Navigator

“Navigator”

“Geez, Charlie, when I told you to find us a car I meant something that would get us there and back not a piece of crap like this. Where’d you find it?”

“I got it at the Circle K. The guy left it running when he went into the store and I was standing right there and I figured it was easier than trying to hot-wire another car. I’m not so good with wires. I was scared shitless but I just jumped in and beat it out of there fast.”

“This job needs to go like clockwork or Manny will never give me more work. Without the money I make on this job there’s no way I can get my car out of hawk. The bank made it clear they want every nickel of my outstanding payments or I’ll never get the pink slip back.”

“Sid, I know this is an important job. I need the money too so I can get a car of my own and take some classes at the community college. If we’re just going to Chula Vista and back we should be okay. This car may not be new but it’ll make it, you’ll see.”

“Well, at this point I guess we have no choice. I told your dad before he died that I’d look after you and teach you to make your way somehow. All I know is moving money around so that’s all I can teach you.”

They got into the car and sat for a moment to figure out a plan for the trip. They talked about the best route from South San Diego to Chula Vista but it was pretty much a one-sided conversation. Sid had the experience and knew his way around. Charlie didn’t. As Sid talked about the trip Charlie just looked at him and shrugged. Sid looked at his young accomplice. “Since this car is stolen we’ll have to stay off of the I-5. That’s where all the cops will be and I’m sure it’s on their hot sheet already. I think I can find us an alternate route to get us close but after that we’ll be guessing our way. We have to find the pick-up location and then bring the bag back to Manny.”

“Don’t worry, Sid, I have a navigation app on my phone that we can use to get directions.”

“Why does a guy without a car need a navigation app?”

“It’s for when me and my friends are out. When there’s a party or something going on we use it to find the place. And besides, it was free.”

Sid rolled his eyes. “I have GPS on my car too but that doesn’t do us any good today.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from his wallet and handed it to Charlie. “Here’s the pick-up address in Chula Vista. See if you can plug it into your app so we can get on the road.”

Charlie sat quietly, first scrolling to the navigation app and then typing out the address. “Damn, it’s not working,” he grumbled and then tried it again. “I don’t know what’s wrong here, Sid, but when I put in the address the screen just sits there doing nothing then it shuts off.” He tried it a third and fourth time with no luck. “Sid, my GPS is screwed up.”

Sid looked at him with a surprised expression and immediately knew the problem. “Oh, man, I just remembered. I saw on the news last night there’s some big time storm happening on the sun. It’s like the biggest bunch of solar flares in years and they say it’s going to mess up all the satellites for the whole day, maybe longer. Radio, TV, phones, the internet, everything’s screwed.”

“So that’s why my GPS won’t work?”

“Yeah, that’s got to be the problem. Damn, and we have to find that house and get the money back here to Manny by tonight.”

“What are we going to do, Sid? This is bad. We can’t get him pissed off, especially when you’re trying to teach me what to do.”

Sid was silent for a moment as he looked around the car before he said, “Any guy who drives a shitty old car like this probably doesn’t know about GPS. He’s probably old school. Check in the glove compartment and see if there’s a map. I’ll look in the back.”

Charlie came up empty but Sid found two roadmaps in a pouch behind the driver’s seat. “Bingo, here’s our Plan B.” He got back into the front seat and handed one of the maps to Charlie. “Here, look this one over and see if Chula Vista is on it.”

Charlie unfolded the map and looked it over. Sid could see the total confusion on the kid’s face. “Something the matter?”

“Well, kind of. I never used a map before. I figured since I had GPS why the hell bother with a map. The computer woman tells you everything about how far you are away and where to turn and stuff.”

“So you’re saying when we head for Chula Vista and I ask you for directions off the map you won’t know what to do?”

“Well I could probably figure it out if I had enough time.”

Sid shook his head. “Time is a luxury we don’t have.” He took a deep breath and muttered, “Good Lord, people have outsourced their brains to gadgets.”

Charlie was silent and clearly embarrassed.

“Okay, kid, you drive and I’ll navigate. I’m going to show you how people managed to travel all over the place for years without a damn satellite or cellphone.”

They switched places and sat for a moment while Sid studied the map. “Okay,” he said, “Pull out here and make a left. We’ll fill the tank at that Shell station over there then we’re going to head up Smythe and look for the 905.”

“How long will it take us?”

“I don’t know exactly, probably about an hour and a half, two hours with traffic.

“My navigation app tells you exactly how long a trip will take.”

“Look, Charlie, whether or not you realize it you’re learning a little lesson here. When you rely on a machine, it owns you. You can’t get along without it. Today you and I are in total control of things. Hang on, you might just learn something.”

“Why didn’t Manny give you directions?”

“Manny doesn’t give directions, he gives orders.”

After they’d filled the tank Charlie pulled on to the road and moved into the right lane. He was more than a little nervous. “Let’s keep our eyes open for cops.”

“Yeah, I know, but it will get safer once we’re out of this part of town and headed north.”

“So we’re driving north?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know Chula Vista is north?”

“No, I really haven’t traveled much except for a trip to Phoenix to visit my aunt when I was ten.”

Sid shook his head and sighed. “Okay, we’re on Smythe now. We’re going to stay on it and go under the 905. The name will change to Picador Boulevard so watch for a sign.”

“The name of the road changes?”

Another long sigh. “Yeah, they do that sometimes.”

They drove under the 905 and Charlie excitedly called out, “There’s the sign, we’re on Picador!”

“Okay now, keep your eyes open. Stay on this road and when we get to Palm Avenue keep going straight through the intersection. The road name changes again to Beyer Way.”

The drive had gone smoothly but as they approached Main Street they both saw the flashing lights of two police cruisers. “Shit,” Sid growled, “looks like an accident and that’s too many cops.” He took a quick look at the map and said, “Quick, bear left here and get on to Fourth Avenue.”

Charlie swerved and the car went on to the shoulder of the road but he managed to maintain control. Sid looked back and said, “Good, they’re not moving.” He looked back down at the map. “It’s okay we’re only a block off course. Stay on Fourth until we get to H Street then make a right.” He looked over at Charlie and couldn’t resist. “Your navigation lady couldn’t have made that little adjustment for us.”

When they got to H Street and turned Sid said, “Okay, we’re getting close. In three blocks turn right on to First and then make a quick left on to Casitas Court and stop. That’s where the pick-up house is.”

A few minutes later they were stopped and looking straight ahead at their destination. “What happens now, Sid?”

“What happens now is you stay here and keep your eyes open. If you see anything that looks wrong you turn around and get out fast.”

“What do you mean wrong? Is this going to be dangerous? You never told me that.”

“It’s not supposed to be dangerous. Manny sets up everything and it always goes like clockwork but you have to be ready just in case.”

Sid got out and slowly walked toward the small, unassuming house. When he got to the front door he turned and looked back at Charlie then rang the doorbell. Charlie was close enough to see a tall, stalky man with a goatee and a menacing look open the door. He was holding a black canvas bag. The two men spoke for about a minute but Charlie wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation. Finally the man handed the bag to Sid then stood and watched him walk back toward the car before closing the door.

Sid came around to the driver’s side and said, “Okay, Charlie, I’ll drive us back.” After they’d switched places Sid sat quietly for a moment clutching the steering wheel. Charlie could tell he was unnerved. “Something wrong, Sid?”

“No, it’s just that big guy in the house. He’s a different guy from the one I’ve been working with and he kind of creeps me out.” He handed the bag to Charlie and said, “Put this on the floor between your feet where it’s safe and then pick up the map and see if you can get us back.”

Charlie’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Sid grinned and said, “Just kidding.”

They retraced their route, keeping a constant look out for police and being careful to maintain the speed limit. Charlie tried twice to see if his phone was back to working but had no luck. It was a quiet ride until Charlie asked, “So how long were you and my dad friends?”

Sid hesitated, thinking back over a lot of years and a lot of memories. “Well, I met your dad back in high school. We raised some hell in those days. After graduation we both got jobs at the aircraft plant and worked on the line together. On weekends we shot pool down at Dominick’s and your dad ran the table on anybody dumb enough to challenge him.”

“I miss him. He was always teaching me stuff and fooling around.”

Sid looked over at him. “I miss him too, kid.”

There was another long break in their conversation and then Charlie got curious again. “So I assume there’s money in that bag?”

“Yep.”

“How much?”

“I don’t know. Manny never tells me.”

“You said this morning all you know is moving money around. What did you mean?”

“Well, I’m part of a team, Manny’s team. Each guy on the team has a specific job. Mine is to take the money and give it to Manny or someone else who takes it and gives it to another guy. That guy invests some of it and I take the rest of it to another guy. The money moves around enough and you can’t trace where it came from.”

“Isn’t that called money laundering?”

“It’s called my job.”

They continued their drive south and about half an hour into it a police cruiser pulled into the traffic behind them. Sid saw it in the rear view mirror. “Shit, there’s a cop two cars back.” He pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall and saw the cop continue on by. “I’ll be glad when we’re back to I can dump this junker.”

. By late afternoon they’d made it to Imperial Beach. Charlie gawked in silecet as they drove past rows of large, elegant homes and swaying palm trees lining the streets. When they turned on to Seacoast Drive he saw the oceanfront homes of what he thought must have been some very rich people.

Sid gestured toward a huge, white stucco mansion with a long, curving driveway. “That’s Manny’s place.”

They pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the arched portico. When Sid didn’t try to get out of the car Charlie asked, “Aren’t you going in?”

“You don’t go to the door until you’re summoned.”

“How does he know we’re here?”

“There are more than twenty cameras looking at the entire property and halfway down the street.”

They sat for a few minutes and then saw the front door open. “That’s my cue.” Sid muttered. He grabbed the bag, got out and walked toward the house and under the portico. A casually dressed man with a mustache greeted him. “Sid, glad you made it okay.”

“Hello, Manny, good to see you.”

“What’s with the piece of shit car? I pay you enough to drive something sweet.”

“Oh, uh, I borrowed it while mine’s being serviced.”

“Who’s that in the car with you?”

“That’s the kid I told you about. I promised I’d help him out after his father died. He’s the one who’s looking for a job.”

“I might be needing another driver soon. Can you vouch for him?”

“Yeah, no problem. His dad was a straight shooter and so is he.”

Sid handed Manny the bag and waited while he took it inside. A few minutes later he returned with a large manila envelope. “Here you go, Sid. That’s for today and I’ll need you again next Tuesday. I need you to run up to National City for an exchange.”

“Sounds good. I’ll have my own car back by then. Just email me the address like always.”

The two men shook hands and Sid walked back to the car. When he was back behind the wheel Charlie asked, “Did everything go okay?”

Sid nodded, “Yeah, everything’s cool.” He slid the envelope on to the seat under him and drove back out the driveway.

“Hey, while you were with Manny my phone started working again. Do you want me to plug in our route?”

“No, this is familiar ground for me, but thanks.”

The ride back to Charlie’s house was uneventful and quiet. Sid looked over at him. “Your mom’s probably got your dinner ready by now. When Charlie didn’t respond Sid asked, ”Something bothering you?”

“Well, I was just thinking about the guy who owns this car. He looked like a nice enough guy and he’s probably going nuts wondering where his wheels are. I feel bad for taking it even if it’s a piece of junk. It’s that man’s junk.”

Sid could tell that Charlie was bothered by his role in the day’s activities. When they pulled up in front of Charlie’s house it was starting to get dark. Before Sid could say anything Charlie asked, “What are you going to do with the car?”

“I’m going to drive it someplace a few blocks from my house, wipe it clean for fingerprints and leave the keys on the floor.”

“Park it someplace where it’ll be easy for the cops to find it so they can get it back to that guy.”

Sid nodded and just sat looking at Charlie. Finally he said, “Kid, this is yours.” He pulled the envelope out from under his legs and handed it to him.

Charlie took it and looked at Sid. “What’s this? What are you doing?”

“It’s your cut.”

Charlie undid the clasp of the envelope and spread it open. “Holy shit, Sid, this is like a pile of fifties and hundreds!”

“I’m keeping the promise I made to your dad. This is my way of looking out for you. Go out and buy that car and take those classes.”

“But what about a job working with you like we talked about?”

“This isn’t any kind of future for a kid your age. Hell, it’s no kind of future for a guy my age either. The money I move around is invested in all kinds of things and I’m investing my share in you.”

Charlie stared at Sid, looked down at the money and then back at Sid. “I can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything, just stay out of trouble. If I hear you screwed up there’ll be hell to pay.”

Charlie smiled. “Don’t worry, my career as a car-thief is over.”

As Charlie started to get out of the car Sid grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Here, kid.” He handed Charlie the map. “Hang on to this. You never know when your GPS might go out again. This official Sid Navigation System will help you find your way to wherever you’re going.”