Mrs. Wrong Last Name

Chapter Twenty-nine

The big meeting started the next day as planned and right on schedule. All of the main players began to file in one after another. Mr. Wrong Last Name arrived with several of his hired Romanians, his two assigned DEA agents Ole Miss #1 and Ole Miss #2, and his new pick for cartel #2. The General was already there with his secretary as well as several army guards, but they were waiting down the hall. Federale was there with the head of his agency as well as a couple Senator's aides from the Appropriations committee, and he took a moment to wonder if she had any idea about Mr. Wrong Last Name's new #2. Once Mr. Wrong Last Name and crew were inside they all started filing around the table and searching for their assigned places.

There were folded up placards with names indicating where people should sit and so far three were missing. Peron, Vandy and Castillo. Oddly enough there was no placard set for El Jefe.

Mr. Wrong Last Name wondered about that for a few minutes and also wondered when Peron, Vandy and Castillo would come in. He was not super anxious to meet with two of them.

Castillo had on many occasions over the years made it known that he loathed Mr. Wrong Last Name. And as far that goes the feeling was certainly mutual. By Mr. Wrong Last Name's estimation Castillo brought little to the table aside from his longstanding friendship with El Jefe. That friendship had afforded him a great deal of leeway and many did not like it. Since Castillo was the head of the enforcers his job had simply been to cause pain and spread fear when needed, and sometimes he chose to do so when it wasn't. He always seemed to toe the line between favor and anger with El Jefe and Mr. Wrong Last Name felt that Castillo should have been dealt with a very long time ago. And yet he remained a thorn in Mr. Wrong Last Name's side. Castillo was not educated, was not business savvy, and was incapable of niceties in negotiations. He was insane, and with a mean bent. He was a dinosaur in an industry that was evolving quickly. And now this recent kidnapping situation... Mr. Wrong Last Name would have to deal with him and quickly once the transfer was over and he was really going to bring some specialists in who would enjoy inflicting a certain amount of pain during the termination.

As for Vandy, he pretty well stayed out of the way and kept in plain sight doing his family's bidding unless there was a major issue with shipping in and out of somewhere. That was his specialty- his family had a lot of ships. More like tankers. He and Castillo and El Jefe went back to the military and had a solid foundation. Vandy didn't have Castillo's penchant for violence and he did have breeding and education. As far as Mr. Wrong Last Name was concerned. Vandy could be an asset if he could be contained, but he seemed to be selfish and showy. Mr. Wrong Last Name didn't like him either and just felt there was something there. He wanted to get rid of him as soon as it made sense to do so.

And Peron? Who knew. He appeared on the scene slowly and surely. Mr. Wrong Last Name had tried and tried to remember the first time he heard about him but to no avail. He was definitely an enforcer and was super feared in South America. Intel was solid that he was a Mexican though no one could connect him to any particular cartel for some time. But at some point he approached El Jefe through a messenger service and asked to join up. It all seemed pretty iffy and El Jefe didn't go for it.

Then after the Bolivia fiasco, the DEA was thrown out and Mr. Wrong Last Name too. Peron sent word that he was in Bolivia and was working from the inside. Turns out he was more than an enforcer, he had diplomatic skills. He also started sending in his 15% of profits to El Jefe, even though El Jefe hadn't affiliated with him yet. A man who paid his share, could rub shoulders with presidents and diplomats, and who could reign terror when needed. He was brought in and quickly rose to the #3 position. The one which never moves.

Mr. Wrong Last Name was nervous about the takeover and being the new face and name of the cartel, and even though the DEA assured him they had his back so many things could go wrong. He had sat down and worked on it several different ways and decided there was no option but to take it. Having said that this was after all the CIA's show, so who knew in the end how it would go. Mr. Wrong Last Name worried that his biggest draw was a connection with the DEA that was tenuous at best, and really depended on the illusive Peron holding Bolivia.