The Final Shortcut (17 page)

From across the room another man raised his head and carefully scanned the room, this was the moment he was waiting for. He stood easily, having faked drinking after everyone else got too drunk to notice. Biding his time until he could contact his boss without being seen. The phone booth was directly in line with the front door so he could see if anyone came in. No one inside was in any condition to see him. He quickly closed the doors and dialed the number, anxiously listening for the familiar voice on the other end.

“Jenkins.” The phone had only rung once before being snatched off the hook.

“It’s Wheezer. I haven’t got much time. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Where have you been? It’s been nearly three weeks since your last report. I was about to send out the dogs. ” Conrad Jenkins was the district director of the FBI, and a long time friend of agent Hitchcock.

“I was beginning to wonder myself, I have to be really careful, and these guys aren’t very trusting. We’ve been hanging around this strip club called “The Sandbox” just outside of Brayton, for the last couple days. They are waiting for these two guys that are supposed to be heavily connected.” He did his best to speak quickly, quietly and clearly.

“You’ve been friendly with those folks for two months now, have you got any solid evidence yet?” Jenkins voice was curt and firm, trying to gain as much intelligence as he could before contact had to be terminated.

“Yes, I’ve been able to identify several items by serial number that came from different trucks over the last four or five years. But I haven’t seen enough to make me think these guys are the masterminds, they could have bought the stuff at the flea market. But these two we’re waiting on are supposed to be bad news. I don’t know when I’ll be able to contact you again. I’ve got enough on the Wanderers to put them all away today.”

“Well, maybe later if we need to squeeze information out of them. You have a good nose for trouble, that’s why you are there and I am here.” Jenkins tapped the receiver with his pencil, “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine, a little hung over but good. I think I’m getting close. These guys are going to a big swap meet and party next week. A couple of the girls told me they bought all sort of new stuff, like some that’s on our list. Supposedly one can get anything one wants at one of these meets. Maybe I can stir up a few more clues and find...”

The phone abruptly clicked off in Jenkins ear, he hung up and crossed the fingers on both hands silently wishing for the safety of his old friend. And if he solved the case that would be good too. Every since Congressman Herndon’s nephew became number seventeen on the list of missing truckers, the heat has been steadily turned up to find the answers. It was just a matter of time before the entire sleazy district known as “Kitty City” was raided and shut down. The county police were also on the list of warrants, along with six other city officials on the county seat in Brayton. Almost a year of investigation had led a large team to the area around “Kitty City.” The whole of which were poised and waiting for the last vital bits of information that would cue the attack. But until the congressman was satisfied, no one could act. Everything hinged on the undercover agents strewn around the area. Nine men in four counties, men just like Ramone Hitchcock.

A big shape re-entered the front door and Wheezer knew he had been seen in the old-fashioned phone-booth, it was time to think fast. An enforcer for the group called Tree came directly toward him, grabbed the door and yanked it open, “Who are you talking to?” His face was burning red with a combination of alcohol and suspicion about the new guy.

“Can’t a man have a little privashy?” Wheezer had one hand on the wall of the booth and the other hand on his manhood, urinating in the corner. “You want to leave …or are you enjoying the view?” He did his best to sound drunk and even managed to squeeze out a belch. Tree hadn’t fully taken in what was conspiring. So when he pulled Wheezer’s shoulder to confront him, he only managed to get his boots wet.

“Oh man, watch what you’re….. .sheeeeit!” Tree shoved him back and stepped away to find a rag. “You drunk fool. You can’t even find the bathroom. If’n you can’t handle your drink you need to stay home.” He headed in the restroom still cussing. Wheezer scanned over the rest of the bunch and thankfully no one else was stirring. Two steps to the left was an unfinished drink that he sloshed quickly down the front of his shirt. Then walked over to the front door and waited. When he heard Tree coming out, he acted like he was going to throw up and stumbled outside. And just to make it more convincing he staggered over to the edge of the lot and sat down roughly in the grass. Then he lay down on his side and began to make retching sounds, hopefully the charade worked. He didn’t look to see if Tree had followed him or not. He hadn’t come outside, so that was a good sign.

The sun felt warm as it climbed high in the morning sky and after partying all night he was tempted to take a catnap right where he was. Just ten feet away he saw another of his new friends snoring loudly. Hat and jacket in place, his legs crossed and an empty bottle of Crown Royal still in his hand. He laughed to himself and found a comfortable spot to lay his head. As he drifted off to sleep, he reminded himself how much danger he was in. Even though he didn’t believe “the Wanderers” were responsible for the missing trucks. He knew from experience that if they found out he was undercover; he would be very dead, very quickly.

Back inside Tree had paid little mind to Wheezer. He was more interested in trying to rouse one of the girls called Crazy Mary, but with little success. He tried again but she only mumbled and limply fell back to the table. None of his compatriots seemed to be moving. The clock behind the bar said 8:43 a.m... At noon they had to make a call and set up a meet. With any luck the deal would happen today. If it didn’t, they would wait some more.

Ten miles away at a scenic overlook sat a brand-new Lincoln. Two men stood leaning on the hood, taking in the view. One had a pair of binoculars and seemed to be concentrating on one particular area. “What are you looking for so hard?”

“Kitty City, it’s said that on a clear day you can see the titties from ten miles away.” The smaller of the two men dropped the binoculars and laughed out loud.

“Oh man, you mean you worked those glasses all that time for that stupid joke. You are hopeless.” At 6’ 4’’, and a stacked 280 pounds, Taipei was hard to miss even on a mountainside. He always wore tank tops, regardless of the weather, to show off some of his tattoos.

“What do you mean stupid? That was good!”

“Fudd, you are not firing on all your pistons. Can we go now?” Taipei rubbed his bald head and rolled his shoulders back and forth.

“Yeh, in a minute, I need to stretch a little first. We have to deliver this first package before we call the Blunderers.” Fudd began to stretch and flex just like his partner, in many ways they were like two heads on the same neck. But their appearance was vastly different. Fudd was 5’ 9’’ tall and a powerful 180 pounds. Silky blond hair, sky blue eyes and a perfect smile that could have landed him in Hollywood. But his looks only covered the surface, what lie beneath was evil and cold hearted. Both men had worked together for many years and they both had the same unquenchable thirsts.

A cell phone rang in the car and Fudd sprang to answer it.

“Yeh,…yes I do….how about forty-five minutes… ok.” He slid in behind the driver’s seat and started dialing another number. “Ti…are you hungry? We’ve got time to eat if you like?” Taipei was just getting in the car and he nodded his head and pointed to his stomach. “Ok, we’ll do that….Hello..? Yes it’s me. How are things down there, quiet and calm? …no not for a while, yeh...we’ll meet later. Bye.”

He reached into the back seat and pulled a sheet off of a beautiful young woman, no more than sixteen. The fact that she had been drugged many times was evident by the punctures on her arms. What wasn’t obvious was the endless hours of sexual abuse and torment inflicted on her in order to break her down. Three days ago she had been shopping with friends at her local mall two hundred miles away. Today she was an empty shell. All her sensibilities had been drained by two of the best, and now she was just a product to be vended.

Fudd stroked the girl’s cheek tenderly and she replied by staring off in space. “You know. I almost want to keep this one. She’s so pretty… And we didn’t leave a mark on her anywhere.”

“And where would you keep it, you say that about the girls. C’mon let’s go eat.”

“Ok, right after we meet, we’ll eat. Any preferences?” Fudd had already started the big car moving while he talked. Taipei didn’t answer but Fudd knew what he liked, they knew each other inside out. “After we drop these two loads, why don’t we take a break, maybe go to the islands for a couple weeks?” The response was the same. Fudd talked, Taipei listened and nodded his head.

The drive down went quickly and they found the midmorning traffic to be very sparse. The only time that Randy Street wasn’t buzzing with trucks and campers. The main drag of Kitty City was only two lanes and less than a mile long. One end tied in with The Confederate Highway and the other dead-ended into a stand of trees. Each of the six side roads only provided access for the legitimate delivery trucks. It was a neon island in the blackness of the impassable forest.

“A few minutes after ten, oops! We’re a bit late, you think he’ll wait?” Fudd looked at his watch and drove easily knowing his customer would wait a week if he asked him to. Taipei sat up straight and pointed out the window.

“Hey, isn’t that some of your old gang over there?” Fudd looked over the top of his sunglasses and studied the parking lot of the Sandbox as they passed.

“Yes I believe it is. Yep, there’s Tree pissing in the bushes, class man.” He gave it a little more gas and pushed his glasses back up, “At least we won’t have to go far to hook up with them.” Taipei just nodded and sat back, he glanced over his shoulder to check the girl.

“Where do you think Faruk really sends these kids? You know all of them aren’t bound for the Middle East.”

“Who knows, but at fifty-thousand each he can do what he likes. I think he‘s a slasher, I’ve noticed some of his girls that have been beaten up, he leaves marks, amateur.” Fudd grinned and turned into the parking lot of the XXXperience. An adult video theater and strip club with live sex shows. In a second story window stood their client, the owner. As soon as he saw them, he disappeared from view.

“I bet you it’s been a week since fat Faruk has taken a bath.”

“You could have gone all day and not said that….there he is. It’s amazing he could get such bulk to move so fast, he should work out.” Fudd opened the door and walked over to an obscenely fat Indian named Benji Faruk. Taipei stepped out and scanned the lot and when he felt secure he pulled the petite blond girl from the backseat. She could stand, with help, so he walked her over and presented her to Faruk. He looked her over hungrily and handed Fudd an envelope, then he grabbed her away from Taipei. It was all over in less than thirty seconds, and they were each on their way.

Fudd rolled the long black Lincoln down Randy Street for two blocks then turned in behind the classiest private club on the strip. Known for its four star services and only the most beautiful girls. It was the highest priced cathouse in the state. It didn’t need a name, just a number. And since it was the favorite watering hole for the county seat, it had been able to flourish. Everyone just called it Mom’s because of the grand-motherly type lady that ran the house, and the fact that no one knew her real name. She had mostly gray hair that was streaked with her natural jet black. Dark Italian features and a portly shape that made her look like Jonathan Winters in a dress. When she heard the car door slam she knew her boys were there and she skipped to the door with a big grin on her face. She was always glad to see her only son and she had known Taipei since he had only eighteen tattoos, now they covered most of his body. Before they could knock, she flung open the door.

“Hey you two!” She grabbed Fudd around the neck and gave him a long tight hug. “It’s so good to see you. Why did you stay away so long?”

“Just working Momma.”

“Ha, you haven’t called me Momma since you believed in Santa Clause.” She turned loose of him with one arm and grabbed Taipei under the arm and led them inside. “You boys hungry, right after you called, I told Fernando the put on lunch for six.”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Taipei clapped his hands together in excitement, and then he put his arm around Mom. “I knew there was another reason I liked to come here, you of course being the first.”

“Well listen to you. You’re starting to sound like Elmer.” She turned them loose and crossed the room to the bar, “You ready for a drink, it’ll be a few minutes.”

“Oh-oh, she said the E word.” Taipei teased Fudd gently knowing how much he disliked his real first name.

“Why did you give me that name?” Fudd sat in a plush leather love seat next to the bar and held out his hand, which she quickly filled with a glass.

“I told you a hundred times. It was my grandfather’s name. And if you hate it so much why did you pick the nickname Fudd.” She walked around the bar and sat next to him. “But forget that tired old stuff, we need to talk. There have been some ugly rumors about Feds nosing around Brayton.”

“Feds? What are they looking for?” Fudd’s expression never changed but she could tell he had taken the news gravely.

“I don’t know for sure, but my sources tell me it has to do with the FBI. They’ve been nosing around the markets looking for stolen items, checking serial numbers, asking for bills of sales.” Mom took a healthy pull of her drink and continued, “I haven’t been able to figure why the FBI.”

“What kind of guys have been nosing around, suits or moles?” Fudd finished his drink in two gulps and leaned back in the seat.

“Suits, so far no one has found any undercover, but you can bet your ass there are some, somewhere.” She took the glass from his hand and stood up to fix another. “How long are you here for?”