Payroll by William James Johnson Chapter 29

Later that week they got the call they had been expecting. As Carlos had anticipated, Sanchez wanted one of his men to check out their proposal before letting them enter his compound. After a long discussion, Silky agreed the meeting should take place at Carlos' studio instead of Silky's hacienda. Carlos felt the less Sanchez knew about Silky and Rona the better it would be. They insisted they be present at the meeting to size up the situation.
Driving along the mountain road which led to Carlos' home, Silky was having second thoughts.
"I don't know about you, but I get bad vibrations from Carlos at times."
"We hardly know the man, that's why. You've seen his work. He's a genuine artist. If it weren't for him, we'd have no idea where to look for Pedro."
"I think that's what troubles me. It all happened too easily."
"Would you feel better if we still didn't know where Pedro was?'
"Of course not. I just don't want to be walking into a trap, risking everything I treasure...you, Sandy, Miguel."
"The cabinet idea was yours. If it had been Carlos' suggestion, I might question it, but it was you who came up with it."
After a long hot summer, the mountain area was a powdery dust. In the distance they saw the whitewashed walls of Carlos' studio. Hanging precariously on stilts, the structure was proof the man had obviously been very successful in his profession. The question which troubled Silky, was the uncertainty of what profession Carlos practised.
He came into the courtyard to meet his visitors. "Welcome my friends...Oh you didn't bring little Miguel. I am disappointed."
"He wanted to come, but Silky and me thought he should stay with Fernando and play with the kids. We're still having doubts about using the boy."
"Is that true Senor Silky? You still have doubts?"
"It's a helluva chance we're all taking Carlos...even you. Something could go wrong, and like you say Sanchez could kill all of us and no one would know."
"Come in my friends. Let us have a drink to cool us, and stop worrying. It will all work out. Trust me."
When he said that, the warning bells in Silky's head went off. He had always found that when someone says trust me, what he generally means is, "I need your trust, if my plan is going to work", and invariably the plan is in the interest of the person asking to be trusted. He grabbed Carlos by the arm and stopped him.
"Why did you say that Carlos?"
"Say what Senor?"
"Ask me to trust you. Why would you say that?"
"It's just an expression... that's all Senor Silky."
"Now wait a minute. You wouldn't have said it if you weren't thinking it. Have you any doubts about our plan?"
"Like yourself Senor, I don't look forward to facing Sanchez. But if you want to see Pedro again, there's no other way. Please Senor. Trust me."
Rona didn't want to upset things when they were getting so close.
"He's right Silky. Remember, we're doing all of this for Pedro."
"You're right...you're both right. Let's see what his man has to say. Who knows. He might turn us down."
They did not have to wait long to find out. Gales of dust behind the black limo coming up the mountain road announced the arrival of Sanchez' man. The car with the darkened windows stopped outside the courtyard, and a smallish man in a thousand dollar suit came through the archway. Very handsome, with blond, wavy hair he extended his hand.
"Tom Hansen...I work for Mr. Sanchez. You must be Carlos."
"Si Senor, and these are my two friends, Mr. And Mrs. Stan Howard."
"Very pleased to meet you. You have something to show me. I don't have much time."
He was taken into the large studio decorated in Mexican wall tapestries, and pottery. Standing on a plain handcrafted carpet, was the magnificent cabinet. Hansen moved his hand slowly across the exquisite hand tooled leather, like a horse buyer checking out a thoroughbred.
"It's magnificent Carlos. A masterpiece."
"Thank you Senor."
"It really is beautiful."
"And that is only the outside Senor. The purpose of the cabinet is to conceal any precious cargo for Mr. Sanchez so he can ship it anywhere he wishes without arousing suspicion."
"Don't tell me about it. Show me."
"You can do it yourself Senor. Press on the tip of the silver triangle and you will see."
Hansen pressed the triangle and a small springing sound released the right side of the cabinet which swung open. Bending down, he examined the compartment which had a shelf through the middle, creating two separate cubicles. The back of the cabinet was covered with what appeared to be a tight fabric from outside, but looking from the compartment side, he could see light coming in the grill which reinforced the fabric.
"Very nice. Very nice indeed."
"That's so the shipment can breathe."
"Yes...Yes the shipment must be able to breathe."
"You like it Senor?"
"Very much. This is just what Mr. Sanchez is looking for. He told me he's not interested in rocking horses anymore."
"Please Senor, let us forget that terrible thing."
"Of course. Why not. It all happened before I started with the company."
"How long have you been working for him Senor?"
"Not long...about two months."
"Is he a good man to work for Senor?"
"So far it's been okay, but you know the stories. The man is a legend...a living legend. I sure wouldn't want to cross him. There's no hiding from a man like Sanchez."
Silky and Rona were beginning to feel more confident the way he reacted to the cabinet. They let Carlos do all the talking, for fear they might say something which would make Hansen suspicious.
"And now Carlos, your friends here...Mr. and Mrs. Howard. Am I to understand they want to meet Mr. Sanchez too?"
"Si Senor. They are the ones who will be helping us with the shipments."
"Helping us...I don't understand. How could you help us Mr. Howard?"
"What Carlos means Mr. Hansen, is that my wife and I want to obtain exclusive rights to his creation, and we are prepared to merge our activities with Mr. Sanchez."
"A merger...Like the big corporations?"
"Right. Mr. Sanchez uses the secret compartment to conceal his shipment, and we provide you with the appropriate import papers, and an address in the US where he can have his employees take delivery of his cargo."
"And the cost?"
"Mr. Sanchez buys each and every container from Carlos, and we get to keep it as our payment for providing his export business with a legitimate address in the states. That way we both prosper. He gets his cargo through, and we get a unique work of art to promote all over America, thus giving Carlos the kind of international exposure his work deserves."
"How much do you want for this cabinet Carlos?"
"You can see Senor Hansen, how much hard work, and inspiration I have put into it. It is difficult to set a price."
"How much?"
"I really should get five thousand American dollars Senor."
"Thirty-five hundred, and I'll give you an order for ten now."
They were all stunned by the swiftness of his decision. This man must be a very important player in the Sanchez chicken game.
"Ten cabinets?"
"That's what I said. And I expect you will bring this cabinet to Mr. Sanchez tomorrow, at 10AM. He'll pay you for this one, and you can get busy immediately making the others."
"Si Senor...ten cabinets. You have made me very happy."
"Do you know how to get to his house?"
"I'm afraid I don't. No one knows for sure where he lives."
"I'll have a driver meet you in the town square in Tijuana. He'll bring you to him. I trust your American friends will also be with you?"
"We'll be there Mr. Hansen," said Silky, shaking hands.
"Until tomorrow...It's truly a magnificent cabinet Carlos. I almost hate to give it up."
They stood watching his car disappear in the dust. Everyone was smiling with satisfaction. Silky was beginning to feel like he did the night before the payroll robbery. His insides churned with anticipation.
"Wonderful job Carlos. I'm sorry I doubted you. Please forgive me."
"When it's all finished Senor, that's the time to pat me on the back. Don't be fooled. Hansen was a nice man. Sanchez is a beast. We must be very careful."
Silky could not get to sleep that night. He marvelled at how Rona could just turn things off and get her much needed rest. His mind never shut down. There was a new problem evolving now and he couldn't put his finger on it. It was Tom Hansen. It was obvious he was an American, working for Sanchez, but there was something else. His face kept entering Silky's imagination. His blond good looks made him think of Robert Redford. Maybe that was it. Maybe he felt there was something familiar about him, and the connection with the superstar was logical, because you seldom see fair haired men, particularly south of the Rio Grande.
The next morning Carlos and Fernando waited in the centre of town, the splendid cabinet under wraps on the back of the truck. Silky and Rona waited in the jeep with Sandy. They were really concerned about Miguel who was crammed into the hidden compartment with Silky's gun.
"We have to be crazy to risk that little kid like this."
"There's no other way. The bomb idea was pure madness."
The black limo circled the fountain, flashing its lights as it passed Carlos. Starting up their vehicles, they followed it out of town, heading south through the surrounding hills. The road narrowed to a pathway as they went higher and higher into the mountains. Finally on top of a crest, they could see the overhanging tile roof of a large mansion.
Stopping in front of a portico, the two men in the limo got out and came back to the truck. "Put your hands on the truck and spread your legs."
"What are you doing Senor?"
"Shut up and do as you're told."
Fernando and Carlos spread their legs, while the men removed their pistols. Silky wanted to pull away and make a run for it.
"Don't try it Silky," said Rona. "They'll kill all of us."
"But we've got nothing to fight back with."
"Only Miguel."
"My gawd. They'll kill him for sure if he does anything."
The men came to Silky and Rona.
"Okay you two. Now it's your turn."
Silky passed him his gun and he and Rona got out of the jeep.
"You can take the cabinet inside now."
Sandy was walking with Rona and Silky behind the cabinet.
"Hey. Leave the dog out here."
"Then the deal's off," said Silky.
"What the hell do you mean?"
"You've taken our weapons. At least let us have our dog for protection. He can't go in...we won't go in."
Approaching the doorway to the mansion was a gross, three hundred pound man with a pig's face, waddling towards them. Large drops of sweat fell from his chin, soaking his shirt. He moved clumsily, with great effort.
"Let 'em bring in the dog. He does anything funny, kill him."
This ugly excuse for a man was everything rumoured about him. His voice was deep and unfeeling like the sound of a synthesizer. He walked by shifting his ponderous cheeks from side to side.
"Senor Sanchez? I am Carlos, the artist."
"So you're Carlos... Father of the leather horse." He roared at his attempt to be humorous, his joke not appreciated by the frightened quartet.
"Please Senor, when I show you my latest creation, I hope you will forget the horse forever."
"We'll see."
He led them into a massive room with marble floors, and windows all along one wall which gave them a marvellous view of the mountains, and the distant smog over Tijuana.
Fernando and Carlos put down the covered cabinet..
"Would you like something to drink?" asked Sanchez.
"Tequila would be very nice Senor," said Fernando.
"For me too Senor. I would like a tequila," said Carlos.
"And you Americanos...What can I get for you?"
"A little white wine Mr. Sanchez," said Rona.
"Nothing for me. Thanks," said Silky.
Sanchez waited until they all had been served. He dismissed his servant, and asked his man to wait outside. The cabinet remained covered.
"So Mr. Zylkowski, you want to trick me do you?"
Silky and Rona were shocked by his question.
"You are Stanislaus Zylkowski, deserter from the Canadian Army, armed robber aren't you?"
"I...".
"Take your time. I'll wait. You're not going anywhere."
Rona tried to regain the initiative.
"Look Mr. Sanchez, we've come up with a great idea to improve your operation. Why don't we stop playing around, and get down to business?"
"Or what? Or you might give me a swift kick in the balls like you did to your old boss. You can't con a con Rona. You are Rona, the waitress, married to Russ Menard, who took off with that notorious robber aren't you?"
They had not anticipated any of this. Fernando had not told Carlos about the true identity of their friends. They were all too deeply into this to back out now.
"So I shock you because I know all about you. Your friend Fernando isn't the only one who has a friend working in the file section at the border...Now that I've cleared that up, there is only one more thing I want to tell you. None of you will get out of here alive. It's too risky, and I've worked too hard establishing my business. I can't have outsiders coming into my operation, screwing up the works."
"But Senor Sanchez, I made the cabinet especially for you."
"That's too goddamn bad for you Carlos. Now that we've got it, it's just a matter of copying it and setting up the import business like you planned. You've all done me a great favour."
"But Senor, I beg you. Please let us go. Me and my friends will never get in your way again. I promise Senor. And I will make the cabinets for you as long as you want."
"There are hundreds of craftsmen who can copy this cabinet. I don't need any of you. When I'm through with people, I'm through with them...Comprende Senor?"
Sanchez yanked the cover off the cabinet, then stepped back.
"Ole'!...Hansen was right...It is magnificent. You've excelled yourself Carlos."
"Thank you Senor Sanchez. I am pleased it makes you happy."
"It does that. But don't get your hopes up. You're looking at the last handiwork of that talented unknown Mexican artist, Carlos Velasquez."
The longer Sanchez took to open the cabinet's secret compartment, the more time Silky had to decide what he would do, if Miguel managed to complete his assignment. Sanchez had closed the door to the large room. Silky decided that given the chance, he would jam a chair into the handle on the door to secure it.
"So now I would like to see this unique secret compartment you have made."
"I will show you Senor."
"No Carlos. Let me. Hansen said it had something to do with the silver triangle..."
He began to press it, and try to rotate it. Nothing happened.
"This is the triangle isn't it?" asked Sanchez.
"Si Senor, but you must press on the tip of it only. Try it and you will see for yourself."
Sanchez pressed on the triangle tip and the sound of a spring being released was heard as the right side of the cabinet opened slightly. Miguel was holding it shut so that pig face would have to be closer to examine it.
"I thought Hansen said it swung open when you did it."
"The spring may have to be replaced Senor. Maybe it is not strong enough. But look inside. See for yourself how good it will be for your chicken business."
Sanchez began to laugh. "Everyone likes chicken. I'm your Mexican Colonel Sanders."
He knelt down in front of the cabinet, struggling for breath, trying to pry open the secret door. Fernando was shaking so much, he almost gave it away. As the huge hands, famous for the men they had snuffed out, pulled open the leather covered panel, one shot was heard, and blood squirted upward from the chest of the beast as he fell over on his back on the marble floor. It looked like an uncorked wine vat staining the glossy marble with crimson life flowing out of this mound of wounded flesh. Silky dashed to the door and jammed a chair into the handle securing the room. Carlos hurried to pull Miguel out of the compartment. Sandy began barking uncontrollably.
Silky took the dog to the door. "Get ready Sandy."
The dog's legs tensed as he waited for Silky to open it. The guard barely got past the doorway before Sandy had him by the throat on the floor, begging for help. Silky grabbed his gun and pulled Sandy off.
"Go Sandy. Find Pedro."
Three steps at a time the lithe animal charged up the marble stairs to the upper level. Sniffing at each of several doors, he stopped by one and again began to bark furiously. Silky ran up the stairs and pushed in the door. Inside, tied to a chair was Hansen, a gag in his mouth. Silky untied him.
"Hurry," said Hansen. "We must find Pedro before the others come."
Led by Sandy, they ran down the hall into another suite. Without hesitation, Sandy went directly to a large wicker hamper in the bathroom. Hansen opened the lid to find with a gag in his mouth, the lovely face of the child Pedro. Hansen lifted him out and removed the gag.
"Oh poppa. You saved me."
It suddenly dawned on Silky why Tom Hansen looked so familiar.
"And Senor Silky...Oh poppa. This is the nice man I told you about. He gave me a dollar for nothing."
The reunion of father and son was almost a mortal blow for Silky. Not once did he consider the possibility that Pedro had any family. "I'm so happy for you Pedro," said Silky, holding back his tears.
"Thank you Silky. You have no idea how grateful I am. It has taken me so long to find Pedro. I didn't like working for that monster, but I didn't know what else to do. Then I heard Sanchez say he was no longer amused by Pedro. He wanted a different container to move his chickens and so this is what led to the production of the new cabinet. I couldn't let him do it to my boy."
Rona rushed into the room and grabbed young Pedro and began hugging him.
"And this is Senora Rona poppa."
"Poppa?"
"Yes Rona. Tom is Pedro's father."
"How can I ever repay you?"
"Just don't ever leave him again."
"I promise. We'll always be together."
Rona and Silky gave them a chance to be alone and went back downstairs with Sandy. Sanchez was barely alive. The big limo had escaped with Sanchez' cowardly bodyguards. Fernando had called the Federales and an ambulance.
Miguel ran to his two friends with his arms extended, hugging both of them at the same time.
"Momma, Poppa. Did I do real good?"
"Even better than good. You're terrific. Let's go home son. I think a nice afternoon, baking by the pool would be great."

Please write your comment on my novel. "Wild" Bill Johnson