Buck's diagram of Beanfields migrant camp
Chapter15
I rode back with Suarez. As we drove away down the dirt road, whom should we meet walking steadily toward us, but Iris.
I said, “Should we pass her, teach her a lesson?”
Suarez said, “Did you tell her not to come out?”
“No.”
“Then let’s not do something you might regret later.” He stopped the car beside her. I open the rear door so she could get in.
She slid in and said, “Why did you leave me?”
“We thought there might be some danger in this visit.”
“I could have stayed in the car.”
“Couldn’t take the chance.”
“Where are we going now?”
“Back to the station.”
“Damn, I miss all the fun.”
On the ride back, Suarez asked me, “What do you think?”
“I think Cocker was telling as much of the truth as he knew, but he doesn’t know much. He’s just a warm body for Beanland to order around.”
“We still don’t have enough to get a warrant.”
“I know. What about that setup? A little extreme for a migrant camp.”
“Yes, a little, but nothing illegal. But a very controlled space.”
“I’d like to see it in the evening when everyone’s there.”
“I suggest going before ten o’clock, and I have a hunch that once dinner was served, you’d have trouble getting in the gate. Especially since Cocker will tell Beanland that the police visited today.”
Then my cell phone trilled. I knew it was Ruben and just said, “Go,” which was our signal that I was compromised and couldn’t say much back.
Ruben said, “Scotty’s on his way with four buddies. He said to give you a cell number for this mission. You got a pen?”
“Yeah.” He gave me the number and I wrote it down in my pad, holding the pad toward the window, so Suarez couldn’t read the number.
“Shevonne has nearly wrapped up her case. Nothing else to report. Caridad says to tell you she’s lighting candles and burning incense for you tonight.”
“Say ‘thanks’ for me.”
“Cierto. See you later.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
Suarez let us out in the parking lot at the station. We got in my car and headed back to my motel room. It was nearly three o’clock. Iris was sulking a little, but her mind was too inventive to leave her in an emotional morass for long. On the way I dialed the number Ruben had given me.
Scotty answered immediately. “Bucky, old friend, we’re nearing the toll booth on the alley. Should be there in two hours max.”
“Good. Come to my motel. I’ll get rooms for everyone. After you get here, we’ll have a planning session”
“Righto.”
I gave him directions and signed off.
Iris remained perturbed that I had left her behind. She said, “That wasn’t nice, Buck. You know I wanted to go with you.”
“I thought it could get dangerous.”
“Damn.”
“I know, sounds exciting, but it wasn’t: just an old man standing guard over the camp. That’s all there was.”
“Was it the fat man’s camp?”
“Yes.”
“Damn. I knew he was bad news. Who’s coming to the motel?”
“Some backup.”
“Cool.”
Back in the motel, I drew on a piece of typing paper a layout of Beanland’s camp. I labeled the buildings and areas. I wanted to be ready when Scotty arrived.
Then I lay back and argued with myself:
You don’t really know if the boys are there.
My gut tells me they are.
If they’re going out and working in the fields, why haven’t they escaped?
Maybe they can’t; maybe they’re afraid.
How do you know they’re not dead already?
If they are, I intend to find that out.
How are you going to do that?
I’m going to catch them out. In daylight if I can. In darkness if I have to.
And then?
We’ll take them home.
Iris had been looking at my drawing of the camp. I told her that some operatives were coming from Miami, so she would have to get her own room.
Her eyes widened. “Reinforcements? Are we going to see action?”
“You’re not going to see anything. Why hasn’t your mother come to fetch you?”
“She said her car broke down. It’s in the shop.”
“Jesus Christ.”
Shortly after five o’clock, Scotty called. They were in the parking lot. I went down and checked them in: two to a room with Scotty in my room. I got a single room for Iris.
When I introduced Iris, the five men gave me a quizzical, slightly disapproving look, so I decided I should give a more thorough explanation. I said, “Iris was hitchhiking, so I gave her a ride. She lives in Fort Myers. Her mother was supposed to come here and get her, but her car broke down. She’s a good kid. Very bright, but stubborn as an old billygoat.”
Iris shook everybody’s hand and insisted on getting the names right. She said, “God, you’re all so ripped.”
Scotty had brought a choice crew, all tough, hard-bodied and fearless: Mario Rubio, Joe Pasasano, Corey Mimms and Patric O’Connor. Mario was hugely muscled and extremely strong. The others less so, but compared to the average American, they had hardly any fat and were very strong and conditioned. All had been in the military and understood discipline.
They were hungry, but I didn’t want to waste time at a restaurant, and I needed Scotty. I sent the four younger men out to eat with Iris and ordered Chinese in for Scotty and me.
Iris loved being the center of the younger men and took them to a steak house.
Scotty took a shower, wrapped himself in a motel bathrobe, and sat down to munch through the take-out packages. He looked like any white-skinned, brown-haired, blue-eyed American in top physical condition and gave away his British roots only when he spoke. “So, Bucky, what do you have for us?”
“Could be dangerous.”
“Well, my friend, danger is what we do.”
“I’ve tracked two missing college students to a migrant camp near Immokalee.” I spread my drawing out on the table. “The supervisor of the camp is a mean son-of-bitch and big – over three hundred pounds. He’s got four assistants.” I pointed out the administrative area of the compound. “I’m not sure how tough his assistants are or how well armed they are, but my feeling is that they’re not in great shape.”
“But that should be reconnoitered before we move.”
“Of course. But I’ve also thought that maybe we could seize the two students in the fields during daytime or even stop the bus and take them off.”
“There will be more than one bus for a camp this size.” His eyes twinkled. “I see why you called us in. We’re going to be very busy.”
“Yeah. I figure a little reconnaissance tonight, some surveillance and tracking tomorrow.”
“Good: Plan and prepare thoroughly before attack. Be aware of all contingencies. Be ready for the unexpected.”
I smiled. “Good to have you with me, Scotty.”
“Great to be here, Bucky. Let me ask you a question. Has Beanland met you or seen your car?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have to stay in the background until we move.”
By the time the troops and Iris returned from dinner, Scotty and I had our plan worked out. I sent Iris to her room. Then Scotty and I had a mission meeting with all of the force members. I gave each of them one of the flyers with Nano’s and Paulie’s photos. “These are the two missing college students. We want to try to seize them with as little commotion as possible, but we have to act within the next forty-eight hours. That’s because the person who is holding them knows I’m looking for them. I’m afraid he might try to get rid of them soon, and he’s got the whole Everglades to hide the bodies in. The reason I called you in is that the police don’t have enough evidence to do anything at this time. I’d like to think of us as police auxiliaries. Scotty will now go over the details of the plan.”
“Righto. All right, men, I want Patric and Corey to do some reconnaissance tonight. Mario and Joe will do tracking surveillance tomorrow. And I hope that by tomorrow evening, Bucky and I will have a plan that’s actionable.”
Scotty laid out the map of Beanland’s camp and continued. “Here’s the compound. Any weapons that the supervisor has will be in this administrative area. Notice the dog pen. It contains six trained attack dogs. Patric, I want you to test the response to an intruder. Work your way into the swamp east of the dog pens; the dogs will probably scent you and start barking. If they don’t, you’ll have to move in and make them react. We need to know what Beanland will do.”
Patric replied in his Jamaican accent, “Awright, mahn.”
“Be careful. This could get dangerous.”
Patric grinned and said, “Not like I’ve not been here before.” (He had been an Army Ranger.)
Scotty went on. “Corey, I want you to work your way in west of the compound near the north end. Beanland, the supervisor, releases two dogs shortly after ten o’clock. They run the perimeter of the compound. If you can sedate the dogs, that will be to your advantage. Then I want you to work your way through the compound to see if you can locate the college boys. If we know exactly where they are, our job will be that much easier.”
Corey said, “What if I find them? Can I bring them out then?”
Scotty looked at me. I nodded. He said, “Bring them out if you can. I’ll leave that to your judgment. But if a hue and cry is raised, you might put them in jeopardy.”
“I won’t take them if I have any doubts.”
“Good. Ok, you two, get dressed for swampy night work and ready any gear you’ll need.”
Then Scotty turned to Mario and Joe. “I want you two out before dawn near the turn off road to the camp. Dress like laborers. When the buses leave for the day’s work, I want you to trail them and plot likely ambush points. It might be possible to take the boys off the buses or in the fields.”
Joe said, “What if we see the boys? Can we grab them?”
“Only if it’s quick and clean.”
“We wouldn’t do it unless we were sure.”
“Good. Ok, you two, go get your stuff ready, then get a good night’s sleep. I’ll wake you around four thirty.” He looked at me. “What time is it?”
“After eight.”
“Then we better get ourselves ready.”
END of Chapter 15
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