by Glenn, Roy
"What now?" CeCe said.
"Get the phone from Kevon’s pocket. Jamaica’s number is programmed. Call him and tell him to come get us."
"That could take a while, especially in this weather," CeCe said.
"You got a better idea now’s the time," Black said to CeCe and they waited for Jamaica to come with a doctor to save his life.
Maybe Bobby was right, this was just the natural order of things. It was the same in both of his worlds. People will do anything to get what they want, even if they have to kill to accomplish their goals.
CHAPTER NINE
Black looked out the window as Bobby drove to Luke’s house, and his mind drifted to Kevon. He thought about Jiang, one of the Chinese businessmen. After he was shot in Freeport, they talked at Kevon’s funeral. "How are you feeling my friend?" Jiang asked.
"Much better."
"That is good to hear."
"I am sorry about Chang, Mei Ai Bao and Xiang Yong," Black said.
"They will be missed. Chang was like a brother to me. I will feel his loss for many years."
"I hate to ask at a time like this, but how is Chang’s death going to affect our business with the Cubans?"
"I’m sorry to say that without Chang, there is no business with the Cubans. The contacts were his; contacts he spent years developing. With Chang dead, the Cubans will most assuredly turn to Cristóbal to do business."
"Cristóbal knew that, and that’s why he killed Chang."
"I agree."
"Where is Cristóbal now?"
"I know what you are thinking, my friend, but Cristóbal also killed Clemente Eustaquio."
"I know. He told Chang that before he shot him."
"He has consolidated power in a town called El Peronil and has a small army protecting him, which makes him almost impossible to get to."
"Nobody is impossible to get to."
"This is true. However, now is not the time. Now is the time for patience. But I assure you, this act of dishonor will not go unpunished. In time, we will have our revenge," Jiang shook Black’s hand and walked away.
"Fuck Bruce Lee," Bobby said. "When we going down there?"
"Jiang is right. If he is protected like that, gettin’ his ass is gonna take time and planning. And I know the perfect person to set it in motion." Black looked at Bobby and smiled as Monika walked up.
For the next two weeks, Black remained in the Freeport, recovering from his wounds and enjoying being with Michelle and CeCe. When he felt that he was well enough to travel, Black and CeCe went to his new house in Nassau. But after a few days they both agreed that they missed being with Michelle. The next morning Black got up and left early and came back that night with Michelle. Over the next three months, Black enjoyed his life with his girls until a visitor arrived.
"Hello, Monika," CeCe said when she answered the door. She led Monika through the house and out to the pool. When they got outside, Black was with playing in the pool with Michelle.
While Monika took a seat at poolside and set up her laptop, CeCe got in the water to play with Michelle and Black got out to talk to Monika.
"Y’all just one happy family here," Monika mused.
Black looked at her then continued to dry himself. "What you got for me?"
"For last three months, I’ve had an operative in El Peronil keeping an eye on your boy Cristóbal. He lives on a three acre compound," Monika said and pointed to the satellite image on the screen. "It’s surrounded by an electrified fence, and he’s protected by a militia of at least thirty men."
"Okay, how do we get to him?" Black asked.
Monika zoomed in on the image. "On the back side of the compound there is a heavily wooded area. That’s how we’ll make our approach. The trees will give us enough cover to get to the main house without being detected."
"How close?"
"We’ll clear the trees about two hundred yards from the house." Monika sat back in her chair. "Now, once we clear the trees there is a foot patrol we need to neutralize and two guard towers. Once that’s done we’ll approach the house, go in, and get Cristóbal."
"How many men in the house?" Black asked.
"No way to be sure how many will be in the house at any given time."
"Sounds pretty formative, but you wouldn’t be here unless you had a plan, so let’s hear it."
"My team will fly into Santiago Pérez Airport in Arauca, Colombia. From there we will make our way by car to the border, enter Venezuela and head for El Peronil." Monika took out a map. "This road will take us close to the property here," she said and pointed. "Then we’ll continue on foot for ten clicks to the penetration point at the fence. We’ll make camp there, because I plan on taking them at four-thirty a.m."
"What about the fence?"
"My operative will deactivate that section of the fence so it looks to anybody that’s monitoring like it’s still active. We’ll cut the fence and go in. Like I said, once we clear the trees, we’ll neutralize the foot patrol and two guard towers, go in, and get your boy."
"What about the militia? How are you gonna handle them?"
"They’re housed in this building here. At the time we plan on hittin’ them, they should be asleep. I want to be in and out without them knowing. But I got a plan for them if it becomes necessary."
"I know you’re not planning on hiking ten miles in the dark when you’re done, so how we getting outta there?"
"Of course I have an exit strategy. We got a thirty-minute window to complete the operation. At five o’clock my operative will pick us up at the main gate and take us to an airfield where he’ll have a plane ready."
"Who’s your team?"
"Me, Nick and Travis."
Black shook his head. "I’m going with you. And so is Bobby."
"For some reason, I knew you were gonna say that." Monika laughed. "You sure you two, Bobby especially, are up to it?"
"He’ll complain the whole way, but he’ll be all right."
"But it’s a ten-kilometer hike through heavy brush in one hundred degree heat."
"We’re going. Make it happen," Black said and got back in the pool with his girls.
"Yes, sir," Monika saluted and packed up her laptop.
Two weeks later the team arrived at Santiago Pérez Airport in Arauca, Colombia and was met by one of Wei Jiang’s men. He provided them with a van and weapons. From that point, they headed for the border.
When they got to the woods at the rear of the compound, they broke out weapons and machetes and proceeded to the objective. Along the way, as expected, Bobby complained the whole way. If it wasn’t, "It’s hotter than a mutha fucka out here." It was, "Are we there yet?" until Monika had enough.
She turned around and held up her machete. "Bobby, if you say one more fuckin’ thing, I swear to God I’ll cut your fuckin’ head off."
"Lighten up, Monika. Take some deep breaths," Bobby said and kept walking. As the sun began to set, they made it to the fence.
"Okay," Monika said. "We camp here until it’s time to make our move."
"I’m gonna checkout the area and set up a defensive perimeter," Nick said and walked off.
"The rest of you get some rest. We go at O-four-thirty," Monika said.
Bobby looked at Black and then to Monika. "Yes, sir," he said and saluted.
"Fuck you, Bobby."
"Anytime you’re ready."
At O-four-thirty the team put on night-vision goggles, put silencers on their weapons and approached the fence.
"How do we know if your man did his job?" Bobby asked.
Nick picked up a small piece of wood and threw it at the fence. When nothing happened, Travis cut the fence and they went through.
Once they reached the clearing they got ready to make their move. "Nick," Monika said and got out her binoculars.
Nick broke out a Barrett 82A1 50BMG Semi-auto Rifle and took aim at the guard tower. With one shot, he took out the guard manning the tower. "Good shot," Monika said.
&nbs
p; "Thanks," he said and took aim at the other tower.
Now that the towers were neutralized, they separated into two teams.
"Nick, you and Travis head for the barracks and rendezvous with us at the main house," Monika ordered. "Black, Bobby, you’re with me."
Nick looked at his watch. "Give us five minutes before you move," he said, and Travis followed Nick to the barracks.
When they reached the barracks, Travis stood guard while Nick planted C-4 charges and remote detonators around the building. Then Travis saw the motor pool. "How much more C-4 you got?"
"Enough. Why?"
Travis pointed. "Motor pool."
"Good looking out. Come on," Nick said. Once the charges were set, Nick and Travis made their way to the rendezvous point.
Meanwhile, Monika, Black and Bobby approached the main house and were surprised that they didn’t encounter any foot patrols. Shortly thereafter, they were joined by Nick and Travis, and the team entered the house. After walking through the first floor, they met at the staircase. Black and Monika were about to check the second level.
"Nick, watch the back. Bobby, you take the front of the house. Travis, you stay here," Monika said.
As Bobby made his way toward the front of the house, he heard a noise. "Somebody’s coming in," he said. Monika moved quickly to the door while the others took cover. Bobby positioned himself on the other side of the door and waited.
One woman came in the house. Bobby grabbed her and covered her mouth. Monika shoved a gun in her face. "¿Yo no le doleré, comprenderá?" Monika said quietly in Spanish, letting the woman know that she wasn't going to hurt her.
"Si," the frightened woman said quickly.
"¿Dónde está Cristóbal?"
"Arriba," the woman said and pointed upstairs.
"Muéstrenos," Monika ordered the woman to show them and pushed her toward the steps.
The woman led Monika and Black up the stairs to a bedroom at the end of the hall. The woman pointed to a door. "Adentro."
Monika opened the door and then followed Black inside with their guns pointed. At the same time, Nick saw two men approaching the back door. He took aim with the rifle and fired two shots. Two bodies dropped.
Cristóbal was asleep, alone in the bed. They approached the bed quietly and took up positions on either side of the bed. When Cristóbal didn’t move, Monika poked him with the barrel of her gun.
Cristóbal began to stir. "Good morning," Monika said and eased the gun to his head.
Cristóbal opened his eyes and saw the two of them. He recognized Black. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to kill you," Black said and shot Cristóbal in the eye. "Rest in peace, Kevon." Then Black put two shots in his chest.
Black looked at Monika. "This was too easy," she said as she left the room.
"We’re not out yet," Black said and followed her down the steps.
"Everything all clear out front, Bobby?" Monika asked as Nick and Travis joined them at the door.
"All clear, general" Bobby said and saluted.
Monika gave him the finger. "Let’s move."
While Monika led her team out single file towards the gate, they were unaware that a militiaman on foot patrol had discovered the bodies Nick dropped, and sounded the alarm.
When the alarm was sounded, lights came on in the compound. Militiamen that were stationed at the main gate began firing at them.
"So much for easy," Black said and fired. Bobby set himself and opened fire on the men at the gate, while Black and Travis took cover.
"Blow it," Monika yelled as she ran for cover with the rest of her team behind some cars that were parked in front of the house, and returned fire.
Nick detonated the charges he set at the barracks, but not before several men made it out of the building. They headed for the main gate.
When he heard the alarm followed by the explosions, Monika’s operative started up his Chevy Avalanche and sped toward the gate.
Travis saw the men coming from the barracks as they made their way across the compound. He fired on them as they passed the motor pool.
Black and Bobby continued shooting as Travis set off the C-4 charges they had set at the motor pool. The explosion took most of them out. The ones who survived the blast took cover.
Monika’s operative crashed through the gate. As the truck barreled toward them, Nick rose up and laid down enough cover fire for them to get in the truck, before he jumped in the flatbed and continued firing until they made it out of the compound.
As Bobby drove back to Luke’s house, he looked over at Black. "What you thinkin’ ’bout?" he asked.
"Venezuela," Black said and looked out the window. "Venezuela and the natural order of things."
"What about it?"
"Is that all there is?"
"All what is?"
"The natural order of things; is that all there is? People try to kill us, we kill them. I mean, is that all there is to life?"
"As long as we’re livin’ this life, yeah Mike, that’s all there is. Like I said, it’s the natural order of things."
CHAPTER TEN
Rain banged on the steering wheel and leaned on the horn. She had been stuck on the Cross Bronx Expressway for almost an hour and she had barely moved a half a mile. She had made up her mind a half hour ago that she was going to get off at the next exit. At this point she could see it, but getting to it was still a ways off. When she finally was able to get off the expressway, Rain made her way to her destination on the surface streets.
She parked her car down the street from the building and walked down the street. As she got closer, Rain saw four men come running out of the building. They got in a late model, dark colored Chevy Blazer that was double-parked, and sped away. At the time Rain didn’t think much about it; to her they were just in a hurry. She was right about that, but it was the reason why they were in such a hurry that would matter to her.
When Rain got to the apartment the door was cracked opened. Knowing that the door should be closed at all times, Rain took out her gun. She pushed the door open slowly, but really wasn’t prepared for what she saw when she stepped inside.
There was so much blood.
"Damn," Rain said aloud. There on the floor lay three of her men. All with their hands tied behind their backs. Each shot twice in the back of the head.
Even though she knew the effort would be futile, Rain checked to see if the product was gone. She went in the kitchen and opened the freezer. It was empty, just as she thought it would be.
Rain got out of there and went back to her car. As she drove away from the building, Rain took a moment to think about the fact that if she wasn’t stuck in traffic, she would have been there when the shooters got there. Part of her thought that had she been there things would have gone a different way. But the farther she drove, the more Rain realized that had she been there, she’d be dead now.
"Fuck!" Rain yelled and dug around in her purse and pulled out her cell. She dialed Nick’s number.
"What’s up, Rain," Nick said when he answered.
"I need to talk to you," Rain told him.
"I’m listening."
"Not on the phone. Where you at?"
"At Jackie’s."
"Wait for me. I’m on my way."
When she got to the house where Jackie ran a high-stakes poker game, Rain told Nick what she had been doing.
"Damn it, Rain," Nick said and buried his head in his hands. "How long has this been goin’ on?"
"Long enough," Rain told Nick and he gave her a look of disbelief.
How could he been so blind not to know what she had been doing? "Do you realize the position that puts me in?" he said without looking at her.
"This was my thing; I didn’t involve you in it at all. Nobody even knows it was me behind them. Shit, even you didn’t know. It ain’t got nothin’ to do with you."
"It has everything to do with me!" Nick shouted. "With all of this!"
"I’m
sorry!" Rain shouted back.
"Sorry don’t matter," Nick said. "Who’s your supplier?" he wanted to know.
"Why you gotta know all that," Rain said defensively. The last thing she wanted to tell him was that she was buying from Stark.
"It don’t matter." He got up and grabbed Rain by the shoulders. "It ends now. Right fuckin’ now, you hear me?"
"I hear you, nigga, shit. But I need your help."
"Help with what?"
"Last couple of weeks four of my spots been hit. They took all the product."
"That’s fucked up, but that’s one more reason why it ends now. So I don’t see what you need my help with."
"’Cause they killed my people. Tied them up and shot ’em in the head."
"That shit sound more like something personal if they killed your people."
"What makes you say that?"
"’Cause it takes time to tie mutha fuckas up and shoot them. Robbers wanna get what they came for and get outta there. Believe me, killin’ mutha fuckas, that’s the kind of shit you do when you wanna send somebody a message."
"How you know?"
Nick sat down on the couch in Jackie’s office. "Me and Freeze were stickup kids. We’d hit two or three a night some times. And the money was good; three, four, five grand a pop for a minutes work. Most times we never had to fire a shot."
"I never knew that, and I thought I had heard every story there was about you and Freeze from back in the day," Rain said.
"Nobody knew it was us," Nick said and thought about it. He had heard about somebody named PR coming up in the game, but since it didn’t concern him he didn’t think much of it. Now he looked at Rain. "Just like nobody knows it’s you, PR."
"What you say?" Rain asked.
"PR, that’s you ain’t it. Purple Rain," Nick said and shook his head.
"What you know about that?"
"I told you, I know everything," Nick told her. "Maybe you ain’t as smart as you think you are, Purple Rain."
"Maybe I ain’t. That’s why I need you to help me get outta this."
"Yeah," Nick said.
There was one other thing. Rain’s reluctance to tell him who she was buying from led him to believe that it was Stark. If that was the case, Stark would have to be dealt with. But for now, that would have to wait. As much as he hated to admit it, Rain was right. He had to help her and do it before Black found out what he was doing.
