Johnny sighed. “I see your heart’s into it. I cannot oppose what my love wants to do. I will be backing her. I doubt there will be very little protestation once they see her prostitute actions. The only problem will arise when they ask about her connection to the motel or who could have sent her. What if they’re gay?”
Cala’s snort of unhappiness shut Johnny up before he began again. “Okay… it doesn’t meet all our criteria other than surprise. We will be nearby. I will be at Cala’s side no matter how they take our alterations. We need to focus. Stopping will get us nothing. Once inside though, Cala will need some cover story.”
“I believe you’re right, Johnny,” Nick admitted. “We’re overthinking this. Cala gets sultry enough to answer the door and the moment the door gets unlatched, I’ll throw a flashbang into their room, hold onto Cala, and then jog inside to find out what we can about the operation. The big deal in this will be making sure we have both Biff and Ray present. Otherwise, we’ll have to hunt them down.”
“Enough talk,” Cala said. “I am ready. I am no Snow White. Let’s get this done so we may find out where Biff and Ray found out about the gang in this town. Then, it will be a decision as to when we hit the Carone’s Mother Ship, and how.”
“Muerto’s in charge, my love,” Johnny reminded her. “You are sounding a bit like the T-Rex. We don’t want that.”
Cala gasped as the others enjoyed Johnny’s comical upbraiding. Cala giggled. “I did… didn’t I? She is very forceful. I thought to emulate her somewhat but maybe I am going too far.”
“We like your input, Cleaner,” Nick said. “You don’t have to tone down for us, but it would probably be to Johnny’s liking if you sound like yourself rather than like Tina. I’ve been getting too wild lately. The moment we’re working on a plan to take a couple guys, I start thinking about grenades and flashbangs. The Sea Breeze isn’t the Hilton, but I’d rather not damage one of their rooms with exploding devices. I’m becoming careless. I’ll take surprise to another level with Cala.”
“How do you mean, Muerto,” Gus asked. “For once, I didn’t think the flashbang was such a bad idea.”
“I have FBI and CIA credentials along with being a United States Marshal. I’ll have Cala get them to open the door – then, I’ll arrest them with you guys there to make the restraining arrest. They’ll think they’re being detained by the regular federal authorities. We move them to our interrogation facility without any disruption in the Sea Breeze room décor, or in public displays of mayhem. It’s a win/win situation.”
“I like it better than your other ideas but it will be more dangerous,” Johnny said.
“Oh, step up, Johnny Five,” Cala joked with her husband. “Once Muerto has the drop on them, they will believe they are really being arrested. I could probably measure them for their disassembly and deposit in the ocean while we are transporting them.”
Johnny threw his hands into the air. “Allah… spare me… I have created a monster.”
“All in favor of arresting these dastardly gang enablers.” Nick raised his hand. Gus and Cala followed his lead with Johnny slowly raising his. “It’s unanimous. Although they won’t understand why they’re blessed, the Sea Breeze Motel will be pleased with our operation.”
“Finally, a lead on mission for the Cleaner,” Cala said excitedly. “Let us go quickly before Johnny Five finds some way to derail Cleaner’s first black op. Is it too soon for renaming our squad… maybe Cleaner and her Unholy Trio?”
Nearly five minutes passed before anyone but Cleaner could move. After many attempts to stem the amusement of the Unholy Trio, Cleaner sighed and walked out.
*
Biff Cantor refilled Ray Genaro’s drink glass and then his own. They played gin rummy, the stakes minimal in terms of money, to pass the time until they could get a meeting with the gangbangers Fernando had marking territory in the Monterey area. He and Ray teamed doing jobs for Fernando Carone nearly four years ago. Carone paid them very well. Biff and Ray acted as competent intermediaries between Carone and the public, never allowing the law or the people they dealt with get close to Fernando. They lived aboard ‘The Tempest’, Carone’s Mother Ship for ‘Panga Boats’ to dock with and do business. ‘The Tempest’, a luxurious two hundred forty foot super yacht, acted as both a gambling pleasure cruiser and Panga boat dock for trafficking in anything from drugs to girls marked for transfer to Middle Eastern ports.