Nemesis Chapter 6

Nemesis Chapter 6

A little while later, Max and Grant were atop the warehouse, driving nails into two-by-fours.  The sun was blistering hot, and the men had to stop periodically to wipe sweat from their brows.

During one of these moments, Max caught sight of Garcia off to the right of the warehouse, speaking to an important-looking gentleman in a light blue business suit who seemed very interested in the progress of the construction.

Max caught Grant's attention and nodded.  Grant paused a moment, then glanced over his shoulder to see what Max had seen.

"I'm going to go check it out," Max growled as he began his descent from the warehouse roof.

"Just be careful, all right?"  Grant urged, with a bit of impatience in his voice.

A sideways grin curled across Max's face.  "I'm always careful," he winked.

Grant rolled his eyes as Max checked to make sure nobody was watching, then began to walk stealthily toward the pair who by this time had disappeared around one corner of the building.  Max flattened himself against the side of the building and listened intently.

"Well, Garcia, construction seems to be moving along rather nicely," said the man in the blue suit.

"Yes," agreed Garcia.  "We should be ready to start packaging the coke in the next week or so."

Max heard footsteps coming his way and tried to make a quick exit, but there was nowhere to go.  Garcia spotted him and cocked his shotgun.  "What are you doing?"  he demanded.

Thinking on his feet, Max smiled sheepishly.  "I was...um...just looking for the bathroom," he stammered.

Garcia pointed his gun back toward the opposite direction.  "It's that way."

Max glanced over his shoulder in the direction Garcia had indicated.  "Oh, yeah, right," he grunted.  "Thanks."

Max made a hasty visit to the restroom, in case Garcia was watching, then climbed back on the rooftop beside his friend.  Hastily, he reported what he'd heard, and Grant in turn advised Jim through the transmitter in his earring.

"Thanks, Grant," answered Jim.  "Be careful and keep your ears open."

"So they're going to use the warehouse to package cocaine," Nicholas echoed, having heard Grant's transmission from his post, standing at Jim's left shoulder.

"I wonder who the guy in the blue suit is and what's his connection to all of this," Jim mused aloud.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to find out during this interview," replied Shannon.

"Speaking of which, you'd better get ready," Jim observed.

*******

Later that afternoon, Garcia left the building site and was gone for an hour or so before returning with the man in the straw hat.  Once again, he parked the white pickup and Straw Hat trained his binoculars on the warehouse.

"Show me the new guys, Kyle," he barked.

Kyle Garcia pointed out Max and Grant, who were helping two other men frame up a wall.

Straw Hat's breath momentarily caught in his throat, then he began to chuckle menacingly.  "It's happening, Kyle," he said eerily.  "After five years.  At last, it's finally happening."

"You know them?"  asked Garcia.

"It's the two mercenary men from Phelps' team," replied Straw Hat.

Garcia knew from past conversations with his boss that this was significant.  "What would you like for me to do with them?"  he asked, knowing full well that he already knew the answer.

Still staring at the agents through the field glasses, Straw Hat waited a moment before responding.  "Take the chopper to the Mainland to pick up supplies.  Take the new guys with you."  He lowered the binoculars and smiled evilly at Garcia.  "Then kill them and dump their bodies somewhere over the Atlantic."