Miami Malice

by Matt Lincoln

  I put my hand on his arm. I wanted him to know that I was willing to listen if and when he needed to talk about what was really bothering him. “You don’t need to explain it. I think I understand. You have a lot to think about.” I didn’t want to get in his way or influence him one way or another. There were just some things that people needed to work out within themselves. My part in the Judge and Arik’s case was way too close for him to have the proper perspective.

  “Why don’t we just… I don’t know? Figure out what Judge Fu wants with the lost or missing gym bag and go from there?” I offered.

  “But what about Arik?” he replied. “We still have no clear idea of where he is or who has him. Or even if he’s still alive and kicking.” Something changed in Jake’s eyes as I watched him. And then, there was clarity. Something made a change inside of him. “I’m going to drop you off at the condo. I have some work to do, and I’m sorry, but I can’t bring you along.”

  I wasn’t going to fight him on this at all. “Okay. I’m fine with that. Just text or call every once in a while, to let me know that you’re alive.” I teased him, but in the back of my mind, I was worried.

  We got back to his place, and I headed to the spare room to give him some privacy for his calls. I went through my clothes, checked my own cell for missed messages, and just tried to stay busy enough not to think about Jake and how to fix this for him. A little while later, he came and knocked on the door. I answered it, preparing for a goodbye. Jake had changed clothes and was wearing all black from head to toe. I didn’t ask why because I didn’t need to know. I sure wanted to know, but I was better off using plausible deniability if something bad went down.

  “I’m going to go pick up Rosa at her hotel, and then I’m going to be gone for the rest of the night,” he informed me. “There’s a 9mm under my pillow if you need it.” He added the last part nonchalantly.

  “It’s also there if I don’t,” I replied back at him. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” I leaned over and kissed him with as much enthusiasm as I could without being obscene. “Be careful. And don’t be overly stupid or take too many risks. Also, don’t do anything that will require our relationship to become all attorney-client privilege. Okay?”

  He nodded and kissed my forehead before closing the door. I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm my doubts over whatever he was about to go do. I waited until I heard the front door close and lock. Once I knew that he was really gone, I headed for the kitchen. There was no way I was going to be sleeping restfully tonight.

  Chapter 29

  Jake

  On my way over to pick up my first mate, I made a quick call to the marina near my place. I explained the situation to the security guard on duty, and I had to bribe him a little to open me a spot for Wraith later on tonight. I gave him enough information so that I could be verified and not get into too much trouble. I’d make it right first thing tomorrow morning.

  I picked up Rosa at the front of her hotel, as she was waiting for me with a packed bag and dark gear on. The moment she got into the vehicle, I informed her of her role. “You are not going with me tonight. All I need you for is to drive this thing back here to Miami for me once I get on Wraith.”

  That’s what you said, yes. Maybe I like wearing all black in the Florida autumn evenings, she countered. Did you ever think of that?

  “I did not because I know you. And I know that you like to disregard everything I do for you and the team’s well-being.” This was not a new conversation. We’d had it so many times in the past years. I cared deeply for Rosa, and I knew she felt the same for me, but we were both too stubborn for our own good sometimes. We looked out for each other with equal fierceness, and that had led to misunderstandings about one another’s security from time to time. It wasn’t a bad thing, just a touchy spot in our mutual respect for each other.

  Header, just shut up and drive. She was trying in her own way to be polite and avoid another argument about something we’d never see eye-to-eye on. So, we kept the conversations to red lights, stop signs, and times when there were no other vehicles around for me to pay attention to. Good thing that the trip there was kind of a long one.

  “Fine. But I’m not kidding about this. I’m going to take Wraith out alone. You are going to drive this thing back, and that is all, Rosa.” If it came to it, I’d make this an order. Not that she’d be obligated to follow it, anyway. “I’m only doing a quick sweep of the bays and docks. If I see that ship, I’ll tag it for all of us to investigate later. I already promised Eve that I’d be careful tonight. I’m not looking to get in over my head.”

  Rosa laughed and then signed to make sure I knew she was laughing at me. Of course, you are. You want to find this kid as much as any of us do, but you’re trying to ignore that there’s a lot of moving and shifting parts to this. No one likes to know that we’re getting played, Header, but accepting it would make this run better.

  She paused only to get her second wind. Xavier and I believe that we’re being set up to take the fall for something. And as much as I hate to admit it, we think that Kippy and her people are, too. We have to be extra smart, going forward. I mean, we’re already formidable and all, but we have to be even better than normal. Or this is going to mess us up.

  “What are you thinking?” I was interested to know what they’d produced.

  I think that Arik knows something or saw something that could greatly compromise someone more powerful than him. Now, whether that’s his mother, or Nace, or someone else entirely, I don’t know. But sending a kid overseas and then not reporting it to any mainstream services that he’s been the victim of a kidnapping? Rosa stopped signing every once in a while to pay attention to the road markers and signs, and when I turned off of the pavement onto a rough, dirt or gravel road.

  Xavier dug around just to make sure, and there’s been no investigation of any kind into any of this on the American side. It’s almost like… they were trying to make Arik disappear. She seemed uncomfortable in saying this to me. As if it might upset me more or that I might try to contradict her somehow.

  “The truth is, I’ve been doing a lot heavier thinking on this. I can’t speak for the Judge, and maybe she’s just a totally different beast than I assume her to be. But not using all your resources, and hers are considerable, to find your own missing kid… it just doesn’t sit right with me.” I glanced over at Rosa so that she could decide for herself how sincere I was with her. All it would take was a look. We knew how to read one another well.

  We all agree about that. There was a break in the unspoken pressure of the vehicle’s cab. I didn’t even know how it had gotten there, but it was nice to have it leave. Rosa sighed and watched the road ahead of us as I started to drive slower. We were coming up on the place where I hid Wraith.

  “Mind that ditch over here on your left,” I pointed out. “It’s not super deep, but I’m not sure how this thing will handle if you back down into it.” The ditch was filled in with rusted out machine parts and old tires. None of that would be good to drive over.

  We passed by a few dilapidated shacks and sheds with overgrown grass and vines covering most of their walls. The doors were falling off of their hinges, and some had been nailed in place with bracing boards running horizontally across them. This all led to an open space that dipped into the water without much warning.

  I parked the vehicle but left the headlights on so that we could see the area. The largest shack was to our right, and it housed Wraith.

  “Watch out for snakes and barbed wire,” I warned Rosa as we got out of the SUV. “There’s no telling what kind of junk you’ll step on if you’re not careful.

  There were footpaths leading from shed to shack in a very practical way, though they were hard to spot through all the grass. The smell of wet, damp, moldy vegetation filled the air. A host of chirping, humming, buzzing insects met our ears as the night enveloped all other sounds around us. It was eerie after the constant drone of Miami life in the back
ground for the last few days. Eerie, and yet somehow consoling at the same time.

  You forgot bug spray, didn’t you? Rosa was only just out of the vehicle door as she dug into the bag she’d brought with her and pulled out a can, then a pack of wipes, and lastly, a bottle of some type of lotion. She placed them all on the hood of the car. I knew that you’d forget, so here you go. Pick your deterrent.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I quickly started to protect myself from the swarm of bugs with a healthy mixture of Rosa’s offerings. She’d been very clever to find products with little, or natural, scents, just in case I had to get unexpectedly close to a mark tonight.

  We could hear motors and engines running some miles away, most likely night fishermen, trappers, and some people doing things they maybe shouldn’t be doing. Any other night, I might be concerned and take a look into some of this, but I had to use my time wisely, and that meant scouting for that boat from a few days ago.

  I’ll be up for a while if you need anything. Xavier was going to try to check into the port’s catalogs for ships that might need your attention. Rosa looked around to get an unobstructed view of the area she’d be driving away from. I think she was trying to get a visual memory in case she ever needed to come back. I didn’t bother to tell her that I’d be parking Wraith much closer to my condo from now on.

  We headed through the musty grass and muddy paths to where I’d stored Wraith. There was a heavy, waterproofed tarp covering the entrance. Along the side frame of the opening, there were magnetic strips to hold the tarp in place. A heavy, waxed rope was attached to it in several places. This was a mechanism that I had rigged up the last time that I was here, maybe half a year or so ago, or probably less.

  The rope was secured and anchored at a resin prong on the side where I stood. Rosa was looking it over, no doubt trying to find the working solution before I showed it to her. I loosened the rope and shook it out. The tarp wavered a bit. I gave it a heavy, hard tug and the magnetic clasps on the other side broke loose.

  I pulled again, and the tarp came away, folding up like a curtain on a rod until it was all gathered on the side next to us. Inside, we could see Wraith with the ropes that I’d placed to safeguard it from drifting. I had also hung waterproof covers in sensitive areas just for the added protection. It had only been a few days, but I’d had no way of knowing that when I’d set this up.

  Rosa came on board with me to check on things and to run through the checklist of run procedures.

  “Don’t tell me that you missed her, too?” I knew that she had. I was just trying to lighten the mood of the evening.

  I had no idea where you placed her. I just need to make sure that she’s alright and ready to go. Rosa glanced over all the gauges, peddles, and indicators as she normally did before we’d set off on any given mission. There was a part of me that really wanted her to come along with me tonight, but I also knew that I couldn’t leave my vehicle here. There was also the fact that I needed some time out here alone.

  I had been thinking more and more about spending time in this part of the world, and I had no way of knowing if the rest of the team would want to join me. I needed to, perhaps, get used to doing this job with a pared-down or even solo crew. I didn’t know what the future would send, and I needed to know if I could do it on my own if it ever came to that.

  Wraith looks really good. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble tonight. You are planning on recording everything, though, right? Just in case that you do find that Yabut ship, we can verify on our end and be ready when you call us. Rosa was watching me as I got into the captain’s seat and prepared the helm.

  “I’ll be streaming everything to Xavier, as usual,” I assured her. “I’m not going rogue or anything dumb like that. I want to be able to cross-check the codes and numbers if I find it. If we know for sure who it belongs to, then that’s a major step ahead for us.” I smiled to reassure her. “Trust me. This is simply a scout and recon cruise tonight.”

  I’ve heard that one before. Rosa wasn’t looking convinced, but she’d have to accept it, anyway. Don’t you forget that. Do you understand me? She wasn’t going to be satisfied no matter what I said or promised her, so I nodded and let her think what she wanted to.

  “I’ll see you back in Miami. How about all of you come by for breakfast tomorrow? I’ll go grab some donuts or beignets, or something special like that? What do you think?” I was hoping she’d realize that I was trying to get her to go without me actually saying it.

  Rosa had an odd little look on her face before she finally decided to say anything. That’s a good idea. I didn’t want to say anything because I like Eve and I know she’s trying hard and everything, but her food was… It gave me massive heartburn, and I really don’t want her feeding us anymore.

  I laughed. “I’ll not mention that to her. But it’s good to know. So that’s a yes to the breakfast meet up, then? Say, around eight? I should be up and mobile by then.” However, that would greatly depend on how tonight went. I just didn’t want to reveal that.

  Eight’s fine. I’ll let Doc and Xavier know. Should I include Kippy and George on the invitation as well? She was teasing to get under my skin. There was no way in hell that I wanted that harpy anywhere near my house and home, even if she was possibly on our side of this Arik ordeal.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Now, if you don’t mind, gorgeous, get off my boat.” I winked, and she smiled.

  Once she was back on solid ground, I backed Wraith out of the shack and watched Rosa get into my vehicle and maneuver her way out of the grass and junk and back onto the road. Once I lost the taillights, I let Wraith open up and fly.

  Chapter 30

  Jake

  I didn't know how much I was going to enjoy being back on a smooth night ride in Wraith until I was there. Everything felt better than it had in a very long time, and I could feel the heaviness of the past days and weeks edge off my mind. I welcomed the break, even if it was temporary. I needed this.

  The openness of the water allowed me to see things with a sharper detail than I had as of late. I could go back in my head and my memories to replay conversations and events with the kind of clarity that I usually tried to use every day. I knew that I’d kind of lost touch with that recently, and it was affecting not only me now but my team.

  They deserved better than what I’d been giving them. My preoccupation and distaste for a… Well, I guess I could call Kippy an ally… had gotten me far too much into my head, and that was never going to work long term. I knew that. Or, I was learning it now. I had to be aware and not fall back into that, no matter what.

  So, this trip alone on the water left me to deal with all that on my own terms. Maybe Doc had been right in trying to reel me in about my negative feelings toward Ozoa. He was working for the team and for me when I was focusing on the wrong things. This mission… I had argued that Xavier was getting compromised, and I couldn’t even see that I was in a similar predicament.

  Then, on top of that, it was frustrating to know that we had been getting played along the way and that a kid was getting a worse deal than we were. Arik had to be found. I needed him to be safe if any of this was going to be worth it in the long run. I didn’t like to think of any single mission as a turning point, but this one just wasn’t in the same league as others.

  I had made a map in my head of the locations I thought that ship might dock without any trouble. Miami had plenty of places for something of that size, even if it were being used for private transport and not registered cargo, as I believed that it would be. Of course, I could be completely wrong about it, and they might have brought in freight to appear legitimate. There was no way to know.

  I toured the spaces, looking for the model I’d seen on the beach with Mia and Rosa. A few came close, but they didn’t quite fit the bill. The first was long anchored with a hull repair that was already in the process of being refitted. I knew that repair would have been a week in the dock, at the least. S
o, I crossed that one off. The second one had the wrong paint job and was too rusted and barnacled to be a disguise.

  The last was a contender, and I circled back around to get a better look. I then had to helm Wraith into a narrow passage between two other boats to get a better look. The colors looked good and passable as to what I’d seen before. It had that red-orange color that so many cargo haulers had and a yellow stripe with a lot of dull, plain white. I aimed the scanner and the camera at the registration numbers, getting a nice long look at them.

  It was a multi-purpose vessel with no real defining characteristics. The deck was worn, and the cargo hold was open and empty. The cranes and lifts looked to be in terrible shape, ill-used and probably non-functioning. The deck was serviceable, but that wasn’t too much of an endorsement. I watched and listened for several minutes, but it was dead silent and lifeless. I couldn’t even hear any refrigeration or generator noise filtering up from below. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that it was dead in the water and had been abandoned.

  I took note of what I could reasonably do in this situation. I could board her alone, scan for evidence of Arik, the Yabut, or just about anything that might have left a clue. Or I could keep my promises and not do anything too stupid alone out here tonight. I was about to flip a coin to decide which way to go when I caught a glimpse of a couple of guys walking up the dock toward me.

  I flipped off all Wraith’s lights and let her idle in the dark. The men hadn’t gotten close enough to become interested in her. Their focus was on the bags of food that they carried and their phones. One was speaking softly and quietly in Portuguese on the cell, and the other was laughing at something on his tiny screen.

  I got a good look at them both. The first was a tall guy with some extra pounds around his middle. He wore dark clothing, including a vest, tee-shirt, and jeans. His brown hair was short and thinning up top. The second man was pretty young and couldn’t have been more than twenty. His hair was dyed bright orange, and he wore it in a long ponytail. His clothes looked dirty like he spent a lot of time repairing oil-heavy equipment.