The Airegin Mafias – Chapter 2 Part 3

“Yes, I think it’s already clear from the soil texture and color. But how do we throw them off without an argument?”

“We will do whatever we need to do my friend,” Don Pedro replied.

After almost an hour in the restaurant, the Drug Lords were back in the car and on their way to the soil laboratory.  Akhil and Ajeet’s car was the one immediately before. Lord Frederick and Don Pedro could see their from  behind, their host partners discussing just the same way they’ll like to do but they couldn’t as they feared that the car had been bugged. They kept exchanging the tablet devices when it was necessary to discuss.

“I think they’re being careful,” Akhil said, looking into the device in his hands. Their visitors car had really being bugged as suspected, a video bug placed at the front of the car showed all the visitors’ actions.

“Yes, what do you expect?” Ajeet asked, adjusting his jacket as he looked out through the window. “Those guys are one of the most notorious drug lords in the world, you don’t expect them to act like kids in the game.”

There was a brief silence again as Akhil continued to stare intently at the screen of the device. “Asides the first question, they’ve not said anything else to themselves,” Akhil added.

Ajeet turned his eyes into the car and took a look at the device in Akhil’s hand. He stared for a brief moment to confirm what his friend just said.

“Do you think they could be discussing with the tablet they’re exchanging?” Akhil added as they saw their two visitors bend towards each other to look into a device.

“I think they’re just viewing something,” Ajeet said.

“No, I think they’re up to something,” Akhil put in defensively.

“You think?”

“Yes, or what else could be the reason for their quietness?”

“They dare not try anything stupid,” Ajeet said in a threatening tone. “They should remember we are their hosts.”

“These guys have a very large network of men and partners, even in our country, they won’t be scared of anything.”

“It’s our country, we have a whole lot of men than they could ever have here and we also have the government’s support.” Ajeet retorted.

“Let’s…” Akhil’s phone rang as he was about to reply. He took it out and glanced at his screen, “They’re calling again.”

“Let’s hear what they have to say,” Ajeet urged.

“Hello,” Akhil said into the phone as he answered the call. He listened for a brief moment and then a frown appeared on his face, he exchanged a knowing look with Ajeet.

***

“Hello friend, please we just have to stop by at the hotel first. I need to get something from the room.” Don Pedro said into the phone.

There was a brief silence, then the voice answered in low tones. “What would you like to take? We could send one of your men to do that for you.”

“It’s a medicine, I have to go myself. It seems my system is reacting to something we ate,” Don Pedro replied.

There was another silence, longer than the first. “Okay, we’ll stop by and wait for thirty minutes.”

“Thank you,” Don Pedro said and hung up. He kept his phone into the pocket and began to type in something on the device again.

“They’re feeling very uncomfortable with the idea, they might have began to suspect us.” Lord Frederick Don Pedro’s message on his own device. They had stopped passing the tablet and resorted to chat as they envisaged that the action could arouse suspicion.

“They’re not dummies of course, they will suspect.” Lord Frederick replied the chat.

“Yes, but we just have to do what is necessary. We should just apply carefulness.” Don Pedro replied back.

*****

“I knew they were up to something,” Akhil said, cursing under his breath. Ajeet remained quiet and kept staring into the screen of the device in his friend’s hand. “How come they didn’t mention anything about the uneasy feeling to themselves?” Akhil added.

“Damn! I feel like I’m gonna poo in this car…” A voice finally sounded from the device in Akhil’s hand. Don Pedro was grabbing his belly and closing his eyes in pain.

“Be patient my friend, we’ll get to the hotel soon.” Lord Frederick was heard replying his friend.

“I hope it’s not far from here, else I’ll have no choice.” Don Pedro said again.

“… I’m still not convinced,” Akhil slammed his fists on the head rest of the driver’s seat.

“Be calm man,” Ajeet said and stared blankly outside.

 “Turn to the direction of the hotel and drive faster,” he turned his head back into the car and said to the driver.

They got to the hotel in less than twenty minutes and Don Pedro was allowed to rush into his room while Lord Frederick walked leisurely to his. Ajeet and Akhil waited outside for their visitors.

Don Pedro rushed to the drawer in the room and opened it, he took out a two pills from a bottle and threw them into his mouth, squeezing his face bitterly as he chewed.

Then he took off his shoes and laid in the bed like a man who needed rest, resting his head carefully on the pillow. Of course he needed rest from his sexual acts the last night but this was just an act to prove that he was really feeling uneasy. His eyes began to carefully search for something at the ceiling of the room. Then he located it, the camera. He took his eyes off immediately and glanced at other places. After a total of ten minutes rest he got out of bed and straightened up his cloth. Then he dialed a number on his phone.

“I’m ready, let’s go.”

_____

An hour later, they were in the soil laboratory. Lord Frederick and Don Pedro had their lab coats on as they carried out the soil tests while their hosts were somewhere at the door, watching them.

“The soil is suitable for nursery,” Don Pedro whispered to his friend.

“Yes, exactly what the texture suggests.” Lord Frederick replied in whispers.

“I have an idea,” Don Pedro said and turned back, taking his hand gloves from his hands. A lab attendant moved closer with a neat bowl, the men dropped their hand gloves into it.

“What’s your idea?” Lord Frederick asked as they took off the lab coats.

“What does the time say?” Don Pedro asked in reply. Frederick stared at a wall clock before them, it was a minute past the thirteenth hour.

“Hmm…” Lord Frederick hummed thoughtfully, understanding his friend’s message. “Same thing with the Romans?”

“Yes,” Don Pedro replied and they approached their hosts. “We’re done, let’s proceed to the next stage.” He said.

The hosts led the way outside and they climbed down the stairs. They led their visitors into another room for a meeting.

“Who did you say carried out the test previously?” Don Pedro asked as soon as they were seated.

Akhil and Ajeet exchanged a look, wondering why the question was asked.

“A soil scientist,” Akhil replied. He and his friend had previous knowledge about the soil suitability for nursery but in a bid to deceive their partners had taken them to a part of the plantation whose land had been poisoned for the purpose. Their main purpose was to deceive the visitors into giving them the seeds for a little amount of money with the mindset that they were going to remain in partnership. They knew the money would be way higher if the visitors find out that the plan was a one time deal.

“Well, we purified the sample we got and took out the irrelevant elements. If the whole land is treated, then it can be used for the nursery.” Don Pedro said.

“Oh!” Ajeet and Akhil feigned surprise. “That means we can raise the seedings here too?”

“Yes,” Don Pedro affirmed.

“We never knew that,” Akhil put in.

“Our plan was different,” Lord Frederick joined. “But since we can see that you guys are ready, we’d bring in the seeds for two billion dollars.”

“What…da…f!” Akhil exclaimed, his eyes turned angry immediately. Ajeet also shot a furious look at them but remained in silence.

That was the visitors’ decision, it was the plot they had used for their Roman business and they intended to use it with the Asians too. It was about raising the price to an unaffordable level and then, leaving the partners without a choice than to obey some of their own conditions that’ll be more favorable to them.

“We’ll pay,” Ajeet said, Akhil shot a quick look at him.