The day is October 3, 1999. Dietz and his accomplice plan to fly back to the Chicago area from San Cristobel. The threat of a hurricane hitting the island suspends all departures and arrivals at the airport. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June through November. Each season usually includes at least two intense hurricanes. In this year alone, three hurricanes have hit San Cristobel. The last one resulted in the declaration of a national natural emergency and due to the growing perception that Prince Richard has become a weak ruler; there was also an attempted military coup. The threat of another coup continues to threaten the stability of this small principality.
A hurricane in the Caribbean can last a week or longer and more than one can occur within this region. Because of this, naming the storms reduces the confusion about which storm wreaks the havoc. On October 2, authorities announced a tropical depression (wind gusts up to 39 miles per hour), however within 12 hours the storm upgrades to a category 1 hurricane. According to the storm barometers, these storms include winds reaching 74 to 95 miles per hour with wave crests of 4 to 5 feet high. These storms are not dangerous in this region as they cause minimal damage. However, the announcement of storm changes strikes fear because great increases in velocity could devastate the island.
If the hurricane level increases to a two or three level, it will mean serious damage to the island's infrastructure. It will also mean that Dietz and his friend have little chance of getting off the island for some time. A reader without knowledge of such storm systems cannot grasp how fast these weather conditions can change at this time of year in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This hurricane was named Gert, which was the next name on the World Meteorological Association's list of storm names for 1999.
Despite talk to the contrary, there is no private airplane landing strip on the island. In 1983, the USA destroyed a landing strip built in support of a neighboring country's army backed military takeover. Those familiar with their history lessons remember that the United States sent troops to Grenada in 1983 to support the local government after a bloody coup killed that island's prime minister and several other leaders. At the time, the United States claimed to get involved in order to protect 1000 of its own citizens on the island. The San Cristobellians have not forgotten the USA's involvement in that conflict and the damage to the landing strip was the last straw. Diplomatic relations between the two countries remains difficult at best. Ironically, Grenada and most other neighboring countries now prosper with the aid of USA tourist dollars. Tourists from the USA are not welcome in San Cristobel.
The old landing strip was good for drop-offs of illegally trafficked goods and luxuries for the palace only. No one would attempt to land a small aircraft there; it would not be prudent. Indeed the princes' used their own heliport located on top of the palace annex roof. Via helicopter, the royalty can fly to Puerto Rico without having to fly out of the airport with the European lowlifes vacationing on the island. Once in Puerto Rico, flights are direct to Miami or other worldwide destinations.
The traveling time between San Cristobel's International Airport to Springfield Illinois including layover time in Puerto Rico and a layover from Chicago to Springfield takes about 5 to 7 hours depending on the flight connections. It is a day's trip. There is no way to just jaunt down there for a quick moonlight stroll. In addition, there are only two connecting flights through Puerto Rico. Dietz is concerned since if he misses the first flight the second is a no go because of overbooking, unless they buy some galuts out for a couple thousand dollars (the local currency of toucans--named after the missing heir to the throne's favorite birdies--was useless these days). Yep, that is what they would do! He had to get back home to Springfield.
Dietz shook his head; he had flown into this island years ago under worse conditions than this. Heck, category 1 storms were just a drop in the bucket. Not at all like that storm they had here in September, Hurricane Floyd, it had been a category 4 with winds up to 150 miles per hour. The storm's impact had been extreme and devastating. The people were so furious at Prince Richard's lack of concern for the country's welfare that they staged a coup under Prince Edmund's leadership. It had been downright ugly or so he had heard. Nevertheless, the brothers made up and Carmen continued to run her dry cleaning business using the island as a drop-off point for folding and storage, all without the Crown Prince's knowledge.
Meanwhile, Prince Edmund went about trying to sew seeds of derision within the ranks of the military. The Crown Prince continues to dwell on his love for that Reva/Katherine dame. "Hell," Dietz told his companion, "everywhere that dame goes trouble follows. I have known of her for over 7 years. Back in Springfield, I always tried to say hello but she just shook me off same as she did when she was the Crown Princess. Still don't know why she never asked me why I always called her Princess Katherine. If only someone had taken the time to ask me, we could have all proceeded directly to go and missed that summertime debacle! Carmen did not purchase a house here in San Cristobel until five years ago; she used to sublet a place for a few months every year. Carmen always came back for nostalgia's sake. This was where she met her first husband, Michael, after all. As Dietz now told his friend, "That Shayne woman caused problems the first time she came and now she is wreaking havoc again and this time it looks like she is going to topple the entire principality."
Dietz had no doubt that Edmund would re-stage a military coup given the chance. However, this time the people seemed more hooked on the idea of going against monarchial rule. The country's new Labor party had experienced a ground swell of support in the local parliamentary elections last summer. It was very likely that Mr. Heath, Carmen's own little Santos Bank President would be the next President. Heath had a darn good chance to do so in fact. He seemed to be waiting out Carmen's court case up in the Chicago area
Dang, Dietz thought, this is all too hot and convoluted for me, I have to get out of this country and do so soon. Dietz was not sure if Carmen was backing Heath or if he himself had grown so power hungry, that, he now controlled Carmen's assets down here.
Once the storm hits the island and martial law is declared, he would be stuck here with Boom Boom and the girls for two weeks, at least. One thing you did not ever want to do was be around Boom Boom during a state of natural emergency. If she did not have full use of her electrical equipment, there was usually hell to pay and he had the welts on his head to prove it.
His pal was asleep now. Dietz always had to wonder, was it his voice or his conversation that seemed to put people to sleep? Maybe his voice was just calming. Dietz is frustrated. He had forgotten one of the reasons he disliked this island so much. Here in San Cristobel coffee came in small demitasse cups. For a caffeine junkie like himself who drank at least four pots of coffee a day, this just would not do. No sir, with just eight cups of espresso in him so far today and it being 9 AM already, he was beginning to feel as if his head was starting to cave in. No three ways about it, he had to have that old espresso express, the coffee caboodle, and the Java jive. Chock Full of Nuts, yeah he liked that slogan but always thought Chock Full of Flavor would have been a better name. Dietz liked nothing more than the sound of a coffee maker percolating early in the morning, or an espresso machine whooshing, or a drip coffee maker dripping. He could not cut down and he would not; coffee and the love for it was what made him tick.
He was not a heavy drinker or a smoker. What was it Carmen always used to tell him, "Dietz you are living proof that you don't have to drink to act stupid." He had taken that to heart, as it was obviously a compliment. Heck, given Carmen's recent taste in men who drank a bit too much, he hoped it was only a matter of time until someone even of her inferior breeding would recognize that Mr. Ben Warren was one step away from an active AA meeting. Sure Dietz had the jiving Java jig habit but it was not really a problem see, he could quit at any time. But a man knocking back six single malt scotches with his breakfast at Company was a man headed for trouble if he wasn't also in the market for a new liver once he hit 50.
Dietz grew contemplative. In many ways, he is a contented man. How many people find their ideal career the first shot out of horse stall? Yep Dietz thought, looking at his friend now fast asleep, he is definitely in the right career field. So many kids today experimented with careers and he worried they would never find something to fit them. He recognized early on that killing, trafficking, thievery and the protection racket was the perfect career choice for him. Sure, the work got messy sometimes but it paid well and he went home every night with a clear conscience that he was ridding the world of those who could not afford its luxuries. Heck, what most lacked in the business world, or in any chosen career path was a lack of talent and expertise in a given area. Dietz knew his work inside and out in aces and spades!
He looked up and saw the ashen face of Olivia, the jilted fiancee of Prince Richard. She walked by him. Olivia worked at the airport information kiosk for now. She had a new job at Spaulding Enterprises at the end of October. She was one smart woman, she knew how to cut her losses and move on to brighter things. It had only taken her eight years to wake-up, smell the coffee, and realize that Richard was not right for her (and him dumping her the second time didn't hurt driving that point home either).
Still, Edmund had used her for his own ill-gotten gains. Used her as a sexual play thing, duped her into selling the Crown Prince's baby, stashing the kid for a while (so to speak) and now he controlled her psychologically with his own twisted form of "blackmail."
Dietz wished he could reach out and offer her a hand or even a cup of coffee. However, the airport coffee bar just announced a coffee shortage and Dietz just could not take the chance. Olivia had been through so much in just a few months. He wished she would talk to him sometime. He could have helped her avoid all of this pain and misery. Heck, he thought I could help all those miserable souls out there! He knew all the dirty little secrets.
Heck, if he was a gossiping man, he could run his own ASK DIETZ message board and answer all those questions people wonder and write about for days. Things like: What are bearer bonds and why are they like laundering money? Where is Katherine's baby? What was the sick hold that Edmund held over Olivia? Where did Katherine go when she left the island? What style bra does Beth Spaulding wear? Yep, he could tell everyone-everything but heck that was what the daytime serial did so well. The show explained everything, all about these intricate plot points and does so in great yet non-repetitive detail.
Funny that people are still saying what a mystery it is that Reva/Katherine was out of sight 5 to 7 years ago (the time difference seems to depend on who you talk to). The truth was, nobody seemed to care what happened to her and he guessed it was like that back in Springfield where all the papers and magazines had articles about the royal wedding all those years ago. People, Life, Royalty Monthly all did huge spreads. Dietz figured that it was the old out of sight out of mind theory. Most of the island folk were just so glad that the prince was finally diddling somebody that they did not even care if it was some white trash lowlife with a dreaded USA accent. Moreover, the island people always pointed out that although she was lacking in some essential qualities for a Princess, she made up for most of those with the fact that she was one strong woman.
Dietz shook his head; she swam over 200 miles through treacherous shark infested waters to get to this island. The story was she drove her car off a bridge in the Florida Keys. Then she swam to a spot where the anglers caught her not far from this island.
Don't most people swim towards Florida and not away from it? Even an idiot would recognize the tide changes mid-ocean and go towards land rather than away from it. Nevertheless, Reva/Katherine just kept on swimming right towards the farthest and most remote island in the Caribbean. She must have swum right past Cuba, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.
He did have to hand that Reva/Katherine dame one thing though, when she hit a destination no matter where, she never tried to blend in or figure out where she came from. She just went after the hunkiest honcho and got it on with him. Nope she did not mess around with messing around and just got right down to it. What had Prince Richard told Carmen Santos about Katherine? That she had him in bed within the week of her miraculous search and recovery arrival on the island. Everyone was always so nice when the discussion turned to how the anglers had found Katherine and brought her to the Prince.
The truth was that the fishermen actually caught her in their net. Yep, they hauled Reva/Katherine up onto that boat deck along with a mess of tuna and dolphins. She was now a strict vegetarian, go figure. Still, you have to admire a woman who sets her priorities
Just then, a group of armed guerrillas marched through the airport. Dietz looked down at his pager, damn how had he missed the vibration pulse? Carmen paged him about 30 minutes ago. According to the page, the judge and jury found her not guilty. Dietz laughed. Carmen was not a bad woman. Sure she wanted her daughter-in-law dead but what self-respecting woman doesn't? No matter how many times he'd double double double crossed her in the past, she remembered the past and knew she could count on him.
He went to a phone booth. Never liked those cell phones, they did not pick up good reception on this island, never had! He got in touch with Jimmy and received his instructions. He and the bud were to fly back ASAP. Carmen talked to Edmund and they were to meet the Prince at the castle helicopter pad. The three of them would fly via helicopter to Puerto Rico. From there, Dietz and his pal would catch American Airline flight #473 to Chicago direct. Then Jimmy told him one more thing, something that did not please Dietz at all.
Dietz went down to the holding area. There in all her glory was Carla Ray, awaiting shipment onto the next cargo plane, destination Casa Santos USA. She was terrified of the wind and the storm. Per Carmen's instruction, he'd take Danny's new little girl over to the castle for safe keeping, she'd be happier over there eating grass in that fancy old courtyard. And if she should happen to leave something else as a present, well it wouldn't be the first time there was a pile of it over there!
Dietz entered the holding area. "Shhhh Carla Ray, Shhhh. Everything is going to be okay. Bennie is here and I am going to take good care of you." She was a darn fine horse. She sure looked like she would be one heck of a ride. Yep, a man could sit up tall in the saddle when he was on top of Carla Ray. She had such a gentle disposition once you got to know her and she had one characteristic he always liked in females--more space between the hips and shoulders than between her eyes. He talked with the men standing in the loading area and tipped them in US dollars. Yep, change was happening fast. He would not be surprised if Prince Richard and Prince Edmund ended up back in Springfield in a little while. There was nothing left for them here. Richard had single-mindedly lusted after a woman who was of uncommon easy virtue all while not knowing anything of her past and Edmund had always been a bit too greedy and failed to put the needs of anyone else over his own sick desires.
Dietz went back upstairs and told his pal about the plans. They both reviewed their travel inventory: plenty of money, check; bearer bonds for bribing officials, check; 9 mm handguns with ammo, check; two suits - raincoat and tie, check; bulletproof vests and gear, check (if someone was going to kill Bennie Dietz they'd best aim for his head because any bullet(s) to his torso would not kill him). "Let's go man," Dietz said, "let me just grab another cup of the coffee bean juice and we are off."