Let the Music Play: Chapter 32

[Benji]

Wow, is The Goat capable of being so cold and cruel?

 

If so that would suggest one of two things. The father so greedy he'd kill his own sons for money. Or he's a worse homophobe than Lump and would let his anger guide him toward killing all his kids to strike back at the one gay son.

 

 

......Is the Goat capable?? No, of course not, he will blame on a certain shadow

[GaryK]

......Is the Goat capable?? No, of course not, he will blame on a certain shadow

He'd never blame anything on his team. He has far too much integrity to stoop that low.

[TalonRider]

He'd never blame anything on his team. He has far too much integrity to stoop that low.

That's where your wrong Gary. The goat has done it quite often. He's always blamed SG for adding the cliffhangers while he's reading it.

[Benji]

That's where your wrong Gary. The goat has done it quite often. He's always blamed SG for adding the cliffhangers while he's reading it.

 

 

......Aha! note the long awaited arrival of the "tongue-in-cheek" emotion

[GaryK]

......Aha! note the long awaited arrival of the "tongue-in-cheek" emotion

I think Jan missed that Benji! It was definitely said with tongue in cheek!

[Benji]

I think Jan missed that Benji! It was definitely said with tongue in cheek!

 

 

........I know, I know I know......

[wildone]

However, an associate of mine has some ideas on how it can be done.

 

..........Then there's the other question of who this associate is, and why would he have ideas?? Could some greedy person be looking to cash in on the estate of the late great Instinct. Lump anyone??

 

As far as I can recall, the only person that J/S has referred to as an associate has been Dimitri. Now lets add in the fact that he blew up a plane full of people in Russia. Also we know that Brandon is planning on taking up flight lessons back in the states. Wonder if these two things could be connected .

 

Not to beat a dead horse, or goat with a stick, but back to J/S's money. Let's say you all may have persuaded me slightly to believe that maybe all of or part of his income isn't coming from Instinct.

 

So he is an ex arms dealer with a sizable bank account. Now what really are the chances that he has been under the radar of national or international intelligence agencies???? All I will say is that maybe Gunter has a big role to play in the future in my opinion.

 

Steve

[GaryK]

All I will say is that maybe Gunter has a big role to play in the future in my opinion.

Steve

Hi Steve.

 

I made the same suggestion several chapters ago. I totally agree with you that a former arms dealer has to be known to some career government official and that someone is likely keeping an eye on him.

 

I suspect these days his operation in Australia could easily be watched via satellite.

 

Keeping track of his movements and especially the bombs seems more problematic to me.

 

We know very little about Gunter's background. Perhaps he knows about the bomb cases and will let the right people know when the bombs are actually going to be shipped. Other than that I'm not sure how much value he would have since he seems to spend most all of his time near the band.

[shadowgod]

As far as I can recall, the only person that J/S has referred to as an associate has been Dimitri. Now lets add in the fact that he blew up a plane full of people in Russia. Also we know that Brandon is planning on taking up flight lessons back in the states. Wonder if these two things could be connected .

 

Not to beat a dead horse, or goat with a stick, but back to J/S's money. Let's say you all may have persuaded me slightly to believe that maybe all of or part of his income isn't coming from Instinct.

 

So he is an ex arms dealer with a sizable bank account. Now what really are the chances that he has been under the radar of national or international intelligence agencies???? All I will say is that maybe Gunter has a big role to play in the future in my opinion.

 

Steve

 

i dunno, a history of dealing in arms, and now he has Nuclear devices? Doesn't sound much like an ex-arms dealer to me. Perhaps he is planning on selling them to the highest bidder, (Iran anyone?) and retiring to his own little country with the proceeds.

 

can't fault the guy for wanting to be the best at his chosen profession, however whack it is.

[C James]

Wow, thanks one and all!

 

I love the discussions! I am, however, constrained in what I can say, becuase unless I'm refering to just posted text, I could be giving spoilers.

 

I can say this though; being an international arms dealer is a profitable, if risky, buisness. Even the second-tier players make millions. As an example, look into Viktor Bout , who brokered countless arms deals. The shipping is often the key, so an arms dealer often has a fleet of aircraft, or at least connections who do. More than one has fronted their operation as a legit shipping company, as The Scar has done. Victor Bout used this same route (air shipment in his case; he ran up to 50 large cargo aircraft).

 

The Scar may not have been as successful as Bout, be he could have easily had a personal fortune pushing a hundred million. We know from the dealings with the Russian plutonium suppliers that he had to have had at least thirty million in cash at that point. HE got out of paying by having Dimitri bring down the airliner, but he had to have had the cash to get the swiss bank to go along, in order to consummate the plutonium purchase Vladimer arranged.

 

We know he's only got five million left now, so we know he was running low on cash for an operation of this scope. One way to enhance his cash flow was to rope in money with his "charity" operation. A shindig like the one at his house (The party where we first see Eric on Tequila) could have easily netted a million or two.

 

I didn't get into it in detail (perhaps I should have) but some of the special five-axis computer-contaolled lathes he had to buy for the Toowoomba Facility would have cost him close to two million each. The specialized gear for the clean room, the metallurgical facilities (including a neutral-gas atmosphere for some of it) would have cost million more. As a ballpark figure, his setup would run about 42 million in equipment and materials outlays. That does not count the cost of personell, or of renting the premises in Towwoomba or purchasing the Desert Compound, not any assundry other expenses. He's probably looking at at least ten million more in additional outlays, and that's not counting payments to Mario and other incidentals. As a ballpark guess, I'd say he went into this with about 80 million and has spent 75 million.

 

As for Instinct, I've never specified their exact finances, but I have dropped a few clues. One would be the success of their album (it came close to setting records) and sell-out crowds in enormous venues. That is some major money, and that would put them on par with the top handful of groups in earning potential. The major income sources would be merchandising and concerts, BTW.

 

As for Jerry, he took Helen's money out of his deep and abiding love of Irony. I told y'all we'd see Jerry's fun-loving side!

 

BTW, I know the Austrailain chapters dragged a bit in places. They ended up being far more than I had anticipated. I originally estimated five Australian chapters, not ten!

 

However, now their trip is over, I think y'all will find that the pace picks up a bit. The next chapter, BTW, is called "Full Circle".

 

CJ

[GaryK]

i dunno, a history of dealing in arms, and now he has Nuclear devices? Doesn't sound much like an ex-arms dealer to me. Perhaps he is planning on selling them to the highest bidder, (Iran anyone?) and retiring to his own little country with the proceeds.

 

can't fault the guy for wanting to be the best at his chosen profession, however whack it is.

Inquiries, floated through various contacts he

Edited March 27, 2008 by GaryInMiami

[Benji]

I tend to agree with you about having his own country. But why would he risk bringing the devices into the US first if he intends to sell them to a country like Iran. And what is with the demonstration he referred to? It seems like it's going to be in the US.

 

..........I believe it's his intention is to blackmail the US government in a bidding war with it's enemies with a sitting bomb that's already in place somewhere in the US. Why would he ship the bomb when it's already in the one place Iran would like it to be in?

[Tiger]

..........I believe it's his intention is to blackmail the US government in a bidding war with it's enemies with a sitting bomb that's already in place somewhere in the US. Why would he ship the bomb when it's already in the one place Iran would like it to be in?

That's a good point, Benji. It's easier to threaten the US government when the nuke is already on US soil. If he were selling the nuke, he would likely sell it elsewhere. Then again, he may be selling it to a terrorist group that operates in the US.

[Benji]

That's a good point, Benji. It's easier to threaten the US government when the nuke is already on US soil. If he were selling the nuke, he would likely sell it elsewhere. Then again, he may be selling it to a terrorist group that operates in the US.

 

 

............Well he does have two viable working bombs, unless Vlad did something to make them inept.

[Tiger]

............Well he does have two viable working bombs, unless Vlad did something to make them inept.

If Vlad does that, he's probably going to be murdered.

[Benji]

If Vlad does that, he's probably going to be murdered.

 

 

...........You've got to be kidding me!! #1 the bombs are sealed...#2 he's going to be killed anyway........unless he is a government plant all along

[BeaStKid]

I believe he's going to use the first bomb to capture Paraguay and then use the country's resources to destabilize the region...He's already mentioned that...

 

The second bomb would be used against US, as a credible deterrent from any action taken against the 'new' Paraguayan Govt.

 

 

BeaStKid

[Benji]

I believe he's going to use the first bomb to capture Paraguay and then use the country's resources to destabilize the region...He's already mentioned that...

 

The second bomb would be used against US, as a credible deterrent from any action taken against the 'new' Paraguayan Govt.

 

 

BeaStKid

 

 

..........I like your theory, as I wondered how he was going to "aquire' Paraguay.

[BeaStKid]

..........I like your theory, as I wondered how he was going to "aquire' Paraguay.

thanks... I don't seem to recall the chapter...but something like this was mentioned in a conversation between Scar and Dmitri...

[Benji]

thanks... I don't seem to recall the chapter...but something like this was mentioned in a conversation between Scar and Dmitri...

 

 

........His pending aquisition sounds far-fetched and insane for a cold calculating man like Scar, although he is probably just "misunderstood"

[BeaStKid]

........His pending aquisition sounds far-fetched and insane for a cold calculating man like Scar, although he is probably just "misunderstood"

I am sure the eevil mastermind would have something in mind....

[Benji]

I am sure the eevil mastermind would have something in mind....

 

 

..........Poor J/S just when he gets close, one of Eric's "innocent pranks" will probably come in and save the day.

[BeaStKid]

..........Poor J/S just when he gets close, one of Eric's "innocent pranks" will probably come in and save the day.

Don't be so sure...The goat is known to make heroes/day-savers out of most unlikeliest of the characters...

[Tiger]

...........You've got to be kidding me!! #1 the bombs are sealed...#2 he's going to be killed anyway........unless he is a government plant all along

I must have missed something. Poor Vlad is on a suicide mission. I'd rather see The Scar die.

[Benji]

Don't be so sure...The goat is known to make heroes/day-savers out of most unlikeliest of the characters...

 

 

................I somehow doubt "Scar" could be turned into a hero