They all burst out laughing at his unexpected finish and Gomez said, “I’d forgotten about your funny streak, Pablo. Good to have you back again.” Turning to Washington and Chen, he added, “Maybe you two gentlemen would like to go relax, have a drink and chat with some of our ladies while I catch up with your boss.”
Before either could respond, Martinez interjected. “With all due respect, Pedro, I have to insist they stay with me. You don’t know what I’ve been through over the last year but I wake up every morning wondering how come I’m still alive. I can tell you part of the reason is these two and they aren’t going anywhere I’m not.”
Gomez nodded and said, “You’re perfectly safe here but I understand. I’m rarely anywhere without Hector’s presence for similar reasons. He watches my back so I can look forward.”
Martinez grinned and replied, “I need two men to watch my back. One can’t handle it alone because it’s too ugly.”
“Yeah, keep that shirt on,” Gomez agreed. “You’ll scare away my guests. I propose we go up to my terrace, sit down, relax and have a drink. It’s private so we can chat about what you’ve been up to.”
They followed him up the spiral staircase and through the French doors onto a large, comfortably furnished terrace overlooking the pool below where the weekly wet t-shirt show was in full swing. After taking in the view for a moment and placing drink orders with Hector, they settled down at the glass-topped patio table.
“Nice place you have here,” said Martinez. “Even classier than your place in Punta Cana.”
“Thanks,” Gomez replied, “Although I’ve had my Punta Cana resort renovated to bring it up to par. All the places I had got a makeover and the ones I bought over the last year are just as nice.”
“How many do you have now?” asked Martinez.
“With the latest one in Boca Chica, I’ll be up to fifteen,” said Gomez. “That one will open before the year is over.”
“Fifteen?” Martinez exclaimed. “You’ve been busy. You had, what, six the last time I saw you?”
“Something like that,” Gomez confirmed. “When you and your organization disappeared, I found myself with time on my hands. I had money to invest thanks to our previous dealings so I figured I’d expand with my resorts. They make me some decent money as well. But, enough about that. I want to hear about what the hell happened to you guys.”
Martinez exhaled a sigh. “We still don’t know for sure and I doubt if we ever will. I mean, someone obviously talked, someone who knew a hell of a lot about the Delight, but the question is, who? We have our suspicions but nothing to back them up.”
“Who do you suspect?” Gomez enquired. “If I may ask.”
“Like I said, this is just gut feeling,” Martinez replied, “But I think it could be Foster’s wife in Chicago. She’s old money, high society, and if she figured out what hubby was into, she might have done some digging and turned on him to protect her family. The boss suspects it was Silver up in Canada but, if it was, why is his sorry butt in maximum for twenty-five to life?”
Gomez raised an eyebrow. “The boss?”
Martinez nodded. “Yeah, he got away too. The morning all hell broke loose, I got a call from a friend with the Houston PD who suggested I disappear fast and forever. Shit had already started going down across the country.
“I grabbed an emergency ID kit I kept, went out the backway and through some neighbours’ yards, was lucky enough to find a cab, got myself a rental and hit the road. I called Scorpion on the way to let him know then made my way to Miami pretty damned quick. I laid low there for two weeks, growing a beard and going blond to match my passport then headed to Rio. That’s where I got the new face.”
“They did a good job,” said Gomez. “And you were lucky to get away. The operation against the Devil’s Delight is said to have been the biggest of its kind in history, if the media is to be believed.”
“Believe ‘em,” Martinez confirmed. “We got hit damned hard and, yes, we were lucky. I know my counterparts had contacts as well but unfortunately, none were in a position to learn of the raids and warn them.”
“And your boss, Scorpion,” Gomez continued. “You obviously have been in contact with him since?”
“Yeah, we hooked up in Rio while I was recuperating,” Martinez replied, “And started planning our comeback. Over the last year, I’ve been establishing new distribution contacts in the States and Canada, rebuilding our network. Scorpion has been laying down a new business model and working at cutting temporary deals with established distributors to keep production from our operations in Asia and South America moving.”
“You should have contacted me sooner,” Gomez commented. “Perhaps I could have offered some assistance.”
“As it was, the people Scorpion was dealing with already had their transportation process in place,” Martinez explained. “They took delivery in Colombia or Venezuela, after which the shipments were no longer our concern.”
“So you were obviously selling at a highly discounted price,” said Gomez, clearly disappointed. “I might have been interested in such a deal. After all, as I’ve demonstrated to your satisfaction, I’m also quite capable of overseeing transportation.”
“Yes, of course you are, Pedro,” Martinez agreed. “But who would you have delivered to? In the past, you delivered to me.”
“This is true,” Gomez grudgingly conceded. “But I’m sure I could have found buyers with time.”
“That’s what I’ve been doing for a year,” replied Martinez. “Anyhow, what’s done is done, right? I’m back and I’m here to talk about the future, that is, if you’re interested.”
“I’m always interested in new business possibilities,” said Gomez. “But I trust you’re aware that trafficking in the Caribbean has grown progressively difficult in the past year or two. With coast guard and military vessels patrolling the waters, not to mention planes, and aerial balloons, transport with fast boats is simply becoming too risky. I’m sure you remember we lost three shipments when we were working together.”
Martinez shrugged and said, “Yeah, I remember. It sucks but sometimes there’s nothing we can do about it. With what we have in mind, however, you wouldn’t have to worry about the fast boats anymore. In fact, transportation won’t be your problem at all with what Scorpion has in mind.”
“I don’t get it,” Gomez replied, confused. “That’s what I was doing for you guys. Getting the stuff in bulk here, repackaging and sending it over to you.”
Martinez smiled and said, “Not anymore. Scorpion has established a luxury yacht charter network. These boats will cruise the Caribbean with rich, drunk vacationers on board and our shipments down below.”
“Yachts, commercial or otherwise, are not immune from inspection by the authorities,” Gomez argued. “Your boss’ trafficking plan is far from original or foolproof. One random inspection, the cargo is found and the game is over.”
“Not if the cargo isn’t on the boat,” Martinez countered. “It will be in an ROV towed electronically by the yacht above.”
“What’s an ROV?” asked Hector, intrigued.
“A remotely operated underwater vehicle,” Martinez explained. “It can be operated by remote control or linked by radio frequency to follow another vessel. It’s basically an unmanned submarine. Control can be easily switched from one vessel to another so the ROVs can be handed off along the way as required. For example, a yacht picks up an ROV in Aruba and is approached by a military vessel along the way. The ROV is released and left behind, eliminating any chance of discovery. Later, another yacht comes along, hooks the ROV by radio and takes over the towing duties.”
“I’ve heard of these but do they really work?” asked Gomez, impressed yet wary. “What if you lose contact and the thing sinks to the bottom? That’s a hell of a risk to take.”
“Pedro, some of the cartels are using AUVs to ship from Colombia to Europe,” Martinez replied. “Fully autonomous subs crossing the damned Atlantic. It’s mind-boggli
ng but that’s where it is now.”
Gomez shrugged. “Anyhow, you said transport won’t be my problem so you can do what you want. What I want to know is, if you don’t need me to move the stuff, what do you want from me?”
“Scorpion wasn’t happy with a lot of the coke we were bringing in,” said Martinez. “Not refined enough for his taste which isn’t surprising considering the conditions under which it’s processed. What he wants to do is ship the coca paste and have it refined according to consistent standards in a controlled environment.”
“By shipping paste instead of finished product, he will effectively be reducing shipments by half,” Gomez commented.
“True,” Martinez agreed, “But we have enough yachts and ROVs to keep traffic flowing and we’ll be turning out a higher quality product which customers will be willing to pay a premium for. In addition, should we lose a paste shipment, its value will also be half.”
Gomez nodded. “Makes sense. What role would you be expecting me to play in all of this?”
“If you are interested, you could oversee the refinement process,” Martinez replied. “Not much space would be required to set up the required labs at one or more of your resorts. Shipments could come here to Puerto Plata as well as Punta Cana and Boca Chica, which all have appropriate marinas. Converting a bit of space in your resorts at these locations would easily generate sufficient revenue to make it well worth your while.”
“This is something I would have to think about,” said Gomez. “I would be putting my resorts at risk.”
“There will always be a risk factor, Pedro,” said Martinez. “However, there is much less chance of the authorities suspecting the presence of a drug lab within a vacation resort than on an isolated farm somewhere. In addition, the constant traffic of tourists arriving and departing with countless pieces of luggage greatly facilitates the movement of product, not to mention deliveries of all kinds of food, booze and other products needed to run a place like this.”
“You make some very valid points,” Gomez conceded. “What kind of volume are we talking about?”
“Each ROV has a thousand kilo capacity,” Martinez replied. “Scorpion is expecting to run at least twenty shipments through here to start so, twenty thousand kilos coming in, ten thousand going out.”
Gomez’s eyes grew wide. “That’s a quarter billion dollars.”
“More than that if the quality is where we want it,” said Martinez. “I’m guessing a kilo will go for thirty-five grand easily if we do this right. Scorpion has also been talking to some people in Europe and it’s looking good. If we can move some there, we’ll be looking at some even better money.”
“How soon are you hoping to get this project going?” asked Gomez.
“As it is, we’ve already moved three shipments of finished coke to the States,” Martinez explained. “The product was ready, the distributors were waiting and we wanted to test the new transportation network. We also brought in a shipment of paste to work with to establish the specs for the quality Scorpion wanted and I think there’s another one ready to go. So, to answer your question, we’re all set to make this happen. Now, my question is, are you interested?”
“Everything you’ve spoken of so far is very interesting,” Gomez replied, “But I obviously can’t agree to your proposal without knowing how lucrative it really is for me.”
“It’s always about the money,” said Martinez, shaking his head before breaking into a smile. “We haven’t discussed it yet but I would expect somewhere between twenty-five hundred and three thousand per kilo, provided the quality is there. Keep in mind that I’m only guessing at this point. Scorpion will give you the actual number.”
Gomez raised his glass and said, “If your guess is anywhere near accurate, I’m definitely interested.”
“I should mention this is all conditional on Scorpion’s approval,” said Martinez. “He sent me here to look into a few possibilities, one of them being what we have discussed.”
“So, you are meeting others with similar proposals?” Gomez asked with concern.
“No, you are the only one,” Martinez reassured him. “I am also looking at a few properties where we could set up but I find they’re risker locations so I’ll be pushing to work with you.”
“When can I expect to know Scorpion’s decision?” asked Gomez. “I’m well-connected so I should manage to find the people and supplies I’ll need to set up quickly enough but I can’t start anything until I know we’re going forward.”
“Scorpion said he’d want to meet you if you were interested,” Martinez replied, “And he’ll want to see your places. He’s currently in the States or in Canada and told me he would be available. When would be good for you?”
“Considering you have told me you’re all set to go,” said Gomez, “I would say as soon as possible. I am free this weekend if that is convenient. If he wishes to see all three suggested locations, a couple of days would give us more than enough time to travel and visit without rushing. I can arrange for a driver and appropriate vehicle as required.”
Martinez shrugged. “Not a problem. We can rent a chopper or a plane if Scorpion wants to save time. Anyhow, chances are he’ll come here with a charter to begin with.”
“That would be even better,” said Gomez, nodding in approval. “Can you contact him?”
“Not right now. Too much tracking going on these days and after last year, we’ve learned to be even more careful,” Martinez explained as he glanced at his watch. “We now only talk on a secure network at scheduled times unless there’s an emergency. In fact, he’ll be calling at five so I’d better get going if we want to set this up.”
“I was planning to invite you to stay for dinner and some subsequent entertainment,” said Gomez with a wink, “But given the circumstances, I urge you to be on your way.”
“Yeah, I’m out of here but I’ll hold you to that offer for some other time,” Martinez replied as he, Washington and Chen rose from their seats.
“Where are you staying?” asked Gomez. “I could make room for you here if you like.”
“I appreciate the offer, my friend,” said Martinez, “But we’ve got a nice, secure place my friends here found and they’ll get on my case big time if I tell anyone where it is. Bodyguards can be a pain in the ass.”
Gomez nodded and smiled. “Perhaps, but like women, you can’t live without them. Is there a way to reach you if needed?”
“You can call me at the number I called you from,” said Martinez.
“Very well,” said Gomez. “I shall be waiting to hear from you with great impatience.”
“I’ll call you sometime this evening or tomorrow,” Martinez assured, “And I’ll be surprised if Scorpion isn’t here to meet you this weekend. I’ve never known him to waste any time because time is money.”
* * * *
Club-Style Villa Resort, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 6:10 p.m.
“Okay, so to recap,” said Jonathan as he paced the living area of the villa, “All we need is air transport, preferably a jet, some luxury yachts, a few unmanned subs and a metric ton of coca paste. Did I get that right?”
“That about covers it,” Martinez confirmed.
Jonathan ceased his pacing and turned to glare at Martinez. “And where the hell do you intend to get all of that to make your plan work?”
Martinez shrugged and said, “Frankly, that’s not my problem. My job was to make Gomez want to do business with us. A rowboat and an ounce of blow would not have convinced him. The promise of a sustained big money deal did. Nobody gave me any guidelines about nothing. I figured you all had an idea what the hell you were doing when you sent me to meet the man.”
“Listen, I hear what you’re saying,” Jonathan replied, relaxing his tone, “And, yes, I was expecting you to lay out a deal which would get Gomez’s attention. I simply figured it would be along the lines of supplying transportation as he had done for you in the past.”
“I had to p
lay this by ear,” Martinez explained as he pointed at Washington and Chen. “They were there the whole time and can correct me if I’m wrong. Fast boats was a no go with Gomez. Too many busts happening. I had to think quick to make sure I hooked him. I basically told him how I’d move stuff these days if I was doing that. I just made it so we were actually doing it. He bought in. He’ll be pissed off if this doesn’t happen, that’s how much he wants a part of this.”
“It went down like he’s saying,” Washington confirmed. “If you had given him a script to follow, he wouldn’t have been as convincing. I mean, I knew it was all a scam and he almost had me believing what he was saying, right down to Steve and me being his bodyguards.”
“Yep, I have to hand it to the man,” Chen agreed. “He played it how he had to and gave it his all for the cause. The face lift situation scared me for a bit but he even got us through that without a hitch.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Martinez stepped in, “I got the surgery over a year ago and just didn’t think about it. I should have warned Gomez about it when I called him.”
“You handled it fine,” said Washington, “And Gomez bought it so that’s what counts.”
“Like I’ve said before,” Martinez replied, “I have a lot to gain if we pull this off so I did everything I could today and I won’t stop until we make it happen.”
“I’m starting to sense that,” Jonathan admitted. “We’re just going to have to work more closely together going forward to determine what we can afford before putting it on the table.”
“As far as I concerned,” Chris interjected, “Pablo put Gomez right where we want him and since our next step will be my meeting the bastard, I’ll be the one calling the shots. In the end, I’m the one who got us into this, I’m footing the bill and I like how things are lining up to date so there really is no problem.”
Jonathan nodded and raised his hands in surrender. “Maybe I overreacted a bit but you have to admit, the recommended shopping list could get pretty pricey.”
“Only if we got everything on it,” Chris countered. “Who says we have to get yachts and ROVs? As long as Gomez thinks we’re using them, that’s what matters. All we need for now is air transportation to impress Gomez over the weekend and I’m sure you can arrange that.”
Sins in the Sun: A Vigilante Series crime thriller Page 5