by Tom Haase
He made calls to Sam and Roberto to set the time to get together for a planning session later the same day. When they both arrived at Chuck’s warehouse at eight, he brought them up to date on the calls with the AG’s representative and with the police captain. He asked Sam to contact Qing to ask her to do one more thing for them. He wanted her to send a text message to all the dealers she had identified to come to the motor home and then to post a separate text to the distributors that the boat was under attack and needed them to come at once.
Chuck spread out a small-scale map of the Thunderbolt area while Sam talked to Qing. Roberto proceeded to the fridge and took out three beers and set them on the table next to the map.
“Okay, Qing is on board after her usual reluctance to do things for us and has prepared the two text messages you wanted for transmission on my call. They will both originate from the cell of the Bahamian leader who has the name Kareem with his second-in-command named Jalen according to the info she was able to glean from the phone calls and the records at the NSA. She didn’t have a last name for them. Seem they only go by those names, or have done so for many years. The records in the Bahamas are not the best and even the law there doesn’t have more information on these two,” Sam said.
“Sam and I talked earlier, and we switched out the men he had at the boatyard with my men. Didn’t want them to see the same faces for two days in a row,” Roberto said.
Chuck nodded agreement.
“This should be easier than last time. Far less bad guys, and no concrete barriers or stairways. You should like that Roberto,” Chuck said referring to Roberto being wounded in the assault up the stairs in their last operation.
“Muy bueno,” Roberto responded.
“We need ten men for the operation,” Chuck said.
“What do you have in mind?” Sam said.
Chuck pointed at the map on the table. He turned it so they could all see where he was looking.
“I plan to station one man on each side of the approach to the boat from the street. Located approximately here and here.” He pointed to the specific locations on the map.
“My men will cover those,” Roberto said. “And we’ll have two SUVs ready to block the street, as a precaution.”
“Then I will place two snipers located here on the bank.” He pointed out the places he wanted the men with sniper weapons located. “They will be the ones to take out the two guards on deck. The ones we saw there.”
“You know, it would be better to use us Native Americans for that task. I’ll have myself and another excellent shot. We’ll drop the guards without firing a round. That will also give me an overview of the whole scene. We’ll have automatic weapons with us if needed.”
Chuck knew what he meant–bows and arrows.
“So that leaves six for the assault, four of Sam’s men plus Chuck and me,” Roberto said. “This time I want to be in the lead. I promise I won’t get shot.”
They all laughed.
“Okay, you got it,” Chuck said. “I will be standing on the dock as you and your men go aboard. That way I can cover your rear and react to any situation that might come up unexpectedly.”
“Sounds like a good plan, and we’ll have the element of surprise on our side. The two of us with bows will watch it go down and provide any firepower that might be needed off the boat. Combine that with a little shock and awe, and nobody stands in our way,” Sam said.
“Remember, we’re trying to take these guys alive. If they have the drugs on board they intend to distribute, we’d have a big win. We’ll call the police from a burner to come out after we finish. Only shoot if they shoot first. You guys must be gone before the cops get there.”
“Who gets all the glory?” Sam asked.
“Same as last time,” Roberto said.
“You got that right. Same as last time. None of us get anything, and I want to keep it that way.”
They high fived and agreed to be ready at ten the next night.
“If we go late, there shouldn’t be any civilian casualties, the place will be dead then, and the guards will be bored out of their minds on the boat in that quiet place. Until tomorrow.” Chuck escorted them to the door.
50
After Roberto and Sam departed, Chuck took a glass and poured himself a drink—bourbon on the rocks. He took it over to his couch in the living room and started to sit. At that moment, a knock came on the front door. This surprised him, but he thought Sam or Roberto might have forgotten something. He walked over, opened the door, and stared in amazement at the gorgeous figure of Emma standing there.
“Can I come in?” she said.
“Please, what can I get you to drink?”
“Whatever you are having will do fine,” she said.
He fixed the drink and delivered it to her on the sofa.
“Now tell me what the hell you are doing?”
“I don’t follow,” he said.
“McGregor you can’t lie for shit.” She clinked glasses with him and took a sip, savored it a few seconds, and gave him the “I got your number” smile.
He watched her pat the seat on the cushion beside her, indicating for him to sit there. He moved to the chair directly facing her to better watch her and where he could find out why she had come to visit him. He had told her everything he wanted to on the phone, and he chose to keep it that way for now.
“What do you mean? I called and informed you of all the details I know about the Bahamian gang.”
“You didn’t tell me you knew the names of the leaders of that gang for starters.”
She focused her eyes on him with an intensity he could almost feel. How in the hell did she find out? Qing had only informed them a short time ago. Then it hit him.
“You called your old college roommate, Qing, didn’t you?”
She didn’t answer but gave him a mischievous grin. She finished her drunk in two gulps. “Any chance of another?”
Chuck became aware something was happening here. He must be on guard. She sought something. He thought he knew what it was. The last time Emma had assisted his team in the operation against the sex traffickers, she missed out on the planning and the assault he had conducted on the headquarters of the organization. She was here to ensure that didn’t happen again.
“You pumped her for what she was doing to help us in the drug gang thing. You know we are trying to help you and the captain. I want you to stay clear of what I might or might not do. You need to stick with the police like last time. That way you get to take the appropriate legal action against the ones the police arrest.”
He got up and walked to the kitchen to fix her another drink. She grabbed his hand as he passed by the sofa and kissed it. He returned to his chair after sitting his drink on the table beside the couch.
“What are you after?” he asked. He wanted her to be specific. She might be planning to have the legal action prepared in advance and need to know that information in order to take action as one possibility. He realized she might think he would do something he didn’t want her to have even an inkling about. Already she had learned too much information from Qing. He had made a mistake in not remembering the strong bond between the two old college roommates. By her presence here she wanted him to fill her in with all the details.
Deep down he believed she was planning something. Her devious methods, the kiss on the hand, the drinks and the unexpected visit, now made perfect sense to him. She was, without doubt, scheming, and it wouldn’t be good for him, but what? Nothing came to his mind.
“How do you like the almost finished product of my interior designing of your warehouse?” She failed to answer his query and then attempted to change the subject.
“It’s great, and you did a marvelous job. Now, tell me, what the hell do you want? And no, you’re not going with me.” He cut her off before she asked.
“Patience,” she said and rose from the couch and moved over to his chair. She bent, exposing her full cleavage for his view and gentl
y kissed him. She waited a few seconds after she withdrew her lips and reached behind his head with her right hand and pulled his head forward to meet her mouth.
This time, Chuck experienced a passionate kiss, and her tongue explored the inside of his mouth. He felt his resolve gradually disappear, and he pulled her down, her legs straddling his legs. Their lips stayed glued together while her legs spread wide to rest outside his.
She moved her head back for a moment, looked into his eyes, and moved his hands to explore her breasts. She could read his rising passion.
“That’s more like it,” she said as she opened the blouse while his hands roamed over her. She stripped the blouse off and reached behind herself to unhook her bra.
Chuck viewed the two large brown nipples on her firm breasts, and she cupped one as she pushed it to his mouth.
“You like this?” she smiled.
He did and let her unbutton his shirt.
He understood he would pay for this later. She would want to be privy to all the details of his operation to take down the drug lords and would want to be part of it, but right now….
51
When the sun rose, he fixed coffee and scrambled two eggs apiece over toast for their breakfast. He heard her taking a shower upstairs. The smooth brown skin of her face radiated reflected beauty caused by the early morning rays streaming in through the front windows as she descended the staircase. She arrived in a full-length bathrobe, and her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
“I guess we are more than friends again,” she said while picking up the already poured cup of coffee from the counter.
“Yes, but I don’t want to go much beyond that at this time. Now, don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed last night. I’m not ready for any commitments right now. Okay?”
“No problem, because neither am I. We are good friends and colleagues in the fight against crime. I have no problem with that. We can keep it that way and see what the future holds.” She moved behind him and kissed the back of his neck. “As long as there are a few extra benefits,” she moved on to sit at the dining room table.
Chuck smiled at and nodded his head. “I guess.”
“Now, as colleagues, I need to know what you are planning to do.”
He knew this was coming and expected it. Before she descended the stairs he had decided what to do. If successful in his attempt at a small deception to his new “colleague,” he would keep as much as he thought he could get away with from her.
“I’ll tell you what we will do. If you promise not to inform anyone, not even the captain.”
“I promise. This’ll give me time to get certain legal things accomplished so when you do hit the gang I’ll be ready to take criminal actions against them. We want convictions with ironclad evidence. I believe you can give us that.”
“We have the names and addresses of the dealers the Bahamian gang use here in Savannah. The actual leaders, the names you got from Qing, are somewhere in the metro area. If you get all the dealers in one raid, will that give you what you want?” He didn’t lie, but he didn’t reveal the whole truth. Lawyers weren’t the only ones skilled in such things.
“Not everything, but it will have to do until you find the leaders.” She scrunched her jaws together and didn’t look pleased with his answer.
“We know there’s supposed to be a resupply of drugs to that gang sometime soon, but we don’t have any more info on it. I told the captain what I know and will keep you both advised of anything more I learn about the shipment. Will you do the same?”
“That’s something I can do. This has been fun, but I have to mosey on out of here and back to work. I’ll work to find out everything dealing with that shipment. We’ll lean on all the snitches here in town, and maybe we can get something.”
“How are you going to get all the dealers in one place?” She looked at him, waiting for a reply.
“Have a great day, and I’ll see you later.” He walked toward the door. On reaching it, he turned. “Lock the door behind you when you leave.” As she left, he closed the door.
In the car, he called Qing and asked her to reconfirm all the contact information.
“I have a little request. If Emma calls you, I need you not to be there. We plan on moving tonight, and I don’t want her there. It will be dangerous, and her legal skills are not what will be called for when we engage those guys.”
“I can do that for one day.”
“I need to give the police the name and the location to gather up the dealers. Can you send a text for the dealers to come to a specific location to get their new delivery at eleven tonight? Reconfirm to the police the exact locations of those dealers at nine-thirty.”
“No problem.”
“That way I can have the police busy there while we handle the leaders.”
“Keep Sam safe. He’s always been the one who wants to lead the charge. He’s still a friend, and I don’t want to see him hurt.”
Chuck could tell she spoke those words with emotion and sincerity.
“We’ll all be safe and thanks.” He wanted to say more, but that could come later after they took care of the Nassau gang and made sure none of the dealers remained active in Savannah.
He drove to Thunderbolt and did a drive-by of the location they planned to hit later. This would also allow Emma time to leave his place. He didn’t want her around when they implemented his plan to attack the boat. The men on the boat, if alerted in any way of the attack, were trained killers and would resist with lethal force any effort to take them down. She shouldn’t be with him tonight.
Deep down, he hoped they would use lethal force against him and his people. They had to fire first so he could react to their actions as self-defense on his part. At least that sounded good until first contact. Then all the planning in the world usually spiraled into the wastebasket, or as he used to say in the Army, shit happens.
52
Chuck, along with Sam’s Seminole Indians and Roberto’s Cubans, arrived in Thunderbolt at ten forty-five that night and went to their pre-designated spots. The weather, a balmy seventy-two, had a light easterly breeze floating across the river. The sky was clear with only stars sprinkled in the firmament. Sam left his vehicles in the Tubby Restaurant parking lot. Roberto used the space near the Tortilla Grille to get his vehicles off River Road. He positioned his men to cover both entrances to River Road off US 80 highway. He ordered two men to move to positions two hundred meters apart on the road where they took up their positions as lookouts.
Chuck received a text message from Qing informing him Kareem, read Qing, had sent a message to his distributors to be at his location at eleven tonight because the resupply truck would arrive tonight. She realized a ringing of a cell phone wouldn’t be a good thing so she used text to convey the information.
Each group moved to their specified assembly places without detection. The other two men Roberto had brought along stayed one in each vehicle. They could drive the SUV’s out into the street from their hide locations and block entry or exit onto US 80 at the nearest intersection.
In the parking lot at the Tubby’s Restaurant, Sam assembled his men. He and another Seminole grabbed their bow and arrows and they proceeded to the stairs leading down to the dock. The tide was out, and the floating dock had sunk seven or eight feet lower than where it stood at high tide.
Sam indicated where he wanted his companion with the bow and arrows positioned. He had the other four remain in one spot at the top of the steps until Chuck arrived. At that time he would move down the hill to take his firing position. Sam and his other bowman had already decided which target each would take out on the boat when the assault started. Sam would take out the one on the right and his companion the one on the left as they faced the boat.
Chuck waved at Roberto walking on the road toward the steps leading to the river and went over to join him. As they started down the steps, Sam caught up with them and declared his men in position and prepared.
�
�My other archer and I will be ready in less than thirty seconds from the time you lead these men to the bottom of the steps. Will we start the show at precisely eleven?”
Chuck nodded, and they synced by looking at their iPhones to confirm they all had the same time.
“Okay, good luck,” Chuck said as he raised his arm and indicated he wanted forward movement by the assault group. Glancing at his phone, the clock on it showed one minute to eleven. He held up his hand. They all stopped halfway down the steps.
Chuck looked at the two men on the vessel and noticed they had observed the approach of his group. They didn’t seem worried, or they assumed the men were from another boat tied up farther along the dock. To allay any fears those men might have, Chuck started singing in a loud voice mimicking a drunken person returning to the dock. In a second, two of his band started to sing with him.
Chuck rechecked his phone–eleven–it was time to act.
Without warning, from up on the riverbank, a multitude of flashing red and blue police lights turned on, a siren blasted, and a loudspeaker ordered everyone to stand still. Police vehicles started to move onto the street and to block it off at both ends.
“What the hell is going on?” two of his Indian companions demanded.
“I don’t know. No cops are supposed to be here. We got a SNAFU.” They had all served in the military and understood what SNAFU stood for, Situation Normal All Fucked Up.
The men on the boat’s deck raised their weapons and unleashed automatic fire on where Chuck and his group reached after they continued down to the floating dock. The guard on the boat must have assumed they were part of a police raid.
