No Rules, Ridge King [the snowy day read aloud TXT] 📗

Jack laughed.

“That’s right. She wants Carlos there in Little Havana where she can stuff him full of rice and beans and plantains.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jack sat at a small table overlooking his patio, pool and three boats moored just outside. He nodded toward a seat on the other side. Gargrave sat down.

“So we’ll have to hold off on the money.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How much have we got stowed away in the bunker?”

“Maybe three-quarters of it.”

“Handling bulk cash is as very labor-intensive business.”

“Especially when your island is surrounded by Secret Service agents.”

“Yes. That’ll get worse when dad comes down.”

“They double or triple the detail when he’s in residence. I’d have held off bringing in more money till after he went back to Washington anyway.”

“Everything cool with Camilo?”

“Yes, sir. He and his crew were very pleased with the generous bonus you gave them.”

Jack knew Camilo’s people could be counted on to be discreet. The Keys for generations were known as a hub of illicit activity. If you wanted to get something into the U.S. without anyone knowing about it, the Keys made a good place to do it. Jack had used Camilo and his people for years with never a single problem with leaks or security. They were the best.

“They’ll have a very merry Christmas then, all of them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I got you a little something for Christmas, Gargrave.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You want it now?”

“If you like, sir.”

“Bring your coffee. Hell, it’s almost Christmas anyway.”

Jack got up and Gargrave followed him down the hall, past the kitchen, past his study, past his bedroom and into a separate wing on the far side of the house where Jack kept his Gun Room. You could take a man out of the SEALs, but you couldn’t take away his fascination with guns.

Jack went to a corner and pulled up a box wrapped in smiling Santa faces.

“For you, Gargrave.”

Gargrave put down his coffee and ripped open the present. Once he saw the package, he smiled broadly.

“For the man who has everything,” said Jack. “I knew what you needed was a new RPG launcher.”

Jack watched as Gargrave opened the rocket propelled grenade launcher.

“Thank you, sir.”

“I even got you two dozen more RPG-7s. You used the last ones when we were in the Everglades shooting that day.”

“That’s when the old launcher malfunctioned.”

“Toss it. You got a new one.”

“You’re very kind, sir.”

* * *

Jonathon Vaughan went into the bathroom in his suite in the Waldorf Towers and admired the lithe body and firm muscles of his boyfriend Rolando as he stepped out of a steaming shower.

“You know, I’m really happy that you got to meet Patricia,” he said as he ran the hot water getting ready to shave.

“I am, too,” said Rolando, toweling off.

“She’s really quite sweet. She put up with me until I came out.”

Rolando laughed and leaned over to kiss him.

“And now I have to put up with you full time.”

“Anything going on at the U.N. this week?”

“Not really. Things are quiet because the ambassador went back to El Salvador last week to spend the holidays. Why?”

“I was talking to my mother yesterday, and she told me she was going down to stay at Flagler Hall with Patricia in a few days. Jack Houston St. Clair invited them.”

“You thinking of going?”

“I’ve been dealing with some troubles at one of our Nevada mines and I thought it might be good to discuss it in a casual setting. He’s been too busy with the fucking election to even think about anything else. And I might have a buyer. Maybe just unload the whole thing.”

Rolando had finished drying himself and now stood naked before him.

“You’re taking me with you, right?”

Jonathan looked at Rolando.

“Clear it with your first officer and we’ll head down as soon as you’re free.”

“We’ll stay at Flagler Hall?”

“Oh, sure. It’s better than the best hotel in town. I’ll get some quality time with Sam and resolve our issues.”

Rolando came up behind Jonathan and nuzzled his neck.

“And we can spend a little quality time, too.”

Jonathan touched his shaving brush to Rolando’s nose, covering it with shaving soap.

“Well, that, too,” he smiled.

* * *

As Slanetti left the Cabinet Room to walk back to his office, he went over in his head all that had happened with the Keystone File the last few days.

He’d had Norwalk meet with Rebecca Isdel of Indiana one final time, and during the meeting that he sat in on, he became convinced she’d hold the state for the Republicans.   Norwalk sealed her up with a promise to have the new Administration push the leadership in Congress to place her on more important committees. And St. Clair would have to pledge to join international efforts to save the blue fin tuna in the Atlantic. Slanetti didn’t see much connection between the blue fin tuna in the Atlantic and the state of Indiana, but there it was.

Kornilevski succeeded in getting Corley Searles, a three term Republican form Omaha, to come over.  Although Searles was one of two Republicans from the delegation, he was against St. Clair, which made the state line up for the opposition, until Kornilevski told him that the Administration knew about the large sum of money he took from an aircraft firm to push the Defense Department to accept parts that were not up to minimum standards.  The Defense Department, however, didn’t know about payments to Searles and Keystone contained the magic information. That, along with a lengthy list of corrupt campaign financing details, brought Searles over, giving them twenty-two states.  Perryman was the only one who could get through the shield Mayor Healy kept around most of his congressmen, especially the