Hector frowned deeply and shook his head. Franky snickered at Hector, as Hector realized for the first time, that even Franky appreciated the thought behind Big John’s execution.
“But John and you were close friends for years!” Hector blurted out. “I don’t understand how you appreciate someone killing him!”
“Then you miss the point completely, my son-in-law. It isn’t the execution I admire. I do mourn my friend. We made so many memories together! No, what I admire is that someone else had the balls to play the game, and deliver to me exactly what I would have delivered to them. I respect their planning, their thoughts, their cojones, and their methods. They make even people like us fear!”
Hector stared at Franky as he continued. “Like Yasser Arafat, the father of modern day terrorism. He was an unrepentant terrorist bastard, plain and simple. He killed and ordered the deaths of thousands of random, nameless souls and eventually brought the Middle East, even the world, to its knees. People feared him you see…but, they also respected him. Hell, the scared sheep of the world even awarded the bastard the Nobel Peace Prize trying to appease him!”
“Don’t you understand? Arafat understood fear and the panic that always follows random acts of violence. And he understood that people who are afraid will do anything to make the fear stop. He understood they will even reward you for your evil, and give you control. That’s what we do, my boy. And I respect and appreciate that, even in other people!”
Hector looked bewildered. Franky placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, “But don’t misunderstand by thinking that I won’t get even. No, my son-in-law…I will find those responsible, take my time torturing them, learn who all were involved, and then kill them and their families, very slowly and painfully, while they beg forgiveness. The debt will be repaid, I assure you!” With that, Franky walked out of the room to smoke a Cuban cigar outside on the rear deck.
Shane thought he noticed Hector shiver a little, as he shook his head. He wondered if even a criminal like Hector didn’t like Franky or was afraid of him.
Shane replayed in his mind the events of the days since his visit to the compound, one more time. Hector and Anna had named the newest little addition to the crime family “Frank Alverez Gomez,” in honor of Franky. The baby had arrived home, accompanied by his glowing mother and proud father, without a hitch. In the next few days, it seemed the entire Alavarez family had arrived from Mexico. Even with Big John’s untimely demise, plans were set, and the families carried on with the celebration, interrupted only briefly by Big John’s memorial service. The service lasted less than an hour, and the families were back home, focusing on the celebration of a new life.
All the combined, extended family that had arrived numbered too many people, even for the large compound to hold. Some of the family stayed in the guest rooms in the main house, or in the two guesthouses on the grounds, but the more distant relatives were farmed out to Franky’s new hotel-casino, the Silver City Paradise, a now-popular landmark on Hwy 50 East.
Hwy 50 led to the small village of Mound House, and toward the turn-off for the popular old-west tourist town, Virginia City. Hwy 50 also stretched 3,000 miles between West Sacramento, California and the Atlantic coast, in Maryland. Millions of people would travel right by Franky’s new casino every year.
The Silver City Paradise casino had the area’s largest ballroom, and the fanciest dining room, and soon after completion, became the location for the three Magadinno/Alvarez celebration dinners and family re-unions. Unfortunately, Shane couldn’t get any listening devices into these rooms. It was just too dangerous and risky.
The Paradise was a very secure facility, with its own overlapping security cameras, listening devices, and well trained security staff. The hotel security, combined with Franky’s personal bodyguards and security, and the cartel’s unknown security guards, was too large a problem for Shane to overcome on his own, with no back-up. He had no idea what private conversations had taken place at the hotel.
When the clans all got together at the compound, everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives, holding the baby and talking baby talk. Shane thought he had never heard such odd baby talk before, half in Spanish, and the other half an odd blend of Hispanic or Italian-sounding English…and all with different degrees of accents. It couldn’t be written in his intel briefs, so Shane referred to baby talk as “MBT” (more baby talk), when it interrupted a documented criminal conversation.
During the last week, Shane had seen Kate each day, but each meeting was not long enough to satisfy Shane, due to his new hectic schedule. The increased intelligence provided by twelve cameras, multiple listening devices, and a cell phone, initially made monitoring each day’s activities a virtual nightmare. Eventually, Shane had developed a plan to reduce the workload. He set the computer to record all conversations, photos and calls on all channels, using surveillance software developed by the military and provided to him by the Nevada Division of Investigation, through Sheriff Roberts. And then, at set intervals, he scanned through each channel for important activity, information or photos.
Shane found that, with practice, he could afford to spend just six hours each day scanning data, even though all photo and video channels combined, created more than 40 hours of data in each 24-hour period of normal activity. He still had his other duties and procedures, and he had to eat, sleep, and shower. There just was not enough time in the day. When he was most tired at the end of the day, Shane thought how he hated that this tedious work cut into his time with Kate, and had delayed his opportunity to meet her.
On Thursday night, after the hard drive exchange, Shane met Pete for dinner at the Carson City Nugget. They dropped a few coins in quarter Keno machines as they talked, sitting next to each other at their own machines. Pete could see how tired Shane was, and told him it was obvious he needed a break. They spoke in quiet conversation about the old days, times with Shane’s mom and dad, and how both Pete and Shane missed the family gatherings and campouts.
In those days, before Pete moved to Carson City and purchased his law practice, Pete was a fixture in the Beckett family. Pete and Shane’s dad had been school friends, worked in the same business, and had moved around to different states together, before Shane’s dad met and married his mom. Shane had always called Pete “Uncle Pete.” He was 12 years old when he learned that Pete wasn’t a blood relative. He still referred to Pete as “Uncle Pete,” although now, he was more like a father figure.
But what Pete really meant to Shane was hard to describe. Pete had been Shane’s dad’s best friend for most of their lives. Pete had helped raise Shane and Heath, even before their parents were killed. More importantly, Pete had been there for Shane and Heath after their parents were killed, as a father, a mentor, and always the closest of friends. Pete was, like Shane’s dad, one of the few heroes of his life.
And even now, Pete gave Shane space when he needed it, but always made himself available when Shane needed him. After Shane’s parents died, when Pete stepped into the role of being a father without being asked, like it was prearranged, Shane always had the feeling that Pete took care of far more than he knew about. The fit was so good that Shane turned down a better paying assignment in Phoenix, to take this job in Carson City, primarily so he could spend more time with Pete.
Pete was alone now, since Claire, his wife of 29 years, had died of breast cancer last year. He had slowed down in business during his wife’s illness, and seemed to have lost some of the fire he had had earlier in life, when he was making his mark on society. As they sat, talked, and dropped quarters, Shane realized once again that the man sitting next to him was possibly the most important part of the small family he had left, and he loved this man very much.
Shane’s machine lit up and chimed loudly. He looked up and down and realized he had won a jackpot. He had been playing his mom and dad’s birthday numbers, and without realizing it, had hit all six numbers with two quarters in, paying an $800 jackpot. Within a few se
conds, the change attendant was at his side, documenting the win. She congratulated Shane as if he had won the Lotto, and paid him his winnings. The girl reset the machine, and told Shane to play off the winnings, which he did, with a single quarter. She again congratulated Shane, and he tipped her a $20 bill, a standard practice in casinos.
Pete slapped Shane on the back, and said, “This is one of the last places around you can really drop coins anymore. Most machines only work on paper currency, and then pay you off with a ‘win ticket’ when you cash out. I don’t find much pleasure in a machine printing me out a ticket that I have to take to the cashier, who then routinely counts out my cash, with no fanfare. I like it this way, with the girl coming up and congratulating you, giving you some real attention, treating you like a winner.”
Shane laughed, “Pete, since I don’t’ suppose there are very many winners in any of these places, I guess it is special to be treated like one.” As he spoke, Shane looked at the small, slowly dispersing crowd that had gathered near him to check out his jackpot amount.
“They’re all re-motivated to try again now,” said Pete. “You’ve been good for business tonight, Shane. Now most of these folks will stay longer and spend more cash, chasing the dollars you just won. Then they’ll wake up in the morning with the gambler regrets that will fade away as soon as they walk through their next set of casino doors. And it starts all over again. You wouldn’t believe how many people my office represents in divorce, domestic abuse and bankruptcy cases where the problems all come back to a gaming addiction.”
Pete looked sad as he spoke, “But in the end, its just like anything people use, whether its food, drugs, alcohol, gaming, sex, money, whatever…some of us can have fun and use it and not abuse it, and others can’t use it without abusing it. It’s just too damn bad the addicts don’t have the internal fortitude and self-respect to do something about it, when they realize they have a problem. They need to stay away from their own personal nightmare before it takes control of their lives and destroys them and their loved ones. The ones who love the addicts are the ones who pay the biggest price for any addiction.”
Shane stood up and laughed, trying to lighten the mood. He knew where the demons lived in Pete’s last remark. He said, “Well, Pete, on that positive note, I think I’ll call it a night!”
As he turned away from the machine, Shane saw Kate staring at him, and smiling from the other end of the aisle. When their eyes met, Kate smiled even more widely, and clapped her hands quietly three times to congratulate Shane on his win.
Pete couldn’t help but notice Shane staring, dumbstruck, at Kate, and said, “And that, my boy, would be her!”
Shane never took his eyes off Kate to look at Pete, but said, “Who are you talking about? I never mentioned anything about a woman to you, Pete.”
Pete snorted, “You didn’t have to say a word. I knew there was something more special than espresso that you rushed off to your café for every morning. And don’t even try to B.S. me that it was just work. You should see the look of anticipation on your face every day! Like a schoolboy, Shane!” Pete laughed a kind-hearted encouraging laugh.
When Shane didn’t respond or move toward Kate, and Kate stood frozen in time, Pete walked up to Shane and finally asked, “Well, are you going to introduce me, or are we just going to all stand here and stare at one another until security kicks us out for blocking the aisle?”
Shane still didn’t look at Pete, but said quietly, “Pete, I can’t introduce you. I haven’t even met her yet!” Pete looked as if in disbelief at these two star-struck youngsters staring at each other from opposite ends of an aisle, Shane, immobile and mute, and Kate smiling more widely with each passing second. Neither would make a move toward the other, and neither wanted to leave. It was nerve wracking to Pete, a man who always got things done, and who always took charge of any situation.
Finally, Pete couldn’t take it anymore. He put his arm around Shane’s shoulder, and led him forcibly to Kate. Kate’s complexion flushed as they approached, but she didn’t move or stop smiling.
Shane thought he tried to resist being led along the aisle, but his resistance, if it existed, was feeble at best, and a few seconds later, he stood, weak-kneed, in front of Kate. Pete squeezed Shane’s shoulders a little more tightly, as if to give him strength.
Shane saw Pete extending his hand to Kate, and, as if in a dream, heard Pete say, “Hi, I’m Pete Harrington, and this awestruck, young man is my nephew, Dan.” Shane suddenly realized Pete had the presence of mind to use his undercover name, as neither he nor Pete really knew anything about Kate.
Kate said, “I’m Kate O’Leary,” never taking her eyes off Shane, as she shook Pete’s hand first and then reached for Shane’s.
Shane could say nothing. He had never been this close to Kate before, and she was even more beautiful than he had thought. He stared into Kate’s crystal clear, emerald green eyes, and extended his right hand. He felt a sudden release of tension when Kate’s hand wrapped around his, and he felt the soft warmth of her touch.
It was as if this were a welcome dream, from which Shane never wished to wake. He literally felt as though he had glided down the aisle to meet Kate, unable and unwilling to resist the movement. All he could do now was stare into her captivating eyes, and wish the moment would never end.
The meeting was much better than Shane had expected. He found it exhilarating, familiar, welcome, warm and right. He hoped Kate didn’t want to leave too soon. He also hoped Pete would continue talking a little while longer, so he could regain his composure. He found it difficult if not impossible to control his emotions and breathing around Kate.
Shane heard the words as Pete spoke, and realized that Kate’s eyes had not left his own, not even for a brief second. Pete was his usual jovial self, going on and on about their family connections, how remarkable Dan was, and how nice it was to have him in town for a visit. It finally dawned on Shane that Pete had been talking for what seemed like hours, and he and Kate were still locked in a frozen handshake, staring at each other intently.
Pete’s voice suddenly seemed louder and clearer to Shane, when he said, “Well, I think you two have some celebrating to do, and I do have some work waiting at the office, so I’m going to call it a night. And, Dan, I’m going to walk my dinner off, so have fun, and call me in the morning, OK?”
Surprised, Shane looked at Pete, and said, “Celebrating?” Pete turned to walk away, and laughing, threw back over his shoulder, “Buy your pretty friend, Kate, a drink, and celebrate your winnings before you leave here, so the casino doesn’t go broke tonight. Remember, I have to live here. I like this place and don’t want to see it go under, just because you showed up and took all their money!” Pete raised his hand and gave the couple a parting wave and a big grin, as he turned a corner and was gone.
After watching Pete leave, Shane turned back to Kate, realized he was holding her hand in both of his hands now, and as he looked down, he saw that she had wrapped her free hand over his as well. They had noticed their hands at the same time, and looked back up at each other. When their eyes met once again, they both smiled widely, and Shane asked, “Would you like a drink, Kate?”
Kate said immediately, “I thought you’d never ask.” And then, as if caught in the moment of something they had both dreamed of for a long time, they stood awhile longer, just holding hands, and smiling.
3
“The past is history; the future is a mystery; the now is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.”
(Deepak Chopra)
Shane and Kate continued to hold hands as they walked toward the crowded restaurant. The touch of their hands entwined together stirred emotions in both, bringing back memories of school days, notes passed to young loves, and anticipation blotting out all other concerns. But, as they arrived at the reception area, Kate slowed and stopped. She gazed intently at Shane, and asked softly, “Do you really want to be here?” Shane felt butterflies surge in his stomach, a
s he guessed Kate might be nervous about her quick decision to have a drink with a man she just met.
Unsure of the correct response, Shane said what was in his heart, “I just want to spend time with you, and get to know you, but if this is too fast, I…”
Kate interrupted, “It’s just so noisy here, and too impersonal. Will you come with me to my house for a drink? We can talk more freely there, and be more comfortable.”
Shane’s heart was in his throat. Even though it seemed too easy and out of place, Shane agreed immediately. In less than a minute, they were in the small casino parking lot, headed toward their own cars. With love-sick anticipation he hadn’t felt since high school Shane followed Kate’s dark green Hummer to Carson City’s upper west side.
They drove to a neighborhood between “C” Hill and the Governor’s Mansion. Shane had paid to take the tour of the Governor’s Mansion with Pete, on a day off when he first arrived. The Nevada State Governor’s Mansion was located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Carson City. The Mansion was built in 1907, with a budget of $22,700, on a large piece of land donated by the wealthy Rickey family, who technically “sold” it to the State for $10. Through the years, the Mansion had been remodeled several times, and outbuildings had been added. It was one of the most impressive Carson City estates Shane had ever seen.
In the years since the Great State of Nevada built the Mansion, neighboring small lots had sold for upward of $150,000 each. The grounds that the Mansion occupied were now worth more than a million dollars. The only estate Shane had seen in the area that could possibly rival the Governor’s Mansion, was Franky’s compound.
“Funny, that of the best homes in the capital city, one was built with tax dollars, and maintained at the taxpayer’s expense, while the other was built on drug money and corruption, and paid for at the taxpayer’s expense,” Shane thought to himself. He shook his head and laughed aloud, as he drove on toward Kate’s home.
The Case Page 7
