Echoes - Part XVII

[Robbie C.]

Back at the task force office, Sonny found Rico pacing back and forth like a tiger in a suit. “What the hell? What do these chumps think they're about?”

“It's a game, Rico. That goof Carstairs doesn't know anything about anything. Pete thinks he's just trying to make a name for himself.”

Mindy looked up from plotting new information on the map. “He's a dangerous one, though. Nailed an FBI agent in Philly for being on the take, which is why he got the plum spot in the sun. It helped that the FBI guy was dumb enough to buy a bunch of stuff all of a sudden. With cash. But Carstairs isn't one to let the truth stand in the way of overstating his ability.”

“Let Marty and I handle that. The rest of you need to stay focused on this operation. If this guy Juan is that close to Doc, we're damned close to wrapping this one up. But we can't get sloppy. If you do, think of that van. That's what happens when you cut corners on this job.”

Stan nodded as he came out of the tech room. “And you can't cut corners on Doc. This guy's still a ghost. Not one whisper of him on anything we're listening to. I've even tried scanning CB and marine band frequencies. Heard some interesting stuff, but nothing about Doc.” He grinned. “You wouldn't believe what passes for phone sex on the CB.”

Sonny shuddered. “I don't want to think about it. Keep at it, though. You and Lester are really on your game. If he slips at all, you'll catch it.” He looked around. “Marty make his PT?”

Mindy nodded. “That's why Trudy isn't here. She insisted on driving him, and then taking him home if that's where he needs to be.”

“Good. I'd rather have him here, but for their sake he needs to get better the right way.”

“Trudy's good people. And the captain...” She smiled. “I can't even really say his name.”

“It took us years to call him Marty.” Rico chuckled. “He's got that effect on people.”

“So if Teddy's hanging around the hotel working on his tan, what do the rest of us do?” Stan shot Rico a big grin.

“You two keep on the tapes. Mindy, I might have you shadow Tubbs in the Hilton. Teddy would look funny without a lady on his arm from time to time, and you'll blend in there damned well.” Sonny shook his head. “Me? I'm on call as either Burnett or the AUSA's whipping boy. Stan, when Dave and Randy come in tell them I want them on quick alert. We may have to move fast. I'll either be here or on the pager. Rico, let me know as soon as you get something set with this Juan. And Mindy, before you get changed could you give the lab a call and remind them we're still waiting on those prints? I know they're backed up with all sorts of crap, but just make sure it doesn't get lost.”

“I'll call now. See if I can catch someone before they start sneaking away.” She smiled and reached for the phone.

 

Martin Castillo was still sore from his physical therapy session, so his glare packed extra weight as he sat down in the chair across from AUSA Carstairs. Pete was there, sitting back from the table a bit with a smile on his face.

“Are you ready? Captain is it?”

“You know it is. Ask your questions.”

“Your lieutenant wasn't very forthcoming this morning.” Carstairs smiled. “I'm hoping you will be.”

“How many men have you interrogated?”

“What? I don't see...”

“Answer the question. How many interrogations have you conducted? Ten?”

“I've conducted fifteen criminal investigations, including one of a former FBI agent.”

“I've conducted over three thousand. So I know you're lying about Crockett. If you had any experience you'd know how to tell if a man's lying. How the movements of his eyes give him away. Little ticks, like the way you're tapping the table right now. To an experienced interrogator it all paints a picture. And your picture tells me you're in over your head. Lying to me about my lieutenant tells me you don't know what you're doing.”

“Now you see here...”

Castillo eyed the man through his sunglasses. Already he was tired of the game, but the man's arrogance annoyed him. A legitimate inquiry into what went wrong on the Holmes raid was one thing, but trying to smear his team, his people, was something Castillo would not tolerate. “I conducted my first interrogation before you were born. So I'll tell you what's happening here. My team's preparations for the potential buy are a matter of record. As are our multiple attempts to coordinate with ATF. It's my understanding they also froze the state police out of their operation. You might want to look into that.”

“I did see those records. But they aren't clear...”

“Then you need to go back to school. They're very clear. And our communications team has recordings and transcripts of my call to the ATF senior agent and his refusal to send support to his own men. They were included in what we gave your office.” Castillo leaned back, letting the silence hang in the air for minutes. Sometimes it was more about what you didn't say than what you said when it came to breaking a weak man. And he had no doubt Carstairs was weak. The only question was how weak. “What did you expect to gain from this, Carstairs, is it? Your kind never shows up unless they feel they can gain something. What was it? Power? Trying to smear the task force that took down Moncado and Maynard? You're tapping the table. Lie to me again and this interview is over.”

“I'm...I'm just doing my job. That's all.”

Castillo could see the look in the attorney's eyes. It was a look he'd seen many times before in rooms like this. In huts in the middle of Mekong Delta rice fields. And in forgotten camps in the Laotian highlands. The man was broken. “But who are you doing the job for?”

“Look...the senior ATF agent is friends with my roommate from law school. He's FBI. He called in a favor. Said his buddy's in hot water and I could help him out.”

“So you initiated a fraudulent inquiry intended to cover up gross misconduct on the part of the ATF?”

“Yes.”

Castillo turned to Pete. “Did you get all that, chief deputy?”

Pete nodded. “Yep. And his own tape's still runnin'.”

Castillo took off his sunglasses and glared across the table. He was well aware of the power of his stare, and had used it many times during interrogations to push men to the breaking point. That, combined with silence. They were never sure what he would do, could never read anything in his expressionless eyes. Not knowing was a bigger threat than knowing, and he used it to full effect. After a time he spoke. “This is what you will do. You close the inquiry with a factual finding. Which is...”

“The task force did nothing wrong.” Carstairs' voice was barely a whisper. “The ATF refused to coordinate with multiple agencies, conducted their raid with inadequate planning and ignored available intelligence. And if your people hadn't have been there the disaster would have been far worse.”

Pete allowed the man a smile. “It may sting some now, son, but you'll be able to sleep at night. You wouldn't be sleepin' for shit if you'd gone the other way. And once you cave for some peckerwood in the FBI he'll keep comin' back for more. I'd make some new friends if I was you.”

Castillo kept staring, not wanting to lose contact just yet. “Is that all you needed to know?”

“Yes. Thank you very much for your cooperation, gentlemen. I'll send you both a copy of my draft report. Sorry to have taken you and your lieutenant away from your ongoing operation.”

When they were out in the hall, Pete Washington stuck out his hand. “I've wanted to slap the taste out of that asshole's mouth for months. I owe you. And you weren't kidding about those interrogations, were you?”

Castillo shook the offered hand. “No.”

“Remind me to call you next time I get one who thinks he's tough. You snapped that kid like a twig in under ten minutes. Your man Crockett only rattled his cage a bit.”

“I learned interrogation in a different school.” One that's much harder than anything most of these people can imagine. 

“Yeah, I'll bet you did.” Pete looked him up and down. “Vietnam, right?”

“Some of it.”

“I did a tour in '69. First Infantry Division down in III Corps. You got that Company look about you in that room. I ain't gonna pry, but I will say those boys could interrogate. Some rougher than others.”

“I always found violence counterproductive. At least in interrogation. You can never be sure of what you're being told.”

“True enough.” Pete chuckled. “Well, you made my damned week. I'll let you get back to it while I go fly some top cover and make sure the kid don't change his mind once he's out of earshot.”

“He won't. But it's always wise to be sure.” Castillo nodded and headed out to the Federal building lobby where Trudy was waiting.

She smiled when he got off the elevator. “That didn't take long, baby.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“No. They sent a boy in to do a job that was way over his head. He knows better now.”

“Let's get you home.” She took his arm. “You look tired.”

He wanted to shake his head, but the truth of her words hit him hard. He was tired. Therapy had been tough, and he'd pushed himself a bit more than he should. And breaking a man like he'd broken Carstairs always had a cost. He was already weakened, so he was paying it now instead of later. Much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. So he nodded. “I am. Let's go home, my love.”

The drive was peaceful, and he'd come to derive a kind of comfort from the thumping of the Challenger's big V-8 engine. Trudy drove with an assurance he'd not often seen, and that was also a joy to watch. Tentative at first, she gained more control and touch every time she drove, and now she sent the big car in and out of traffic with ease. She was even starting to put her own personal touches on the car, which made him even happier.

The house was cool after the heat of the city, and he slipped off his suit coat with a grateful sigh. Trudy kicked off her heels just inside the door, her blue dress pulling tight across her body as she moved. Walking into the kitchen, she poured two glasses of green tea from a pitcher in the refrigerator and handed one to him. “I'm making dinner tonight,” she announced with a smile.

“If you insist.” The tea was cool and good on his tongue, stripping away what was left of the bad taste from the interrogation room.

“Oh, I do, my love. Gonna try a little something my grandmother used to make. She brought the recipe from Georgia or somewhere. Or at least she said she did. I was never convinced she didn't read it in a Fanny Farmer cookbook, though.” She smiled and waved her hand. “Now you clear out and give me room.”

“I'll be out on the deck if you need me.”

“Oh, I need you. But not in the kitchen.” She giggled and kissed him, letting him taste the green tea on her tongue. “Now scoot.”

The afternoon breeze was starting to fan itself to life, and Castillo loosened his thin black leather tie and sank into one of the low chairs. He could see the waves breaking up the beach and sliding back, water caressing the sand as it retreated back to reform and do it again. Just seeing it, and hearing the swooshing thud, had the same effect on his soul. Castillo knew he was good at interrogation. Had known it since the very beginning. But it took much out of him, more than most people realized. He was glad now just to sip tea and listen to the waves and put the day out of his head.

The whys tended to stick, though. Like why had Carstairs thought he could get away with pinning the disaster at the farm on the task force? It only made sense if someone higher up the chain had a stake in the affair, and that someone had to be outside the ATF. Bureaucratic infighting was something else Castillo hated, but he had a nose for it. The friend in the FBI was probably the source. If he was anything like Carstairs he wouldn't be far up in the organization, but he might have a patron who was.

Shaking his head, Castillo slipped on his sunglasses and pushed those thoughts to the back room of his mind. Now it was time for tea and the waves, and if he was lucky some of Trudy's piano. He knew she was cooking, and how much it meant to her to be able to prepare a meal for him that was from her past, so he wouldn't ask. Instead he thought back, remembering the notes she'd played the night before. The sound of her voice as she'd hum a line and then translate it into notes on the keyboard.

Before he knew it she was shaking his shoulder. “Have a nice nap? Dinner's ready, honey. I hope you like it.”

She'd made a pulled pork dish simmered in barbecue sauce she'd made the night before. “It's always better after it has a day to find itself,” she said. There were rolls, and boiled corn still on the cob. “It's nothing fancy,” she said, watching him from the corner of her eye. “But it's what I grew up on.”

“It looks fantastic.” And it did. Pouring more tea, Castillo sat down and tried a bite. The meat was fork-tender, just spicy and sweet enough from the sauce to satisfy either craving without cheating one. “And it is. My compliments to the chef.”

“Now you're just teasing.” She sat down and tried her own, still watching him.

“No, I'm serious. This is really good. I've never had this style of sauce before. It's perfect with the pork.” He reached out and squeezed her hand. “I really like it.”

“Good. I was afraid...it's not fancy like what you make.”

“I make the same thing. It just comes from a different place.” He smiled. “I remember eating food like this in Cuba as a little boy. Not the actual meal. Just the smell of smoke and the taste of pork simmered in one sauce or another. I don't remember much of my time there. At least not before I was ten. And that was when we were in the mountains. But this dish takes me back there. It's good mountain food, and I love it.”

“I'm glad.” She looked up at him. “I never thought about that, though. What you said about the Thai food. It's just simple like what I made. It looks fancy because we don't normally make it or see it.”

“Yes. You made this out of what was available to your grandparents. What meat they had and what they could season it with. The Thais have seafood and chilis. So do the Vietnamese. So they cook with what they have.”

“I also like that we have enough for tomorrow. Grandma always cooked to feed an army.” Her smile turned sad. “I wish you could have met her.”

“So do I.” He shook his head. He didn't want her sad tonight. “Maybe we can play some more after we eat. I'd love to hear you finish that song.”

 

Rico split his attention between his watch and watching Mindy rock a short skirt and cut-off t-shirt at the hotel bar. In his head he was cursing Sonny up one side and down the other for sending her to 'watch' him. He couldn't help but watch her.

So far there'd been no message from Juan. The kid behind the bar shook his head when Rico sauntered in, but he'd already had the negative from the front desk. But the warning signs were in the air. He'd already seen two fifty-something women with fake everything eyeballing him by the dance floor. If he didn't do something soon they'd pounce. So he flagged down the waitress and went full Teddy. “Here's a fifty, pretty lady. Could you see if the red head at the bar would care to have a drink wit me? Teddy Prentiss.”

The waitress looked at him like he was nuts, but she took the money and headed to the bar. Mindy did a convincing job of shrugging a few times and shaking her head, but in the end she put on a 'I'm captivated by the guy who throws money around' face and headed to his table. Rico almost laughed as the fifty-somethings glared daggers before turning in search of other prey.

Mindy saw their looks. “Who pissed in their Cheerios?”

“You did, pretty lady. They was lookin' to Teddy Prentiss before you brought that ray of red sunshine into my life.”

She snickered. “Do people really buy that shit?”

He nodded. “Dope dealers mostly. But that's Teddy's goal.”

“Actually I'm glad you got me away from the bar. That fat old guy with the gold chains was working up the nerve to either pinch my ass or stick his hand up my skirt. Either way I'd end up with a busted cover and he'd have a busted arm.”

“Remind me not to piss you off.” He grinned as the waitress came back. “Drinks for me an' my friend, pretty lady. It's a righteous evening!”

“He's sweet, ain't he?” Mindy beamed, making the waitress shake her head. Once she was gone, the deputy laughed. “I don't get to play twit very often. It's kinda fun.”

“Yeah, but I'd rather talk jazz. Teddy's scene ain't really mine.” He grinned. “Now if Cooper were in town...”

“I think I'd rather get to know Rico.”

“He is, you know, mon.”

“You know what I mean.” She smiled. “You and Crockett spend so much time like that I wonder if you even know who you are anymore.”

“Sonny had a bit of a break with his a few years back.”

She nodded. “I heard. Sounds like he was one scary customer.”

“Still is. He's been Burnett for so long sometimes I don't think even he knows where the line is between them. Or if there really is one.” Rico chuckled. “Me? I change it up all the time.”

“But don't you kind of lose something that way, too? That's why I never wanted any long-term undercover work. It took me long enough to figure out who I was. I didn't want to lose that again playing a role.”

“I had a friend who did that.” Rico shook his head. Valerie! Can't get away from her. “Well..she was a friend. But she went too deep. Lost herself and never really found her way back. Crockett? He can because he's always been Burnett in a way. It's like his dark side. But when you change it up completely...” He nodded. “Yeah, that fear is real.” He also thought back to poor, broken Arthur Lawson, who might have though of himself as Artie Rollins right up until he hung himself. Screwed by the FBI in the name of the Job. “I've seen it go wrong too many times.”

“And that's why I want to know you, not some mask you put on.”

“I'd like that.” He smiled. “But I gotta go see what that punk kid wants. He's wavin' from the bar like his arm's on fire.”

“Teddy! There's a message for you at the front desk. Sorry to haul you away from that hot number, but you said to let you know.”

Rico sighed inside, but grinned and handed the kid a twenty. “I did, mon. And you done righteous work. She wait there.” Turning, he caught her eye and motioned toward the lobby and held up a finger. She nodded and sipped at her drink, catching his meaning.

The folded slip of paper the clerk handed him had a phone number and two words. “Call me.” Grabbing the house phone at the far end of the desk, Rico punched in the numbers. “Teddy Prentiss.”

“Fast reply. I thought you might be otherwise occupied.”

“Business waits for no mon. And we got business.”

“We do. The sample's ready. Forty grand.”

“Righteous! Tomorrow night. You know the club Good Vibrations? We meet there at ten.”

“Why tomorrow?”

“Customs asks too many questions when a mon come in from the islands with cash. I need to make arrangements..”

“Of course.” Juan chuckled, a hollow sound in the phone. “Safety first.”

“Always, mon. Coming in from the islands they always look a mon over hard, see? So I play extra careful.”

“I'll see you there.”

Rico walked back to the table. “Tomorrow night. I'm gonna head back to the office and arrange the buy money. Give me a few minutes and then look pissed and leave. Just in case he's got people in here.” Then he raised his voice. “I go get that thing, pretty lady. You right right here.”

“Sure thing, Teddy.” Mindy giggled and slapped his backside. “You just bring that thing back soon, baby.” He smiled all the way to the car.

Sonny was still in the office, going through the last of the day's obnoxious faxes, and the look of relief on his face was obvious when Rico walked in. The look turned to a smile when Rico told him what Mindy'd done. “She smacked you on the ass? For real?”

“Yeah. She's something else, Sonny. Jumped into that role without batting an eye.”

“Sounds like she wants to jump something else, too, partner.”

“We'll see.” Rico shrugged. “The thing is...”

“I know. You actually like her.” Sonny looked down. “There's nothing wrong with that, man. Not a thing.” Then he looked up. “But you didn't drive all the way over here to tell me you got spanked by a deputy.”

“It was one slap! And, no, that's not why I'm here. Juan reached out. The price is forty, so I'm guessing his sample is close to a kilo. Tomorrow night at Good Vibrations.”

“That reggae club down by Rumours? Glad I'm not going in. Place gives me a headache just thinking about it. But this might give us a chance to throw a box around Juan. See where he goes after he meets with you.”

“He's careful, you know. And Doc's worse.”

“I know. But we gotta try something.” Sonny shook his head. “It still bugs me that Stan and Lester can't find a single trace of the guy on the wires or in the air. He's gotta be communicating somehow, and not just with runners. His information moves too fast for that.”

“Maybe if we get a tail on Juan it'll tell us something.” Rico shook his head. “I'll stick here for a bit just in case. I told Juan I had to arrange the money, and I drove around enough that if anyone was following me they're still trying to get off the causeway. Better to come back late than too early.”

“Yeah. Just sign it out and we're good.” Sonny slid the clipboard across the desk. “Pick up the gym bag labeled two in the safe.”

“You got it pre-packaged? Solid.”

“It was Stan's idea.” Sonny shook his head. “He saw us counting one day and said 'why don't you do it all at once and then have bags ready to go?' I could have smacked the big goof.” Then he caught himself. “But he's a hell of a cop.”

“I knew what you meant, partner.” Rico scrawled his signature and then asked the question that had been circling in his mind for days. “So when do I get to meet Jenny?”

“How did you know?”

“You got that look, Sonny. I saw it right after you and Caitlin got serious. And I'm seein' it now.”

“I'm that damned obvious?”

“Only to me and Castillo. You know he knows everything.”

“Yeah.” Sonny sighed. “How about tonight? Seeing Teddy with Burnett won't raise any eyebrows. You'd be looking for transportation, after all.”

“Righteous.” Rico went over and pulled out the bag with a big '2' tag tied to the handles. “Does she know what you do?”

“No, she's never asked a single question. But she's not stupid, even though she acts that way to throw people off. I think she knows I'm a cop of some kind. Hell, she took every smuggling compartment out of her boat. Remodeled almost the whole damned interior. Or she is...there's still finish work to do.”

“I'm cool if you are.”

“Yeah. I want you to meet her. So you can tell me if I'm crazy or not.”

From all the stories Rico expected to find a naked blonde mermaid sprawled on the deck, but instead Jenny smiled at him from the seats in the rear of the St. Vitus Dance. Her hair was pulled into a neat ponytail, and she wore a white strapless dress that ended just above her knees. “Hi! I”m Jenny.”

“I'm Rico. Good to finally meet you.”

“You're the one who works with Sonny? His partner, right? He's told me a lot about you without saying anything.”

Rico looked at Sonny, who'd suddenly found something fascinating to do with Elvis on the bow. “How do you mean?”

She got up, her movements so smooth it was like she flowed from the cushions to his side. “We don't talk about work. But he has mentioned friends a time or two. Your name and Marty come up more than anyone else, so that means you must be his best friend. And given the kind of work he must do, that would also make you his partner.”

“Yeah, I am. We've been working together for years now.”

“That must be nice.” She turned and looked out over the water, leaving Rico feeling like she was only half there. “But hard in a way, too. I usually worked alone. You don't risk losing anyone that way, but you also don't have someone to watch your back. Or hold you when you cry.”

How the hell does this girl know this stuff? “I never heard someone talk about it that way, but you're right. I've worked solo and with a partner, and I prefer having a partner. Provided it's someone you can trust.”

“Of course. That's why you're here. You want to make sure I won't hurt Sonny.” She turned back to him. “Don't worry. I'm not mad. You'd be a bad friend if you didn't want that, and I've had plenty of those. You did the same thing with her, didn't you?”

“Who?”

“The beautiful woman in the picture he has in the main cabin.”

Rico started to protest, then looked into her surprisingly deep blue eyes and knew he couldn't. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“And what did you say about her?”

“She was a hell of a lady. She was really good for him.” Rico wanted to stop, but something in her eyes wouldn't let him. “You know he's turning their house into a shelter for troubled teens?”

“At least something good will come from what happened to her.” She gasped. “I...didn't mean that the way it sounded.”

“I know what you meant. It's cool.”

She moved closer, but it wasn't uncomfortable or threatening. Rico didn't quite know what to call it if he was honest with himself. “And what do you think of me?”

“I don't know yet, Jenny. You seem to be good for him. I think you're part of the reason he could let go of that house. And I get the feeling he's good for you.”

“He is.” She looked over at Sonny, and Rico saw those blue eyes go soft. “I've never known anyone like him. I...I could never hurt him. I want you to know that. If you think I'd be bad for him, be honest with me. I'll disappear. I'm good at that.”

Rico felt his heart lurch. There was a seriousness in her eyes that almost frightened him. He knew she'd disappear if he said the wrong thing. Or the right thing, if he really thought she was bad for Sonny. But was she? In so many ways she reminded him of Caitlin. There was the same quiet strength about her, the same iron determination. But there was something else...a sort of connection Caitlin hadn't had. He looked around and it hit him. The sea. She and Sonny were both at home on the water. And she seemed to be tied to him in some other way he couldn't quite understand. It was like...Trudy and Castillo.

“You're thinking. Maybe I should...”

“No, Jenny. I just wanted to be sure in my heart before I said anything.” Rico looked down, seeing tears in the corners of her blue eyes. “I think you're great for Sonny. I believe you'd never hurt him. And I can see he's great for you. The last thing you should do is disappear.”

He was astounded at the strength in her arms when she jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “I won't disappoint you.” Then she turned and laughed. “I like him, Sonny. You've got good friends!”

She ended up making them salad, and insisted on cleaning up while Sonny and Rico went on deck. “He'll want to smoke, and you'll want a drink,” she said with one of the soft smiles Rico found quite striking. “I'll be up once this is out of the way.” He also knew she was doing it on purpose to give them time.

Sonny took a deep drag on his Lucky Strike, sending smoke hissing into the thick night air. “So? What do you think?”

“She's from another planet part of the time. It's like she knew what I was going to say before I opened my mouth.” Rico looked up at the stars, just starting to swim into view as the sun lost its last hold on the sky. “But I'd say she's a keeper.” He didn't tell him about her offer to disappear. Maybe later. Or maybe never.

“You think so?”

“I'm being straight with you, partner. I do. She reminds me of Caitlin in quite a few ways, but there's something else, too. Something deeper. Not to say Caitlin wasn't a hell of a lady. But Jenny? She's like connected to things.” He shook his head. “I don't know.”

“Sometimes it's like talking to Marty. She'll just say things and you know she's right but you don't know how.” Sonny gestured with the lit cigarette to the open companionway. “And she's never said a word about Cait. Just how beautiful she was.”

“She told me the same thing. There was so much respect in her voice it was unreal.” Rico put his arm around Sonny's shoulders. “I think you've got the real deal there, partner. And you know I ain't just saying that.”

She came up from below, smiling and holding opened beers in her hands. Sonny seemed surprised she was still wearing the dress, and she giggled. “I know that look. But I can behave when you have company.”

Sonny grinned, and Rico let out a sharp bark of laughter. “You look lovely, Jenny. And thank you for the beer. I'll have one with you two, and then get out of your hair so you don't have to behave any more.”

She smiled. “Did I say before that I liked you? Good. I'll just say it again.” She sat down on Sonny's lap and took a long pull from the beer bottle.

They talked a bit more about nothing in particular, and then Rico noticed Jenny starting to squirm a bit too much on Sonny's lap, letting the short dress ride up well past the point of no return. “Well, I'd best be getting back. Work ain't gonna wait.” He drained his beer and set the empty bottle down. “It was good to meet you, Jenny. You don't need to get up.” He gave her one of his patented Rico grins. “I don't think Sonny would like that. I can find my way down the gangplank. Smooth sailing, partner!”

It took most of the drive back to the Hilton for Rico to even process the evening on the boat. He was just coming down from the high of working with Mindy and walked right into what felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone, but with almost-naked mermaids. But try as it might, his mind couldn't undo what his heart had seen. Jenny was unlike any woman he'd ever met, but she did seem perfect for Sonny. There was something between them he couldn't explain, and thought maybe shouldn't be explained. It was clear she didn't care about his work, but desperately wanted to be accepted by people she knew Sonny cared about.

Shaking his head, he forced his mind back into the game as he carried the bag up to his room. Tomorrow was another day; one that might bring them closer to wrapping up Doc and his whole operation.

 

Carlos looked at the parts of the Colt M1911-A1 laid out on the desk in front of him and smiled. The cool steel glittered with oil, and he drew in nosefuls of the familiar tang of gun oil with every breath. Reaching down, he reassembled the pistol with practiced motions, doing it all without looking down. His focus was on outside, on the moves he'd make to get into the room and send his message.

Double G came through. Not that Carlos doubted he would, but he also knew sentiment ran strong in the Dominican gangs and Double G and Eddie had been close once. But the war ended all that, and now Double G saw the weakness in Eddie and the danger it posed to them all. At least that's what Carlos told himself as he slammed a loaded magazine into the Colt and racked the slide. Finally he put the safety on and stuffed the cocked and locked pistol into his waistband. It was time to go to work.

Carlos had always had good night vision, honed on the tough streets of Detroit and perfected in Saigon and patrols around Bearcat before he went AWOL. It was a small thing for him to slip out the back door unseen, his cutoff fatigue jacket vest blending in with the other homeless men wandering the streets. So long as he shuffled and clutched a bag of some kind no one would give him a second glace. Even the men tasked with watching the edges of Kings turf didn't raise an eyebrow when another homeless vet wanna-be shuffled by. “Ratty-ass lookin' PR,” one of them snarled. “Git on back to your corner before we kick you there.”

“Don't bother the general, son. Can't you see he's been in a war? Hey, old man! Tell us about the war!”

Carlos shuffled on, ignoring both their laughter and the urge to turn and put big .45 slugs through the knees of each of them. Leave them crippled and bleeding out as a warning to the rest. But he didn't. It was the same feeling he'd had when he shuffled past MPs in Saigon, dressed like some old Vietnamese farmer. They'd laughed, too. But he ignored them just like he ignored the punks tonight. He had bigger game in mind. Why swat the ants when you can decapitate the queen?

He smiled at the image. Like most gang bosses, Eddie had a side piece. Unlike most of them, his was a pretty Cuban boy who called himself Raul. Double G was an old-school Catholic, which might have had a hand in him giving up his fellow gang boss. Tapping a few ladies Double G could understand. But a guy? Carlos knew his angles and how to work them. He didn't care who Eddie was or wasn't sleeping with, but if it gave him an advantage he'd use it.

The love nest was a second floor apartment above one of the liquor stores that dotted the neighborhood like infected zits. Bright colors ruining whatever looks the place might have had left. There were no guards. Eddie didn't like having possible witnesses, so he moved solo. Leaving his guards close enough to respond if he needed them, but not close enough to see what he was up to. Rotting stairs didn't creak if you knew where to step, and Carlos knew all the tricks. He made his way up, slowly, steadily, until he was in the hall and moving like a shadow to the door. It was locked, but locks meant nothing if you knew the right moves. He listened, and the sounds he heard convinced him no one would notice his entry.

He was a little surprised to find Eddie face down on the bed, but it also made the job easier. Easing out the Colt, he slammed the butt down on Raul's head, dropping him like a sack of flour and maybe doing serious damage. Carlos didn't know or care. Eddie tired to turn, to see what had happened in the middle of his fun, and Carlos flicked off the safety. “You're my message this time, bitch,” he hissed, watching Eddie's eyes go wide as he tried to roll over. Tried to reach his own gun up close to the pillow. The big Colt boomed once, and blood and brains sprayed over the cheap bedspread and headboard.

Flicking the safety back on, Carlos was gone as quickly as he'd arrived. Gunshots were common in this part of town, so no one called it in. It wasn't until the next morning that Eddie's men found him dead on the bed with his pants down, and finished off the moaning and dazed Raul, protesting to the last that he hadn't seen or done anything.

But by then Carlos was already asleep in the back room, the Colt cleaned and ready for the next message. He'd smoked one of the special Camels before stretching out on the old Army cot, happy to discover he still had the old moves and could still do what it took. Now all he needed was for Juan to close the deal with Teddy Prentiss and things could get back to normal. Although he might have to send a message to Double G just to make sure.

 

It was mid-morning when news of Eddie's demise officially broke over Miami. 'Gang leader slain in gay love nest' was the most popular headline, and Sonny had to chuckle as he tossed the paper down. “That the best they go?”

Castillo looked up. “They don't know any better. Even Metro-Dade seems content to write it off as some kind of revenge killing.”

“But you don't buy it.” Sonny wasn't asking a question. “I don't, either. Look at it. One .45 to the back of the head. Deep in Kings turf. Not a single witness. And the Cuban kid was most likely killed by Eddie's boys. Report says 9mm did him in, and he had significant bruising to the back of his head. If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on Doc himself.”

Rico looked the map. “That's about as deep in Kings turf as you can get without...never mind. But how did he get there and back without being seen?”

“He's good. He knows his stuff. And he knows their routines. What they notice, and what they don't notice.” Sonny scratched his chin. “He's gotta have been a cop, Marty. There's no other way to explain all this. But I still want to know how the hell he communicates. He had to have gotten Eddie's location from someone, somewhere. And we got nothing.”

“Is there anyone else we can reach out to?”

“Izzy's tapped out, and so are Gina's girls. In any case, none of them could get near Doc.” Rico shook his head. “Juan's the best chance we've got.”

“We'll need a loose surveillance box. We cannot spook this man.” Castillo looked at Sonny and Rico. “You'll have everyone for this one. Including me.”

Sonny nodded. “Put Dave and Randy where they function best. On high ground where they have good angles. We'll need everyone in cars, probably one person per car so we can get the most coverage. Dave and Randy can call the play. If he comes in on foot we go one way, another if he drives.”

Castillo nodded. “Radios, but keep the chatter to an absolute minimum. If Doc was law enforcement, assume he has our frequencies. We'll work it out on the map in the time we have before the meet.”

Rico nodded. “Use code names for the street and make the chatter sound like normal patrol. He might not notice that, or if he did it won't sound special or unusual.”

Castillo nodded. “Do it.”

[mjcmmv]

Great scene when Rico meets Jenny! Interesting how she has an intuition that in some ways, is better than Sonny's. Good match!

Castillo was amazing the way he handled the so-called interrogation. Loved how he turned the tables. 

Edited July 20, 2019 by mjcmmv

[vicegirl85]

What she said!