Aztec Gold (part 2)

Game Date: Friday, 14 March 1947
Date Played: 18 October 2003

Gabi leaves straight away for the address of the meeting with the aim of staking it out and preventing anyone ambushing the team. She drives past and sneaks back through the roadside scrub. She cannot see anyone or anything at the meeting place, an abandoned filling station in the rural wasteland between LA and Passedena. She sets herself up in the bushes and waits.

Jack phoned Pulaski and made a deal for use of a police armoured car in exchange for a crate of whiskey and something for the lady of the house. If it's even scratched, Pulaski threatens, he'll turn Jack in for stealing it. When Jack collects it, Pulaski has the radio turned up very loud, so he can deny having heard anything.

Nate puts in the order on the docks and rejoins the team. They pick up a very nervous Mr Shandling, one of Guiliani's lawyers who knows antiques, who carries the briefcase containing $50,000. They mark their idol with a spot of gold paint -- nothing that could be easily seen but something that would tell them whether the statuettes have been switched. They drive to the meeting.

Gabi watches a black sedan arrive. One Mexican looking thug gets out and checks the area before opening the doors to the filling station's repair shed. Three other men get out of the car, another Mexican thug, a very spick spick, Jose Almodovar, and a shorter man with a big cigar. All four move inside the shed.

The agency arrives. Nate gets out and looks for Gabi. When he cannot see her, he assumes she is OK and that the scene is clear. He walks to the door of the repair shed and puts his head around to see the spick standing in a spotlight with two idols set up on an orange box. The two thugs are in the corners, out of the way but close enough if trouble starts.

Galloway and Shandling get out of the car and there is introductions all round. Benny stays in the car, ready to drive away very quickly at the slightest provocation. But Benny inches the car forward. Pinned in the spotlight like a frightened rabbit is Johnny Rocco. Galloway and Rocco recognise each other and exchange a few pleasantries.

After each party has checked over the wares of the other, the negotiations begin. Much back and forth ensues and, finally, a deal is struck. Instead of buying one statuette for $30,000, Nate buys two for $50,000.

Both parties back away from each other, the agency with the statuettes, Rocco with the cash.

After the agency drives away, Gabi watches as Rocco and his lads gather around their car. One of the thugs whistles and from a dozen feet behind her, another Mexican slowly stands. He has his gun trained on Gabi as he slowly steps past her. They drive away laughing.

Gabi, disgusted at herself for not spotting Rocco's man in the scrub, picks herself up, finds her car and drives back to the office to meet the rest of the agency.

The team assure themselves once more that the idols are genuine and escort Shandling and the idols into Giuliani's presence. Guiliani, on learning that he'd just given Johnny Rocco $50,000 hits the roof. However, his temper is moderated by the fact that the three idols, together again after so many years, sit on the desk in front of him. Go, he says. Any obligation between them, on either side, has been fulfilled.

Case closed.