chapter 46
TAM NGUYEN AND his fiancée, Alexa, sat in the backseat of his black Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan, heading toward Tupelo, Mississippi. They were three hours late because Alexa had had to shop for new clothes for the meet and greet.
When she had received the e-mail inviting her, she had almost fainted. Tam really didn’t want to attend, but she had pleaded and begged. She finally resorted to insisting that, since it was their anniversary weekend of their first date, it was the only thing she wanted as a gift. He was more of a Black Eyed Peas fan, but since he could conduct business too, the long trip would be worthwhile—even justified.
Following behind Tam’s Benz was a black Ram truck with a matching camper shell. In the bed was nearly $1.7 million of cocaine at wholesale value. The huge Mercedes and its blacked-out windows attracted a lot of attention; however, the Ram truck looked like one of the thousands of other pickup trucks that Mississippians loved to drive. The two drivers communicated via handheld CB radios and cell phones, but they were never out of sight from each other.
Tam glanced at his watch and exhaled deeply. Alexa would have a screaming fit if they were late to the event. It was going to be close, but he couldn’t risk either vehicle being pulled over for speeding.
Tam preferred military-like precision and was having to learn to be more flexible with Alexa around. She sometimes would take thirty minutes to simply put her hair up in a ponytail. That was hard for Tam Nguyen. Tight controls kept him unincarcerated, ahead of his competition, and alive.
He decided that for the peace of his relationship with Alexa, he would have to make the exchange with Moon Pie the next morning. He studied Alexa as she slept. He knew that his wealth attracted women, but he still couldn’t believe she was his fiancée. She had been working as a swimsuit and fitness model after having been a Hooters calendar girl. Two years earlier, she had dropped out of Tulane University to pursue modeling full-time. How many guys can say they are engaged to a professional fitness model?
Alexa was also good for his image. He made a mental note to check into leasing or fractional ownership of a private airplane like the King Airs hangared at the local airport. That not only would save him time but also would impress Alexa and his clients. On second thought, he realized that Alexa would insist on flying to Dallas and Atlanta just to shop or attend concerts. It could end up costing him a fortune.
The six men Tam had killed with his own hands would have been surprised to learn that he even considered what others thought or felt. His reputation was one of brutal violence. He intimidated the competition, and rarely, if ever, did he blink at using force first. Somehow Alexa could look past his tough facade to see a caring person. She understood his lifestyle and seemed to enjoy the dichotomy of it. Tam believed that all people, at some point during their lives, would meet someone who appreciated their true being. Alexa was that person for him.
Tam palmed his cell phone and searched for Moon Pie’s number. He typed a text message: “No time 2nite. 2morrow 4 sure. B ready.” Then he hit send.
He laid the phone on the tan leather seat, made himself more comfortable, and pulled out a small notebook to review his coded financials.