T usks ,” Nola repeated. “Like elephants?”
“Probably rhinos in this case,” Sam said.
“What? Like the animal that lives in Africa? Why would someone traffic a rhino?” Nola said.
“Not the whole animal. Mostly just the tusks. It’s big business,” Sam replied.
She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it.
“But I don’t understand,” she said.
“Do you know how much a kilo of ground tusk wholesales for?” Cruz asked.
“I didn’t know that there even was such a thing, but what, ten thousand dollars?” she said, thinking her estimate was ridiculously high.
“To put it in perspective, a kilo of pure cocaine is around sixty thousand. Rhino runs twenty-five percent more,” Ace said.
Nola’s mouth dropped open, and she was stunned. “Seventy-five thousand dollars for rhinoceros tusk? What do people even do with it?”
“Some think ground tusks have medicinal value, that they cure cancer, AIDS, gout. Others drink it for cleansing, holistic healing. Others just acquire it because it’s so difficult to get. They use it as a status symbol,” Ace said.
“That’s awful, killing those poor animals for no reason,” Nola said.
“That it is,” Cruz said and the others nodded their agreement.
“Something also tells me it is highly illegal,” she said.
“Highly,” Cruz said, “which is where we come in.”
“How?”
“We got a tip that something was coming through, and that you would be bringing it, so we watched. We didn’t know what the cargo was, though now that is clear.”
“Why Vietnam?” she asked Cruz.
“Vietnam used to have rhinoceroses, but they’ve been hunted to extinction. So, this is more of a way station, a place where illegally hunted game are transported from Africa before they make their way to China, Russia, or the Americas.”
“So what now?” Nola asked.
She looked at Cruz, who looked at Ace.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Ace asked.
“I’ll make the call,” Cruz said.
••••
Two hours later, there was a knock at the door. Nola listened as Ace answered and heard two muted sets of footsteps approach. By now she’d gotten used to Ace, so his presence didn’t disturb her, but the man beside him made her want to run, or at least run to Cruz. The newest person was huge, menacing, his features raw and seemingly chiseled out of granite. And though he hadn’t looked at Nola directly, at least that she’d noticed, he made her nervous nonetheless, made her want someone to protect her.
Sam had no such reservations. He stood and approached quickly, dwarfed by the huge, scary-looking man, who glared at the smaller man as if he’d be as happy to break the hand Sam extended as he would be to shake it.
“Mr. Saint? I’m a huge fan, sir. Like to consider myself something of a student of your work,” Sam said.
The man turned away without acknowledging Sam’s statement.
“This better be important, Cruz,” Saint said.
The sound of his voice, deep, filled with barely restrained disgust, set Nola’s heart off on yet another gallop.
“I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t,” Cruz said.
And then there was silence as the man openly assessed Sam and then Nola.
“I can vouch for them,” Cruz said.
“Me too,” Ace added.
The man moved his head, almost imperceptibly, just a fraction, but enough Nola felt she could breathe again. She turned her gaze toward Sam, whose face had hardened, no hint of the friendliness that had seemed such a part of him present. She understood his anger. That blow-off had been almost cruel, especially if Sam admired the man as much as he seemed to.
“So what do you know about the wildlife trade?” Cruz said.
“Care to be more specific?” Saint responded.
“Who’s moving illegal parts and in quantity?”
“Well, there’s always three or four players, local gangs, a few corrupt party officials, triad offshoots.”
“Any ties to the US?” Ace asked.
“I assume that’s how your lady friend
“Probably rhinos in this case,” Sam said.
“What? Like the animal that lives in Africa? Why would someone traffic a rhino?” Nola said.
“Not the whole animal. Mostly just the tusks. It’s big business,” Sam replied.
She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it.
“But I don’t understand,” she said.
“Do you know how much a kilo of ground tusk wholesales for?” Cruz asked.
“I didn’t know that there even was such a thing, but what, ten thousand dollars?” she said, thinking her estimate was ridiculously high.
“To put it in perspective, a kilo of pure cocaine is around sixty thousand. Rhino runs twenty-five percent more,” Ace said.
Nola’s mouth dropped open, and she was stunned. “Seventy-five thousand dollars for rhinoceros tusk? What do people even do with it?”
“Some think ground tusks have medicinal value, that they cure cancer, AIDS, gout. Others drink it for cleansing, holistic healing. Others just acquire it because it’s so difficult to get. They use it as a status symbol,” Ace said.
“That’s awful, killing those poor animals for no reason,” Nola said.
“That it is,” Cruz said and the others nodded their agreement.
“Something also tells me it is highly illegal,” she said.
“Highly,” Cruz said, “which is where we come in.”
“How?”
“We got a tip that something was coming through, and that you would be bringing it, so we watched. We didn’t know what the cargo was, though now that is clear.”
“Why Vietnam?” she asked Cruz.
“Vietnam used to have rhinoceroses, but they’ve been hunted to extinction. So, this is more of a way station, a place where illegally hunted game are transported from Africa before they make their way to China, Russia, or the Americas.”
“So what now?” Nola asked.
She looked at Cruz, who looked at Ace.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Ace asked.
“I’ll make the call,” Cruz said.
••••
Two hours later, there was a knock at the door. Nola listened as Ace answered and heard two muted sets of footsteps approach. By now she’d gotten used to Ace, so his presence didn’t disturb her, but the man beside him made her want to run, or at least run to Cruz. The newest person was huge, menacing, his features raw and seemingly chiseled out of granite. And though he hadn’t looked at Nola directly, at least that she’d noticed, he made her nervous nonetheless, made her want someone to protect her.
Sam had no such reservations. He stood and approached quickly, dwarfed by the huge, scary-looking man, who glared at the smaller man as if he’d be as happy to break the hand Sam extended as he would be to shake it.
“Mr. Saint? I’m a huge fan, sir. Like to consider myself something of a student of your work,” Sam said.
The man turned away without acknowledging Sam’s statement.
“This better be important, Cruz,” Saint said.
The sound of his voice, deep, filled with barely restrained disgust, set Nola’s heart off on yet another gallop.
“I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t,” Cruz said.
And then there was silence as the man openly assessed Sam and then Nola.
“I can vouch for them,” Cruz said.
“Me too,” Ace added.
The man moved his head, almost imperceptibly, just a fraction, but enough Nola felt she could breathe again. She turned her gaze toward Sam, whose face had hardened, no hint of the friendliness that had seemed such a part of him present. She understood his anger. That blow-off had been almost cruel, especially if Sam admired the man as much as he seemed to.
“So what do you know about the wildlife trade?” Cruz said.
“Care to be more specific?” Saint responded.
“Who’s moving illegal parts and in quantity?”
“Well, there’s always three or four players, local gangs, a few corrupt party officials, triad offshoots.”
“Any ties to the US?” Ace asked.
“I assume that’s how your lady friend
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