In the Blink of An Eye by Jerry Baggett (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

do know that we have information about a nurse being hooked up with the distribution of prescription drugs in the area, as well as a medical doctor. That came out of the prison, through Grant Davis. He feels it’s all very credible.”

“I’m not questioning that. It smells like a walnut shell shuffle of some kind. Some credible evidence may be given, along with a red herring, to divert attention away from something or someone else. They’re feeling the heat. My grandmother used to say, ‘if it gets too hot in the kitchen, even the cockroaches have to leave for a while’. We’ll need to keep an eye on the doctor, just in case he turns out to be one of the rats leaving the sinking ship. We can wait for our man to get back with information from the Bahamas before taking further action. If our nurse is involved, I’ll be surprised.”

“Well, she does work there, you know.”

Hunt pulled out a desk drawer and propped his feet up. “We’re under direct orders, remember? Our main priority is finding and arresting Harvey Marino and Hans Hempel. Let’s concentrate on that. I’ve a feeling ol’ Harvey’s still in the area. Those clubs are too valuable to be abandoned without a fight. Hempel’s another matter. He has no strings tying him down around here. He could be anywhere.”

Margie said, “Boss! Don’t forget about the total wipeout of Hempel’s brothers by Dick McGowin. Hempel ain’t going anywhere until he settles a few scores. I’d bet the farm on that. Hempel’s lying back in the weeds, waiting for another crack at McGowin and Samantha Brooks.”

“Oh, yeah. If he finds those two, he’ll kill them both.”

Chapter 41

“Marino’s more like a member of the board in some big corporation,” Hunt said, waving the pointer. “We know he’s not the absolute authority in the drug empire. Our priority now is finding out who’s pulling the strings behind Marino and his empire. We know he owns the clubs. He uses them as a support system for a separate organization that controls most of the drug activity along the eastern seaboard and some on the west coast. The drugs are flooding in from China, South America, and Mexico to be distributed by Marino’s people.”

Hunt walked away from the blackboard. “This is our ninth meeting as a task force. You’ve heard our priorities before. Most of the real authority’s out of our reach in Mexico, but someone inside the USA drives the bus. Whoever this man is, he’s not intimidated by law enforcement. He mostly avoids attacking federal agents, not so with local enforcement people. Even an occasional journalist has been known to catch his attention, so be on your toes.”

He blanked on things for a moment. “One more thing, before you return to the field, we just missed that bastard, Hempel. The sheriff’s department in Georgia failed to follow up on an APB report in a timely manner. Also, we now know local law enforcement’s in the pocket of the man running things. Someone keeps him well informed of our progress. A page out of the old-time mafia’s handbook.”

Hunt waved his hand dismissively again. “The APB on Marino and Hampel resulted in a hit, more or less after the fact. Hempel’s size gave him away. At six-six, three-fifty, folks remembered him. We received a report of a bar fight and killing in a rural area about sixty miles west of Statesboro, Georgia, a little more than twelve hours ago. A big man, fitting Hempel’s description, including the missing left earlobe, got drunk and attacked another man on the dance floor. He broke in on the dance, shoved the man away and dragged the woman outside without saying a word.”

He responded to someone’s question. “You might make note of this. The boyfriend followed, demanding her release. Hampel turned and stabbed the man in the eye with an icepick. He pulled it out of a flat leather case hanging down the hollow of his back, just below his collar. The man died immediately. Witnesses said no one there had ever seen the big man before, or the other tall thin man with him. Both men sat at a table, drinking and swearing loudly for a couple of hours before the incident. A very good description of Hans Hempel and his brother. Hempel’s the person previously known to us as Big Ugly.”

He stared at the group of men. “He didn’t kill for the woman. He killed because he was mad as hell. If he’d been looking for a fight, he would have fought in the bar. He wants to kill. Chances are he would have killed the woman next if the bartender hadn’t walked outside with a shotgun.” Hunt continued. “You’ve all read the report on the incident where Hempel’s brother was killed after fatally abusing our undercover informant from one of Marino’s clubs. He’s on a killing rampage and you already know Commander Dick McGowin and nurse Samantha Brooks are in his cross hairs. Our job now is to help save their lives.”

He tapped his closed hand on his chest. “Keep what you know close to your vest. People have died getting this information to us. With the dominos falling as they are, desperation may drive Marino or the unknown man at the top to do stupid things. Just remember, everyone’s a target.” He picked up his cane and tapped the desk with it. “We can settle the issue quickly. Find Marino and Hampel and bring them in before more killings take place.”

Chapter 42

“I’ll be in the Mobile, Alabama, DEA office for a couple of days. Get your butts in here. It’s important,” Hunt said. “You’re still in that rural hotel, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Andalusia, Alabama. We’re over a hundred miles away, tired and kinda beat up. Do we have to rush right down?”

“Put your phone on speaker and answer a few