The Line - Part VIII

[Robbie C.]

Sonny looked at his watch. “Ok, Marty. You’re on.” He waited until the big Ford had some distance on them before nodding to Rico. “Let’s go. And you know she’ll kill you if you so much as scratch the door on this baby.”

“Don’t remind me.” Rico eased the Challenger into traffic. “I’m just glad she said I could use it.”

“The Ferrari’s too damned obvious for this. And I need to be on the radio. Besides…” Sonny winced. “You’re a better driver than I am.”

“Naw. I just had the training.”

“That’s what sucks. So did I.” Sonny kept an eye on cars pulling in behind Castillo as they rolled through Miami, half listening to the thumping of the big V-8’s exhaust. It was an interesting change from the whine of his Ferrari, and it took his back to his high school days. Focus, Crockett. We got a job to do. He kept shifting his glance from car to car, looking for patterns. The same plate reappearing after it had turned off. Anything…

“We’re almost to OCB. Anything?”

“Not yet. They might not pick him up until he leaves.” Sonny gestured with his hand. “Find a spot where we can see him but not draw too much attention. If they’re staking out OCB we won’t pick them up until he leaves.”

“Where’s he going next?”

“Federal Building. But it won’t matter. Menton will pull his guys as soon as part two of our plan kicks in.” He looked out at the passing cars. “Comm check. How we sounding, Elvis?”

“Five-by, boss. Standing by.”

They watched as Castillo parked the big car and headed into the white building that had once been so familiar but now seemed as foreign as the dark side of the moon. Sonny knew he could never go back there, not after this kind of work. The thought left him a bit shaken, and he forced his mind back to the business of watching.

“Here he comes. The man in black.”

Sonny nodded, watching around Castillo and not the man himself. He was aware of the Ford backing out and easing into traffic. And then he saw it. A tan sedan not unlike those favored by the FBI and ‘other government agencies’ crawled out of a spot toward the back of the lot and slid in three cars behind Castillo. “Got you,” he muttered. “Tan Feeb special.”

“I got it. Those cats never learn, even when they’re freelancing.” Rico gunned the Challenger and pulled into traffic. “How long we gonna stay on ‘em?”

“Not long. I just want to be sure…and…now!” He grinned as Marty turned and the tan sedan rolled through a red light to follow. “Got you!” He lifted his mic. “Boss to Elvis. Execute. I say again, execute.” He turned to Rico. “Head for the second target. Team Bird, start your count.”

 

In the Roach Coach, Stan let out a whoop and pumped his fist in the air. “We’re a go, boys! Any last minute pointers?”

Dave grinned. “Yeah. Move fast and cover your sectors. Stick with the pistols because that’s what you know. Next time we’ll work out with the MP-5s first so you’re confident with them.”

Randy chuckled. “You both know the drill. We ready to roll, sarge?”

“Let’s do this.” Stan accelerated, sending the Roach Coach roaring down the street before coming to a halt in front of a dilapidated office building that looked to be mostly vacant. From studying the records they knew Menton’s stuite would be on the third floor of five, hiding under the name of Total Quality Ltd. Shrugging on his black flack jacket with U.S. Marshals printed in yellow on the front and back, Stan checked his Browning Hi-Power one last time before turning to the men in the back and yelling, “GO!”

Randy and Dave jumped out the back doors, Dave heading for the main building entryway in a low run. Lester came out behind them, his moves less sure but determined not to fall behind. Stan brought up the rear, guarding their six from any surprises. Dave led them straight up the stairs, pushing aside three surprised and then terrified occupants of other suites in the building. Randy hissed, “Federal Warrant!” at them as he passed, leaving Lester and Stan to just shrug as they ran to keep up.

When they got to the top Dave paused to let everyone form up. Stan looked at the three men and made up his mind. He knew Gina would kill him when she found out, but it was something he had to do. “Let me go first. I’m in charge, if it’s a trap I gotta run that risk.”

Dave and Randy exchanged glances, and Stan could see new respect in their eyes. “You sure, sarge?”

Stan just grinned and reared back. The door exploded inward at the force of his kick and he shouted “Federal Search Warrant!” at the top of his lungs as he charged through and broke right like they’d trained, his Browning up and moving with his eyes as he scanned the room. A flicker of movement told him Dave was going left, and he kept moving to let Randy come in behind him.

The girl behind the front desk screamed and raised her hands, but the man coming down the hall at a dead run was decidedly unfriendly. Stan saw a flash of metal as the man started raising what looked like a shotgun, and then the flash of his Browning’s muzzle almost surprised him as he started shooting. Three 9mm rounds caught the man square in the chest, dropping him and his shotgun like a sack of concrete. Through the ringing in his ears he heard Randy shouting at the girl to get down and stay down, followed by the deep booms of a .45 two-round group that had to be Dave.

Following his training, Stan came to a stop when he reached the corner of the room. “Clear!” he shouted, turning to account for his men. At the far corner Dave nodded and jerked his finger twice down the hall, indicating he wanted to move and clear. Stan nodded, pointing at Lester and sending him to cover. Randy nodded his approval and gestured to the corridor partly-blocked by the dead man. Stan nodded, raising his Browning in a solid two-hand stance and advancing down the hall, pausing only to kick the pistol grip shotgun away from the dying man’s grasping fingers. Behind him he heard Randy telling the girl to call an ambulance before following him down the hall.

There were two doors opening off the hall, one leading to a small bathroom and the other to a bland office that looked like it hadn’t been occupied for months. Stan hit both doors hard, almost embarrassed when the rooms turned out to be empty. Still, you couldn’t be too damned careful when clearing an area. How often had they drilled that into his head? And Stan Switek wasn’t about to half-ass anything, especially if he was in charge. His ears still rang from the shooting, and he could feel every nerve in his body buzzing from the jolt of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Gonna be hell when this crashes out he thought, still enjoying the rush that came with it. And later his mind would start playing back the shooting like a broken projector. He’d ridden that train before, too. But now he had Gina. And she’d be proud of how he handled this. Just like he’d be proud of how she did on her raid.

They linked up outside an open door where the two halls came together. Dave shook his head. “I think there was just the two of ‘em and that girl.”

Stan nodded. “Let’s check the rooms to make sure and secure anything before the uniforms arrive. We don’t want to lose any evidence to Metro-Dade or we’ll never see it again.”

Lester leaned into the conference room and backed out. “You guys need to see this.”

Stan stepped in and grimaced. The projector was still beaming Marty’s face on the far wall, and pictures of him outside OCB, sometimes accompanied by Trudy, lay scattered on the table. There were also photos of his house and notes about movements, most of which were months or even years old. “Police up all this shit and let’s move! I think I hear sirens.” He switched on his radio. “Boss, Elvis. We got two hostiles KIA and a buch of papers. Dry hole for the big bad wolf, though. We’re blowing this pop stand before the gate crashers arrive. Elvis out.” Switching off, he turned to Lester. “Get what you can. Then get prints off those guys. We gotta be ready when Metro-Dade arrives.”

The first patrol car screeched to a halt, lights and sirens going full-tilt. Stan walked out, his U.S. Marshal’s badge held high. “Federal agents executing a fugitive warrant. Two suspects are down, but our main target wasn’t here. I need you to secure the area and get those men transported.”

The patrol cop looked him up and down. “Ain’t you Switek from OCB?”

“Sergeant Switek to you, patrolman. And I’m on special duty with the Marshal’s Service.” He nodded back toward Dave and Randy coming out of the building cradling their MP-5s. “Unless you’d rather talk to those two.”

“Naw, we’re good.” The uniform shrugged and turned to his partner. “Alex, get the tape out. Looks like we get to kick back until the end of our shift.”

“You mind calling in the lab boys, too? We gotta hit another location in under an hour.” He chuckled. “What with this war on drugs an’ all we keep busy. I’ll let your shift commander know you were a big help.”

“Thanks, sarge. We’ll wrap this up for you.”

They were back in the Roach Coach and rolling down the street before Stan started laughing. “Don’t let me forget to put in a call to that guy’s shift boss, Lester. He did recognize me, so I gotta follow up.” Sighing, he reached for the van’s phone. “Where the hell do I think I am, anyhow? I’ll do it now.” He made the quick call, giving both officers’ badge numbers and hanging up before the man on the other end could ask too many questions.

“Good work., sarge.” Randy slapped him on the shoulder. “Nice moves in there. You’d think you’d done it a thousand times before.”

“More like five.” Stan laughed. “But Sonny was right. All that shit we got…Menton’s been watching Castillo for a long time.”

“But there’s big gaps, too.” Lester was flipping through the notes and photo logs. “And next to nothing since the Task Force formed. No wonder he was desperate. I’ll know more once we get back, and Mindy’s gonna love all this stuff.”

 

“And that’s how you’re gonna keep his places shut down? Turn them into crime scenes?”

Sonny smiled. “Not always, but it works out for us. If Metro-Dade’s got the whole thing taped off Menton can’t go near it. Saves us the time and manpower of watching the damned dumps. Still, we’d better move, partner.” He keyed his radio. “You can scratch that itch, cap. One’s down and we’re closing on two.” He looked back at Rico. “That should piss off Menton even more. Once Castillo dumps his tail the bastard’s blind until we let him see again.”

“And here we are. Typical dump neighborhood for a Company safe house or whatever the hell they got goin’ here. And there’s our ladies. Are you sure we can’t send ‘em in as strippers?”

“Mindy might go for it, but I can’t answer for Gina. And you’d have to ask Stan. He’d probably want to go as her Elvis pimp.”

“Oh, God. Don’t remind me.” Rico shut off the Challenger. “We ready to do this?”

Sonny nodded, raising his mic. “Team Bird. Execute. I say again, execute.”

They came through the door of the porn shop in pairs, Sonny and Rico with their badges on chains around their necks and Gina and Mindy following close behind. The tattooed man behind the counter started to reach for something, then froze when Sonny’s big .45 tracked in his direction. “Keep those hands where I can see ‘em, pal. Federal agents executing a fugitive warrant. How many people are in the back? And don’t play stupid with me. It’s too damned hot out there.”

“T…three. In the movie booths.”

“That’s it? I ain’t gonna find no surprises when I go back there?” Rico looked the man up and down. “I hate surprises.”

“He does.” Sonny’s voice was conversational. “We had a guy deliver balloons to the office for his birthday one year and he almost shot him. Over balloons! Imagine what he’ll do to you…” Turning, he motioned for Mindy and Gina. “Toss the place. Our guy might be hiding under the counter or God knows where else.”

Rico came back through the ratty curtains, herding two tourists who looked like frat boys and a confused Japanese businessman. “Sorry, chumps. The place is closed as of now. Sorry you didn’t get your damned happy ending.” One of the frat boys started to protest, and Rico let his mean voice show. “Be glad you ain’t getting a ride downtown to central booking, chump! Now scram!”

Tattoos behind the counter started shifting again. “Hey. Don’t I need to see that warrant?”

“What you need to do is stay very still now. We’ll be out of your hair in a couple of minutes.”

“I don’t think so.” Gina smiled as she came out of the storeroom. “Look what I found in plain view next to a case of Trojans.” She held up a big plastic bag filled with smaller ones. Even at this distance Sonny could see the red cross stamped on them.

“Heroin.” He shook his head. “My, my. We’ve been a bad boy.” He turned to Rico. “Cuff him. I’m gonna call Lieutenant Vallencio and let him know we got him a customer.”

Rico grinned as he slapped on the cuffs. “Where’d you get that smack? And don’t tell me you found it.”

“Naw, man.” The kid was scared clear through, and Sonny knew he wasn’t lying just from his eyes. “This older dude came in and told me to hold it for him. Said it wouldn’t be here more than a couple of days.”

“This older dude. Was he short, stocky, and made you want to wash your hands after you talked to him?”

“Yeah. I think he owns the joint. Man, I just work here. Helps pay the bills.”

“Yeah.” Sonny nodded. “Look. You tell Lieutenant Vallencio everything you told us and he’ll help you sort it out.” He reached for the phone. “I’m calling him now.”

Two rings and someone picked up. “Vallencio.”

“John? It’s Sonny. Look, can you get down to the Pink Kitten as soon as you can? We were doing a warrant raid and came across what I think is the last of Doc’s smack. We gotta keep moving, so if you’re busy you might want to send a patrol car.”

“Screw that. I’ll be there in ten.”

Sonny smiled and hung up. “He’s on his way. We’ll do another sweep and clear out as soon as he’s got the scene.” He turned back to the clerk. “Look, man, I hate to ask, but the ladies have a bachelorette party coming up. You think you could run the register for ‘em?”

Gina giggled. “Sonny!”

“Well, it’s true more or less.”

Mindy nodded. “Let’s get to it, Gina.”

Rico chuckled and turned away. “I don’t even wanna know.”

“Go check the office, partner. There might be some bread crumbs there. And I know John will hook us up if he finds anything later.”

Five minutes later Gina and Mindy were at the counter. Both had outfits that might cover bad intentions but not much else, Gina’s in a deep blue and Mindy’s in emerald green. Gina looked down into the display case and smiled. “And I’ll take the one on the far left. The nightie’s for him and that’s for me.”

Mindy’s eyes went wide. “Are you sure?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it. What about you?”

She looked around and picked up a long wand with feathers on the end. “He still owes me a spanking.” She giggled when Gina blushed. “Like you said, don’t knock it…”

Sonny stood to one side, trying not to laugh. Leave it to Gina and Mindy to turn a bust into a shopping trip.  He watched as the tattooed kid rang up their purchases, counting back change as best he could with the cuffs still on. They were gathering up their bags when John Vallencio came in. “I should have know. Only you could turn a bust into a strange shopping trip, Sonny.”

“Yeah. You know me. All business.” He grinned then nodded to the kid. “He’s not in this, I don’t think. Just works here and was quick to spill what he knew about the smack. Rico’s in back tossing the office.”

“That better be all that’s being tossed, based on what I see out there.” Vallencio grinned and dipped his head in a short bow. “Ladies. I’ll go let him know the cavalry’s here so you can get on with that serious government work you do.” Then his eyes went serious. “Thanks for calling me, Sonny. I thought we got all his smack in the warehouse.”

“So did I. The kid seems to think this is it, but he was just babysitting it. I think we’re on the trail of its source, though. You shouldn’t have to worry about more coming in.”

Rico came out of the back with a file folder in his hand. “Got a couple of addresses here we should check. John already had a look and don’t care.” He stopped, staring at the bags. “And what do we have here?”

Mindy smiled. “You’ll find out later. Let’s just say it involves something I still owe you.” She turned and headed out the door, throwing a little extra wiggle into her walk.

Gina turned to follow, pausing as she drew even with Rico. “I like her. Don’t let that one get away.”

“I don’t plan on it.” Rico waited until they were gone, then turned to Sonny with intense eyes. “What was it, man? Ya gotta tell me.”

“Aw, Rico. They made me promise.” He grinned. “Let’s just say it might involve spanking.”

Rico did one of his little dances, the first Sonny had seen him do in days. “She’s a super freak,” he sang, mimicking Rick James a little too well for Sonny’ comfort. “She’s super freaky, ow…”

“And Stan’s got a fun night ahead, too. Let’s get going. I want to go over everything and start planing the next move.”

 

“Boss?”

Menton didn’t like the sound of the radio man’s voice. “What? Did those idiots lose the target?”

“No. He’s still taking them in circles. But I just got two panic button hits in quick succession. One from Location Alpha and the other from Location Charlie. I can’t raise anyone at Alpha. I didn’t call Charlie because it’s not secure without one of us there.”

“Shit. Try it anyhow.” Menton moved closer, watching as the man dialed a number on the phone integrated into his radio set. He listened, then killed the call. “Well?”

“It wasn’t that kid you hired.”

Menton stared at the man, wanting to smash his face into the console but knowing that wouldn’t change anything. At the end of the day it wasn’t his fault in any case. He was just doing what he’d been hired to do. Run the radios and not ask questions.

How could both locations have been hit? “Check the scanners. See if there’s any police activity.”

“Doing that now, boss. Sounds like units are rolling to both locations. Ambulance and coroner to Alpha and just patrol cars to Charlie. Charlie sounds like it’s narcotics activity. I recognize the voice on the radio. Some lieutenant from that office.”

“Good work. Keep me posted.” Turning, he found his corner chair and sank into it. “And call off the team on the target. I need to think this through.”

Was it just a damned coincidence? It had been a risk leaving the last of the Red Cross smack with that kid, but he knew at least one of his guys had a problem and it seemed safer to store it away from them. Maybe that had been a mistake. Now he’d lost his emergency bolt hole. But if they were rolling the coroner to Alpha that might have solved his other smack problem. “Should have shot him myself,” he muttered, knowing he couldn’t have afforded to. Good help was hard to find, especially after the Feds put Maynard in the ground and out of business. He’d heard rumors in prison, but the reality staggered him. Both Maynard and Moncado gone, and that redneck bastard Holmes not long afterward. All by the same shadowy Federal agency.

For years Maynard had been untouchable. Walking the earth like some covert ops god while lesser mortals fell by the wayside. He’d gone down with Lao Li, the Company not so much as batting an eye, while Maynard’s every folly was excused and covered by Langley. What the hell had changed? He must have really pissed on the wrong shoes to get green-lit. Or maybe this agency whatever the hell it was just didn’t give a damn. That thought made Menton’s blood run cold.

But this just sounded like Metro-Dade stumbling onto something. Even a broken clock was right twice a day, and he knew the guards at Alpha weren’t the brightest bulbs in the fixture. Hell, the junkie might have lost his Methadone and gone out to score, drawing the wrong kind of attention. And maybe the kid knew enough about China White to know what he had in the storeroom and tried to turn a quick buck himself.

Sweat dripped down from his shallow forehead and got in his beady eyes, but he didn’t really notice. Stick to the plan. Close out Castillo. Then disappear. Don’t let the local yokels throw you off. He kept repeating it in his head. Then he turned back to the radio man. “Bring them all here. We need to change the plan to account for Alpha and Charlie. Make sure Beta and Delta are still operational.” He didn’t need to know about Echo. That was Menton’s ace in the hole.

 

They waited for Castillo to return before starting the debriefing. Sonny noticed Rico kept looking at Stan and grinning, so he finally nudged him and whispered, “Don’t ruin the surprise, partner.” Then he turned to Castillo. “Did you end up losing them?”

“No. They aborted.” Castillo looked almost disappointed.

Stan nodded. “That tracks. Lester picked up a short signal a few minutes after the Pink Kitten closed for the day. Sounded like some kind of recall. And that fits with the panic buttons seen at both locations.”

Sonny smiled. “Yeah. Ya gotta let ‘em hit the alarm so you can see what falls out of the tree. Right now I’d bet Menton’s trying to convince himself it was all an unfortunate coincidence. And he will, because he wants this so bad and he thinks we’re just dumb cops.” He turned to Mindy and Gina. “You got anything out of the files we grabbed from both locations?”

“It’s early yet, Sonny.” Gina waved her hand to take in the stacks of pictures and papers. “But yeah, I think we have. Menton had his people watching the lieu…I mean the captain off and on for almost a year. It stopped just before you formed the Task Force, and I think I know why.” She pointed to the picture of one of the dead men. “His prints came back from Metro-Dade of all places. Got picked up in a drug sting and did almost a year in county. He also comes up as a former ‘government employee’ with an undisclosed agency. I think he was the one coordinating the surveillance, and Menton couldn’t replace him while he was in prison.”

“So he was working off old intelligence.” Castillo nodded. “He was always sloppy that way when he got fixed on a target. Do we think he knows about the Task Force?”

Gina shook her head, her thick dark hair bobbing with the movement. “No. Surveillance picked up again after he got out, but it was all focused on OCB and your house. That’s where they picked up Trudy. But there’s no indication he had any idea about this building, let alone the marshals.”

Sonny smiled as Mindy nodded her agreement. “I agree with Gina’s analysis. He’s got no idea we’re out here. There are one or two pictures of Rico and Sonny, but that’s all. And they’re old. Going back to before you two went on leave or whatever it was.”

Rico chuckled. “Sloppy. Like a chump who’s looking to run overseas and wants to finish one last thing before he disappears.”

“That’s exactly what he’s doing.” Castillo looked at the photos, and Sonny could see his eyes change again. “Do we have next steps?”

“Tomorrow we hit his two last known locations. Same as today. Maybe we’ll catch him, but I doubt it. In any case, we leave him with just one place to go.” Sonny got up and drew a big circle around the warehouse. “Here. Randy, Dave, can you guys do a distant recon tonight? I want a feel for how many men are there and what kind of boat he has standing by. If security’s too tight, abort. I’d rather go in blind than tip him off.”

Randy nodded. “You got it boss.”

Castillo nodded his agreement. “Good work today. I want all of you to go home. Get some sleep. This will likely end tomorrow. Once Menton starts running he’ll run fast. But he’s dangerous. Don’t forget that.”

Stan spoke up. “I’m gonna put some more transmissions out there. Just to keep him thinking this is a coincidence. Lieutenant Vallencio’s good with it, especially since one of those guys we shot at the office building had heroin in his system. The same one Gina got the print hit on. We can frame this like the dead guy led his people to the Pink Kitten.”

Castillo nodded. “Good thinking. Do it. And anything else you think of to keep him off balance.”

Sonny waited until the rest of the team left the room, either going home or back to their offices to finish one last thing, before he turned to Castillo. “You want me to drop you by the hospital, Marty? I need to check on Jenny, too.”

“Thank you.” Castillo gave the documents on the table one last glare before turning away. “It will be good to end this.”

They showed their IDs to the gate guard and waited while he called to verify. “I’d forgotten how big a pain military bases can be,” Sonny muttered while the naval security guard talked on the phone. “But it’s the best place for her right now.”

“Yes. Even Menton’s people won’t be able to track her here.”

Sonny nodded. Naval Air Station Key West was at the very end of the Keys, a long drive down Highway One ending in a fenced, guarded compound. But they had a good base hospital, and after the favors the Task Force had done for various agencies during the Maynard/Moncado case it was easy to get Trudy moved.

The guard returned with their IDs. “Sorry about that, gents. You’re both cleared. Head on through.”

The hospital was like any other, smelling of antiseptic and alcohol. The attending doctor smiled when they came in. “Good to see you both. They’ve been asking for you. I have to say Miss Joplin is recovering quickly, better than some Marines I’ve treated with similar wounds. And her friend…”

“Jenny means well.” Sonny grinned. “She’s just a bit rough around the edges. Or she can be.”

Castillo led the way, and Sonny could see the excitement growing in his steps. He tried to hide it, but for someone who’d know him for years the change was obvious. They came to the door, nodding to Tiny who sat sentry in a chair outside, and went in.

Trudy was sitting up, flipping through bridal magazines with Jenny and Brick of all people by the bed. The big man looked up, an embarrassed look spreading over his face. “They wanted my opinion about some monkey suit or another,” he explained, his cheeks going a pale red.

Jenny giggled. “And you’ve been a great help, Brick. Come back as soon as they’re done and we can finish picking out the bridesmaids’ dresses.”

“You shouldn’t embarrass him like that.” Sonny smiled. “He’ll never live it down.”

Trudy smiled. “He’s got great fashion taste, though.” Then she turned to Marty. “It’s good to see you, my love.”

Jenny moved to make room for him at the bedside. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said, taking Sonny’s hand and leading him to the door. “They need their time.”

A fresh breeze was blowing in off the water when they stepped outside, and Sonny breathed deep. “That’s just what I needed after that place. Can’t stand the smell of hospitals.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders, feeling her snuggle close to him. “I miss you, baby.”

“I’ve missed you, too. But it’s almost over.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes intense. “Do you remember what I said?”

“That the four of us must be there? Yeah. And we will be. I’ve seen to that. Don’t worry.”

“Good. I won’t worry, then.”

“I gotta ask. How are you after the shooting?”

She looked up at him and smiled. “I though it would bother me more. So did Trudy. But she didn’t see his eyes. The were already dark. There was no light to go out of them. I…”

Sonny thought back through all the people he’d had to shoot in the line of duty. Official or otherwise. There were a few…like Hackman. He nodded. “I think I understand.”

“I thought you would. I had a dream, but it was what would have happened if I hadn’t have shot him.” She pulled him close. “I need you to kiss me and then we should get back.”

Trudy looked up when they came back in and smiled. “She needed to see you, Sonny. Just like I needed to see Marty. But you both need to get back so you can finish this.”

Sonny nodded, noticing Castillo was looking out the window at the ocean beyond the wire. “You’re looking better.”

“It’s nice here. Quiet. The doctor says I should be able to go home soon. Less that a week.” She looked at Castillo’s back and motioned Sonny closer. “Bring him back to me,” she whispered.

“I will, darlin’. That’s a promise.” Reaching down, he squeezed her hand and then looked over to the window. “You ready to head back, Marty? I hear the ward nurse is a beast.”

“Yes. I’ll see you soon, my love. You have my word.”

The ride back was quiet, both men sunk in their own thoughts and content to let the Ferrari hold its own conversation with the road. Sonny dropped Castillo at the underground garage to make sure he took his usual car, using work as an excuse. “I forgot to grab that damned folder we got from the Pink Kitten,” he said to reinforce the excuse. “You need anything upstairs?”

“No. Thank you for taking me to see her.” Castillo’s eyes lost some of their darkness. “I needed that very much.”

“So did I, Marty. But we’re getting closer. Another day, maybe two, and Menton will be a bad memory.” Turning, he made a show of heading for the elevator, waiting until Castillo actually pulled out of the garage before going up to the tenth floor. Now that he thought about it, looking at that folder sounded like a damned good idea. He didn’t want Menton to have any surprises lurking in the wings.

 

It was dark by the time Martin Castillo coasted the big Ford into its parking place. Even though he understood it was useless he went through his normal precautions. The photos had been clear proof Menton knew where he lived. But why hadn’t he just struck here, at the house?

Walking through the blackness, hearing the night sounds and distant slap of the waves, Castillo thought he knew. Menton had tried and failed once before to destroy him in his house. This time he wanted it public, out in the open so he could be sure of his success. Maybe even watch it with his own eyes. And maybe that would have worked. But then he crossed the line.

Unlocking the door, he entered his alarm code and walked through to the back patio door. He needed the ocean right now, to hear it hiss and slide up and down the beach. To smell it on the breeze, and know that somewhere things were right and good. To know Jess was out there somewhere. Watching.

What would he think of the mission Castillo had set for himself? He knew Ti Ti would approve. The old Nung knew a thing or two about revenge and squaring accounts. He’d likely smile, those red-capped teeth looking like they were dripping blood. Big Gus would just nod, understanding it would happen if he approved or not. And Jess…in the end Castillo thought he’d approve. Someone had to put an end to the works of Menton.

Stars glittered and danced in the black velvet overhead, and he missed Trudy. He jazz piano drifting through the open door. The smell of her as she came to sit with him. And later, sharing his bed and his life. He missed it all, understanding just what Menton had aimed to take from him before the killing blow. And he knew Sonny had hit if perfectly. Menton didn’t value people, but he valued his network. And Crockett was smashing it one piece at a time.

Looking out toward the ocean he couldn’t see, Castillo made his decision. As soon as they had a fix on Menton he’d disappear. Go to the man and finish this one and for all. He wouldn’t risk the team, his friends. No one else should have to pay for his mistakes. And if Menton proved too much for him, he knew Crockett and the rest would finish the job for him. Getting to his feet, he walked back in the house and laid his badge on the counter. If he made it back, it would be there for him. And if not…they’d know what he’d tried to do. Once Menton crossed the line there was no going back. For either of them.

 

Sonny stopped at the base of the familiar gangplank. “Sorry, Elvis. Just me again tonight, buddy. She’ll be back in a couple of days. Let me grab you a tuna and then I gotta go below.”

Once the gator was fed, he ducked below and turned on the dim saloon lights. He didn’t need much to look through the file he’d grabbed from the office, and he wanted it dim to go where he needed to go.

Flipping through the pages, he saw they’d guessed right about Menton’s remaining properties. Especially the warehouse. With any luck Dave and Randy would be able to get close, because there wasn’t much there aside from the address. The other two matched everything they’d gathered. Timing would be critical, because they had to use it to drive Menton to the warehouse.

A part of him wondered how many men Menton had left, but another part didn’t care. Stan’s team could handle anything that came their way, and he was confident in Mindy’s ability. Gina was a wild card, but there was no way he could leave her behind now. They’d just have to take their chances. He doubted it was more than six, just because neither of the remaining properties were big enough to hold more than a handful at once. Only the warehouse could do that, and it wasn’t factored into anything.

Leaning back, he tried not to think of Jenny and how she’d felt when he held her outside the small hospital. Looking up, he saw the picture of Caitlin and smiled. “She wants to meet you,” he said, knowing somehow she could hear him. “I think it’s time, don’t you? I never thought I’d find anyone else, but I think I have. And she respects the hell out of you, babe. You would have liked her.” Shaking his head, glad no one but Elvis was around the hear, he turned off the light and headed for the aft berth. He needed to snatch what sleep he could before the endgame began.

 

By some unspoken understanding they all met in the conference room shortly before nine. Castillo sat in his usual spot, looking a touch less grim that he had the day before. Sonny noticed and smiled to himself. Seeing Trudy must have settled some things for him he thought, looking at the rest of the task force. Stan and Gina sat together, with Lester and the rest of Team Elvis close at hand. Rico and Mindy looked rested as well, but he guessed neither man had seen what the girls bought at the Pink Kitten yet. Looking at Randy, he started the ball rolling. “Did you guys get anything?”

“Yeah. We did a distant recon and cleared the area before 0100. He’s got no security to speak of. Probably doesn’t want to attract attention. Typical night watchman and some lights. Maybe a dog. And there’s a boat.”

Dave nodded. “Looks like that go-fast rig you’ve got, boss. He can get the hell out of there in a hurry if he needs to.”

Stan spoke next. “We got our seeds planted last night, Sonny. If he was listening he heard it, and I’d bet he is. I’ve got a couple more ready to go today if we need ‘em. Some distraction to cover the raids.”

“We got some more information on the dead men.” Gina looked at her notepad. “Seems they were refugees from one of Maynard’s little Contra missions.”

“It makes sense.” Castillo nodded. “They moved in the same circles. Menton would hire men who knew the score.”

“There’s three still unaccounted for from that particular squad. One was a radio man.”

Rico smacked the table. “Score! You got pictures? I’ll bet the Caddy those are our outstanding guns for hire.”

“Way ahead of you, Rico.” Gina smiled and handed pictures around. “It’s from their booking sheets, so don’t expect to see happy smiles. There might be one or two others we don’t know about, but this tracks with what we found in the office building.”

“Then we change our plans.” Sonny’s brain was working fast, pushing through and discarding multiple scenarios. “If he’s that short we don’t need to hit both locations. Hell, we might not have to hit any of them directly.” He turned to Stan. “Where would he need his radio for maximum coverage?”

Stan stared at the map. “For all his locations? This one.” He stood up and pointed at a small building located roughly in the middle of the target area. “It’s listed as an electronics repair shop. No one would question an antenna on the roof, and it’s central to all his other stuff. Anyplace else and he’d risk blind spots.”

“That’s the one we hit. Both teams. We can send Metro-Dade after the other one, but I bet it’s a dry hole.” Sonny’s eyes narrowed. “But here’s the trick. Stan, I want you to set up transmissions before we hit, letting him know we’re coming. Mix it in with the Metro-Dade traffic they’ll have going for their raid so he buys it.”

Rico shook his head. “You want to blow us before we go in?”

“I want to flush the bastard out. You really think he’s gonna stay put for a raid? This way we blind him and force him to move no matter where he is. His comm guy will hear and put the warning out. I think he’s gone to ground where he can hear, so there’s a good chance he’s at the shop. That’s why we hit it. But if he’s not…I want to get him running where we can grab him.”

“But what if we miss him?”

“There’s always that chance. But I think this is our best bet.” He turned to Castillo. “It’s your call, captain.”

Castillo stared at the map, and Sonny could almost see him doing distance and time calculations. “Crockett’s right. There’s a risk, but it’s the best chance we have. Do it.”

“How long will it take you to set your stuff up, Stan?”

“An hour if we want it to be solid.”

“Take the time you need. I’ll call Vallencio over in Narcotics and see if he’ll at least stage the other raid. They don’t have to go in, just look like they’re going to.” Sonny got to his feet. “Let’s get rolling, people.”

Back in their office, Rico grabbed his arm. “It’s damn risky, Sonny. I don’t like it.”

“We don’t have to like it. We just have to do it.” Sonny felt the bite in his own voice and smiled. “It’s not perfect, but it’s what we have. And this way we know both where Menton’s going and when Marty’s going to try to jump ship.”

“Yeah. I know. Don’t mean I have to like it.”

“Never said you did, partner. But it’s the hand we’ve got and I’m gonna play it to the end.”

Rico nodded, looking at him through narrow eyes. “And this is how you ran people down when you were Burnett?”

“Yeah. More or less. Some of it was more…direct. But yeah. It was all about having the right intel and not letting them know you knew what they were up to.”

“Do you really plan on hitting the electronics shop?”

“More or less, yeah. I think Stan, Lester, Mindy, and Gina can take that one if they have to. I’d rather be there, and I know you would, too. But Jenny brought that thing up again yesterday at NAS Key West.”

“About the four of us?”

“Yeah. She made me promise again.”

“Mindy made me promise last night.” Rico shook his head. “We were havin’ dinner at Downbeat and out of the blue she brought it up. You think he’ll do a runner?”

“I’m sure he will. Look how calm he is today, partner. He’s made up his mind about something, and that’s all there is. Trudy seemed worried when we left yesterday, too.”

“I had Stan check. The transponder’s still working and in place.”

“Thanks.” Sonny sat down and sighed. “Better give the guns a going-over. Odds are we’ll need them before the day’s over. And I gotta call John and see if he’ll play ball with us.”

[mjcmmv]

Lots of good comedy relief in this segment. I love how you've developed these characters, and added new ones we can love, as well. 

Menton is like rat, trapped in a corner. Satisfying to see him squirm, but I'm still nervous about the outcome. 

Great entertainment. Thanks so much for all this hard work. I'm lovin' it!

 

[vicegirl85]

1 hour ago, Robbie C. said:

“The Ferrari’s too damned obvious for this. And I need to be on the radio. Besides…” Sonny winced. “You’re a better driver than I am.”

Naahhhhh !

Another great chapter, slowly bringing all the playing pieces together!  I'm looking forward to more, but you keep dropping hints that something bad could happen to our team.  Looking forward to whatever's coming up next!

[mjcmmv]

32 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

you keep dropping hints that something bad could happen to our team.  

I know! Right???