The Devil's Syndicate

by Chris Draper

  “Kill the bastards!” Etaro yelled. “We should go over to their headquarters right now and finish what they started.”

  Byron held up his hand for silence again and spoke. “We'll get them back all right, but not like that. Everyone go back to bed, I have some thinking to do.”

  A few Syndicate groaned, feeding off the fresh adrenaline and craving some action. But they knew he was right and sauntered off to their bunks. There was no way they would be able to attack the El Hombrez at that moment. It was almost 4 AM and the roads through the Glades would take an hour to traverse before they even got to the highway.

  After the rest of the Syndicate left, Randall and Byron sat down on the couch and Randall asked Byron what he thought.

  “I think some heads are gonna roll.” Byron said. “You sure this was the El Hombrez?”

  “Dead certain.” Randall said. “It was Morello and his crew, I'd know them anywhere.”

  Byron sat there with his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. He was pushing a fist into an open palm, thinking. He knew what had to be done, maybe even knew it all along but didn't realize it until it became necessary. It didn't matter anymore if the El Hombrez wanted to start a war with the Devil's Syndicate. He had something bigger and better in mind that would wipe Martinez and his gang from the face of the planet.

  12

  Simon Hawk woke with a start when he heard someone yelling outside and the first thought that came to him: Crocodiles...Clyde...move!

  He shot up from the floor, threw on his boots and rushed outside the cave wide awake. It was daylight now and a fog had swept over the forest, concealing anything ahead of him in a heavy shroud. He called out Clyde's name and heard him yell again from about 100-feet ahead. Hawk pushed forward through the foliage and fog towards his voice, took out his knife from the ankle holster and moved silently but quickly towards where he heard Clyde call from.

  He saw a clearing in the trees up ahead, heard some activity just behind it, then edged slowly toward the opening, keeping his vision set ahead for any sign of movement. When he reached the opening he paused for a second, counted to three in his head, then rushed through the trees and saw Clyde standing by the airboat and also saw what he was yelling at.

  There was no crocodile. In fact there wasn't even a cause for alarm. Clyde was merely calling for help to release the boat from the tree stump it was anchored to. He saw Hawk with the knife in his hand and started laughing, then Hawk shook his head, relaxed and put the knife back in the ankle sheath.

  “Next time you yell like that I hope you have a good reason.” Hawk said coming over to help him. “You had me scared for a second.”

  “Nice to know you have my back.” Clyde said, still chuckling. “I guess I should have came to get you from the cave, but my feet are sinking in this muck here and I wanted to get the airboat out before it sinks any further and me with it.”

  Hawk looked down and saw the rain from the night before had caked around the hull of the boat which was gradually sinking in the wet mud. Clyde finished removing the rope from the tree stump and then Hawk helped him gently ease the boat away from the shore by pulling on the back frame inch by inch. It was tedious work and the day was already getting hot but after about 20 minutes they got the airboat back into a place in the lake where it would be safe to start it.

  Clyde wiped a hand over his brow. “Thanks for the help, I usually wouldn't dock it so close to land but the storm yesterday was so bad I didn't want it getting away from us either.”

  “My pleasure.” Hawk said sarcastically cleaning the muck from his hands off in the lake's water. “Got any other surprises for me today?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Clyde said. “I figure we should pack up our stuff and get heading out soon before the day gets too hot. We're about 30 miles out from Imokalee now and I hope we can get there within the next 4 hours.”

  “This friend of yours, how do you know he'll be there when we arrive?” Hawk asked as they treaded back towards the cave to pack up their belongings.

  “I don't.” Clyde said. “My friend Abji comes and goes as he pleases, but if he isn't there when we arrive he'll be there at some point during the day. He always returns home by dinner to be with his family.”

  “Uh-huh. Good to know.”

  They finished packing up their gear then boarded the boat and headed back out onto the lake. The wind had died down from the night before but the sky was still a dark blanket hanging overhead and Hawk kept his rain jacket on. Clyde said he could feel it in the air that the storm was still lingering around somewhere and that they should make tracks quickly before the rains came back.

  The lake was still with the occasional sound of a far off bird chirping or the dipping sound of creatures surfacing and sinking in the dark waters. Hawk noticed the cicadas hadn't started up their chorus yet and wiped himself down with a towel from his pack. His hair felt dirty, like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks and he felt gross from sleeping in his clothes. He regretted not bringing an extra change of shorts but couldn't fit anything else in his already stuffed duffel bag.

  The morning was humid and he knew it would be a long day. He now had only a few days left to find Dottie Wagner before the exchange with the kidnappers, which meant that if he was wrong and she wasn't here, then this could also be the end of his career as a professional bounty hunter. He thought of the implications. A rich millionaire's daughter gets murdered by kidnappers because a bounty hunter had a hunch she was somewhere where she wasn't. That wouldn't look very good in the news.

  He hadn't expected this to be a rescue mission after all – Wagner had hired him to find his daughter. He was thrown into this situation by chance and reacted to it the best way he knew how – by trusting his extinct and following a deep intuition about things the same way he always had. He still had a feeling Dottie was trapped somewhere out here in this massive expanse of land. Maybe she even knew he was coming; maybe she didn't. Regardless it didn't matter anyway. In a few days he would either be a great hero or a colossal failure.

  He sat back on the boat, tried to think of something else and as usual his thoughts went back to Helen. But that too made him worry – what if he failed the mission and Wagner withdrew his offer to help her? Wagner was a man of his word though so he doubted that would happen, but still the fear was there somewhere. If for some reason he did fail this assignment it wouldn't be the bad publicity that would eat away at him; hell it wouldn't even be the fact that someone had died because of his bad decision although that would bother him too. No, it would be how he had failed Helen. That's what would get to him the most. He thought about these things awhile longer until Clyde put a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts.

  “We're getting into some rough country up ahead.” Clyde said. “Hang on to the rails cause it might get a little bumpy.”

  And he was right because less than a minute later the airboat was tossed about a heavy current in the water like a beach ball. Several times Hawk saw the edge of the boat come dangerously close to scrapping some rocks nearby and he held his breath; but each time Clyde was able to miraculously keep the boat on a steady course and manoeuvre around the currents.

  They went a bit further like this until the current subsided and Clyde eased up on the speed a little, his face soaked in sweat.

  Hawk asked, “Need any help driving this thing?”

  “No no, I couldn't let anyone else drive it, it's my baby after all.” Clyde said patting the steering wheel. “But thanks for the offer. You look worried about something. Was it those currents back there? They'll do that to a man.”

  “No nothing like that. I guess I just want to get where we're going as soon as possible.”

  “Rest assured we'll get there alright.” Clyde said with a smile. “And hopefully Abji will have some good news for us.”

  “I hope so.” Hawk said. “I'm counting on it.”

  They went on that way for another three hours and Hawk noticed the Lake was becoming mor
e curved, like a giant snake weaving its way through an unceasing wilderness. It smelled different too, or maybe his scent had become more acclimatized to the surroundings. When they'd first started out he'd only noticed the smell of mud blended with wet grass; but now as they were quite deep into the Everglades he picked up on new scents as well. Clyde remarked that these were the smells of the flora and fauna, the peat that provided sustenance for turtles and other creatures; the scents of brackish water converging with salt water in a crosscurrent of canals; the scents of the red and white mangrove trees that stuck out amongst the greenery as they skirted past. Clyde told him that the ancient Seminoles had called the smell in these parts Pa-hay-okee meaning 'Grassy Water'. It was the life and provider of the Everglades they said, to which everything flowed from and began. Clyde told him that the waters came down as far away as Lake Okeechobee in the south and stretched all the way out to Florida Bay. After another half an hour of steady riding Clyde slowed down the boat, nodded up ahead in the distance at some shacks built above the side of the lake on some wooden platforms. As they got closer Hawk could see the shacks appeared to be built upon cypress stilts and some even had flue chimneys on the rooftops. This tiny village in the middle of the wetlands was unlike anything he'd seen before and it took his breath away for a moment.

  “We're almost there. This is Imokalee – a place where the Miccosukee live. We'll park the boat over on that dock there – Abji's shack is just 5 minutes away.” Clyde said noticing Hawk's fascination. “It's beautiful in a way isn't it?”

  “Yes...very. I can't believe people still live this way in our day and age.”

  “People would be amazed at what they'd find if they tried venturing off the beaten path once in awhile. This place has been here for over two hundred years.”

  “I believe you.” Hawk said. “I hope it stands for two hundred more.”

  “Met too.”

  Clyde steered right and nosed the boat between two wooden docks near a small hut on the shore. As they stepped off the boat an Indian as red as the sun came out of the shack nearby with his shirt off, said something to Clyde in a language that Hawk didn't understand, then came up to Clyde and shook his hand. Hawk watched as they both spoke for a moment and then Clyde introduced Hawk to the man.

  “This is my friend Ruma, he's good friends with Abji. He doesn't speak any English though, only Mikasuki.” Clyde said looking between the two of them. “I told him we're on a journey to find someone and we need to speak to Abji right away. He says that Abji should be up at his house.”

  The Indian shook Hawk's hand and smiled. His grip was firm and his smile genuine and warm and Hawk noticed his teeth were in poor condition. He couldn't guess the man's age but thought he looked to be in his 60's and also noticed he had some slight muscle around his abdomen and chest that showed a life of hard work in the forests.

  “Glad to know you.” Hawk said smiling then looked back at Clyde, “So what's the plan now?”

  “The plan is we go and see Abji just a few houses down, ask him what he knows and if he knows something than great. If he doesn't know anything then I suppose we go and look in the Big Cypress area to see what we can find ourselves. But let's hope for the best.”

  “Right.”

  They headed down to a wooden shack located at the edge of the village surrounded by a few large mangroves. There was an old wooden porch on the shack with some stairs leading up to the front door with a dirt road leading down to the main path. As they walked Hawk saw several buttressed trunks protruding from the swampland nearby and asked Clyde about them.

  “The Miccosukee make a living off the land.” He said. “They plant trees until they grow large, then chop them down and use them to build their homes. These people haven't changed their way of life much since coming here hundreds of years ago. They're a proud people who are proud of their heritage.”

  “Where did you learn to speak their language?”

  “After being in these parts as long as I have you get to know certain people and things, but most of what I know I learned from Abji. He's one of the oldest in the village.”

  They walked up to the front door and Hawk saw Indian crafts hanging in the windows with price tags on them including carpets, clothing and several pairs of water moccasins. They stepped inside and a bell rang above the door. A beautiful dark-haired woman emerged with aquiline features and startling dark eyes. She spoke good English and smiled when she saw Clyde.

  “Clyde! It has been a few months since we've seen you around.” She said. “Bring us some more alligator hide this time?”

  “No I'm afraid not this time sweetheart. We're actually here on a little business.” Clyde said. “You see my friend here is looking for someone and we think your father might be able to help us.”

  “Oh?” The woman said and eyed Hawk curiously. It was easy to get lost in those large eyes of hers. “I'm afraid Abji stepped out for a few minutes to visit a friend but he should be back anytime. Would you like to come in the back for a bit? I'm sure the girls would all love to see you.”

  Clyde nodded and the woman led the way to a back room where a few older woman sat around knitting various pieces of clothing. A few small children were bumping along the floor and looked up when they came in. The scent of flowers and incense clung to the room and the old wooden floors creaked underneath the additional weight of the extra visitors. Two of the older women stood up and spoke to Clyde in their language and Hawk thought they were asking Clyde how he'd been. Clyde said something and both of the older women looked at Hawk and nodded, then Clyde said. “They've invited us to sit down and have lunch with them. I know you're in a hurry to get going but if we decline they could see it as an insult.”

  “Okay, but only until Abji gets here.” Hawk said. “I want to get going as soon as we can.”

  Hawk and Clyde sat down behind a large oak table and the older women brought over a soup that Hawk thought tasted like a blend of seaweed and salty water. He thanked them for their hospitality but thought the soup made his stomach turn inside out. Next the women brought over some bread and honey which they both devoured within seconds. Hawk realized he hadn't much to eat that day and the solid food filled him up. Lastly a plate of red beans was served with salad. Hawk was impressed by the simplicity of the people here, how they lived off the land and how they appreciated what nature had provided them.

  He thanked the women and told Clyde he had to step outside for a minute, then went back out to the porch, checked the time on his phone. It was now 4 in the afternoon and they'd been there an hour already with still no sign of Abji. He began to worry and paced nervously on the porch. He checked his phone again and saw he had a single bar of service. He remembered he wanted to ask Wagner something and tried his number. He heard a faint ringing on the other end and moved his position on the porch until the service got a little better. Wagner picked up on the fifth ring.

  “Simon! I'm so glad to hear from you.” Wagner sounded tired. “I've been worried sick since the last time we spoke. Please tell me you have some news.”

  “I'm afraid not yet but I should know something soon. I'm in a small village in the Everglades now and picked up some service. We're going in to see if we can find her today.”

  “Oh I'm very glad. I haven't been able to get any sleep since getting a call from those, those vermin...”

  “Have they called you back since?”

  “No, I even had my office phone linked to my cellphone but no one has called back since the other day.”

  Hawk paused, then said, “Listen, I don't want to worry you but I was thinking about something. Are you prepared to give them what they want if I can't find her?”

  “Yes I have the money secured in a safety deposit box. I will withdraw it tomorrow and prepare to meet with the kidnappers if I don't hear from you first. I'm in Miami now, staying at the Hilton by the airport.”

  “Good, I think you should show up to the exchange regardless of what happens. I can't say what I'm
going to find out here but think we should be prepared for all scenarios.”

  “Yes,” Wagner took a breath. “I've tried to prepare myself mentally for the worst, although I pray to God no harm will come to Dottie. When I first got the call from the kidnappers I thought perhaps, if even for a second, that it would be best to remove you from the case.”

  “And what changed your mind?”

  “Justice.” Wagner said. “I want these men found no matter what happens. The amount of stress they've caused me cannot even be described. There was one other thing too I wanted to tell you, if you have an extra minute to talk.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I mentioned your wife's situation to a good friend of mine who is in town, a Dr. Chang, and he has agreed to meet you when you get back to see what can be done for your wife. You'll have to trust me when I say that Dr. Chang is the very best in his profession.”

  Hawk was still listening to what Wagner was saying when he spotted an old man approaching the shack from the road. He was stick thin, walked with a stoop and had steel grey hair and wore a shabby pair of tousled trousers with a grey shirt. He guessed it was Clyde's friend Abji.

  “Hey that is really great news,” Hawk said into the phone watching the man come closer. “I can't wait to meet this Doctor Chang, I have to go now though but I'll get back to you as soon as I can with any news."

  “Okay take care for now Simon and be careful.”

  Hawk put the phone back in his pocket and went inside to fetch Clyde. He came out a minute later with Hawk, saw the old man crossing the front lawn, went over and placed an arm around the man and they looked like old friends catching up as they walked up to the porch together.

  “Simon, this is my good friend Abji. His English is poor but is mind is very bright.”

  Hawk nodded at Abji who looked thinner, more diminutive up close. He was about 5'4'' and looked like skin and bone, Hawk guessed his age to be around 80. He said something in Mikasuki to Clyde, then sat down in a straw chair on the porch and motioned for Clyde and Hawk to sit down on two worn straw chairs across from him. One of the old women came out whom Hawk thought was Abji's wife by the way they looked at each other. She gave them each a cup filled with liquid. Hawk smelled it and a putrid aroma bit at his nostrils – it was moonshine, or possibly some variant of it. Hawk took a sip and had to force it down his throat. Abji and Clyde had already finished their glass and were speaking in Mikasuki, each gesticulating wildly with their hands to make up for words the other might not understand. Hawk tried to keep up with the conversation but frequently had to ask Clyde what Abji was saying.