In the Blink of An Eye

by Jerry Baggett

  Hunt chuckled. “You’re not pissing on my boots, are you, Sheriff? Let me think about that for a minute.”

  Both men had a short laugh. “He said it was going to take a week to get the smell out of his office. His patients had to be spread out to other docs and some were referred to the hospital in Long Beach.”

  “That sounds like something Harvey Marino would do. He’s out to get Peyton’s nurse, Samantha Brooks, and her friend, Commander Dick McGowin. He also wants Grant Davis. We have Grant tucked away out of harm. You already know about everything that’s been going on with those three.”

  “That’s our thinking, also. One of the deputies in Long Beach screwed up at that Target fiasco, or we may have had an apprehension.”

  “So I’m told, Sheriff. We have Marino and Hempel on the run. It’s a matter of time, now, until they stumble and we close in. We’ve made so many arrests of low-level dealers working out of his clubs, they’re on the verge of collapse. Placing cuffs on addicts and pushers in and around the premises makes his clientele nervous.”

  “It’s understandable, Kevin. You’re obviously gathering additional evidence every day from those arrests. This Bahama Island money laundering could be the break you’ve been looking for.”

  Hunt was quiet for a moment. “There’s a high probability Marino will attempt to flee through the Bahamas or Mexico. We know he has contacts in several countries in our hemisphere, maybe even beyond. We’re getting alerts out across the entire area.”

  “The outcome’s pretty much predictable. You’ll net the big fish pretty soon and end this thing.”

  “Yeah. Let’s talk about those three civilians for a moment, Sheriff. All three have been tremendous in their efforts to assist our investigation. I would consider it a personal favor if you’d ask your deputies to keep an eye out for strangers on the island. Marino has hired thugs on their trail wherever they seem to go. It’s a small island and I can’t have our people there without special justification.”

  “The locals here think highly of Samantha. There’s something else on my mind, Kevin. The shooting, out on East Hamilton Road. Where Marino’s hired toughs caught up with McGowin and Brooks. Apparently, the shooters never lost sight of those two and fired multiple shots into their car from an automatic weapon, driving them off the road and into a fish pond. A bad slip-up for law enforcement. I question McGowin’s story. He claims he shot the shooter through the head with his 9mm handgun. A handgun against a combat weapon. That doesn’t seem credible to me.”

  Hunt said, “You don’t believe him? I do. His record shows remarkable skill with weapons. He’s an ex-combat marine officer, with special training. He served in combat as a marine before becoming a fighter pilot.”

  Chapter 40

  “Boss, you should buy a lotto ticket.” Margie waved a fax copy in front of Hunt. “Looks like your investment paid off. You gotta see this to believe it. Look at the names next to those account numbers.”

  He looked at the paper, then back at his assistant. “This could be better than the jackpot, if it pans out. We’d better move carefully with it. There’s big money involved and people we care about. The two males have millions in their account, the nurse, only fifty thousand dollars. This information came to us too easy. It has my antenna quivering.”

  He scratched his chin and looked back and forth between Margie and the fax. “I’m taking this to the top. Get the Atlanta office on the phone. I want an agent sent to the Bahamas for a first-hand look at the official paperwork on these accounts. After that, get on the phone with the Bahamian bank and let them know we’re flying our agent out today and we expect full cooperation, regarding those account numbers. We can’t wait on this one. If they give you any trouble tell them all we’re looking for is verification of ID. Let them know we’ll turn it over to the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI if they don’t cooperate. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to have them work with us.” He slapped the desk with his hand. “I don’t believe the nurse is really involved in this. The dollars involved are minimal, compared to the other two. The doctor checked out clean, but the damned amount of money involved makes the evidence more credible. No one would put up that kind of money for a false trail.”

  Margie stared at him. “You do know that we have information about a nurse being hooked up with the distribution of prescription drugs in the area, as well as a medical doctor. That came out of the prison, through Grant Davis. He feels it’s all very credible.”

  “I’m not questioning that. It smells like a walnut shell shuffle of some kind. Some credible evidence may be given, along with a red herring, to divert attention away from something or someone else. They’re feeling the heat. My grandmother used to say, ‘if it gets too hot in the kitchen, even the cockroaches have to leave for a while’. We’ll need to keep an eye on the doctor, just in case he turns out to be one of the rats leaving the sinking ship. We can wait for our man to get back with information from the Bahamas before taking further action. If our nurse is involved, I’ll be surprised.”

  “Well, she does work there, you know.”

  Hunt pulled out a desk drawer and propped his feet up. “We’re under direct orders, remember? Our main priority is finding and arresting Harvey Marino and Hans Hempel. Let’s concentrate on that. I’ve a feeling ol’ Harvey’s still in the area. Those clubs are too valuable to be abandoned without a fight. Hempel’s another matter. He has no strings tying him down around here. He could be anywhere.”

  Margie said, “Boss! Don’t forget about the total wipeout of Hempel’s brothers by Dick McGowin. Hempel ain’t going anywhere until he settles a few scores. I’d bet the farm on that. Hempel’s lying back in the weeds, waiting for another crack at McGowin and Samantha Brooks.”

  “Oh, yeah. If he finds those two, he’ll kill them both.”

  Chapter 41

  “Marino’s more like a member of the board in some big corporation,” Hunt said, waving the pointer. “We know he’s not the absolute authority in the drug empire. Our priority now is finding out who’s pulling the strings behind Marino and his empire. We know he owns the clubs. He uses them as a support system for a separate organization that controls most of the drug activity along the eastern seaboard and some on the west coast. The drugs are flooding in from China, South America, and Mexico to be distributed by Marino’s people.”

  Hunt walked away from the blackboard. “This is our ninth meeting as a task force. You’ve heard our priorities before. Most of the real authority’s out of our reach in Mexico, but someone inside the USA drives the bus. Whoever this man is, he’s not intimidated by law enforcement. He mostly avoids attacking federal agents, not so with local enforcement people. Even an occasional journalist has been known to catch his attention, so be on your toes.”

  He blanked on things for a moment. “One more thing, before you return to the field, we just missed that bastard, Hempel. The sheriff’s department in Georgia failed to follow up on an APB report in a timely manner. Also, we now know local law enforcement’s in the pocket of the man running things. Someone keeps him well informed of our progress. A page out of the old-time mafia’s handbook.”

  Hunt waved his hand dismissively again. “The APB on Marino and Hampel resulted in a hit, more or less after the fact. Hempel’s size gave him away. At six-six, three-fifty, folks remembered him. We received a report of a bar fight and killing in a rural area about sixty miles west of Statesboro, Georgia, a little more than twelve hours ago. A big man, fitting Hempel’s description, including the missing left earlobe, got drunk and attacked another man on the dance floor. He broke in on the dance, shoved the man away and dragged the woman outside without saying a word.”

  He responded to someone’s question. “You might make note of this. The boyfriend followed, demanding her release. Hampel turned and stabbed the man in the eye with an icepick. He pulled it out of a flat leather case hanging down the hollow of his back, just below his collar. The man died immediately. Witnesses said no one the
re had ever seen the big man before, or the other tall thin man with him. Both men sat at a table, drinking and swearing loudly for a couple of hours before the incident. A very good description of Hans Hempel and his brother. Hempel’s the person previously known to us as Big Ugly.”

  He stared at the group of men. “He didn’t kill for the woman. He killed because he was mad as hell. If he’d been looking for a fight, he would have fought in the bar. He wants to kill. Chances are he would have killed the woman next if the bartender hadn’t walked outside with a shotgun.” Hunt continued. “You’ve all read the report on the incident where Hempel’s brother was killed after fatally abusing our undercover informant from one of Marino’s clubs. He’s on a killing rampage and you already know Commander Dick McGowin and nurse Samantha Brooks are in his cross hairs. Our job now is to help save their lives.”

  He tapped his closed hand on his chest. “Keep what you know close to your vest. People have died getting this information to us. With the dominos falling as they are, desperation may drive Marino or the unknown man at the top to do stupid things. Just remember, everyone’s a target.” He picked up his cane and tapped the desk with it. “We can settle the issue quickly. Find Marino and Hampel and bring them in before more killings take place.”

  Chapter 42

  “I’ll be in the Mobile, Alabama, DEA office for a couple of days. Get your butts in here. It’s important,” Hunt said. “You’re still in that rural hotel, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Andalusia, Alabama. We’re over a hundred miles away, tired and kinda beat up. Do we have to rush right down?”

  “Put your phone on speaker and answer a few questions for me. Then we’ll see if you need to make the trip.

  “Samantha,” Hunt said. “Answer truthfully. Do you, or have you ever had an offshore bank account in the Bahamas?”

  “That’s a definite no, Agent Hunt! Until now, I’ve never had enough money for a decent bank balance here at home, much less one out of the country. Why do you ask?”

  “Do you know if Doctor Peyton has an offshore account in the Bahamas?”

  She said, “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be a surprise. He’s a very wealthy man.”

  “How do you know that, Samantha?”

  She hesitated, with eyes on Dick. “Doctor Peyton attempted to influence my decision to end our relationship by showing me some of his investments. He claimed to be worth millions. I was impressed but that didn’t influence my decision. I’ve never had much, but I’ve never been that insecure, either.”

  “How well do you know Doctor Peyton’s nurse, Angel Mendoza?”

  “We’ve worked together for as long as I’ve been there. She went to part time after I started. She’s very bright and a fine nurse. I think she’s about ready to retire.”

  Hunt cleared his throat. “You’re aware our investigation into methamphetamine sales. It’s far reaching. A great many people in the medical field have been looked at, including you, Doctor Peyton and nurse Angel Mendoza. Did you or Commander McGowin know that Angel Mendoza held the long-term lease on the McGowin ranch near Andalusia, Alabama, part of the family trust?”

  “That’s hard to believe, Agent Hunt. Not in a million years would I have guessed that. She never mentioned it once, nor has Doctor Peyton, if he’s even aware of it.”

  Dick said, “I’ve met Angel, even had lunch with her and Sam together. Why would she hide that from her friends?”

  Hunt said, “According to your trust attorneys, Angel terminated her lease, effective at the end of the month. You didn’t know that, Commander?”

  “We had no idea who held the lease. We stopped by for a look at the property, a few days ago, and decided not to disturb the leaser because we couldn’t contact them by phone. I think it’s time for a visit to that ranch house.”

  “I won’t try to stop you from visiting your property, but we may ask for a search warrant after our investigation’s completed. We’ve surveyed the property by air recently. Give me a call when you get there. I’d prefer you not disturb anything until after our visit.”

  “You’ve got my curiosity up now, Agent Hunt. We’re going to head back there tomorrow, after a little rest.”

  Dick walked back to the car. “The gate’s locked. I don’t understand. There are no cattle loose inside the ranch compound and the gate was unlocked before. Maybe they left the premises early. The phone number given isn’t answering again.” He pointed at Sam’s phone. “You have Angel’s number. Give it a try.”

  She looked up. “Her number’s no longer in service. It’s time to call Agent Hunt again,” she said.

  Dick leaned against the car and stared at the house and buildings in the distance. “There doesn’t appear to be anyone around the buildings. Go ahead and call Hunt. No, wait! You have Doctor Peyton’s cell number. Call him first. Maybe he has another number for Angel.”

  Samantha said, “I can’t believe this. His number’s dead too. What do you think’s going on?”

  “Go ahead and call Hunt. Maybe he has some ideas. I don’t like this sudden disappearing act everyone’s pulling. Hunt’s on to more than he’s sharing with us.”

  “I had a hunch you’d find the gate secured,” Hunt said. “I suggest you drive away and wait for our search warrant. We won’t have it before tomorrow. Information we’ve been gathering all year’s coming together in meaningful bits and pieces. I believe you know the risk you’ll be taking if you enter without assistance from law enforcement.”

  Dick said, “I checked the chain on the gate. It can be breached without much of a problem. As representative of the property owner, I feel a need to make sure the buildings are safe and secure from damage by vandals after the leaser vacated the premises. We wouldn’t like having another house burn on trust property.”

  “That’s your call but consider this,” Hunt said. “The gate may be locked to protect someone inside, rather than to keep someone out.”

  “I get what you’re saying,” Dick said. “We’ll have a quick look around and leave. We have the local sheriff’s number if we need it. Thanks for your advice.”

  “Give me a call after you’ve seen what you want to see.”

  Samantha said, “We can wait, don’t you think? I’m afraid of what we may find in there.”

  Dick kicked the gate hard, at the point where the rusted weld attached the chain to the gate frame. The chain dropped away and the gate swung away under its own momentum. He handed her the Glock. “Keep this in your jacket pocket with your finger above the trigger, once we’re out of the car. Remember everything I said before. Shoot to kill if you know there’s a threat to either one of us. Don’t threaten, just shoot. You’ll recognize a threat if it comes.

  “We don’t need to enter the house. We’ll drive around the barns and some of the smaller outbuildings first. If we see something out of place, we’ll investigate without going inside. If everything seems quiet and normal, we’ll leave.” He wedged the gate closed and drove toward the out buildings.

  “Wait, Dick! That barn door’s standing wide open. Something’s going on. There appears to have been a lot of activity around here recently. Should we have a look?”

  Dick stopped the car in front of the door. “There’s a couple of vehicles inside. That warrants a quick look. Stand behind me with the Glock. Keep it hidden until it’s needed.”

  He inched closer, turned and motioned for her to join him. He leaned in her direction to whisper. “There’s a man tied to a support post in-between the vehicles. He’s motionless, probably dead.”

  She looked past Dick, then cupped her hand to her mouth. “It’s Steven,” she whispered. “I have to see if we can help him. What could he be doing here?”

  He pulled her back. “No! Stay here. I’ll see if he has a pulse. Keep your hand on the Glock.”

  She watched Dick shake his head from side to side. “We should leave. Now! Dick, please?”

  Harvey Marino stepped out of the shadows with a gun in his hand. “Well, well.
My two favorite targets. That old well behind the house here has room for everybody, no pun intended. How did you two get wind of this place?”

  Dick said, “You have to be Marino. The attorneys for the family trust received notice of abandonment of the lease. As an agent for the trust, I felt a need to check on the property. Why are you here?”

  “You don’t need to know that. You should know, however, that I’ve as much right to be on this property as any McGowin. I was born on this land. My family was here before the land was ever claimed by the trust.”

  He lined the gun up on Dick. “It’s all over now, for both of you. Do you have any last words?”

  Chapter 43

  Dick stepped several feet away from Samantha, holding Marino’s attention. Samantha pulled the Glock out of her pocket in one smooth motion, steadied it with her left hand, and fired twice, hitting Marino, center mass, from close range. Marino’s gun fell to the ground. He placed both hands over the entrance wound and stared at her. “I should’ve made sure you were dead while you were lying in bed, next to your mother.”

  “This is the man that killed your mother and arranged to have your father killed,” Dick said.

  Blood filled Marino’s mouth. His eyes remained fixed on Samantha. He coughed once and fell to his knees, then onto his side. She passed the Glock to Dick and buried her face against his chest. Dick pocketed the Glock, and punched up the number for the sheriff’s department. Before he could raise the phone to his ear, strong arms tightened around his shoulders. He dropped the phone, inhaled deeply, and slammed his shoe heel down hard on the man’s instep. He cupped his fist in one hand, slammed an elbow into the rib cage, followed up with a second blow to the same spot, twisting away out of reach.