by Tom Heaven
“Look in your vest pocket.”
As Dan pulled out a locator chip, he said, “Wow, you were really being vigilant.”
“You should know by now that I’ll always have your back, boss.”
“Benji, Give me your phone!”
Dan took the phone and immediately dialed the number for “La Gendarme.”
When Frank answered, Dan said, “Frank, get everyone out of there right now! Sweeney is on his way, and I don’t know if he will be using an automatic rifle or a bomb, but he intends to kill as many of my friends as possible. You, and the security team posted around the perimeter, should set up an ambush… and Frank,”
“Yeah?”
“Put the bastard down!”
“You got it boss.”
Chapter 84
The first thing Dan and Annika did was stop at a hospital emergency room where they had the baby checked and the burns on their hands dressed. The E.R. doctor did a sonogram and assured them that everything was fine.
When they finally arrived home, Dan asked Benji to stay with Annika. He told them to lock all the doors and turn on the perimeter security. He then hopped in the Porsche and sped off to La Gendarme at a speed to be expected from a police detective in a hurry.
The street in front of the restaurant was blocked by police officers and their vehicles. Frank was out in front talking to the chief who waved Dan over as soon as his car came to a screeching halt.
The chief asked Dan, “Where have you been? Everyone was enjoying themselves while waiting for you and the bride, when Frank went into panic mode, evacuating the restaurant and setting up an ambush for The Assassin. Sweeny arrived with an AR 15, equipped with a bump stock, and blasted hell out of the front of the place. The son of a bitch escaped, in spite of our trap.”
Dan said, “What! How the hell did he manage that?”
“He lobbed in four or five smoke grenades before he started firing. The explosions blew out the windows and he just kept firing at the building. We couldn’t pinpoint his location and couldn’t shoot blindly into the smoke for fear of hitting civilians. Luckily, no one was hurt since you called for an evacuation in time. He had no idea that no one was inside. Where were you anyway?”
“He had Annika and me tied up in an old theater up in Escondido. We were wired to a generator and were just about to get electrocuted when Benji rode in on his white horse to save the day. I knew Sweeney was heading down here, so I called Frank to warn you as soon as we were free.”
“Okay, let’s put out a BOLO on him and start tracking highway safety cameras. Alert airport security, the bus terminals and Amtrack. Since he created such a ruckus here, we should go ahead and let the media know what is going on. I’ll hold a press conference this afternoon. If we get everyone in the city looking for him, he won’t get far.”
Chapter 85
Later, Annika said to Dan, “I’m glad we made it through the wedding before getting kidnapped. Now I can officially say I have the best husband in the world!”
He took her by the shoulders, pulled her in tight, and hugged her close.
“Thanks, honey. I don’t know about that, but I am certainly pleased with my strong, brave, compassionate wife.”
After Benji had made them dinner and cleaned the kitchen, Dan asked him, “How long do you think it will take to repair ‘Le Gendarme’.”
“Not long Boss. About a week, I’d say. We just need to replace some broken windows and repair all the bullet holes in the walls. We were damn lucky there were no civilian casualties or major damage.”
In bed that night, Dan and Annika resumed their discussion about his career and raising children. He used the day’s events to support his argument that he should quit the force and she told him that she could see his enthusiasm for his job growing as they closed in on The Assassin.
“Honey, I just know that if you give up hunting murderers you are going to be miserable. Please, just focus on catching this psycho, then we will talk about this some more.”
“Alright Anna, how about after we put him away, you and I take a vacation and go somewhere to clear our minds while we think it over.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She kissed him goodnight and rolled over. After the day they just had, neither one of them had the energy for any physical expression of their love. They could consummate their marriage tomorrow.
Chapter 86
After morning brief the next day, Bonnie and Jerry were canvassing local restaurants and hotels using a picture compiled by a sketch artist from Dan’s description. Meanwhile, Dan and Frank were going over some security video footage they had obtained from those same establishments. The Assassin had to eat and sleep somewhere, and they guessed that it wouldn’t be at fast food joints or the cheaper hotels in town. They narrowed their search by just checking the fancier hotels and bistros. After two hours of staring at the video screen they were both becoming mind numb. Suddenly Dan said, “Wait a minute Frank. We know this scumbag seems to know about our every move. He must be stalking us. Let’s check the tapes from where we hang out.”
They both said at once, “Poki’s”
They quickly dug through all the videos they had requested and there were two lots from Poki’s, one for the dining room and cashier’s area, and one for the parking lot.
While screening these tapes Frank said, “Geez, Dan. It looks likes Poki’s owes its livelihood to Central Division’s cops. There are always more of our guys in there than civilians.”
“Except… Hold it! Rewind the tape a little. I think I just saw him. There! See, there are Bonnie and Jerry sitting at our usual table talking. Behind him is a short guy sitting at the counter. As Bonnie and Jer get up and leave, he turns toward them, and you can see his face. See the deformed nose. I’ll never forget that face. That is The Assassin.
Okay, let’s look at the parking lot tapes. We’ll look for the time stamp for a few minutes after he gets up from his chair.”
Two tapes later, they saw The Assassin walking toward his car, a red Ferrari 458 Italia.
Dan said, “Pause the tape and see if we can enlarge the plate number… There! DLQ451”
Frank said, “I’ll get that plate number out to update the BOLO”
“After you do that, let’s take a break and stroll over to Poki’s for a cup of coffee. You never know who might be there.”
Unfortunately, the only other customers in the restaurant were a couple uniformed officers taking an afternoon break as well.
Chapter 87
Later that afternoon, Dan, Annika and Benji were talking about the chaotic wedding day. Dan was just about to thank Benji again for saving his and Annika’s lives when his phone rang.
It was chief Gates. “Dan, get on the road and head for Temecula. Our suspect has been seen on North bound 15 at Mira Mesa Boulevard. The patrol car that spotted him gave chase but was quickly outdistanced by that red Ferrari. By the time we had patrols trying to intercept at Escondido, he had passed them as well. Maybe you can catch up in your Porsche if he stops for any reason. We will get a chase bird in the air to help keep him in your sights.”
“Got it chief, I am on my way.”
Dan got up from the table, kissed Annika good-bye and ran out to the garage. He quickly put his flashing blue light, with the magnetic base, on the roof. He then jumped into his car, turned on his police radio, and sped out onto Crown Point Drive heading for the 15 North. It was one o’clock, so the rush hour traffic had not yet started.
By the time he got to the 15, the radio barked, “Chase one, calling pursuit vehicle, come in.”
Dan responded with, “This is Dan Carter in the pursuit vehicle, go ahead Chase one.”
“Okay Dan, we have picked up the target vehicle moving north. He took the 215 split out of Temecula and still proceeding north. He has slowed to keep pace with the surrounding traffic
.
What is the make and color of your vehicle, so we can get eyes on you when you come into our visual range?”
“I am in a black Porsche spider. I’ll continue to go as fast as traffic allows, so you should be able to recognize me. Just look for the damn fool weaving his way between the other cars on the road.”
“Roger that, Dan, I will let you know when we have you in sight.”
The radio was silent as he pushed the accelerator whenever the road was clear ahead and slowed when he had to look for a gap between cars to move into a faster moving lane.
He barely slowed when he made the turn from the 215 onto the 10 East at Colton. Traffic slowed somewhat at the 210 North, but he was able to use the paved shoulder to pass it and turn on to the CA 330 where it was smooth sailing at close to one hundred m.p.h. until the curving roadway forced him to slow down. His tires screamed at him, but he continued skirting the edge of certain death at least twenty m.p.h. above the recommended safe speed posted on the yellow signs. He planned his turns of the wheel before he got to the upcoming curves, while watching for any vehicles he would need to pass.
Finally, there was the red Ferrari, going around a sharp turn to the left, up ahead. Fortunately, there were no vehicles between his Porsche and The Assassin’s car. Dan pushed down on the accelerator in an attempt to catch up. He felt the rear end slide toward the edge of the cliff and heard gravel hit the undercarriage as he fought to regain control. Suddenly it dawned on him that he was fighting the steering wheel as he gripped it much too hard.
When he was back in his lane, he took a deep breath and let his mental auto pilot take over. He relaxed his grip and just barely let his hands rest on the wheel. He focused his eyes two car lengths ahead on the road and allowed his right leg and foot dictate how much pressure was necessary to maintain the fastest speed that would keep him in his lane. He felt, rather than caused, the Porsche speed up on the straightaways and slow for the curves. The wheel seemed to turn slightly on its own to avoid large potholes in the road and glide gracefully around the sharp turns that pulled him toward the edge of the cliff.
The Ferrari suddenly came within Dan’s two-car focus and he realized that The Assassin was not using the same subconscious control. His car fish tailed slightly at every turn and this cost him speed as he had to correct his steering each time.
The Assassin was straddling the middle of the two-lane road to keep Dan from being able to pass him. As he sped up on a straightaway, he could see a sharp curve to the left coming up. He knew that the cliff to the right went straight down and the last sign had noted that they were at the four thousand feet above sea level on the mountain. He didn’t take his foot off the accelerator going in to the turn as he took a quick glance in the rearview mirror to see how close Dan was.
When his gaze returned to straight ahead, he was taken completely by surprise to see a truck cab making the turn into the oncoming lane, directly in front of him. The white dividing line was still passing directly under the center of his car and there wasn’t time for him to get back into his own lane.
Fortunately for Dan, the force of the crash took the Ferrari and the tanker truck with its cargo of gasoline over the cliff allowing Dan to slam on his brakes and skid to a stop at the edge. He got out of his car and ran to the brink, just in time to see the flaming vehicles hit an outcropping of rock approximately one thousand feet down and burst into a huge ball of flame. The explosion and fire were so intense he could feel the heat on his face.
As Dan sat back on the grass, close enough to watch the fiery ball descend the remaining three thousand feet into the valley between him and the next mountain, he became consumed by emotion. It was if his entire career as a detective flashed before him. The high feelings that accompanied the convictions of all those murderers he had gotten off the street, mixed with the lows that he felt when good friends and fellow officers had lost their lives doing their job. He thought about how much Annika and their future baby meant to him and how he needed to keep them safe at all cost.
Suddenly it hit him like a splash of cool water on a hot day. His reflection shifted from past to future and he knew what he wanted…no, had, to do. He took the fedora off his head and with a loud, “Yesss!” Threw it over the edge of the cliff.
Chapter 88
Dan no longer carried an SDPD detective badge. The real estate market had come back strong and he was using his expertise to take advantage of the boom. If he was not completely happy with his career change, he was at least content with his ability to work at home for half of each day and spend the rest of his free time with Annika and Danielle.
The family took day trips to Disneyland and Legoland as well as the San Diego Zoo where Dani fell in love with the tigers on their first visit. When she told her parents that she wanted to take one home, Dan had to provide her with a lengthy explanation of why that wasn’t a good idea. She finally settled on a large stuffed tiger instead.
The Carters also took two annual, week-long trips, one to Europe. and another on Kauai where Dan had bought a second beach front home.
La Gendarme was flourishing. The reservation book was full every day of the week, but Benji always held a couple of tables back, in case one of the celebrities from town or L.A. stopped in at the last minute and decided to grace the restaurant with their presence. Those occasions always made for good advertising.
Chapter 89
It was one o’clock on a Sunny Saturday afternoon in the Crown Point area by Mission Beach in San Diego when Jerry and Bonnie Hamilton arrived to help celebrate Danielle Carter’s third birthday. When Annika Carter opened the door to greet them, they noted that it was obvious that ‘Dani’ would soon have a brother or sister, and that future birthdays would be so close together that they would probably be celebrated on the same day.
Frank and his current “beach buddy” with her short blond hair, bikini tan, and ten years his junior, had already arrived. Chief Gates and Gloria were also there, so a warm sense of, “the gangs all here” pervaded the atmosphere in the Carter household.
Dani, and her friends from the neighborhood were challenging the week-end surfers for control of the beach in front of her house. Most of them knew her by the name “brown bubbles,” because she was so tan and had such a “bubbly” personality.
Annika and Bonnie were in the kitchen chatting.
Annika asked, “So what is it like being married to Jerry? Isn’t he built wrong for you?”
“No, as it turns out, I am more Bi than Lesbian. Jerry is Mr. Macho at work but when we are alone, he is as tender and loving as any girl I have ever been with. Besides, he is very open minded and allows me to date women if I feel the need. Sometimes we even share.”
“Do you return the favor and allow him to date on the side?”
“Yes, I have told him that I would be fine with that, but Jerry doesn’t seem to have any inclination to take me up on my offer. He says that I, plus an occasional friend of mine, are enough for him.”
“Wow, I think that is great that the two of you have worked out such an accommodating lifestyle.”
“Yes, so far, we have been very happy together.”
In the living room, Chief Gates, Dan, and Frank were also having a chat.
Dan said, “So, chief, how is Frank working out as lead detective?”
“Well. In a lot of ways, his leadership style is the same as yours. In fact, I often slip and yell, Dan! Get your ass in here. That little error takes the steam out of whatever I was going to ream him about. He sticks his head in the door and says, ‘Sorry chief, Dan’s not here’, closes the door and makes me yell, Frank, get your ass in here.”
Frank said, “Yeah, it’s been three years since you left, and he still does that occasionally. I guess that sums up how much you are missed. Do you ever think about coming back to the job, Dan?”
“No, I don’t. I have to admit that I really enj
oyed that phase of my life, but I am much happier with Annika and Danielle occupying the major part of every day now. I guess that’s why I haven’t stopped in from time to time to say ‘Hi’ to the team. Speaking about the team, how is Frank’s replacement on the team doing?”
“Chief said, “Pretty good. As you may have heard, we promoted one of the uniformed officers. What he lacked in experience, he has made up for in initiative. Frank seems pleased to have him on the unit.”
Eventually, the kids got tired of harassing the surfers, washed off the sand and came back into the house. The party finally resumed in full swing.
***
During Dan and Annika’s pillow talk that night, Dan said, “It was great seeing the old gang today don’t you think?”
“Yes, but honey, don’t you miss working with them?”
“No babe, I finally have everything I want in my life and I couldn’t be happier!”
The End
Prologue
The barkeep at the “Kings Pub” on Grand Cayman Island, was talking to one of the patrons at the bar. “Did you get a look at that short bloke that just left?”
“No, why?”
“Well, he’s been here many times over the past few years. He’s always stuck out, cuz his nose is so crooked, but now half of his face and neck are covered with burn scars as well.”
