Chapter 233: Maxine's Navy

I went to bed early that second night in the white house tourist court. The small cabins were actually duplex, so next door to me were Vlad and Anya. Eve and I got to hear them screwing. If it amused Eve, I didn't know about it, but I got a small laugh before I fell asleep. I slept ten hours that night, noise or no noise.

Since I felt rested the next morning, I called around to the other two cabins and set a 10AM meeting. What good was being the boss, if you couldn't set the meetings at your own convenience. Eve and I went out to breakfast alone that morning...

We drove the econo-box around until we found a small cafe near the Air Force Base. The bacon was almost burned, but it was also good. The eggs were soft and the toast not too brown. It was a reasonable meal, even if the hash browns had been frozen half hour before I ordered them. As was her habit, Eve just ordered toast. Even then, I ate one of the pieces of browned bread.

After breakfast I reviewed the animation again. I wanted to know as much as possible about the place we were headed. One could never know too much about the terrain before an action. For instance, I learned that the road to the villa wasn't private exactly, but the villa did sit at the end of the road.

There had been two peasant shacks along the road once, but the occupants had moved. That had most likely been at Estavante's request or demand. The shacks were gone, so no one used the road except Estavante's thugs. All our people were going to have to hump nylon packs filled with law rockets through the jungle. I certainly hoped that they would take their medicine before they tried that. I planned to start the aspirin a day regiment immediately. It might not help, but it sure as hell couldn't hurt. Unless I got shot of course. I was actually more afraid of a stroke from the jungle jaunt, than being shot. Hey I knew even then, that I was no spring chicken.

Martin began the meeting slightly before ten. "Okay, I talked to the admiral last night and the scout plane and pilot will be at the air base today sometime. I'm going out to meet him and bring him here to meet you guys. The Admiral insisted that he know who he was helping to keep alive."

"Plus we aren't ready to go just yet," I added.

Martin didn't look too happy that I had interrupted him. "His name is Jack Slocum. They call him Smiling Jack after a cartoon character. He once flew for the CIA's air operations wing. It was mostly resupply missions for small combat units. He is not a stranger to odd requests.

I should have him back here sometime this afternoon, so that we can explain his job to him. Not only is he and the scout plane coming in, but he is bringing along our tools and an observer. The observer's job will be to help with firing the flares. They also have a couple of special touches, but I'm going to let him tell you about those. By the way, the Admiral loved this idea. He wants our input as to how all this misdirection and confusion works for us."

"Well on that note, I might as well give you my bit of information. We have more team members due in this afternoon. I am going to Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans after lunch. I will be picking pick up our navy. If we have an air force, then we need a navy," I said with a laugh.

"Alex is the name of the commander, we don't need last names. I don't know the three men he is bringing. I fought with one of Alex's crews once upon a time. His men will be motivated, I assure you."

"Why do we need more people?" Vlad asked.

"First of all Alex and his navy will get us onto the beach without any fuss. No helicopters to wake the dead, and no dangerous parachutes. Just a nice peaceful boat ride up that creek about two hundred yards from Estavante's dock. If you had taken some time from your other activities to look at the animation last night, you would have noticed it," I said.

"I saw it, so it's that pirate chaser group that you have coming. Another small industry you helped start." Anya said. "I assume they will be capturing the Yacht, after they drop us off."

"You read my mind. After we have Estavante's head and no one is left alive at the ambush site, we make our way back to the dock. We take over Estavante's launch and make our way to the Yacht. From there we disappear in the Caribbean. If Jennifer can get a clean tittle for the yacht, we take it somewhere cool for a vacation. If not Alex can arrange a transfer to a clean boat and we scuttle it. I know it's a shame, but we really don't want to leave it for Estavante's successor," I said.

"And there surely will be one," Vlad said. "With that kind of payday, there will always be a successor."

"Whoever it is might think twice about going into my back yard, when he finds Estavante's headless corpse.," I gave them all a wicked smile. "Now lets go over the plan again. Vlad have you and Martin decided on your firing positions?"

"Since my team is in better shape, we are going to take the rear. We are going to let Vlad and Anya take the shorter front trail," Smith said.

"Now you can bet your ass there will be guards in the jungle or listening devices of some kind, so don't plan on any surprise attacks. It would be nice to get in position without a fight," I said stating the obvious.

"Hey," Smith said with almost a giggle. "I got my K-Bar and I ain't forgot how to use it."

"Right," I said.

"I'm more worried about you," Martin said. "You are going to be humping more weight than any of us. Not to mention you are going farther and on a bum leg. If you can't make it we all get fucked."