Red Paint

by Valerie Van Clieaf

  hatzoff: okay okay … im in

  rezrozy: whoop! whoop!

  hatzoff: lol you are hurting my ears

  redzagain: yes my man!!

  wikem: me and my bro are on the way to Rupert with my keys … we’ll pick up Bill.

  bitchd: with the storm coming scum’ll be on the move to get closer to shore

  wikem: i’m hoping … the storm is due to hit Rupert in fourteen hours … scum will want to have their business done by then

  mercurial: names?

  wikem: Gregori Kirigin (russian i think) is the brains behind the keys … has a partner named Eric Severall (UK or US or both, not sure) … I will post pics to AERIE … Absolutely nada on either one … suspect they did an ID wipe … been chasing them for hours … nothing yet … have asked Sáhkku for her help

  rezrozy: do we know for sure the people are being handed off at the docks in Prince Rupert?

  wikem: we know nothing for certain … I think cops are hoping that Rupert port is the final destination … Harvest is a container vessel and Rupert is a container port … they can’t just let the people out of the containers and march them off the ship … where else could a ship like that dock?

  mercurial: I’m in Lax Kw’alaams … used to be called Port Simpson … the ship could dock here but there is NO road in or out so doubt they would BUT they don’t need a container port, any place with water deep enough that they can pull up … OR they could transfer people to a smaller boat if there was enough cover … there are so many places up here that they could do that

  wikem: who else is in your area?

  mercurial: 3 more … I’ll bring them in

  rezrozy: i’m in smithers and leaving soon … will be in rupert area in a few hours with three more peeps

  revolver: are they redz

  rezrozy: no

  revolver: WE HAVE TO KEEP THIS IRC SECURE

  rezrozy: we can use the same protocol we used when we took down the judge in PG … friendz of redz helped with that

  wikem: rozys right … we brought in outsiders and security was maintained

  majishin: looks like eyes on the ground will be crucial … rest of us can work the keys

  revolver: traffickers will need to get out of town and will need to use Hwy 16, the only highway in the area … i’m in port edward, a few miles from rupert … there’s a dock here too … the bigger fishing boats use it … how big is the ship?

  wikem: its big but i think equipment to unload containers would be important … what about porpoise bay dock?

  There was a single quick beep of a car horn. Levon ran to the front window. His brother was parked in the loading zone in front of his building. He gave him the five-minute sign.

  revolver: i don’t think Porpoise Bay dock would work for them … too open and very public … also, i just read thru the feed and there’s a few redz in my area, but they aren’t online … i’ll pull them in

  bitchd: transfer has to be a secret location away from prying eyes

  revolver: bitchd is right … porpoise bay definitely wouldn’t work

  mercurial: me and mine will cover Lax

  revolver: i’ll be point man in rupert … i’ll get a burner

  hatzoff: if there’s a storm coming what good are alternate coms?

  wikem: we’re getting help from Sáhkku to keep AERIE up … low earth orbit satellite linkup … a beta test … keep your fingers crossed … have to go my bro is here … who will monitor rupert port? golden harvest will be moving into the area … has to check in regular with the pilot station … everyone please be careful … these scum are very fucking dangerous

  hatzoff: wish I could be there … i’ll monitor rupert port

  rezrozy: we need more peeps on the ground

  revolver: all local redz and anyone they can pull in … i’m on it

  wikem: switching to AERIE now! we’re picking Bill up in Hazelton … says he used to work in rupert so knows the area … he may have ideas… revolver and rezrozy don’t forget to post burner #s so we can connect with you

  bitchd: I do love the red paint!!

  Chapter 11

  Cartwright’s winterized cabin, four rooms and well insulated, was on the outskirts of the small town of Port Edward, not far from Prince Rupert. The heat was jacked up and the air was close and stifling. Eric Severall was in the bathroom, gingerly drying his hands on a filthy towel hanging from a nail in the wall beside the sink. He was desperate for a shower but refused to have one, knowing full well there wasn’t a clean towel anywhere on the premises. If only he’d remembered to bring one from Sullivan’s place. No use complaining to Gregori. He thought the whole business was a lark. Eric exited the bathroom.

  “Find everything you need, Eric?” It was close to two am, and Jonas Cartwright was at a small wooden table in the kitchen area, enjoying a meal of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. Severall was a vegetarian and barely managed to swallow his disgust. It wouldn’t do to get on the wrong side of Jonas. They planned on having him assume responsibility for this piece of Kirigin’s pet enterprise now that MacLeish was lost to them. When and if he did get out of jail, the police would hound him for the rest of his life. They hated it when one of their own strayed. Severall thought it for the best. MacLeish was the kind of crazy that made him a liability.

  “Yes. Thanks, Jonas,” said Severall.

  “If you’re hungry, there’s lots to eat.”

  “It’s a little late for me. You think we’ll be able to avoid the worst of the storm?”

  “Should be fine,” said Jonas. “No need to worry. Any word from the drivers?”

  “The Calgary man has arrived. No word yet from the Edmonton driver.”

  “Still lots of time,” said Jonas. “Sometimes the boys like to blow off a little steam.”

  “Where are they staying?” Severall asked.

  “They sleep in their trucks.” If he thought it was a stupid question, Cartwright didn’t let on.

  “I think I’ll try to grab a little sleep myself. See you in a few hours.” Eric headed to a sparsely furnished area off the kitchen, where Kirigin sat hunched over his laptop.

  “Any word from the other driver?” he asked, sitting at the only other chair in the room.

  “He’s a few hours away.”

  “Where are we meeting them?”

  “Here.”

  “Have we heard from Smythe?”

  “Yes. Three women are stashed at a cabin near the drop off. Smythe is with them. He’ll take care of the seller.”

  “Only three?”

  “Fewer than usual,” said Kirigin.

  “Who’s the seller?”

  “Some indian.”

  “A lot of trouble for not that great a reward,” said Severall. He settled into a chair and pulled his merino wool overcoat over his knees. He didn’t know how Jonas stood it. The only sources of heat in the cabin were both in the kitchen area: a wood stove and a large, metal drum like affair, also wood burning. A couple of times that evening, Jonas had stuffed the metal drum with wood and when the fire got going, it had started to dance in place until he adjusted the damper and got the fire under control.

  “Where’s the ship?”

  Kirigin pointed to a map open at his elbow: “Harvest has checked in for the last time at Triple Island Pilot Station. Vessel Traffic Service just radioed the Rupert Port that Harvest is on the way. The captain just passed West Kinahan Island; he gave me the go-ahead.”

  “When do you plan on disabling the ship’s AIS?”

  “Right now!” Kirigin’s fingers flew across the keyboard. Shortly after, the Satellite phone beside him emitted a beep. He checked the message. The Captain is now calling VTS to inform them that his AIS has stopped functioning and he is going to put in at Port Edward because it’s closer.”

  “And they can’t continue on to the Rupert Port without it,” said Severall.

  “Exactly.” Kirigin traced a route on the map. The captain will now ma
ke his way south, along the Port Hardy, Prince Rupert sea lane.”

  “How many hours till the storm hits?”

  Kirigin checked. “About ten.”

  “Won’t the captain have to radio that the ship has reached Port Edward?”

  “I’ll take care of that.”

  “Of course, you will.” He looked at the map at Kirigin’s elbow. “It seems though, that you’re cutting it a little close. It looks like the boat’s still quite a way from the drop off. How much longer will it take the ship to get to Skeena Cellulose, make the drop and then double back to the Rupert docks?”

  “Don’t second guess me, Eric! Harvest won’t show up at the Rupert port until the storm has passed and their AIS is fixed,” said Kirigin. “They have lots of time to make the connection and transfer the women. All the trucks have to do then is travel a short distance to Hwy 16 and head east. Jonas will be on site to make sure all goes smoothly. By the time the women are loaded on the trucks and gone, the storm should be upon us. The ship can find a place to moor nearby and wait it out.”

  “What about our other ships on this coast?”

  “Shanghai Sunset was successful in Vancouver and has two drop offs before it picks up in Halifax. Red Dragon isn’t far behind and heading to Jersey. After, Halifax and Jersey, they’ll head to Bolivia.”

  “Are all the trucks on schedule?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did the Vancouver driver report back?”

  “That dimwit. The heart will be delivered. And not to the clinic in West Vancouver. I was forced to change the location. The doctor they used previously for other aspects refused to perform the heart surgery. Rory thinks he has someone willing to step up and do all of the procedures, including the heart.”

  “How much does the new doctor want?”

  “Ten percent for the heart. I’m not sure about the rest.”

  “That’s outrageous! Surely you haven’t agreed to that!”

  “Of course not, Eric! I said I’d have to discuss it with you first.”

  “Five percent for all the operations. Not a penny more.”

  “I’ll text Rory.”

  “Do that,” said Severall evenly. “I assume the driver’s heading to Toronto with the other five?”

  Kirigin pulled up a map of Canada and pointed to a blinking icon. He’s just about to enter Saskatchewan.”

  “Maybe you should have flown them.”

  “Too risky. Anyway. He’s making good time.”

  “Do you really think the organ business is worth it? We’re making plenty off the regular side of things.”

  “I like dealing in humans,” said Kirigin flatly, without looking up. “It makes everything else more interesting to me. The hearts alone are worth 6 million to us.”

  Severall let it go for the moment. He pulled his coat up to his chin. “Aren’t you cold?”

  Kirigin stared at him briefly, then went back to what he was doing.

  “At least Batlan’s out of the way,” said Severall, trying to make conversation.

  Kirigin didn’t answer.

  “What’s the word on Desocarras?”

  That got a response: “He’s not dead yet.”

  “Sullivan will take care of it. I mean, how difficult can it be.”

  “He’s still alive so apparently exceedingly difficult. Anyway, they have to find him first.”

  “What? They’re not at the Red Coach Inn?”

  “He moved his wife early last night.”

  “You didn’t tell me.”

  “I was upset.”

  “I take it Sullivan doesn’t know where they are?”

  “Not yet.”

  “They found him before; they’ll find him again. It’s a small town. There can’t be that many indians on the police force. He won’t be hard to find?”

  “I want her to die first and I want him to watch. Then they can kill him.”

  “Personally, I don’t think he’s much of a threat.”

  “You’re wrong about that, Eric. He’s much smarter than you give him credit for. We have to take him out.”

  “Or maybe he’s just lucky,” said Severall.

  “He found MacLeish. That wasn’t luck.”

  “True.”

  Kirigin looked at Severall. “He’s a threat to us, Eric. I want him dead!”

  “What’s the word from Sullivan?”

  “He’s acting like he has all the time in the world! They still don’t know where the cop and his bitch are. He knows full well that I wanted this done last night!”

  “They have to find them first. Sullivan will get it done. Don’t worry.”

  Kirigin rolled his eyes. “If I was there, they’d both be dead by now!”

  “Gregori. Please! You exposed yourself unnecessarily taking out Batlan. What if something had gone wrong.”

  Kirigin shrugged and kept his eyes on his screen.

  “I don’t want to fight over this. Desocarras and his wife will soon be history. Sullivan knows better than to let this slide. Mark my words.”

  The stare Kirigin threw at him was frosty, but Severall sensed he was beginning to relent. It was time to soothe some ruffled feathers.

  “I know I’ve said this before, but your plan is, as always, absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Buying the container ships was a stroke of genius, and—”

  “Fuck you,” said Kirigin. “You were far from happy with the idea only a few short years ago!” His tone was that of an aggrieved child.

  “Christ Gregori! Let it be. How many times have I apologized now? Many, many times!”

  “I don’t care! I will never understand why you doubted me! I am never wrong!”

  “Buying a fleet of container ships was far from cheap! Forgive me if I balked a little at the expense. And at a time when you wanted to cease operating some very lucrative online businesses, with nothing of substance to replace them!”

  Kirigin waved that aside. “I needed a break. Anyway, we haven’t given them up entirely; we still get a cut.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “What we’re doing now is far more interesting. Our ships will pay for themselves many times over and make us another fortune.”

  “I’m sure you’re right about that and no, I’m not sorry. And installing your customized Automatic Identification System so that we could operate right under the nose of every naive Port Authority in the world. That, my dear, was pure genius.” Severall looked at him fondly.

  “Why hide, when you can operate in plain sight,” Kirigin agreed, trying to be offhand, but Severall could tell he was pleased with the praise.

  “This is a lot more fun for you, isn’t it?”

  “You know it is. Why do you keep saying that! Carding and phishing are endlessly repetitious and very boring.”

  “They gave us enough money to buy our own fleet of ships. And we didn’t have to stay in rat holes like this,” Severall finished, in a stage whisper, snuggling into the threadbare stuffed chair and adjusting his overcoat once more. He needn’t have worried about being overheard. The sound of loud snoring reached them from the open back room door.

  “We’re only here for a few more hours. You won’t freeze.”

  Eric lowered his voice. “Do you really want to hand this part of the operation to Cartwright? I’m not sure that he can handle it.”

  “He’s perfect and he knows how to handle the distribution team. They’re his people. He understands them.”

  “Wasn’t MacLeish using Everett Smythe as the lead man?”

  “No. Cartwright was his boss man. Smythe took care of the finances and smoothed things over at the docks. I was thinking that Cartwright could take over from MacLeish and Smythe could be his second. But Smythe, it turns out, isn’t very bright.”

  “Are you referring to the fact that he didn’t respond as quickly as you would have liked to your text messages.” He was very tired now and it was difficult to summon his usual patience t
o deal with his partner’s extremely peevish nature.

  “There’s that, certainly. But no. That’s not what I’m talking about. I was clear in my instructions to him. He was told not to access the Prince George server without cloaking first. The idiot went in—uncloaked—from his home computer!” Kirigin’s face went red with anger. Severall was paying attention now.

  “How do you know?”

  “How do you think I know! I’ve been monitoring the Prince George server and I spotted him.”

  “Why would you bother with that? Those who need to, have already read the message. Don’t you have enough to do, with all our ships in the water right now and the operations in Canada and the US. Christ Gregori, you’re not getting any sleep as it is?”

  “Would you fuck off, Eric. I’m fine!”

  “Okay love. It’s just that I worry about you. I’m sure you know exactly what you’re doing.”

  Kirigin blew exasperated air between pursed lips. “I had an excellent reason. I had a sense that someone was on the 100 Mile House server a few days back. It was quite late at night.”

  “It might have been staff.”

  “It wasn’t staff.” Kirigin spit the words out. “I would know if it was staff.”

  “Of course, you would. Do you think we have a problem?” Severall looked worried now; sleep was forgotten for the moment.

  “No. There’s nothing on that server.”

  “What if it wasn’t staff. What if it was some punk that makes a habit of lurking on police servers?”

  “That’s a possibility, which is why I’m monitoring the Prince George server.” Kirigin finished airily.

  “Any sign of other unwanted visitors?”

  “Nothing,” insisted Kirigin haughtily. “I’d know if that was the case. And I would have told you. You know that.”

  Severall was hard to convince. He tried a different approach. “I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should consider letting go of some aspects of the operation. I’m talking about the organ transplant business. It’s very lucrative. There’s no denying that. But the logistics. Dealing in human beings is messy enough as it is, but when you add the organ business. Look what’s happened this time around. It’s been one bloody thing after another.”