by Geoff Wolak
‘Any cartel man in a loud shirt.’
‘I’ll make some plans, ask those two agents, and we’re trawling the prisons already, a few good candidates.’
‘Well when you find those good candidates offer them a house near Carlos, family in it, or a house in Panama, all very safe, a Panama passport.’
‘That could change a few minds, yes.’
‘Did you get the cash?’
‘Yes, ten million, some cash for the men in prison we find, all off the books.’
‘Keep an eye on the head of TLC.’
‘I know him. What’s he into?’
‘Yet to be seen.’
‘Deep State?’
‘On the fringes. I’m his new salesman, briefcase and brochure, commission earned.’
‘I’d say be careful, but you give danger a bad name.’
Inside, I found Swifty and Sarah. ‘Nowhere to go?’
‘It’s cold and wet,’ Swifty complained. ‘We had a take-away curry and watched the TV. Still, it’s more of a life than you have.’
‘Ouch,’ I feigned. ‘I just stood looking at the boobs, Maria and Salome.’
‘Just looking. Was a time when you have a nice pair to play with, like that chiropractor.’
‘She was a physio, not a chiropractor.’
‘What happened to her?’ Sarah asked.
‘She wanted me to be home at five each day.’
‘Ah,’ Sarah let out. ‘And you got home a month later, wounded.’
‘Yep,’ I said with a sigh. I turned my head to Swifty. ‘I saw Rocko blush tonight.’
‘That’s not easy,’ he agreed.
‘Salome.’
‘That would explain it, yes,’ Swifty agreed.
‘Two French Marine Commandos here tomorrow, maybe the men from the drop.’
‘They were a bit busted up, so hopefully all healed up by now,’ he noted.
I faced Sarah as we watched the TV news. ‘Does Mister Morten know about you two love birds?’
‘If he does he hasn’t said anything yet. And we’re not breaking any rules. Not really.’
‘Not really?’ I repeated.
‘We were warned not to fraternize because we could be treating a man we know, or seeing him killed.’
‘There is that, yes. On the flip side, both of you could be killed next week, so I say make the most of it, and I’ll tell him that.’
‘And if he gets pissy?’ she asked.
‘Then I tell the Air Commodore: no more RAF Medics, I use Army instead.’
‘That would terrify them,’ she agreed. ‘And maybe he knows that.’
A knock at the door, and it was Tinker. I let him in and got the kettle on since he looked cold. ‘You on nights again?’
‘Yeah, something is up.’
‘With the Tijuana Cartel?’
‘Yes, talk of their investments manager running off with their money.’
I gave him a flat hand and called Tiny from outside. ‘The Mexican banker, you got him?’
‘How the hell did you know that, they just called me like two minutes ago?’
‘GCHQ got the chat. He’s missing.’
‘Well his bodyguard was killed, so they found his body I guess.’
‘And what paperwork did you get?’
‘Got an encrypted laptop.’
‘I can get the NSA or GCHQ to decrypt it.’
‘Tomsk has a Russian team and a German man flying in, best money can buy.’
‘OK, even better. Does the guy want to live?’
‘Yes, a total pussy apparently. And he says he could detail where seven hundred million dollars are if he gets a cut and a new ID.’
‘That could get you a new pair of shoes.’
‘I want more than a new pair of bloody shoes, Mister Stingy.’
‘Let me know the progress, but we have to keep this quiet, because the Yanks will want to claim the money.’
‘Like fuck.’
‘Go steal some money, Babes, but be careful, because for that amount the CIA or Deep State might get aggressive. Let Tomsk know, half goes back to the Americans or they send in the Marines.’
‘How would they know?’ she protested.
‘Too much of a risk to lie to them and risk them finding out later. Try not to get yourself on their wanted listed, eh, you’d look terrible in orange.’
Back inside, I told Tinker, ‘My friends in low places grabbed the Tijuana Cartel banker. He wants to make a deal, and hand over the cash.’
‘How much cash?’
‘Seven hundred million dollars plus.’
‘Shit…’ he let out.
I sent him packing after he got a mouthful of hot tea, and I called Langley, put through again to the Deputy Chief at home.
‘Is it bad news?’ he complained.
‘It’s good news, trust me.’
‘What is it?’
‘Tomsk grabbed the Tijuana Cartel banker, and the guy wants to make a deal, seven hundred million dollars handed over.’
‘Shit. And Tomsk will get the money?’
‘Some, some back to you. I said half, but best keep that from the White House.’
‘No shit. DOJ would want it all.’
‘Your narco unit will have plenty of cash now.’
‘So some good news finally.’
‘Listen, make a note that I informed you, but sit on it for a while, let’s make sure we get it and count it.’
‘OK, will do. Now I’m going back to bed.’
‘Back to bed?’ I repeated. ‘It’s early on the east coast.’
‘I have a dose of the flu, sympathy earned from my wife.’
I called David Finch. ‘Did I wake you?’
‘It’s 9.45pm, and I’m not that old yet.’
‘Off the record, Tomsk may have kidnapped the Tijuana Cartel banker and nicked their seven hundred million dollars.’
‘Bloody hell.’
‘Yes. Note the date and time that I informed you, but take no action, and keep it quiet for now. And I suggested that if we get the loot I give half to the White House.’
‘Well, yes, they’d want it all I guess.’
‘Talk soon.’
I called Bob Staines. ‘You awake?’
‘Yes,’ he sighed out, irritated.
‘Tomsk grabbed the Tijuana Cartel banker, and it looks like he comes with a seven hundred million dollar deal.’
‘Bloody hell.’
‘That’s what David Finch said. Keep it quiet for now, we’ll see what happens.’
‘If Tomsk gets the money then the Americans will be mad.’
‘I suggested we give half to the White House.’
‘That’s better, yes. Make it look like they got the lion’s share.’
Back inside, Swifty asked, ‘Something up?’
‘Some good news in Panama, that’s all, a man grabbed.’
At 6.45am Tinker knocked on the door. I was up already and let him in. ‘Productive night?’ I quietly asked.
Whispering, he began, ‘The fucking cartel is going crazy, they know they lost the money, a few shootings overnight. We got a man out, quite senior, and he’s now heading for Panama after we confided in him, his family in the States on a trip.’
‘Tell him you can get him a Panama passport.’
‘I’ll let him know.’
‘Get some rest, you look knackered.’
The following day, Maria on the pistol range with Salome and Rocko, Tiny called. ‘We have the banker here in Panama, he’s in a luxury apartment with his family, well-guarded. Nice kids as well.’
‘Does he have a breakdown of all their assets?’
‘Yes, and he said that some of the cartel captains, they don’t do drugs but now do property, retirement condos. He has a list of ownership but we could never just grab the buildings.’
‘At least we can inform the Mexican authorities and they screw over the cartel, set them back.’
‘Can do, yes. And he has a man in t
he States who makes trades for him, and he says the man is beyond the police.’
‘Beyond the police? I … don’t know what that means here. If anyone Stateside knew about the money they’d go for it.’
‘What if this man was Deep State?’
‘Then we’d have a problem, unless he was linked to FBI Deep State, which makes sense. Got his details?’ I wrote them down. ‘I’ll call you later.’
I stood staring at the phone. Who was this guy, and was I about to screw up some Deep State operation here? I finally called Bob Staines. ‘You have a team in the States?’
‘Canada.’
‘How quickly can they get to New York?’
‘A matter of hours.’
‘Send them, make a note of this guy.’ I gave the detail. ‘They grab him and see if he wants to live.’
‘What’s he done?’
‘He handles cash investments for the Tijuana Cartel, but … is reportedly beyond the law.’
‘Deep State?’
‘That’s the question here. I’m thinking that he was FBI mob.’
‘They were using the cartel, so yes, makes sense. And the other Deep State would have just grabbed the money, so would the CIA or DOJ. That narrows it down.’
‘Grab him, then we’ll see. But we need his computer and his files.’
‘I’ll dispatch a team of seven people, with vans.’
‘Look, Bob, they may get access to a shit load of stock certificates…’ I cautioned.
‘They all have family, and they all know what I’d do to them and their families. We like to have bargaining chips.’
‘And Maria?’
‘Is the odd one out, no hold over her. How’s she doing?’
‘On the pistol range as we speak. When she’s had the training then … well, we give her something hard to do.’
‘Someone on the list,’ Bob suggested. ‘Close-up and personal, eye to eye as she kills him.’
‘Bob, you’re an evil little shit.’
‘I know. Thanks.’
‘Our Saudi friend?’
‘Team is in place, should be soon. Maybe today.’
The next day, at 3pm, Bob Staines called. ‘We have that man in New York, and his computer and his files. They say he wants to live, and that he’s shouting about friends in high places, in the FBI.’
‘Get some names then. And the money?’
‘I just spoke to Tomsk, and they can get almost two hundred million in cash, futures and options sold, cash already transferred to the Cayman Islands, but the bulk is in condos.’
‘Condos?’
‘The New York Stock Exchange lists a company, and that company sells shares which anyone can buy. Most shares are held by the cartel, well … thirty percent – the biggest private block, and the company owns other companies that build and run the condos in Mexico and sells them, but most are rentals.’
‘Money laundering.’
‘Yes. The cartel cash is used to pay the builders, then they benefit from shares in this company, which makes a profit from collecting the rent and running the condos, in places like Cancun, and this chap reckons there are a million condos with cartel money in them in Mexico.’
‘This has been going on for decades, so some of those buildings must be thirty years old and beyond suspicion,’ I noted.
‘Buildings probably have police officers and politicians living in them, so it will be a shock when the authorities find out.’
‘So draw up a list, a diagram of how it all works, and when Tomsk says that he has all that he can get you fax it to the CIA, make it look like they uncovered it.’
‘This investment company is worth six billion, and has hundreds of staff and dozens of subsidiaries. The Americans might just cover it up.’
‘In which case, send it to the New York Times when you send it to the CIA,’ I suggested.
‘If the aim is to screw the cartel, then that may be better, yes. But the fallout in Mexico will be huge.’
‘I’m not so sure, this has been going on for decades, the Mexican Government must know.’
‘Some do, and are on the take for sure.’
‘When you release the detail, release the FBI names as well.’
‘Two are dead, two names of interest.’
‘Got the names?’ He listed them. ‘Thanks.’
I called Miller’s contact number.
‘Wilco?’
‘You know these two men.’ I listed the names and DOBs.
‘Yes, FBI. Why?’
‘Are they your men?’
‘No. Why?’
‘They’re running money for the Tijuana Cartel. I’ll have the evidence hit the New York Times soon.’
‘Give me 24hrs, I want a quiet word with those two.’
‘Will it be a painful word?’
‘You can be sure of it. Oh, NSA just picked up traffic, Tijuana Cartel misplaced their banker…’
‘I have him, and some of the money,’ I admitted. ‘Most of the money is deeply invested in several shell companies, beyond my reach, so the DOJ will get it.’
‘We could try and get it,’ he nudged.
‘There are others involved here. But Delaney did ask for some funding, and we’ll help with your funding, yes.’
‘And you’ll use the cartel money for..?’
‘War on the cartels; we’re going to clean house. We’ll offer cash and relocation to Panama for cartel men, new ID and passport, families moved.’
‘Well we all want the cartels knocked back. If we could identify the other bankers…’
‘We’d get the cash and split it with you, yes, lion’s share to you.’
‘I know of one such banker, I’ll send you the details. Expect an email.’
I called Bob Staines and told him to watch Reggie’s old email address for a message, a cartel banker.
Next call was David Finch. ‘I need to get to Panama, so get me a flight booked to Jamaica, then Tomsk can get me across.’
‘Why not fly direct?’
‘With my face? Some of the fucking passengers may recognise me, and the airport immigration officers will all salute me and ask for my autograph.’
‘Jamaica it is then, so try and look like a tourist. Economy OK?’
‘Why do I get the feeling that you work for the British Government.’
‘Economy then.’
‘Exit seat with leg room. Tonight or tomorrow. Oh, and a man to escort me, with some diplomatic credentials.’
‘I’ll check, there may be embassy staff rotating, if not we have to send a man on holiday.’
‘I can get you the cash back,’ I offered.
‘That would help.’
‘I was joking…’
‘I wasn’t.’
I went and packed a case, swimming costume and towels so that I looked like a tourist if stopped and searched. I checked that I had casual shirts, clean jeans, socks and pants, all soon packed.
The flight would be 8am from Birmingham, so I notified the MPs. When Swifty saw my suitcase he asked about it.
‘Week in Jamaica, I need a break. So you have the house to yourself.’
‘Could I have a room in Jamaica all to myself instead?’
‘No, fuck off and do some work. Check the British Wolves on Monday and earn your keep, eh.’
Moran called, so I stepped out as Swifty complained that a soldier’s lot was not a happy lot.
‘You OK down there?’ I asked.
‘Bit of a shock to see Bob, and we had a meal and chatted as Rizzo got some clothes, and photos for his new ID, haircut and moustache trim. He’s learning his legend now, and tomorrow he has the Q&A Bob said, then he flies.’
‘And his cover story?’
‘Ex-Army, jungle first aid, contract to support mines in Panama.’
‘Works well enough,’ I agreed. ‘Listen, if I’m killed -’
‘Yes, the unit goes on, and … I think I could do some of it.’
‘I’ll get you introductions to
all the right people, then you’ll be better placed. We have some time till I’m killed, we hope.’
‘Knowing about Spectre makes me an accessory to some serious shit.’
‘You want a job in Civvy Street?’ I challenged.
‘No,’ he sighed out. ‘That would be very hard now. I had thought about London Intel after Echo, so this is close to that.’
‘Give it some thought, we won’t shoot you if you quit, only if you write a book. What’s Rizzo’s state of mind?’
‘He’s OK, glad he’s not going to prison, looking forwards to Panama, we had a good chat on the way down. And he admits he’s lucky to be alive, should have been killed a hundred times over.’
‘Stay there as long as you need to get the detail.’
‘That won’t take long, Bob is very organised and thorough.’
‘I’m off to Jamaica in the morning, then Panama. I’ll be there to greet Rizzo.’
‘A big hug?’
‘Ha, like fuck. Oh, how’s his wound?’
‘Itches and stings, but Bob has a doctor coming. They’ll patch it up for the flight, stitches out in a few days.’
‘Be careful on the drive back, have a man – or lady, sit with you.’
‘I could do the whole trip in nine hours, no big deal.’
‘Watch out people following you, this is the real game.’
‘I’ll do some double-backs and toilet breaks,’ he assured me. ‘I’ve read a spy novel or two.’
‘Look for trackers on your car as well. And when you get back we’ll get you and Ginger some cat and mouse in London.’
‘Sounds like fun, yes.’
Bob called me back. ‘We found a Saudi on the list, Cyprus, then lost him somehow, but then he shows up in Northern Cyprus, a hotel come brothel with small boys in it. It’s run by an associate of a bad man I know.’
‘I want the Saudi found guilty by media of using small boys. And then, Bob, I want that place blown up or burnt down.’
‘I’ll have to be careful, you know, friend of a friend.’
‘No track back then, but close it – the rent boys not hurt.’
‘They’re all Turks, and – I’m afraid to say – used to a bit of adult cock in them, they start young.’
‘Loud and messy, Bob, loud and messy.’
I gave the officer Wolves a lengthy lecture on Northern Ireland and the art of OPs - the men in hysterics with the story about Moran searching for my hidden OP, and they would all try it for themselves, a cold night to look forwards to.