Chapter 82

I drove to meet Wilson at a local franchise fast food restaurant known for it's coffee. "Good you got me a coffee. Thanks Wilson," I said.

"No Problem, so what are we going to do. There is only you and me, and we have no idea how many bad guys there are." Wilson said.

"Oh I figure a minimum of three, more likely four," I suggested.

"How you figure?" Wilson asked.

"It's just a guess, but I figure there is an intimidation factor. They most likely think there will be a guard. So they have to be prepared to intimidate him, or in this case her, as well."

"So what's your plan?" Wilson asked.

"Hell getting the stones to New York isn't a problem. It's making sure these guys don't just come back with a different plan next month," I replied. "I'm going to ask them to surrender."

"Why don't you just call the police and let them set up something?" Wilson asked.

"If that were a viable alternative, don't you think Hugo would have called them already?" I asked.

"Yeah, well it must be smuggling," Wilson said.

"Yeah, that's why my friends sent it to me. They have way to much to lose as an organization. We are freelance. We can plead ignorance and probably get away with it. Far as I'm concerned, it's just a body guard gig."

"So what's your plan?" Wilson asked.

"My plan is to have you call EZ. See if he can come down tonight. Tell him to plan on being busy tomorrow as well. His business is pretty flexible, he should be able to do that."

"Why don't you call him?" Wilson asked.

"He will not mistake your intentions, unless there is something you want to tell me?" I asked with a leer.

"Fuck you Sylvia," he said.

"You wish," I replied. "Let's go back and get an approval, then you call EZ. When he gets here, not one word about what is happening."

I drank another cup of coffee while I made sure, I hadn't overlooked anything. Actually I had. We went to a gun store on the edge of town. I was really fortunate that they stocked the item I wanted.

We got back to Hugo's office before five. "So Hugo, I have a plan. You might not like it, but it will work." I spent fifteen minutes answering his questions and explaining how it all should work.

"So you are sure this will work?" he asked in his gruff voice.

"I'm 80% sure it will work. It it doesn't work you and I won't have much time to think about why it didn't work. We most likely will be dead." I replied.

"That isn't very reassuring," Hugo said.

"Would you rather I lied to you, as if you were a ten year old," I asked.

"No of course not," he said.

"I can make a plan that will get your stones to New York and odds are 50/50 the bad guys will leave you alone when they realize they have been duped. They may or may not come back next month to try again. This plan has an 80% chance of saving your stones, and an 80% chance of ending this threat. That is if it all works out as I expect it to work out. If not there is a a 20% you and I will end up dead. So now that you know the long and short of it, how do you want to play it?" I asked.

"I'm not very heroic, but I want the threat to end," he said.

"Then you are pretty brave in my opinion," I said.

Wilson called EZ as soon as I got the go ahead. EZ assured Wilson he could be down to Port Arthur by 4AM. He would be ready for anything when he arrived.

"I heard EZ say in answer to Wilson's question, "Of course I have a shotgun."

"Then bring it, we are most liked going to do some Rabbit hunting," he said to EZ.

"Then I guess that is everything Hugo. We will be in position at first light," I promised Hugo.

"Well," I said to Wilson as we sat in the car in Hugo's Parking Lot. "You and EZ should be fine. He isn't going to need the rabbit gun once you get out of this area. Toss it in a lake somewhere. Tell him I'll reimburse him for it."

EZ did show up about 3:45AM. I put him into the room with Wilson. My bed hadn't been used since the room was 'made up' the morning before. "Where are you sleeping?" EZ said.

"I'll try to get a couple of hours sleep. You be quiet Wilson will be driving today. He is old and needs his sleep," I said.

At six in the morning we were in a drive through line at a local biscuit restaurant. I bought plenty of food but didn't bother with a lot of coffee it would get cold. Nobody likes cold coffee, I thought as I took the order and handed the bags over to the 'boys'.

We arrived at the shipyard at 6AM. The pack boat was due at 10AM. The dock workers would unload it and Hugo would arrive by 2PM. Our job until then was to stay out of sight.

The freighter was on time. It was off loaded with the small amount of cargo well before noon. The sorting was complete in less than an hour, at which time Hugo was alerted. He pulled into the warehouse and went into the office, where he got his package.

I slipped into the back seat of his car unobserved I was sure. Hugo made a show of opening his trunk and putting the package inside. It was very unlikely anyone could see it, but it was all part of the show.

Hugo and I pulled out of the fenced and gated parking area after 2:30PM. The drive from the dock to his warehouse in town took about ten minutes and nothing happened. Hugo got out of the car and opened the trunk. I was pretty sure that it would happen at that moment.