Double Vision

[Robbie C.]

This isn't exactly one of my stories...at least not entirely. I've got two I'm working on, but this is a bit of an exercise involving @mjcmmv and me. I'm writing a scene from Rico's POV and she's following up with one from Sonny's POV. Hope you all enjoy it, and you can see how our styes work in a different (and we hope interesting) way. The story's set after Definitely Miami, just so you know when the action's taking place.

 

Ricardo Tubbs turned and looked at his partner's profile as Sonny Crockett guided the black Daytona through the early evening Miami traffic. Each traffic light they passed dyed the stubble on Sonny's chin a light shade of red. Almost like he'd been drinking blood Rico thought with a narrow smile. He felt his mind wandering, and didn't really try to stop it. It wasn't like they were on a big bust.

The guy they were meeting was named Tommy Martinez. "Like an extra from Scarface," Sonny had joked during the briefing. They'd found his name in a little black address book Callie had kept taped behind her headboard. Callie. Rico thought back to the slender blonde with the cool eyes and ice-cold heart who'd targeted Sonny through his cover as Sonny Burnett, setting him up to be gunned down by her crazy boyfriend Charlie...or to replace him depending on how things turned out.

But Callie had a plan. The crazy ones always did. They'd found Burnett's name in the book, along with close to thirty others neatly crossed off and another four tacked on after Burnett. Tommy was first on the list. And he wasn't hard to find. A couple of calls to CIs and they had a meet arranged. A gentleman's fifteen key deal, with the promise of more to come if everyone was satisfied. But first they had to meet and greet.

Dressed in Armani's finest, with his Smith & Wesson snug in its hip holster, Rico let his mind slide into Cooper's space. Down from New York. Flush with other men's money and looking to score. Stylin' and profilin'. Only the best would do. And there it was. He turned back to Sonny and grinned. "Let's get this party started, partner."

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision, Part 2-Sonny's POV

Sonny grinned back, but when he saw the concern and sympathy in his partner’s eyes, he cringed. Even though he knew Rico meant well, he hated seeing that hint of pity. He sighed and turned his attention back to the road.

As he ran his fingers through his hair, he thought back to that hot day by the pool when he’d first laid eyes on Callie. He smiled a little when he remembered the show she’d put on for him, soaking her tee shirt in the chilled Perrier, and fishing that ice cube out of his glass. There was no doubt she was on the prowl and her focus on him had been obvious.   

The traffic light ahead had turned a bright red, but Sonny gunned the engine anyway, narrowly missing a silver Mercedes just pulling into the intersection. He heard Rico clear his throat and sensed his look of disapproval. “Yeah, I know, I know,” the blonde detective chuckled. Rico was always on him about his reckless driving, but Sonny usually ignored him. He knew his partner would never understand that taking chances was a part of who he was. Danger cleared his head and made him feel alive. 

The memory of Callie’s beauty crept back into his thoughts. That little game she’d been playing with him-he knew she’d been setting him up. But just like running a traffic light, he’d taken his chances-and it had almost cost him his life. If it hadn’t been for Zito’s bullet-proof brief-case, Sonny would have ended up like all the other suckers Callie had managed to reel in. The thought chilled him, but it also made him sad. Like he had said to his partner when he’d been trying to sort it all out: “The head and the heart, Rico. Sure like to get ‘em together just once."

“So, you haven’t said much since we left the office,” Rico was saying. I know this is just a meet and greet, but I’d like to go over how we should play this. Martinez may ask how we found out about him. Do we tell him it was Callie, or do we leave her out of it?”

“She’s the link, Rico. We don’t have a choice.”

“But if he’s found out she’s been arrested, he’ll be suspicious.”

“Then, as soon as we sit down, we’ll bring it up. We’ll say something like, ‘Too bad about Callie. I guess you heard she got a little greedy and one of her marks turned her in.’ 

“Yeah, maybe. Watching the guy's reaction to the news will be key. If he already found out what happened, he won’t say much. But if he acts surprised, we’ll know he wasn’t informed. Coming from us, it might help earn his trust, one way or the other.” 

“Let’s hope so.”

Sonny pulled into a parking space across from a small club bathed in the harsh light from a bright-pink, neon sign. Wincing, he slipped on his Ray-Bans.

“Showtime, Rico,” he muttered, and opening the car door, he stepped out onto the street.  
 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision Part 3 - back to Rico

 

Rico could smell the stale beer and sweat before they got past the big bouncer at the door, but it made him feel alive. He'd lost track of the number of dive bars he'd worked with NYPD hunting down armed robbery crews, and this wasn't much different. Tugging at the lapels of his suit coat, he put a little Cooper spring into his step and gave the place a quick once-over.

He could see Martinez just off the dance floor, close enough to cop a feel but not close enough for a boyfriend to tell who'd just grabbed his girl's ass. He'd decided he'd let Sonny make the first move. They'd both been in Callie's little black book, so it would make sense for Burnett to approach him. Cooper? Just a player from out of town with resources.

He was so focused on Martinez and the big chumps he assumed were the hired muscle that he didn't see the girl until she bumped into him. Slim, with dark hair and smooth skin hinting at Asian roots, she smiled and touched his arm. "Better be careful. The next one you bump into might not let you go."

"Same back at you, pretty lady." Rico grinned. "If I didn't have business right now this wouldn't be catch and release."

Her eyes sparkled. "Come find me when the business is done and maybe you won't have to release." She touched his face with a small hand and then spun away into the crowd on the dance floor.

"Easy there, Romeo. We got work."

"I know, Sonny. I know." But he could still feel the warm hand on his face. Why the hell does this always happen on work nights? "Now let's go make nice with that sweat-stain and his two hunks of beef.

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision 4-Sonny

Tommy Martinez wasn’t hard to find. Sandwiched between two beefy thugs, the skinny little worm with the pencil-thin mustache, stood out like a sore thumb. Sonny approached the table and gave the situation a quick once-over. He could tell Martinez’s muscle didn’t appreciate the scrutiny. The tension went up a notch when one of them slipped a hand into the front of his jacket.

“You’re expecting us,” Sonny said, in a tone that usually put punks in their place. “Burnett’s the name. Sonny Burnett. And this is my associate, Rico Cooper. Now tell your babysitter to settle down a bit, or we’re going to have to do something about that wandering paw of his.”

“Easy, Jorge,” Martinez murmured. His smile was cold, almost shark-like. He stood and offered his hand. “Mr. Burnett and Mr. Cooper. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sonny’s eyes flickered over to the bodyguards again, and when they looked away, he realized the danger had passed.  He returned the handshake. 

“Sit. What’ll you have?” Martinez asked, snapping his his fingers at one of the passing waitresses. 

“Black Jack, on the rocks, darlin,” Sonny said to the sweet little blonde in the ‘barely-there’ outfit. She rewarded him with an inviting smile. 

“Martini,” Rico added before she moved away. All he got for his request was a reluctant nod.

Sonny removed a pack of Lucky Strikes from his jacket pocket and tapped it against his hand until a cigarette dropped out. His eyes watched the three men in front of him as he rolled the tip slowly over his tongue. “You heard about Callie, I guess. A guy she was trying to con turned her in. We won’t be seeing her again any time soon.”

“You’re kidding me,” Martinez gasped with genuine shock in his eyes. “That’s a … that’s a real shame.”

Sonny quickly changed the subject. “In the meantime, me and Mr. Cooper here can fill you in on our routine. If you like what you hear, maybe we can do business.”

Already recovered from Sonny’s disturbing news, Martinez sat back against the soft cushions and nodded. “I’m all ears, Burnett.”

Just at that moment, the drinks arrived, and Sonny waited until the waitress moved on to another table. “I have the transportation for your operation,” he began. “Cooper’s the one with the money.. And I mean lots of money.” 

“Really? So where are you from, Mr. Cooper. Burnett is a household name down here. But I never heard of you.”

“Jamaica originally, mon. But now, New York’s my home. The Big Apple. I have access to lots of cash, and my clients are very generous.”

Sonny could almost see Martinez begin to salivate. “I’m interested, but I gotta be careful, Burnett. I need to find out more about your Mr. Cooper, from people I trust.” 

“Fine, you do that. But in my business, time is money. and if we don’t set this up tonight, I’m moving on. There are plenty of offers that have come my way, and they’re a lot more lucrative than a lousy fifteen-key deal.”

“So, if they’re lining up around the block, why come to me in the first place?”

“Ah, well, that’s easy. Callie told me you play with the big boys so you’re my intro, Tommy boy.  And after you get your cut, you won’t be sorry. That I can promise you!”

“So you say,” Martinez said with a scowl. “I need more than just your word.”

Sonny took a sip of the Black Jack and grimaced when the heat hit the back of his throat. He looked over at Rico. “I don’t see much happening here. Whattaya say, man? Time to hit the road?”

“No, no, wait,” Martinez reached over the table for Sonny’s hand and suddenly found his wrist twisting in Burnett’s powerful grip. One of the bodyguards tried to interfere, but Rico’s look of warning made him realize the New Yorker had a loaded pistol pointing at him from under the table.

“No one touches me without an invite,” Sonny growled. As he tightened his grip, Martinez let out a small groan. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to leave until we had things settled.” 

Sonny let go. “That’s better,” he murmured. “Then I guess we passed the test. Do we have a deal?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Martinez rubbed his wrist gently. “Fifteen keys at thirty a key. We’ll meet down by the docks for the exchange. Tomorrow night, at ten.” 

Sonny grinned and draining his glass, he stood. “Nice doing business with you, gents. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”  And punctuating his farewell with a mocking salute, he and Rico melted back out onto the frantic dance floor. 
 

Edited May 31, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 5. Rico 

Rico watched Sonny do his thing, barely tasting the martini the smug little waitress finally brought over. Watered down. Can't say I'm surprised in a place like this. He'd done his money pitch. Once the deal was sealed they could get the hell out of here and back into the clean air.

As they crossed the dance floor, he kept one eye peeled for the girl. Nikki. Prince must have been singin' about her. But they had to keep moving, and trying to find her in the mess that passed for a dance floor was as easy as catching a particular snowflake in a good New York blizzard. He'd given up long before they hit the door.

"So that wasn't so bad."

He nodded. "Yeah. I can see why your lady had him in her book. Dude's got 'rip me off' tattooed across his greasy forehead."

"And you're saying Burnett does, too?"

"No. I think the pretty, crazy lady was hedging her bets. If Charlie took you, this chump would be a walk in the park. And if you took him, she would have cozied up to you and used the chump to see how you handled business."

Sonny nodded, and Rico could almost see his brain working. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"That was a nice touch, though. The bit about him getting into bigger things with us." Rico climbed into the Daytona. "Hooked him good and proper."

Back at OCB they went through the usual routine. Castillo sat like a skinny, black-clad Buddha at the head of the table with the others arrayed on both sides in random order. Rico put in his two cents now and again as Sonny gave them the run-down. When Castillo looked his way he nodded. "Like the man said, lieutenant. Ten tomorrow night. Down by the old docks. The same area we took that Dominican crew out about four months back."

Castillo nodded, then turned to Stan and Larry. "Can you get surveillance on that location?"

"No problem." Stan looked insulted. "Been there, done that, can do it again."

"Good. Stay with it. This Martinez isn't much, but he's another pawn off the board."

Rico stayed in his chair until the room cleared. He knew Sonny would stay back if he saw his partner still sitting, and he did. "What's eating you, Rico?"

"Nothing, man. I just wanna make sure we're both sharp going into tomorrow night."

"Bad feeling?"

"Naw. Not for us. But the rest of the team seems to be movin' at half speed. And I got to thinking..."

Sonny groaned. "Here we go again."

"Make fun all you want. But what if old Tommy decides taking US out is a good way for him to raise his status? Or at least taking one of us out. I did some checking to the crossed-off names in Callie's book. Most of 'em weren't much, true enough. But they were all movin' up. Usually by knocking off someone ahead of them in the food chain. Maybe Tommy's got the same ambition."

"Could be. I know those meat slabs of his seemed a bit quick on the draw." Sonny scratched his chin. "And the punk's a coward. Never trust a coward."

Rico got to his feet. "All I'm sayin' is we'd better watch each others' backs tomorrow, partner. This might not go down the way we want."

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision Part 6. Sonny

When it came down to putting away the scum of the earth, Sonny liked to think he usually had the upper hand. So, whenever Rico brought him back to earth by reminding him of their vulnerability, it pissed him off, and this time was no different. 

“Okay, buddy. Go ahead. Jinx us before we even have a chance to play our hand.”

“Look, Sonny. I know you like to live on the edge and all, but I usually take a more cautious approach.”
 
 “So, what do you suggest? Ask Izzy what he knows about Tommy Martinez? Maybe find out some background on him from his former parole officer? We got less than twenty-four hours to get everything in place for this meet, and worrying about ways we might catch a bullet isn’t the first thing on my list.”

“Okay, fine. Act like you have an ‘S’ on your chest, but I’m going to do some digging.”

“And if you find something out that we need to know, tell me about it tomorrow, okay? Cause right now, I’m outta here. It’s been a long day, and it’s time for me to get some shuteye.” 

As the Daytona hugged the road, Sonny tried to rub away the tension that had settled in the back of his neck. Usually, this was a ride he looked forward to, but tonight, he barely noticed the sparkling lights of the Miami Skyline. He was distracted, over-tired, and regretting the fact he’d just barked at Rico. 

“Ah, hell, he didn’t deserve that,” he muttered, now sorry he’d been so surly. Somehow, he’d think of a way to make it up to him. Maybe grab him a lunch of one of those hockey-puck veggie-burgers he was always going on about.

He knew Rico had been shaken pretty hard when he found out Callie and Charlie had almost taken his partner down. Hell, he had to admit, it had shaken him up, too! But in this line of work, you couldn’t let things like that get to you. Lose your confidence, and you’re a dead man. Rico knew that! So, why the hell was the guy feeding him these warning lines right before they were about to go undercover? Was he going to keep seeing a boogeyman around every corner from now on? Cause, if he was, Sonny was going to have to think about teaming up with someone else. 

The thought made him laugh. Yeah. Like someone else would want to partner with me! 

So, maybe Rico had a point. It wouldn’t kill him to take some precautions tomorrow. Scope out the meeting place in advance. Warn Larry and Stan to keep on their toes and that these hombres were worth some special attention. Come to think of it, maybe he should even consider wearing a vest. 

Now that thought really made him laugh. A vest. Under a light pink t-shirt. Like he’d be able to hide that from the goon squad. No, that was never going to happen. Instead, he’d have to be super-vigilant and rely on his intuition, because when it came to sniffing out danger, that was one thing he knew would never let him down. 

He had just arrived at the marina and slipped the Ferrari into his favorite parking spot. Now, he paused to take in the beauty of the lights reflected on the water. They framed the St. Vitus, bathing her in a soft glow, and making her seem almost unearthly as she bobbed gently on the water’s surface. 

With that vision in his head, a night-cap and a warm bed started to sound like a really good idea. He pushed away the dark thoughts clouding his mind and headed down the dock-walkway toward the place he called home. 

Edited May 15, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Matt5]

10 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

This isn't exactly one of my stories...at least not entirely. I've got two I'm working on, but this is a bit of an exercise involving @mjcmmv and me. I'm writing a scene from Rico's POV and she's following up with one from Sonny's POV. Hope you all enjoy it, and you can see how our styes work in a different (and we hope interesting) way. The story's set after Definitely Miami, just so you know when the action's taking place.

 

Ricardo Tubbs turned and looked at his partner's profile as Sonny Crockett guided the black Daytona through the early evening Miami traffic. Each traffic light they passed dyed the stubble on Sonny's chin a light shade of red. Almost like he'd been drinking blood Rico thought with a narrow smile. He felt his mind wandering, and didn't really try to stop it. It wasn't like they were on a big bust.

The guy they were meeting was named Tommy Martinez. "Like an extra from Scarface," Sonny had joked during the briefing. They'd found his name in a little black address book Callie had kept taped behind her headboard. Callie. Rico thought back to the slender blonde with the cool eyes and ice-cold heart who'd targeted Sonny through his cover as Sonny Burnett, setting him up to be gunned down by her crazy boyfriend Charlie...or to replace him depending on how things turned out.

But Callie had a plan. The crazy ones always did. They'd found Burnett's name in the book, along with close to thirty others neatly crossed off and another four tacked on after Burnett. Tommy was first on the list. And he wasn't hard to find. A couple of calls to CIs and they had a meet arranged. A gentleman's fifteen key deal, with the promise of more to come if everyone was satisfied. But first they had to meet and greet.

Dressed in Armani's finest, with his Smith & Wesson snug in its hip holster, Rico let his mind slide into Cooper's space. Down from New York. Flush with other men's money and looking to score. Stylin' and profilin'. Only the best would do. And there it was. He turned back to Sonny and grinned. "Let's get this party started, partner."

A great piece - thankyou a really good read.

 

 

[Matt5]

9 minutes ago, mjcmmv said:

Double Vision Part 6. Sonny

When it came down to putting away the scum of the earth, Sonny liked to think he usually had the upper hand. So, whenever Rico brought him back to earth by reminding him of their vulnerability, it pissed him off, and this time was no different. 

“Okay, buddy. Go ahead. Jinx us before we even have a chance to play our hand.”

“Look, Sonny. I know you like to live on the edge and all, but I usually take a more cautious approach.”
 
 “So, what do you suggest? Ask Izzy what he knows about Tommy Martinez? Maybe find out some background on him from his former parole officer? We got less than twenty-four hours to get everything in place for this meet, and worrying about ways we might catch a bullet isn’t the first thing on my list.”

“Okay, fine. Act like you have an ‘S’ on your chest, but I’m going to do some digging.”

“And if you find something out that we need to know, tell me about it tomorrow, okay? Cause right now, I’m outta here. It’s been a long day, and it’s time for me to get some shuteye.” 

As the Daytona hugged the road, Sonny tried to rub away the tension that had settled in the back of his neck. Usually, this was a ride he looked forward to, but tonight, he barely noticed the sparkling lights of the Miami Skyline. He was distracted, over-tired, and regretting the fact he’d just barked at Rico. 

“Ah, hell, he didn’t deserve that,” he muttered, now sorry he’d been so surly. Somehow, he’d think of a way to make it up to him. 
Maybe grab him a lunch of one of those hockey-puck veggie-burgers he's always going on about.

He knew Rico had been shaken pretty hard when he found out Callie and Charlie had almost taken his partner down. Hell, he had to admit, it had shaken him up, too! But in this line of work, you couldn’t let things like that get to you. Lose your confidence, and you’re a dead man. Rico knew that! So, why the hell was the guy feeding him these warning lines right before they were about to go undercover? Was he going to keep seeing a boogeyman around every corner from now on? Cause, if he was, Sonny was going to have to think about teaming up with someone else. 

The thought made him laugh. Yeah. Like someone else would want to partner with me! 

So, maybe Rico had a point. It wouldn’t kill him to take some precautions tomorrow. Scope out the meeting place in advance. Warn Larry and Stan to keep on their toes and that these hombres were worth some special attention. Come to think of it, maybe he should even consider wearing a vest. 

Now that thought really made him laugh. A vest. Under a light pink t-shirt. Like he’d be able to hide that from the goon squad. No, that was never going to happen. Instead, he’d have to be super-vigilant and rely on his intuition, because when it came to sniffing out danger, that was one thing he knew that would never let him down. 

He had just arrived at the marina and slipped the Ferrari into his favorite parking spot. Now, he paused to take in the beauty of the lights reflected on the water. They framed the St. Vitus, bathing her in a soft glow, and making her seem almost unearthly as she bobbed gently on the water’s surface. 

With that vision in his head, a night-cap and a warm bed started to sound like a really good idea. He pushed away the dark thoughts clouding his mind and headed down the dock-walkway toward the place he called home. 

I really enjoyed this. A nice story.

 

[Robbie C.]

3 hours ago, Matt5 said:

I really enjoyed this. A nice story.

 

Oh, we're not done yet, Matt5. 

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 7  Rico

 

Rico stared at the doorway, fighting to keep his anger under control. Leave it to Sonny to try to rush things. Yeah, this looked like a simple enough deal with a chump from nowheresville, but he'd learned in Armed Robbery that looks could easily be deceiving.

Getting up, he walked into the deserted squad room. No, not quite deserted. He saw Larry Zito over by the computer terminal, plugging in some information related to God only knew what. Given Zito's knowledge of the South Florida porn scene, Rico decided he wasn't going to dig too deep into what Zito was looking for. But since he was there...

"Hey, Zito. You got a second to run a search in that thing?"

Zito jumped like he'd been hit with a stun gun. "Uh...sure, Rico. I got some more stuff to put in..."

"No worries, my man. I can get it in the morning. But I want you to run that chump we're meeting with. Martinez. Especially who he runs with." Rico grinned. "I got a feeling..."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Larry looked around. "I didn't mention it in there, but someone else was using a radio out there. Kept overlapping our signals. Stan tried to nail it down, but no dice. I think it was a walkie-talkie or something. And there was at least one more guy in the mix. We saw Martinez and his sides of beef meet up with another dude outside. Too dark for pictures, though. Sorry. I didn't even think about it until now. We guessed it was just some dude looking to score some coke."

"And it coulda been, Zito. Hell, Tommy probably uses that dump as a market. Still, if you can run that stuff..."

"It'll be on your desk first thing in the morning."

"Solid." Rico clapped Zito on the shoulder. "I owe you a beer."

As he drove back to his latest fly-by-night apartment, Rico turned the whole mess over in his mind. Sonny might make fun, but closed cases were build on a foundation of details. Like this one. Maybe Tommy was just a punk, but maybe he was being used by someone else. Someone they hadn't seen yet. Or maybe Tommy was going to hit them and make off with the cash.

Ignoring the desk clerk, Rico took the elevator up to the sixth floor and let himself in. He could hear the couple next door fighting through the thin walls, bookended on the other side by the other couple on the floor making noises that could have been used to dub in porn movies. With a sigh he went to the fridge and pulled out a beer, running the cold bottle along his forehead. It was gonna be a long night.

[Matt5]

2 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

Oh, we're not done yet, Matt5. 

Ha ha yes I know great.

[mjcmmv]

1 hour ago, Robbie C. said:

Oh, we're not done yet, Matt5. 

I should have added that! Thanks, Matt!

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision Part 8. Sonny

 

Sonny could smell the aroma of Stan's coffee even before he pushed open the swinging doors that led to the OCB's main office. As he approached his desk in the center of the room, he caught a glimpse of Gina standing by a file cabinet, talking to the Lieutenant. Larry and Stan were at a computer in the corner. And Rico sat at his desk with a mug of cold coffee and a dark, angry look on his face. 

"What's up?" Sonny asked as he draped his jacket over the back of his chair. 

"I did that digging we talked about yesterday."

"Yeah? So, what did you find?"

"Not as much as I wanted, but a few things came out in the wash worth looking into."

Sonny did his best not to do an eye-roll. "Hold it a second. I need some caffeine before you get started." A minute later, he returned to his desk with a steaming mug. "Okay, Rico. Let's hear it."

"Larry saw Tommy Martinez meeting with someone outside in front of the club after we left. It was too dark to get any pictures, but Stan told me this morning he noticed the guy left in a cab. I say we check with the cab company. If this mystery man paid with a credit card, we might get a name."

"So, what does that prove? Maybe Martinez has a bookie."

Rico shot him a look. 

"Okay, okay. Just kidding. So, the least I can do is follow up on your lead. Rico, you look exhausted. Why don't you go home and get some sleep."

"Yeah, thanks. I think I will."

Sonny watched his partner leave the office, and when the doors swung shut, he spun his chair around.

"Hey, Stan. Wanna take a ride? I have some checking up to do, and since you saw this guy at the club last night, I could use your eagle eyes for an ID."

 

The owner of the cab company wasn't exactly glad to see them, especially when he heard what they wanted. Glaring at Sonny, he pulled a clipboard off the hook on the wall and flipped up the top page so he could see the list of fares from the night before. 

"I had three pick-ups from that location last night. You got a time?"

"Yeah," Stan answered. It was around ten-fifteen."

"That would be Benny's pick-up. And he's in the back getting ready to go home."

"Did the passenger use a credit card?" 

"No. Cash. Sorry."

 

Stan gave the cabbie a big grin. "Hey, Benny, I know you're beat and wanna get out of here, but we just have a few questions to ask if you don't mind. It's about one of your passengers from last night. It'll only take a minute, I promise."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. But make it quick."

"You picked up a guy from a dance club-some dive near the docks. It was around ten-fifteen. He had dark hair, a hat pulled over his eyes, and he was dressed in black. He paid in cash. Maybe you can give us the address where you dropped him."

Benny sighed. "Let me think a minute." He pulled a red bandana out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Yeah, I remember him. The guy was Asian. But now that I think about it, he wasn't the only passenger I picked up on that trip."

Stan looked startled. "Whattaya mean?"

As I was about to pull out of the club's parking lot, he made me stop and pick up a woman. She was waiting behind one of those palms at the front entrance like she didn't want to be seen or something."

"Did you get a good look at her?"

"Yeah. she was Asian, too. Attractive. Dressed for dancing, so she must have come from the club. I overheard some of their conversation. And I think he called her Niki."

"Niki. And she went back to the hotel with him?"

"Oh, yeah. They were pretty lovey-dovey. And while they rolled around in the back seat, he kept telling her what a good job she'd done. I could tell she was really digging it. I heard her say, 'I told you he was a cop. We went out a year ago. My hair was different then. Luckily, he didn't remember me.'

"So, next thing I know, they're at it again, and when they finally came up for air, he says, 'I don't care how you pulled this off, baby. Right now, my boss is a happy man, and as far as I'm concerned, that's the only thing that really matters." 

Edited May 11, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 9 - Rico

Rico sank back on the bed, glad the brawlers next door had called a truce. He didn't really care about the porno shoot on the other side. They never lasted long enough to bother him.

He knew Sonny was still irritated he'd wanted to check on things, but he was discovering he didn't really care. It was called doing your damned homework, and it had saved his ass more than once in Armed Robbery and again down here. Sonny's brashness had gotten him through some scrapes, but not without a cost. And Rico didn't want to end up the next Eddie Rivera.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. Deep down he knew what was bothering him. Sonny's headlong rush reminded him a bit too much of Joe Dalva. The hungry Fed who'd managed to bull in and get both his protected witness and the man he was trying to bring in killed. All because he didn't follow procedure. All because of his damned ego. He could still see the man slumped in the puddle of his failure, Castillo's hot glare burning a hole through his soul.

He'd be damned glad once they got Martinez locked away. Things always got loose...too loose for his liking...when they were sweeping up after an earlier case. Still, Stan and Larry had come through. Maybe they'd get lucky and run something down on the mystery man. He was starting to drift into the velvet arms of sleep when it struck him. There had been something familiar about the girl in the club. And how the hell did he know her name was Nikki?

What sleep he snatched was troubled by dreams, bad dreams from bad New York, and Rico took a shower to wash the sweat and memories away before heading back to OCB. It still bothered him he couldn't place where he knew the girl from, but he was sure now he remembered her. Or at least her eyes. Parking the Caddy, he pushed it to the back of his mind for the time being. They still had to plan Tommy's take down and he didn't need another distraction. And maybe, just maybe, Sonny had found out something about their mystery man.

He walked in just as Stan was finishing up. Larry stood close by, grinning and nodding. "...So we didn't get a name. Guy paid in cash. But he dropped 'em both at a hotel out by the airport. Not quite a no-tell, but close enough."

"Yeah. The kind where we run in the hookers who actually brush their teeth between dates." Larry grinned and nodded to Rico. "Hear that, Rico? Stan and Sonny found your cabbie. And the guy had a date with him."

Stan grinned. "Yeah. Hot little Asian number. Benny said the guy was Asian, too." He gasped as Rico grabbed his shirt.

"Did he hear the girl's name?"

"Yeah. Nikki or something." Stan tugged at his Hawaiian shirt with an injured expression. "What the hell..."

"I know where I know her from now. We might have a problem."

[mjcmmv]

DOUBLE VISION PART 10-SONNY

Sonny could see Rico was upset.

"The girl I ran into at the club the other night. I didn't recognize her at first, but when  the cabbie mentioned her name again, I realized who she was. She knows me as Ricardo Tubbs, Sonny.  And after a few drinks one night, I may have mentioned I used to be a New York City cop."

Crockett looked down at the floor and sighed. "Okay. So, that's not too bad. 'Used to be' means now you're out. After all, don't forget you were practically fired."

"I don't think they'll buy that. And you're the who brought me in, so now there'll be doubt about you, too."

"Listen. You saw the expression on Martinez's face when I mentioned your bottomless pockets. He won't want to pass up this opportunity to make a fortune.  You can act insulted and say this girl Niki is nuts. Then, I can say I've worked with you for a long time, and for the past three years, the customers always got what they asked for. Now, he can check you out with his own people. If he's still not satisfied, you just turn on your heel and walk off. Burnett will say he won't tolerate his mistrust and threaten to pull out as well. Then, they'll have nothing."

"We'll have to brief Castillo. He won't like it."

"Maybe. But we've worked ourselves out of worse situations in the past. Castillo knows Martinez is lightweight, and from what I could see at the club, he's not too bright. Add to that, his greediness, and I'm willing to bet he can be persuaded to trust us."

 

As Rico predicted, Castillo was not happy. "I'm shutting the operation down. He's not important enough to risk it."

"But he has heavy-duty connections, Marty, or else Callie would never have targeted him. She was smart, and she always did her homework. I want a crack at the Ramirez Family, and I'm convinced Martinez is my ticket in."

The room was quiet, and now Sonny had to endure what was commonly known as the "Castillo Stare." He glanced away, trying not to look uncomfortable, and began to tap his pencil on the top of his desk. 

"How are you going to discredit Niki's story?"

"Gina told me she knows Niki from the streets. She said the girl was arrested several times for drug possession and that she just got out of rehab for her heroin addiction. Since the accusation Rico's a cop came from a junkie, it shouldn't be hard to make it look like her finger-pointing is full of holes." 

Sonny held his breath while he watched the wheels turn in Castillo's head. Finally, the Lieutenant's expression softened a little. "Actually, the Asian players interest me," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Alright, Crockett, set it up. Let Martinez do the vetting this time. He'll trust his own people more. In the meantime, I'll make contact with some people I know overseas. Get Stan and Larry up to speed and keep me up to date."

Sonny tried to hide his shock, and he could tell Rico was equally as stunned. 

"Hey, buddy, this salvages the operation. And you're still involved."

"Not so fast. We can't be sure Martinez and his goons will even show up on the dock tonight. And even if they do, they might arrive with guns blazing." 

"I doubt it. Burnett's been in the business too long to be heat, so they'll trust him. When they confront you, we'll act shocked, of course. And you've always been good at playing 'indignant.' Present the angle that Niki's addiction makes her unreliable and suggest maybe she has an ax to grind since you dumped her for another pretty lady." 

Rico smiled a little. "Yeah, okay. Goes to show you, I can pick 'em, can't I?"

Still hurting a little from the Callie fiasco, Sonny gave a rueful laugh. "You've got a better record in that department than I do, buddy. Let's forget about our pitiful sex lives for a bit and see if we can get lunch. I heard the veggie burgers at that new café that opened last week are really something else!"

"Veggie burgers! Since when did you ever consider eating a vegetable for lunch?"

"Oh, I guess since yesterday when I opened my big mouth and acted like an asshole."

Rico grinned. "Oh, yeah. I remember that well. Now that I think about it, you might owe me some fries and a shake to round out your peace offering." 

"Don't press your luck," Sonny muttered as he grabbed his jacket off the desk chair and headed toward the swinging doors. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision Part 11 - Rico

Rico took a bite of the veggie burger and grinned. Sonny knew veggie burgers like he knew women, but he had to give his partner credit for trying.

They were sitting toward the back of the cafe, away from the tourists near the door and a scattering of sunshine hippies along the bar nursing coffees and whining about the 'old days' they likely had been too stoned to be aware of, let alone remember. But he'd had a chance to hit up Larry Zito on the way out and figured he'd let Sonny know what was up with the new player.

"I had Zito do a make on the Asian player." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the coffee-stained printout Larry had given him. "Chump's named Michael Huong. Strictly a mid-level player. His rap sheet's got some GTA, a little bit of possession with intent, an assault or two. Enough to give him street cred but not enough to get him any heavy time. I know you want an in to the Ramirez crew, but I doubt these two are it."

"Yeah, but you never know. Especially Martinez."

Rico shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. He knew Sonny had the idea fixed in his head, and nothing short of a full lobotomy would shake it loose. But he'd also seen the look in Castillo's eyes at the mention of the Asian. "I don't think the lieutenant's gonna be thrilled to learn this kid ain't the next king of China White."

"But what's his connection with Martinez? That's what we gotta run down. Maybe he's the one bringing the stuff in."

"Could be. He was the one with the radio Stan and Larry picked up on." Rico decided to cut his losses. Better he spend his time focusing on how to discredit Nikki when they met Martinez tonight. That and coordinating the whole thing with Stan and Larry. He could tell from the distant look in Sonny's eyes his partner was already planning his meeting with Ramirez. "Anyhow, we'd better get back and get things set with Stan and Larry. The docks aren't as easy to work in as the area around the club."

"Yeah. Let's blow this pop stand."

The briefing was quick and to the point, Sonny going over Martinez and what they knew about Huong while Rico laid out what they needed. "Backup and some audio coverage of the meet," he said from his spot at the table. "I know the docks are a bitch sometimes, but you gotta find a spot where you can do both."

Stan grinned. "We got just the place, Rico. Don't worry about it. Larry and I have run ops down here more than a couplea times."

"Yeah." Larry chuckled. "Dudes with hot VCRs like to bring 'em in this way."

"Solid." He looked over at Castillo. "How does that sound, lieutenant?"

Castillo's eyes had no expression. "Do it. I'll be in the van. I want a look at this Huong. He might be more than we think. But the target is Martinez. I want him off the streets."

[vicegirl85]

Really enjoying this story!

 

 

[mjcmmv]

23 minutes ago, vicegirl85 said:

Really enjoying this story!

 

 

That's great, vicegirl85! We thank you!

 

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision Part 12-Sonny

 

Even though the sun had set two hours ago, there was still no relief from the oppressive humidity, and the smell of stagnant water from the afternoon rain was heavy in the air. Sonny ran his hand across his forehead and wished he'd showered before he left for the meet. Rico sat at his side in the Daytona, looking cool and calm as usual. Sonny shook his head with disgust.

"Not even breaking a sweat, are you, Tubbs," he grumbled. 

Rico turned toward Sonny and chuckled. "Looks like you're doing enough of that for the two of us, buddy." 

"Thanks, man. Just what I needed to hear." Sonny shifted in the leather seat, trying his best to get comfortable. "It's nine-forty-five. We have a few minutes to go over it again. First of all, I checked the area an hour ago, and there was no sign of a lingering speedboat or parked car leftover from the afternoon rush. The place is closed up tight. Larry and Stan are in place, and they assure me the audio is up and running. Now that we have that all settled, let's review our story."

Rico settled back and began. "When they pull up, we take a look in the boat, then, shine a light across the water to make sure they didn't bring along more playmates. Once we're face to face, the dialogue can begin. Hopefully, we'll be able to tell right away if there's any hostility. Maybe you can ask if things are still good on his end and if he's going along with the original agreement."

"I'm way ahead of you, Rico. Since there was no way to reach him before the meet, it makes sense that I'd ask that. I'm just hoping he doesn't dance around, telling us he's changed his mind."

"Tell Sonny Burnett he's changed his mind? That'd be playing with fire."

"True," Sonny said with a satisfied grin. "So, let's say he tells us he's heard some news and wants some answers. Once he spills what he heard, 'Act Two' of this little play can begin. You ask him where the hell he got the crazy idea you were a cop, and I can act annoyed by such obvious nonsense."

"I'm guessing he'll tell us a sweet young thing from the club recognized me, and that will give me the opening I need. I can say, "Oh, you mean that little whore I brushed off on the way in to see you? Man, she's been trying to trip me up ever since I told her I was done with her craziness. What lies did she try and pass along this time?"

"That's good, Rico. Minimize her reliability from the get-go. Treat it like a joke at first, but then, start complaining you don't like being set up and you're more than disappointed Martinez fell for Niki's con."

They heard the sound of a motor in the distance and saw a boat approaching the docking area. As it got closer, they recognized Martinez and the outlines of three other men. 

Sonny didn't like it. Adding an extra guy to the original crew gave these punks a two-to-one advantage, and hinted that Martinez was wary of a double-cross. Sonny reached into the glove compartment for an extra clip, and noticed beads of anxious sweat beginning to pop out on his partner's forehead. 

"It's okay, we got this, buddy. I can feel it."

"Yeah. I hope so, Sonny. Once we're on that dock, there won't be any cover. We'll be sitting ducks if this goes south."

Despite Rico's words, the weight of Sonny's pistol strapped against his chest gave him comfort. "You worry too much, Rico. I'm telling you the plan is solid. This guy wants to deal, and as stupid he is, he'll never kill the goose that promises him the golden egg."

Edited May 16, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 13 - Rico

Rico watched the boat ease up against the dock, the weight of his stubby Smith & Wesson a small comfort on his hip. He wasn't worried about explaining Nikki away if it came up. No, he was more worried about who the fourth was on that boat.

Beside him, Sonny kicked on the Ferrari's headlights. The light played across the boat before highlighting the water with silver tips and dissipating into the darkness. Grunting, he flicked the lights off. "Looks like they didn't bring anyone else."

"Solid. Let's do this."

It wasn't much of a walk to the dock, and Martinez and two of the men met them halfway. The last one stayed with the boat, and that made Rico a touch nervous. If he bolted they didn't have a good way to run him down. Unless the Coast Guard had a cutter close by.

Sonny was all smiles. "Tony! You ready to do this deal?"

Martinez shifted, the gold chains around his neck glittering in the scant light from the pole-mounted lights on the dock. "See, Burnett, I'd like to. But we might have a problem. A little bird whispered to a compadre of mine that Cooper here might be a cop."

"You're sayin' that some punk told you that the guy I've been doing business with for years might be a cop?" Sonny laughed, the sound echoing out over the water. "Have you been doing the product, Tony?"

"Let me guess." Rico's voice hissed between his teeth, and he took a step forward...enjoying the glint of fear he saw in Martinez's eyes. "This bird goes by the name of Nikki, right? I bumped into that little whore in the club. I'd ask her when the last time was she shot up before you take her word for anything. We went out once, and then I caught her trying to rip me off. She's lucky she's still breathing."

Martinez shot a quick look toward the boat. "You're sayin' she does smack?"

"Smack. Coke. Speed. Anything she can cram in her mouth or shoot up." Rico kept his voice pitched low and mean. "And if I was your compadre, I'd stop by the free clinic first thing and get tested. From what I hear Nikki ain't too particular about how she funds her habits these days."

"And I've been doing good business with Cooper and his New York people ever since he came to Miami." Sonny let his voice slide into the flat register that was Burnett. "You might want to have your pussy compadre come ashore and call Cooper a cop to his face. Or better yet, to my face."

"No." Martinez raised his hands, words rattling out of his mouth so fast they piled up on each other. "No. It's clear he made a mistake. Listened to the wrong puta. I trust you, Burnett, and if you say Cooper's clean that's more than good enough for me. And yes, I still want this deal." There was a change in his posture, not much but just enough to put Rico on edge. "You have the money, yes?"

"Only if you brought the party favors." Rico shifted a hair, trying to keep the man on the boat in sight. Something didn't feel right.

[mjcmmv]

 

Double Vision 14-Sonny

 

Martinez had just told Burnett he trusted him.

So, why didn't Sonny find that reassuring? The guy was dumb enough to accept their story, so Sonny should have been happy, but for some reason, his stomach was tied up in knots. "Rico's right," he thought. "We're totally exposed, and there's no place to take cover if Martinez decides to take the money and feed us to the sharks."

Martinez turned to the man behind him and snapped his fingers. "Jorge, the bag." The big man smiled and handed a large duffle bag to his boss. 

"The product is very pure. You won't be sorry." Tommy boasted. There was a lot of enthusiasm in his voice, but Sonny was sure he detected a gleam of malice in the shifty man's eyes. He took the bag and eased it down to the wooden walkway, never taking his eyes off the three men in front of him. 

Rico had just clicked open the case he was carrying to reveal the neat rows of money tightly packed inside. Martinez got closer and when he attempted to touch the bills, Rico snapped the cover shut. "You can count it when we're satisfied," he told him. 

Without wasting any time, Sonny retrieved his testing kit from his jacket and took out one of the plastic bags stuffed with white powder. Placing it on the deck railing, he slit it open with a penknife and retrieved a sample. Like he had done a thousand times before, he tapped it into a small test tube and shook it up and down, rapidly. It didn't take long for a bright turquoise color to appear. He gave Martinez a sly smile. "Not bad, Tommy. Not bad at all."

"There are fifteen keys there, Burnett. I'm expecting the money we agreed on to be there, too."

"You have nothing to worry about, Martinez."

"Then shove the case over," Tommy said, motioning to Rico.

Rico stayed perfectly still. "Tell me first about your friend in the boat," he said with a cold stare. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced, and I don't like doing business within earshot of someone I don't know."

"He's of no concern to you, Mr. Cooper. The boat belongs to him, and he agreed to take us here."

"That doesn't answer my question. I want a name, a face, and assurance I can trust him, or the deal is off."

When Tommy hesitated, Sonny closed the duffle bag and moved over to stand next to Rico. "Up until now, we've been honest with each other, right, Tommy? So, what's the big secret? Is the guy in the boat a friend of yours? A partner? Is he armed? Maybe he's getting ready to plug us full of holes? Come on now. Gotta know." 

Sonny nodded to Rico and patted the outside of his jacket as if to demonstrate where his loaded pistol was waiting. "I'd hate to end this beautiful friendship, amigo, so do us all a big favor. Tell us who he is, and don't force my hand."

Edited May 16, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 15 - Rico

While Sonny kept toying with Martinez, Rico let his gaze jump from the two other men on the dock to the one on the boat and back again. From the profile he guessed it was Huong on the boat, and the other two slabs were the guys from the club. Jorge, the one who'd handled the product, hadn't moved back from beside Martinez, and his hands were a little too twitchy for Rico's liking. The other man kept back a bit, away from the other two so he'd have a clear line of fire. And all were clear of Huong on the boat.

"Come on, Tommy. Who's your playmate out there?" Sonny's voice was still conversational, but with that flat pitch that usually preceded a display of the Bren 10. "Gotta say Cooper's right. It's mighty inhospitable of him to stay out there. Someone who didn't know you as well as I do might think he was planning to rip us off. And that's no way to stay alive in this business."

Martinez chuckled, but Rico heard a new strain in his voice. "Come on, Burnett. You think I'd try to rip you?"

"Didn't say you would, Tommy. But I am starting to wonder about your partner out there."

"Huong isn't my partner. He does transport. Just like you do."

"Funny. Ain't a name I've heard before. What about you, Cooper?"

"Naw. At least he don't get up north with the big boys." Rico decided to push a bit. He was still smelling rip, and wanted to see if they could make these chumps tip their hand. "But I like being comfortable in a deal. And this ain't comfortable. Not by a long shot."

Martinez shrugged. It must have been a signal, because Jorge's twitchy hands started moving toward the front of his cheap jacket and the other chump looked to be doing the same. "I am sorry you feel that way. But I do thank you for the investment in our little enterprise. Don't try anything stupid, yes? I knew Charlie, and he told me what Callie did. If she had you marked, you have money."

Rico started moving as soon as Jorge's right hand touched the front of his coat. He went into a slight crouch, his own hand flashing to his side and coming up with the Smith & Wesson. "Sonny! It's a rip!" He knew the big boom mic in the van would pick it up, but he also knew they were on their own for a couple of minutes.

Out on the water he heard the splutter and roar of big engines starting, and knew if it got started they had no way to run it down. A flash of white off to his side told him Sonny was jumping into action, and he had to trust his partner to deal with the close threats. He had a better line on Huong. Taking a two-hand grip on the snub nose revolver, he squinted in the dim light and squeezed off three shots, rewarded with a high cry and the engines cutting out. Then he ducked for cover, knowing he had two shots left.

The heavy boom of the Bren 10 told him Sonny was in action, and if he knew his partner at least two of the three men on the dock were down. Raising his head above the tar-soaked pillar he'd ducked behind, he saw two crumpled forms and a third man standing with his arms raised high over his head. Tommy Martinez's voice was unmistakable. "Don't kill me! You can have the coke! It wasn't my idea! It was all Huong! I swear!" Anything else he might have been about to bleat was lost in the rising cry of sirens.

Lowering his smoking pistol, Sonny looked over at Rico and grinned. "Sounds like the cavalry's on the way."

"Yeah. I'm gonna go grab this Huong before he tries anything stupid." Keeping his pistol ready, Rico stepped around a groaning figure on the dock and headed for the boat. "How much you wanna bet he claims it was all Tommy's idea?"

Micheal Huong was slumped back against the pilot's seat, one hand clutching at a spreading red spot high on his left shoulder. Another slug looked to have hit him in the side. The black shape of a sub-machine gun lay on the deck at his feet. "Looks like your night didn't go so well, Mikey." Rico looked down at the man. "There's a bus on the way, and you'll get better care than you deserve."

Huong nodded, speaking through gritted teeth. "So the whore was right."

"She guessed." Red and blue lights played over the dock as patrol cars skidded to a stop. "And we've got someone coming who wants to talk to you. I'd play straight with him, Mikey. He doesn't like chumps who play games."

[Matt5]

14 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

Double Vision 15 - Rico

While Sonny kept toying with Martinez, Rico let his gaze jump from the two other men on the dock to the one on the boat and back again. From the profile he guessed it was Huong on the boat, and the other two slabs were the guys from the club. Jorge, the one who'd handled the product, hadn't moved back from beside Martinez, and his hands were a little too twitchy for Rico's liking. The other man kept back a bit, away from the other two so he'd have a clear line of fire. And all were clear of Huong on the boat.

"Come on, Tommy. Who's your playmate out there?" Sonny's voice was still conversational, but with that flat pitch that usually preceded a display of the Bren 10. "Gotta say Cooper's right. It's mighty inhospitable of him to stay out there. Someone who didn't know you as well as I do might think he was planning to rip us off. And that's no way to stay alive in this business."

Martinez chuckled, but Rico heard a new strain in his voice. "Come on, Burnett. You think I'd try to rip you?"

"Didn't say you would, Tommy. But I am starting to wonder about your partner out there."

"Huong isn't my partner. He does transport. Just like you do."

"Funny. Ain't a name I've heard before. What about you, Cooper?"

"Naw. At least he don't get up north with the big boys." Rico decided to push a bit. He was still smelling rip, and wanted to see if they could make these chumps tip their hand. "But I like being comfortable in a deal. And this ain't comfortable. Not by a long shot."

Martinez shrugged. It must have been a signal, because Jorge's twitchy hands started moving toward the front of his cheap jacket and the other chump looked to be doing the same. "I am sorry you feel that way. But I do thank you for the investment in our little enterprise. Don't try anything stupid, yes? I knew Charlie, and he told me what Callie did. If she had you marked, you have money."

Rico started moving as soon as Jorge's right hand touched the front of his coat. He went into a slight crouch, his own hand flashing to his side and coming up with the Smith & Wesson. "Sonny! It's a rip!" He knew the big boom mic in the van would pick it up, but he also knew they were on their own for a couple of minutes.

Out on the water he heard the splutter and roar of big engines starting, and knew if it got started they had no way to run it down. A flash of white off to his side told him Sonny was jumping into action, and he had to trust his partner to deal with the close threats. He had a better line on Huong. Taking a two-hand grip on the snub nose revolver, he squinted in the dim light and squeezed off three shots, rewarded with a high cry and the engines cutting out. Then he ducked for cover, knowing he had two shots left.

The heavy boom of the Bren 10 told him Sonny was in action, and if he knew his partner at least two of the three men on the dock were down. Raising his head above the tar-soaked pillar he'd ducked behind, he saw two crumpled forms and a third man standing with his arms raised high over his head. Tommy Martinez's voice was unmistakable. "Don't kill me! You can have the coke! It wasn't my idea! It was all Huong! I swear!" Anything else he might have been about to bleat was lost in the rising cry of sirens.

Lowering his smoking pistol, Sonny looked over at Rico and grinned. "Sounds like the cavalry's on the way."

"Yeah. I'm gonna go grab this Huong before he tries anything stupid." Keeping his pistol ready, Rico stepped around a groaning figure on the dock and headed for the boat. "How much you wanna bet he claims it was all Tommy's idea?"

Micheal Huong was slumped back against the pilot's seat, one hand clutching at a spreading red spot high on his left shoulder. Another slug looked to have hit him in the side. The black shape of a sub-machine gun lay on the deck at his feet. "Looks like your night didn't go so well, Mikey." Rico looked down at the man. "There's a bus on the way, and you'll get better care than you deserve."

Huong nodded, speaking through gritted teeth. "So the whore was right."

"She guessed." Red and blue lights played over the dock as patrol cars skidded to a stop. "And we've got someone coming who wants to talk to you. I'd play straight with him, Mikey. He doesn't like chumps who play games."

A great read and details - Thankyou.

 

 

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision Part 16-Sonny

 

Castillo sat at the head of the conference table turning the pages of a spiral notebook and adding comments in the margins every so often. Sonny sat beside him, staring up at the clock and trying not to look as impatient as he felt. As far as he was concerned, a follow-up briefing to review the Martinez arrest was a waste of time. Unless the punk spilled his guts, any connection to Ramirez had now been severed forever. 

The door to the conference room opened, and Rico sauntered in, followed closely behind by Stan and Larry. They all took seats around the table and waited quietly for the Lieutenant to begin. Marty took a moment before he closed his notebook and then slowly raised his eyes. 

"We're charging Martinez with possession with the intent to distribute. Huong is still in surgery, but when he has fully recovered from the anesthesia, we'll be charging him with the same. 

Crockett and Tubbs both nodded. 

"I know you wanted more, Sonny."

"Yeah." The Lieutenant's focus had always been different from his own, and Sonny knew Castillo's ties with the Golden Triangle was the reason.

"Were your Asian contacts familiar with Huong?" he asked.

"Not so far. They're still digging."

"I won't hold my breath," Sonny grumbled to himself. 

"So, I expect the surveillance tapes will be turned in by this afternoon," he heard Marty remark to Stan and Larry.

"Already taken care of, Lieutenant."

"Good."

Refusing to give up, Sonny decided to spark new life into the case. "I want in on the interrogations, Lieutenant."  

"For now, you and Tubbs can handle it. But I'll continue the questioning if the information I'm expecting warrants it."

It wasn't what Sonny wanted to hear, since for him, an Asian connection was just a hollow threat from the past. But he had a plan, and maybe with a little imagination, he could still pull this off. Starting with the interrogation, he could forget all about Huong, and concentrate entirely on Martinez. All he needed was to get the little worm alone, and then, play every trick in the book to get him to turn.

Even if it meant breaking a few rules...

Or maybe even a few heads.

It didn't matter. He'd do whatever it took,  just as long as it got him what he wanted.

Edited May 30, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 17 - Rico

Rico could almost hear what both the lieutenant and Sonny were thinking as they sparred about the interrogation. They're both chasing ghosts...just different ghosts.

He'd helped Stan and Larry process the tapes, and came away more convinced than ever that this was just what it looked like: a rip gone bad. While Sonny had been cleaning his Bren 10 and grumbling about how the lead on Ramirez was gone forever, Rico had pulled the chump's jacket again and gone through it with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing about Ramirez or anyone even linked to his operation, but there had been that link to Charlie, Callie's shooter. They'd been picked up in the same bust back in '81 or '82...two small-time punks looking to close a deal for a few grams of coke. Huong tracked back, too. He'd been picked up with Charlie in '84 for the same kind of buy. Chump change for chumps.

But he also knew there was no point in him trying to bring that up. Not yet. So he watched as Stan and Larry reviewed what they'd recorded, keeping quiet while Sonny went on about Ramirez and the lieutenant talked about his sources. Sonny he could understand; his partner had a bad case of target fixation and just wouldn't let go. But Castillo was usually more reasonable. Something about this one must have hit close to home. Or something in his shadowy past.

They were on their way to interrogation when he finally decided to put in his bit. "Look, Sonny...I know you think this chump is in tight with Ramirez, but there's nothing in his jacket saying he even knows the man. Charlie? That's all over the paperwork. And if he knew Charlie, don't you think he'd know Callie, too?"

"Yeah, yeah." But Sonny wasn't listening. "But Tommy's a climber. That means he's working his way into Ramirez's crew."

"Look at the evidence, Sonny. Nothing..."

"To hell with the evidence! I know what my gut's telling me, Rico!"

"Your gut?" Rico was annoyed now. "Your gut? Don't you mean your ambition, Sonny? Tommy's a chump. Not even a two-bit chump. Look at the lady's profile, man! She picked guys who were mid-level at best. Guys who could take the place of whoever she targeted if things went south."

"Look, Tubbs!" Sonny turned and started to wave his arms, then stopped. "I...hell, man. Maybe you're right. Maybe this guy is just a punk."

Rico grabbed at the moment. "Look. We'll take a run at him. Together. See what comes out. But he and Huong are cut from the same bolt of cheap cloth. Neither of those chumps will lead to anyone higher. Hell, they wanted to rip us so they could make that climb for themselves."

It was hot in the interrogation room, the A/C turned off at their request as part of the game. Martinez sat on his chair, his greasy face bathed in sweat. Rico took shallow breaths through his mouth as he got close to the table. Sonny had nodded on the way in, telling him to play the tough guy. Tommy's head bobbed, the heat lulling him to sleep, and he jumped like he'd been shot when Rico slammed his palm on the table. "Wake up, chump! You better have some answers for us!"

"I..."

"Not good enough!" Rico slammed his hand down again, watching Tommy flinch. "What cut did Ramirez promise you to try that rip? Hunh? How much?"

"Who?" The confusion in his eyes was genuine. "It was Huong's idea, man. Well...kinda his and mine together, you know."

"So you're saying Ramirez had nothing to do with it? You're calling me a liar?"

"No, man! I don't even know anyone named Ramirez. Well, maybe Cici Ramirez, but she don't order rips. She does give damned good..."

Sonny's smooth voice slid in over Rico's shout. "Tommy...Tommy...my man. You expect us to believe you and that moron Mikey cooked this idea up all by yourselves?"

"We was gettin' nowhere, man. Nowhere! And after seein' how Charlie moved up when he started rippin' dudes with Callie...it got us thinking."