Capone was not so worried by the head of the mobsters, but for his friend who did not like being threatened. From Leo, however, exuded calmness and he watched casually as a seal on a glacier. With his periphery, he watched both the security and Lucky Luciano, who was his idol as a child.
“And what devil are you?” continued the Sicilian, narrowing his eyes towards Ernak.
The Chief raised an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly sideways, looking at the fatty as if he was going to cook him for dinner. He visibly licked himself and caressed his braid. The mobsters were puzzled for a moment.
“Forgive the behavior of my friend, Don Masseria. He lives in another time, but is adept at what he does!” The Sock split the dangerous silence after seeing that Ernak was not helping. “My name is Leo, and my colleague Galfonino. We apologize if we have caused trouble due to our ignorance of our intervention, but we are ready to take the monetary liabilities of the late Tommy, may he rest in peace.”
“And what exactly does your man do?” the boss continued to ask about the successor of the Dulo dynasty, under whose command tens of thousands of warriors obeyed.
Capone decided to intervene, “He can throw a knife, ax, virtually everything that can be stuck.”
“Knife, you say?” Joe gestured with his fingers to one of his bodyguards to come forward. “Let’s do this. If your man kills my fastest shooter Guillermo "The Ball" I will allow you to pay me fifty percent of your earnings.”
The boss had not yet finished his words, and Ernak threw the knife hidden in his sleeve straight into the top ten of Guillermo. The man fell backward, and the chief hissed, “Make it forty...”
Masseria and Luciano shook their heads in approval while watching the dead man.
“Come to my office to discuss your business. Salvatore shut the door behind you. Carlo, tell the others to search the guy with the braid and next time you let someone in with a weapon, you will replace "The Ball".”
The sweaty gangster checked the chief again, who still looked at him strangely, “You are keeping my knife, right?”
The man just shook his head in agreement, and Lazo looked amazed at what was happening around and silently waited. His instructions were to speak or act only as a last resort and he strictly kept to them.
The meeting ended after twenty minutes. The gangsters entered the car and drove back to the hotel.
“Masseria is a greedy ass. His share will bankrupt us.”
“At least we didn’t change the future. We will sell all the cars, and get the weekly income. There should be enough money to activate the plan of the century.”
“You’re right Capone. It’s time. Lazo, leave us outside the hotel and bring the others to the office.”
“Yes, Boss,” the gorilla was listening. When he heard that the time had come for the mysterious plan, he smiled, perhaps for the first time.
“What was that strange grimace on his face?” wondered Capone.
“I think he was smiling!” Leo jokingly said.
Chapter VI
In the evening, the eight of the organization gathered. Ernak poured whiskey, and the gangsters sat on the leather sofas.
“Have any of you ever heard of Guyana?”
Everyone shook their heads in denial. Capone continued, “It’s located in South America, bordering with northern Brazil, and Venezuela to the east. It is currently a British colony. Western Guyana, however, has large deposits of diamonds and gold. I see that I have your attention. I know that, at the moment, there is a raging major crisis, which believe me, will become a world crisis, but this is not a problem. It will end in 1933, and the price of diamonds will start to grow rapidly. After we make the hit, Leo, Ernak and I will disappear, and the business will be shared among the others. Since there will be a lot of cash, they will remain for you. When the time comes, you can sell your share of the goods and retire. Now, more information about the future operation. There are two rivers with working miners, who are mining diamonds day and night. At least half of them are going to Georgetown, but the rest is sold in nearby offices. Buyers naturally work for the same company in the capital, but there is less security. The camps, in which payments are made, consist of two-storey wooden houses and small ones. Everything is kept in safes, so here comes Dimo. You’ll have to bring your toys.
"The Hoe" nodded.
“Michele will buy one Tommy gun for all of us, with four drums, each with 50 bullets for them and a backpack with dynamite. Also, bring a revolver. I will give you the money soon.”
“No problem, boss.”
“Danielo, I want you to find transport. It is crucial that the airplane is large enough to collect the cargo and the pilot is experienced, because he may need to land in the mountains. I don’t think it’s necessary to mention that he will need to keep his mouth shut. It will be the best if you can find someone who has already flown there.”
“I’m not sure I can find such a person, but I’ll start looking tomorrow morning.”
A few days later, the younger Peruzzi arrived at the hotel with a stranger. “Boss, I found a man, a Bulgarian from Plovdiv...”
“My name is Ivan Ivanov. I immigrated in 1907. I’ve been a pilot for more than ten years.
“Hah, how small is the world, Vanko? I’m from Varna,” smiled Leo.
The man, obviously pleased, shook his hand.
“I’m glad I will be able to work for Bulgarian once again.”
“The trip is very dangerous, are you aware?”
“In the south, I flew to Miami, Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil. But I know of a colleague for a small airport in northern Guyana,” Ivan took out a map and pointed out exactly where. “As far as I understood, you want to move somewhere south near Mazaruni and Puruni?” The gangsters nodded. “The way there is a day through rain forests and rivers. You should know that it is full of jaguars, pumas, anacondas...”
“Come again?” interrupted Leo.
“Yes, there are giant anacondas, 10-15 meters long.”
The Sock looked at Galfonino, “I think you failed to mention the snakes?”
“I assumed you knew?” shrugged the Italian. “After all, the Amazon river flows through there.”
“Does this face looks like I know? What else should I be aware of?”
“The locals are not the friendliest,” continued the pilot. “I recommend you take machetes. About the flight, it will last no less than seventeen hours, and we will have to stop at five places to refuel, in about every 700 km. The weapons will have to be hidden in the back of the plane, and you will present yourself as businessmen which I’m leading to Brazil. A very important part is my stay in the jungle. You’ll have to leave two people with me to sleep in shifts because you will be gone for at least three days. I’ll give you a copy of this map and a compass. I hope that it will help you.”
“Don’t worry,” laughed Ernak. “I am like an Indian in the forest. It’s more possible to lose myself in a one-way street than in the jungle.”
“It’s true,” confirmed Leo. “Lazo and Michele will stay with you.”
“Okay, if you say so. We leave Sunday morning, but Saturday night at midnight, bring everything in Hangar 3.”
Sunday came, and the eight gangsters arrived. They loaded some supplies and boarded the plane. They were well dressed as businessmen, but in their luggage were military clothes suitable for the conditions that they were to encounter later.
“It’s a long trip, so you can sleep if you like.”
The plane took off, and the gangsters fell asleep.
Twenty-one hour later, Leo and Capone awoke. The Italian looked out the window amazed by the sight, “Wow, I haven’t slept like that in years. I see that we are flying over the jungle. Who said there were no roads here?” wondered Galfonino. “I can see a dirt road in the distance.”
“That’s the airport,” interrupted the pilot.
After his reply, the mobsters looked at each other in shock, they put their seat belts, and everyone grippe
d onto something. Leo looked at Capone who was praying to God, “When did you become religious?”
“A minute ago, after I saw where we are going to land!”
The Sock stared through the window. The airport was something between a field and third-rate short country road, in which end was a small wooden building. It was more like an oasis in the vast jungle. In this view, the gangster crossed himself and gripped the front seat.
The plane began to descend and bumped an awful lot, which made Galfonino turn to Leo, and with almost a tearful and squeaky voice shouted, “Tell my Mom I love her!” then he bent his head forward.
To everyone’s surprise, the landing was gentle and professional. Boeing 80 stopped a few meters from the house. The pilot turned the plane to be ready for take-off at any time. There were applause and cheers. The euphoria passed, and the gangsters hastily changed clothes. They threw on the backpacks full of supplies and weapons, put their guns in the holsters and firmly caught machetes with their hands. The door opened, and the group went out one by one from the plane. Against them walked, smiling from ear to ear, the local "customs officer" who spoke in almost pure English, “ "Ai sikishey anatepsis itemel chordily oksir bir ler kapalda." It was a long time ago since anyone landed in these places. The airport fee is fifty dollars.”
Leo wondered over his words for a moment and with a smile handed him the money.
“Will the aircraft stay?”
“Three days,” the pilot said dryly.
“It’ll cost you fifty dollars.”
The Sock handed them, no longer so smiling.
“Will people stay with him?”
“Yes, three men.”
“It’ll cost you fifty dollars.”
“You are fucking with us!” Cassis angry slipped another fifty.
“Do you want a guide?”
Here the gangster craned his neck, and his smile returned, “Let me guess, it will cost fifty dollars?”
“That’s right, sir,” the customs officer whistled and from the jungle came another local, super smiling, showing all his three teeth, “ "Buraya gel". This is Mgulu Giru Boba Waikiki, expert and full professional in survival in the jungle. He does not know English and rarely speaks in general. Where do you want to go?”
“We are looking for a small village between the Mazaruni and Puruni, named Barlow.”
“The post for buying diamonds? No problem, I’ll tell him,” the man explained something to Mgulu. “He says it is a day and a half from here, including the sleep in the jungle. Nobody travels at night because it is very dangerous. There are large and poisonous snakes, predators and more.”
The gangsters shook their heads furtively. The group slowly started walking towards the forest. The Sock stopped by the customs officer for a moment, “And fix the airport. At least pour some concrete on the "track",” then he slapped him on the neck and continued on his path.
Capone also stopped, “It would not be bad to improve the service too,” he also slapped him on the neck and continued.
Brothers Peruzzi and Dimoonly passed with laughter. Michele silently hit him directly on the neck, in his typical style. The final blow hurt because of the heavy hand of the "Gypsum". Slightly annoyed, the local head of the airport went to the wooden house, speaking something under his nose.
Chapter VII
Meanwhile, the group entered the endless jungle. It was a lot warmer.
“After this trip, I’ll return thirty kilograms,” started complaining the little Peruzzi.
The Sock threw him a sandwich, “Eat and don’t think about it.”
Cassis’s eyes darted in every direction. Having grasped the machete, his eyes were constantly searching for snakes. He hated those creatures ever since he was a boy and felt fear from them.
In the evening, they stopped and lit a big fire. Ernak hurriedly made a hammock with the available materials between two trees and fell asleep. The guide also made himself a makeshift bed and started snoring in twenty minutes. But the rest of the group stayed up almost all night. At dawn, they began walking in silence again. In the early afternoon, the trip was coming to an end. Locals were visible around. Leo made a sign for the group to stop.
“Stay here. I’ll check around,” Smith grabbed the binoculars and headed for the village.
Nearly an hour had passed before he returned.
“Well, is there anything interesting?” inquired Galfonino.
“The village consists of four small wooden houses and a two-storey residence with an office. I could count nine soldiers who probably sleep in the smaller houses. People are constantly coming in the bigger one, which means that business is going well. We’ll wait for everybody to fall asleep. We go to the soldiers first and quietly tie them so they can’t move. Then we visit the boss. We get the money and the diamonds, and at dawn, set off. Questions?”
“No!” everybody answered at the same time.
In the evening, the soldiers drank until late. One did not even manage to go into the house and collapsed on the porch. The gangsters crept and walked in groups by three. If someone woke up, he would be quickly lulled again. The mobsters stoppled all mouths and tied everybody to their beds. They did the same for the fainted one, although there was no need. He was not waking up soon anyway.
The most important part of the plan came. On the way to the two-story house, Ernak suddenly stopped.
“What happened?” Leo quietly asked.
“Several pigeons flew out of the yard, and someone quickly went inside.”
“Shit, he saw us! In which direction did the pigeons fly?”
“Does it matter?” Galfo got angry.
“If the birds flew in the direction of the airport, help will most likely go there.”
“No, they went in the opposite way.”
“Ernak, go after them without going too far and if there’s nothing in the next hour, come back!”
The gangsters approached the house. The Italian broke the door with his foot and withdrew. There were a few shots. Leo stood to the side window but saw no one. He made a sign to Galfonino and broke the window with the gun handle. The man inside looked at what was happening, but Capone knocked him to the ground with a single shot to the head.
“After these shots, the pigeons don’t even matter. They probably heard them in Brazil.”
“We must act quickly. We’ll have to travel at night.”
The others looked at Leo fearfully, hoping that he was joking, but from his serious face, they realized he wasn’t.
In the back room on the first floor, the gangsters discovered a large safe built into the cabinet. Dimo handed his head through the door, “Give me fifteen minutes.”
The safe inside was divided into several compartments. At one were about 75 thousand dollars, while in the others were stacked leather pouches filled with different sized diamonds. At the sight of the hit, the robbers smiled.
“Who would have thought that we would make the robbery of the century in this wilderness?” trembling Danielo reached for the money and began to pack it in his backpack. “I admit I was skeptical until the end.”
“When I talk, you listen,” smiled happy Capone.
At some point, Ernak arrived and informed ours that everything was calm for the moment. They quickly slipped out of the village and headed to camp. Their guide was in a deep sleep. Leo woke him up and gestured that he wanted to march back. Mgulu Boba showed stubbornness. The Sock angrily took two hundred dollars and handed them to him. Suddenly, the man spoke, “For two hundred dollars I will take you to America if I must.”
“Buhahaha,” everyone brutally laughed. “You are such players in Guyana.”
The man tucked the money into his pocket and headed vigorously on the way back. No more than an hour had passed, and Leo anxiously began to whisper, “I have a bad feeling. In the dark, I won’t see the snakes or whatever...”
“This is not a problem. With these trousers and boots, you won’t feel it even if they bite. Be careful
while passing the trees, though, because your neck is naked. If they bite you there, you die...”
The Sock hurriedly raised his collar, and his eyes began to wander on the trees.
“We’ve got company,” spoke Ernak. “Four o’clock, a cougar is stalking us. Stay in a dense formation. If someone falls behind the group, it has a chance to attack him from behind.”
Big Peruzzi, who trailed last suddenly accelerated and stood in the middle of the group. A few kilometers later in the distance, they saw many torches.
“Quick, hide on the side of the path and prepare the Tommy guns.”
The gangsters lied down like ninjas in the thicket. In a raw, two by two began to pass the English soldiers. Leo was able to count thirty people. And just when they thought that would get away without any more problems, a small snake crawled on Cassis’s leg. The Sock started waving his foot in panic while shouting, “Snake, snake!”
Galfonino grabbed his head. The panic, however, quickly passed, and before the soldiers could raise their rifles, the six gangsters stood, literally like carved into the dark and brutally opened fire. The shooting continued until they ran out of ammo. There was a haze of smoke. They reloaded and checked around. Everyone were dead.
“Look at it on the bright side,” joked Dimo. “At least now we will not see a wild animal until the airport.”
The sun shone, reached the firmament and began to set when the airport was seen. Capone was walking with his head stuck in the path. Leo was slapping himself every five minutes in order to stay awake. Danielo Peruzzi tried to keep his eyes open as he held his eyelidsand Dimoliterally walked with his eyes closed. Only Ernak who was accustomed to the long marches with his father was walking side by side with the guide and looked like he had slept all night.
“Tell me that this is not a mirage!” the Italian pushed Cassis.
“I see it too. Wake up, we’ve arrived,” yelled The Sock cheerfully. “It’s time to sleep!”
Gangsters In Time [Part 2] Page 4
