The hand off didn't come for a couple of more days, so I sat in that tiny little apartment with noting to do but research for my bike project. I figured the first thing I needed was to determine what kind of bike frame would work best, then find a seller.

From reading about five hundred entries on a couple of different forums, I found that a good steel framed dual suspension bike was my best bet. At the final sales price of the bike, I did not want to begin with a cheapo frame. I looked around and finally found a guy who sold a bike called the Mystic Mountain. It was an import from China of course, but it was a step above the department store bikes, or so the reviews all said. It came only partially assembled. The distributor assured me in an email that the assembly was simple and that all parts were warranted by him. There would be no going back to the china manufacturer for parts.

It all sounded good until he mention that the minimum order had to be for five bikes to get the special $125 each, wholesale price. The bike retailed for $200 bucks up depending on the bike shop. If I were to buy ten at a time the price dropped to $105.

Next I had to find a decent kit. After reading another five hundred forum entries I decided to go with a kit from a distributor in Hong Kong, If I bought five kits, which seemed like a lot, but since I had to buy at least five bikes, it would work out, I supposed. Each of the front motor hub kits contained the front wheel, with heavy duty spokes and tire. It also contained a 36volt speed controller and throttle. The price for the kits in orders of at least five was $450 and change.

The real pain in the butt came with the battery packs. There was no question at all, after only a hundred forum entries, that it had to be a lithium battery pack. The 36volt, twenty amp hour pack, which was the most economical size for the bike I planned to build, was going to run me over $600 bucks. I thought that it was a terrible price to pay, but I decided to spring for it anyway.

It looked as though the price of the bike complete would retail for about two grand. It was the price for a rich man's toy not a guy trying to commute to work for a reasonable price. I decided not to decide for the moment.

It was just as well. I got pulled back into the resettlement issue since the handover day had arrived. The drive from Charlotte to Raleigh took about four hours. We met my new handler for in the parking lot of a cheap steak houses by the interstate. I should have asked about the new handler in advance, but I just didn't care. One was the same as another as far as I was concerned.

"Eddie, this is Marshal Cindy Tripp. She will be your new handler." My temporary handler turned to Cindy and asked, "So Cindy how you doing."

"I'm just fine Will, So Eddie, I have your file. I have to admit you are the first client I have ever had who seems to understand the system. That doing time under the new ident was a brilliant stroke. There will be real white collar criminals who know you. It was just masterful."

"Come on Cindy don't get to enamored with our mooch, he is still just a mooch. Maybe he can talk nice, but in the end he is just a cheap grifter."

"Ten million in drug money, doesn't sound cheap to me."

"I lost it all though," I replied.

"Sure," she agreed. "You want to have lunch or move on down the road first?"

"Move on down the road a ways. Your buddy here wasn't all that great a companion, I do hope you will be better."

"I'm just here to help you settle in Eddie, not be your best friend. Still I might be your best friend, if you get in trouble down there."

"I don't expect to do that. My big plan is to be a respectable businessman, and part time beach bum."

"That sounds encouraging, So lets get a move on." She signed a couple of documents then we switched to her car. Just like all the Marshalls, she drove a nondescript car. Hers was a Chevy Malibue. It was new, but completely ordinary in every other way. Right off the lot with just the right number of bells and whistles but no fancy options.