Chapter 28: Preparations

I took a quick shower at the fort, dressed in my lawyer suit, and left for the Batcave. I intended to go straight to my office but some text messages detoured me to my apartment at the Pablo. During the drive I made a bunch of calls, mostly related to the party at the Casa tomorrow night.

At my apartment the first email that came up was from the US Marshal email server, it was the automatic notification that somebody had tried to run Vicky’s plates. The inquiry actually came from a patrol car. Since Vicky was behind a steel door for the past few days I assumed Darnel had a crooked cop on the payroll. When I made some routine calls to my contacts I discovered that the car in question was in the shop - the officer had jumped a divider Thursday morning and tore up the bottom - so it was not even out since then. Darnel’s crooked cop was actually a mechanic who used the car’s terminal in the shop. That would get Internal Affairs involved, they loved the dumb ones. Now Darnel was thinking a US Marshal had taken the girl, possibly after killing his Black King stooges. That left the question, why would a US Marshal use machetes? Because they could not be traced! That would change his approach, but the fake squad was still his best bet once he spotted the my Crown Vic plates. He would just have to tell his people to expect the driver to contest the stop. It also insured that he would not use real cops (which was my fear given my plan) since no cop would risk taking down a Marshal without more background; because Marshals sometimes move in packs.

The big item was that Jax he had some news: he had a lead on the spy, it was down to 3 names. Second big item, they thought they had found the base the Mustang might be using, and had identified 2 regular routes which originated there. I said to dump the house files to the Captain’s email. Jax had never worked with the Captain before, and he was not sure where he stood with the man. The one time they met Jax felt pretty intimidated. (Most men feel the same way.) I said we would work that out when we met tomorrow, but that it sounded like he had done well, then broke the connection. All this assumed he was not a traitor, of course.

Okay, I was paranoid because I was always thinking of all the possibilities. It saved my life on occasion, and we have already mentioned my trust issues.

After dealing with the priority emails I walked around the Hotel Pablo. I showed my face, chatted with people, and generally acted like I was still a resident. I had not been here that much since last Wednesday night, the people young and old liked to see my smiling handsome face. I took a few minutes of face-to-face time with Jax, dealing with who would be used Thursday. Essentially I agreed with all his choices, but I said I wanted to check on things and he needed a couple of alternates for people who had completed training, but had not been in the field before on a shooting mission.

I said that Darnel now expected whoever was driving Vicky to be armed, dangerous, and feeling “entitled to open fire” at the first sign of trouble. The guys in the fake squad would react accordingly, so the whole scene was more dangerous then previously expected.

Jax just knew the plate was unlisted, but he didn’t know the details or reasons, so he asked straight out. “Does he think you are a cop or somethings?”

“Something ... Something deadlier then a cop.” I let him chew of that.

Next I went back to my apartment and looked at my emails for the Wednesday night party. I had pretty good response from the regular party girls, they would show the soldiers a good time. The first-timers raised some issues and I placed a call about one in particular.

Ernie Hermosa was one of the founders of 49 who went to college, got a job as an accountant, and raised a family. His wife was actually from the Patron’s farm in South America, the woman came as a child with her parents when the Patron sent them ahead of the Toad as support, much like my mountain indians. With the Patron’s blessing they decided to stay in LA. He was now a senior associate at a CPA firm, pulling in about $200K annually doing tax work. In terms of his career, his one hang-up was that he could not pass the Audit/Systems section of the CPA exam - he tried three times but just did not think that way. No CPA Exam meant no CPA title which meant no partnership in the firm. He should be making three times as much, and might get there if he took his clients and started his own tax business with some other folks. But that was something he did not want to do yet.

Now I saw Cynthia’s name on the lists for Wednesday night’s party as a first timer, and Thursday’s hunt as a spotter in a chase car. So I called Ernie, this was his special flower and I wanted to be sure he was okay with it. He was at work but could talk.

He lived in a nice zip code, but the thing was, he was in the poor section of the zip code. When he sent his two girls to school they were with kids whose parents made 5 to 20 times as much as Ernie. When Cynthia (the oldest) got to 7th grade her ethnic pride became a problem with a vocal minority of her classmates. Before she got to high school one of the teachers sat down with Ernie and told him things would get a lot worse. Rape, violence and drugs were mentioned, the cliques were tight and his girls really stood alone. One of the lies the fools told themselves at that mostly-white high school told went like this: “When Spanish girls pass 15, after their quinceanera, they are no longer virgins, because their fathers make them women, so they are always looking for it!”

Then he reminded me that two of the most awarded movies of all time, “Unforgiven” and “The Godfather,” both started the same way: with a young woman of low status, abused by ordinary men, who are then ignored by law enforcement and got no justice. So their community sought their own justice, in the form of a gunslinger or a Don, paying the price. “My Prince, you have made it so that story did not happen to my girls, you gave them a path away from the ordinary men who could get out-of-hand.”

Ernie got his girls an apartment at the Pablo and had them attend the local school with his people. They made many friends in the building and the neighborhood. Because we are a large group which is well organized, our people effectively are untouchable in our local high school. We pay cash awards to “award-winning” teachers so we get some good ones and keep them. We talk to them, they see that when they point out a problem to us, it gets handled. The cops will not come, or if they do they will just take a report. Our people act if there is a problem. The message gets across loud and clear. Cynthia and her younger sister Pammie spent weeknights in the Pablo and weekends at home. Sometimes Ernie and his wife slept in the Pablo, his job hours vary wildly. The girls had a good education and no hassles.

I explained Cynthia’s requests, he said she had already run both of them by him. “My girl is growing up my Prince,” he said. “I cannot hide her from the world. A chance to see, to experience, it will be good for her. With you present, she will get the best and safest experience. This land has scorpions, she must see them, and how they end.”

She was excited about the Spanish dinner party, which would have plenty of dancing. Dancing with gentlemen of our culture, not children who chanted rap lyrics poorly. I gently suggested that those dashing and active gentlemen might look for company after the dancing. They would take “no” for an answer, but only if the girl said that. Cynthia was 18 by about 5 months.

Ernie was not sure she would say “no,” to such a man. “She confessed to her Mother and I when she had became a woman. She was not sorry or ashamed, it is the world today. It was her choice, frankly she manipulated the boy, and took precautions, because she wanted to be ready. I was not pleased, but that ... well, we know her Mother’s experience of a pure bride ... it is as much the past as knights and windmills.”

He was also unconcerned about Thursday. “She can shoot a gun. She tells me you will use real soldiers, not 49 gangers, for the business. She can sit in a car and use her eyes. She is sharp and clever, like a hawk. My Prince, if she can help, allow her.”

I thanked him and said I did not expect his response. But since he approved, I would accept her service. He thanked me, and praised what Toad and I had done to our community - and especially his girls. He abhorred what would have fallen on them if they had to attend that white high school.

“There is one other thing my Prince,” he said. “You should know she has a bit of a schoolgirl crush on you. She may be bold. You can be sure that whatever happens, my wife and I would be honored.”

“That seems unlikely, but I am surprised by your reaction.”

“Did you know my wife offered the Patron the right of the First Night before our marriage?” he asked.

I did not know that.

He said that his wife was of the culture of the farm, so it was natural ask the Patron’s permission for her marriage, and ask about his wish in this matter. Ernie was from a very different culture, and he rebelled at the suggestion. There was much discussion, and finally he agreed with her offer. It was his affirmative acceptance of her culture, which in turn was the reason he addressed me as “Prince.” They knew the Patron could appoint a viceroy or deputy in his place, and with my Father gone they thought that might be the Toad.

The Patron wrote back to say that he would accept her gracious and treasured offer, and then appointed Ernie as deputy to do the service! He said that, according to his records, no better man could be found for to take his place. However, they were both commanded to write, independently, a detailed account of what passed before, during and after the night. They were both pleased and wrote to the Patron all that had passed between them.

I saw the connection he was making to how his girls were raised in LA, they were raised in the culture of the farm, a sliver of old Spain in South America. That was why they always addressed me as “Prince,” they were raised that way! Cynthia might not see offering up her virginity to me as a duty (it was 2008, not 1500), as her mother did. Still, she saw me as a combination prince/celebrity, and the mixture of her mother culture with the LA way (where celebrity gets pussy, and people make lists of exceptions to their vows) combined to make her want to be with me.

Finally, there was a practical side. “As a father, I only wish to see her happy. I know if she tastes the finest wine, then she will never be mistaken or fooled by swill in a fancy bottle. I hope that does not offend...”

“No my old friend, of course not. I take it as a compliment. It is just unexpected from a father about his daughter, but I see the point you make. I do not expect ... I will keep all you have said in mind.”

I had a few other calls to make of a like sort, I knew Marta and the men would appreciate the first-timers and treat them properly if the fates allowed. I had no doubt that it would make an impression.

Next I caught Abril. Her roomies and I do not get along - they dislike the secrecy and the nights away - so I asked her to come up to my room. There I told her about the party, I thought she might like to come along to a semi-formal evening where everybody spoke Spanish. “Yes!” She was very pleased at the invite. I cautioned her about Marta - for the purpose of the day “my Mother’s sister, who raised me” would be the mistress of the house, and “of course” would take the bedroom adjacent to the Master, the one Abril usually used. Normally Abril liked to be in charge, and was very possessive of her ensigns of rank and position, such as the bedroom. But this was one case where she agreed with my judgement - since I phrased it the way I did, as family. Next I asked her if she might take some folks over to the house to help get it ready. She made the connection - this would give her time alone to gossip with Marta about me, which was something Abril found irresistible. Of course she agreed.