The Compound

The Compound

"Well this is weird." Conner Donnelly comments aloud. They'd left the small airfield outside of Caracas not too long ago. Diego had told him that it normally takes about an hour for them to arrive at Alcazar's compound. Conner looks around at the well appointed private plane. A plane that had all of the shades down. So that hour could have been in any direction from Caracas and depending on the amount of circling around the airfield less than an hour. "If this guy is so particular about people knowing where he lives why doesn't he just do business in Europe or even in Caracas?" "And leave his beautiful pregnant wife?" Diego laughs. "Alcazar is the consummate businessman and very practical but even some accommodations must be made for family."

"I didn't know he was married."

"Few do." Diego nods. "More was known of course about his brother including his untimely and very public death in The States."

"Yeah, heard about that." Conner shifts in his seat getting comfortable. It wouldn't hurt his report to have a little bit of a world view from The General. "Took a header off of a balcony."

"With a little help from a woman."

"Ain't that just the way it goes." Conner grins at Diego one man to another. "There wasn't much of a power vacuum after Luis' death." Conner shrugs. "There wasn't one at all."

"The Alcazars arms business is tightly held between the brothers. Of course I don't have to tell you this. And yes, Luis was the face of the business." Diego frowns. "But even that hasn't changed."

Conner laughs in disbelief and goes for the most outrageous interpretation. "Did you just say that Lorenzo has the same face as Luis."

Diego nods. "Yes. Perhaps they were twins, perhaps they were clones." Diego shrugs. "But everything goes on as before, only now Lorenzo is the face of Alcazar. Knowing this now it explains how the business could grow so rapidly and how it would appear that Luis was in two places at one time."

Conner files that one away. There were a number of things that had been attributed to Alcazar but then discounted because it had been proven that Luis was in another place. That needed to be reexamined if the brothers really did look that much alike... "So if this guy is such a privacy junkie, why is he involving his wife in the business? Seems kinda outta character from what you just said."

"Alcazar's European customers are used to being entertained. Luis's woman could put on quite the show. That is where the vacuum in the business was until Lorenzo overcame his reluctance.

You will recognize the architecture of Alcazar's home, Con."

"Oh?"

"It is every man's fantasy. A compound where he alone is king. Access to the private portions of the compound are very carefully controlled. Strangers are not permitted."

"You're making it sound like he's got a harem or something." Con laughs.

Diego nods seriously. "The Alcazars do business world wide. Be warned going in. Don't wander around. People don't get lost in Lorenzo Alcazar's compound. They disappear."

"Please fasten your seatbelts. We're coming in for the landing." The pilot says over the intercom system. "Remain seated once we come to a complete stop. The flight is being met and only after a second security screening will anyone be allowed to disembark."

General Diego buckles his seat belt. Conner had never undone his. The landing is smooth as silk, compliments to both the pilot and the runway. Following the General's lead Conner unbuckles his seatbelt once they are on the ground but doesn't rise from his seat.

Simon and two of his men board the plane. Diego rises and holds his hands from his body. The security runs a wand over the general seeking any unexplained source of metal. The second security man runs another wand seeking any kind of electronic signal.

"General, if you and your man will please leave all phones, watches, computers or other electronic devices on the plane."

"Of course." The General unfastens his watch. He'd left his phone and computer back at the hotel knowing that this was coming but forgotten to tell Con. "Simon, this is Conrad Donner. He is my... trusted military advisor." mercenary

"Senor Donner, if you will stand please."

Con goes thru the same inspection that the General does and only then are they permitted off the plane and into the fresh night mountain air. Con does an assessment trying to figure out where he is. Unlike Caracas the stars are out and shining brightly.

"This way please." Simon leads the men over to the jeep, he climbs behind the wheel and lets the others climb in. The two security men stay with the plane to make sure that there will be no surprises. The jeep's path is lit with the headlights and only after a few turns and going up further into the mountains does the well lit compound come into view. Simon pulls in front of the very small door to the large two plus story building.

Conner studies it carefully. Even without Diego's prompting he would have recognized the style. He'd seen it often enough in Beirut, in Morocco, in cities all over the middle east. It was incongruous to see it out here in the middle of nowhere. In the cities it was a way to insure privacy. Here the whole countryside was private.
Simon leads them into the compound with it's thick walls. And just when it appears that they have reached another wall, Simon turns to the right and goes around the short wall that actually blocks the view of the courtyard from the open exterior door. This place would be hard to storm. Troops would have to come in one or two at a time and could be picked off as soon as they entered into the courtyard. And the walls were too thick for conventional heat seeking technology. Could always take it out from the sky-- if you had coordinates, but that wouldn't do the hostages any good. Nope, if you were going to get the hostages you'd have to probably come in over the walls or on top of the almost flat roofs. The door was not a good option.

"Are we dining by the pool?" The General asks more to make conversation than anything else.

"It's a beautiful evening and La Senora prefers the fresh breezes."

The pool in the middle of the courtyard has floating candles in it. The courtyard is indirectly lit. The formally set table is lit with candles. A white jacketed and gloved waiter offers the men a drink. They have barely taken a sip when Alcazar appears with Carly on his arm.

The General comes over to Carly and takes her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. "Senora, you are glowing!"

"Thank you, General. You are very kind." Carly looks up at Lorenzo with the fake smile firmly in place. "The chef has timed things down to the minute, I think."

"Carly's way of telling us all to be seated." Lorenzo says jovially. "But after introductions surely." He looks at the General's companion. Only because he wanted a closer look at this WSB had the companion even gotten this far.

"Pardon me." The General takes a step back and indicates. "This is Conrad Donner, my military advisor. Con, this is Lorenzo Alcazar and his beautiful Senora, Carly."

"Senora Alcazar." Con tests with a nod.

"Please, Call me Carly." Carly moves over to the waiter and takes a glass of sparkling water that is set aside for her. With a hand on the middle of her back, Lorenzo leads her over to the table and assists her in taking her seat. As soon as Carly is seated the rest of the party sits down around the small table. The first course is served and the conversation remains general and civil.

Con watches the interaction between all of the players at the table with particular care between Alcazar and the woman that the General called his missus, the woman that his father called Alcazar's hostage. "I hope you don't think I'm being rude or anything... just nervous I guess. But when are you due... Carly?"

"No need to be nervous." Alcazar interrupts. "There is a doctor in the compound should one become necessary, for any reason.

"I promise dinner won't be disrupted." Carly tells the WSB agent with a curious smile.

Con recognizes the difference in the smile between what she'd given him vs. what she had shown to The General and his eyes narrow. It appeared more sincere. "Is this your first child?"

Carly reads Alcazar's stiffening and changes the subject. "How did you like Caracas? I didn't see much of it when I was there. Crime is so bad in the big cities."

"If you take precautions..." Con shrugs. "It's not like Colombia. Kidnapping there is as much a national pastime as baseball is back in the states." Carly stiffens at that and makes sure that she keeps an eye on Alcazar as she looks down at her salad and grimaces. She pushes the salad away. "I didn't mean to upset you, Senora."

"No, of course not. How could you know that Caroline and her family had their share of problems with kidnapping. Not here of course but back in the United States. It's is a sensitive topic." Alcazar interjects. "It is an unsafe world."

"Indeed." The General agrees with a nod. He gives a look to his advisor as if to tell him to shut the hell up. "And why we're all here tonight around this beautiful table. To make our corners of the world just a little bit safer."

"Of Course." Carly agrees with a smile and raises her glass in a toast. She takes a sip and ignores the nagging ache in her lower back. All she had to do is get thru tonight and then get Sonny here. She rubs the side of her stomach. Come on, Baby. Just wait for Daddy to get here. Carly makes eye contract with the waiter who begins to clear in preparation of bringing out the entree. Don't rush but keep things moving.

Faith cringes away from Sonny. Things had gotten progressively worse if that was possible. She was spending most of her time locked in the bathroom. And Sonny had moved from breaking all the crystal in the penthouse to destroying every article of clothing that she had in the penthouse. Well take that back. Every article of clothing that she had laying out. He hadn't actually gone into the drawers or closet. The fire department had been called to the roof for the bonfire that Sonny had started with her clothes. Sonny is drinking right out of the bottle sitting on the couch where he hadn't moved since the firemen left.
Faith makes her way to the kitchen. She feels like a damn little mouse scurrying out of the way. Fuck it. Jail had to be better than this. She picks up the phone and calls the FBI, Agent Brown's direct extension and actually lucks into getting hold of him.

"Get me out of here."

"That wasn't our deal, Mrs. Roscoe."

"Screw our deal! He's insane! He's going to kill me!" Faith protests. "GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

Agent Brown sighs. "Mrs. Roscoe we've already been over this. Corinthos is your link to Alcazar. Get me Alcazar and you get a walk."

"I can't do it! Why won't you listen to me?! Alcazar isn't even in the country?! How is this getting me closer?" Faith takes a deep breath. "Look I can't get close to Alcazar... Carly is already in. Get that stupid bitch to bring him down for you." Faith's neck is suddenly hyper extended and her nose points to the ceiling. A man's fist is at the base of her neck with a big handful of her hair.

"Hang up the phone." Sonny says thru gritted teeth. He waits until she complies and tosses the phone from the kitchen counter to the floor. "My wife?! You tell them to use my pregnant wife?! I should just snap your worthless, betraying neck."

"All I want to do is leave." Faith tells Sonny. "It's not working out. You know it. I know it. We should have all cut our losses the day that Alcazar took your precious little Carly." Faith winces and cuts off her protest as Sonny reefs back on her hair again.

"I should just snap your neck." Sonny says again. His words are slurred.

"Sonny." Jason calls out from the front room. Courtney had called him to let him know about the bonfire on the roof.

Faith is the one that yells out. "Jason! In the kitchen!"

Jason comes in to see Faith standing there with Sonny controlling her movements. "She was calling the FBI. Telling them to have Carly get close to Alcazar. My wife! I want her gone." Sonny hisses in Faith's ear.

Faith shrugs her shoulders up trying to get away from Sonny's booze laden breathe. "Not as bad as I want to be gone you weak spineless drunk. No wonder your wife went with Alcazar rather than staying with you."

Sonny shoves Faith away from him ramming her into the kitchen counter. "Get her out of here before I kill her."

Jason grabs Faith by the arm and starts escorting her to the front door.

"She gets nothing." Sonny says flatly.

"Sonny?"

"That whoring bitch came in with nothing. She leaves with nothing. Nothing. Anything she bought with my money.... burn it. I never want to see it or her again."

"I'll take care of it." Jason says over his shoulder but keeps moving toward the front door half dragging Faith with him.

Carly unlocks the box of Cuban cigars and opens it in front of the table. "I'll leave you gentlemen to your cigars and business."

Lorenzo comes around the table and assists Carly in rising. He looks at her carefully. Her eyes are too bright and there are signs of tension in her face. Just then she grabs his hand in a grip that would have crushed. Carly exhales and then a moment later she eases her hold on Alcazar. "Let me just walk Carly in. I'll be right back." Alcazar says to his guests who have also risen politely as their hostess did.

"I'm fine. Just finish this." Carly mutters.

"Shut up." Alcazar demands in a low tone. He gets her into the foyer where Simon meets them. "Wake the doctor. Carly has gone into labor."

Simon takes off at a run for the Doctor's quarters without any further questions.

"I'm not in labor." Carly denies with a snarl. "It's just Braxton hicks or something. I am not in labor. Just finish your damn meeting. Get rid of them and get Sonny here. now" Carly's grip goes crushing on Alcazar again.

"Do you want to sit down? Lay down?" Alcazar asks.

"I want you to get away from me and finish your fucking meeting so that you can send the plane for Sonny!" Carly throws Alcazar's hand away from her and grabs hold of a decorative railing at the entry way to the courtyard to keep her balance.

As soon as Lorenzo hears the footsteps of Simon and the doctor, He nods in Carly's direction and goes back out to his guests.

"Senora." Simon tries to take Carly's arm.

She brushes him off with a growl. "Don't touch me." She holds a hand out to Simon in a keep your distance motion. "Sorry, just don't touch me."

"How far apart are the contractions?" The doctor asks.

"Do I look like I'm wearing a fucking watch?!" Carly groans and bends over hanging on to the railing.

The doctor notes the time on his watch. "Has your water broken?"

"No." Carly grinds between closed teeth.

"Come Senora. Let me take you back to your room." Simon says kindly reaching out an arm again.

"No. You just make sure that damn plane is ready to go and fueled to drop those two..." Carly nods in the direction of the courtyard. "... in Caracas and keep going to get Sonny." Carly takes a shallow cleansing breath and straightens. She gives the doctor the evil eye.

Having been at a number of birthings, he doesn't take it personally. It wasn't about him being Alcazar's, or being a doctor. It was all about him being a man. He just checks the time. "Perhaps walking would help, Senora?"

"I'm not going to my room."

"No, of course not." The doctor agrees pleasantly. "Only if your water breaks or if you tire. Until then shall we?" He offers her his arm.

"Fine." Carly takes his arm and starts walking. Then stops. "Make sure that plane is fueled and ready to go."

Back Home Next