by Finian Blake
Brandy was sitting in the driver’s seat of her Best Western van. Her boss told her to sit out at the airport until eleven o’clock to grab anybody looking for rooms. She looked into the passenger side mirror to see a rather disheveled middle age man walk up to the passenger door. He definitely needed a shave and appeared to be slightly drunk. When he stood by the window, she could smell the booze on his breath. At least he had not puked yet. Her ex-husband was a drunk and liked to get rough when he had too many, so she was not at all fond of dealing with drunks even though this one seemed pleasant enough.
Noah walked up to the van and leaned heavily against the door, “Hey babe do you know if they have any empty rooms at your motel?” Brandy gave a little frown because she did not like being called Babe especially by a drunk. “I got off the plane for just a minute to grab a smoke and they left without me. The next plane is not leaving until early morning, and I have got to call home before I get some rest. Please tell me they have rooms! The old lady is really going to be pissed.” The man standing at the door of the van was definitely drunk, but he was not obnoxious, since he was sounding apologetic for his condition. Brandy suddenly felt sorry for him.
“I am sure we have rooms. Hop in and I’ll take you over there. Do you have any luggage?”
Noah hopped in the front passenger seat. “Thank you, no, it is all on the airplane. I left my brief case on the plane and my credit cards are in my brief case. Thank God, I have a fair amount of cash on me. I have some business papers in the seat pocket and I don’t know what is going to happen to them. I know I don’t look my best. It has been a long day.”
Brandy was warming to this sorry soul, “Well, let us get away from the airport because an airplane may fall on you. I thought that I was having a bad day, but compared to you I am flat out lucky.”
“I cannot wait here until morning because this day is over,” Noah replied. “Is there any chance of getting a room without a credit card?”
“I think that the desk will ask for twice the room rate as a deposit. I am not sure, but I think that will be somewhere around eighty bucks. If you can’t make that I could talk to the manager. It looks like you really could use a mercy shot and a shower.”
“I’m good with the cash deposit. I want to thank you. You have definitely improved my day,” Noah pulled a five-dollar bill out of his wallet handing it to the young woman. “Why don’t you have a drink after work?”
“Thanks I don’t drink, but I will get something for my son with it.” Noah pulled a twenty out and switched it for the five. “Oh! I could not accept this.”
“You have been a real big help, and I think you are trying hard for your family.” Noah motioned for her to pocket the money. Brandy decided to push hard for this friendly drunk.
When they pulled up to the lobby Brandy looked over at Noah. “Before you go in to the desk, why don’t you straighten up a little? I’ll go in and talk to the manager.” She got out and went to the lobby. He got out of the passenger door. Using the side mirror Noah combed his hair and straightened his shirt. To kill time Noah lit a smoke. When Brandy started back to the van, he stubbed out the cigarette and walked into the lobby.
“Good evening sir.” The desk clerk was also the evening supervisor. “Brandy tells me that you have had a small disaster. I am sure that we will be able to help you out. The room rate is forty-three a night with the taxes. We have rooms available. I understand that your credit cards are still on the airplane, but if you have a driver’s license and a cash deposit there will be no problem.” As he said this he slid a registration card across the front desk.
Noah pulled out his wallet. He kept a false license in a special pocket. The name on the license was John Smith. He filled out the card and withdrew a 100 dollar bill for the deposit. The desk clerk looked at the ID handing it back.
“You are the first John Smith that we have had with a driver’s license in a month. Usually we get three a night. Tonight we have had six other John Smith’s check in with their wives before you today and they did not drive.” He pulled a key out of the rack behind him, “Room 206 is up the stairs and down the hall to the left.” Noah decided to pitch his main requirement.
“I have to call home and contact somebody to open the office for me. What would you need for a deposit on long distance calls from the room?”
“Oh I think forty bucks should do it.” The desk clerk answered.
Noah looked across the lobby noticing that Brandy was still parked in front. He walked over to her.
“I noticed a mini mart about a block away. Could I impose on you, to pick up some toiletries for me? A disposable razor, shaving cream, tooth paste and a tooth brush would be perfect.”
Brandy said, “Yes and I will pick up some deodorant too.”
Noah gave her a weak smile, “I wouldn’t ask you to run them up to the room. Just call me in 206 and I will come down for them.” He gave her another twenty. “I hope this will be enough. If not, I will take care of the difference when you get back.” Brandy drove off in the van heading for the mini mart.
‘Mister Smith’ went immediately to the room picking up the phone dialing a number in the Chicago area code and after a few rings an answering machine picked up. A very generic message played.
“Nobody is here leave a message.” Noah Left the phone number of the hotel and the room number. He immediately hung up. It took about ten minutes to get a return call. The phone rang once.
“What’s up?”
“This is Hermes. I need a call back from Tony in exactly sixty minutes. If Tony can’t call, get me somebody that can talk for him.”
“Ok,” the voice answered on the other end of the phone line. Mr. Smith looked at his watch. It was ten fifteen. He went into his wallet and removed a slip of paper. Noah picked a number and dialed it. The number was a dead number and would pick up, not hanging up until he hung up from his end. If anybody decided to check phone records the first number called took only fifteen seconds and was probably a wrong number. The second call would take about ten to fifteen minutes. This would reflect a lengthily conversation. If anybody found this hotel and checked the phone records they would spend a lot of time checking out a dead end. Mr. Smith dialed the number. When the number picked up, he laid the phone on the bed and walked down to the lobby. He walked out of the lobby door lighting a cigarette and wondering if he was being too cautious.
Brandy pulled up with his toiletries.
“I added deodorant to the list. Here is the change.”
“Just add it to your tip. Thanks for doing me the favor.” Brandy smiled and went off to park the van for the evening. He gave serious consideration to various things he would have to arrange with this phone call. Most of the important issues would be wholesale arrangements with Tony. Mr. Smith shaved and showered. He slipped on a pair of undershorts and lay back on the bed. It was time for the call home. He had to let Pat know what was going to go down. He picked up the phone and dialed the number.
When Pat answered he said, “Copy this number down and call me back right away.” He spoke the number slowly enough so that he would not have to repeat it. Pat read the number back and hung up the phone. Pat called back seconds later.
“What’s cooking lover?”
“I got stuck with a message. I am going to be on the road for about thirty days. After I deliver this I am totally out of the business.”
“We won’t have to move after you finish will we,” Pat asked. “My whole family pulled up roots and moved out here because of you.” She did not like the sound of this.
“No that won’t be necessary. They promised me a healthy fee, so I think that I will retire after this. Listen I need a favor. Have your brother drive you down to Everywhere Air and retrieve my pickup. I think you should do this tonight. It is important.” Pat knew this meant right now.
“Philip is home now I’ll get him. Should I bring it home?”
“Yes, park it in the barn.” He meant to keep it out of sight. �
��I will not call for a ride home. I will work something out.”
“Thirty days is a long time. Will this be a big fee?” Pat wanted to know if this would be worth the grief.
“I should be able to retire.” This was Noah’s code for huge.
“I won’t start out fresh a second time. You promised that you would not start this crap again.” Pat hung up. She was definitely not happy with him.
He dressed again going down to the lobby. The desk clerk was totaling up his cash drawer to end his shift.
“I’m finished with long distance. There will not be any more room charges. Can we settle on the extra charges? The clerk totaled up the phone charges, subtracted the money from the deposit giving Mr. Smith the change. He would be off duty in a few minutes. Mr. Smith went back to the room turned on the TV and waited for the phone to ring. This last call could be the killer. A refusal would mean that he would have to shop for a wholesaler.
At exactly eleven fifteen, the phone rang. The voice was Tony’s. “Hermes is that you?”
“It most definitely is me.”
“What is so important that you use this number after such a long time?” Tony liked to get right to the point. Hermes had used his special number that was used only for matters of maximum importance and he had not heard from Hermes for a year. The last time was a bunch of business for ‘Mooney’ and that was a mess.
“We have big business,” replied Hermes. “The total will be somewhere around three M. I am being paid for an arms shipment in drugs, and I need to wholesale them out in one lot. They are uncut direct from South America.”
“What kind of drugs are we talking about?”
“I’m not exactly sure. This will be the first run, but it will probably be a mix of coke and Mary Jane. My guess is that the rebels down there are knocking off drug dealers for their product and using it to buy arms. I am going to negotiate jungle prices. We are talking a lot of product for a lot of arms. I expect five hundred keys, that is why I need M not K.”
“What kind of arrangements are you looking for?” Tony was thinking that this sounded like a knock over. Somebody would try to tap the bagman when he showed up with the cash. Hermes had considered that this sounded like a rip off. “I will need 25K to pay off the help and the rest within forty-eight hours after you inspect and weigh the product. That is wholesale delivered somewhere in the Los Angeles area. I will give you a twenty-four-hour notice for the time and the place. At worst, you will triple your 25 k. On the top side you could make 1 M plus.”
“There is a reason you left Chicago.” Tony said. “That ‘Mooney’ business was a real pooch screw. There are a few people still looking for you. You shit in quite a few mess kits and they seem to be holding a real grudge.”
“I followed all the instructions. I cannot help it if somebody didn’t like the message. As I recall, you were not affected. Look this is what I need. It is a risk, but I am out front. I will be taking most of the risk.”
Tony thought a minute. That ‘Mooney’ deal had dinged him a little but not horribly. A large score would take Hermes off the hook. After all Hermes was his protégé at one time.
“Let me check out a few details. I will call you back in an hour tops.” The line went dead.
Hermes switched the TV to one of the late night talk shows. He sat down in one of the chairs and lit a cigarette. This was the tough time. His whole plan rested on being forgiven. He was Tony’s man when he was back in Chicago. This whole ‘Mooney’ affair reflected poorly on Tony. A few ‘made’ people from different families had died and he was suspect. A contract was placed on Hermes. Somebody was killed, and the contract was collected with the person truly responsible for the carnage dying. It was time to leave Chicago, so Pat and her family sold everything, and left Chicago for California. They found a nice area in the Antelope Valley using the profits from their property to buy two forty acre ranches. Hermes came out to California under the name Tom Baker after he married Pat. Hermes was lost in thought when the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“It is a go. Terms will be as you described. We need at least twelve hours notice prior to pick up.”
“Done,” the line went dead. Hermes thought that he had to get out of the courier business. He was out of it for four years. He had worked for Everywhere Air for three years. On occasion, they asked him to stretch things a little bit, but this was not even close. They were going to pay big time. He would pull enough out of this deal to retire.
Noah picked up the phone and called the desk. He listened to the sleepy hello from the desk clerk.
“Hello, this is John Smith in room 206. What time does the courtesy van start running?”
“The first run should be about five thirty,” was the answer from the sleepy desk clerk.
“Could I have a wakeup call at five AM?”
“No problem Mr. Smith, five AM it is.”
“Thank you,” Noah hung up the phone. He turned off the TV and turned out the lights. A few hours of sleep would feel good.
The phone rang at five AM sharp. Noah answered listening to the mechanical voice announce that this was his wake up call. He lay back for a few minutes, remembering the names that he would answer to this morning. Climbing out of bed Noah went directly to the shower since it helped to wake him up. He quickly dressed and headed down stairs. “Room 206 checking out.”
The desk clerk looked up the room number. “Good morning Mr. Smith. I hope the room was satisfactory last night.”
“Everything was just fine.”
“It looks like you have a cash deposit of one hundred dollars on the room. You paid your long distance last night. The room with taxes was forty-three dollars. It looks like you have fifty-seven dollars due.” He withdrew the money from the cash drawer giving it back to Mr. Smith. “The first run for the airport will leave at five thirty. There is a fresh pot of coffee in the hospitality room.” Noah walked over to the coffee bar and poured a cup. He took his coffee outside to wait for the van. He did not have to wait long. The driver walked out to the van and fired up the engine. He spotted Mr. Smith waiting for the first run.
“We can leave a little early since you are the only one planned for the first run. Do you have any luggage?” Mr. Smith shook his head no. “Well then hop in and I’ll get you there!”
It was a short ride to the airport. Mr. Smith pulled a five-dollar bill out, and gave it to the driver. When he jumped out of the van, Mr. Smith shifted back over to the Noah Body ID. He pulled the Smith driver’s license out of the plastic insert and buried it in an inner pocket of his wallet. Noah went directly into the building making his way down the line to the taxi stand. There were only two cabs waiting at that hour of the morning.
Noah got in the first cab, “Sheraton Inn in Reston as quick as you can.”
The cab pulled up to the lobby shortly before six AM. Noah paid the cabbie and stepped out. He lit a cigarette and stood outside while he finished it. A good look around told him that no one was looking for him. Noah decided to finish the illusion. He walked up to the desk and handed the desk clerk a ten-dollar bill.
“Could you do me a favor? At six fifteen call my room and say: Good morning this is your six fifteen wakeup call?” The desk clerk looked confused, but for ten bucks it was a simple thing to do. Noah slipped quietly into his room. The TV was still playing softly. He stripped the covers off his bed and lay down twisting and turning in order to make the bed look as if it had been occupied. Right on time the phone rang, and the voice on the phone announced his wake up call. He walked into the bath, turned on the shower full hot, and let it run for about ten minutes. Noah knocked on the adjoining door.
“Wakey, Wakey Buck it is time to rise and shine.” He did not wait for an answer. He threw on some clean clothes and did a quick packing job. By the time Buck knocked on the adjoining door he was ready to roll.
“What’s up Noah? I thought that your flight time was not until 16:30.” Noah was amused by the tired look on Buck’s fa
ce. It confirmed his suspicion that Creed had dismissed any additional security crew. This delivery was way out of standards and the boys working oversight would crap in their pants if they knew what Buck and Creed were approving. Buck was in charge of liaison on his own. As Buck started to speak Noah was picturing him in front of six senators taking the oath saying, ‘I have no clear recollection of that’ fifty or sixty times.
“Buck, I am going to need five thousand dollars American before we leave here. We will need an in-bond pad to park the aircraft when we return. We will also need a fuel stop out of Nicaragua, try Panama City. I don’t want to land too heavy on a dirt strip. I have to supervise some work on the aircraft, so if you need me I will be on board the plane at the airport. We should have all the work done by 13:00.”
Noah checked the front desk to see if the courtesy van was available. As luck would have it, the van was there and no other passengers were heading to the airport. He threw his bag into the van.
Noah walked in the front door of Everywhere Air looking for Eli or Joe.
“Who has got the duty today,” He called out loudly upon entering the office. Eli walked around the counter.
“Your about twenty minutes early. All of the arrangements have been made for 07:00 sharp. I’ll put the coffee on to brew and we shall be ready to kick off at 07:00. In the meantime, come on back and we will get primed up for the day.” Eli started back for the lunchroom. “We have an empty tanker on the way, and a mechanic to supervise the refueling. We have the work stand to service the oil and hydraulics. I had a look at the tires and they are fine.”
The two men walked in to the lunch room killing about twenty minute’s time with small talk. Noah stood up from his chair, “I think that I will get the ‘Ark’ powered up. I don’t want to keep the mechanics waiting and I think that Earl might want to get some sleep.”
