Chapter 234: Boats and Poker Players

"I'm going to tell you now so that you can start laying your plans. What I need you to do is transport six operatives, from where we are going to be staying, to a spot on the Mexican Gulf Coast. It is a distance of about 600 nautical miles. Then you need to drop them off in a boat of some kind that will get them into the mouth of a small creek. Then you need to go a few hundred yards out to sea and capture a yacht owned by a drug cartel." I smiled when I finished speaking. "Then get us the hell out of there."

"So I get to lay my own plan?" he asked.

"The group gets to approve it, since their lives depend on it as well. You get a voice in our plans as well. We are all in this together, just like before." I said. "We can get you most anything you need, but you have to be upfront with us. If something can't be done, then we want to know. For God's sake don't try to fake it."

"Fair enough, I can tell you right now we need a boat. I think we need one that won't draw any attention until we make the move on the yacht. An oil rig supply boat is familiar all over the gulf." Alex suggested.

"Sounds pretty reasonable, but we don't have time to fake one. If we go that route we will need to steal one," I said. "That sounds just a little risky."

"Okay how about a sport fishing charter boat, one of the big ones. We can rent it for a whole day then just hi jack it. Usually it's a two man crew, I can kill the transponder if he even has one. Put a banner over the boat's name. Put the crew ashore before we get into anything. When we get the yacht, we can leave the boat anchored there." Alex said.

"The cartel will kill the owner and the crew for sure." I said.

"Okay, when we finish with the boat, we scuttle it. If we grab the right boat, it will have insurance up the ass." Alex informed me.

"Perfect," I agreed. "How long in route?" I asked.

"30 to 36 hours on the water, more or less," Alex advised me. I was not happy about that. But then it was a long way. We could start closer but then we would also be in more danger of discovery. From Biloxi none of the parts of the puzzle were easy to connect. I mean a boat in Biloxi disappears, nothing about that screams drug raid. Steal a boat in Mexico somebody might be suspicious, especially since the narco terrorists own the damn country.

"Well, if that's the best we can do, then it's what we do." I said.

"Now, if we can't get on the Yacht what," he said.

"Alex if you can't figure a way to get on the yacht, or you decide that your plan isn't going to work, sink the Yacht. I can get you a few LAWs. You do remember how those work?" I asked.

"Of course I do," Alex admitted,

We had arrived at the cabins. I had previously checked Alex and his crew into both sides of one cabin. When I pulled the big ass van in front of cabin 7, I said, "Now go in and shorten the barrels of your shot guns, but don't leave them laying around for the maid to find."

Eve and I went to return the van. We left the 'rent a car office' with our not so trusty Econo-box. It was after six. I was positive that I had missed a lot during that afternoon. Catching up would give me something to do into the early evening. On the way home I stopped at a drive threw burger joint. I love grilled burgers, so I was thrilled to see burgers with a huge list of toppings. I made my choice, then continued on to the White House Court.

I managed to finish my burger and coke before Martin and a stranger showed up at my door. "I brought you a new friend," Martin said.

"I expected you to have a long silk scarf Jack," I said it extending my hand to him, he man style.

"Actually I do have one of those and the old leather goggle set as well," he replied as he smiled at me.

"Then when we attack the bad guys, you might as well wear them. Hell, it should get you in the mood." I said.

"We really love your plan down at the swamp," he said with a smile. It seemed that Swamp Thing had unofficially adopted my nickname for them.

"I'm glad to hear that. It is less brute force and more elegance, as my friend Tiny Dancer would say," I agreed. "So Jack did you bring me presents?"

"Eighty LAWs and a crate of small arms," He said. "I have a small package of semtex and detonators."

"The ones who flew in commercial need those," I said.

"How about your Navy," Martin asked.

"We have all we need for them. A couple of pistols might be nice, but even without them we can manage," I said to them.

"Now what additions did the admiral put in place? I know he had to tinker with the plan," I said.

"Well we are going to fire a couple of LAW rockets from the door of the plane as we fly by. They want to hear a few explosions as well as see the tracers of the flares. We will mix them up some. We also have a noise maker that will sound like a jet plane when the wind passes through it. That is courtesy of your friends Maxine."

I wanted to explain that they were not friends of mine, but I kept my mouth shut for a change. Is that all?" I asked. Those were pretty much my plan all along.

"Oh there are two more little things. One we are going to push a canister of ammonium sulfide out over the villa. If we get it just right, and we usually do, there will be a terrible smell in the compound. They may well think they are under a gas attack. On the next run we will be pushing out a super ghetto blaster hanging from a parachute. It will be playing some really hard rock songs. Something associated with young American Soldiers," smiling Jack said.