Sotello: Detective, ex-FBI, ex-Secret Service (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 1)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “You know me,” Lau chuckled. “It can get pretty boring up here after a while.”

  “The more boring these gigs stay the better, as far as I’m concerned,” Sotello said with conviction.

  “After the times you’ve been having lately,” Lau said, looking over at Sotello, “I don’t blame you. I just want to say what an honor it is sitting next to the next Governor of the State of California.”

  Sotello grinned in appreciation at the ribbing. “I’ll remember that come tip time, Danny.”

  “Hey,” Lau replied. “I’m only half kidding. Will it make any difference in my tip if I told you my wife and I will be voting for you?”

  “Do you think I am buying votes from agnostic toads like yourself?” Sotello fired back, good-naturedly.

  Lau laughed. “No, I guess it would look too cheesy, even for you. Seriously, you have been through some heavy stuff. I was surprised you called up to confirm the gig tonight, and that you would be coming along personally.”

  “This will mean some nice money for Craig and Ellen,” Sotello said. “I thought it would be nice to have another word of mouth advertiser for me in Taiwan. They do a lot of traveling over here. If I make this all go smoothly, we may get a number of high paying clients from over there.”

  “With as well as your son seems to be doing, you may end up with the Taiwanese franchise,” Lau replied. “Here they come. Man, she is a real knock out.”

  “Stifle yourself,” Sotello said. “Keep your attention on your driving. I don’t want your head swiveling all night long like you were a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Perhaps a call to your wife would be in order.”

  “Get to work,” Lau cut in, pushing Sotello out the passenger door. “Let me know where you want to go your honor.”

  Sotello laughed, as he stepped out onto the sidewalk to greet May and Craig. Neither Craig nor May was smiling, and a well-dressed man walked behind Craig, almost hidden by his son. Sotello reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his stun gun, turning it on as he held it to his side. He leaned back down into the driver’s compartment. “Get ready to roll Danny, I’ve got more trouble. No questions.”

  Lau nodded, starting up the limo again.

  When Sotello looked back up at the approaching group, he noticed something else. Craig mimicked his walk with every step, head movement, and hand placement. The eerily perfect imitation of his own stride told Sotello everything he needed to know. A fierce pride knotted his throat. The boy could not have warned him any plainer, without actually shouting it out. Sotello touched his inconspicuous headset.

  “Ellen, are you there?”

  A moment passed before she responded, as the group moved within thirty feet of where he stood. “Hi Dad, I’m here.”

  “Call 911, and tell them we have a potential terrorist attack outside of the Mark Hopkins Hotel. I will keep this line open to you.”

  “Dad,” Ellen said, with a shaky voice, “what…”

  “No time El, do it. Be back on in a moment,” Sotello ordered. He smiled, and walked to meet Craig and May, positioning the stun gun with his left hand just behind the folds of his trench coat. When he was within two feet of his son, he started to say, “well, May, what…” and then he moved.

  In one lightning like motion, Sotello whipped around his son. He jammed the stun gun against the arm of the man behind Craig and May, firing it off with a loud crackle, accompanied by a fat blue arc. The man discharged the silencer he carried into the sidewalk between Craig and May, collapsing in a heap, as he writhed in pain. Sotello followed him to the ground, stunning him over, and over, until he stopped moving. Sotello drew his own 9mm out, as he straightened into a crouch, shielding his son and May.

  “How many more boy?” Sotello said, scanning the area, his heart thumping in rhythm to the roar within his mind.

  “None Dad, that I know of,” Craig told him with only a slight tremor in his voice. He then threw open the limousine passenger door, and shoved May inside. “He’s wired.”

  “My God,” Sotello said, ripping open the man’s coat to reveal the explosives vest he wore. “Is it a dead man switch?”

  “I don’t think so,” Craig replied. “He was waiting in May’s room before we checked in. As soon as the bags were inside, and the bellhop left, May went to go in the bathroom. The next thing I knew, he had her around the neck, with the silencer up under her chin.”

  “Christ,” Sotello whispered, as he took out a handkerchief, and carefully pulled the gun free of the unconscious man’s hand. “He’s got enough C-4 here to blow up the block. I could have set it off with the stun gun. I could only think of you and May. I…”

  “Easy Dad,” Craig said, putting his hand on his Father’s shoulder. “We’re fine, and this scumbag is down for the count.”

  “You were exceptional kid,” Sotello said with emotion. “I spotted my walk from fifty feet away. Good Lord, you are good.”

  “I knew I would not have to say anything if I could do it with the fear all over my face,” Craig said grinning. “What now?” He gestured around at the people hurrying by, and the Doorman from the Mark Hopkins approaching.

  “We have no choice but for you to take May up to her room. I will tell Danny to stay put. I know no one on the SFPD, so they will probably handcuff me to the limo, and let the perp walk.”

  “How come you don’t have any friends in the SFPD?” Craig asked, as they heard sirens wailing in the distance.

  “Shit, you getting all this El,” Sotello asked.

  “Yea Dad, thank God you guys are okay. I phoned the FBI task force number, and your friend is on his way too,” Ellen answered.

  “You are the greatest, girl,” Sotello said, shaking his head in wonder. “Hold on El. Craig, take May up to her room, and do not touch anything. I will bring the police up there. In answer to your question, I stay as far away from San Francisco as I can get. Get going Number One.”

  Craig nodded, and quickly gathered up a white faced May, hustling her towards the hotel. The Doorman came up, discreetly gesturing to Sotello, as if to ask if he needed assistance. Sotello pulled him close. “This guy has explosives belted to him. Keep everyone in the hotel until the police arrive. Can you do that for me?”

  Sotello watched the steel set into the man’s features. He was of medium height and age, and he had seen enough on his job with current events as they were, to simply nod his understanding. The Doorman walked quickly back to the hotel entrance. Sotello knelt beside the downed terrorist, watching everything as carefully as he could. The police cruisers screamed up in force, Sotello leaned in and told Lau to shut off the motor and stay put.

  Lau nodded.

  Chapter 35

  Old Friends

  Sotello holstered his 9mm, and stood with his hands up in front of him, palms outward. In moments, the area lay within the midst of squad cars. A plainclothes policeman approached Sotello with two uniformed officers, their guns drawn as they surveyed the area around the hotel. The man approached cautiously. He had a gold detective’s shield clipped to the front of his overcoat.

  “What the hell’s going on here?” The Detective asked, with some ill-concealed anger, as if Sotello had caused him some hardship.

  “The man on the sidewalk,” Sotello gestured to the unconscious terrorist, “attempted to take my son and our client hostage. As you can see under his open coat, the man came prepared to blow something up.”

  “My God man,” the Detective exclaimed, in openmouthed surprise, as he focused on the indicated explosives. “What the hell have you done? You could have endangered this whole block.”

  One of the uniformed policemen peered at Sotello more closely. He smiled in recognition. “Lieutenant, don’t you recognize him? Hello, Mr. Sotello.” The officer glanced back to where the other uniform with him had stepped back after seeing the explosives. “Steve, it’s the Governor.”

  “He ain’t the Governor yet, you twit,” The Detective snarled. “Now, what the hell are you doing here
, Sotello?”

  “Sir,” Sotello reasoned, “shouldn’t you get the area cordoned off, and the bomb squad up here to secure this prisoner?”

  “Are you telling me my job,” the Lieutenant yelled angrily. “How do I know this guy’s not with you?”

  “Well,” Sotello said coldly, “if you believe that, perhaps you had better send for a surgeon too.”

  “Surgeon? What the hell do we need with a surgeon?” the plainclothes policeman asked in derision.

  “I think you might need one to help you get your head out of your ass, so you can start making sense,” Sotello snapped.

  Both uniforms muffled their laughter as the Lieutenant went ballistic. “Shut up you morons, if you don’t want to pound a beat down in the Castro for the rest of your careers. Sotello, get on your knees with your hands over your head,” he screamed. “Right now!”

  “Take it easy Lieutenant,” one of the uniforms said, trying to placate him. “Why not…”

  “I told you to shut up!” the Detective snarled, glancing back. “Okay Sotello, get on…”

  Just then, Sotello saw a contingent of suited men, with vests marked FBI, approaching from out of the phalanx of squad cars. He recognized Hank Janowitz in the lead. He again gave thanks silently Ellen had showed the initiative to remember to call the head of the FBI task force. The Detective whipped around towards the new arrivals, forgetting the most basic of rules, concerning loaded weapons: never turn with a weapon held in a firing position. His faux pas brought the group of approaching FBI agents to a halt. Janowitz held up his ID, with badge and picture.

  “Whoa there,” Janowitz called out. “I am Special Agent Janowitz of the FBI, and we are detailed to Mr. Sotello’s ongoing terrorist investigation. Please lower your weapon Sir.”

  The Lieutenant hesitated for a moment in confusion, and then realized he was holding a team of FBI agents at gunpoint. He quickly lowered his weapon. Janowitz approached him more slowly, as he looked to the man on the sidewalk, and then over to Sotello, who waved at him with a relieved expression. Janowitz knelt next to the unconscious terrorist. He surveyed the explosive apparatus around the man with a low whistle. He stood up, and turned quickly to the seething police Detective.

  “On behalf of the United States Justice Department, Homeland Security, I will be taking over this incident immediately. Cordon off this area, and call in your bomb squad,” Janowitz said urgently.

  “What about Sotello?” the Detective gestured in exasperation. “He could be in on this. He could…”

  Janowitz walked in on the Detective, nose to nose, and whispered quietly to him. The six foot four inch tall FBI agent dwarfed the smaller Lieutenant, both in height and bulk. “First, Sir, I want your name and badge number. Second, I want you out of here. You will get this area cordoned off, and a bomb squad here immediately. If you so much as breathe wrong before you get those things done, I will get you five years in prison for obstructing an FBI terrorist investigation in time of war. Now give me your ID.”

  The Detective looked up at Janowitz with pure, unadulterated hatred, but he put away his weapon, and handed his ID to Janowitz, who looked at it carefully before returning it. The Detective spun around, and stormed off in the direction of the squad cars. Janowitz watched him for a moment, as the two uniformed men followed him hesitantly, and then turned to Sotello.

  “How the hell are you Jim, besides your new occupation as lightning rod?” Janowitz said, shaking Sotello’s outstretched hand.

  “Hank, my friend,” Sotello exclaimed, “I am glad to see you. This guy came out of the Hotel behind my son, and our client from Taiwan, Craig was escorting. My son tipped me off something was wrong, and I zapped this clown as they walked up. He discharged one round from the silencer by his feet, before losing consciousness. After my son told me this guy was wired, I waited for the police. My daughter Ellen had called them and you. She acts as our remote coordinator, on jobs like this, from my office.”

  “We were still hunting one guy from your last explosives venture,” Janowitz said. “You think maybe this may be the missing driver of the van?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Sotello said quietly. “The number of folks who knew I would be on this particular job, and would be at this particular hotel, is frighteningly small.”

  Janowitz nodded in agreement. “I see you have been giving this some thought. Let me make sure that dunce started things in motion.”

  Sotello watched him turn to the men with him, and issue directions. One man stayed next to the body, while the other three went in different directions. Sotello saw one enter the Mark Hopkins, and the other two went off in the direction of the police lieutenant. The police had already begun cordoning off the area. A bomb disposal unit arrived minutes later, along with an ambulance. Janowitz grabbed the arm of the man next to the unconscious terrorist.

  “Deke,” Janowitz said. “When Johansen gets back, the two of you stay with this guy no matter where he goes. Once they clear the explosives off of him, get him checked out, and then get him ready for interrogation.” He turned back to Sotello.

  “Where do you have your son and his charge stashed?”

  “Up in her room at the hotel,” Sotello answered. “I told him to stay with her, and not to touch anything. I’ll tell our driver to drive down the block if you want, but I would imagine you will want to know what he knows about our gig tonight. He did not know about the Mark Hopkins until a few minutes before we left the airport for here.”

  “I don’t imagine he would have known any details, but what about your client?” Janowitz asked.

  Sotello nodded. “She could have told someone. He was hiding in her room at the hotel. He held the silencer to her throat. The look on her face, when they came down here, would steer me away from thinking she knowingly gave up the information. I’ll tell our driver to wait here. You and I can go up and find out if she may have given out the information by accident.”

  “Sounds good Jim,” Janowitz replied. “I’ll be right back.”

  Sotello leaned into the front seat of the limousine. “Can you wait right here Danny? I’ll call your cell if I want to release you for the rest of the evening, okay?”

  “Sure thing Jim,” the driver replied.

  Janowitz came back over with a briefcase in hand. “We may as well do her interview on-line. I have some people back in Washington I want to have hear it.”

  __

  Sotello knocked on the hotel room door, and Craig answered it. May sat in one of the plush chairs, with her hands together on her lap. She glanced up expectantly, as Sotello and Janowitz walked in past Craig. One other FBI agent, who came up with Sotello and Janowitz, stayed by the door in the hallway. Janowitz set up his equipment, and plugged the modem into the Hotel’s Internet outlet. When he completed the setup, Janowitz nodded to Sotello, who moved a chair next to May.

  “Jim, have your son wait outside with my man for now,” Janowitz said.

  Sotello motioned for Craig to do as Janowitz wished, and Craig left the room, closing the door on his way out.

  “How do you feel, May?” Sotello asked.

  “Frightened,” She replied shakily, still looking down at her hands.

  “Yea,” Sotello agreed, “Me too. I would like to introduce an old friend of mine to you, May: Special Agent Hank Janowitz, from the FBI. He would like you to answer some questions concerning tonight’s attack. Can you do that?”

  May looked up at Sotello, and although her color was a little pale, she seemed in full control of her faculties. “I would be happy to tell you what I can. When Craig and I…”

  “That would be my son, Craig Sotello,” He said into the camera, interrupting May for a moment.

  “Please state your name, and what you are in the United States to do,” Janowitz added.

  “My name is May Yi Lin. My Father’s computer company uses the name Taipei Computer Imports LTD. Our home base is in Taiwan. I am here to meet with our contacts in this country. I will al
so be attending some meetings with many of your Silicon Valley Company representatives.”

  “How long did you plan to stay in the United States, Ms. Lin?” Janowitz asked.

  “Three days,” May replied.

  “Very well,” Janowitz said. “I will get your itinerary from you later. Please go on. You were entering the room with James Sotello’s son, Craig.”

  “Yes,” May confirmed. “His son Craig and I entered the room with the bellhop, who brought in our bags and left. I excused myself, and went into the bathroom. The moment I closed the door, someone grabbed me around the neck, and stuck something cold up under my chin. He told me to open the door, and do as he said, or he would blow my face off.”

  “He spoke English then?” Janowitz asked.

  “Yes,” May answered. “He had a heavy Middle Eastern accent, but he spoke English fluently. When he forced me out of the bathroom, he screamed at Craig to put up his hands. Craig complied, and the man told us he had enough explosives on his person to literally obliterate the hotel. He told us he wanted to go down and meet Mr. Sotello with us, and if we did anything suspicious at all, he would detonate the explosives.”

  “He kept the gun down low, while we made our way to the street from this room. We walked up to Mr. Sotello. Suddenly I heard loud sparking noises. The man shot his gun into the sidewalk and collapsed, with Mr. Sotello over him. Craig put me in the limousine, while he talked with his Father, and then took me back up here.”

  Janowitz nodded, and walked away as he talked for a moment into the headphones he had on. He came back a moment later and sat down again. “Ms. Lin, Mr. Sotello told me very few people knew what time you would arrive at the airport, and where you would be staying. On this end of the line, only Mr. Sotello, his son, and his daughter knew you would be staying at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Who on your end knew where you would be staying?”

  “Only my Father actually knew where I would be staying,” May answered. “I handled all of the flight information, and told Mr. Sotello where I would like to stay. My Father had to come and ask me where I would be staying when he confirmed my trip itinerary with Mr. Sotello last night on the phone. He…”