"Jake Randolph Origins" drabbles by Christopher

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 149

Jake Randolph Origins #149

Hall was still trying to wiggle his way out of the situation.

"Sharkey, we had a deal. You never questioned where I got the gold from."

I wondered about that myself. People don't just stumble onto crates of gold every day. Wasn't Russo even a little bit curious about where it originated before he bought it?

Russo remained tightlipped about his motivations, however.

"There's no debate, Hall. I just came to get my money back. You, Schmidt and the gold will be turned over by Randolph to the U.S. Army."

"Not going to happen," Hall said as he grabbed Heidi...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 148

Jake Randolph Origins #148

Heidi looked furious, "You have no right to judge my father!"

Russo's driver chimed in, "Shaddup, bitch!"

Schmidt interjected, "It was a time of war. In war, to ze victor go ze spoils. If we conquered a land, naturally we confiscated what we wanted."

Russo smirked, "That's a nice, tidy way of saying you robbed whole countries blind! I guess the next line you'll use is that you were only following orders, huh?"

Schmidt lowered his head. He knew he'd just been completely exposed by some Italian American common thug that probably never even made it out of high school...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 147

Jake Randolph Origins #147

Hall began pleading for his miserable life, "Sharkey, listen to me. What difference does it make where the gold came from? You know full well you'll be able to triple what you gave us."

Russo shook his head, "Hall, I don't want the U.S. Army breathing down my neck. What if they have a way of identifying those gold bars? You placed me in a bad spot, Hall, and I don't like people who put me in places I don't wanna be."

"But, Sharkey...," Hall said as Russo interrupted.

"And, for the record, I don't like dealing with Nazis, either."

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 146

Jake Randolph Origins #146

Hall looked at me in disgust, "Randolph! I knew I should've killed your ass before I left!"

I thought I'd throw a little Latin back on him. "Forte amissa, Hall," which meant 'lost chance.'

Russo must've gotten tired of hearing words he didn't understand because he took back control of the proceedings in short order.

"Everyone inside the building. Now!"

We went inside just as the plane was touching down. It was a Beechcraft Model 18, a twin-engined, low wing plane that sat up to 11 people. It was looking like the pilot made a trip there for nothing

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 145

Jake Randolph Origins #145

"Hello, Colonel," Russo said in a tone so cool I almost got frostbite.

I was around the side of the building in the dark but I could see Hall as he saw Russo and said, "Sharkey! What are you doing...," he paused as he saw the guns and then finished his question, "...here?"

Russo was an iceberg that could've easily sunk the Titanic. "You didn't tell me that gold was Nazi loot."

"Caveat emptor, Sharkey," Hall said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Russo asked, puzzled.

"Let the buyer beware," I said as I stepped slowly out of the shadows...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 144

Jake Randolph Origins #144

Russo looked in the direction of the sound.

"He's early. It's a good thing we got here when we did," he said as we waited around the corner of the building for those inside to exit. I stepped back to look through the window again and saw Hall and Schmidt grabbing up a couple of suitcases as well as the cases of money that Russo gave them.

Russo turned back to look at me, and I nodded just before Hall and Schmidt walked out the door.

Russo and his two men had their guns trained on them in an instant...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 143

Jake Randolph Origins #143

Russo and his two men got out of the car and I followed. We eased up to the little building. I looked through a dirt smeared window and saw Hall, Schmidt and his daughter all sitting in chairs around a little table. The room was lit with candles, which gave it an eerie glow. The flickering flames of the candles cast shadows that pirouetted across their faces like psychotic ballerinas.

We were about to go around to the only door the building had when we heard the sound of an airplane engine off in the distance getting louder and louder...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 142

Jake Randolph Origins #142

I saw a car pulled up near the so-called terminal. It was the same car Hall came up in when he arrived at the adobe with Russo. I knew my first mission was just about to come to an end. Russo's driver cut the lights on the car and eased very slowly around to the back of the building.

Russo reached in the glove compartment of the car and pulled out a .45 revolver and handed it to me.

"I presume you know how to use one of those things, Randolph?" he asked sarcastically.

I nodded slowly at him...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 141

Jake Randolph Origins #141

We slept a few hours and then left Acapulco by 8 pm to ensure that we would make it to Lazaro Cardenas well before the 3 am arrival of the plane.

We made it to the airstrip by 2:15 am. It wasn't exactly what you'd call an airport. There was just a section of paved airstrip and a small building that doubled as the control tower and the terminal. I highly doubted that any authorized flights ever landed there. This was a location for smugglers to come and go, nothing more. I could imagine the tales this place could tell...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 140

Jake Randolph Origins #140

I told Russo I needed to return to Acapulco to send a telegram to America. He suggested we get some rest and then head to Lazaro Cardenas in time to intercept Hall and Schmidt.

When we got back to Acapulco we checked into the Hotel Exstasis and then I went to the telegraph office to send a message to Lt. Rivers. I told him I was in Mexico and on Hall's and Schmidt's tails. I believed when I got to Lazaro Cardenas it would all be over. I told him he should be hearing from me by the next night...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 139

Jake Randolph Origins #139

Russo said that Hall, Schmidt and his daughter would be driving six hours up the Pacific Coast to Lazaro Cardenas, where there was a crude airstrip. They were going to spend the night in a nearby house and then meet with a plane that was coming in at about 3 am to take them to South America. Russo had arranged it all. That was why they only got paid a fraction of the gold's worth. But Hall knew Mexico was too close to the U.S. for them to have any peace. They needed to be as far away as possible...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 138

Jake Randolph Origins #138

"That's great, Sharkey!" I said.

Sharkey went into manager mode. "Okay, you two," he pointed to two of his men, "are coming with me and Randolph. The rest of youse get this truck and take it to my warehouse in Brownsville. And if I can get my money back from Hall we'll be turning it over to the U.S. Army."

I hated to conceal from Sharkey the fact that whether or not he got his money back that gold would would be going to the Army. But it couldn't be helped. I needed him, so I let him think that...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 137

Jake Randolph Origins #137

"No," Sharkey said, "if this gold was stolen from some country then they deserve to get it back. Those bastards. But," he held up a finger, "that's provided I can get my money back from Hall and the damned Kraut."

"That's fine, Sharkey. But they've got a pretty good head start on me now. And I don't even know where they were heading."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Sharkey said. "I know exactly where they're going."

I smiled, "You do?"

"Yeah, I arranged for a plane to fly them to South America tomorrow. And I know where they're staying tonight."

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 136

Jake Randolph Origins #136

Sharkey walked over to the crates that were still in the adobe and looked at the back of them. I saw it in his eyes. He was starting to believe me.

"I was hired by the Army to bring Hall and Schmidt to justice and try and recover whatever loot it was they took. This gold was stolen from the bank of some country that the Nazis invaded."

"Those damned Krauts," Sharkey said, and I knew I had him.

"Look, Sharkey, I'm not even interested in the gold. Keep it. Just let me go after Hall and Schmidt. Please, Sharkey."

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 135

Jake Randolph Origins #135

"Sharkey, I served in the war with Hall. Why do you think he referred to me as Sgt. Randolph?"

Russo grinned slightly, "I just thought you were a lousy, stinking cop!"

His men all laughed. That was the Sharkey they knew and loved. And feared.

"No, I'm not a cop. I'm telling you the truth, Sharkey. You just bought gold from a traitor and a Nazi fugitive."

One of Russo's men leaned over to him, "I think he's telling the truth, boss. These crates have German words stamped on the back."

Maybe, just maybe, I'd get out of this yet...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 134

Jake Randolph Origins #134

Russo's men were staring at him. Obviously no one had ever spoken to him like that. I think they were anxious to see how he'd respond. But I figured I should tone it down some before I pushed too hard.

"Sharkey, Col. Hall is AWOL from the U.S. Army. He helped Schmidt, who is a Nazi, escape from Germany and recover this gold," I said, pointing to the crates.

Russo was shaking his head, "Randolph, you'd tell me anything at this point."

"I'm being honest, Sharkey. I've got nothing to lose."

"Yeah, Randolph, you got something to lose. Yer life."

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 133

Jake Randolph Origins #133

"I ain't real keen on law enforcement, but then again, if what I did wasn't illegal I wouldn't make near as much money for doing it. Why you ask me something like that?"

I laid it on thick, "I just wondered how you felt about doing business with an Army deserter and a Nazi."

Russo's men stopped working and looked at him and then looked at me. I think they wondered if Russo would plug me right there. I wondered that myself.

"Randolph, I think you got a coupla screws loose."

"Maybe, but I'm not in bed with a Nazi."

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 132

Jake Randolph Origins #132

Russo's men had about a third of the boxes left to load onto the truck. I knew once they were done I was going to be used for target practice. I played the only hand I had. And I went all in.

"Mr. Russo," I said, "or can I call you Sharkey?"

He smiled, "You can call me what you want, Randolph. Ain't gonna change nothing."

"Let me ask you one question, Sharkey. Do you love your country?"

Russo looked taken aback. "What the hell kinda question is that, Randolph? Of course I love my country."

This just might work...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 131

Jake Randolph Origins #131

"True," Hall said, salivating at the thought of ending me once and for all. "But, alas, Schmidt and I have an appointment to keep. I trust I can leave Sgt. Randolph in your capable hands, Mr. Russo?" he asked as he turned to Sharkey.

"Of course," Russo said, smiling at me. I thought for just a moment that he actually had the teeth of a shark.

Hall and Schmidt closed their cases and started out the door, followed by Heidi. She turned around and looked at me for a moment. I thought I detected a twinge of sympathy for me...

Jake Randolph: Origins Pt. 130

Jake Randolph Origins #130

"500 G's in this case," he said as he pointed to one, "and 500 G's in this case," he said as he pointed to the other.

Gold was around $37.00 an ounce, so with all the crates of gold bars Russo was purchasing I figured he'd be at least tripling his money, maybe more. But Hall and Schmidt were apparently willing to take a reduced payoff for the ease of getting paper money.

Hall looked at me, "Randolph, help them load those crates."

I shot him a cutting glance, "Kiss my ass, Hall. You're going to kill me either way."