The Line - Part IV

[Robbie C.]

Martin Castillo looked around the table. “So where are we?”

Stan looked at his notes. “We’ve had two more calls, captain. Same as before. Going to a payphone in Overton we can’t get a good angle on. Confirming the meet each time, and with a bit of a bump in the money changing hands. If it’s a trap, it’s a damned good one.”

Rico shook his head. “We got nothing new.”

Sonny nodded. “Absolute zero, Marty. We can’t get anyone close to that grid without setting off a riot, and the street’s still quiet.”

Dave looked at his notes, and then at the big wall map. “We’re still seeing some new activity, but it could be dealers trying to open a new market. It’s hard to tell. There aren’t that many places to set up, so we’re makin’ do with less than optimal hides and angles.”

Trudy and Mindy looked at each other. “We don’t have a damned thing,” Trudy said with a sigh. “If this guy’s real, he’s a damned ghost. And if he’s not real, he’s still a damned ghost. I’d feel better if I could say one way or the other. But those sealed files still lead nowhere. Piles of FBI red tape no one seems to know how to cut.”

Mindy nodded. “And the Marshals’ Service doesn’t have anything of their own on the guy. Our teams got blown before they could get far enough in to start building a a better profile.”

Sonny snapped his fingers. “How were they blown?”

“Never the same way. Once a team had a wire compromised, another time the target never showed up for a meet. And the last time he just never did a damned thing.”

“Damn. I was hoping there might be a pattern.”

Mindy laughed. “So were we.”

“We have to proceed like he’s real, but plan for something different.” Castillo looked up from his own notes, ending the discussion with a single glance. “Tubbs, Joplin, are you both ready?”

Rico nodded, and Sonny chuckled as his partner tugged at the lapels of his Versace suit. “Mac daddy Rico’s ready to roll. Got my ride and my best lady.”

Trudy smiled. She’d worn a bright red dress that hugged every curve of her body, a momento from her hooker decoy duties. Sonny shook his head. It still amazed him sometimes how far they’d come. “I’m ready to go, captain.”

Lester nodded. “The roach coach is ready. We got room for two extra bodies is all, though.”

“Blair and Mather, you ride along. And be ready.”

Randy hadn’t spoken until then. “I’ll bring a CAR. Just in case.”

Dave nodded, but Sonny could see he was uneasy. That set his own spiders tapping away. They’d been slow up until then. “I think I’ll bring the M-21. You never know.”

Sonny nodded. He understood the feeling. “Where do you want me, Marty?”

“Metro-Dade had another rough night last night, so you can’t be too close to Overton.” Castillo looked at the map. “Try to get as close as you can without being obvious. It won’t be easy.” He looked around the room. “Mindy and I will be here controlling the operation and calling backup if it’s needed. I want everyone on their toes out there.”

Dave nodded, his face more serious than Sonny had seen before. “Somethin’ ain’t right out there. Be extra careful. I didn’t like it when we went after this guy the first time, and I like it less now.”

 

The Caddy’s whitewall tires crunched over gravel on the edge of the big parking lot as Rico wheeled the big convertible in like he owned the entire block. Hell, for some small change he probably could own the whole block. Someone’s bright idea to put in a shopping mall had died in the baking sun, and all that was left now were some low graffiti-covered cinderblock dreams and the big parking lot.

“The last call said they’d meet over there.” Trudy pointed, her sunglasses shifting on her face. “By that 7-11. But I don’t see anyone.”

Yeah. I ain’t seen a soul since we rolled up on this block.” Rico shifted his hand. “Startin’ to look like a dry hole, boys.”

“Stay on it.” Castillo’s voice was firm. “There might be something by that building.”

Rico turned and grinned. “You heard the man. Let’s go have a look.” He felt the Walther P-88 under his arm. It still took some getting used to the new position, but he had grown to like the West German semi-automatic. “We’ll just look like we’re scoutin’ cribs for business.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, shifting on the seat. “I’d forgotten how much this dress itches. I’ll be glad when we’re done and I can change out of the damned thing.”

“Why didn’t you get rid of it before?”

“Remember that dealer we were trying to grab just before that whole mess with you and the dirty IAB guy? He had a thing for the dress, so I couldn’t get rid of it until we had him cuffed and stuffed. Then things got busy and I just forgot to get rid of it.” She chuckled. “It was the most hooker looking thing I still have.”

Rico applied the breaks, letting the car ease to a stop. “Here we are. At least there’s some shade.” He shut off the big car and stepped out into the sunlight, slipping on his sunglasses at the same time. “Where was this chump supposed to be?”

“Over by where the bags of ice would be if this dump was open.” Trudy walked around the car, her heels clicking on the cracked concrete. “Right…”

Rico looked up and saw the front of her dress puff out like the zipper had broken, and he started to laugh until he saw a red spray arc through the humid air. Trudy didn’t scream. She just looked down at herself, the impact knocking her sunglasses off and letting him see her eyes go wide in shock and fear. The impact sent her sprawling, her hands coming up through some fading reflex to protect her face. And the blood, deep red, flowed out from under her body.

Rico screamed, jumping over the hot hood in his best Starsky and Hutch impersonation, clawing at his pistol as he scrambled for her body. She was still moving, little sobs coming from some deep part of her, and he cradled her head in his lap as he scanned the area around them. He’d heard no shot, just maybe the crack of the bullet before it hit her. He grabbed for a radio that wasn’t on his belt, and the remembered the watch. “10-13!” he screamed, forgetting there was no Dispatch to hear. “10-13! Officer down! God damn it! Officer down!”

 

Sonny felt his entire body turn to ice, Cranking the Ferrari, he left a trail of rubber yards long as he burned out of the shaded parking area and raced for the scene. The engine screamed in protest as he bounced the tach off the redline, squeezing every ounce of power he could out of the car. Nothing else mattered but getting there.

 

In the roach coach, Lester slammed the van into drive and roared out of the shed they’d found for cover. Stan was echoing Rico, screaming into the radio for an ambulance. And Randy and Dave had no expressions on their faces at all. But both Lester and Stan heard bolts slamming forward and safeties coming off. Then Randy looked at Dave. “Rock and roll.” The other deputy nodded. “If she’s dead we’re burning that whole goddamned grid to the fucking ground.” Later Stan realized he’d never heard Randy talk like that before. It was a whisper full of pure, concentrated rage.

 

Mindy could only stare at Castillo. He didn’t move. Didn’t even seem to be breathing. He just stood and stared at the radio. Then something tripped in her. “Come on, Marty! I’ll get my car! We gotta go!” She grabbed his arm, guiding him like he was sleepwalking out of the office and to the elevator. “We gotta go,” she kept repeating like it was part of a prayer.

 

Once Switek’s call hit the air, sirens converged on the parking lot like pigeons on a bag of spilled popcorn. Three cars squealed to a halt in a matter of minutes. Rico didn’t pay much attention. He’d rolled Trudy onto her back after tucking his badge in his breast pocket to avoid any friendly fire, and was using what little first aid he knew to deal with the bleeding. What was it Sonny had said back in the Keys? Yeah. “Corpsman up!” he shouted into his radio, hoping they’d hear and respond.

The uniforms kept coming, circling and jabbering into their radios to little effect. One shouted something about rescue being on the way, but Rico could see blood bubbling at Trudy’s lips and started getting scared. Really scared. Then he saw the van loom out of the rippling heat haze, and Randy exited the back before Lester came to a stop, medical bag in one hand and carbine in the other. “Get the fuck outa my way!” he shouted, laying out one uniform who didn’t move fast enough. Dave followed, his weapon at port arms and looking like he’d need less than no excuse to open fire.

“Where’s she hit?” Randy didn’t wait for the answer, digging into his bag and going to his knees. “Chest wound. Shit. Looks like a collapsed lung. Sucking chest wound.” He tore away the dress and ripped open a field dressing, using the plastic to cover the wound and stop the God-awful sucking sound Rico had been hearing.

“Where’d the shot come from?” Dave was sweeping the surroundings, not really seeming to care if he made the uniforms nervous.

“I didn’t move her. Whoever it was had a silencer, too. I didn’t hear a shot. Just the crack.”

Dave nodded and looked over at Randy. “You need help?”

“Just the goddamned medevac! If it ain’t here in five, shoot one of those dumb fuckers. Maybe they’ll roll faster for two.”

Dave nodded, and the uniforms backed away. Even Rico wasn’t sure that Dave wouldn’t shoot one of them. Luckily he didn’t have to find out. Thirty seconds later an ambulance screamed around the corner, in a dead heat with a white Ferrari that looked to be breaking land speed records.

Randy stayed with Trudy until they loaded her into the ambulance, and refused to leave her. “I’ll ride shotgun on these assholes until we’re at the hospital,” he said, squinting at the medics.

A sergeant with no neck climbed out of one of the squad cars and looked around. “What’s all the commotion, boy?”

Anger shot from Rico’s heart to his eyes in half a heartbeat. He turned, thumping the ID stuck in his breast pocket with a thumb. “That’s Lieutenant Boy to you, chump. A cop’s been shot. And if you don’t get a detail on that ambulance in the next five seconds you’re gonna wish you never crawled out of that trailer you share with your fat-ass wife in whatever swamp you came from. You reading me, boy?” He memorized the idiot’s badge number for later. Castillo might want a word…

“Uh, yessir.” Words flooded out of the big man’s jabbering mouth. He started to turn, and ran smack into Sonny’s Burnett glare. The fat man stumbled back like he’d been punched.

“You have five seconds to get your fat ass out of my crime scene and back to traffic where you belong. Otherwise this nice Federal lawman,” he pointed at Dave, “will arrest you for hindering the progress of a Federal investigation.”

Stan stuck his head out the open door of the roach coach. “Mindy’s on the net. And she’s got Castillo with her.”

Sonny looked around. “Send them to the hospital. He needs to be with Trudy, and Mindy might keep Randy from shooting anyone.”

Dave nodded. “He’s right pissed. Only seem him that mad once or twice before, and it never ends well for whoever got him that way.” He looked at the milling officers. “I’ll keep these assholes out of the way while you look around.”

Rico stared down at the pool of darkening blood and the scattered wrappers and bloody bandages. She’d been with him. She was his responsibility. How the hell could he look Marty in the eyes again after this? And if she didn’t make it…

He felt Sonny’s hand on his shoulder. “There’s nothing you could have done, partner. Dave just said so himself.”

“Damn it! I could have come in from the other side! Gotten out after her! I…”

“It was a trap. Someone was after her. Why else would they stage the meet in a location they knew we’d have to send our black detectives? And a place where we couldn’t do overwatch or have any close backup?” Sonny glared out at the heat waves. “Some motherfucker knew what we’d do and used it.”

Dave walked up. “I’ll have the shooter’s location damned soon, boss. Definitely a rifle from the wound.” His voice was impersonal, and Rico knew he’d gone into solution mode. Dave was a shooter, and he had a shooter’s problem to solve. “But you didn’t hear a shot, so someone was usin’ a silencer. All you heard was the crack of the bullet?”

“Yeah. And…”

“Best not to think on that. Randy’s damned good with that bag. I’ve seen him deal with worse chest wounds and the boys lived.” Dave forced a smile, and Rico nodded his thanks. “But if you heard the crack that means they didn’t change the load. Means someone didn’t practice much with it.” He looked around, measuring angles.

Stan’s voice echoed from the van. “Guys…they’re at the hospital now. Mindy and Castillo just got there. Randy…Randy’s not letting anyone but him near her until they get to the operating room.” He looked back in the van at Lester, who nodded. “Look, Lester and I can handle this until the goofs from the lab get here. You’d better get to the hospital. We’ll take care of the caddy for you, Rico.”

“I’ll stay, too. Still got some things to look at.” Dave shook his head. “Now get in that fancy car of yours and drive, boss.”

Rico looked over at Sonny. “I had full pursuit training back with NYPD. You mind if I drive?”

He could feel the doubt in Sonny’s eyes behind the glasses, but then it changed. “Go for it.”

 

Sonny looked over as Rico did a speed shift and shot the Ferrari through a gap he’d never have dared. He’d never known his partner could drive like this, and he was impressed. They were making record time, and had lost the two marked units ‘escorting’ them within a block of leaving the parking lot.

But he was worried. Rico’s face never changed as he drove, and Sonny could see the streaks of dried tears on his cheeks. He drove with a mechanical sureness, weaving the car in and out of traffic like a sewing machine needle. Sonny knew he blamed himself. Hell, he blamed himself for not saying to hell with some damned riot and going in with them. But that wouldn’t help them find who’d done this.

A cluster of uniforms waited by the emergency room entrance, and Sonny nodded to one or two he recognized. They’d all come at the 10-13 as a show of support, and he wanted them to know he appreciated it. “Get back to work, guys. We appreciate it, and I know she will, but we can’t give the bad guys a pass. Whoever did this is still out there.”

Rico started to push through, and Sonny grabbed his arm. Not hard, but gentle. “Go easy, Rico. Marty’s gonna be hurting right now. We both know how that feels. But Trudy’s still alive. We gotta keep him focused on that. And catching who did this.”

“That’s what keeps buggin’ me, Sonny.” Rico’s voice was stretched tight as a piano string. “Who the hell would be after Trudy? She’s taken down some bad dudes, but they’re all still in prison far as I know. And none of ‘em would hold a grudge like this.”

“Maybe she’s not the real target.” Sonny had been turning an idea around in his head. He didn’t like it, but it was starting to make sense. A bad kind of sense. Plus, it was the same thing he would have done as Burnett. And sometimes to catch them, you had to think like them.

“Then who…” Rico looked down the hall and froze. “You don’t think…”

“I don’t think anything yet, partner. But we gotta consider it.” Sonny looked up and saw Randy coming down the hall, his assault rifle slung over his shoulder and a gutted aid bag dangling from his left hand. “How is she?”

The deputy looked up, and Sonny saw his shirt was covered with blood. “Got her breathing and the hole covered before those dipshits showed up. Do me a favor, and if ambulance 7 Charlie 2 rolls if I’m shot, just shoot me through the damned head.” He tried to smile, but it died somewhere at his feet. “But the doc seems to know his shit. Prior Army surgeon.”

“How’s Marty?”

“Mindy’s still with him. He ain’t said a word since he got here. Just watched her go into the OR and sat down.” Randy looked back. “I should have a talk with him.”

“Mind if we go with?” Sonny touched the deputy’s shoulder. “We’ve…done this before.”

“Sure.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, guys. You and Marty go way back. Me? I’m just a stranger more or less. Except for Vietnam and my family.”

Sonny shook his head. “What do you mean your family?”

“I’ll tell you when I tell him. It’s damned complicated in some ways.”

They found Mindy and Castillo sitting in a drab waiting room not unlike a million others in the country. Except on the other side of the ‘no entry’ doors their friend, and Martin’s love, was bleeding on an operating table. The thought made Sonny want to slam through the damned doors. But he didn’t. That wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t solve anything.

Castillo looked up, locking eyes with Rico. “I want you to know I don’t hold you responsible. You did everything right, and kept her alive until Deputy Mather got there. You didn’t leave her alone. I’m grateful for that.” His voice showed no inflection. Just flat words tossed out to fall to the floor.

“Dave, Stan and Lester are working the crime scene, captain.” Sonny kept his voice level with great effort. He could see the tears still streaming down Mindy’s face and jerked his head, motioning for Rico to go to her. And then he thought about Jenny and almost lost it. She was so close to Trudy. But he couldn’t think about that now. Marty needed him. And Sonny wasn’t about to let down the man he admired more than anyone on Earth. “They’ll find anything that’s there, and some stuff that likely isn’t. We’ll get them.”

“They crossed a line.” Castillo still didn’t look up. “They crossed my line.”

Randy nodded. “Know a thing or two about those, captain. My great-great grandfather was a marshal back in the bad old days. Time or two he dropped his badge when people crossed his line and made things right. Just want you to know I hold to the old ways.”

“I appreciate that.”

Sonny nodded. “You know we’re with you, Marty. No matter what. Me and Rico.”

Martin Castillo just nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor two inches in front of the tips of his shoes.

 

Gina Switek. Gina looked at the nameplate on her desk and smiled. “You ladies are just so funny!”

Only two of the office’s four counselors were in, but they were her favorites. Little Lia and her fiery disposition and more controlled Ashley. They’d been the first to make her feel welcome when she shifted over from OCB, and they’d become friends. Lia giggled and twirled a strand of her long brown hair. “So tell us about the honeymoon, girlfriend!”

“Yeah.” Ashley chuckled herself. “It’s not like Lia gets enough ideas from those damned books of hers.” She waved dismissively at a stack of romance novels perched on the edge of Lia’s desk.

“Those help me connect with the girls! You’d be amazed if you knew how many of them read those.” Lia turned back to Gina. “Still, girl, you gotta tell.”

Gina smiled. It had been wonderful. A whole week with Stan to herself. Angie had booked them into a small island hotel with fantastic room service and private beaches. And Stan! He’d been both romantic and hysterical almost at the same time. She didn’t know if she should start with the story of the candlelight dinner he’d arranged on the beach or the time he’d chased her around the motel pool in a pair of pink flamingo swim drunks and an Elvis wig complete with sunglasses. She settled on the beach. They’d understand that.

“…and then the moon came up. Stan raised his glass and toasted the most beautiful woman in the world.” She smiled at the memory.

“Damn…” Lia let the word out like a whistle. “That’s one romantic dude you landed, Gina.”

“Now I heard about Stan from some friends over in Metro-Dade. What kind of goofy shit did he pull?”

“Nothing, unless you count running around the hotel pool in pink flamingo swim trunks with an Elvis wig on goofy. To me that’s just Stan on a Thursday.” She laughed with them, and was about to go on when the phone rang. “Cala…I mean Switek.”

There was silence at the other end, and then Stan’s voice came on. Gina’s heart fell through the floor. She’d only heard that tone once before…when he’d told her he found Larry dead. “Trudy’s been shot.”

“What? Where?”

“She’s in the operating room right now. Mercy General. Gina, I…”

“I’m on my way, baby!” Gina slammed down the phone and grabbed her purse. Her heart raced as she scrabbled for her keys. “I gotta go!”

“What is it?”

“My old partner’s been shot!”

She didn’t remember the drive to the hospital, even later when she tried. All she could hear was the absolute pain in Stan’s voice, and then she thought of Martin Castillo. If Trudy died, she knew he’d move heaven and earth to destroy whoever had done it. And Trudy…all the time they’d spend together, cases they’d cried about, failed romances they’d downed too much wine to forget. And how she’d nursed Gina through her depression after Sonny and Rico left, finally telling her to let them go. And Stan…Trudy had been the one to look her square in the eyes and say “Why the hell can’t he be the one, Gina? Give me one good reason.” And she couldn’t. Not one.

Stan met her just outside the automatic doors to the emergency department. “Lester sent me over,” he said, scrubbing at the dried tears on his stubbled cheeks with thick fingers. “He and Dave are still holding down the crime scene, but they thought I should be with you.”

“Bless those two lugs.” She tried to smile, but broke down and sobbed into his thick shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Neither could I, baby.” She could feel his breath in her hair as he pulled her close. “When the call went out Lester and I were screaming into the radio trying to get the ambulance moving. Dave and Randy…I hope I never hear a man talk like Randy did in the back of the roach coach again. How did Dave put it? He was mad clear through.”

“How’s Marty?”

“I don’t know. I waited out here for you.” He gave a forced laugh. “I’m too much of a chicken to go in there alone.”

“So am I.”

He shifted, moving out the embrace and taking her hand. “Then let’s do it together.”

 

Stan hated hospitals. Ever since he was a kid and his father’s cab had been run off the road by some drunk. The smell of antiseptic and alcohol always bit his nose, taking him right back to that night. It wasn’t that he’d been afraid his dad was hurt. More the opposite if he was honest. But the flashing lights, howling sirens, and people running around had gone to work on his six-year-old mind. He’d had nightmares about it for weeks, giving his father yet another reason to mock his pudgy son.

But he had to be strong. For Gina. Well, not really strong. She was a damned strong person. But he had to be supportive and there. She clung to his arm as they made their way through the main waiting room to one of the smaller suites grafted on to the sides of the trauma units. They knew they were close when they could hear Tubbs’ voice echoing off the white walls. “Then find someone who’s in charge, damn it! We need an update!”

Then Randy’s voice echoed out, and Gina looked at him with wide eyes, maybe understanding what he’d said earlier. “You get someone now, or you’ll be needing another trauma unit.”

Sonny saw them first. “Stan! Gina! Damn, I was hoping we’d meet up under better circumstances.” Stan started to speak when Sonny raised his hand. “I want to hear about it all, but later. We’re about to find out how she’s doing.”

Stan looked past Sonny and saw Castillo sitting in a chair, eyes focused on something only he could see on the floor. He looked…controlled. And that sent fingers of fear racing up his spine. Screaming like Tubbs, even the dark rage of Randy he could deal with. But what was building in Castillo was something he didn’t want to know about. No he corrected himself. It’s something I don’t want to be on the wrong end of.

Gina saw him at almost the same moment and rushed over. “Marty! I’m so sorry. She’ll be fine. She’s tough. A fighter.”

“Thank you.” His voice was distant, yet totally controlled. Stan shivered. “I appreciate everything you all are doing. She does, too. I know.” He looked up, his dark eyes unreadable. “But I need you to get back to work. Help Dave and Lester at the scene. Go through everything. Time is a luxury we do not have.” He turned to Mindy, still sobbing from time to time and learning against Rico. “Call the Chief Deputy and let him know the situation. We might need a protective detail in the hospital.”

Sonny shook his head. “I’ll do it, Marty.” Turning, he ran down the hall.

Stan looked down at Gina. He wanted to take her in his arms, tell her it would all be ok, and then go back to their little island paradise with her. But he knew he had a job to do, and he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t get down to it. “I need to go,” he whispered. “Maybe you can stay with Marty?”

“Like hell. Someone shot my partner! I’m coming back until this is over. And don’t you try to stop me, Stanley Switek!”

Randy chuckled, and Stan could see in the deputy’s eyes he was thankful for the release. “I’d not press her on that one, Stan. I think she means it.”

Sonny came back down the hall. “Pete’s sending a team. He insisted, and told me to fuck myself if I disagreed with him.”

“That’s Pete.” Mindy smiled through her tears, touching Rico’s shoulder.

Stan looked at Sonny and nodded toward Gina. “She’s back in the team until this is over. Don’t argue with her.”

“I wouldn’t think of it. Gina, stay here with Marty until the marshals arrive. Guard duty always works in pairs.”

Gina nodded, and Stan knew Sonny’s intent. He didn’t want to leave Castillo alone.

“Good. Stan, get back to the scene. Randy, you go with. Dave might need a hand. That end’s a shooter’s problem. Rico and I will head back to the office and start going through everything we have.” He turned, and almost ran into a doctor coming out of one of the trauma units.

The man was harried, but his short-cut gray hair spoke to military origins. “I don’t like having my staff threatened.”

Randy spoke first. “Sorry, doc. But we was getting the runaround. Not what you want to hear when one of your own goes down.”

“You’re the one who got to her first? And scared the hell out of the EMTs?”

“Yep.”

The doctor stuck out his hand. “Good work, son. Damned fine work. You sure you weren’t a medic? No small thanks to you she’s gonna make it. The bullet didn’t expand, just punched through. Made a bit of a mess, but no lasting damage I don’t think.” He turned to Castillo. “You must be the husband?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll be moving her to recovery soon, and then to a private room. I expect you’ll have security in place. But she’ll make a full recovery. If not for your friend there it would have been a lot worse.”

Castillo nodded. “Thank you.” Then he turned to Randy. “I owe you two debts now. Two lives. I can never repay you.”

“No need, Marty. It’s what we do for each other.” Grinning an odd lopsided grin, he turned to Stan. “Let’s get movin’. We got a case to solve. And then some.”

[mjcmmv]

Again, another wild ride-with all the players. Even Gina. 

Love how the team comes together for each other. I think the evidence of that is even stronger than it was on the show.

Castillo won't rest until he finds out who did this and either will his Squad! 

 

Edited August 14, 2019 by mjcmmv

[vicegirl85]

Wow!  That was a nail-biter!

Loving the team spirit and how all of them worked together to help Trudy and support Castillo.  Definitely a diabolical mastermind along the lines of Hackman, plotting to take out his target's significant other.  Can't wait to find out what happens next.