Everglades Escape

by Kathleen Tailer

  “Where are you taking us?” she asked cautiously, not sure what to make of him. She had misjudged him once and didn’t want to do so a second time.

  “You have a date with El Jefe,” he said in a firm tone. “My orders are to make sure you don’t keep him waiting.”

  “The man obviously doesn’t care about you,” Theo told him roughly. “He just ordered the others to shoot down the helicopter you were riding in. You could help us escape instead.”

  “I could,” Kilpatrick said with a laugh, “but then my life would be truly worthless. He would hunt me down if I helped you, or even if I tried to leave the cartel. Nobody leaves. Nobody alive anyway. It’s not something you can just walk away from.”

  “Remember, I’m a US Marshal,” Whitney said fervently in a tone she hoped only Kilpatrick and Theo could hear. She hadn’t forgotten about the other gunman who was about ten feet away, keeping a lookout. “We specialize in witness protection. You could testify and bring down the entire operation. Then you could start over again with a new name in a new location. I can make that happen. I work with a really good team of Marshals.”

  Kilpatrick paused as if considering her words, but then a flicker passed across his eyes and his determination returned. “Get in the boat—now.”

  Whitney obeyed, but she wasn’t ready to give up. She looked over at Theo and love swelled in her heart. They had survived so far. She refused to believe that their fate was sealed.

  She watched as he got on the boat, then tingled at his touch when he turned and helped her on board. He was such a wonderful man, filled with compassion and quiet strength. Their lives seemed to be on totally different paths, yet against all odds, they had found something remarkable in one another. But even if they could never be together, she would keep fighting and doing everything she could to help him survive, no matter what happened to her along the way. She silently hoped that once El Jefe was behind bars, Theo would return to medicine and continue to use his gift to help others, even if the love he professed for her never came to fruition.

  Once on the airboat, Kilpatrick pulled some zip ties out of his pocket, secured Theo’s wrists together and then tied Whitney’s. The guard kept his gun trained on them the entire time. Theo caught Whitney’s eye over Kilpatrick’s head as he worked and she winked at him, knowing that he understood there would definitely be another escape attempt, but for now they would bide their time. She prayed silently that they would actually have an opportunity to run. The chances seemed slimmer and slimmer with each passing moment.

  Kilpatrick motioned for them to sit. Once they were settled, he took the seat directly behind them. “In case you get any ideas, I’ll shoot first then ask questions.” Whitney turned to see his pistol pointed at their backs and then noticed him taking out his phone to make a call. He said hello and listened to the response. “Yeah, I’ve got them, and am heading your way.” He listened again, then hung up and stowed his phone.

  “El Jefe can’t wait to meet you.”

  “I’m looking forward to it myself,” Whitney said lightly.

  “You shouldn’t be,” Kilpatrick replied, his voice now resolute. “He wanted to kill you outright, but his lieutenants convinced him that you needed to be questioned first. He wants to know exactly what you know and how many others you’ve told about his operation.”

  “As if I’d volunteer that information,” she replied.

  “Volunteering has nothing to do with it,” Kilpatrick stated firmly. “El Jefe has perfected the fine art of torture. You’ll talk, all right, and so will your friend. By the end, you’ll be begging them to kill you.”

  Whitney ignored his taunt, but kept her voice low so the gunman who had slung his rifle to his back and was now starting up the boat couldn’t hear her. “There’s still time for you to change sides. You won’t last long in this organization. I’ve seen how El Jefe operates. If you make one mistake, you’re dead. Help us escape, and I can help you start a whole new life in witness protection. You’ll never have to worry about El Jefe ever again.”

  “It’s too late for me,” he said softly, and when they locked eyes, she could see that her words had tempted him. She wondered fleetingly what had made this man decide to join El Jefe in the first place. Kilpatrick seemed like a decent guy, but somewhere along the way, he had taken a wrong turn.

  “It’s never too late to do the right thing,” she responded.

  “Be quiet and turn around,” he said roughly. He nodded to the other gunman, who turned the boat and pulled it away from the helicopter.

  As the airboat skimmed across the wetlands, Whitney kept her eyes alert, watching everything around them. She saw several alligators, who were thankfully at a safe distance from the boat, as well as a variety of birds, and even two otters that were playing in the water. The thought hit her that if she was doing a boat tour, she would actually be enjoying herself, but the gun at her back made it clear that this was no pleasure cruise. She glanced over at Theo and her heart clenched. Was this their last day together? Would they both be dead in a matter of hours?

  At least she had contacted her team back in Tallahassee when the FWC officer had let her use the phone. Jake and Dominic were certainly already on their way down to the Miami office. The question was...would they arrive in time to help? She took solace in the fact that even if they didn’t arrive in time to find and save her and Theo, at least they knew why she had disappeared, and would continue the investigation into the heroin dealers, even after her death.

  The boat continued its journey along the waterway, skimming over plants and marshland as needed on their route to civilization. Airboats could go where most other boats couldn’t, so they were able to make good time across the Everglades since they weren’t forced to stick solely to the canals. A fine mist of water sprayed over them as they traveled, and the land still had an earthy smell left over from the storm.

  Whitney leaned back in her seat, her mind spinning as she planned their escape.

  * * *

  After an hour or so, the boat slowed and pulled into a U-shaped dock with a low roof. They were met by another man carrying an automatic rifle; he’d been pacing back and forth on the wooden planking.

  The driver turned off the motor, jumped out and tied off the boat, then turned to help the passengers get out since their hands were tied.

  Theo looked at Whitney, waiting for a signal of some sort. She was the expert—he was ready to follow her lead whenever she thought an escape was possible. He was fairly confident he could break out of the zip ties, now that she’d talked him through it and they’d actually done it back at the ranger station. But he was frustrated by the fact that every time they were able to arm themselves, the weapons were soon taken away from them. Whitney was good, but she couldn’t stop a bullet with her bare hands.

  He watched her now as her eyes assessed the situation. Despite everything, he didn’t regret professing his love. He had learned his lesson well after his wife and daughter’s death—he needed to express his feelings when he had the ability to do so. If he didn’t, life could end abruptly and he might not get a second opportunity. He made a short, silent plea for help to God, and a prayer of thankfulness. They might not survive the day, but at least he’d had a chance to bare his soul to Whitney before death claimed either one of them. He’d never expected to find love again—had in fact hidden from it by isolating himself on a deserted island—yet love had found him anyway.

  Slowly, Whitney had been weaving her way into his heart. She was so smart, so beautiful. And even though they had only known each other a short time, she completed him. That was all there was to it. Maybe he had been wrong to sequester himself after his wife’s death. But right or wrong, he was done looking back and had resolved to start looking forward instead. God had brought Whitney into his life for a reason, and he didn’t want to waste one more second without her.

  The gunman on the dock
kept his weapon aimed at Whitney and Theo as they got out of the boat and onto the dock. Kilpatrick followed, his gun also still pointed at the two of them from behind as they followed the lead gunman as directed. Theo didn’t want to give up, but he didn’t see how they would get out of this one. Counting Kilpatrick, they now had three armed men ready to kill them, and there were undoubtedly more drug dealers inside the building.

  Anxiety twisted in Theo’s gut as the gunman led them toward a small building that apparently served as a meeting place for groups wanting to charter an airboat ride. Designed for tourists, it had garish tropical designs on the walls and several picnic tables outside with brightly colored umbrellas over each one that helped protect prospective customers from the Florida sun. He even detected a lingering odor of fish and other fried food wafting over from the cafeteria area. There wasn’t a tourist in sight, however, but the parking lot did contain a sleek black limousine and two black Chevy SUVs. Apparently, El Jefe liked to travel in style.

  A man in a Coast Guard uniform approached them before they even made it into the building, and Theo read the name embroidered across his pocket as he stopped to address them. Baker was tall, equal in height to Theo, but his hair was a salt-and-pepper color instead of brown. There was a smug look of confidence that covered his features and made him seem unapproachable. His lips were thin, his chin was weak, and his skin was red and mottled, as if the man were an alcoholic.

  Was this guy the mysterious El Jefe? He didn’t appear to be the mastermind behind a huge drug cartel, yet looks could be deceiving. Theo looked him up and down, then frowned to himself when he noticed this man also had a pistol strapped to his side. Now they had four armed criminals, ready to kill them. The chance of escape seemed to dwindle even further.

  “So, we finally get to meet the infamous Captain Baker face to face—” Theo said, although his words were cut off by a jab from the butt of a rifle right between his shoulder blades. Pain shot down his back, but he kept on his feet and was able to make it up the few stairs to the porch where the man was standing.

  “You’re a hard man to track down, Theo Roberts.”

  “Ah, so you know my name. I was wondering if you had a clue who you were chasing.”

  “More than a clue, Doctor. You left one of my men alive on your island when you went for your little boat ride. It wasn’t too hard to put the clues together and figure out who was helping our Marshal friend.” He waved toward the door that led inside the building. “Won’t you join us?”

  This time both Theo and Whitney got a push from behind, and the two stumbled through the doorway together. Whitney had gotten the brunt of the blows and ended up on her knees as a result. Theo reached for her, despite his tied hands, and helped her awkwardly back to her feet. They turned and faced the room to find three more men, all well dressed, sitting at a long table. The man in the middle was wearing a dark suit, despite the tropical heat. He also wore an expensive tie pin and cuff links that gleamed with diamonds.

  Theo didn’t recognize the man, but Whitney did.

  “Well, if it isn’t Senator Pratt.” Her words got her a rifle butt from behind and Theo tried to bump the man with his body to protect her, all to no avail. For his trouble, Theo was rewarded with another jab from a different armed guard, but this hit caught his left shoulder blade and sent fire down his legs. He dropped to his knees but was quickly pulled up again by Kilpatrick and the other guard.

  Theo met the senator’s eyes, which were dark and malevolent. “El Jefe, I presume?”

  SEVENTEEN

  “Stop!” Whitney yelled as Theo received another hit for his words. This blow was to the side of his head, and bright red blood started to trickle down his neck as he fell to his knees. Whitney’s heart clenched. She loved this man and simply couldn’t bear to see him injured any further. Leaning toward Theo, she tried to block the aggressor. But the guard behind her pulled her away and held her arms tightly, keeping her a few feet away from the fray. She pulled at his grip, but was unable to break free. Then the guard yanked Theo to his feet, and took a step back once it looked like Theo would be able to stand upright on his own.

  Senator Pratt didn’t move, but the man on his left, who was wearing a gray suit, shifted on his chair. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, you will speak only when spoken to.” The man turned to Kilpatrick. “I understand that you let Ms. Johnson make a phone call to her office up in Tallahassee.”

  Kilpatrick’s eyebrows shot up and his skin paled beneath his tan. “I didn’t have anything to do with it. The FWC officer on the scene arranged it...”

  “You didn’t prevent it,” the man continued.

  “It was out of my hands,” Kilpatrick said, his tone taking on a defensive but careful tone. “There was nothing I could do to stop it.”

  Senator Pratt frowned. “I find that hard to believe, and because of your carelessness, we now have even more Marshals investigating our operations. That is unacceptable. Your services are no longer required.”

  He nodded to Lopez, the man sitting on Pratt’s right who Whitney remembered from that day on the boat when she had first seen him remove his hood. Lopez had cleaned himself up and was also wearing a suit, but he still stunk of cigar smoke and alcohol. The two made eye contact and Pratt’s voice was commanding. “Find out how much they revealed, then take care of them all.” He pushed back from the table and started to stand. Lopez stood next.

  Whitney continued to pull against the guard’s grip and he finally released her. She sent a silent look over to Theo then locked eyes with Kilpatrick and made a slight motion with her head. Faced with certain death, Kilpatrick had suddenly changed sides. It was clearly evident in his features. He gave a slight nod in response and suddenly everything seemed to start moving in slow motion.

  She raised her hands and then brought them down roughly, breaking the zip tie. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theo do the same. Once she was free, she immediately reached for the gun that Kilpatrick had taken from her earlier and stowed in his waistband. He gave no resistance and she pulled it free and aimed it immediately at Lopez.

  Senator Pratt might be the leader of the organization, but Lopez seemed to be in charge of the muscle and intimidation end of the business, so she felt he was the biggest threat in the room. Her finger released the safety on the trigger and she fired and hit Lopez square in the chest. He took two steps back and fell backward, dropping the gun he had already taken from his holster as he landed hard on the floor. Her second shot hit the man in the gray suit, who also toppled to his knees, then fell face-forward as the life left his eyes and his gun clattered harmlessly on the ground. She immediately aimed at Senator Pratt, but he was able to get out the door and escape outside before she could get off a clean shot.

  Whitney instantly turned and assessed the other gunmen. Her third shot hit one of the armed guards, right as he was aiming at Theo. The henchman managed to get off a shot, but the bullet went wild as Theo ducked and crouched against the floor, unharmed. The man dropped his weapon and slowly sank to his knees, then he fell forward, blood seeping from a wound in his chest.

  She heard gunfire behind her and turned just in time to see the second guard aiming at her. A gun went off again and she flinched but then suddenly realized she hadn’t been hit. Instead, the guard that had been aiming at her took a step as a shot hit his shoulder. Then he fell back against the wall as Kilpatrick’s second shot hit him in the chest. She took a deep breath as she realized that Kilpatrick had just saved her life. If he hadn’t fired, the guard would have gotten her for sure. She nodded at him in thanks, then both of them aimed their weapons at the boat pilot who had dropped his pistol and put up his hands.

  “Please don’t shoot!” he yelled. “I’m unarmed. I don’t want to die!”

  “Watch him,” Whitney order Kilpatrick, who already had his gun trained on the man. Kilpatrick nodded, and Whitney had little doubt that he woul
d do as she’d asked. After hearing Senator Pratt order his death, she was sure Kilpatrick would now have no trouble deciding to enter the witness protection program and testify about all he knew. She hoped it was enough to bring down the drug cartel for good.

  She glanced around the room and, seeing it empty of any remaining heroin dealers, hurried over to Theo, who had backed up against the wall in a sitting position. She squatted in front of him and gently touched his face near the wound on his head. “Are you okay?” Their eyes locked and she was glad to see the love and support shining back at her.

  “I’m fine, but Baker and Pratt escaped. Baker went out the back door.” He motioned with his right hand, then gingerly touched his skin near his head wound, testing it for pain. “What about you?”

  “I’m good,” she confirmed. “I’m going after them. Will you stay in here?”

  “Yes. But please be careful, okay? Arresting those men is not worth your life.”

  She nodded at his words. “I love you,” she said softly and then leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be back.”

  Whitney suddenly heard the airboat that they’d come in on starting up. She ran down to the dock as fast as she could, while also seeking cover along the way so she wouldn’t be a target to the two men that had escaped. Baker was at the helm of the watercraft; he had untied the boat from the dock and was just about to pull away.

  She used one of the boathouse’s support poles as protection and yelled over to Baker. “Federal Marshal! Drop your weapon and turn off that boat motor!”

  Baker responded by turning and firing at Whitney. One shot went wild. The second hit the pole where she was hiding about a foot above her head. She waited a moment until Baker turned his attention back to the boat, then moved from behind the pole, aimed and fired two shots in quick succession. Both shots hit her target center mass. Baker fell back, dead, just as the boat was starting to pull away from the dock. The motor slowed then idled as the gas flow dwindled. The airboat floated innocuously into the nearby brush and stopped just a few feet away.