Chapter 4

There was one more task that I needed our Russian friends to do before they returned home. We had started our Revenge but nothing of this magnitude could have been just one or two rival 'Capos', there had to be agreements from higher up.

Piqué Sanchez was 'escorted' to us from where he was found, hidden away. He had been waiting to 'redeem' Mike or his body for a lot of money. He also would be getting several new partners and a line of distribution across half of the US and Canada. These 'partners' were who ordered everything, were responsible for taking Paul and the planned murder of Mike. We wanted these people.

There is an old saying that a 'secret' is something that only one person knows. Piqué Sanchez should have known that, he didn't and his location became the price one of his 'trusted' lieutenants paid. Something or other abhors a vacuum, and so when those in Bogotá and San Salvador were asked if there was any interest in adding Mexico to their operations, the reduction of a few hundred friends of Piqué Sanchez and their families seemed a minor price to pay. Two Hind gunships and some Russian toys would make their work easier and provide incentive for future support of Mike's (By Proxy) soon to be expanding operation.

Strike while the frying pan is still hot or some such phrase meant that when Piqué Sanchez called to request another plan, we now had our assignments. They were all over. Sure, several were already in California, but these were worker bees. The Russians eliminated them before they left. The big boys were all over the world. NSA was not the only ones who scanned phones. Twenty-seven people all over the world were identified, either directly giving orders or providing tacit approvals. It was funny in a way; remember that 'vacuum' thing, well now when Mike got well again, I had a little surprise for him, our 'empire' and those of our friends was expanding some. We could not eliminate what turned out to be over 2,000 men, women, children and staff, just to have new fools take their places, now could we. You kill or capture a snake from the head down. In this case, that 'tacit' approval had very little difficulty in changing 'support' to Mike's expanded organization.

It was a very simple decision. We got North and South America; our Russian friends got Eastern Europe and a set of resources for transition of some troublesome areas.(Can you say Chechnya and Georgia) The Don's kept everything else and their lives, for now. Fear and intimidation were powerful motivators when used properly. Those at the top saw very little change; some though, would no longer be 'seeing' much of anything. New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Las Vegas LA, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix and Omaha saw some real estate change hands and a few tragic accidents happen. Mexico City, Pueblo, Cancun, Acapulco, Bogotá, Cartagena, San Salvador, Rio, Buenos Ares, Santiago, Lima and Montevideo became important sites for our extended 'family'. Another benefit of our efforts was that several hundred ex-Russian military found immediate employment across Eastern Europe. There seemed to be an influx of 'donations' to help defray some expenses for both Russian and US military operations.

Mike physically was getting better. We still planned for a double wedding but that date had changed some. No one felt like any celebration, not right now and maybe not for a while. That 'Trust' thing had pretty much depleted the 'family'. Over 230 positions of power and authority had been filled from within. If we were to grow many more would be needed. There was not one way any of this could be accomplished. Mike no longer was Mike. Karl and Marcia seemed to distance themselves. Gina just plain shut me out of her life now. I had to ask myself what I had become.

Getting something was not the same as 'keeping' things. Keeping something was more difficult; growing it was harder still.

Everything I had done was for Mike and Gina, at least that was what I had thought.