Chapter 17

I left the parking lot and drove home slowly. I had fifteen bags of cash and whatever to unload from the Escalade and needed some help. I called David and asked if he and Chris could come over when he got off work. He agreed and said they would be there in an hour to help me. I went inside and let Bobbie know I was home and that David and Chris were coming over but were helping me in the basement.

“Okay cupcake,” she said, and kept working.

I unloaded a couple of the suitcases from the Escalade and took them to the basement. I decided then that we already had enough cash for a long while and I didn’t need to do this anymore, even before we counted it all. I started stacking money on the tables and realized the two eight foot folding tables and the small dining table were not going to be enough. I started making stacks of cash by denomination on the floor in the corner. David and Chris showed up and I showed them to the Escalade full of duffel bags and suitcases. We all started bringing it in and stacking the cases until we could open and count the contents.

We located all the documentation on the accounts and put it in one pile while all the cash remained mostly in suitcases and duffel bags.

We called it quits for the night on the cash but I wanted to figure out the accounts before the feds and bad people did tomorrow. We walked back over to David and Chris’ house to get online and see what was offered. We spent several hours going through the account numbers and documentation, working into the night.

Chris had long gone to bed and I had told Bobbie to lock up and not wait for me. By four o’clock in the morning we had created multiple accounts, moved money around and transferred 349 million dollars from Mafia and Cartel accounts. Someone would be pissed beyond belief and wanting death to the perpetrator of this fuckup. I discussed it with David and decided there was no way for anyone to track us through multiple accounts and multiple banks to the final deposit of 569 million dollars. That didn’t include the millions in cash waiting to be counted in my basement.

I tried not to think about it and laid down to sleep with David and Chris. We all snuggled and slept late.

Kayla was up early with the kids and I woke a little early too for only getting about five hours sleep. I dressed and headed home and let Kayla know what to tell Chris and David when they got up. I showered and did my morning routine at home and went to the basement to start work.

I opened suitcases and sorted cash for a couple of hours before David and Chris showed up. I kissed and thanked them both for being there and went back to work. Some of the duffle bags and suitcases only had weapons, some of which were highly illegal and fully automatic. I should have been more specific and told the last one to only unload the cash instead of telling him to unload his car. We sorted and stacked until noon and then started counting.

We took a break and joined Bobbie for lunch before going back downstairs and counting more. We had sticky notes on all the stacks and started counting them off to Chris by two o’clock. We finished the tally by three and determined I had brought home 8.7 million dollars. Added to the cash on hand we already had on hand, we had nearly 13 million cash in my basement. We took another break and I ordered chinese take out for dinner for all of us.

I was beyond words and could only look at David and Chris. I didn’t know what to say or do at this point. Words seemed useless and I just wanted to rest and to contemplate what had happened. I was exhausted and I knew they were too. I told Bobbie we were heading over to David and Chris’ and to come over after work because I was ordering Chinese take out for everyone.

Siri found a local Chinese restaurant for me that was close by and I dialed it. I ordered an assortment of egg rolls, fried rice, egg drop soup, beef and chicken dishes. I figured we could eat buffet style and everyone should be able to find something they like. Kayla was playing with the kids when we got there, she was such a wonderful young woman. David and I collapsed in the living room and Chris went to get us all a glass of iced tea.

I thanked her and she sat down on the couch next to me.

“I guess it goes without saying that this is totally a secret,” I said. They both nodded their heads. “I’m a bit overwhelmed right now and don’t know what to do. We have more money than we can spend in a lifetime,” I said, knowing that Chris had no clue about the 569 million in a numbered bank account. “We have to be very careful and not talk about it, even among ourselves if possible and certainly not around others. We should have a sign or code if we need to discuss something privately with each other.” I offered.

“How about the letter C for cash if we need to discuss anything privately,” Chris said.

“What do you mean? I asked.

“Make the letter C with your hand discreetly,” she said, holding up her hand in an obvious C shape.

“That’s a great idea,” David said. We all held up our hands in a C shape and grinned at each other like kids. It was a great idea though and I told them so.

“I don’t even know where to begin as far as giving it away or spending it. It would raise too many eyebrows and cause us more attention than we want if we use it too much at a time. Do you have any slightly larger envelopes that we could mail single bundles of cash in?” I asked David and he went to his office for a minute and came back with a box. He pulled out an envelope that was the perfect size for a single stack of 100s.

The gate alarm chimed and Bobbie and the Chinese food arrived at the same time. Bobbie helped the cute little asian girl bring it in and I paid for it. I gave her a 50 dollar tip and bent down to hug her. I pulled back and she just stood there and stared at me and the tip in her hand. I waited a minute for her to say something but she just looked at me with a question on her face. I didn’t know if it was the hug or the large tip I had given her that caught her off guard.

“Do you go to school nearby,” I asked her. She nodded her head. I took her hand and led her to the couch and sat down. “What is your name?”

“Ayame,” she said.

“Where do you go to school Ayame?” I asked.

“I am saving up to go to community college in a few weeks. I am first generation Tiawanese and plan to go to American school.” she said in broken english. “My father owns restaurant and my mother work there too,” she continued.

“My name is Lonnie,” I said, as I took her hand in mine. She nodded and smiled shyly.

“Do you have a phone Ayame? I asked.

She reached for her pocket and pulled out a smartphone. I pulled out mine and we exchanged phone numbers.

“I can help you go to school this fall if you would like for me to,” I told her. She nodded her head excitedly and gripped my hand. ‘Peace, love, trust,’ I sent to her and her entire demeanor changed. Maybe it’s a cultural thing but she smiled widely and held my hand warmly now with both of hers.

“You call me anytime night or day if you need anything, ok?” I told her and she nodded her head excitedly. “You can come over to my house anytime you want. I live across the road. I’m here visiting my friends. Would you like to meet them?” I asked. Again she nodded her head. I took her hand and led her to the dining room.

“Everyone, this is Ayame and we will be helping her go to our community college this fall,” I told them. Chris was the first to her and gave a good old fashioned southern hug as everyone gathered around her. She looked at me and I grinned at her as all got hugs.

“Kayla will be starting school this fall with you also. Maybe you could get to know her and be friends,” I said.

Kayla was next to hug Ayame, “Yes definitely. Let me know if there is anything you need and we can hang out anytime you want.”

“Hang out?” Ayame asked.

“Um ... spent time together doing girl things,” Kayla said. Ayame grinned from ear to ear and hugged Kayla again. After all the hugs, Ayame made her way to the front door and I followed her.

“Thank you,” she said. I leaned down and hugged her again and kissed her softly on the lips. I stood up straight and her eyes were big. She reached up and touched her fingers to her lips and stared at me for a minute as I smiled at her. She turned and reached for the door and stepped out. I walked her to her car and she got in still touching her lips.

Back inside I made a plate and ate a bit with the others. The food was delicious and I made a mental note to order there more often. Bobbie and I visited David, Chris and Kayla for a while longer and walked home after hugs and kisses. We had a quiet evening together, watched a little TV and went to bed early.

I woke the next morning to sunlight coming through the windows and the wonderful aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen. I did my morning ablutions, dressed and followed my nose to the coffee pot. I felt much better after a little extra rest but I had a couple of things that needed to be done today. I wanted to get all the money rebagged in 1 million dollar bags and stash it. I took the partial bag with the 800 thousand hidden in my closet down to the basement and added it to the stacks.

I took the smallest suitcase and started putting bundles of 100s in it until it had a million. The bags got bigger and bigger as I used smaller denominations to make the million in each one. Finally, I had nine bags packed and a partial bag with a half million in it. I pulled everything out of the bottom of one of the bedroom closets and stacked all the bags on the floor. I draped blankets and old linens across the top and closed the door. Note to self, pick up a locking door knob at the hardware store.

I took the partial bag back upstairs to my closet and hid it again after taking a few bundles of twentys, fifties and hundreds out. I took them down to the cars and put a bundle in each one with most of it in the Escalade. I went back in the house and found the rest of my coffee and started for my recliner when I got a text message.

‘Bad men in our store,’ was all it said and it was from Ayame. I yelled at Bobbie that I was leaving and would be back later. I jumped in the Escalade and quickly headed for the restaurant. I knew the area and location even though I had never been to the restaurant. It was in a small strip mall with several other businesses nearby. I pulled up, parked next to a black pickup truck and went inside. There were three large rednecks sitting at a table that seemed to be waiting for food. I walked past them to the opening in the counter and through the area of the wait staff. A middle aged man came toward me with a meat cleaver as Ayame jumped in front and hugged me. The man had a scowl on his face and I sent him, ‘Peace, love, trust.’ His scowl turned to a look of desperation as I reached to shake his hand and he grabbed mine with both of his.