Smoke Reactivated

by Cherry Laska

  “Damn, you look hot.” He shook his head. “Later. What’s the plan?”

  Jessica quickly explained what she was doing while she grabbed some yoga pants, a t-shirt, and her sneakers. She got dressed while Joe called the team to put them into action.

  When he hung up, he said, “We’ll be in cars around town. Keep us updated and direct us as much as possible.”

  The fastest way to get to the park in the middle of South Beach on a Saturday night was on foot. Joe handed Jessica her phone. He’d started walking directions to the park for her. She took off running. She’d have to push herself to her max to make it on time.

  57

  JESSICA MADE IT TO THE park with ninety seconds to spare. She had her hands on the back of her head trying to catch her breath when she heard the rotors beating the air. They landed just long enough for her to jump in the back and get strapped in. They quickly lifted off and went almost straight up until they had enough altitude to clear the hotels. The pilot nosed it over to get out over the water as fast as possible. Adam turned around and gave her a smile and a nod. He handed her a headset so she could communicate with him and the pilot. He was very considerate and also gave her a bottle of water.

  “Jessica Whitley, this is Sam Ford.”

  “Sam, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for letting me ride along.”

  “Uh-huh. We’re breaking about thirteen regulations, and I have no idea who the hell you are or what agency you’re associated with, but Adam vouched for you, so that’s good enough for me. Don’t make me regret it.” Sam was being nice, but he was also putting Jessica on notice.

  Adam asked, “So, what can you tell me about who you are trying to catch?”

  She had to share something with these guys so they’d understand why this was so critical.

  “This is top secret, so I’ll deny I told you. I know you are aware of the consequences of discussing what I’m about to tell you with anyone, so don’t. I’m working with an agency investigating an impending terrorist attack on the U.S. by at least one Iranian. We have reason to believe this suspect arranged to smuggle chemicals into the country through Cuba. The situation is critical. Of course, you’ll never get credit for your help, but you’ll have my appreciation as well as that of the others I’m working with. They can be good friends to have.”

  “Oh, we’re used to no credit,” Sam said.

  “Let’s get these bastards,” Adam agreed and manipulated the settings on the electronics.

  “Is there a way for me to communicate with my guys on the ground?” Jessica asked.

  “I can hook you up with one number. What’s a good one?” She gave him Joe’s. That would be good. He’d be able to keep everyone on their team connected. Adam did a few turns of the dials. When it was set, he gave her a nod.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Shark, this is Smoke. We’re headed out over the water to intercept targets.”

  “Roger. We’re in four cars moving into position to cover Ocean Drive from top to bottom.”

  Adam was eyeing Jessica suspiciously. He’d always been skeptical about her unit assignment. He said, “Didn’t know you were working VIP again.” He let it sit for a moment before proceeding. “We have multiple targets with similar signatures that could be our suspect. I’ve eliminated all the rafts and handmade converted boats. We’re going to do fly-bys to check out the viables, and we’re coordinating with the Coast Guard for water support. They can chase down just about anything in the water.” Adam pointed toward an equipment bag. “You’ll find some high-powered, night vision binoculars in there.The budget and equipment for Customs is augmented by what we confiscate from the bad guys. It has to be for it to be a fair fight. The drug runners have all kinds of money to buy the best of the best.”

  Sam cut in, “Coming up on the first target. Jessica, make sure you’re strapped in.”

  “Roger,” she said.

  “Don’t worry about her.” Adam told him, “She’s fully licensed and rated in anything you can fly and a lot of things you can’t, old man. She was number one in our flight class, and you know how great I am.”

  “Very impressive. Much respect then.” Sam dropped them down to just above the water to come in low and fast. This would let them get closer before the people on the boat could spot the Customs chopper. “Half a mile,” Sam called.

  They were flying just above the water. The waves were almost hitting the skids. They came up on the stern of the first targeted boat and flew within ten feet over its top.

  Adam identified it. “That boat is registered out of Miami. They look like they’re out here partying.”

  He radioed to one of the Coast Guard crews to intercept them. Sam flew around again and announced over the loud speaker to the people on the boat that they were about to cross from international waters into United States waters. The boat slowed but did not turn around. A Coast Guard cutter was closing in on them fast. The boat’s captain shut off its engines. Sam hovered, and they watched as the boat complied with the Coast Guard, who swiftly boarded the boat and began their search. Adam radioed down. He’d been right. The passengers were intoxicated, had gone out too far from shore and accidentally crossed the line into international waters.

  Jessica updated Joe they were moving on to the next target, five miles south. Her adrenaline was pumping. As serious as the situation was, it was a rush, and she was having a blast. This definitely was more exciting than organizing another ball for Anderson’s clients and more fun than preparing snacks for the kids’ sports teams. A few minutes later, Sam announced they were coming up on the next target. This one was already within the U.S. twelve nautical miles territorial sea. When they saw the boat, a Coast Guard crew had already boarded them and had everyone under guard while they conducted a search.

  The Coast Guard skipper’s voice came through the headset, “Looks clean. We didn’t find anything. No drugs, contraband, weapons, or people hiding. Just some couples out having a good time. I’m writing them a citation for not having the adequate number of life vests and letting them go.”

  “Roger,” Adam answered. Sam plotted the next intercept course to the next vessel three miles back toward the north. The signature on the radar was moving slowly. The boat seemed to be casually making its way toward shore. Jessica radioed Joe. Sam motioned to the screen. The next target was getting close to the center. The helicopter came to a hover and while Adam hailed the boat over the external loudspeaker. They abruptly rolled hard to the right and gained altitude to get out of range.

  “Son of a bitch is shooting at us, and there he goes. He’s taking off,” Sam said as he pursued the boat, making erratic maneuvers so they’d be a more difficult target.

  Adam was in radio contact with the Coast Guard. “The nearest intercept boat is too far away. We aren’t going to catch these guys before they hit land. They’re hauling ass. Fuck. I’ll call local police. You update your team.”

  “Shark, you’re on. A boat is coming ashore—hot—near the Delano Hotel south of 17th Street. MDPD is being notified. The boat is within half a mile of the shore.”

  Joe patched everyone on the line. “I’m three blocks south. Headed that way at a crawl.” He sounded amped for the chase and irked by the traffic.

  Alejandro had been given the call sign Val for the old-fashion romantic ways he held in common with the first big screen Latin lover, Rudolf Valentino. He totally embraced it and referred to himself in the third person—“Traffic is terrible here, too. Val is five blocks south.”

  “This is Wolf. I’m closer.” Mark paused while he figured out his position. He’d been given his call sign because he looked like the all-American boy, was as helpful as a boy scout, as sweet as a choirboy, but was more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His targets never knew what was coming until it was too late. “I’m two blocks north.”

  “Uh, this is Doc.” Marshall’s code name was for his likeness to Doctor Emmitt Brown from Back to the Future. He was a similarly brilliant
and somewhat scattered, clumsy inventor. “My location is six blocks north. I’m not moving at all,” Marshall said.

  Joe gave the order for everyone to converge on the point as quickly as possible. It was going to be tough. Their cars weren’t equipped with lights and sirens to make people get out of their way. Traffic was impossible everywhere. It was just a typical Saturday night on South Beach.

  Jessica reported, “They’re close to the shore. Three guys just jumped out, and the boat is turning back out to sea. The guys are on the beach in front of the Delano and are running in different directions.” She was using the night vision goggles. “Be advised, one suspect is carrying a large duffle bag and backpack. The other two just have backpacks. Whoa.” Jessica wasn’t expecting the sudden hard bank to the left. “What are you doing? Where are you going? Sam, stay with the guys on the beach.”

  “Sorry. No can do,” Adam explained. “Our primary assignment is to follow the guy with the boat.”

  “Shark, we’re in pursuit of the boat. Suspects last seen running for the buildings near landing point.” Her words were cut out by the sound of the Blackhawk firing at the boat and its engine subsequently exploding. “Woo-hoo! Nice hit.” The rear of the boat was smoking badly. The boat was clearly disabled. Coast Guard cutters were now in sight. Sam banked back to the right toward the shore. Jessica told the team that they were back in pursuit of the runners again.

  “Listen to this.” Adam flicked a switch and a police report came over the radio.

  “A suspect dressed in black and carrying a large duffle threw a man off his motorcycle and drove off. He’s headed toward the MacArthur Causeway.”

  “That’s our guy. Let’s go,” Jessica said.

  Sam nosed it over, and they soon spotted the suspect weaving in and out of standstill traffic. There was no way anyone in a car would be able to follow him. “Stay with him, Sam, please. It’s critical.”

  “You got it, but I hate to tell you I’m watching an oil pressure problem and picking up a vibration. Seems we took a hit.”

  The motorcycle was flying toward the causeway drawbridge, which had just started to rise to let boats pass. Jessica knew from living in Florida that once the process of raising the bridge started, it couldn’t be stopped. It risked boats crashing into the bridge.

  “We might have him on the causeway bridge,” she reported to Joe. Her excitement was short-lived as she watched the guy on the bike accelerate and jump the slight gap. “Unbelievable. The suspect made it across and is on the other side of the causeway.” “That bridge will be up for twenty minutes or so,” Adam said. “Your team on the ground is toast.”

  Jessica swore under her breath then passed on the bad news. Joe told her to stay with him then told Alejandro to get to the bridge and be ready to cross as soon as it came back down and that he was heading there too.

  “Doc, you’re too far away. Find out where they are taking the boat and go check it out. See what you can learn.”

  “Wolf, check the Strip for the other runners and monitor police channels. With any luck MDPD will eventually pick up the on-foot suspects. Everyone, stay safe and stay in communication.”

  Adam, Sam, and Jessica followed the suspect inland toward the Everglades. She could feel the vibrations getting worse and knew they were in danger of having to set down. Sam and Adam were working hard in the cockpit to make adjustments but there was only so much they could do. “I can buy you about another ten minutes tops. We’ll stay on him until then. After that, we’ll have to set down, and you’ll have to follow him on land.”

  “Thanks, Adam. Is Miami-Dade PD still on him?”

  “Yeah, but he’s blowing them away. There’s a festival on the beach side. Most of the force was allocated there. We’re trying to get another chopper engaged.”

  They were following this guy along the highway, and he was getting closer and closer to the swamps. Jessica said, “He’s running out of land. He’s either got to go north or south, or he risks being stuck on the Tamiami Trail.”They both laughed. They’d had plenty of time chasing bad guys trying to hide in the massive waterlogged area. “What?” She asked and joined in with a hesitant laugh. “Tell me what’s so funny.”

  “Uh, he’s got another option. He just might head out in the swamps. That’s a big area, and there’re a lot of places to hide or get away.” She immediately stopped laughing.

  “Crap.” Jessica had spent some time in the Everglades during a special mini-ranger course and then again on a not-so-fun mission. She was not a fan of the swamp and all the creatures that lived in it, especially the ones with big teeth. She was willing the suspect to turn. “Make the turn,” she said through clenched teeth. “Make the turn, you asshole. Make the turn.” When he blew by the entrances to the Palmetto Expressway and then the Florida Turnpike, she knew it was going to get ugly. Double crap.

  “Shark, the suspect is on the Tamiami Trail. We’re experiencing mechanical problems and will have to set down soon. I’ll pursue on land.” She muttered to herself, “Hopefully on land.”

  “Roger, we’re still waiting for the bridge to lower.”

  58

  IT WAS HARD TO HEAR over the increasingly loud, abnormal engine noises. As the PIC, Sam pushed it as long as he could until he was forced to make the tough decision.

  “This is getting too risky. We’re out of time. I’ve got to land us.”

  They lucked out because right after Sam said that, the guy they were chasing zipped into a little parking lot. Jessica caught a break, sort of. Seeing the business sign, her stomach filled with dread. It read, Airboat Rides.

  “I’m coming with you,” Adam said. “Sam will stay with the helicopter. He’ll update your team and notify the MDPD of the situation.”

  Jessica didn’t argue. She was glad for the backup. The second the skids touched down, they jumped out and took off running in the direction of the docks where they could hear the suspect firing up an airboat. He had enough of a lead on them to pull away before Jessica got by the structure that was blocking her line of fire to take a shot and ideally taking out the boat’s engine, but she would have settled for putting a slug in the guy’s head.

  When Jessica and Adam rounded the corner, they found two other airboats in the water. Unfortunately, after hearing one of his airboats take off, a burly, tattooed, shaved-head man came barreling out of a dilapidated building carrying a bat, looking to stop the thieves. Jessica and Adam kept running.

  Adam flashed his badge and screamed over his shoulder at the scary looking swamp man, “Official United States business. We’re commandeering your airboat.”

  Jessica didn’t know if the guy didn’t hear them over his own rant or if the guy just didn’t care because he kept coming. Jessica jumped on the airboat and climbed in the driver’s seat. Adam was starting the engine when the swamp man reached the boat and was swinging for a home run with his Louisville Slugger. Adam ducked just in time. The bat swished over his head by a fraction of an inch and made contact with something near the motor. Jessica rolled the throttle and pulled away from the dock as the swamp man’s weight carried him forward into the water. He came up yelling and cursing, but Jessica and Adam were safely away.

  “That guy is crazy and pissed. Will Sam be okay?” Jessica shouted.

  “Oh, yeah. Sam can handle him. He’s a tough S.O.B.”

  Jessica focused her attention on chasing down the airboat ahead of them. The guy was speeding with the throttle wide open down the channel. He started zigzagging. Jessica was doing her best to keep up with him, but he had a pretty good head start, and his airboat seemed to have more power than theirs. It was hard to see him in the pitch black swamp. Clouds obscured the stars and sliver of a moon. After a few minutes, Adam tugged on her arm and pointed to the problem. Thick, black liquid was spraying from one of the engine’s connectors. The baseball bat had done some damage. The engine started sputtering, and they started losing speed, letting the suspect put more distance between them. Adam took off his ja
cket and tried to wrap it around the hose to stop the oil leak.

  “Come on,” Jessica shouted at the universe. Today was not her day. “I really don’t want him to get away, and I really, really, don’t want to get stuck out hereee— ” The universe answered back. The engine seized, throwing Jessica and Adam violently forward.

  “Ahhh,” Adam screamed. He’d been standing up trying to stop the oil leak and almost went into the water. He barely managed to hold on. He ended up sitting on the bottom of the boat with half his body and one leg dangling over the edge of the boat. He grimaced. “That was close.”

  “Oh man. Your leg is bleeding pretty badly.” There was blood all over the side of the boat too. Adam was gingerly pulling his leg back in the boat when Jessica saw two glowing circles getting closer. Through the panic she felt like her brain was spasming and finally managed to spit out, “Look out!” A huge alligator lunged, knocking into the boat. It rocked them hard causing the airboat to teeter. They came close to tipping, but settled back down. Jessica saw more sets of glowing circles surrounding them. She couldn’t help herself and let out a blood-curdling scream. “I hate alligators. I hate them.”

  “Shit.” Adam yelled. “There are a lot of those fuckers out there.”

  “Shit. Shit,” Jessica agreed.

  Another one or the same one—who could tell, they all look alike—knocked into the boat again. Jessica took out her Browning and fired. Adam saw what she was doing. He got his gun out of his holster and took aim. They were still coming and Jessica was empty. She spotted a flare gun. The big one was charging.

  Adam whispered, “Oh, yeah. Wait for him. Wait for him.”

  She fired. There was an explosive noise and an intense light, momentarily blinding them. Jessica threw her arm across her eyes. When her vision recovered, she was psyched. The charging gator’s head was glowing red from the flare that was embedded in it. That seemed to scare the rest of the gators off as well.