by B J Bourg
“Um…next week. We leave on Thursday.” He stared from Amy to me. “Why? You don’t really believe he’s got that missing girl on my boat and that he’s going to sell her to someone in Mexico?”
“What the hell do you think Clint’s been telling you?” Amy asked in exasperation. “That’s exactly what we believe.”
“Look,” I stabbed the table in front of Trevor with my index finger, “Lenny stole a jar of cyanide from a pawn shop three weeks ago. Early on Monday morning, he administered the poison to his mother by putting it in her sugar. He buried her in the yard later—probably that night—and then stole her bus Wednesday morning, which is when he kidnapped Rose Murdock. I believe he—”
“Wait a minute,” Trevor interrupted, “did you say he poisoned his mom on Monday morning?”
I nodded.
“Then there’s no way Lenny did it.” Trevor seemed to breathe a little easier. “We were still on the boat Monday. We didn’t get to port until Wednesday morning. We remained on the boat most of the day and he went with me to the dealership north of town to get Amy’s car. In fact, he left his car parked in the dealership parking lot so he could drive Amy’s car to the house.” Trevor shot a wry glance in Amy’s direction. “And she almost killed him for it.”
Puzzled, I leaned back in my chair and sighed. If Lenny was on the boat when his mother was killed, then that must mean Junior poisoned her and Junior kidnapped Rose. I suddenly remembered the tire track from the old fishing camp. There was a bus and another vehicle, which meant there had to be two drivers—and we now knew Katrina Bradberry wasn’t one of them, because she was already dead by Wednesday.
“Trevor, did Lenny leave your presence at all Wednesday morning?” I asked, eager with anticipation. “Did he leave the dock that morning—for any amount of time—and then return before y’all went to the dealership?”
Trevor grunted and cocked his head to the side. “As a matter of fact, he did leave, but it wasn’t for long. Maybe an hour. I think he said his brother had a flat and he needed to tend to it.”
I slammed my hand on the table, causing both Amy and Trevor to jump in their skin. “That’s it! He’s our guy.” I stood and pointed down at Amy. “Junior was lying his ass off and we’re going to snatch him up as soon as we get back.”
“Do you think he warned Lenny that we’re on to him?” There was real concern in her voice.
“I sure hope not.” I turned to Trevor. “When’s the last time you heard from Lenny?”
“Um, I haven’t spoken to him since I dropped him off at his house after Amy almost shot him.” He scratched his face, where about a week of stubble had gathered. “Come to think of it, that’s a bit unusual. He normally hollers at me every day, but Wednesday was the last I’ve seen of him.”
My knees felt weak. What if Lenny had already left with Rose and was already heading for Mexican waters?
“Does Lenny know how to drive the boat?” I asked, my voice betraying the panic that was starting to seep in.
He nodded. “He can handle anything that floats. He’s good on the water.”
“Shit! Look, we need you to take us to your boat right away. If Rose Murdock is onboard, we need to get to her before he runs off with her.”
CHAPTER 47
Trevor reached for his pocket, shaking his head the entire time. “I’m no hero,” he said in a voice that shook. He pulled out a key ring and separated a single key from the rest. “I’ll give you my key. It’s a master and it opens every marine latch on the vessel, but I don’t want to go with y’all. I’m not built for this gung-ho shit—no offense. I know Lenny owns a gun and I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”
I took his key and slid my notepad across the table. “Draw us a map of the dock and a floor plan of the boat. Also, where’s the best place to stow a human on that boat?”
Trevor hesitated with the pen hovering over the page. “Well, we have some abandoned cabins down below for when we used to transport personnel. I haven’t been down there in months. The guy who was captain before me was a real asshole and he would bring some lady friends on the boat. He’d let them stay in the private quarters and he wouldn’t let any of us down there. I think the owners got wind of it somehow and I believe that’s why they fired him. None of my crew ever had a reason to go to the cabins below, so we all just kind of stayed away when I took over.”
“Did you ever know of Lenny to go down there—particularly on this last hitch?”
“I never knew of anyone going down there except my old captain.”
After obtaining the phone number for the owner of the boat, I indicated with my head toward the notepad. “Can you get me that drawing? We need to go now.”
He nodded and went to work. I tried calling the owner, but there was no answer. I left a message on his voicemail and then stepped away, walking to the closed tent and dipping through the flap that was hanging free. There were three rows of cots, most of which were empty. In the dim glow from a few lanterns that hung from the tent poles, I caught sight of Susan sleeping on one of the cots at the end of the last row.
When I drew closer, I could see she was still dressed in full uniform—she even had on her gun belt—and she was snoring lightly. There were a few other people resting on cots up and down the aisles, and some of them stirred as I walked by.
I stopped when I reached Susan and stood over her, contemplating whether or not I should disturb her sleep. I didn’t have to think about it long, because her eyes suddenly opened and she sat upright.
“Jesus, Clint, you scared me.” She rubbed her face and yawned. “Anything new?”
I squatted beside her and, speaking in a low voice, explained everything we’d learned so far.
“I’m going with you!” It was more of a statement than a question, but I shook my head, knowing it wouldn’t be easy to convince her to stay behind.
“Look, this might get dangerous. If he’s willing to kill his mom, then he’s willing to kill anyone.”
“What’s he going to do—throw cyanide at me?”
“According to Trevor, he’s got a gun.” I frowned and touched her cheek. “I need you to keep our baby safe.”
“That’ll only work so many times, Clint Wolf, and the last time you pulled it was the very last time it’ll work. I’m pregnant—not spineless.” She pushed herself to her feet and straightened her gun belt. “Who do you have coming?”
I scowled, but didn’t argue. “Amy should be waiting for me under the open tent and I was going to get Takecia to join us. I was also going to ask Melvin to put a boat in the water in case Lenny goes mobile, and I was going to ask Baylor to ride with him.”
“What about Junior?” Susan asked.
“I need someone to pick him up and put him on ice until we get back from the boat.”
“Want me to ask Mallory to take him into custody again and hold him until we complete the search of the boat?”
“That would be great.”
“And what happens when we get to the boat?”
“Trevor’s making a map of the dock and the boat, and he gave me a master key. I was thinking that once we made entry we’d go straight to the abandoned living quarters, neutralizing any threats we encounter along the way. Once we’ve secured the living area—and hopefully recovered Rose alive and well—then we can conduct a thorough search of the vessel, looking for evidence and bad guys.” I paused while we walked to the flap in the tent. When we were back out in the cold night air, I continued. “I’m hoping we can surprise Lenny and take him down without incident. I certainly don’t want to engage in a firefight with Lenny while Rose is on the boat—if, indeed, she is there.”
“What if he leaves in the boat before we get to him?” she asked.
“Hell, if that happens, Laura may never see her daughter again.”
“I guess we need to make damn sure that doesn’t happen then.” Susan pulled out her phone and began making the necessary calls.
I led the way to the
open tent, where Amy was standing alone. She handed me the notebook with Trevor’s map. I nodded my approval. It was very detailed. I glanced around. “Is Trevor sure he doesn’t want to come along? We could use an extra pair of eyes on the perimeter.”
“I don’t want him coming along any more than you want Susan coming along,” Amy said.
“But Susan’s pregnant.”
“And Trevor just proposed to me. I can’t have him getting killed off just yet. He’ll at least have to marry me before I put him in harm’s way. After we tie the knot, he’s on his own.” She smirked and a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Being a widow sounds a lot better than being single for the rest of my life.”
I liked being married, so I couldn’t argue the point. While waiting for Susan to finish handing out assignments over the phone, I walked to my Tahoe and retrieved my Colt AR-15 from where it was secured in the cargo area. I grabbed an extra magazine, shoved it in my back pocket, and slung the rifle over my shoulder.
By the time I’d returned to the open tent, Takecia was already pulling up and Amy was walking back from her cruiser carrying a shotgun. Susan told us that Melvin was heading to the office to get the boat and Baylor was with him. She also said Mallory was en route to Junior’s house with two deputies from the sheriff’s office.
“She said she’ll bring him to the station and lock him in one of the cells,” Susan explained. She hitched up her gun belt and nodded. “I’m ready when you are.”
I lifted the map that Trevor had made. “I’ll ride shotgun with you. Amy and Takecia can follow us.”
Susan eyed me suspiciously, and I knew she could read my mind. I figured if she was driving, then I could get out of the vehicle and confront any potential threat long before she could put the car in gear and exit. After staring at me for a long moment, she grunted and led the way to her Tahoe.
I rested the butt of the rifle on the floorboard in front of me and pulled the door shut. I was grateful for the warm air that blasted through the vents. While it didn’t take long for the cab to warm up, I found myself shivering. Since it wasn’t from the cold, I knew it was in anticipation. I was worried—scared even. I knew that within the hour, we would most likely discover the fate of young Rose Murdock, and I was praying this case would have a happy ending.
CHAPTER 48
One hour later…
“We’re in position,” Melvin called over the radio, his voice booming in my earpiece. “I’ve got a visual on the Sea Nightmare. It’s still tied up. There’s no sign of movement from inside.”
I was lying on my belly in a shallow gully about fifty yards from the supply vessel. Susan and Takecia were to my right and Amy was somewhere to my left, all of them hunkered down and out of sight. We had parked our vehicles on the main port highway and crawled our way across a dark field of dried grass and old oyster shells.
There were no lights from the boat and the nearest utility pole was at least a hundred yards away, but the sky was clear and the moon shone bright above us. I could make out jutting shadows in the field ahead of us, and those shadows would serve to conceal our approach to the boat.
I pressed the push-to-talk button and told Amy I was going to move forward. “Cover me until I reach that clump of bushes up ahead,” I whispered, “and then I’ll cover your approach.”
“Ten-four,” she called back.
Sliding my left hand along the ground, I began moving inch by inch, pulling myself out of the gully and making my way across the open space. I had fully committed to my approach and was completely exposed when a giant beam of light suddenly lit up the field thirty feet in front of me. I sank straight down, trying to meld myself into the ground, wondering who in the hell had lit up the area.
“Clint, get the hell out of there,” Susan called frantically over the radio. “They’re searching for you with that spotlight. Get back here now!”
I knew if I made any movement at all it would instantly give away my position, but I also knew the spotlight would eventually illuminate me. Cradling the AR-15 in the crook of my left elbow and placing my hands under my torso, I was about to push off the ground when gunshots erupted from the area of the boat. The report from the firearm was small and I knew it was a handgun. At that distance, there was no way a shooter could deliver accurate fire on my position, but I also knew it was possible an errant round could find its target. I needed to get my ass out of there in a hurry.
Before I could do anything, I heard more shots being fired, but they were from the opposite side of the vessel and from two different firearms—semi-automatic rifles. Melvin and Baylor!
As the shooting continued from the boat, Susan, Amy, and Takecia began laying down suppressive fire from behind me. I pursed my lips, more confident than ever that Rose was on that boat. I knew if I didn’t get to her right away, the shooter—or shooters—would turn their weapons on her and end her life. If they killed her, then everything we’d done up to that point would’ve been for naught.
Gritting my teeth, I lunged from the ground and sprinted forward, zigzagging my way across the open field, heading for the port side of the supply vessel as fast as my legs could carry me. The shooter would not expect me to rush his position, but even if he did, I figured he was too preoccupied with my fellow officers to pay any attention to me.
Most of my night vision had been washed by the spotlight, but when I drew closer to the boat I could see a large gangplank leading from the pier to the gunwale of the boat. I headed straight for it.
I hit the plank on a dead run and cleared the gunwale in a single bound. I landed as lightly as I could on the open deck and quickly moved behind a life boat that was nearby. Once there, I crouched low, shouldered my AR-15, and listened. A couple of gunshots echoed across the water, but they had originated from beyond the opposite side of the vessel, and not from the deck of the boat.
“Clint, I think we got him,” Melvin called over the police radio. “I heard a splash in the water on the starboard side, and it sounded big—most likely a body. We’re making our approach now.”
Since they were securing that side of the ship, I quickly moved to my left, toward the stern, where—according to Trevor’s map—the door would lead to the wheelhouse and the cabins for the captain and crew. There would be a ladder to my immediate right that would lead to the deck below, where the cabins were located—the ones that had been deemed off limits by the previous captain.
I stopped just outside the door and peered through the porthole. Other than the blue glow from some computer lights at the far end of the passageway, everything was dark. I heard something bump against the starboard side of the boat and I knew Melvin and Baylor had arrived.
I slung my rifle over my shoulder and dug for the master key. Once the door was open, I slipped through the opening and turned right, going below. When I reached the landing, I encountered a hatch that was locked, so I tried the key I’d gotten from Trevor. It worked. The hinges squeaked when I pushed through the hatch, and I was met with utter darkness on the opposite side.
The passageway was narrow. I cinched down my sling, pulling my AR-15 tightly to my back. With it securely in place, I drew my pistol and made my way through the darkness, feeling my way to the first cabin door, which was unlocked. The door opened to the inside. I tucked my pistol against my torso as I pushed through the opening. I felt around in the dark, searching the tight quarters. It was empty.
I continued moving down the passageway, searching each cabin as I went along. All of the doors were unlocked except for the last one. I said a silent prayer that the master key would work. The tumblers clicked audibly as I slid the key in the hole. My heart pounded in my ears. Rose Murdock could be on the other side of this door, I thought. But was she alive or dead? Had Lenny killed her before trying to ambush us? And how had he known we were out there?
To my relief, the door opened. Before I could step one foot into the cabin, I heard bed springs squeaking and someone moaning. I quickly jerked my flashlight
from my back pocket and clicked it on. I gasped out loud when I saw the dark-haired girl lying on her side. Both feet were bound together with a leather belt and her hands were secured behind her back. Her eyes were dark brown and wide and she was trying to talk around a dirty rag that served as a gag.
I dropped to my knees beside the bed and gently freed her mouth. She looked just like the girl in the picture that Laura had given me. “Rose? Are you really Rose Murdock?”
“Uh…um, yeah.” Rose’s voice was scratchy, like she hadn’t used it in days. “I…I’m Rose.”
“Did they hurt you?” I asked as I removed the belt from around her ankles and helped her to a seated position. She was weeping quietly.
“No, sir, he…he didn’t touch me.”
I was so elated my eyes started to smart. I blinked back the moisture and keyed up my radio. “I’ve got her,” I said, a little breathless. “Rose Murdock is safe…I’ve got her.”
CHAPTER 49
11:58 p.m.
4923 Old Blackbird Highway, Mechant Loup, Louisiana
45 minutes found…
“Where’d everyone go?” Laura Murdock asked Mayor Pauline Cain, who was sitting under the open tent chewing on her thumb nail. Laura had been trying to sleep but thought she’d heard sirens. “Is something wrong?”
Before Mayor Cain could respond, a black SUV with lights flashing and siren blaring flew by the house. The vehicle was traveling so fast the wind rocked the low-lying branches on the trees beside Old Blackbird Highway. Within seconds, an ambulance blew by, its lights also flashing, but it didn’t have the siren on.
“What’s going on?” Laura asked, fear clutching at her throat. “Does this have something to do with Rose? Did they find her?”
Even in the faint glow from the lanterns hanging by the tent poles, Laura could see that Pauline’s face was pale. Why isn’t she answering me? Laura wondered, growing impatient.