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

For all appearances the morning seemed like any other morning at the OCB. But secluded inside Lieutenant Castillo’s office, Crockett, Tubbs and Castillo spent a good part of the time, reviewing the plans for the evening’s operation, going over every detail time and again, trying to cover every eventuality. Neither Crockett nor Castillo mentioned what was at the back of his mind, but both sensed an undercurrent of uneasiness lying just beneath the surface.

In the afternoon the officers and detectives who had been recruited for the Sanchez take down arrived to go over the plans for the night’s activities, at least as much as they could cover until Sanchez called with his instructions. Castillo, the SWAT team and the main body of the force would take up position at the location where the deal would be going down. Switek would be there too, monitoring the speedboat’s progress once it was within range and just in case, surveillance teams set-up at key locations would be tracking Crockett’s route on the way in. The plan seemed sound - now all they had to do was wait for Sanchez to call.`

While they were waiting, Rico headed downtown to pick up the satchel of money for the buy. He took Driscoll and Cortillas with him - one and quarter million was a lot of money to be carrying around on your own. The rest of the team left to go about their own business, but remained on call, ready to meet back at the OCB once Sanchez called in with his instructions.

For Crockett, the gnawing feeling that something was not right would not go away making the wait seem even more endless than it was. As the time edged slowly onward, he found himself subconsciously glancing up more and more frequently at the big round clock that hung on the wall over the door into the squad room. Every time he looked up, the long thin hand continued its mindless never ending circular path while the minute hand crept its way slowly forward, one jerky minute at a time. He called the safe-house to check on Jessica, but Tiger told him she was sleeping.

When Rico returned, he sensed his partner’s restlessness.

“What’s up?” he asked. “Your as fidgety as a 5-year old school kid who needs to use the bathroom It’s all under control man. What can go wrong?”

“Yeah,” Sonny replied, “just a bit edgy I guess. I haven’t done this in a long time, Rico.” He smiled trying to hide his restlessness. “You’re right, man - there’s nothing to worry about.” He continued filling out the reports on his desk - mindless work but at least it kept him from dwelling on his trepidations. He made a mental note to keep his uneasiness under control and hidden.

The cell phone finally rang just after 6:00 pm, its cacophonous ring breaking the silence in the near empty squad room. Crockett hit the receive button and lifted the phone to his ear as he headed into the briefing room where Stan had set up a speaker system so they could all listen in on the conversation. Rico, Stan, Driscoll and Cortillas followed him into the room while Trudy went to get Castillo from his office.

“Burnett,” he said in a confident voice. Now that the waiting was over, the tensions disappeared. He had done this many times before and with the play finally underway all the old instincts came back as if it had been yesterday. As natural as night and day, his Burnett persona took over on the outside, but underneath, Crockett was in full control.

“Hello Mr. Burnett,” Sanchez’ voice said from the other end. “Does Mr. Cooper have the money for tonight’s transaction?”

“Yeah, he’s ready. Got him and the money right here with me,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Very good.” He sounded pleased with himself. “I look forward to doing business with him at last.”

“So what’s your goose chase route for tonight Jorge?”

He laid out his instructions. They started out very similar to their last meeting, but just different enough not to be a carbon copy. Crockett was to head out, rounding Cape Florida at 11:30 this time, and head at a bearing of 75 degrees rather than straight east as before. A radio tuned to a different frequency would be delivered by messenger to his apartment later that night. As before, Sanchez would reveal the location to Burnett on their way back in. Sanchez would call Cooper at his hotel with the drop-off location in time for him to get there with the money before they arrived.

The detectives glared at each other ominously. This had not been in the game plan. Sanchez was supposed to give Cooper the location before Burnett left town so he could check it out. They had to have that location. If they didn’t know it beforehand there would be no way they could get the back-up units and SWAT team into position before the meet. Crockett looked at Castillo who shook his head no - he would not give the go-ahead to proceed under those terms. Crockett could sense that the whole deal was about to collapse.

“Think fast,” he thought to himself.

“Cooper won’t like it,” he spoke into the mouthpiece. “I don’t think he’ll go for it.”

“That would be unfortunate for all of us, wouldn’t it? But I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“I’ll see what he says.” With that Sonny muted the phone so they could discuss this latest development without Sanchez overhearing the conversation.

But there was nothing to discuss. The lieutenant was adamant. As much as he wanted to nail Sanchez, Castillo was not willing to take the risk, especially not with the gnawing feeling that had been with him all day telling him that something was not quite right.

Rico could sense his own agitation growing. He had not stayed in Miami to see the deal fall through just as they were about to close it. It meant too much to him, and he knew it meant even more to Crockett. He decided to try one last ditch effort. Grabbing the phone from Crockett’s hands, he spoke to the dealer in a no-nonsense voice.

“This is Cooper, Esteban. Either you give me the location or the deal’s off. I don’t walk in cold turkey on any deal, no matter how big. I’m gonna hang up and you think about it. If you don’t get back to Burnett within five minutes with the location, I’m on the next plane back to Fun City and you can kiss the deal good-bye and find yourself another buyer.”

With that he hit the end button closing the connection without waiting for Sanchez to reply.

Driscoll and Cortillas stared at each other. They could not believe that after all the preparations, Tubbs had terminated the operation just like that. But Crockett knew the hand his partner was playing - they had worked too closely together in the past not see it. He winked at Rico with a smile on his face. Rico had done the only thing possible to salvage the operation. It was a make or break situation and they both knew that Sanchez knew it too.

“It’s called bluffing,” Sonny said catching the disbelief on the young detectives’ faces. “What’s the matter - you guys never play poker?”

Exactly four minutes and fifty-five seconds later, the phone rang. Sonny let it ring 4 times, long enough to make Sanchez sweat a bit, before answering the call.

“That was very good Mr. Burnett,” Sanchez said on the other end, a hint of laughter in the tone. “I don’t like to deal with careless people. Tell Mr. Cooper we will meet him at the landing beside the deserted warehouse at 5523-A Waterfront, sometime after 1:30 in the morning.

Sonny repeated the address out loud as if he was seeking Cooper’s okay. The warehouse was in a rundown area on the waterway near the river. Crockett looked in Castillo’s direction. The lieutenant nodded his consent.

“Yeah - that’s okay. But Cooper wants to know about your partner.”

“More demands? He is a cautious man, like myself.” There was a slight pause before he continued. “Very well Burnett - tell Mr. Cooper that my partner will arrive with you and me. Good day Mr. Burnett. I will see you tonight.” With that it was his turn to suddenly break the connection.

Sonny looked at Rico gave him a thumbs up. The game was finally afoot.

The silent, nervous waiting gave way to a bustle of activity. Maps and air photos of the area, and diagrams of the building and ones nearby were pulled out from files or requisitioned from downtown. The leaders of the units that would be taking part in the evening’s enterprise were notified.

And then there were the political issues to deal with. Castillo had laid the groundwork earlier in the week with the Police Commissioner and the Mayor, but taking down a respected foreign national, a businessman with considerable influence in a country with which the government was trying to forge stronger ties could be touchy. Castillo had been in this business long enough to know how to handle the situation and he had earned the respect of the people in charge. But Commissioner Tyler wanted to be kept informed of every detail. Castillo placed a call to the Commissioner’s private number to let him know the operation was underway. Tyler’s cryptic warning at the end of the conversation did nothing to ease Castillo’s apprehensions.

“Be careful, Martin,” he had warned. “There’s more at stake here than just a regular drug bust.”

When everything was in place, Crockett headed back to the swanky apartment that had been his home away from home for the past few weeks. If everything went as it should, tomorrow night he would be back onboard the Vitus II with Jessica, and Sanchez would be occupying a cell courtesy of Dade county. He wasn’t hungry, but he forced himself to eat a light supper, knowing he would need the energy for the long night ahead. After a shower he lay down to try to get some rest, but the uneasiness that had been plaguing him the past few days made him restless. He went out onto the deck hoping that some fresh air would help, but the air was still and sultry, as ominous as the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even off the ocean there was barely a puff of wind.

He wandered over to the street-side of the deck and glanced down. The same black sedan that had been there when he arrived was still parked across the boulevard, the same two faces keeping watch on the building. Crockett knew they weren’t police officers. The lookouts were so obvious, that whoever posted them there must want him to know that he was being watched. It had to be Sanchez. The man was sly and smart and way too cautious to have careless sentries. He was used to playing dangerous games in the jungles of Colombia, with much higher stakes than dealing drugs in Miami. Maybe this was Sanchez’ way of letting Burnett know that he still didn’t trust him 100 percent. Sonny waved to the men and went back inside. If Sanchez wanted to play this game, he’d damn well know that Burnett knew about it and wasn’t phased by it.

At 10:15 the intercom sounded. Crockett went out onto the deck again and looked down at the street. One of the men from the car was just heading back across the street. He took the elevator down to lobby and saw that something had been dropped into his mailbox. Opening it cautiously he found the promised radio inside. He went back up to the apartment and checked in with Castillo, warning him that there were two men watching him and not to have surveillance follow him to the boat. Marty agreed, but he would send Cortillas and Driscoll to the marina undercover as a pair of fisherman just to be sure that Crockett got off okay.

It was still hot and muggy when Crockett steered the Ferrari out of its parking stall into the overcrowded traffic. The black sedan immediately took up position directly behind him. Crockett decided he had had enough of this game. A few blocks down the road he slowed for a yellow light ahead, but just as he approached the intersection he floored the pedal and sped through the light just as it turned red. It was too late for the heavy sluggish car to make the jump with him and it had to remain stopped at the intersection. Maybe it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but at least it felt good to lose the tail.

At last he arrived at the marina and walked slowly to the Donzi’s slip eyeing the surroundings carefully. Everything seemed to be in order and he nodded to the two young detectives who were playing their part fishing at the end of the dock. He fired up the powerful engines before casting off the lines and heading out onto the waterway. At exactly 11:30 Switek tracked him rounding the southern point of Key Biscayne heading east northeast out onto the ocean. For the watchers ashore, there was nothing to do now but wait. For Crockett there was nothing to do but steer in the direction provided and wait for the promised call.

All day long at the safe house the tension was as thick as the stifling, humid air. Even Jack sensed the apprehension and stuck closer than ever to Jessica. The night would be even more difficult, unable to do anything but wait for events to unfold, not knowing what was happening until it was all over. Having an unfamiliar face on duty at the house during the day didn’t help matters, but Gina would be taking the night shift. Getting people through difficult situations was her job. But this was more than a job tonight. These people were friends, and she wanted to be there with Jessica knowing that a familiar face would help her get through the long wait ahead.

The dampness in the air combined with apprehension about the night’s activities seemed to aggravate Jessica’s still healing injuries. By late afternoon, the pain was uncomfortable enough for Jessica to give in to Tiger’s mothering admonitions and take some relief. The painkillers were strong and made her drowsy. When Sonny called, Jess was fast asleep, and Tiger refused to wake her. She knew it was going to be a long night for everyone.

Like the previous days, the day went smoothly with nothing unusual or unexpected. It seemed as though the scheme to keep Jessica hidden from Sanchez was working according to plan. The only change in routine was a call from headquarters late in the afternoon. The voice on the other end advised that a Sergeant Mike Carlson would be arriving with the midnight shift to set up extra surveillance on the grounds through the night. Officer Gray had no reason to question the call and added the name to the duty roster.

Jessica awoke not long after Gina arrived just before eight to take over the watch from Officer Gray. The rest had done Jess well, but knowing Gina would be there through the night was even more comforting than the afternoon sleep. The outside shift changed at eight right on schedule. Castillo called shortly after that to check on the situation at the safe house and update Gina on the plans for the night’s take-down. He promised to call and let her know when Crockett had returned and Sanchez was safely under wraps. His assurance was welcome, but did little to ease the sense of restlessness in the house, and the evening dragged on slowly into night. Even as midnight approached not one of the ladies in the house felt like sleeping.

Just before the clock struck twelve, the two new guards arrived for the next shift. Right behind them was a dark green panel van. The officer on duty checked their IDs and found everything to be in order. The two men who had arrived in the car were on the roster for the next stint and the van driver was Mike Carlson, the surveillance expert whom headquarters had called about earlier in the day.

The guard at the gate called Gina on his two-way radio to let her know that the new shift and Carlson had arrived, and then called his partner on watch at the waterway entrance to let him know that their relief was here. It had been an easy assignment for the men about to go off-duty, but they were glad to be going home all the same. The dark night was eerie and the hot, humid air was stifling. There wasn’t even a breeze to cool the sweat that poured from their skin. Once the new men checked in at the house they could be on their way home to a cool shower and a comfortable bed.

The green van followed the car up the drive. Gina was standing outside ready to meet them. The tall curly-headed man in the van caught sight of the detective as they approached the house. It had been a long time since Scotty Wheeler had seen Gina Calabrese, but he recognized her immediately. If he recognized her, there was a good chance that she might recognize him too. While he was still far enough away to be out of clear view, he called out that he was heading straight out to the back of the property to set up his surveillance equipment. Gina waved him on. Not knowing that Calabrese would be here was a minor hiccup in the well-planned scenario, but he had made it through the gate and onto the property with no problems. He’d just have to make sure that the detective didn’t see him before the rest of the plan was set in motion.

Lieutenant Castillo knew that surveillance and back-up teams could grow stale and inattentive if in place too long before they were needed, but he also knew that if they didn’t set up soon enough, their planning could all go for naught if Sanchez decided to put some men in place before he arrived with Crockett and his partner. It was a fine line to draw, but Marty was used to making tough decisions. Calling on all his instincts and years of experience Lieutenant Castillo decided to set up his people at the warehouse at midnight. At 11:45 he sent in a small advance crew of seasoned detectives to check out the area. When they reported back that the coast was clear, he moved the rest of the team in, and together with the SWAT team lieutenant, the officers were positioned in and around the abandoned warehouse.

The heavy, humid air clinging to the ground around the dilapidated old buildings trapped the stale odor that came from years of neglect. Far-away street lamps, half of them burned out and never replaced, cast eerie shadows in the dark night, shadows that only added to the gloomy, foreboding atmosphere. By 12:30 all the officers and equipment were in place and hidden away. The equipment included two very fast police chase boats hidden under cover a few hundred yards up river, just in case someone decided to try to make a run for it on the water.

Rico would arrive just before 1:30. Sometime after that the speedboat with Sonny, Sanchez and his partner was scheduled to show up. Once the deal had been finalized and the proof was in hand, they would make their move. If everything went as planned, Sanchez, his partner and his men would be ensnared in the trap and taken into custody well before sunrise, and Jessica would finally be safe from his threats.

While they were waiting, Switek would be watching for signs that Crockett was on his way in. He had set up a surveillance station on top of the building, out of sight of anyone on the ground. The height would increase the range of the listening device. He would remain here at the old warehouse to monitor the speedboat’s course as it approached, but was maintaining contact with the two remote teams he had stationed on Key Biscayne and at South Point Park at the south end of Miami Beach. The outposts would pick up the speedboat farther out at sea and track its route back to Miami, giving them ample time to be ready to make their move.

At midnight Crockett was a half hour out from land on a dark, calm ocean. He turned on the radio, just as he had done on Saturday and waited for the call. It was a moonless night, jet black, the perfect night for sky watching with no extraneous light to dim the brilliant glow of the billions of stars that dotted the heavens. To some, being out on the ocean on such a dark night would be terrifying, but the ocean was Crockett’s playground. Under different circumstances he would have basked in the freedom of flight as he raced across the sea into the starry-eyed blackness, but tonight there was no sense of freedom. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a shooting star blazing its trail across the sky. In some cultures that was a sign of good luck but in others it was an ill omen - what would it be tonight he wondered.

As before, the directions were faultless and the call came in with directions to alter course right on schedule. He drove on for another fifteen minutes before spotting the lights of Sanchez’ boat off in the distance. Adrenaline was starting to pump through his system now, driving away the day’s misgivings. This is what he missed all those years away from the force, the anticipation of netting the prey and bringing him in. On contract, his work always ended just as the crooks tripped the trap. Tonight he would see them trapped and brought home to face justice.

As he pulled up alongside and boarded the yacht, he noticed that Sanchez had more men on board tonight, but there was still no sign of his partner. He must be inside the cabin.

“Good evening Mr. Burnett,” his host said with a smile on his face. “I trust you won’t mind if my men carry out their duties,” he continued. “If you would be so kind as to remove your jacket.”

The request was routine and not unexpected. Crockett took off his jacket and threw it on a nearby chaise before raising his arms to permit the search. The patting-down was expected, but what happened next wasn’t. Two of Sanchez’ goons grabbed his arms and twisting them painfully behind his back, they secured his wrists tightly together with a nylon zap-strap strap that bit into his flesh. The nylon was unbreakable and if he twisted his hands too much to try to free them he would rub the skin raw or cut it to shreds. And even if he could have loosened the bonds, he didn’t stand a chance against the two semi-automatic pistols that were aimed in his direction.

“So sorry Detective Crockett, but there’s been a slight change in plans for tonight.” The laugh that followed was sinister. “But I think you might enjoy the entertainment I have planned for and your girlfriend tonight. All you’ll have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.”

The uneasy feelings that had been burning inside him for the past few days exploded in his brain and he had to fight hard to keep from giving in to the feeling of panic that was trying to take over. He could feel his pulse quickening and involuntarily, sweat started beading on his brow. This was definitely not a good situation to be in, but for the present, there appeared to be no way out of it. Unless he could think of something pretty soon or his luck changed, he was pretty sure he would never see the morning sunrise.

He didn’t like the thought, but it wasn’t himself that he was worried about so much. Over the years he had grown to accept that someday he would probably find himself on the losing end of this game. He only hoped that Sanchez would make it a quick, but somehow, he didn’t think he would. It was Sanchez’ reference to Jessica that gave him the sick feeling in his gut. He glared at the man, not letting the fear show on his face. Sanchez just grinned in return.

“Jessica and I are old friends detective. I’m sure she must have told you.” Sarcasm drooled from his words.

“It was a good try Crockett, trying to hide her from me, but not good enough. Your partner Mr. Cooper, or should I say Detective Tubbs, is a lucky man tonight. He gets to go home.” Smiling, he patted Crockett gently on the cheek “But I have something different in mind for you and your whore.”

As cruel laughter resounded again into the dark night, Crockett could feel the sickly acid taste of bile rising in his throat. He had to control the fear and anger and keep his head straight. Play it cool and wait for an opportunity, he told himself. It was the only way to get himself and Jessica out of this mess. He concentrated on the situation and finding a solution, refusing to accept that Sanchez held all the cards. For one thing, there was still the tracking device on the Donzi.

It was then that Crockett heard the unmistakable sound of another speedboat approaching.

“You’re transportation has arrived Crockett.” Mocking superiority was evident in Sanchez’ voice. He was enjoying his power. “You didn’t think we’d be taking your boat so your friends could track us did you?”

It was as if the devil himself had read his mind. Sonny felt his hopes starting to sink, but the poker face on the outside revealed nothing of what he was feeling inside.

The boat tied up along the far side on the yacht and three men immediately began loading the bags of white powder on board. Sanchez was all business now, directing his men and overseeing the operation. He ordered Sonny secured to a deck chair so all the men could help with transfer. The bindings were well-tied - there was no way he could free himself. And even if he did, there was nowhere to go. He would have to be patient and wait his time.

Sonny didn’t understand all the orders in Spanish that Sanchez was giving to his men, but he could see what was happening. After the contraband was loaded onto the second speedboat, one of the men took his jacket from the chaise, put it on and climbed aboard the Donzi. Crockett knew it was no coincidence that the man was his own height and build, and very similar in looks and hair color. From a distance and traveling at high speed, he could easily be mistaken for Crockett. Two other men, one looking a lot like Sanchez, climbed into the speedboat with him. It was obvious that the boat would be a decoy of some sort, but he still couldn’t figure out what Sanchez was planning.

Shortly after the decoy boat left, Crockett was untied from the chair and ushered roughly onto the second speedboat where he was joined by Sanchez and two of his men. One of the men shoved him down onto the back seat and secured his leg tightly to a hold-down on the floor. His arms were aching by now, the circulation all but cut off by the tight nylon strap that chaffed painfully against his writs. The man who had shoved him onto the seat took up position close beside him. The other man took the controls. Wherever they were heading, Crockett knew it would definitely not be a comfortable ride.

Still there was no partner in sight. Crockett found himself wondering if the story had all been a ruse to distract their attention. He hadn’t said a word since this whole nightmare had begun and he had no intentions of letting Sanchez know what was on his mind.

Leering down at his prisoner, it was the Colombian who finally broached the topic. “Well Crockett, you are finally going to meet me my partner.” He looked at his watch - it read 12:45 a.m.. “He should have everything pretty much in hand by now. Enjoy the ride my friend.”

On that note Sanchez gave the signal to cast off the lines and push away from the yacht. Once freed, the engines fired up and the speedboat took off with a lurch. Its powerful engines had the hull up on step in no time and the boat headed off into the blackness of the night on its way back to Miami.

At the safe house the two officers guarding the entrances and Carlson called in at 12:30 sharp with their reports that everything was quiet and as it should be. The regular reports helped track the time, but didn’t make it go any faster.

Right after the call, Tiger decided to take Black Jack for a walk around the property. She was not used to the quiet restlessness that had permeated the atmosphere in the house all day and needed to get outside, away from tension and close quarters and burn off some of her pent-up energy.

“Put him on his lead,” Jessica called out as Tiger was headed to the door calling the dog to come with her. “I don’t want him bothering the men on duty.”

Tiger grabbed the leather lead and attached it to the dog’s collar. Jack looked up at Jess with a mournful look in his eyes. She stroked him gently on his massive head.

“Go on with Tiger, Jack. I’ll be okay.”

As if he understood, the dog trotted merrily out the door with Tiger in tow behind him. The site of the big black dog dragging Tiger out the door was the first thing that made her laugh that day. It was some much needed relief. Gina made up a pot of tea and they sat in the kitchen to chat and pass the time. Sonny had left town an hour ago. If things went as they did on Saturday night, it would be at least an hour before he was back and longer still until they heard back form Lieutenant Castillo that the operation was finally over. All they could do now was wait.

Tiger decided to head towards the landing and let Jack go for a swim to cool down. With his thick black fur Tiger figured that the muggy heat must be terribly uncomfortable for the dog and a paddle in the waterway would help ease the discomfort he must be feeling. She had another reason for heading to the water too, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself. The officer on duty at the landing was the same guy who had served an earlier shift last night. Tiger thought he was kinda cute even if he was a cop, and a visit with him would add a bit of enjoyment to an otherwise dreary night.

Once Jack realized where they were going he was anxious to run on ahead, but he heeled by her side as he had been trained to do. As she strolled along she wondered where Carlson had parked his van. There were trees and bushes all over the estate. If he wanted to hide it, he could have parked it behind any number of clumps of dense foliage, and combined with the darkness of the night it would be virtually impossible to spot unless a person happened to stumble upon the right place. Maybe she’d try to find it on the way back, and maybe not.

Approaching the landing, she let the dog off the lead and he took off on the run towards the water. The young officer keeping watch picked up a stick and heaved it into the water for him. He and Jack had become good friends yesterday evening, but he had an ulterior motive as well. He was hoping that playing with the dog might be a way to get Tiger to come over and talk to him again. She wasn’t exactly the typical girl a police officer would be interested in, but her hard-bitten, rebellious looks were deceptive. Tiger was a young lady with a heart of gold and lots of drive, and she was fun to be with. In fact, Tiger was the main reason he had volunteered for a second shift on this assignment and now it looked as though his tactic to meet her again was going to pay off. Jack returned to him soaking wet with the stick in his mouth and Tiger used it as the perfect excuse come over for a chat. The young cop was about to say ‘hi’ when his partner’s voice sounded over the radio requesting him to come to the main entrance. He didn’t say why, only that he was needed. He wondered what the senior officer wanted. They had both just called in five minutes ago that everything was fine. Damn - just as he was going to start up a conversation with Tiger too.

“You gonna hang around for a bit?” he asked her.

“Guess so,” she replied, disappointed that he had to leave just when she got there.

“I’ll see ya when I get back then.” He smiled a shy smile. “If you see anything unusual out there you come and get me. Okay?”

“Yeah, me and Jack’ll keep a watch out ‘til you get back. See ya later.”

What the young man did not know was that just before his partner called, a black sedan had pulled up in front of the main gate and a man in dark clothes got out with a piece of paper in his hand.

“Excuse me sir,” he said politely walking towards the gate. “I’m looking for an address. I was wondering if you could help me,” he asked.

The officer looked at the paper and opened the gate to provide directions. As soon as he did, an arm encircled his neck from behind in a vice-like grip and he felt the hard cold steel of a gun barrel pressing into the small of his back. The man in the passenger seat was there in a flash. Staring menacingly into the guard’s eyes, he stripped the man of his gun and handed him the two-way radio while ordering him to summon his partner from the waterfront and warning him at the same time that any tricks would surely make him a dead man. His hands shaking, the officer made the call, and then felt a tiny sharp stab as a syringe was pressed into his neck releasing a sedative that would knock him out until well after the hoodlums had completed their business.

Not long afterwards, the young policeman from the landing came sauntering up to the gate, wondering where his partner was. He had time to call out the man’s name just once before he was jumped from behind. A gravelly voice ordered him to call the house and tell the people inside that he was coming in for a bit. After the call, he too felt a jab in the neck and floated off into neverland.

Two more men climbed out of the back seat. The driver moved the car away from the gate while the other three sneaked up to the house using the bushes and darkness to hide their approach. Once there, two of them hid themselves beside on either side of the doorway while the third man, the older man from the back seat who was obviously in charge, rang the bell.

When she opened the door, Gina was expecting to see the young man guarding the waterfront. Seeing a tall stranger in the doorway caught her by surprise. Before she could react the other two men had immobilized and gagged her to prevent her from calling out a warning. She too was injected with the strong sedative, but before she faded off to unconsciousness, she recognized the face of Andrew Baker, the ex-CIA agent who was now on the Company’s blacklist. From previous briefings, Gina knew that Baker was somehow connected to Sanchez, but what he doing here, and how he knew about the safe house was the last thought she had before she blacked out.

Hearing music coming from the kitchen, the two hoodlums crept stealthily up behind Jessica who was sitting at the table and grabbed her from behind. Paying no attention to the cry of pain as they twisted her arms back, they bound her securely to the chair on which she was sitting. Baker strutted cockily into the room, sure of his control over the situation.

“Good evening Ms. Taylor,” he said facetiously. “I had a hard time tracking you down, but it’s amazing how much information people are willing to give a man with CIA ID when they think there’s a threat to national security.”

Jessica sat there, saying nothing. She had no idea who he was, but she would not give him the satisfaction of asking.

“Why don’t we just sit here and wait for the rest of the guests to arrive. Then I can complete my business and be on my way.”

He grabbed her injured arm and twisted the shoulder painfully. “Is there anyone else here?” he demanded.

“You’ve got eyes - do you see anyone else?” she replied flippantly.

Yanking back on her shoulder again, he caused her to grimace in pain. “I said, is there anyone else here?” he demanded again, but this time in a louder, meaner voice.

“Go to hell asshole.” She stared defiantly into his eyes, challenging him to do something about it. “If there was anyone here, do you think I’d tell you?"

He hauled back his hand to slap her, but held himself in check. Sanchez would not be happy if the merchandise was damaged. She would pay for her insolence once Julio got his hands on her. His prize in return would be Crockett. At last he would have the chance to get even with the man who had destroyed his career and reputation. The drug deal was icing on the cake. One big buy like this and reselling it to smaller dealers on the streets was all he needed to retire. He wasn’t a greedy man like some. All he wanted was enough to top up the private retirement fund he had been building so he could live in comfort and style on his small private island in the tropical sun.

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