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Damian Garcia: PHD Drug Smuggler ~ Book 2 ~
~Opium~Hashish~Thai Sticks~LSD-25~Money Laundering~
By Chris Mosquera Balboa Press
Copyright © 2016 Chris Mosquera
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5043-5314-4
CHAPTER 1
The Omen Walks In
It was a blustery and snowy January day in 1978. George Carlin Dog was the first to notice him. The door opened, and an omen dressed as a man quietly entered Rosie's Sweet Shoppes. He was strong with wise eyes and a weathered face. He looked like a man who could handle life's obstacles. He wore a military-issued long coat with a peace symbol sewn on it, and a backpack hung from his right shoulder. Tucked under his left arm was a small gray cat with a white patch around his whiskers. The omen carried a large guitar case in his right hand and a harmonica in his left coat pocket. As he entered, the stranger smiled while his eyes quickly read the environment.
Damian Garcia was sitting in the back booth with Lori Wilson and their young daughter, RJ, who was playing with George Carlin Dog and Jennifer Carlin Dog. The puppies were at home.
Sharon Sherrone, director of security, was talking with Lori.
Damian made eye contact with the omen. The connection was returned and acknowledged by both men. A bond had been established that would last a lifetime.
The omen chose a table in a dark corner with his back to the wall. He took off his long coat, folded it neatly, and placed it on the back of the chair next to him.
Damian studied his movements and observed that he wore a flat stone around his neck, which was about four inches long. It had a small hole and was attached to a leather lariat. A large fountain pen with a gold clip was in his left shirt pocket. The omen placed the cat on the table, opened the guitar case, and tuned the beautifully handcrafted twelve-string acoustic guitar. Satisfied, he returned the guitar to the open case and placed it on the chairs closest to him. He reached into the left coat pocket, took out a pearl harmonica from the hand-tooled leather case, and lovingly polished the instrument.
Aleta had been watching his actions. She walked over and said, "Hello, and welcome to Rosie's Sweet Shoppes. My name is Aleta Church." She smiled, "You look like a man who could use some good coffee and hot food. It is cold outside and warm inside. What can I offer you?"
The omen smiled as he placed the cat on the floor. He stood up, extended his hand, and said, "Hello, my friends call me Tony Rivers, and this furry small gray dude I named Major Riley Cat."
Aleta smiled. "I like Mr. Riley Cat. Dogs control our worlds at Rosie's Sweet Shoppes. We have coffee and tea from around the world and the best homemade pastries and pies, if I do say so myself." She added, her eyes twinkling, "Which I do, since I baked them myself."
"Then I will try whatever you recommend, ma'am," he replied. "There is a story to Major Riley if you would like to know."
Aleta nodded.
"We found each other on the streets of New York in a back alley by the Dumpsters behind a twenty-four-hour doughnut shop. I named him after a friend I served with in Vietnam who saved my life when I saved his. It is a long story. Loving homeless animals helps heal the soul."
Aleta smiled. "After the war, did you find your friend who saved your life? It is important to follow through on friendships, especially as one gets older and maybe wiser. Bonds of friendship are the best because friends are family that one chooses."
He replied, "No. I've lost contact with him. His trail went cold. Interestingly his real name was Major Riley, and his rank in Vietnam was major, so we got to calling him 'Double Major Riley.'
"The last I heard, Double Major Riley was working for immigration or customs in Detroit, I think, and got fired for running some kind of immigration scam with an attorney who was smuggling people out of the country by boat to India. Or something strange like that. It does sound wild, but it would be within his character. Anyway, I heard he got a job a few years ago as a deputy sheriff in Montana or maybe Wyoming. He married a local woman and bought a farm away from the crowds. He always said he was happier in the country than in a big city. Then the trail went cold. I wonder what he is doing these days."
"The story you tell is not as strange as it sounds." Aleta smiled.
Jennifer Carlin Dog walked over to investigate and make friends with the gray cat. She stuck her nose too close for the cat's comfort, and Riley took a hard swipe with his left paw, extending his nails across Jennifer's nose. She let out a loud yelp. There was blood on her nose. Lesson learned.
George Carlin Dog walked over and gave the cat a look of understanding and respect. He offered Tony Rivers his right paw, and he accepted it.
Aleta chuckled. "I see Jennifer Carlin Dog will learn not to stick her nose where it does not belong. The wise one is George Carlin Dog. He is our director of all things human."
"Can I get a bowl of goat milk for Mr. Riley?"
"And what would you like for yourself, Mr. Rivers?" Aleta asked.
He fished into his pocket and pulled out a few wrinkled bills and some pocket change. "I only have about thirty dollars and some change to my name."
Aleta smiled. "Money is not needed among friends at Rosie's Sweet Shoppes. May I recommend starting with a triple-double, which is a hot and spicy drink? It is made with a triple shot of double dark rum with cocoa and whipped cream and a double shot of espresso. I would add a piece of my world-famous pie with homemade french vanilla ice cream. I also have excellent vegetarian lasagna. Trust me — it is delicious."
Rivers replied, "Yes, thank you. That sounds wonderful. I have not had a warm meal in a long time. It can get lonesome traveling, but I have learned so much hitching around the country and Canada and writing songs about being alone in the world. The songs I sing are from my soul and are about traveling and the war that supposedly ended a few years back. War never ends for people who have been there. It is always in your head. I just have to channel the feelings in the right directions to make it work for me."
Aleta smiled. "Make yourself comfortable. I will bring the goat milk and the triple-double. The food will take a few minutes."
Damian, Lori, and Sharon were observing from the back booth.
Lori got up and walked behind the counter to help Aleta with the coffee and food.
Aleta nodded her approval of Tony Rivers and Major Riley Cat.
Lori walked over and smiled. "Hello, my name is Lori Wilson. Aleta and I are friends in this coffeehouse. You are our welcome guest. I brought dry towels. The large one is for you, and the smaller one is for Riley Cat."
Tony Rivers said, "Thank you very much. I have heard that New York City is an unfriendly place."
Lori smiled. "It is. You found a friendly place in a hostile city."
He smiled as he dried Riley.
Aleta brought the food and triple-double for the guest and goat milk and tasty morsels for Major Riley Cat.
Aleta smiled. "By day, I am an accountant. On weekends and some evenings, I help out at Rosie's. I love to bake and create beautiful food. It is my form of therapy, and it helps me relax after a day of directing numbers. Creative accounting is all about making certain numbers tell different stories. For some, you may want the numbers to show profits, and for others, you may want the same numbers to show losses. Numbers are just so hard to train. I am sorry. I shouldn't be running my mouth about numbers and accounting. My bad."
He replied, "No, please continue. Tell me more about training numbers. I need to know such things. Accounting is a vital business practice to understand in any type of business. Besides, I ran my mouth about my war buddy and finding Riley Cat."
With a big grin, Aleta said, "So I guess we're even."
"Would you mind if I played some music after Riley and I finish this fabulous meal?"
Aleta smiled. "I was hoping you would."
Tony Rivers and Major Riley Cat ate contentedly. After they finished, he pulled out a book from his back pocket. Riley jumped on his lap, curled up, and started purring.
George walked over and gave Riley a kiss on the nose.
Sharon and Damian were studying the scenario; she was observing the events as highly trained personal security must.
Damian walked over and said, "Hello, my name is Damian Garcia."
"Hello, sir. My name is Tony Rivers, and this is Major Riley Cat."
Damian smiled. "Just call me Damian, please. This is George Carlin Dog, and I believe Major Riley Cat and Jennifer Carlin Dog have met. May I sit down and join you for a few minutes — if I am not interrupting?"
Rivers replied, "Please do."
Damian said, "Can I get you anything else — or for Riley? Perhaps you would like another triple-double?"
He replied, "Yes, thank you. That would be nice."
Aleta brought two drinks to the table.
Damian thanked her. "I noticed your book: Riders of the Purple Sage. Zane Grey is my favorite western novelist."
Rivers smiled broadly. "Really? I thought I was the only one who enjoyed his novels. I love the visual storytelling and the deep character development. You can close your eyes and smell the earth. I have always thought I was born in the wrong century. You cannot go back to the past, but the future can learn from the past."
Tony Rivers and Damian Garcia spent the next hour intensely discussing literature, US history from the 1800s, and the destruction of the Native American culture.
Tony reached into the inside pocket of his long coat, took out a leather pouch and rolling papers, and asked, "Can I roll one for you, Damian?"
"Thank you, but I don't do tobacco."
He grinned and proceeded to roll a cigarette, "You might enjoy this special brand. The Thai marijuana is soaked in liquid opium and rolled in strawberry-flavored rice paper. It is delicious, and two hits last all day."
As Tony Rivers rolled the cigarette, he twisted the top paper under the first paper. It was the same technique Vash had observed when he and Damian had escaped Detroit and Immigration Agent Christopher. They had smoked the four fat Thai sticks on their journey to Iowa after a strange woman gave it to them in a diner.
Damian said, "Perhaps we should go to the back booth."
Tony asked, "Can we smoke here — or will I get busted for possession of a controlled substance?"
Damian chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about the law in here."
Tony Rivers, Damian Ogden Garcia, George Carlin Dog, Jennifer Carlin Dog, and Major Riley Cat relaxed in the back booth as they rapidly ascended to earth's outer orbits. George, Jennifer, and Riley enjoyed the exhaled smoke the humans blew into their mouths and noses. The three members of the animal kingdom rolled on their backs with big, goofy smiles while observing their human companions upside down.
All were happily stoned and deeply into their own time zones.
Twenty minutes later, Rosie's guests heard loud shrieks coming from the kitchen.
The faucet had broken, and water was flooding the counter and floors.
Aleta and Lori were trying to stop the water by placing towels on the broken faucet. Visually, it was quite amusing, but in reality, it could become a serious issue very quickly.
Tony quietly stood up. He walked over to the kitchen and studied the broken faucet situation. He said, "Pardon me, ma'am. May I help?"
Aleta replied, "No! We like to take showers fully dressed while baking pies in a coffee shop on Saturday in the freaking winter in New York! Is there anything else?"
Tony replied dryly with a smile, "Apparently you do. Excuse me ma'am," he said again. Tony removed the gum he had been chewing, bent down under the sink, and closed the faucet shut-off valves. He studied the faucet and used the gum as a gasket to place the faucet back on the stem. He tightened the screws with a butter knife and slowly opened the valves. He smiled. "I believe your problems have been solved, ma'am. On Monday, call the plumber. For now, the repairs should last." He chuckled. "Except you all look so cute being so wet."
Damian was watching the event. He realized that Tony Rivers was an interesting man who had the skills to solve problems before they became issues. He was absolutely calm and smooth under pressure, which was a quality that Damian respected. Such talents were useful in the drug-smuggling and money-laundering businesses.
After the chaos abated, Damian extended his hand. "Mr. Rivers, thank you, sir. That was a smooth job well done. I appreciate it."
Aleta walked over and said, "I would like to thank you for your help. I apologize for being a complete bitch. I was wrong for snapping at you. Thank you again. Can I bring you and Mr. Riley anything?"
He smiled. "I believe Riley and I are good. Please join us, ma'am."
Damian noted, "That is interesting gum. I don't chew gum, but I had no idea that gum makes a good gasket for broken water pipes."
He smiled. "Observant, Mr. Garcia. Commercial, mass-produced gum is all about taste. This is real gum from coca leaves processed in Thailand and has opium medicinal properties with a clear thinking and analytical high. It is high-energy gum for tired soldiers in the jungle who were trying to stay alive. It can be used to cover wounds and deep cuts, it helps protect people from infections, and it anesthetizes local pain."
Damian smiled. "And where might I find this magical gum?"
"I can make arrangements. I have my ways." Tony looked at Aleta and said, "Perhaps I can play some music for your audience. It has been a long time since I performed on a stage. I have all these songs stuck in my head, which I need to sing in public, test on stage, and experiment musically. Is that okay with you?"
Aleta smiled. "Then it shall be a new experience for the entire world to enjoy. The stage is yours. Let your freedom and creativities surge."
Rosie's Sweet Shoppes had an open stage every Saturday. Amateurs performed, and the audiences voted; the winners were invited back.
Tony Rivers performed well that day to the enjoyment of the audiences. They requested encores. Using the pearl harmonica held with a neck brace, he was able to play his handcrafted twelve-string guitar and sing at the same time: a one-man band.
Lori and Aleta noted that Rosie's was attracting more walk-in customers when Rivers was performing. The customers stayed longer, and revenue increased. Live entertainment brought the public in from the cold.
Sharon Sherrone
Sharon Sherrone had been studying the stranger, as was her nature. Her security instincts were superb, having effectively protected Lori Wilson and Damian Garcia from previous serious security issues. The drug-smuggling and money-laundering businesses can be a little dangerous. Damian and Lori respected her opinions.
Damian said, "Sharon, an omen or premonition in the form of Tony Rivers and Major Riley Cat could be good, bad, or parts of both. Usually parts of both. Omens are reflections of the real world. I was watching when he entered the store; he studied the environment and chose a table in the shadows."
Sharon said, "That gentleman is very interesting. He carries himself like former military. I am thinking survival, sniper, covert operations, or something like that. He is very smart, cunning, and dangerous. This is not a man to be underestimated. Learn from him."
Damian replied, "Like the animal kingdom, the smart survive and adjust quickly. He could be useful. Maybe."
She continued, "He knows we are examining him, but since this is not a hostile environment, he is not concerned. Besides, he's tired and most likely does not have a place to sleep tonight. Mr. Rivers reads his environment and understands he is safe and protected at Rosie's, especially after the kitchen faucet incident. The man solves problems quickly and with no drama. He does precise work because that's what professionals do. I agree he could be a valuable asset to O/H Inc.
"And this is important. He reads you, Damian, as a person to be respected, though he is not sure why. Mr. Rivers understands my job is to protect you and your family. This raises his curiosity because why would you need private security? He is enjoying watching the women and has identified who is attached to whom. And he is fully aware that women can be more dangerous than guns."
Damian joked, "Smart man."
Sharon added, "That is how I read him, Damian Garcia."
Damian thought about this for a few moments and asked, "Should I get to know him or let him pass through? He could be good for business. I have a feeling — like an omen — about him that I can't shake. I don't know why, and that's bothering me. I am going to play devil's advocate. Let us change sides for a moment, Sharon. You know I analyze things from a 360-degree perspective."
She nodded.
"Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Rivers knows exactly who I am, exactly who we are as a group, and what attributes I would respond to. I am concerned that he could be a very clever attempt at infiltrating our families by the DEA, FBI, Interpol, or the cartels. Tony Rivers is almost too perfect, and that bothers me. Either he is for real or a plant. I need to know."
Sharon replied, "You are absolutely correct to be cautious. O/H Inc. must be extremely careful these days, given the changing social and political climates. Cocaine and heroin are destroying our cities. The cocaine cowboys are attracting international law enforcement, which is not a good thing. They are in the papers more often than the local gangsters are."
Damian said, "O/H always stays in the shadows, below the radar, and off the grid. We do not even whisper; that is the secret to our success." Damian paused. "So am I being overly paranoid, Sharon?"
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Damian Garcia: PHD Drug Smuggler ~ Book 2 ~ by Chris Mosquera. Copyright © 2016 Chris Mosquera. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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