With Friends Like These....Part I

[Robbie C.]

And no, we didn't plan to run these at the same time. I just got bit by the bug again. And for those of you keeping track, this is a Task Force story so post-series.

 

“So where do you think they went?”

Sonny Crockett looked over at Ricardo Tubbs, keeping one eye focused on the traffic around them. “I don’t know. Angie wouldn’t tell me. She just gave me that look and said ‘mind yo own damned business, blondie’.”

“And I can hear her saying just that.” Rico laughed, looking out the Ferrari’s window at the cars around them. When he spoke again his voice was lower. “When you gonna tell her about Jenny?”

“Hell, I think Jenny already did. But you know how she is. Angie loves her already.” Sonny chuckled, thinking back on his blonde partner. “I don’t know how she does it, but she did it again. It helps that Angie’s up to her neck in Caitlin’s House and getting that ready to open.” He sighed. “I wish I had more time for it, honestly. But with Marty gone…”

“Someone’s gotta run the store. At least our caseload’s been light.” Rico chuckled. “Gives me more time to swing by Downbeat.”

“And I’ll bet Mindy hates that.” Now it was Sonny’s turn to chuckle. “How’s she getting on with Gina?”

“Good, but I think she misses Trudy. Those two hit it off really well.”

“Yeah. And Gina’s new.”

“You mean she wasn’t there when we took down Maynard and Moncado.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Sonny tuned into the underground garage and idled toward his usual parking spot. “That really brought us together.”

“Her being married to Stan buys her some credit, but as far as the marshals are concerned she’s still on the outside.”

Sonny nodded. “Yeah. And I can’t make them accept her. That’s just plain stupid.” He got out of the car. “But she’ll be back with her unit soon, and with Caitlin’s House she’ll have plenty to do. Stan’ll miss her.”

“Yeah, but give him and Lester a new radio to play with and he’ll forget soon enough.”

“True enough, partner.” Sonny laughed, even though he knew how lucky they were to have Stan and Lester on the task force. He still wanted to slug himself for missing how good a cop Stan was over the years. One of the many things he wasn’t proud of when he looked back at his time with OCB.

Mindy was sitting at her desk in the outer office as usual, her red hair up in a tight bun with two loose curls draping down on either side of her face. “Morning boss. Hey Rico. Everybody else is here, except for our two shooters.”

“And what was their excuse this time?”

“Reaction drills.” She smiled. “Or so they said.”

“Tell ‘em my feelings are starting to hurt. With then being away so much it makes me think they don’t like us.” Sonny smiled. He knew how much range time it took to stay as proficient as Randy Mather and Dave Blair were with their rifles, let alone the pistols and other weapons they used so frequently. But he still had to give them crap.

Mindy giggled. “I’ll let them know. And you should know the fax machine has been cranking out things nonstop since I got here.”

“One of these days I am gonna shoot that damned thing.” With a sigh, Sonny turned to Rico. “You know where I’ll be for the next hour or so, partner.”

“That’s what you get for being in charge.” Rico grinned.

Shaking his head, Sonny turned and headed into the inner suite. He knew Rico wanted some time with Mindy, and he didn’t blame his partner one bit. Between Valerie and Angelina Rico had been dealt a bad hand when it came to the ladies. Of course, his hadn’t been any better. Until Jenny.

The pile of paper on the fax machine made Sonny want to turn around and head back out the door and keep driving until he ran out of road. But he knew Mindy would never let him live it down, so he flopped down in the chair behind Castillo’s desk and started plodding through each page, trying to separate the routine from anything that might prove interesting.

Chief Deputy Washington had put the Task Force on leave after Trudy had been shot, and he kept them pretty much under wraps until after Marty and Trudy’s wedding. After that he’d pulled Sonny aside and announced they’d keep handling smaller cases until the couple returned. “Hell, you all cleared my desk of more big cases in three months than my whole damned unit had done in two years. You’ve earned a bit of R & R.”

Sonny couldn’t protest. They’d put in hard hours, and paid for it in their own blood. First Castillo went down at the end of the Moncado/Maynard bust and then Trudy had been targeted by one of Castillo’s oldest enemies. Stan and Lester had taken their own lumps curtesy of Moncado, and he’d lost track of the number of times he and Rico had cheated death or injury. Maybe it was time to stop pushing their luck for a bit and gather some intel and work the easy cases.

The fax machine beeped for attention, and he looked down at the flickering digital panel. “Out of paper, are you? Guess I’d damend well better get you some more or you’ll beep all afternoon and I will shoot you.” Still grumbling, Sonny got up and headed for the conference room. There had to be paper somewhere out there. Much as he hated to admit it, he had no idea where Mindy hid their stash of paper.

Gina looked up from a notebook as he walked out of the office. “Good morning, Sonny. I’d guess from that racket you’re out of paper.”

“Yeah. You know where she keeps the stash?”

“The cabinet under the map.” She smiled. “And your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thanks, darlin’.” He smiled and walked over, pulling out a ream and closing the door. “How’s things going?”

“Here? Good. I do miss working with the girls, though. At home? Fantastic. I couldn’t be happier.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Really, Gina, I am. And I understand about the girls. At least there you get to see some kind out outcome. Good or bad. Here…it’s hard to tell some days.” He smiled. “You can go back over there as soon as Marty and Trudy get back, if that’s what you want to do.”

She nodded. “I think it is. You’ve got great people here, Sonny. The best I’ve ever worked with. A few years ago you couldn’t have pried me away. But now…”

“You need to be where your heart is. I get that. And with Caitlin’s House you’ll have another option for those girls.” He looked at the map of Miami mounted on the wall, covered with zone grids and constantly updated surveillance zones and notes. “This? This is where my heart is. I don’t think I could ever leave it now.”

She nodded. “What about Jenny?” She shook her head. “You know, I didn’t want to like her. I don’t know why. But you just can’t not like her.”

Sonny nodded. He understood exactly what Gina meant. She’d wanted to see him suffer through something like he’d made her suffer not so many years back. “She’s good with the Job. Hell, she likes everyone I work with. She and Trudy are like sisters, and sometimes I’m not sure she isn’t Marty’s long-lost sister.”

“I know. There’s something about her.” Gina stared at her hands for a long moment and then shook her head. “Anyhow, you’d better refill that damned machine before I shoot it.”

“Aye, aye, sergeant!” Sonny tossed off a sloppy salute and turned back to the office. Try as he might he kept hearing what Jenny had said to him and Trudy in the NAS Key West medical center. She’s lucky he’ll have her. I still don’t know what that really meant.

Refreshed, the fax machine spit out twenty more pages before pausing for breath. Pulling the last stack, he finished sorting and sighed. The useless stack ran to almost fifty pages, with only fifteen in the worth following up pile. Pulling the fifteen back, he started reading through them. Looking for anything they could sink their teeth into.

The longer they stayed out of action, the more Sonny worried the Task Force would either get soft or be picked apart by some other, jealous agency. They’d made enemies in their short history, but also enough powerful friends to provide cover. But if you stopped producing the friends forgot your name and the enemies just circled closer. So far he’d been focusing their efforts on building intelligence networks in what he called areas of interest; places in the city where the drug trade was on the rise or other activity was developing that might pull them in. They’d built some handy target files for the Marshal’s Service, and he knew through Pete that some of their product made it to the DEA and occasionally the FBI. But he knew that wasn’t enough. Not for a system increasingly driven by arrest numbers.

So he picked through the faxes, looking for anything that might be worth their time. Patterns, new things, stuff other agencies might have missed. They still had the luxury of picking their cases, and he’d turned a couple of dead-end jobs back to Pete, confident they’d been sent over by the FBI in an attempt to make them look bad. But sooner or later they’d have to take one. Unless he found something better.

Something on the next to last sheet looked familiar, and he flipped back through until he found it. And then found it again. One more time and he knew he had something. Gathering up the pages he headed for the big conference table.

Rico looked up from the sheets. “So what did you see? I’m lookin’ at a mix of coke shipments that got busted. Small players, smallish loads.”

“Yeah, but look at how they came in, Rico. By boat. Always at night. And always down the coast.”

“So we got a small-time chump on the rise. You think that’s worth our time?”

“On its own? No. But look at the product.”

“I don’t…” Rico read through the reports again and whistled. “Now I do. High grade Bolivian. You don’t see that every day.”

“No. And not from the same supplier each time.” Sonny looked around the table wishing Dave and Randy were there. But he hadn’t wanted to wait for them. “I’m open to suggestions, people.”

Stan nodded. “I can see it, Sonny. And why down the coast? That’s only good if you’re trying to stay off radar.”

Lester looked at the smaller area map on the wall. “That’s someone who knows patrol routes and how to use ground clutter. Stealth instead of speed.”

“And we don’t know anything about the boat.” Gina looked up from her sheet. “The punks they grabbed with the dope never know anything about the runner.”

Mindy nodded slowly. “And the quantity keeps going up. Someone’s getting more confident. One thing bothers me, though. The busts. Who’s making them and how?”

“Looks like a mix of DEA and Metro-Dade.” Rico looked up from his own notes. “With one thing in common…an anonymous tip called in less than an hour after the drop.”

Stan nodded. “Sounds like someone clearing out competition to me. What better way than to drop a dime on your competition? Especially if it’s after the drop. Then it doesn’t come back on you.”

“Hell, we only noticed because we get all the feeds. Metro and DEA aren’t gonna trade that level of info unless someone makes them.” Rico turned to Sonny. “You gonna pitch this one to Pete?”

“I think so. We’ve got someone here who’s got a pipeline to prime Bolivian flake, knows how to move it, and is busy taking out competition by using law enforcement to do their dirty work. That’s one smart group.”

Lester cleared his throat. “You think they operate out of Lauderdale, coming down the coast like that?”

“Could be. Or maybe their pipeline just hits the US there. It’s an easier operating environment than Miami.” Sonny looked around the table. “If you’re all good with it, I’ll pitch it to Pete. I don’t see an issue. I don’t think he wants us on the bench any longer than we need to be there. At the very least we’ll get some more intel for Gina and Mindy to dig through and see if our idea’s full of shit or not.”

Chief Deputy Pete Washington was black as night, but he talked like an old-time Southern Cracker sheriff. He picked up on the third ring. “Lucky you got me, Sonny. I was just on the way out for some good barbecue.”

“I won’t keep you, Pete. I was looking through the faxes and I think we got something.” Sonny outlined what they’d gone over. “If you think it’s worth the time we’d like to take a look.”

There was a pause. “Why not? Your gut tellin’ you this, son?”

“Yeah. It just looks too damned convenient for someone.”

“Then run with it. I’ll have one of my boys run the files over if you give me the reference numbers.”

Sonny read them back from the faxes. “I’ll have Gina and Mindy run it through the mill. We’ll have a good read by tomorrow morning if not sooner if this is worth chasing.”

“Hold you to it, son.”

Sonny grinned as the phone buzzed in his ear. Pete wasn’t one to waste time if a good lunch was in the offering. But he also didn’t mess around. You were either onto something or you weren’t, and he wasn’t the least shy about making the call.

True to his word, one of the deputies from the office showed up just after one, about the same time Dave and Randy rolled in from the range. Sonny signed for the files and then turned to the two former scout-snipers. “While you two have been burning taxpayer money on the range we might have picked up a new case.”

“Blow it out your ass.” Dave grinned as he spoke. “While you all been sitting in here sucking down coffee we’ve been working. And damned hard I might add.”

Randy chuckled. “Had to give those new Remingtons a good shoot-in, boss. Some moron messed with the scopes so it was rough going for a bit.”

Dave nodded. “I find out which jackass at the main office thought he was ‘helping’ he’s gonna need help eating for the next few weeks.” He looked at the stack of folders in Sonny’s hands. “That the new case?”

“Could be. Gina and Mindy are gonna scrub it and see. It looked good based on the faxes, though.”

“Let me guess…he asked what your gut said, didn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

Randy chuckled. “No surprise. And he backed your gut, didn’t he?”

“Yeah. He always that predictable?”

“More or less. If he likes you leastwise and trusts your judgement.” Randy looked over at Dave. “Guess we’d better get ready for some more overwatch.”

“I’ll keep you posted.” Sonny grinned and headed for the intel office. Normally Trudy’s, Gina had put her own touches on it in one or two places, most obviously with a picture of Stan in his best Elvis pose. “Here’s those files, Gina. Mindy should be in shortly to help out, and Dave and Randy just got back if you need another set of eyes.”

“Thanks, Sonny.” She gave a thin smile. “And about Jenny earlier…”

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’. Hell, you’ve got a whole life ahead of you now.”

She looked at the picture, and Sonny was glad to see the love in her eyes pushed everything else aside. “Yes, I do, don’t I? He’s a good man.”

“One of the best. And I was an asshole for not seeing it sooner.” He smiled. “Let me know what those files bring out.”

 

The sun was starting to sink behind Miami’s growing skyline when Sonny called an end to the day. “Go on home, get some sleep, have some fun,” he said with a smile. “We might be working tomorrow.”

Mindy nodded. “We will. No question. Gina and I don’t have the full analysis yet, but your gut was right, Sonny. Something is up with those loads and those busts.”

“Great work, ladies. So yeah, be sure to have fun tonight. You know what it’s like once a case comes on.” Sonny winked at Rico, chuckling when his partner flipped him off. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m outa here before that damned machine starts beeping again.”

The drive to the marina fit like an old, familiar shirt, and Sonny was on autopilot most of the way. Letting the Ferrari settle into a slow pace and not pushing things. He knew that would come soon enough.

As he walked down the dock, he looked for the telltale candle showing which boat they’d be in that night. Jenny had a strange habit of moving from his St Vitus Dance to her Vellamo almost at random, showing where she was with a flickering candle either on the stern or below in the saloon. He’d found he didn’t really care either way. So long as he knew he was coming home to her it was all good.

The candle glittered like a single star on Vellamo’s stern rail, and he smiled as he walked up the gangplank. Her boat was slightly smaller than his, but she’d done all the interior work herself and it had a personal touch his own would never quite have. She was sitting in the stern seats, her long blonde hair flowing around her shoulders and wearing a thin light yellow t-shirt and the shortest shorts he’d ever seen. She’d been looking out over the water but seemed to sense his approach. “I’m glad you’re back. It’s been a lonely day.”

Sitting down next to her, he slipped his arm around her deceptively strong shoulders and felt her snuggle into his side. “You don’t have to hang around the boats all day, you know. I’m sure Angie would appreciate the help if you wanted to work with her. I thought that was something you were interested in.”

“I am. I love the idea of helping girls who have problems. And that you’ve given your house and money to it is something I love even more. It’s just…”

“I know. It takes time.” He felt her shift, and smelled her hair as she moved even closer. “Angie’s not an easy one to know, either.”

“Oh, no. I like her. She’s fun. I…” She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “It’s still too close for me. I was almost one of them.”

“Yeah. I’m not pushing at all. I just wanted to remind you it’s there when you’re ready if you want to do it.”

“Thank you. And I never felt you were pushing. There’s…I don’t know. Something in the air I don’t like. It’s been bothering me the last few days now.”

“Yeah. I noticed you weren’t sleeping well. Is there anything I can do?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know yet. Right now it’s just a feeling.” She looked up at him again. “Can we take the boat out? I’ll handle her and then you can handle me. I’ve got dinner already made, so we can eat out there.”

“Sure.” Sonny nodded, more than vaguely uneasy. One thing he’d learned very quickly was to trust Jenny’s feelings, no matter how strange they seemed. She’d been right about too damned much for him to do anything else. Shrugging off his light blue blazer he got to his feet and started gathering in lines. “Let’s get this ship under way, captain.”

She smiled, getting to her feet with a grace that always took his breath away. “Don’t forget, once we get out there it’s my turn.”

 

It was well after midnight when Vellamo coasted back to her spot on the dock. Sonny was at the wheel, Jenny curled up on the cushions finally resting after their bouts on the water. As he cut the auxiliary motor and settled the boat into her spot, Sonny looked down at Jenny and smiled. She looked so peaceful now, a far cry from what she’d been like not even an hour ago. A thin blanket covered her naked body, and he knew he’d need to have her daub his back with Bactine before heading in come morning. Still, it bothered him. She’d been more desperate than ever before, except for maybe their first few times. Whatever was bothering her was bad, and he hoped he could do something to help.

He tied up the boat before carrying her below to the pilot berth just off the main cabin. But he also knew he couldn’t push. She stirred in her sleep, sighing as he settled her into the bunk and got undressed to join her. All he knew is he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He wouldn’t make the mistake with her he’d made with Caitlin.

Morning found him sitting with his back to the transom stairs, wincing as Jenny dabbed the deep scratches on his back. She’d giggled when she saw them. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Sonny.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. Just be glad I don’t work without a shirt. You’d never hear the end of it.”

She giggled again and finished her work. “There. Let it dry for a few minutes so it doesn’t stain the shirt and you’ll be good as new. Good enough for another moonlight cruise.”

“Maybe so.” Turning, he kissed her, feeling the desperate passion in her return kiss. “If anything goes strange today, call me, ok? Stan can transfer the call anywhere if I’m away from my desk.” He saw the doubt in her eyes. “Promise me?”

“I promise.” She smiled, and the robe fell away from her body as she stood to hug him. “I never should have said anything.”

“No it’s good you did. I’d worry either way, but this way I know it’s something that bothers you and that you’ll be careful.” He kissed her again. “Do you have your maid of honor gift?”

“Yes!” She giggled and lifted one of the cushions to show a Safari Arms MatchMaster .45 ACP. “It’s just like hers!”

“Keep it close just in case. I’ll call if it doesn’t look like I’ll be back until late.” He kissed her again, seeing the light in her eyes dim just a fraction. He knew she’d tell him when she was ready, but it still bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

 

Ricardo Tubbs looked at his face in the mirror, wondering again at the smile lighting it up. His beard was starting to grow back in, in no small part due to the woman sleeping in the next room who’d seen an old picture of him with it and said it looked hot. It had taken Trudy’s shooting to bring them together, and now he couldn’t see them ever being apart. All he could do is hope Mindy felt the same way.

His luck with women had never been good. Not as bad as Sonny’s, granted, but like his partner Rico had more or less resigned himself to being married to the Job. At least until Mindy came along. She was beautiful, smart, and liked jazz as much as he did. Plus she had her head screwed on straight. Coming from a bad family, she knew the dark side of life and could appreciate the good. Sometimes he thought that had been Valerie’s biggest problem. She liked wallowing in the bad and could never rise above it to see the good. Or she didn’t want to. Either way it was the same.

Angelina. There had never been a chance there. He knew it, but it didn’t change his heart. But when he finally heard the tape of the Calderone woman killing his son, and the entire family being wiped out by Maynard’s Nungs, he knew that part of his life was over. Closed like his time with Valerie. In spite of himself he’d been jealous of Crockett and Jenny. At least until Mindy came into his life.

“You look like you’re deep in some thought or another.” He could see her in the mirror, wearing nothing but her freckles and a smile. He’d made it a study to kiss every freckle on her body, and he wasn’t even a quarter of the way through.

“Not really. Just thinking how lucky I am.”

“How lucky we are.” She came up behind him and hugged him, kissing the small of his back between his shoulder blades. “I’d given up just like you had.”

“Yeah. Then we end up on Task Force Love Boat and look what happens.”

She laughed, a musical sound that always made him smile. “Maybe we should suggest that name to Sonny?”

“He might go for it. Just don’t say it around Castillo. He’d give us that damned look of his.”

“Yeah.” She lowered her eyes. “I can’t forget him when he heard you call 10-13 when Trudy was shot. It was like he was a dead man himself. I had to walk him to the car.”

“And if it hadn’t been for Jenny, Menton might have killed him in the end.”

“Yeah. She and Sonny are scary.” She hugged him tighter. “I’ve never seen anything like Sonny when he went into…what is it?”

“Burnett mode.” Rico nodded. “Yeah. I saw it when he thought he was Burnett and ripped two cartels to pieces on his own. And that bit he did on Menton? That was scarier because he did it in a much shorter time. Me? I’m just a street cop in a fancy suit who likes pretending he’s other people.”

“I don’t know. I kinda like that Teddy Prentiss guy.”

He smiled at her in the mirror. “And I like spanking the girl who swatted him on the ass.”

Her cheeks turned a bright red. “That’s not fair. We have to go to work.”

He smiled again. “We need to shower, too.”

“I like the way you think.” She turned away, throwing a little extra into her walk. “Care to scrub my back, Teddy?”

They rolled in about the same time Stan and Gina pulled up in the Roach Coach, the van the marshal’s service had turned into a mobile surveillance lab and command post. Gina hopped out, a smile lighting her face. “Ready to go to work, boys and girls?”

“Jo got it, meng.” Rico did his best Izzy impersonation, and grinned when Stan winced.

“Can we not bring up that grease trap Moreno, please? At least not before noon.”

“Relax, Stan. We ain’t needed his services for over a month now. He’s likely been deported back to Mars or wherever he dropped in from.”

“Don’t be too sure. He’s like a rash…always popping up when you least expect it and always uncomfortable and embarrassing.”

“You know, I have yet to meet this guy.”

“Consider yourself blessed.” Gina smiled at Mindy. “Stan’s underestimating his charm if anything.”

“Yeah, but he gets good information sometimes.” Rico shook his head. “And I cannot believe I’m defending the little sleezeball.”

Rico had already settled into the office he normally shared with Sonny, coffee in hand, when his fellow lieutenant came in. “Gina and Mindy are almost ready,” he said, anticipating the question. “And Stan and Lester are hard at work on something or another. Dave and Randy should be here in ten or fifteen minutes. Something about a wreck on the turnpike but I think Randy has to pick up Dave from Debbie’s place. Randy had that damned smirk in his voice when he called.”

“Sounds about right. We’ll wait until they’re here and go through it.” Sonny shifted and winced.

“Cat got claws?”

“Something like that, but in a good way.”

“Ain’t no other, partner. I’ll let you know when the boys get here.” Rico smiled. At least this time Sonny wouldn’t see Mindy’s hickies….

Dave looked a bit washed out, but he and Randy were sitting at their usual spots around the conference table. Rico winked at him, chuckling when the sniper winced and shot him a quick middle finger, and stuck his head in Castillo’s office. “We’re ready, Sonny.”

Rico noticed Sonny was careful to keep his back away from the chair as he sat down. “What do we have?”

Mindy looked at Gina, who nodded. “It looks good, boss. Your hunch seems to be right. Lab results indicate the coke all came from more or less the same region in Bolivia and maybe even the same lab. In each case the tip-off was the same. A call from a pay phone somewhere in Miami about an hour after the drop went down. Never the same phone, and never the same part of town.”

Gina took up the tale. “It was all really consistent in interrogation. Each group said they didn’t know the seller, and that whoever moved the dope wasn’t the same person they did the deal with. The bad thing is none of these guys know boats. One said it was a sailboat, another claimed it was the Minnow from ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ and a third thought it was Blackbeard’s pirate ship. What they all agreed on was someone came out from the boat in an inflatable raft and dropped off the goods.”

Rico whistled. “Someone’s being damned careful.”

Sonny nodded. “I’ll let Pete know what we’ve got and that we’re taking it as a case. Did those interrogation reports say anything about the supplier?”

“No. It was mostly middle men who got picked up. Guys hired by a guy to pick something up for another guy.” Gina shrugged. “We’ll dig deeper on that side and see if anything turns up.”

Rico nodded. “You think we can get to whoever’s doing this by going after their man on the street?”

“More or less, partner. More or less. Someone’s setting these deals up, and the sooner we know the sooner we can try to slip Cooper or Teddy Prentiss in front of them.” He grinned. “Burnett’s in the same business they are. I don’t think he’ll work this time.”

Rico turned the problem over in his head. He’d been hitting Cooper too hard lately, but Prentiss was strictly a weed man with the occasional smack deal thrown in. Coke wasn’t his style. “We might have to wheel something else out, Sonny. Cooper’s getting too crispy. That and after the action we’ve been having him after I can’t see him stepping down to any deal under a hundred keys. It would stick out.”

“Yeah, and blow ain’t Prenstiss’ game.” Sonny looked across the table. “You fancy some undercover work, Stan?”

“Me? It’s been a while.”

Rico nodded. “Why not? Bikers like blow. What was that cover you used a few years back?”

“Biggs. Yeah, I could dust him off.”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Gina raised her hands. “I can do UC, too.”

Rico nodded. “We know, Gina. But we gotta see the profile of the seller first and who he’s usually dealing to. Aren’t that many women in the coke trade in Miami, at least not in bulk.”

Sonny raised his hand. “I’m making no decisions until I have a better idea of what we’re up against. Meanwhile, hit your informants. See if there’s any word about someone new moving Bolivian marching dust of high purity and lots under sixty keys. Stan, check the wires, too. We’ve still got a few active taps from the Delgado case. See if there’s anything there.”

Rico waited until the table cleared. “How’s Jenny? I could see it in your eyes, partner.”

“Something’s bugging her, Rico. She won’t tell me what yet, and I ain’t gonna push. You just can’t push that girl.” He sighed. “But it’s a worry that won’t go away.”

“I hear you. At least she’s got Trudy’s present and we know she knows how to use it.”

“Yeah. I am afraid it’s something from her past. She may have left that life, but it doesn’t aways leave you without a fight.”

“Her old boyfriend’s still in custody, right?”

“Yeah. And doing serious Federal time. No, it ain’t him. I already checked.”

Rich reached out and gripped Sonny’s forearm. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do, partner.”

“You got it.” Sonny smiled. “Now I gotta go call Pete. Reach out to any sources you got and see what shakes loose.”

Back in the office, Rico leaned back in his chair, letting his mind work. If they had to send Stan under, who’d go with him? He remembered Randy saying something about doing some UC work and grinned. Those two would make outstanding bikers. Lester was capable enough, and Rico vaguely remembered Stan saying something about him having done it before, but he couldn’t see him as a biker. Put Gina in a leather skirt and she could sell biker babe no sweat. But would a biker bring his old lady to deal? That was a Stan question, and he filed it away just in case.

Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a battered notebook and flipped through the pages. It was a list of every informant he’d ever had, going all the way back to the Bronx and his Armed Robbery days. Lines drawn through names indicated the source was either compromised, in jail, or dead. The first ten pages were thick with lines, and he’d added more since they’d come back to the force.

What bothered Rico more was the lack of additions to the notebook. He’d lost so much ground being away for over a year, but he couldn’t deny the time had done both him and especially Sonny a world of good. He’d cultivated a handful of informants since coming back, but most of them were tied somehow to Cooper. Not the kind of people who’d be dealing with small buys. And the ones he’d picked up for Teddy were even less help.

He snapped the book shut with a snort. It was back to ground zero from the looks of things. Maybe Stan had someone stashed away who’d be of help, or they might have to reach out to Izzy again. Rico didn’t like working with Havana’s gift to Miami, but if it was the only source they had it was what he’d have to do.

He found Stan in the the office he shared with Lester. They’d christened the place the Tech Room, and the name fit perfectly. Crammed full of radio repeaters and work areas for custom jobs on taps and bugs, the place almost hummed with electricity. It was also hotter than the rest of the office, and most days Stan kept a fan running to cool the operation. He looked up and grinned when Rico came in. “Need a new camera for the bedroom, Rico?”

“Naw. I don’t wanna take yours.”

“How’d you know she wanted one?” Stan turned a light shade of pink and then laughed. “Very funny, Tubbs. Seriously, what can I do you for?”

“If this thing goes the way I’m thinking it might, you’ll be going undercover. I just went though my informants and came up empty. You got anything left from that Biggs cover?”

Stan scratched his chin though his beard. “Yeah, I suppose I do. I keep ol’ Biggs kinda lukewarm if you know what I mean. Roll by his places now and then to keep the oar in.”

Rico nodded. He’s done the same with Teddy Prentiss, and considering how useful the fake Jamaican had been in their hunt for Carlos Delgado he planned on doing it more often now. “Is that a yes?”

“Yeah, smart ass. It is. I’ve actually got three sources tied to Biggs.”

“You’d better dust ‘em off, big guy. I think you’re gonna be it this time around.”

Rico found Sonny flipping through the report Gina and Mindy had typed up. “Pete’s on board,” he said as Rico came into the office. “You checked your sources?”

“Yeah.” Rico settled into one of the chairs on the other side of Castillo’s desk, noticing again how uncomfortable Sonny looked in the man’s chair. “I came up empty. But Stan says he’s got three still tied to that Biggs cover, and that he’s been keeping it warm.”

“Good. He’s our guy, then. Have him work up a plan and bring it in.” Sonny looked up. “I’m not looking over his shoulder. Just want to make sure everything’s solid. It’s been a couple of years since he did undercover work.”

“I’ll pass the word.”

“Thanks. And let him know he can draw on whatever he needs. That includes Gina. We might only get one shot at this so it has to be good.”

[mjcmmv]

A new approach. Stan is dusting off an old undercover identity and getting ready to show what he can do. 

Wondering what's bothering Jenny. And why is Gina having a hard time being accepted?

Great job! Looking forward to the next installment!

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[vicegirl85]

12 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

“If this thing goes the way I’m thinking it might, you’ll be going undercover. I just went though my informants and came up empty. You got anything left from that Biggs cover?”

Stan scratched his chin though his beard. “Yeah, I suppose I do. I keep ol’ Biggs kinda lukewarm if you know what I mean. Roll by his places now and then to keep the oar in.”

I haven't finished reading the whole chapter yet (you write so fast I can't keep up :)) but I love the way you describe how the guys maintain their UC personas.  Somehow I never gave a thought to this and it has a very logical and real feel to it.

[Robbie C.]

3 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

I haven't finished reading the whole chapter yet (you write so fast I can't keep up :)) but I love the way you describe how the guys maintain their UC personas.  Somehow I never gave a thought to this and it has a very logical and real feel to it.

It's kind of like a spy's cover. If you're not using it, it gets 'stale' and loses its usefulness. Not something you'd need to do for a one-off operation, of course, but for some of the cases they pull it just makes sense to keep them 'warm.'

[Robbie C.]

6 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

I haven't finished reading the whole chapter yet (you write so fast I can't keep up :)) but I love the way you describe how the guys maintain their UC personas.  Somehow I never gave a thought to this and it has a very logical and real feel to it.

I suppose I should try to slow down....

[vicegirl85]

I have one comfort, your unread or partially read stories are ready and waiting!

[Robbie C.]

3 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

I have one comfort, your unread or partially read stories are ready and waiting!

I guess that is one bonus. If you like them I do create a bit of a backlog...