Above Ground (37 page)

The estate was treed with a variety of pine, teak, and palm trees. The long driveway that eventually meandered up to the mansion was lined with palm trees. Jack and Laura caught glimpses of guards, with M16s slung over their shoulders, patrolling the grounds.

Jack grimaced. Jean-Louie was right.
We're on our own.
He exchanged glances with Laura and Damien. He knew they were thinking the same thing.
All we have is each other...

Introductions were made inside the front entrance to the mansion. Above their heads hung a chandelier that was slightly larger than a Volkswagen.

Ramirez was cordial, spoke excellent English, and his eyes sparkled when he met Laura. Jack guessed that he was about sixty years old. He was a tall, solid-looking man with grey hair that contrasted sharply with his dark skin. He had a long ponytail that made his balding head more obvious. Despite the heat and the humidity, he was dressed in a long-sleeved silk shirt and slacks. Leather sandals adorned his feet.

They were ushered out to the rear of the mansion, past an Olympic-sized pool where a bevy of young and beautiful women either lay on lounge chairs or cooled themselves in the water. Most wore thong bikinis and some had elected to go topless.

Minutes later, they took a seat in a gazebo and drinks were offered. Both Jack and Laura chose a Chilean Riesling, while Damien settled for a beer. Ramirez also chose the Riesling.

Conversation was light until after the waiter poured the wine and placed an Aguila beer in front of Damien. As soon as he had left, Ramirez looked at Damien and said, “So, amigo, you have brought ... your friends with you on this trip?”

“They're acquainted with the business,” replied Damien. “Jack here is good with numbers.”

“Numbers?” asked Ramirez.

“I am like a gardener,” said Jack. “I know how to make them grow ... safely.”

Ramirez laughed, then raised his glass to salute Jack. As he took a sip, he paused to look at Laura and asked, “And you, my
beautiful
lady. Why is it that you are here?”

“Oh, I'm just here to help murder you,” said Laura.

Ramirez's eyes widened and he spit wine from his mouth while signalling to a nearby guard who quickly dropped his weapon from his shoulder.

“Christ!” said Damien.

“Oh! I'm sorry,” said Laura, looking at Ramirez. “I take it that Damien has not explained that part to you?”

Ramirez gestured for his guard to wait while Damien quickly explained the situation. When he was finished, Ramirez looked at the three of them and said, “So ... this worthless dog, Carlos, he has hired a beautiful woman to lure me away to be murdered.”

Jack studied Ramirez's face as he spoke. His words were calm, sounding matter-of-fact. His face revealed his true feelings. Despite his dark skin, there was a noticeable redness, and the tendons in his neck protruded slightly more than usual. He was clearly angered.

“We've rented a place nearby,” said Jack, “called Maria's Cabinas. We thought we would tell Carlos that Laura had lured you there.”

“This does not seem right to me,” said Ramirez, while scratching his chin and frowning. He looked at Damien and said, “I have heard that after we last met you went to Carlos to do business. Is that correct?”

“That's correct,” replied Damien. “His prices were a little better than yours.”

“So why do you not still do business with him? Why come to me?”

“When he saw Laura, I think it gave him an idea. Obviously this was something he intended to do but had not yet figured out how, until now.”

“You have not answered what I asked! Why do you not work for him?”

“His price was cheaper ... but my instincts say not to trust him. He only thinks of himself. He wants to have Laura in the room with you when he and his men decide to attack. He wants her to stand in the window and give a signal. When I mentioned I was concerned for her safety, he threatened me.” Damien then clenched his fist on the table and added, “I will not be threatened ... by anyone!”

Ramirez appeared unimpressed and said, “But Carlos would know that I would not travel to such a ... rendezvous ... without protection,” said Ramirez.

“He thought if you believed that Laura was my woman,” said Damien, “so as to be discreet, you would not surround yourself with bodyguards.”

Ramirez did not respond and looked perplexed.

“You do not think that I would be worthy of such a rendezvous?” asked Laura mischievously.

Ramirez blushed, then chuckled and said, “For such a beautiful lady as you,” he said, “I would meet you in
Carlos's own bedroom.” Ramirez paused and added, “After he was dead, of course!”

Everyone laughed. Ramirez then excused himself from the table for a few minutes. When he returned, he asked, “Whose idea was it to rent a place in Cali — Maria's Cabinas?”

“Mine,” said Jack. “I thought it would be convenient for you. I have not told Carlos about it yet.”

“So it is you who talks with Carlos?” asked Ramirez.

“Carlos wanted you to think you were having an affair behind Damien's back. As it would appear that the situation does not involve me, it would be easier for me to converse with Carlos.”

“I do not think that he would dare try to do this so close to where I live. If he made a mistake ... the road back to Buga would become very long. I will pick another location. Palmira would be good. He will feel safer there.”

“Palmira?” asked Laura. “Where is it?”

“Cali, Buga, and Palmira ... think of it as a triangle on the map,” said Ramirez. “Buga is to the north and Palmira is to the northeast. All three cities join each other and are all less than an hour away. Buga belongs — no,
used
to belong — to Carlos. I enjoy the business in Cali. Palmira will be a good spot. He will not be so suspicious there.”

“I spoke to Carlos this morning,” said Jack. “I told him that tonight was the only opportunity. I was afraid that if we stalled, he might choose some other means. He is expecting me to call and let him know.”

Ramirez nodded and said, “The sooner we take care of this problem, the better it will be. Allow me a couple of hours to make some arrangements, then you can call Carlos.”

“I would prefer to call him from our hotel,” said Jack. “I could appear to be more open with him then.
Perhaps you could phone me later and give me a location to tell Carlos?”

“The three of you will be my guests for dinner tonight. Seven o'clock. You will phone him after that. It will give me time to make preparations.”

Jack knew that the dinner invitation, like the call he was to make, was an order and not a request. He nodded in agreement and said, “Perhaps I will tell Carlos that you are having a party tonight. I'll tell him that Damien is drunk or has passed out. Laura will say she has a headache and ask you to escort her home. He will understand.”

Ramirez smiled and said, “Very good, my new friend. Very good.”

For the next half-hour, the conversation around the table was light. Ramirez bragged about the abilities of his chef and the various paintings and statues he had acquired. Jack saw that his eyes frequently glanced in Laura's direction and knew that something was on his mind. Soon it was revealed.

“Have you dyed your hair?” asked Ramirez abruptly, looking at Laura. “It is not real?” he added, sounding disappointed.

“My natural hair just has red highlights. I did dye it, just on the pretense of enticing you.”

“Ah,” said Ramirez. “That is most unfortunate. Highlights, as you say, is how I do prefer it. That is a secret that my enemies do not know. Perhaps, for me, that is a good thing. Come, I will walk you all to your car.”

They walked to the front of the mansion and were just approaching their car when Ramirez said, “Jack, walk with me for a moment.”

Jack, Damien, and Laura all raised their eyebrows at one another, then Jack did as instructed. Ramirez walked with Jack until he was just out of earshot and then said, “Laura. She does not really belong to Damien, does she?”

“No, she doesn't,” replied Jack.

“I see her look at you sometimes ... like perhaps you are her boss? She does not look at you like a lover. Am I correct?”

Jack felt uncomfortable. Ramirez was more observant than he had expected. He also did not want to put Laura into a position where it would appear that she was for sale. He replied, “She looks to me because she values my opinion. But you are right. She belongs to no man, although there have been men who have belonged to her.”

Ramirez chuckled, then said, “
Perfecto
!” He smiled as he walked with Jack back toward the car.

As they neared the car, Jack noticed a security guard answer his portable radio. Seconds later, he barked an order in Spanish. Another guard quickly levelled his M16 at Damien, who was leaning against the driver's door of their rental car. A second guard pointed his weapon at Laura, who was standing a short distance away where she had been watching a gardener prune some rose bushes. Jack heard a noise behind him and knew that a third guard was covering him.

Ramirez looked startled and the guard spoke to him rapidly in Spanish. The word
policia
was used as the guard gave a sweep of his arm to indicate the three guests.

The eyebrows furrowed on Ramirez's face and his dark eyes looked like black marbles. He looked at his three guests and said, “A man has climbed a tree just outside the fence to our property. He is watching with binoculars. My guards believe it is a policeman! You have come to try and trap me! Yes?”

Damien's hands were behind his back and he slowly used his fingers to feel for the door handle.
My only chance ... keys are in the ignition ... if I can get it started ... keep my head down and crash the gate. Maybe the Mounties will try to run and distract them...

Laura glanced around.
No place to run ... gardening shears in this guy's hand ... won't stop an M16 ... oh, man! Elvis, I'm sorry.

“A policeman!” Jack exclaimed, then let out a chuckle that he hoped sounded genuine. “This is great news!” He then whispered to Ramirez, while conscious of the end of a gun barrel nuzzling his back.

Ramirez looked up, then said, “Of course!” He barked out a command and the guards quickly shouldered their weapons. He smiled and walked over to the gardener. A moment later, he bowed slightly as he handed Laura a freshly cut rose.

Damien was the first to speak as he drove Jack and Laura through the gate and out onto the street. “What the fuck just happened?”

“I said it was obviously someone who worked for Carlos. I suggested he show some affection toward Laura, so Carlos would think his plan was working.”

“We can thank Jean-Louie for almost getting us killed,” said Laura angrily. “I thought he said he was going to keep the troops far back!”

Jack expected Damien to voice his anger as well, but he remained strangely silent.
Perhaps just thankful to be alive ... at least, for now.

Jean-Louie breathed a sigh of relief when Jack, Laura, and Damien drove out the gate from Ramirez's driveway. Seconds later he knew his worries were not over. Two motorcycles, each containing two men, departed as well. They were followed by four SUVs that were all packed with men. It was soon apparent that Ramirez had ordered his three guests to be followed.

Jean-Louie quickly conferred with his Colombian counterpart.
Being naturally suspicious is one thing, but this many men? What the hell happened in there? Yet, if Ramirez wanted to kill them, he would have already done so.

Jack saw one of the narcs in a car that was driving past them. The narc made eye contact with him and slowly gestured with his head to look behind them.
Jack nodded that he understood and the narc disappeared in the traffic ahead.

“We've got a tail,” said Jack.

“Damn it,” replied Damien. “With all these strange streets and traffic, I've been too busy to notice.”

“Think we should lose them?” asked Laura.

“No,” replied Jack. “Ramirez is paranoid enough. Drive easy back to the hotel. When it's clear, we'll slip up the stairs and thank the narcs and Jean-Louie for heating us up. Also want to kick whoever was up that tree in the balls.”

Jean-Louie was adamant. None of his people had climbed a tree or even left their vehicles. He slammed his fist on the coffee table and said, “We know that Ramirez's grounds are infested with guards! Only a fool would do such a thing!”

“Perhaps the fools were us,” suggested Laura.

“What do you mean?” asked Jack.

“Perhaps Ramirez made up the whole story, just to see our response.”

“He is cunning,” said Jean-Louie. “That is one scenario I hadn't considered.”

Or perhaps a different police unit,
thought Jack. He looked intently at Jean-Louie's face and then asked, “Are there any other police units that could have been watching us?”

Jean-Louie stared briefly at Jack, then replied, “No operational units that ... were in the vicinity of Ramirez's estate without our knowledge. I am positive that the tree climber, if he actually existed, was not a policeman.”

Jack and Jean-Louie briefly stared at each other. Now, without actually saying it, they each knew there
was another police unit involved, but apparently not at Ramirez's place.

“I would suggest that you use extreme caution,” said Jean-Louie.

Jack nodded, then said, “Thank you. I will.”

“At first I was more concerned when so many men and vehicles appeared to be following you,” said Jean-Louie. “I was relieved when I learned that three of the SUVs headed northeast out of the city. The other SUV was last seen heading north. Right now there are only two motorcycles, each with two men who are hanging around the hotel here.”

“Not totally unexpected,” said Jack. “We'll do the tourist thing this afternoon. Buy Laura a new pair of shoes from his store. Maybe even lounge around the pool. Wouldn't hurt to try and catch a few winks. I suspect this party we're going to might last all night.”