Chapter 29

Steve

Hap and Charlie had gone for a ride and came back to the park a little shook up. Hap parked his bike and came into the patio with Marge, while Charlie put his away. They went to the bar for some beer and also poured some shots. When Margie finished hers, she said she would be back as soon as she took care of Shirley.

I didn't know if it was the Shirley over near them or another person, but it sounded like someone unrelated to the park.

Both guys gave me a couple of sideways looks until they both came to sit with me. Charlie said, "We have just witnessed that Chuck is probably the most dangerous man all of us will ever know and his sweetheart sidekick is a vicious little split-tail that protects her man like you wouldn't believe."

Hap was fidgeting around, telling Charlie, "We probably shouldn't be talking about this stuff, but this is Steve. He's a brother and will understand."

Hap squared around to look me in the eye. "I still have a lot of friends who are patch holders. They may be rough tough bikers, but they are generally good people. One of them came to me not long ago and had Marge and me keep his ol' lady safe for a while. Yesterday, he came to me and wanted my help to get Chuck to do something for him and two of his brothers. When I asked Chuck, he didn't hesitate and went right to the head guy of the local DEA office.

"My brother, Bart, didn't want to be involved in what the club was about to do. I'd bet he smelled a rat as well. Bart and two of his brothers met with the DEA honcho, Jan, and Chuck. It was decided the law would bust the clubhouse the following night during a mandatory chapter meeting so they could get ninety-nine percent of the brothers.

"Steve, about that time, Stormy comes busting into Park Place where we were, and starts signing to me so fast that I had to tell him to slow down. He had overheard a visiting foreign chapter member talking about a hit they were going on to rid them of some suspicious local chapter members. Stormy followed them and found them out by Park Place. He had heard me talk to Chuck, and that I got Charlie to come with me before he left for the clubhouse, so he knew they were waiting for us or someone with us.

"Chuck didn't hesitate; he began giving directions and orders to everyone. Who will go first, who will do what, where we will go, and what we should do. The two DEA guys were riding, so I rode with them as a sort of lead or decoy group. It was up to us to find a vehicle they had to have nearby that could be used to carry bikes and bodies. When we found it, I made the two DEA guys help me take out the three men in the truck and we waited for the others to come.

"Bart and his two brothers were coming down the road, so we pulled out to stop them the way we figured the bad guys would do it. We could see some bikes closing in on them, so I was waiting inside the cab to help out if necessary.

"I didn't see everything, but I saw Bart and his brothers split around the truck. Chuck was following the trio and rode up to the trailing biker for Lisa to kick the rear of the bike, sending it into a ditch. Next, I watched as I think it was both Chuck and Lisa that blew away the guy in the middle.

"The front guy had looked around and saw what was happening and was pulling a hogleg from a shoulder holster, so I put one of my hollow point forty-four magnums in dead center mass. He and his bike fell, spinning in circles. Chuck and Lisa were as cool as cucumbers. They hopped off the bike and made sure the second guy was dead and the guy in the ditch wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"We loaded the bikes and men into the big truck, while a bunch of white-coated technicians showed up in a couple of unmarked vans and did something to the road before driving off with all of it."

Charlie described his part in the event. "Chuck told me to get someone to take the girls to get their clothes and go out to the airpark with them. I called Jim to come with his big pickup to do the chasing, since I didn't want to tell you what was happening yet. I felt this was sort of the bike club's and the law's business. We don't need to be a part of it. Stormy and I rode along as watchdogs, and were able to get the women packed and out to the airpark. Bart and his buddies were already there. Chuck had put them up on one of those big 737s with beds and everything. That's where they are now."

I had to ask, "So where's Chuck?"

Hap began telling another story, "He told the DEA guys, Jan, and his Marshal guys they were going to take the compound tonight before anything else could happen. Like I said, when Chuck is hell bent to do something, don't stand in his way."

When Hap and Charlie had settled down, I suggested we hit the sack as tomorrow could be busy. We split up and I turned everything off and locked up. All of the women were worn out lately, what with the new additions all over the place. The way Sue, Mercy, Juanita, and Kathy were acting, you would have thought they had given birth, not Giovanna and Mickey.

It was nearly three when I heard a bike come into the park and go to the back where Chuck's house is. I wondered what he and Lisa had been up to.

Morning came with a vengeance, because I didn't go to bed until after midnight. I figured on seeing Chuck and Lisa for breakfast and would hear their side of the story, but Chuck's women and babies showed up without them. Chuck's new boarder, Ace, must have been following along with Chuck. The man is friendly, but he seemed to have some reservations about the way everyone on the patio seemed like family.

I called out to the airpark to see if anything was happening, since Chuck had not been around much and I didn't want questions to go unanswered. I also wanted to know more about Chuck turning one of the 737s into a motel. The night duty desk lady answered the phone and said all was well. Chuck was just coming in with the Bell 206 he had taken out, and the couples he sent over last night were still sacked out in a 737 that was in the hangar.

Okay, some of what had gone on matched, but what was Chuck doing up, as well as flying a helicopter before seven in the morning, since I'm sure it was him that came in the park around three.

I actually forgot all about what Chuck had been doing as Tiny and Henry kept trying to get me off to the side. When we finally were able to have a few minutes to talk, Tiny blurted out, "Theta Reynolds told me she can't get the medications she needs. The pharmacy told her supplies are low because the manufacturers have almost stopped producing them; there just isn't enough available."

Henry was equally excited. "I know Theta has cancer the same as Mrs. Marigold, and she has been trying to get some of her cousins in the UK to send what she needs."

Tiny wanted to tell me more, "Steve, over the last couple of weeks, Henry and I have been checking with area doctors to see what medications are in short supply because of reduced production or are not made any longer. Steve, it is a huge list and it's growing."

I knew these two had something for me in this somewhere, so I asked, "So how can I do anything about this?"

Tiny was first. "You can get Chuck to re-open a plant right here in Tampa that was producing a couple of those drugs. The plant is big enough that we could be producing dozens of drugs other companies feel do not give them enough profit. This could be one of Chuck's big deals to help people. Just think of all of the chemists that are unemployed because that plant closed. All of the office help, the shipping people, the lab workers. This could be a big deal for us out here."

I had to ask, "Why out here? I thought there was an empty factory near Tampa?"

It was Henry's turn. "There is, but when Chuck sees the magnitude of the need, he will want to build an even larger lab and manufacturing facility out here. Look into it, Steve. You'll want to be a part of a project like this since you will be helping save lives."

I asked Tiny and Henry, "This is pretty far afield from what S&S is all about, isn't it?"

Tiny came up with, "Not really, look at your R&D for solar panels, wind generators, water purification, and some really unique research into fuel mileage. We wouldn't have to re-create any of these drugs. The companies will license them to us and we would probably produce them as a generic. Do you know that even the generic pill makers are leaving products go on short supply, since they don't feel they get enough profit out of them? Hell, Steve, if the plants just broke even and paid all of the expenses and payrolls, it would be a big help to a lot of people. If I know you, you will have people doing their best to be perfect and to perhaps create new drugs for diseases."

Henry told us, "I've talked to Marty, Moleson, and Ben about Chuck's current cash position, and Ben says Chuck needs to stuff some suitcases full of money and begin giving it to any charity around. Ben thought that if Chuck could open some kind of business here in the states, he could funnel a lot more money to charitable causes. This would be perfect for it. Ben thinks it's a good idea and wants to put some of Chuck's extra cash to work."

While scratching my head in near confusion from this onslaught of interest into getting into the drug business, I asked, "Do you mean that Ben is going ahead with this idea before he discusses it with Chuck?"

Henry wanted to say something, but he hesitated a couple of times before explaining, "Ben has Chuck's power of attorney to work with his investment capital. Ben says this could be considered a major investment for Chuck. I think you should be a part of it, and Ben wants in as well. He says for Chuck to do sixty percent and you and Ben do twenty each."

"Do I have that kind of capital lying around right now? Business has not been that great."

"No sweat, Boss," Tiny buttered me up. "The military vehicle business is propping up all of our locations. The cart business is still showing a decent profit, and the rebuild businesses are strong enough to do a stock offering. You could be an instant billionaire many times over, if you were to do an IPO for S&S or even for Quality Wear."

"So if Ben is going ahead with this idea, and Chuck is flush with cash, why are you coming to me?"

Now it was Henry talking, "I want you to be in on this. I want S&S to share in the rewards of helping people."

"He also wants to use the S&S and Quality Wear personnel groups to hire and rehire for the plants." Tiny was now smiling as he felt like I would go along with him. "Steve, this is not a big profit investment, but if we hire the right people, we should do more than break even. How about it, would you give the go ahead to invest in this project?"

"Sure, I'll get Sue and see if she wants to do some as well. Perhaps Ben, S&S, and Quality Wear could each be fifteen percent partners. That would reduce Chuck's investment some and spread out the initial output."

Tiny had his cell phone out and was pushing buttons. "Ben, Steve said he's a go and to put you, S&S, and Quality Wear in as fifteen percent each. Uh huh, good deal. Have you met with the man yet? Bring him out so Steve can meet him or have him meet all of us at the plant. I'm sure Steve and Sue will want to see it."

Tiny was listening, then said, "Sounds good. I'll make sure Steve and Sue are here for lunch and we'll go to the plant afterward. See you at noon."

Tiny turned to me. "Ben has already stolen the plant from the pharmaceutical company and has met the former plant manager. Ben says the guy has a lifetime of experience and has kept the production records for the last ten years. This should be easy to evaluate."

"Thanks, Steve," Henry said, while standing, "This will be good for a lot of people. Meanwhile, I'm trying to work on importing whatever drugs are needed right now. There isn't much available, but a lot of these drugs are badly needed."

The two were gone in a flash, leaving me sitting by myself. I poured some coffee and sat back down as Sue came from the house. "Mercy said you were talking about me. What do Tiny and Henry have up their collective sleeves?"

I told Sue about the deal as I had been told. Sue smiled, "Daddy would do something like that without hesitating. As much as he likes to make money, he's always been good about sharing what he has. He does prefer helping people indirectly though. He won't give a bum a buck at an intersection, but he'll fund a soup kitchen for a hundred grand, or he'll help sponsor something like the homeless hotel you two have."

The thought of us continuing to help the vets was important to me, as well as to Chuck. I had helped coordinate a van to pick up older vets to take them to volunteer jobs at the VA hospital. Some drove donated carts around to help people move from area to area, especially from the new parking garage to the hospital. It was a little too far to walk for a lot of the older vets. Some of the younger guys also appreciated the ride. Other guys visited with men in the hospital, passing around books, making sure they had writing materials, and just shooting the breeze with them. Our vans took about two dozen men back and forth every day. We were doing a lot of good and I really wanted that to continue. Chuck had been instrumental for a lot of this and I had the chance to see it continue.

Chuck

Internally, I knew it was time to get up, but I didn't want to move from the warmth of Lisa at my back and Nancy to my front. It took me a few minutes to put what was happening, and what should happen, together in my mind.

At almost that exact instant, Lisa's voice penetrated the fog, «You have some important things to do, my love, let's do them.»

I felt Lisa moving from my back, and I gently slid from the spoon against Nancy. I did give her shoulder a gentle kiss as I left her, and received a welcoming groan.

Lisa and I dressed, had a cup of microwaved coffee, and were on the way to the airpark by six. We decided we should take a helicopter to the shipyard, land there for a few minutes, and then come back. If anyone was watching, they would think the guys made the chopper for the trip to the platform.

We had a Bell 206 pushed out, inspected, and spooled up within thirty minutes. The trip south to the shipyard on the mid-eastern part of the bay was a fairly short flight. The helipad was close to the parking lot, so we sat at the pad for about ten minutes watching cars come into the lot. Lisa scanned the area thoroughly with field glasses to see if she could identify anyone observing, but it wasn't likely to be anyone near enough to know whether someone entered the helicopter or not. The gates to the parking lots were secured with card passes.

We lifted off and sat back down on the mobile pad for the helicopter. While Lisa went over the helicopter for its post flight inspection, I went for the fuel truck and topped the tank off.

Inside the office, the night person told us that the three couples had spent the night in the 737 inside the hangar. She said she thought they were up, since she had seen two of the women head to the big locker area where there were toilets and showers.

Lisa and I walked out to the 737 and stepped up into the cabin. Bart, Shirley, and one of the other men were sitting having coffee. "Good morning," Bart said. "The beds in this aircraft are about as comfortable as you can find. If you guys will get us the linens, we'll straighten up in here real quick."

Shirley said she would clean up the coffee area, and as soon as the last three returned from the locker room, they should be ready to go.

I told Lisa, "These folks need breakfast. How about you get the Citation going, and I'll run out for some breakfast sandwiches? You might even want to load them into the Citation before you pull it out. The fewer people who see these guys, the better."

I called Mark on the way to a nearby Burger King. After he answered, I notified him, "Hey, Mark, I'm bringing a few guys to live down there for a while. See if you can put three couples in some of your trailers. They will want to work and all three men are used to hard work. They are sandblasters now, but you probably don't have anything like that for them. Use them to do whatever you need."

Mark laughed. "Boy, that's an invitation. I have some really heavy work that could use some muscle. This is right up their alley. I have just the thing to keep them busy for a couple of months. Do you think it would be okay to house them at the resort in Limon? The work I need for them to do is at the lower docks of the Limon shipyard."

"Use them however you can, Mark," was my reply. "They should remain good guys down there. Watch them to make sure they stay straight. They have a lot riding on this."

Back at the airpark, Ace was standing at the charter office door, staring at the Citation. As soon as I parked, he came over to me. "Can I ride along? I understand you're going to the island in Costa Rica. I have my passport with me."

Oh shit, passports. I took the sandwiches into the Citation and looked at the six people there. "This is probably not a good question, but would you guys happen to have passports?"

The three couples were immediately going through their ladies' handbags, and all six came up with passports. Bart commented, "You know, we do get to work in some Mexican ports. The girls used to go with us."

I introduced Ace as another law type guy, but he was not a Deputy Marshal. That made me think I should probably have him sworn in to give him some more connections.

Everyone had a couple of sandwiches, and the three guys each had three. I was happy that I figured them to be big eaters. Lisa was in the left seat, spooling the engines up as I locked the coffee pot down before sliding into the right seat.

When we were at altitude, I went in the back to talk to the three bikers. "Here's the deal. You guys are going to have some work to do in Limon, Costa Rica. There are a lot of drugs there that you need to avoid. I expect all six of you to want a future outside of the club. If it cools down at home, you can all come back, but you may like it better down here by then. The guy who will give you directions is Mark. He is a semi-retired guy who is busier than three men half his age. He likes it that way, so I'm not abusing him. Listen to him. Follow what he says and asks of you, and you will have someone who really cares for your welfare.

"You guys know how to be tough, but you also know how to be gentle. This can be a delicate time for you, so be gentle. Your future depends on it."

All three men nodded their heads, while the women were nervously observing their men. They knew only too well how volatile they could be when provoked.

"Okay, you will need some clothes. I'll make sure you have a pile of Colons to use to buy them and enough for other things you might need. I'll make sure Mark has you set up to stay at a resort in Limon. You can have all of your meals there, so you won't need to have a bunch of pocket money. There is a bar in the hotel and you can charge there too, but don't get drunk and rowdy. You'll be out in public and will be observed by a lot of people. Have a good time, and when I come down, I'll take you guys out to the island and let you let off some steam."

I turned to the three women, "This is a strange situation for you ladies." The three women broke up laughing, until Shirley said, "Ladies? We're not even close to ladies. We're biker bitches from hell for the most part, but never ladies."

Bart was the surprise. "You're gonna have to learn to be one. Chuck says this is our ticket to a happy life. I want that, and I want it with you, Shirley. I've seen you be as sweet as can be. Let's be that way now and enjoy ourselves and not worry about what some other idiots are doing."

The ladies were all smiling.

One of the other bikers asked, "Did you do something with the clubhouse last night? I had a feeling you might have done something over there. What's the scoop?"

I looked at the three men. "The clubhouse was raided last night. From what I know, the law found a lot of drugs and a bunch of illegal and stolen weapons. It's probably going to be a long while before anyone arrested last night will see any freedom. They are being held in a federal jail without bail, not at the county's."

Bart asked, "Are the three of us clean on this? You know that we knew about all of that stuff, and have witnessed so much bad stuff that you might change your mind about helping us."

"At this moment, Guys," I sincerely said, "you are being treated to some federal protection. Hopefully, they won't need your testimony to convict these guys, we'll have to see. But stay clean, stick with me, and you have a bright future."

I left them to talk among themselves, and went back to the cockpit with some coffee refills for Lisa and Ace, who was sitting in the jump seat behind the cockpit seats.

Ace asked, "What all went on last night? Why didn't you come to get me to help out?"

I told Ace, "It was something that came up real quick and had to be handled by the DEA, FBI, and the Marshal Service. The county and city were not involved either. I'm not sure what they are doing with the clubhouse right now, but I do know that I don't want to be there."

Lisa wanted to know if we should land on the island or in Limon. I told her the island as I wanted the people we were hauling to see what we had down here and make them want to be a part of it. Ace asked, "From what I've learned, you have three islands. Two of them are resorts, and the other is where you have a place. I'm really interested to see all of the technology Marty and Moleson say you have. They said I would really like Diego, the guy who runs the resort."

I happily told Ace, "Everyone likes Diego and his wife, Deni."

Lisa interrupted, "They aren't married yet. Deni said she wants a big wedding at the church or the yacht club, and the party to definitely be at the yacht club. She told me you need to help set it up."

Okay, I suppose I'll have to get that arranged. There was still the matter of the Texas farmer who wanted to marry the last available boat girl, the last except for Betty, and she appeared to be happy running the boat rentals, fishing charters, and commuter boats.

When we landed and taxied up to the operations building, Mark and the customs guy came out, along with a couple of flight line attendants. Jesus, the customs man had a neat camera on a tablet that took pictures of the passports and passengers. He was able to enter all of the information for the people's stay in seconds. He explained, "Your visa information is being printed out now. I'll get it for you. Make sure you keep it with you, and if you are still here ninety days from now, I'll have to do this again. Enjoy Limon and our paradise here."

I was impressed. The little round man had lost a significant amount of weight. I'll have to make sure to ask Mark if it was by the man's effort, or if he might be ill.

"Mark, I first want to take these folks into Limon and get them some dressy clothes so they will feel comfortable walking around the resorts. If there is a commuter boat going soon we'll wait for that, but if not, I'll use one of our inter-island boats."

Mark said, "Take that nice cat on the end. It's like the one you brought down here before. I've been using it a lot lately, so I've been keeping it here. While you're in Limon, go by and check the folks into the resort hotel. Get that set up. I've already called and reserved a suite with three bedrooms."

We went to the boat with the few possessions they brought with them. The trip to Limon was only about forty minutes. Long enough for me to check the refrigerator and pop a couple of long necks for our six guests.

At the yacht club, I asked for a big taxi and a Dodge Caravan appeared. We went to the resort hotel first and checked in. The three couples couldn't believe the splendor they were going to stay in as my guests. After checking out the suite and bedrooms, we went to the now expanded Limon shopping area.