Coffee (46 page)

Bryce
pulled closer. “Boxes? How big?”

“Bryce,
I was running for my life. I don’t know, maybe about five or
six feet long.”

“Any
markings on the boxes?”

The
new intensity from Bryce surprised her. In her mind, the
destructive power of the coffee so out weighed the guns, that she
considered them almost incidental.

“God,
uhhh.” She combed her fingers through her hair. “I wish
I’d looked more closely. Maybe some serial numbers? Starting
with ‘ST’ or something?”

“Stingers!
Were the boxes about six feet long, two feet on the sides?”

“Yea,
that’s about right.”

“Did
you see any missiles or long metal containers?”

“Bryce,
I don’t really know. There were ammunition boxes about this
big stacked ten feet high.” She opened her arms. “He
had cubby holes packed with powerful looking military rifles, and
the whole back wall had those long wooden crates. Even if I’d
been able to look more closely, I don’t know what I’m
looking at.”

“Stingers
are pretty serious guns,” Warren, not really sure what they
were.

“They’re
heat seeking missile launchers for taking down aircraft. The
rockets target on the heat trail coming off jet engines, and fly
right up the tail pipe.”

“Shit,”
Warren sighed. “But if you torch the place, won’t the
rockets blow the island off the map?”

“No.
There’d be some fireworks, but the warheads won’t go
off unless properly armed. Your friend Clorice must be planning for
a contingency to his coup. He could keep the Brazilian army off his
place for quite a while with that set up. I’ll bet he has an
escape route - some way to fly or boat off the island while he
leaves his poor staff to repel the military. I guess you’re
right, Etty, this guy won’t be easily stopped.”

Etty
touched his hand. “Then will you help?”

Warren
shook his head. “Whoa boy. Break into a fortress, take a few
photos, and burn a building down? Just like that? And now we find
out he’s armed to the eyebrows?”

“Just
this one old building, Warren. I don’t know if it’s
possible either, but we simply can’t leave without trying,”
Etty pleaded.

“Let’s
get one thing clear.” He pulled his hand from Etty’s
touch. “You’re going back to the States. You’ll
be on that 11:00am flight, and between now and then, you’re
not doing anything but taking a cab to the airport. I don’t
care if Clorice has nuclear weapons.”

“Bryce,
I want to help, and I need to confront Clorice...”

“Etty,”
Bryce boomed. “Even if I thought this was a wonderful idea,
which is far from the truth, I’m not listening to another word
unless you agree to heading home.” He sat back and waited for
a response.

Etty
sighed, then looked up. “Bryce, I need to be involved. If
you aren’t interested in helping, I’ll find another way.
It’s something I have to do. You’ve done enough
already.”

“Don’t
you understand, Etty? Unless you arrive, alive and well, back in
the United States, Warren and I are toast.”

She
shook her head. “I don’t agree! I just have to prove
I’m alive. I can do that from here. You guys are safe. If
you’re going in there, I want to be a part.”

Bryce
rubbed his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this.”

“It’s
important to me, Bryce, more than you know. This plan takes down
Clorice
and
Global. It’s just some photos and a fire
in an uninhabited storage building.”

Bryce
pushed back his chair and stood to invite Warren into the hallway.
Etty willingly accepted their desire to conference in private, and
gestured them away.

Once
the door shut, Warren began. “Insane!”

Bryce
responded, “Absolutely. Utterly.”

“If
we get in trouble, then what? It’s not like the United States
will send help - or if they do, it will be to help Clorice!”

“That’s
why it’s your decision.”

“My
decision? Bryce, you’re the one with all the military
experience. I wouldn’t know a rifle from a broom handle.
Don’t stick it on me!”

“Warren,
I probably shouldn’t have even let you come along in the first
place. I was
assigned
this job, but you were pulled in. I
can’t ask you to take any more risk than you already have.”

“Are
you telling me, if I said ‘go for it’, you’d do
it?”

“I’d
have to think it through before I committed, but I want to hear from
you first.”

“No,
I want to hear from you first! What are the odds? Could we
possibly succeed without getting killed?”

“I’ve
got an idea.” He said with a smirk, “It may be crazy,
but these are crazy times.”

“Christ,
didn’t Etty say that? Did someone forget to give me a pill?”

“Warren,
there are risks, I need to know how you feel.”

“Feel?”
He spun around and walked down the hall a few steps. Without
turning around, he asked, “What’s this great idea?”

“Basically,
you’d get the photos and sample, and then get out. I’d
take care of everything else. Etty’s to stay here.”

“Where
would I get a camera? Steal it? Then what, break in through
maximum security and take pictures in the middle of the night?”

“With
your wad of dough, you could probably buy one off a tourist.”

“And
how do I get in?”

“I
really don’t know, you’ll have to see for yourself.
Certainly not with force. Maybe you can bribe your way in. But if
you can’t do it, we call it all off. I won’t make any
moves until I know you’ve been successful.”

“You’re
really considering this, aren’t you Bryce.”

“I’m
not sure. But if I were, it would be under two conditions - you
agree to get pictures and sample, and Etty stays safely here.”

“Thanks,
what about my safety?”

“That’s
why I’m asking. My mission is to save Etty. She doesn’t
have a choice. You do. I’d do the same for you if the roles
were reversed.”

Warren
faced him. Bryce’s serious expression looked incongruous
under the red stubble of hair on a blotchy scalp.

“You’ve
convinced yourself, haven’t you Bryce.”

“We
may be the only people alive able to prevent a silent coup in a
major country. I must admit, it has my attention.”

“So
it’s not the coffee.”

“That
too. Maybe it’s all that Marine brain washing - fight for
freedom from oppression. Or maybe it’s just that I want to be
appreciated.”

“I
see.” He stepped closer. “Look Rookie man, my job is
easy compared to yours. All I have to do is take pictures and steal
a handful of dirt, and I’m scared shitless. But you’re
going to destroy property. How do I know you won’t get
killed?”

“Does
that mean you’re in?”

“How
could I resist that stupid smile.”

“I
wasn’t smiling.”

“Yes
you were. I’ve never seen you so happy.”



“Let’s
tell her.” Warren unlocked the door and re-entered.

“What
did you decide?” Etty blurted to Bryce.

Warren
quipped, “That you’re certifiable.”

“Yea,
but you knew that before.”

Bryce
looked down at a second copy of the map she clutched in her hand. “I
guess you win, that is as long as you cooperate.”

Etty
jumped up to hug them. “No, you’re the ones who are
nuts. But that’s why I love you so much!”

“We
still need to talk about the plan,” Bryce said while herding
them back to the table. “Our first objective is personal
safety, not bringing down Clorice. We pull out of this plan at any
time one of us decides the risk is too high. Our fall back is to
simply get out and meet at the airport - at the TWA gate for the
Washington flight. The second objective is to get Etty back to the
States. Our futures rest on it. I’m sorry, but coup and
coffee industry or not, we have our own asses to protect. Etty,
you’re not coming along. If you want our help, you have to
stay put.”

She
wanted to protest, but couldn’t spoil the needed support. She
grinned at him. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“Listen
to me. Is that a yes? That you’ll stay here?”

“Is
this because I’m a woman?”

“Not
even a little. It’s because your safety is paramount to mine
and Warren’s.”

“Ok,
ok. I’ll stay here while you’re fighting my war.”

“I
want a promise.” He stared at her.

With
a twinge of sarcasm, she answered, “I promise not to have
anything to do with storming the compound, getting evidence, and
burning the building. There. Shall we continue?” A wry
smile lay poorly hidden under a sneer.

He
left it at that. “Good.” He looked around the room. He
reached to the bed and felt the fabric of the brightly colored
bedspread. “Etty, the storage facility has two stories?”

“Well,
one above ground, one below.”

“How
high is the roof? Can you get up on it?”

Not
sure where he was going, she answered “There’s a roof
access stairway on the outside of the building.”

“Perfect.”
He pulled the bedspread off the bed and folded it. “Warren,
take this. If you get pictures, put it on the roof, spread out, face
up, with some stones on the corners. If it’s not there when I
arrive - I back off, the plan’s off and we all go home.”
He turned to Etty. “You have to be careful going to the
airport. They’re looking for you - in fact Clorice likely
informed local police. Slip out to a cab around nine and get to
the terminal. Here, wear my hat.” He pushed the crushed
straw mess toward her on the table. “And you won’t
forget to take the files.”

She
just pulled the hat closer and continued to listen.

Bryce
stood. “Now, for times. How sure are you that the President
will be picked up right at 8:00am?”

“Pretty
sure. It was Clorice’s direct order. I’ll bet he has
it timed with a Doctor’s visit.”

“In
that case, Warren, if it looks like you can’t get in and out
by 7:45, forget it. You understand?”

“Not
exactly. I’m a little confused about the part where I commit
grand larceny, then breaking and entering.”

“That’s
the point. If you can’t do it, the whole plan stops. You
just turn and head for the airport. And don’t steal a camera
if you don’t have to - it will just draw attention to you.”

“Yes,
Bryce, I get it. Hell, I probably won’t get past the lobby -
picked up for stealing the bedspread.”

“What
about you, Bryce?” Etty asked.

“The
less you know, the better. I’ll try to think of something,
but no promises.”

“You’ll
do it.” Her eyes twinkled. “After watching you bring
Global Growers to their knees, I have faith.”

“Don’t
remind me. That was not what I’d call a successful
operation.”

Etty
pushed away from the table. “Enough of this pessimistic
stuff. Let’s get on with it.”

“One
more thing,” Bryce said more somberly. “That plane’s
leaving with whomever makes it to the airport, even if it’s
not all of us. Especially you, Etty. No screwing around. Don’t
wait for either of us. You too, Warren.”

They
nodded. Bryce moved to the phone and confirmed their flight
reservations. Warren studied the street map in the hotel book and
followed along the road from the hotel to the island with his
finger. Etty described the building to him, the lower level, the
freezer, and the storage room. She suggested a photo of the writing
on the cans, and a few area shots. She marked the small dock, and
pointed to where she left her boat. Warren rubbed his hair. “Etty,
this isn’t exactly what I meant by a tropical vacation.”

“I
know. We talked about that centuries ago. Sitting with Knut at
Henry’s bar.” They embraced warmly, swallowing back the
tears. He propped his chin on her head.

“Knut
would want me to go through with this.”

“He
would.”

Bryce
hung up the phone. “All set. Three seats.” They split
up Warren and Bryce’s remaining money evenly. Warren packed
the bedspread under his arm. The men held their maps. Etty walked
them to the door. “Good luck boys. Be seeing you soon. I’m
going to lie down and see if I can catch an hour or so of sleep.”

“You
could sleep?” Warren asked disbelieving.

“Yea,
some day I’ll tell you all about the last two weeks.”

Warren
laughed. “You mean you didn’t sleep well out on your
island resort?”

Etty
smiled pleasantly as she shut the door.

While
waiting for the elevator, Warren spoke with a feigned casualness.
“So, Bryce my friend, how is it you plan on burning down a
building in the middle of a Brazilian Coffee company, anyhow?”

“I’m
going to steal a plane and bomb it.”

- Chapter Twenty Six -

Warren
watched Bryce disappear out the front door of the hotel. Most
guests were long asleep. The once festive street finally lay quiet.
He browsed the remaining stragglers - couples nearly kissing as
they talked, a few teenagers laughing, no one who might be carrying
a camera. He asked the doorman for directions to local stores, but
was warned they’d be closed.

He
could feel his watch ticking. He studied every person on the
street, walking or driving, to judge the chances they’d have
any kind of camera. He had plenty of money left - there’s a
price for everything.

The
commercial district had even less people. Ocean breezes kept papers
tumbling in the air, unheeded. The pickings were slim - closed
restaurants, boarded up produce markets, chain-secured souvenir
shops. He weaved up and back numerous streets, growing in
frustration with each turn. He occasionally passed people, but they
were wandering drunk or asleep in small alcoves.

Finally
he found a drug store with a case of cameras and film along a side
wall. He couldn’t believe he was actually contemplating
breaking the glass and stealing them. He checked his watch again -
already close to 5am. It would be light soon. They didn’t
open until 10am.