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Authors: Rick Murcer

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Caribbean Rain (6 page)

BOOK: Caribbean Rain
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That’s a new one.

Then he heard it. He suddenly glanced in one direction of the trail, then the other. The noise hadn’t been born of the breezes and the trees. It’d sounded . . . guttural. Primitive. He swallowed hard. Those were words used on TV or in the movie theater and shouldn’t apply to his joyous trip to El Yunque.

Standing rigid, he waited, his angst living just short of panic.

He listened intently and heard nothing but the multiple voices of the rainforest. After thirty seconds, he let out a breath and chalked one up to imagination created from excitement. But then he heard it again, closer this time, accompanied by a slight rustling of the thick underbrush about fifteen feet to his left. He waited.

A large mongoose unexpectedly burst onto the trail, dragging something he couldn’t quite make out. His heart fell to his stomach as he leaped back. He’d read that the forest service had made an attempt at reducing the rat population by introducing mongooses to the rainforest. It hadn’t worked, plus these vicious little vermin had a propensity for carrying rabies. But Rainer Johns seemed to be the last thing on this critter’s mind. It was pulling hard on its apparent next meal, trying to get it loose from some impediment. When the mongoose finally succeeded, the meal was not only freed, but flung into the air. Rainer’s eyes followed it, growing wider with recognition. He’d never seen a human foot detached from the body. Especially one half eaten.

The last floodgate protecting him from total panic sprang open, and he ran in the opposite direction, veering off to one of the other side trails, running like Jesse Owens in the ‘36 Olympics.

And he didn’t stop until he saw a large, camouflage tent and heard saxophone music.

Thank God. There is strength in numbers. Everyone knows that.

“Hey. I need some help. I think someone’s hurt,” he yelled as he hurried to the opened mouth of the tent. No response, but it didn’t matter. The music meant that another living soul was inside, and that was the important thing right now.

Not caring if anyone would be upset, he bent low and rushed inside.

Amanda Griggs stared at the entrance of the tent. Not unusual, except that her head was hung from the tent’s cross supports, her naked, drawn-and-quartered body scattered throughout the tent.

This campsite hadn’t been Rainer’s salvation. Instead, when reality crossed the border from the realm of the unreal, something in him gave. He felt it.

He scrambled out of the tent, falling face down into the dirt. That’s how the park rangers found him, still screaming, some thirty minutes later.

Chapter-11

 

Passing another eighteen-wheeler like it was standing still; Manny felt the Explorer slide then straighten. He knew he should slow down, but getting to Cleveland was all that mattered.

“This must be driving you crazy,” said Alex quietly.

Manny glanced at the chubby CSI, swerved around a slower-moving truck, and nodded. “That might cover it. You know, when you deal with all the shitty things life throws at you, you think maybe you’re ready for a few good rolls of the dice.”

“True enough, but we’ve all been around the block a time or two, and we know life’s a crap shoot. So we’ve got to be ready for anything, but that’s easy for me to say—at least today,” answered Alex.

“I know that’s true, but sometimes I’d just like to have the dice in my hand.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right on that,” Sophie strained from the backseat. “But the way you’re driving on this snow, I’d say you’re getting a few lucky rolls.”

“Sorry. It’s making me nuts not knowing, and AD Dickman won’t take my calls.”

“I know,” she said, “and I’m hanging. Might need some new underwear, though.”

“Why?” Manny asked.

“Mine went out the window after Toledo.” The next second, Manny felt Sophie’s hand on his shoulder. “But me and old Dough Boy can handle whatever it takes to get you there. Right?”

Alex flashed a grin of his own. “She’s right.” He turned to look over his shoulder. “Toledo, huh? Mine never got out of Michigan.”

Manny smiled, despite the situation. “I’ll buy you both a new pair . . . and thanks, I needed that.”

They drove in silence for another twenty minutes when Alex pointed to the road sign. “That’s the exit.”

Cranking the wheel to the left, Manny felt the Explorer fishtail back to the right, then straighten as if an unseen hand held the SUV steady.

“Damn it, Williams. I’m driving next time,” said Sophie, her voice an octave higher.

“I hope we don’t ever have another next time like this.”

“Good point. But the next trip is mine.”

“Fair enough. You’re better than me, but I couldn’t just sit in the seat.
That
would’ve driven me nuts.”

Manny swung the Explorer into Cleveland’s Memorial Hospital. The tires had hardly stopped turning when he jumped out and ran through the driving snow and wind toward the emergency room’s entrance.

Alex and Sophie hollered for him to wait, and he heard their staggered steps crunching the crisp snow, but waiting was out of the question. Hell, anything except a full sprint was out of the question. He’d managed to keep his composure for the three-and-one-half-hour drive, but now his bundled nerves were fully released, along with a once-controlled imagination. Dread was his new best friend. To lose a love of your life once was obscene, twice made it flat out unbearable.

The automatic doors hesitated, slid open, slid shut, then crawled to reopen. In those moments of pause, after he kicked the thick door, he thought of Chloe’s face and all that contributed to the essence of who she was. He brushed at tears.

What will I do if she’s gone?

His panic escalated thinking about Josh. This cop world was a bitch and when you have people like Josh to cover your ass, well, it was the difference between sane and insane. Life and death.

Rushing through the now completely opened door, Alex and Sophie at his back, he charged the nurse at the counter.

“Chloe Franson and Josh Corner, where are they?”

The nurse raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t your momma teach you any manners?”

Before Manny could move, Sophie had the nurse by the lapel, her face an inch from the nurse’s rotund face. “This ain’t no time to think about teaching manners. If you don’t want your fat ass kicked through that door out into the freeze-ass parking lot, answer the man.”

The desk nurse’s eyes widened, and she pointed down the hall. “IC. . . IC room two on the third floor,” she stammered.

“See, that wasn’t so damned hard, now was it?”

Sophie smoothed out the woman’s jersey and then followed him toward the elevator.

“Not nice, you know,” said Manny. “But thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell Santa . . . and you’re welcome.”

Bursting through the elevator door, his eyes searched the room numbers. Two was on the left. He hurried to it and then stopped.

Maybe I don’t really want to see this.

But he knew no other way but to be bold. He said another prayer and took a step. Alex grabbed his arm.

“I got this one, boss. I’ll be right back.” With that, Alex strolled ahead.

Running his hand through his hair, Manny let Alex enter the hospital room first, and in doing so, felt some momentary relief. Maybe there was only so much of this heartache thing that people could handle. Maybe that was how it’s supposed to be. Then we’d have to lean on others just that much more. Somehow that made perfect sense.

Alex was gone for about fifteen seconds when Manny couldn’t take it any longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling that inherent hospital smell, and headed through the wide doors.

There are shocking situations in life to be sure. Manny had seen more than his share—good and bad—but all of heaven and earth could have convulsed into some other dimension, and he wouldn’t have been as surprised.

Chloe sat on the first bed, facing the door, with her legs crossed, a small bandage on her temple. Her left arm was draped across her ample chest resting in a beige sling.

In the bed sat Josh. Circling around his head was a gauze wrap. There were scrapes and cuts on his face and arms, but he looked to be relatively unhurt. It took a moment for the scene to register. Chloe and Josh were alive and kicking.

Odd where the mind ran at times like this. His first reaction was one of disbelief, and the second was to thank God that his expectation was not a reality.

“About damn time you got here, agent. We were thinking you didn’t love us anymore,” said a grinning Josh. “Oh, and you can close your mouth now.”

Struggling to her feet, Chloe rushed Manny, who met her halfway. She was a strong woman, and even with one arm, she held tight enough to stop the air from coming, but he didn’t care. He gently wrapped his arms around her.

“Is that all ya got, man?” she whispered.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll let you know if ya do.”

He kissed her and pulled her tight. “Better?”

“Oh, much better.”

Manny had no more words, but then again, he was pretty sure he didn’t need them.

After a minute that seemed like a second, he kissed her, held her at arm’s length, kissed her again, helped her onto the bed, and then moved to Josh.

“You’re not going to kiss me too, are you?” he smiled. “There are manly rules about that kind of thing.”

“Not gonna happen, even on your best day,” he said as he leaned and gave him a hug.

“Shit. I will,” said Sophie.

She brushed past Manny and gave Josh a long kiss, square on his lips, then stepped back. “Damn. That was even better than the dip-and-kiss you pulled on me in Lansing.”

Josh’s face turned red. “Ah thanks, Sophie.”

“Don’t mention it. Somebody has to be willing to do what it takes in this group.”

Alex shook his head. “None of you are right. This is supposed to be a Behavioral Analysis Unit, not freaking Woodstock.” But Manny could see the sparkle in his eyes. He was as relieved as Manny.

Manny sat on the side of the bed. “About time? Is that what you said? You’re lucky you’re gimped-up. I thought we were dead three or four times with me driving here.”

“Sorry about that. We couldn’t call. Lots of tests and no phones. Besides, the boss wanted you here.”

Chloe hobbled to his side, her hand slipping into his, leaning her head on his shoulder. The way he felt as she touched him was the substance of answered prayers.

Letting out a deep breath, he located what was left of his composure. “We’ll talk about that in a minute. What happened up there?”

Josh turned his head and looked down, then his cobalt blues caught Manny straight on.

“That weather front went nuts, and the next thing we knew, we were dropping like a lead balloon. We bounced on the runway, but the plane hung in there, and for some unknown reason, Chloe and I woke up, side by side, in the snow at the end of the runway, virtually unhurt. She’s got a sprained ankle and a bruised shoulder. I got my brain rattled around, and my back’s sore as hell, but nothing too severe.”

“The pilots did a great job of keeping Josh and I alive, but . . .” said Chloe, her voice breaking.

“They were both hurt worse than us,” finished Josh.

The room grew quiet.

Manny again marveled at the mind’s ability to balance several simultaneous, gut-wrenching emotions into something that drew order out of chaos. Relief. Angst. Joy. Sadness. Frustration.

They were all grateful for Chloe’s and Josh’s survival, but at what price?

“They’re both in the other IC unit, hanging in there, but they won’t tell me anymore than that. Funny. I was on the pilot’s case for telling me how it was, instead of trying to make Chloe and I feel better. A few minutes later, he and the co-pilot were saving our bacon,” Josh whispered.

“He sounds like my kind of guy,” said Alex softly.

“Mine too,” said Manny.

“Okay. Enough of the trip down Guilty Lane. It can’t change anything, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had enough of the emotional rollercoaster ride for the day. Those guys are going to make it because it’s how it’s supposed to go. They did their jobs, and that means they won’t be checking out anytime soon.”

Running his hand through his hair, Manny smiled at Sophie. “Pretty profound for someone who thinks she’s not.”

“Hey. I have my moments.”

“And you’re also right,” said Josh.

“Changing gears from Agent Lee exhibiting more than a sixth-grade level of profoundness . . . Josh, you said the boss wanted Manny here, and I’m assuming us as well. So, why?” asked Alex.

Josh nodded and immediately winced. “Ouch. That’s not a good idea. Anyway, the assistant director has a case for us, your very first as FBI agents. It’s not exactly up our alley, but the DEA arrested three suspects in San Juan that they believe to be a part of one of the most prolific cocaine cartels in the Caribbean.”

“We get a road trip to San Juan in January? I’m already loving this gig,” said Sophie, clapping her hands together.

“Down girl. Josh is right. We really don’t have much experience in that world,” said Manny.

Sophie raised her hand. “Ooo. Ooo. Does experimenting with crack in college count as experience?”

“I’m going to ignore that, agent,” said Josh, grinning. He turned back to Manny. “What he’s hoping we can do is complete an in-depth profile and then apply that to the next step of interrogation. The DEA is desperate to get anything on this cartel. They think the head of this organization was responsible for getting over three hundred tons of coke in the US last year.”

Alex whistled. “Damn. That’s a lot of blown-up sinuses and septums.”

“Not to mention tax-free income,” added Chloe.

“So when will you two be able to leave?” asked Manny, moving closer to Chloe.

“The doc said I can fly in a few days, but Chloe could be ready to go, depending on the x-rays. You might have to go without me this trip. It’s you they really want anyway.”

“As profilers?” asked Alex. “I can understand Manny, but Sophie and me?”

“You two are very good at what you do, and the three of you have been a team for awhile. You can kick around ideas with each other, and it’ll help.”

BOOK: Caribbean Rain
2.28Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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