by Linda Ladd
The sheriff kept nodding. “Yeah, so once we got out there, I left some guys to watch the house. They’re well hidden, so don’t worry about that. Got a couple out on the water and some more hunkered down in the woods behind the place. Tell them what you saw today, Deputy.”
“First thing we noticed this time was the camouflage net suspended in the trees right over the house, up high and hard to see, but it’s there. You know what kind of net I’m talking about, right? We used the same ones in the military to disguise airplanes and runways from aerial attack. That tells me they’re hiding something out there. Could be drugs, or meth, but my guess is it’s opioids out of Mexico. It could be those babies you’re looking for, too. Whatever it is, it’s bad, and they don’t want the place seen from a drone or a chopper, that’s for damn sure.”
“You see any guards out there?” Novak asked the kid.
“Yeah, this time but not that first time. Back then, it looked deserted except for the baby bawling, and there was no net or I would’ve gone in and checked the place out. We’ve seen men moving in and around the house and barn. Can’t tell you how many, but I’m pretty sure they’re armed. The guys on the land side say there’s a chained gate blocking off a dirt road leading up to the house. So they don’t want anybody coming in there uninvited. Heavy woods all around and the flood overrun cuts the place off sometimes, but I’m pretty sure it’s not federal land. There’s a dock out there, too, and a couple of airboats.”
“So you’ve got men infiltrating at the back of the place? On foot?” Black asked.
“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem. Our guys had no trouble getting there without being seen. It’s got some low, swampy spots, but you can get past them if you’re careful. This rain won’t help. Coming off the water is trickier because of the noise the boats make. Sound travels over the water out there like you wouldn’t believe. A couple of Eldon’s guys from the Safari paddled us out there in canoes. Didn’t make a sound. The airboats make such a racket they’ll know you’re coming miles away. That goes double for a helicopter. If they’re holding little kids in there like you think, any kind of motor will give them time to get out. Yeah, also we spotted a panel van that they could be using to bring children out there. It was behind the barn, but one of our deputies got close enough to see it. Last I heard it’s still parked in the same place.”
“Is it dark blue with a white stripe down the side?” Novak asked quickly.
The deputy nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Okay, that makes me feel a lot better. That’s the vehicle that grabbed Allison DiFlorio, drugged her, and then drove her down here from Pensacola Beach.”
Lori spoke up. “Did you or your guys see any children out there?”
Dylan shook his head. “No, ma’am, and I didn’t hear crying this time, either. It gets real dark out there, too. Like I said, sounds travel, but we don’t hear much from the house. They’ve got window drapes and keep them closed, even in the daytime. One guy did report that a woman came out once and smoked a cigarette on the front porch. He said she had on scrubs, you know, like nurses wear.”
“That nails it down for me. They’ve got babies out there, count on it,” Lori told them, looking around at the men. “I say we get them out of there before they see one of your guys and take off. Then we’ll never find them. Black’s on the money this time. Let’s go in now.”
Novak hesitated. Lori had good instincts, but he couldn’t shake his bad feeling. “We can’t bust in that house, guns a-blazing, not with kids in there. We have to do it quick and quiet and surgical. Any little sound, anything alerts them, and it’s going to be a firefight.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but we’ve been here generations. My sons can get right up on that house without a sound. Believe me,” Eldon said. “We can take them by surprise, no problem. We’re good at it. I don’t know about the rest of you.”
His sons were top-notch soldiers, Novak couldn’t disagree with that, but he liked to reconnoiter and make up his own mind about how things should be done. That was impossible this time, but he wanted to know the particulars. “Okay, I say Eldon’s boys go in first and take down any guards they find. So we’re ready to roll? Everything’s been checked and double-checked, and your people are in place?”
Eldon nodded. “Better to wait till early morning when it’s still dark. If they get any inkling we’re out there or coming for them, they could kill Claire or Alcina, if they’re even in there.”
“They’re probably nervous now, anyhow, since I rescued Allison,” Novak told them.“They know good and well that she’s going to tell authorities everything eventually, so they going to have to close the operation down, at least around here. I think they’re getting out of this area, maybe quitting for good, but Kellen is greedy enough to want your money. I think they’re nervous as hell. Demanding ransom makes it riskier, and they’re going to be careful with Claire. Only good thing, is they’ve been operating out there for years, apparently, without detection, so they might feel overconfident.”
“Your people sure they haven’t been seen, Sheriff?” Black asked.
“They haven’t as of a half hour ago. They’re dug in, waiting for the warrant and my orders to proceed.”
“If there’s cell service out there, the guys in that house can call in help from the Skulls or whoever they’re dealing with, if they even get a clue we’re onto them. We can’t let them see us.” That was Novak’s major concern, and it was bothering him big-time. There were way too many people involved in this thing, and too many people were giving orders. It felt to him like a disaster waiting to happen. He had a niggling doubt that something was not quite right. Unfortunately, nobody else seemed to share his concern. Maybe he was worrying too much. To him, the cops appeared overconfident and Black was reacting solely on fear for Claire instead of caution.
The sheriff looked around. “Our plan is to go in just before five a.m. If we get lucky, most of them will be sleeping inside, and the guards will be tired and slow to react. ”
Eldon nodded. “That gives us a few hours to get some rest. The judge should have the warrant signed and given to your deputy by then, and we’ll be good to go.”
When their companions turned and tramped through the rain up to the main building, Novak remained behind with Lori and Black. “You sure you’re up for this, Lori? You didn’t know you were getting into a full-out armed assault when you agreed to help me out on this case.”
“Well, truth is, I usually take down my objective from five or six hundred yards. This will be an interesting new experience for me.”
“So you’re in?”
“Never been more in for anything, Novak. These guys are kidnapping pregnant women, for God’s sake. They’re stealing babies from their mothers and then selling them to the highest bidder. That’s the work of the devil, if you ask me. I want them stopped in their tracks. So, yeah, count me in.”
Pleased to have her along, Novak nodded. She was usually up for anything, but this one could go bad fast. “All right, let’s go try to get some sleep.”
“When we get there, I’m going in first,” Black told them. “If my wife is inside that house, I don’t want her hit in the crossfire.”
Novak nodded. It wouldn’t have mattered if he’d objected. Nobody was going to stop Black from getting to Claire. Novak just hoped to God they were heading for the right house and Claire was still inside.
Chapter 17
A deputy with a signed warrant arrived several hours later. Relieved, Novak listened to the last go-through to make sure everyone was on the same page. It could work, but only if it went down as planned. They divided into teams that could coordinate with each other by cellphone. Four county deputies and two of Eldon’s men comprised the first one, with orders to infiltrate through the woods behind the house and wait for the order to take down the guards. They departed the Safari grounds first, piling into u
nmarked cars and heading out by highway. The house was so isolated they didn’t expect much notice from motorists or neighbors. They would spread out under the trees and intercept anybody who fled the property when the second team hit the house by a frontal assault off the water. It was simple, but the best plans were. It could be effective if carried out correctly.
Novak, Black, and Lori were in the second group with Eldon and the rest of his men. Sheriff Walsh had received permission from park rangers to cross the wetlands, and they took a big Safari airboat most of the way. They ditched it far from their target because of the roar of the big fans. Black had gone on ahead earlier in one of the Safari aluminum canoes paddled by two of Eldon’s sons. They had met up at a designated spit of land, but only long enough to trade boats. Three people to a canoe, they boarded and glided soundlessly out into the dark and vast watery fields of waving grasses.
Novak, Black, Lori, and Eldon took center seats in different canoes, each clutching a night-scoped, high-powered rifle. The young men at bow and stern paddled through the wetlands until they reached a murky swamp area. They leaned into deep, hard strokes that cut through the water like cavalry sabers. The rain had diminished to a bare sprinkle, but damp fog hung over the surface and sent out swirls of mist behind them. The strong odor of standing water and fetid vegetation surrounded them, just like in Novak’s bayous. Novak felt at home here. Once this case was over, he would be glad to get back to Bonne Terre.
As far as Novak could navigate with the stars he could see among the shifting clouds, they were headed southeast. The night enfolded them in warm and humid dampness, and their surroundings were eerie and lonely. The night was filled with the endless cacophony of screeching insects. The sky began to clear, and he could see the crescent moon enveloped in a glowing aura with stars sprinkled around like scattered white sequins. Occasionally, Novak saw the blinking lights of passenger planes, probably headed north out of Miami.
Each boat bore a single electric lantern affixed to the bow, and the faint light illuminated the faces of the silent men up front dressed in black. They kept up a good strong rhythm with their paddles, appearing to know exactly where they were and where they were going in that bizarre ghostly landscape. Novak was glad they did, because he sure as the devil didn’t have a clue where he was.
Black rode in the lead canoe, with Novak and Lori in the second and third. Eldon’s boat brought up the rear. It took what seemed like a week to reach the place. Once they came closer, they turned off the lanterns and lifted paddles across their laps. The sky was trying to lighten but hadn’t made it yet. In the darkness, Novak could just make out the house that was their target. It sat about forty yards down from them on a marshy shoreline. There was a barn sitting behind it, half-hidden by early morning fog. There were no sounds except for the songs of frogs and crickets and cicadas. Novak’s nerves began to act up again.
“That’s the place down there?” Novak asked the guy behind him as the canoe glided silently along the reeds and cattails hugging the bank. Novak kept his voice low. The guy’s name was Matthew Osceola, and he looked a bit older than the others, maybe midthirties. Polite, clean-cut, and armed with an AR-15, he also carried a cellphone in his right hand. He wore an earpiece that connected him to his colleagues. Novak knew Matt was a decorated Marine who’d served three tours in Afghanistan. Novak would not have to worry about him holding his own. This young man was a professional and as tough as his ancestors had been before him.
Matt’s voice came back so low that Novak could barely hear him. “Yes sir. Nobody’s been observed moving in or around the house or barn since around ten o’clock last night. We assume they’re sleeping, except for a lookout or two. The target went dark hours ago.”
“The woman we rescued told me there were babies in that house. She said the nurses tending them were armed. I don’t want anybody to get hurt. My partner might be in there.”
“We don’t either, sir. Eldon briefed us on Claire Morgan’s description, but we’ll have to return fire if they open up on us. We’ve got guys covering the rear. They’ll take down the guards. So we paddle in close and wait on the water for them to give the all clear.”
“What’s the signal?”
“Whippoorwill call. We’re Miccosukee, remember?”
Novak grinned. “I should’ve known.”
Matt laughed softly. “Nah, not really. We’re on group text for comms. It’s the twenty-first century, man.”
Novak smiled but was glad to hear it. They needed to use every advantage they could. When the signal came through, they moved in fast, paddles dipping hard, each stroke barely making a ripple. These guys had been trained well. Maybe he should encourage Matt to re-up, but with Navy SEALs this time. His former team would be lucky to get a guy like him.
About ten yards out, oars came out of the water, and they slid to shore side by side. The guys in the bow got out and pulled them in, and the rest of them followed and spread out ten yards from each other and perpendicular to the water. As the sunrise ate away at the darkness, they could see the house better. Novak could make out the camouflaged net, which told him nothing good was going on inside that house. Otherwise, their surroundings looked like any other swamp dwelling. It was a good place to hide criminal activity, and that was for damn sure. He searched the windows, but the curtains were drawn. Nobody was in sight. They got the signal from Eldon to hunker down inside the tree line and wait.
That’s when Novak glimpsed movement. A guard walked around the corner of the barn and leaned up against the barn doors. He was smoking a cigarette. Not far from the guy, two airboats were tied up at a dock. The cigarette flared red with each inhalation, and the acrid odor of tobacco drifted on the damp wind. Then, and almost before Novak could comprehend what happened, the guard was lying on his back on the ground, unconscious. A black-clad figure crouched down beside him. Novak heard the cry of a whippoorwill. He looked at Matthew.
Matt shrugged. “Sometimes the old ways work, too.”
Novak heard Lori stifle a laugh. “I love you guys, Matt,” she whispered. “Can I join your tribe?”
Matthew grinned at her.
“Okay, let’s do this before they get wind of us,” Novak muttered. Everything was racing along, easy as pie, in fact, and that was usually the kiss of death in covert operations. In his experience, the easier it went, the more likely it was for calamity to hit you like a fist in the stomach.
Matt edged closer to Novak. “Eldon wants you and Lori around back watching the rear door. The rest of us will go in out front and through the front door and secure the barn. Eldon wants this to happen fast.”
“Break a leg,” Lori said to Matt. “Catch you on the other side. Don’t get shot.”
“Boo-yah,” he replied softly, and then he disappeared inside the rolling ground fog. Novak led the way out around back with Lori five yards behind him and out to one side. When they got closer, they both knelt and waited for Black to kick in the front door. The crash came within minutes. All hell broke loose as they took the place, hard and fast. Loud shouting erupted and females screamed inside the house and babies started shrieking, and Novak knew they were in the right place. A couple of gunshots went off outside, reverberating like thunder in the quiet dawn.
By the time Novak and Lori made it across the backyard and into the kitchen, all the lights were on in the house and the place was secured. Two nurses in pajamas lay flat on their bellies on the floor, disarmed, with their arms out wide to each side. Two males were dragged in a moment later, both handcuffed and wounded but neither seriously hurt. Good, they could be questioned. The takedown had been as quick and efficient as any Novak had seen. He breathed easier.
Nicholas Black was already searching the bedrooms for Claire. Novak followed him down the interior hall, past two bedrooms. Each of them had two infant cribs with crying babies. The third door was locked. Black gave it a brutal kick and slammed it against the
interior wall. Novak braced for a second surge of resistance. Nothing happened. The room was empty but for a hospital bed with handcuffs dangling off the bedrails. Black cursed violently and swiveled around with his weapon when Lori yelled from the hallway, “Stop yelling! These babies are terrified!”
Novak followed her into the second bedroom. She had propped the rifle against the wall and was leaning over a crib. She picked up one of the screaming infants. It looked about six months old. She started patting its back and rocking it back and forth and murmuring reassurances. It took several minutes, but the baby finally calmed down. Matt and his brother were in the hall now. Walsh’s men were outside checking the barn and surrounding yard.
Eldon showed up, looked at Lori and the baby, then put down his weapon and took up the other child. Novak went next door and picked up a baby. Matt lifted the other out of its crib. Most of the infants were young, probably between two and six months. Novak knew what to do; he’d had done it enough with his own kids before they’d died on 9/11. In a way, it felt good to hold the baby; in a way, it broke his heart all over again. He tried not to think about that. Once the babies became calm, the team found bottles already made up in the refrigerator and fed them. Novak had already searched for Alcina’s child. All four of the babies were boys.
Rosa Castillo was not there. Claire was not there. They’d failed their main objectives. Black was angry and so frustrated that his countenance was hard to behold. He had counted on his wife being inside that house, and now he had nowhere to turn. Both men knew this raid had probably cost Claire the kid-gloves treatment she’d received up to now. She had been the one held prisoner in that last room, Novak knew it. Kellen would be enraged that they had destroyed his base of operations and arrested some of his people, who would probably turn on him in plea deals. Claire would be in more danger now. Against his every inclination, Novak began to fear the worst.