Wood's Wall (18 page)

“I’ve got this in perspective.”

“You’ve got revenge in your sights. I get that. We need to take what we have and go to the police.” Pete pleaded.

“Ok, so maybe it’s not all revenge.” The adrenaline that had fired his earlier reaction seemed to be wearing off. “It’s the same as why you followed the guy. I just have to see this through. We get some more information we can turn it over to the authorities. I promise. I need to do this.”

“If I’ve got your word — no more drugs.”

“Yeah.”

They looked at each other, each evaluating the other’s sincerity. 

“What now?” Pete finally asked.

“That guy that was going to make the trade for us. He’s in the hospital here.” Jeff said. “He owes us.” 

***

Jules turned the lights off as she entered the driveway to Monster Bait, the wheels louder than she liked as they ran through the crushed coral of the driveway. Twilight had just faded into full on night, the moon not yet visible. At least they would have some cover when they went in.

She parked behind a stack of crab traps and turned to Mel, “I got a vest that’ll fit you, but you gotta stay back. I’d have you stay here, but I think it’s safer to have you with me.”

Mel took the vest, put it over her head and strapped the velcro closures. “I’ll stay back, don’t worry about that.”

“Keys are under the mat if something happens.” Jules pulled out her gun and started moving toward the only sign of life — a light shining through a window fifty yards away.

They moved closer using the shadows cast by the trap piles, carefully avoiding the buoys and line scattered on the road. When they were within a few feet, they stopped behind a stack of traps. Shadows were visible in the shack now. They couldn’t tell how many, but it was more than one. Muffled voices whispered through the night. Jules pointed to Mel, motioning for her to wait, and moved toward the building. She could make out three figures now, but their voices were disguised by the sound of a machine. She stayed low, below the window, listening.

***

“Gringo,” Cesar said, “I do not believe you. You’re going to need to convince me, or I’ll let my friend here make chum out of you.” 

Mac watched him as he glanced over at the man in the apron. “What’s it going to take? I have no idea where they came from.” He was getting desperate. 

“Enough of this.” Cesar nodded to the large man. “He’s yours.”

The man came toward Mac, grabbed his hand, and quickly locked out the wrist, putting enough pressure on the joint that Mac followed obediently. Mac could smell the fishy smell of the man’s breath as they moved closer to the grinder. His hand and maybe more would be gone if he didn’t act now. Feigning faint he pushed forward using a classic Aikido move to throw the other man off balance. As he tried to compensate he released the pressure on his wrist. Seeing the opening he executed a sweep kick, landing the man on the ground, but Cesar moved toward him, gun extended.

They were all startled as the door crashed open losing one of its hinges. All three men watched as Jules pulled back from her mule kick and spun into a shooting stance. “Police! Freeze!”

Cesar swung his gun from Mac to the door. Before he could shoot, Jules fired wide as a warning before refocusing on his head. He was about to drop the gun when Jules hit the floor. 

“You owe me one.” Ibrahim dropped to a knee. He took the gun from Jules and handcuffed her with her own cuffs. Then he removed her belt, with the radio, cell phone and pepper spray. “Maybe now we can take care of what I need.”

“We have leverage now.” Cesar rose. “We keep the woman. Let him go. Mr Macho here will lead us right to it.”

“Bad idea. I no longer trust you. What are you thinking, we can’t just let him walk away?”

“I’m thinking. That’s what separates us.” Cesar said. “Jose, follow him. Stay back and keep me updated on what he does. He knows we have her.” A finger pointed at the sheriff. “He’ll do the right thing. Here,” he reached in his pocket and took out several phones and tossed Mac his phone, “Stay in touch.”

Mac looked at Jules as she started to move on the floor. He glanced at the bait grinder knowing that she had saved him from it’s whirling teeth. He nodded at her as she tried to focus on him, hoping she saw the determination in his eyes.

30

Trufante was sitting up in bed a tray on the table in front of him. He was toying with the jello, giggling as it jiggled when the two men entered the room. He looked up, “Howdy, boys.”

“Glad to see you’re feeling better.” Pete said sarcastically.

“Leave it to the doctors to get my meds dialed in for me. I’m feelin’ fine.” His fascination with the jello continued. 

“Good, because we need your help,” Jeff said. They had agreed that, if Trufante wouldn’t cooperate, Jeff would play the bad guy.

“I ain’t in no condition to help anyone right now.” He wiggled his legs. “See that? I can’t even feel them. You know that Pink Floyd song,
I Have Become Comfortably Numb
? Well that’s what I feel like.” He started humming the tune.

Pete turned to Jeff. “He’s worthless.”

“Yeah, I guess we need to do this ourselves.”

Trufante overheard them. He may have been drugged up but he understood what they implied. “Alan
TRU
fante ain’t worthless to no one. You tell me what you want done. I can operate in any condition. Just watch.” 

His feet hit the floor and he tried to stand, then swayed for a minute before gaining his equilibrium. He took a step but was restrained by the IV in his arm. “This part I may regret.” He pulled the IV out and placed his bandaged finger over the exit hole to stem the bleeding. “We’re off.”

“Your off to see the wizard is where you’re off to.” Jeff looked at Pete. “He’s no use to us.” He started to leave.

“Y’all got no faith in my Cajun disposition. You just help me out of here. The drugs’ll wear off sooner than later. Unfortunately.”

“He’s right.” Pete said. “We get him out of here and sit on him a couple of hours, he’ll sober up.”

“What the hell. He does know all the players. Any trouble we can ditch him.” Jeff grabbed onto one of his arms and started walking him to the door. “Grab his clothes.”

***

“He ought to be sober enough.” Pete said. They sat in Trufante’s apartment. Both men anxious. 

They’d reached a decision while Trufante had nodded out that they would offer the drugs as bait, hoping that would entice him to cooperate.

Trufante had finally stopped humming
Comfortably Numb
, as he no longer felt the love an hour later. “All right. Let’s get it on. This is as sober as I’m planning on gettin’,” he mumbled.

“Ok, here’s the deal. You help us recover the drugs and the box, and we’ll cut you in for a third.” Pete said. He was playing the good cop. If Trufante didn’t cooperate, Jeff was ready to jump in with the bad cop routine. 

“I could use some of that about now. A little bump would sure taste good.” He licked his lips. “Yeah, that’s all good.” But about that box, no dice there.”

“All or nothing.”

“You boys know what’s in that box?”

They shook their heads.

“Plutonium. Weapons-grade stuff.”

“All the more reason to go after it.” Pete said. “I saw the exchange, and I bet that guy’s a terrorist. They could be building a bomb right now. Be a patriot.”

“I want to remain a live patriot. Those are some seriously mean dudes you’re messing with.”

Jeff needed to get this moving. “All right, forget about the box. We just go for the drugs, then.”

“Y’all got a plan?”

“We know where he lives. You’re gonna walk right in an distract him. We’ll sneak around back and take him from behind. Then we find the drugs and get out of there. Call the police to go get him and we’ll be back here an hour later. ”

“It’s never that easy. Take it from me. I’ve stepped in enough crap in my life.”

***

“Hey.” 

Mac jumped, but quickly regained his cool. He was walking away from the bait shack. “Mel?” His spirits lifted, but concern overtook him. “Stay back. Out of sight!” he whispered harshly.

“They can’t hear us from here,” Mel said as she followed his pace, keeping in the shadows of the trap piles.

“I’ll bet they’ve got someone following me. Stay out of sight and keep your voice down.” Mac said. “They let me go to retrieve the material.”

“Where’s Jules?” Mel asked.

“They’ve got her. That’s why they let me go. They know I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.” 

“Crap. What do we do? She left the keys to the SUV under the mat. We can use that.” She said.

“Ok, I’m gonna walk out of here. You stay here until you see the guy following me leave. I don’t know if he’ll be on foot or in a car. Once it’s clear, go for the car and get out of here. I’ll be walking north on US1 on the southbound side. That’ll make it harder for him to follow. Just cruise by and open the door. Don’t stop, just slow down a little and I’ll get in.” He paused, about to say something, but then moved on in silence, leaving her behind.

***

She stayed behind the trap pile, watching for the tail. A few minutes later the door to the shack opened and a man came out. He went down a side path towards a truck. Needing a better vantage point, she started climbing a trap pile, using the slats of the traps as hand and foot holds, trying to gain a better vantage point. They supported her small frame easily, without toppling over. She got to the top quickly, holding herself with her eyes just over the top of the last trap, hands and feet wedged into the slats. Mac was out on the street now. The truck was following him slowly, keeping far enough back that Mac might not have seen it, lights out and idling. The sound of the engine and wheels crunching the ground coral soon blended in with the other sounds of the night. 

Her fingers were cramping when she descended the pile. The car was far enough away now that the driver wouldn’t be able to see her in the blackness, even if he looked in his rearview mirror. Slowly, she moved for the police SUV and quietly let herself into the driver’s side. Once there, she breathed deeply and reached for the keys. Her hand found nothing. She started to panic, her hand swiping around on the floorboard, but finally she found the keys. Looking around, she thought it was likely to be as safe as it was going to get. 

It was now or never. 

She started the car and shoved the handle into drive, then, not thinking of anything other than Mac, she peeled out and went for the road.

A gun shot rang out, causing her to swerve. Another bullet quickly followed, shattering the rear window. The back-up lights from the truck came toward her from the driveway, while the gunman closed on her rear. Boxed in by equipment and traps on both sides, she put her hands on the steering wheel, hoping they wouldn’t just shoot her.

“Out of the car,
punta
.” A dark guy opened the door, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her to the ground. 

“Mac!” she screamed.

“It’s no use. He’s gone, but once he knows that you’re my guest, he’ll cooperate even more.” He looked in the car, taking the keys and her cell phone.

They walked along the gravel path back towards the bait shack, the man behind her with the gun. The door opened revealing Jules pressed into the corner, the man with the apron leering at her, Ibrahim pointing her own gun at her. 

“Mel. You OK? Sorry to get you in this.” Jules said. 

“It’s okay,” Mel said, not really feeling it. “We should be ok. They want Mac to do something for them, then they’ll let us go.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Jules muttered. 

“You two, smile.” Cesar used Mel’s phone to take a picture, then scrolled through the contacts and sent it to Mac as a text message. “That oughta get his attention.

31

Mac was soaked from rain and sweat. A rain cloud had just dumped its contents on him — typical this time of year. The aftermath of these short storms gave a new definition to humid. His muscles kept cramping and spasming as if they remembered the shocks he had been tortured with. Fatigue overwhelmed him. He walked, facing the oncoming traffic. If Mel had gotten out of the lot OK, she should be pulling up anytime. All he wanted was to get her safe and disappear. Maybe go back out to Wood’s place. Even if they could find him there, he would see them coming. The house offered a 360 degree view that went for miles. He walked closer to the street, wondering what was taking Mel so long. Suddenly Jules’ SUV pulled up. Relieved, he ran to meet the car, reached out to open the door, and realized too late that it wasn’t the right car. A boy and girl pointed at him, laughing, as they pulled away, leaving Mac in the street.