Gypsy's Sin [Wind Riders MC]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Friday, for Gypsy, was an interesting day. It was likely the most interesting day he had experienced in over two years. Orlin and Frank sat at a large meeting table, in a long room with windows and skylights. Frank had a laptop in front of him, which he was using to play minefield, while Orlin had a pad of legal paper with several pens and pencils.

Then began a sort of inventor's day. People of all manner and age, came into the room, one by one and presented a concept to Orlin, who would then either ask for further information or a demonstration, or admit that he wasn't interested in the idea at this time. If Orlin wished further information, he may reject after that, or tell them to talk to Gypsy, who opened up Orlin's calendar program and scheduled one hour meetings for in-depth discussions.

There was a fourth option as well, and that was Orlin buying the idea on the spot, which happened for a man who ran one of the money accounting cells. He came up with a new way to launder cash. Orlin paid him ten-grand, on the grounds that he remain available for consulting once Orlin was ready to put the idea into action. Gypsy was sent to the large safe in the room beside Orlin's master bedroom, to collect the ten-grand for the man.

Gypsy decided he learned more about the inner workings of the Ruiz cartel, and underground operations in general, during this single day than in all of his time before, combined. His brain was bedazzled with ideas, concepts, and schemes he wouldn't have — couldn't have — conceived with ten years in the cartel doing as he had been doing.

Afterward, he went to the room that was provided for him in the hacienda, opened the laptop, got onto his cloud-drive writer program and began typing furiously. He was still at it after 4:00AM, when he forced himself to sleep for four hours so he could be ready and alert by ten o'clock.

Within those notes were several fortunes. With the Wind Rider's network established, even greater revenues could be achieved.

He woke, showered, and found that four suits, with shirts, shoes and accessories were in the closet and drawers. He wondered how long they had been hanging there, since this was the first time he used this room. Until this point, he rented a nearby hotel room by the week.

The light cotton suits were basic black with narrow black, gold, red, or blue ties to choose from. Three sets of black shoes for variety. A gold ring, which fit his right ring finger, mounted with a sizable diamond, was in the top drawer, along with three watches. He didn't know much about watches, but with the Internet he didn't have to. Searching the make and model number of one of the timepieces, he discovered it retailed for $5k.

"A man could lose his hand wearing a watch like this on his arm," he murmured. He put both the watch and the ring on, and chose the ivory and silver tie-clasp to go with the black tie.

In the bathroom he discovered a complete grooming kit. After shaving, and brushing his hair into a pony-tail, he went to the dining area to see if he might steal a few pieces of sausage from Wanda the cook.

Once in an open office room Orlin asked him, "You've had time to process, so tell me, what are your impressions of Cuarto Rivera?"

"He desires only one thing from you."

Orlin lifted his eyes from his reading, "What's that?"

"Your death," Gypsy told him.

Orlin leaned back and studied Gypsy, and then said, "If any other man in my organization would have said that this morning, I would not have believed them, and would hear no more. But you... As always you sound so certain. Do you know why he wants this?"