The Bahamas Caper

by Drew Hill

  “That man must have been Gerald Hamilton! I must radio the blockade around this city.” The older officer grabbed his radio.

  ҉

  Gerald drove up to the roadblock. An officer came over to him. “Sir, can I see some identification?”

  Gerald pulled out his fake driver’s license. The officer scrutinized it. “Marco Bonanza? I see you’re from the United States. Did you stay at a hotel during your stay here in Toronto?”

  “Yes, I did. I stayed at the hotel on First Street, the one claiming to be the first hotel, I think,” said Gerald.

  “Hmm. Very interesting. Please wait right here.” The officer walked off.

  Gerald watched the officer walk up to his own car. The police officer grabbed his radio and started talking to somebody. After a minute, the officer came back. “I need to take you to the station for questioning. I’m just going to wait here for some more officers.”

  After a few minutes, two police cars pulled up. The police officer told Gerald to follow the first of the two cars. As Gerald followed the first police car, a second pulled out after him. So they aren’t taking any chances of my getting away, huh? They must be sure of who I am. They probably searched my room and found the nuke. I need to find a way to get away.

  As the people in the car following Gerald watched, Gerald suddenly turned off the street onto a side street. “What’s he doing?” asked the driver. They turned onto the street. Gerald was just turning down the block. The driver spoke into his radio, “The suspect is getting away! I need all available officers watching for a green sports car, license number CFT 360.”

  Gerald turned right and drove into an alley. He parked his car behind a large dumpster and walked into a small clothing store. He pretended to look at some suits in the back. While he was standing there, a police car drove past. He bought a cheap shirt and a baseball cap, put them on in a bathroom, and walked over to the car rental agency. He rented a car, keeping an eye out for any police cars, and drove toward a different exit. He pulled a new ID out of his wallet and set it in the seat next to him.

  He drove up to another blockade. When the police officer came up to the car, Gerald handed him his new license. The police officer asked him a few questions and then let him drive through. Gerald drove down the highway, away from pursuit.

  ҉

  “And so, the Toronto police have prevented another nuclear tragedy. After locating a nuclear bomb in the room of Marco Bonanza, they found him trying to leave town. While taking him to the police station, he got away. We don’t know where his present location is. And on to further topics, George Walburn tops the polls,” continued the news anchor, but Timothy wasn’t listening any more. He picked up the phone and called Frank.

  “Mr. President...,” Frank started to say.

  “How’d Gerald get away?” Timothy demanded.

  “Well, he might not have been Gerald, although I’m pretty sure he was,” said Frank.

  “Who else would he be?” asked Timothy in disbelief.

  “You’re right, of course. That’s why I’m pretty sure he was Gerald,” said Frank, trying to be funny and not succeeding.

  “So, how did he get away?”

  “Well, the Toronto police intercepted him trying to leave town. They weren’t sure as to his identity, so they let him follow one of their cars while another car followed him. While making their way to the police station, the suspect turned onto a side road. He got away. While they were looking for him, they found his car. He must have dumped it, rented a new car, and just drove out of town.”

  “Man, it seems like we lose our suspects just as we find them. We discovered Dominic Walton, and he crashed his car. They caught Gerald, and he snuck away. It’s just so frustrating.”

  “I know how you feel. But at least we caught Trent and found the bug. I’m just worried about what Dominic will do now.”

  “So he didn’t die in that wreck?”

  “Mr. President, he was never in that wreck.”

  “How do you know? I thought the wreck burned up before the paramedics or the police got there.”

  “That’s just what we told the media so we wouldn’t scare Dominic away. It wasn’t completely burned up. They couldn’t find any remains. There should have been something left of him when they got there. It exploded shortly after they tried to get the person who wasn’t in there out.”

  “So what do you think Dominic will do now?”

  “I can think of three scenarios. They’ll continue what they’ve been doing. Maybe target us next. It would be risky for them, though. Or, he could sell the nukes to a terrorist group or a rogue country, like Iran.”

  “What’s the third scenario?”

  “He decides to get revenge on us by using all the nukes on some of our cities.”

  ҉

  “Gerald, nice to see you,” Dominic greeted him.

  “So you’re my boss. When you contacted me, I never thought I’d been hired by a presidential candidate,” said Gerald.

  “Yes. Thank you for the compliment. Now, for our future plans.”

  “What are our future plans?”

  “Well, I’ll probably sell four of the nukes to our customers in Iran.”

  “What about the fifth one?”

  Dominic smiled. “Why, I’m going to get revenge on all those people who interfered with my plans by using it on our friends in Washington.”

  Gerald thought Dominic must have gone crazy. “But how? They know what I look like. Who’s going to detonate it?”

  “Well, I asked Dr. Xaviers to build an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) from the original. We do have that portable missile silo you acquired for us. It’s hidden in the cave on the other side of the island. We’ll shoot the missile from it.”

  “But they’ll catch us for sure,” Gerald protested. “Once we launch it, they’ll be onto us.”

  “That’s why we’ll be somewhere else at the time. Dr. Xaviers will oversee its firing. We’ll have a helicopter ready for him. And if he doesn’t make it out, it’s one less person to get paid.”

  Gerald nodded, but inside he shuddered. He had left the bomb in the hotel in London that killed thousands of people. He sold weapons to terrorist groups all over. He never thought much about it, but his conscience nagged him still. He had joined the plan because of the money, but now he wondered if he had gotten in too deep.

  He was scared of this man’s total cold-bloodedness. He suddenly had a stunning revelation. This man who didn’t care what happened to Dr. Xaviers would shoot me without a moment’s hesitation if I get in his way.

  Chapter 20

  Oliver looked like he was reading files from his folders, but he couldn’t concentrate. All he could think about was what had happened the last few weeks. He thought about the mission on the Bahamas in which he had been knocked unconscious, the church service he had attended, the stakeout, and the rescue of Frank Jones. I wonder if I would have gone to Heaven or Hell if I had died.

  Malachi suddenly interrupted his thoughts. “Oliver, are you feeling okay?”

  “Uh, yeah. Just reading these files,” Oliver mumbled. “Did you find something?”

  “Yes, I did. I was trying to find out where Gerald or Dominic went. I called the Detroit City Airport a couple of days ago. Well, today, one of their stewardesses remembered a passenger she had helped. His face was familiar to her, but she couldn’t remember who it was until today. It was Dominic Walton.”

  “Really? Was she sure?”

  “Yes, but that’s not all. Guess where he was heading,” said Malachi.

  “Where?”

  “Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.”

  ҉

  “We’ve found out where he went from Nassau, Mr. President,” Frank stated. “He rented a helicopter and flew toward Exuma Sound.”

  “What do you want to wager he was heading to the same island where they fought with Jordan’s kidnappers?” said John.

  Frank stared at John. “I don’t bet.�
��

  “Bill, is the Bahamas’ government going to cooperate with us?” asked Timothy, interrupting their conversation.

  “I’ll go find out.” Bill got up.

  “What we need to do is find which island they’re using and capture them and the nukes,” said Mark.

  “Keep watching the satellite passes at Exuma Sound, Frank. Find these men,” Timothy ordered.

  “If only we knew their plans,” Joe said wishfully.

  ҉

  “Dr. Xaviers, are you almost done?” asked Dominic.

  Dr. Xaviers nodded. “Yes, sir. It should be ready by tomorrow night.”

  “Good. Now, we’ll leave for Brazil and hide out there for a while. After the launch is complete, have the pilot fly you to Rio de Janeiro. Any questions?”

  Dr. Xaviers shook his head. “Nope. I’ll see you later.”

  “Goodbye.” Dominic walked across the room and joined Gerald. They walked outside.

  “Is the boat ready?” asked Gerald.

  “Yes. We’ll find Harold and the rest of the crew we’re taking with us and leave right away. We’ll stay below deck so we look like any ordinary fishing boat,” said Dominic.

  Gerald pointed. “There’s Harold and the crew.”

  Several men walked up. They all headed over to the boat and got on. Harold, Gerald, and Dominic went below deck. As soon as the door was closed, Dominic said, “I’m glad to be gone from that island. They are probably watching with satellites. That’s why I wanted to leave so soon.”

  “How are the rest of them going to get off the island?” asked Harold.

  “They’re going to take two helicopters. As soon as the missile is launched, they’ll leave,” said Dominic.

  “But you know they’ll be keying in on this area as soon as the missile is launched. They’ll catch them for sure,” Harold pointed out.

  “Oh, well,” Dominic shrugged. “More money for the rest of us.”

  Gerald tried to look as natural as possible, but inside he was a mass of quivering nerves. He knew what would happen if he was caught by the police. He would be jailed without parole or might possibly get the death penalty. But his conscience railed on him. He wondered what was worse, being in prison for the rest of his life or living with this guilt for the rest of his life. As soon as this operation was done, and he got his money, he’d leave.

  “Hey, boss. What’s left for us in this operation?” Gerald forced himself to say.

  “Well, we’ll wait in Brazil until they finish the nuclear launch. After the heat dies down, you’ll sell the remaining nukes to Iran. Then we’ll split the money and go our separate ways,” said Dominic.

  Gerald cringed. Great. After I caused the deaths of thousands of people in London with a nuclear explosion, I stand by and watch Washington, D.C., decimated, then sell nukes to Iran so more innocent people can die. Is the money worth it?

  Gerald stopped. Did I really just think that? Well, it is a legitimate question. Is the money worth it? He thought about that. He was getting paid more money than he had ever made. But was it worth the guilt that comes with knowing you stood by and let millions of people be killed? He needed to think about this. He laid down on a small cot and drifted off to sleep.

  ҉

  “We’ve located the original island they used, but it looks like there is nothing on it,” said Joe.

  “Alright. Just scan the entire bay. Just try to find something strange happening on one of the islands,” Timothy ordered in desperation.

  “But sir, that could take days, and we don’t know the criminals’ plans or schedules,” said Frank.

  “So what can we do?” asked Bill in despair.

  “All we can do is keep scanning the area with the satellite, and wait.” Frank’s shoulders drooped.

  “And pray.” Jackson pointed out.

  “That’s a waste of time,” Joe declared.

  “No, it’s the best way we can employ our time,” argued Jackson.

  “Well, I hope you don’t mind if I keep investigating the case without prayer.” Joe turned away, shaking his head.

  Jackson walked to the corner of the room and bowed his head. He began to pray, “Father, please help us find these nukes before they’re used. Help us to catch these men who have no regard for people’s lives. Make them feel remorse for their actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  ҉

  Gerald woke up in a dead sweat. He looked around. Dominic and Harold were both sleeping on two other cots. He laid back down. He had had nightmares during his sleep. They were about all of the people who had died in London and all the people who were going to die in Washington, D.C. The guilt weighed so heavy upon him he decided to go for a walk.

  Gerald went up to the top deck and stared at the water. One of the crewman came up. “I thought you were going to stay below deck.”

  Gerald nodded. “I was. I just wanted some fresh air.”

  The crewman nodded. “That’s fine with me. But I don’t know if the boss would like that. You better just get back below deck.”

  Gerald forced a smile. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Thanks.” He turned toward the cabin, opened the door, and walked in. What he didn’t realize was he had been watched the entire time.

  ҉

  “That was Gerald Hamilton!” exclaimed Frank.

  “Are you sure?” asked Daniel skeptically.

  “Yes. I zoomed the satellite in and took a picture. That’s him!” Frank affirmed.

  “Okay, this is great. But do we have any agents in Exuma Sound yet?” asked Joe.

  “We have some agents in Nassau. They just arrived.” Mark stated.

  “Frank, keep that boat in view. I’ll call them up.” John got up and left the room.

  “Yes. We finally have them. Let’s hurry. By the way, where are they heading?” asked Joe.

  “Oh, no. They’re about to go into a crowded fishing area. There will probably be a lot of other fishing boats. I might lose them.” Frank kept typing.

  Mark’s eyes were glued to the screen. “Well, try not to. We’ve almost got them. It would be terrible to lose them again.”

  ҉

  “Agent Haselry, this is John Blackright. We’ve located Gerald Hamilton. Are you and your team ready?”

  “Yes, sir. We have a helicopter on standby. All we have to do now is refuel the tanks and we’ll be ready for flight.”

  “Great. I’m messaging you the coordinates now.”

  ҉

  Dominic called for the captain. The captain came down. Dominic asked, “Where are we?”

  “We’re passing Ragged Island on the edge of the Bahamas. We’ll probably travel slowly, though. There are a lot of other fishing boats around.”

  “That’s fine. Maybe, if they’re suspicious of us, we can lose them. How far are we from Puerto Padre?”

  “Around ten miles,” the captain replied.

  “Okay, thanks. Goodbye, captain.”

  “Why were you asking about the distance to Puerto Padre?” Gerald looked at him curiously.

  “Change of plans. Instead of sailing to Brazil, we’ll stop in Puerto Padre, Cuba, and catch a flight from there,” Dominic explained.

  “Are there any flights from Puerto Padre to Rio de Janeiro?” asked Gerald doubtfully.

  “The captain has a pilot friend that lives there. He’s agreed to take us there.”

  ҉

  “Where did the boat go?” asked Frank as his fingers skimmed over the keyboard.

  Daniel hoped he had heard wrong. “What do you mean?”

  “A cloud passed in front of the satellite. When it was gone, the ship was nowhere in sight. I can see four other boats, but none of them look like the one we were following.” Frank’s shoulders slumped.

  “You mean, we lost them?” asked Joe, stunned.

  “Yes. Now what are we going to do?”

  ҉

  The pilot was standing by his aircraft when a jeep drove up. The driver hopped out. “Hello, Jacques. I’ve bro
ught your passengers.”

  Jacques nodded. “Thanks for bringing business my way.”

  The three men unloaded their luggage, and the captain drove off. Jacques showed the men where to load their luggage. Then he went to the cockpit to do a preflight check. He turned on the radio to a certain frequency. “This is Agent Jacques Benzamaen. Does anyone copy?”

  “This is Agent Harkens. I copy.”

  “Agent Harkens, I have Gerald, Dominic, and a third man. Do you copy?”

  “What! How?”

  “I’m taking them to Rio de Janeiro. A suspected smuggler brought them to me and asked me to take them there. Here’s my flight plan.”

  Just then, Harold stuck his head in the door. “Everything’s loaded. We’re ready.”

  “Okay. I’ll just finish preflight inspections and we’ll take off. You can all load up,” said Jacques.

  Jacques turned back to the radio. “Sorry about that, Agent Harkens. Do you copy?”

  Nothing happened. “This is Agent Benzamaen calling Agent Harkens. Do you copy?” Still nothing but a hint of static.

  He vaguely remembered something about a storm brewing off the coast of Florida. It must be interfering with his transmissions. He replaced the radio on the hook and completed his preflight inspections. Then he took off for South America.

  Chapter 21

  Agent Harkens called Frank. “Frank, I’ve got something important to tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  “One of our agents in Cuba, Jacques Benzamaen, has Dominic and Gerald.”

  “What! How’d he capture them? Where are they?”

  “They paid him to fly them to Rio de Janeiro. He was going to tell me the exact place where he was flying them when one of the passengers interrupted. As I was listening, the radio switched to static and then stopped. I think the hurricane by Florida blocked the transmission.”

  “Where is this agent located?”

  “He is in Puerto Padre, Cuba.”

  “I’ll point our satellite that way. In the meanwhile, set up a greeting for them when they reach Rio de Janeiro. I’ll give our agents in Nassau the new coordinates.”