Chapter 5: A Villain Lurks
Josiah's POV-
I had been caught, pure and simple when I had felt that tap on my shoulder. I winced and turned slowly around, expecting an officer's handcuffs or gun to be in my face. Instead I was met with a welcomed sight. Standing before me was none other then Enrique.
"What're you doin' here, Senor Clover?" He said with the hint of a chuckle. "Just hangin' around the pier?"
A wave of relief came over me and I took Enrique's hand and shook it. I gave him a goodhearted smile, pleased to see that there was a familiar face around here.
"Oh, you know," I said nonchalantly. "just taking in the sights and all."
"Well, Senor, it's best to find a place that is less occupied with cops, don't you think?"
I nodded. "Do you have anyplace we can go?
Enrique gestured with his hand. "Fellow me, Senor Clover."
I picked up my duffel bag and followed Enrique down the docks. Once or twice a Costa Rican officer would stop us and ask us questions while holding up a poster. I let Enrique handle the situations and he in turn translated to me that the officers were looking for a group of drug-dealing criminals that had somehow gotten past them at the border and were now in San Jose.
"I don't know what's really going on," Enrique said to me as we continued walking. "They say that a man named Gustavo Santos Ortiz is who these men wanted to do business in trades with. But so far no evidence was found at the man's house."
"What does he do business in, anyway?" I asked.
"Extortion, Drug Trade, Arms Trade, Drug Trafficking," Enrique replied while he counted down the crimes on his fingers. "The list goes on. A criminal organization is about to take place here in San Jose, Senor. I can't tell you how much trouble this could bring."
"I hear ya," I replied.
We walked for a few more minutes until we arrived a small apartment complex. The stone of the building was greyish and had that poor neighborhood-like look to it. People had clotheslines out and windows open to let in some cool air from the heat. Enrique led me inside and we went up to the second floor to his apartment. He took out a pair of keys and opened the door.
His apartment wasn't what you'd call great, but it was homely all the same. There were empty bottles on tables, pizza boxes, and newspapers scattered every which way on the old-looking furniture. He had a TV set in the corner with a digital box that was mounted on a stand. It was turned off at the moment.
Enrique sat down at his kitchen table and I joined him. He had a beer in his hand and he offered me one. I raised my hand and shook my head. I didn't drink that stuff. I didn't believe in messing up my body by drinking beer.
As Enrique sipped from his beer, I filled him in on why I had come back to Costa Rica. The UN and survival school in Enid giving me permission to go back to the island to document the dinosaurs and only having five weeks in which to do so. Enrique nodded and smiled.
"I knew that you were coming back, Senor," He said, putting down his bottle. "I saw you on the news a few days back."
I raised an eyebrow. "You saw me on the news here?"
"Of course," Replied Enrique with a chuckle. "I have a TV, don't I? I watch the news and the goings on of the world just like you."
I chuckled. "Well, you'd be right about that,"
Enrique's face then became serous. "You came back at a very inopportune time, Senor Clover," Enrique said. "The Costa Rican coast guard won't let boat tours out onto the bay or around shores."
I frowned slightly. "Why is that?"
Taking another swig from his bottle, Enrique sighed. "They, the coast guards, think the drug trafficking is happening by boat. All sea boats, yachts, and tugs are prohibited from leaving the harbors until further notice. They say it's an extra precaution until the drug criminals are brought in."
I felt my stomach sink a little.
"Does that mean I won't be able to get back onto the island?" I asked.
Enrique shrugged. "I'm not sure, Senor Clover. My boat is still docked in the boat house that I rented, but getting it past the coastal patrols...that could be a problem."
I decided to change the subject a little. I wanted to know about this crime boss that Enrique mentioned. He seemed a little spooked by the mere mention of him.
'Who's this Gustavo Santos guy that you mentioned before?" I asked. I saw Enrique shutter a little, but he composed himself quickly and cleared his throat.
"You ever heard of meth labs, Senor Clover?" He asked.
I nodded. I knew damn well what Meth labs were.
"Yeah, I know what they are," I said grimly. "It's where drugs like heroin, cocain, methamphetamine, and who knew what else was made from."
"It was more then that, Senor," Said Enrique. "Illegally synthesized drugs were sold in the black markets around San Jose. From the 1980's to the 90's until only a few were around. It was all against the law, unless you knew where to go. Most people knew where to go."
"Crime bosses, right?" I asked .
"That's right," Enrique continued. "They were the ones who called the shots around Costa Rica and San Jose. A couple were arrested or shot down by police here and there. Others went into hiding, kept quite and kept their heads down."
"And one of them was Gustavo Santos Ortiz, right" I asked.
"That's the one," Said Enrique, taking another swig. "And he had a partner who worked alongside him, too. A man named Rafael Traven. They were partners, but they had a falling out. As I heard it, Ortiz was the smart one of the two. He knew that his labs wouldn't last forever, so he started investing his money into other businesses. Some legal, some not legal. He got his fingers into all kinds of criminal activities around Costa Rica like gambling and weapon smuggling. When the labs went down, he didn't miss a beat. Just kept going on making money."
"And Rafael?" I asked.
"He was just as crooked as Gustavo, but not as sharp. He didn't have the same style as his former partner. Let's just say he was a bit clumsy around the edges."
"Was he a dumb thug or something?" I asked.
"Pretty much, Senor," Said Enrique. "He spent his money fast as he made it. When the meth labs were taken down and some of his thugs taken in or shot, he had nothing to show for it. Gustavo didn't have any use for him as a partner, so they split up. The way I heard it, Traven didn't like that much. Now the two are what you might call rivals."
"So where are they now/" I asked.
"Oh, Gustavo is in a condo in Costa Rica someplace," Said Enrique. "And his ex partners is here in San Jose, but I don't know where. He has his own group now and they have been quite for months."
"So while rich Ortiz is hanging out in a fancy condo up in Costa Rica," I said, "his old partner in crime, Traven, is struggling to get by down here in San Jose."
"That about sums it up," Said Enrique, draining the bottle. "And that's why I'm a little nervous right now. Many people around here are nervous. But I have an idea on how to get you back to the island. My boat is still able to travel since it was the only one not impounded. But we can only travel in the early morning."
"Sounds like a plan," I said. "What time should we travel?"
Enrique got up from his chair, and stretched, then looked at his clock on the wall. "Would seven forty-five do it?"
That time was awfully early, but It was necessary. "Sounds like a plan, Enrique" I said standing up. "Tomorrow I head back to the island."
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The morning had come late when I had woken up on the couch that Enrique let me sleep on. We got some breakfast, packed everything, and headed down to the boat house. We had to do this quickly and quietly as possible. There were no officers around the wharf, but Enrique didn't want to take any chances in cause a patrol boat was on the water. The morning sky was still dark and I could nearly see the slightest hint of the sun over the ocean. Enrique started his boat's engine and carefully steered his way in the direction of Isla Sorna. He knew where to go and I trusted him. The sound was that of the boat's engine. The smell of the salty sea air sent a thrill up my spine. I was going to see the island again. I was going to see Tholestes and the other raptors. Things were looking up.
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