They finally arrived where the port officer and the other individual were waiting. The officer had a ridiculous grin on his face: the three-hundred-dollar finder’s fee would be the reason for this. The officer introduced Guillermo to the man who stood next to him. “Guillermo, this is Jean-Luc, a very good friend of mine.” the officer said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Guillermo responded, and the two shook hands.
Jean-Luc was shrewd and heartless. He had made a great deal of money over the years by illegally transporting immigrants from South America to the United States. He was the point of contact for the ship’s illegal operations. All proceeds were shared with his crew members, and even the ship’s captain received his share. The largest share of the money went to the crooked US port officials.
Something to add to Jean-Luc’s list of dubious undertakings was that he was also an informant. He would snitch out his competition to the US port authorities. It worked out perfectly for both sides. For Jean-Luc it got rid of the competition, and for the port authority it meant regular busts. The busts showed the press and members of the public that the US Port Authority had the illegal immigration issue under control. It also meant that Jean-Luc and his crew had a monopoly in that line of business, with hardly any competition in their way. He was also involved in importing illegal goods into the US. These were mostly contraband cigars, knockoff shoes and handbags. He did whatever it took to keep money rolling in.
Not more than five seconds into the initial introduction, Jean-Luc asked for the travel fees. He was going to do most of the talking from this point on. Guillermo’s friend the port officer was not to get involved at this stage. His job was to make the introduction and collect his finder’s fee once the payment had been made.
“I take it you’ve been informed of the travel fees?” Jean-Luc asked.
“Yes, I have the $9,500 in hand.” replied Guillermo.
“The fee is ten thousand dollars. Unfortunately, the prices have gone up, and I have already included a discount,” Jean-Luc said.
Guillermo turned to his officer friend in astonishment. The officer also looked surprised. Guillermo knew that he would have to cough up the extra money if he wanted to board the ship, however, he felt the need to argue his case.
“I was told $3,500 each for me and my wife, and two thousand dollars for my daughter. It is unfair that I am only finding out about this on the day that we are supposed to be traveling. You don’t expect us to just have an extra five hundred dollars to spare?”
“I understand your situation, Guillermo, but the truth is that the Americans are getting greedy, they have started asking for more money. To be honest, those Yankees are the ones that really dictate how much we charge our customers,” replied Jean-Luc.
Jean-Luc was lying; there had been no price increase, and the Americans didn’t decide how much the ship was charging people. The fact was he had a knack for sizing people up, and he could always tell who would be willing to pay extra. This time Jean-Luc was right about Guillermo. He knew that a man travelling with a wife and child would have made the arrangements to ensure that the necessary finances were in place.
Guillermo turned his back to Jean-Luc and the officer, reached into his backpack, and rifled through some of the items. He had managed to count out the requested five hundred dollars from a stash of hundred-dollar bills in his backpack. He added this to the original $9,500.
“As you wish, Mr. Jean-Luc. Here is ten thousand dollars.”
“Thank you, you have made the right decision. Please wait here, one of our security personnel will come down to escort you on deck,” said Jean-Luc.
As Guillermo waited, Jean-Luc directed the officer towards the opposite side of the dock, away from where Guillermo and his family stood. They stopped about thirty yards from the anxious family. The men talked for a couple of minutes before Jean-Luc counted out some of the money and handed it to the officer. Without wasting any time, the officer shoved the money into his left trouser pocket, and they both started back towards Guillermo. He had always been able to read situations, but Guillermo could not understand what had just happened or what was going to happen next. The ordeal with the price increase and Jean-Luc walking away with the officer made him feel uneasy. However, he kept on a brave face and didn’t show any signs of worry.
“My good friend, I guess this is where we say goodbye. I am really happy for you, and I wish you and your family the best,” the officer said.
“Thank you so much for making this possible. You are the reason my family and I are going on this wonderful journey. If you had never told me about this ship, everything that is happening now would not be possible. So thank you, my good friend,” said Guillermo.
“Goodbye, my friend, maybe we’ll meet again in the future,” said the officer.
The men shook hands, and the officer
