“I wish I could do something. Say, how about I speak with Jane and see if there’s something she can hook you up with?”
“You know I spoke with her already…”
“Let me try,” Freddie insisted. He hated to see his long-time friend down and out like that, knowing that Kevin had gotten a raw deal. It had happened to so many supporters of the CPP.
“Okay, have at it if you want.” Kevin then looked up front toward the podium. Stanley Abrams, former CPP Member of Parliament was about to commence the meeting.
There was a panel of six speakers that night, including the Prime Minister. Kevin listened to all the progress Jackson Cunningham claimed the government had made since being elected to office three years earlier. As he sat there watching the man he knew had bamboozled him and caused his family to suffer, he felt that rage building again — this time, not so much towards himself.
After the meeting, as everyone headed to the parking lot and the Prime Minister had just pulled off with his entourage in a vehicular queue with blue flashing lights, Kevin ran up to Thaddeus, who was just about to enter the back seat of his car. Vince Mcclarin, police officer and chauffeur, was standing nearby waiting for the minister to enter.
“Minister!” Kevin cried as he approached.
“What is it, Kev?” Thaddeus looked back.
Kevin wasn’t sure from his even tone of voice if Thaddeus was annoyed at him or not. “May I speak with you privately for a moment?” he asked.
“Sure.” Thaddeus glanced at Vince before walking with Kevin a few feet away near one of the mini lampposts on the compound. “What’s on your mind?”
“I was wondering if you can help me out,” Kevin said. “Things are really rough for me and Sheri right now. The hotel has her on just a couple of days a week and there’s only so much I’m pulling in right now on my job.”
“You’re in Jackson’s constituency, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
Kevin scoffed. “A long time ago and nothing came of it. First, he invited me to his office to talk, then when I went, he couldn’t see me at the time. Told me to come back another time. Either the same thing happened or he wasn’t there. I finally pulled him aside at a meeting here a few months ago and he pretty much told me he’d look into it. I got tired of following up and leaving empty-handed, you know?”
Thaddeus sighed. “I must confess he’s been insanely busy since the moment he took office. Tell ya what, why don’t you come see me the day after tomorrow, that’s uh…Wednesday, say around three o’clock? We’ll discuss it some more and I’ll see what I can do.”
For the first time in a long time, Kevin felt hopeful. He cracked a smile on his otherwise sullen face. “Thanks, Minister. I appreciate that. I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
“Yes, God willing.”
The two men parted ways and as Kevin drove home, he was eager to tell Sheri about his conversation with Thaddeus, but wanted to do so in person. He only hoped she’d be as optimistic about his upcoming meeting as he was.
FOUR
Chief Salvadore Tuyler was on the verge of retirement. He announced, one more year and it’ll be “curtains closed” for him — at least with anything that had to do with Law Enforcement. At sixty-four years old, he could only hope it won’t be “curtains closed for good”. He planned to do all the things on his bucket list that he’d been unable to get to during the forty years he worked for the LAPD, nine of which he served as Chief of Police.
He looked proudly at Detective Nick Myers who stood before him, dressed in his favorite black coat suit. Nick was his star detective who’d solved more crimes than any other detective during Tuyler’s tenure.
“All set for the mission?” Tuyler asked him.
“Yes, sir,” Nick said.
Tuyler got up from his chair and approached him. “Well, you go and I know you’ll serve this department well. We’re sending our best man. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you, sir.” Nick was honored.
“While you’re down there for those couple of weeks, enjoy the sun, sand and sea, and remember us here who wish we had the opportunity to fill your shoes right now.”
“I will, sir.” Nick smiled.
He was driven to the airport by his trusted partner, Lou Riley. Lou had been assigned to work with another detective in Nick’s absence and it turned out he hated the guy. Nick agreed he had every reason to, since Ashon Greene had practically swept Lou’s fiancé off her feet ten years earlier, and went as far as marrying the broad. Lou never got over it, although he never confronted Ashon about it beyond the time both men almost lost their jobs when they got into a verbal confrontation.
Tuyler didn’t care about the past drama when he decided to pair the men to work for the two weeks Nick would be away. He felt real men knew how to leave water under the bridge and just got over stuff they couldn’t fix. Inwardly, he wanted to see how it would go, considering so many years had passed and the men seemed cordial, at least as far as he could see, despite their differences.
“The guy set me up!” Lou exclaimed as he cracked his neck.
“You mean, the Chief?”
“Yeah. Some nerve he’s got linking me with that snake in the grass! Just hurry up and get back here, huh? That tropical island don’t need you more than I do right now.”
Nick laughed. “It’s not an island; it’s a country.”
“Whatever. Just hurry up and get back here.”
“You’re asking me to speed up time, Riley. Do I look like I invented it?”
Lou glanced his way with a sigh. “I know you didn’t, buddy. I just don’t know how I’m gonna manage without you.”
“You’ll be all right. Just keep your cool and remember you’ve got a nice lady all for yourself now who worships the ground you walk on.”
Lou managed a smile. “She does. Doesn’t she? Yeah, Barbara’s a sweetheart.”
“Would you trade her for Tabitha if she came running back to you?” Nick asked, curiously.
“Are you kidding? No f****ing way! Tabitha, or whatever her name is, couldn’t walk in Barbara’s shoes. I’d never take her back, no matter what.”
“So with that in mind, you and Ashon can get along real well. That’s all you have to think about and all is forgiven and forgotten, right? You ended up on the better end of the stick.”
“You’re right.” Lou was obviously feeling better.
At the airport, he pulled in front of the main entrance doors. “Take care of yourself, will ya?”
“Will do. I’ll see you later,” Nick replied. After he shut the car door, he looked back. “And remember what I said.”
“I will.” Lou nodded.
Nick was able to pass through the terminals with his firearm on his person and without having to be subjected to a routine search. His government issued ID was enough for him to head straight for the plane without any interruptions. As he took his seat up front in First Class, he felt relieved that although on assignment, he’d be getting a much-needed mini vacation — at least that’s what he hoped. He was also grateful to be embarking upon a mission he’d never been sent on before.
Haston was a small tropical nation with a populace of four hundred thousand residents. The country, not yet fully independent from Britain, had forged close ties with the United States over the course of previous decades. With a small, growing police force, the Commissioner, along with the government, felt the need to obtain the services of a highly seasoned detective or Law Enforcement crew from the United States to help implement modernized investigative techniques that they could utilize in their daily crime-fighting efforts. Instead of sending representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Department of State, in conjunction with the FBI Director, opted for an outstanding and knowledgeable detective from the world-renowned Los Angeles Police Department, whom they were confident would get the job done just as well as any federal agent could.
Nick
Myers had been offered a transfer twice to the FBI to work as a special agent, but each time he refused. Although the salary was tempting, he preferred to remain with the LAPD, convinced that he would be of more service there for the everyday folks in his community.
“May I offer you a glass of wine, sir?” the Cuban stewardess asked him as he skimmed through the newspaper. She was holding a tray with both white and red varieties.
Nick looked up and couldn’t help thinking the woman had the most stunning eyes. They were dark, mysterious and in a way, captivating. “Uh, yes. Yes! Red would be nice.”
With a smile, she handed him his preference and with a glint of appreciation on his face, he took it. He glanced back at her as she moved on to the next seat across from him. He’d been single for longer than he cared to remember. Things didn’t work out with Marla. She was the last one to steal his heart before he buried himself completely in his work. Perhaps, the trend had started shortly before the demise of the relationship, as her one biggest complaint was that he never spent any time with her. After five years, he didn’t think it necessary to keep her pampered every second of the day; he needed his space — his “me” time. He needed to breathe. He remembered feeling a little guilty for not being utterly torn that she’d finally made up her mind to walk out of his life for good. He couldn’t understand that odd feeling he had as he knew, undoubtedly, that he loved her. Yet, he couldn’t deny the possibility that maybe, deep inside, in spite of that, he wanted it to be over too.
He perused the newspaper and sipped his wine until the gradual heaviness of his eyes cradled him into a deep, inviting sleep.
FIVE
The Boeing 737 jet aircraft landed at the airport shortly after 11:00 that morning. Nick had been awake from his doze for at least the last hour of the flight.
Waiting for him at the terminal was a brown-skinned man outfitted in a stiffly-pressed blue and red police uniform. He also wore a matching red cap with a shiny black brim and black shoes. Standing next to him was a much taller guy, dressed casually in a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He had a rugged look about him, and a face that seemed that it might not have cracked a smile in ages. Behind them were several other uniformed officers, dressed slightly differently from the one next to the man in casual attire.
“Detective Myers...” the officer with the distinctive uniform extended his hand.
“Commissioner Fox. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” Nick returned a firm handshake.
“Likewise. After months of emailing back and forth, you’re finally here.” Fox glanced over at the gentleman standing next to him. “Allow me to introduce Detective Steve Davis. He’s been stationed in the CIU for the past eleven years. He’ll be working with you during your stay. Anything you need, he’ll take care of it.”
Looking Steve’s way, Nick nodded and the men shook hands.
“The Minister of National Security intended to be here to greet you, but he’s in Parliament at the moment,” Fox continued. “He and Prime Minister Cunningham will join you at Headquarters this afternoon.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, I know you have to check in at the hotel, so I’ll let you be on your way.”
“Allow me to help with your bags.” A young officer approached Nick after Fox had made a gesture to him.
“Thanks, but that’s quite all right. I got ‘em.” Nick had placed his carry-on bag with the long strap and suitcase on the floor after being approached by the officers, but he kept his black briefcase securely in his left hand.
“Well, Steve will take you to your hotel to get you checked in and we’ll see you down at Headquarters at 2:00,” Fox said.
It was 11:55 a.m. when Nick and Steve stepped out into the midday sun and climbed into the black SUV parked just outside the airport exit doors. Steve got in behind the steering wheel as Nick sat in the front passenger seat.
Looking back at the airport he’d just walked through, the entire complex was much smaller than Nick anticipated, yet it had all the essential features and functionality of a much bigger and classier facility.
“How long will you be staying?” Steve asked after they pulled off.
“A couple of weeks. Might be able to wrap up sooner depending on how things go,” Nick replied.
“You’d think they would’ve told me, huh?”
“Sorry?”
“How long you’d be staying, since we’re gonna be working together.”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, I’d think so.”
“So, you’re with the FBI’s legal attaché unit or something?” Steve asked.
“No, not quite. My mission here is a little different. I guess it’s a first too. I receive my directives from FBI headquarters in Washington, but I’m not a federal agent.”
“Really?”
“It’s kind of complicated.”
After a short exhale, Nick noticed Steve had gone quiet.
“So, how are things here in Haston?” He sought to warm up the atmosphere.
“Real chummy, I guess, considering the rich folks are getting everything they want, including a free ride, while the poor and middle class are paying all the taxes.”
“How can that be?” Nick grimaced by the sound of it.
“They’ve passed a new law to increase the taxes. The thing is… the wealthy pay the same thing everyone else pays. The burden is on the ordinary man, you know — on the one struggling to keep his head above water.”
“Not good.”
“I’d say not. We can’t seem to find people to run this country that are not in it for personal gain. They pass laws that suit them and whatever enterprise they’re in while turning their backs on the voters who they promised a better life — lower taxes, help with mortgages, more opportunities. The country is messed up, man, and people are getting fed up. I’m forty-five and having seen governments come and go, I’ve never felt this kind of hostility before.”
“Hostility towards who?” Nick asked. “The legislators?”
“The government as a whole, bro. People feel betrayed, you know, after all the promises they made fell through. You know that feeling like you’ve been slapped in the face?”
Nick nodded slowly. He could see the strain on Steve’s face and heard the disappointment in his voice. He imagined how difficult it must be for him, employed by an entity he obviously despised.
“No hard working man who didn’t support this government can look forward to a well-deserved raise or promotion. For instance, I’ve been working my butt off to solve cases and bring criminals to justice. Before the last election, I was promised a promotion to sergeant, but after the government won, I noticed my superiors were stalling. They kept stalling for two years straight, then finally late last year told me I won’t be getting the promotion. The Minister of National Security told them the country couldn’t afford it at this point. Yet, they hire new officers and promote other guys as detectives — the ones who obviously supported their party. It’s bad, man. I’m telling you.” He shook his head in disgust.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Detective,” Nick said. “I personally know how much goes into trying to solve the many cases that pop up before us.” He went on to inform Steve of the promotions he’d been offered and how he turned them down.
“You turned them down?” Steve was nearly sickened by the thought. “Guess you don’t need the money, huh? You’re one of those rich guys just working ‘cause you wanna keep busy or something?”
Nick grinned, even almost scoffed at the assumption. “I’m far from rich, Detective. I get by as best I can on a detective’s salary. I just love my job and I wanna serve the people in my community. If I took the promotion, I don’t think I’d be as contented. That’s just me.”
Steve glanced Nick’s way. “You seem to be one cool guy.”
“I’d like to think so.” Nick smiled.
After arriving at the Sirru Hotel, Steve sat in the lobby while Nick checked in, then proceeded to take the el
evator to his room.
Steve lit a cigarette and crossed his legs. It was a few minutes later when he saw Shalo “Nineteen coffs” Alba walk in with two of his bodyguards and the man he knew well, Carlos Frank.
Carlos instantly spotted him as his boss headed for the elevator. Steve stood up quickly and both men met with a man-hug.
“What’s going on, my man?” Carlos said to Steve.
“Everything cool. Good seeing you, schoolmate.” Steve glanced at Shalo who was just entering the elevator, then he asked Carlos, “You keeping your nose clean, bro?”
Smiling, Carlos replied, “As clean as can be.” He heard one of the guys whistle. “Hey, I gotta go. Can’t keep the boss waiting.”
“All right. See you later.”
Nick placed his luggage in a corner of the room near the bed. He checked out the bathroom, kitchenette, then pulled open the sliding door, and stepped onto the balcony.
From there, he could see the harbor, a small section of which was lined with cruise ships. The cool breeze lightly kissed his skin as he stood admiring the tranquility of his surroundings.
“Exactly what I need,” he said. He knew if they didn’t send him to Haston, there was a good chance he’d never get to see such a place in person. Vacation wasn’t something he usually gave much thought to and whenever forced to take it, he found great satisfaction in sleeping most of the day, every day, and only leaving his apartment when he needed to shop for groceries.
He felt the vibration of his cell phone.
“You all right up there?” Steve asked. He was still in the lobby.
“Steve?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah. I’m coming down now. Give me a sec.”
Nick hung up, went inside and pushed the sliding door shut. He knew he was on a schedule and could enjoy the serenity of the room later. Heading over to the bureau, he slid out his Glock 22 and re-checked the chamber.
Dangerous & Deadly- The Nick Myers Series Page 19