No Good Deed...Part XI

[Robbie C.]

Hector looked around the club, a thin smile fixed on his face. At least his feet didn’t hurt. Those damned pussy cowboy boots were resting in at least ten feet of water, and he felt like a man again in pair of loafers. He hadn’t expected a call this soon. Maybe there was more to Ramon than met the eye.

Jangles sat across from him, a smug look on his face. “See, man? I told you Ramon had what it took.”

“Wait and see, mano. I wanna know what he’s got first. I still don’t trust no man who dresses like a jailhouse punk.” Hector waved for one of the harried waitresses. “Two Coronas.” He grinned as she walked away. “That one’s got an ass on her…”

“Focus, Hector.”

“I am focused, asshole. You try doing time and then ignoring the honeys when you get out.” Hector’s smile turned mean. “Ah, but I forget. You duck when the cops show up, right Jangles?”

“Now that ain’t fair, bro. You know I wasn’t…”

“Save it. Looks like your girl-boy’s here.” Hector raised his hand slightly, lowering it when Ramon nodded and headed over. He had to admit, though, the kid had changed his look. The jeans were actually blue now, and not trying to crawl up his ass or highlight the roll of quarters in his front pocket. “What you got for us, Ramon?”

“So my cousin hates that place like you can’t believe.” Ramon slid onto the open chair, a drink in his hand. “Says any girl who goes in there comes out clean. Lost one of his best earners to them.” He took a drink. “He said the cops pick up the girls, like normal. Then some of ‘em go through that victims services shit, and a few from there go into the House.”

“You mean this Caitlin’s House?”

“Yeah. Sorry. They all call it just the House on the street. My cousin, he goes pokin’ around to see what he can find out when he lost Angel. Turns out your little bird was right, Hector. Sonny Burnett is in back of the place. He was married to this Caitlin, and after she got blown away he started the place.”

Hector whistled low, digging into his pocket and handing the harried blonde a twenty when she came back with the beers. “Keep it,” he said, flashing her one of his winning smiles. When she was gone he put his business face on again. “Hell of a career change.”

“My cousin didn’t get into that. With a dude like Burnett you only dig so far, ‘cause he hears everything.” Ramon leaned forward a bit. “Funny thing is his security. Most of it’s ex-cops. And not the local Miami-Dade guys. Like Federal and ex-military cops.”

Jangles nodded. “Makes sense. Burnett was always about getting the best.”

“Yeah. I saw that when I was working with the Carreras. Man, that dude would waste you in a second if you couldn’t do your job. No way he’d waste his time with mall cops and wanna-bes.”

Hector nodded, letting it all sink in and sort itself in his head. The cold beer tasted good on his tongue, helping to settle what he was hearing. “So he’s the money and he’s got all these former Feds or whatever on security. Is he the one running security?”

“Naw. At least my cousin don’t think so. There’s some other dude. Stays mostly in the background.” Ramon grinned. “I took a look at their web site. His name ain’t there, but they had a picture. More one of them group photos.” He dug into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “You got Burnett in the background, those two bitch doctors, some big black chick, and this cat who’s gotta be the security guy.”

Hector snatched the paper, holding it close and feeling the blood drain from his face. “That’s Cooper. Or whatever the hell his real name is. No way I’d forget that smug bastard’s face.”

“You’re sayin’ Burnett has a cop running his security?”

“Why not? You said he likes hiring the best.”

Ramon snatched the picture back. “Shit! That’s the same dude he met at that lighthouse. He didn’t have no beard then, but no way I’d forget those eyes.”

“You did until now.”

“Yeah, but I never figured Burnett would hire someone he took a shot at. Or that someone he took a shot at would work for him.”

“Maybe the dude’s dirty. Hell, I don’t know. But that’s the guy I got business with.”

Jangles cleared his throat. “You gonna tell those suits?”

“Hell no. Ain’t their business…it’s my business. And my business is more important than theirs. You two got me?” Hector could feel the old menace rising in his eyes. “Good. We’ll play their game ‘cause the money’s right, but when it comes down to it I’m squaring things with this Cooper or whoever he is. The suits kick? I’ll just send that tape to the police and let them take the heat. Meantime I’ll just play dumb spic every time we meet ‘em. It’s what they expect, and I’ll be able to record every meeting.”

Ramon nodded, respect showing in his eyes. “Good plan, Hector. I’ll keep lookin’ around. See if there’s anything else we can dig up.”

“You do that. Hell, this might even turn out to be fun.” Hector downed the last of his beer and looked around for the blonde waitress. “Now we can have a  few brews and relax.”

 

Trudy rolled over, half-asleep, and didn’t notice right away that Marty’s side of the bed was empty. Her fingers touched the cool sheets, and adrenaline shot through her arms to her other hand and she scrabbled for the heavy MatchMaster. The scar tissue in her chest pulled and sent a quick stab of pain through her body, enough to wake her fully but not enough to make her drop the big pistol. The adrenaline faded, and she came back to herself. It wasn’t quite dawn but not still night, and a sickly gray light slipped into the room around the slatted blinds. Sitting up, she looked at the pistol for the first time and laid it on the low nightstand before slipping into her silk robe and getting to her feet.

She found him where she’d expected; down at the line where grass gave way to sand looking out toward the ocean. She made just enough noise to announce her coming before slipping her arms around his waist from behind. “That’s the third time in four days.”

“I know.” His hands came up to touch hers, but he didn’t turn away from the lighter patch in the fading blackness where the water began. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I reached out and you weren’t there.” She buried her face in the curve of his spine just below his shoulders, feeling the tight muscles with her nose. “Dreams again?”

“Yes.”

She sighed. “You could tell me about them.”

“I know.” He stood there for a time, his breathing low and regular. She recognized it as one of his control techniques. “It was Ti Ti.”

“And you’ve never dreamed about him before?”

“No. Not until recently.” He was quiet again, and she could hear the waves slapping the beach. “It’s a warning. He’s been warning me something is coming.”

“You had another dream tonight.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. But I think for the last time.” He shifted, and she imagined he was smiling. “With a warning, at least.”

She nodded against his back, not wanting to break contact with him. He felt thinner than normal. No, that wasn’t the right word. Lighter. In some strange way. Like he was there but at the same time somewhere far away. “And you said you’d never dreamed about him before?”

“No.” There was a pause. “Not like this.” He paused again, and then told her about the first dreams.

“So someone’s coming after Sonny and Rico? Someone they don’t know or just from an unexpected direction?”

“Possibly both.”

“And Ti Ti says you’re the only one who can help them?”

“Yes. Me and one other. A man dressed in jungle fatigues.” There was another pause, and Trudy wasn’t sure he was going to continue. “Ti Ti showed me his face tonight. It’s Randy Mather.”

“He and Dave are in town for a conference. I think it runs for a week.” She let go with one hand and used the other to turn him away from the ocean. She needed to see his eyes. “So you think this will happen soon?”

“Yes.” His eyes were clear, but distant. Seeing two places at once. “Ti Ti was very clear that Randy would be with me. In two of the dreams.” He paused again, looking at a spot above and behind her head. “He was also clear we cannot let them know. If they do, they will do things that will jeopardize the future of Caitlin’s House.”

She nodded again. “Yeah, I get that. Sonny’s been acting funny lately. I think he misses the old days even as he’s exciting about what’s coming. And Rico? With a kid on the way I don’t want to think about what he’d do.”

“And they feed off each other.” Castillo slid his arms around her, pulling her close. “If Rico goes, Sonny will go to protect him.” He was quiet again. “Whatever this is, whoever it is, Ti Ti made it clear only Randy and I should try to stop it. Only the two of us could break the ambush from the rear.”

“I know Jenny’s been on edge, too. Sonny said something about Caitlin warning her.”

“Then we must be careful. Trudy, I need you to stay close to Sonny and Rico. If you can, keep them focused on the House. Has there been any word about that newspaper or the reporter?”

“I’m waiting to get back in touch with my CI. He was sure he could find something on the reporter.” She smiled. “Said it might take him a day or two, though.”

“That must be Marco.” She nodded and he favored her with one of his thin smiles. “If I remember he was never prompt but his information was always good.”

“That’s him. I don’t know if I ever told you, but we grew up near each other.”

“No. You didn’t.” He held her close. “This is new territory for us. No badges, and no real confidence in the ones wearing the badges. It’s new to both Sonny and Rico. But for me it’s very familiar.”

“Marty…I….”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m no cowboy, my love. You don’t need to worry. And Randy is one of the most precise men I’ve ever known. I’ll talk to hime sometime today and see if he’s willing. If not…”

“I understand.” She held back a shiver. “No, Marty, I do. They’re still your men, your team.” She looked around his strong shoulders and smiled. “And I need to think about getting ready to head in. There’s some meeting they want me at this morning and then I have classes in the afternoon. But I can skip the meeting.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ll make tea and some breakfast.” He smiled. “I might even go in with you. It would be nice to see what Sonny has accomplished.”

“I don’t have to leave until ten, so we have plenty of time.” She smiled and kissed him. “We can sit on the deck and listen to the waves.”

When they were with Metro-Dade, Martin Castillo had always used one of the bland take-home Fords; unmarked and dependable. When he’d left the force Trudy had convinced him to replace it with an unmarked and dependable Mercedes. Since he might not stay the entire day they’d decided to take his car and he’d come and pick her up when classes were over if he left. He drove, and she liked seeing him again in his black suit with the white shirt and thin black leather tie. Even the sunglasses were in place, and his hands rested easy on the steering wheel.

“You’re right.” His words shocked her. “It does feel good. The suit. Driving like this. I did miss it. But not enough to start doing it again.”

“And I’ll bet the Benz beats the hell out of that old Ford.”

“It does.” He smiled under the glasses. “Almost makes me feel like a Company man again. When I wasn’t in the mountains being chased by NVA and Pathet Lao, at least.”

They passed through security without a hitch and Castillo parked close to the building. “I see Sonny’s already here,” he said, nodding toward the black Daytona.

“Yeah. He had a meeting with the contractors, I think.” She shrugged. “Some business thing.” The tough Overtown street girl slid into her voice. “I don’t need that business thing.”

“I agree.” Castillo started to smile, and then she saw his face change. It was only for a heartbeat, and then the smile appeared. “And Angie’s spotted us.” He nodded toward the big figure in the badly-chosen blue leopard print dress waving from the big second floor windows.

Trudy smiled and waved back. They passed though the interior security with a quick show of IDs. Trudy had one marked ‘staff’ and Castillo had one with no identifying letters but scanned as VIP. They took the stairs to the second floor and kissed before parting ways. She headed for her temporary office with Mindy, knowing Marty would be heading to see Sonny and maybe Angie. Still, she wondered what the change on his face had meant.

Mindy smiled from behind her computer monitor. “I was wondering if you’d be in before your class.”

“Yeah. Still gotta shake something loose from Marco.” She smiled as she sat down. “Yeah, I know he’s got a day left on his deal.”

“You don’t want to make that kind of CI nervous. They like to just disappear.” She wrinkled her nose. “One of my best ones back in Boston did that. I called him a day early, he called me a bitch for not trusting him, and that was it. He was gone. Never caught wind of him again.”

“Ouch.” Trudy hit the power switch and waited for her computer to boot up. “I don’t suppose you managed to dig up anything new in the last day?”

“No. Not about the reporter, anyhow. But I did go poking around some old court records regarding the Post and a lawsuit they fought off a few years ago. Something about using fake topless pictures of some celebrity or another.” She smiled and pulled out her notes. “The case ended in some kind of settlement, but guess who represented them?”

“No idea.”

“Arthur Haskell. Of Haskell and Francis.”

The name sounded familiar. “Who are they?”

“The clowns who represented Caitlin’s estate before Sonny fired them.”

“You think it means something?”

“I don’t know. Haskell and Francis look to have done a solid business representing the Columbian importer segment of our population. Especially Francis. He’s doing Federal time now. She smiled. “Haskell and the new kid, Watkins I think his name is, were lucky to avoid being disbarred. But they’d been representing Caitlin’s estate for years. Sonny’s suing them for damages.”

“That’s right.” Trudy smiled as she logged into the House’s network. “Sorry. I’m a bit slow this morning.”

“No reason you’d really remember. You started after the suit was filed. I know Towers is champing at the bit to rake those two over the coals.”

Trudy nodded, bringing up the day’s lesson plan. But her mind kept turning back to what Marty had said that morning. “Mindy, do you think those lawyers could be pushing the paper to dig up dirt?”

“I don’t think they could afford it. Maybe before, but now that the Post’s narco-owned cashflow isn’t really a problem for them. It would be for Haskell and Watkins.”

Trudy sighed. “I guess I’ll just wait on Marco, then. He seemed damned sure he could get something on Jimmy.” With a shrug she turned back to her notes for the day’s class.

“How did the girl you were worried about do with the painting?”

Mindy’s question startled her out of the mental space Trudy had been sliding into. “Hunh? Oh, you mean Jessie? She did really well. That girl’s got talent. And she’s tough. Even Nichole was impressed with how well she handled the assignment.”

“It can’t be easy for them. Digging into old hurts like that.”

“No, it’s not. And that’s kinda the point.” Trudy looked away from the screen, weighing her words before continuing. “We didn’t get where we are by someone holding our hands, Mindy. Our lives weren’t as tough as some of theirs, but they were tougher than a couple of them.” She paused. “Painting and music got me through some rough times in my life. I just want to teach them a few things that might help them find a better place. Even if it’s only inside themselves. But Jessie…if she sticks with it she’s got real talent. I just want to help her see that and not give up on herself.”

Mindy nodded, then started typing. “You just gave me an idea. I’m gonna send Sonny and Gina an e-mail about scholarships for these girls. Help them with some education if they stay clear after graduating from here.”

“Now that’s a damned good idea.” Trudy landed back in the chair, feeling her dress pull tight across her breasts and tweak the scar tissue just enough to remind her it was there. “If there’d been something like that, odds are I wouldn’t have become a cop.”

“You and me both, sister.” Mindy smiled as she punished the keys. “Still…we did ok at the end of the day.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, thinking of Marty’s warm smile and generous heart. “We sure as hell did. And I’d better get back to work on this before those girls call me out for being lazy. They’ve got mouths on them…”

 

In another part of the building Martin Castillo stood where he’d often seen Sonny standing, looking through the wide windows at the wide expanse of green grass stretching out toward the boathouses. He could see why Sonny appreciated the view, but his mind was elsewhere. The dream still held at least a corner of his being…one he couldn’t easily shake.

“Yeah, it’s like a damned golf course.” Sonny came around the desk and stood next to him, preserving some distance from old habit. “But Cait really liked it. Raised holy hell when I talked about putting in some shrubs or something. Now…I’m glad I didn’t. It reminds me of her every time I look at it.”

“That’s good.” Castillo shifted, his hands clenched behind his back. Testing his words before he let them into the room. “Did Randy and Dave make it in ok?”

“Yeah. We’re on for tonight at Sanctuary. I was gonna call, but you coming in with Trudy made it easier.” Sonny smiled. “It was good to see them again. Same tough old Marines you’d expect them to be. They even brought a rifle with them. Not sure if it’s Randy’s or Dave’s though.”

That makes it easier, especially if it’s Randy’s. “It will be good to see them again.”

Sonny nodded. “Marty…do you ever miss it?”

Castillo didn’t move. “Yes.” Then he clarified, his voice unchanged. “Parts of it. I miss the friends. The sense of accomplishment. I don’t miss the death. The ruining of lives.” He let the words turn a bit more in his head. “It’s a hard thing to step away from. Especially when it’s all you’ve ever known.”

“Yeah. I kinda envy Tubbs. He knocked around a bit before going NYPD. Me? I want from football to the Corps to Vietnam to Metro-Dade without skipping a beat. And I know you’ve been at it a hell of a lot longer than that.” He turned away from the window and walked back into the room.

Castillo nodded, not trusting his voice. It took a moment. “Being with Trudy helps. Having a life beyond a warrior’s duty.” He stopped, not sure if Sonny would understand. He knew Jack would have, and Ti Ti would have nodded and then laughed at him for being weak. He also knew Randy Mather understood. It was in his blood.

“Don’t know if I’d call myself a warrior, but like I told Tex I do miss the action.” Sonny shook his head. “I know I told you about that VA shrink before.”

“Yes.” He’d done his own looking into the man who liked to be called Tex. Unlike many who sported badges and ribbons that in the end weren’t their own, the thin man was the real deal. And then some, if the heavily-redacted records from his final tour were anything to go by. “You should treasure every moment, Sonny. We know how easily it can be taken away.”

“Yeah. You’re right about that. I think about it just about every time I’m with Jenny.”

Castillo took the opportunity to shift the subject, turning so he could see Sonny. “It’s a good thing you’re doing here, Sonny. The renovations will help?”

“Yeah. Lets us add a more secure wing to deal with some of the more difficult cases. Brings in some more risk, but I want to try to help as many of these kids as I can, and if that means a little risk I’m ok with that.”

“What about that reporter?”

“We’ve got a restraining order on him, and Rico has the security guys pulling extra in his favorite part of the perimeter. So far nothing. And you know I’ve got Mindy and Trudy digging into things. So far the paper itself looks clean, or as clean as the Post can be, so we’re going for the reporter now.”

Castillo nodded, only half-listening. It had to be more than just the paper. Ti Ti’s warning made that plain. Whatever it was, it was deep and twisting, going back in their shared pasts somehow. But Sonny didn’t need to know that. “Let me know if I can help. I did check on that surveillance equipment. It’s untraceable, but I did find out it’s civilian purchase. Just not in the United States. He wanted to listen in on something very badly.”

“And that makes it even harder. I don’t know what the hell he’d be able to listen in on. A therapy session, maybe? Hell, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Don’t let it take too much of your time. You pay Tubbs to worry about these things.” Castillo finally smiled. “That and with a lawsuit working its way thorough the Dade County system…”

“Yeah. Towers told me the same thing. You two been talking?” Sonny grinned. “You’re right, though. Let Tubbs do his thing while I fight with the contractors, architects, and lawyers.” He sat down behind the big desk. “I’m gonna call Robbie and make sure we’ve got the usual spot for tonight. Were you gonna stay and watch Trudy’s class?”

“I don’t know.” He turned back to the big window. “She says it’s going well.”

“It is. Nichole says good things, and you know it’s harder than hell to drag a compliment out of that woman. Something about letting them connect with their pain in different ways. I ain’t smart enough to follow half of what she says, but if she says it works that’s good enough for me.”

“It’s about finding ways to express yourself without words.” Castillo thought back again to those high, humid mountains that seemed to occupy his mind more and more of late. “Words are imperfect vessels, and don’t always do what we want them to. Painting does whatever we want it to.” He shook his head. “I was never much of a painter. The power of words fascinates me…maybe too much according to an old Montagnard shaman I met outside Pleiku.”

“I went though there a few times during my second tour. Met that nutjob Alred there. And Maynard.” Sonny closed his eyes for a moment. “It looked like it might have been a pretty place once.”

“The old Nung warrior on my team said it was. He fought there with the French in the early ‘50s.”

“Yeah.” Sonny shook his head. “Funny how things like that hide in the back of your head and decide to crawl out years later. I thought I’d put Nam behind me.”

“You never do. Not experiences like that. They define a man, for good or bad.” Castillo kept looking out the window, imagining he could see figures moving in the manicured grass. He knew from experience it could be done…with the right people and the correct lighting.

“You know, Maynard said something like that once. It was about that freak Stone. He said the war covered him. I didn’t understand it then, but now…”

“You think he was right.”

“Yeah. Stone was never the most stable dude, and once you add in the drugs I’m amazed he functioned as long as he did. I hated seeing him. It always reminded me of what I might have turned into.”

“And that’s why you always avoided veterans’ centers.” It wasn’t a question.

“I guess, yeah. It was always safer for me to just be a cop, you know. Keep all that other stuff locked away somewhere.”

“Except it never stays locked up.” Castillo turned away from the window, locking eyes with his friend. It was a balancing act now: keeping Sonny focused on the future so he didn’t sense the moves Castillo would soon be making. He didn’t kid himself. Sonny had good instincts as a detective. “The past is always with us. But you also have to look to the future.” He let a thin smile show on his face. “How does Tower think the case against those lawyers will go?”

“We’ve got solid evidence from the auditors…”

Castillo only half-listened to Sonny going through the particulars of the case, putting in a question now and then to show he was listening and keep the man focused. But it also got him thinking. Ten million dollars was a lot of motivation, especially if you didn’t have that kind of money and were looking at jail time. One partner was already doing time on Federal charges, so that added to the mix.

But it didn’t feel right. Not completely. Ti Ti had shown him both Crockett and Tubbs in danger, and those lawyers had no reason to go after Tubbs. They didn’t really have a reason to go after Crockett directly, either. The dream made it feel personal, and so far the case was strictly business. He decided to do a little digging of his own as Sonny wrapped up the story.

“…so the short version is yeah, Tower thinks we’ll come out on top. Hell, I’d settle for those two bastards ending up disbarred and on the street. Anything we recover goes right back into the foundation, anyhow.”

Castillo made a show of looking at his watch. “I should go find Trudy. See if she wants some lunch before her class starts.”

“The cafeteria here does a hell of a job if you want to save some time.” Sonny smiled. “I gotta finish this damned update and then I was gonna wander down myself. Won’t be there long, though. Gary’s supposed to call after the hearing this morning and give me an update.”

[MrsCastillo]

I haven’t checked these boards in a very long time but I’m so glad I did because this Task Force series is so amazing! Seriously, I wish this had been season 6! The writing and dialogue are spot on and I am crazy about the couples, especially Trudy and Castillo. I had heard a rumor A long time ago that there were some plans for them to have a romance In season 4 that got scrapped. I always thought that was sad because they do make a great pair! 
cant wait to see more!

[Robbie C.]

Glad you're enjoying them! The Task Force is featured in a few of my stories, while others are set during the series run. If you check the first part of each story I tell you when it's set. There are also a few prequels...

[MrsCastillo]

21 minutes ago, Robbie C. said:

Glad you're enjoying them! The Task Force is featured in a few of my stories, while others are set during the series run. If you check the first part of each story I tell you when it's set. There are also a few prequels...

I read the task force stories in order (stayed up way too late a few nights because I couldn’t put them down! ) and each one is amazing!  Thanks for sharing your talent with us! 

[Robbie C.]

Again, glad you enjoyed them! It’s been fun writing them and it’s always good to see people enjoy them.