By edRogers
[Reviewed here on the novel’s publication day, October 6, 2018: “Coming soon to a Barnes & Noble store near you?”]
The trucks had been running non-stop for a week bringing first large boulders, then smaller stones, and at last gravel. An enormous roller packed each load down into the mud. The stretch where the mudslide had taken out most of Margot’s exit now looked like a road again. Charlie’s motorbike had been the only way in or out for them for two weeks.
They lost power for only a few hours, and cellular and internet service were up and running within a day or two. All in all, they had not suffered that badly. The poor people who lived at the water’s edge paid a heavy price. Makeshift houses that had been thrown together with driftwood and planks were gone. Homes made of stone had flooded to their rooftops. People had lost everything they had, which was very little to begin with.
Tai’s warehouse suffered a little water damage but was cleaned up and ready for business within a week, and by the second week after the storm, Tai shipped his first fins and maybe cocaine. Morales started shipping his drugs as soon as Highway 27 opened up between Jaco and San Jose. Charlie was happy to get back to normal, and he was even happier there was no more talk of a drug war. The shut-down had cost both Tai and Victor a lot of money, and now that they could get back to making their customers happy again, they could let the war wait for better days.
Charlie put his war with Tai on the back burner also, as he and his friends tried to help those who were homeless and hungry. He, Margot, Tommy, and Howard helped feed hundreds of people and collected clothes and blankets by the carload. In the meantime, Juan was busy cleaning his own house. Once Highway 27 opened the Red Cross and the Costa Rican government stepped in with a lot more resources than Margot’s little group were able to pull together. By week three, Puntarenas began to recover and feel like home once more.
The five of them gathered around Margot’s dining room table to drink coffee together. It was the first time they had turned their attention back to the sharks and drugs since the hurricane.
“Howard,” Charlie asked, “were you able to speak to your friend in the Environmental Ministry before the storm hit?”
“In fact—” Howard cleared his throat. “Rodrigez didn’t bat an eye when I suggested that the D.E.A. had a mole high up in the government.”
Juan’s head jerked back in disbelief. He moved in close and asked, “The D.E.A. has a mole in our government?”
Charlie laughed. “We don’t know whether they have a mole or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. Either way, I’d like Rodrigez, Ramirez, and the other department heads to think there’s one.”
Margot spoke up, “When did this plan come about? It’s the first I heard of it.”
Charlie took his coffee cup to the sink. “It isn’t a plan. It just came to mind while I was talking to Howard a while back. Then the storm hit and it didn’t seem that important anymore, until now.”
Margot was still not satisfied. “Howard, you said he didn’t bat an eye. Did he happen to say who he thought the mole might be?”
“As a matter of fact, he did offer up a name. Alejandro Salas.”
Tommy let out a whistle.
Juan was on his feet. “Charlie, that’s the president’s chief of staff. We don’t want to mess with these people. Fighting Mr. Tai and his bunch is one thing, but taking on Casa de Blanco is a no-win right from the start. We can all be put in jail just for thinking it. Plus, it is very hard to believe that Salas is a mole.”
Charlie was getting more coffee and returned to the table. “I agree with you on all points. I don’t think Salas works for the D.E.A. I also don’t want to attack Casa de Blanco. But we now have some very useful information. We know that department heads are willing to believe there’s a mole within their ranks.”
Margot shook her head. “I don’t see how that does us any good. But more importantly, what’re we to do about Morales? The war seems to have lost steam for now, but if we take out Tai, Morales will be the big benefactor.”
Charlie wanted his pound of flesh from Tai but he had no desire to leave Costa Rica worse off than when he had started. “I guess we’ll need to find a way to take them both out at the same time.”
Margot couldn’t help herself. The laugh started as a smile then burst forth with gusto. Gasping for air between bursts of laughter, she tried to speak. “You’re….going to….take out Tai….and Morales? Hell, Charlie, I haven’t heard how you plan on taking out Mr. Tai, no less Morales. All you’ve done so far is murder a security guard and almost start a drug war.” Margot threw her arms around the table. “I don’t know about the rest of you but if our great leader has a plan – I want to hear it.”
The room was dead silent and Tommy was looking intently at Charlie. “You killed the security guard?”
Charlie glared at Margot. “We had no choice, he was shooting at us.”
Howard was shaking his head. “I don’t understand, what security guard did you kill, and how are you responsible for the war between Tai and Morales? Surely it wasn’t the one at the warehouse?”
Juan had said nothing and looked about to bolt out the door at any moment. Charlie smiled at him. “Sorry, my friend, but thanks to Margot I’ve got to come clean.”
Juan got up and walked out the back door, sat in one of the sun chairs, and lit a cigarette.
Charlie explained the break-in of Tai’s warehouse and the shootout with the guard, only he took credit for the shooting. Also, he pointed out how Tai had, through nothing they had done, come to believe Morales was behind the break in. “It had never been our plan to hurt anyone. And when Tai laid the blame on Morales, that was the first I time I ever heard of Victor Morales.”
Howard stood up. “Margot, you know I love you, but I can’t be involved in killing people.” He turned and headed toward the front door. “I’m sorry, but count me out.”
Tommy stood and followed Howard. “That goes for me also.”
Juan heard the cars starting and looked in and saw that everybody had left the living room. He stepped on the butt and walked through the house and out the front door without a word.
Charlie watched open-mouthed from the porch as everybody left, and then went back in and stared at Margot, who was still sitting on the couch. “What have you done?”
“I haven’t done anything, Charlie. You took charge as though you had some super plan and all along you were just winging it. You won’t share your ideas, you do things without our knowledge, and you expect us to follow along blindly. You have no plan, Charlie. The only thing you’ve accomplished is to get us all involved in a murder.”
“That’s not true, Margot. And it wasn’t murder – it was self-defence.”
“Leave, Charlie, please leave.”
“What are you saying, Margot? I do have a plan. You can’t walk away now.”
“Go, Charlie. I don’t want to be around you right now.”
Charlie exhaled and walked slowly toward the door. He opened the door and said, “I’ll talk to you later.”
There was no reply from Margot, who, at the sound of Charlie’s motorbike pulling away, took a deep breath and fell over on the couch crying.
| Copyright © 2018 by Ed Rogers |
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