“Another thing — you have hit contracts out on a couple of my men. I want those contracts canceled.”
“My men won’t follow up on those contracts — they’re all in prison now just like me. But there is one problem.”
For the first time Jake sensed Coletta was trying to smile.
“What’s the problem?”
“Lugassi took over my contracts. I made that part of my deal with him, thinking it would protect me in prison.”
Coletta started to laugh at his own revelation but went into another coughing spell, unable to catch his breath. One of the monitor alarms sounded loudly, accompanied by a flashing light. The nurse quickly opened the door as Coletta began to contain his cough. The monitor alarm stopped, and Pisano waved the nurse away just before she reached the bed. Pisano wanted an answer to his question.
“Why is that a problem?”
“You know I can’t take back my contracts with Lugassi.”
He made the statement like a proclamation Pisano should know — that the order was irreversible and unbreakable under syndicate rules.
“Isn’t your boy Hanna out at sea with the Navy?”
Pisano was surprised that Coletta knew or remembered anything about Wade, and he was quick to respond with ambiguity. “I’m not sure. I haven’t spoken to him in a while.”
“That was a smart move on your guy’s part. They can’t touch him out at sea. But he’ll have to watch himself when he comes back.”
Coletta seemed to manage another small smile followed by a grimace of pain, or perhaps it was a smirk. Jake couldn’t tell what control Coletta had over his facial muscles or what expression he was trying to make. Coletta was now in a semi-conscious state. His eyes focused in a blank stare on the walls around the bed like he was seeing his room for the first time.
Jake felt his time with Coletta ending as the mobster drifted off to sleep again. He lightly nudged Coletta to ask another question.
“How do I get the key to the bank box?”
“I’ll call my attorney and you can pick it up.”
The nurse anxiously stared through the window of the door. She came in without invitation and checked Coletta’s monitors.
Already knowing the answer to his question, Jake asked anyway. “Is he asleep again?”
“He’s worn out. I’m afraid that’s all he can provide you with today.”
“If he wakes up, please remind him to call his attorney. It’s very important. I’ll make certain you have the authority to get a phone to him. Hopefully, he’ll remember the number to dial.”
The nurse looked down at Coletta and then waved Pisano over to the other side of the room out of ear shot. She whispered, “I don’t think he’s got much longer.”
“I can see that, but I have to get access to some vital documents in a bank vault. I can have a court order issued, but I don’t trust his attorney, and there may not be enough time for that. Knowing Coletta, he’s probably got a fail-safe mechanism to have them destroyed when he dies unless I get to them first. I need you to make sure he calls his attorney.”
“I’ll work on that as soon as he wakes up.”
Pisano left the prison hospital uncertain about what he’d accomplished.
Chapter 2
It was his weekend for reserve duty. Wade squirmed uncomfortably in the oak student desk as the instructor droned on about Southeast Asia’s geography and the waters surrounding Vietnam. Shiny new maps of Southeast Asia hung from the classroom walls, telling their own story about what the Navy was thinking.
The instructor rapidly ran through a list of nautical distances between the coastal cities of Qui Nhon, Hai Phong, and Cam Ranh. The glassed-over eyes of the students were steadfastly ignored by the instructor. He must have expected the class to either be familiar with the Asian coast line, or have photographic memories.
Bored beyond understanding, Wade drifted off into another world as the instructor went on lecturing about ocean depths and key navigational land reference points in the South China Sea.
During the break, members gathered around benches under a tree not far from the classroom. Wade went over to sit with his friend and classmate, Chief Shaun Ellsworth and asked him, “Where are they going with all this Southeast Asia stuff? Who the hell cares?”
“We’re being set up. Can’t you see that?”
“For what, exactly?”
“Unit activation. I’ve been there before. The Navy likes to sneak up on us. They never tell us what’s really happening.”
“Do you think our unit will be activated?”
“Yep. You can bet on it. I don’t know when, but they wouldn’t be doing all this because of some sudden interest in Southeast Asian geography.”
“You’ve been around for over 16 years. It’s not a sea battle over there. Why the hell are U.S. submarines needed off the coast of Vietnam?”
“China. And perhaps Russia. That’s where North Vietnam is getting all their weapons.”
“Do you see us getting into undersea battles with the Chinese or the Russians?”
“Only if they themselves become active in the war. I think subs will mainly be used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, perhaps Special Forces deployment.”
“What’s your best guess on timing?”
“If I were to guess, I’d probably say in three to six months.”
“I just can’t believe it. I’m trying to finish school, and barely survived the Prowfish deployment interruption, and now this?”
“All this has messed up my life too. I’m supposed to retire in two years. It’s the Navy, man. You’d better believe they’ll be in the thick of things if the Vietnam War moves forward.”
Class resumed with more nautical distances and reference points to land sites. Next they went over sea depths from positions in the Gulf of Tonkin and Gulf of Thailand. After the class, Wade stayed behind to ask the instructor a question.
“Lieutenant, why is Southeast Asia so much a part of our lectures now?”
“No particular reason. Locations around the world are randomly chosen to use as examples. Next month we may be talking about the waters around Denmark.”
“Not likely, Sir. We’ve been talking about Southeast Asia for three months now.”
“It’s a big continent, surrounded by large bodies of water.”
Wade left, shaking his head in disbelief at the ludicrous answer.
The following week, Wade received a call from his former XO on the USS Prowfish, Lieutenant Commander Charles Benson.
“Wade Hanna speaking.”
“This is Commander Benson. I’m calling on behalf of Captain Hodges. We’re trying to locate prior shipmates for our upcoming deployment, and were interested in knowing if you might like to serve with Captain Hodges again, along with some of your old Prowfish crew.”
The direct question caught Wade off guard. He had to think quickly before he stuttered, “I–I really enjoyed serving with you and Captain Hodges.”
“We have a great new nuclear ship under our command. The Captain thinks he can get your extra nuclear shore training waived. You can pick up the training while onboard with us. For your rating, there are only a few new navigation equipment changes you’ll need to learn. That should be a snap for you.”
“Sounds interesting. Do you know where you’ll be deployed?”
“We don’t have orders yet, but rumor has it we’ll probably be off the South China Sea, just off Vietnam.”
Wade’s mind was racing. He wanted to be diplomatic, but he wasn’t about to commit to a three-year deployment in the South China Sea. He knew his longer-than-normal silence was conveying uncertainty. He tiptoed over eggshells, choosing his next words carefully. “I would consider it an honor to serve with you and Captain Hodges again.” Then he quickly thought, I can’t end on that note.