003 - Cordeiro Connection
Episode 3 of the Boy From Ipanema series - Stab Unit™
U.S. CONSULATE - RIO DE JANEIRO
Rusty dodges traffic and crosses the street to his car.
Once inside, he speed-dials a contact on his phone as he fires the engine and screams into traffic. He practically has to yell to be heard above the traffic.
“I'm going to need all photos you've taken of everyone who's entered Cordeiro's ranch.”
He listens for a brief moment. “Right. Madureira. One hour. 'Brigado, cara. Thanks.”
WASHINGTON D.C.
OFFICE OF SENATOR JOSEPH RALEIGH
The senator's ASSISTANT enters the office unannounced. SENATOR RALEIGH, 50's, balding, is seated at his sleek desk on the phone. She interrupts.
He shoots her an angry glare but keeps speaking.
“I can't have this thing get out of committee and you know it... If we piss off the Brazilians with import tax now--”
The assistant waives to get his attention and then whispers, “He's on line four.”
She stands there persistently nagging him into answering line four. The senator acknowledges her and violently waves her out of the room.
“Judas! Look, Jeff, I'm going to have to call you right back.”
He hangs up and quickly punches line four. “Simon, what's the status?.. No, just tell him to wait for my call. I can't do it from here.”
He hangs up and scrambles for the door. He leaves so quickly that his secretary can't keep up.
TANYING MANZU, BEIJING, CHINA
A menacing office building towers above the rest of the local edifices. Everything about it implies power, wealth, and danger.
DARK OFFICE
A thick, stout oriental man in his 50's, CHI YONG, sits at a large oak desk. His office overlooks the Miyun reservoir and it's posh furnishings along with his perfectly tailored suit display a powerful man.
He hangs up the phone and speaks to an unknown man in the shadows.
“The senator is scared.”
A small laugh can be heard coming from the darkest corner of the room.
“He should be. He's about to deliver the most deadly weapon ever devised by man.”
A smile parses Chi Yong's thick lips. He pours himself a drink.
WASHINGTON D.C. MALL EATERY
In the far corner, Senator Raleigh speaks quietly into his phone.
“I just spoke to our Chinese friends. I need confirmation that it's fully functional.”
CORDEIRO'S RANCH
De Oliveira presses the cell phone to his ear. He stands watching through the fence at Cordeiro's horses. He takes a moment and let’s the senator sweat it out a bit.
“Rest assured. The mutation was added without incident. Guaranteed to go air-bourn on impact. Full effects within thirty seconds.”
The senator leans back on his puny chair.
“Holy mother— look, Call Mr. Simon when you're ready to go with the next demonstration,” he says.
Oliveira smiles to himself. He puts a foot up onto the railing.
“One more thing, meu... Someone's watching us closely. They found Antonio Carlos. Find out who it is and take care of it. Use your man at the consulate.”
Senator Raleigh snaps the flip-phone down. Then a small grin appears on his crusted lips.
He stands up, removes the SIM card from the phone and tosses it into the trash, then heads for the exit.
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