Harold plopped down in his chair, and it let out a loud groan from the sudden burden. “From out here, those lines are starting to look pretty blurry.”
“Just stay between them.”
Harold turned and faced the window. “That’s what I plan to do. Now to the real reason for my phone call. I have an assignment for you and Abigail. I want you to find a way to get us out of this contract with Garcia.”
“If we break that contract, the company will be ruined,” protested Tom.
Harold tapped the heel of his foot. “That’s why I’m asking you to find another way and to keep it between you and Abigail for now. The fewer people that know what you are doing, the less likely it is that Garcia will find out.”
“You really think he’s dirty, don’t you?”
Harold looked out through the window at the sea. The crystal smooth glass had been replaced by small, choppy waves, and the ship began to rock a bit more than usual. “If I thought he was dirty, I would call the CIA, not talk to you. We just need a contingency plan.”
“Okay, but what if you don’t like what I come up with?” asked Tom.
“Make me like it.”
Tom’s long sigh was audible over the phone. “Is there anything else, boss? Should I work on world peace while I’m at it?”
A smile crept across Harold’s face. “Nope. If you do that, we’ll all be out of a job.”
“Good point. I guess that’s why you’re the chairman.”
“Something like that,” said Harold. “I’ll talk to you later. Don’t forget your new project.”
Tom’s voice held an edge of sarcasm, “Yea, I’ll get right on that after I finish Garcia’s little weapons run.”
“Try and do both.”
Tom’s voice was curt, “Goodbye.”
The phone line went dead. Harold looked down at his receiver. “I do believe Tom hung up on me.”
Harold put the phone back in the drawer, locked it, and looked back out over the water. “What am I doing, Dad?” Harold asked the empty room.
He knew leading was tough, but he never imagined he would be making these sorts of decisions. Tom already sounded strained, and he wondered if Tom would be able to keep their secret.
Chapter 16
“I haven’t been spanked this hard since I broke Mom’s vase,” shouted Harold.
The Kodiak bounced along the surface of the water. Looking back at the yacht, Harold only saw a speck on the horizon. Captain Frank was taking her out of the area with all haste. Saltwater splashed on Harold’s lips and stung his eyes.
Joshua’s voice rose above the roar of the large outboard motor, “To be fair, Harry, that vase did have your grandfather’s ashes in it.”
Harold’s lip curled up in the right corner, and he turned his head back to face the direction the boat was going. A small island had begun to come into view. He noticed two high-speed boats anchored just offshore and turned back to the group. “Are those boats Chuck’s?”
“I hope not,” answered Darla.
“They’re friendlies,” said Garcia. “I have it on good authority that Chuck is still an hour away from arriving.”
“Aren’t we meeting with Chuck’s team alone?” asked Harold.
Garcia’s face grimaced in the salty spray, and he answered above the cacophony of sea and outboard engine. “They’ll be gone in under thirty.”
Their boat continued its course, and Garcia beached them with barely a nudge on the small sandy shore. A woman in a tan business dress suit walked up.
“Everyone, this is Alice. She’s handling our little project.”
“You’re late,” exclaimed Alice.
Harold looked at this watch. According to Garcia, they were exactly on time.
“Couldn’t be helped,” said Garcia.
She makes one, thought Harold.
Alice walked them up a small hill and over to a group of chairs sitting under a pop-up awning. The awning was anchored to the sandy ground to avoid it blowing away in the wind. “We have a problem.”
Garcia scowled. “What sort of problem?”
Alice pointed around them towards the sand. “Footprints, lots of footprints.”
“Chuck won’t count footprints.”
Alice smacked her hands together like a school teacher. “Pay attention, everyone. When we arrived, there were several footprints. I was here yesterday, and the only footprints were my own. Chuck was here either last night or this morning.”
Harold and Joshua looked wide-eyed at one another, but Darla appeared to remain calm.
Garcia’s forehead creased and he faced Alice. “Do we have eyes on Chuck and his men?”
“We do, but be aware, Chuck has scouted the island. He probably understands this landscape as well as we do. We swept for bugs, and of course, we are running surveillance of the perimeter.”
“Understood.”
“You all will meet here,” Alice said as her arm swooped around. “Our drone won’t see you, but you’ll be transmitting.”
Garcia responded, “Chuck will expect bugs under the tent. I hope they aren’t hidden in the awning frame.”
“No.”
Harold wondered why Garcia had not asked where the bugs were. His curiosity quickly got the better of him. “Where are the bugs?”
Alice shot him an icy look. “Need to know, and you don’t need to know.”
Now I know where Garcia gets it.
She waved over another woman who was dressed in a dark suit like Alice’s. She rushed over with a tablet in her hand. Alice addressed the new woman, “Alice, share the video with the team please.”
The tablet-toting Alice held up her device. Two small boats traveled at a fast pace along the sea. “They’ll be here in less than an hour.”
She shared a mutual nod with the other Alice then shut down her tablet and dropped it into a DeWalt ToughBox that held other equipment.
After Alice left, Garcia looked at everyone slowly. Harold felt like he was being sized up all over again. He wondered what Garcia expected to happen. Garcia looked over at Darla before she suddenly left to join the four people who were busy packing up.
“Follow me,” said Garcia, and Harold and Joshua fell into line.
“Why isn’t Darla joining us?” Harold asked as they followed the coastline around the tiny desert island. Although the other side was not in view yet, Harold guessed they would reach it in a matter of minutes.
“She knows the drill, and she was with me when we picked this place out.”
“How long have you been planning this?” asked Harold.
“Since you took out John,” answered Garcia flatly.
“When did Darla know?”
“Right before she left to come help me out.”
Joshua interjected, “If I might interrupt.”
“Please,” Harold answered.
“Garcia, I think our concern is the secrets. It’s easy to tell people they only need to know certain things if they trust you, but honestly, the more we hear, the less we trust you. You seemed very cozy with Chuck when we all met. Now you’re saying that you started planning this the day Harold killed John. I think you can understand why we both wonder what other secrets you’re keeping.”
Garcia stopped walking, and he turned to look at Harold and Joshua. “Let me ask you a question. Do you trust Darla?”
“Of course,” said Joshua.
“I already answered that before,” said Harold.
“Good. Well, Darla trusts me. So, if you can’t trust me, then trust Darla’s judgement.”
The three stood in silence for a few moments.
“Fair enough,” responded Joshua finally.
“If that’s good enough for Doc, it’s good enough for me,” said Harold.
“Good.”
Garcia turned on his heel, and their pace quickened. They soon arrived at the other side of the island. Saw grass and sand sat above the waterline. Shallows and reef gently sloped down from the coastline. The shado
ws of two large fish could be seen just below the surface a few yards out.
Garcia finally spoke again. “I wanted you to see why you want to avoid this side of the island. Those fish out there are bull sharks. They were here the last time I was on the island. Well, I don’t know if they are the same fish, but you get the idea. If we’re ever in an emergency, this is not the location to retreat to. Chuck won’t land on this side because I’ve already warned him. It’s easier to defend one front instead of two, and this island only has one side that is favorable for boats.”
Garcia looked at his watch. “Let’s hurry back. If everything is going according to plan, the team has left, and Darla is by herself. Chuck should be here in thirty minutes or less.”
The team found Darla sitting under the awning reading something on her cell phone. She looked up as she slid the phone in her pocket. “It’s about time you all showed back up. I thought I’d have to talk with Chuck’s goon squad on my own.”
“Just giving a tour,” said Garcia.
“How are Alice and Frank?” asked Darla.
“Swimming happily around looking for their next meal,” said Garcia.
Harold chuckled. “You even named the sharks Frank and Alice?”
Darla stood up and walked over to Harold. “Why not? They look like a happy couple.”
“How do you know they’re male and female?” asked Joshua.
“We don’t, but you’re welcomed to check, Doctor.”
“I’ll pass.”
The sound of boat engines grabbed the group’s attention. Harold caught a glimpse of two boats speeding towards the beach. The crafts broke off from one another and began to circle the island. Harold noticed the two overly large outboard motors in the rear. A fifty-caliber machine gun sat mounted on the front. The guns were tied down, unmanned. Although Harold could still hear the muted motors, the boats disappeared as they circled the island. The noise increased as they appeared on both sides of the island, perfectly synced together. The two boats slowed and bit into the sand in the shallow water. Chuck hopped out of one boat by himself with a small splash. He quickly tied the boat off with a small anchor. Nigel and Haidar did the same in the other boat. All three men wore white shorts, tan shirts, and blue nylon shoes that windsurfers and others often used when out on the water.
Chuck walked up the short hill to the awning with the other two men behind him. He gritted a cigar in his teeth as he spoke, “Nice tent.”
“Finally, a bit of bloody shade,” said Nigel.
Haidar just glared at the group. Harold swore Haidar’s dead eyes were drilling straight into his soul, and all he could feel was their anger.
Garcia swept his arm towards the chairs. “Gentlemen, please, have a seat.”
Nigel and Chuck sat while Haidar stood behind Chuck.
Harold sat down. “Haidar, come take a load off.”
Haidar glared at Harold.
What are you waiting for, brat? Kill him. Harold blinked. Was he awake? How was John’s voice inside his head? I’m telling you, kill him. If you don’t, you’ll regret it later.
Harold mumbled, “No.”
“What’s that?” asked Chuck.
Harold glanced at Joshua who was watching Chuck and his men. He hoped the doctor would look at him and catch the concern in his eyes.
“Everything okay, Harry?”
He had hoped for cover, not a question. Harold thought quickly and said, “Yea, I was just saying there’s no reason to stand.”
Chuck removed his cigar and pointed it over his shoulder at Haidar. “Don’t mind him. He doesn’t like crowds.”
“I didn’t realize we constituted a crowd,” said Joshua.
Chuck grinned and exposed bits of tobacco stuck to his teeth. “You got me, Doctor. He doesn’t like people in general.”
“I can assure you, Haidar, we’re no threat,” said Joshua in a soothing voice that Harold had heard many times. He had always found it comforting, but Haidar simply looked annoyed.
“Let’s get started,” interrupted Garcia. “Chuck, we will supply one hundred smart rifles and one thousand rounds of ammunition. Your payment to me will be twenty million dollars, just like we talked about.”
Chuck stuck his cigar in the corner of his mouth and chewed on it for a moment. He pulled it out, spit, and said, “I don’t think so. Your prices are much too steep. I want to pay half of that.”
Garcia replied, “I’m not sure we can go that low.”
Harold suddenly jumped in. “It’s twenty million or nothing.”
Garcia tore off his sunglasses and looked over at Harold. Harold glared back. Joshua finally cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry.” Garcia turned back to Chuck. “I’m afraid my friend has forgotten who’s in charge.”
“No, I haven’t,” chimed Harold. “I think you are both forgetting who owns these weapons. They belong to me. Without me buying into the deal, you have no weapons. I want twenty million or you get nothing.”
Garcia turned. “We’ll discuss this later.”
Chuck reached in his pocket, pulled out his lighter, and lit his cigar. “I like this kid. He’s got moxie, Garcia. You could learn a few things from him. Harold, I accept your terms. They’re steep, but you’re right. You hold the cards this time, and if I was in your position, I’d do the same thing.”
Garcia slid his sunglasses back on and let their reflection remain on Harold.
“So, when do we get a demo?” Chuck asked. “I want to see what it is we’re buying if I’m putting up this kind of money.”
Garcia turned back to Harold, and Harold said, “Don’t look at me. That’s Garcia or Darla’s department. I’m just the supplier.”
“We’ll meet back here in a week for a small demonstration,” Darla said. “If you’re satisfied, we’ll arrange for delivery.”
Nigel whispered into Chuck’s ear, and Chuck nodded. Nigel and Haidar suddenly pulled pistols out from behind their backs and pointed them at Garcia. “Nigel, why don’t you share with the group what you just told me?”
“I was just saying that the CIA bloke seemed a bit useless. It’s like you’re excess baggage. Also, we never swept for bugs. You maneuvered us to these chairs and just started talkin’ business. That doesn’t feel very cricket.”
Garcia drew in his breath and let it out slowly.
“Nervous?” asked Chuck.
Garcia pointed his sunglasses in Chuck’s direction, but Harold was sure he wasn’t looking at him. “Me, nervous? No. I’m just trying to restrain myself from killing your two boys.”
“Nice try, but you can’t get to your weapon that fast.”
“He doesn’t have to.”
A click sounded, and everyone stared at Darla who had a silver revolver pointed towards Chuck’s head. Harold guessed it was at least a forty-five based on the barrel size.
Chuck began to laugh. “I do believe we have what people used to call an old-fashion Mexican standoff.”
Garcia calmly clasped his hands together. Harold’s hands formed into fists and continued to clench tighter until his knuckles turned white. He looked over at Joshua, and the doctor gave his head a small shake while looking back at him.
Garcia finally spoke, “Well, we can all kill each other, or you can sweep for bugs. The choice is all yours.”
Chuck took a long drag on his cigar and blew it towards Garcia’s face. Garcia didn’t flinch. Chuck’s voice was flat, “Lower your weapons, boys.”
Nigel immediately dropped his hand to his side, but Haidar kept his weapon trained on Garcia.
“Haidar, drop your pistol.”
Haidar stood as still as a statue. Chuck moved swiftly and violently. Haidar’s handgun went off right before it left his hand. The bullet tore a hole in the top of the awning. Chuck coiled back his same arm and released a fist into Haidar’s diaphragm. The young man fell to the ground, struggling for air.
“Never disobey an order,” Chuck said. He then pointed at Nigel who left towards th
e beach.
Darla lowered her weapon. “I think you need to screen your help better.”
“He’s still high strung. I should have never given him a weapon. We’ll talk on the way home. I’m sure this won’t happen again.”
Harold could see fear replace the hate in Haidar’s eyes. He was sure he didn’t want to know what sort of conversation Chuck had in mind for his hate-filled compatriot. Haidar finally caught his breath and stood back up.
Chuck barked at Haidar, “Go help Nigel.”
Haidar stepped towards his weapon lying in the sand.
“Touch that, and I’ll kill you myself,” said Chuck.
Haidar stopped, bowed his head, and ran towards the beach. Chuck stood up, picked the gun up off the sand, and wiped it clean. “Well played, Garcia. I believe you’re the man I thought you were.”
Chuck sat back down and turned to Harold. “Why didn’t you take my boys down?”
“I considered it,” answered Harold honestly.
“Considered it? I believe the doctor has made you soft,” Chuck replied mockingly.
Harold could feel his anger begin to burn within his blood. His voice became deeper, despite his best effort to control it. “The doctor has probably saved your life today, and you don’t even know it.”
Chuck’s eyes grew wide for a moment. Harold could feel the fear behind Chuck’s façade, and everything inside urged him to set himself free and allow himself the joy of killing Chuck. After all, it would all be over then, and he could get his company back, but Harold resisted. He reminded himself again and again that killing Chuck would only enrage Garcia, and he might not be able to stop until he killed everyone.
“Why don’t we all relax?” Joshua asked. “If we can’t be friends here in this Caribbean paradise, we should just forget about the deal and all go home.”
Chuck turned his attention back to the other three and quickly replied, “Oh, no, that isn’t necessary. After all, why let one bad apple spoil the bunch? I’ll deal with Haidar. It’s just that I was curious as to what it takes for Harold to jump into action, in a manner of speaking.”
Darla replied, “Pray you never have to find out.”
Harold and the Angel of Death Page 16