Jeff finds himself in Silicon Valley where he is asked to investigate claims by a gregarious Frenchman that his neural network electronic technology actually works. He meets up again with the enchanting Nancy, the FBI agent he had worked with in Atlanta where they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DC Kathy puts romance back into Jeff’s life as he finds himself hounded by financially-desperate Europeans so determined to push their questionable technology―men so desperate that they will stop at nothing, even Jeff’s murder. The excitement will make the reader gasp, tragedy will make the reader cry, romance will make the reader sigh.
Chapter 29 of Silicon Gulch … Uncle Mondo was asked to kill Nancy
Friday 10:41 AM: Taking a Pass
Uncle Mondo calls for another meeting where he tells Mikl is a desperate man he can't trust, that they paid him another million to kill
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- Chris Lamela
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Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday
10:41 AM: Taking a Pass
"Come on, we need to tell Arnie," Nancy
Jeff stood to follow, a minute later they were standing in front of
Arnie.
"How did it go?" Arnie fanning his hands anxiously.
"Perfect!" she beamed looking to Jeff who nodded
enthusiastically.
"So we're all set."
Tim walked up, "Thought you'd like to know that the Frenchman just
called Mikl and they had a nasty argument―just a few words. It was in French,
but I could tell it was nasty! The
transcript is being translated right now. Should have it in an hour."
"An hour," Jeff went to look at his watch but saw only his
hairy wrist. "Damn, what time is it?"
"So that would be eleven twenty. Yeah, that would be good,"
turning to Tim. "Can you make sure to track us down so we can see it
before the noon meeting? Not sure where we'll be."
"How about instead if I meet you in the lobby of the Merdian at ten
till noon?"
"No. No, I don't want to be seen. But okay," turning to Nancy
Jeff's cell phone rang, he held up his hand turning away. He walked off
talking on his phone, Nancy
Jeff walked up with an ashen face.
"Jeff, what's wrong?" Nancy
"That was Mondo. He wants a meeting. In twenty minutes back in that
room."
"That's easy, we'll go in with a couple agents, hold on," she
walked away holding up her hand. A few minutes later she walked back with Frederick
and Arnie.
Jeff turned to Frederick
"Look Nancy
"It will be safe Arnie. I'm not saying this guy is a pussy cat, but
he must want the meeting for a reason. I believe he wants to relay information
from the bad guys."
Arnie looked confidently to Nancy
"Good, let's take two cars. Meet in the lobby."
A few minutes later they gathered in the lobby of the Merdian deciding
that Jeff should walk in first followed by Nancy
Jeff turned to her, "And you're sure he's not going to just start
shooting."
"Look Jeff. Do you remember what Uncle Mondo said to us about being
a good judge of character, how our lives depend on it?" He shrugged. "Well
my judge of his character is that he wants to play straight with us. He met
with those guys and he has information we need going into that noon meeting.
Come on."
She signaled to the other two, the four of them walked through the
conference rooms entry, a few seconds later Jeff walked into their conference
room.
Uncle Mondo stood up, "Jeff! I am so glad to see you alive!"
walking up to Jeff giving him a man-style hug of hands on the shoulders,
looking past him, "and Nancy
Arnie and Frederick walked into the room, Uncle Mondo stepped back
performing an exaggerated gasp with his arms up, "And muscle! Ah, yes we
can't be too careful in this world can we?" He leaned to Nancy
Arnie gave a nod, they turned back through the door.
The three chairs were left exactly as they were yesterday, Uncle Mondo
pointing to them like he was the host, "Come, sit down, I just wanted to
have little chat before you have your meeting with the other gentlemen. Please,
sit," motioning to the chairs.
"I thought you were going back last night," Jeff queried.
"I suppose I could have, I met with one of those men last night the
Swiss man, I forgot his name, but something bothered me, so I stayed. I met
with the other one this morning and that is why I called you, there is some
very disturbing things happening that I thought you would like to know."
"What is it Uncle Mondo?" Nancy
"See? She called me Uncle Mondo! We are among friends!" they all laughed lightly together, the
mood softening.
"What did you want to tell us?
"The meeting with the Swiss man was not very useful. I am not sure
why he even wanted to meet with me. But I learned for sure what I suspected."
"What was that?"
"He is indeed a very desperate man. It seems that he has paid
something like eleven million dollars to the other man, he does not know what
to do. The other man is the inventor of something, I don't know what, the Swiss
man is not sure if he is throwing good money after bad. Of course I know
nothing about that business so I could offer no advice. But I did indeed learn
that he is a very desperate man. I
told you both that I don't like desperate people. Their minds get clouded, they
do crazy things."
"Yeah, you can't do business with people you don't trust,"
Jeff shook his head.
"You know, Jeff, I used to think that," slapping his leg, "never
do business with people you don't trust. That is pretty obvious, really. But I
learned never to do business with people I
don't like for the simple reason that it
never works out anyway!" He laughed out loud looking between the two. "Think
about it, when have you ever had successful business with people you don't
like?"
Jeff thought for a second
realizing what sage advice this is.
"Look, I've been in this business for fifty years." Jeff was
doing the math in his head, he started when
he was sixteen!
"I have been on some very big
jobs. This job, a million, maybe two million. But my first million dollar
job was like taking candy from a baby. I had been in the business for fifteen
years when all the sudden this falls into my lap because the target was so big
everyone was afraid of him." He bent over pulling out his wallet, rooting
through it, handing Jeff a worn-looking piece of paper the size of a credit
card. Jeff looked at it realizing it was an old driver's license.
"Go ahead read the name."
Jeff read slowly, "James Riddle Hoffa." Stunned he looked at Nancy
Uncle Mondo reached for it, looked at it with a satisfied smile, putting
it back into his wallet, bending over again to put the wallet into his back
pocket.
"Yes, so you see, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.
That Frenchman. This morning I met with, what is his name?"
"Gerard, the Frenchman, right? Gerard."
"Yes, that one. He is treacherous. He told me he murdered you last
night! Came right out and said I shot him."
"If he told you that he murdered me, why did you call me on my
phone just now?"
"Remember, I am an excellent judge of character. As he was telling
me this, I could see the tiniest seed of doubt about if he had actually killed
you. I figured there was only one way to find out. And you answered your phone!
Dead men don't answer their phones, do they? See? I am a good judge of
character! So this morning he offers me another million dollars to kill you
Nancy."
"ME?!" Nancy
"Yes, he said that you know a secret that must not get out. I don't
quite get his math. If he says that he killed you, Jeff, why would he give me a
million for killing you? And a million more to kill Nancy
"Why do you think?"
He laughed, "Two things. First to make sure that I don't kill him! The second is
desperation."
The room was quiet.
"So now what?"
"He asked me to be in the meeting at noon, to kill Nancy
"In front of them?"
"That's what he asked."
Jeff turned to Nancy
She sat quiet, nodding slowly. "Yes, that's what we will have to
do."
"What? You think I'm going to kill you?" Mondo frowned
offended, "after I told you I won't?"
"He's going to pay you a total of two million dollars, right?"
"He already paid me two
million dollars! And five hundred thousand to my nephews. But I told you that I
will not do the job. Sorry."
"But you took the money!" Jeff was confused.
"Yes, because I have a favorite new charity that I want to give
that money to."
"So you're telling me that we don't need to bring our guys in with
us, that you will not shoot us?" Jeff asked.
"How can I shoot you when you're already dead? And how could I
possibly shoot such a beautiful woman?" smiling to Nancy
"I don't know," Nancy
"Okay look, bring your guys if you want. It probably won't matter.
But the only way I'm shooting anybody is if they shoot first."
"So what about me? The Frenchman thinks he murdered me last night.
What do you think I should do?"
"I think the two of you should walk in like you're at the beach.
Calm. It will totally freak that idiot French guy out."
"So," Jeff looked down at his watch that wasn't there again. "Damn
it, what time do you have Nancy
"Eleven-forty almost." She turned to Uncle Mondo. "I'm
going out with Jeff. We will watch for when those guys are here, then we will
both come back in. How about you?"
"I could seriously use a bathroom right now, my poor prostate won't
let me go an hour sometimes. Look you guys go ahead and get here after they
arrive. You guys come in and let's play it by ear. Does that sound like a plan?"
"Was there a plan in there?" Jeff wondered.
"Look, you don't care about no plan. There's only one thing you
both need to know. I don't know how many times I have to tell you two."
"What's that?"
"That when it comes to killing you two," he looked at them
smiling.
The two leaned forward for his next words.
"I'm taking a pass."
NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!
http://chrislamela.blogspot.com/2012/10/silicon-gulch-chapter-30.html
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