Unwilling to leave the boat out of sight for long, she made her way back to the main road and jogged across to the harbor side. She looked out over the water just as the cabin cruiser tied off to the base of a pier where the dark hull of a cargo ship rose from the darkness at the end of the concrete span. Someone above on the wharf unfurled a rope ladder and lowered it to the small boat. Jet wasn’t sure what she’d stumbled across, but the sight of Leo’s white jacket as he climbed the rungs was all the invitation she needed.
She eyed the long industrial warehouse that stretched half the length of the pier and wondered whether she was witnessing a drug deal. She studied the building and saw two men with assault rifles in the gloom, one on either end of the structure, which confirmed her suspicion.
Whatever Leo was doing required armed guards and a remarkable lack of any official security personnel that she could see – which could work to her benefit if she was careful. Jet made her way down the sidewalk until she arrived at a gap between the jetties and climbed down onto the rocks. A frontal approach, given the men by the van and the two guards that she could see, was out of the question, but if she could somehow get to the base of the pier and maneuver up on the far side of the security gates, she’d be inside Leo’s defenses; the guards she could see were focused on threats from outside the perimeter, not inside. What happened from there, she had no idea – other than that it would be very, very bad indeed for the attorney and his entourage.
Chapter 52
Rudolf approached the warehouse with Leo, Levi, and a bodyguard, and motioned to the gunmen stationed there. “Everything in order?” he asked.
The closest gunman nodded. “They’re inside waiting for you, sir.”
“Excellent. Are they armed?”
“Initially they were. But we suggested that they leave their weapons aboard their ship, and that you’d do the same. We searched them when they returned, and they were clean.”
“Very well.”
“They’re halfway down the length of the warehouse with two of our men – in the D section. We told them they’d have to wait to inspect the container until you arrived.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“No. All’s quiet, as you can see.”
Rudolf and Leo walked into the hangar-sized building and strode over to five men standing near a green shipping container – one of dozens beneath a sign emblazoned with a letter D. What slim light there was came from overhead bulbs suspended from the rafters in typical half-finished manner. Three of those waiting had skin the color of dark chocolate, the others the stark white of men who rarely saw the sun.
Leo stepped forward and greeted the Africans, his eyes on a small suitcase chained to the largest man’s wrist. “Gentlemen. Welcome to Russia. Glad you could make it,” he said in English. “Let’s take a look at your shipment, shall we? No point in delaying this – I know you’re eager to be on your way.” He signaled to Rudolf, who nodded and moved to the container.
Rudolf removed a key from his pocket and stooped to unlock a heavy industrial padlock. The clasp opened with a clank that reverberated through the area, and he swung the door open with a flourish.
The Africans switched on their flashlights and moved to the opening, where stacks of wooden crates, all their markings in Russian, lined the interior. Leo tapped a laminated sheet hanging from a hook on the interior of the container. “This is the manifest. It describes the contents. As agreed, everything in your order is there. Satisfaction guaranteed.” He eyed the African with the suitcase. “I’m sorry – I’m Leo, and this is Rudolf,” he said, offering his hand.
“Lucien,” the big man said, shaking Leo’s hand. “We’ll need to inspect the boxes.”
“Of course. Some, all, it doesn’t matter to me. Rudolf, get the gentlemen some pry bars, will you?”
“Certainly.” Rudolf snapped his fingers, and one of the two Russian escorts moved into the shadows and reappeared moments later with a pair of pry bars. He handed them to the sailors and they went to work, systematically opening each crate so Lucien could take a photograph with his iPhone before moving to the next.
After twenty minutes of watching the African seamen check the goods, Leo cleared his throat expectantly. “You can see that it’s all there. Perhaps you can allow my expert to inspect the stones while you’re finishing up? I’d rather not be here all night.”
Levi nodded to Lucien and removed a loupe from his pocket. The African joined him and laid the case on a nearby crate. Levi drew a small battery-powered lamp from his jacket and set it on the crate while Lucien unlocked the handcuff and then the suitcase.
Levi looked to Lucien as he opened the case. Inside were twenty black velvet bags. Levi picked up the nearest one and opened it, and then, under the African’s watchful eye, shook out a few stones and examined them carefully before moving on to the next sack.
When Levi had gone through all the bags, he grunted approval. “They’re as promised.”
Leo smiled. “Very good. Rudolf, let our friend know he can send in his courier to get the stones at his convenience.” Leo eyed Lucien. “I trust that’s acceptable?”
The big man shrugged. “We’re almost done. So far it all looks good.”
“As I said, satisfaction guaranteed.”
~