Snowing in Bali Read Online Free Page B

gun.’
    Really, you thought that?
    Yeah, because it was my first time. In those first moments I was also thinking maybe there is someone else hiding in the toilet.
    Rafael was watching, wary, scrutinising the buyer, who was about 40 years old, clean-cut and handsome. He looked like a boss – no tattoos, stylishly dressed in jeans, Polo shirt and leather shoes, with a Rolex on his wrist. Out of his briefcase he took not a gun, but a sharp knife, using it to slice open the plastic bag, then sniff a bit of coke off its shiny blade. His mouth twitched and his eyes glistened. Rafael tried to read him, still feeling anxious.
    My thoughts were going crazy, because I was really looking at the guy, really suspicious. I could see he works out at the gym, a very strong guy, and I was thinking it would be hard to fight with him, because he’s bigger than me, stronger.
    Rafael picked up a tiny rock, gesturing he wanted to use some. ‘You mind?’ he asked. It would help to settle his nerves. ‘No problem,’ the buyer replied. Rafael sniffed a little off his fingertips, instantly feeling better.
    The buyer was now focused on testing the quality of the cocaine.
    He was organised. He had all the equipment in his briefcase, like the lighter and spoon. He put some bicarbonate soda and coke on the spoon, flicked the lighter, fried the shit, and then he agrees: ‘Okay, it’s good. I want to take it all. How much you have?’ I say, ‘I have three more.’ ‘Okay, give me two days to get the money.’
    After spooning the coke onto a digital scale to check it for correct weight, the buyer tipped the powder into three plastic zip lock bags, slid his fingers along the top of each, and placed them one by one in his briefcase. Then he snapped shut the lid and locks, and re-scrambled the combinations. ‘Okay, let’s go to the bedroom,’ he said, breaking the silence.
    Rafael trailed him out of the living room and into the bedroom. The Australian had clearly splashed out on one of the InterContinental’s plush suites, which Rafael would soon discover was often the genteel way of big cocaine transactions. It had stunning ocean views, but Rafael didn’t notice. His eyes flew to the four big piles of crisp $100 notes sitting on the bed – each $10,000. The buyer apologised that the last $8000 would be paid in Indonesian rupiah.
    It was the first time I see bunches, like nice bunches, four together. I was like, ‘Wow!’
    Rafael picked up a bunch and flicked through it, checking for counterfeits or blanks. The Australian buyer sat down in an armchair, crossing his legs, telling him to take his time. But Rafael now felt he was legit and wanted to do more business, and so wouldn’t be ripping him off. ‘Thanks, but I’ll count it at home,’ he said, putting the cash into his plastic bag. They agreed to meet again in a couple of days, and Rafael left.
    Two days later, it was like déjà vu. Rafael watched the Australian do precisely the same adept moves, down to snapping shut the briefcase and scrambling the locks. The one signi­ficant difference was that this time the bed was dressed with 14 bunches of cash.
    *
    Two months after the first rendezvous, the Australian surfer phoned saying he was again ready to deal. Rafael was keen to deliver all the way to Sydney’s northern beaches this time, so he’d make more than $120,000 a kilo, the highest price anywhere on the planet. This was the reward for penetrating Australia’s rigorous borders – and made it the number one global target for all drug traffickers.
    A gram of cocaine in Australia costs between $200 to $500. In the United States, a gram sells for as little as $100.
    â€“ Sydney Morning Herald, 15 September 2010
    A ‘generational shift’ has pushed demand for cocaine to unprecedented levels, giving Australia the dubious honour of being the world’s most lucrative market