by Owen Parr
“Enough of this,” said Julia, looking around the room. “Alex, you have people to greet. So, go do it. And, you and me, Jonathan, are going to mingle do the meet-and-greet and then disappear to our room.”
“Darling, we have good music to dance to and drinks that have to be consumed. I sure as hell don’t have any intention of disappearing anytime soon,” he said.
“Fine. So, we’ll do our usual. When I am ready to go, I’ll go. You do whatever you want, but if you embarrass me tonight, I will never forgive you,” she said.
“Not to worry. We’ll talk about Alex some other time. Let’s meet and greet,” he said, promising some more anguish for Julia at a later time. Jonathan spent a few minutes with Julia, shaking hands and mingling with some of the attendees, and then he extricated himself from the big room to make a phone call.
“Katherine, I have an idea. Take a taxi to downtown Miami. There is a hotel across from where I am staying. It’s called the Biscayne Hotel. Get a room and call me when you are there,” he said.
“Should I pack and check out from here?” Katherine asked.
“No, we are not going to be there long,” he replied.
“I like it,” Katherine said. “I’ll call you when I get a room.”
Jonathan put his phone away, re-entered the ballroom, and headed for the bar with a smile on his face.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
HAVANA, CUBA
Meeting at a home in Havana that had been converted into their Cuban Army headquarters, Generals Emilio Garces and Arturo Naviles were finalizing their plans for the next few weeks.
“Are we ready for ‘Operation Clean Sweep,’ Arturo?” Garces asked, as Naviles walked into the dining room that was now converted into their control room.
“Have we swept the rooms today?” Naviles inquired, looking around.
“Arturito, I was born at night, but not last night. Of course, the rooms were swept. Relax. We are bug proof. So, tell me,” he said, as he closed the doors to the room.
“You know we missed an opportunity tonight at the installation dinner for Julia Muller,” said Naviles.
“Too risky. I know the entire Cuban Council in Exile was there. But, so were all these U.S. government officials, including the Vice President,” he said.
“Well, in any case, we are ready. Every one of the council members is being shadowed. Both here and in the U.S. Captain Abimbola will join us here tomorrow early in the morning to monitor all the hits as they happen,” said Naviles.
“You trust Abimbola?” He asked, with an inquisitive look on his face
“I’ve tested and retested him various times. He is loyal,” said Naviles.
“Yeah, he’s loyal, but to whom? His father was a devout Fidelista,” he said.
“As were we,” said Naviles.
“True,” he said.
“Abimbola shares our vision. He agrees that we need to continue our quest for a new order in Latin and South America. Further, he agrees with us that Fidel and Raul have become too passive in their old ages—that their fire has been extinguished after years and years of revolution,” said Naviles. “I mean, I’ve shared with him my frustration with the brothers, but my loyalty is to their original mission. He is on board with us.”
“Okay, but he is still on a need to know basis. No more,” he said, as he cut the tip off two Cohibas and handed one to Naviles.
“Agreed,” said Naviles.
“Now, let’s go on. Plan A and B after tomorrow’s big day. What are your expectations for reactions after the elimination of all or most of these individuals?” He asked, as he lit his cigar and passed the lighter to Naviles.
“Of course, the world will be stunned,” said Naviles, taking a drag from his Cohiba. “We in turn are going to blame the militant anti-Castro group, Nova, and its frustration with the Council’s approach of nonviolence to overthrow our government. We, at the same time, will be arresting a whole batch of malcontents here on the island to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the crisis.”
“Followed by quick indictments, trials and executions. I like it,” Garces said, puffing smoke up into the room.
“We are going to call on the United States to arrest and hold accountable Nova members residing there for the murders of Cuban citizens and their own Cuban American citizens,” said Naviles.
“Good. Now, let’s go over Plan B. What if our own government is blamed?” He asked.
“As we have agreed, if a major crisis develops against us, that jeopardizes our country’s stability,” said Naviles. “In that case, we move up ‘Operation Final Sweep,’ but only then,” said Naviles.
“And I would hate to move it up,” Garces said, as he looked at his cigar’s ash that was now about an inch long and burning perfectly. “In that event, we begin moving our armies strategically to neutralize the Central Army and arrest General Martinez at its head. And finally, we arrest Fidel and Raul and throw the book at them. This is a big step, Arturo.”
“I think we need to rethink the arrest of Fidel and Raul,” Naviles said. “It’s a huge risk keeping them alive. If we are going to make this a final sweep, then their elimination is a must.”
“You know what? I agree one hundred percent. They will die in a gunfight as they refuse to be arrested. Yes, I like it. It’s clean and final,” he said. “Who is going to do it?”
Garces smiled, as Naviles raised his hand holding his Cohiba.
“Well, it either happens now or after the public offering of MonteCarlo Industries,” Naviles replied. “I mean, once we divert the funds from the capital raised by the offering into our accounts in the Cayman and Swiss banks, it is not going to take Rick Ramirez more than a few hours to see through our plan.”
“No. Except, Ramirez will not be around to see through our plans much longer after the offering,” he said, inserting the tip of his cigar into a glass of añejo rum and then taking a deep drag. “Which brings me to a bonus we are going to pay ourselves,” he said.
“Do tell,” responded Naviles.
“Follow me. We are going to cash out at the offering. Most of the money raised, about ten billion dollars from the public offering, is going directly to Cayman and Swiss banks that we control. Immediately after that, we are transferring funds to our own accounts. Still with me?” He asked.
“Yes. Go on,” replied Naviles.
“What do you think is going to happen if the CEO of MonteCarlo dies, immediately, after the offering?” He asked, opening his eyes widely.
“I would expect the stock to drop precipitously,” Naviles replied, with an inquisitive look on his face.
“Exactly,” he said. “That is why we are going to have the three banks we own, in Dominica, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, sell short all the stock they acquired through the offering. Since our banks own the stock, they don’t have to borrow it. They can sell it ‘short against the box’. Once the stock drops to a level we are happy with, voila, we buy back at the lower price and cash out again at a nice profit on those shares,” he explained.
“Very devious. I love it,” Naviles said.
He raised his glass of rum to have a toast with Naviles. “I love it when a plan comes together. Cheers.”
“General, I will see you early tomorrow morning,” said Naviles.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MIAMI, FLORIDA
Alex was up at about six in the morning. As was his custom, one of the first things he did after turning on his coffeemaker was to click on his kitchen TV and select the Fox News Channel. With the volume on mute he could see only the news banner, “Breaking News in Havana.” Putting down his glass of orange juice and his morning vitamins, he quickly clicked off the mute button so he could hear the news.
This is Gwen McGuire with Fox News. Repeating, the CNN Cuban Bureau in Havana is reporting that a series of assassinations have taken place this morning. Details are still coming in, but they confirm that two men and a woman, all members of the Cuban Council in Havana, have been killed in separate incide
nts. The Cuban Council is a group organized by dissidents of the Cuban government, who seek the democratization of the island in a peaceful fashion.
Alberto Gonzalez was gunned down as he stepped out of his home in the suburb of Havana called Miramar this morning. Gonzalez was an engineer working at the electrical utility company in Havana. He leaves behind a wife and two children, ages twelve and fourteen.
Roberto Garcia was, similarly, gunned down as he stepped off a bus in Marianao on his way to a restaurant. Garcia is, also, confirmed to be a member of the Cuban Council and had served one year in Havana’s La Cabaña Prison for speaking out against the government. He had been released four weeks ago. Garcia, a forty year old doctor, leaves behind a wife and a young son of seven years old.
Finally, the third victim of these atrocious murders is Angela Martinez, a fifty-seven year old mother of three and a member of the Cuban Council, and an outspoken critic of the government’s treatment of political prisoners. This is Gwen McGuire with Fox News. We will continue to break in with updates as warranted.”
Alex was stunned at the reports he was hearing. Could this be an attempt to kill all of them? He called Julia’s cell number to no avail. He called the hotel, but there was no answer in Julia’s room. He turned the TV on in his living room, just as a new ‘Breaking News’ flash was showing on the screen.
This is Gwen McGuire with more breaking news. We can now confirm from our own sources that two more assassinations have taken place. However, this time they have occurred in Miami, and it seems the Cuban Council members, both here and in Cuba, are the targets of these assassinations. Enrique Esteban, who until yesterday had been the Chairperson of the Council’s exile group, was killed this morning as an explosive detonated in his car as he was leaving his home. Esteban was the President and CEO of Americas Life, an insurance company operating in Miami. He had become the titular head of the Cuban exiles with his numerous involvements for the cause of a free Cuba. Esteban leaves behind two teenage daughters and his wife. Miami police are still at the scene of the crime.
The second confirmed victim in Miami of this horrific series of events is Manuel Arbalado. Arbalado was gunned down in a drive-by shooting as he exited from his car at the Versailles Restaurant on Eighth Street. Miami Police are also at the scene of that crime. There were two other persons who were slightly wounded and have yet to be identified. Arbalado, a single man, was the owner and founder of a chain of pharmacies in the Miami-Dade County area.
We, now, have reports from CNN’s Cuban Bureau that a spokesperson for the Cuban government has announced the arrests of eighteen persons, whom they are calling persons of interest in the murders of the three Cuban Council members. The spokesperson calls on the United States government to apprehend members of the Nova anti-Castro group in Miami and their leader Fernando Casal, whom they say are behind these murders both here and in Cuba. Casal, a member of the Council in Exile, is also the head of Nova, one of the most militant anti-Castro groups in the United States. In the past, Nova has taken credit for carrying out acts of sabotage in Cuba and other actions against its government. Further, the spokesperson for the Cuban government has said that they will soon televise the confession of one of the perpetrators and his asserted membership in Nova. He goes on to say that Nova was unhappy with the passive direction the council was taking in achieving the overthrow of the Cuban government. This is Gwen McGuire with Fox News. We will break in with more news as it develops.
Alex was deep in thought and pacing the room when the phone rang.
“Alex, this is Special Agent George Shriver with the FBI,” said the voice on the phone.
“George, it’s been a long time. What the hell is going on?” He said.
“We have reason to believe that all of the Cuban Council members are being targeted,” said Shriver.
“No shit, Sherlock. Do you know the whereabouts of Julia Muller?” He inquired with certain fear of an answer, as he looked out his window not knowing what to expect.
“We don’t at this time. Where are you? I have agents in the field, rounding up all the members we can locate,” said Shriver.
“I am in my condo at 1515 Brickell Avenue. Apartment 1402,” he replied.
“Stay put. I can have agents there in fifteen minutes to pick you up. Are you still Condor Two? Shriver asked.
“I should have been Condor One after you retired from the agency. But, yes, I am Condor Two,” he said.
“Very well. My agents will use that name to call you from the lobby before they come up. Do you have a weapon?” Shriver asked.
“Weapons, with an s. Affirmative,” he replied, as he began unlocking his weapon case.
“Be on the alert, Condor Two. Out,” said Shriver, hanging up.
Alex quickly put on a pair of jeans, a dark green UM sweatshirt with a big orange U on the front, zippered pockets, and a hoodie, and he slipped on a pair of sneakers. He emptied the contents of his gun case. A Glock 28 .45 automatic, available to law enforcement personnel only, and five magazines of ten rounds each. A Walther PPK/S .380 caliber and five magazines with a seven round capacity each, and finally, a Smith & Wesson M&P Assisted 3.9 inch blade knife. He inserted the Glock in the front between his jeans and his belly button, the PPK in the back, and the knife strapped to his left calf. He stowed the magazines in the pockets of his sweatshirt. He waited for the call with an eye on the television, as more news was breaking.
This is Ryan Smith with Fox News. We have just received a video shot by a motorist on his iPhone, and before we play it, we want to warn you it is explicit. It shows an attack on the lives of Dr. Jonathan Muller and his wife, Julia Muller. Mrs. Muller was installed yesterday as the president of the Cuban Council in Exile. We have confirmed that the car shown in this video, a red Ford Mustang, was a rental car acquired by Doctor Muller at the Miami International Avis counter yesterday. Play the video.
As you can see from this view, the motorist who recorded this was behind the red Mustang and was in the process of videotaping the cruise ships along MacArthur Causeway as he headed east. The red Mustang was in front of our motorist with its top down, and as you can see, a motorcycle with two men pulled right next to it on the driver’s side, tossing inside the car two small objects, now believed to be grenades. As the motorcycle sped up and veered left, an explosion in the car caused it to catapult over the retaining wall. There, you can see the car flipping upside down and falling into what is called Government Cut. The Cut is the waterway that is used by boats and cruise ships heading out to the Atlantic Ocean.
No bodies have been found, as of yet. It is believed, at this time, that the currents have taken both passengers in the car to the ocean. The Coast Guard is conducting a search and rescue mission, as we speak. A spokesperson for the Miami Beach Crime Unit, which is on the scene, has said that the passengers were probably not wearing seatbelts. Otherwise, they would have been trapped and drowned. The whereabouts of the motorcycle are unknown. This is—”
Alex muted the television. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe this shit. What have I done to Julia?” He said out loud, as he threw the remote on the sofa.
His phone rang.
“Mr. Cardenas, this is the front desk. There are three men, two of whom identified themselves as FBI. They are headed up to your unit, sir,” said the front desk attendant in a concerned voice.
“Just three?” He asked, as he opened a closet door in his hallway and removed a metal box.
“No, sir, a fourth person remained behind. He is outside the front door of the building,” replied the attendant.
“What do they look like?” He asked, hurriedly.
“Two going up look Hispanic. The other two, I can’t tell, but they are very white,” replied the attendant.
“Okay, thank you,” he said, as he hung up. He unlocked the metal case by entering a combination. Opening it, he removed two grenades from its contents. These were not the FBI agents he was waiting for. This was a hit team sent to kill him. Swiftly,
he unlocked the front door but left it closed. He turned the television back on and raised the volume quite high as he moved towards the kitchen and unlocked a door leading to a service hallway and elevator. His hope was that the hit team coming up would not suspect that he was on to them, and thus, he would have the element of surprise instead of them. There was a knock at his front door.
“Yes, who is there?” He said loudly.
“Mr. Cardenas, this is Agent Rubio with the FBI,” said one of the men outside his front door.
“Great, the door is open. Come on in,” he said, vigilantly speaking from the kitchen as he saw two Hispanic looking men walk in with raised guns in hand. Having pulled the pin on one of the concussion grenades when they knocked on the door, he waited for both men to enter his unit. He tossed the grenade towards them as he fled through the kitchen door and waited for the explosion.
Neither man had time to react. The explosion went off right under both of them, knocking them back towards the door and rendering them momentarily unconscious.
Alex raised his sweatshirt and pulled his Glock out with his right hand, while with his left he was still holding onto the second grenade. He knew the third man would take evasive action and not enter the unit. He pushed the button on the service elevator. The service hallway was not immediately visible from the main hallway, so he knew he had a minute or two before the third hit man figured out there was a backdoor exit to the unit.
The elevator door opened with a distinct ding sound to it. Alex rushed in and pushed the button for the lobby, knowing very well that the sound would alert the third man. From a hiding spot in a utility closet, he watched though a small crack, as the third ‘very white’ man rushed into the service hallway while holding a Beretta 92FS 9 mm handgun, outfitted with a silencer, and began shooting as the elevator door was closing. Alex opened the closet door quietly, raising his Glock at the same time, and took dead aim at the hit man’s head.