The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [149]
E) - You were right about the “cleanup.” The Can Lao took out the den below the lab (& supposedly 600 others) but now that the initial troop arrival bullshit is over, things are back to normal. None of Chuck’s Saravan-to-Saigon merchandise flights have been messed with at either end & Customs has not checked any of his cargoes. The den below the lab & the Go-Go have reopened & Wayne still tests dosage levels on the resident heads. Tran said Khanh’s stopped making anti-dope statements & everyone in Saigon seems distracted by the troops coming in & the way the war is flaring up. You were right, it feels like the buildup is giving us added operational cover.
F) - The pipeline’s running A-OK. So far, no Customs checks & glitches flying out of Tan Son Nhut & no trouble at Nellis. My friend Littell surveilled the 1/9/65 shipment from Nellis to the Agency drop-off point thru to the final “donation” point at the Nevada Guard Armory. Milt C. has been transporting the merchandise from the drop-point to Tiger Kab. It’s a foolproof system & the Guard is thrilled with Mr. Hughes’ “donations.”
G) - Some unexpected expenses came up on Milt’s end, but aside from that, we’re $182,000 up from our Vegas profits on the 1/9 batch & 3/2 batch so far. I’m ready to rotate Chuck, Laurent & Flash stateside & have them scout exile camps, assess the troops & get going on an arms conduit to the ones they choose. Bob Relyea leaves the Army to work for the Feds in May, & he’ll be situated near the Gulf. He’ll utilize his gun connections & assist Chuck, Laurent & Flash in funneling to the exiles.
That’s it. I’m anxious to move on the Cuban end. Let’s put all this caution & budgetary constraint shit aside & get going.
Viva la Causa!
P.B.
68
(Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C.
Chicago, Selma, 3/21/65–6/15/65)
Penance. Tithe. Counterthrust.
He obeyed Mr. Hoover. He taped Bayard Rustin. He rab-bitized. He performed new betrayals—RABBIT ops—Mr. Hoover’s counter tithes.
He traveled for work. He worked for Drac and Jimmy. He worked for Drac and the Boys. He flew D.C. to Miami. He flew Chicago to L.A.
He cruised banks. He set up new accounts. He used fake ID. He dumped cash. He cut checks. He tithed the SCLC.
Counter ops:
Skim fees. Embezzlement. Let’s declaw BLACK RABBIT.
He drained Drac. He took small bites—little rabbit nips. It worked. The skim plan worked. Counter cash accrued.
He worked.
He worked for Jimmy Hoffa. He filed briefs. He fought two convictions. He dunned the Boys. He bagged two mill for Jimmy’s Hope Chest.
New hope. Nonhope. No hope. There were no bribable jurors. There were no bribable courts.
Mr. Hoover had pull. Mr. Hoover liked Jimmy. Mr. Hoover could help. Don’t brace him or beg him. Don’t incur more indebtedness—yet.
He worked for Drac. He filed briefs. He bought time. He needed twelve months—sixteen tops.
Let Drac dump his stock then. Let Drac get his stash. Let Drac inject Las Vegas.
Fred Otash worked.
Fred Otash culled. Fred Otash sifted. Fred Otash scandalized. Let’s raid files. Let’s find dirt. Let’s utilize.
The files existed: Confidential/Rave/Whisper/Lowdown and Hush-Hush. The files existed. The files eluded. The files dirtified.
Bugs dirtified.
Littell hung Vegas bugs. Fred Turentine assisted. They bugged hotel rooms.