by Glenn, Roy
Travis was drifting from conversation to conversation when he found one that interested him. He knew he had something when he heard Black’s name mentioned and immediately began recording the conversation.
"- - - I don’t want there to be anyway this can come back and bite me."
"You worry too much, my friend. Once the word begins to spend about his involvement in this business, his political allies will run for cover and you will have no need to fear him."
"But if you can’t find that package or whatever you call it, and it becomes public it will put me and a lot of our friends in an extremely compromised position."
"If that happens, which it won’t, because I assure you that the package will be recovered, we have set these things in motion so the spot light will be on Mike Black —," the man said and laughed. "and others that I will make known to you when the time is right."
"There is one other thing that concerns me."
"What is that, my friend?"
"DeFrancisco. He’s shaky. I am not sure we can trust him to keep his mouth shut if anything goes wrong."
"How much does he really know? What have you told him?"
"I only told him what he needed to know to put the operation in motion. Still, he has me, and I don’t need any more heat. I just got somebody else’s stink off me."
"He is your man. When he has outlived his usefulness you will have to insure his silence."
"I’ve got to get back downstairs."
"I understand completely. I will leave through the service entrance."
After that, Travis heard what sounded like foot-falls walking and the door opening and closing. He tried to follow the walking sound, but he couldn’t stay with it.
"This is beta," Monika said into her wireless microphone. "Objective acquired. I’m moving toward him."
"Acknowledged," Nick said.
"Acknowledged beta. I have you," Travis said feeling like old times.
Monika began to approach Marshall, who was standing with a woman and a man. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter as he passed and stood close to Marshall. When he turned to walk away, Monika stepped in his path and purposely bumped into him. She placed a very small device on the sleeve of his jacket. Marshall smiled when he saw Monika. "I am terribly sorry, miss?"
"Ryan, Jeri Ryan," Monika said.
"Martin Marshall."
"I know who you are, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. And it is me who owes you an apology. I should watch where I’m going. A bit too much champagne," Monika said and raised her glass.
"Are you okay? Do you need somebody to drive you home?" Marshall looked at Monika the way a predator looks at his prey and took a step closer.
"No, I’m sure I’ll be fine," Monika said and tried to move away from him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I quite sure, but thank you for the offer."
"I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I was wondering about the eye patch?"
"I was hurt in an accident recently. They weren’t able to save the eye."
"Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you all right?"
"Other than this, I’m fine," Monika said, anxious to get away from Marshall. "Well, Mr. Marshall it was a pleasure meeting you."
"And you as well, Ms Ryan." Marshall handed her a card. "Call me sometime. Maybe we can get together and have a drink."
"I’m sure that pretty wife of yours won’t like that at all," Monika said and walked away. When she had gotten far enough away she said, "Objective is tagged."
"Acknowledged beta. Omega, do you have him?"
"I have him, alpha," Travis said.
"Acknowledged omega, I’m coming to you," Monika said and began moving toward the front door.
"Advise me when you get there, beta," Nick said.
"Acknowledged."
"What happens now?" Wanda asked.
"We wait until Monika gets back to the truck and then we’ll make our move," Nick told her.
"I just gotta say, this is all very exciting to me."
Nick smiled. "What’s that, Wanda?"
"All this spy stuff. You know I don’t get out much, so like I said, I’m just glad to be a part of it all. Did Mike say anything when you told him I was coming with you?"
"No. He knows it’s you that has the contacts. What could he say?"
"Do the words conspiracy to commit a felony mean anything to you, Wanda?" she said trying to sound like Mike.
"You’re right." Nick laughed, knowing that she was right. Mike had always been very protective about what parts of the business he involved Wanda in. "Maybe it won’t be an issue for much longer."
"Maybe."
"You think we’re really gettin’ out?"
"I don’t know, Nick," Wanda said and looked into Nick’s eyes. She had the strongest urge to kiss him, but she ignored it. "We’ll just have to wait and see."
"This is beta. I’m in position," Monika said when she got to the van.
"Acknowledged, beta. Assume operational control."
"Acknowledged."
Travis started to get up.
"Where do you think you’re goin’?," Monika asked.
"I thought that meant he wanted you in this spot," Travis said looking confused.
"I am assuming operational control. I am now in command here, that’s what that means to me." Monika looked around the van. "This is your baby, you handle it. I blow shit up." And with that Travis sat down.
"I got something I want you and Nick to listen to later. I recorded it earlier, I think it might be important."
Back inside the Marshall house, Nick got ready to make his move. He asked Wanda if she would go and get Glynnis to walk him over and introduce him to Marshall. "I can introduce you to him," Wanda said. "I mean I do know him."
"I’m sure that you do," Nick said as they walked. "But if he knows you, then he knows that you work for Mike Black and I want to keep him out of it."
Wanda looked at Nick skeptically. "Okay. As long as you’re not just trying to protect me. I’m a big girl, you know."
Nick looked at Wanda the way a predator looks at his prey. "I can see that."
Wanda smiled. "I can take care of myself," she said as they found Glynnis.
"So, you guys ready to meet the man?" Glynnis asked.
"He is, I’m not," Wanda said. "Nick is afraid that Marshall will connect me to Mike.”
"Yes, that’s right. I didn’t think of that."
"Neither did I," Wanda frowned. "So I’m going home. Will you be all right, Glynnis?"
"Oh sure, Wanda, I’ll be fine with this crowd."
"Okay, then. Will you please call me later, Nick?" she looked at Glynnis. "Just to let me know how things worked out?"
"I promise, I’ll call you later."
Chapter Forty
Nick and Glynnis watched Wanda until she was out of the house. Glynnis turned to Nick. "Okay, handsome, let’s go."
"When we get to him, Glynnis, introduce me as Patrick Mitchell."
"Patrick Mitchell, right."
When Nick and Glynnis approached Marshall he was talking to two men. "Hello Martin," Glynnis said and tapped him on the shoulder.
Marshall turned around. "Glynnis, it’s so good to see you," he said and turned to the men he was with. "Will you gentlemen excuse me?" he asked.
"I’ll give you a call, Marty. We can discuss this further over 18 holes," one of the men said.
"I’ll make some time on my schedule," Marshall promised and the men went away. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Glynnis. Lobbyists, always want something."
"I know how that goes, believe me. I want to introduce you to Patrick Mitchell. Patrick, this is Martin Marshall, he’s a state senator."
"Patrick, right? Good to meet you."
"It’s an honor to meet you sir," Nick said and the two shook hands.
"Oh," Glynnis said. "There goes Chris. I just have to talk to him. I’ll be right back, Patrick." Glynnis hurried away leaving Nick alo
ne with Marshall.
"So, what business are you in, Patrick? Don’t tell me that you’re a lobbyist." Marshall joked.
"No, sir, nothing as complicated as that. I’m a private investigator."
"Really?" Marshall said and laughed a little. "What are you investigating? And please don’t say your’re investigating me."
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about a murder."
"A murder?"
"Tavia Hawkins. Do you know her?" Nick asked and Marshall’s facial expression changed.
"I’m afraid I do. That woman has made a career of writing lies about me. Did she send you?"
"No sir. She was found dead last night."
"Oh my goodness, that’s terrible. How did it happen?"
"An overdose of sleeping pills."
"Sleeping pills? I thought you said she was murdered?"
"I never said she was murdered. I just asked if you know her."
"I see. How can I help you, Mr. Mitchell?"
"I know the story she was working on was about you" Nick lied. "I was wondering what you could tell about that?"
"I have no idea what you’re talking about." Marshall smiled. "But I’d be happy to do what I can to help. Let’s get together and talk about this at another time." Marshall handed Nick his card. "Call me at my office and I’ll look into it. Now if you’ll excuse me."
"Yes, of course, you have guests to attend to and I’m monopolizing your time. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and we can talk more then." Nick extended his hand. "Once again, it was an honor meeting you, sir."
"You as well, I’ll look forward to your call." Marshall stood and watched Nick until he lost sight of him. He looked around the room again and began walking very quickly through the crowd. Marshall approached a man talking to a group of ladies. "Excuse me for interrupting, Ladies. Scotty, can I speak with you in my office. I promise it will only take a minute Ladies, and then you can have him back."
Marshall and Scotty made their way through the crowd to Marshall’s office. By that time, Nick was in the van with Monika and Travis. Marshall entered the office and slammed the door. "I thought you were gonna take care of Hawkins?"
"I did," Scotty answered with blank expression on his face. "I did just like you told me. Made it look like she OD’d on sleeping pills."
"Right. Then maybe you can tell me why I just got finished talking to some private detective about her?"
"What?"
"You heard me. He said he wanted to talk to me about a murder, not a suicide, Scotty, a murder!" Marshall yelled. "He was here, in my house."
"I’m sure that the police ruled her death a suicide. I checked with my source."
"Then it would make sense that the only way he could connect her to me is the evidence."
"Marty, I took care of that, I shredded the paper trail and wiped her files from her work and home computers, I even took any disks she had laying around."
"Then why was he here? Are you sure you didn’t leave anything on her computer?"
"I’m sure. The program I use is called Evidence-Eliminator. It eliminates the specific application files, temp files, system backups, it even wipes Outlook’s deleted items and sent items. And when it’s done, it eliminates the program. You know I’ve used it to clean up hundreds of times and it’s never failed me before."
"Then why was he here?" Marshall asked softly this time.
"I don’t know," Scotty answered in the same tone.
"Then you better find out."
"What’s his name?"
"Patrick Mitchell. He’s going to call me tomorrow. You get on top of this, find out what he knows and who he’s told and do it quick."
"I understand."
"And don’t mention any of this to DeFrancisco, he’s an idiot and he talks too much."
Outside in the van, Monika laughed. "Yeah, asshole, you talk too much too. Got your ass on tape."
"Nick," Travis said. "I was tellin’ Monika that I got something that I recorded earlier that I think you need to hear."
"What’s that, Travis?"
"It’s a recording of two men talkin’. I knew it was important when they started talkin’ about Black. And now I’m sure one of the voices was Marshall’s."
Travis played the recording back for Nick and Monika. After listening to the recording Nick agreed that it was Marshall that Travis recorded.
"But who’s the other guy?" Monika asked.
"Diego Estabon."
Chapter Forty-one
Diego entered his hotel suite and immediately poured himself a glass of Tequila. Although there was a woman lying on the bed, he didn’t speak to her. Diego walked to the window and looked out. As he looked out at the Manhattan skyline he thought about how well things were progressing for him. Tomorrow he would make an easy five million dollars on the sale of prescription drugs and there would be more to come.
Diego had to laugh at his good fortune; he had bought the failing pharmaceutical company years ago as a way to launder his drug profits. It was only recently that he started selling prescription drugs over the Internet, never expecting that there would come a day when he would be able to make that kind of money. And if the buyers were the serious business men that they claimed to be, then this would be just the first of many more such deals.
DeFrancisco had gone to great lengths to assure him that the DEA investigation of Black was moving into the next phase.
Even though he had assured Marshall that the papers would be recovered, Diego was still very concerned that they would become public. Those papers contained detailed information about his drug operation. Although he never told anybody, those papers came into existence because of his carelessness. Her name was Isabelle, or at least that’s what she called herself. She was young and beautiful, and for a time, Diego lost himself in her. Over a three year period, Isabelle worked her way into Diego’s bed and into his confidence. In reality, Isabelle was a deep cover operative for the DEA. It was only by chance that he found her out when DeFrancisco told him that he had gotten wind of a South American operation and mentioned details that he’d heard. Diego knew the only person that could have that type of information was Isabelle.
It hurt him deeply to do it, but he killed her. But it was too late, Isabelle had completed and filed a report, and had turned them over to her control, who she met in Singapore when she and Diego visited there. Diego had him murdered as well, and had made arrangements to recover the report, but things went wrong and the paper got into the open and to this date have not been recovered. He knew that if those papers became public that his associates would be indicted. If that happened they would surely kill him.
His plan was simple, divert as much attention away from himself and his operation by giving them some other high profile target. He would make it appear that Black had ordered the murders of Chilly, Felix and the General and would soon murder D-Train and take over the drug traffic. Diego never forgot that Black caused him to go to jail. He had never gotten over the shame and humiliation that he suffered when Black and Bobby came out of the club. They laughed when they saw him in handcuffs with his face pressed against the hood of his car. There was one other person that he had not forgiven, that was his father, Gomez.
"Diego," the woman said to him. "Aren’t you going to at least say hello to me?"
"Hello, Esperanza," Diego said to her without looking at her.
"Aren’t you glad to see me?" Esperanza asked.
"Overjoyed, my love," he replied and continued to stare out the window.
"Have I done something to displease you?"
"No, my love, everything is fine. Now stop asking me questions."
Esperanza got up from the bed and walked toward Diego. She stood behind him and put her arms around his waist. "I thought that you were going to take me to dinner, Diego?"
"We are still going."
Esperanza moved to Diego’s side. "Don’t you like the way I am dressed, Diego?"
"You look lovely," Diego told h
er, but still hadn’t looked in her direction.
"I knew it," Esperanza said angrily. "You don’t like it."
"I did not say that."
"You didn’t have to, I can tell by the way you said it. You hate it."
"I did not say that, Esperanza. I said that you look lovely. Like a goddess."
"You lie, Diego. So I will take it off," Esperanza said and walked away from Diego undressing. He turned to watch her. "This is how you like me to dress, isn’t it Diego? You love to see me naked, don’t you Diego?" she said and lay across the bed.
"Yes, my love. I love you when you are naked," he said and his cell phone rang. Diego took a deep breath and looked at Esperanza, who had begun to play with herself for his amusement. "Excuse me, my love," he said and answered the phone. "Hello."
"Diego Estabon."
"Yes, who is this?"
"We have your father," the digitally disguised voice said. "And if you ever want him to see him alive again you will do exactly what we tell you. Any deviation from our instructions will cause your father great pain before he dies."
"Who is this?" Diego demanded to know.
"Who I am is not important, who we have is."
"What do you want?"
"You have two days to get five million dollars. Have the money ready by eight o’clock. You’ll receive further instructions."
"I want to talk to my father right now," Diego insisted.
"Diego," Gomez said to his son. "Do what these people say, Diego, and give them what they ask."
"Remember, five million dollars in two days or your father dies," the digital voice said and disconnected the line.
Diego hung up the phone and immediately called his father’s house and his cell phone, but got no answer. There were at least five men at Gomez’s house at all times, had the kidnappers killed them all and took Gomez?
"Is everything alright?" Esperanza asked.
"Shut up." Diego went to the door an opened it. Three of his men were sitting outside. "I want you to go to my father’s house and call me when you get there."