Big Diamond, a short story by Pablito. Date added: 2012-02-05. Times viewed: 1950.
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- Intro: Two homeless drunks get the opportunity of a life time to make it big. They get into the spy business.
“Where shall we hide the body”, Frank whispered nervously.
“We ‘aint gonna hide it, we gonna dump it, right in that dumpster over there”, Sam said with serious intent.
In the darkness of night, they drag the hefty man by the arms. The absence of other people around behind the parking lot of an old building, the only sound was the dragging of the man to a dumpster as Frank pause momentary to take a deep breath.
“This guy ‘aint no feather, we got to lift him about five feet just to get him over and inside of the dumpster”.
“You worry too much, let me do the thinking”, as Sam maintained his composure of the matter.
The dead man they were struggling with was big indeed, some two hundred and eighty pounds. It was 3 am in the morning, and finally Frank and Sam completed their dirty work. They were just doing what they were told to. Sam and Frank was a couple of street bums that hanged out near the casinos on the main strip. They were homeless drunks that did anything for money. In this area, it was not strange to have people seen dead, gun shots echoing, and periodic violence that was so apparent in or around the casinos. This was the roughest part of town. Business owners, gangsters or anybody could have convinced Sam and Frank for a mere pittance to do their dirty deeds as long as they were capable of doing it. They collected their $100 for the job and that was it, no questions asked.
“You thirsty Sam?”, Frank asked, as they sat on the side of the road taking a moment out of it all.
“You know I am, after all that work”, Sam feverishly looked at Frank.
“Let’s get a six pack”.
“Frank, we deserve some thing stronger for this one, Bourbon or Hennessey or Jack, Jack Daniels”.
“Jack Daniels, oh yes, he’s an old friend of mine”, Sam displayed a wide smile.
It was now six in the morning and dawn was up and rising. Liquor stores were open all night, so it was not a problem for Frank and Sam to acquire their favorite poison. Disheveled and grimier from their last task they just did, they got up from sitting down on the side of the road, shook off their stiffness to face the cold wind that was blowing as they slowly started to walk to a nearby store when they heard a voice.
“Hey you two, come over here, I want to talk to you”.
Sam and Frank looked around to see where the sound was coming from but they could see no one around in their path. On the pavement they walked was the road on the right and on the left was a hedge with trees behind it. They continue to hear a distant voice calling them but it was still somewhat dark to see clearly.
Sam and Frank wondered suspiciously as they looked at each other in slight confusion. Someone was hiding in the dark area among a few trees or shrubs and didn’t want to be seen. But one thing they knew, the voice sounded female.
“This can be a trap Sam”, Frank spoke with a low tone.
“It’s only a woman, she’s gonna have to take both of us on then, let’s check it out.”
The woman whispered, “I know you guys and I know what you do. Don’t be alarmed, I want your help”.
“What do you want from us”, Sam asked, as he tried to make out her face talking behind a wide tree in the shadows.
“This is a strange request, but I want you guys to kick my ass”.
“What”, Frank said, “You want what…??”, Frank whispered loudly
“I want you to beat me up, I will pay you a thousand dollars to do it”.
“Why you want us to do that?” Sam asked curiously.
“Look, you want a thousand dollars or what, no questions asked”
“Where we gonna do it?”, Frank inquired.
“In my hotel room, let’s go and I’ll take you to it”.
The woman came out from behind the shadows. She wore a leather outfit that was black and tight to her skin. It showed her well proportioned body as both Sam and Frank looked at each other then looked at her. The conversation continued.
“But people will hear the noise”, Frank said with concern.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered, I’ll play the TV loud, the room is pretty much sound proof”, She responded.
“Ok, let’s do it”, Sam said with a smile, “One thousand you said…cash, to beat you up!?”
The woman was in her late twenty’s as they looked at her in awe. Sam and Frank thought that after this they would get some new cloths and get a hotel for a few days. They had been buddies for almost a year and did things most others wouldn’t have think of doing. But to them, it’s all about survival. This was a fast pace town for both of them. Sam was from a little town in Arkansas and even though Frank came from Chicago in a fairly busy metropolitan city, it was not the type of fast pace he was used to. They both learned to keep their mouths shut and just do the job that was requested.
The woman pulled up in a big white sedan as they got into the car and drove off. Finally they arrived at a very exquisite hotel, took the elevator and entered an elaborate suite. It looked expensive and had a Jacuzzi in the other room. There was a liquor cabinet with assortments of alcohol. Sam could see Frank salivating as he stared at the cabinet. He shoved Frank’s back to bring him back to reality. Frank then wondered as he looked at her, it’s such a shame to beat her up, she is so pretty and ooh..desirable! The lady gave them both some work gloves to get started.
“That should do the trick”, she said with a serious demeanor. “Shall we start?!”
Frank was a bit nervous and told Sam to go first.
“I never hit a lady before you know”, Sam said.
The lady looked at them as if they were wasting her time.
“Believe me I am no lady, so let’s begin ass-holes, a right hook to the jaw would be nice for a start”.
Sam positioned himself in a boxing stance. Making a few jabs in the air to loosen up.
“Come on she said, you act like two bitches, are you fucking men or mice?!”.
Sam took that personal, and suddenly, “bam” she was hit across the mouth; her lips started bleeding.
“Sorry Ma’am!” Sam apologized.
“Are you gay or what, hit me like a man”, she yelled, “You guys are a bunch of pussies”
Frank pushed Sam away, and slugged her one in the eye. “Bam!!” The lady went back about six feet.
“Don’t you call my friend a homosexual, we ain’t had pussy in a long time but that don’t make us gay”.
Frank looked at her with a fighter dog appearance. She then gave Frank the middle finger, as she got up.
“You call that a hit you gay whore, my grandmother could do better!”
Frank went two steps forward to her, with rapid hits one her; one again across her jaw, upper cut brought her up for a second and then a final blow to her right eye. She was kneeling down as she wiped the blood from her face and then spitted a clump of blood out on the floor.
“That’s what I am talking about, man”, she said.
Frank was about to step forward and deliver more hits again to her as she got up slightly but then she fell down back in a sitting position, unable to stand.
Sam held Frank by the arm, “I think that’s enough Frank, good job”
“Am I bleeding good”, she asked. Frank and Sam looked at each other and said, “Yes!”
She staggers to stand up straight but points that the money was in the envelope under the lampshade near the door. Sam took it and counted all of it, it was in hundreds. They then left.
o-0-o
The next morning Sam and Frank had bought some new cloths and rented a motel. They drank, had women who offered services to them, they had their other friends joined them that shared their good fortune and eventually after a few days on the binge, they were back on the street.
They still had some money left as they decided to enter a casino with their clean look and cloths, a complete contrast to what they had looked like some time ago. Even the door man didn’t recognize them. Having a couple of hundred dollars in their pockets was a lot of money for them. Frank wanted to just play the slots but Sam was more courageous and wanted to be at the roulette table. He said, “Frank, I feel lucky tonight!”
Sam joined the table with about 5 men and two women, all of them looked like accomplished gamblers.
“Minimum is fifty dollars”, the man said.
Then Frank commented, “Fifty dollars..That’s too rich for us, let’s go Sam.”
“I feel lucky tonight, really”, Sam responded.
Sam places his fifty dollars worth of chips on the table to number 11. The wheel was spun. The lady next to him began to stare in his direction then she spoke.
“You know roulette was introduced by the French around the 18th. Century, they called it the little wheel and..”
“Thanks for the history, lady”, Sam looked at her and smiled.
Then the man running the table said, “Its number 43”. Frank and Sam looked at each other in disgust.
“One more fifty Frank, that’s it, one more time”, Sam said.
Frank nodded in approval. Sam places the bet on number 55. The little ball rolled around, paused at 13, then bounced to 45, then again skipped to 53, Sam was getting anxious, then landed on 61.
“Hell!”, Sam yelled as everyone got startled by his exclamation.
Then Frank whispered at Sam, “Look over there, it’s that lady!” Sam looked some twenty feet away to another table; it was the lady they had beaten up some ten days ago. She had a bandage across her left eye, and a neck support.
“She doesn’t look too bad”, Sam said as he got up from the seat to let another person in to play the roulette game.
“What if she sees us, is that a problem?”, Frank said.
“Don’t be stupid, it was just business.”
“You’re right Sam, but let’s not be too obvious”.
“Right!”
Sam and Frank decided to leave the casino. They glance at the lady wearing a black satin dress. Apart from all the neck brace and medical eye patch, she looked stunning. Sam couldn’t help but to look at her again.
As they walked out heading for the door, there was a sudden burst of gunfire coming from another room. Then another man shouts in the room they were in, “Everybody down!” Sam and Frank immediately hit the floor as there was still some continuous gunfire. Some of the people didn’t stay down but ran towards the door. They could hear an explosion coming from the other room.
“This must be a casino heist”, Frank said, lying next to Sam.
“Well, I don’t want to find out, ready to make a run for it?!!”
With a nod they both got up and ran to the door. They ran out the door at full speed when they saw a taxi that was just about to pull off from the parking lot. Sam yelled to stop the taxi. The taxi paused a bit and slowly moved off again. Then Frank managed to get in front of the taxi, yelling, hitting the hood.
“We need to get out of here man, give us a ride out now.”
Then they both rushed in the taxi. There was another occupant at the back seat of the taxi.
“Look Sam”, Frank said, “It’s her.”
They both got in. It was the lady in black, the one with the neck brace and the medical eye patch.
“Goodnight ma’am”, Sam said.
“This is not a good night at all”, She replied.
“Small world, so we meet again”, Frank smiled.
Sam then interjected, “Was that a robbery that just took place?”
The lady looked at him and smirked at the Sam’s question, “I wish that was so, they wanted to kill me.”
“Whatever for?”, Frank said with a curious expression.
“I stole their diamonds and they want it back. They just killed my bodyguard who was protecting me”
Then the lady said, “I think I can use your help, can you be service to me again.” Sam glanced at Frank and then nodded his head.
“Why don’t you get professional help”, Frank said to her.
“I can’t, a lot of people know me, you two are the only ones that don’t care what I do for a living and you two are the only options I have now.”
“I have one more question”, as Sam looked with focused eyes, “Why did you have us beat you up?”
“To make it look real, to make it look like someone beat me up and stole the diamonds from me or they would have killed me; that was the only alibi I had. I am dealing with the Russian Mafia.”
“Russians, huh, you speak Russian?” Frank inquired.
“Just enough, my ex husband did, before he was killed by them, it’s a long story, let me get you a hotel and we’ll talk in the morning.”
I have one other question”, Frank said, “Since we will be doing business together my name is Frank Walsh and this is my good buddy Sam Schulz, and you are?”
“I am Suzanna Bourgeois, you can call me Sue.”
Finally Suzanna got them a modest hotel; it was in the downtown area.
Sam and Frank wanted to sleep as late as they could in the hotel room; after all it was three am when they checked in. With only a few hours sleep, it was seven when the phone ranged and ranged and both was too tired to answer it. Twenty minutes later there was the door bell then a knock on the door.
“Are you going to get that”, Sam said with his face down on the pillow.
Nope, you are”, Frank said. The door bell rang again and then a series of knocks.
“Hell who could that be at this time?” Frank struggled to get up and then opened the door.
It was Suzanna; she was dressed this time in blue jeans with a white blouse turtle neck shirt. She looked like she was going to a rodeo. The only thing she didn’t have was the neck brace. She immediately walked in from the door to the middle of the room.
“No time to get your beauty sleep boys, we have work to do.”
Sam still partially asleep came in the room to join them, “So good morning, what fine plan do you have for us today?”
They sat down at a little table and discussed her situation. She told them that her ex husband was a spy for the Russians and his job was the negotiator with the enemy and stole diamonds from their competitors. The Russians, though some were Croatians used the converted money to finance their wars. Joe, her ex got a little too greedy and took one diamond too many.
“It was a special diamond for me, for us, they killed him for it, and I want it back. It’s worth hundreds of millions on the open market”
Suzanna indicated, it’s not only that diamond she wants, but she’s doing it for Joe. The Russians wanted to kill her too since she and Joe did go together and stole a few other diamonds from them. By Frank and Sam beating her up, she was able to convince a few of their men her story, but the big boss still wants her..dead or taken alive. She concluded, “I have the diamonds they want and they have a big diamond I want.”
“So I imagine that we will be paid handsomely for our services”, Sam inquired.
“You will get 10 percent, that’s one million dollars..each!”
Frank tried to act calm upon hearing that figure. “That sounds fair”
“Your lives are at stake but the payoff is great, are you in”.
Frank pondered a bit as he looked at Sam, “What do you think?”
Sam then glanced back at Jack in a most quaint way, “Well we could live long and still live a bum’s life or we can do something crazy like this and who knows, we may just like it, we can at least give it a shot”. Then they looked at Suzanna, “We’re in.”
o-0-o
The first thing Frank and Sam had to do was to be the body guards of Suzanna. This meant they had to portray a stronger demeanor they had. Suzanna was trained well by her ex husband Joe on how to act and deal with individuals that are of a different culture such as the Russians as well as of a different caliber as in a mafia regiment that require more of an assertive attitude, but aggressive when needed and professional as always. She had to train them extensively before even exposing them to her underground associates. After some basic ongoing training, Sam and Frank’s became transformed as assassins. Carrying a gun and killing was only part of the job. This was not easy for them to attune mentally even though they lived a street life. They also had to know how to use explosive, climb with agility, swim for long periods and run far distances. It was like booth camp for these men who were in their mid thirties. Suzanna was prepared to finance the mission with the hope and confidence that it will pay off. After three solid months of training and briefing they were ready.
“Did you remember the casino where we last met in the taxi cab?”, Suzanna asked them.
“Of course we remembered that, what about it?”, Frank inquired.
“I have to pay them a final visit to tell them I am operational again.” She said with a big smile.
“You, Sam will take this briefcase tonight in there. Make sure some of your toys you leave are in the right spots”
“Toys?”, he asked.
“Yes, there are explosives and a little map where to put them, the rest you should know”
It was about 10 pm when they drop off Sam. Sam dressed in a suit and carried an attaché briefcase. He looked totally regal, nothing like he did four months ago. Sam went up to the elevator of the building and disappeared out of sight. Moments later he was out and called Suzanna.
“Sue, where you’re at?” he asked.
“We’re having dinner at La Coix Restaurant”, She said.
“Well I am in a taxi and heading to the hotel, but in five minutes it would be nice if you can come out on to the street, there will be some fireworks”.
Both Frank and Suzanna came out and they were expecting what Sam said. Immediately, not a minute later, the explosion went off, and the fireworks began, some one hundred yards away from where Frank and Suzanna were. A series of explosions was heard in multiple areas along the building. The Riptide Hotel was in flames. The next day they drove by and saw the police and fire services were still there. It looked as if the entire building was cut in half with a big knife with the sides completely toasted.
“Good work Sam, I couldn’t have done it better”, Suzanna exclaimed in jubilance.
“I suppose it’s my turn now”, Frank said.
“But of course, we don’t want to leave you out”, Sam smiled with a cunning look.
Frank assignment was a very important one. His job was to be converted to a Russian and find out where the big diamond was. Part of Frank’ training was to learn enough Russian for this assignment. They were on their way to West Africa. Their destination was Sierra Leone. Most of the diamond mining was centered in Koidu-Sefadu in the Kono District in eastern Sierra Leone, near the border of Guinea and Liberia. Frank’s job was to get into the mining plant of Ostrov Mining. The trip was planned and in three days they were in Africa. The Russian mafia boss was Alexi Harkov. Suzanna job was the part of a make-up artist and she would transform Frank into Alexi Harkov. Alexi Harkov unknowingly to all of this was in Russia and took limited interest in his Ostrov Mining plant as his time and effort was concentrated to his other exploits. Frank’s assignment was also to know every corner of the mining plant and the area where the big diamond was kept. She knew with that size of diamond, they should have almost finished refining it before Harkov could put his hands on it. But time was running out. It was only about six months ago her ex had sacrificed his life for the diamond as the mental scars and memory of him still lives within Suzanna.
The three of them arrive in Sierra Leone. The plan was in action. Susanna had photos and data of the plant with Frank, the key element of it; they were all re-briefed as the mission was set to go.
Sam was the chauffeur that drove Frank to the Ostrov Mining plant. It was in a fairly distant area from the capital. An uncharted dirt road led to Ostrov Mining site. Both men had to speak Russian and Frank more so. The car drove up to the vast complex that had high walls surrounding the complex, with about five large buildings all connected to each other along corridors. There were two towers; east and west, posted were sentries.
Sam drove up the vehicle and entered the gated areas and was approached by one of the guards. The man spoke in Russian as Sam with his limited Russian explained that he had Alexi Harkov in the rear seat of the car. The guard called on a phone to another man who came out in a military jeep. The man dressed in a Russian high ranking military garb walked towards the car, escorted by two other guards as he looked into the window to identify Alexi Harkov. Sam then spoke through his car window.
“Hello, Mister Alexi Harkov is present, I am to escort him in,” Sam said. Sam presented the documents. The man seems to recognize Frank as Harkov and nodded to the guards to open the gates. The limousine was escorted by the sergeant and his jeep to the other end of the complex. Frank stepped out of the vehicle escorted by the sergeant. The man Frank is to meet, the one in charge was Vlad Putin. Escorted to Putin’s office in one of the buildings, introduced to Putin, both shook hands while Sam left with the sergeant to another area. Vlad Putin was not dressed in a military uniform but with a well designed suit and tie. With his attire it looked as if he was expecting Harkov. Despite how he dressed, Putin was a big man and seemed to have worked in the fields. Vlad Putin had seen Harkov many years ago when they were much younger, as young boys. It was to Frank advantage that Vlad did not meet him recently.
“I remember when we used to work these diamond mines”, Vlad spoke, “I never met you personally but I was glad when you formed your army and took over the mines. I was happy you included some of us to work for you and made me the main man here.”
“Yes Vlad, I never knew you but I heard good things about you, having to trust someone doesn’t come easy in my business”, as Frank spoke he put his hand on Vlad shoulder in approval.
o-0-o
Vlad took him on a brief tour of the building complex where he saw the movement of periodic trucks coming in with field workers, bringing in the production of gems, especially diamonds. The truck would go into a hanger like building and all doors were closed behind it. Frank observed that four guards at each end of the truck were positioned as worker took small crates out of the truck and put them into a small trailer while a senior officer looks on. The trailer was towed by a jeep further inside the building to a small docking area where gem engineers would inspect each crate which was further processed into a quality control environment. Some of the items that were accepted were put in smaller trays as two other guards with construction helmets observed the engineers. The product was then placed on a conveyor belt that took it into another chamber-room but separated by a wall. The wall had a large glass framed windows where one can observe another set of individuals that cut and designed the gems. Machines were heard as the processed gem design took place. Some of the engineers would select the type of prints to design a cut based on the shape and angle of each gem. The cut gems were then place in a series of individual boxes packed into a rugged briefcase. After enough diamonds were packed into the briefcase, a document worker was called and paper work was given to him and his job was to secure the briefcase with a handcuff to it, escorted out by two other set of guards. These guards escorted him to the other end of another building, a ten minute walk. The building had a large vault where another set of guards would open the vault, paperwork was taken from the document worker and the gems were taken out of the brief case, rechecked based on the paperwork. And the guards and the document worker who were monitored on camera, place the gems in a honeycomb arrangement with tags to each chamber in the vault.
“Have you had any problems with thief”, Frank asked Vlad.
“We did about four months ago, the individuals were dealt accordingly”.
“Accordingly?”
“Yes, we killed them!”
Then Vlad took him into a very elaborate room. It had two guards posted outside and another two inside. There were expensive paintings and sculptures in the room; a huge rug that look Persian with the logo of Harkov Industries, the Blinds were golden brown as of silk from India, some of the furniture seems as if they were made of animal fur of expert design that was also very rare and expensive, and laying in the southern part of the room was his large mahogany desk that had a frame of ivory on the edges while short circuit tv’s were on the side wall for monitoring the different areas within the factory.
“This is you executive suite sir”, Vlad replied.
“Yes, I remember this. It was some time ago. You upgrade it?”
“No sir, we just added your small vault.”
“A small valult?”
“Yes, you had indicated you wanted to put your rock in it as you had said.”
“My rock?”
“Don’t you remember, your big diamond?”
“Oh yes, my special rock, the one that’s not for sale, my own big diamond. I would like to see it.”
Vlad then snapped his fingers to the guards to close the door. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. “It shall be a few minutes”, Vald said. About five minutes later the same document worker came with an electic three wheeled bike that he rode into the building and up to the door. The man approached Vlad and then proceeded to open the small vault of which only one man can go inside. Frank decided to get closer to the man who was dialing on a keypad. Frank adjusted his tie to pay closer attention with a clearing of his throat. The door opened, and in the middle were rays of blue light shining on an object. It was the big diamond. It had much brilliance. Frank looked at it with curious delight. It sparkled and reflected light so much that its brilliance was seen far outside from the vault. But most importantly, it was huge! Frank agreed in thought that Sue was right, it was the gargantuan of all diamonds. It was almost the size of a gulf ball. Franks job was the recover it.
Frank tried not to be excited. He looked at it in awe as Vlad and the guards watched. The man that opened the vault then asked if that was all as he then proceeded to close and lock the vault. He finally left as Frank contemplated.
“Your bedroom Mister Harkov is on the far end behind the curtains, shall I escort you to it?”, Vlad asked.
“No thank you Vlad, I should remember where it was”
“Very good, If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me.”
“Thank you Vlad”
Vlad left and Frank went into his bedroom. It was a large room with the same exquisite furnishing that was expected. There was however a huge wide screen tv. Frank turned on the TV, only to hear African stations and no subtitles. Nevertheless Frank left it on to call Sam on his cell phone so no one could hear his conversation.
“Sam, I saw it”, Frank said to him.
“You saw it, did you get a good video of it when you adjusted your tie?”
“Yes of course, it’s a wide angle video anyway; our lady boss should have it by now.”
“Which building are you at Sam?”
“I am in the officers’ quarters, I have my own room but this Russian language is killing me. Ever so often I have to nod my head.”
“Don’t worry our stay is a very short here!”
“I’m working on some demolition plans I have concealed in the car, nobody suspected me so I’ll be busy for a few hours”
“No problem Sam, just be careful, I’ll be busy at my end too, I’ll call you later”
“Ok, I have to go now, we’ll talk later, someone is coming.”
Frank peeked out of his bedroom blinds that separated his bedroom area to the large office and saw at the distance the two guards at the door. He step back and proceeded to unpack his luggage with all the necessary things he needed: small cross bow with poison darts, a German luger with a silencer, a series of smoke bombs and 5 grenades. Looking deeper, he had one shirt, two pants and a pair of shiny black shoes for dining, he pondered, I’m never gonna use these.
Suddenly he heard the vibration ring on his cell phone, a call was coming through. It was Suzanna Bourgeois.
“It’s me Sue, I have the code for the combination. You shifted a bit on the video; I suppose the camera was loose on your tie clip.”
“Oh great, what’s the code?”
“On the keypad hit the pound sign twice, then 1-1-7, then the pound sign again 6-4-3-3-9. You know you have to silence the guards!”
“Yes, I am taking out the equipment for that. I am waiting for the changing of the guards. It shouldn’t be long!”
“Ok, it’s all up to you now at this point, good luck”
o-0-o
Frank waited until 4 am when he heard the changing of the guards. He took out the little cross bow and shot one guard. The guard held his neck and fell immediately. As he reloaded instantaneously the other guard reacted when he saw his fellow guard fell. Another arrow had shot the last guard as he fell.
Frank proceeded to the vault and did the combination that Sue gave him. “Click” and Frank opened it and place the huge diamond in an insulated black box. He closed the vault.
It was quiet at that point but as he walked a few steps further suddenly there was a break in silence. Frank heard a siren that went off. He nervously ran to the window, parted the blinds to see what was going on. It was at another building with smoke coming out from the windows. Then he got a ring on his cell phone. It was Sam calling.
“You hear that Frank, that was me doing damage to their communication room”
“Yeah Sam, I thought it was you, oh by the way, I got it Sam!”
“Great, you better get out of your building, in ten minutes yours will explode”
Frank ended the call. And with that, he strapped a military harnessed on him carrying only what he would need as he heard distant explosions to other buildings, and sirens going off. He could even hear from the closed door of his roomed chamber, that on the outside people were running in the hall way as panic seems to be setting in.
As Frank opened the door, the two guards that were posted outside were not there. There were other guards and military men running in one direction to the east wing of the building. Sam decided to go to the opposite way.
Running in the opposite direction one man shouts at him in Russian, “You’re going the wrong way, there is no accesses, that side is closed!” Frank ignored him. He was briefed on the layout and expected the people to be running in that direction. He came upon a room and blew the lock with his gun to open the door. The room had multiple generators. It was a very hot humid room. Despite the generators weren’t running, thanks to Sam who had interfered with the control systems except for the lights, Frank slipped through the back end of the large room chamber. Running some distance away some fifty feet, the room he came out had exploded in seconds. The building began a series of explosions as the sides of it fell.
Two guards saw Frank running from the building and decided to open fire on him. He ran and hid behind a vehicle as the guards came closer with open fire, bullets scattered everywhere around him. Frank disconnected a grenade threw it in their directions; the explosion rang in his ears as he runs further on for cover.
Meanwhile, he could hear Sam wrecking havoc to the buildings as it exploded one after the next like series of fireworks. There were gun shots firing. Frank assumes that someone had caught onto Sam’s doing. He watched from a distance and saw what look like Sam taking off in a military jeep. Shots sprayed the sides of the vehicle as Sam jumbled out of the jeep only to see it crashed into a gasoline truck. With that, the glow and explosion brighten the 4 am dark night as if it was the midday sun. A vibrating tone was heard in Frank’s pocket. It was Sue. “How are you doing so far?”
What, can’t really hear you Sue, speak up, we got some real shit going on right now!
“Oh” she replied “Then I assume you’re doing fine. Well just in case if you just happened to make it with my diamond, I am in a chopper, 12 miles west of you, at this point you should be close to the gates, are you?!!”
“Yes I can see the gates, despite all the smoke and crazy shit Sam is stirring up, he suppose to meet me near the gates in 7 minutes.”
“Ok, good luck…you’ll need it!”
Frank hid behind a building as he saw Russians and Africans running in separate direction and wondered how was he and Sam going to get near the gates when there are guards shooting from behind the gates. The plan was to launch enough grenades to destroy the gates and the firepower of the guards and surrounding areas. However it was virtually impossible to throw grenades at that distance accurately. Then Sam was expected to set up or steal a getaway vehicle preferably an armored one. The gates were about twelve feet tall rugged iron and the walls were a high twenty feet solid that encompassed the facility. It was built to keep and protect the individuals inside and keep out the undesirables. Three minutes past and Sam did not show up. Frank decided to make a run across the yard despite people going in different direction in frenzies. Some Russians were seen shooting at the Africans who apparently broke out of their compounds with an attempt to escape as well. He then made a run to see if he can get to the other side. In a quick sprint, suddenly he was attacked from behind. A man had jumped on top of him as Frank fell flat to the ground.
Then he heard a voice, “You could have given me an extra ten seconds and I would have been where you were.” It was Sam.
“We have a slight change of plan. We have to drive the car out.”
“What car”, Frank said.
“The one we came in with.”
Sam led the way to locate the car, hidden in building. With that Sam shot the door lock to get into the car, and rewired the ignition.
“I thought you had the keys to this thing?” Frank remarked.
“No they took it, you know, Russians don’t really trust anyone, including themselves!!”
“Yeah, I suppose so, I forgot for a second that we were in the spy business”.
While Frank waited in the car as the engine hummed, Sam then walks towards the gated area some fifteen feet from the car to a switch that opens electronically the gate inside the aero-plane hangar like building. Suddenly a guard from the outside has a gun to Sam’s head, speaking Russian. Sam spoke back nerviously to him with his hands help upwards. Frank sees this while in the car takes out the German lugar, cocks the gun and fires. The bullet hits the Russian in the middle of his head as he drops and Sam ducks away to run quickly in the direction of the car.
“Thanks Frank”, Sam said, “That was a close one”
Sam revved up the black limo as he maintained his composure. Frank buckled up as Sam accelerated towards the gate.
“Are you going to crash into the gate”, Frank exclaimed.
“Of course not, you don’t think I’m that stupid, that only happens in the movies.”
Sam takes out a little box the size of a cigarette pack and gives it to Frank. It had three little lights on it, a red, yellow and orange.
“You see this box Frank, looks like a little traffic signal, huh”, said Sam.
“Yeah so what about it?”, was Franks response.
“These lights are a reverse concept to what you are used to. Well you see the red pulsating light that means it’s like we stop, but we don’t stop the car, we just don’t do anything yet. You see the yellow light, when that light up, be ready to press the button on the side of it. As soon as it lights green, press the button and you’ll see what I mean.”
The car was raging towards the gates, people scattered to avoid it, bullets sprayed the front of the car and sides, but apparently bounced off.
“Its yellow”, Frank said.
“Ok, get ready”, Sam said.
“Green” Frank said as he pressed the button on the side. The entire gate exploded and went to the sides; the guard hut exploded simultaneously and sent the guards airborne. The car passed across the gated area.
Frank looked at Sam and said, “Amazing”
“Well, I did tell you I was in the army, but did I tell you I was a demolition man..I love to blow up things!!” Sam smiled in glee.
Frank said, “Well did I tell you I never was in the military but I love to take things from people who didn’t deserve it.” Frank thought about the big diamond he took.
Sam laughed, “Yes, I know you’re a god damn good thief, now where is it”.
“It’s safe, don’t worry!”
Suddenly a ring in Frank’s cell phone interrupted the conversation.
“Ok, thank god you’re alive, Frank is Sam with you?”, Sue excitingly spoke on the phone.
“Yes he is Sue, we’re in the big black car.”
“I know, I am in the chopper behind you.. look back”
Frank turns his head and responds.
“Holy crap she’s behind us, well Sam this is where we get off!”
Sam nodded, and pulled the car to a sudden twisted stop on the dusty road.
The helicopter landed. It was a fast light weight one that took no more than four people. And Sue was the pilot.
“Well, you boys hold on tight”, she loudly spoke above the noise of the chopper, “We’re not quite home yet, but this baby will get us across the border in twenty minutes”
Frank reached in his military harness to a part on his belt and took out the box where the diamond was. He carefully took out the diamond from the box and held it upwards; both Sue and Sam smiled with elation.
“Is this what we kill for?”, Frank said.
Sue’s smile suddenly died, “Not really, I did it because of principle, because they took the most precious thing I had, my Joe. And in my little way of satisfaction, I took the diamond”
“And you also put a serious dent in their system too”, Sam added.
They next day the world would soon hear it all. It then became apparent on the news that the Russian mafia took a disastrous hit in Africa. This leaked out much more information as an arrest to the mafia boss was made in Russia. All his wealth went back into the Russian government who never bother to find out the cause of it anyway.
o-0-o
Meanwhile back in the United States, Sue kept her end of the bargain. Both Sam and Frank were awarded the money they had promised.
Frank, Sam and Sue met at her prestigious home in a mountainous region. Frank and Sam drove up there to finalize the deal.
“I wasn’t so sure you guys would have pulled it off but hell yeah!!..you did”, Sue exclaimed as they all three hugged in jubilation.
Sam looked around her huge home and its exquisite landscape.
“So this is where you rich folks hide out, way into the mountains overlooking everybody” Frank smirked in his comment.
“They live that high up because they can afford to piss on the poorer folks below!” Sam jokes.
Sue then responded, “Well you guys are not so poor now, actually you came from being bums to millionaires. How does it feel?”
Sam looked at Frank, came closer to him, felt the fabric on Frank’s jacket, “It feels the same to me, Frank and me seems to have the same taste in clothing, we’ll always be the same, the only different thing we’ll have…”
He was interrupted with a honking of a car horn he heard on the outside from the open window. In their sports cars outside were two very beautiful sexy women.
Sam continued, “The only thing we’ll have…ah..!”
Frank looked out the window and then said, “..are better looking women and they are waiting for us outside”.
Sue then looked out the window, “Isn’t one of those girls last year’s Miss Universe and the other is a famous model I believe!?”
Sam response was, “We can’t hide anything from you Miss Bourgeois, but those are our secretaries, you’ll need to contact them now whenever you need us again.”
Frank, Sam and Sue hugged each other as they left Suzanna Bourgeois mansion.
Frank would then whisper to Sam, “And that is one woman I got to respect greatly after beating the shit out of her!”
Sam would then say, “Come on now Frank, we are rich now, we don’t have to talk like that. And I decided to change a bit, gonna start shopping at prestigious stores, no more looking from cloths in trash bins and dumpsters among other things.”
“Ah Sam, that’s taking away all the fun out of being homeless, now you’re going to be like the other rich boring people. Oh well!” Frank said delightfully.
“ Frank then chuckled and said, “I was thinking my dear Sam, I’m gonna write a book, guess what the title will be?”
Sam then shrugs his shoulder as to not know.
“It would be called, “BUMS make it from the outhouse to the penthouse!”
“No Frank”, Sam said, “I prefer a title like, From crap to Diamonds”.
“No no” Frank said, “It would be better if it was called, How to live like a bum and then get rich”
They would then go on and on and on as old friends would.
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