The Charity Chip

by Brock Booher

  “Do you want to leave? I can take care of this on my own,” offered Julio. Angelica tapped her foot. She let out a disgusted sigh and placed her right hand on the scanner. The green light flickered and scanned her hand.

  The desk sergeant watched the computer screen for a moment and then looked at Angelica with a raised eyebrow. He picked up a phone. “I have a couple of juvies that need a holding room.” He hung up and smiled down at Julio and Angelica. “Officer Nuñez will escort you to a room.”

  A short officer appeared from behind the desk. “Follow me, please,” he said and started down a hallway to the right. They passed several windowless gray metal doors with large black numbers painted on the front. He stopped in front of door number seven, pulled a key from his belt, and unlocked the large brass dead bolt above the doorknob. He opened the door and ushered them in, but instead of helping them, he closed the door and locked them in.

  Angelica slumped into the corner of the room. “All this trouble for nothing.”

  Julio tossed his backpack and skateboard on the floor and sat on one of the small metal chairs next to a worn metal table. He put his head in his hands. “Mamá used to tell me that the truth would make me free. Right now, I’m not so sure.”

  Angelica pulled her legs up into her chest and buried her face into her knees. “What do we do if they call Isak?”

  Julio stood and paced the room. “If they do, we won’t have to worry about Caritas anymore. Most likely they will ship us off to one of the government barrios.” He spat. “Slaves to President Navarro . . .”

  Angelica looked up. “That’s better than getting chopped up for organs.”

  “Have you ever been to one of the government barrios?” asked Julio.

  “I came close to being sent once.” She shook her head. “I managed to avoid it.” She shrugged. “At least the buildings are fairly new.”

  “I skated by the one in Lince once. New buildings or not, it looked more like a prison than a neighborhood.” Julio stood on his skateboard and rocked back and forth. “Why did you let that officer grope you like that?”

  Angelica shrugged. “What choice did I have?”

  “You always have a choice.”

  “Easy for you to say. You’re a guy.” She tucked her face into her knees.

  It was almost an hour before they heard the dead bolt turn. Neither of them had been much on conversation. Julio sprang to his feet, but Angelica only raised her head. An officer with coarse black hair graying at the temples and a thick mustache walked in carrying a stack of files in his hands and dropped them on the metal table. He had a scar stretching from his left eyebrow and disappearing somewhere past his hairline. It was the officer that had arrested Julio and turned him over to Isak.

  “Sit,” he ordered as he motioned to the two chairs in front of the table. Julio took his seat, and Angelica pushed herself up and moved to a chair.

  The officer stood behind the table and leaned forward supporting himself with his closed fists. “My name is Comandante Ugarteche. Now, tell me what you are doing here.”

  Julio glanced at Angelica expecting her to begin, but she stared at the files on the table and bit her lip. “We came to talk to someone about a suspicious death,” began Julio. Angelica kicked his shin.

  “Suspicious death?” asked Ugarteche as he pulled up a chair and took a seat. “Who?”

  Julio opened his mouth to answer, but Angelica interjected. “A friend of ours died of a suspected overdose. We were concerned.”

  Ugarteche smiled and stroked his mustache. “You’re lucky they alerted me instead of Isak.” He picked up one of the folders opened it. “How nice to see you have become a model citizen, Angelica Maria Tapia. Have you been helping other people spend their money?” Angelica squirmed. Ugarteche read from the folder. “Convicted for fraud and electronic embezzlement at the age of thirteen. Sentenced to three months of juvenile detention. Escaped after one month. Arrested again for fraud and electronic embezzlement less than six months later, but never convicted because of a benefactor, Isak Blixt.”

  Angelica looked down at the floor.

  The comandante tossed her file onto the table and opened another one. “Julio César Camino de Pachacutec,” he read in a courtroom voice, “was caught in the very act of stealing food from a little old lady. He also was freed by the intervention of one Isak Blixt. It even says the act was caught on video. Shall we watch it?”

  The comandante tossed Julio’s folder onto the table and picked up the third folder. “Graciela Maria Suiza de Gomez was arrested for solicitation and drug possession at the age of fourteen. She also was freed under the care of Isak Blixt and Caritas. She died two days ago due to a drug overdose.” He tossed the third folder onto the table and stared at Julio and Angelica. “Now, tell me, what did you need to talk about?”

  Julio and Angelica stared at the floor.

  Comandante Ugarteche ran his finger over his mustache. “That’s what I thought.” He opened the door. “Stay out of my precinct unless you want to have a meeting with Isak.”

  * * *

  They rode Julio’s skateboard in silence to Martín’s store. Julio kicked the board and guided them through traffic with one hand on Angelica’s hip. She seemed relaxed and natural on the board, and followed his lead like a good dance partner.

  When they pulled up in front of Martín’s store, Angelica nimbly slipped off the board before Julio had stopped. She brushed back her hair with both hands and smiled at Julio. “I need to get my own skateboard so I can ride all the time. Riding seems to clear my head.” Julio grinned, but he wasn’t anxious for her to get her own board. He preferred having her close to him on his board.

  Angelica glanced at the front door of the store. “Don’t tell Martín that we went to the police. He would probably freak out.”

  “It was worth a try, but we still don’t have any evidence,” said Julio as he grabbed his board.

  “No, but Martín has a plan.” She opened the door, and Julio followed her in.

  Martín glanced up from his computer. “Didn’t I tell you that we should meet somewhere else?” he asked while he continued to type. “Every time you come here, you increase the risk of getting caught.”

  “We have Graciela’s medical file,” answered Angelica.

  Martín stopped typing and held out his hand. “Give me the drive and let’s take a look.”

  Angelica unzipped Julio’s backpack and pulled out the folder. “It’s actually a hard copy.”

  “Hard copy? Leave it to doctors to be a hundred years behind.” He took the folder and started reading.

  “You won’t find much,” said Julio. “Doctor Barilla told us that the toxicology report confirms she died of an overdose.”

  “We also saw her body, or at least her hand. We even saw her ring,” added Angelica. “Caritas isn’t a front for human trafficking like we thought. Graciela really did die of an overdose, but they harvested most of her organs and gave them to some French company.” She pointed to a page in the folder. She looked at Julio. “Julio isn’t convinced, but I think Caritas is a front for organ smuggling, and we’re the inventory.”

  Martín let out whistle. “Organ smuggling? Of course! Why didn’t I see it before?” He folded the page and banged away at his keyboard. “Come look at this.” Both Angelica and Julio slid in behind Martín where they could see the computer screen. “Marques Médical, the company that handled the organs, is huge medical conglomerate with facilities worldwide. They also have a contract to support UN troops in the field.” He clicked the mouse. “And guess who is on the board of directors? Pascal Goulet.”

  Julio could see Pascal Goulet’s picture with his unmistakable oversized white teeth.

  Angelica elbowed him. “Now do you believe?”

  Julio rubbed the chip below the skin of his left hand. He remembered Doctor Barilla’s warning.

  “Don’t be too hard on him. He has reason to doubt,” said Martín. “This is nothing more that ci
rcumstantial evidence. We need more irrefutable evidence.” Martín turned to look at them both. “I need you two to get me into Isak’s system ASAP.”

  “I’ve been trying to find access to Isak’s computer for almost a year now. The computers used by the students, Doctor Kozyar, and even the eye-candy secretary don’t connect to Isak’s computer.” She threw up her hands. “I can’t just sneak into Isak’s office and plant the mole. All the doors have chip-sensor locks, and the windows have bars. Can’t you hack in from the street?”

  Martín shook his head. “I’ve already tried. His system is wired only and doesn’t send or receive a wireless signal. Once it leaves his computer, all the data is encrypted.” He sighed. “Physical access is total access. I need you to plant a mole, just like the old days.”

  “Can we cut power to the door locks?” asked Angelica.

  “No, they default to the locked position, and then you have to open them with a physical key,” answered Martín.

  “A physical key?” asked Julio.

  Martín nodded as he continued to type. “Yes, an old-fashioned metal key.”

  “I can get us a key,” said Julio. Angelica gave him a puzzled look. Julio shrugged. “I’ve been helping Carmen with the food deliveries. She lets me use her key for the hallway and the back door to the alley.”

  “But what about Isak’s office?” asked Angelica.

  Julio shook his head. “It doesn’t need a key, as long as he is in the building. I’ve been through it twice.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Martín.

  “When he invited me to join Caritas, I walked right in. The hallway door and the back door have chip-sensor locks with backup keyholes.” He smiled. “But I can get us a key.”

  “How?” asked Angelica.

  Julio winked. “Carmen trusts me.”

  Martín pointed at Julio. “Tomorrow, you get the key. The day after tomorrow, we plant the mole. By Saturday, we’ll have the evidence.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  La Llave

  (The Key)

  The next morning Julio stared at Raúl as he slept. He wanted to kick him and wake him up before leaving for Caritas, but decided that his revenge would have to wait, and he hurried down the stairs with his skateboard under his arm. The morning fog was thicker than usual and muffled the sounds of traffic as he skated for Caritas. The thought of stealing the key from Carmen made his stomach flutter.

  Carmen greeted him with her usual smile and tossed him the keys. “The delivery truck will be here in a few minutes. You’re such an angel for helping an old woman.”

  Julio smiled and gave a slight bow. “At your service, señora.” The butterflies in his stomach fluttered. He headed straight for the alleyway, and propped open the back door with the board. Shrouded by the fog, he slipped the key to the alleyway door off the ring and tucked it into his pocket. When the delivery truck came, he carried in all the groceries like usual and hung up the keys beside the refrigerator. Carmen rewarded him with a glass of milk and a handful of rosquitas, but his nerves had dampened his appetite, and he had to force himself to eat.

  He continued with his normal routine and tried to concentrate. A few minutes after he began his schoolwork, Angelica came in. She glanced at him and took a seat in the corner like usual.

  Julio snuck her a text. I got it.

  She looked over at him and smiled. She sent him a text. Meet me at Plaza Manco Cápac in front of the statue 3 p.m.

  Julio kept his cool on the outside, but three o’clock could not come fast enough. He avoided sitting with Angelica during lunch. He sat alone and wolfed down his food. As soon as he finished lunch, he grabbed his things and hurried out the door like he had someplace to be. The key was heavy in his pocket, and he looked over his shoulder several times as he skated away halfway expecting Isak to be following him. He didn’t dare pull out the key until he was standing in front of the statue of the Incan ruler. He breathed a sigh of relief before tucking it back into his pocket.

  He skated over to the intersection beside the cathedral. The one-armed boy selling matches was gone. A boy about his age dressed in a dirty soccer jersey and pants with holes in the knees darted between cars asking for handouts. He watched as the boy tapped on car windows and frowned at motorists, trying to evoke sympathy. He was shocked at how dirty he was. Is that what I looked like? Embarrassed for the boy, he looked away.

  “I thought you would be hanging out at your new school or whatever it is.” Julio turned to see Raúl with his skateboard under his arm.

  Julio popped up his board and scowled. “I was done for the day. Why aren’t you in bed still? You need to rest so you don’t reopen those sutures.”

  Raúl waved him off. “I’m fine, and besides I need to figure out a way to get the rest of the money I owe Sergio.” He nodded at the boy begging in the intersection. “Maybe I should join him.”

  “Maybe you should.”

  Raúl nodded at Julio’s skateboard. “How much do you think your skateboard is worth? We could sell that.”

  “I’m not the one that got stabbed and lost the package.” He pointed at Raúl’s board. “Sell your own skateboard.”

  Raúl shrugged. “My board is too old, and the front truck is going bad.” He looked over at the bank. “Why don’t you go to the bank and make a withdrawal from your chip?”

  Julio shook his head. “I told you it doesn’t work that way. It only buys the necessities.”

  “I need money. Doesn’t that count?”

  “Exactly how much money do you need?”

  “About a hundred and fifty soles.”

  Julio fingered the Saint Michael’s pendant under his shirt. “Do you think Sergio would accept less?”

  “I might be able to talk him into less. Chicha listens to me.”

  Julio sighed. “Okay, tell him I can get a hundred soles.”

  “Why don’t we go together, tonight? We can take care of it all at once.”

  Julio rubbed his finger across his eyebrow. “Last time I went to El Infierno things didn’t go so well. I think I’ll pass.”

  Raúl chuckled. “That’s nothing. Chicha really likes you. He actually wants you to join the gang. Besides, you already passed the initiation.”

  Julio tightened his jaw and tried not to show his anger. “I’m not interested in joining. Tell Sergio I have one hundred soles, but that’s it.”

  “I need you come with me. Please, hermano. Together we could take care of this.” A group of teenage girls dressed in school uniforms of black skirts and white blouses walked by. Raúl turned his head to follow the coy group.

  The photo from the park flashed into Julio’s mind. He could see Mamá’s loving face, and everyone looking at the camera, except for Raúl. He remembered his promise and sighed. “Bueno, what time?”

  Raúl turned his attention back to Julio. “What? Oh, everyone should be there after eight. I’ll meet you out front and get you past Turco.” He climbed on his board and started after the group of schoolgirls. As he skated away, he shouted over his shoulder, “See you tonight, hermano.”

  Julio wished he had never made that promise to Mamá.

  * * *

  The key burned a hole in Julio’s pocket. He tried to sit down on the bench and wait for Angelica, but soon found himself skating anxious circles around the park. Fortunately, Angelica was prompt. Unfortunately, she brought Martín with her.

  “Let’s keep moving,” demanded Martín when Julio approached them. “That way it looks like a chance meeting, and we can see if anyone follows us.”

  Julio fell in beside them on his board, skating lazy turns to keep from passing them. “I have the key,” he said as he reached into his pocket.

  “Not yet,” warned Martín. “We don’t want it to be obvious.”

  Julio rolled his eyes and kicked his board forward.

  “Are you sure you got the right key?” asked Angelica.

  “Positive. You can slip through the back door and right into Isa
k’s office, but how are you going to plant the mole if Isak is sitting in his office?”

  “Simple,” answered Martín. “We have to create a diversion. Any ideas?” They turned and followed the sidewalk toward the cathedral.

  “I could start a fight with someone,” offered Angelica.

  Martín shook his head. “Unless they were in on the scheme, it might not go as scripted. Besides, that might not get him out of his office and you need to be free to plant the mole. Julio, you have to create the diversion.”

  “I could pull a fire alarm,” said Julio as he coasted along.

  “Too much noise and confusion,” answered Martín, “And besides, it would bring attention from the local authorities. We need something that would get Isak out of his office.”

  “Well, if we are inventory, then putting that inventory in danger would get his attention. What if we all suddenly got sick?” asked Angelica.

  “That might work, but how do we make everyone get sick at the same time?” asked Martín.

  Julio remembered his discussion with Doctor Barilla about drug overdoses. “Ipecac syrup. If I put some ipecac syrup in the drink during lunch time, about fifteen minutes later everyone will be throwing up.”

  “But Carmen only lets us drink water with lunch,” said Angelica.

  Julio grinned. “I can get her to let me make some chicha morada. The flavor should be strong enough to disguise the ipecac syrup. I’ll drink it along with everyone else.” He wagged a finger at Angelica. “But you might want to pass on the chicha morada tomorrow.”

  Martín nodded in agreement. “Okay, Julio, that should work. Can you get it by tomorrow?” He turned back toward the statue of Manco Cápac in the center of the plaza.

  “No problem.”

  “How will I know that Isak is out of his office?” asked Angelica.

  “Just wait at one of the computers until he comes into the student area,” said Martín.

  “If she does that, she might not have enough time to get around the building, into his office, and plant the mole before he comes back,” said Julio. “You leave right after lunch and wait somewhere in the alleyway behind the building. I’ll text you when Isak comes to the cafeteria.”