Payroll by William James Johnson Chapter 27

Silky and Rona were thrilled with Fernando's limited success. Four of the boys were returned to their families in villages south of Tijuana. The remaining boy, who was a street-child like Pedro, was going to stay with them, to begin their new family.
Carlos learned from some of his underworld friends, that the two men he and Fernando tied to the fence, disappeared. Sanchez was notoriously vicious with anyone who screwed up on him. Carlos had been lucky. No one thought the child in the leather horse would die in the few hours it took to drive to San Francisco. Sanchez didn't like it, but he was willing to give Carlos another chance. He never took it. It was different with these other men. Through their stupidity, they had lost five kids, which represented a lot of preparation and money for Sanchez.
Thinking the incident with his men may have been mob related, Sanchez moved back to his Mexican mansion. He felt more secure on his own turf.
The youngsters assured Silky, Sanchez paid top dollar for prime children, twelve and under, and included little girls in his chicken business, to be used in the massive porn industry which flourished in southern California. Old pig face would do anything which would enhance his wealth.
The best news to come out of Fernando's efforts as a private investigator was the fact that the children they had rescued had seen Pedro in Sanchez' estate in the hills south of Tijuana. Apparently he was keeping the youngster for his own pleasure.
"Do you think he has done those bad things to Pedro like he has done to the other children? " asked Silky, hoping the answer would not add to his sadness.
"No Senor...Sanchez does not do those things to boys. He likes women, young girls who are maybe twelve or thirteen. He only wants young boys like me, because he can get mucho pesos for us," replied young Miguel.
"Don't you think Senor Silky we should be talking about how we can get Pedro back?" asked Fernando, anxious to return to the immediate problem.
"You're right Fernando. But I have no ideas...None...Nada."
"Why not buy him Senor," suggested Carlos.
"Buy him? How would we do that?"
"I could let it be known there are some rich Americanos who will pay a lot of money for a white Mexican child."
"Why a white Mexican child?"
"They are so rare, and because Pedro looks more like a white child, than a Mexican."
"What do you think Silky?" asked Rona.
"I don't know what to think."
"I can try it Senor. I don't know if it'll work."
"Thank you for the idea Carlos, but I'm afraid."
"Of what Senor?"
"It's not subtle enough. He's bound to know we are referring to Pedro. If he suspects anything, he may just take off with the boy, and with his money, he could go anywhere. We don't want to alert him."
"Why do you think that would make Sanchez run Senor?"
"You said yourself the guy is filthy rich. He doesn't have to sell Pedro. The boy obviously provides him with something he can't buy."
"Until he gets tired of the boy," said Fernando.
"I hate to think about it."
"But didn't you say money is what his so called chicken business is all about," said Rona.
"So?"
"So if we want him to meet us, it must be because we have a way to make him wealthier."
"She is right Senor. Sanchez will do anything for money," said Carlos.
"Okay. How can we get him to believe we can do that?"
"Maybe something that will improve his delivery of young boys," replied Carlos.
"That's it amigo. A fool proof way of smuggling them into the US, alive."
Silky couldn't believe what they were suggesting. Irritated to the point of genuine anger, he stood up and began shouting. "No way...no goddamn way. I don't want to be a part of any scheme that makes slaves of other children, even to save Pedro."
"Cool it Silky," said Rona.."We're not going into the white slave business. We only want to try to convince Sanchez we have a better way for him...something...anything, that will get us into his house, so we can free Pedro."
"She is telling the truth Senor. There is no way we want to help this beast. He is so clever, he could kill all of us, and no one would ever know. Whatever we plan, it must include stopping Sanchez for ever, as well as getting Pedro."
The rest of the day was spent trying to come up with a scheme which would help them free the child. Nothing seemed reasonable enough to try. Rona suggested bringing in the Federales, but soon changed her mind about that when both Mexicans convinced her how difficult it was to find an honest policeman.
Carlos wanted so desperately to right the wrong he had done with the leather horse, he volunteered to offer to work for Sanchez again, so that they would have someone on the inside. Silky would not hear of it. He and Fernando had already risked more than he had expected of them.
"Maybe Senor, you could be happy starting with little Miguel, and forget about this madman Sanchez," suggested Fernando.
"And Pedro...You're asking us to leave that child with that bastard?"
"I'm sorry amigo. I said that because I have no other idea. Please forgive me. I will try to think more for you."
That night Silky couldn't get to sleep.. His tossing and turning woke Rona. "Try to turn it off Silky. You're starting to get run down."
"Jeezus...There's got to be a way."
"Get some sleep. You'll be able to think better after you've had a good rest."
"I just keep thinking about how we can make it better for him to ship those kids across the border, and I can't get my mind off that story Carlos told us about the rocking horse."
"I know. Can you imagine how he must have felt when he opened it and found the dead child. There just wasn't enough room."
"That's it...by gawd, that's it."
Rona sat up, getting impatient with his restlessness.
"So tell me...what's this great idea?"
"Sanchez hired Carlos before to make the horse, and it was not what you would call a roaring success."
"This we know."
"But what would happen if Carlos got a message to Sanchez that he has devised a special cabinet, with secret compartments for the shipment of children. This time there would be no slip ups."
"So where do we get the cabinet?"
"We have one made. Carlos can make it. He's a master craftsman."
From what they've said, it's going to take more than a trick box to fool Sanchez."
"That's where we come in."
"Wait a minute Silky. You're going too fast."
"Carlos tells Sanchez he has solved the problem of hiding the children that is so good, he will be able to increase his shipments to the states as soon as the cabinets are ready. Using the box as the gimmick, he gets us into Sanchez house, past the guards."
"And how is he supposed to do that?"
"He tells him we're wealthy importers who have a business up north and we want to meet our Mexican connection before we start accepting delivery of these beautiful handcrafted cabinets.
"Will he tell Sanchez we know about the smuggling operation?"
"Yes, but we are more concerned with getting the cabinets. Whatever use Sanchez makes of them is no concern of ours."
"That sounds weak to me Silky...honestly, would you buy that?"
"It all depends on the level of artistic work Carlos can do. The cabinet has got to be terrific. He can load it with silver and copper decoration. This is his specialty. I'm sure when he does that on top of his hand tooled leather, even Sanchez will believe us. As for our part, we have to convince Sanchez that we will provide the authentic documents verifying the cabinets as genuine art works, which can travel duty free anywhere in the world and we will continue importing them on a regular basis. This would be a terrific cover for his chicken smuggling."
"He's going to ask what we're getting out of it."
"He's got to believe our main interest in the whole operation is the artistic cabinets. We don't want to seem too greedy."
"Then why don't we want to import the cabinets directly and forget about Sanchez."
"You're a good devil's advocate you know that."
"Okay, then answer that one."
"We expect Sanchez to buy the cabinets from Carlos, and we get to keep them in payment for providing the front for his operations. We'll let his men up north remove whatever they have to, then we'll develop a thriving business in Mexican handcrafted cabinets, throughout the south west."
"Do you mean to tell me you thought of all this when I said the horse was too small?"
"Not really darling. I've been wracking my brain to come up with an idea which would get us all into Sanchez house, and I thought of the importer idea first. Your suggestion about a larger space for smuggling is what made me think of the special cabinet. We sure as hell are a great team."
"All of this is going to take time."
"Carlos already has the cabinet. I saw it in his studio the other day. A few days of dressing it up with hand work is all it should take.
"With secret compartments?"
"Not necessary."
"After all that explanation, now you tell me you don't need a secret compartment."
"We've got to sell the sizzle, and not the steak."
"You're getting ahead of me again."
"All I want to do is get us past his guards and into his house. I don't care if we have secret compartments or not. They just have to believe we have them."
"I think that part of your idea is soft. Someone's going to want to check this cabinet before we get anywhere near Sanchez."
"Jeezus Rona. Give me a break"
"I'm only telling you what I think. Someone's gotta protect your ass."
"Okay...maybe you're right. But let's say we get in with the cabinet. My plan is to rig it up with a bomb. I'll carry the remote firing control. Once we are in his house, we let him examine the cabinet, and make sure he sees the dynamite. Then we threaten to blow everything sky high if he doesn't turn over Pedro."
"Including ourselves."
"Look the idea needs some refinement, but I think it's on the money."
"It's a good idea Silky...it really is. I just hope we don't end up decorating the countryside ourselves."
"We won't. Now I think I can get to sleep."
"Hurray for you. I'm wide awake. I feel like doing something."
"Then go check Miguel."
"Starting to feel like a family already."
The next morning, Carlos and Fernando were excited about the idea and began working on the cabinet immediately. Contacting Sanchez proved more difficult. They had spread the word that they wanted to meet with him, and now it was a matter of being patient.
A week went by, then another. Silky felt his plan was being thwarted by the indirect method of contacting Sanchez and he was getting frustrated. "Why haven't they called us?"
"Sanchez is a very cautious man Senor. That is why he is so successful. I think he'll probably have one of his men come here to check the cabinet before he agrees to see us."
"We can't let that happen."
"Why not Senor?"
"He'll see right away that there are no special compartments."
"But there are Senor."
"Where?"
"That is a secret."
"Cut the clowning Carlos. I want to see for myself."
"Give me a few minutes Senor, then when I call you, come into the back shed."
A few minutes later Carlos called him. Fernando was standing by the cabinet, smiling.
"It looks beautiful Carlos. You're a true artist."
"So is my friend Fernando."
"Let me see the secret compartment."
"Push down on the silver triangle in the centre of the top Senor."
Silky pressed the symbol, and a side panel of the cabinet sprung open. He went to the side and looked in. Facing him, with a gun in his hand was tiny Miguel.
"What the hell!"
"Bang...You are dead poppa."
"Miguel...what is this all about?"
"I hope Senor, you will see this is better than a bomb."
"Are you crazy? Do you think I would put my child in such danger?"
"Please poppa. I can do it."
"But he will kill you Miguel
"He will not kill him Senor. When he sees Miguel pointing the gun at him, he will be in shock. That is when you and me will pull out our guns and threaten to shoot the monster if he makes one false move."
"Rona will never approve."
She entered the shed just as Silky finished.
"Yes I will. I agree with Carlos. It sure beats blowing up into a thousand pieces if something goes wrong with your bomb idea."
"But Rona...Miguel is only a child."
"Senor I am a child, but I am not a baby. I want to do this poppa. Please let me help."
"I suppose your plan includes Sandy too?"
"It sure does," said Rona. "We're going to need him to find Pedro in that large house."
"I can't believe I'm hearing all this. Have you all gone mad?"
"Doesn't if feel good living on the edge again?" asked Rona.
"Maybe getting fat and brown by our pool, is not such a bad life after all."
"Not for people like us Silky. I know it's going to work. We just have to wait to hear from Sanchez."

View original art by William James Johnson at www.noozoon.com