by Stuart Woods
“No, sir.”
Dino looked at the SWAT team leader. “We’re good to go.”
“Okay, everybody,” the leader said, “fast across the sidewalk, slow up the stairs. I want complete silence from everybody except me and Lieutenant Bacchetti, and we’re using earplugs with the radio.”
Somebody opened the door, and men from both vans spilled onto the sidewalk and ran up the stairs to the front door, while four others ran to the building next door to gain roof access. Somebody defeated the lock to the street door, and everybody crowded inside, with Stone and Holly bringing up the rear. Stone and Holly had earplugs for their radios, and they could hear any conversation between the SWAT team leader and Dino.
The first element of the team made their way slowly up the stairs, being as quiet as possible, but there was some noise—equipment brushing against the banister, the occasional slip of a boot. They climbed the stairs like a giant caterpillar, snaking around the landings and making their way inexorably upward.
Stone and Holly, right behind Dino, were on the fourth-floor landing when the team leader spoke.
“Stop,” he breathed into the radio. “Dino?”
“Right here,” Dino whispered.
“There are two doors on the fifth floor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Could be two apartments.”
“That wasn’t in the plans.”
“I know.”
“Then let’s go in both doors.”
“We’ve only got one ram to take out the doors.”
“How tough do they look?”
“Heavy, brand-new, only got primer on them.”
“Okay. Knock on one door, say it’s the plumber. As soon as somebody cracks it, knock down the other one and go in both.”
“Okay. Hang on, one of my men will have to unsuit so he’ll look okay through the peephole.”
“Okay.”
They waited as patiently as they could on the landing, and then they heard a knock.
“Plumber,” a male voice said. “I gotta turn off the water for a few minutes.” A pause. “Look, pal, the landlord says I go in there right now. You aren’t even supposed to be in the apartment, so let me in.”
They heard a chain rattle, then the door opening, then all hell broke loose. They heard the ram hit the second door.
“Police! On the floor, everybody!” Other voices added to the din. Shots were fired, then the shooting stopped.
Dino ran up the stairs, followed by Stone and Holly. Both doors were open, one off its hinges, and the hallway was empty. Dino ran through the second door.
Stone and Holly were right behind him. The scene that presented itself was of half a dozen men, all dressed in white, lying on the floor with their hands secured behind them with plastic strips. One man lay faceup on the floor, his chest a mass of blood and holes. He didn’t appear to be breathing.
“Is he here?” Holly asked.
“Hang on a minute,” Dino said, “we got another door.”
A team member was swinging the heavy ram toward what appeared to be a bedroom door. The steel tool struck the door and bounced off, leaving a dent.
“We got a steel door,” he said, “and it’s braced.”
“Keep at it,” the team leader yelled.
The man continued to batter the door, then gave up the ram to a second, fresher man.
“This ain’t working,” the team leader said. “Bring up the saw.”
A team member carrying a large black nylon bag unzipped it and produced a battery-operated radial saw. He went to work on the walls around the door, slicing through the timber studs, then he stood back.
“Once more with the ram,” the team leader said.
A man picked up the ram and swung it at the door with all his might. The door skidded off the timber bracing it and fell into the room, creating a cloud of dust, and the team poured through the opening, shouting. A moment later, the shouting stopped.
“What’s happening?” Holly yelled, pushing her way into the room, followed by Stone and Dino.
“Holy shit,” somebody said.
They were all standing around a hole about eighteen inches in diameter that had been punched through the outer wall and into the building next door. Men were stripping off their armor so they could squeeze through.
“Put that equipment back on!” the team leader shouted. “Nobody goes in there without armor!” He held the radio to his lips. “Roof team, start down and search every apartment on the way!”
“Hang on,” Dino said, “our warrant doesn’t cover the building next door.”
“I want four men on the front door of the building next door,” the team leader said, pointing to men, and they ran out of the apartment.
“I’m going through there,” Holly said, pushing her way forward.
“You don’t want to do that, Holly,” Dino said. “You want a good bust out of this. We’ll have the building sealed in a minute, then we’ll send for another warrant.”
“It’s hot pursuit, Dino. You don’t need a warrant to pursue.”
“Okay,” Dino said to the team leader. “Let’s get that hole made bigger and get some men through it. We can’t search the other apartments, but we can search the one on the other side of the hole and the hallways.”
SWAT team members went to work with tools left in the apartment, and ten minutes later, they were able to get men in armor through the hole.
Stone and Holly followed them and emerged into an empty apartment under renovation.
“Who was on the roof?” Holly asked.
Two men raised their hands.
“Did you see anybody come onto the roof from this building?”
They looked at each other sheepishly. “We had our backs to it,” one of them said, “watching the exit from the other building.”
“Is there a fire escape on this building?” Holly asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Holly turned to the SWAT team leader. “Then let’s get going. We have to pursue.”
“Hang on, Holly,” Dino said. “The guy’s been gone for, what, fifteen minutes? All he had to do was catch a cab. He’s gone for now. We’ve still got a city-wide APB out on him, and we’ll get his picture on the news. That’s all we can do for now, and all you can do is wait.”
“Shit, shit, shit!” Holly said.
“My feelings exactly,” Dino replied.
“Let’s go home,” Stone said.
52
HOLLY, STONE, AND Dino trooped disconsolately down the stairs and out into the street, still wearing their body armor. As they hit the sidewalk a television van pulled into the block, and a reporter sprinted toward Dino.
“Lieutenant Bacchetti!” she was hollering. “Give us a minute?”
Dino stopped. “What can I do for you?”
“What just went down here?”
“Call information services, they’ll give you a statement.”
“Yeah, sure,” the woman said.
“Why don’t you talk to Chief Holly Barker of the Orchid Beach Police Department?” he suggested, grabbing Holly’s arm and dragging her forward.
“Chief Barker?” the woman said. “Who did you arrest here?”
“I’m afraid we didn’t arrest anybody,” she said. “I’m in New York with a fugitive warrant for one Trini Rodriguez. We entered this building with the help of the NYPD, believing him to be here, but he apparently had a well-planned escape route, and we missed him.”
“Isn’t that the man wanted for killing an FBI agent and wounding another?”
“Yes, it is, but I want him for a dozen murders committed in the state of Florida.”
“We interviewed Special Agent Grant Harrison from the FBI’s Miami office less than an hour ago, and he’s posted a one-hundred-thousand-dollar reward for Rodriguez. If he’s caught, who gets him?”
“I suppose that depends on who catches him,” Holly said.
“If you catch him, are you going to
hand him over to the FBI?”
“If I catch him, I’m going to take him back to Florida and see him tried.”
“What about the FBI?”
“What about them?”
“Don’t they have precedence?”
“Says who?”
“Says Agent Harrison.”
“Well, he would, wouldn’t he? Excuse me.” She went to the van where Stone was waiting and stripped off her equipment. “Let’s get out of here.”
When they arrived at Stone’s house, he switched on the TV and saw Holly’s interview on the all-news channel.
“You did very well,” Stone said.
“Hang on,” Holly said, “here comes Grant.”
“In an interview five minutes ago, Special Agent Grant Harrison of the FBI’s Miami office disagreed with Chief Barker,” the anchorman was saying.
“Chief Barker apparently doesn’t understand procedure in this case,” Grant said. “The FBI will take custody of Mr. Rodriguez when he’s caught, and he’ll be tried in federal court for the murder of a federal agent and the attempted murder of another.”
“But the NYPD has an all-points bulletin out for this man right now,” the reporter said. “Do you think they’ll give him up if they capture him?”
“We’ve already seen an example of how the local department works,” Grant said. “They made an attempt to arrest Mr. Rodriguez today. They failed, and now he’s at large again. They should have left this to us.”
“We understand that it was Chief Barker and the NYPD who tracked Mr. Rodriguez to the East Side address,” the reporter said. “Did the FBI know his whereabouts?”
“That’s all I have to say at this time,” Grant said. “We’re offering a one-hundred-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of Trini Rodriguez.”
The anchorman came on-screen again with a photograph of Trini.
“The reward is going to do it,” Holly said. “Somebody will turn him in to the FBI for the money, and I’ll be back where I started when I came to New York.”
“They seem to have overlooked the fact that the NYPD arrested half a dozen terrorist suspects and killed one in the raid,” Stone said. “That must have pissed off Grant.”
“I want a nap,” Holly said.
“We’re having dinner with Dino,” Stone said. “I’ll wake you in time.”
They arrived at Elaine’s to find Dino already sitting with Lance Cabot.
“Good evening,” Lance said.
“Hi,” Holly managed.
Stone and Lance shook hands.
“I was just congratulating Dino on bagging four men who are at the top of our most-wanted list,” Lance said, “and two others who would have been, eventually.”
“Yeah, a lot of good it did us with the press,” Dino said.
“Dino,” Stone said, “you had an opportunity to tell the TV people about the arrests today. Why didn’t you?”
“I hate talking to those people,” Dino said.
“That’s why you’re not the chief of detectives,” Stone replied.
“I wouldn’t have the job. I’d never see my wife and kid.”
“You never see them now,” Stone pointed out.
“What do you mean? I’m home for dinner almost every night.”
“You’re in here almost every night,” Stone said.
“Hey, fellas,” Holly interjected, “can we have a drink in peace?”
“Don’t worry,” Lance said. “You’ll bag Trini. He’s running out of places to hide, and his picture is all over TV.”
“Can you help?” Holly asked.
“I’ve got a few ears to the ground.”
They ordered drinks, and they had hardly arrived when Herbie Fisher appeared at their table, like an imp from a magic lantern.
“Hey, everybody,” Herbie said brightly. “Hey, Stone, Holly, Lance, Dino.”
“It’s Lieutenant Bacchetti to you,” Dino said.
“Can I have a drink?”
“No,” Stone said. “Go away.”
“But I’ve got some information for you,” Herbie said, sounding hurt.
“Shoot him, Dino,” Stone said.
“I want the reward,” Herbie protested.
“Then go see the FBI,” Dino said. “It’s their reward.”
“But don’t you want Trini Rodriguez?”
“Herbie,” Dino said, “if you don’t get out of here, I’m going to call a patrol car and have you arrested.”
“For what?”
“For annoying the police.”
“Then maybe you better take a look at this,” Herbie said. He tossed a five-by-seven photograph on the table.
Lance picked it up. “Where did you get this?”
“I processed it.”
Holly looked at the photograph. “It’s Trini.”
“Where did this come from?” Stone asked, looking at the picture.
“A guy brought two rolls of film into the store this afternoon. This negative was on one of them.”
“Who was the guy?”
“I have his name and address,” Herbie said slyly, rubbing his fingers together in a fashion indicating he wanted money.
“You still want me to shoot him, Stone?”
“Not until he gives us the name and address,” Stone replied.
“So, do I get the reward?”
Stone clapped him on the back. “Sit down, Herbie, and have a drink. Good to see you.”
53
HERBIE TOOK A sip of the twelve-year-old Scotch he had requested. “Looks like I’m getting more popular,” he said to nobody in particular.
“It’s an illusion,” Stone said. “Who brought the pictures in?”
“This guy.”
“Which guy?”
“This Italian guy.”
“How did you know he was Italian?”
“You think I don’t know a goombah when I see one?” Herbie took another sip of Scotch. “And he had an Italian name.”
Stone took out his notebook and a pen. “Spell it for me,” he said.
“G . . .” Herbie blinked. “Hey, what about the reward?”
“It’s like this, Herbie: The FBI said on television that they were offering a reward for the arrest of Trini Rodriguez. They didn’t say that they had to arrest him.”
“So, they’ll give me the reward even if Dino arrests him?”
“Well, that is certainly what I inferred from their announcement. Do you have any reason to think differently?”
Herbie scratched his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, there you are.”
“Where?”
“There.”
“Where’s there?”
Stone sighed. “Herbie, do you know what obstruction of justice is?”
“Sort of, I think.”
“Well, if you don’t give me the name, Dino will arrest you for obstruction of justice.”
“Why give it to you? You’re not a cop, Dino is.”
“Then give it to Dino.”
“Dino, if I give you the name, do you promise I’ll get the reward?”
“Herbie, if you give me the name and address of the guy who brought the film in for processing, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to get you that reward. I’ll even write the FBI a letter, saying you’re the guy who deserves the reward.”
Herbie brightened. “Okay.”
“That’s if we arrest him and on your information,” Dino said. “If he’s not at this guy’s address, there’s no reward.”
“Yeah, that seems fair,” Herbie said.
“So, give me the name.”
“And I’ll be a hero?”
“Herbie, you’re going to be a dead hero if you don’t give me the name right now.” Dino stuck his hand under his jacket, as if reaching for his gun.
“Okay, okay,” Herbie said, raising his hands. “The name is Galeano—G—”
“I know how to spell it,” Dino said. “What’s his first name?”
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“Vito.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” Dino said. “I know that guy. He runs a numbers operation, and God knows what else, out of a grocery store in Little Italy.”
“That’s the address he gave me,” Herbie said, taking Stone’s pad and pen and laboriously writing out the address.
“What’s he doing getting film processed in Brooklyn?” Dino asked.
“He lives in the neighborhood. I’m not sure exactly where. He comes in all the time with his wife’s pictures.”
“Stone and I are acquainted with the gentleman, too,” Holly said, inspecting the photograph. “Oh, oh, take a look at this, Stone,” she said, pointing. “I think this nails down the location, don’t you?” She handed him the photograph.
Stone inspected it carefully. “Aha,” he said, “I believe that’s our grave in the background.”
“Your grave?” Dino asked. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Remember, I told you about that? Mr. Galeano and his friends dug this hole in the basement of his grocery store especially for Holly and me.”
Dino took the picture and looked at it closely. “So, why aren’t you in it?”
“Because I persuaded him to call your father-in-law first. Eduardo suggested he not do it.”
“When did he dig the grave?”
“Yesterday,” Stone replied.
“So we know Trini was there yesterday.”
“Right.”
“And how do we know Trini isn’t in the hole?”
“Because he was at that apartment today.”
“Did you actually see him?”
“No, but one of the SWAT team identified him just before he slammed the escape door in their faces.”
“When do I get the hundred grand?” Herbie asked.
“Herbie,” Dino said, “do you remember the conditions attached to the reward?”
“Sort of.”
“Let me review them for you: Number one, we have to arrest Trini on the information you supply. Number two, the FBI has to sign off on it.”
“Yeah, but you’re going to write them a letter.”
“Herbie, as eloquent as I am on department stationery, not everybody does everything I ask them to. Especially the FBI.”
