Si Patron(A short historical fiction novel)(WIP)

[Revolutionario Democratico Panama]

My name is mad orc, I had initially posted this on anther forum. But for certain reasons, I have left that forum.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?786397-Si-Patron

[Revolutionario Democratico Panama]

Chapter 1.

I am Thomas Carlos, its 1910 and I am a warlord in a strange country. But in 1898 I was a dog level clerk in a cheap New York law firm. Surprised, wait, lets begin from the beginning.

I was born in 1868 the only child of a struggling Arizona rancher. I grew up in one of the most desolate and wild parts of the world ! When I was 16, my father made it clear that I would go to New York and learn something good, something good by his standards that is, he wanted to have me do some 'Civilized' job. Thus I was enrolled at college, worked after college hours and basically became a 'City-dweller' whenever I visited my home in Arizona.

At 22 I got a job at 'Bensons and Ruckets' law firm for business. I graduated from assistant typist to clerk after 8 long years, life sucked, made a few bucks a week, lived in a cheap tenement room in Hell's kitchen and many times had nothing but boiled carrots to eat. But this lifestyle did give me one thing, a hate for poverty and the poor, day by day they toiled, in sun and snow and like mice, scraped off whatever they could. During this time, I remained a bachelor, a predatory extrovert(I made many nice connections with important people thanks to my soft skills) and my trips to my old man in Arizona became lesser and lesser, especially after my mother's demise in 1895.

I did get some major military experience when i served during the New Orleans bandit attack and its aftermath, i was termed as a natural with guns, but otherwise i was pretty bland when i returned back to lawyer.

Life would have continued on like before had my old man not popped his clogs in March 1898. I got the news from a loyal servant. Man was i ecstatic, of course not for my father's death, may god bless his soul, but for the fact that my savings had been spent on buying a slightly better apartment and the only way to become even was to sell off the lowly 180 acre desolate ranch that he had left behind.

So I caught the first train to Arizona ready with all the papers and all for making a swift sale.

The funeral was a small affair,but still grand, my father had been a good soul with many friends, some rich, many poor, he had always donated to the poor and worked loyally to help the rich. Among the people attending the funeral was Mr.Seth Jackson, he was............................................you guessed it, my buyer. That evening, after the feast, i got the papers ready, along with Seth, there was also my paperwork related friend Harry. "So, Mr.Jackson, lets begin, my price is..........................................."

"Mr.Carlos, pardon me, but my heart will not allow me to purchase someone's land when not even a day has passed off his funeral" he replied quite sternly.

These men of the heart, I was going to object but my own heart told me that i would get a better price if I caught him in good mood.

Three days later I had completed all procedure, gotten the cash and was ready to head off home to New York when my buddy Harry came to the small hotel room where I was staying.

"Thomas, wait up, I have something more for you" he said.

I had been packing my stuff and was surprised by his excited tone.

"What is it Harry?" i asked.

"Your father also owned a 90 acre property in Ures, Sonora"

"Where, Sonora, isn't that Mexico?" I asked.

"Yes, down south, the old woman of town tells me that your father wanted you to own it after he died" said Harry

"Oh gosh man, if I go down there, I would have missed too many workdays by the time I return back to Mr.Benson and Mr.Crockets" I said.

"Come one sir, wouldn't you do this much for your father, plus, you can sell it for more cash" he reasoned.

And that's how I found myself, on a hot May day in the little Mexican town of Ures. Travel hadn't been easy either, the Mexican railways still ran like the 1860s. Hot and uncomfortable.

Ures itself fit that same description, the red lights shone everywhere, the sound of the dice and cards was irritating, cheap prostitutes walked the streets with their ugly faces, the hellish music of the automatic Pianos was everywhere and everything smelled of garbage and whisky, in daytime the sun burned upon everything listed above and charred it to the core, so only the skeletons, barely resembling humans roamed the deserted streets with their firearms at the ready and their Sombreos tucked down.

The local guide told me that my land was miles away from Ures itself, outside in the desert. I decided to just visit it the next morning. So that evening, wanting to avoid the poor and the drunk, I decided to spend a lot of money and pay off the hefty entry fee to visit the 'European saloon' , a slightly better establishment for Mexico's elite. When I entered, i saw paper decorations everywhere and a band was playing too. My curiosity was answered by the barman while he poured a generous pint of whisky for me.

"Its just Mr. Ricardo Isabel, the local strongman, his father in law's the governer. He's hosting a business meeting here, this is his style of doing it, bet you thought it was a wedding?"

"Oh si amigo," I answered.

After my second drink, I started eating my bread. Loud noises were coming from the garden behind the saloon, I peered a bit through the window. A fine looking Creole with grey Kaiser Wilhelm moustache was taking loudly to what appeared to be his servant.
"That's Isabel, the richest bandido in all of this cursed land" said the man sitting next to me.

"Umm" I balked.

"I work for him, he treats everyone this way" he said.

"Hmm, what's the cause of anger though" I asked.

"Some deal with the Gringos, he is trying to get a Gringo called Mr.Wheatstone to invest in yet another of his water projects, but that man appears to be stubborn, he won't agree to even hear him out and that's giving the patron a lot of sweat" he explained.

"Hmm" I said and continued eating.

After two minutes more had passed, Isabel had returned back to his private place on the first floor of the saloon. Suddenly something ringed.

"Hey amigo, what is the name of that American, full name?" I asked.

"Jacob Wheatsone" he answered.

"My man, I can get him to talk to your boss, if only I had the chance" I said.

"WHAT, how, how, how can you do that amigo?" he asked.

"This Wheatstone may consider himself an elite, but he and my father started out the same, struggling ranchers, he cheated, my father obeyed the truth, he drew blood, my father forgived, he became elite, my father remained the same, nevertheless, he is a family friend of mine, i used to play in his mansion when i was a kid" I said.

"Amigo, I am positive, if you can indeed help out the patron(Boss) then he will reward you richly" he said.

"Yes" I replied.

"He may also reward me" he exclaimed to himself.

"True" I replied.

"Since you are so sure, I will take the chance and attempt to get you to him, don't forget to tell my name though" he said.

"Really?, that's good, let's get going right away, umm, what's your name?" I asked.

"Juano" he said.

Juano took me up the stairs, when the bodyguard asked him the reason, Juano said "Some information for the patron", obviously Juano was trusted because a few moments later I found myself standing in front of the Caudillo.

"Patron, this gringo says that he can help you reach Wheatstone" said Juano.

"Hmm, can you really do it sir?" he asked with an obviously acquired European accent.

"Yes Mr.Isabel" I replied.

Then I quickly explained the same old story to him as well. A few minutes into my speech and he suddenly exclaimed.
"You want to leave Juano"

"Si Patron" said Juano and quickly ran downstairs.

"I don't do such deals at other times Mr.Carlos, but two things, i am desperate and my sixth sense tells me that you are genuine, i will cover all your expenses for the tour, but believe me, if you at all betray me, then there will be no dark corner of the world from Ceylon to Cameroon which will be safe for you" he said.

The very next morning, i was given the cash, in dollars and some paperwork to go back to Arizona. Isabel repeated his threat, remember senior, if you betray me, then consider yourself dead.

I could only reply:

"Si patron"

[Revolutionario Democratico Panama]

Chapter 2.

It was only when the train had reached Nogales(Mexican Nogales), that I realized that in my excitement, I had forgotten to visit my 90 acre land at all ! It didn't matter, the bag of cash(To bribe Wheatstone) in my hand and the new Winchester repeater that Isabel had given me, made up for it.

After reaching Nogales, I changed the train across the border and then traveled via Santa Cruz county and finally reached Tuscon. It was early morning and I decided to do the job as quick as I could. Wheatstone was in his office. It was located right in the middle of this otherwise wild town, it was a fine establishment. It had to be, Wheatstone was also planning to go into politics soon. Inside, in the lobby, I approached the secretary, he was busy counting some papers and uttering some gibberish in French, or was it Russian?

"Hey there mister, i would like to take up an appointment with Mr.Wheatstone" I said.

"Hmm, what for?" he asked.

"Just call him sir" I said.
Surprisingly for a smart aleck secretary he actually obeyed me!

Two minutes later he came out and asked me "What was your name again sir?" .

"I am Thomas Carlos" I said.

"Thomas Carlos, ok" said he and then went away.

Another minute had passed and he returned back smiling.

"Go right in sir, Mr.Wheatstone says he is happy to see you" said the secretary.

I lifted up my bag and went in through the mahogany doors depositing my pistol to the security guard standing outside. Inside I was greeted by Wheatstone, his grey hair perfectly contrasting the austere whiteness on his smiling lips.

"Thomas my son, I heard about your father, sad, wasn't it. Let's not discuss sad things eh. How grown you have become, city life has made you.........err...........different" he said.

"Yes sir, New York was good." I replied.

"Was?" he enquired.

"I have recently been to Mexico sir" I said, treading carefully.

"What for?" he asked.

"My father had owned some land in Ures, I was there to sell it"

"Hmm, how was it down south?" he asked.

"Good, so i had one of the most interesting meeting in Ures, i saw a great water project being erected, the project is going to supply water to that little town as it never had, soon, every single person in that town will never have any shortage of this fundamental liquid" I said.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes sir" I said.

He was silent for a minute, then he said "To tell you the truth, I was approached by its financier for investment, but I declined".

"Yes, but Mr.Isabel told me that if you agree, we could work out something about regarding your new political campaigns, you need cash right?" I said as i politely as i could.

"Hmm, yes, but what about the investment itself?" he asked, by now he had understood my real motives.

"Lets just say, that it would be the best investment with high return that you will make, and you must also consider the other investment sir" I said.

"Other?" he asked.

"Investment of friendship, you know what happened during Dario, now had yuo had some friends down south, he would still be alive today" I said.

His face went red with color. Dario was one of his best enforcers. Fast with a gun, powerful, influential. Once, a certain manager of his branch refused to pay up, so Wheatstone sent Dario to deal with him, when Dario went to confront him, the man fired. One thing led to another and Dario ended up murdering him. Wheatstone panicked and sent Dario to hide in Mexico, he never came back !

Suddenly Wheatstone said "I agree, show me the cash and i will immediately put in a telegram for Ures".

I said to myself in my mind "You have done it " .