Chapter 37

Ring! Ring!

Oh shit, the phone.

I came awake, picked up the phone and said: "Hello."

"Morning, Sunshine, or should I say almost morning and no sunshine since it's only three thirty. Homeland Security just called me to ask for some help. One of their stations was attacked last night in an attempt to free some illegal border crossers that were taken the night before. The big problem now is that whoever it was that attempted to free the illegals now knows they are being housed in the Bureau's lock up."

John laughed a little, "Just like Mission Impossible, your job whether you want it or not is to get your butt out to San Diego as fast as you can, find out why these illegals are so important, and to ensure the Bureau is set up to keep them."

"Ah, John, anything that may require my assistant for support?"

"Not really, this is sort of a search and keep alive mission. Go investigate and protect. Be careful though as the below the border cartels have been getting pretty nasty lately. Wear your armor and be watchful. Call me back when you're in the air, but no earlier than eight okay?"

Bobby and Wanda were awake, listening to my side of the conversation, knowing I was going to be on my way somewhere. Wanda asked a simple question, "Where, and how soon?"

"San Diego, as soon as possible."

Wanda smiled and said, "That's the only way you go anywhere, isn't it? I'll call out to the charter service first to find out if they can help."

Bobby said, "You take your shower and get dressed. I'll pack for you and make some coffee and sandwiches."

I was putting on khakis when Wanda came into the bedroom. "The charter service called back to say you can use the Lear but it has to be back by Wednesday morning. If you're longer than Tuesday night, you may have to take commercial to get back."

I put my vest and three extra loaded magazines into my gym bag. After giving my ladies kisses and telling them to go back to bed, I left, checking my watch to see it was five after four.

When I pulled up to the front of the charter office, someone was using the tow motor to pull the Lear from the hangar. I pulled my suitcase and gym bag from the car and headed toward the plane.

John got off the tow motor, disconnected the airplane and said, "Get the preflight checklist out and start. Make sure you check the gear and engine ports just like it says. I'll put this away and close up."

The checklist described exactly what I was supposed to be looking for at each item. While I was checking the rear of the plane, the big hangar door began closing, followed by the lights in the charter office being shut off. John brought his travel bag to the airplane stairs and said, "Okay, let me finish while you load our luggage. Make sure the netting is secured over the bags so they don't fly around if we hit turbulence."

I stowed the bags and climbed into the right seat, pulling out the start checklist as John came into the plane, shut the door, got into the left seat, and buckled up. I began reading down the list as John performed each task, firing up each engine, and watching the gauges in preparation to taking off. At four fifty, we were hurtling down the runway, lifting off for the quick trip to San Diego.

"Got something hot, huh?" John asked, after calling in a flight plan and receiving confirmation.

"More shit with illegals and probably with drugs. It seems all of our big problems lately are from illegals. The new problem is they are becoming more daring and confrontational. I hate to think it's coming to a border war."

John said, "We have a full load of fuel with a range of over 2,400 miles. San Diego is right at 2,100 miles so if we don't hit any headwinds, we won't have to refuel. We should make it by just about nine. Go use the onboard communications links and advise someone to pick you up around nine, which would be six their time."

I was able to use the sat phone to contact the Marshal's Service office as I figured some backup would be appropriate. Since it was a government office that had been under attack, the problem was within our jurisdiction.

Back in the cockpit, John and I had some coffee and a sandwich as he subliminally began teaching me right out of the instrument flying handbook. When I told him, "You know, I found this really neat book that was about instrument flying. It is almost exactly word for word what you're saying."

"You already read the manual?"

"I found it out at the base while I was waiting to get my new boot made. It was so interesting I looked for it and found it at Borders. I read it completely through once and have almost finished it again. As a matter of fact, it's in my luggage right now."

"Son of a gun, that's great. Well, Chuck, I might as well begin your lessons. There is more ground school for instrument flying than your original ground school. You can take a crash course, but I don't think you're going to be able to take off for a couple of weeks to do it. You can learn at a regular pace and we'll get your hood time in as often as we can. You might as well begin learning this instrumentation too as this is similar to what the G5 has."

The rest of the flight was all instruction. I should have had a notebook, but the little pad we used for calculations was enough for this flight. Just before we set down, I told John, "Call Wanda at the office and find out where she has a room reserved for you. I'll call your cell later to let you know how this is going."

As soon as we were parked, a ground truck was there to pick me up to take me to the private aircraft terminal to meet a deputy. While we were driving there, I called John Scott in D.C. "I'm here."

John asked, "Where's here?"

"San Diego."

"Fuck you, impossible, it's only nine fifteen. Where are you?"

"Honest, John, I'm in San Diego. The charter got off the ground fast and we didn't have to stop to refuel. It only takes four hours if the weather cooperates."

"I didn't think you would it make until late this afternoon. Good going. Figure out what's going on and make whatever adjustments to personnel you have to. Make sure all the buildings are secured and that they are on heightened security procedures. Call me this afternoon to let me know what's going on."

The deputy that met me was an old timer. He said, "About all they have me do anymore is air marshal stuff and some subpoenas. I've had some bailiff duty, but even the judges are apprehensive if they don't have some young deputies watching out for them."

While I was putting my vest on under my shirt, I asked, "You still use the range to qualify?"

"At least once a week. I like to shoot a couple of times a week for fun so I get plenty of range time in. Do you think you'll need that?" He indicated the vest. "Should I be wearing one?"

I stuck my hand out, "Chuck Johnson and you are Deputy,,,,, ?"

"Deputy Hal Hogan. Guys call me Hulk, but I ain't near big enough or ugly enough to be a Hulk Hogan."

"Okay, Hal, I'll get the Station Chief to assign you to me. I need someone to watch my back and would prefer to have experience over youth, especially experience that can shoot if necessary. About the vest, better to be safe than sorry, wear one."

"Thanks, Chuck, I'll be your shadow. I know the drill and know how to do sidekick. Your back will be safe."

Since the station wasn't really open on Sunday, only a duty guy was there, I got the chief's number and called him. He readily gave me Hal to use, saying to make sure he didn't fall asleep on me. I didn't think that was a very nice thing to say but would pay attention.

Our next stop was the office of Homeland Security. The Station Chief greeted me saying, "Thank you for coming so fast. I can't believe you're here from Florida so damned fast. I only pushed the panic button last night around midnight."

Realizing the time difference I said, "That was three o'clock east coast time. So this is really close to ten in the morning for me not seven in the morning here. You haven't been to bed yet, have you?"

He smiled, shaking his head no. "This is too important to not be alert and prepared. The Bureau Chief is at his station, as well. I called him last night."

"Okay, let's go over exactly what happened last night. Give me the details."

Hal and I got a cup of coffee and sat with the chief, "Last night, about eleven, there was a commotion in front of the building. One of the security people was about to go outside to find out what was going on when some shots were fired. One of our border guys was down and his partner was returning fire. They neutralized one and wounded another. Apparently, about four other men in the group attacking us jumped in some waiting vehicles and took off."

The Station Chief continued, "We were able to question the wounded man who told us they were trying to free some illegals that we caught trying to sneak in while riding in a room built behind some freight in a truck. All of the men we took into custody are cartel people that have been deported before. Two have federal murder warrants, so they are going to be going to a secure facility. The other four are known wheels from the Cuevo cartel. Because these guys are all high security risks, we put them into the federal lockup in the Bureau federal building."

With a better understanding now, I asked, "Do you feel your station is secure now?"

"I had all my men get the word out on the street that the prisoners were in the main lockup at the federal building and not here. We've emptied our facility out, and sent the illegals from the truck to county for safekeeping until they can be taken back to the border. We only haul then down on weekdays, not on weekends. We have four or five busloads a day except for Monday when we usually have at least ten busloads of captives."

"Tell you what, go get some rest and get with me around seven this evening. I'll go check on the Bureau to find out what they've found out from the other prisoners, then I need to get Hal here some rest. If we have a problem at the federal facility, it's going to be at night. I don't think the bad guys are so brazen that they would try something during the day."

We left Homeland Security and Hal said, "Don't be so sure about when these guys will try to get to us. They don't have any restrictions, and they use our hesitancy to defend ourselves as a way to overpower us."

"You won't be hesitant will you, Hal?"

"Not a chance. I was in that heavy stuff with the Mafia back in the late seventies and eighties. Back then we would say we "permanently disabled" an armed bad guy. Now we use the term 'neutralize.'"

The Bureau Chief greeted us warmly and took us on a tour of his and the federal facilities. He had extra men at the front and back, plus men in the hallways fitted out with combat gear. He said, "I have us at a stage one security level right now until we get rid of these guys or we hear street talk that no one else cares about them. We have an official from the Mexican police coming to help identify the people we have in custody. I'm thinking they are important enough that they will be known."

"When is the Mexican rep going to be here?"

"Any minute, he called from the border about twenty minutes ago."

I asked, "What are the procedures when you have foreign policemen come into your facility? Do you know the guy that's coming?"

He looked at me a little funny and said, "We extend them every courtesy we can, and no, I don't know this officer. He said he has a detachment with him."

"If we go there, are we armed, do they let us carry when we're there?"

"Oh, I see what you mean. We can travel armed, but we have to give up our sidearms when we enter their facilities."

"Make sure you do the same today. We don't need anyone armed in the building that we don't know. I wonder why he needs to travel with what you call a detachment? How many men is that?"

"I don't know, I'll call the border guys, they will have a count."

The chief made a call and looked up at me, "He's bringing eight men with him."

"That's too many men. Put four men outside, two on each side of the building in defensive positions. Make sure the inner doors are secure. This puts the security guards at the detectors in a poor defensive position. Go have them put on vests right now before the group gets here."

The chief began moving quickly. Hal and I went out to the lobby where the detectors were. We stood off to the side near a couple of marble looking columns. The chief had two of the heavily armed men in combat gear come to the lobby to stand inside by the doors.

Hal said, "Thanks for telling me to put on my vest. This could get dicey real quick."

I looked at him and asked, "You have a round in the chamber right?"

"A gun's no good unless you're ready to fire it."

I nodded and watched as two SUVs pulled up to the front and nine men got out, leaving the doors open as they approached the front door.

"See that, they left the doors open so they could get back in quickly. The border guys forgot about the two drivers, so the detachment has ten people in it besides this officer."

The nine men entered the lobby and were walking toward the exit doors beside the detectors.

One of the security personnel said in English, "Please, gentlemen, remove all weapons and check them here before entering the detectors. The entry doors are on the other side over here. Once through the detectors, you will be buzzed in by the guard on the other side."

The lead guy kept right on walking so the other security guard gave the same instructions but this time loudly, in Spanish.

The man in front turned to the security guard and said, "I will not be humiliated like this. Open your doors this instant or I will have you fired."

"It's my job, Sir, please remove all weapons and enter through the detectors."

"I demand to see whoever is in charge right this instant. Let me in right now, I demand it."

I walked out from behind the pillar and said, "I am in charge of this facility at this minute. We extend the same courtesies to you as you do us when in your country. Please remove your weapons and enter through the detectors."

I pointed to the two guards at the doors and said, "Please observe our guests to make sure all weapons are removed before entering the detectors. You may shoot them if they do not comply."

I turned to the guy supposedly in charge, "Do you have any identification? I wish to see what agency within your government you are from."

Pulling my Glock and holding it on him, I could see him flinch and some of the men behind him begin to get uneasy. "Please, your identification, now."

The two security guards at the detectors now had their sidearms aimed at the large group.

"Since none of you have any official identification, all of you lay on the floor with your arms out over your head. Someone tell them this in Spanish. Tell them I'm getting nervous."

One of the security guards at the detector rattled off the instructions in Spanish. This made all of them become even more nervous, so I moved closer to the guy acting like the leader and put the muzzle to his head. "Turn around slowly, now back up one step at a time. Keep moving, keep backing up, right there. Hal, shake him down. Shoot him if he does anything funny."

Just as I turned back to the group, I could see one of the men pulling a gun. He was on the outside, screened from the security guards and the two men at the door. Before his gun was brought completely out of his coat, I snapped a shot at him.

Shit, I shot him in the head, so blood went everywhere. Damn, I should have shot him in the leg or something. The roar of the Glock in the marble entryway was so loud the other men there were temporarily in shock. Four more combat dressed men came in the front door to join the two already there with their MP5s at the ready.

I hollered for the security guard to tell them to again get on the floor with their hands over their heads.

Slowly, the seven remaining men began getting onto their knees and lay down, face first, with their arms stretched out over their heads. I motioned for the combat dressed guys, "Cuff these guys and make sure they are completely stripped of weapons. When you have them cuffed, swap them around and have your partner shake him down again to make sure.

Agents began coming out of the exit doors carrying their guns and more handcuffs. I looked outside to see the drivers of the SUVs being cuffed by more of the combat ready men.

The Bureau Station Chief came out and confronted the guy who was supposed to be the leader. "Who are you? Why don't you have any identification? Did you really think we would just let you in without some kind of identification?"

The man Hal had cuffed and shaken down didn't say a word. He stood without talking while his men were all found to not have any identification either. I asked him, "You came in loud and obnoxious, what happened to your boisterous attitude?"

The Bureau Chief asked, "Didn't these guys have to have some kind of identification at the border? Did the Homeland guys let them in on the word of the Mexican side?"

I dialed the number the Homeland Security Station Chief had given me. He answered sleepily, and I told him about the confrontation we just had. He said, "I'll get my Assistant out to the border right away to investigate how the group got through without any identification. You say none of them had anything? Not even the drivers?"

"So far we've found nothing, Chief, find out for me. I need to know and so do you. Let's put off a nap for right now and get some information."

The eight prisoners were stripped, put in coveralls, and put in individual enclosed soundproof cells. These cells were designed so prisoners couldn't talk to each other.

I told the Bureau guys, "You saw how that was handled. If something comes up like that again, do the same thing. Your men outside did great coming in to back up the inside guys. Hal and I are going to the station. We need a nap in the ready room. I recommend that any men who were up all night be given the same opportunity, but remain on alert."

Hal and I drove to the station where the Station Chief was in on this strange Sunday. He was going over duty rosters when I came in. Hal went to the ready room to lie down for a while and I went in to bring the Chief up to date. After telling him about the incident, he handed me an incident report form and said, "Please do it right so it doesn't get kicked back. My clerk has a cow if all the Is aren't dotted and the Ts aren't crossed."

I wrote up the report with the supporting deputies and agencies so the big bosses in D.C. wouldn't question it. I went into the ready room to find it nearly full of men who had been on call all night. I lay down with my wrist watch alarm set for two hours. I should be alert by two.

At two in the afternoon I sat up to see several other men waking. Hal was sitting up and said, "These cots are pretty comfortable when you're really tired, aren't they? That was perfect. I feel refreshed."

We went into the latrine and washed up and checked with the duty man to hear there was nothing new in the prisoner war. The Station Chief was still there, so I asked him if the local law enforcement people had an intelligence division. "They have a good intelligence group and they will share with us when we need it. They've been instrumental with several escapee captures. Our problem here is that we are so close to the border that if an escapee wants to get out of the country, he usually can do it. It's not that hard to get into Mexico. As a matter of fact, it isn't that hard to get into the U.S. either."

"Call over to your contacts in the intelligence group and see if they have anything on this bullshit that's going on. I think I would like some men to roam the streets around here to make sure there aren't any strange cars with men in them lurking around the corners."

"Good idea, Chuck, I'll get a couple of men in civilian chase vehicles to make a continuous tour. That will give us some advance warning anyway."

Hal and I went across the street to "Mom's" diner for a very decent meal at a decent price for California. Back at the station the Chief said, "The city guys have heard that some Cuevo guys are soliciting gangbangers for a job that's supposed to be dangerous. Intelligence has the number of takers up near a hundred. Do you think they would really try a frontal assault on the Bureau and federal building?"

"Who knows, you better call over there to make sure they're prepared," I said to the Station Chief. "You should get your men outfitted and ready as well. I'm going to do some recruiting of my own."

I called my D.C. boss, John, on his cell. After I gave him a synopsis of everything that had happened and what we knew, I asked him for the favor I had in mind. "John, do you know who's in charge out at Camp Pendleton now? Since they have the Mountain Warfare Training Center out there, I thought we might be able to garner a group of trained scouts to help out here. We could use this as an opportunity for an urban warfare training mission. Apparently the prisoners we have are too important to leave in jail and a major taskforce is being put together to spring them. I think if I had an extra hundred troops, I could not only repel any attempt to take the building, but we could capture all of the crazies who are attempting it. Done right, we shouldn't have to fire a shot."