Cajun Fire

by Rick Murcer

  “He is not harmed. I know what I’m doing. He’ll be awake in about fourteen hours. I told you, no one else gets hurt here unless you force my hand. Give me your arm, then buckle up.”

  She hesitated.

  “Now. I won’t ask again.”

  Slowly, she stretched out her left arm. He then jabbed the needle into her upper biceps. The amber liquid disappeared into her pale arm.

  “You’ll be out as long as your son. It’ll be easier for all of us. Old Charles and I will become friends. Just as a precaution, I want him awake for a while.”

  “What kind of precaution?” she said, already becoming drowsy.

  “The kind that covers any contingency in the event you and Jake aren’t able to go where we go. That’s all you get.”

  She nodded and looked to the front seat. “Charlie?”

  “Yes, Mom?”

  “Do what he says and we’ll be all right, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said meekly.

  “Enough talk.”

  He slammed the door, got in behind the wheel of the Buick Enclave, and began to pull out of the driveway, the moon hitting the east side of the white colonial. A moment later they were on their way to US-64.

  They’d made it down five miles of road before one last semi-expected reaction reared its head.

  “I wish my dad were here,” said Charlie, looking at his shoes.

  “I suppose you do. That would be interesting. Now do what I asked and don’t talk unless I say so. And don’t worry; you’ll see him soon.”

  He smiled as he thought about how that reunion might happen.

  CHAPTER-41

  “Say that again,” said Josh.

  “You heard me. Those people were killed by a gun that shouldn’t be there, in my way of thinking,” Alex said.

  Josh looked at Manny for his reaction. As usual, he didn’t really have one. It appeared that he was already trying to piece the whys together. He wasn’t alone.

  “Why would that happen? What’s the point?” asked Belle. “I mean, the killer had to know we’d find that out.”

  “Maybe the gun was stolen, and this is all some crazy-ass coincidence,” said Sophie.

  “Do you believe that?” asked Manny. “That would make this investigation much simpler.”

  Sophie tapped her fork against the china, then looked at Josh with an accompanying shrug. “No, I guess I don’t. So, other than the obvious reasons for splitting us up—and we’ve been harping on that for the last ten hours, by the way, let’s go back to Belle’s question—what’s the point?”

  Looking down at his yellow notepad, Josh read a few of his notes. His eyes trailed to the lower corner of the pad, where he’d written Charlie’s and Jake’s names. Even here, even now, he wondered what was best for them. In his last argument with his wife, she’d pointed out he had no clue.

  Was she right?

  He shook his head. They’d talk when he got home, if they could be civil to one another for five minutes.

  He looked back to his notes. Some had to do with the facts and some had to do with conjecture, which wasn’t really his forte. Manny had been right when he said they needed to get back to what they all did well. Especially him. Starting now.

  He stood. “Folks. We’ve spent more time meeting about this case, entertaining theories, analyzing information, etcetera, etcetera, than we’ve ever done with any other case that I can remember. Part of that’s my fault. This ACTU may be new to me, to all of us, but I’m not new at putting investigations together. That’s what I’m good at—organizing the team, pushing the best in all of us. I needed to remember that. You’re all still the best resources available to me and part of the reason I took this job to begin with. I’ve underutilized you. Let’s get this thing in motion.”

  He pointed in Manny’s direction, then spread his hands, palms up. “Answer Belle’s question and tell me what this is about.”

  His friend rubbed his chin and then looked up. “No holds barred?”

  “None. Not that you ever did that.”

  “I have, at times. I won’t now.” Manny exhaled.

  Was that a look of relief on his face? Josh thought so. He wondered what the man had been holding inside. He thought he was about to find out.

  “I’m a little like Josh, in that I didn’t know what we should expect here. In the end, I think I was right when I said there’s not a lot of difference between the ACTU and what we did before, except the scale of the action.

  “At first, I thought there was only one unsub. Then, as we went along, I thought more of an organization. I’m still curious about the God’s Hand people and who they are. I suspect this isn’t the last we’ve heard of them, but the context of an organization being involved here . . . well, frankly, it doesn’t feel right.”

  “You think one person is behind all of this?” asked Josh.

  “Yes. I think this man—and no question it’s a man; the death of Doucett and the way she died sells that part for me—has a plan. I think it took years to put together. I think he didn’t have money when this started, but somehow he accumulated enough wealth to pull this together. Every detail, every contingency, every facet has been thorough. I don’t think a group pf people would have the ability to keep that kind of thing under wraps.”

  “I don’t know Manny. What about those radical groups in the Middle East? That’s a group that has done some bad shit,” said Sophie.

  “True. But the dynamics are different. The cowardly leaders of those groups simply send out orders to the soldiers. They don’t need to be where the death and destruction takes place; they simply watch as young men and women kill themselves in attacks, and then they bask in the aftermath, taking credit for what happened. Most of that leadership, in fact all of them, wouldn’t personally do what they order to be done. This case feels far different from that.”

  “How?” asked Barb.

  “It begins with the warehouse, then with Doucett. Potential loose ends. There are probably more. Then there are the attempts to distract us. We’ve wasted time trying to deal with the attack on Detective Brooks, the breach at the safe house. Now New York, and the ballistics report. No organization would waste their people and resources like that.”

  Manny engaged in a long, loving draw from his coffee cup. “All of this sidebar stuff had me running in the wrong direction. The central idea, I thought, was why is he doing this? What prompted the whole idea of a possible terrorist attack in the first place?

  “Then I realized I can’t know that yet. We can guess, and we have, but we’re not sure, not yet. The thing I can’t shake in all of this is what he bought, or stole, in this case. I think that’s central here. I researched some of the bioweapons on the bioterror information we have in our agencies. Only a few viruses or chemicals would accomplish what he might want to do on a cruise ship—and I’m guessing that’s to infect every passenger and crewmember with something deadly.”

  He frowned. “Yet . . .” His voice trailed off.

  “Yet what?” asked Josh.

  “I don’t get why he’s letting us know what’s going on here. He has to realize we’ll figure it out.”

  “Ego?” asked Sophie.

  “That, or he’s not really going to attack the ship,” said Belle.

  “I’ve thought of that. I believe he will though. In all of his actions, I get a sense he’s been, I don’t know, honest with his goal. Not ego so much as determined. I think he was buying time through his ‘distractions,’ to get us off the trail for a while, true. But in the end, he’ll try to get on that ship.”

  “Integrity from a man who wants to kill thousands?” asked Chloe, a look of disgust on her face.

  “Oddly, the profile on this man says yes. He has a sense of justice and punishment. Not so much of a personal pleasure,” said Manny softly.

  Josh felt his pulse increasing. His friend hadn’t pulled any punches. Plus, his out-loud thinking had a ring of truth. Again.

  “So what do we do next?
” asked Barb, watching Alex, speaking to Josh.

  “This is what we are going to start with,” said Josh. “I want Alex to research every incident that has occurred on Carousel Cruise Lines in the last five years. That means deaths, lawsuits, anything. Plus anything that might have happened in New Orleans pre- and post-cruise. Maybe we’ll get lucky and can narrow down what’s motivating this guy.”

  “Got it,” said Alex, not looking up from his laptop.

  “I want Anna to research possible illegal sources of any bioweapon marketing. Including anything missing from government facilities. The Darknet might shed some light on that. She also needs to connect with the CDC. I know for a fact they can help with that. Alex, please let her know what we want.”

  It was now his turn to exhale. He hoped this was going to work. They could use a break. He then glanced back at his notes.

  “You three are still going to New York, and I don’t want any shit about it. You might, just might, find something in the evidence that will help unravel this thing. Are we clear?”

  “I can bring my team, right?” asked Belle.

  “They’re rookies, but good people, so yes. The more eyes, the better.”

  “Braxton and I are going to see if we can rekindle some old relationships with some of our high-profile snitches. Money and threats work, so maybe we’ll get something there,” said Josh.

  He made eye contact with Manny. “You and Sophie have a hell of a job. You’re going to meet with the cruise-line people and their head of security and lay out what’s going on. I’ve changed my mind. I think we can risk an embarkation without a sailing. If we don’t find the unsub or at least the biohazard, then we cancel the whole cruise idea.”

  “That’s risky. What if they say no?” said Sophie.

  “It’s their decision, in my mind, but we have to impress that if we don’t stop him now and go forward with shutting this cruise down, he’ll try it again. You have to convince them that this is the soundest strategy,” said Josh.

  “We’ll do our best,” said Manny. “It would help if we—”

  “Get the hell out of Dodge!”

  Turning in Alex’s direction, Josh began to reach for his weapon and stopped.

  Damn, boy, a little jumpy?

  Apparently he wasn’t the only one startled. “Don’t be doing that shit, Dough Boy. I about had a coronary.”

  “What she said,” agreed Josh.

  “What is it, Alex?” asked Manny.

  “I was accessing some of the local security cameras around town. I searched for incidents atypical for crimes in this area of New Orleans. Which was tough, by the way. Anyway, I got a hit on a car fire on the west side. It was an old Chevy. Nothing special, but the program identified it as a vehicle seen near a cross street just after the warehouse killings. I then got a third hit, some two weeks ago near Canal and Bourbon.”

  Standing, he spun the computer around for the group to see.

  Displayed was a relatively clear image that came more into focus by the second. The couple stood by the door of an old, gray Chevy.

  Lucretia Doucett had her hand on the shoulder of an average-sized man with black hair and a mustache. Both wore wide grins.

  “I think this is our suspect,” said Alex.

  CHAPTER-42

  No more sunrises. This was it before this journey was completed. The last one. That didn’t seem quite possible, yet here he was.

  There was an air of satisfaction, but also, surprisingly, a feeling of disappointment that his task was almost complete. He and this journey had spent every waking moment together over the last four years and change. Friends or convenient partners. Regardless, time spent was time spent.

  After eating the bowl of fruit, he finished dressing and moved over to the large window revealing the Louisiana sunrise.

  He supposed it was natural to become a tad nostalgic about the ending of such a partnership, wasn’t it? Then again, can one grow evocative over such a complicated string of events that climaxed into this narrow window of time the next few hours would reveal? Did that really constitute a partnership as such?

  “No matter. It simply is, no matter what you call it,” he said softly.

  He kept his eyes fixed on the horizon. How he loved the light. He’d spent years, as a youth and as a professional, trying to stay out of the darkness. However, it seemed to follow him like a desperate child, prying into his every thought.

  Some would say it was destiny. Maybe. Was it destiny, what had happened to him? Or the incompetence and neglect of others that had left him on this journey?

  He wasn’t so sure. He bit his lip, trying not to replay memories he swore to abandon.

  The memories had other plans.

  Bowing his head, he’d chosen another direction. He’d had to, or his ideals would be for naught and the dark would win again.

  After the terrible incident, the light finally did shine through for him, however. He saw the world for what it truly was. Satan’s army couldn’t be more stark, evil, and hideous in his eyes. That had to be true.

  Who allows that to happen to others?

  Rhetorical question aside, he understood who and even why. Yet, as his mother used to tell him, there will be repercussions to actions. To every action.

  “And you, my friends, will find out what that means. And soon,” he said.

  With that, he moved to the bathroom. He turned back into the room he’d just left, looked at the bed, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when this one came down.

  “Even you can’t see everything,” he whispered. He then began the arduous task of changing his look.

  Everything had to be just right.

  After all this time, he would do that. He would balance the scale. He would make things just right.

  CHAPTER-43

  Standing near the gold, ornate, revolving door of the hotel, Chloe put her arms around Manny’s neck and kissed him, then stepped back, the worry evident on her face.

  “I love you. Keep yourself safe,” she said.

  He pulled her to him and kissed her again, then squeezed her cheek, grinning. “Don’t worry about me. We’ll be fine here. You watch your butt up there and don’t do anything foolish. I love you too.”

  She smiled back. “Ohh, I’d rather have ya watching my arse than doing it myself. We’ll be fine, like you say.”

  Then Chloe went through the door. Just before she got into the vehicle, she gave him her sexiest look and blew him a kiss. His heart jumped at that. Case or not, she was always able to get his attention.

  Sophie called from behind him, “Better get your mind on task, Williams. No woodies when we go talk to the Carousel people. You’d have some explaining to do. Where’s Alex?”

  “He and Braxton are back in the conference room packing his electronics. He says he needs a faster, more secure connection, so he’s going back to the safe house.”

  “Make’s sense. Where’s Barb?”

  “Already in the SUV.”

  Manny turned around to locate Belle. She was forty feet away, standing close to Josh near the elevators. The two were engaged in an intense conversation. Belle suddenly put her hands on her hips, cocking her head in silent demand.

  Josh put his hand on her shoulder, bent to her ear, and whispered to her.

  She stepped back, slowly shook her head, and then turned on her heel, walking to the door.

  “Everything okay?”’ asked Manny as she drew next to him and Chloe.

  “Nothing a good stiff shot of whisky couldn’t cure. Sometimes I hate taking orders, but I’ll make it. Are you two ready?”

  “Yeah, we’ll be fine,” said Sophie.

  “Okay. Good luck. We’ll be in touch.”

  A minute later, the SUV was gone, and Josh was standing beside them.

  “What was that about, between you and Belle?” asked Manny.

  “Just some last minute instructions and a sharing of protocol,” said
Josh.

  “That’s it?”

  “Nothing to concern yourself with. Sometimes receiving instruction can be tough.”

  “Been there,” said Sophie.

  “You have,” said Josh, grinning.

  Then the grin vanished.

  “It’s a little risky not putting this picture out for all of the local authorities to see. An APB might find this guy and save us some trouble,” he said.

  “Maybe. Then again, it might alert him to the fact we know who he is too. I’d rather keep it between us and the cruise line for now,” said Manny.

  “Okay, for a little while. But the more eyes the better, in my opinion,” said Josh.

  “Speaking of more eyes,” said Sophie, “what if he’s gone incognito and changed how he looks? We’ve seen that a time or two.”

  “I thought of that. In fact, he probably has done something like that. But that’s where we come in. We have to be able to recognize his body type. His actions, his demeanor. We’re trained for that.”

  “Maybe a trance would help,” said Josh, cocking an eyebrow at Manny.

  Manny grinned. “Hey, if it would help, I’d do it.”

  Just then, Alex reached them, Braxton in tow carrying a large wooden crate, his biceps bulging.

  “We’re ready,” said Alex.

  “Yeah, dat means I be ready. Dis boy loaded me up here,” said Braxton.

  “Hey, use it or lose it, as the saying goes. I don’t want you to lose muscle mass or anything,” said Alex.

  “I think he’s safe,” said Josh.

  “True,” said Sophie.

  “Okay, this is my cue. We’ll take Alex to the house and then get on the phone. Maybe we can shake one of our informants loose and find out something about this man. Maybe even a little about what he is carrying. Let me know what happens at the cruise line. We’ve burned a few more hours, and it’s only five hours before that ship comes in,” said Josh.

  “We will. We’ll probably have to do a conference call or teleconference with their office in Miami. But once we tell them what’s going on, we shouldn’t take long to set up,” said Manny.