A Dubious Terrain (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 4)

by Gerald J Kubicki

  “Well, we are finally making some progress Randy. We have worked so long to just get started. Finally momentum is on our side,” noted Sarah.

  “That is right,” replied Randolph who was looking at Lana in her silky robe. “Why don’t you open your robe for me?” he suddenly asked.

  “Oh no,” Sarah quickly said as she leaned forward and waved her hand to get the girl away from the table. “Lana, why don’t you work on your report for Homeland Security?” Lana nodded and quickly left the table before Randy became too incessant.

  Sarah now turned to her husband and became very serious. “And what about the civilian groups we have hired to help protect the borders?”

  Randolph watched Lana sashay into the house. After she had closed the door, he responded. “Well right now, we are privately funding several groups. They don’t know that they are working for the Effort. Our middleman, Joe Campo, has them believing they work for local businessmen. The private groups don’t have the restrictions the Border Patrol has, particularly in stopping the devilish coyotes. There seems to be a lot less of them around lately,” Randolph remarked with a grin.

  “Yes the latest statistics say that illegal traffic is coming down,” replied Sarah.

  “Our plan is working,” Randy smugly replied.

  “Randy, you do realize that because of the economy, some of the illegals are returning to their old countries,” Sarah said as a devil’s advocate.

  “All the more reason to push this agenda now before the tide turns again. And don’t forget the cartels are using these people to bring in drugs,” Randy pointed out. “Also, the people who return to their old country are a small number.”

  “Now let me ask you a question,” Randy said as he lowered his voice. “What about the rest of the plan, particularly the part slated for tomorrow?”

  “The boys are on the way and will be here on time. We have someone with them to make sure they stick to the schedule,” replied Sarah.

  “This has to be done properly, timing is important.”

  “Do you think she is ready?” Sarah nodded towards the house.

  “Lana will protect me at all costs, even if she has to throw her body in front of mine,” Randy remarked. “But it will be a shame to lose her. She has been my best assistant.”

  “I thought I helped you the most,” Sarah interjected with a pout.

  “Why don’t you open your robe and prove it,” he replied.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Danta Lopez swiveled his chair to look at the security camera screen on his desk. The camera had picked up a car as it entered the large parking lot that surrounded the warehouse on three sides. The car pulled up near the front entrance and then parked. Danta could tell it was a rental by the sticker on the front bumper. A slightly stooped elderly man exited the car and proceeded to enter the building. Danta motioned to his guard to intercept the man and frisk him. When done, the man entered the small warehouse office, carrying a leather satchel. He was dressed in an ill-fitting suit from the nineteen eight’s and looked as mean as an alligator.

  Danta bounced to his feet and stuck out his hand. “Good to see you my friend.” He didn’t really care about the man, but was none-the-less happy to see him.

  The man did not shake the outstretched hand, he just looked at it. He didn’t like Danta Lopez and it showed. The man, Joseph Campo, was a wise guy originally from Chicago. He had come from a good family and had graduated from DePaul University with a degree in Law. He had worked his way up and had been an assistant District Attorney in Cook County in Illinois. Chicago is in Cook County. After a few years Campo decided he could make more money representing criminals as a defense lawyer. That was when he discovered cocaine and was suspended from practicing law in Illinois. Undaunted he moved to Las Vegas and started a very successful practice representing the same clients.

  In Las Vegas he discovered strippers and strippers led him back to cocaine. He lost his practice once again and was down to card hustling when he was recruited. The group he worked for, the Effort, was in need of a go between for some of their activities. Joe fit the bill. He had contacts in the underworld and knew the law. He was also a true racist. At age sixty-six Joe had finally kicked the drug habit and was making a significant living. Danta Lopez was one of his contacts. He had been his supplier when he was on drugs, which is why Campo hated him.

  Without preamble Campo said in a deep raspy voice, “I have half the money. I want an update.”

  Lopez gestured with his hand. He wanted to see the money. Campo opened his bag and neatly stacked several piles of hundreds on the desk. Lopez leered at the money and reached for it. Campo quickly slammed his hand over the money and wagged his finger in the no gesture.

  “You are so official Joe,” announced Lopez in a friendly tone. “Don’t you trust me after all these years?”

  “No,” replied Campo.

  “Very well,” Lopez shrugged. “Get me a secure phone,” he ordered one of his guards. The guard handed him a phone and Lopez pressed a preset number. He put the call on the speakerphone. Within seconds a voice answered in Spanish.

  “Where are you right now? “Lopez demanded.

  The answer came back in Spanish. But before three words were spoken, Campo roared, “in English.”

  The voice started over in clear English. “We are camped out about two miles from the border. I’m told that Homeland Security calls this the Yuma district. We are near a town called Mexicali, it is about fifty miles from Yuma Arizona.”

  “Do you have the boys?” Lopez asked.

  “All three are eager to help and are well supplied.”

  “When are you crossing into the U.S.?”

  “My coyote says that the hole in the Border Patrol coverage will come tonight at midnight. We will cross then. We will be in Las Vegas twelve hours from now.”

  “The timing is critical,” Campo commented. “You had better be here by then.”

  “We have made these crossings many times,” replied Lopez. “They will be here.”

  Lopez hung up the phone without saying goodbye. “Satisfied?” he asked Campo.

  “Not until all this is over,” replied Campo as he headed for the door leaving the money lying on the desk.

  ***

  Lopez sat at his desk and counted the money. He knew that Campo was known to skim some for his own pocket. He then put the eight hundred thousand dollars in his safe. He would transfer it along with all the other money in his safe to the Cayman Islands in the morning. When done, Lopez would have more than one billion dollars squirreled away in his secret bank account. His drug business was that successful.

  His plan was to just disappear during the event. He knew the law was on to him. Several of the cops on his payroll had told him. He also knew his distribution system for drugs and illegals was very good and could be sold. He had a buyer already lined up, but would not get his payment until next week. If the money didn’t materialize so be it, he thought. He had more than enough money.

  As he pondered his future, he realized that he would be happy to give up this life. The constant pressure, the violence, the headaches, and the people in his trade caused him to live in a secure bubble. He had no real freedom. He wondered if his wife and children would miss him. His competitors would surely come after them.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Eric Gray closed his cellphone and returned to the safe house. He didn’t like Danta Lopez either. Eric was tall and slender with blond curly hair and young features. He was thirty-three years old, but looked like a teenage surfer. He was however, much more dangerous. He always carried a guitar and appeared to be a college student seeking adventure. He actually was far from that. He was a mercenary. He was well educated and trained in defending himself. Two knives and a small 22 caliber pistol were hidden in secret compartments in the guitar. Eric didn’t travel on any mass transit routes. He specialized in covert activities. He was fluent in four languages and spoke Spanish like a native. He entered the
safe house and eyed his charges.

  The three young men were huddled in a corner of the front room and fear radiated from each one. They were no longer volunteers for this trip, but understood they must complete their mission, or all their family would be dead. Eric was responsible for delivering this little group of boys to Las Vegas so they could complete their mission. He had picked them up in Ensenada, Mexico three days earlier. They were all under the age of sixteen. He now addressed his small army in Spanish, the only language that they could understand.

  “Hey, buddies,” he said as he tried to raise their spirits. “I just got off the phone with the boss. He is pleased with our progress. Feel good, in just a couple of days you will be back with your families.”

  “But, I miss my family,” one cried while tears rolled down his cheek. “We were told that we would only be gone a week. I want to go back.”

  “Manuel, you know that it is impossible to return without completing your mission,” Eric reasoned with the boy.

  “Why have you done this to us?” he wailed.

  “Hey, I’m trying to help you, do you understand? If you don’t complete your mission, you will have no family left when you return. The boss does not go back on his word. You either complete this mission or your entire family dies. Your sacrifice of a few days of your young life will allow your family to prosper. You should feel good you have such a wonderful opportunity.”

  “But I am scared,” moaned the young man.

  “Nonsense,” replied Gray. “Tell you what, let’s clean our guns and then we can go out back and have some target practice. Sound good?”

  As they worked on the guns Grey wondered about his charges. They were just poor young farmers from central Mexico. They were chosen for their task because they were religious family men. Family was all important to them. They knew they must protect their family. The Cartel knew this too when they showed up at their farm. The boys were told they were needed to perform a task for the Cartel. If they failed to perform, the Cartel would kill all of their relatives and burn the farms. The boys had little choice but to go with Eric Grey and face their faith.

  Eric Grey worried about his mission. This part of the mission was easy. He had traveled this route several times before. Danta Lopez had stolen the route from another, now deceased, drug kingpin. The coyote guide was a veteran of more than fifty crossings and knew every bush along the route. Once Grey and the boys crossed into America a truck would pick them up and drive them to the town of Yuma. Lopez owned a printing shop in Yuma. At the warehouse, the boys would be enclosed in a special deliver truck that had a false back wall. There would be drugs as well as the boys in the enclosed area. The printing delivery truck would then drive to Las Vegas and be unloaded at the Lopez warehouse. This all would be done with the precision of UPS. That part of the mission would be a piece of cake. It was the second part of the mission that worried Grey.

  Part Three

  The Team

  Chapter Twenty

  Colton Banyon walked into his home office and turned on the light. It was after nine o’clock at night and he was already tired, but he had several things on his agenda. He didn’t want Loni around for several of his tasks. He had asked her to go to the mall and pickup several things for their impending trip to Las Vegas. She had readily agreed and dropped him off at the front door of his house and took off still dressed in her little golf outfit. She was that happy to go shopping.

  When they had finished their golf game with Agent Gamble, Banyon had told Agent Gamble the Black Diamond was actually in Las Vegas as of yesterday. Agent Gamble then made a quick call and promised Banyon they would have backup in place if needed. Banyon then told the agent he and Loni were scheduled on the eight o’clock flight in the morning bound for Sin City and would be staying at the MGM hotel on the strip. He said he hoped to have the location of the other items by the time they checked in.

  Banyon and Loni had then stopped at their favorite Chinese restaurant for a little chicken chopped suey for dinner. Banyon had many thoughts running through his mind and was not very talkative. Loni would have none of that.

  “Colt, are you mad at me?” she inquired sheepishly.

  Truly perplexed he replied. “Why would you say that?”

  “You answered a question with a question,” she remarked as if it was a very bad mistake and she was making her point.

  “Loni I am not mad at you, okay.”

  “But you seemed very upset on the golf course when all I was doing was trying to help you. I always try to help you. You know that don’t you?”

  Banyon didn’t want her to know he suspected her of being a little too capable of producing needed items for him, so he evaded the question as best as he could.

  “I’m mad at myself for getting us into this mess. You do realize that once we finish this job for the FBI, they will have another job and then another. They will never stop until we can find a way out. We need to find a way out.”

  “It worries me too, “she admitted as she deftly shoved chopped suey into to her small mouth with chopped sticks.

  “And what if Agent Gamble is compromised or caught? What if the Homeland Security conspirators find out about what we can do? They could lock us up like freaks and only allow us to come out whenever they need us to find something.”

  “You’ll find a way, you always do,” replied a confident Loni. She went back to eating and was done talking.

  ***

  Banyon wasn’t too sure as he prepared to talk to Wolf from his office later that evening. Finally he spoke.

  “Wolf, are you there?”

  “Of course,” the reply sounded inside his head.

  “Are you still able to see the Black Diamond?”

  “Yes, the location has not changed. It is in a safe in a room at the MGM.”

  “Good, have you located the other items?”

  “Not yet. It will take some time to find them.”

  “Why?”

  “They were secreted in different secure facilities and I have to go back in history to find them. I should be able to give you further information by tomorrow morning.”

  “I thought you can see anything. Are you telling me that isn’t true?” a frustrated Banyon spoke.

  “Yes, of course, I can view all history. But it takes time to review. If I knew a date, or which facility, it would be easier.”

  “But, you can do it, right?”

  “It will be done.”

  Suddenly curious, Banyon asked, “Wolf, how do you see yourself? I mean do you have a body? Do you stand, or are you seated? Do you eat or sleep?”

  “That’s a lot of questions.”

  “Can you answer any of them?”

  “I will do my best. My spirit is the same age as when I died. So I’m mentally around ninety. But I can change my body and environment anytime that I wish. Right now I am piloting my cruiser on the Great South Bay on Long Island. I have no need for food, but I can eat anytime and anything just by thinking about what I want to eat. It does not affect me at all. My spirit provides the energy. It is boundless.”

  Banyon was truly fascinated. He thought for a minute before he continued. “How are you able to view anything from this world?”

  “I have a window, a large window that I look through. It is like a large computer screen. I can even divide it into several sections at the same time. That way I can do research and watch you at the same time.”

  “Do you see others like yourself?”

  “Mostly I see people from my past. I wave to them and even sometimes have a conversation, but it is all in my head.”

  “But, you have seen other spirits, right?”

  “Yes, of course, there are many here. We sometimes talk, but most are as busy as I am and want to complete their curse and move on.”

  “When will your curse end?”

  “I have no idea. I suppose when all the old Nazis are gone.”

  On impulse Banyon asked the next question. He would regre
t it later. “Am I the only one that you are watching?”

  “No,” It came as a chilling reply.

  “Who else are you watching Wolf?”

  “It is not your concern,” Wolf said in a frosty voice. He then added. “Remember, my curse is to watch for old Nazis. There are others involved.”

  “What others?” Banyon asked.

  “There are others that I am responsible for.”

  “Who are they?” Banyon pressed.

  “There is no need for you to know about them. They do not affect you.”

  Shocked by this revelation, Banyon really didn’t know what to ask next. He pondered the information and decided that he needed to move on with the conversation as Loni was due back at any second.

  “Okay, I respect that. What have you found out about Loni?” Banyon was very apprehensive as he was afraid that Loni was also supernatural.

  “Colt,” Wolf started, “I am sorry to say that I can’t find anything that would indicate that Loni is a witch. I am sorry.”

  Banyon was actually thrilled to find out that his partner and girlfriend was normal. Wolf seemed disappointed.

  “Can you offer any explanation about her ability to produce what I need, whenever I need it?”

  “Actually you are wrong. She only can do that sometimes. I have studied your history.”