Breaking Point Part XIX

[Robbie C.]

Booming bass and pink and blue neon assaulted their senses as soon as they stepped through the door, and Sonny left his Wayfarers on. The heavy Smith & Wesson under his jacket provided its usual comfort under his basic-Burnett black suit coat as he scanned the crowd. His mind knew it wasn’t likely he’d see anything out of the ordinary until it was too late, but the damned spider tap-dancing up and down his spine whispered otherwise. At the end of his sweep he tapped Rico on the arm. “Carrera’s toward the back. Almost the same table he was at last time.”

“Got him. And that skinny blonde just made an exit, stage right.”

“Yeah. We’ll grab her later. You see his punk gunman?”

“He might be at the next booth over. Hard to tell with those damend strobes.” Rico shifted, nudging them toward the bar and drinks. “”How do you wanna play this?”

Sonny ordered a Black Jack and scotch for Rico when they reached the bar. “Hard. If Carrera’s on the edge it don’t hurt to push him a bit. And if Unit 8’s watching they wouldn’t expect Burnett to go easy on him.”

“You think those chumps will try to get close?”

“Not in their training.” The bourbon bit the back of his throat, and he let it warm a path down to his stomach. “They’ll be trying to keep a loose watch until the captain decides it’s time to make contact. Or cancel Carrera’s ticket. He’s expendable as far as they’re concerned.”

“Well, let’s go see what the chump dug up for us.” Rico slid his empty glass across the bar. “This damned place gives me a rash.”

Carrera stood as they drew near the table, a used car salesman smile plastered across his face. “Cooper! Burnett! “ He waved for a waitress. “Drinks for my friends! Sit! We’ll talk.”

“You dippin’ into the goods again, Carrera?” Sonny slid into the booth, his eyes flicking from Carrera to the crowd around them.

“No, man. But I got you a deal! Cooper, you’re gonna be set, man. That problem down south went away. I got you a line on a forty key deal. Maybe sixty if we move fast. I know it ain’t like the old days, but it’s a nice start.”

Carrera’s pupils were pin-holes in paper, and Sonny could see the sweat beading in his hairline. “Come on, Carrera. You’re as high as those damned astronauts they put on the moon. You sure there’s a deal out there?”

“Damned right I am, Burnett. Put it together myself. Even paid the tax for you. Consider it a good-faith down payment. You’ll make it back when it moves north.”

Rico looked over at Sonny and nodded. “So where’s the deal going down?”

“Not here, man. Guy don’t like crowds. Can’t say I blame him after what happened in that bar over by Little Haiti. He’s got a room in a hotel down by the water. One of them places the old fucks go to play cards and wait to die. No one gonna look there.”

“Lead on, Carrera.” Sonny looked over at Rico and returned his nod. Like we have any damned choice in the first place. This punk’s all we got.

“Wait. You got the cash?”

“Not on me, chump. It’s close by. Not that it matters to you. You get your finder’s fee once I check the product and meet your mystery man.”

“You and me both, man. Sissy got me on to him. Said she met him a year or so back when he was running with Pancho. But now that Pancho’s checked out, he needs a new contact.”

The spiders were dancing heavy on his spine now, but there was nothing Sonny could do aside from aborting the meeting. And he wasn’t ready to sink their only lead. “You say you never met this guy?” They were just inside the Overton doorway, Carrera in the lead with Rico close behind and Sonny bringing up the rear.

Carrera turned, his eyes stopping for a moment on a tall blonde in a tight red dress. “No, man, I…”

Later Sonny decided they must have been using a silencer. He heard no shot, only saw the side of Carrera’s head explode all over the face of the blonde as a high-powered rifle bullet expanded as it met flesh and bone. She started to scream, when the dead body slammed into her and took her to the floor.

Sonny’s gun was in his hand before he even realized he’d drawn the weapon, and he pushed through the crowd at the door from sheer reflex. Rico was right behind him, his own gun out and ready. Screams filled the air as the crowd waiting to get in realized what had happened, and people pushed over each other in their haste to get away.

He heard Rico’s voice over the shouting. “Where’d the shot come from?”

“I don’t know. I’d say over there.” He pointed toward a cluster of four buildings across the street. “But maybe some of the higher ones further back.”

“We gonna check on him?”

Sonny looked around. “He’s dead, man. And we’d better blow this pop stand before someone tries to make us stick around.” It was a quick sprint to the Ferrari, and he was almost inside before he noticed the sheet of paper tucked under the driver’s side windshield wiper.

 

On a rooftop almost four hundred yards away, Philipe lowered his rifle with a satisfied smile. Next to him, the spotter confirmed the hit. “Now we go home,” he said to the private. “Our work’s done.”

 

In a plain van parked a block away from the building, Orozco looked over at the man from Captain Salazar’s special communications squad. “Anything on those transmissions?”

“No, sir. It sounds like Metro-Dade is conducting some kind of operation, though.” The private chuckled. “They have no radio discipline.”

“Is there anything of interest?”

“Whatever they’re doing, it sounds like it’s moving our way.”

Orozco was about to reply when the back door of the van opened and the two shooters climbed in. “It seems we don’t have to worry about that. Is it done?”

“Si, jefe. The message is sent.”

Nodding, Orozco turned to the driver. “Get us out of here. But do it carefully. I don’t want to attract any police attention.”

 

Castillo pinched the bridge of his nose. “And you didn’t monitor anything?”

Stan shook his head. “Aside from that quick burst right before Sonny and Rico went in, nothing. We had our tapes rolling, though. Either they weren’t listening or they were totally focused on Carrera.”

Nodding, Castillo turned to Sonny. “And the note?”

“I’d say it’s the second part of their message.” Sonny held up the sheet of plain white paper. “It’s nothing more than a phone number and ‘we should talk’ typed on it.”

Lester spoke up. “No prints on the paper, and it’s bulk stuff you could buy or steal anywhere. The typewriter is an IMB Selectric I’d guess. One of however many million they’ve made. And the number tracks back to a payphone down near the canal. But if these guys are as skilled as we think I’ll bet they jumped the line somewhere. It’s what I’d do.”

Castillo let it all settle in his head. “The transmission was the go signal. They had someone either watching the door or inside the club, and that was the signal for the shooter to get ready. Then they cleared their people out and waited.”

Sonny stared at the phone, and then reached out and hit a button. Castillo didn’t stop him, understanding what he was doing as soon as his finger touched the phone. When Rico started to protest he raised his hand but said nothing.

“So I’m calling.” Sonny paused. “Yeah, this is Burnett. You got a line of people calling this number? So I saw your little stunt tonight. Cost me a deal and some dry cleaning bills….You don’t say? I sent a few messages in my time too, pal, and breaking a guy’s deal ain’t the best way to get your point across…And I’m busy right now. Why don’t we meet tomorrow at the Hollywood Burger Truck? It’s usually parked down by the beach. I’ll just wait by it since it’s damned clear you know what I look like. And I’ll bring a friend. I’ll be there from noon until one, and if you don’t show that’s on you.”

Castillo waited until he hung up. “Well?”

“Guy spoke English well, but with a Spanish accent. I’d say he’s educated, but Mindy or Trudy might be able to tell more from the tape. He asked if I liked their message. They wanted to meet tonight but I stalled them.”

Randy nodded. “That thing with the food truck was a damned good idea. Drag ‘em out away from places with lots of shooting positions. It means we can’t cover you, but it also cuts down on their options. Daylight makes it even harder for them.”

“What did he ask for?”

“He said we needed to talk about trade arrangements. Made it sound all formal. I’d guess he’s enlisted, though. Not one of the officers. His voice didn’t have that officer tone.” Sonny grinned. “That ‘I’m right even if I’m not’ sound.”

Castillo nodded. “I don’t plan on sharing any information with Metro-Dade unless they ask the right questions. We can’t afford any leaks on this, and Deputy Chief Franks has his eye on this unit.”

Rico snorted. “Franks is an IAB chump.”

“With a long memory. I bumped into him a time or two back with OCB.”

Castillo nodded. “And he hasn’t forgotten you. Or Tubbs. We can’t afford to take chances now. They’ve reached out directly to Burnett. We have to be on our game.” He looked around the table. “Go home and get some sleep if you can. But use the unmarked vehicles. This unit is on high security alert until Unit 8 is dealt with.”

They were almost to the house before Trudy asked the question he’d been dreading. “How much do you think they know about us?”

“They know we’re here. They might have connected me with the Task Force through the papers, but it’s hard to say. Obviously they think Burnett is a player.” He shut off the lights and let the car roll into its usual spot. “Once they have a piece in place they’ll start putting the puzzle together faster and faster. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

She nodded, stepping out of the car and breathing the thick night air. “No stars tonight. Too many clouds.”

“But we still have the waves.” Unlocking the door, he disarmed the alarm system and hung his off the rack suit coat on a hook by the door.

“Did you expect them to kill Carrera?”

“No. At least not so soon. They must want to get to Burnett badly to risk such a direct message. What does that tell you?”

“That they don’t have any sort of network in the US aside from what they brought with them.” She stretched, working the kinks out of her shoulders, and he enjoyed watching her slim body move. “I don’t know about you, but I ain’t even hungry. Just some tea and sleep would do me fine.”

“I’ll start the water, my love.” He turned and walked to the kitchen, feeling the cool wood floor under his feet. In truth he had been surprised they took out Carrera both that quickly and that publicly. It felt like a risk to him, at least until he forced his mind into their position. They were used to permissive environments, where the quality of the message was determined by the amount of blood shed and how visible it was to the targets of the message. If anything, Carrera had been a show of restraint on their part. They’d showed more flexibility than he’d assumed they could, and it worried him.

The kettle whistled, breaking into his thoughts. He poured the water over strainers filled with green tea leaves and let them steep for five minutes. Then he set the strainers in their stands to dry and carried the steaming cups into the bedroom where he knew she was waiting for him wearing nothing more than her smile.

He woke as the morning sun peeked through the slatted blinds. He could feel Trudy lying next to him and hear her even breathing as she slept. Even though he knew he needed to get up he stayed under the single cotton sheet, enjoying being close to his wife. He knew what it was like to lose that comfort.

Her breathing changed, and she reached out and touched him under the sheet. “You’re awake.”

“Yes.”

“But you’re not up.”

“Not yet.”

“What time is it?”

“Not quite six by the sun.” He didn’t look at his watch or the bedside clock.

She stretched, pulling the sheet tight over her firm body. “I suppose we should get moving. Sonny’s meet doesn’t give us much time.”

“No.” But he still didn’t move. Then duty, bitch that she was, poked him in the heart. He sat up , letting the sheet fall away from his upper body. “We can shower and then make breakfast.”

She smiled, sitting up and letting her part of the sheet fall away. Castillo thought back to the first time he’d seen her topless. A cheap apartment safe house when she’d been distracting a pimp just before they came through the connecting door to arrest him. The seed of their love had been planted long before that, but he still remembered the moment as if it were yesterday. “I was hoping you’d say that,’ she said as she leaned over to kiss him.

They found the bulk of the Task Force already assembled when they arrived. “Randy’s checking on Dave, but he said he’ll be here in fifteen minutes,” Mindy said.

Castillo nodded. “Switek and Franz?”

“In the Tech Room working on tapes. At least that’s what Stan said. I think he’s still mad about last night.”

“He has no reason to be. The tapes were intended as a distraction. He had no way of knowing they’d be going after Carrera so soon. None of us did.”

Mindy nodded. “But you know Stan.”

“Yes.” I’ll have a word with him later. Or mention it sooner. Castillo knew Stan was always trying to live up to standard only he understood.

Trudy touched his arm. “I’m going to check and see if we got anything back on some of those property searches. It’s hard to track the offshore island sales, but most of the brokers are Miami-based so that gives us something. Finding their stuff in the city might be even harder.”

“Do what you can.” Castillo watched her go, enjoying the way her pale red dress hugged the curves of her body.

Sonny came out of his office. “Captain, say hello to Marcus Jefferson. My northern transport contact man and the friend I’m bringing to the dance.”

Ricardo Tubbs was nowhere to be seen. Instead a cocky player wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses, baggy jeans, and an old Ricky Henderson jersey from the Yankees swaggered into the conference room. “Marcus ain’t got time to waste, so let’s get this shit done. And don’t even be thinkin’ you can pull one over on Marcus. Better than you have tried an’ ain’t with us no more.”

Castillo nodded. “This was your old cover?”

“Yeah.” Rico reappeared as soon as he slipped off the sunglasses. “I really only used him once before…before I came south. But it always felt like a damned good cover, and he lets me get into this one without lookin’ like a target.”

“Go with it.” He looked over at Stan and Lester as they came out of the Tech Room. “Your tapes did exactly what they were supposed to do last night, Switek. We had no way of knowing Unit 8 was going to hit Carrera.”

Stan nodded. “Got ya, captain. But I have an idea for today’s meet.” He looked over at Crockett. “If Sonny’s up for it.”

“Explain.”

“So we know these guys are good at surveillance. And they got some skills with radios, too. That means they’re gonna be trying to watch the meet today. Just like we are. I can shade some traffic in to make it sound like Metro-Dade’s Narcotics unit is sniffing around, too. And toss in someone complaining about how the Task Force needs to do their own legwork next time.”

Sonny nodded. “It makes sense. They’re gonna know about Burnett, at least by reputation. So it wouldn’t seem out of place. In fact, it might seem strange if no one’s keeping tabs on my…I mean Burnett’s activities.”

“Yeah. And with a new cat in town they’d be doubly interested. Marcus ain’t seen the Florida sunshine yet, so he’s a new player.”

“How long will that take?”

“We’re almost done, captain.” There was confidence in Lester’s voice. “We use clips, mostly. So it’s a matter of rearranging them from the library. Stan got the idea over a couple of beers last night.”

“Gina helped, too.” Stan grinned. “She said why wouldn’t Metro-Dade be watching Burnett if he’s such a big player? It just kinda went from there.”

Castillo nodded. “Have it ready before we jump off. I want the Roach Coach in position by eleven-thirty. Is there a good reason for it to be in the area?”

“Yeah. At least three of those new beachfront restaurants have had health code write-ups in the last two weeks. No one would look twice at an exterminator being in the area before opening time. The fancy ones don’t open until at least two.” Stan shook his head. “I guess it’s a good thing Izzy found a new racket. At the rate they’re knocking down those old hotels and throwing up condos and coffee shops he was gonna be out of business soon anyhow.”

“Gotta say I like your new look, Rico.” Randy grinned as he walked into the conference room. “Very urban.”

“Marcus don’t take no shit off Chuck dudes, you feel me?”

“I ain’t feelin’ you no matter how much you pay me.” Randy chuckled, and Castillo felt some of the tension drain from the room. Humor, even weak humor, had a way of doing that before a major operation. “Dave sends his love. He’s gettin’ better, and they’re cutting back on some of his pain meds and talking about letting him out in a week at the most.”

“Good.” Castillo nodded toward the map. “Where would you set up if you were trying to watch this meet?”

“Not much good ground around there, like I said last night. Shit’s too far apart or too far away. And with the winds comin’ in off the water it’s a hell of a shooter’s problem. The guy they have is good, but I doubt he’s done much shooting in this kind of environment. If he’s doing overwatch I’d say he’d set up here or here.” He pointed to spots on the map. “Decent view and close enough to be worthwhile.”

Sonny looked at the map. “So you’re saying they’d need to be closer in?”

“Yeah, and likely on foot. Which means they’d have to talk. Which means…”

“I can pick up their chatter.” Stan grinned. “And even if they aren’t I think this tape will mess with their heads if they have ears on anywhere close by.”

“Assume they will.” Castillo’s voice matched the determination in his heart. “Unit 8 is technically sound. Maybe as good as we are. They were trained for this kind of work. The advantage we have is they’re not used to operating in this environment.”

Sonny nodded, his voice shifting into flat Burnett tones. “I’ve been thinking about that. They’ll be used to working in places where the police either don’t care or have been bought off. That means they’ll either move too fast thinking they can get away with it or go too slow because they don’t know what they can get away with. And if nothing else those tapes of Stan’s will make them start thinking the police are everywhere, even if they aren’t looking for them specifically.”

Trudy came out of the Intel office. “I think we got some hits on that property search. There have been three island sales in the last six months that match our criteria. One was to some movie star, but the other two went to shell companies. I’m running those down now.”

Sonny turned. “Anything on Miami property?”

“That one’s harder. The list sits at around three hundred properties now. Mindy’s trying to narrow it down.”

“What about Sissy?” Rico turned to Castillo. “Carrera said she hooked him up with this contact that didn’t exist. You think Unit 8 got their hooks into her?”

“They might be using her. But we need to find her. She might know something useful.”

“I’ll call Gina.” Stan got up from the table and headed for the Tech Room. “Her unit might have a lead on her, or know someone who does.”

“And I’ll run her through the system mixed in with about fifteen other names.” Mindy looked around the table. “We should assume they have someone in Metro-Dade. I doubt they do, but I don’t want to take the chance with Sissy’s life.”

“Do what you can in the time we have. I want the plan finalized before ten.”

“Mindy and I can keep working here unless you need us in the field.”

Castillo nodded. “It’s not idea, but we have to balance our time now.”

“Did you want to try overwatch?”

“Not this time. There are no good vantage points. We might be able to try something from the water, but I’m also concerned about showing our hand too soon.”

Sonny’s voice was still flat. “Don’t do it. Stick with the plan we have. Stan’s tape should get them looking around if they’re listening. Salazar strikes me as the careful, paranoid type. We need to get in his head with this.”

Castillo looked around the table. “Randy and I will be in the Roach Coach. It’s the best command point.”

Randy shook his head. “I can play beach bum and just hang out in visual range of the meet. No one’s gonna look twice at some dude in shorts and a t-shirt who’s just trying to score. I won’t be on the air, but I’ll be able to see them and react if anything goes south.”

Sonny nodded. “Do it. I’m gonna get ready to roll.”

 

Eduardo Salazar looked up. “This is all we have?”

The corporal shrugged an apology. “In the time we have? Yes, sir. I wish it were more.”

“So do I. But we work with what we have.” Salazar struggled to hide his annoyance. But he knew it wasn’t the corporal’s fault. No one had expected this Burnett to call as quickly as he had, or that he would shift the meeting. Usually when El Unidad called the target whimpered and did what was requested without question. But this was El Notre, and they didn’t know the rules yet. If there was blame to be assigned, it fell on him. “And Philipe says there are no good locations?”

“Si. Again, in the time we have he wasn’t able to do much reconnaissance. But he says he can see nothing of use.”

Salazar sighed. “Very well. We will make it work. Is the van ready?”

“Si, jefe.” The corporal relaxed now that they were on safe ground again. “All the equipment has been checked and is ready for operations. The men have been briefed. Lieutenant Orozco plans to have three men in the vicinity aside from the van in case this Burnett tries something.”

“A reasonable precaution, but he won’t try anything. Burnett is a businessman first and foremost. He will hear us out.” Salazar looked at Hidalgo. “Are you ready for the meeting?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll go in alone even though he says he will bring another with him.” Hidalgo smiled. “A show of strength on our part.”

“He’ll assume there are others close by. We’re not dealing with a frightened peasant, corporal.”

“I know, sir. That’s the other reason I’ll go in alone. These Americans are always curious. He won’t do anything to me until he knows what we want. And how it can benefit him. They’re also greedy.”

“As are all people, Hidalgo. And you’re clear on what he’s to be told?”

“Yes, sir. He pays the tax, and in turn gains access to our suppliers. He can use that however he wishes to make deals, but we will always get our percentage of what he moves. If he declines the offer, I’ll just point out what happened to Carrera and the other buyer.”

“Good. Be sure Orozco and his team are in position before you arrive.”

“What time, sir?”

“The Americans have a phrase. Split the difference. You’ll meet Burnett at twelve-thirty. Abort the meeting if you see any signs of policia in the area. We can’t afford an encounter with them yet. I’ll brief Lieutenant Orozco on that aspect of the operation as well.” He looked down at his notes. “Dismissed, corporal. Tell Orozco he can come in now, please.”

“I still don’t understand why we don’t just take this Burnett and get the outlines of his network from him.”

“Because, Victor, the colonel does not want to do things that way. Burnett’s network answers to him and him alone. If he is removed, it falls apart and is of no use to us. He deals with people we could not, and commands a kind of loyalty we cannot.”

“I still don’t understand…”

“Time, lieutenant. We might be able to create something similar to what Burnett has, but it would take months. Maybe longer. The colonel does not feel we have that kind of time. It would also take a commitment of manpower we cannot afford. Lastly, he insulates us. If he’s arrested, we simply disappear. If we have to take over his network, it exposes us in a way the colonel does not find acceptable.” Salazar allowed himself a thin smile. “Unless, of course, you know better than the colonel.”

“No, sir. Of course not.” That’s right, little rat. Scurry back to your hole. “I was just suggesting alternatives.”

“Sadly we have none. At least none that are viable.” Salazar threw Orozco a bone. “But it’s good to be thinking of them. This is new terrain for us. But last night went well.”

“Thank you, sir. We did pick up some police transmissions in the area, but they were never a threat.”

“I know. I read the report. What was your sense of them?”

“Sloppy radio discipline. But that is no surprise. The local gangs don’t seem to listen in much. I did get the sense they could react quickly if a need arose, though.”

“Work that into your planning going forward. And you don’t feel they were targeting Burnett?”

“No, sir.” Orozco paused. “My English is still somewhat lacking, but the corporal assured me they seemed to be targeting a location close by. Perhaps one of those things they call crack houses.”

“So it was a narcotics unit operation?”

“I believe so, sir. Or at least regular patrol units supporting one. We didn’t listen to them long enough to get a full picture.”

“Of course. It wasn’t that kind of operation.” Salazar looked down again, indicating dismissal. “Keep listening this time, lieutenant. The whole time. We need to know if Burnett is being watched, and if so by whom.”

Orozco picked up on the hint. “Very good, sir.” He clicked his heels in a form of salute and strode out of the office.

Once he was gone Salazar let out another long sigh. The man was starting to get his feet under him, or to be more exact he thought he was. And that was dangerous. It meant his ambitious side would start coming to the fore again, and that couldn’t happen at least until the colonel got back in communication. He checked his watch. At least another eighteen hours before the jump headquarters would be fully operational. Another day of keeping Orozco in a leash.

But he had confidence in the plan. From his reading of this Burnett it would take at least two, maybe three meetings to either get him on board or determine he was not going to cooperate and deal with him appropriately. And while a part of him wanted to scatter the man’s brain across a sidewalk, he knew Burnett was too important to just discard. At least for now.

[mjcmmv]

Great reading for the holiday. Thanks for the effort! 

[Robbie C.]

It's getting there. I can say that much.

[mjcmmv]

1 hour ago, Robbie C. said:

It's getting there. I can say that much.

Looking forward to seeing how it all truns out!

[Kladdagh]

I said that before but I LOVE YOUR WRITINGS @Robbie C. ... 

[Robbie C.]

Glad you’re enjoying it!