Chapter 7

A day of rest and betrayals

The plane landed on the small landing strip in the middle of a wheat field. The plane pulled around to the terminal, which was just a little shack with a radar tower and large glass windows. The engines came to a stop and the door opened up and the steps were pushed down and made contact with the ground. Brian looked out from the cabin at the tiny shack and the wheat fields surrounding them. He walked down the steps and was greeted by a short man in blue jeans and a denim shirt. His short hair came down just past the top of his ears and his rugged unshaved face was covered in dirt.

"You Tony Oprita?" the man asked Brian.

"No, that's him right here." He said pointing to the last man off the plane.

The man walked over to Tony and greeted him. They talked for a second and walked over to where the other men were standing. Tony nodded as they walked back to Dieter and Brian. They stopped and Tony looked at Dieter and Brian.

"Looks like we got a short helicopter ride to his estate. This man's our driver and he's going to take us there. We have to hurry, he's got some important business to attend to. So c'mon lets get a move on and head out." Tony said as the put his arms around Dieter and Brian's backs and began to walk.

The men walked through the tiny shack of a Terminal and headed around front where a helicopter was sitting right in the middle of a tiny road. The men climbed up into the cramped cockpit and buckled up. Tony sat up front right next to the driver, the driver looked back and gave the men the thumbs up and started the engine. The blades began to turn and kick up dust covering the tiny shack. The helicopter began to slowly rise up into the air, it got over the shack and banked left and headed out over the wheat fields. Dieter and Brian looked out at the expanse of Wheat fields that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.

"How long of a ride do we have before we reach the estate?" Dieter asked the driver as he looked out the window on the fields.

"About 15 minutes, nothing too long. You'll know when we reach it, it goes from wheat fields to a forest and a creek. You'll spot it easily, it's quite a large compound some 16,000 acres."

"Wow, that's big." Dieter said as he still looked out the window.

No one else said another word as they passed over more fields of wheat and corn. Finally Dieter looked up and saw what he thought to be a forest in the distance. He moved towards the front of the helicopter and pointed it out to the pilot.

"Is that the forest right there?"

The pilot scanned the horizon and nodded, "Yup, that's the forest right there. We should be arriving in 5 minutes."

Dieter nodded and looked back out the window at the fields and the coming forest. Shortly, the forest was right under them and in the distance was a giant complex of buildings and facilities. The men looked out the window at the large house and stared in shock and awe. The helicopter began to descend as it approached the helipad on the roof of the main house. The helicopter landed with a thud as it hit the helipad. The men opened the doors and got out of the helicopter and walked over to a old man in a black tuxedo standing by a staircase.

"You must be Mr. Black's guests. Please follow me." The man said as he walked into the staircase.

The men looked at each other confused then nodded and followed the man down the dimly lit staircase. When they reached the landing at the bottom they found they were in a great hall room filled with tapestries and paintings from world renown painters such as Picasso and Vangoh. The men walked through the great hall admiring the paintings and the richly painted walls and ceiling. They walked through a doorway into a spacious entry way. They looked around at the rich peach color on the walls and ceiling and the giant Chandelier hanging above. The butler showed the men up the large staircase and to the 2nd floor landing that over looked the entry way. The landing was a large open carpeted area with large leather chairs and couches. Tony walked over to a balcony opposite the stairs and looked over the wooden railing. He could see straight down 2 stories to the living room below and above a ceiling 2 stories above. He turned slowly to the men and the butler who began to walk down a long hallway. He caught up to them and walked next to Brian.

"How old is this house?" Tony asked the butler who was up ahead of them.

"About 3 years old. There was an old house that was here before this one, a small farm house, but Mr. Black tore it down built this and a forest."

Tony nodded as he followed the butler to a 4 way junction. The red carpet and pale walls spread out in every direction with a set of chairs and a table in the center of the space. The butler walked down the hall way to the right and stopped at the first door and opened it. Behind the door was a very large spacious room with a large 4 poster bed next to a window over looking the back of the house and the buildings below. There were chairs spewed about the room and a large grand piano in the corner. The walls were a light green color and were adorned with paintings and pictures. The butler walked across the wood floor to the bed and set his hand on it.

"A Mr. Dieter, this will be your room. So please make yourself at home and enjoy."

Dieter nodded and walked over to his bed and sat down. He picked up a remote and opened the curtains and stared out at the surrounding area. He could see the other wing of the building on the far right side of the window. He turned around and saw the other 2 men leave with the butler.

The men walked out the room and headed towards the hallway to their right. They walked down the hall way to the first door. The butler opened the door and walked over to the bed. The room looked identical to the other one, Brian walked over to the bed and sat down. The butler nodded and walked out the door with Tony. Before they left, Brian got up and walked to the door.

"Wait, how do we contact each other and can we walk around once we get situated here?"

"Yes, you can and to contact each other use the phones, Dieter's room is number 111 and yours in 117 and Tony's is 122. And you can walk around but I am under strict orders not to have you out at night and there are armed guards patrolling the compound so watch out if you're out late."

Brian nodded and walked back over to the bed and laid down. The butler and walked out of the room and down the last remaining hallway. Again like everyone else, Tony was placed in the first room. He walked over to the window and looked out the window and the scenery. The large maze of buildings covered the ground and the trees in the back seemed like a fence, this is like a prison he thought. He walked over to the phone and dialed Brian's number, the phone rang and then the familiar voice of Brian was heard.

"Hello?"

"Brian, it's Tony, I'm thinking of taking a look around this place, care to join me?"

"Sure, what of dieter?"

"Why not, he can come. Now, let's go." Tony said as he hung up the phone and walked to the door.

He opened the door and walked to the set of chairs in the middle of the hall. He sat down and waited for the other 2 men to join him. Brian and Dieter walked out of their rooms and headed towards Tony. The men all sat in the chairs and looked around then back to Tony.

"What's the plan?" Dieter asked.

"We're just going to walk around and see what we can find here. That's all nothing too bad." Tony replied.

Brian and Dieter nodded as Tony got up. They walked down the hallway towards the great entryway. They reached the landing above at the top of the stairs in the entryway and looked over the balcony railing to the living room below. Dieter stared over the railing in awe.

"Wow, this is big."

Tony and Brian ignored him and walked down the stairs to the marble floor of the entryway. Dieter ran down the stairs and followed them into a large what seemed to be ballroom with a grand piano and 3 large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They walked through the ornately painted room to the double doors at the back of the room. Brian opened the doors and walked into a large library study room. They looked around at the number of books in the room, it was astonishing. The room was almost 3 stories tall and it seemed to go down another with a steel staircase leading down. Tony walked over to a large oak desk on the far side of the room in front of a fireplace. He sat down in the elegantly stitched chair and leaned back. He felt as if he were in a position of power in that chair, like he was a big shot. He began to shuffle through the drawers of the desk looking for anything that would help with identifying who their boss really was. Nothing, he could not find anything, he took all the papers off the desk and put them back in the drawers and got up.

"I couldn't find anything in the drawers, nothing. No sign of who he is and what he does. And everyone around here seems to call him Mr. Black."

Brian nodded and walked over to the staircase that led below the wooden floor of the library. He walked down the creaking steps into a large open room filled with paintings and jewelry all encased. He ran back up the steps and grabbed Dieter and Tony and dragged them down the steps. The 3 men stared in awe at the collection before them, it was immaculate, incredible. Priceless pieces of art and jewelry all before them, it was amazing. The men walked down the long stone corridor towards a large wooden door at the end of the hallway, admiring all the work as they walked along.

The large wooden door looked impenetrable and formidable as the men walked up to it. The large circle that was the handle was just hanging there, Tony reached out and grabbed it. He pulled and the door inched open little by little. Finally, the door swung open revealing a large cavernous room filled with more paintings, it looked just as the hallway leading to the room had, but Tony noticed something on the far side of the room, a door, he walked over to it and opened it. Inside it was a large steel lined room filled with weapons and ammunition. Tony and Brian walked around the room staring at all the weapons that adorned the walls.

Tony walked over to a large Assault rifle on the far wall; he picked it up and held it in his hand. It brought back memories of when he first started off in Vice and the jobs he did. He set the gun back and walked out of the room. Brian and Dieter looked at him as he walked out of the weapon vault and the storage room and down the hallway. He walked up the steel steps and back into the office and sat at the desk looking out at the books.

Meanwhile, In Riverton Mr. Blacks helicopter landed in a small field outside of the tiny town. The rain had been coming down for over an hour and it didn't seem to let up. He opened the door and quickly got out and headed to the waiting Jaguar nearby. He got in the backseat and looked at the driver and nodded. The car started up and drove down the soggy water filled dirt road towards the town. He looked back and saw the helicopter taking off and heading back to the airport. He looked out the window and the rain drenching everything and the tiny town around the bend. His contact would be waiting for him just as he told him to be waiting, a tiny restaurant in the heart of town.

The car drove through the tiny town and stopped in front of the tiny restaurant. Mr. Black got out and walked inside the restaurant and brushed the water off his shirt. He stepped inside the crowded diner and looked for his contact; then he spotted him sitting in the far corner of the restaurant alone sipping a coffee. He walked through the restaurant and sat down across from the man. The man was a young man with dark black hair and a worn leather jacket. He sat in silence staring and Mr. Black. Mr. Black reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a manila folder and set it down in front of the man. He waited for the man to read through the information; finally the man looked up at Mr. Black.

"Fido, you know you mission and what you are to do. I have the makeup kit in my car waiting outside. We are to disguise you so no one recognizes you at all. As usual you are to keep quiet and do as you are instructed. Further instructions past that point are on the papers. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Mr. Love, I understand your orders."

"Please, from now on, reefer to me as Mr. Black. Now please, follow me to my car and we can discuss this further." He said as he got up out of the booth and stood there.

The man followed him and got up and walked towards the door. They walked out into the rain and walked over to his jaguar idling in front of the restaurant where he left it. They climbed in the back and Mr. Black pulled out the large suitcase; he set it on his lap and opened it up. He pulled out the fake lining of clothes and set the case on the mans lap. He looked at the case and the contents inside, he smiled as he closed the case.

"Mr. Black, what am I to do with the men once we get inside the building?"

"You're to screw up the operation. Cause anything to go wrong, I will have men ready to jump in and take them down. All you have to do is give the signal. The plan is, you men enter the facility and neutralize the guards at the front of the building. The security system will be out before you get it, you have to remember to take it down. But, what you're really going to do, is set it on a timer, giving you about 10 minutes to get it neutralize everyone and get to the money. You're going to cause something to screw up and waste time. When you do that and finish it, the alarm should go on and my men will jump into position and take them down. Everyone but you will be neutralized and then I will enter and we will make our way to the money. We will put it into duffle bags and bring it over to my truck I will have waiting outside. We load the truck then drive off leaving them there."

Fido nodded and looked at the pictures of the men he had been given. He smiled as he looked at Tony's picture. He looked out the window as the town disappeared into the rain behind them. He stared out the window at the scenery rushing by as the car headed to a remote airstrip outside of town.

The car reached the airstrip and drove up next to a Gulf Stream 4 and parked by the stairs that led inside. The men got out of the car and hurried up the stairs and into the luxurious jet. Fido sat down in the very back and Mr. Black sat across from him. The cabin door shut and the plane began to move forward down the tarmac. The plane lifted off and Fido remembered his fear of flying as he gripped the armrest of the seat firmly and closed his eyes. The plane reached cruising altitude and he lessened his grip on the armrest.

Mr. Black got up and picked up the case and set it down next to Fido. He opened the case up and pulled out the makeup kit and began to apply it to his face transforming his look so no one would notice him. The plane continued to fly through the rain and Mr. Black continued to apply the make up. Finally he finished and looked at Fido, he barley recognized him.

"Perfect, no one could ever recognize you now. Now the plan is set into motion." He said to Fido as he held up a mirror and Fido looked at himself. He could barley recognize himself.

Meanwhile, Tony sat alone in the library looking through the drawers again for any hint of who their boss was. He heard the clank of footsteps as Brian and Dieter came back up the steps and stepped into the library. They looked at Tony who looked distraught.

"What's wrong Tony?" Brian asked.

"Nothing, I just want to know who this guy is, that's all."

The men nodded and walked out of the library into the kitchen. They saw the butler working over the stove making lunch. The men sat down at the table and waited as he gave them their meals. The men ate the meals and invited the butler to join them, but he declined. Brian looked over before he left the kitchen and whistled to him. He turned around and looked at him.

"Where is the garage?"

"Go out the front door, walk around the stone path that runs parallel to the dirt road and it will lead you to the garage. All the keys are hanging on hooks on the wall."

Brian nodded and the butler headed out of the kitchen. The men finished their soups and set the bowls in the sink and headed out towards the garage. The air outside was warm and crisp, it was a beautiful day outside. They walked along the stone path and finally came upon a 2 story grey stone building. The doors were open and they walked right in. Inside the first floor there were a few Ferraris parked along the back wall and a Shelby cobra and a Bentley Azure in the center of the garage. The men walked around the cars admiring their beauty. Tony walked up the ramp that led to the 2nd floor. He arrived at the landing and looked at the Dodge Viper and the Pagani Zonda That were the only two cars on the floor. He walked up to the Bright Yellow Zonda and rubbed his hand on the hood of the car. It was a beautiful car, the most beautiful car he had ever seen, reluctantly he walked away from the car and headed back down to the ground floor.

"Hey guys, there's another floor beneath this one!" Dieter yelled.

Tony and Brian walked over to where Dieter stood. He stood in the entryway of a large car elevator. The men walked inside and pushed the down button. The elevator ascended down to a basement car garage. The doors opened and the men stepped out. They looked upon hundreds of cars, vintage and new. They walked through the maze of cars looking at the Aston Martins and the Porsches and the Lamborghini's that comprised part of the car collection. The men were astonished at the amount of cars Mr. Black owned. They walked back to the elevator and took it back to the first floor. They walked over to the Bentley and opened the doors. Tony walked over to the wall and got the key and sat in the driver seat. He put the key in the ignition and the car started up. He carefully drove the car out of the garage and put the top down. He drove the car away from the garage and to the main road. He reached the main road and hit the gas and the car took off. The wind blew through their hair as Tony sped along the winding road that wove throughout the fields.

They reached a 4 Way Street, Tony got out and Brian got in the driver seat and began to drive. He zipped through the long road. The sun shined brightly reflecting off the cars metallic blue paint. It was a relaxing day for the men, they all enjoyed it. Brian reached another intersection and got out and Dieter got in the driver seat. He turned the car around and headed for the Estate.

As they headed back to the estate, in the distance the rumble of a helicopter could be heard closing in. Tony looked back and saw the helicopter heading in the direction towards the estate. The helicopter flew over head kicking up dust and rattling the wheat in the fields. Dieter stepped on the gas and gunned the car back towards the estate. The helicopter could barley be seen in the distance ahead, hidden by the rays of the sun. Dieter kept his foot on the pedal as they came towards the gates of the house. They could see the helicopter setting down on the helipad, he slide the car around the curved drive that leads to the garage, kicking up dust as the car slid. The car slid into the garage and dieter parked it and everyone got out of the car and headed back inside.

They encountered Mr. Black Walking into the foyer as they entered the front door. Behind Mr. Black walked Fido who was barley recognizable in his makeup and outfit. The two men walked into the foyer and stood in front the other men who just entered the foyer. Mr. Black smiled as he held his arms out.

"Gentlemen, I have our final piece of the puzzle. Now we can get started for the job I have assembled you all for. And I know you took the Azure out, I don't mind, that's why I let Gerard direct you towards it. Oh, this is your new counterpart for the mission, Frank. Frank, please step forward."

Frank stepped forward and looked at the men. His faded pants and his leather jacket had been replaced with khaki shorts and a long sleeve red dress shirt tucked into his shorts. His short black hair was now blonde and down to his shoulders but tied back in a pony tail. He had a slight goatee and thin side burns. He shook the men's hands without saying a word just nodding. He stepped back behind Mr. Black and looked at the men.

"Now, Let's get situated for the job, We'll have a meeting in my office on the third floor in 15 minutes. Everyone come up with lists of what you'll need, any equipment you need, put it on the list." Mr. Black said as he walked up the stairs and left the men.

The men gathered in the kitchen pulled out pens and paper and began writing things down. Ideas for weapons and cars and anything else they could need. Tony sat alone at the table writing down a possible list of cars. He stopped and looked up at everyone in the room.

"Hey, what car do you guys want for the job?"

"Uh, something fast, quick handling. Sporty, like an RS6 maybe." Brian said.

"Good speed, as he said quick and good handling. I'd say maybe an E55AMG possibly." Dieter added.

"What about you Frank?"

"Don't care." He muttered.

"Hmm, how's about an M5? It's speedy, quick, good handling. It's perfect for the job." Tony said after everyone finished.

"Yeah that sounds good. What guns do we need?" Brian asked.

"I think he's got the gun situation down and set in the basement, we could just use some of the guns he has set up down there." Dieter replied.

"Yeah, that's true. Any other equipment we could possibly use?"

"No, I can't see needing anything else. Seems pretty straight forward right now." Tony replied.

"Grenades, we could use some chaff grenades and some stun grenades." Dieter pitched in.

Brian nodded as he wrote everything down. Tony looked around and saw Frank sitting on a stool not doing much of anything. He walked towards him looking curiously at him.

"Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so, I would have remembered if we'd met somewhere."

"Hmm, if you say so. I could have sworn I've seen you before though."

Tony walked away and Frank wiped the sweat off his forehead. The other men began to leave the kitchen and Frank got off the stool and followed the men towards the foyer. They stood at the base of the stairs as Mr. Black walked out.

"Excellent, now gentlemen if you'd please follow me, I believe we have much to discuss right now. And the list of items you need, if those could be handed to me right away. I'd love to get my people on those items right about now. Oh and weapons, don't worry about it, I have a safe in my basement with plenty of weapons for us. Now, please follow me to my office." He said as he walked down the hallway at the top of the stairs.

The men walked up the stairs and followed through the maze of hallways. Finally they reached two large oak doors with gold handles. Mr. Black pulled out a key and slid it into the lock and turned the handle and opened the door. The men walked inside and he closed the door behind them and locked it. There was no turning back now.