Duty Bound (1995) (41 page)

"Lopez could have told the whole world by now and we wouldn't know it, being in here."

Ashley stood. "Come on, let's go talk to her."

Ashley leaned over and looked through the open window at the woman seated behind the steering wheel of the station wagon. "Mrs. Wade, what did you want to tell us?"

The woman started the engine. "Please, both of you get in. I've been asked to take you to the marina to meet someone."

Ed Faraday shook his head. "Ma'am, just tell us what this is all about."

"It's about Eli. He's alive and safe. He called me about forty minutes ago. He needs to talk to both of you; he needs your help."

Faraday put his hand on the butt of his pistol. "Lady, freeze. Let's see some ID."

The woman nodded. "He told me you wouldn't believe me, so he told me to tell you this, Detective. 'Ed, you barbecue rib-eatin' S. O. B., get in the damn car. You gave up your tickets to the Falcon game for this.'" The woman shifted her gaze to Ashley. "And he told me to tell you, Agent Sutton, he was wrong--you could give Miss Starr lessons on looking nice."

Ashley exchanged shocked looks with Faraday, then both grabbed for the rear passenger door handle.

Ashley and Ed got out of the car and stood in front of the wagon's headlights. Ashley searched the empty parking lot with her good eye, then shifted her search to the marina's docks. She saw a woman and a dog walking down the first pier but scanned past them to the boats rocking gently in their slips. The woman and dog passed beneath a pier light and Ashley saw that the woman had dark hair, as did the dog. She was about to shift her feet and look down the other piers, but the woman changed direction once off the dock and headed straight for them.

Faraday rested his hand on the butt of his pistol again and spoke in a whisper. "I don't like this. If she makes a sudden move I'll take her."

The dark-haired woman stopped ten feet away. She looked past the couple toward the road, then said, "It looks like you weren't followed. . . . Are you Agent Sutton?"

Ashley spoke warily. "Yes, who are you?"

"Bonita Rogers. Agent Tanner said you have been looking for me. Come on, he's waiting on the boat for both of you. Follow me."

Ashley wiped a single tear from her cheek as she stepped aboard the cruiser. He was standing on the deck with that irritating smile of his. Faraday grinned, hopped to the deck, and slapped Eli's shoulder. "God, am I glad to see you're still kickin'!"

Eli smiled but kept his eyes on Ashley as she approached.

"Been a long day, huh, Sutton?"

Ashley stopped two feet from him. "You scared us, Tanner."

He lifted his arms. "Come here, you two." He stepped forward, hugging the couple to him. "God, it's good seein' you two again."

Bonita cleared her throat, then said, "Agent Tanner, we're on a time schedule, remember?"

Eli stepped back. "Look, I know you two have a lot of questions. Sit down. I have to make this quick. Like Miss Rogers says, we have a time schedule to keep to. First, let me tell you what happened, then I'll explain what I want you both to do for me. We don't have much time... ."

When Eli was finished explaining, Faraday rose from the cushioned seat. "I'll take care of my end, don't worry. I'll make sure Parker pulls the guys back. Maybe Parker's boys will find the bombs first and get 'em defused."

"It's got to be done quietly, Ed. Remember, somebody in the DEA is on this--the guy won't be in the staging area, that's for sure, so Parker has to ensure that the DEA boys don't get on their radios. If the informer finds out they're pulling out, he'll contact Mendez and tell him his surprise is blown. You and Parker can't let that happen."

"Got it, Tanner. I'll have Gus's wife take me to the staging area right now. Parker and I will take care of it."

Eli patted his friend's shoulder. "Be careful, Ed. I'll see you when it's over."

Faraday stepped to the pier and nodded. "Yeah, Tanner, when it's over." He set his shoulders and began walking down the pier.

Eli shifted his gaze to Ashley. "Call me as soon as you get the information--Customs will have records of the plant coming in from Papua, New Guinea--can't be that many shipments from there."

Ashley lowered her head. "Eli, I know why you're doing this, but it breaks all the rules. There's got to be another way."

"Don't you think I haven't tried to think of another way?

I've run it over in my head a hundred times but it all comes down to Mendez killing Stacy if we play by the rules on this. It has to be this way. I'm sorry I'm involving you--just say you were following your senior partner's orders. I might be able to use the temporary insanity thing. God knows enough of them think I'm nuts. Just get me the info we need and make the call if you hear shooting. If there is a firefight inside the compound, we're going to need the cavalry, and fast. According to Bonita, we can hole up in the west wing of the main house, where we might be able to hold them off till the cops respond. Keep your distance from the gate but keep your ears peeled. You'll see us go in and--"

"I know, Eli. You told me. Be careful; I thought I had lost you already once today. I don't want to lose you again.

I . . . I .. ."

Eli stood. "Time for you to get going. Here's the keys to Ted's van; it's there in the parking lot."

"No heroics, Tanner. Just get Stacy and get the hell out of there, promise me?"

Eli patted her shoulder. "I promise. See you when it's over. Just stick to your story and you'll be fine." He led Ashley to the pier and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "I missed you, Sutton. See you later." He released her and stepped back onto the cruiser's deck.

As Ashley walked away, Bonita stepped up behind him.

"You know she cares for you, don't you?"

"She's my partner--of course we care for one another, Miss Rogers."

"And I thought you FBI people were smart. If you can't see it's more than that, then I guess you're not only dumb but also blind. Never mind, Ted and the guys are waiting in the pickups with the equipment. All we need now is the information about the delivery. You think your partner will find out in time?"

"Miss Rogers, she'll get it. I guarantee it."

"It's after midnight. Where is she going to find somebody who will answer her questions?"

"She's FBI; she'll wake people up and get answers: Agent Sutton knows what to do."

Bonita leaned over and patted Baby's head. "Where were you staying in town, Agent Tanner?"

"Coral Gables Hyatt, why?"

"I . . . I don't want anything to happen to Ted. He thinks he can protect me from them. He can't. When this is over I'm going to turn myself over to you. . . . Ted doesn't know.

Once I know he's safe, I'll sneak away from him and go to your hotel and find you."

Eli looked across the dark waters of the bay. "Did you kill those men at the lake cabin?"

"Yes, I shot two of them. I . . . I didn't want any of this to happen; you've got to believe that. I didn't want anybody to get hurt."

Eli turned and looked at her. "Miss Rogers, we'll talk about it when it's over. Getting Stacy comes first. It's time for me to join Ted; like he said, we have an op to run."

Aboard the Princess, Carlos Mendez took the wineglass from Stacy's hand. "It's time for us to depart for the estate."

"Oh no, I've had enough moving around for one day, thank you."

Mendez rose from the couch. "You'll love my estate, Miss Starr. I insist you accompany me, for I must be present for a very special delivery that arrives early in the morning."

"Mr. Mendez, I'm tired, and I'm still frightened of you despite your assurances. Please let me go to my room and sleep. Send for me tomorrow and I'll be most happy to accompany you to Cuba or anywhere else you want to go as long as you keep your word and release Agent Tanner and me."

"Come now, Miss Starr. I have no intention of sleeping alone tonight. We can--"

Stacy bolted from the couch. "Don't think for a moment I would sleep with you. I would rather sleep with a dog."

"I can arrange that, Miss Starr, if I am permitted to watch."

"Don't come any closer! Stay right where you are!"

Mendez stepped toward her. She grabbed the wine bottle by the neck from the table and smacked it against a corner, shattering the bottle. Backing up holding the jagged neck, she hissed, "Come near me, and I'll cut your balls off!"

Mendez smiled and snapped his fingers. Two of his bodyguards stepped inside with smug expressions. "You see, Miss Starr, you will do nothing of the sort. Come, we must go, and we'll discuss this matter further in my bedroom."

He turned to his men. "Please escort her to the craft."

Stacy stuck her arm out. "I'll die first, Mendez, you hear me! I'll slit my wrist right here and now if they come near me!"

Mendez wrinkled his brow. "Such a pity--I had hopes of videotaping our coupling. I would have thought you a realist, like the agent was."

"Was? You killed him? Oh God, no."

"Rogelio, bring her down to the boat once you take that ridiculous weapon from her. And give her a lesson for me."

Stacy spun around, but it was too late. A huge man grabbed her wrists. Another stepped up and knocked the bottle neck from her hand, then backhanded her across the face, knocking her off her feet.

Mendez sighed. "So much for my video. Perhaps tomorrow, after the delivery, she will be more accommodating.

Rogelio, get a napkin from the table to stop her bleeding on my carpet . . . it is a Kabistan."

Chapter 21.

2:00 A. M.

Parked in a lighted parking lot in front of a small boat dry-dock and repair company, Ted and Eli kept watch as Virgil and Ramon loaded bullets in Mac-10 magazines.

Ted handed Eli a silenced Beretta. "You'll need it."

Eli racked the weapon, chambering a round, and shoved the pistol into the waistband of the slacks Glenn had given him. He glanced at Ted. "Your teammate said you and him knew for a fact a DEA agent warned Mendez of your mission. What's your fact?"

Ted slipped a magazine into his Mac-10. "It was six years ago when I ran a SEAL team. We were doing some trainin' in Panama and got word to get ready for a secret joint op. A day later some high muckety-mucks in the DEA showed up and gave us a full dog and pony mission brief . . . showed us pictures of Mendez and explained how he was the honcho of a dope-smuggling organization. They yacked on about how important the op was because Mendez was going to be at the transfer site . . . they were going to catch him dirty and finally bring him down. They said Air Force aircraft had been keepin' track of a commercial fishing fleet out of Barranquilla, Colombia, that was fishin' the waters off Honduras and Belize. Only thing was, they weren't doin' much fishin'. Their intell guys said they were really haulin' Mendez's cocaine. The fishing boats, ten of 'em, were anchored in a protected bay in one of them little islands off the Honduran coast. They said Mendez had cruisers inbound to the bay to pick up the stuff from the fishing boats. Ya see, the civilian cruisers were goin' to pick the stuff up and head for Florida. Once they got within six miles, Mendez had cigarettes pick up the dope from the cruisers and bring it in to places on the coast. Them cigarettes could outrun anything the feds had on the water.

"Anyway, the DEA told us Mendez was going to be personally overseeing the transfer because it was his biggest haul ever. The DEA guys gave my team the mission of sneaking in at night to the bay, IDing Mendez's cruiser to make sure he was there, and making sure he didn't escape when the Coast Guard made their raid the following morning. The plan was for us to disable his cruiser just before dawn . . . a small charge on the propeller. It would be a piece of cake for me and my guys. They flew us into Hondo for staging, and just minutes before we were to load our insertion chopper this DEA guy shows up and says our mission has been changed. He says Mendez isn't gonna be there after all and neither are the cruisers . . . they had anchored in a Belize port. Our job now was to sneak in, go ashore, hide out, and report the fishing crew's activity.

He gave us a map and told us exactly where to go ashore and the place to hide out that would give us observation of the bay.

"It was a setup. That fuckin' DEA guy had to be Mendez's boy. We were choppered to within two miles of the island and did a water insertion . . . you know, jumped out of the ass end of the chopper with all our gear, including our Zodiac boats. Once we got on board the Z's, we headed for the island. We were usin' those new super silent outboards.

We beached our Z's on a tiny island in the mouth of the bay, hid them, then continued into the bay usin' our scuba gear. It was a good thirty-minute swim for us 'cause the bay made a dogleg right. We surfaced about 0200 hours close to shore, and guess what? Cruisers were everywhere. I signaled my team ashore and was tryin' to break out my radio to report the cruisers when wham, the whole shoreline seemed to explode all at once. I'm not talking about a pop here and a pop there; it was a slew of automatics that opened on us.

When they hit us we were in knee-deep water-we didn't have a chance. Barry went down, then Wendall. Tommy was next, shot in the gut. He screamed and kept screaming as Paul dropped, tryin' to help him."

Seated in the back of the pickup, Glenn nodded solemnly.