I saw Espinoza press something under the desk. I presumed a panic button to call the other bodyguards. Time for me to focus on the present. This wasn’t Hollywood.
“The other four guards are on their way. I’ve frozen their weapons.” Sally informed me.
“How’d you get in here?” Espinoza shouted at me. He glanced at his bodyguards as if to say ‘how the hell did you let this guy get in here’. He hadn’t seen my dramatic entrance, pity, he would have been impressed.
“Mr. Espinoza, my name is Jo-el. I’m here to inform you that your human trafficking enterprise is shutting down.” I brought my wings into my body.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You heard what I said. As of today you are going to close up shop.”
“And what makes you think I’m going to do that?”
“Because if you don’t I’m going hurt you.”
He didn’t like that. Probably not used to being physically threatened. He stayed sitting trying to figure out what was happening. The door opened behind me and the other four guards came in, guns at the ready. They took up positions alongside the other two guys making a semi-circle around me.
Espinosa viewed his army and smiled. “I think it’s time for you to leave.” He said.
I should have figured out the dialogue a tad before rushing in. Oh well, too late now. I also realized that as soon as these guys were aware that their weapons didn’t work they’d rush me.
“Sally, better activate the shield, these guys are going to rush me very soon.”
“Way ahead of you, big-guy.”
Don’t you just love a woman that’s got your back.
“Tell your goons to vamoose, I don’t want them to get hurt.” I said, trying to keep a straight face. Wonder how that translated?
I think Espinosa was becoming a tiny bit annoyed. He nodded at the guard on his left and said, “Manny, knee.” He pointed at my right knee.
Manny, aimed his pistol at my right knee and pulled the trigger. I flinched, but delighted to report that nothing happened. Manny kept pulling the trigger, then he shook his weapon, which I’m sure is right there on page one of the manual. Espinosa was fuming, I think he was planning some nasty stuff for Manny in the not too distant future. Espinosa shouted at the guards. “Shoot this fucker in the knee.”
Happily, none of the weapons worked otherwise my legs would have been shredded. After a little while Espinoza got the message, quick on the uptake these traffickers.
“Get him out of here!” he shouted.
Two of his men came at me with fists. They shouldn’t have swung quite so hard; their knuckles were badly damaged when they struck the shield. I didn’t feel a thing. Sweet.
The other four guys leapt at me, literally. They crashed into the shield and fell to the floor, but they didn’t give up, they tried again. Kicking and hitting, but to no avail. From where Espinosa was sitting it must have looked bizarre.
Eventually they gave up and backed away nursing their wounds. I still hadn’t moved. Suddenly Espinosa drew a Glock from his desk and fired it at me, when the bloody thing went off it scared the bejusus out of me. But I didn’t feel a thing, unluckily Manny did, the round ricocheted off the shield and struck him in the abdomen just below the heart. Blood spurted out of the wound immediately, the carpet was ruined, I read it in Espinoza’s eyes.
“Sally!” I screeched in my mind.
“Sorry, boss, missed that one. Still, tested the shield.”
She knew, for damn sure, she knew. I was livid. Well just for a moment.
“Enough,” I said and raised my hand, “before I lose my temper.”
“What do you want?” exploded Espinosa.
“I’ve told you, your human trafficking business will shut down as of now.”
“What are you saying? I don’t, what did you call it, traffic humans? I provide work for the poor. They escape poverty and find opportunity in growing countries. They are grateful.”
Jeez! Now this asshole was denying what he did.
“Shut-up, Felix and listen to me.”
“No you listen, I’m an honest business man, I work hard. Why do you come here and make accusations? You are wrong!”
The bodyguards were paying attention to their boss and nodding, they even looked like they were ready for another go at me. I’d been passive up to that point, maybe I needed to exert a little pressure.
“Sally, whack him in the leg.”
No sooner said, (or thought about), then done. Espinosa received a blow to his right thigh. Sort of funny really, he jerked sideways in his chair and let out a rasping scream. He started rubbing the bruised area, what a pussy.
“Now will you shut-up. One more word and I’ll whack the other side.”
His mouth opened and I could see he dearly wanted to speak, but it closed slowly and he slumped back in his leather chair and waited. The bodyguards seem to cower away.
“Right, Felix, here’s how this is going to work. As soon as I leave you will get really busy. Call all your deputies, or whatever you call them and tell them you are getting out of the business. They are to release every girl you currently have in captivity and give each of them one hundred US dollars. You will call off all the men you have looking for more victims; you will fire all your employees. You are worth about four hundred million US dollars.” I heard whistling sounds from the men around me. “You will deposit three quarters of all your wealth in a new bank account in the US, I will send you details. That will take a while I realize, but you will start the process today. I am being very generous you can keep one quarter of your wealth. You understand?”
His face flattened out like a pancake, you could see appeasement in his eyes, I knew exactly what was coming. “Senor, surely you jest? You want me to give you three quarters of my money?”
I wasn’t going to stand there and negotiate, I’d had enough and wanted to leave. “If you do not comply with my instructions I will return tomorrow and cut off your left hand.”
“Oooh! now we’re having fun. That’s my boy, Jo-el!”
How did I know Sally would salivate?
Felix Espinosa was silent. He starred at me with daggers in his eyes. His desire to see me fed to alligators or ripped to pieces slowly was written in large letters in his eyes. He hated me and now there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to see me dead.
“Also, Felix, if I have to return tomorrow the amount I will allow you to keep will drop to fifteen percent. In other words, you lose another ten percent. That’s it, I’m leaving now, I hope I will not see you tomorrow. Adios amigo.”
Sally was on the ball, she bounced me back to San Francisco.
Chapter 38
CNN
Sally put her arms around my neck and made as if to kiss me. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“You think he’ll do what you said?” she asked.
“Nope!”
“So we slice him tomorrow?” she was ecstatic.
I nodded, then left her in the family-room to make a cup of tea. I guess I should have felt more excitement but I didn’t. Even though this man was evil and what I was doing was truly a good thing, carrying out the threat, for me, I knew would be difficult.
When I returned to the family room, tea in hand, I asked Sally what Felix Espinosa was doing.
“Shall I show you?” she asked.
“No, just tell me.” I didn’t want to see him.