Turbulence Page 7

  Whatever spark we had ignited that prior evening erupted into total fire as she kissed me in return. I was stunned at her response, but instantly aroused, and it was no time before we were under the blankets with lips locked and hands moving, rubbing, and squeezing in sync with our lips and tongues. I had pulled down her top to expose one breast and burrowed under the top blanket. Fortunately, no one could hear her moans as I pulled at her nipple. As I loosened her bikini bottom, she was warm, sensuous, and wet over the bottom blanket. I gently moved my hand between her legs and she began to move against me in wilder and harder gyrations, while kissing me with her tongue pushing hard in my mouth.

  It seemed only a moment before there was a muffled moan of such sound and duration that I actually looked out at the beachgoers to see if anyone looked over at us. They hadn’t, or pretended not to, and I returned to kiss Cindy gently and felt tears on her cheeks. This absolute perfection of womanhood was telling me softly that this was the first time in her life that anybody other than herself brought her to orgasm, and she was crying softly. I was astounded by the revelation, but at the same time almost ready to paw and snort, I was so aroused.

  Our beach day was quickly over, but our lovemaking was about to begin in earnest. We packed up, climbed back up the cliff walkway to the parking lot, and headed back to the hotel. I gave her my room key and number and told her to head to the elevators as I parked the car and picked up a new key at the desk. Once inside, I locked the door and we collapsed into each other’s arms on the mattress. The lovemaking was as intense as I had ever known it and I delighted in her desire to reach whatever upper level she was seeking as she convulsed with release after release. If I had not experienced it once previously, I might have been concerned, but at one point, after what was obviously an explosive simultaneous climax, she momentarily passed out. The condition is known as a form of petit mal and is a temporary loss of consciousness for just a few seconds, and after a cuddling timeout, we resumed making love.

  I don’t know how long we made love, but there was no rest and no limits until we both finally kissed each other gently and fell sound asleep. When she woke me, it was dark and Honolulu doesn’t get dark until late, but she assured me that her husband did not expect her soon. I ordered dinner from room service.

  She told me the rest of her story that was unsaid the other night. She had married a friend of her father’s three years ago who was also in the military. He was much older than her and they really had no relationship to speak of. He was rough with her, and satisfied only himself when it did happen and now she avoids contact. That was okay with him because he constantly read porn magazines and pleasured himself. Her mother died when she was young and she has one sister. I explained that I was leaving the next day and she gave me her phone number and her sister’s phone number if I couldn’t reach her. I could not tell her when I would be back, but it would be weeks and she understood. I’m uncertain whether I should call her now on this trip.

  What was certain was that I would more than like to, but while she was absolutely gorgeous, I didn’t want her to consider me her boyfriend because no relationship could survive the distance. Also, I liked her so much, I wanted her to be able to find a long-term and stable relationship. Besides, I needed to prepare for what was ahead. I opened my briefcase and attempted to prepare a synopsis of both Acapulco and Seoul for the upcoming monthly board of directors report as well as I could, given that my New York apprehension was now impacting everything that used to be normal and routine.

  Nine

  At breakfast in the pool level coffee shop, Peter, the GM of the hotel, and I catch up on business. For a property that was supposed to be located on the island that advertised itself as a slice of paradise, but was not on any beach, the figures were amazing. Prior to opening, we commissioned an extensive survey, with the help of several of the largest travel agencies in the United States and Japan. The survey was to assist in marketing a non-beach hotel to potential first-time visitors, but at the same time assure our own people about what responses we could expect from these visitors who were contemplating that first visit to paradise.

  Our extensive accommodations and our amenities, especially our multiple specialty restaurants, were fairly well received despite the off-beach location. But most of all, our efforts to compensate with the Wiki-Wiki buses and other activities, and our competitive group pricing ability because of our lower real estate costs, were the major selling points. The actual results had exceeded our most optimistic projections, and the convention and tour group business from both the States and Japan gave us a solid base of repeat business, as well as a fair amount of individual vacationers.

  Having had an opportunity to tour the property early that morning by myself, I was again impressed with the smoothness of the operation and the quality of the staff. While it is true that Hawaiian natives are brought up with the knowledge that tourism is their major industry, they’re still Americans competing with other non-American locations hungry for the American dollar, such as Mexico. Accordingly, as hotelmen we want to be sure we are competitively welcoming with our alohas. Peter seems to have passed that lesson on very well. I am so fortunate to have Al, Helmut, and Peter as managers.

  After receiving a well-written report from Peter to assist me in my board presentation next week in New York, he brought up a question that caused me substantial concern.

  “Kevin, are you expecting any visitors during your stay?”

  “What do you mean, visitors?”

  “Well,” he paused, “we had two calls last week that were transferred to my office. On each occasion the caller identified himself as a business acquaintance of yours, and asked if I expected your arrival and when. The name he gave me was Mr. John Smith. I asked him if he wished to leave a message or a number and he declined, saying that you would know what the call was about. I thought that was a strange business conversation both times, but I told him that I’d pass it on if and when I saw you, but I had no notice that you were coming, which, of course, I didn’t until you called me yesterday.”

  “Well, thank you for letting me know, and also for not giving out any information. You probably know that a number of suppliers are interested in getting a contract for our consumables, especially since we are not contracted to purchase through Harrison Restaurants, but at the moment through our individual hotels.” I was trying hard to be nonchalant.

  “Yes, I do and I appreciate it, because I don’t want to be forced to use Budweiser products on my taps, for instance, like Harrison does. It’s not against a particular product, it’s what our guests want on vacation, and that is Japanese, Australian, and other foreign premium beers instead of what they get at home.”

  Satisfied that his question was resolved, Peter inquired about how long I planned to stay. I replied that next week was important. We had the board meeting pending and Russ and a couple of staff were attending the South Korean hotel grand opening ceremony. Consequently, I might plan to leave Sunday and be ready for Monday. I hoped I was convincing because nobody comes to Hawaii for just a weekend, it’s far too long a trip. He didn’t ask any questions, however, and I made a tentative plan to have dinner that night with him and his lovely wife.

  Peter’s conversation about Mr. Smith was more than unnerving. Back in my suite, I sat down at the desk and dialed Len’s home number. Hoping that he’ll be home in the evening, I am really anxious for him to pick up directly, not the machine. Relief floods my body as Len’s non-recorded voice answers.

  “Sorry to call you at home, Len,” I started.

  “No problem, I expected you’d probably call, but I didn’t get any fax from you. Are you home?”

  “No, I’m in Hawaii, and I will send you the time I arrive in New York as soon as I finish the call. The reason I’m indecisive about my flight is that New York now seems like the most dangerous place in the world to me.”

  “Why, what happened since I last talked to you?”

  “I believe I told
you in one of our conversations about the secretary to the manager in Acapulco who made my reservations out of there to Dallas.”

  “Yea, Kevin, I remember that.”

  “Well, here’s the latest. That secretary, Maria, has not only left her job at the hotel, but has left Acapulco along with her husband. In addition, since I last talked to you, my secretary in New York has received three separate calls asking when I would return to the office. Finally, my hotel manager here in Honolulu received two calls asking whether I had planned to stop at the hotel. None of these people are anyone I would be doing business with. They either didn’t leave a name or identify themself as Mr. John Smith. Jesus, Len, I’m being chased halfway around the world and I don’t know what the f--- to do right now.”

  “All right, calm down, we’ll figure this out. My experience tells me that they are sending you a message, most likely a warning that they want what’s theirs. In addition, they sure as hell want to talk to you, but how much more than just recovering their goods, we don’t know. So don’t try to overthink this. Actually, the best place to be is in New York, and the sooner the better, so that we can try to meet this head-on.”

  Len was clearly in a New York police detective mode and obviously would brook no nonsense announcements from me. I took a deep breath and righted myself.

  “Okay, Len, I agree. The earliest flight out in the morning will get me to LA and with a couple of layover hours, I’ll arrive around noontime in New York. I’ll call you from LA with the New York flight number and again when I arrive.”

  “All right Kevin, you’re going to spend a lot of time on a plane. Why don’t you sort of lay out the whole story, IDing all the players and detailing what happened in Dallas and subsequently so that I’ll have a coherent story to discuss with our people, okay?”

  “Fine, Len. Thanks for all your help.”

  “No problem.” Man, I sincerely hope he’s right.

  I have the entire afternoon before I have to meet Peter and his wife for dinner. I decided I needed more information on the Mexican drug problem, both in that country and the United States. As I and everyone that reads the papers is aware of, the severe disparity between the richest nation on earth sharing a common border with one of the poorest is a recipe for unbelievable problems within and between both countries.

  Nothing has more impact than that poorer country, Mexico, producing a major source of marijuana, but it also serves as a depot for the transfer of other harder drugs into the United States. That clearly is because the income of American citizens creates a demand for drugs greater than any other market in the world. Supply and demand in its greatest manifestation is even a larger problem than illegal immigration.

  The Honolulu public library is one of the most extensive libraries in a major American city and only a few blocks from the hotel. I asked for the research section, found my sources, and settled in. I found out that the estimated value of narcotics entering the United States from or thru Mexico is calculated to be somewhere between twenty and thirty billion dollars annually, more than the gross domestic product of several third world countries. Surprisingly in that total, while not originating in Mexico, ninety percent of all cocaine in the United States also comes through Mexico.

  While there are literally hundreds of organizations in the drug trade, many of them are in the process of acquisition by the larger, more aggressive operators who are beginning to form huge cartels. This both eliminates competitors, as well as streamlines costs. The greatest benefit, however, is the opportunity to achieve massive wealth, and with it, massive power, allowing more efficient technology-driven methods to improve and enhance the delivery systems. All transactions, regardless of size, are in hard cash to escape scrutiny and tracing.

  There is so much cash that most money bundles are in one hundred thousand dollar packages to facilitate handling. Accordingly, common business protocol demands spending a good portion of this massive amount of money to recruit, hire, train, and mobilize human resources throughout the United States to move drugs the quickest and most efficient way possible. The most successful cartels are those whose tentacles reach as many levels of disbursement to facilitate dealers on every level of distribution. It also means that methods of persuasion to achieve their goals are uncompromising and direct, including kidnapping, torture, and murder.

  Before dinner, I make my reservations for tomorrow morning and fax Len my arrival information.

  Ten

  I had plenty of time to write out my story to Len about the discovery of drugs that were obviously placed in my checked baggage to San Francisco from Acapulco. I added the information from my library research as well as the almost forgotten black box sitting on the back corner of the shelf in Allison’s guest closet. The flight out of Honolulu was mostly calm and allowed me to rough out a draft that I would have Margie type up in New York for Len’s eyes only.

  Margie has been with me for five years now and is the most loyal employee I have ever worked with. She is the soul of discretion, and while she works for the company, if there is any situation that requires a choice, her first loyalty is to me. If she decides that she cannot type in utmost privacy in the alcove outside my office, she will do so after hours if need be.

  I am transferring in Los Angeles to the “red-eye” flight to New York leaving at ten p.m. While we did encounter some brief turbulence at the tail end of the Honolulu flight, causing a half hour delay to circumvent it, I still had more than two hours before boarding. We should arrive at JFK airport around seven a.m. Except for Len and Russ, no one knows my flight schedule, and on a Sunday night out of LA, that’s the way I want it. My plan is to catch some shut-eye on the red-eye and avoid the effect of the overnight flight, head to my apartment, and then the office. I’ll drop off the draft for Margie and visit Russ before he makes his departure plan for the trip to South Korea and the grand opening ceremonies.

  I picked up a newspaper at the LA airport, and sure enough, there is yet another AP story originally from the New York Post about the ever-present drug news affecting the city. The story reports that the NYPD, with the assistance of the DEA and the FBI, is currently investigating a number of retail businesses in the city that appear to be less than legitimate and are operating primarily as fronts for drug operations. Their primary purpose is to launder monies for the cartels by making business deposits that are in fact drug revenues being held for transfer to the wholesalers. So that’s what Len was talking about when I inquired from South Korea if he had anything to tell me. I now recall that he was going to ask the vice squad about the drug fronts and whether he might hear some scuttlebutt. I find it ironic that the retailer fronts include, among others, retail laundries that instead of laundering clothes are laundering money.

  With about an hour to board, I opened my briefcase to find my little black address book. In the first couple of pages I find the number for Allison, faster than I would with her last name, which I do have, but can’t remember. Those in the office who label me a womanizer would have a picnic with that, I suppose. Hoping to find her home on Sunday evening, I dialed. There is that lovely voice again, even lovelier when enhanced by the voice recorder, which I had not heard before. Crestfallen that I missed her, I start to leave a message. “Hi Allison,” trying to sound upbeat, “this is Kevin Logan, back on American soil again, I”—click.

  “Hello. Hello, Kevin. Don’t hang up, I’m here,” she said breathlessly. “Where are you?”

  “Right now I’m at LAX.”

  “Oh, wonderful. Are you on your way to see me?” she almost squealed.

  “No, I’m sorry, but I’m boarding in about an hour to New York on the red-eye.”

  “Oh,” she said with major disappointment in her voice. “You promised you would stop on the way back.”

  “I know. Something has come up that is taking precedence, and I can’t explain now, but I have to get to New York as soon as possible. That’s why I’m taking the red-eye.”

  “Well, that’s a sham
e because I have three days off before my next flight and even though you hadn’t called me, I was hoping you’d be back around this time.”

  “Look,” I said, “I’ll be back in New York tomorrow and I promise I’ll call you from there as soon as I can, probably in the afternoon, but I want you to check something for me right now, please.”

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “Please go into your guest room closet and look on the top shelf, right hand corner, and see if there is anything there.”

  “Okay.”

  In just a couple of minutes, she responds, “Yes, I have it.”

  Good girl, I say to myself, one smart cookie. I’m sure she is dying to know what it is, yet she is aware that it’s important to me and she will be told in good time.

  “All right, put it back where it belongs and we will talk tomorrow.”

  “Okay, what time because I don’t want to miss your call.”

  “Let’s make it about one p.m. Is that convenient?”

  “Yes, that’s great. I look forward to your call, and Kevin?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve really missed you, too, Allison. We’ll talk at length tomorrow. Good night and sweet dreams.”

  “You’re sweet. Good night,” she responded and I heard what I think was a kiss.

  My paranoia notwithstanding, I am sure that whatever the cartel people know about me, my company, and my employees, they know nothing about my relationship with Allison, and therefore, there is no connection. Consequently, even though my actions or lack of them are causing me problems, her lack of any knowledge and connection to the drugs has placed her in no danger, thank God. Once again, however, I am most impressed with the way she handled herself.

  As I make my way to baggage claim at JFK, I’m thinking that, unlike my daydreaming leaving Seoul about my flying around the world looking for hotel sites, I really should think about getting a job that doesn’t include flying. I’ve had about enough of planes already. I’ll probably feel different, however, after a good night’s sleep. Speaking of sleep, I did manage about four hours on the plane, so I feel fortunate for that and for the fact that I could spread out over three seats. I can’t wait, however, to get home.