Scotch

The Cardinal And The Jack Coffee Shop And Bakery - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Tanaka and Mason romance was a story that drew oohs and ahhs for a couple of days. Tanaka, always a bit of a ham, played her part well at The Cardinal and The Jack. There were quite a few new faces in the place, but most were ex-students who wanted to see who was finally taking Ben Mason off the field.

Tanaka had that glow that the young and fertile seemed to emit; it was clear. If you knew Lisa, who is always good at everything, you would say she was not good at waitressing. She had a shaky hand when laying down hot cups, but there were no spills after her first day. 

Eve talked with Lisa after a few observations and determined that Lisa was, above all, a student who worked on the little things to achieve perfection. Tanaka would say that she was not driven by perfection but more by the need to get it right.

Eve told Lisa in the back, "You won't hit the target downrange with a shaky hand, and the key is steady relaxation and repetition."

This analogy was something Tanaka immediately took to heart. 

She remembered feeling "new" at things.

Tanaka was new to being in Navy Officer Candidate School, which transitioned her from a Civilian into a military person. 

She felt the nervousness and self-doubt that all felt on that first day of "Boot," but she got through it using attention to detail and keeping three thoughts in her head. "Thousands of people have met this challenge and beat it." "Go with the flow, but don't be last." "Be better than 75 percent of your peers."  

These thoughts were still in her luggage when she went through the F.B.I. Academy a  few years later. 

The Academy in Quantico was the most complex challenge she had ever faced, but she always looked forward and moved forward, particularly in firearms qualification and take-downs.

Placing a cup of coffee on the table for civilians was another thing to beat.

She looked like a twenty-year-old working through college but wore her hair and sparse makeup differently.

A few press members took a few shots and wrote hum drum columns that were old news after a day.

The headlines were like this. "Long-time TV Guest Ben Mason is Finally Marrying a Young Waitress." 

The focus was on him, not her.

Later, Lisa would have a good time busting Mason's balls, pointing out that he wasn't as big a deal as he thought.

They both knew it would have been very different if they knew she was a glamorous F.B.I. agent carrying a child.

She stayed in the job for two weeks, and she and Eve became good friends.

San Diego International Airport - San Diego, California

Troy Manolo's two bosses were flying out of Mexico City while Troy started his journey to Barcelona in San Diego.

Wally created a ton of paperwork that started many actions that allowed Troy to quietly carry his firearm onto the plane through two domestic airports and then through customs in Barcelona. This was not as easy as it would seem.

The TSA was alerted, and "in the know" individuals were placed at the checkpoints Troy walked through. They played their parts perfectly at each airport.

In Barcelona, a high-level diplomat from the U.S. Consulate Office observed Troy as he passed through customs without issue. There was no need to contact Troy or Spanish authorities. 

Troy was going to leave his sidearm in Barcelona when he went home.

The Barcelona El Prat airport is stunningly huge, a little rough around the edges, but very efficient in getting people off flights and onto public transportation to Placa Catalunya.

The Russians got it right, choosing a nice hotel in The Gothic Quarter with a conference center attached. 

The Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona moves and keeps your eyes busy.  Sleeping was easy for a few hours after I arrived. 

I used a few minutes to familiarize myself with the hotel and conference center. 

I sat in the lobby near the desk to observe the arrivals.

The waitress brought me a chunky, heavy glass of scotch on ice. Since this would be on the Agapov Organization, I kept the receipt. 

I looked at my phone and kept an eye on the arrivals.

The Russians laugh heartily, even in solemn, dark hotel lobbies.

I noticed a few reunions, people who have conducted business for a long time and have never met. The loud and the serious arrived, and it wasn't hard to see that the organization's upper ranks were the serious ones.

What is this Russian obsession with leather jackets?

I lay a little lower when Anatoly and Dimitri arrived together. Dimitri was serious, while Anatoly knew a few people in line. 

It was time for street food in The Gothic Quarter. 

There were no meet and greets tonight. All the fun started tomorrow.

After downing my scotch, I moved out of the crowded lobby. This put me in the perfect mood for The Gothic Quarter, a sensory overload of good food, smells, sights, and happy people.

I dug in and looked for a good Tapas tour.