Buck must find two college students Ch20

ENCOMIENDA

Chapter 20


At ten, Joe called, but he had little to add. “The workers are harvesting crops, but no sign of the boys. It’s getting warm.”

Then Mario: “Beanland is back in his trailer and the dogs are back in the pens. Cocker fell asleep in his chair and got chewed out by Beanland, who caught him napping. A young woman and a young man arrived in an old car a half-hour ago. They spoke to Cocker, who let them in and took them to see Beanland. Beanland led them to a cabin and they went in. My guess is that the newcomers are migrants looking for work.”

When I heard that, my gut got a queasy feeling. I said, “Was the girl wearing an orange sweatshirt?”

“No, a simple blue dress. I know what you’re thinking. Was it Iris? She did have long black hair, but I didn’t get a real good look at her face. She wore a straw hat. The man with her wore a baseball cap. The man was skinny.”

“Ok, see if you can ID them better.”

My cell phone rang around 10:45 a.m. Thus go the best-laid plans of mice and men. Ours began to unravel. Caridad said, “Jefe, we got problems. Señor Menendez is here in the office with two muy grande, muy macho dudes. He wants to talk to you and he wants to bring his amigos to give you some help to find his son. Whatchya think a that?”

“Not much. We don’t need an unknown factor complicating things for us.”

“Do you want to talk to him, or should I tell him you’re not available?”

“Put him on.”

Menendez spoke English, but not very well, and because he was so overwrought, he gave up and launched into a spiel in Spanish about his coming to help us get his son back. I spoke to him very calmly and slowly in Spanish. “Tranquilo.” I told him that we were sure we had located his son and that we were in the advanced stages of formulating a plan to retrieve Paulie and his friend Nano within 24 hours. “Paciencia. Espera para nosotros en Miami.” But he couldn’t. He demanded to know where I was. I hung up and called Caridad.

“Caridad, don’t tell him where we are.”

“I don’t know where you are – not exactly.”

“Good, maintain that. Get him out of the office and then call Señor Concepción. Tell him not to tell Menendez where we are if Menendez finds him.”

I hung up and a few minutes later Scotty’s phone rang. He listened briefly, said “Thanks” and turned to me. “That was Mario. A few minutes ago, Beanland got an assault rifle from the first shed and readied the airboat for a ride. He put the two newcomers in the boat; Mario can’t swear that the woman is or isn’t Iris. Then Beanland got two prisoners from the second shed. They were shackled, and Mario thinks they’re our missing boys. Beanland put them in the airboat and headed into the swamp. I think we had better move. I told Mario to take care of Cocker and secure the compound. Can we rent a helicopter?”

I held up my palm. “Hold on. I think I can get something better.” I dialed Christian Oceola’s number. Told him what our emergency was, asked for his help. He said he’d meet us at the camp in half an hour. I hung up and said, “Get your boys ready for a fight. Tell Joe to meet us at the compound.”

Scotty drove the panel truck. I drove my Z3. We hit 70 plus on Highway 29, bouncing over the ridges in the road. I was way in the lead by the time we reached Beanland’s compound. The black jeep was parked next to Christian’s red pick-up truck. Beyond that I could see a boat trailer at the edge of the swamp and three men steadying a large two-fan airboat in the water. I honked. The panel truck was turning onto the cutoff road and raising dust toward us.

Mario ran up to me. “Hi, Buck. Here’s another thing. In the distance to the east are hammocks and I’m pretty sure I saw marijuana plants growing on the nearest one.”

“Ok, tell Scotty.”

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Suarez’s number. I was happy to be able to bring him in. If I didn’t, I knew I would turn a friend into an enemy. He answered and I said, “Listen. Some men I brought in and I are at Beanland’s compound. We’ve had a positive ID of the missing boys, plus it looks like Beanland is growing pot as a side business. He’s fled into the swamp with the boys and two other captives, so we can’t wait for you. We’re going after them. Bring as many men as you can and secure the compound. You’ll find automatic weapons in one of Beanland’s sheds. If you can get a helicopter, we’re in a double-fan airboat heading east into the swamp. Beanland is in a single-fan airboat. Do you need to get a warrant?”

“Didn’t you just report a disturbance in progress? No warrant needed. Besides, the farm worker’s wife is our corpse, so a warrant will be forthcoming. See you soon.”

I joined everyone in the boat. Scotty and his men were in camouflage fatigues and carrying automatic rifles, pistols and knives. Christian was in the driver’s seat next to a machete, a hunting rifle and a .44 Magnum. He had tied an eagle feather into his hair. I introduced him, and then he revved up the fans and we were off, roaring and slapping over the water and leaving a wake that washed the grasses on either side as we passed. Once I squatted, I realized I had forgotten my gun.

During our wind-streaming ride, Scotty passed an automatic pistol back to me.

He yelled, “You need something!”

I yelled, “Thanks!”

Mario pointed forward. I looked and could see the first hammock approaching fast. Sure enough. Pot plants everywhere in the sunlit areas of the hammock. Christian cut the engine and the boat slowed and bumped gently against the edge of the hammock.

Scotty and his men leaped ashore and he yelled back. “Wait in the boat!” They disappeared into the maze of contraband plants and natural foliage.

I reached up and shook Christian’s hand. “Thanks, buddy. This is above and beyond.”

He said, “Shit, Buck, these assholes invaded our swamp. Glad to help.”

In five minutes they returned and boarded. Scotty said, “Nobody here. Let’s go.”

Off we went, skimming over the marshland, startling deer and alligator and gar. Now I could see distinct paths that frequent boat use had carved into the swamp between each hammock.

About a hundred yards from the second hammock, three times the size of the first, a bullet pinged off the protective cover of the fans. Christian didn’t slow, but he began zigzagging. The rest of us hugged the bottom of the boat. I peeked over the rim of the boat once and could see the twinkle of automatic fire coming from several points on the island. A couple shallow-draft outboard motorboats were parked at the island.

Scotty gave Christian instructions that I couldn’t make out. Fifty yards out, Christian swept the boat in a broad leftward arc that sent a rooster tail behind us and the boat broadside to the island. Suddenly Scotty and his men crouched and returned fire in short bursts. I peeked again and saw that the return fire was effective in suppressing the defense. Our fire sent splinters flying from the boats. One caught fire and burned with a small smoky flame.

Christian kept the boat headed north and suddenly swept into shore at the northern tip of the hammock. Scotty looked at me and said, “Stay here,” just before his men leaped ashore and disappeared into the woods. Christian cut the engines. I looked at him and said, “You should put this ride in Disney World.”

He smiled but said nothing. We both listened.

Minutes later, gunfire erupted. A stream of automatic fire interspersed with short bursts. I knew Scotty’s men were signified by the short bursts, disciplined attack.

Then over the gunfire, we heard an airboat engine kick in. I said, “Somebody’s getting away.” Christian started the engine and backed the boat away from shore. He passed his rifle down and said, “Get ready. It holds seven shots.” Then we were off. I settled into the middle of the front of the boat and peered forward.

As we rounded the tip of the island, I could see a smaller airboat maybe fifty yards ahead and to the south. It was picking up speed eastward. I recognized the massive form in front of its engine. I yelled, “Beanland!”

Christian gunned the engine and the boat whooshed ahead, really planing now without the weight of the five men who were ashore. Double fans against one. Catching Beanland would be no problem. We gained on him easily. Christian shouted, “The engine! Hit the engine!”

I steadied myself. Thirty yards away, I fired. Bang! Zing! I fired again at twenty yards. Bang! Zing! Beanland’s engine died with a cough and as his boat settled, ours swooshed past. I could see that Beanland was the only occupant.

Christian threw his boat into a tight right turn. As we came around, I saw Beanland pick up his assault rifle, aim it toward us and let loose. But he was aiming high. And then I heard a helicopter. Beanland heard it too and looked up. We were closing again and I could see Beanland’s expression. It held all the frustration and contempt and evil hatred he could muster. He aimed his gun higher and I knew he was going to try for the chopper.

I aimed again and at thirty yards sent a shot into his right shoulder. Bang! Thunk! He dropped the gun and pitched backward, back flopping with a climactic splashing wallop into the swamp.

Then the helicopter was there. Sheriff’s logo on the side. Two men descending ropes and splashing into the swamp next to Beanland’s boat. Lieutenant Suarez waved from the cockpit. I waved back.

Christian headed the boat back to the big hammock.

From this side, we could see a wooden shack set near the shore. Scotty’s men were there, so we went right up to shore, stopped and got out.

Corey and Joe were guarding two men leaning against the shack, both wounded, one in the arm, one in the leg. Another lay dead on the ground. Then came what we had been hoping for. Scotty, Mario and Patric led three young men and a girl from inside the cabin. I recognized two of them immediately. The shackles were gone, they were dazed and scruffy: our missing boys.

I said, “Nano, Paulie, welcome back to the world. My name’s Buck Jaspers. I was hired by your father to find you and bring you back.”

Paulie started crying. Nano said, “You got any water?”

Scotty, semper paretis, offered them his canteen.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the office. Caridad answered. I said, “Call Concepción and then Menendez. Tell them we have their boys and they’re all right. We’ll be home late tonight.”

“Buck, that’s wonderful! We’ll wait for you.”

After clicking off, I looked at the other two youths. I didn’t know the young man, but I knew the girl. She was squinting at me and had a smile on her face. She was wearing a blue shift.

She said, “Hi, Buck.”

I said, “Jesus Christ, Iris, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Helping out.”

“Helping out?”

“Well, we didn’t know you were so close to the finish. We thought we’d pose as kids looking for work and try to find your college boys.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“My good buddy Wyatt Skeets. He was into it, too. Wyatt, this is Buck Jaspers, the detective I told you about.”

I looked at Wyatt. He was a skinny kid with black hair and brown eyes and he was dressed all in black, including black sneakers. He said, “Hi.”

I said, “Do you two realize you could’ve gotten killed?”

Wyatt said, “We didn’t think about that.”

Iris said, “Our plan worked. We were in faster than you, and we found the boys right away.”

End of Chapter 20
 
Airboats were first used in warfare in the Vietnam War, and as several Vietnamese Americans have told me, the Mekong Delta is a lot like the Everglades.  The first to tell me so was my roommate one summer while I was getting a master's degree.  He was from Saigon.
 
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