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Part I: Rebirth
Chapter 1 ::
Chapter 2 ::
Chapter 3 ::
Chapter 4 ::
Chapter 5 ::
Chapter 6 ::
Chapter 7 ::
Chapter 8
Part II: Reunion
Chapter 1 ::
Chapter 2 ::
Chapter 3 ::
Chapter 4 ::
Chapter 5 ::
Chapter 6 ::
Chapter 7 ::
Chapter 8
They arrived at the OCB building at ten minutes to four. Before they went in Sonny stopped and took a deep breath. It had been thirteen years since he had last gone through these doors. There were a lot of memories within these walls, not all of them ones he wanted to remember. Rico opened the main doors and they walked in together. They went to the reception desk, picked up a couple of visitor's badges and headed up to the vice offices. When they got there, Rico opened the doors, went in and held them open for Crockett. Sonny stopped momentarily, took another deep breath and then went through the doorway into the bureau where he had worked for so many years.
He stopped inside the doors, put his hands in his jacket pockets and looked around. Things hadn't changed much. The walls had a fresh coat of paint. The furniture had been modernised -- ergonomic desks and chairs and a PC at every station. But otherwise the place was the same. Even the smell was the same. He said nothing and walked over to where his desk used to be. The nameplate read "Henry" instead of Crockett, and the picture in the frame was a family he didn't recognize. He felt a cold chill run down his spine. There was something about this place that made him want to turn around and run out the door, and something that said "welcome home".
He turned around and leaned against the desk. Rico came over and stood facing his old partner, his arms hanging down in front with his hands crossed. "You okay Sonny?" he asked.
"I swore I would never come back here Rico, and here I am. It feels weird, man. It gives me the creeps," he said as shook his head and scanned the room again. After a brief pause he continued, "Don't worry. I'm fine."
Just then, Trudy and Gina returned from a case they were working on together. They looked at each other in surprise when they saw Crockett and Tubbs, and made their way over to where the two men were standing. "Just couldn't stay away the Florida sunshine, eh Rico?" teased Gina with a twinkle in her eye.
Then Gina turned to Crockett. "Sonny, you're looking good. How are you?" Without waiting for a reply, the ladies each gave him a bear hug. "It's good to see you Crockett."
Trudy picked up the conversation. "We went by to pick you up the other day, but the receptionist said you had already left. We thought you were heading up to Ocala." There was no response so she continued. "It's great to see you, Sonny, but what are doing here?"
Just then Castillo's door opened and the lieutenant came out with two men. He nodded to Rico and Sonny and pointed to the strategy room. "This way, gentlemen," he said.
As they were going into the room, the taller of the two men patted Sonny on the back. "Good to be working with you again Crockett, " he said. Gina and Trudy were left wondering what this was all about.
The taller man was Phillip Costas from the DEA. Crockett had done a number of jobs for him over the years, and they got along well together. The other man was Bret McClary from the FBI. The five men introduced themselves and sat down at the table. Together they reviewed the facts to this point and then discussed strategy. Crockett relayed his suspicion that Ricardo might in fact be the nephew of the late Orlando Calderone but neither Crockett, Tubbs nor Castillo volunteered the possibility that he might also be Rico's son.
McClary spoke first. "The kid seems to be a weak spot in Fuente's operation. If we can get him here and put him in safe keeping, he can testify against Fuente and his organization. Crockett, do you think he'll help us if we get him here?"
"He's a good kid - hates Fuente and everything about him. Yeah, I'm sure he would testify, but only if we can guarantee the safety of Maria, the lady who raised him. He won't do anything for us if he thinks she's in any sort of danger. So we'll have to get her someplace safe and protect both of them." Even if he wouldn't testify, Sonny had determined to bring him back. He owed it to Rico, and he owed it to Ricardo.
"After Castillo briefed me this morning, I checked our files on Calderone," Costas added. "Unless she's relocated, we have a pretty good idea where this Maria is, that is if she's the same woman who raised Calderone. We just need someone to go in there and bring her back. We'll have to do some more work to find the kid. One thing's for certain though, if he's with Fuente, it will be difficult to get him and bring him in." He looked at Sonny. "Are you game to work for us on this one?" he asked.
"Wouldn't miss it," he replied aloud. Silently he was thinking that he had more than one score to settle with Fuente.
He spoke to Crockett again. "Good. You can stop by the office tomorrow and do the paperwork." Then he looked at the others. "The DEA can provide the resources out of country to get them here, but someone else will have to look after them once they're here."
"We can provide a safe house and protection in Miami," Castillo volunteered. "But I want one of my people in on the operation right from the start. Tubbs is here on special assignment from New York to work on the case. I want him to work with Crockett."
"Is that okay with you Crockett?" Costas asked.
"Ahhh, I don't know how this is gonna work. He's not exactly up my alley style and persona wise, but, all things considered, we may have to consider some kind of temporary working relationship." He smiled at Rico, remembering when he spoken those words the first time. Rico remembered them too. At that time Sonny wasn't so sure he really wanted to work with a wide-eyed understudy on a weekend pass. This time it was all part of the plan, but he didn't want the feds to know it.
McClary spoke next. "The kid's only the first step. The real story here is to get Fuente on American soil so we can arrest him, and that won't be easy. I spoke with our contacts in the Bahamas and they're reluctant to touch him. But I have sources there who will provide help unofficially." Tubbs and Crockett remembered the "official" help they had received from the Bahamian constabulary years ago when they had gone there to surveil Calderone after he had put a contract out on Crockett. That kind of help they didn't need. Hopefully the "unofficial" support would be more reliable.
McClary started gathering his papers together and putting them into his briefcase. "But we can worry about that once we have the kid and the old woman in safe keeping and we know what he can give us. I'm counting on that kid to be a key witness."
"The DEA wants Fuente too. If the kid can link him to contraband, we can take everything he owns as IGG, and shut down his whole operation for good," added Costas.
Rico had remained silent up until now, and had maintained a poker face despite the emotions that were churning inside him. It was hard for him to stand quietly by and listen to the federal agents talk about the Ricardo as if he were a piece of property. "What if we get the boy here and he can't give us anything?" Rico asked.
"Well then, he can go back to Fuente if he wants to. If he wants to stay here, I'll see what I can do with immigration, but if he hasn't anything to give us, I don't know what they'll be willing to do." McClary's reply appeared nonchalant.
Sonny was incensed. "We can't bring him here, and then just dump him if we can't use him. I want something more than that. If we're going to rip him away from the only life he's ever known, I want something solid to give him afterwards. You get those assurances from immigration or I may reconsider the deal. This kid did me a good turn in a bad situation, and I'm not going to see him thrown away or hung out to dry."
"If I talk to immigration, can I tell them that you'd be willing to sponsor the kid?"
"You're damn right I would!" Sonny said forcefully.
"You can add me to that list too," Rico added in an unwavering voice.
After a pregnant pause, Castillo concluded the meeting. "Well I guess that's all for now. Tubbs, you work with Crockett. Do what you have to, but keep me informed." He looked at Costas and McClary. "If there's nothing else, gentlemen, I'll see you to the door. "Crockett, Tubbs would you mind staying behind. I'd like few words with both of you before you leave."
While Castillo was escorting the federal agents to the door, Rico walked over to his friend. "Thanks Sonny." It was all he needed to say - they both knew what he was referring to.
"No sweat partner," Sonny replied. It had been a long time since he had called Rico that and he found that the word had had a pleasant ring to it.
Castillo came back into the room and shut the door. "There's a lot of personal baggage here. Can you two handle it?" They both assured him that they could. "How about working with the Feds -- are you okay with that?"
Crockett answered first. "I've worked with Costas before. He's a good man. There won't be any problems there. McClary, on the other hand is typical FBI. You just have to let him think he's in charge and everything will be just fine."
"Yeah, no problems there lieutenant. We can work with them." affirmed Tubbs.
"Okay then. Once you've made your plans fill me in. That's all." He walked to the door and turned around just before he left. "Welcome back. It's good to have you two working together again."
"Well partner, what say we see if the ladies would like to go for dinner?" asked Sonny.
"We can ask, partner, but we may have to check with Gina's hubby first. She's married now you know -- to an accountant of all things. She's got two kids too."
Sonny stopped and smiled. "That's great man. I know I didn't make things easy for her. I hope she's happy." He walked out the door and over to Gina. "An accountant Gina?" he pretended to be aghast at the concept. "He better be good to you or I'll fry his calculator."
By this time Switek had returned as well. They all chatted for a bit and then went for dinner together. For Crockett the day ended on a much better note than it had started. For Tubbs, the anxiety was just beginning.