by David Archer
“Now, that’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” Chance followed his grandmother in to the kitchen, and ended up peeling potatoes for her.
TWELVE
The following morning, Chance told his grandmother that he was going to take care of some personal business. “I have to go all the way to Lexington,” he said, “so I may be back pretty late. Don’t wait up for me if it gets late, okay, Grandma?”
“I won’t,” she said. “You’re a grown man, Chance, and I know you can take care of yourself. Just be careful, though, okay? You need to remember that there are some crazy people out there in the world.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said. He walked out the door, got into his truck, checked the glovebox to make sure all the cash was still there, then started it up and drove away. As he drove, he said to himself, “And I’m one of the craziest of the bunch.”
Getting to the old coal mines took only a few minutes, and sure enough, the gate was standing open. Chance drove through it and followed the road back to the old concrete buildings that had been abandoned since long before he was even born. As he got close to them, he saw Oscar standing beside a large open door on what must’ve been the equipment shed.
Calling it a shed would’ve been a massive understatement. The building was huge, standing three stories tall and covering probably three acres of ground. There was a solid concrete floor throughout the building, and Chance followed Oscar inside and parked the truck beside Oscar’s car.
“Buenos dias , Mr. Reddick,” Oscar said. “You are early.”
“Yeah, well, I just didn’t figure you’d like waiting. How much of this money you think I need to bring with me today?”
“Each of those bundles is ten thousand dollars,” Oscar said. “I think if you bring two of them, that will be plenty of money today. As Señor Baldizon said, you do not want a new car, nor one that costs a lot of money. You simply want one that is dependable, but which will not be noticed so easily.” He patted the roof of his Chevy Malibu. “Something like this. There are many of these everywhere you look, and no one ever seems to notice them.”
Chance nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “I was trying to remember this morning what kind of car you drive, and I couldn’t, even though I’ve been in it. Of course, I was a little tense that night.”
Oscar laughed. “And by tomorrow, you will have forgotten it again. You should also remember that most people will remember a car that is painted in a bright color. This one is a pale green, and people never remember that about it. If you go back to Señor Baldizon and ask him or any of his family what color is my car, they will not know.”
“Okay,” Chance said. “So I want a car that is a few years old and in a dull color. If I start to look at something you think would be wrong, you be sure to tell me, okay?”
“Of course, Señor Reddick,” Oscar said. “That is part of the reason I am here.” He climbed into his car and got behind the wheel, motioning for Chance to follow. Chance watched him for a moment, then opened the passenger door and slid in beside him.
“It will take almost two hours to get to Lexington,” Oscar said. “Along the way, we can talk about your first assignment.” He reached into a pocket inside his suit jacket and withdrew a photo that he handed to Chance. “The man in this photo is Benito Morales. Until three years ago, he was Señor Baldizon’s most trusted friend. Benito, he worked with Señor Baldizon for many years, when they were in Texas. When Señor Baldizon came to Kentucky, Benito, he stayed behind to run the business there. Unfortunately, when there is a large amount of money involved in any sort of friendship, it is difficult to know who can be trusted and who cannot. Señor Morales chose to betray Señor Baldizon by stealing a very large sum of money. It was more than three million American dollars, and he killed two of Señor Baldizon’s men while he did so.”
Chance stared at the photograph, but not because he was interested in Morales. The photo was of a family, and the young woman sitting beside the balding, older man was incredibly lovely. She was smiling for the camera, but there was something about the smile that told Chance that it was not real. This was a woman who was afraid, but the sparkling diamond on her finger indicated that she was probably Morales’ wife. For a wife to be fearful of her husband, Chance figured there was something about the marriage that hadn’t necessarily been her choice.
“His wife looks awfully young,” he said to Oscar. “Think she was just in it for the money?”
Oscar shook his head. “Benito had money, but that meant nothing to Gabriella,” he said. “He came from Guatemala at the same time that I did, but Gabriella’s family had come many years earlier, before she was born. She grew up in America, but her papa , he had once been a part of the Zetas cartel, like us, but he became afraid and abandoned it when he came to this country. Benito recognized him, and threatened to expose him as a coward, but her father offered Gabriella to him for a wife in exchange for his silence. Benito agreed, and the girl was forced to marry him.”
“The way she looks in this picture,” Chance said, “I get the impression she was afraid of him. You think he was abusive?”
“I do not think,” Oscar said, “I know. I saw Gabriella more than once with bruises all over her face. Benito was a cruel man, and there is no doubt that he was very cruel to her, and to their children.”
Chance looked at the children in the photo, but they were barely more than babies. Boys, from the look of their clothing.
“Okay, he sounds like a piece of dirt. And Mr. Baldizon wants me to take him out?”
Oscar glanced at him, then turned his eyes back to the road. “Benito Morales is dead,” he said. “Señor Baldizon found him just about two years ago, and he tried to deny that he had taken the money, but there was no one else who could have done so. When Señor Baldizon asked him where he hid the money, Benito insisted that he knew nothing.” Oscar shrugged. “Señor Baldizon, he got angry. He was trying to beat the truth out of Benito, but Benito was not as tough as he looked.”
“He died?”
“Yes. Señor Baldizon, he is a very powerful man. He did not intend for Benito to die at that time, but he struck him very hard. Blood came from his ears, and then he died.”
“Then, what do you want me to do? If he is already dead, I mean…”
“Gabriella has the money,” Oscar said, “but she has been hiding for the last two years. Señor Baldizon would like you to find her, and find his money. He says that if you do this, he will give you half a million dollars as a reward. Once you have found the money, then you are to kill Gabriella, but do not harm her children. We never harm children, do not forget that.”
Chance stared at the photo, and felt his stomach churning. Baldizon wanted him to kill this beautiful young woman? That was almost impossible to believe, but then there was the fact that she and her husband had apparently stolen millions of dollars. The thought of killing a woman made him feel queasy, but at the same time, the thought of half a million dollars was intriguing.
“What happens if I can’t find out where the money is?” Chance asked. “Does he still want her dead?”
Oscar turned and looked him in the eye. “Everyone must know,” he said, “that to betray Señor Baldizon is to invite Santa Muerta , The Lady of Death. You will still be paid well, even if you do not find the money.”
Oh, well, Chance thought. She must have known what the risks were when her husband stole the money, and if she isn’t giving it back, then she’s bought her own casket.
“Any idea where she is? You said she’s been hiding, and I wouldn’t have a clue how to go about trying to find her.”
Oscar nodded his head. “Señor Baldizon, he has a way of learning what he wants to know. Gabriella’s mother has been getting letters from a place in Nevada, a place called Clarksville. Someone at the post office in Texas, where she was from, opened one of the letters and made a copy, and gave it to Señor Baldizon. It was from Gabriella, so we have some idea of where she is.”
; “Nevada? That’s a long way from here.”
“Yes, it is,” Oscar said, “but it should not take you very long to find her. She wrote to her mother that she has a farm, some land that Benito purchased. She and her children live there, and it seems she is smart enough not to spend a lot of money at any one time. As far as the people who live near her know, she is always struggling. We believe she is waiting for some time, before she will take the money and go somewhere else. She will probably change her name, and then she will feel it is safe to spend the money.”
“Well,” Chance said. “I’d have to say it’s a pity that such a pretty lady is dumb enough to cross a man like Mr. Baldizon, but she can’t blame anybody but herself.” He looked over at Oscar. “How soon should I leave?”
“First, you should buy a car. Then, I will take you to a man who will sell you weapons, because you will sometimes need new ones. Whenever you use a weapon to kill, be certain to dispose of it. Never use the same weapon twice, it is bad luck.” He shrugged. “After that, you can go whenever you like. The sooner this is done, the happier will be Señor Baldizon.”
THIRTEEN
Chance bought himself a five-year-old Ford Taurus. The car was a pale blue, and the paint was slightly faded. To Chance, it was about as nondescript as a car could be.
“This is a good choice,” Oscar said. “Very few people will ever notice this car, and that is a good thing. Now, follow me. I will show you where to buy weapons.”
They left the used car dealer and Chance followed Oscar through the city. They passed straight through downtown Lexington, and finally came to a stop at a small shopping center. The gun store occupied three of the storefronts, and Oscar led Chance straight inside and toward the back.
A big man in a black leather cowboy hat was standing behind the counter. He smiled when he saw Oscar.
“Oscar,” he said. “What can I do for you today?”
Oscar pointed at Chance with a thumb. “This is Señor Reddick. He will be a new customer for you, and he will need many things from time to time. Señor Baldizon asked me to tell you that he would appreciate it if you would show Señor Reddick every courtesy that you have shown to him.”
The big man smiled at Chance. “I’m Billy,” he said. “What he just said was that Mr. Baldizon expects you to be able to buy anything you want, and that’s good enough for me. Any idea what you’re looking for?”
Chance was staring at the thousands of handguns and rifles that were on display in cases and on the walls.
“I don’t really know that much about handguns,” Chance said. “What’s good?”
Billy cracked up laughing. “Well, now, that depends on what you want to use it for. Do you want something that’s going to knock a man flat on his ass, or something that’s going to take him out gently and quietly?”
Chance grinned sheepishly. “Is there something right in the middle of that? Something that might do both?”
Billy reached into one of the display cases and brought out a pistol. It was black, and looked rather large. “This is a Maxim 9,” Billy said. “It’s a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with an integral sound suppressor. It’s far from silent, but it’s a whole lot quieter than any other gun with this kind of power. If you expect to be trying to keep the noise levels down, this is about as good as it gets.”
Chance took it and held it out in front of him, as if aiming it. “It’s not nearly as heavy as it looks,” he said.
Oscar leaned over and looked at the gun, then turned to Billy. “Is the range clear?”
“I was just about to suggest that,” Billy said. “Why don’t you follow me, and I’ll let you put a few rounds through it. That’s the best way to decide whether you like a gun or not, by actually shooting it.”
Billy opened up a gate in the counter, and Chance followed him into a hallway that led to an enclosed, indoor firing range. There was no one else in the range at the moment, and Billy handed Chance a pair of ear protectors and a box of 9 mm ammunition.
“Those are hollow point rounds,” Billy said. “Generally speaking, they’ll go through just about anything, but they’re not armor piercing. In most situations, they’ll do exactly what you need by spreading out and doing the maximum amount of damage. They’re going to stop just about anybody, no matter how determined he might be.”
Chance loaded six rounds into the magazine, put on the sound suppressors and took aim at the target that was downrange from the booth he was standing in. It took him a couple of shots to get the hang of the gun, but the last four struck the man-shaped target right where the heart would be.
Even with the sound suppressors, Chance could tell that the gun wasn’t nearly as loud as most. Oscar was standing a few feet away, and wasn’t even covering his ears.
Chance turned to Billy. “I’ll take it,” he said. “In fact, give me two of them, and four boxes of ammunition.”
Billy grinned. “No problem,” he said. “Now, what about a backup piece? For that, I’m thinking you need something very quiet, for real, up-close work.” He turned to a shelf behind him and took down a small semiautomatic pistol that had a short, thick silencer attached to the barrel. “This is a Ruger twenty-two with a CDL silencer. Ten rounds in the magazine, twenty-two long rifle rounds, and these are also hollow points. Check it out, see what you think.”
Chance turned around and checked the magazine, saw that it was loaded and then opened fire on the target. Unlike the Maxim, he had no trouble sending each round exactly where he wanted. The face area of the target was suddenly peppered with holes.
Chance nodded, a grin on his face. “That’s pretty sweet,” he said. “I’ll take two of these, as well, and four more boxes of the right ammunition.”
They went back to the front of the store, and by the time Chance left he had four pistols, eight boxes of ammunition, assorted accessories and holsters and three switchblade knives. Billy was seven thousand dollars richer, and Oscar kept watch while Chance carried it all out to the trunk of his new Ford.
Once the trunk was closed, Chance turned to Oscar. “You can tell Mr. Baldizon that I’ll be heading out tomorrow morning. I need to catch up with you later, to get my pickup truck and take it home.”
Oscar shook his head. “No, we need to leave this car at the coal mine,” he said. “You do not want anyone to know that you have it, just yet, so leave it there and exchange your truck for it when you leave. Also, there are a number of license plates hidden there at the mines. You can take a few with you, so that you can switch them out for your real one. That way, even if someone notices your car and gets the license number, it will not lead the police back to you.”
Chance grinned at the old Guatemalan. Oscar appeared to be in his fifties, but might have been older than that.
“You’ve been doing this thing for a while?” Chance asked.
“I first joined the cartel when I was nine years old,” Oscar said. “The very first man I killed was my uncle, because he had done nothing when my father was killed. That was before my tenth birthday, and it made me a man in the eyes of the Zetas. I have been serving Señor Baldizon for more than twenty years, now.”
Chance looked into his eyes for a moment. “Do you ever feel any regrets?”
“Every day,” Oscar said. “Come. We must go and get your truck, so you can make your preparations to leave tomorrow.”
Chance got into his Taurus and followed Oscar out of Lexington. When they got close to Silver Bell, they stopped at the abandoned coal mine and left the Taurus in the equipment shed. Chance got into his truck and drove home, working on the story he was going to give his grandmother when he got there.
It was almost 6 o’clock by the time he got back to the farm, and Chance wasn’t surprised to find that Grandma had held dinner for him. She had made fried chicken, which she knew was his favorite, and he was delighted as they sat down to eat.
“Grandma,” he said, “I’ve been offered a chance to make some money. I know things are kind of tight around here
right now, so I thought it might be a good idea. I ran into somebody up in Lexington who offered me five thousand dollars to go with him out to California, to buy some horses. You’ll be all right here for a week or two, won’t you?”
The old woman looked at him, and Chance had the feeling she could see right through him. “How did you happen to run across this deal?”
“Well, I went up to Lexington to see Bud Solomon, you remember him? He’s the guy who deals in the Arabian horses up there. He introduced me to a guy named John Miller, because Miller is going into the horse business and doesn’t really know a whole lot about buying studs. Bud told Mr. Miller that I was one of the best around when it came to picking horseflesh, and that’s when he made the offer.”
“Arabian horses?” Grandma asked. “But you don’t know anything about Arabian…”
“No, Mr. Miller is buying quarter horses,” Chance interrupted. “That’s why Bud thought I’d be the right guy to go with him. We’re planning to leave early tomorrow morning, I’m supposed to meet him over in Madisonville.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out ten one hundred dollar bills. “He went ahead and gave me part of the money in advance,” he said. “Here’s a thousand of it, in case you need to pay any bills while I’m gone or anything. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of weeks, at the most. If it goes longer, he said he’ll pay extra and I can send you some more money.”
The old woman’s eyes opened wide, and she picked up the money he had laid on the table. “Well, it will definitely help,” she said. “Things haven’t been nearly as good since you went to school. We haven’t sold nearly as many horses, and the farm crop doesn’t bring us any money.”
Chance grinned at her. “I know,” he said, “but the good part is that Bud says he can get me jobs like this all the time. He figures I can make more money as a horse consultant than we ever did selling horses of our own.”