“I had a submarine,” Daniel told them, “that went missing off Nicaragua two weeks ago. Twelve tons of blow. Three mules.” The hundreds of millions in lost product was a huge hit, but a show of emotion at the loss was blood in the water to the others, especially Ramos.
“It is dangerous under the sea,” Ramirez shrugged. “How do you know it was not a mechanical failure or human error?”
“I don’t know, and you don’t know either. None of us do, but we have to find out.”
“What’s in it for me?” Ramos asked. “I’m still making a profit. Why should the fact that you are having trouble with your supply chain concern me?”
“We are not talking about a little disturbance to be addressed. We are talking a near shutdown of our operations, including yours. And when they finish in the Caribbean, they’ll be coming to you in the Pacific.”
Ramirez made a pyramid with his fingers and took Daniel’s measure. “You are convinced it is the Americans?” he asked.
“Yes. And probably the British, Dutch, and Canadians. All have warships and helicopters, patrol planes, surveillance aircraft.”
“The Americans are clumsy, and they telegraph their every move. They talk—they can’t help themselves!”
Daniel took a drag on his cigarette. “The fact remains, gentlemen — and it affects you, too, my dear Ramos — that the majority of all our Caribbean open-water shipments are missing. They are shutting us down. You want a telegraph, Eduardo? They have a damn aircraft carrier out there working with our former Colombian countrymen, and they base airplanes in Puerto Rico, Guantanamo, the Keys. They can take advantage of the natural chokepoints throughout the islands, and they can see us before we can see them.”
“Yes, an aircraft carrier that can destroy the world!” Ramirez answered. “What good is such a ship without the will to use it? They have fought the sticks-and-stones Arabs with these ships for decades and still can’t defeat them. For all its muscle, Washington doesn’t have the stomach to fight us, and addicts are found in all parts of their society, even at the top. They want what we are selling, so whatever this is will pass. We should be more concerned with their legalization efforts. Do you know of the state they call Colorado?”
Exasperated, Daniel threw up his hands. “Eduardo, send your boats and planes if you wish, but I propose we stop our shipments and wait them out. The three of us can continue our activities in the Pacific….”
“Both of you are wrong.”
Daniel and Ramirez turned to look at Ramos, who sat there expressionless. Showing fear to each other could be fatal, and Ramos was the master at keeping his emotions in check. Daniel berated himself for showing a flash of frustration.