FLORIDA AND BUST

FLORIDA AND BUST

I found myself nearly dozing off to the melodic beat of the rain pattering on the roof of my old pick-up truck . The insulation and soundproofing had long since been a thing of the past. The windshield wipers were keeping time, but even set on high, they could barely keep up with the rain. Even though I strained my eyes I could only see about 50’ ahead of me. I even thought about pulling over for a minute but decided to push on thru.

I was hungry and tired but after counting the meager funds in my wallet I knew I had just enough money for fuel and a few burgers along the way. It’s a good thing my girlfriend packed me a few snacks and a thermos of hot coffee. I had planned on just catching a few quick cat naps at a rest stop or two and forgo the comfort of a hotel.

As usual, I hadn’t really thought this whole trip thru. As a matter of fact, a few days ago I had no idea that I would even make this trip. The whole thing started out 2 days ago when I got a late night call from an old college buddy. Although we were very close back at school, I hadn’t heard from Tommy in years, and was taken back by his call.

We were quite the pranksters back then and prided ourselves on being able to run a scam on just about anyone. It all started out very innocently with practical jokes and gags on fellow students and teachers. I remember one time we convinced one of the professors that someone had stolen his mid term exam and sold copies to all the students in his class. He ended up postponing the whole test while he put together a new one, thereby giving all of his “less than prepared students” a few extra precious days to study. In any case, over the next 18 months that we shared a room off campus, our pranks grew in both complexity and criminal intent. In fact, by the time we left school, some of our fellow students would refer to me as a confidence man or scam artist.

For a few years after graduation we hung around the old Alma Mata and perfected our trade. During that time we upped the ante from gags and small time scores to some serious jobs with real criminal intent. After a few runs ins with the law, Tommy got busted on a game we were running and did some serious time. He never mentioned me, or my part in the deal, so I walked without even a parking ticket. After a few months of working the business alone, I folded tent and decided to move back to be closer to my parents in Jersey.

I decided to try following the straight and narrow path. And to be honest I fell off the path a few times. In fact if I hadn’t met my girlfriend Rachael, I’d probably be in jail by now. After floundering around up here for a while, it was Rachael’s parents that allowed me to work with them in their family business. They also allowed me to move into a spare room they had above the garage.

The point of this whole thing is that, It seems Tommy had pissed in the wrong guys Wheaties down in Miami and now was in debt to a couple of arm breakers, with no way to pay. So, I guess when you get in trouble, you go back to what you know best, and what Tommy and I knew best was running scams. I didn’t want to lie to Rachael so I told her I was going to help out an old friend. She knew about my past with Tommy and was smart enough to know that the only reason he would call me after all this time was for no good.

Half of me knew that I should have hung up that phone as soon as I heard his name. My conscious told me I shouldn’t get back in the old business, but the rest of me was hungry for a score and to help my old buddy out. Rachael had tried her best to talk me out of going, but I figured I owed Tommy for the time he did, plus I could use the profit from this score to get a place of our own for Rachael and I.

Anyway, after 22 hours of hard driving I had reached a small town just north of Miami and met my old buddy at a local I Hop. I hardly recognized my old partner at first glace, because he had put on about 30 pounds and was sporting a beard.

It turns out Tommy was doing a weekly run where he dropped off stolen goods to some locals who would turn it into cash and then he would stop back latter in the week and pick up the cash to bring back to his boys. The powers to be, were compensating him very well for this service, but that was not enough for my boy. He figured no one would no or miss for that matter a few dollars here or there so he started to skim. The bosses ran several guys like Tommy, so that no one guy knew too much about their shit. Of course they would never let them meet.

Well true to his nature the greedy bastard couldn’t leave good enough alone, and the skimming turned into plowing. It wasn’t long before the big guys figured this out and now Tommy has 3 days to make them whole, or they make him very dead. There is no way we can come up with the cash, so we stayed up all night planning a way for him to get even, and then some.

Several hours and a bottle of Jack latter, we had come up with a plan. It was a risky plan, but if it worked, I could bail Tommy out of his problems and get the financial head start that Rachael and I need. It seems the guys who supply the stolen goods to Tommy have a big warehouse in the area, where they stockpile all this stuff along with a boat load of cash .

They are smart operators and have never showed Tommy where they store the mother load. Each week he meets them at a different place and they load him up with all top level goods. A nice mix of electronics, booze, jewelry, cars, and occasionally some diamonds and gems. They have a good relationship with Tommy. His contact doesn’t tell him where it all comes from, and he doesn’t ask. As long as he shows up with the minimum amount of cash they agreed on, he was good.

Our plan revolved around having them expose the location of their stash, however they were not about to hand us an invitation to visit with an enclosed map. We decided on a variation of the play we did on our old college professor. If we could make them feel like their secure information and hiding spot was no longer secure, then they would most likely try moving their stuff. And, when you take things out of hiding to move them, that’s when they are most vulnerable.

Tommy gave me the names and addresses of the people he was pawning off the property to and I paid each one of them a visit to make them feel uneasy. I hinted that I could supply the same merchandise at half the cost, and I stressed the very same merchandise.

It didn’t take long before the big boys got wind of what was going on. They didn’t know if I was a cop or just an overzealous competitor. In any case, these criminal types are a pretty nervous bunch and within days they were making plans to move their merchandise, and put a temporary hold on bringing in new contraband. Just like a bunch of roaches when you turn the lights on they panicked and ran. They had no one to turn to, so in their confusion they called Tommy and told him to meet them at a new location and to bring a big truck.

We got there around 11pm and Tommy’s contact basically handed us a key to the place, a garage door opener, and an address to bring the stuff to. I don’t think it was because the liked or trusted Tommy so much as not wanting to be around in case this was a police set up.

As soon as the black Mercedes slipped off into the night, I mashed the button on the garage door opener and waited as the door went slowly up. I wish I had a picture of our faces because you would have thought it was Christmas morning. The place was piled high and wide with an assortment of goodies.

Well, we spent the rest of the night and until first light, cramming every single item we could into that rental truck. We tucked in the ramp and pulled down the door and snapped the biggest freak’in pad lock I’ve ever seen on the lock. (can’t trust anybody, these days).

I was already thinking about how I was going to spend my share and Tommy couldn’t wait to cross the Mexican border where he could live out his life as a wealthy man. We got in the truck and high five’d each other. It was a good night’s work.

We barely got the truck in gear, when we noticed the flashing lights. Six police cars had surrounded our truck and the officers jumped from their vehicles with guns drawn. The officers quickly pulled us out of the truck and soon had us in handcuffs and sitting on the sidewalk. The sergeant walked up and patted Tommy on the back saying “Thanks Tommy, we have been looking to bust this robbery ring for over a year now, but these guys were very careful not to make any mistakes. But you, my friend, on the other hand; have been very easy to find. We have been following your movements for months, and now we can roll up all your business associates in one fell swoop.

I just sat there with a look of disgust on my face….but if I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a thousand times: “Crime Don’t Pay”

P.I.B.