“Why are you prattling on like this?”
Loni said nothing, but moved close to Banyon. She put her head against his broad chest. “I guess I am a little nervous about this whole cesspool of a project. Everything keeps changing. We really don’t know who to trust. Even Wolf seems to have a hidden agenda. He even wants us to trust one of our old arch enemies.”
“I know,” Banyon replied as he stroked her hair. “We are stuck here without any resources. And I certainly don’t trust Wilk or his sidekick.”
“What are we going to do, Colt?”
“The first thing we’re going to do is get us some help,” he said with determination. “I need you to make some phone calls while I’m on the phone too. He explained to her what needed to be done.
“What about Wolf?” She asked.
“I’ll talk to Wolf while we are in the car and heading to Hamburg.”
It would be two hours before Banyon spoke to Wolf. A lot can happen in two hours.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Loni returned to her computer as soon as Banyon explained whom he needed her to call. First, though, she wanted to rent a car and get directions to Hamburg. After she accomplished that mission, she then picked up her cell phone. She placed a call to Timmy at the law firm of Dewey & Beatem in Chicago.
“Hello,” a young twenty-something voice answered with hesitation. He didn’t recognize the caller ID on his cell phone.
“Hi, Timmy this is Loni Chen, you know Colts’ better half,” Loni announced in her charmingly sing-song voice.
She had never called Timmy before, but had met him at the firm several times. She knew that Timmy was tall and skinny with an almost Afro-like hair style. She pictured him dressed in his usual attire, blue jeans, tee-shirt, and sandals. He was always nervous, and was socially awkward when dealing with women. Mostly he just gawked at them in a sexual fantasy. He was a confirmed voyeur, and she understood that he was probably mentally undressing her right now. It didn’t really bother Loni though as Timmy wasn’t like Albin Wilk. He was essentially harmless. He was also a computer genius.
“Hey, dudette,” Timmy acknowledged. The young impressionable man called Banyon dude, so his woman was dudette.
“Timmy, Colt and I need your help,” she quickly said.
“I’d do anything for the old dude and you,” the young man replied. “I am the world’s best hacker, you know. What is your desire?” Timmy made extra money by helping Banyon with special projects. He was very willing to help.
“We need you to analyze some postings on the internet,” Loni told him. “You can find them on Google.”
“What is the subject and how many postings are we talking about,” he replied immediately.
“The subject is Orion weapons,” She said quickly. “Right now there are over ten thousand postings.”
“Heavy,” he responded. “What am I looking for?”
“We need to find out where the majority of the postings originate. We think they are mostly from a few sources.”
“Piece of cake,” he said quickly. “Anything else?” Loni could hear him already typing on his keyboard. He was the king of multi-tasking.
“Well, we also would like any information you can dig up on a website.” She gave him the name of the specific site which had advertised the sale of the weapons. “We think that someone has a plan to steal the artifacts listed there and sell them to the highest bidder within the next few days.”
“How soon do you need this?” Timmy asked as he was all business now. The volume of key strokes had increased.
“ASAP,” she said.
“Okay, dudette,” the geek responded. “I’ll pull an all-nighter,” he said like it would be a fun thing to do. “I should have something for you by the morning.”
“Timmy, don’t forget, we are in Poland, we are many hours ahead of you. So call us as soon as you have something,” Loni reminded him. “I’ll answer.”
“No problem,” he gushed. “I’ll just have my girlfriend stock up on Chinese takeout. Some Red Bull is also needed. I’ll get at this immediately.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Loni quickly asked with surprise.
“Yeah,” he acknowledged. “Hard to believe, isn’t it. She is one of the girls that you guys rescued from the silver mine.” Banyon and Loni had helped save six young Mongolian women from slavery about two years ago. They were all computer programmers, and now worked at Dewey & Beatem.
“I’m very happy for you,” Loni said cheerfully. “Is there anything else you need from me?”
“How much is this worth?”
“I don’t know right now. We’ll settle up after this is over. Is that okay?” Loni answered sincerely. “But this is not going on the company books,” she added.
“Your credit is good with me,” the geek responded. Banyon had paid the geek off the books before to insure there was no record.
“Talk to you later then.” Loni hung up the phone. She looked at Banyon. He was busy on his cell phone.
He saw her and covered the phone. “What?”
“Timmy has a girlfriend,” she sang out. “Isn’t that great?” She proceeded to her next call without waiting for a response.
***
Banyon was talking to people in India. He had started with Previne Patel. She had answered the phone in her usual way.
“Colt, it is nice to hear from you. I was just thinking about you,” she seductively said with her precise British accent.
“You always say that,” Banyon commented with a laugh.
“I think you can figure out why,” she coyly answered. Previne was in her mid-thirties. She wanted a husband. Banyon was her top prospect.
“Where are you right now?”
“You’re in luck,” she cooed. “I’m currently sunning myself in a tiny bikini. I can send you a picture.”
“I mean, where in India are you physically located?” he replied in frustration. “Where are you staying?”
“Oh!” she said. “I am at my aunt’s castle in the Himalayas. All of us are here for a visit. Please say that you are coming here soon?”
“No, I’m not,” he said flatly. “But I need you to come here to Warsaw, Poland as soon as possible.”
“I’ve never been to Poland,” she responded thoughtfully. “It might be fun.”
“So you’ll come?” Banyon pleaded.
“Is Loni there with you?”
Banyon ignored her question. “Previne, this has to do with the Orion weapons. We have a chance to recover about fourteen of them. Are you interested?” If there was one thing that Previne loved more than Colton Banyon, it was artifacts.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. Banyon could picture her pretty mouth forming a perfect circle as she said it.
“How soon can all of you get here?” Banyon emphasized the word all.
She was suddenly more professional. “Let me put you on speaker. Pramilla is right here next to me, also in a bikini. Maya and Eric are here too.” Banyon could now hear the sound of rushing water. There were several voices in the background.
“Hello Colt, what’s up?” The voice that was eerily similar to Previne said into the phone. Pramilla was Previne’s twin sister. She looked exactly like Previne and sometimes acted exactly like her too. Banyon had a long history with the twins. Pramilla was now married to Eric, who was actually Wolf’s grandson. Maya was the youngest of the Patel clan, but looked amazingly like her sisters. They could easily pass for each other, except Maya had recently had a baby. She was also a little bustier. She had named the baby Gregory Patel after the late FBI agent who was his father.
“Pramilla, how soon can you get the team to Warsaw?” Banyon inquired. Pramilla was a diplomat for the Indian government. She had access to things like airplanes. She was also a certified pilot.
“Well, let me think about it,” she answered. “I know a banker who owes me a favor. He is currently in jail, so I’m sure we can use his jet. I’ll have to file a flight plan, and hire a
helicopter to fly us down to New Delhi to get to the jet. We also will have to make arrangements for little Greg. I don’t think he should go with us,” she calculated. “I’m not sure, but probably within twelve hours. Why the rush?” she added at the end.
“I can’t trust anyone involved in this case in Warsaw, except Loni. I’m going to need a lot of help, and we only have three days to collect the weapons.” Banyon said.
“What happens in three days?” Pramilla asked.
“I don’t even know that, but it’s going to be something big.”
“I’ll start making arrangements right away.” She sensed the urgency in Banyon’s voice. “I’ll call you back as soon as we know more. Here talk to Previne.”
“What can you tell us about this mission?” Previne immediately inquired when she got back on the phone.
Banyon gave her as much information has he could over the phone. She asked several questions. Finally he said, “Wolf has not been able to give me all the locations of the weapons yet, but I suspect that most of them are somewhere near here. I should have the locations by the time you arrive.”
“Wait,” Previne exclaimed. “Pramilla has just confirmed that we’ll be in Warsaw in thirteen hours.”
“That’s good news,” Banyon said with relief. “By the way, I have a special job for you to perform when you get here.”
“I like to perform for you Colt,” she cooed. “Will this be a private performance?”
“Each one will be private,” he replied evasively.
“Then I can’t wait to see you,” she immediately replied.
“One more thing Previne.”
“What’s that?”
“You need to bring the Influence talisman,” he said.
“Which one is that?” she asked evasively.
“You know the one that you used on the young man the other day,” Banyon explained. “Why did you use it?”
“Oh, Colt it was nothing but a short dalliance. I wanted to try it out,” she said dismissively.
“You had better not use it on me,” he warned.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I need to win you fair and square,” she retorted like he was a prize in a game. “Besides I found the weapon only places a thought in someone’s mind for a short time. It only lasts for ten minutes.”
“Good to know,” he answered.
“But it was long enough,” she added cheerfully.
Banyon quickly understood her meaning. “Also you’d better bring some weapons, specifically guns.”
“We always travel armed,” she replied.
“Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Banyon said to get off the phone. Two seconds later a message chimed on his phone. He opened it and found a picture of Previne topless in a micro-bikini.
***
It was already late afternoon when Loni placed her second call. Shadows were creeping across the floor of the suite. It would be dark soon. The call went to a master forger known as the “Ferret”. He also was an employee of Dewey & Beatem, and looked very much like his namesake, a ferret. She explained what she wanted him to do. She said he had less than three days to complete the task. He asked a few questions and agreed that it could be done. She told him the project was not an official Dewey & Beatem case. The work had to be done in secrecy. At first he hesitated, but when Loni told him she and Banyon would pay two hundred thousand dollars for his efforts, he quickly decided to help.
Loni told him she would forward the outline of the script in a few minutes, once he supplied his personal email address. As soon as that was done, she hung up the phone. She began to type furiously on her computer.
Banyon had explained to her earlier that he didn’t believe Albin Wilk would find someone to produce the discrediting journal needed to end the weapons search. They needed to put a plan in place on their own. He wasn’t sure if the reason was that Wilk was cheap or whether there was something more sinister involved.
Loni completed the outline and sent it to the ferret. She looked up from the computer, when Banyon noticed her. She gave the thumbs up sign. He smiled back, but indicated that he was on the phone.
She then when back to her computer to find the telephone number for her last call.
***
Colton Banyon was talking to the managing partner and sixty percent owner of Dewey & Beatem. This was the first time he was requesting services since he had become a partner. He wasn’t sure how the conversation would conclude. In the past, Bart, had over-charged him for everything he required. Bart was extremely greedy. It had caused a rift between them, but was settled by the President of the United States. Banyon now owned a significant stake in the prosperous firm, despite not being a lawyer.
“Hello Bart,” Banyon had started in a cheerful voice.
“Why aren’t you here working?” Bart replied in a gruff voice.
“Because I’m in Europe,” Banyon said. “Specifically, I’m in Warsaw.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Bart said sarcastically. “You’re there to see how much you can milk out of your famous ancestor.”
Banyon ignored the slanderous remark. “We are working on something big here. We need the help of the firm,” Banyon coldly replied. “Will you help or do I have to make a few phone calls?” Bart knew he meant the President.
Bart quickly assessed that help meant money to the firm. His attitude suddenly adjusted. “What can I do for you?”
“Well,” Banyon replied. “I need several people immediately and will probably need more help a little later.” Banyon could hear Bart quickly collecting a paper and pen. Banyon could almost hear the profit calculations forming in Bart’s head.
“Shoot,” Bart then requested.
“Okay, I need a surveillance team on a farm in Wisconsin.” Banyon gave him the address. “I also need a response team there too. They will have to keep watch on some people without them knowing it. They also need be prepared to repel any attack on the farm. There could be violence.”
“For how long?”
“My guess is they will be there for about four days. They need to stay in place until I get there.”
“It’ll be expensive,” Bart said as a test to see how much Banyon would be willing to pay for the help.
“I’m not going to pay a contract fee,” Banyon retorted. “And there’ll not be a ten percent processing fee from the firm either.” He knew he had to negotiate with Bart. This was new ground for both of them.
“Agreed,” the lawyer quickly responded.
“The rest of the expenses I can handle,” Banyon agreed. “Do you have anyone in mind for the jobs?”
“Our best surveillance team is the priest and nun,” Bart told him. Banyon had worked with both of them before. They were not real clergy, but played the part very well.
“They can’t be dressed like holy people,” Banyon explained.
“I’ll have them dress in camouflage,” Bart responded.
“Okay, what about a response team?”
“I recommend a two man team. Our best shooters are Steve and Mandy. The other two can also fire a gun,” Bart said.
Mandy was actually Banyon’s assistant. She still held the position of receptionist at Dewey & Beatem, but despite being very young, Banyon had moved her up to a new position. He knew he could trust her. Steve was really Steve Pellegrino, although only first names were used at the firm. He had a long history with Banyon. He also had a huge crush on Loni. But Loni had no intentions of leaving Banyon for the smaller wise-guy Italian. Fortunately, Steve had discovered another woman. Now he and Loni were just friends.
“They sound fine,” Banyon said. “When can you get them in place?”
“They’ll be at the farm in four hours,” Bart answered.
“No later,” Banyon replied.
“It will be done,” Bart confirmed. He was always good to his word despite his greed.
“I’ve got to run, but stay near the phone, I may need additional assets shortly,” Banyon said into the device a
nd hung up.
Loni suddenly crashed into him. She had been waiting for him to get off of the phone. She was clearly happy and she hugged him tightly. “I did it,” she shouted. “I’ve completed everything you asked.”
“What did the man say?” Banyon inquired.
“He’ll be here at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning,” she replied proudly. “I didn’t really tell him what we wanted, but I did say there was money in it for him. I explained that you were a Banyon. I also told him he could not say anything to anybody.” Loni then filled him in on the rest of their conversation.
“Good job,” Banyon told his little partner.
“Come on, let’s hit the road,” she said with excitement. “I’m done with sitting around and doing nothing. The car is already downstairs.”
“You drive,” Banyon said.
Part Five
Surprises
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was already late at night in the middle of Siberia. The boat carrying the five man expeditionary force had reached its destination earlier in the day. The five ATVs were rolled off the boat and the explorers began to make their way through the swamps to the remote lake. The crew of the boat was told to wait there until the men returned.
They spent a long hot day traversing through the swamps. About twenty miles from Lake Cheko, Gelko ordered his men to make camp. He wanted to reach the lake in the early morning, and surprise anyone working there. He figured that twenty miles was far enough away to go undetected.
The men set up tents. They left the equipment piled on the ATVs. Dinner was rations supplied by the state. Three of the Special Forces men then retired to their tents to get some sleep. Gelko took the first guard-duty. He sat on a log with the scientist. A small fire burned brightly to their side. It was completely quiet, with only the occasional cracking of the fire disrupting the tranquility of the evening.
“You don’t strike me as an outdoors man,” Gelko said to start a conversation. “Why did you volunteer for this assignment?”
The Polish Discovery: The Society of Orion 1-3 (Colton Banyon Mystery Book 17) Page 12
