bloke from Madrid who took one of our bags a few months back?’ Darren shook his head. ‘Well, the boys sent a bag over here to pay for a couple of containers of fags. This feller was to take the bag and change it up. But instead he fucked off, scarpered with the lot.’ Thomas tutted and spat out of the window before continuing. ‘Not hide nor hair’s been seen of this fucker ever since - until last week that is. Belfast got a report that he’s been seen drinking in a bar down in Sitges.’
‘And the big ba…’
Thomas cut his friend off. ‘The bag I’ve brought is a cash bag for another container of fags.’
The not so very much longer long story now finished, they drove on in silence, Darren lighting another cigarette as they headed south - carefully following the Sitges road signs. A few hundred yards back the two soldiers followed.
Darren was admiring the sea view as they entered the small, seaside town of Sitges when Thomas called out to him, ‘There, pull into that parking spot Butch.’ Doing as he was told, Darren slowed then reversed the Honda into one of the available spaces. As he applied the handbrake he noticed they were facing a small, sea front hotel with the name “Hotel Solana” in neon above the door.
‘There’s where we’re off, Butch. Got to meet a bloke called Lupo,’ said Thomas as he jumped out of the car, quickly grabbing the two small overnight bags. ‘You bring the big un,’ he laughed, as he made his way towards the hotel. Two soldiers watched patiently from their car.
Struggling with the weight of the cash bag, Darren eventually caught up with his friend and they entered the hotel together. A bored-looking desk clerk glanced up from his newspaper. ‘Si?’ he asked lazily.
‘Tengo una cita con Lupo , ’ (I have an appointment with Lupo) Darren answered.
‘Nombre? , ’ questioned the clerk.
‘Butch.’
Thomas was impressed with his mate’s apparent fluency in another language. ‘See, told you you’ve gone Fuzzy. You do need one of them fez things.’
‘Ah, yes sir, I’ll tell Lupo you have arrived, please take a seat,’ said the clerk, smoothly switching to English. Once again Thomas took the small bags, leaving Darren to lug the heavy one, as they crossed the lobby to take their seats and wait.
It wasn’t long before Lupo arrived, clicking his fingers at the clerk and pointing to the suitcase. The man leaned and whispered something in Lupo’s ear, then took the cash bag and disappeared with it. ‘The money will be convert to Peseta, you have in two day time,’ Lupo explained in halting English. ‘The Honda Civic in front, yours no?’
‘Aye, it is that,’ replied Darren.
‘To use car such as this, in Sitges, for work is bad,’ Lupo told the Irishmen. ‘Need good car with local registration, something that, er, how you say, blends in - no? I have different car, good for you.’ With that he walked towards the rear of the hotel beckoning them to follow. Outside in the staff park Lupo pointed to a sleek new Rover saloon. ‘This my car. I use every day here in town. It good car for you work,’ he explained before giving them directions to “Bar Pascal”, the waterfront restaurant their target had been seen frequenting for the last few days. A handshake, followed by a short wave goodbye, and Lupo returned inside his hotel. The Rover left from the rear of the Solana as two soldiers kept watch over the stationary Honda at the front.
On the short drive to Bar Pascal, Darren asked Thomas if he knew the man they were looking for. ‘Never laid eyes on him, but I have his name, Ernesto Manuel Ruiz, his description, and a photo.’
They found the bar easily and pulled into a car park on the front, which gave them a good view of the entrance from the road. A few palm trees slightly obscured their line of sight to the terrace, which stood out into the sea, but overall this was a good vantage point. Darren silently blessed Lupo for providing them with a
‘And the big ba…’
Thomas cut his friend off. ‘The bag I’ve brought is a cash bag for another container of fags.’
The not so very much longer long story now finished, they drove on in silence, Darren lighting another cigarette as they headed south - carefully following the Sitges road signs. A few hundred yards back the two soldiers followed.
Darren was admiring the sea view as they entered the small, seaside town of Sitges when Thomas called out to him, ‘There, pull into that parking spot Butch.’ Doing as he was told, Darren slowed then reversed the Honda into one of the available spaces. As he applied the handbrake he noticed they were facing a small, sea front hotel with the name “Hotel Solana” in neon above the door.
‘There’s where we’re off, Butch. Got to meet a bloke called Lupo,’ said Thomas as he jumped out of the car, quickly grabbing the two small overnight bags. ‘You bring the big un,’ he laughed, as he made his way towards the hotel. Two soldiers watched patiently from their car.
Struggling with the weight of the cash bag, Darren eventually caught up with his friend and they entered the hotel together. A bored-looking desk clerk glanced up from his newspaper. ‘Si?’ he asked lazily.
‘Tengo una cita con Lupo , ’ (I have an appointment with Lupo) Darren answered.
‘Nombre? , ’ questioned the clerk.
‘Butch.’
Thomas was impressed with his mate’s apparent fluency in another language. ‘See, told you you’ve gone Fuzzy. You do need one of them fez things.’
‘Ah, yes sir, I’ll tell Lupo you have arrived, please take a seat,’ said the clerk, smoothly switching to English. Once again Thomas took the small bags, leaving Darren to lug the heavy one, as they crossed the lobby to take their seats and wait.
It wasn’t long before Lupo arrived, clicking his fingers at the clerk and pointing to the suitcase. The man leaned and whispered something in Lupo’s ear, then took the cash bag and disappeared with it. ‘The money will be convert to Peseta, you have in two day time,’ Lupo explained in halting English. ‘The Honda Civic in front, yours no?’
‘Aye, it is that,’ replied Darren.
‘To use car such as this, in Sitges, for work is bad,’ Lupo told the Irishmen. ‘Need good car with local registration, something that, er, how you say, blends in - no? I have different car, good for you.’ With that he walked towards the rear of the hotel beckoning them to follow. Outside in the staff park Lupo pointed to a sleek new Rover saloon. ‘This my car. I use every day here in town. It good car for you work,’ he explained before giving them directions to “Bar Pascal”, the waterfront restaurant their target had been seen frequenting for the last few days. A handshake, followed by a short wave goodbye, and Lupo returned inside his hotel. The Rover left from the rear of the Solana as two soldiers kept watch over the stationary Honda at the front.
On the short drive to Bar Pascal, Darren asked Thomas if he knew the man they were looking for. ‘Never laid eyes on him, but I have his name, Ernesto Manuel Ruiz, his description, and a photo.’
They found the bar easily and pulled into a car park on the front, which gave them a good view of the entrance from the road. A few palm trees slightly obscured their line of sight to the terrace, which stood out into the sea, but overall this was a good vantage point. Darren silently blessed Lupo for providing them with a
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