Red Tide
Page 17
“So, I quit school, joined the Marine Corp in time to ship out for Operation Desert Storm, and got my ass shot off. Those three jarheads saved my life.” Jimmy finished.
“Sound like they almost got you killed.” Kate countered.
“Living like that, I was already dead, just looking for a place to lie down to prove it. No, the Corp saved me. I learned what true honor was, what a true brotherhood was. I learned to respect my officers because I could respect myself. And I sure as hell learned how to cuss properly. Ever hear a Gunny Sergeant go off on a dumbass boot? Now that’s a professional cusser.”
“As a matter of fact, I have.” Kate smiled.
Their private conversation was interrupted by the pilot addressing all passengers through the headsets.
“Key West in five minutes.”
The hunters were closing in.
Chapter Eighteen
Border Crossing, Matamoras, Mexico
Miguel listened intently as Luis reported. He had avoided a well laid trap by just minutes.
“How many soldiers do you estimate are hiding on the roadside?”
“Once I saw the clump of heavy brush move, I knew what to look for. I counted twelve, perhaps fourteen. The helicopter will have a pilot, and a door gunner with an M-60 machine gun. That makes sixteen to eighteen soldiers. There may be more on the way from the Norte Americanos.” Luis answered. “We need a new plan, and we are running out of time.”
“Yes my friend, we do.” Miguel walked away.
Sergeant Hector Gonzales listened to the radio report from the hillside. He had seen the brush jump, as one of his men had clearly panicked. Now he knew why.
“Lieutenant, one of your Marines was bitten by a rattlesnake in his fighting hole, and revealed his position. He is still in his fighting hole, but needs medical attention, now.”
“Do you think they saw it?” Lieutenant Parrott asked.
“If we saw it, they saw it.” The Sergeant replied.
“What do we do, Hector? Do we pull out, or attack? I have to clarify my orders before attacking across the border of a sovereign country.”
“Get that soldier out of his fighting hole quickly, and to medical treatment. Then, we wait. Miguel cannot turn back. He must cross here. My officer has reinforcements coming from Ciudad Victoria, and will be here within an hour or two. Miguel knows he will be smashed between a hammer and an anvil if he waits. The smart move is to abandon the ambulances, and fade away. Miguel won’t do that. Losing two thousand kilos of the Cartel’s product on a risky adventure means he has to succeed, or die trying. He will surly pay with his life if he fails. He will be coming soon.”
Miguel supervised his men. They were almost ready. They had moved as much heroin from the lead ambulance to the second ambulance as they could, and the rest to a car they had hotwired. The lead ambulance was packed with small propane tanks looted from gas grills in the neighborhood.
“That is the last, boss.” Luis reported.
“Good. Is Angel ready?” Miguel asked. Luis pointed. Angel Frankenstein walked towards them. He wore a football helmet taken from a kid’s bedroom, and shoulder pads that were too small. He was armored, his arms and legs, elbows and knees wrapped with opened phone books duct taped tightly in place. He could bend his knees and elbows somewhat, just enough to operate the floor pedals and steering wheel.
“I am ready to drive, Don Miguel.”
“You will be well rewarded for your bravery today, Miho. Come, we must go now.” Miguel turned to Luis once Angel was out of earshot. “Is the charge ready?”
“Si, Don Miguel. You may set it off by hitting send.” He handed the cell phone to Miguel.
Miguel turned to his crew. “Vamanos, amigos. We drive to glory!!”
Long Key, Florida
Bobby Lee stripped off his coveralls to reveal simple shorts and a T-shirt, as Sherrod did the same. They replaced their work boots with deck shoes, then dumped the coveralls and boots into the brush. The van was abandoned as soon as they were out of sight of the toll booth, and none too soon, as a police car came around the bend headed for the booth. The news of their arrival on Long Key would soon spread to the ears of their hunters.
“We hoof it from here.” Bobby Lee instructed.
“Are we going to hoof it all the way to Cuba?” Sherrod had figured out their destination. Caribbean island sanctuaries were easily reached from anywhere in southern Florida. By heading to Key West, one could only assume Cuba, just 90 miles away, was the destination. “So just how are we going to get asylum in Cuba, Bobby Lee?”
“Question is, how are YOU going to get asylum in Cuba. I already got it, bought and paid for.” Bobby Lee headed down the road. “Flag down the next car you see headed our direction. See if we can hitch a ride.”
“Hold on! You said you would get me out of the country!” Sherrod was clearly nervous at Bobby Lee’s last statement.
“And I will, Sher ol’ buddy. I will get you to Cuba. Whether or not you get to stay is another question. The lil’ bitty $100,000 in that there suit case will get you ashore. Think of it as a downpayment. How much more you’ll need to pony up, well that’ll be interesting, with your face all over the news and all. I already worked my deal, and I’m wanted for polluting. You, on the other hand, are wanted for murder.” Bobby Lee chuckled.
The sound of a vehicle approaching behind them interrupted the exchange. Sherrod immediately turned and started waving like a lunatic to get the driver’s attention. Bobby Lee dove into the bushes. It was the police car that had passed them headed to the toll booth. Sherrod, realizing his mistake, turned to warn Bobby Lee, but he had already disappeared. Turning back, the patrol car had kicked in his inceptor engine, squealing to a sliding halt next to Sherrod. The officer was out of the car in heartbeat, hand resting firmly on his holstered service weapon.
“Keep your hands in sight” he ordered. “Why did your friend run off?”
“I, ...I don’t know. We just met. We were walking down the road, and he was just there.” Sherrod knew it was lame, but he was out of his element with this sort of thing.
“WE were walking. You said “We”. That implies you were together when he suddenly appeared, then disappeared.” The officer was having none of it. Law enforcement are trained to observe, and listen to the first words out of a suspect’s mouth. If it’s the least bit sketchy, they press further. “Let me see some ID.”
He was busted. Sherrod had no ID, and without it, he would be detained while his prints were run through CODUS. He was done. His shoulders slumped, and he looked at the ground.
“I don’t have any ID.” Sherrod was defeated.
“Put your hands on the car, and spread your legs. You have anything in your pockets that will stick me?” Police frisking suspects for weapons these days were more concerned with getting stuck by a addict’s dirty needle than anything else. As the officer ran his experienced hands around Sherrod’s waist from behind, he suddenly slumped against Sherrod, and collapsed at his feet. A stunned Sherrod turned to see Bobby Lee standing over the officer, a thick stick in his hand.
“My God, Swagart! You’ve killed him!”
“I didn’t kill him, I just knocked his ass out to buy us some time”. Bobby Lee removed the officers radio, and chucked it into the trees. He then removed the officers pistol and spare magazines, shoving the mags into his pocket, and the semi auto pistol into his belt, covering both with his T-shirt. He cuffed the officer’s hands behind his back. “Get ahold of his legs, and help me put him on the back seat.”
“What are you going to do?” Sherrod was on the verge of losing it.
“WE’RE going to tuck him in the back seat for a nice little snooze. When he wakes up, he will be locked in his own cruiser, cuffed, with no radio to call for help. Eventually, his buddy’s will come looking for him when he doesn’t respond to radio calls, but we’ll be long gone.”
Sherrod felt a rush of gratitude. ”Thanks for saving me. I don’t know how to…
“I do
n’t give two shits about you, Simpson. I was saving myself. If I let you get caught, you’d roll on me in a heartbeat. I’m better off killing you where you stand. Be easier for me to slip away by myself. But then again, I wouldn’t get that $10 million for getting you outa the country. Now, let’s put this cop to bed, saddle up, and get the hell out of here.”
They stuffed the officer in the back seat, cracked the two front windows for ventilation, locked the car, and threw the keys into the trees. Walking away, it looked like a patrol car pulled off the side of the road. Cars would slow down to avoid a speeding ticket, but would investigate no further. Bobbly Lee glanced at his watch.
“It’s 2:00 PM. We have an hour until the next police shift comes on. Add 30 minutes till they start to wonder why Dudley Do-right hasn’t come back to clock out, and won’t answer his radio. Add 30 minutes to find his car. That’s two hours to get to town, and on to the boatyard out in the sticks.”
They started walking towards town. “How does a landscaper know police shift schedules?” Sherrod was skeptical.
“Cause if ya’ don’t want ta’ get caught doing something you shouldn’t, it’s best to know the 10 minutes three times each day when all the cops go home to their nest.” His patience for Sherrod had completely evaporated when Sherrod waved down the police car to come and arrest them. Dumbass. “We need a car.”
After 30 minutes, a mini-van was in sight, heading in their direction. “Go flag em’ down.” Bobby Lee ordered. Sherrod walked out into the road, and waved his arms. The van slowed, revealing Ohio plates, but steered into the oncoming lane to go around Sherrod. It was not going to stop. Bobby Lee drew the semiauto from his belt, stepped into the road, and pointed it directly at the driver. The van abruptly stopped, and he walked around to the driver’s window motioning the driver to roll down the window with the pistol.
“How ya’ll doin’ today. My friend and I need a ride into town, and well, you’ve been selected as our Uber driver. Hand me the keys, and remain seated. Ask the missus to unbuckle, and take a seat in the back with those two fine kids. Sherrod, you get in the back, too.”
Sherrod stood frozen where he stood. This ordeal had turned into a nightmare. He was unprepared for the violence against the police officer, much less threats of violence against this innocent family.
“Sherrod! Move your ass NOW!” Bobby Lee scared him into action. Sherrod ran to the mini-van side door and took a seat next to the terrified mother and her two children clasped tightly to her. Bobby Lee took the front passenger seat, buckled up for safety, and handed the keys back to the father.
Bobby Lee spoke calmly and carefully. “Now, we’re not going to hurt anyone long as you keep your head. We’re going to drive into Key West, where you, the missus and kids can get out. We will leave your van and goods you have packed close by. Now buckle up, start the van, drive real careful and be sure to obey every traffic law. Let’s go.”
Matamoras Mexico, Brownsville Texas Border Crossing
The ambulance caravan and added passenger vehicle accelerated as they approached the crossing gate. The Mexican Army private and Marine posing as border guards ran to their fighting positions prepared in advance, well to the east side of the crossing gates. Their orders were to lay down harassing fire, but allow the vehicles to crash through the gates.
The lead ambulance struck the gate at 35 MPH, splintering it as all three vehicles sped through. The soldier and Marine laid fire into the vehicle sides, careful not to damage the engines or tires. The ambush site was 300 yards north.
“Pilot, take off now!” Hector activated the front door of his trap. Within seconds the thumping of the chopper’s prop beating the air was heard. “Assault team, await the order to fire.” The orders were transmitted in English and Spanish by Hector and Lieutenant Parrott. Out on the berm, overhead cover was thrown off the eleven remaining fighting holes, soldiers and Marines climbing up to firing positions. All was working as planned, when the radio blared. It was the fake border guards.
“Lieutenant, all vehicles stopped 100 yards up the road. Guys are jumping out and climbing onto a board strapped to the passenger side of each ambulance. They have satchels, but no rifles. There’s two on each ambulance. Wait! They’re moving again. Looks like they’re going to run the gauntlet at high speed.”
Hector and Lieutenant Parrott both ran to their observation position from which they would direct the fight. The kill zone was clearly in sight, with the ambulances speeding towards it. Both transmitted to their men.
“Ready, weapons hot!” Predetermined aim points along the kill zone had been laid out to cover every inch. Safeties were deactivated on every weapon along the berm. The helicopter cleared the rooftops, and came into view. The nose dropped as the chopper gained speed and dove towards the oncoming vehicles just entering the 100-yard long kill zone. Like a bird of prey, the nose flared up to kill its speed, and the bird came to hover four feet off the ground crossways to the approaching vehicles, displaying its talons: the door gunner manned the M-60 machine gun facing the lead ambulance. The front door was closed.
The lead ambulance showed no sign of slowing, and all vehicles were in the kill zone when Hector and Lieutenant Parrott simultaneously yelled, “FIRE!” The berm exploded with small arms fire peppering the vehicles, the first bursts going high, as the soldiers and Marines were lower than the vehicles on the road. The outriders on the boards attached to the side of the ambulances away from incoming fire began lobbing grenades onto the berm. Four massive explosions at twenty yard intervals erupted among the fighting holes, swallowing the soldiers and Marines in clouds of fire, dust and debris. Suddenly blind and shell shocked, their fire into the vehicles was slashed by two thirds.
The trailing car front driver’s side tire was hit, and immediately came off the rim. The speeding car nosed into the pavement, violently flipped, and cartwheeled down the road, slinging mini bails of heroin and the driver from the wreckage.
The lead ambulance was forty yards from the blocking chopper, when the door gunner opened up with fully automatic fire. The ambulance was shredded. The two grenade throwing outriders were cut away by the machine gun, hit the pavement, skidding along the road to chase the speeding vehicle for 20 yards. The entire front of the vehicle, and Angel, despite his football helmet and shoulder pads, were riddled with M-60 rounds. The heavy rounds passed through the windshield and engine, through Angel and the partition behind the driver’s seat and punctured several propane tanks, filling the bay with flammable gas. There was no explosion, as the punctured gas had no ignition source, yet. The ambulance continued speeding towards the chopper.
To avoid being rammed, the pilot jerked the stick, the bird leaping thirty yards into the air. Just as it seemed the first ambulance would pass harmlessly below the chopper, Miguel in the trailing ambulance hit send on his phone. Angel’s ambulance exploded, jumping off the road 10 feet, when a secondary explosion of propane created a giant fireball that engulfed the helicopter above. The doomed chopper, completely engulfed in flames, banked hard to the right as the pilot refused to accept he was already a dead man. The stricken helicopter crashed into the berm virtually on top of the last fighting hole.
Miguel and his driver, Luis in the second ambulance swerved around the chaos and through the flames and shrapnel, emerging on the other side. The two outriders who had tossed grenades onto the soldiers on the berm had been brushed away by the blast. You could see bloody skid marks where they had been blown across the pavement, sliding to a stop at the curb in red lumps. The ambulance accelerated, and sped up the road towards the on ramp to I-77 and San Antonio. The battle had lasted less than two minutes.
Chapter Fifteen, Key West Florida
Kate, Jimmy, Thuy, and the two NCIS agents Chris and Beth stepped from the helicopter to the tarmac. A black SUV accompanied by a Florida State Trooper and his squad car greeted them.
“What, you Feds have those things scattered around the country in case you need one? Jimmy asked.
“We believe they are in Key West. One fitting Swagart’s description tried to pass himself off as a swamp rat at the Long Key toll booth. Tried to pay with a crisp $100 bill. When he was told he would have to wait for the booth attendant to call his supervisor for change, he took off. Don’t sound like no swamp rat I ever met.”
“Me neither.” Chris responded.
“The attendant called the local police, and they sent a car to investigate, The officer called in that he had found the van abandoned on the side of the road, and was turning around to investigate a pair of men he had passed walking down the road towards town. We’ve had no communication with him since.”
“How long ago was your last communication?”