On the edge of the dock, Garcia and Roberta stood side-by-side watching as the pallets of Lanthanide ore were loaded onto the ship. While Garcia donned a bright orange hardhat, Roberta stood simply with her hands crossed in front of her, watching every swing of the pallet. The pallet contacted the ship's deck a few moments later, and Roberta finally averted her gaze to Garcia, a slight smile gracing her lips. She was proud of how well he had handled everything, and still feeling a bit light after their ordeal in the car, she spoke her feelings aloud, "You did quite well, Master Garcia."
Garcia turned to her and asked, "I'm sorry?"
The noise on the dock kept him from hearing her clearly, and she spoke once again, just a bit louder, "You handled everything very well, young master."
Having heard her that time, he smiled and replied, "Thank you, Roberta."
Several attendants on the dock hooked the crane to the next pallet of ore, and again, their cycle of observation began.
The Lagoon Company was nearing Cabimas, now with just one Police car behind them. Dutch kept his eyes locked on his side-view mirror, while Rock was turned in his seat looking behind them. The car that followed had switched its siren off, but kept its lights on. Rock turned to Revy only to find she had fallen asleep in the silence. Just as he was about to wake her, he remembered how big a mistake that might be, and instead turned to the boss, "Hey Dutch, what do you make of this?"
"Haven't got a clue, Rock. The other two cars turned off miles ago. I'd like to think maybe they're giving up, but that's a fuckin' pipe dream if I've ever heard one," Dutch replied before lighting a cigarette. He took a deep drag and continued, "My guess is, we're heading right where they fuckin' want us. I'm just hoping we'll be able to lose them in Cabimas and make this rendezvous."
Rock turned back to the single Police car and Dutch finally looked up. Taking in the few signs posted on the road, he looked back to the map and ordered Benny, "This next turn off coming up, take it. That ought to put us right in the middle of Cabimas. If we can lose this asshole on the turn off, we can ditch this jeep and go the rest of the way on foot."
"Got it," Benny replied.
Dutch looked over his shoulder and called, "Revy?"
"She's passed out, Dutch," Rock replied.
"Well I suggest you wake her ass up; we're makin' our move."
Rock turned to her and of all the trouble that surrounded them this evening, waking Revy was something he didn't want to add to the mix. He undid his seatbelt and slid over next to her. He buckled himself into the middle seat and leaned up against her.
"Here we go!" Benny roared.
Rock reached across Revy's lap to hold onto the seat, and keep them in place. It was just another instance of him thinking the last thing he should have, "We've been sweating like dogs out here, how does she still smell so nice?" Dutch braced himself as Benny feinted to the left. Revy groaned slightly and Benny gave the wheel a hard tug back to the right. The weight shifted from right to left, putting all the weight on the tires that needed the most traction, and the jeep bit the road, just barely making the corner.
As the jeep straightened out, Revy flopped slightly in her seat, but never woke up. "Everyone alright?" Dutch asked.
"We're good," Rock replied. "She didn't even wake up."
Dutch checked his side-view to find the single Police car had spun out in the middle of the road in order to pursue them. "Benny, get us off this road before that asshole catches up. Soon as we find civilization, we'll go on foot."
"Got it," Benny replied.
"We got'em boss," A lookout spoke into a radio as he watched the Lagoon Company abandon their jeep.
"Keep your eyes on them. I'm going to have Ruiz and Sanchez send their boys in," Jesus replied on the deck of his extravagant home.
The lookout adjusted his binoculars and replied, "I don't know that it'll be necessary boss, they look like they're heading right where we want them to."
"Even if they are, I want them to make the grab," Jesus replied.
"Whatever you say boss."
Jesus ended the call and dialed once again. He place the phone back to his ear and spoke, "They're coming your way, keep your eyes on them would you?"
Hidden by the crowds that flooded the streets of Cabimas, the Lagoon Company made their way to the Port of La Salina. Dutch and Benny led the way, Rock carried the duffle bag in the middle, and Revy followed behind him.
"We're almost there, folks. Just a little further," Dutch commented to his crew.
"I don't suppose now is a bad fuckin' time to remind you how great this night has been so far, right Dutch?" Revy called from the back.
"Nope, it ain't a good fuckin' time; try me again later with that one," Dutch barked back.
Rock looked over his shoulder and asked, just loud enough for Revy to hear, "Are you alright?"
Her temper on the highest of levels, she didn't think twice before barking back, "Why the fuck wouldn't I be?"
"Just checking," Rock replied with a sigh.
"I'm fuckin' fine, Rock," Revy added. "Just keep your eyes peeled."
"I think we're…" Rock lost his train of thought as he observed a group of Police making their way towards them from the cross street, "…fucked."
Dutch heard Rock's comment and turned to see what Rock was talking about. At the sight of the cops, Dutch barked, "Fuck! Let's move it people!" They took off towards the port, but what had started as just a few officers quickly turned into a lot of cops. The city seemed to come to an end, and the port appeared before them. "Here we go; Rock, Revy, head to the Port Master's office. Benny and I will head out towards the docks."
"Dutch are you-"
"Now Rock!" Dutch interrupted.
Revy grabbed Rock by his tie and roared, "Let's go, dumb-ass!"
"We're all loaded up, Garcia," Captain Cantillo informed the young master.
"Thanks so much for all of your help, Captain," Garcia replied.
"It's no problem, I'm just glad to be working for your family once again."
"My family," Garcia thought. He missed his father, missed the family life he once had. However, at the prospect of the new life he would soon lead, Garcia couldn't help but feel excitement. He looked to Roberta who stood smiling just slightly as she typically had around Garcia. Being a thoughtful young man, Garcia asked, "Is everything alright with your other shipment?"
The Captain checked his watch, and replied, "They haven't arrived yet, but they've got some time still."
"Captain?" A man called from the end of the yard, grabbing the Captain's attention.
He turned back to Garcia and Roberta, "If you would, please wait for me in the office, I just have a few papers for you to sign and you can be on your way."
"Certainly," Roberta replied with a nod. They proceeded to the office, but as they neared the door, Garcia stopped and turned to Roberta. Immediately curious, she asked, "Young master?"
"I'd like to do this part on my own, Roberta," Garcia replied.
"Young master-"
He smiled and reassured her, "I'll be fine. I'd just like to handle this on my own."
She could have protested, insisted that she stay with him, but a part of her felt he needed this. She smiled, and nodded, "As you wish, young master. I'll wait in the car."
"Thank you, sweet rose."
Roberta's cheeks blushed ever so slightly. She only wished she could have ripped the wings from the butterflies that flew in her stomach. She collected herself and replied, "I'll be right around the corner if you need me."
From a lookout tower, two of Jesus' men kept Revy and Rock in their sights. One of them quickly scanned the dock taking note of the Police presence and commented, "Here come Ruiz' boys." He again turned, this time towards the office Garcia and Roberta stood beside. He dropped his binoculars as Roberta walked to the car and quietly asked, "Is that Garcia Lovelace?"
"What?" The other man asked as he turned his gaze. Taking Garcia into view, he spoke, "Fuck, if we can get the drugs, and the kid, we can ransom him for a fucking fortune."
"I'll call the boss," the other man replied.
"Fuck it…" the second man spoke as he raised his radio to his mouth, "…we'll take the both of them and sort it out later. Worse comes to worse, the kid just disappears." He squeezed the switch on his radio and spoke, "Unit 3…"
Just as Garcia ducked into the dock office, Revy and Rock rounded a series of shipping containers and headed right for it. The sounds of sirens grew closer and closer, and Revy turned back to check on Rock. Seeing he was falling behind, she roared, "Move your fucking ass, Rock!"
Squinting as she approached the office, she saw a single cop run into the office, and drew one of her Cutlass. In the office, Garcia turned to the officer, and before he could speak, the officer slammed his gun across the young master's face, not knocking him out, but subduing him. In the Lovelace limo, Roberta's eyes widened and she sprung from the car, dual drawing her Sistemas as she approached the corner of the dock office.
As they came around the corners of the office, Revy and Roberta nearly crashed into one another. They both gasped and took a step back from one another, and Revy drew her other Cutlass in the process. "You!" They roared simultaneously. Roberta briefly turned an eye to check in the office, only to see straight through the open rear door where Garcia was being thrown into the back of a Police car. Her eyes widened in panic and she swung her right arm in the direction of the door, and opened fire on the car.
"What the fuck?" Revy thought, when it hit her that Rock hadn't caught up. She turned to witness the same sight Roberta just had, only Rock was being taken, "Fuck! Rock!" She too opened fire to no avail.
Still resting on his deck, Jesus had his phone pressed to his ear as one of his men reported, "We've got them."
Finally, a smile appeared on his lips and he replied, "Bring them to me."
Both of them almost out of ammo, Revy and Roberta turned their guns back on one another. While Revy was fuming, she remembered how her last encounter with Roberta ended, "Dammit."
Her eyes narrowed, and Roberta would be the first one to speak, "This is your fault!"
"My fault?" Revy barked. "How the fuck do you figure that, four-eyes?"
"Trouble follows you and your friends, and now you've brought your troubles and your problems into our lives."
"Like you're one to fucking talk, bitch! Forget what happened a few weeks back?" Revy raised her scarred and healing hand into view as she continued, "I took a 7.62 through my fuckin' hand thanks to you and your little fuckin' master." At hearing her speak poorly of Garcia, Roberta ground her teeth, "Don't forget they took one of mine too."
Roberta's blood boiled in her veins. She'd just begun to know happiness, was all-but-resolved to give into the young master's pleas, and now, he had been taken from her. The bloodhound brandished her teeth, and her tone sank into madness, "Less talk, more blood."
Just as they squeezed their triggers, Dutch's voice interrupted them, "Let's just take it easy ladies."
"These matters are not your concern," Roberta denounced.
"For once, you and I are in total fuckin' agreement, bitch," Revy added with a smile, her lust for a rematch insatiable at this point.
Benny stood beside Dutch as the boss once again spoke, "You two start shooting this place up, those cops are gonna be back of their own accord. Once that happens we can say goodbye to Rock, and you can say goodbye to your master." Dutch's words brought Roberta to turn her eyes to him for just a moment before turning them back onto Revy. "Once we get our people back, you two can shoot at each other till you're blue in the face, but right now, the only way we're getting them back is by working together."
Dutch had the oddest way of handling tense moments like this. Perhaps it was the tone in his voice, or maybe the care-free finesse he gave to his words that made them that much more potent. Whatever it was, it had worked for Roberta who slowly lowered her weapons. Dutch turned to Revy and asked, "Revy?"
She was so close to losing it. She knew that in that moment, she could have taken just one shot and put Roberta down for good. Her fingers twitched on their triggers and Dutch again barked, "Revy!"
Finally, her quaking hands descended to her sides and Dutch felt a sigh of relief the likes of which he'd never known. "Now that, that's taken care of-"
"What the…?" A disheveled Captain Cantillo asked of the guns Roberta held.
"Captain Cantillo I presume?" Dutch asked.
Struggling to come back to reality, the Captain answered, "Yeah?"
"Name's Dutch. I believe Captain Delgado told you to expect us?"
"That's right but-"
Because it was such a large and easily sighted item, Dutch left the satellite phone in the jeep. He stepped to the Captain, placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "I'm gonna need to borrow a phone."
"What the fuck do you mean someone took the fucking drugs?" Abrego roared.
The Captain's phone pressed to his ear, Dutch replied, "Calm the fuck down, Abrego; you know this shit wasn't our fault."
"I give you the jobs because you don't fuck up, Dutch! I've got buyers waiting on that shit! When you fuck up, I look bad! Now what the fuck am I supposed to do?"
"Do you know anyone back here who'd be looking to get this shit out from under you?"
"Cartels do what Cartels do, Dutch. Someone hears something's on the move, maybe they try and get their hands on it."
"Of course," Dutch sarcastically replied. "So you got no idea who took my man-"
"I don't give a fuck about that stupid little shit! What about my fucking drugs?"
"My boy has your drugs, senor; you want them back, you're gonna have to help me get him back first."
"I don't have the fucking resources, Dutch! I haven't set foot in South America for ten fucking years; I have no idea who's running things!"
"Fucking shit," Dutch quietly muttered before hanging up on him.
"What the fuck did that asshole say?" Revy impatiently asked.
"He has no idea who took them."
Her fists balled up tight enough that her fingernails dug into her palms, Roberta spoke, "We could have followed them! We could have-"
Dutch turned to her and interrupted, "Gotten shot by those cops. Those guys work for the cartel, lady. We go chasin' after the cops, guns blazing; we're not gonna get very far."
Still she argued, "We could have-"
"I know you want to get him back…" Revy interrupted. Dutch and Benny turned to her in somewhat of a state of shock at her calm tone and demeanor. She lit a cigarette and took a drag before continuing, "…but the boss is right. There wasn't a goddamned thing we could'a done. At the end of the day, we might've gotten close, but they would've turned us into swiss fuckin' cheese."
"Revy?" Dutch asked.
She exhaled a mouthful of smoke and replied simply, "Balalaika."
"What the hell are you talkin' about, girl?"
"Sis is the only one with the connections and resources to find out who took them, and find out fast."
"Don't even tell me you're thinking about raiding these fuckers?" Dutch replied. The look on Revy's face, the hollows that filled her eyes and the blank expression on her face was as good as any spoken answer. "Awe, HELL fuckin' no, with the luck we've been having?"
Revy smiled just slightly as she spoke, "What'sa matter, Dutchy? All outta optimism?"
A warm feeling grew within Dutch and in seconds, he was convinced. A smile appeared on his lips and he commented, "Times like this I don't know who's crazier; you, Rock, or me for ever listening to the both of you."
His thumb tapped away at the phone and Captain Cantillo finally worked up the courage to ask, "What's going on?"
Dutch pressed the phone to his ear and replied, "Relax Captain. Where we come from, two AM is still a long ways away." The person on the other end picked up and Dutch greeted them, "Miss Balalaika…"
Here seems like a good place to express my personal displeasure with the Cartel/Police chase. I never could get it completely sorted out, and it still irks the hell out of me. Whether it be the length or...IDK...it just bugs me. Hopefully it wasn't a deal breaker :(