But then he thought about his own transformation.
Who am I now: Walter Nash or Dillon Hope? When I look in the mirror now, I don’t see Walter anymore, I only see Dillon. And I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Pushing these troubling thoughts away, he stepped forward to greet the man who appeared to be the leader of this crew. He looked like a carbon copy of Nash: tall, built, shaved head, and tatted.
He introduced himself as Gabriel Aguilar and wanted to know where all exterior entrances in the main building were, and Nash told him. When he asked how many personnel Nash had, Nash lied and said, “Two on the point, a dozen you’ll never see unless there’s a problem, and CCTV on every speck of this place.”
Aguilar nodded approvingly. “Ms. Steers came to see us a while ago, now we reciprocate.”
“She told me,” said Nash. “I’ll take you to the meeting place.”
As the men walked through the house Aguilar said, “You have many problems with your police?”
“Not so far. But tomorrow’s a new day.”
“Your days sound very much like mine. But in my country we maybe have the cops better in line. But that can change.Muy rapido.”
“Yes, it can,” said Nash.And don’t I know that.
There were seven men in the meeting with Steers. Lynn Ryder dropped in at the last minute and took a seat at the large rectangular table inside what had once been the home’s ballroom. Interestingly enough, Masuyo was not in attendance. Nash wondered if that was by the woman’s choice.
Or her daughter’s?
The staff served drinks and snacks and then quickly left. Aguilar had his men arrayed strategically around the property, while he took up a post with Nash right outside the double doors leading into the room.
“The place has been swept for bugs?” asked Aguilar.
“Right before everyone settled in,” replied Nash.And I planted my bug right after that.
With his earpiece in, he settled against the wall across the hall from Aguilar and commenced listening as Steers called the meeting to order.
CHAPTER
48
DRESSED IN A BLACK TUNICand matching slacks, Steers surveyed the men around her before saying, “Gentlemen, first let me thank you for journeying here today. I promise that it will be worth your while.”
“It had most assuredly better be,” said the older man to Steers’s immediate right. “Things are difficult right now in my country. I need help, not new problems.”
Steers nodded. “Yes, Señor Ramirez, I completely understand. Things are difficult everywhere for people like us. That is why I called this meeting. My proposal has the blessing of being simple: We combine, centralize, and streamline. Too many back offices, too many distribution centers, and too many middlemen in the mix provide numerous targets for both the authorities and our competitors to both hinder and then undo all that we have built. I have experienced this recently, as I know each of you has.”
“But all eggs in one basket also does not make sense to me,” Ramirez countered.
Steers gazed at the other men to see their reaction to Ramirez’s words. She saw agreement and disagreement and some clear hesitancy.
“No one is proposing that, Señor Ramirez. What I am proposing is having one hierarchy controlled by one committee.”
“And who controls the committee, tell me that?” barked Ramirez.
One of the other men, younger with slicked-back hair and a clean-shaven face, and wearing a ten-thousand-dollar custom-fitted suit, said, “Enrique, let her speak. Then we ask our questions.”
Ramirez glared at the other man but sat back and fell silent.
“Thank you, Señor Tecú,” said Steers.
She glanced at Ryder, who said, “A detailed plan was distributed electronically to your secure portals. It provided all essential information for the formation of the structure about which Ms. Steers is now speaking.”
Tecú said, “My people have already been over it. They say it was well thought out and shows much promise.”