Where The Money Is

Now that I had proven my basic skills, it was time to get noticed.  I had something few of my competitors had.  Years of experience in America.  I had connections in the largest economy on the planet.  I could help Mr. Rojas expand. 

It took a few months for me to get comfortable in my new position.  Some things can’t be rushed.  When Mr. Diaz complimented me on my progress, I threw out some bait.

“Alberto, your numbers are looking pretty good.  You’ve got a ways to go to catch up to Jorge and the other top performers, but you’ve already passed the man you replaced.”

“Thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Diaz.  I’ll be honest though.  I’ve known Jorge since we were kids.  He has spent his entire adult life building up his business.  In Bogota, I’ll never match his success.”

“But, I have connections in other places.  I can open doors for you and Mr. Rojas in Los Angeles.  Just something for you to think about.”

We discussed my ideas.  Diaz leaned back in his chair and raised his eyebrows.  I could tell he was thinking about it.  He said, “Mr. Rojas never does anything in a hurry.  But I will mention it to him.”

While I was establishing myself in the Rojas organization, the girls were planning the robbery.  There are many components to an operation this complex.  Each may require months or years of preparation.

The details of the robbery itself will have to be planned later.  We won’t be able to case the Rojas mansion until I am invited there as a guest.  Other parts of the plan are more generic.  Such as the getaway.  

Jozefien was in charge of the escape car.  She’d brought her shop with her when we moved to Colombia. It did not take long for her to get back into street racing.  The new garage stayed full of the cars she raced, as well as projects she worked on for paying customers.  The activity provided cover for the getaway vehicle she was customizing.  

Upgraded engine, suspension and steering. A reinforced bumper, kevlar and steel plating in the body, and laminated polycarbonate windows.  On the outside, it looked like any other Ford Expedition.  But it could stop bullets and smash through the heavy gate guarding the Rojas mansion.

I was a little apprehensive when Diaz would not tell my why I was to meet him in his office.  When I saw the limousine parked out front, I figured it out.  A year and a half after Jorge hired me, I would finally meet Mr. Rojas.  

Things went well.  A few weeks later, I received an invitation to one of Mr. Rojas’s dinner parties.    I was to bring Jozefien.  Even better.  We would have two sets of eyes casing the property.

At the party, my wife was charming and talkative.  I am always amazed at her acting skills.  She can turn it on at her discretion.  She told humorous stories about street racing and being a woman in a man’s world.  She didn’t mention the people she’d robbed, punched out or intimidated along the way.

As I hoped, Mr. Rojas was complimentary of my sales numbers.  It is easy to measure performance in this business.  Dollars and pesos do not lie. 

Mr. Rojas was interested in moving into the US.  So far, he had always sold his product locally, and let others export the goods.  That was safe and simple, but the real money was being made up north.  Like every successful businessman, my boss was interested in expansion.

The net result of the evening was me traveling to Los Angeles.  I had left on good terms with my former associates.  Now I was in a position to provide a good product at a competitive price.  The trip was a success.  I secured a commitment that would produce immediate profits.  This was my ticket to the inner circle.

Other people would take care of importing and distributing the product.  But I would have to return to America regularly to oversee the operation. 

The travel meant I could no longer manage a territory.  I trained my replacement and turned operations over to him.  When I wasn’t in America, Mr. Rojas had me work on special projects.  Usually, that meant there was a problem somewhere in the network, and it was up to me to investigate.  Greed is a serious temptation in this business, and humans can be weak.  

If I uncovered a problem that required intervention, Mr. Rojas would send a man he had nicknamed El Leñador.  Literally, the Lumberjack.  I don’t know if he cut down trees but I saw what he could do to a person.  

I became a regular at the Rojas mansion.  The details of our plan began to fall in place.  With each visit, I gathered more information.  I counted steps and drew diagrams of the house and the grounds.  When Mr. Rojas had enough Dictador rum under his belt, he liked to talk and show off his toys.  I became familiar with the security system.  And the vault, where his cash and other valuables were kept.   

The Rojas mansion is on a wedge shaped property, about 4 acres, surrounded by an iron fence.  A guard is always on duty at the gate.  Another constantly circles the perimeter, escorted by a pair of German shepherds.  It takes a little more than 5 minutes for him to make a lap around the property.

The house is huge.  The basement, first floor, and the west and center wings of the second floor are monitored via camera.  The east end of the second floor is a large room Mr. Rojas uses as his office and man cave.  The third floor is living and guest quarters.  HIs office and the third floor are not monitored.  

Inside the front door, a guard searches visitors on their way in.  Everyone has to go through a metal detector.  Another guard is stationed at the elevator on the third floor.

Rojas’s office has a kitchenette, a pool table, and a bar.  One wall is covered with monitors, enough to show every security camera on the property simultaneously.

The guards at the gate, front door, and elevator have smaller monitors that show one set of camera views at a time. They wear headsets and have hands-free communications with each other.  Each is armed.

At first glance, the security was intimidating.  The guards were disciplined and well trained.  But as we studied the property, and the habits of the guards, we found niches and cracks we could exploit.  

The security cameras were installed 20 years ago.  The equipment has been replaced or maintained as necessary.  But no one had cut back the vegetation growing around the house.  Mrs. Rojas loves the trees and flowers.  Her husband has plenty of money for the gardeners and landscapers that are constantly tending the grounds.

Over time, the trees near the house had grown enough to obscure some of the third floor windows.  The shrubs and masses of flowers around the house could serve as hiding places.

The expansion into America was paying off.  When Mr. Rojas told me I’d surpassed Jorge and become his top producer, he suggested we celebrate with a dinner party at his estate.  

I had already dropped a few hints about Jozefien’s friends.  Even though Mr. Rojas was married, I knew he liked to hang out with attractive ladies.

Mr. Rojas said yes when I offered to bring the girls.  When I returned from my monthly trip to America, we had a dinner invitation at the Rojas estate.  It was go time.