"Thank you Senor Rock. Some of you are acquaintances of mine, however I will introduce myself for those that are not. I am Garcia Fernando Lovelace, twelfth in the line of succession of the Lovelace Family. We are one of the Thirteen Noble Families in South America," the boy started.
Ronnie chimed in, interrupting him, "That brings questions to mind as to why you would want any dealings with this city then. We care nothing for nobility, only money, and power. What makes you thing that you have either to offer?"
Rock swallowed hard. This was not a good development, especially not five minutes in. He hoped that Garcia could answer quickly enough, and authoritatively enough, to satisfy the Sicilian.
The boy stared down the older man for several minutes before leaning forward to place his hands on the table, "How many agencies across the world would love to see you hanging from a rope? There are none that even care about me."
Balalaika and Chang perked up at the statement. They both had an idea about the boy, but did not expect him to engage in even a small powerplay like this. It promised to make the evening much more interesting.
"Those agencies want me, because I showed that I had power, and was willing to use it to take money as I liked. I've killed men with my own hands to earn that attention. You are just a little brat who thinks he is above us by walking the straight an narrow. What could you put forward to show we should even listen to you, that you could force us to listen to you," Ronnie smiled wickedly, showing the shining metal across his teeth.
Garcia for a second looked taken aback, but then smiled as wickedly, before laughing and holding a hand in Roberta's direction, "I hold the reins of the one person who has brought this city to its knees twice. Why would I need to stain my hands with blood? Should I allow her off her leash to enlighten you?"
Rock looked towards the back of the room and saw Ethan's hand close around the grip of one of his pistols. This was a dangerous moment. He had no doubt that if Garcia told Roberta to attack the man, no one in that room would be able to stop her. He didn't even have confidence that Ethan could slow her down.
Ronnie simply held his hands up, "Well, I have nothing more to say then. Knowing how to use your power without getting your hands dirty, is much more efficient over time, than holding the gun yourself. I withdraw any protests that I have made."
"Thank you, Senor. I appreciate that, and hope that our business relationship will be fruitful. Now, I understand that many of you might wonder why I am considering any investment in Roanapur worthwhile? It is because nobody wants to acknowledge this place exists. I have no interest in becoming a criminal, but I can see the changing of winds that is coming. I understand that every one of your organizations will not be able to operate as you have in the past. Have many of you noticed the increasing sophistication of the internet," Garcia paused, both to give the crime bosses a chance to speak up, and to consider.
"Indeed I have. I have even managed to employ a very talented cyber warfare specialist that previously was a part of the People's Liberation Army. I don't quite understand what you are getting at though," Ronnie again answered.
"Even now, agencies such as Interpol are using the internet to transmit information within hours and minutes, rather than days or weeks they have required previously. They won't have to rely on a room with rows of shelves filled with paper files. They will have a way to type in a few words, and they will have a file pulled up on a monitor, in minutes. Thailand however, hasn't seen the same investment in such infrastructure, so it gives an opportunity to put in place to allow agents related to your organizations, to disappear," Garcia stood back straight at this point.
Rock was shocked. He knew that Garcia was intelligent, and had grown up faster than he should have, but for him to lay out such a complex thought, and in such a coherent manner made him seem twenty years older. He was extremely impressed.
Balalaika lit a cigar as she spoke, "Well, I am more a simple soldier, than a technology expert, however that has given me a view into how governments work. Usage of this, internet thing, seems like it would be extremely expensive for such a narrow purpose of things. More than any bureaucratic bean counter would care to allot any money for."
"Ah, Miss Balalaika, how do you think that money is being managed now? They are using much similar methods as to how he is describing them sending case files. This hacker I have in my employ, has proven to be very profitable. He may be onto something," Ronnie said as he regarded the child.
"Honestly Fry Face, this is a cause for concern. There is nothing that people seeking to keep an office enjoy more, than showing they can do something about crime. Even when they are involved in it, they have to make it seem like they are fighting it. The cost of using such a manner of information sharing, seems to be an acceptable cost if it could lead to a politician winning an election," Chang had just lit his own cigarette.
Balalaika frowned as she considered his words, "Hmm, you may be right. When put in those terms I may have to further reconsider how I operate in the future."
"All you will have to. I am an outsider within your circle, however even I can see that you have mostly operated by might make right. The world does not appreciate that as much now, and there are becoming more who find it distasteful, than are willing to submit. What happens when a gun, no longer will be seen as a form of power, but as a target," Garcia looked across the assembled crime bosses.
"Nino, I will tell you something, a pistola is power. Power, will always beat any other idea for control over people. This is a waste of time. I should thra...," a large hand dropped down on Gustavo's shoulder.
" Señor, si termina esas palabras, su organización necesitará un nuevo líder. Si deseas irte y ya no estar involucrado, lo harás pacíficamente. En caso contrario, lo harás en una bolsa para cadáveres. (Sir, if you finish those words, your organization will need a new leader. If you wish to leave, and no longer be involved, you will do it peacefully. Otherwise, you will do it in a body bag.)," Ethan's voice froze the crime boss, partly in anger, and mostly in fear.
Gustavo's words weren't steady, "¿Quién te crees que eres idiota? ¿Sabes quién soy? (Just who do you think you are asshole? Do you know who I am?)"
"Un sicario mediocre al que se le ha dado un poco más de autoridad de la que es saludable para él. Conocí a suficientes hombres como usted antes de salir de México para saber que no tienen ningún poder real. Entonces, ¿vas a colocarte bien o te vas a ir? (A two bit sicario that has been given just a little more authority than is healthy for him. I knew enough men like you before I left Mexico, to know you have no real power. So are you going to play nice, or are you going to leave?)," Ethan smiled as he dropped his voice a couple of octaves.
"¿De verdad crees que eres algo cabrón? ¿Sabes lo que podría hacerte? (You really think you are something bastard? Do you know what I could do to you?)," Gustavo had a voice in his head telling him to shut up, that this person may be more dangerous than he wanted to mess with.
Ethan just smiled, "Es difícil hacer cualquier cosa cuando estás colgado de los tobillos con una cuerda sin piel.(It is hard to do anything when you are hanging from your ankles by a rope with no skin.),"
Gustavo's eyes got extremely wide, "¿Conocías a Manuel Escobares? Bien, seré amable. No tienes que hacer nada innecesario, seré amable. (You knew Manuel Escobares? Fine I will be nice. You don't have to do anything unnecessary, I will play nice.)," Ethan patted him on the shoulder a couple of times and then returned to his place by the door.
Diego Cabrera leaned over, "¿Qué te hizo ponerte así? (What just made you pussy out like that?)"
Gustavo swallowed again, "Conocía al hijo de puta más aterrador de este lado de la Muerte que jamás había matado a un hombre para cualquier cartel. No quiero correr el riesgo de que sea igual de aterrador. (He knew the scariest son of a bitch this side of Death himself to ever kill a man for any cartel. I don't want to take the chance that he is just as scary.)"
Rock had only heard snippets of what was said, but as soon as they were silent he spoke up, "Does anyone have any questions so far?"
Chang raised his hand as he spoke, "You said that the partnerships would be run through contracts. That is a little out of the ordinary, and seems like it could cause some issue if there was someone that tried to move in with a better offer for the table."
"That is not how it will work in this case, Senor Chang. The contracts will be signed as ninety nine year exclusive contracts, with low threshold for renewal. However this is also not an in and out thing. There will be a termination clause requiring the repayment of the profits your organization earned, times four. If you are in, you are in for the forseeable future. I also highly doubt that any organization that pulled out would last very long, given the nature of the beast," Garcia was on top of everything better than most adults would have been.
As the night wore on, and more questions were asked, Rock continued to be impressed by the teenager's ability. With the events that had occurred in his life, he didn't have a choice but to grow up fast. Rock hoped that once this enterprise was under way, he might be able to have just a small part of real childhood.
At somepoint Ethan had begun meandering around the room. On the surface it might have seemed like he had gotten bored, or was trying to keep the blood flowing in his legs. The reality was that he was taking scope of the roofs that were visible from the windows that looked into the bar. Even if no one should have been able to get to them, Ethan didn't work in absolutes. He assumed that that there was going to be a fuck up, and a sniper was going to get a chance to get in place.
He hated thinking back to how many of his rules weren't from Manuel's teaching, but rather his own failures. There wasn't a single man alive who liked the idea of failing, and mercenaries didn't tend to have as many chances as Ethan had to learn from them.
He was also thankful that that idiot in charge of the Colombians must have heard about Manuel. Which he wasn't wrong about the man, but Ethan wouldn't even consider himself anywhere as dangerous as the old man had been.
As he went to move again, something caught his attention. It wasn't really that near to the Yellow Flag, and most other times he would have ignored it. It looked, like there was a group of people on an elevated rooftop three blocks away. He watched for a second, trying to discern what might be going on when instinct kicked in.
Putting his shoulder down he charged a table, and managed to flip it up against the window. Milliseconds later a large round took a chunk out of it, and a heavy crack was heard from outside. The attendants all took notice, with Hotel Moscow immediately flipping tables over to provide concealment.
Roberta immediately forced Garcia and Fabiola to the ground. Revy took cover below the nearest window sill next to her. Rock, really just dropped in next to the Russians since they were the only actual soldiers there.
Ethan saw the mangled round a few feet from him, and his mind went into overtime trying to identify it. It wasn't a 7.62, not with that much mass, and that heavy a report. Copper jacketing didn't say much, and neither did the lead core. Looking at the base, it hit him, thankfully not literally. .338 Lapua. That wasn't a common round. Who the fuck was shooting at them?
"Ethan, where are they," Revy kept her voice down.
"Three blocks over. I don't know who they are aiming for, but I think they took the shot at me when I noticed them. Fuck, that thing would have torn me to fucking pieces," he was breathing hard fromt he intial adrenaline burst.
"Mag, are you ok? What were they shooting, I've never heard anything that heavy," Balalaika called from the impromptu ring of tables.
".338 Lapua, uh, shit, shit, shit. Give me a minute. Uh Sako maybe, there's a British rifle, fucking Hecate. It has to be one of those three. I don't think anyone else uses the round. Fuck, where they hell did they even get the fucking thing," he tried to think.
The largest round he had ever taken had been a 7.62x51mm round, This was a round that was over twice as powerful in the closest loading. If they got a good posistion on any of them, the only thing that would protect them would be a thick ass steel plate.
Small pops started to be heard outside. With the shock he was already under, he almost couldn't identify the distinct sound that an AK-74 made. It wasn't just a sniper team, and they had engaged Balalaika's men. So, why didn't he hear any other rifles.
"FUCKING BUGAKOV. FUCK. I thought he got the message with the shit in the states. We need to get out of here now. They have more than enough men to hit all sides. You know where your... FUCK," a molotov came through the window above him.
The room filled with smoke as Ethan and Revy joined the huddle in the tables. More molotovs came through, but a a fullisade of fire erupted from right outside. It didn't sound like any of them were getting in, but it also looked like it was going to be very difficult getting out.
"What is happen Senor Ethan," Garcia asked panicked.
Ethan grimaced, "The brother of a former employer really doesn't like me."
The flames were moving quickly. Wherever Bao had bought the materials to rebuild last time, must have sold him tissure paper with how the fire was spreading. The noise out front quietened down, and one of the Vissotiniki popped their head in and motioned for them to run for the door.
Ethan motioned them forward, with Revy at the head guns drawn. Things went very smoothly, nobody talking in order to save oxygen. Fabiola was the next to last to run out, when Ethan looked up.
The beam was breaking above them. Roberta was the last of the attendees there, and was surprised at the tackle that took her out of the path of the burning debris. Things were happening fast, and decisions were having to be made even faster.
"ROBERTA, SENOR ETHAN," he heard the Lovelace head scream.
Ethan drug the woman next to him to her and yelled back, "GO, WE'LL BE FINE. STICK WITH REVY AND THE RUSSIANS."
He looked around, and Roberta did the same. Their eyes were starting to burn from the smoke. The back of the room was relatively untouched though, and he could see an open door where Bao had already run. That fucking asshole left them to die, fuck him.
Ethan grabbed Roberta's arm and pulled her toward the door. The flames kept spreading, though it seemed slower toward the bar than they had to the center. As they passed the bar he grabbed a bag he had left on it earlier and led the woman through the door.
It was easy enough to find a way outside from there. The night sky seemed very beautiful to the two, and they might have enjoyed it, if they didn't know that there might be people hunting them down to kill them.
"Ok Morra, we need to move," Ethan said as soon as his lungs cleared out.
"Si, gun, borrow gun," Roberta had apparently breathed in more smoke than Ethan had.
He took his Berettas off from his waist and handed the belt to her, "Here, I have an extra belt for my self, Watch the mag release on the left hand gun, it can be a little bit sticky at times, double tap the bottom of the mag if it tries to slide out."
He opened the bag and pulled the belt to his .38 out and buckled it on. It wasn't really the best option, but once he left the meeting he had planned to go get something to eat, and it was more comfortable than the web belt the automatics rode on.
"You good to move," he turned back to the woman.
She nodded, "Si, I can move now. We need to meet up with the Young Master as soon as we can."
"It won't be that quick. We need to go to ground, they aren't just hitting three sides. Come on, I'll get you back to him," Ethan drew his revolver.
"Senor Haines, this city could not stop me, even if the ground swallowed me up," a dangerous glint shown in her eyes as she looked up at the mercenary.