Chapter 7: Safe Places In America

When the Patron sent men to become soldiers, he was not interested in standard infantry troops. A few men were sent to learn things, like repair of weapons or vehicles. Some men were sent to learn highly leveraged weapons, like mortars, land mines and recoilless rifles. But most of the Patron’s soldiers were looking for extra combat skills, like marines, mountain troops, snipers and such. Usually they got combat training in the colony starting at age 15, because in military boot camp anyone who could stand out on the firing line, or in hand-to-hand combat, or with a knife, was noticed. Where they left the colony looking like typical adolescents, they returned as killers that the Patron needed.

When the Gina, Carlo and the other couples arrived in the US they were met by some soldiers who had established a secure home in Miami.

The pre-arrival party had been in the US for two years, they were the ones to suggest the three cities. They picked out a home where they thought a little push could fix many small problems, then systematically cleared the neighborhood of petty criminals and gangs. For instance, at a drug corner, they might watch, get the routine down, then go in one night and kill all the dealers. If one soldier fired from the east they knew the gang members would run west, so they could be ambushed efficiently. Since they were only concerned with kills they were very quick. They typically took the weapons and money, but left the more valuable drugs. Such crimes were not a priority for the police, at the time they were viewed by many officers as a public service.

After losing a corner crew most gangs would set up on the same corner a few days later, this time with an overwatch group to shoot back. The soldiers would anticipate the overwatch, mark them, follow them home, and when the soldiers were ready, kill them in their beds. Then they moved to another corner. Few gangs at the time could deal with such tactics, out of pure frustration they started costly fights with other gangs. The winners got visits from the soldiers. In this way the soldiers “sanitized” the neighborhood.

All three couples stayed for a time in the Miami house while the retainer and the some soldiers went to Dallas and did the same thing. When the Dallas house was safe the Dallas couple, plus Gina and Carlo, moved there and the soldiers moved to LA. where a third house was secured. In each case the couple had two soldiers who stayed in their neighborhood, with orders to keep it safe.