Fan Fiction

Part I: Crockett's Return
Chapter 1 :: Chapter 2 :: Chapter 3 :: Chapter 4 :: Chapter 5 :: Chapter 6 :: Chapter 7 :: Chapter 8

Part II: New Beginnings
Chapter 9 :: Chapter 10 :: Chapter 11 :: Chapter 12 :: Chapter 13 :: Chapter 14 :: Chapter 15 :: Chapter 16

Crockett met with Marty and Rico for a debriefing in the morning. That Sanchez wanted a trial run was not unusual. It was natural he’d would be suspicious. Castillo didn’t like having to wait for details, but a man like Sanchez had not reached the position he was in by taking unnecessary risks. Until they heard back from him, it was a waiting game. Tomorrow, when the call came in, they would get together with Stan and Trudy to set up a plan of their own, but in the meantime, it would just have to be business as usual.

The rest of Friday proved to be a relatively uneventful day. After the meeting, Marty left Crockett still filling in as head of the vice unit while he continued with his work at police headquarters downtown. Like the rest of the week, Crockett was guided through the daily routine of paperwork by Tiger, who had become his self-appointed personal assistant. Since he had taken her into his confidence, Crockett had become her special charge, and when Jessica had asked her to look after him for her, it had only served to strengthen her resolve to do just that. She seemed to know exactly what he wanted or needed even before he did, whether it was a fresh cup of coffee, a requisition form or a copy of the latest arrest report. If Tiger was always this efficient, he thought, no wonder Marty liked having her around.

When Castillo had first asked Crockett to oversee things for him while he was away, Sonny hadn’t been so sure he would like this sitting behind a desk routine, But he had agreed with Marty that until the meet with Sanchez, it would probably be best for Burnett to remain low profile, and filling the lieutenant’s shoes while he was at headquarters was as good a way as any to ‘stay out of trouble’, as Rico had put it. He had worried that the squad would resent his coming back after years away and stepping in at a senior level, but his fears proved groundless. Stan and Trudy, the two most senior officers in the unit, accepted him without question and any skepticism from others was quickly overcome by his knowledge and abilities. Like Marty had recognized, Crockett was a natural leader.

The week had been a new experience in another way as well. At the end of the day’s work it felt odd returning to the luxurious apartment in South Beach that was his home for the time being. The Vitus II was smaller, but somehow it didn’t feel so confining. He missed being able to sit outside under stars in the fresh air, a fishing pole dangling from his hands, letting the days events fade away, or casting off the lines on a whim and heading out onto the freedom of the open ocean, letting his mind wander where it wanted to go. And he missed sharing his nights with Jessica. It was only a short time since she had come back into his life, but it had seemed so natural, so much like it was meant to be. He had spent most of his adult life living on his own. When he had shared his life in the past, first with Caroline, and then with Cait, he had been left feeling empty when he found himself alone after they were gone. He had never wanted to face that feeling again, but when Jess came back into his life, his heart told him it was time to take a chance one more time.

To get away from the uncomfortable confines of the apartment’s four walls, he often wandered the vast stretch of beach nearby, enjoying the feel of the soft sand beneath his feet, the ocean breeze in his face and the sound of water lapping the shore. And when he was sure it was safe todo so, he would head over to the hospital and visit with Jess. Her condition was improving every day by leaps and bounds - even her doctors were amazed at the speed of her recovery. But then that was Jessica. She was determined to get out of the hospital and get on with her life.

That evening, after stopping in at a small bistro down the street from the apartment building for a bite to eat, Sonny decided to forego his usual walk on the beach and headed straight to the hospital. All day he had been debating with himself whether he should tell Jessica about the meet planned for the next night and the plan to take Sanchez down at the buy on Wednesday. He still hadn’t made up his mind, so had the cab drop him off several blocks away, figuring that the walk would clear his mind and help him decide what to do.

It was a sultry evening as Crockett strolled the last few blocks to the hospital. The sticky humidity hung about him like fine mist after a long hot shower, but instead of a fresh soapy feel, the air breathed the earthy smell of a lush, tropical rainforest. On the way to the hospital he passed a street vendor selling flowers, their sweet fragrances wafting into the warm night air. He stopped to buy a bunch, knowing that Jess would appreciate their color and fresh scent in the antiseptic sterility of her hospital room. As he stood there deciding which ones to choose, a sprig of delicate magnolia blossoms caught his eye, reminding him of Caroline, his ex-wife. Caroline had never wanted to know what he was happening in his job - she had always had a difficult time dealing with the worry of never knowing whether he would be coming home. But Jess was more like Cait, demanding to know and be part of what was going on in his life, like the bold red roses in the bucket on the top shelf of the display, their velvety beauty standing straight up and unwavering. He picked out a bouquet from the roses, deciding as he did so that he would tell Jess about the dealings with Sanchez.

Flowers in hand, he continued on his way. As he rounded the corner and headed up the walkway to the entrance doors, he was thinking about the other news he had for Jess. Earlier in the week she had asked him if he would get someone to fill in for her on the Street Car on Friday nights until she could take over again herself. Even though Jessica, Marty and Gina were behind it, he hadn’t been totally convinced that the program could do anything about the street problem until he met Tiger. Jess was right - getting even one kid off the street made it all worthwhile. Officer Bill Davis had been surprised and pleased to receive a phone call that morning from Detective Sonny Crockett in Vice, and yes, he would be more than happy to return the favor he owed from a few weeks before. He and his partner would take the old RV down to the strip and man it for the night.

Jessica was sitting up in a chair reading when he got to her room. Her back was to him, her mind absorbed in the book she held in her hands. She had come a long way since that night he had sat with her, when she was hooked up to the life-saving machines that were keeping her alive. There were no eerie, ugly machines anymore, and she was recovering nicely. In a few more days she would be discharged, not soon enough for Jess though. Marty had already made arrangements for a safe house where she could stay until Sanchez was under wraps.

He treaded softly over to where she was sitting and whispered into her ear. “Hello Sunshine.”

The look on her face brightened at the sound of his voice.

“Brought ya some flowers, darlin’,” he said, kissing her gently on the cheek.

She reached up with her right arm and pulled his face towards hers. Her left arm was still in a sling and would be until the damaged shoulder healed sufficiently to support its weight. “They’re beautiful,” she replied kissing him back. “It’s good to see ya Sonny. I missed you.”

It was good just being here with her. They talked about the Street Car and the Sanchez deal, what had happened during the day and what they would do when she was out of here and all this mess was finally over. After a while he could see exhaustion taking over. He helped her back into bed and tucked her in. Then he sat with her, holding her hand in his. She squeezed his hand and whispered softly, “I love you Sonny Crockett.”

“I love you too Jessica Taylor,” he whispered back, and leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead as her eyes closed and she was lost to the restful world of sleep.

Sonny awoke Saturday morning to a light rain and a cool breeze. A cold front from the northeast had pushed its way into southern Florida. Sonny didn’t like the change in weather. He hoped that any bad weather would hold off until the he had completed the meet with Sanchez. To take his mind off the waiting, Crockett headed off to the office to catch up on the latest case files and familiarize himself with the new players who had made their way into the Miami underworld while he had isolated himself away on Salt Cay. It was as good a way as any to pass the time waiting for Sanchez to get in touch. The call finally came in on Burnett’s cell phone late in the afternoon. A series of quick calls to Castillo, Tubbs, Switek and Joplin brought them in to go over the plans for the evening.

When they arrived Sonny filled them in on Sanchez’ instructions for the preliminary meet. Burnett was to go alone to pick up 3 kees from Sanchez who would be on his yacht somewhere outside territorial limits. When Burnett showed up at his boat tonight, there would be a radio under the seat, set to a private frequency. He was to head out, so that he rounded Cape Florida at 11 PM. and then take a heading due east at 50 knots. After 30 minutes, and not before then, he was to turn on the radio and someone would contact him to provide the exact location of the pick-up. The drop-off location would be revealed on the way back in.

Sanchez had obviously thought everything out very well, and was being overly cautious. Stan agreed that there was no way he could hide a wire on Sonny or on the boat, that he could guarantee would not detected, and a surveillance team was out of the question. Out on the ocean, anyone following the speedboat could be spotted too easily, especially at that time of night. By the time Sonny turned on the radio the boat would be too far away to determine the frequency and listen in. They couldn’t take a chance with him turning it on sooner as Sanchez might have people monitoring for just such a situation. Stan had only one suggestion. He had a new tracking device that he was sure could not be detected. All Sonny had to do was attach the sender somewhere on the outer hull of the speedboat and they would be able to follow the boat’s course from several miles away. They wouldn’t know the location of the meet, and it wouldn’t tell them what was happening, but once the boat was back within range, at least they would know where it was and, hopefully, the location of the drop-off.

Marty didn’t like the idea of Crockett being on his own without backup, and even though Rico had argued for finding a different way to trap Sanchez, there didn’t seem to be any alternative - the Colombian was calling the shots on this one, and for now, they would have to play things his way. There was one silver lining with the trip tonight however. It would be a trial run for the OCB as well, allowing them to test Stan’s tracking device before the trip on Wednesday. And maybe, just maybe, Crockett would finally learn the identity of Sanchez’ mysterious partner.

It was dark when Sonny arrived at the marina where the Donzi was docked. The radio was right where Sanchez had said it would be. He started the engines and slowly steered the monster out of the harbor. At exactly 11 pm he rounded the cape, blinking the onboard lights twice to let Marty, Rico, Stan and Trudy know he was on his way. They were on the cape, hidden from view, watching Crockett head out. Rico was nervous for his friend. They were still working on the assumption that Sanchez didn’t know Sonny was a cop. Were all these precautions standard practice for the man, or was he suspicious. Sonny would be alone out there, and if anything went wrong they there wasn’t a thing they could do about it. He knew it was the type of chance an undercover cop had to take, but that didn’t make him feel better. Sonny was his friend, a friend he only just got back after years apart. He didn’t want to lose him again, knowing that, if he did this time, it would likely be forever.

Thirty minutes after he rounded the cape, Crockett turned on the radio, but it was another 20 before anyone contacted him. He was to alter course 15 degrees to port and continue on that heading until he was at the coordinates he was given 2 miles outside the limits, by which time he would see Esteban’s boat. Remember that Sonny, he said to himself - the name is Jorge Esteban, not Julio Sanchez.

Esteban’s cabin cruiser was a luxurious 60 foot beauty floating comfortably on the gentle ocean waves. The storm Sonny had feared that morning had changed direction and headed offshore earlier in the afternoon, leaving slightly cooler weather in it’s wake, but the sea was calm and friendly. There were four bodyguards on the yacht, along with Jorge and the captain. Esteban liked to live in style. He was proud of his vessel and showed it off to Burnett with much relish. After the tour, Esteban offered him a drink.

“I don’t drink and drive, Jorge,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “And I didn’t come all the way out here to socialize.”

“Your reputation as a runner is well-known Burnett,” Esteban continued. “You ever have any problems with cops?”

“None that I couldn’t outrun.”

“Si, Senor Burnett. I remember,” he said laughing. “It is only pirates that you have troubles with.” He took another sip from his glass, and sat down on a deck chair. “You are an impatient man, Burnett. Relax.”

“You’re not paying me to relax Jorge. You’re paying me to do a job. I relax on my own time.”

“Impatient men make me nervous, Burnett. Why don’t you try a sample of the product you’ll be transporting,” he said as he pulled a vial of white powder from his pocket and laid a thin trail on the table in front of him.

Sonny knew the game Esteban was playing. He had played it many times before. A major drug dealer wanted someone who was serious about the job and efficient, not users or someone who could be easily distracted by pleasantries when there was delivery to be made.

“That shit’s for losers, Jorge. Right now you’re wasting my time and my time’s money.” He walked over to where Esteban was sitting, leaned his hands on the table and stared deep into the dealer’s eyes. “I’m heading back to town, now, “ he said in a firm voice. “So either you come up with the 3 kees and tell me where to take it, or I leave empty-handed and consider this a pleasant, but wasted evening.” Sonny leaned his head down over the table and blew the white dust into the air, and then turned on his heel and headed back to his speedboat.

“Diego,” called out Esteban. “Bring the merchandize. You and I are going for a ride with Mr. Burnett.”

Crockett was surprised. He had figured that Esteban would send along a goon or two to keep an eye on him, but having the man himself come along was unexpected. The two men boarded the boat with him, Diego holding a metal Halliburton that he held tightly on his lap as he sat down on the rear seat, the telltale bulge of a sidearm in a shoulder holster barely visible under his jacket. Esteban took up position at the passenger support post beside Crockett.

“Where to Jorge?” Sonny asked as he fired up the engines.

“Straight west Mr. Burnett, until you hit land.”

After Crockett rounded the point and they watched him head off into the night, Rico and Stan hopped into the surveillance van, taking one of the trackers with them, and headed back across the waterway on their way to Miami Beach. Stan had extended the range of the receivers, but they were still limited. They didn’t know where Sonny would be coming back in. So to extend their listening range, he and Rico would keep watch farther north, while Trudy and the lieutenant stayed at Key Biscayne with a second receiver.

They knew they had at least an hour, and it took all of that for Rico and Stan to get to their station. They picked a spot that was close enough to overlap with Marty and Trudy’s coverage, but far enough north to cover the entire island. They also wanted to be close to the causeway so they could make it back to mainland in a hurry in case the need arose.

The waiting seemed like forever. Rico and Stan had been on many stakeouts before, but somehow the time seemed to drag on more slowly on this one than on any one they had been on before. Minutes crept by slowly and it seemed like ages had passed when finally Stan picked up the first faint blips. Sonny’s boat was on its way back in. Rico called Marty on the cell phone to let him know they had made contact. The signal grew stronger as the boat neared land. Eventually Stan had enough data to estimate landfall. The boat was heading towards Bal Barbour, just north of their position. They headed in that direction while contacting Marty with the information. At the speed the boat was traveling. there would be no way for him and Trudy to make it to Bal Harbor on time. Instead they headed up the coast to take up position on the mainland in case the targeted landing spot was on that side of the Intracoastal Waterway.

When the signal was close enough, Rico pulled out a pair of night-vision binoculars and finally caught a glimpse of the Donzi. It was definitely speeding towards Bal Harbor. There were three people on board. Rico’s heartbeat slowed noticeably when he recognized Sonny as the driver. Until he was safe ashore, there could still be problems, but at least he was close enough now that they could see what was happening.

The speedboat pulled up to a small, poorly lit landing on the north side of town. The place was deserted except for a black limo parked near the water. The limo had diplomatic plates - Sanchez was obviously prepared to use his official standing with the consulate to help him in his illegal business affairs. There was no sign of a partner, which was disappointing, but maybe the man was waiting in the limo for the cargo to arrive.

Rico and Stan had turned the headlights off long before they approached the landing and parked the van far enough away behind an old, dilapidated warehouse, making sure it was well hidden. They grabbed some listening gear and binoculars and slowly and carefully made their way closer on foot, taking up position in a dark location behind a row of neglected bushes so they could keep an eye on things without being seen. As the speedboat sidled up to the dock, they had a clear view of the people on board. Sonny looked fine and all things seemed to be going along as planned - so far so good. Stan set up a parabolic microphone to listen in on the conversation while Rico kept watch through the night-vision binoculars.

The driver of the limo got out of the car and made his way down to the dock. After the boat came to a stop, Diego threw him a line to lash around a cleat. The driver then reached out to help Esteban ashore. Neither Sonny, nor Stan or Rico recognized the man. It would appear that he was just a driver, and there was no one else in sight.

“So where’s your buyer Esteban?” Sonny asked, his senses heightening. Crockett was beginning to wonder whether Esteban was on to him and whether this trial run was all a set-up. He had no clue as to whether Stan’s tracking device had worked. All he could do was hope that backup was somewhere nearby should he need it, but from the looks of things, no one else was here save the four of them.

Esteban smiled. “Diego,” he said, looking at his escort and nodding his head in Crockett’s direction.

Diego handed the briefcase to Crockett and hopped out of the boat. It felt awfully light to be holding six pounds of illegal drugs.

“There is no buyer, Burnett. But I am pleased. You have very nice boat and you handle it very well, and you know how to follow directions. My sources were accurate.”

“I don’t like games, Esteban,” Sonny said hopping onto the dock himself and walking over to where the man was standing. “You can add an extra 10 percent to my fee for tonight’s little joy ride - call it an ‘amusement tax’.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw handguns being drawn by Diego and the driver. The adrenaline was pumping now and ‘Burnett’ was definitely guiding his actions. But deep inside, it gave him comfort to know that Crockett was still in control.

Esteban was impressed. If he didn’t know that the man standing in front of him was a cop, he’d consider him to be a great asset to his organization. “You drive a hard bargain, Burnett. I’ll let you know.”

“I don’t drive my boat all over hell’s half acre in the middle of the night just for the fun of it, Jorge. And I don’t work for people who lie to me. You want my services - you pay up and you start being straight with me, or you can find yourself another runner.”

Sonny knew the game all too well. Esteban was still testing him, seeing how far he could go. The silence was deafening as they stared at each other, two bulls testing the mettle of the opponent.

Esteban’s laughter broke the silence. “Check the briefcase, Burnett. I think you’ll find a suitable amusement tax inside. I’ll contact you on Wednesday. Just make sure Cooper has the cash.”

With those words he started towards the car, but after a few steps he turned around.

“Oh, and Burnett,” he said matter-of-factly. “My business associate is anxious to meet you. That’s his part of your fee you’re holding in that briefcase.”

As Sanchez headed once again for the limo, Diego and the driver holstered their guns and followed close behind. Crockett could feel the tension within him abate. The meet had gone well. Wednesday night they would take this bastard down, and, if all went well, his partner would be there too and they could grab him at the same time.

Rico and Stan called Marty to let him know that everything had gone as planned. When they were sure the limo was far enough away and there was no one else around, they headed down to the dock.

“You one tough guy, Burnett” Rico laughed walking up to his partner.

“Didn’t know if you were around for the party or not,” Sonny commented in reply.

“Hey Sonny, have I ever let you down?” Stan piped back. Crockett just stared at him with a knowing smirk on his face.

“Okay, okay, but that was in the past,” Switek replied apologetically.

“It’s okay Stan,” the senior detective replied letting Stan off the hook. A lot of water had gone under the bridge since Switek’s gambling problems years ago. Sonny clapped him on the back in a friendly gesture. “You can cover my back any time.”

Then turning his attention to the briefcase, he muttered, “wonder what we’ve got in here.”

He checked the case to make sure it wasn’t booby-trapped and opened it slowly. Seventy thousand dollars in coin of realm stared back at him. “Whew, now that’s what I call an amusement tax.”

“You think Sanchez knew how much was in there?” Stan asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s got my curiosity up. I sure am interested in meeting this mysterious business associate,” Sonny replied.

“Well, at least we know the tracking device works. Everything went off without a hitch. And your cover seems to be intact - no one would be crazy enough to hand 70 grand over to a cop,” Rico added.

Stan headed back to the van to return it to lock-up while Rico joined Sonny in the speedboat. They headed back to the marina to meet Castillo and fill him in on the night’s events. By the time they were pulling into the berth, the first rays of sun were brightening the eastern horizon. All in all, it had been a night’s work well done.

After he docked the boat, and debriefed the lieutenant, Crockett headed back to the apartment for a shower. By the time he finished, the adrenaline rush had finally subsided enough to let him realize just how tired he was. But before he lay down, he called the hospital and asked the shift nurse to let Jess know when she woke up that he was okay and would be in later that day to see her. He didn’t want her to worrying that something had gone wrong.

Before he hit the sack for some well-deserved rest he wandered out onto the deck and gazed into the distance. Feeling the soft rays of the morning sun on his face, any doubts he had about his decision to rejoin the force had all but disappeared. He felt good about it, and his heart told him this was indeed where he belonged.

Part I: Crockett's Return
Chapter 1 :: Chapter 2 :: Chapter 3 :: Chapter 4 :: Chapter 5 :: Chapter 6 :: Chapter 7 :: Chapter 8

Part II: New Beginnings
Chapter 9 :: Chapter 10 :: Chapter 11 :: Chapter 12 :: Chapter 13 :: Chapter 14 :: Chapter 15 :: Chapter 16