Driving out of the airport, Wade proceeded towards Belize City, taking in the white cap waves of the Gulf. He saw why Belize was referred to as a yet-to be-discovered tropical gem. The Belama area of Belize City wasn’t hard to find. It stood out as a group of high-end tropical homes all with lush plantings. He couldn’t wait to see where Mashburn had rented the safe house. The only problem was that he didn’t have an address.
Wade passed a grocery store parking lot with a payphone attached to its outside wall. Standing in the parking lot exposed to noise and anyone with eyes, Wade dialed the international code Yari had provided. He would’ve preferred to call from a more secluded place, but he didn’t want to spend time driving around an unfamiliar city searching for a better call spot.
As soon as Yari picked up, Wade spoke up. “Hi, it’s Wade.”
Yari seemed frustrated. “I’ve been trying to call you in Houston. Where are you?”
“I’m in Belize, near the area you told me Mashburn would be staying.”
“You’re kidding. You’re already in Belize?”
“Yes, and I’m standing at a payphone in the middle of a grocery store parking lot. It’s not exactly private.”
Crackling on the line contributed to the poor connection. Yari spoke louder to overcome the static. Wade was nearly shouting when he said, “I can barely hear you.”
“I was able to get the street name for the house he rented, but I still don’t know the address.”
“Great, that probably narrows it down to about 300 houses.”
“The street is called Adam Roy Avenue. I think it’s named after some pirate who used to visit there.”
“I guess I can drive up and down that street hoping I’ll run into Mashburn.”
“I’m still working on an address. I won’t have more precise coordinates until he makes a call from that location or refers to the address.”
“Okay, I’m going to check out the neighborhood. I’ll call you when I get settled. Listen, cars are filling the lot so I need to boogy. Later.”
Wade checked his street map. Adam Roy Avenue was just a few blocks from where he made his call. He drove down Adam Roy looking for signs advertising houses for sale or for rent, hoping to get lucky. There were no signs, and the upscale neighborhood didn’t look like a rental area to him. Mashburn could be in any one of these houses. Since Mashburn had already rented the house, though, how likely would he find a rental sign still up, advertising its availability?
Wade concluded that there had to be a better way to spend his time. It hadn’t been a complete loss, however, because he now had a sense of the neighborhood and how the cross streets intersected Adam Roy. Someone was laying out serious cash for a safe house in this neighborhood — if in fact he was in the right neighborhood.
After driving the area, Wade refocused his attention on finding a hotel. Two hotels recommended by the copilot made sense to Wade. They were in the right area, but he wanted something he could get in and out of quickly. He came across a small motel a few streets off one of the main streets in the area. It was a little run down, but he liked that it was single story and had two street entrances off quiet side streets.
He parked and approached the receptionist for a room and took the weekly reduced-rate special. After checking in, he hauled his backpack and sea bag to his room. His luggage contained his disassembled SIG Sauer P-220 with an extended threaded barrel for the silencer. He assembled his gun and checked to see if the first round had ejected into the chamber.
After laying out his clothes, weapons, and disguises, he left the motel grounds for a brisk walk to stretch his legs and get a bite to eat. He walked toward the water and passed a newspaper stand on the way. He strode the three remaining blocks to the beach and stopped to cross a busy street, savoring the beautiful white sand, colorful umbrellas, and bronze bodies dotting the landscape. With no dining recommendations, Wade followed his nose for a few blocks to a restaurant with a delectable fragrance of cooking food that he just couldn’t pass up. It was now approaching 4:00 pm, and he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
He randomly chose dishes with unfamiliar local names. The delicious meal of conch ceviche, local broiled lobster tails, black beans, rice, and plantains was fit for a tropical king. Once he’d finished his meal he sat back and turned his attention to the newspaper.
Two articles on the front page described the upcoming war games. Details regarding the upcoming ceremonies to be held in the new capital of Belmopan and on Ambergris Caye were listed along with the names of dignitaries speaking at those venues. One of the scheduled speakers was the Prime Minister of Belize. Other senior diplomats from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia were also mentioned along with admirals, vice-admirals, and embassy officials from participating countries.
Wade turned to the classified section and drew the paper closer to read the fine print. Two of the house rental listings indicated they were in the Belama area. The same real estate company and agent kept appearing among the rental listings for the area.
Two of the rental listings indicated an address with the warning “Do Not Disturb Occupants — Drive by Only.” He tore out that section of the paper, folded it, and tucked it in his pocket. Despite the waitress’s wonderful description of dessert, Wade couldn’t bear the thought of more food.
Once he left the restaurant Wade turned away from the beautiful ocean view and took up a brisk pace back to the motel. He was anxious to check out the two rental listings he found. The drive to the first house was short. It had open, airy windows that went right up to the sidewalk facing the street. Wade quickly eliminated that house as a prospect because of the exposure to the street.
He drove to the second house and liked what he saw. This house had all the right features that the first house lacked. Momentarily he saw an open parking spot, where he watched the house for an hour, making notes on its potential use as a safe house. The rental sign was still out front, but there were no signs of people or activities. He considered breaking in for a closer look but decided against it. Instead, he returned to his motel and called the listing agent, who happened to be the same person mentioned in other listings. Her name was Elizabeth Barr, and he hoped she might provide some useful information.
“This is Elizabeth.”
“Ms. Barr, this is Marvin Baylif. I was down here a month ago with my wife, and we looked at a house for rent in the Belama area that we really liked, and hoped to rent again. but I seem to have lost my notes and can’t find the address. I need to know if it’s still available for rent.”
There was silence on the phone while Ms. Barr racked her brain, trying to remember the listings she had a month ago.
“I had a four-bedroom house available around that time, but that one has already been rented.”
“Do you recall the address of that house, just so I don’t keep chasing my notes?”
“Yes, the address was 501 Adam Roy Avenue.”
“I think that might be the one my wife liked. Do you know how long it will be, before it becomes available?”
“It’s rented for three months, but the gentleman who rented it is from Panama, and hasn’t been by to pick up the keys yet.”
“Ms. Barr, I’m just down here for a few days before I have to return to the States. If the house is still vacant, would you be willing to give me a quick tour of that house? That way I’ll be able to tell my wife I found the house she likes. If that’s the one, perhaps you could jot down my name and give me a call when it’s available. I promise I won’t take up much of your time. I just need a quick look inside to refresh my memory.”
“I can set it up right now. How about three o’clock tomorrow afternoon?”