By edRogers
[Reviewed here on the novel’s publication day, October 6, 2018: “Coming soon to a Barnes & Noble store near you?”]
“Okay,” Howard said, “what do you want to know?”
Charlie set his coffee cup back on the table. “I understand how government officials can get caught up in the big money of shark finning, but we’re talking about drugs and murder. That isn’t something you can hide or justify.”
Tommy spoke up, “I don’t think there’s anything to be done about it. Let’s say you even know who these people in government are. My God, Charlie, they kicked the D.E.A. out of the country, even though they knew that an informant was in danger.”
“I feel like this is all my fault.” Margot had brought a bottle of brandy for the coffee. “I got you involved in this, Charlie, and I knew how dangerous it was.”
“Margot, it doesn’t matter how I got involved in this. I’m here now and I’m pissed off. Somebody is going to pay for what they did to me and even for what they did to Edgar, Rufino, and poor Paulo, who had done nothing to anybody. I didn’t understand when I came here for a story that this was more than an environmental problem. You people are running around trying to use the law to save the ocean, but you haven’t realized that the other side has declared war on you.”
“If that is the case,” groaned Howard, “then it’s worse than we thought. The other side holds all the cards, and we’re shit out of luck.”
Charlie walked to the bar and got a shot glass. “Anybody ready for some shots?” Hands went up and he brought the bottle of tequila and four shot glasses to the table.
Margot removed the coffee cups and brandy. From the kitchen, she brought sliced limes and salt.
Charlie poured four shots and raised his glass. “Here is to a new future.”
Between coughs, Tommy managed to ask, “What does this new future look like to you?”
Charlie poured four more shots but left them on the table. “The way I see the problem, you’re too in their face with everything you do. All your protests, all the petitions, do nothing but say, ‘Look at me.’ You’re trying to shame them into not doing something they aren’t ashamed of. They have all the guns, but if they have nothing to shoot at, what good are all those guns?”
Margot had been listening but not really liking what she was hearing. “Charlie, I understand you’re mad and want to hit back, but what we try to do is turn world opinion against them. When enough voices in the world scream NO, they will have to listen.”
Charlie threw back his shot and sucked the lime. “How has that plan been working out for you? It almost got me killed.”
“That was a miscalculation. Not even the D.E.A. thought it would go that way.”
Charlie whispered through clinched teeth, “I would like you all to know that it is a hell of a lot more than a miscalculation when you’re on the other end of a fuck-up like that.”
Margot hit the table with her fist. “Damn it, Charlie. I’ve told you how sorry I am. We’re all sorry you got put in that position. However, there is nothing to be done about it. You need to go home, Charlie.”
“Wait a minute, Margot,” Howard interjected, “I want to hear what Charlie has in mind.”
“Damn it, Howard, I know what he has in mind. I’ve heard it dozens of times, from all the know-it-alls who come here for a few months each year. They all think they have the answer that we have overlooked all these years. The simple truth is that the only way we stay safe is when there is enough light shining on us that if we were killed the world would take notice.”
In a sad voice Howard looked up and said, “Margot, I’m not sure I want to spend the last years of my life just being safe. Before I die I want to be a part of changing something. The things we have been doing are changing nothing – if anything, things are worse today than when I first met you.” Howard drank his shot of tequila and coughed.
Margot reached for her drink. “Do what you want. You know where I stand.”
Tommy raised up his drink. “Here’s to it, Charlie. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
“I don’t have all the details, and I’m not saying I have all the answers,” Charlie began. “But you have tried public opinion, and, with the D.E.A., you have tried outside force, but neither of these approaches has worked.”
Charlie looked at Margot. “That doesn’t mean they should not have been tried, but to keep doing the same thing over and over with the same result is crazy.”
“So now we’re crazy?”
“I didn’t say that, Margot, but looking toward the future, how much effect will there be from using these tactics?”
“Okay, Charlie, what is your grand plan?”
“We’ll have to do a lot of research before we do anything, but I believe the only way to defeat these people is by having them defeat themselves.”
Howard started laughing. “Hell, I’ll be happy to load their guns for them.”
Everybody had a light moment, and Charlie said, “Howard, that is exactly what I had in mind. We’ll load the guns and let them pull the triggers.”
That one statement got everybody’s attention – even Margot’s. “What do you mean, Charlie?”
“The strongest fortresses all have weak points. The key is to find those weak spots and exploit them. We need to decide which government organizations are needed to pull off the crimes, what the chain of command is, from the top to the bottom.”
Tommy asked, “How will we know what we’re looking for?”
“We won’t at first. But if you watch a bee hive long enough – or, in this case, an organization – you will soon see that there is one individual who makes the decisions. In Customs, for instance, I take a package to be shipped and drop it off to one person who hands it to another person, and it goes from hand to hand until it reaches the one person who can say go ahead and ship this, it has been inspected.”
“Then we’ll have our man?” Howard asked.
“No, then we’ll have a piece of the puzzle. Somewhere above him is the person who told him to let that package go through. There are a lot of people working in these government departments. Some are crooked, while others are just making a paycheck. The one we want is the top dog, but we need to know who the players are in each department before we plan anything.”
“It won’t be a problem getting the names,” said Tommy. “They’re listed on government websites, along with what job they have. But how are we going to find out if they are crooked?”
“Let’s take this one step at a time. First identify the departments we want to look into, then the names within those departments. After that, we’ll go looking for people spending too much money. When we find the top dog in that department, we’ll have another link back to Mr. Tai.”
Charlie took a sip of his tequila and noticed that the expressions on their faces had changed. Even Margot was interested. “There’s something I need to bring up before we go too far, and that’s money. I have a little over thirty thousand, which is every dime I have, and I will throw it into the pot, but we may need more than that.”
Tommy picked up his shot glass and drank half its contents before stating, “Shit, I can come up with five grand, but I’m not rich by anybody’s standards.”
“Well, that gives us thirty-five. How about you, Howard, any loose change laying around?”
“I’m sorry, Charlie. I worked for the government all my life. All I have is the little retirement check that comes in each month, and the money I have in the bank. I can’t pull out more than a grand a month without filing all kinds of paperwork.”
“That’s all right, Howard. We—”
Margot interrupted. “Everybody hold on to his money. I can put in one hundred thousand. Will that be enough?”
“That should be enough, but that’s a lot of money. I thought you didn’t believe in my idea?”
“Charlie, while listening to you, I realized you’re right. This may be our last chance to do anything worthwhile, so I’m going all in and let the dice roll.”
| Copyright © 2018 by Ed Rogers |
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