85 - THE BIG DAY

Kevin.

The big day has arrived. It was the first time I was really nervous. Perhaps the words Carla said to me before she left had settled deep into my subconscious. It was still crazy for me to be afraid. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like that.

I had to admit it was the first time I’d ever worked with Luke. We’d done deals together before, but we’d always had middlemen who took care of everything. We just signed the paperwork and enjoyed the profits.

This deal was something different. Luke insisted we handle it personally, and I didn’t dislike the idea. It was the most important deal you and I have had since we met. There were a lot of guns involved, but also a lot of money.

I sat alone in my office, staring at my laptop screen. I was waiting for a notification that forty percent of the amount discussed was going into my accounts. The payment was to be made in three installments. The second installment was another thirty percent of the amount discussed. This came in when the lorry was checked at the port. The last installment was to be paid when the lorries arrived in front of the ship on which we were going to test the crates full of weapons. No crate was to be taken down until the rest of the money was received.

I couldn’t get the betrayal Carla had told me about out of my mind. I had to be very careful. The most important thing was to get more than half of the money, which represented the expenses I had incurred. In the end, I was getting my money back, and that’s what mattered. Honestly, the stuff I had I sold quickly. Anybody would have given the money for the product we got.

I knew Luke couldn’t afford to stiff me. If he reached out to me, it was clear he needed high-quality merchandise, not just any crap. The black market in gunrunning was full of manufacturers, but few were putting out quality products. My luck was the equipment that was in the factory. I had robots specifically designed for my factory and that helped me get ahead.

I was sure the money was going to come in any minute. After the model I sent Luke to investigate, he was more than pleased. When he called and congratulated me, I was absolutely blown away. You could tell from his voice that he was happy with the finished product.

The long-awaited notification arrived. I was extremely eager to see the amount that had gone into the account. I was stunned to discover that Luke had transferred three-quarters of the agreed amount. This was perfect for me. But my subconscious kept asking why a betrayal plan? Why did Luke want to eliminate me? He stood to gain more in the future by joining forces than by continuing to be enemies.

Night had settled in, so it was time to leave all those thoughts behind and set off for what I knew best. I was going to do what I was fantastic at. Getting the goods there quickly and delivering them in perfect condition without attracting the attention of agents who dreamed of hunting me down.

I gathered all my employees outside to give them the last details. Although they knew very well what they had to do, I always liked to be cautious. They were all dressed normally so as not to attract attention on the trail, but were equipped with weapons. I had my doubts about a new employee. There was something I didn’t like about him. He didn’t seem to inspire confidence.

“I want you to be as casual and as natural as possible on the trail. There’s a chance agents will follow us. If any of you are stopped and checked, you know what to do. Act normally. Open up and let them look behind you. Weapons are stored in secret lockers. If he insists and becomes dangerous without resentment, shoot.”

“Shoot? You mean kill them?” my newest employee asked.

“There’s no room for fear here. You’re not master, you don’t come.” Without further thought, I pulled out my gun and shot him. “I don’t need to panic, but I don’t need dangerous witnesses either. If there’s anyone else who feels they’re not capable of working with me, let them say so now. I don’t need disloyal employees.” Everyone’s eyes moved from me to the ground. That annoyed the hell out of me. I was ready to take them all out in a rage.

“Boss, this isn’t the first time we’ve done this. We’re with you all the way. We’re not afraid of anything,” one of them said.

“Are you sure?” I asked nervously.

I had a doubt in my heart about a possible happy ending. Although I wanted it, something was causing me maximum agitation. On other occasions, I had encouraged my team and hated putting pressure on their shoulders. I knew how important it was to work in perfect harmony. But this time it was different. I couldn’t find peace of mind, let alone harmony in the team or the pressure on their shoulders. But eventually everyone had to understand that I wasn’t to be trifled with.

“Take the corpse away and make it invisible. There’s no point in telling you I want everything clean. No fingerprints and no evidence,” I shouted.

“I’m on it, boss. I’ll stand guard at the mansion.”

“Perfect then! I’ll drive the truck he was driving.”

“But boss, it’s dangerous. You’ll be stopped and checked immediately,” Eddy said.

“Eddy, I’ll drive the first truck. That one is perfectly clean. It’s loaded with crates of car parts that I have paperwork on. The others have crates of parts on the surface and hidden were crates of weapons. There’s nothing to panic about. You just have to be firm and not be intimidated in case of a check. We will have stations to communicate with each other. If anyone is stopped, they will announce it and we will all stop. We will be all for one and one for all. There will be one of Luke’s men at the entrance to the port to check the cargo. If anything looks suspicious, you know what to do. Is that clear?”

“Aye boss. We’re all clear. It’ll be fine!”

“Then let’s go. Eddy, you go ahead with the car. Let us know if anything happens.”

“All right, boss.”

“One more thing. Hold my wallet. There’s all the paperwork for the parts shipment. If any of the guys get stopped, you can get to them fast. I’ll take the truck. Everybody in the cars. You’ll also let me know if the second tranche of money comes in. From the entrance to the port to the ship, the money will have to come in. If we don’t have the money, we won’t stop. We’ll turn back quickly. You will have to be very vigilant, and fast.”

“I’m going with you, Kevin,” came Susanna’s voice. I could tell that all of us present were speechless. The woman was dressed in a tight-fitting black jumpsuit, bringing out the perfection of her body.

“Women don’t belong at an event like this.” I was already irritated. I felt like a volcano about to erupt. Where had she come from?

“Not every woman could come, but I can. If anything happens, I’m trained and can help side by side with you.”

“Boss, it can be helpful. She can come with me in the car and help with the chase,” Eddy said.

“Okay. Let’s go because we’re already five minutes late. Punctuality is paramount in cases like this.”

I climbed into the truck, more determined than ever. Everything had to go right.