Chapter 16

It was just past six in the morning when we landed in London. Andy gave me a ride back to school. He was excited about the show and what the software would be doing for the restaurant industry. I was encouraging but somewhat quiet. I hadn’t slept at all on the plane and was ready for bed. When we got back to the dorm, I started some laundry and went for a run. When I got back I changed it to the dryer and took a shower. When the clothes were done, I took a nap but set an alarm for an hour later so I didn’t get stuck in a weird sleep schedule.

It was just after eleven when I woke up. I went down and knocked on Lisa’s door. She was in and agreed to have lunch with me. It was nice out so we sat outside and had a beer with our fish and chips. We talked about the trip I took to Vegas and then as we were finishing our food, I said, “While we were there, Adam and Tiffany asked what was next for me. I haven’t made any commitments at this point. I can retire today if I want to. I think that would make a very dull life for me.”

“I spoke to Kari a couple days ago. She said that we could send you anywhere and you would land on your feet and in the right person’s bed. She would still like to see you in Hong Kong. She doesn’t want you anywhere near Moscow. We are still raking in the intel from that deal. Beyond that, any major city around the world would make her happy.”

“I always enjoyed Tokyo. I’ll think about Hong Kong. I don’t speak Cantonese.”

“It’s controlled by the United Kingdom. Most business is done in English there.”

“I’ll try to decide. Then I have to decide about school, work or something new.”

“What would you do that’s new?”

“I don’t know. I found in Russia that people would pay a lot for a pair of jeans or some silk undies. In America they will pay for Russian caviar or good wine from France. I think that finding out what people want but can’t get in Hong Kong or Tokyo might work. Both economies are growing.”

“I’ll talk to Kari and see if you’re needed somewhere or free to go where you want. Looking at what you have already accomplished in just two years is more than most agents accomplish in a lifetime.”

“I think that I just got lucky so I won’t quit my day job.”

As I laid down later, I was in a weird mood and thinking back to the last four years since I’d met Adam. All the work, the money and the fun we’d had. Suddenly, I sat up. “Fuck.” I got out of bed and picked up the phone and called Adam.

“Do you miss me already?” he asked after he heard my voice.

“Do you remember making me sit out on the cold sidewalk in Boston to get concert tickets?”

“Yes. I said thank you and paid for the tickets.”

“What if they didn’t just print off thousands of tickets and then hand them over to the next person to walk up to the box office window. Why not have outlets all over and have our inventory system print them out in real time. Any concert, sporting event, play or place with ticketed entry could use the software and even have different prices for different seats.”

There was silence. I knew he was thinking so I just waited. “I got it. It will take a month to make the changes and do the legal stuff. Printers and the phone connected computers will be the key to making it all work.”

“Do you need anything else from me?”

“A vacation. You just dumped more work on me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Great idea. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

“I’m going back to bed.”

“Good night, partner.”

“Night, Adam.”

The next morning, I was at the boathouse early and did a long hard workout. I wanted to contribute as much as I could to the team and because of my other obligations, I had been doing my part in practice. Coach was there and we talked about my business while we spotted each other and ran with each other. He understood that what I did wasn’t a snub on the team but just setting my priorities.

As we finished our run he said, “The team’s split on your position. Most are just kids and have no idea about the real world that you live in. They’ve lived at home and in a dorm. They’ve never earned more money than they needed for gas and beer. They feel like you’ve let them down or not done your part. What do you think I should do?”

“I don’t care. After this year, I don’t see myself competing in the sport. I’ll probably have an erg for exercise but that’s about it. You can pair me with someone for doubles or let me row singles. If you think I will be a distraction, I can just not show up for practice. People may say bad things about me but I can live with that. Whatever you feel is best is fine with me.”

“I’ll leave it up to the team. The way you got on the team and only two of you going to Boston. That followed by you working out in the morning while most worked out in the afternoon are all poor excuses but the number nine and ten guys on the team see you putting them out of the boat and are stirring up the talk. I think you’d help the team but you are also graduating soon and I’ll still have to deal with the guys left behind.”

“When you put it like that, I can just step back. I’d still like to work out in the mornings here but if that is a problem, I can work out at the school gym.” Our run was over and we walked up to the boathouse.

He put out his hand and I shook it. “You are welcome to work out here as long as I’m the coach. I think you’re a better rower but the team isn’t going to heal when you’re around. I’m really sorry.”

“It is just one more thing that frees me up to move on to my next step in life. No hard feelings.” I showered and changed before walking back to get my books for class. As I was walking out a few of the team were showing up to start their workout. Sara was one of them.

“Hey Nick, welcome back. How was the trip to America?”

“It went well. How were things here?”

“The girls team is doing well but the boys just argue all the time.”

“I think I just took care of that. I won’t be rowing for the school this year. I seemed to be more of a disturbance than a teammate.”

“I’m sorry. I think they should let you row. You can help the boat.”

“On the water I could but before and after the race I would just be a scapegoat. If I was going to be here for four years I’d work through it but with me graduating, it makes sense to let them come together as a team. I can be the bad guy and they can bond over me quitting. I’ll have more time to bother Julie so it all works out in the end.”

“I think she’s still upset that you will graduate before her. But she’ll get over it.”

The rest of the school year went fine. I finished the textbook, and gave a couple lectures. I had dinner most nights with Andy and we talked about business. Adam had already reached out to Tim and Andy about the ticketing program. I walked across the stage and Mom and Dad flew over to watch. Afterwards I spent a few weeks in Bermuda laying on the beach, trying to learn how to play golf and spending time with my parents.

One day, Dad came in and said, “I got a call today. Adam said that you need to show up for some meetings in the states. You can stay at the place in New York City. He said he would be down this weekend.”

Adam probably did want to meet but I could read between the lines and knew that I was wanted for other reasons as well. I told Dad that I’d fly back on the 3rd and watch the fireworks on the 4th of July 1983. Mom and I had a few talks and she gave me a lot of hugs just because. I flew out on the 3rd and landed early in the day. I called Nadia to let her know I was in town.

“Nick, do you want to go out on the boat and watch fireworks with us tomorrow night?” The 4th was on a Monday and Adam wasn’t coming down until Friday.

I said, “If your mom and dad are okay with it, I’ll come with you. I don’t want to cause you any trouble. I’m free through Thursday right now. I have a meeting on Friday.”

“I’ll talk to Daddy and give you a call back.”

Nadia and I had gone to boarding school together and worked for her dad one summer. The rumor was that he was in the mob. I liked Nadia and her father didn’t mess with me too much. We had come to a truce the last time I’d seen him. She called me back and invited me out on their boat to watch the fireworks.

I would have loved to sleep in but was up before the sun due to time zones and body clocks. Putting on some shoes, I went for a run in the park. It felt good to stretch my legs and pound out five miles before I walked my sweaty body back to the apartment.

After a hot shower and walking a couple blocks for some breakfast, I sorted through my dad’s liquor cabinet. I found a bottle that was unopened and dropped it in a bag with a change of clothes in case it got cooler after the sun set. A short cab ride took me to the dock and we were casting off soon after noon.

Nadia, her aunt Michelle along with her mom and dad were on the boat. Mr. DelRocco was at the helm and found a nice place to anchor out in the harbor out of the lanes where the boats were coming and going.

When I first showed up, I got a handshake and a few hugs. Now that we were anchored and settled in until after the fireworks, everyone was relaxing. The boat was big and had a nice air conditioned salon. I brought out the bottle of bourbon as a gift and thanked them for inviting me. Mr. DelRocco took the bottle and after looking at the label, said, “Thanks Nick. You always have the finest liquor.”

“I hope you enjoy it.”

“Would anyone like a drink or maybe a smoke?”

I wasn’t sure what he was asking. I said, “I’m not much into the hard stuff but if you have a beer, I wouldn’t turn you down. What do you have to smoke?”

“We have beer in the fridge and some fine Cuban and Dominican cigars.”

“I don’t smoke tobacco. But thanks for the offer.”

Michelle surprised everyone when she said, “I have a few joints if you want to smoke some non-tobacco.”

Nadia looked like she was ready to run, her mom looked hopeful and her dad was shaking his head. “Really, Michelle. Who are you offering it to? My daughter, my wife, my daughter’s friend?”

“Chill out. We are all adults here. If Nadia or Nick want to get high, I’m sure it isn’t too hard to get a joint at college.”

Nadia’s mom said, “Maybe after dinner, before the fireworks.”

Mr. DelRocco said, “Fuck. After dinner. I don’t want you out in the run about while you’re stoned. After we put it away for the day, you can smoke all you want. Nick, grab a beer or something and meet me up on the fly-bridge. I want to talk to you about a couple things.

We sat down away from everyone and he said, “The last two years have been interesting.” He paused but I didn’t say anything. He continued, “After you found information in the offices you cleaned, we changed the structure of the company. Michelle became an onsite supervisor and not just a scheduler and manager. She did walkthroughs of the offices to make sure they were being cleaned correctly. She could visit more in a night since she was just doing quality assurance.”

“That sounds like a good approach.”

“Most nights were duds but she started to learn about companies and could see charts and performance numbers against targets. Not all were so blatant as champagne bottles. We also have a guy over at Patterson that is the nephew of one of my guys. We did like you said and started to use their technology to manage and make buy and sell decisions on the companies that came up. We’ve made out well and are making a profit on 80% of our trades. We’ve also been moving more and more of our business to legitimate companies. I sleep a little easier at night and don’t lose out on making money.”

“That all sounds good.”

“Are you looking for a job? I feel like I owe you something for helping to get me moving in a new direction.”

“No, I’m good for work and money. I may have to leave the country again soon. I am looking at moving to Hong Kong or Tokyo. There are some good international business schools that I’m interested in.”

“That’s interesting. I was hoping you’d stick around New York and maybe join Nadia at Columbia. You two always did get along.”

“It’s a long story but I finished high school early and then finished college. I’ll be working on a Master’s degree or maybe just expanding business. I haven’t spoken to my business partner yet to see what would work best for us.”

Nodding, he said, “I have very good connections in both Tokyo and Hong Kong. Let me know where you end up and I will make sure you are protected well in either place. It is always good to know the right people.”

“I’ll let you know. I have some meetings this week to decide, which is why I’m in town.”

“You’re a good man, Nick. I have some regrets about how I treated you but you have always been respectful to me and taken care of my daughter. As you know there are many different circles of people, class, race, ethnicity and geographic location. There are more but my point is that it is good to have someone to turn to that understands. Keep me in mind if you ever need anything.”

“Thanks. I can’t think of anything right now but that could change at any time.”

“You have my phone numbers. I’m always just a call away. My daughter will get mad if I take all your time. Have fun today and be safe in the smaller boat. There are a lot of weekenders out there.”

Michelle took the helm of the runabout and we had a good time cruising around the river. The tall ship was out and we stopped by to say hello. Our friends from New Hampshire didn’t make the trip down this year. We had some burgers after we put the runabout in her cradle. The ladies and I shared a couple joints before the sky lit up with fireworks. It was almost midnight when I made it back to the apartment. Nadia went home with her family but said she would be giving me a call some time.

Tuesday was a slow day. I did a run when I woke up and a workout on the living room floor before sitting down on the erg and pulling for 20km. A long, hot shower was followed by a walk to a local bakery for some coffee and a scone. The paper was just something to take up my time as I read about what was going on in the world.

That afternoon, I didn’t have anywhere to be or anything to do. I knew that Adam would be in town later in the week and we would discuss my options and my future. I started to think about what I wanted. What I liked and didn’t like. I made a list and just started to brainstorm about different opportunities.

I was wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt as I doodled on the pad. There was a knock at my door. The doorman hadn’t called up so I thought it might be a neighbor. I was surprised to see Kari from the CIA there. She wore jeans, a white t-shirt and a NY Yankees cap. Smiling, I said, “We always seem to run into each other here in the city.”

Letting her in she said, “Have you had dinner yet? I’m hungry.”

“Can you be seen with me or are we ordering in?”

“For your safety, I would prefer to order in.”

“I don’t see that you brought a suitcase but I’m sure I can find a toothbrush for you. What are you here to learn today?”

Laughing she said, “Word is out that you own my ass but I didn’t plan on spending the night. I’m your contact. It’s again for your protection. Most of our handlers wouldn’t know what to do with you. Some have heard about you but few believe that it is true what you’ve done. Most think you’re a girl.”

“They think Nick is a girl?”

“We don’t have your name floating around the office. Your code name is ‘The Concierge’. You travel and know how to get things done wherever you are. I’m here to talk about where you are going next?”

“I really don’t need the money from what I hear. I was told I could retire now if I wanted to. I’m not sure if I want to continue my education. I have a scroll that reads BS in Computer Science from Cambridge University. I could get a Masters or PhD but what would be the point?” I picked up the pad I was writing on and said, “What makes me happy?”

She took the pad and looked it over. Pacing around the living room. “Nick, you’ve done a lot in your short time with us. Some say it’s all luck but two assignments, two home runs. You could quit and go out with a perfect record or you could do some great things. You know people and have a perfect cover story. I like some of the things I see on the pad. What if we can make it so that the things you like are the things you do?”

“What you can pay me is small compared to what I make from just one of our software deals.”

“You’ve made me look good. I’ll do what I can to return the favor.”

“What would you have me do?”

“I’ll have to talk to my boss but we did well with Hakim in England. You went in and made some contacts. We’re having some trouble with organized crime coming out of both Japan and Hong Kong. The Yakuza and Triad. We really don’t care what they do in their own countries but they are starting to be more aggressive in bringing their business to the US.”

“You want me to get into organized crime in a different country. Wouldn’t that be like sending a black agent to infiltrate the KKK?”

“You didn’t move into Hakim’s room or become part of the KGB. You worked with them and supplied them with things. I have an idea but have to run it up the chain of command and see what they think.”

“We haven’t even ordered dinner yet and you haven’t shown me how happy you are with my work.”

“I’m going to get this working if you are willing to go to Asia. Tokyo or Hong Kong. I’ll stop by tomorrow night and bring dinner.”

“And a toothbrush.”

“We’ll see.” she said as she looked up and down my shirtless body.

I had dinner alone and didn’t try to pick anyone up. I was thinking about some of my ideas. I did like the Asian culture and enjoyed my time in Tokyo. My friend Billy Carter was still over there in college and it would be nice to see him and some of the other kids I knew while I was there.

Hong Kong was a British territory and most of the people spoke English in public and Cantonese when they were alone at home. I spoke Japanese well and English wouldn’t be a problem so fitting in at either location would work.

Wednesday I had another good workout. It felt good to push myself a little and the weather was hot enough to make the sweat flow. Kari showed up at 5pm with a pizza and a small overnight bag. I raised my eyebrows and she smiled as she walked in. We ate first and had some beers from the fridge. After dinner she said, “I spoke to a few people and they don’t know how you will get in but they are happy to let you work wherever you want as long as it’s Japan or Hong Kong and try to get close to the organized crime guys.”

“How much can you help me?”

She sat back on the couch and put her feet on the coffee table as she thought about how she wanted to answer. “Nick, the Agency’s done and still does some crazy shit. During both the VietNam and Korean wars, we were in thick with the criminals of the world to supply things and make money to fund other things. I am not going to tell you to do or not do anything but this is a big deal and we want to get it stopped. Anything you want or need is on the table and we probably have the means to get it for you very easily.”

“It sounds like some of the things you were into during the war, you never got out.”

“I can’t confirm or deny that statement. There are people that help us all over the world and in turn we help them.”

“What a fun world we live in. Is there a time frame when I need to be somewhere?”

“Nick, just do what you do best but if I stop by in six months and you’re still sitting here hanging out, we may have a talk.”

“How do I report, who do I report to? If I need something, who do I trust to ask for it?”