Cartagena, Colombia
Six people suddenly appeared, making the once spacious living room feel cramped. Hades grabbed some cash from his wallet and handed it to them, instructing them to find a place nearby.
He didn't live in a high-end apartment, just a regular one where $200 a month could get you a decent place.
The next day, Hades sat in a beat-up SUV, accompanied by Elro and two other bodyguards, heading to a small town called Turbaco, about 10 kilometers from Cartagena. Compared to bustling Cartagena, this town was much smaller.
The SUV rolled into an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts. Two pickup trucks were already there, with several burly, tattooed men holding AK-47s, watching warily as Hades and his crew stepped out.
"Hey, Hades, you finally made it."
A brown-haired, bearded man approached with open arms and a smile.
"Carlos, sorry about that. Took a wrong turn and ended up making you wait."
Hades gave Carlos an apologetic look and then pulled him into a manly hug. They were old friends who had traded several times.
Unlike Aron, Carlos was a real big customer, a gangster tied to a drug trafficking gang rumored to be connected to the infamous Medellin Cartel. Hades didn't know all the details, having only been there for a few months.
After exchanging pleasantries, Carlos got down to business.
"Otto Niel, bring the stuff over."
"Got it, boss."
Otto Neil, one of Hades' soldiers, returned to the car, fetched two black canvas bags from the trunk, and placed them in front of Hades and Carlos.
"Carlos, here you go. Seventy AK-47s, ten grenades, and 3,000 rounds of ammo."
Carlos waved his hand, and two of his men came forward to inspect the goods. Meanwhile, Hades and Carlos continued chatting.
"I heard the DEA is cracking down hard and sent thousands of military and police to hit the Medellin Cartel. Is that true?"
Hades took a drag from his cigarette, smiling.
"Yeah, that's happening."
"So, what's up with Pablo? They catch him yet?"
"Catch him? No way! He's Pablo. The DEA can't touch him, especially not with just the DEA backing them. They're out of their league."
Seeing Carlos's disdain, Hades shrugged and dropped the subject.
"Boss, the count is good. Everything checks out."
"Alright!"
Carlos waved a subordinate forward, who handed over a large stack of cash from a suitcase.
"Elro, count it."
"Yes, boss."
A few minutes later, Elro finished counting. "Boss, it's $72,000."
Hearing this, Hades smiled and extended his hand. "Carlos, looking forward to our next deal."
"Hold up, Hades."
"What's up?"
"Let me introduce you to someone." Carlos turned to one of his men. "Go get Mr. Raimondo."
Raimondo?
The name sounded familiar to Hades, then it hit him. Raimondo was a key figure in the Medellin Cartel, mainly handling mortgage operations.
With Pablo backing him, nobody dared to mess with him—not even law enforcement, given their families and lives in Colombia. The Medellin Cartel was notorious for its ruthlessness, even kidnapping officials and killing dozens of police and military officers.
Hades had been wondering how to connect with the Medellin Cartel, and now the opportunity had fallen into his lap. It was obvious Raimondo was interested in buying arms.
"Mr. Raimondo, meet Hades. His weapons are top-notch in all aspects."
Raimondo looked Hades up and down, then glanced at the three men behind him. Nodding slightly, he extended his hand with a smile. "Hades, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Raimondo."
"Pleasure's mine, Mr. Raimondo."
Carlos had mentioned Hades' prowess in procuring heavy weapons, and Raimondo was curious. "I heard you can get heavy weapons?"
"As long as the money's right, I can get you anything."
Hades' confident reply made Raimondo take him seriously.
The Medellin Group is a big fish. If he can catch this big fish, he won't have to sell it separately like they do now. The boss of the group, Pablo, is worth billions of dollars.
This is just him alone. If the entire Medellin Group is included, the net worth is even more. In a word, they are financially strong.
To get along with such a big customer, you have to be confident, otherwise, people will think you are a small arms dealer.
The Medellin Cartel was a massive opportunity, worth billions so there shouldn't be any loopholes in his words.
Raimondo narrowed his eyes but didn't mock Hades. "I want military Hummer armored vehicles, armed helicopters, and machine guns."
"No problem. What kind of helicopters? From Russian, the US, or elsewhere? And for machine guns, light or heavy?"
Hades' series of questions surprised Raimondo. Could this guy really be an arms company rep?
Putting aside his doubts, Raimondo replied, "It depends on what you can provide and the price. Good quality, negotiable price."
"Leave me your contact info. I'll reach out tomorrow, and we can set up a detailed meeting."
"Sure."
Raimondo wrote down his number, handed it to Hades, and then Hades left, having wrapped up the deal.
"Carlos, do you really think he can get armed helicopters and heavy machine guns?" Raimondo narrowed his eyes, looked at the taillights of the car going away, and asked softly.
Carlos, who was standing next to him, hesitated for a moment and said,"Although it is a bit unbelievable, from my experience of trading with him several times, he shouldn't be a smuggled arms dealer, and there should be an arms company behind him, and his power is not insignificant."