rick and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Carl had started laughing after the Urkel dig.
“Hey… I’m protecting my ass. Besides, my ass ain’t white, you old honky slave of the establishment.”
“By the time Rick gets done, there won’t be much resistance anyway if we can pinpoint Largos. He’ll be the one cringing behind the seats while the rest of his retinue are ordered to die. It won’t do him any good, but you can bet he’ll be ordering them to kill what they can’t even see.”
“That’s a long shot on a movin’ vehicle, Rick. Maybe Lo and I should work in closer. We could throw out a tire blowing strip across the road.”
“I thought of that kid,” Lo said. “We want this messy, so it looks like a rival cartel hit. Besides, after working with Rick in Sana’a, I would have figured you had more confidence in us. Step up, newbie, your vagina is showing.”
The three of us enjoyed that shot across the bow for a few moments.
“It looks good, Carl,” I said. “Let’s triangulate this, and get some sleep. You were careful to not let our higher ups into any of this, right?”
“I hid the flights, and the whole smear under other Homeland Security ops in the area. They’re watching more than a few illegal alien processing centers in the area. Even Van and Floyd don’t know dick about what we’re doing. I know that you two have been worried all along cartel money is making bitches out of the idiots above Van and Floyd. I can’t answer for all of them, but we have a tight op right now.”
Lois patted Carl’s hand. “I’m old school, kid. I know some of what Rick and I do rattles you a bit. We’ll protect you as best we can, and take the rap for anything we miss. You already have a taste of the Benghazi syndrome. You’re one of us. We don’t forget our friends… ever. If the higher ups sell your ass out, I hope you have a connection to call us, because Rick and I will extract your ass. Many innocents will die of course, but you know the old cliché ‘in making an omelet - you have to crack a few eggs’.”
“Just like now, I’m in with you two all the way. Since we’re trading thoughts on violent adjustments, what is it with you and the body count you’ve been accruing here in the states, Rick? You have a grandson, a tally sheet of deceased bad guys, and you’re adlibbing on Company business. Damn… you really have some time on your hands, old man.”
Rick Cantelli, PI: Into the Darkness (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 3) Page 27
