Ch – 13, Old Habits Die Hard
James had insisted they stayed at a hotel because even Avi's large house could not accommodate all of them. Once they entered the hotel lobby around midnight, Chicho got a call and was surprised to find out their secretary hadn't been able to reach Marcel, who was standing a few feet away describing to Teresa how he had discovered they had been tagged.
Chicho listened, his face going grimmer and grimmer. Then he hung up and after they determined that Marcel's phone was dead, Chicho said without preamble: "The investigator we sent to Fortaleza had not made contact in three days…but the more serious news is that the one we sent to Goa had been found in his hotel room shot in the head. The police had confirmed his identity and called his family in New Orleans!"
The news crapped the mood as they all headed to their rooms deciding that they would come up with an action plan the next day. Chicho had started texting on his phone and was getting visibly upset as there seemed to be no answer.
James touched his shoulder briefly: "Leave it for tomorrow! Samara found out Lancaster's family owns a fertilizer manufacturing facility here…and once we check it, we'll make a plan on how to proceed."
"Why isn't she replying?" Chicho was making an effort to control himself.
"She might be busy…or might have gone to bed….", James had figured out Anat Moshe was Chicho's friend with benefits, but as she was a Mossad field agent, she did not give the impression of a woman who stood by her phone waiting for a man to contact her.
They headed down to the bar for another drink. James suggested it as he was certain Chicho needed to talk.
"I'm tired of these setbacks!", he huffed. "If both investigators are dead…this means Lancaster is onto us! Let me see if the lawyer in Bangkok will answer!" and he took up the cell again and started texting again. Once he finished, he took a large gulp of his whisky and said: "My leg and back are still very sore from the bike fall…pinche luck…"
"Could've been worse!" James noted.
"You know what I need…I need a break from this shitshow…like a massage break…I saw the hotel spa last night…they offer Thai massage…I'm gonna get one…You ever tried it?"
James frowned and drank rolling his eyes, to which Chicho said: "It's a great experience, man!"
James shrugged and smiled shaking his head.
Chicho went on: "The masseuse… sliding her body over yours… gets you up, no questions asked!"
James laughed softly and shook his head again.
Chicho looked at him funny: "What?... I need it!"
"If you say so…", James said trying not to laugh.
Then Chicho got a somber face and mumbled: "After my life fell apart… I don't deprive myself from any possible turn-ons!"
James exhaled and the smile was gone from his face: "Sorry to hear your wife left you!"
"She took away my son too, puta madre!" Chicho finished the drink and looked in the direction of the bar.
"Why? Why did she leave?" James had worked with this man only a few short months, but he had genuinely liked him.
Chicho was avoiding his eyes: "I don't know…maybe because I wasn't there often enough… or because I didn't fuck her good enough…who knows...cheating bitch!" and he got up and went to the bar for another drink.
"You're bitter", James said after Chicho, glass full, sat down again: "I know the feeling...but trust me man, feeding your anger doesn't help!"
"I don't know what helps then!" Chicho shook his head: "Your life might have worked fine… but…." The sparkle of the alcohol was back in his eyes: "If you let go...for an hour... and come with me to this massage… I bet you you'll get it up like you're 20!"
James made an obvious effort to keep his face neutral: "Thanks man, but...I've been with the same woman for more than 20 yrs now, and …ahh…have never had an issue in that department...or an interest to be with anyone else…or be Thai massaged by naked masseuses…"
"Yeah...monogamy works!" Chicho was bitter and it was overflowing.
"It does", James smiled now: "Take my word for it...just gotta be the right woman for you!"
"Yeah well…I haven't met her yet...and I just turned 40...I'm not holding out!" Chicho said and nodded to himself.
"So was Pote, just turned 40, when he met Kelly Anne! Nothing is lost, man…When you come to visit …after this shit is over…" James started saying but got interrupted.
"Yeah yeah...I'll get to drink from his fountain of wisdom!" Chicho laughed.
James wanted his friend to stop wallowing in self-pity, so he said pointedly: " So, you and Anat…how long has this been going on?"
Chicho made a nonchalant face: "Ten years…give or take!"
"So, before your wife left?" James was getting a weird vibe from his friend.
"Well…yeah…I was with her a few times…but my marriage was already going down the drain…I would fly over on business, and she'd come and stay with me…", he seemed to reminisce.
"And she never wanted anything more?" James said.
"Well…she knew I was married…then I was very down after my ex took my son away…and Anat has her own career…for us to be together one has to make a huge compromise!" Chicho finished the drink and got up.
James got up too and said: "Before you start paying too much attention to Thai masseuses…maybe you should ask yourself if this woman…who has the looks and the brains to get any man she wants…ain't holding out for you!"
Chicho grumbled and said nothing.
"I believe …we're diminished by the things that happen to us in life," James added: "But… we search and find happiness in other ways…if you stop, that's when you drop!"
Chicho just grumbled again but this time looked at James with eyes that were quite clear and focused.
The fertilizing facility was in the outskirts of the city. It was a small lineup of four hangars, surrounded by a green bush fence. Once could see equipment inside from the small windows. The facility didn't look operational as there was no one on site, only a few old vehicles parked in the parking lot.
James and Avi lead the way, but soon everyone put their gun away as it seemed like even the office in the last hangar was empty. Avi jimmied the lock and opened the door. No alarm blared, no crisscrossing infrared lines were seen inside.
They got busy going through files and documents and the more they dug the more interesting things they found. This facility had issued the shipping manifest James had taken a picture of, however, there was no trace of anything related to wine. It was obvious that whatever was exported was some chemical compound presented as wine.
Avi found shipping manifests to several other ports around the world, and Goa, Bangkok and Fortaleza were all included. All of them had received substantial shipments of wine!
"Whatever they are shipping, it must be illegal…else they wouldn't hide it. Here's a binder of manifests for wheat fertilizer, which they most likely do produce here and legally ship out!" he noted.
"So, there's some legal business taking place here…that is being used as a cover of an illegal one!" Marcel concluded.
"We should get inside the other hangars to check if there's anything else labelled on the barrels…and to look for a wine production set up!" Chicho said and shortly after he and James went out to do just that. Once they were in the second hangar, James pulled out a flashlight as the small windows didn't let in enough light. They located a full fledged chemical lab separated by thick walls in the back of the hangar. There were barrels of raw chemicals and barrels of ready fertilizer that were properly labelled and seemed part of a legit operation. As they were looking around, there was a dull noise that came from outside.
"James!" Chicho whispered.
James held up a finger. He rose and stepped to the closest window to peer through the side. Then he stepped outside, gun in his hand. He noticed a man in dark green overalls, sorting some boxes on a cart down by the last hangar. He was facing away from where their vehicles were parked.
James returned a moment later, closing the door behind him. It was then that a brilliant bright flash of light from outside filled the hangar and an instant later the staccato crack of an explosion rattled the windows.
A car alarm started wailing outside. Two men in tactical gear and black ski masks could be seen running up the parking lot. They had blown open the door of the bulletproof SUV Avi had brought them in. Apparently, the vehicle had extra reinforcements and the bang had not completely breached it.
One of the men got to the vehicle and started trying to pull the door open all the way.
James got outside the same time as Avi with his gun drawn, showed from the office hangar. He muttered to James: "You flank, the side."
James nodded, got back in fast, opened the side window and stepped out behind the backs of the hostiles, while Chicho followed him. James didn't bother with a subtle approach, but rather went for a front assault. He balanced briefly on the ledge, judging the angles and then leapt behind the bush fence below.
Avi had engaged the man who had dropped his attempts to open the SUV. They exchanged a few shots until Avi hit him in the shoulder and he fell on the ground. James used the moment to surprise the second man from behind and knocked him on the ground with a hit on the head.
Avi ran over the fallen man, removed his gun and after seeing that the shoulder had been only a flesh wound, lifted him to question him. To the surprise of everyone the man spoke only English, with a thick British accent. He was fair and orange haired; looking very English, just like his boss Lancaster.
The man twitched funny with his hands, until Avi put a pair of handcuffs on them to make him stop. He called for support and was assured that police units would be there shortly.
"Did your man in the green overalls just blow up our car?" James asked, pushing his gun into the man's chest.
"I'm not talking…I was just hired to slow you down…maybe convince you to stop poking around!" the man spoke and his nervousness showed.
"Who hired you?" Avi said curtly.
"Blackridge…they provide security for everyone working on LIIP", the man was getting very nervous as his companion, who was sprawled on the ground had recovered his conscience. Chicho lifted the second man up to be handcuffed as well and shoved him next to his buddy at the wall.
"What is this LIIP?" James asked pointedly to see if he could gather more information.
The second man cleared his throat and made a sign to the first one not to speak. Then he said slowly: "Blackridge's Land Investment Improvement Plan…they buy land and develop it!"
James cleared his throat: "It's more like a is a scheme whereby they buy compromised land for cheap and sell it to investors for tons of money, promising to partake in the development!"
The men were both silent. "Why do I think you are Blackridge?" James mumbled. "We dealt with two of your colleagues in London and your followed us from there!"
"Hmm…obviously this Jenna girl opened her mouth again!", the second man said with a grimace.
"No, she didn't say much!" Chicho intervened. "We put two and two together. After your brigade set the club on fire to hide evidence of whatever Lancaster is doing, you tried to slow us down for him to escape …by throwing nails in front of our car…and then you followed us here…Am I getting the details right?" The man was looking down trying to seem unfazed.
"And some of your team are chasing my investigators in Brazil and in India, right?" Marcel added angrily. "While this coward Lancaster is hiding somewhere!" He grabbed the man by the shirt and shoved him in the wall: "Where is Lancaster? Talk!"
"I don't know where he hides! I promise. We are the part of Blackridge that provides security. All I know is that he hires the company to help him …ahh…identify suitable properties for the expansion of his businesses …but I know nothing about polluted land!"
"I didn't say polluted", James pushed the muzzle of his gun in the man's chest further: "I said compromised! And your slip of the tongue tells me you know more than you care to share!"
Sirens were heard in the distance and Avi looked at the two men pointedly: "Here in Israel, we do things differently than in the UK…when we arrest assholes blowing up cars in broad day light….you have by the time we arrive to decide if you're gonna talk!"
