Chapter 5 V

Grimbsby, United Kindom, June 20th 2009

We had not seen each other for at least  three years. When Diego Ristón finished his degree, it took him exactly three weeks to make his first interview, less than a month afterwards, he had a signed contract with one of the biggest building companies in the world.

He spent several years in South America, pouring concrete. At the time, he had been for about a year in  Grimsby, in the UK. His job was to oversee and direct the assembly of eolic stations, both on land and sea.

I had booked a room with breakfast close to the People's Park, close to the station and not far from the harbour. My plan was to meet him, without much pre-arrangement. I had four days to plan it and a fifth to talk to him. My coverage was as a technician for mainteinane and repair of industrial machines, and by coverage I mean the story I had told anyone who wanted to listen. I was there to visit some local fisheries.

As I arrived into the station, I got myself a map of the city and region. I walked to the B&B toting my backpack and the small case for tools and a thick notebook. I had written all I could since I got it at my arrival airport and kicked the shit out of it to make it look used and beaten. I had succeeded.

After the paperwork at the B&B I got directions to a place that, I hoped, would allow me to survive the experience. On the way back I got myself some granola bars, chocolate a a few liters of water.

All things considered, most of the preliminary work was done. Jesíus had spent two weeks in Grimsby. Thanks to that  I had the habits and schedule of my target. I knew he would go running in a park nearby his home, usually around 1800. I also knew this week there was little to do, because they were not getting materials. I hoped the imminent rain would not make him chicken out.

I spent most of the morning next day making a recce of the most important areas for contact. Where he lived, the beach he used to run, the parking lot where the encounter should take place, the different approaches... I had then a quick bite and looked for alternative places and escape routes, in case something went south. 





I divided the remaining time between practicing the escape routes, shadowing my target and get to try out the encounter.

 The day of the encounter, I arrived at  17:45 to the beach area. I sat on the brick wall that delimited a small park, next to a roundabout. One of the streets that went on from the roundabout lead directly to the beach. At the end of it there was a small parking lot. Next to which there was a mini golf. From where I was sitting, I could see the last mini golfers, pacing in the court next to the parking, were packing to go home.

The grey Vauxhall 2006, went slowly through the roundabout and headed down the street to the parking. I had no beef with the car colour because it was a leasing. I presumed that the routine of coming directly from work to the park/ beach parking lot was to avoid being lazy and remaining home. At any rate I had a while until he came back, so I took a camera out and did the tourist thingy.

I managed to get the timing right. It is trickier than you may think. The trick consist on being a little too fast and then just slow down as needed. Generally speaking people will not notice other people adjusting their pace 20 m away. They are not in collision range.

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Chapter 5 IV

Langreo, Spain, June 01 2009

Pornión, Alejandro or Alberto. I knew him just as Pornión, like pactically everybody else. I could barely remember the first time I met him, it must have been late 90s or early 2000s. Jesus strongly disapproved of this , as it seemed Sloppy. Pornion was always dressed in fatigues, or other black cargos . He sported a bushy beard in which white wireless could be seen against the jet background period you looked a bit like captain Haddock with curly black hair.


Since he hadleft the army in the 90's, he had gained weight. this resulted and making his figure even more imposing. He always were a top from a metal band. He didn't never restrain himself to the past. He was always showing the last bands the last albums.


For Jesus, he had the highest priority the reason being if he wanted to organise their recruiting you needed people of vigilance and to collect information. as I said Pornión in the army and as far as I know in the special forces but I never got around finding out where or exactly which unit. Jesus of course found out . a picture taken at the end of the 90s where a young Pornión was visible. also visible was the unit: Grupo de Operaciones Especiales Tercio del Ampurdán IV. As expected her friend was wearing the shirt from iced Earth, the name of the album was barely visible but it looked like Dark Saga. there was another 3 young man in the picture they were all retained against a blue Fiat Brava.Where on earth did Jesus got his pictures from was a mystery to me however he had a lot of contacts on many armies.





Jesus and I prepared a plan. Our target worked shifts and he lived in the city of Langreo, in Asturias. in order to meet him the usual procedure was to write him an SMS because you never know when he was working. in this case Jesus had done some work beforehand, so we knew is schedule and therefore it worked well. I wrote The SMS telling him that I was close by (in Oviedo) on a trip, since I had some free time we could meet and have a beer. we got the last details sorted out as my train was departing from Chamartin station to the North.




now that I was living in Madrid we didn't see each other often, moreover similar meetings our common Friends arranged , we're even more difficult for me to attend. Pornión had no car, Italy because he didn't want to have any contracts nor paperwork and also because the costs if I did not know how much he did monthly but I was quite sure it was not a lot of money. I knew he was not worried about it, he valued his hobbies more than anything else and he had a very simple lifestyle. we would be meeting at the entrance of a mall, next to the bus station





There was a coffee shop next to the door in from the year I could see it weigh my contacts to take before meeting. I decided not to go in, but to lean against the window shop of there bar and enjoyed the temperature instead. Pornión arrived at the right time, wearing mastodon t-shirt period did not move and when he arrived where I was standing we shook hands. Pointing at his t-shirt I said



-- do you have the new album from Nightwish already?? --


-- Fuck you -- he replied. it was partly my fault. My list of the music I listen to was fairly old and one of the few new things are listen to that caught my attention was Nightwish the album Wishmaster which was the third album of the group. when I spoke to him about it he looked at me in this belief and he said it's fucking garbage.I told him then I could not see too far from other new stuff like mastodon meaning that it was all new experimenting and that musically speaking they could even be better because they were all very good musicians period conversation did. not go well.As far as I knew Nightwish had release an album shortly before and even if I was not a big fan it was always fun to poke him and then we went into the bar.






We both ordered beer from the tap, as if there were any other options. It was a Mahou, very fresh. we talked a little about the things in general, how life was going period I could use this to confirm the information I got from Jesus. Pornión and had little changes in his life. since two years he was living alone in the flat his mother left him, as she passed away. Regarding work and whatever else was left,everything was the same.





-- So what about you? -- he asked

-- Mmmm... This might sound funny but I have something to tell you... --

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Chapter 5 III

The first on the list was Olegario Zamburrián, AKA Oleg. Oleg was not especially tall, but very solid. He looked as if he had ancestry from the far north, and he probably did. Light hair colour and milky skin. He had gone into the Spanish Guardia Civil in 2001 and in 2004 he had spent 4 months in Mostar, with the international mission which was investigating war crimes and gathering evidence. Nowadays he was in Madrid, assigned to a so called UCO, which are investigative units taken care of investigation of things like organized crime and high profile crime.

We knew each other since we were kids. We used to play football together often and we had a bunch of common friends. Back then he lived on the other side of the railway tracks that sliced the city in two. Unlike other occasional players  we ended up meeting outside the field and our friendship prospered, unlike our football skills, fed by music, films and beer.


As it often so happens, we all took different ways that scattered the group, the teenage years converted those not so innocent kids into brainless teenagers. We kept in touch all that years, even when he was off to the academy. He used to come home regularly. By then I was also in University and we had different life routines, but once in a while we sat down and talked and drank beer.

Oleg had bought a small apartment close to the planetary in Madrid, which he shared with his bike. Biking was his passion. Since we where kids and we played bottlecap cycling and when we went on dirt roads emulating the tour, or very real sprints running away from junkies, dogs or older guys looking for cheap bicycles.

The plan that evening was to meet at an irish bar close to where he lived and have a go at it with the recruiting chat. That was at  least my plan. Then, all going well, we'd meet Jesús. Easy and for all family members.

 Madrid, Spain,  June 11th, 2009

Somewhere along the San Martín street, very close to the underground station of Planetario there was an Irish pub where we used to watch rugby. I never was a huge sport fan, but Oleg was. He loved Rugby passionately  since a teenager. He got into it through a neighbor who played... damn we were about 16 or 17 back then.

Oleg was waiting for me at the underground exit with a Steeve McQueen T-shirt and and a plastic bag hanging from his left hand. which extended towards me slightly together with a decisive right and said

-Some films I got you-
-Thanks mate, how are you doing?-
-As usual, work, life, all good-

We got moving towards the bar.
- I'd happily had gone pick you up, but I have the car on the shop-

-It would have not been faster, what's with it?- I said and winked.  
He shrugged - the turbo housing leaks oil-

At the bar, we sat so we could watch the match through the TV but a bit aside from the counter where the big hubhub was. To be fair, the hub hub was not that loud, and the TV was not a TV but a large screen and beamer. Our Guiness arrived, white on black accompanied by a large bowl with chips, peanuts and two generous portions of Spanish omelette. Oleg hat the almost supernatural skill to find places where tapas where glorious.

During one of the breaks, the conversation turned slightly on my favour. Oleg knew I was not all that happy at work and he knew I had been fishing around. When he asked I knew I had a queue.

-Well, you see...-- I started.
 
Forty minutes and another Guiness after, Oleg started with his questions. He had said nothing until then and had practically ignored the match.
 

--By when do you need an answer?--

I shrugged-- Soon, but not immediately --
 

-- All right, give me a week. Let's go see your mate --

we got up.

as we got up and left the night was falling like a blanket over the city.I slowly turned to look into the bar we were leaving the game was over. and Led Zeppelin was starting.

In the days of my youth
I was told what it was to be a man
Now I've reached the age
I've tried to do all those things the best I can

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