by Jonathan Ferrini
I’m a “Slacker” and a “Gen Z basement dweller” according to my father who included these insults on a note with my personal possessions placed in our front yard for me to find upon returning from work.
My dad is a hardnosed career civil servant managing properties owned by the State of Hawaii. I disappointed him when I dropped out of college.
School is difficult for me although I kept this secret from my family whose only child was expected to become an academic superstar. I’m a visual learner. Show me how to complete a task and I will repeat the task quickly and more efficiently. Show me an instruction manual and I’ll have the assembly committed to memory within seconds. Ask me to read or write, however, and I struggle.
Mom is my “emotional buoy” and empathized with my learning “disability”. Mom’s pleading for patience and understanding was met by dad’s standard refrain,
“Bullshit!
“He needs to try harder.”
I share rent with a group of friends who prefer to surf instead of work.
I work nights as a “Barback” at “The Grass Skirt” which is a Tiki style dive bar and strip club. I want to become a bartender and watching the drinks mixed fascinates me. I’m able to commit the mixology to memory and created a visual reorganization of the bar to increase productivity. I feign a slow learning curve so I don’t embarrass the bartender and get fired.
It was Wednesday “Hump Day Happy Hour” and I was breaking up a “cat fight” between two drunken strippers over a stolen wallet lifted by “Fawn” whose fingers can extricate a dollar placed between two cinder blocks and glued.
Getting in the middle of these ladies is like walking into a “cage match” fight.
I wrestled the wallet away and the identification inside said it belonged to a Honolulu businessman who operated “Ko’s Commercial Realty Company”. Sam Ko was an “old school” Honolulu businessman with many important business contacts on Oahu.
I watched him stumbling out of our joint and saw a potential career opportunity or a reward in returning the wallet to him. I tipped each of the strippers twenty bucks to forget the matter.
“I found your wallet, Mr. Ko!”
“What’s your name, kid?”
“Jonny Soo, Sir.”
“I know a ‘Soo’ who is an escrow officer in town who’s married to the property manager for the state.”
“That’s my mom and dad, Sir.”
“Why are you working in this joint?”
“Paying my bills until I find a challenging career opportunity. I would like to speak with you about a career in commercial real estate sales, Sir.”
“Taking one look at you, kid, I wouldn’t give you the time of day but you come from good parents and returned my wallet. Come by my office tomorrow morning at nine sharp.”
I showed up at Ko’s office wearing the only suit I owned. The office was on Bishop Street in downtown Honolulu which is where all of the skyscrapers and the “go-getters” of Honolulu maintain their offices.
I saw about a dozen young guys like myself feverishly pitching real estate over the telephone. I was impressed by their expensive watches and bespoke suits.
Ko didn’t waste time on an interview or pleasantries and reached for the phone,
“Leilani, come to my desk and meet a new prospect.”
A tall Asian beauty wearing Italian fashion and just enough pearl and gold to make an impression of class and sophistication sauntered over to meet us. She looked to be about thirty.
“This is Leilani. She’s my top salesperson. She’ll train you.”
I followed Lelani to her private office as did every guy’s eye in the office.
“Sit, Jonny.
“You’re my personal assistant until you get your real estate sales license which includes picking up my laundry, washing my sportscar, and anything else I demand.
“Any problems with this job description?”
“What about learning real estate?”
“We sell and lease commercial buildings.
“Introduce yourself to building owners and get the owners business card.
“Bring me a minimum of twenty business cards each day.”
“What happens if you complete a deal?”
“I keep one hundred percent of the commission.”
“So, I’m working for free?”
“If you consider unlimited income potential ‘free’, yeah.
“Look at those jerks out on the salesfloor.
“They’re all making ‘bank’ as you young Turks like to say.
“This gig has a ninety-day probationary period for you to impress me and obtain your sales license.
“I went from working as a waitress on the graveyard shift inside a Waikiki coffeeshop to a high six figure queen living in an oceanfront condo with a wardrobe and shoe collection which would fill a boutique.”
“How do I start?”
“Walk down to the port and along the beautiful shoreline where every tourist trap curio store, restaurant, warehouse, and any other commercial building is located.
“Vacant and ugly buildings spell ‘opportunity’ so try and get the owners business card.
“Get out of here but first fetch me a “Kona Iced Coffee” at the joint next door.
“Tell the owner it’s for Leilani who says, ‘Aloha’.
“There won’t be any charge.”
I met my quota of twenty business cards a day. I’d leave work at five weekdays and rush to my evening gig at the Grass Skirt.
It was a Monday morning with grey clouds and a sweet rain misting the streets. The clouds parted and revealed the beautiful blue sky over Honolulu Harbor which was home to noisy commercial fishing vessels and cruise ships.
I spied an old eight story building across from the harbor. All but one of the windows were dirty and appeared vacant except the corner office which had new window shades and the best view of the harbor. I surmised it was likely the owner’s office. I came upon a tarnished bronze plaque attached.
Royal Hawaiian Import & Export Building
Established 1925
I read a beat-up “Directory” with about a dozen names which hadn’t been updated in decades. There was an unmanned desk for a security guard.
I headed for the old elevator which moved slowly to the top floor.
I exited the elevator on the eighth floor.
It was a small floor with few offices and each door was unlocked. The offices had been vacant for decades but views from the old dirty windows offered a magnificent view of the harbor and Diamond Head.
I came to a corner office which had the best view from the building. The walnut door was marked,
SUITE 888
PRIVATE
I knocked but nobody answered although I heard somebody moving about inside. The elevator door opened and I was confronted by one hell of a big native Hawaiian security guard.
“Come with me, Brah.
“Somebody wants to meet you.”
He looked upward toward a video camera. A buzzer sounded and the door of suite 888 unlocked. He opened the door and excused himself,
“Good luck.”
I walked into a small lobby. It was stark except for an old clock on the wall and a couple of wooden seats you’d find in a courthouse. It smelled of cigarette smoke and the faded carpet was worn out.
A mature Asian woman approached wearing an elegant red silk Qipao with a gold flower pattern and stiletto black high heel shoes tearing up the carpet like she’d ripped hearts from lovers throughout her life.
She was elegant despite the cigarette dangling from her mouth. I estimated she was in her sixties but the silk dress accentuated a shapely figure. She wore a set of pearl earrings with matching necklace, tennis bracelet, and a large jade ring on her long thin middle finger of the left hand. I guess it made “giving the finger” elegance.
“Take a seat.
“I’m Miss Chin.”
“Here’s my business card, Miss Chin.
“I’m a trainee agent with Ko’s Commercial Realty.”
“How do you know Ko?”
“He’s a customer at The Grass Skirt.”
“What’s your association with the Grass Skirt?”
“I’m the Bar Back.”
“Why would Ko hire a lounge lizard like you?”
“He knows my mom who is an escrow officer in town and my dad is a property manager for the state.”
“It’s becoming clear to me, now.
“We own this building and I resent you snooping around.”
A man’s voice came through a speaker,
“Quit givin’ the kid the ‘third degree’ and show him in.”
I heard a buzzer and the door behind Chin’s desk unlocked.
“Follow me.
“You’re about to meet your ‘Maker’”.
I walked into a luxurious office which bore no relation whatsoever to the tired old concrete building and Chin’s drab lobby. The office had a full bar and Tiffany lamps.
The walls were walnut paneled, the carpet was blood red, thick, and the furniture was mahogany will gold accents. The walls were filled with paintings depicting maritime themes and photos of Navy men from the Vietnam war.
A man older than Chin with a military demeanor and crewcut hairstyle sat behind a massive teak desk.
“We own fifty-one percent of the Grass Skirt so I wanted to check you out.
“I remember being young, hungry, stupid, and willing to do anything to make a buck.
“Have a seat.
“My name is Bart.
“Chin’s a feisty old broad but she’s been married to me close to fifty years and this ‘ol sailor still loves her like the first day I met her in a Hong Kong slum when my ship made port.”
“Is that a model submarine torpedo on your desk, Bart?”
“Similar to a torpedo but its formal name is ‘AUV’ or ‘Autonomous Underwater Vehicle’.
“They move underneath the water but don’t carry munitions.”
“What purpose do these serve, Bart?”
“Underwater exploration and much, much more.”
“So, you’re in the AUV business?”
“Our firm is called ‘CBT’ which is short for ‘Confidential Business Transfers’.
“It’s the asset management company for many cash generating business enterprises purchased with the proceeds generated from the AUV business named, ‘Overseas Services Company’.
“CBT locates, purchases, and manages business opportunities for OSC.”
“So, CBT is like a property manager for OSC?”
“Precisely, Jonny.
“You remind me of my boss, Mitch.
“He’s the stepson of my former shipmate and founder of OSC.
“That big stupid lookin’ guy in the photos is Mitch’s stepdad, Drake, but beneath that ugly mug was one shrewd son of a bitch!
“He created an empire and I was lucky enough to be brought along for the ride.
“Mitch was a dumb ass college kid just like you and took over when his stepfather, Drake, died.”
“Why does OSC earn so much cash?”
“Good question, Jonny.
“OSC maintains and launches AUV’s for the Navy from an isolated atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
“OSC has AUV’s crawling all over the Pacific seafloor snooping, mapping and more.
“Nobody does it better and since it requires a top security clearance from the Navy, OSC name’s its own price because we have no competitors in the Pacific Ocean.
“OSC is a ‘cash cow’ which brings me to you, son.
“I think you can help us find investments for the cash generated by OSC.”
“What kind of investments, Bart?”
“We own most of the bars, strip clubs, pawn shops, check cashing joints, massage parlors, ‘hard money’ lenders, and bail bond companies on these islands.
“All legit business operations, got it?
“We prefer cash generating businesses near military installations because of those big payrolls paid out twice a month to the service men and women.
“Cash businesses are best for mitigating our tax liability purposes.”
“Why me, Bart?”
“I want you to run all of the escrows through your mom’s escrow company.”
“Why?”
“I want an escrow officer who doesn’t ask questions.
“Your pop will be the first to know when the state wishes to sell surplus property which could be of interest to our client, OSC.”
“I can’t involve my parents.
“They think I’m a loser.”
“Work our system and when your parents see the money your making, they may want to get ‘a piece of the action’.
“We have methods of generating opportunities for you.”
“How?”
“We own the largest beer, wine, and spirits distribution company in Hawaii.
“When bars, liquor stores, and restaurants become delinquent on their accounts, we approach them with an offer to purchase a controlling share of their business in return for bringing their account current.
“If they don’t sell, we cut them off from inventory which drives them out of business.
“That’s how we got fifty-one percent of the Grass Skirt.”
“How do I write up the offers?”
“Chin will teach you everything.
“You continue to work through Ko at his office and never make any mention of this operation.
“He’ll be kissing your ass with the commission income you’ll be funneling through his office.
“Play your cards right and you’ll buy Ko’s office out from under him.
“I wish you the best of luck now get out of here.”
I felt like the luckiest guy in the world but wondered if I had made a Faustian bargain as I sat before Miss Chin.
“When do I start, Miss Chin?”
“Sign this Nondisclosure Agreement which has ‘teeth’ to assure you make no mention of our business operations.
“That menacing security guard you met is named ‘Sonny’ who handles all of our collections and enforcement matters.
“Memorize my phone number I wrote down inside this Grass Skirt matchbook.
“When you see the number show up on the phone, pick up, day or night.
“I have your first meeting scheduled.
“Tomorrow, ten am sharp.
“You’re meeting Wendell Wong at “Luky Louie’s Liquor” at their store in Waikiki.
“Wendell is the grandson and trustee of Louie’s estate.
“He spends more time in Vegas gambling away the profits than running his grandfather’s liquor stores.
“He owes our liquor distributing business one hundred thousand dollars and is ninety days in arrears.
“It’s come to my attention that he’s leveraged all of the real estate and there is no more equity.
“He’s behind in his mortgage payments and the bank may foreclosure soon.
“I will text you our standard contract which provides for our clearing his debts in exchange for equity.”
“What are your terms, Chin?”
“We take a fifty-one percent ownership in all of his liquor stores and real estate.”
“Can’t he find liquor inventory from another distributor?”
“Nobody will touch his credit and won’t interfere with our client.
“They know better!
“He must sign the contract with no changes whatsoever.
“He becomes a silent partner.
“Our managers will take over the day-to-day operation.
“You deliver the signed contract to your mother’s escrow company who will handle the sale.”
“Why do you only want fifty-one percent equity, Chin?”
“You’re already growing wiser, Jonny.
“’Pigs get slaughtered’.
“We want control but prefer to remain lowkey.
“No change in name, nothing.
“Now, get out and impress me tomorrow or we’re through with you.”
Luky Louie’s Liquor was a legacy business with a longstanding history on Oahu. My grandfather made deliveries for Wendell’s grandfather on a bicycle to tourists staying in Waikiki hotels.
Wendell’s office was about the size of a closet. The walls were plastered with photos of his father and grandfather shaking hands with movie stars and politicians who frequented the stores. Wendell looked older than his age. He took one look at me and said,
“They send a kid to steel my business away from me!”
I handed him the contract to sign.
“Fifty-one percent of the gross profits of six stores and the real estate!
“The amount necessary to pay off my liquor bill and mortgage payments is roughly half a million dollars but they’ll receive an equity stake worth millions of dollars!
“I’ve been approached by another agent from your office who may have a partner at better terms.”
“Who’s the agent, Wendell?”
“Some good-looking lady named Leilani who said she has a potential joint venture partner who’ll clear my debt and permit me to stay on as managing partner.”
“If you don’t have an offer in writing, waiting is too risky because you’ll be cut off from inventory and foreclosed upon any day.”
Humiliation is a sour pill and very difficult to swallow for men who inherit a longstanding family business. Wendell took a deep breath, reached for a bottle of rum inside his desk drawer, and hesitated.
I heard heavy footsteps outside the office and found Sonny standing at the door with a menacing stare.
“So, it’s going to be like that, kid?”
“Look at your smiling grandfather in those photos.
“How would he feel seeing Luky Louie’s close for good?”
His hand quivered as he signed the contract.
“Once last thing, Wendell.
“That photo on the wall with the kid and bicycle was my grandpa.
“I’m taking that photo!”
I gently closed the office door and heard Wendell begin to sob.
“This can’t be coincidence with you showing up, Sonny.”
“Some of these business owners get tough but I get tougher.”
Sonny stood six foot five and weighed over three hundred pounds making any adversary think twice.
When I reached my mom’s office, she was surprised to see me.
She read the two-page contract saying,
“I’ve done business with Ko for years and he phoned me to say he’d give you a chance.
“According to this contract, Ko’s firm is paid a ten percent commission of the buyout, son.
“What’s the amount?”
“Wendell thought it was about five hundred thousand dollars.
“My client said you’d coordinate the sale and close the deal.”
“If five hundred thousand is correct, the commission is fifty thousand dollars less your split with Ko.
“What is your split?”
“Zero!
“I’m on a probationary period and my supervisor Leilani earns the commission.”
“The contract says the buyer is a Limited Liability Company named ‘Solve 4 Y’ and is incorporated in Nevada.
“Who’s the principal of this LLC?”
“I don’t know but my contact is in Honolulu and I signed their Non-Disclosure Agreement so I can’t say more to you.”
“Give your contact my card and I’m certain I’ll be receiving everything I need from them.
“Congratulations!
“Your father will be very proud of you!”
I received a late-night call from Chin.
“Congratulation’s.
“You broke your fortune cookie!”
“Huh?”
“You ‘pop your cherry’ but with a fortune cookie only good fortune spills out instead of boy juice!”
“Thanks Chin but I’m not happy”
“What’s problem?”
“I’m stuck in a no commission probationary period with Ko.”
“Sometime you must give a little to get a lot, Jonny.
“We don’t want any interruptions in your dealings with Ko.
“Ko does business with our hard money lending company for his clients and we hold the mortgages on many of his investment properties.
“I have documents proving mortgage fraud on many of his loan applications.
“I can expose the fraud, report him to the state real estate department which may revoke his broker’s license, and our mortgage on his properties permits foreclosure on any of his properties with fraudulent loan applications.
“We’ll make him aware of all of this when you present our ‘take it or lose everything offer’ to purchase a fifty-one percent interest in his real estate agency.
“We’ll keep him on as general manager but you’ll be independent and, on a ninety percent, commission split with only a ten percent kick-back to Ko.
“You’ll be his boss.”
“I can’t wait!”
So started the avalanche of deals involving liquor stores, check cashing operations, coin laundries, restaurants, massage parlors, and commercial properties of every type.
I became very good at my job and felt invincible in ways my father wouldn’t understand.
As a reward to me, Chin decided to pull the pin on the grenade which would explode Ko’s business and property interests. She asked me if I wanted to present the offer to purchase fifty-one percent of Ko’s real estate agency.
“I wouldn’t miss the opportunity, Chin.”
“Ko is frightened like a trapped mouse and will comply with all of our demands.”
When I walked into Ko’s office, it became quiet, and all eyes followed me as I thrust open Ko’s door and slammed it behind me.
I startled Ko and Leilani leapt up from his lap.
“I will sign your contract but don’t come around the office.
“I must save face.
“Your commission fees will be wired to your bank account and any papers will be delivered to you by private messenger.”
“Ko, this joint is the last place I want to be seen.”
I summoned my new German sportscar from the valet. I felt a warm breath in my ear and the beautiful scent of French perfume Leilani preferred.
“It really turned me on the way you put Ko in his place, baby.
“I know your buyer screwed me out of a deal with Wendell.
“I can help you leverage your client into larger deals by teaming up with me.
“Who is your buyer?”
“The buyer’s name is confidential.”
“I have many influential contacts who own property and businesses which may be for sale not to mention deep pocket investors who may wish to joint venture with your buyer.”
“Keep your nose out of my business!”
My father was suspicious of mom’s uptick in business and, in particular, the buyer named “Solve 4 Y, LLC”.
Mom’s contact was a man named Morton Scheib whose only method of contact was a Las Vegas Post Office box. He didn’t have an email, physical address or phone number but all of the documents were sent and received by express mail. Mom said she never had a conversation with Scheib who signed the documents and his signature was properly notarized in Las Vegas.
Mom planned a celebratory dinner for our family at a very expensive “surf and turf” restaurant named “Brent’s on the Beach”.
My mother was a wonderful mom and wife. Although she was a dutiful worker at the escrow company, the house was always maintained and dinner on the table for dad at six as was his command. Mom was a “worker bee” showing up first in the office every morning and closing up every evening Monday through Friday excluding federal and state holidays for over twenty years.
“I’ve been promoted to General Manager!
“I now have the corner office, a pay increase, and profit sharing.
“Aren’t you both proud of me?”
“Mom, I’m so happy for you!”
My father sat stoic staring out at the setting sun. Mom hung her head like a shamed dog on the first “best” day of her life since my birth.
“You can’t be happy for mom, dad?”
“I hold a position of responsibility with the state and can’t be involved with any financial irregularities associated with either of your business activities.
“Have either of you investigated the buyer?”
“Of course, darling, the buyer is Solve 4 Y, LLC”
“Who is your contact with the buyer?”
“Morton Scheib is the Managing Member, dear.”
“Have either of you spoken with Morton Scheib?
“Ah, silence.”
“Mister Scheib’s money wire transfers arrive from reputable banks on the mainland.”
“I had the State Inspector General check out the LLC and Scheib to protect my position and both of you.”
“What did you find out, dad?”
“Mister Scheib is licensed to practice law and accounting in Nevada but there is no known office address or personal residence for him except a Post Office box.
“So, Jonny, who is your shady client?
“Mr. Scheib?”
“My client must remain confidential pursuant to an NDA I signed, dad.”
“You should have come to me, first!”
“I wouldn’t come to you for a glass of water, dad!
“You resent mom’s success and it bothers you that I’ve made four times your salary in less than one year without a college degree!”
“You think that sportscar you pulled up in and the twenty-dollar tip you handed the valet would impress me, son?”
“Maybe this will impress you, dad.
“Mom’s promotion came about because I negotiated the purchase of a controlling interest in mom’s escrow company and a condition of the purchase was that she be made General Manager!”
“Jonny, you should have told your mother, honey.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything mom and don’t say your ‘sorry’ to dad for your success.
“So, dad, what’s the Inspector General gonna’ say about your son’s purchase of your wife’s escrow office, and furthermore, what’s the ‘IG’ gonna’ say about your son negotiating a controlling interest in Ko’s real estate brokerage firm?”
“The IG informed me to keep my mind on my own business.”
Dad was humiliated but I didn’t feel sorry for him. I was tired of the stayed old Asian patriarchy he perpetrated.
“I’m moving into a high rent condo in Waikiki.
“Congratulations, Mom.
“I love you.
“I wish I had dad’s love and support but these were never forthcoming from him.”
“Be kind to your father, dear.”
“Easy money becomes easy failure, son!”
“I’ll pick up the tab, dad!
“My client owns this place.”
Chin phoned me as I drove away.
“Yes, Chin.”
“It ain’t Chin, kid.
“You alone?
“Yeah, Bart.”
“Leilani has been stirring up trouble behind your back since we bought Wendell’s liquor stores and real estate.
“She got the Las Vegas address for Morton Scheib from a purchase document passing through Ko’s office and wrote him soliciting a meeting to discuss real estate opportunities.
“Scheib notified Mitch who is furious.
“She might make the connection between CBT and OSC.
“My head is in a noose and so is yours unless you do exactly what I say!
“Tell Leilani a meeting with your client has been scheduled for tomorrow.”
“Where are we meeting?”
“I wasn’t told, kid.
“Sonny will pick you both up at ‘Samoan Steve’s Sweet Shak and Coffee’ at nine sharp and drive you to the meeting place.
“Kid, I took a verbal beating from Mitch and can’t keep you out of trouble again.”
I tossed and turned all night but eventually fell asleep. I dreamed I was back in college failing, again.
Leilani was early and dressed to impress wearing a tight-fitting silk dress cut just above the knee and haute couture stiletto heels suggesting a cocktail mixed with almost equal measures of business etiquette and an added shot of sexuality. Her woman’s brief case was black snakeskin with gold hardware.
Sonny showed up at nine sharp. We arrived after the morning rush at Samoan Steve’s and there were only a few patrons about the popular coffee and sweet spot. I acted as though I didn’t know Sonny.
“I’m the security representative for the client who is a very private and wealthy individual who wants no notoriety.
“He demands that all cellular devices and laptops are powered off and in my possession for safekeeping until after we return from the meeting.
“If I must, I will complete a thorough pat down of each of you before we depart.”
Sonny gave Leilani a menacing stare causing her to remove two cellphones and her laptop. I gave Sonny my cellphone.
He drove us out to a secluded private ranch with a dirt landing strip. I presumed it was the home of Mitch when Sonny announced,
“We’re meeting a pilot named Kai.
“He will fly us out to Lanai for a brunch meeting with the buyer on his estate and bring us back.”
A four-seater plane was ready to taxi and the pilot motioned for us to climb inside.
“My name is Kai.
“Estimated fly time to Lanai is forty-five minutes.
“Lady and Sonny sit in back seats.
“Jonny sits next to me.
“Lady sits behind Jonny.”
Kai was a seasoned pilot and had us up in the air within minutes climbing and leveling out towards Lanai.
I noticed Sonny was the last to power off his cellphone after checking a text message.
The elevation of the plane appeared to be uncomfortably low but didn’t concern a pilot with Kai’s skills.
The landing strip at Lanai came into view and we were approaching quickly.
“You’re going to pass the landing strip, Kai.”
“I’m not cleared for landing, lady.
“I show you something.”
Lanai disappeared and we were somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. The plane descended and took a sudden bank to the right.
“Look down into the water.
“That area has the largest concentration of shark species in the Pacific.
“Show them, Sonny.”
Sonny removed a small dead wild pig from a plastic bag as Kai reached over to open the door next to me. My seatbelt was the only thing keeping me inside the plane. Sonny threw the pig out of the plane which landed in the water not far below us with a splash.
Like a washing machine in agitation cycle, the water became chaotic as schools of sharks competed for the pig. It was a breathtaking sight.
Kai took a sharper bank to the right with the left wing at ninety degrees, descending further, and with lightning-fast speed, Sonny elbowed Leilani square in the face caving it into a bloody unrecognizable horror.
He grabbed her firmly by the neck, dragged her from the back seat, and threw her from the plane like a bag of trash along with all of our electronics. The plane was so low to the water, I could see the sharks jumping out of the water and seizing the body creating a feeding frenzy.
The carnage happened so fast, my brain couldn’t make sense of the horror and I blacked out.
“Wake up, kid!”
I regained consciousness with Sonny’s arm around my neck which he could snap like a twig.
“Big boss wants no more problems.”
Sonny didn’t say another word until we reached Samoan Steve’s.
“My auntie is the caretaker of the deserted ranch.
“She raises Pit Bulls which roam about the gated property insuring nobody saw the plane board or land at the deserted airstrip.
“The plane flew low to avoid radar.
“There were no cellphone signals to track and Kai confirmed his plane didn’t pick up any signals from the passenger’s devices.
“Everything which happened today was like it never happened.”
“What if Leilani mentioned meeting me?”
“Samoan Steve is CBT’s business partner.
“I assure you Steve and his employees won’t remember seeing the two of you.
“Samoan Steve strictly enforces a one-hour parking restriction on his lot so Leilani’s car was towed.
“If anybody questions you about a meeting with Leilani, simply say,
‘She never showed up so I split’.
“Chicks like Leilani disappear all the time.
“She’s now a missing person crime statistic.
“You’re now an accessory to murder.
“Keep your mouth shut and your mind on business or what happened to Leilani can happen to you and your family.
“You don’t want to become a crime statistic, Jonny.”
“How about my phone with all my contacts, photos, and data?”
“From this moment forward, purchase and use ‘burner phone’s only for business.
“Aloha.”
I returned home and found my mom had let herself in, tidied up, and prepared my favorite dinner of ribs, spring rolls, and noodles. She found the photo of grandfather I took from Wendell and suggested in a note I hang it on the wall across from my bed so I could see it before falling asleep and upon awakening. It was mom’s way of asking me to honor my ancestors by staying motivated. Chin’s reference to “pigs get slaughtered” had new meaning for me.
Mom wrote about a surplus state property dad mentioned might be a good acquisition for my client but he didn’t want to be involved directly.
It seemed unusual that dad would tip me off to an acquisition for my “shady” client. Reading between the lines, it was dad’s way to rid the property from the state’s surplus inventory and put him back in good stead with his superiors after their rebuke of his investigation regarding my client.
The property was an abandoned port. I pulled up a satellite image and zoomed into and fully acquainted myself with its attributes which were perfectly clandestine. I brought it to the attention of Chin who demanded I meet with Bart at the office in the morning.
I was shackled with indecision. If I went to the police, I’d be an accessory to murder. I loved my parents and I couldn’t involve them in a murder investigation. Seeing their only son charged with murder would destroy them. I chose to say nothing and cried myself to sleep.
Bart was in the middle of a phone conversation and motioned for me to sit.
“The kid I’ve been telling you about just walked into the office.
“I’ll put him on the line.”
“I’m Mitch, Jonny.
“I understand you’ve presented a very interesting acquisition opportunity for OSC.
“I’ll be in Honolulu tomorrow and want to see it for myself.”
“I don’t have access instructions.”
“Our contacts within the Navy will get us access.
“I look forward to meeting you.”
“You were talking to the big boss, kid, and you made a positive impression.”
I paced about my condo nervous about meeting Mitch. I stared at the photo of my grandfather on the wall and asked him for strength and guidance.
Sonny drove us out to the property in a van. I sat next to Mitch who was pushing thirty. He was accompanied by a beautiful Japanese American woman a few years older than me. I got a vibe they might be more than employer and employee. Mitch introduced himself as President of OSC and Jade was introduced as his Administrative Assistant.
After a long drive up into the mountains to the crest and over, we descended quickly down to sea level and came upon a gate marked with an old rusted sign,
U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATION
NO TRESPASSING
The property consisted of a sizeable metal warehouse, large yard for trucks and cargo, and a dock for boats. I told Mitch and Jade what my mom described.
“This property hasn’t been used since World War Two.
“It was utilized for munitions storage so it had to be hidden, secure, and camouflaged.
“If OCS needs privacy, security, and access to the water, this property has it all.”
“It resembles our operation out on the Pacific atoll but affords us greater proximity to the mainland.
“It’s perfect.
“Can we buy this property, Jonny?”
“No, Sir.
“The state wants to lease it long term.
“The state will use a sealed bid process.”
“’Sealed Bid’, my ass, Jonny.
“Our client is the United States Navy and we’ll get them to do our negotiating with the state.
“This property will enable OSC to move much of our operations closer to the mainland with time and cost savings.
“You remind me of myself when I was your age and got hired by my step dad who founded OSC.
“Drake was a tough ‘ol SOB but gave me a job which turned into running this business when he passed away.
“Effective immediately, you’ll work for OSC.
“Jade will provide you with another NDA for you to sign.
“You’ll report directly to her.
“You’ll find unlimited opportunity working for OSC.”
“I’ll work out the details with Jonny tonight, Mitch.
“There’s a late-night Luau at Brent’s on the Beach.”
“We own Brent’s and they’ll seat you with a magnificent view of the marina.
“I want you to imagine each of the magnificent sailboats having sails made of cash, Jonny.
“If you continue to impress me, one might be yours sooner than you can imagine.”
Sonny dropped Mitch and Jade at the CBT office before returning me home with enough time to prepare for dinner with Jade.
I was purposely early to impress Jade but she was already seated and drinking a “Pearl Diver” cocktail.
Jade was edgy, street-smart, and wasted no time in getting the NDA signed.
“We had to eliminate Leilani who was a snoop interfering with our business affairs which are top secret.
“If you hadn’t impressed Mitch, the same would have happened to you.
“Your fate was debated right after you took off and, lucky for you, Sonny checked his text messages instructing him to let you live!”
“Wasn’t Leilani’s murder an overreaction?”
“Leilani was simply a convenient message from Mitch to everybody about consequences.”
“Ko is likely worried about his ‘squeeze’ Leilani disappearing.”
“Chin told him she likely ran off with a client and to mind his own business.
“He complied just like the state who shut down the IG’s investigation of our LLC.”
“How did they stop the IG’s investigation?”
“Those many business enterprises we own pay a lot of state sales and property tax, Jonny.
“Bart and Chin know nothing about Leilani’s murder.
“Mitch keeps everything on a ‘need to know’ basis.
“What do you know about AUV’s?”
“Only what Bart showed me from a model inside his office.”
“I worked for OCS on their atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where they assembled, repaired, and launched AUV’s all over the Pacific Ocean.
“I was the only woman on the island.
“I met Mitch when Drake sent him out to learn the business.”
“What kind of job did you have out there?”
“I was a bookkeeper reporting to headquarters in Long Beach, California.”
“Mitch prefers everything to do with OSC remain confidential which is important for his relationship with the Navy and other reasons.”
“What do you mean by ‘other reasons’?”
“After your visit to OSC’s operation on the atoll, the answer to your question will be crystal clear, and baby, your life is never gonna’ be the same.”
I returned home. Whenever I was agitated, I retrieved my high school Geometry textbook. I’d thumb through the many geometric images which allowed me to focus.
I came upon the Hexagon which is a magnificent six-sided image replicated inside beehives. Included within the footnotes to the image, it was mentioned the Hexagon lends itself to efficient packing. I closed my eyes and imagined the Hexagon lying flat. I placed each of the six sides together over and over in my mind until I fell asleep.
I met Jade at the deserted airfield for the flight to OSC in the Pacific. I feared the worse.
“Strap yourself in tight, Jonny.
“It’s a bumpy ride but Kai knows the trade winds like the back of his hand.”
After flying through the Pacific for two hours in a propeller plane, I felt nauseous, and was happy the long thin island came into view.
We were on the ground quickly and a jeep approached us.
“That’s the foreman who’ll show you around.
“He worked for Mitch’s stepdad, Drake.
“This is Jonny, Griz.
“I want you to show him the operation while I tend to matters in the office.”
“This kid reminds me of Mitch.”
“Let me have a word privately with you, Griz.
“Jonny has been cleared by Mitch to see everything!”
“Everything?”
“Yes.
“He doesn’t know it yet but he may be running the new Honolulu facility when it’s ready.”
Griz shook my hand with a firm grip.
“Follow me, kid.”
We walked towards a metal warehouse and some office trailers on the otherwise deserted island. The sun was intense and the wind whipped across the island which was flat and devoid of any trees.
“The island has no name; just coordinates on a map.
“You’re somewhere between Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines.
“I was Drake’s ‘right hand man’.
“Drake saved my life in Vietnam during an underwater demolition accident.
“I’ve been loyal to that salty ‘ol SOB ever since.
“Since Mitch took over for Drake, I report to him.”
“What do we do here, Griz?”
“We repair and maintain AUV’s which we send out to sea.
“We can send them anywhere as long as they have battery life.
“We send them to survey the ocean floor as far away as the West coast.
“OSC has a small and tight knit crew.
“I’m the foreman.
“The crew has no reason to speak to you and vice versa.”
We entered the locked warehouse.
“This is where we service and repair the AUV’s.
“Our client is the Navy which uses them for intelligence gathering, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare.
“They’re powered by rechargeable batteries which are serviced here.
“They operate for about 16 hours on pre-programmed missions.
“They’re about 19’ in length, 21” in diameter, and weigh 1700 pounds.
“Their sophisticated sonar and computer systems transmit images of the ocean floor which are beamed up to a satellite and back to the Navy.
“Opening the AUV’s requires a top security clearance and a key issued by the manufacturer.
“Drake earned his top security clearance from decades of loyal service as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy who issued my key.
“I’m required to always wear the key on a chain around my neck like a dog tag to prevent loss or theft.
“The Navy ordered the fleet that any AUV found is to be held under tight security until a member of OSC with a key arrives to retrieve it.
“The new AUV’s arrive by military transport plane.
“Let me open one up for you, kid.”
Griz removed the key and unlocked a panel underneath the sleek new AUV. The interior of the AUV’s were packed with state of the art, sonar, computer systems, battery packs, recording, and transmitting devices.
“The guts of these fish are America’s best underwater surveillance technology.”
“Who thought up this business?”
“Drake loved adventure honed as an underwater demolition expert during Vietnam.
“With retirement racing towards him, he devised a method of making big money by trafficking Fentanyl manufactured in Asia and smuggled out through “The Golden Triangle”; the border of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.
“The packaged Fentanyl is sealed in airtight, chemically coated plastic bricks, masking the scent of the Fentanyl to deter drug sniffing canines.
“We pack the Fentanyl within the nooks and crannies of the AUV’s.
“Because OCS has the only access to the interior of the AUV’s, and the responsibility of launching them, OCS can direct the destination of the AUV’s to any port on the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii.
“The drug trafficking made Drake a millionaire.
“Drake was a risk taker who resented retirement.
“He needed to live on the ‘edge’ like he did as a demolition expert.
“Let me show you the procedure.
“I begin by removing the components one by one.
“Handle them with care.”
It didn’t take long for Griz to remove the components which I placed carefully within the order he handed them to me.
“Get that black bag marked,
Top Secret.
Security Clearance Required.
“Open it open up carefully with this packing knife and empty the contents on to the floor.”
Bricks of Fentanyl wrapped in black plastic fell to the floor. He threw me a roll of duct tape saying,
“Your job is to tape the bricks to the bottom of each component.
“On the first of each month, you’ll hear our pilot, Kai, do a late-night fly over.
“He’ll throw the bags marked ‘Top Secret’ from the plane.
“It’s your job to immediately fetch the bags, take them to the warehouse, place them in the gated store room, and lock it.
“Always wear surgical gloves and a face mask to protect you.
“If you imagine Lincoln’s head on a penny covered with Fentanyl, that small amount is enough to kill you.
“It’s our money maker!
“I see you stacked the components in reverse order.
“Put it back together, kid.”
I was quick and precise because it was all visual and lent itself to my learning abilities.
“You’re a natural, kid”
“Why do you pack with bricks?”
“Because that’s the way they come to us.
“You can build an expensive wall with these bricks, kid.
“Servicing, repairing, and packing AUV’s with Fentanyl is going to be your job at the new Honolulu port property.”
“What does OSC make on each of these deliveries?”
“A kilo is approximately 2.2 lbs. of Fentanyl and sold for about two million dollars.
“Drake concluded if he increased the 1700 lb. weight of the AUV by only 10%, or, 170 lbs, each AUV can transport 77 kilos of Fentanyl.”
“How much money is 77 kilos worth?”
“In today’s dollars, 77 kilos are sold for over a hundred million.”
“Who are the buyers?”
“I don’t know and don’t want to know.
“OCS is strictly in the parcel delivery business and our motto is ‘No Questions Asked’.
“OSC’s fee for the transport is just over a million dollars multiplied by the number of AUV’s packed with Fentanyl.
“Our trafficking fees are discretely wired from shady Asian banks to unmarked OSC accounts in equally shady European banks.
“So, you’re stuck kid.
“Drug trafficking and money laundering are a few of the charges they’ll stick you with.”
“What do you do with all of the money you make, Griz?”
“Nothin’ but keep my nose to the grind stone.
“Ain’t got no family so the money just piles up inside overseas unmarked accounts.
“None of the those salty ‘ol retired Navy crew members are aware of the drug trafficking.
“They simply toil away out here servicing the AUV’s and will get a slice of my money and the balance goes to veteran’s charities when I die.”
“Why not cut a retirement deal with Mitch and get off this island?”
“I’m keepin’ Drake’s dream alive because he saved my life in the Navy and I enjoy the thrill of it all.”
“What’s your plan if OSC’s trafficking is discovered?”
“I have my service pistol from the Navy with me all the time.
“I’ll place it to my head and fire.”
I feared the cartels more than the authorities. I was an accessory to murder and Fentanyl trafficking. Mitch wanted somebody with “skin in the game” and I was that “somebody”.
After my meeting with Griz and chow with the crew who could have been cast from some old-World War two movie, Jade walked me to the point of the island where we sat staring up at the stars and drinking beer.
“Griz told me you are a ‘quick learn’ and a ‘natural’ with the unpacking and packing of the AUV’s.
“He likes you and so does Mitch.
“You’ll have a new job when the Honolulu property is leased.”
“Whose has the responsibility of intercepting and opening the AUV’s on the West Coast?”
“Drake had an illegitimate son who fulfilled this role and this guy contends he became an equal partner with Mitch when Drake died.
“Mitch doesn’t want a partner and it won’t end well for the illegitimate son.
“I’m keeping out of it because as I told you, Mitch keeps everything on a ‘need to know’ bases.
“Mitch kept me unaware of the trafficking but after some snooping and detective work, I obtained the usernames and passcodes giving me access to the CCTV inside the warehouse and real time images from the AUV’s bouncing off the satellite and back to the Navy.
“To kill the boredom on this island, I watched my computer screen display the underwater images.
“The ocean floor resembled an underwater Grand Canyon.
“I saw sunken battleships, planes, antiquities, and even a Ford F150.
“The whales swam alongside the AUV’s and the dolphins raced the AUV’s, leaping across them, as if to say,
‘If you’re not careful, we’ll tell your secret!’
“I have a romantic thing with Mitch which is the only reason I think I’m still alive but I’m hanging on by my fingernails.
“What happened to Leilani can happen to you and me!
“OCS is just one spoke in a billion-dollar drug distribution business.
“It’s a brilliant business model when you think about it.
“What better ‘cover’ to a smuggling operation than the Navy who pays OSC to launch, repair, and gather the AUV’s carrying Fentanyl.
“Make no mistake, Jonny.
“You, me, Bart, Chin, and your parents are all expendable pawns.”
“I feel like my life is over.”
“Jonny, I felt the same way.
“Either we’ll get filthy rich together, or we will die together.
“I enjoy target practice to calm my nerves.
“Place these beer cans anywhere you like.
“This 9mm Glock pistol is named ‘Pearl’”.
Jade loaded a clip into “Pearl” and quickly obliterated each beer can.
“Take that Mitch!
“That’s what you get for not returning my love!
“You’ll marry me or die, prick!”
I might be the replacement for Drake’s illegitimate son and it was too risky to have my fate within Jade’s hands.
I recalled the images from my Geometry textbook. Replacing the bricks with Hexagons lending themselves to more efficient packing would increase the Fentanyl payload of each AUV including the transportation fees paid to OCS.
This geometric insight presented to Mitch might make me indispensable to OSC and keep me alive. I decided to “Go Big” with my proposal provided Mitch agreed to insulate my parents from any culpability from my illegal activities.
I eagerly awaited the acquisition of the Honolulu port facility.
This story is a sequel to “Memoir of an Overseas Contractor” which is included within my partial collection of short stories, “Hearts Without Sleeves. Twenty-Three Stories” at Amazon.