to move forward.
“Hi AJ, this is Echols. I’ve got a couple contacts numbers for you, but AJ… This isn’t going to get back to anyone is it?” Echols said, more than a hint of tension in his voice.
“No Bob, I’m still your lawyer. You’re safe. Didn’t you see the movie The Firm? I’m a ship forever at sea with your secrets.”
“What? Well, ah, thanks.”
“Bob, the information?” AJ said, growing impatient.
“There are two firms recommended for issues in Eastern Europe. RMS Services is Romanian, headquartered in Bucharest. A couple former Securitate directors run it.”
“Securitate?” AJ asked.
“The old Ceausescu-era secret police, they’re very well connected and discrete. They work throughout the region. You didn’t say which country would be involved.”
“No, I didn’t,” AJ said. “That sounds too closely connected. I don’t want government interference,” Or governments knowing what I’m doing, AJ thought. “Give me the information Bob?” AJ wrote down the name and contact number. “Who else have you got?”
“The other one’s much smaller, but very trustworthy.”
“Bob, get on with it.” AJ was getting irritated. It shouldn’t be this difficult.
“Word is they are trustworthy.”
“OK, I get it, trustworthy. Who is it?”
“G. Donatella in Milan.”
“That’s all? No company name.”
“That’s it. G. Donatella, an address in Milan and phone number. They have close ties to Guardia di Finanza, the Italian economic crimes agency, and to Europol’s Criminal Intel Division.
AJ wanted something more specific to Greece, but didn’t want to give anything away, so he asked, “Any others Bob?”
“Well, my contact at Interpol mentioned a guy in Athens, but he says he’s not the most reliable,” Echols said.
AJ refrained from patting himself on the back. “Well, give me the information, and if the first two don’t work out, I can fall back on this guy. Who is it?” AJ said.
“Spiro Dranias, Athens.”
“OK, give me the contact info.”
AJ jotted down the information, and when he was sure he had all he needed, he said, “Thank you I appreciate the information, and Bob, forget we ever spoke. OK?”
Sounding relieved, Echols responded, “Spoke to who?”
“That’s right, Bob, you’re a ship forever at sea with my secrets.”
AJ had three names. The least attractive was in Athens but that was where he was headed. AJ typed the information into the note section into his iPhone and called Athens. He reached an answering machine where he left a message with his cell number asking Spiro Dranias to call immediately on matter of some urgency.
AJ immediately got on his laptop. He used a travel website to make business class reservations for Athens for the next day. He was surprised to find several airlines flew to Athens from Charlotte. He made early morning reservations for Miami, Charlotte, Athens. It would take twenty hours, but he would arrive in Athens at the start of the business day. With luck, he could meet with Dranias sometime that first day. AJ booked a room at the Athens Metro hotel, allegedly within walking distance to the Acropolis.
Ceres had watched all this activity with bemused, but silent patience. He watched AJ sit back, arms stretched across the back of the couch, satisfied everything he needed was in place. Ceres, who had enjoyed his front row seat to AJ’s flurry of activity, slowly stood, and as he left the room casually called over his shoulder, “Good luck finding out anything without your source of information,” Ceres said pointing at his own head.
AJ called out to him, “Wait, you want to go? I thought you said you didn’t travel well.”
Chapter 8
The argument about going to Greece was brief. AJ gave in quickly since he didn’t want to alienate Ceres. He needed him. Their Miami-to-Charlotte flight was routine. Ceres liked the white high back rockers in the Charlotte airport’s main concourse, but he loved the US
“Hi AJ, this is Echols. I’ve got a couple contacts numbers for you, but AJ… This isn’t going to get back to anyone is it?” Echols said, more than a hint of tension in his voice.
“No Bob, I’m still your lawyer. You’re safe. Didn’t you see the movie The Firm? I’m a ship forever at sea with your secrets.”
“What? Well, ah, thanks.”
“Bob, the information?” AJ said, growing impatient.
“There are two firms recommended for issues in Eastern Europe. RMS Services is Romanian, headquartered in Bucharest. A couple former Securitate directors run it.”
“Securitate?” AJ asked.
“The old Ceausescu-era secret police, they’re very well connected and discrete. They work throughout the region. You didn’t say which country would be involved.”
“No, I didn’t,” AJ said. “That sounds too closely connected. I don’t want government interference,” Or governments knowing what I’m doing, AJ thought. “Give me the information Bob?” AJ wrote down the name and contact number. “Who else have you got?”
“The other one’s much smaller, but very trustworthy.”
“Bob, get on with it.” AJ was getting irritated. It shouldn’t be this difficult.
“Word is they are trustworthy.”
“OK, I get it, trustworthy. Who is it?”
“G. Donatella in Milan.”
“That’s all? No company name.”
“That’s it. G. Donatella, an address in Milan and phone number. They have close ties to Guardia di Finanza, the Italian economic crimes agency, and to Europol’s Criminal Intel Division.
AJ wanted something more specific to Greece, but didn’t want to give anything away, so he asked, “Any others Bob?”
“Well, my contact at Interpol mentioned a guy in Athens, but he says he’s not the most reliable,” Echols said.
AJ refrained from patting himself on the back. “Well, give me the information, and if the first two don’t work out, I can fall back on this guy. Who is it?” AJ said.
“Spiro Dranias, Athens.”
“OK, give me the contact info.”
AJ jotted down the information, and when he was sure he had all he needed, he said, “Thank you I appreciate the information, and Bob, forget we ever spoke. OK?”
Sounding relieved, Echols responded, “Spoke to who?”
“That’s right, Bob, you’re a ship forever at sea with my secrets.”
AJ had three names. The least attractive was in Athens but that was where he was headed. AJ typed the information into the note section into his iPhone and called Athens. He reached an answering machine where he left a message with his cell number asking Spiro Dranias to call immediately on matter of some urgency.
AJ immediately got on his laptop. He used a travel website to make business class reservations for Athens for the next day. He was surprised to find several airlines flew to Athens from Charlotte. He made early morning reservations for Miami, Charlotte, Athens. It would take twenty hours, but he would arrive in Athens at the start of the business day. With luck, he could meet with Dranias sometime that first day. AJ booked a room at the Athens Metro hotel, allegedly within walking distance to the Acropolis.
Ceres had watched all this activity with bemused, but silent patience. He watched AJ sit back, arms stretched across the back of the couch, satisfied everything he needed was in place. Ceres, who had enjoyed his front row seat to AJ’s flurry of activity, slowly stood, and as he left the room casually called over his shoulder, “Good luck finding out anything without your source of information,” Ceres said pointing at his own head.
AJ called out to him, “Wait, you want to go? I thought you said you didn’t travel well.”
Chapter 8
The argument about going to Greece was brief. AJ gave in quickly since he didn’t want to alienate Ceres. He needed him. Their Miami-to-Charlotte flight was routine. Ceres liked the white high back rockers in the Charlotte airport’s main concourse, but he loved the US
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