Chapter 5 XIII

 
London, Great Britain July 27th 2009

I jumped from the underground car to the Barbican platform with the last accords of My Sharona. As soon as I reached the surface, I took to the north through the sunny Sunday morning, According to the weatherman, it would not last long. Soon it was to start raining, but I was convinced not let it get me. I enjoyed the weather until I arrived to my destination. Gehry was working that weekend and we were meeting for lunch. I reached Clerckwell road and did my last checks to finally beeline for the target, a trendy and overcrowded restaurant.

I dropped my trusty Mp3 in my messenger bag and breathed deep, getting ready for scanning the crowd. Gehry was supposed to be there alredy. In all fairness the scanning did not last long. Probably because the sms Pornion sent me was rather helpful.

Ignoring Pornion, I took a seat opposite from Gehry and started on the pleasantries. Although he was Scottish, after finishing his degree in Sweden, he moved to England instead, to work as a slave  in an architecture office in the City. I was there for work, speaking of which I dropped the offer to collaborate a bit. We had some projects related with sustainability, maybe you're interested, mate? He would be crashing into it big time, lots of resposability, chair the architecture committee, with engineers, designed, architects... all of it in the beautiful Cologne, barely 5 hours away from the center of London. What do you say to 60 kiloeuros, yearly? what about you sleep on it and we talk in three weeks?



Gehry was a staunch socialist and I was sure he would be a good addition to the project, but he did not need to know everything... just yet

What he convinced me of, was to have some cacke with a surprisingly good coffee. with a short "we talk in three weeks" we parted ways into the rain.


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Chapter 5 XII

Madrid, Spain, July 09th 2009

It was finally the day to leave. I had been living in a hotel for a few days. Once I had found someone to live with Diego, there was no more space there for me. On the plus side, the hotel was paid by InGnio InGnieros, because it was their responsibility to get everything ready in Cologne. Everything encompassed the restructuring of the buildings, put up some nice signs and get equipment, like chairs and safes and safety doors in. At any rate, the hotel was fine. on calle Moscatelar, very close to the underground of Arturo Soria. My first night there was after the goodbye party with my soon to be ex-colleagues  and I had a little trouble finding my room. My terrenal possessions were there with me of course, Three suitcases and a backpack.

I had moved a little when I was a student and after my graduation too, this meant I had to get rid of some of my most beloved possessions: my books. And now again, I had that mixture of loss and anticipation on my stomach, as I was looking at my trip to the airport.

It was a familiar sensation though. I knew I'd be back to Madrid someday, but it all would be different. It was the last time I was there as a "local" and there were many familiar odors, colours and sounds that today I ignored, covered by the blanket of routine, which in the future would become seeds of memories. It was my last time to experience them fully. If Boone was right, it was not about leaving a city, it would be lost forever

The train gently rocked me until the airport, where I sat in the Iberia flight to Düsseldorf. After a couple of little detours, I arrived safely to the hotel where I was staying.

I had a few moments of relaxation and reflection as I sat within the cream coloured walls and grey forniture of the hotel. The following day I had to go and meet Silke and later on Jesús on a coffee close to  Eigelstein-Torburg

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Chapter 5 XI

Cudillero, Spain, June 26th 2009

The road startd to descend, surrounded by forest. It was odd that they were eucalyptus forests, but what can you do. Forestry policies where not all that well though back in the day. I knew I would have no chance to find a parking spot, so I did not even try. I knew that the best place to try find a spot was down by the harbour, so I went straight there. I shifted down into 4th gear, the transmission fighting with Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man and controlled the last meters with the brakes.

At the harbor, it was not hard to find a parking spot. After all, it was a weekday and, even though the air was warm and humid, it was windy and the sky was covered. Therefore, I took my rain jacket from the back before heading off. I did not expect it to rain, but since I left the Atlantic coast, I was no longer adapted to the ever present wind. Even in summer it made me feel cold.

I locked the car and headed to the start of the hill I had just drive down from, following the narrow sidewalk. Right before leaving the lot I could see the black Opel Corsa Jesús used.  Following on an impulse, I changed slightly my heading to go in front of the car and, without stopping, letting my hand feel in front of the cooling grill. The fan was off, but the heat was obvious.


Since Jesús had just arrived and had to get to his observation post, I decided to cut him some slack and buy him some time. I headed to the sea wall to breathe a little and have a look. 

Cudillero

After fucking about for what it looked like a sensible while, I took to the hill again and climbed the narrow staircase to a group of houses. On the ground floor of one of them, a sign over a door read: Diving school Xanas. It was hand painted with lively colours. The windows protected with thick bars, painted black. On the side a khaki  4 x 4 with a half ton trailer was parqued and the front wheels turned towards the wall. The rear had chocks applied.

I pushed the main door and found myself  on a small reception area. I could see one of the doors ajar, on which the old logo of the UEBEC was painted, an anchor under a crown and below the diver's fins.

I knocked slightly on the door, and the wooden door opened a little more. I saw Hector raising his gaze towards me from some nautical charts. I had made myself an idea of the distribution of the floor and I was convinced Héctor was alone..

Héctor fixed his gaze in me  and quietly asked
 -- what the hell are you doing here? --


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Chapter 5 IX

  Madrid, Spain, June 22, 2009

Sketch of the Building complex

The in between jobs time was approaching its end. My holidays were running out and I had to officially start  working again.  The news from Cologne were a little discouraging, as not everything was ready. Yet it was moving forward. 23rd was my first working day and I was somewhat nervous

That evening, while discussing the next recruiting action with Jesús, I realized I was getting used to all that. We poured over the maps of London. We used tons of pictures and maps and I felt my confidence grow.

The following day, at the new job, I took on the task of meeting people, introducing myself and find out where the bog was. The most exciting part was a telephone call with Silke, my person of contact in Cologne.

On the computer there was a load of documentation from Green Island on relation to contracts and processes, how what was done and by whom and when... Bureaucratic porn. There was also a sketch of the building on Cologne and it's layout.

It was a complex of two adjacent buildings, built on a relative wide lot. The first of the buildings was right next to the street, yet there were a couple of meters between the main entrance and the sidewalk. It was 3 stories high and contained the main entrance. From the entrance hall, the lift and staircase were accessible, the latter went up, to the upper floors or down to the basement. It was through the basement that the first building communicated with the second building. The second building was only accessible through the first, Although not specifically mentioned, I knew that the ground floor on the first building had a reception for Special Developments and a few meeting rooms. There was no direct connection between this part of the building and the second building proper.

The second building pproper was a rectangular plan, four stories high. It was attached to building #1 through the longest side of the rectangle and sported windows on the opposite side of the building to that which faced the street, that is on the back.

Conceptually, the idea was that each story would be accessible on an access base The first floor was for InGnio InGnieros and the tip for Green Island.

The complex was close to Frühlingsee, on the north part of the city of Cologne and north from the vast Ford complex, in a smaller industrial complex, where many small companies thrived under Ford's far reaching warmth.

Sunrise over the Frühlingsee

After a briefing regarding the status of the ongoing renovations, Silke and I spoke about my lodging and eventually a place for me. Housing in Cologne, and in Germany, was at the time not the easiest thing. Her suggestion, in order not to delay further my arrival, was to take a hotel for a few days or even a couple of weeks. She was not to know that Jesús and I had found a secure flat in an old un-renovated building  close to the train station in Mühlheim, on the east side of the city. It was somewhat too close to the tracks, but it was supposed to be a reserve place. I would not use it and blow the cover, so I really needed a place there. Silke suggested a small family-run hotel close to the central station, to which I had no complains. Regarding our safe flat, It was dark and not really a first floor, as it was too close to the street level. However there was no street but a small unkempt yard where no sun ever touched and just some lichen dared to grow between the cracks of the old cobblestones. The only sight of the century we lived in was the plastic rubbish bins. Inside, in the two rooms it was musty and dark, but also relatively quiet, when the train was not passing by or the neighbours were not throwing the porcelain at each other.  A small kitchenette and a tiny bathroom  .

So, once the hotel was sorted out, I felt a bit better. Silke will make reservations for me from July 10th and the company was going to pay half of it



Since Silke would kept working for InGnio InGnieros, I had to find a "secretary" for SD, but it was not about being an assistant and brew coffee. I needed someone that could elp me with logistics, but eventually someone who could deal with "a client"

I actually knew the perfect person. Susana was working for BOSCH in Madrid and we knew eachother since University through a common friend. I called her Su, because she had told me to. Su had studied manamgement and worked for the purchasing department. She had a two year contract, of which not much was left. Su was a solid candidate in my opnionon. She was a little hippie sometimes, but nontheless a very mater of fact person. Su was of German origin and she looked like it a little. Although not too tall, she was blonde and white as buttermilk with the typical hue on her cheeks and enormous blue eyes.


Jesús and I had talked about this mor than once, but he had some reservations. He was unsure whether she was emotionally sound, he said. Jesús said that from everyone anyway, but he promised to look into it.

It was also true that Su and I had had... a thing I guess, a romantic affair, if you wish, but it was years back and we kept a discrete friendship, We talked to each other a few times a month and a couple of times a year we sat together and talked about our lives.

Jesús would never get around telling me what the committee decided, but he went on to recruit her without me.


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Chapter 5 VIII

--When do we start then?-- he asked   

We agreed a time plan with reference milestones. He would take holidays and we will get started with the training. He would then leave his job and take a position in Cologne as soon as posible, increasing the training until the last steps of the project before going live.

 
It was late when I came back to the B&B, There was also some beer on my breath. Fortunately the owner had let me some orientation lights on the staircase, so it all went well there. All I wanted was to lay in bed but I could not indulge on that. I had to be ready, should things go bad.

 
I had a small reserve if potassium clorathe and sugar, that would allow me to make a decent smoke bomb. I used some cardboard to press in some big crackers and inserted a prepared cord. Then I checked that the door was locked and secured from the inside and I sat int he sofa with a view towards the street. On my lap I had a zip lock bag with a little money, passport and some survival items. I had used the days before to do some recce on the escape options. I hoped Diego was honest on his interest and not that he was going to knock on some police door and tell them a story. I had no reason to think so, but taking risks is stupid.

Should he have decided to talk to the police or something going south, I had a contact point with Jesús and three options: the ferry, go south and try to get to France from some of the ports I had researched or, perhaps the most desperate but perhaps the simplest, hitch-jack a boat in Grimsby and head for the Low Contries.

At 0500 I started to get ready. I had indeed dozed a little, but what can you do. I wanted to get going early as announced. I had done all the check out and payment already, because I was supposed to leave early, but I left a little earlier. I had a long train ride and I wanted to check that no one was on my tail.

I really felt like having a wider team, if just for having a little support for this kind of operations.

I pretended to be cool as a cucumber when I sat in the plane in Leeds. However, when the landing gear went up I felt quite a relief, if at all, because I could do nothing more now... I proceeded to fall soundly asleep. I woke up as the captain was announcing nice weather in Alicante. Well, I cared little about that because I went from the airport directly to the city center, from the bus station I walked a little and I went into a small cafe. A typical Spanish affair, no tourists, just locals. I got a Schweppes and asked the hostile looking fellow behind the counter about the newspaper.
 

I waited a little before downing the last bitter gulp of the tonic water, to give Jesús some leeway and then I stepped out and walked the 15 min to the train station, where I sat in the Alvia headed to Madrid.

 

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Chapter 5 VII

When he came out of the shower, with his jet black hair combed backwards and his t-shirt still on his hand, it was obvious he had shaved meticulously and a mixture of after shave and shower steam trailed along. Part of it was struggling to exit through the opened roof window. That was the crackling that had startled me a few seconds before.

He took a seat in front of me in the living room. I had avoided the worn off seat in front of the TV and gone around the coffee table and sat across it.

He looked at me and chuckled. He started, methodically, to go point by point of what I had told him, just taking pauses between points to take a swig from his beer bottle. As he reached the end, he left the empty bottle with a light cling on the coffee table.
 

-- So what now?--

--Now it's time for a proposal--
--Go ahead!--
 

-- Well, besides being my friend and me trusting you, you do have a few interesting skills. Obviously you know your way around logistics and construction sites... interesting times ahead, knowing how to fight is also an advantageous skill. And I don't mean it figuratively only.--

Diego sat upright, listening attentively.
 

-- The first step is to create a unit which it's first task is almost all logistic. To settle the basics and then to prepare the plans for moving out. There will be needs of materials, construction and defense. If the world as we know it is gong down the drain, the aftermath is going to look a little like Mad Max, but with a touch of evening news and less of action film,.--
 

-- You know I am not the first one to chicken out.--
 

-- I know, it's not about balls, it's about getting our shit together and have a proper organization --

I went on explaining the plan with the ships, as a ferry mission for personnel and materials, together with the basis of defence, light infantry units, naval units and support units.

-- What is with this light units? seems something I'd like--
 

- Well, it's not a job for life... especially for you because you have construction to organize, It is a sort of national service, but the number of tours is unclear... there are many factors to weigh in.---

He nodded and sprung up, headed for the kitchen, from where his voice came

-- Sure it is not forever, I'm taking my girl and it would not be nice-- I heard him rummaging in the fridge, then the characteristic clinging of beer bottles. He reappeared with two fresh bottles in his hands.

I explained what the status of the plan was. He was looking at me with shining eyes... I started to fear that perhaps he was too enthusiastic. He suggested to go on the land team. He wanted the gentleman adventure, Sitting atop a jeep with a bolt action rifle and fend off enemies. It took me a while to get him into what I needed. He to take part on the team that would do the transport of materials, resources and establish our New World.

Then, we let the far future aside, I needed to get him into the immediate future. I went on carefully to explain my proposal. He would leave his job and then he would work for Green Island through SD, like myself. He would focus on logistic and construction before doing anything gentlemanly. However he (and everyone else) would be also doing intensive training.


A lot of questions, answers, details and 3 beers after, he said:


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Chapter 5 VI

--¡OI! Diego-- He looked up inquisitively  

-- Oh man, that's long time no see -- Now he was more surprised. He had not yet processed everything, but hearing Spanish had increased the effect. He raised slowly one hand, timidly anwering. An instant later he recognized me, as I neared in.
 

-- ¡Damn! what are you doing here?--. I was now close to him and stretched my hand. It took a bit because he had not realized he had the car keys already in his hand, ready to leave., so he switched hands, but then rethought it and swapped the key and stretched the right hand, not without avoiding an odd appaluse with both hands stretched .
 

-- You're keeping yourself fit, uh?, do you have time? we can grab some dinner, what do you say?--  Sometimes keeping people in permanent confusion ensures that you hve the initiative on the conversation. 

-- I can tell you what's going on.--

He had a few seconds of trance, but then he smiled and said -- Let me have a shower, come over and I'll get you a beer meanwhile and then we'll grab something to it-- Then he looked suddenly a little worried
 

--¿Do you have time?--

Now it was my time to smile and nod. -- Sure I do.-- And I went on towards the passenger door .

I sat down and leaned back, got my belt and looked around. It is an odd sensation, to be siting in a British car. You are actually siting at the driver's position, but there is no steering wheel. It always makes me a little nervous, as seems the car is under its own will. My hands get restless

-- How much do you run? --

He turned the engine on before answering. I presume it is indeed true that men are not good at multitasking

-- Ideally, about 45 minutes, but it is really dependant on the time and will that I have at the moment, you see, routine is important -- He turned towards  me.

-- What are you doing here? --

-- I gotta stuff to talk to you about -- His eyes opened widely-- It is important and it's going to take a while, so I can do with that beer so my mouth does not run dry-- I drummed on the dashboard with the tips of my fingers and pointed to the front, which to be fair was the brick wall around the park.
 

-- ¡Avanti! --

For  a bit, until we arrived to the roundabout at the end of the street, we were silent. He was negotiating the street and I was getting as much info from the car as possible. Visible papers, the bluetooth connection, anything useful.

I started telling my story. Even if he did not live far, I got to the end as we were arriving,  the evening traffic thick as molasses. I tapped my backpack.
 

-- I have a bundle of information here for you, but before that beer --

The problem with Diego was not to convince him, the main problem was to present the whole thing in a way he would not brush it away and don't listen any longer. If he decided it smelled like shit, he would not change his position easily. It was this important to answer his questions before he even got to formulate them.

While Diego was taking an unusually long shower, I checked that he was not using the phone or that he had left me there and gone somewhere. I turned on the tv, but kept vigilant.

The dwelling was a one of those two story affairs, fairly narrow and the staircase in the middle of everything and rooms on its sides. On the upper story there was a bedroom, the bathroom and a minuscule room that dubbed as office.

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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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Chapter 5 I

Jesús and I were sitting at the safe apartment, on the Hortaleza neighborhood. The street was very quiet and none of the neighbors  knew each other nor had much interest on doing so. It was perfect for us.

The flat was small. We had assembled to small cots on a room with two small closets. None of us lived there and we had few things there, aside of a bug out bag. The living room had a close view of the building opposite. Therefore we had put a living room up. the other room was a small crowded office, with desks, filing cabinets and a coupe of computers. One with internet connection and the other not. The best of all was that we had a couple of those IKEA chairs you can cradle yourself and put your feet up

Precisely there was I sitting  when Jesús threw me an envelope. It was the contact list I had prepared  and there it was. I pulled  the sheets of paper from the manila enverlope and glanced at the list of names.

It was not just names on the list, the people there meant something to me. Not only interesting people with the needed characteristics for the proyect. It was people I personally knew and I had carefully chosen. It was also people in whose hand I was going to put my own life, literally. We were going to start with those who I trusted the most, in order to build a tightly knit core.

the list was fairly long. I got goose bumps upon reading a couple of names. When one looks back there are always important people and important relationships. On the other hand well, I was not good with relationships... Anyway, I would have some difficulties facing some of those names.

Jesús chuckled and passed me a cup of tea.

-Are you regretting already? Facing ghosts from the past is not that difficult as it seems-  I stared back, blankly

-They also have been living these years you know, they changed and evolved, they failed, changed path and forgotten their dreams. Well covered by a routine wall.-  I nodded, there was not much I could say.

- ... And the ladies - he said pointing vagely towards the papers I had on my lap, while he let himself fall into the couch opposite from mine -  It's more about you than about them. You're an stupid pretentious for thinking you are making the right thing or thinking that you are fucking saving them ... - He rested his cup on the armrest  - You're no bloody knight in amour saving them. They have been accepted because they are good and they can do this without your self pity- Now I really did not know what to say.

Jesús smiled.

-Worry not, we'll start with the easy ones-

I nodded with more confident than I felt, but that is how it was with Jesús. We got started on the list and, before Jesús could get some Madness on the sterieo, I got an Ethel the Frog in and pressed play.  I could see Jesús rolling his eyes exaggeratedly and accepting the defeat. We got on plans for the first round of selections and we sorted the first candidates out and made notes on all the relevant information and the details we had to gather.

After a while, Jesús got up for a refill and patted me on the back on his way

-I did this for you back on the day... you're not worse than anyone... nor than myself-  He smiled - At the end of the day, here we are.-

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Chapter 5: Recruting

  Central Offices, InGnio InGnieros Madrid, 19th May2009

The first staff Meeting with  Jesús Díaz. Wooldrow had flown in the day before, but we where not to meet beforehand. I came on my own and gave my name and mentioned the appointment. The young woman behind the desk handed me an envelope that Natalia had left for me and told me to wait a sec. The manila envelope was A4 size and bulging slightly. Inside there was an access card with a picture on it, it was my picture, the one from the Curriculum, a Nokia N97, a SIM card and a smaller envelope with passwords... many things I would not need for the upcoming meeting.

The meeting took place under a very friendly environment. After all, the target of Green Island was to use SD to produce contracts with the European Union and eventually some workload would come the company's way. In itself, it was simple. Woodrow made all the decisions about SD official and also my role on the department. We all agreed that Knowing the structure of  InGnio InGnieros would be a plus, thus, my first task was to do a bit of networking in the office in Madrid and to get to know the company.

Madrid,08 June 2009

Officially, I had to take my holidays before leaving the company. On my first day of holidays, I decided to allow myself the luxury of getting up at 0800.

The training with Jesús was progressing at a good pace. That morning I was scheduled to do some swimming, but the focus at the moment was on the list of people we needed to recruit. Jesús was away for long stretches of time, but before leaving he would leave me a list of stuff to get done. He was doing some surveillance and getting intelligence on the possible recruits. I knew he had some support from the US team, but he was still  very busy.

On my side, I  was a little nervous because at the end of the week we would be doing our first recruiting.

Diego was not too happy either. We had done a few interviews, but he had rejected everyone. One was a girl working at a kindergarten next to our buiding. "You do not expect me to live with a kindergarten teacher, do you?"  Also he rejected a solid Argentinian chap who worked security at a bank along the M-40 " He's got no studies". The whole affair was taking much longer than I wanted...