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The Cabrillo gang was going to solve its problems the old fashioned way, with a meal of reconciliation followed by a rational division of territory. It sounded good to all other gang bosses, but naturally after years of trickery all were wary. Still, peace was good for business. If the bosses could make a deal stick, law enforcement would soon understand the gangs could sort out their differences. Was it possible, thought Officer Caldron, for the authorities to return to plain vanilla crime fighting?
The date for the dinner was a closely-held secret to give no single boss an advantage. The go-between was a snitch well known as such to all parties. Ramirez was the conduit through which both information and falsehoods would flow. A code would distinguish truth from lies while the lies led the authorities on a merry goose chase. Caldron was fit to be tied with anxiety.
“Chief, we know they’re all going to meet. We just don’t know where and when that meeting will occur.”
“Officer Caldron, don’t waste my time with nonsense. Once you have determined the details with some degree of certainty, I’ll give authorization and resources.”
Caldron knew the Chief was in league with the gang bosses, so what could he say? He did not want to become a casualty of a bad plan gone horribly wrong. He therefore waited as long as he could before he took Ramirez prisoner for a clandestine interrogation in a seedy motel on the outskirts of Tijuana. Screams from liberal applications of rubber hoses to bare flesh would not be heard amongst all the other noises of the neighborhood. Caldron did not want Ramirez to die as he had other uses for his snitch.
“Ramirez, give me something I can use.”
“I know nothing, Officer Caldron. The bosses are purposely keeping me in the dark like a mushroom.”
Calderon’s men took their leader’s nod as the signal to lay on another round of beatings. While his men worked up a sweat, the officer shook his head and walked onto the porch. The night’s heat lay like an electric blanket on the region. Mosquitos bit. Moths hovered around the few light bulbs. Calderon lit a cigarette and smoked it. He wondered why he had become a policeman when the easier path was to join a gang. It did not really matter; the die was cast. He thought of himself as part of a gang run by the authorities.
Officer Ramon came out of the motel room to say, “Ramirez has passed out. We’re using smelling salts to bring him back to consciousness. Maybe you want to be there when he comes to?”
Calderon dropped his cigarette butt on the ground and mashed it with the toe of his boot. He went back inside the room just as Ramirez was revived.
“Be reasonable, Ramirez. A man can only take so much pain. Tell me what you know, and I’ll let you go.”
Ramirez had a look as if he were trying to find something in a thick fog.
“The dinner will be very soon. Each boss has a plan to eliminate the others. It will be a blood bath.”
“This sounds like nonsense. Everyone knows the organization of each gang requires leadership. What will the winning gang do if all the leaders are dead?”
“I have no idea.”
“Surely some of the bosses have been joining others for a combined effort?”
“No boss trusts another.”
“Put yourself in my place, Ramirez, just for a moment. I have limited resources. What would you do if you were me?”
Ramirez issued a volley of obscenities. “You and your team will be screwed no matter what. You might as well go drinking and pick up the pieces of the gangs once the shooting is over.”
Caldron’s men moved in to give Ramirez another dose of the rubber hose treatment. Caldron waved them off.
“You know, Ramirez, you’ve given me an idea. Tonight, in gratitude, I’m going to set you free.”
“Officer Caldron, you must give me intelligence. If I don’t have a good story, I will be killed.”
“Tell anyone who asks that my team will be drinking at the Cactus Bar every night for the next two weeks. I know it is impossible to cover all the possibilities, so I’m going to wait until the bosses have killed one another. Then I’ll order my men to move in.”
Ramirez, grateful for the opportunity, took the bait and fled into the night.
“Officer Caldron, are we really going to the Cactus Bar every night for two weeks?”
“Officer Ramon, you and the others will do that. I have another path. Be sure none of the team goes out of the bar between ten o’clock p.m. and four o’clock a.m. any of those dates. Also assure that every officer carries as many loaded weapons as possible. The gangs might decide to attack the bar instead of each other.”
Caldron smiled his evilest smile. Ramon was not convinced the Cactus Bar was not an intentional trap. He asked no questions. Caldron knew it would take all the man’s concentration to execute the simple task of convening the team each night as planned.
The Chief inevitably heard rumors about Caldron’s plan. He summoned the officer to discuss the matter.
“Caldron, I’m confused. You seemed anxious to find the location of the bosses’ meeting. Now, it seems, you’ve given up entirely.”
“Chief, my men and I can’t be everywhere at once. We’re going to provide a target the gang bosses will find it hard to pass up. When they attack, we’ll have them all.”
The chief of police shook his head. “I understand your logic, but I fear the bosses will let your team carouse while they hold their meeting. Then you’ll have lost your chance.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. I do have a request, though.”
“Just ask it.”
“I need one machine pistol with plenty of ammo in case the number of attacking gang members is too large for my team to handle.”
“I don’t suppose that can cause any harm. I want to be assured, however, that only you will use this powerful weapon.”
“I’ll be the only shooter with this weapon.”
“Then I’ll give you a signed requisition. Go right away to the armory. When you have finished your job, please return it and any unused ammo.”
“Yes, Chief.”
Caldron took the requisition to the armory and drew the weapon and three boxes of ammo. He also drew an ordinary pistol with a silencer.
That night while his men were at the Cactus Bar drinking, he went to the hideout of the strongest gang, which was also the least conscious of security. He saw Ramirez enter the front entrance of the house where the boss lived. He slipped to the door and shot the doorman in the head with his silenced pistol. The body fell out the door into the street. Caldron withdrew and hid in the shadows waiting with his machine pistol.
The discovery of the dead guard raised an alarm. The boss and his two bodyguards came running to see what had happened. Their last sight among the living was Caldron, whose machine gun laid them low. Ramirez came out of the house. When he saw the carnage, he slipped away into the night. Quickly, Caldron followed his snitch.
The snitch went to the house of the second most powerful gang boss. This boss had mounted armed sentries on platforms above the entrance. As Ramirez entered the house, the two sentries fell to the ground, victims of Caldron’s silenced weapon. Discovery of those dead men caused an alarm to be raised. The boss and three bodyguards came into the front courtyard to assess the situation. Caldron was ready. He used his machine gun to stitch the three outlaws to their fate. Again, Ramirez exited the house to find the collection of corpses. As he fled the area, Caldron followed in the shadows.
Ramirez went to the house of the boss of the Cabrillo gang. He was the boss who had originated the idea for the meeting of the bosses. Caldron saw Ramirez enter the house. He had now seen and done enough for the night.
The next morning the chief called Caldron to his office.
“Officer Caldron, I hope your men weren’t involved in the gangland shootings last evening.”
“What shootings are those, Chief? My men were drinking in the Cactus Bar all night, as we had planned. They’re sleeping off their carousals now on my orders.”
“The two strongest gang bosses and their bodyguards were slain outside their houses around midnight. The remaining bosses have asked for police protection.”
“Do you want me to detail men to protect them?”
“No, idiot. Continue what you’re doing. I’ll dispatch other officers to guard the remaining bosses.”
“If you say so, Chief.” Caldron knew his secret plan was working.”
That evening Caldron snuck into the Cabrillo compound and hid in the pepper tree branches above the red-tiled roof of the main house. He saw the two policemen arrive and take their positions on either side of the front door. He also observed Ramirez arrive to see the boss.
This time Caldron went through the double doors at the back of the house. He listened to the exchange between Ramirez and Cabrillo.
“I know what I saw with my own eyes. Nothing less than a machine pistol could have killed your two competitors. Their bodies had been sprayed with bullets.”
“The chief of police told me his special team was drinking all night at the Cactus Bar. They couldn’t have been involved in the murders. That leaves the question of who killed those men. I pay you for information. You’d better find out who did these deeds, or I’ll kill you and find another informer.”
“Maybe to be sure about the Cactus Bar, you should take your men there tonight and kill all the officers.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Ramirez. I’m not sure I have enough men to do that.”
“Why not stop by two other gang bosses’ houses and have them join forces with you?”
“Hmm. Why not? Go ahead of me to Sanchez and Garcia. Announce that I’m coming right behind you. Have each contribute half a dozen armed men to our group.”
Ramirez departed, unaware that Caldron was dogging his steps.
Caldron watched the gangs put together a total force of twenty-one men, including three bosses. They marched to the Cactus Bar and got ready to force the door and enter shooting.
The tap-tap-tap sound of Caldron’s machine pistol from behind took the men by surprise. The gangsters tried to wheel around, just as Officer Ramon and his men came out of the bar, guns drawn, to see what was the matter. Caught in a crossfire, the gangsters were eliminated. Caldron slipped out of the area to revisit the houses of the three fallen bosses. His machine pistol took care of those who had been left behind.
The next morning the chief of police went ballistic with rage.
“Caldron, you can’t deny your men were involved in the shootout outside the Cactus Bar last night.”
“No, Sir. I can’t deny it, but those gangsters would have murdered them all if Officer Ramon had not rallied the men to fight back.”
The chief did not know what to say.
“Look, Chief, we’re rid of five gang bosses. That’s something, isn’t it? And this time, you can take full credit for the effectiveness of your plans.”
“You have a point, Officer Caldron. What do you propose I do next?”
“Make the most of the opportunity in the press. Look your best in front of the cameras. I’ll watch how the criminal elements come together again on the streets.”
“I suppose you’re right. I’ll make the best of a bad situation. My wife Lolita won’t be happy.”
“Why is that?”
“She was hoping we could go on an extended holiday in Cabo San Lucas in three weeks. Now we won’t have the money to do that.”
“If I can find the money for your vacation, will you look the other way as I take care of business.”
“That sounds good to me. Where will you get the money?”
“Don’t ask, and I won’t tell.” Caldron gave his chief a conspiratorial smile.
The chief was willing to do almost anything to make his wife happy.
That evening while his team remained at the Cactus Bar, Caldron found Ramirez and made him an offer he could not refuse.
“Ramirez, you’re going to make me the new head of all gangs along the US border.”
“How am I going to do that? And what’s in it for me if I do?”
“You’re going to pay visits to the three remaining gang bosses tonight. You’ll ask for fifty thousand US dollars from each, payable immediately, for their membership in our organization. If they refuse to pay, just give me the word. Then proceed to the next boss in line. If you don’t want to help me do this, I’ll shoot you right now and find someone else.”
Ramirez said, “I’ll do what you say.”
The visits went off like a charm. By dawn, Caldron had one hundred fifty US dollars in cash. He gave thirty thousand of that sum to his police chief and twenty thousand to Ramirez. The other hundred thousand he took to the town mayor’s office and laid it on his desk.
“Mayor, I’ve brought you a present from the head of the new cartel. It is an amount you can expect to receive every month as long as you are cooperative.”
The mayor looked at the stacks of bills with greedy eyes. He licked his lips.
“Officer, I don’t know what to say.”
“You only need to say yes.”
“But I usually deal with the police chief directly.”
“I thought we should discuss that unfortunate circumstance. I brought a friend who can help us.” Caldron raised his machine pistol.
The mayor made the mistake of trying to ring the alarm by pressing a foot button with his foot. With a slight tap-tap-tap, the mayor’s body lay on top of his desk. Caldron picked up the money and went to the office of the deputy mayor.
“Deputy Mayor, I have good news and bad. The good news is now you are mayor. The bad news is you will die now if you don’t work directly with me and not with the police chief.”
“Officer, I don’t know why I should be talking with you.”
When Caldron piled the hundred thousand in cash on his desk, he began to sing another tune.
“Did you say I’m going to receive this amount of money in cash every month?”
“That’s right. But you’ll have to do exactly what I say to earn your money.”
“What do I need to do?”
“First, you’ll have to order the apprehension of the chief of police for graft and corruption. He has been receiving an amount similar to what sits on your desk from the former gang bosses. You should send a team to arrest him at Cabo San Lucas, where he is on vacation.”
“Who should I send on this sensitive mission?”
“Officer Ramon and his men. They are the best anti-corruption officers on the force.”
“Is that all?”
“No. You should make a summary appointment of me as the new chief of police.”
“I can do that?”
“As mayor you can.”
“I’ll do it at once.”
“Write the appointment at your desk right now.”
The deputy mayor did as Caldron said. After he had signed the appointment, Caldron began calling officers. He dispatched Ramon to Cabo to arrest the chief of police. Caldron gave him permission to shoot to kill in the event of the least resistance. He called other officers to find the mayor’s assassin and to kill the informer Ramirez.
The police chief and his wife were slain at their resort in Cabo. Ramirez was killed as he tried to convince a group of gangsters to follow him for a measly twenty thousand US dollars.
As for the deputy mayor, he became mayor and lived long enough to receive three further payments of one hundred thousand US dollars each. Now that he had over a quarter of a million dollars, he decided he no longer wanted to listen to Caldron. He therefore arranged a one-on-one meeting for a lobster dinner at a restaurant in Rosarita. His plan was to slay Caldron while he dined.
Caldron was no fool. He decided he had made enough money. So he went into the restaurant by the back entrance and used the machine pistol to kill the mayor at his table.
The restaurant’s owner might have called the police if Caldron hadn’t shown his badge and a wad of cash. The owner opted to call emergency medical personnel, who arrived two hours later.
“What seems to be the problem, Chief?” the lead medical tech asked.
“The mayor has suffered from acute food poisoning. See that his body is cremated at once.”
Once the medical unit had departed with the body of the mayor, the owner of the restaurant decided to raise the amount of his remuneration for the deception. He was shouting imprecations at Caldron when tap-tap-tap stopped the ruckus.
Caldron told the head waiter to call the medics again. “Tell them to come back to pick up another victim of food poisoning.”
The head waiter knew exactly what do do. He asked the police chief what he could expect.
“Expect this,” he said as he handed the man a wad of cash.
“Is this all?” the head waiter asked.
“This might not be necessary,” Caldron replied laconically. He looked sadly at his machine pistol.
The head waiter said, “Whatever you want.”
“Two whole, cold lobsters, to go, please.”
“Yes, sir, with compliments of the house.”
Caldron walked coolly out of the restaurant. He had a long drive to Cabo. There he would climb aboard a luxury yacht. His plan was simply to disappear. This was not as easy as he had anticipated. Yet, he had what it took to make everything all right, no matter how dark things seemed.
Years later, he was asked by an investigative reporter how he had managed to perform the perfect crime.
He answered, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
The reporter was dumbfounded. “What do you mean by that?”
Caldron lifted his machine pistol from under the table and demonstrated what he meant. His deck crew hoisted the dead body overboard to feed the sharks. Comprised of eight of his former team of crime fighters, they knew better than to ask odd questions of their boss.