Not Quite a White Knight Vol. 05C

During his schooling in Europe Xadi was a natural troublemaker. He was too skeptical to agree with any group but he had a genius for saying the wrong thing at meetings while a free-lance informer from the government was recording. The out-of-context sound bites were good currency for free-lance informants, like "get out of jail" cards. When his family would not buy the guy off (they never did trust a rat) the informant went to the authorities. Xadi left Europe on a fishing boat 30 minutes ahead of the Spanish cops. Both France and Spain had arrest notices for him if his name showed up anywhere, like a flight list for an airline. It was all trumped up charges, but those worked. Since his name was on the list the US would be glad to package him up for shipment at any point of exit he might try.

He got into the US before 9-11 by coming through Canada. There he made himself unwelcome by corrected people speaking French which caused bad feelings which led to fights which led to more warrants for his arrest so going North was not an option.

Now he had a problem here in beautiful LA. He was operating as a doctor but lacked the blessing and associated paperwork from the state. His greater sin was that he was pro-life and attended protests against abortion which as you know, are well photographed by the authorities. Politicians and cops are always looking for people they can arrest with less risk of a shooting and pro-lifers top the list, those who oppose the murder of the unborn are a pretty safe choice. Some of the LAPD photographs were completely out-of-context, but an illegal anti-abortion doc is always fair game in California, and is especially good for grabbing headlines at election time.

Fortunately, Xadi was a master of disguise, a true genius. Hollywood pros came to him. But his real advocation was helping the poor.

"Can you help him?" Tony asked. "I owe him big time."

I happened to know a specialized medical practice in Peru that would be available yesterday and could not recruit in regular channels, as long as Tony was with me I called Xadi. We could meet at the Pablo and start negotiations that evening.

Tony did not expect such a fast response, but I said I was already a little late for getting this started.

Next Tony asked about Cynthia's trip. Pammie put him up to it of course. I explained it was her choice, there was a good reason, but I could not tell him more unless he wanted to "take the long first step off the deep end," on some real secrets. "Yucatan was toys, I mean real secrets." Secrets always have consequences attached, and there was no turning back after the first step on this journey. Tony wisely said he wasn't there yet, except maybe he was. When he wondered aloud if Tonto was likely to go deeper. At this point Tony hinted about the ring. I said plainly that the ring made it possible, maybe even likely. Pammie had the right ear to whisper in. In fact I was hopeful that once Tonto and Pammie were 18 and the obvious connection took place things would change in a big way. I said nice things about his kid and Tony agreed with it all. Things were suddenly moving fact. "The next two big steps were college and then life someplace south, not on the map."

"Atlantis?" Tony asked, half kidding.

"Yeah, maybe further south... Atlantis has better air service." I wasn't kidding. Tony recognized.

He was sure that Tonto was on the path to a step up in the world, but like any teenager making choices it would probably take him away from his father. That was life in these United States, especially given the dynamic with Pammie and her family. "They will probably leave the country long-term in time, maybe when Pammie graduates college." That was actually the plan.

Then Tony got to the point. "You didn't hear this from me, but Tonto may give Pammie an engagement ring in a day or two, between classes."

"Congratulations, they seem like a great pair. It sounds good for both of them."

"... yeah, that is not all. Both of them, meaning Pammie, also decided they they want to see something called the Colony, and if possible they wanted to go with Cynthia, but would only stay there for a week or three. She will call you to ask. Remember, it is news to you. Do you think it will be allowed?"

"I won't go into details, but I will make the case for it, and I do not see a problem."

"Wait a minute... are you saying this is not your call?"

"It is not my call. It is a long trip so one week is really too short. Cynthia is leaving next Tuesday, traveling with Brisk. You know she is going on a private plane? It is on a deadhead flight to Panama, then the plane is due next week in Quito. As a regular customer the Patron is only being charged for Panama to Iquitos, after that they fly the rest of the way in a Cessna. I can see you are thinking..."

Mentioning 'Panama' as a waypoint took Tony well beyond what he imagined. Then saying 'Iquitos' was like 'Shangri-La' to him, he needed to see a map. I mentioned that Iquitos was a city of about a quarter of a million, and possible the largest city in the world that you could not drive to from someplace larger. Suddenly his boy was going for real on a private plane and the whole 'Atlantis' joke was real flat.

"I have never been on a private plane... and to be honest I am a little curious myself about this Colony. If I was interested, what are the arrangements?"

Actually, after reading the report from the Yucatan, the Patron had asked about meeting Tony. "I think that if Tonto gets an okay, you would too. Irene speaks highly of you, and her description of your actions counts for a lot. You would have to swear to keep some secrets, and the return - to be honest, the timing would not be up to you and might be on a commercial flight. I assume your passport is okay?"

He nodded. "I have a solid second passport if needed. A lot of folks think I am sorta dead." We both smiled at that little drama we produced which the Aztexs bought and posted, "but there is no official record."

"No visa is required for a stay of half a year or less."

"You have VISA arrangements?"

"Yeah... Not really, but we have to act like it."

"I will look into arrangements for my house... I am not sure yet, but could you put in a word for me as well as the kids?"

"Sure thing, no problem. An early flight. Dress for the tropics."

"Like Yucatan?"

"Think warmer... a lot warmer. One other thing, the local rule is no swimming suits."

As he left he muttered to himself, "I wonder what I have asked for?"

-

Evening - At The Pablo

I had been looking for an MD to send to the Colony in Peru, for Resha and the community as a whole. But it was not a position I could advertise openly. I needed a person who could commit for a long time, which suggested a person who could not go back to where they were from. Also, I needed somebody who could be anchored there, without all the comforts of modern urban life.

I invited Xadi and his girls at the Pablo that evening. I never actually met the guy before, the neighbors all consider me a hermit or an insurance salesman who kept both strange hours and too many unattached women. It was just as well.

I knew Xadi was a nice guy and essentially non-violent. His biggest problem was that he attracted the wrong women. He was actually a neighbor of mine for about 2 months, that was 2 years ago. He lived there between the time he married his bitch of a second wife (who needed a mortgage payment - it was her house) and the day she threw him out after squeezing his assets while he was squeezing the pool maid. Both of them caught the other the same day. Xadi had married without a pre-nup so his second wife thought she could squeeze a fortune out of him. But he came pre-squeezed by his prior marriage and his parents so his wife was surprised to find there was so little in assets. That was when she got nasty. The maid was just a friendly diversion, good pool maids are rare so the ex-wife doubled the girl's salary to buy her loyalty and felt like she won the first skirmish of the divorce.

Then her ethical lawyer told her there was nothing else to win - Xadi worked for cash and goodwill. The lawyer left the ex-wife with a large bill for services rendered because Xadi had no money to go after. He had filed the first round of papers but could not find the time to do more until the ex-wife's account was paid up-to-date. The lawyer's wife told him that was ethical if he wanted to stay married.

Well, Xadi's wife hired another lawyer known to be unencumbered by ethics, a guy who did not do his homework.

Xadi was always in money trouble, he earned a lot from wealthy customers (his wife heard one client paid $30,000 for a 1 hour procedure - that was before she decided to marry him). The trouble was he spent most of his time working with people who couldn't pay him. He considered it his calling. Also, he spent far too much on the best medical equipment. (Hospitals always look at costs and profits, so if equipment is rarely used, they won't buy it, they borrow or send you to another hospital. Xadi has a different viewpoint, if he needs it to treat somebody he will beg, borrow or steal what he needs. Often it was a combination of the three, medical equipment makers are far too generous "lending" their latest toys on approval for a steep lease, then after a couple of missed payments their repo guys find the office was not where they expected it.)

Now it looked like the DA was building a case and would pounce on him soon. Once they pounced they would find other flimsy charges to pile on. Because he would eventually be extradited during the Christmas season, they would never have to prove anything, it would be purely a PR stunt for the DA. The DA wanted to be Mayor (they all do - I don't know why since the office is hell), so it was basically a question of nabbing the doc when he was worth the maximum press coverage before the upcoming November election.

Xadi knew this was coming because a female patient who worked for the DA revealed some things she was sworn to keep confidential. This woman considered the DA she worked for an asshole (he was) and held Xadi a saint because he cured her godson's cancer.

(The godson had an aggressive melanoma. The kid's regular docs measured the size, followed insurance guidelines and said "come back in three months." Xadi excised the tumorous cells the day he examined the kid a week later - after the spot had increased. He saw they were extremely aggressive. His fee was reasonable and was based on what the family's could pay. Melanoma can be a quick killer, tests on the excised cells showed that the kid, living in LA, had about one to three months before he turned the corner if it had not been treated. Xadi also checked the rest of the family over for free, which the insurance company would not consider. This was hard to sell - he had to look everywhere - but it paid off. A sister and the father both had pre-cancerous cells excised as a precaution. The family always thought it was curious how the father had no living relatives - now they knew. The sun was the problem, so the family packed up and moved to Alaska where the intense sun was not an issue.)

Besides being a trained doc Xadi was also a helicopter pilot which made things more interesting. He had a modern lightweight helicopter (Robinson R44, one of the most common helicopters in the world, the model was used by law enforcement in both Bolivia and Peru). His bitch ex-wife heard it was worth over half a million and claimed to have title to the copter, but the fact was she could not pick it out of a lineup. (She claimed it was white when in fact it was green with red and white trim - Basque colors.) The copter was actually owned by the family corporation controlled by Xadi's brother, Xadi got use of it as a gift from his parents at his undergrad college graduation, they wanted him home more often while he was away at medical school. The plan worked while he was in Europe, he was a dutiful son who could always visit them during the many French holidays, flying over the traffic jams. For weekend commutes in Europe the helicopter is outstanding. The ex really had no claim, but she put a crooked PI/Repo guy (license suspended) on the case and he forged documents based on lies she told him. Xadi told me the R44 was on a trailer, hidden in a barn in the mountains north of the city.

He did not fly in LA, the airspace is highly restricted with airports all over, plus it was easily spotted. But it sure saved time for trips to Frisco, Tahoe and Vegas. The DA did not know about the copter.

The helicopter would have to be shipped somehow, they do not fly long distances. But then, so would Xadi and his girls. Boat or train, it was mainly a question of timing - as in how long they could stand to be together in a cargo container outfitted as a tiny hotel room.

Which brings us to the women. Xadi's family home was a farm in Spain, near the border. For hundreds of years the wealthy family allowed some gypsies to live on the part of the land. The family and the gypsies had grown close. When Xadi graduated from Medical school the gypsies gave him a young girl (an orphan 8 years old, possibly one of theirs) to clean his household and cook for him - in other words, to live a comfortable legal life. This was something they did for a selected member of each generation, to bind the families. It was good for all parties.

The girl's name was Bianca. Her papers said she was Xadi's cousin and ward. The girl also had papers that claimed her name was Claire and she was 21, but those papers would not stand up in a post 9-11 world. In fact Bianca had just turned 16, and to my great surprise Li reported later that she was actually intact. She was one of those girls who radiates a sexual air well beyond her years. Her lips were pouty, demanding to be kissed. Her breasts under the thin blouse were pert and pointy, always tempting. Her dimpled cheeks were beautiful and her flashing dark eyes screamed how interested she was in me, and most of the guys she passed. Domestic tasks were trivial in Xadi's life, so Bianca had worked as Xadi's assistant for four years and was a pretty good nurse. She claimed to be deeply in love with him, but marriage was not possible. She stated that on his wedding night, she would sleep on the floor at the foot of Xadi's bed, so she could bring the lovers refreshment during the night. The DA knew about "21 year old Claire" but outside of a fuzzy picture he had no facts.

Bianca was very well read, she had most of the PDR in her memory as well as most Spanish literature, I would have loved to introduce her to Jessica.

Xadi insisted they not be parted if they moved, their love was spiritual, unpolluted by sins of the flesh, but they needed to be together to hear their heartbeats. So they had to travel together, but maybe the close proximity of a cargo container on a train and ship (my first thought) was not the best choice.

Woman #2 was a 27 year old woman (Oriana), a US citizen associated with the pair who was a nurse with legitimate papers. She had also devoted to Xadi (he really had a way with women) and had to figure in their destination. Her papers were solid so she could use legitimate transportation. As for how the three handled their personal life, I really did not need to know.

The DA assumed Oriana was an employee who was a citizen and hence required more delicate handling.

Li later said she thought, based on comments, that Oriana was bi and "a convent slut" meaning somebody who was religiously chaste by choice but would prostitute herself to anybody if it would help Xadi to safety.

One thing I knew that the DA didn't was that Oriana could fly the helicopter and had been doing so (learning in a smaller R-22) since she was 14. Her Dad had two on a big ranch that stretched across the US-Canada border. Unlike the others she was also a serious shot, before she was 21 she had killed a puma hunting her livestock at 600 yards and an ornery grizzly at close range with several well-placed shots from a medium caliber pistol. That is being cool under pressure.

The deal there is that the six-gun was not that big and the bear was very fast, she had to put several bullets in the right spots before the bear caught her with a single glancing blow.

I asked, "Could you land on a ship's deck at sea? Assume there is no Canadian bear-trap gizmo in use." (Canadian warships operate in rough seas so helicopters don't land on the ships, instead they are reeled in by the ship like a prize marlin.)

She replied, "Yes, if the sea was calm." She had logged several landings with medevac choppers to helipads on tall buildings and hospitals. It was where she met Xadi.

The DA had people on Xadi, watching his home and office on a random basis. There were also trackers in his car to make sure he did not leave the county. Xadi knew of both surveillance operations. The DA did not have the manpower to follow every move 24/7, he figured that for a peaceful guy (he swore an oath) in LA the car tracker was sufficient. Tony slipped a burner phone to Bianca for our needs.

The DAs whole deal with Xadi was political and based on timing, starting when Xadi had talked a young white girl out of a abortion. The girl's dad was a big political bundler who lost support when his daughter had a baby with the wrong father.

The bundler was the business manager for an association of megachurches that read the Good Book with a slant. They might have accepted incest but when the baby showed up with an overall suntan the father had to take a leave without pay - but still working overtime - until he did this whole public "forgive me for the sin of a non-white grandchild" thing before every congregation. Beating his daughter would expose the church to a criminal charge, but the torments of eternity were so close that a shocking example was needed. In the end the man had to beg each of the preachers to 'symbolically' beat him for the way he bungled raising his sinful daughter. Various preachers had different view of how symbolically they would apply the rod as a lesson to their congregation.

The "spare the lash, spoil the child" confessional tour of Sundays at each church set records for attendance and donations.

(I don't mean that there are a lot of megachurches with this unique viewpoint on race, but in southern Cali you do get all the more extreme kinds and on Sunday folks will drive a long way for their particular taste in dogma. The donations made are a tax deduction for the believers and are not taxable for the church, so when they find a niche they tend to grow large rather quickly. That was how Frank Church made his money, he knew that if somebody planted the right church in the dessert, the real estate market would bear sweet fruit. You just had to know where the successful preachers were headed, and help them plant roots by standing behind a 20-year note.

The DA needed to get a lot of press, so for best effect the arrest and perp walk had to be a slow news day closer to the early November election. Since banks get robbed every day in LA, and twice as much on the slow news day of Friday, good coverage days were hard to plan for. Also, the DA had to stay well within the law since he could not trust his flunkies to cross the line on his behalf. However, since Xadi was such a womanizer, the DA figured that Bianca and Oriana were not worth the effort to track, that it was inevitable one of them would turn on Xadi at the first fuzzy picture presented as evidence of betrayal.

Clearly the DA didn't know the love a woman can have for a handsome Spaniard who also spoke perfect French.

When I talked to Xadi about the colony (I did not name the country but I mentioned the Amazon watershed) he was impressed by the concept. It turned out that he did not have a great love for democracy, he believed the smartest people - the top 5% or so - should run things rather than having major policy change every 2 or 4 years like the US does, where the general populace cannot possibly keep up with the details of policy in taxes, unemployment, foreign relations, monetary policy, defense, immigration, farm policy, tariffs etc. (In fact, nobody can, and certainly nobody who is running for re-election can. They have to hire a staff of people in each area, then spend all their time raising money by making promises to rich folks. Xadi was educated in France, where the perpetual popular protests are ignored by the leaders and the people.) He could work with a stable, freedom-oriented principality.