The Cartel Takedown Read online

  “Anything for you dear, and do try to bring Akhim back in one piece. Don’t tell him, but I’m partial to younger men.”

  “My lips are sealed.”

  “Good. I would hate to have to hunt you down.”

  ~*~

  “I don’t like it.”

  General Flores was pacing in front of Starbuck’s desk. His office was located at the end of a narrow hallway in the administrative wing. Aside for some damage to the door, his office had survived. Starbuck was seated in his executive chair behind his desk, surrounded by six of his lieutenants. Their eyes were glued to the computer screen.

  On it, Brandie, sans wig, was fighting off pirates on a man-made floating island off the coast of India. The image was from a handheld smart phone. The video was jerky and poorly framed, but Brandie’s moves were spellbinding.

  The men grimaced aloud when she delivered the coup de grace. Some backed away and averted their eyes. Some merely scrunched their eyes shut. Starbuck covered his mouth and willed himself to stare at the screen.

  “I believe the military should test her … authenticity. See if she can fight as well as the real Lea Kalani.”

  The General paused and leaned on the desk. “What do you suggest?”

  Starbuck minimized the video and smiled up at the General. “Have your best hand to hand fighter challenge her.”

  The General snorted. “He would kill her. He is a gold medalist in judo and karate.”

  “You could ask him to go easy on her.”

  “He would not. Use one of your men. It would be a more even match.”

  Starbuck and his men exchanged knowing looks. “Perhaps we should have a series of matches and the winner can stand against Miss Kalani.”

  The General stopped. Starbuck nudged the man nearest to him and nodded toward Flores. The man nodded, coughing to hide a laugh.

  “Oh no sir, the soldiers they train for unarmed combat. We could never fight them.”

  The General smiled. “Starbuck, I accept your proposal. It’ll be good for morale, help build team spirit.” He thrust his hand at Starbuck, who rose to shake it.

  ~*~

  “Always target the shyest guy in the room.”

  “Oh so you’re a group psychologist in addition to being a hacker? Why can’t you be a barista? You realize my pumpkin spice mocha latte is missing the chocolate and pumpkin spice and I swear they used goat’s milk.”

  “No but I am a guy, and I know how guys think. They ignore the weak, the disabled, and the shy. You pay attention to that guy, and they’ll think you’re just being kind. It will make them want you more and demonstrate you’re there for the taking. Also what the hell do you know about goat’s milk.”

  “I know a lot more about goat’s milk then you do or I want to. And guys don’t think that way.”

  “Yes we do. I wasn’t always an old codger. I was young, idealistic, shy, and oh so horny but there was one woman… Just shut up and do what I tell you. Please.”

  There was more to the story. Some of it Brandie already knew. At least she knew the raw details. Charlie was – had been - happily married. More than happily married, he had been wildly joyously married, and they had a child. Then his family had been murdered.

  Her flirting with a shy soldier or guard wouldn’t bring them back, but maybe it could offer some validation to his life, and perhaps bring him back, at least a little. It was the least she could do. After all there was a time when he had done as much for her.

  “Fine. Who’s the mark?”

  “A soldier. Not even twenty. General Flores’ nephew and his personal assistant. Everyone treats him like shit. You can’t miss him.”

  Brandie was alone in a small office which had been hastily converted to her personal dressing room. She kept the black leggings but replaced the tube top with her black sweatshirt. The pink wig had to stay, and she’d added double stick tape and hairpins to make sure it did.

  There was a soft, hesitant knock at the door.

  “Don’t worry, you just texted him.”

  “Shut up, Charlie.”

  She took a deep breath, froze a smile on her face, and answered the door.

  Jose was holding his phone like a chalice. “I I I -”

  “Thank you for coming. Would you walk me back to the lobby?”

  The boy was caught somewhere between fainting to the floor and floating up to the ceiling. Brandie took his arm in hers and lead him down the hall like it was his idea.

  “It’s always important for a lady to make an entrance and what better way to do it than with a handsome young man on her arm and maybe you can help keep everyone in line. Please?”

  She risked stroking his shoulder. He stiffened, and straightened. “It would be my honor Miss Kalani.”

  She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Call me Lea. All my friends do.”

  He stumbled, touching the spot with his free hand. “All right Lea. Please call me Jose.”

  They entered the lobby. It was entirely packed, with hundreds more pressed against the windows outside. There were guards and soldiers, but there were a few civilians too. Women and children, and a few men. Everyone looked happy, and slightly awed.

  And Brandie had no one to blame but herself. She had adopted this persona to get her out of a jam. Now she owed them. She was using them, and she owed all of them. Time to put on a show. She would start with Jose.

  She lead him to the receptionists desk and then made him help her up onto it, all the while making it look like his idea. She held his hand just a little longer than necessary once she was standing on the desk, and never took her eyes off his. When she looked up at the crowd she feigned surprise.

  “Oh wow! Look at all of you! Thank you so much for coming here. This is such an honor!”

  She looked down at Jose and smiled.

  “I’d like to thank Jose for being such a charming and thoughtful host. I honestly don’t know what I would do without him.”

  He looked shy, embarrassed, and wholly infatuated. She’d have to work on that. Couldn’t leave a heartbroken young man in her wake, especially if he was mooning over a fictitious movie star. Then again, weren’t all movie stars fictitious?

  No time for wool gathering. She stood up. “If any of you would like to get autographs or have your picture taken with me, we’ll set up here. Jose will introduce us and take your photos. If you don’t have your own camera or phone he will use his and make sure you get copies and its a good thing he’s in charge. I couldn’t find my purse without a search team.”

  The soldiers and guards laughed politely. Jose was ready. He had a pocket notepad, pencil, and phone in hand.

  She knelt beside him. “Is there a photo printer in the building? Maybe I can have some head shots printed. I could them to hand out?”

  “I’m on it. Could you, would you mind, perhaps, maybe giving a demonstration while I’m gone?”

  “What a brilliant idea!” She kissed him on the top of his head. “Give me your phone and I’ll put my picture on it.”

  He handed it over. She touched her phone to his, chuckling to herself that guys in the audience were upset and girls were … aroused? Hmmm…

  She handed it back and he disappeared.

  “Jose has suggested that first I give you a demonstration of movie martial arts!”

  The crowd’s applause was drown out by a voice from the back of the room.

  “Not without a director you’re not! Make way! Coming through!”

  Akhim had arrived.

  6. 6

  “No I have not faked any news articles about you and I’m not going to!”

  “Why not? You’re treating me unfairly because Brandie’s an admittedly attractive young woman.”

  “That has nothing to do with it.” Charlie lied. “You’ve been in the news since you were old enough to get into serious trouble. You’re a showman with a lengthy public record.”

  “Such reference to the personal trials of my past is beneath you
.”

  “I am merely stating facts. You’re the one who was sloppy enough to get caught.”

  “Whereas you let others get caught for you.”

  Ouch.

  “I’ve never let anyone get caught, as you blithely suggest, who did not fully deserve it.”

  “Whatever lets you sleep.”

  “You getting out of this mess would be a great start.”

  “Just… make me look like a Hollywood mover and shaker.”

  “Do you have any idea how many hours of news coverage your Indian adventure received?”

  “Not precisely, no.”

  “Any idea how much coverage you received once you returned to the US and paid off your so-called investors and went to work for Graham Entertainment?”

  “I tend not to look at my press coverage.”

  “Just go in there and act like you’re a movie mogul, tell them you’ve got an appointment, grab Brandie and walk out.”

  “See about getting us a ride to the airport.”

  “The nearest airport is less than three miles away, but it’s owned and operated by the drug cartel.”

  “Not that airport, then.”

  “Right. The next closest is about a week away, if the weather holds, but you must have known that already.”

  “We need an extraction.”

  “I need you to stall for time.”

  “Will do. Call me in an hour.”

  “I am a little busy simultaneously trying to cover your asses while I save them.”

  “Charlie has anyone ever told you that you are somewhat full of yourself?”

  “Yes but they’re full of it.”

  “You just toddle around your computers and call me in an hour. I’ll have it all sorted out by then.”

  Akhim pocketed his phone, straightened his neck scarf, and strode toward the lobby.

  Inside, Brandie was standing on the receptionist’s desk surrounded by guards and soldiers. She was promising to give a martial arts demonstration.

  “Not without a director you’re not.”

  Brandie smiled at him. “Akhim! There you are! This is the esteemed artist Akhim Gudan. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of working with him.”

  “Oh please. I’m just a director. Lea is the artist but she has more passion than sense. If she’s going to give a demonstration we need a padded ring.”

  Akhim stopped and stared back the way he came. “Those big bales are pretty soft. If we could just bring-”

  Guards were already moving past him. They were quickly followed by the soldiers. Akhim ambled over to the desk and sat down. Brandie sat beside him.

  “You survived.”

  “Aye. This wasn’t your worst idea ever.”

  “Is that your way of saying it was brilliant?”

  Akhim grinned. “Mind if I give a short demonstration on forced perspective and depth of field before you beat up anyone else?”

  “We need to stall for time and convince them we’re in the movies. Charlie’s taking care of the paper trail.”

  “Website trail.”

  “Fine. I’m old fashioned. Just play along and stretch this out for as long as possible.”

  They watched as the guards and soldiers wrestled the large heavy bales into the lobby, lining them up in a large square. The surface was lumpy and uneven. Jose returned with a stack of photos which he dumped beside Brandie, along with a silver marker. Without stopping he grabbed the biggest soldier by the arm.

  The soldier looked down on Jose and gave him a shove. He fell on his ass. Brandie jumped up and was kneeling by his side when Starbuck and the General returned. They stopped at the end of the hallway, taking in the scene.

  Brandie helped Jose to his feet while glaring at the large soldier. He made a mistake. He smirked at them. Once Jose was standing she turned her back on the big soldier.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I just want to make the surface safer, that is, smoother, but I need help.”

  She touched his lips with two fingers. “How many men?”

  “Six.”

  She turned and jumped up onto the bale ring. “I need six volunteers to help Jose finish this platform,” She glared at the big soldier, “but not you.”

  He smirked and crossed his arms. Jose left with three soldiers and three guards.

  Once they were gone Brandie jumped down, landing in front of the big soldier. “Why don’t you try pushing me around?”

  “I don’t hit ladies.”

  “I’m no lady, but hey, if you are afraid, I understand. Bullies usually don’t like people standing up to them.”

  He reached for her shoulder. She broke his index finger and thumb before she hooked her right heel behind his left knee and pushed him to the ground. She swept his legs up so the back of his head hit the floor first.

  He cried out first in shock, then in pain. He lay on the floor clutching his broken hand to his chest. Brandy knelt on his chest, pinning his broken hand beneath her knees.

  “If you hurt Jose again, if you treat him with anything but deference and respect I will come back and finish this. Do you understand?”

  The man was in such pain he could barely breath let alone speak. Brandie grabbed both his ears and lifted his head and bent down, whispering in his ear. “Do you understand.”

  “Yes. Yes please.”

  She let go of his ears and his head cracked into the floor again. Rising she went back to the leaders. Akhim rose to join her.

  “That was a very impressive demonstration.” Starbuck said by way of greeting.

  “Oh that wasn’t a demonstration. That was just taking care of a bully, no offense General.”

  “None taken. You caught him by surprise. I’m sure if he had been prepared things would have turned out differently.”

  “Do you think so?” Brandie asked innocently.

  Akhim joined them. “We’ll be giving a demonstration shortly. I highly recommend you do not test your theory, sir.”

  The General ignored Akhim. “Is he your assistant?”

  Starbuck covered a smile but couldn’t hide it from his eyes. He touched the General’s elbow. “This is Akhim Gudan, multi-millionaire international businessman, acclaimed artist, producer, director, and friend of the president of the United States.”

  Akhim coughed. “We were classmates back in the day.”

  “He is also my boss.” Brandie added.

  The General clicked his heels and bowed. “My apologies for any discomfort my comment may have caused you.”

  “No worries, colonel.”

  General Flores stiffened. Everyone else laughed.

  “I made an honest mistake. What is your excuse?”

  “I made a joke.”

  The laughter died and the tension rose. Only Jose and his team’s arrival broke the standoff. He was winded, but he stopped to speak to Starbuck.

  “We have borrowed some materials. Plastic sheeting and a canvas tarp for Lea – Miss Kelani’s platform. I was thinking we could help make some temporary repairs once she is-”

  “Repairs are not your concern.” The General interrupted.

  Starbuck sighed and smiled. “That is a very good idea. Thank you for your concern, and your cleverness.”

  Lea slipped her arm through Jose’s. “I’ve chosen my assistant well. Come, Jose, show me what you’ve done.”

  “We are rolling out stiff plastic which will be secured with duct tape and covered with canvas. This should give you a stable platform but with enough give to prevent injury in event of a fall.”

  “You are so clever!”

  Jose straightened and smiled. “It wasn’t all me. We came up with the ideas together. Isn’t that right?”

  The six men were laying down the last of the duct tape. They stopped to agree with Jose and went back to work.

  The General scowled. “I do not know what she sees in that fool.”

  Akhim and Starbuck exchanged eye rolls.

  �
��The heart wants what the heart wants.” Starbuck observed.

  Akhim was more philosophical. “Imagine you’re an Asian heritage kid growing up in an all WASP neighborhood. You look different. You’re always the smallest, always the poorest dressed. You’re ignored at best, and bullied at worst. Then imagine one day somebody finds you. Maybe you’re crying, maybe your clothes are dirty or ripped because some kids ganged up on you, and that somebody says you need to protect yourself, stand up for yourself, and fight back. So you learn self defense. You practice and practice until you know you are ready. Then somebody picks on you, and you beat the snot out of them.”