CHAPTER 8
The storehouse on the pier was a bustle of activity. The Headman had instructed Gristle, his second in command, to “organize the troops.” He wanted to make sure that the shipments would be ready for transport after tonight’s meeting with the Bacro CEO. Helmeted men in studded leather flack jackets and military boots were moving the plain cardboard boxes onto several ice-cream, bakery and potato chip trucks. This was their common means of distribution as the Headhunters preferred to simply hide and operate in plain sight. It was a strategic tactic that the organization had gotten really adept at over the past few years.
Hidden among the truck’s regular cargo, they would conceal several boxes of controlled substances with a street value of several hundred thousand dollars. The operators of the vehicles had specific items on the menus that were code for the various drugs. They never carried more than three or four boxes in their trucks just in case one ever got stopped and searched by the authorities, but tonight’s operation was different. It would be the first time that the Headman’s disguised troopers would attempt a large relocation of their products.
“Let’s go! The boss needs all of these boxes ready for shipment by 1 a.m.” Gristle knew there was no time for dilly-dallying, as the deadline for evacuating the site was fast approaching. Historically, it would be the largest shipment of raw supplies that they had ever attempted to move out of Newark with only a six-hour window of operation. Everything needed to go smoothly and without incidence, as the drive to Connecticut would take two hours for each vehicle to complete. His cell began to trill and vibrate in his pants pocket. He retrieved it quickly and answered. The voice on the other end said one word:
“Well?”
“We are close to completion sir. Everything will be safe, secure and ready for transport by the agreed upon time. The Headhunters have been instructed to leave no visible signs in the warehouse of our organization. We will be completely whitewashing the area, and the new renter will be moving in their supplies as soon as we have cleared out.”
“Excellent, I would expect nothing less.” The phone call disconnected.
Danimal had worked with his employer for nearly three years and had come to consider him a friend, but when his boss was serious, he still possessed the ability to instill fear deep within him. The Headman was a cold and calculating individual on the outside, and as far a Gristle knew, on the inside as well. The man was an enigma. Hell! He didn’t even know his real name, nor did he think that he ever would. None of this truly bothered the second in command, but it didn’t prevent him from occasionally wondering about his overly secretive employer’s identity.
The Headman had shared very little information about his past, and when the two had become business associates, he was already a well-established drug boss in the tri-state area. He had easily removed Rafael “the squid” Ramone to become the chief supplier of illegal street drugs on the northeast coast. Many had made an attempt to cross the eccentric crime lord after his ascent to power and had met a swift and painful end. But in lieu of all his successes, the Headman was still considered by many in the drug business to be only a small player and not much of a threat. Gristle did not hold the same opinion.
“Snooping around will get you killed.”
He warned himself aloud. Two Headhunter Stormtroopers turned in his direction.
“Did you say something boss?” Gristle realized that he had spoken his personal thoughts out loud.
“I said to stop standing around and get over here.”
The two foot-soldiers hustled in order to stand before him.
“Get these five boxes aboard that ice cream truck pronto!”
“Yes sir!” and the boxes quickly disappeared inside the back of the refrigerated vehicle. The southern wall of the warehouse was already devoid of product, and five box trucks were already loaded up. Gristle retrieved his cellular phone from his pants pocket once again. He had previously downloaded another Three Stooges movie, just for this occasion. By watching the flick, he believed it would prevent him from continuing to ponder the identity of his mysterious employer, as well as help to pass the time between now and their scheduled delivery window.
Curly Joe took another thumb to the eye from Moe, and Larry laughed. This, in turn, caused Moe to hit Larry over the head with a roundhouse fist. He chuckled at their slapstick antics. No matter how many times he watched them, they never ceased to amuse him. The clock at the bottom of his cellular screen read 19:41 hours. As long as things kept progressing, the transport would soon be in full motion.
* * * *
As the doctor entered Sonny’s establishment, he was immediately greeted by Audrey, the night time cashier. She promptly offered to seat him and asked if he had a preference.
“Hello, Audrey. Do you have a secluded booth away from the other patrons?”
She nodded and led him towards the back of the restaurant in order to provide him with a private corner booth. The doctor had been frequenting Sonny’s Diner for the better part of twenty years, and over that time, he had come to know most of the staff by name. This particular evening was no different. The waitress, a nineteen-year-old blonde from Gateway Community College by the name of Renee, skipped over to his isolated table.
“Hi, Doctor D’Alleva. How have you been? I haven’t seen you here in a long time.”
The doctor knew this to be true, as he had become quite a hermit due to the depression brought on by his divorce proceedings. Even now that the business was once again booming, he had still missed dinner on more than several occasions. He could do little more than smile at her.
“Yes, I know. I’ve just been really busy at the plant as of late, and have been brown bagging it so to speak. How have you been Renee? How are classes going? Did you end up passing microbiology? I know it was giving you some problems when last we spoke.”
His questions were sincere, and oddly enough, he really did care about the young woman’s success in school. His own children had been forced to abandon him, due to the impending divorce, and he missed hearing about their daily activities in school. His soon to be ex-wife had limited their phone calls with him to twice a week. Renee’s educational progress help to satiate his fatherly needs, even if it was only in a surrogate fashion, and in reality, it didn’t hurt to vet a potential new hire.
“Oh yeah, I ended up getting a B in that class. B for boring, if you catch my drift. I’m taking organic chemistry I now and that one’s a real bear. But enough about me, what can I get for you tonight doctor? We have a meatloaf special with mashed potatoes, chicken oreganato over linguini, and a baked halibut steak with a portabella couscous.”
He listened halfheartedly to the specials, as his decision was already made prior to entering the diner.
“Organic can either make or break you, but if you plan on being a doctor or getting into the pharmaceutical field, you need to excel in that class and Organic II.”
Renee nodded her understanding.
“I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger, medium well, with a side of onion rings and a small order of disco fries with mozzarella cheese and gravy.”
“Going for a healthy meal tonight huh doc?” She smiled when she said it of course, and they both enjoyed a quick chuckle.
“Yeah, I have had a hankering for some good old greasy diner food all day. Oh, and let me get an ice-cold Mountain Dew too.”
“You got it, doctor. I’ll get your order to the cook ASAP.”
As the bubbly waitress bounced off to place his order, he was once again alone with his thoughts. He glanced down at his watch, he had a few hours before he needed to be back at the corporation. The waitress returned with his drink, and then she was off again to tend to the couple who had entered a few minutes after him. He gazed out of the window as the various cars drove down Main Street. It was kind of busy for a Wednesday night, but by no means as crazy as the weekends. Had it been a weekend, the diner would be full of loud and unruly teenagers hanging out to drink sodas or coffee together. Their presence would ruin the serenity of the diner, so he had learned over the years to avoid Sonny’s on Friday and Saturday nights entirely.
Renee appeared a short time later to place his burger, fries, and cup of hot gravy down in front of him.
“Is there anything else I can get you at the moment? A refill on your soda maybe?”
He looked over at his half empty cup.
“Sure. I’ll take another. Can never have enough caffeine.”
The waitress disappeared with his cup behind the counter once again and returned with a full glass. The burger was absolutely delicious as the cheese was perfectly melted and the bacon was crisp. He greatly enjoyed his meal, and he only then remembered, that he had skipped lunch today. A short time later, Renee returned to check on him once again.
“I’m sorry, doctor. I didn’t expect there to be so many customers tonight. I feel like we barely got a chance to talk. Can I interest you in any dessert? We have a really good creamy cheesecake, warm cherry pie and chocolate mousse.”
“No thank you on the dessert. Maybe next time. No worries on the other stuff Renee. Customers are good for tips. Besides everything was great, and I really have to be getting back to work.”
“You’re going back to work? Isn’t it a little late?” He didn’t take more than a second to respond.
“I have a ton of paperwork that needs to be completed and electronically filed by midnight. I completely forgot about it, and I let my secretary go home early today.”
He lied of course. He was going back to meet with the drug lord, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Oh and don’t forget, once you’ve completed sixty college credits you should apply for one of the paid internships at my company. You would be a welcome addition.”
“Really? I didn’t know you had an internship program!”
“It’s something I just recently implemented, and I know that you’re interested in many of the things Bacro Industries offers. It’s a nominal salary, but the experience alone will pay off in dividends.”
“That’s awesome! I only have another semester to go before I hit sixty credits.”
Well, I will be in again to see you soon, and we can talk about it more then.” She gave him a huge smile and handed him the check.
“Don’t be a stranger doctor. Oh, and don’t work too hard.”
She smiled once again before bouncing over to her next table. He removed his wallet from his back pocket and left her a crisp ten dollar bill on the table. Afterwards, he headed over to pay the cashier.
“Was everything to your liking doctor?”
“Yes, Audrey. Everything was delicious and Renee is a wonderful waitress.” He handed her a twenty and waved off the change.
“Thank you doctor.”
He walked out the front door and back to his Lexus. The drive back was uneventful, and he made it in record time. He parked his car and then passed through the two glass doors housing the elevators to the main level. The evening security guard greeted him once again in the lobby, at times he forgot he even had one, since this had been another recent addition to the staff.
“Good evening Doctor D’Alleva, how was your dinner?” Vincent searched his mind to recall the man’s name again, as his thoughts were already focused on other things.
“Well hello, again Pedro. Dinner was fabulous. I had one of the tastiest bacon cheeseburgers and it really hit the spot. If you’ve never been to Sonny’s you should really go. Their food is top notch. Sorry about before, I was really starving, and I don’t feel great when my blood sugar drops. How has everything been?”
The security officer liked his new boss. He seemed like a kind-hearted man and he wanted to make sure that he approved of the job he had been doing so far.
“That’s perfectly alright sir. I’m a bit hypoglycemic myself. Would you like me to stay past my shift? It ends at eleven, but I could easily stay longer if you needed me to.” The doctor waved him off with a smile.
“No, Pedro. I appreciate the offer, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll only be a few hours past that, and I’m sure your family is waiting for you at home. I understand you recently got married. Gotta keep your new wife happy. You know what they say, ‘Happy wife equals happy life.’ I’ll see you tomorrow. Remember, Sonny’s downtown. Tell them I sent you ”
Pedro nodded in approval just as Vincent boarded the elevator.
Thanks, Maria and I will have to check it out.”
As the doors closed and he ascended to the floor of the main lobby, his smile disappeared from his face. He exited the car and shortly after, swiped his security card through the panel which would allow him access to the hallway leading to his private office. Once inside, he checked the contents of the lower desk drawer. It was still unlocked and his glock 19 was still very easily accessible. Remembering his previous commitment, he decided to head back to the greenhouse in order to apply the new plant food to his vegetable garden. He tucked his security clearance card back into his pants pocket and exited his office, locking the door behind him. Vincent checked his watch once more before taking the maintenance elevator up to the greenhouse level. It was twenty to ten, and that left him with almost two hours to run some tests.
* * * * *
The Headman had just ended his most recent video conference with his mother. She seemed a little less lucid today, and had only spoke with him for a short time before saying that she was feeling tired and wanted to rest. The doctors had forewarned him that the new Alzheimer’s medication could have this effect and that it would take a week or two for her to become accustomed to it. He hated this recent development and sorely missed his mother. Her mental health had been declining over the past few weeks, and he started to wonder if he should even bother continuing her on the new treatment.
“No! She’s my mother, and I will do whatever I can to help her get better.” He spoke the words aloud, chastising himself for even thinking of ending her treatments. “I will spend my last dime if it guarantees me that I could bring her mind back.”
He let his thoughts drift to a happier time when his mother was healthy. His memories took him back to his eleventh birthday when his mother and brother had thrown him a surprise party. All his elementary school friends were in attendance and his mother had really come through for him, getting him some of the fantasy action figures he had been asking for. His classmates were in awe as he unwrapped his gifts revealing the Bronze dragon with it’s heroic paladin, a Hook Horror, and an evil wizard with glow in the dark weapons.
It was such a simpler time. He greatly enjoyed playing dungeons and dragons battles in the backyard with his neighborhood friends. He was brought back from his pleasant thoughts as the programmed alarm on his cell phone sounded. He picked up the phone in order to dismiss the alarm and then walked over to his private closet. A freshly tailored, mustard-colored, pinstripe suit hung to his left. He retrieved it and laid it out on the chair along with a white shirt and a red tie to compliment it.
“I like it! Who am I kidding? I love it!”
His tailor had been reluctant at first to create it for him, stating that he thought the suit would simply not look good. But the Headman had always had a bit of a flare for the eccentric, and greatly enjoyed going against the norm. His entire wardrobe was compiled of outfits that most regular men wouldn’t be caught dead in, but he was far from the average guy. He changed into his new threads and gazed upon his reflection in the full-length mirror.
“Hmm, it’s missing something. Ah yes.”
He walked over to his closet once more and found a matching fedora and a beige cape. After accessorizing, he completed the attire by picking up an ornate jewel-topped walking cane.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about! Perfect!”
Before exiting the room, he placed a black face mask in his inside jacket pocket.
“Can’t have the good doctor seeing my face just yet.”
The well-dressed drug lord exited his private quarters and made his way to the area of his underground garage that housed most of his personal vehicles. With his personal chauffeur and bodyguard busy tending to matters at the pier, the Headman would be making this visit to Bacro Industries on his own. He walked past his mint 1989 black and gold IROC-Z, his alpine green 1969 Firebird, his powder blue and white 1955 Thunderbird, and over to his cherry-red 1964 Mustang convertible. The top was already down when he got in behind the wheel, and he retrieved the extra keys from above the driver’s side visor. The drive would take about an hour and forty minutes, and if he left now, he would arrive with twenty minutes to spare. He removed a pair of brown leather driving gloves from the center console before starting the classic automobile. The muscle car’s engine purred as he pulled on his leather gloves. After turning on some gangster rap and cranking up the volume, he drove towards the freedom of the open road.
This car, like every other one he owned, would stick out in the barrio neighborhood. He never worried though, as this car like every other one in his personal collection, had been specially equipped with bulletproof body panels and windows, as well as a pop up machine guns in the hood should the need arise. As an added reminder to those looking too closely, his personalized license plates clearly identified him reading HDMN 1.
In addition to the weaponry, all of his personal automobiles had been equipped with satellite tracking and imagery. This information would be live streaming to his personal security team, and if anything at all seemed out of the norm, the black limousine tailing him out some thirty yards contained backup in the form of a quartet of his finest Headhunter Stormtroopers, just in case.
The antique convertible sped along the streets of Irvington and he made sure not to blow through any red lights before coming upon the thruway onramp that would lead him back to Doctor D’Alleva’s corporation. Traffic was minimal as it was a Wednesday night, and the threat of rush hour had long since past. The black limousine containing his personal security detail kept back fifty yards during the entire ride and turned off into a shopping center parking lot right before the Headman pulled into the underground garage of Bacro Industries. He lowered the volume on his radio and parked his car close to the entrance. After securing a mask around his eyes, he exited the antique auto and placed the keys in his suit jacket pocket.
“He really needs to get some parking lot security.”
The well-dressed man then passed through the double-glass doors that led to the main elevator. He pressed the call button and waited as the slow-moving box descended to the lower level. The warning light illuminated and dinged, as the doors slid open allowing him to step inside. As the doors slid shut behind him, he pressed the button for his intended floor. The elevator rattled as it began its ascent.
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