Brandywine Bay

Brandywine Bay

Dan Weatherington

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011

A Personal Message from the author:

I love to write books and I love to hear from my readers. If you enjoy this book or any of my other books, it would mean so much to me if you would click on http://www.danweatherington.com and send me a short email, introduce yourself and say hello. I will always respond to you and value your thoughts. I hope you enjoy the book.

Other books by Dan Weatherington:

BRANDYWINE BAY

BLEMISHED HARVEST

THE SEVENTH GIFT OF GOD

RECOGNIZING PRINCE HALL

WILLIE – THE STORY OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD

THE THRILL SEEKERS

THE THRILL SEEKERS II – MATTOX IS MISSING

KILLING MARTIN LUTHER

THE PRIEST AND THE PARSON

LOAN MAN

KILLING OSAMA BIN LADEN

THE VAMPIRE VASQUEZ

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Brandywine Bay

Prologue

A telephone rings in Washington, DC.

"Hello,"

"The FBI is snooping around."

"Don’t worry. They won’t find anything."

"For what I’m paying you, make sure they don’t."

"I’ll take care of it."

"See that you do."

Chapter 1 - The Raid

250 Miles North of Bogota Columbia

No one had spoken since they left the Rameros lab over twenty minutes before. Finally, unable to control himself, Agent Arlan Matthews shouts over the roar of the chopper, Damnit Major, why didn’t you blow it? Major David Logan, who is hunkered down in a seat closes his eyes and says nothing.

Matthews shouts again, You left a operational lab right there in the middle of the jungle. We always blow ‘em. It don’t matter if it’s a good bust or not. We always blow ‘em. Logan does not respond.

We always blow the labs, says Matthews to one of the other agents. Damn stupid to me just leavin’ a free lab to anyone who wants it. Logan glances at Matthews, but says nothing..

Eyes dart around the chopper. No one speaks.

A few minutes later Logan sits up in his seat and looks at his watch. Go back, he commands.

Do what, Major? replies the pilot.

Go back to the lab. Top speed. Stay as close to the trees as you can, it’ll muffle the noise. Radio the other chopper. Move it!

But Major. . .

Move it!

The pilot looks at Matthews like the Major had lost his mind. Yes Sir, whatever you say.

Every detail of the raid had been planned to perfection. Nothing had been left to chance. Every agent was hand selected by Major Logan himself. Every informant was interviewed and interviewed again. The raid was timed down to the second. Yet, at what was supposed to be the perfect time all they found was some high priced equipment and litter. Not a human was in sight. Where there should have been dozens of workers, there was no one. Weeks of planning had failed.

The choppers skim over the jungle canopy at top speed. Thirty minutes later they can see the clearing. Men are unloading trucks into a concrete block building. A man runs out, looks up, and runs back inside. The helicopters touch down and agents jump out with weapons drawn.

A man runs from the building firing. An agent falls. Several agents fire back. Two more men rush out of the building firing weapons. One falls. The other throws down his weapon and raises his hands.

The agents rush into the building shouting. Bricks of cocaine cover the tables. White powder drifts in the air. A dozen terrified workers wearing surgical masks push their hands into the air. The agents shout En la pared... En la pared... Against the wall.

In a matter of seconds it is over.

Matthews walks in holding a gun on three men. Found these outside.

The prisoners form a line. Some are crying. Logan points at a prisoner. Cuff him and him and put ‘em on a chopper. Get the rest of ‘em to load this smack then line ‘em up against the outside wall.

The prisoners stack the last bricks of cocaine onto a chopper and join the others facing a wall. Logan grabs one of the automatic weapons and cocks it. The loud metallic sound terrifies some of the prisoners. A couple began to cry. Others start begging.

Logan shouts Salga de aquí. Salga de aquí. Go. Go. then fires the gun into the air. The prisoners scatter.

Logan glances at Matthews. Stupid, huh?

Matthews gives an embarrassed smile as one of the prisoners runs back and grovels on the ground in front of Logan. Bendígale. Gracias. Blezz You.

Logan motions for the prisoner to get going then looks at Matthews. NOW... blow it.

Matthews gives a broad smile and shouts Yes Sir!

The choppers lift off. From the air they watch the entire lab complex blow sky high.

Matthews looks at Logan. How’d you know, Major?

What? They’d be back? They left this morning just before we got there. They were watching us the whole time. You saw all those tire tracks? Little bits of dirt was still falling off the tops of the ridges. They hadn’t been gone a half hour, an hour tops. When I was a kid my best friend was a Tuscarora Indian. He taught me how to read tracks.

Matthews gives a confused look. Logan looks at him out of the corner of his eye and smiles.

That afternoon Logan reports to District Supervisor Johnson. It was a good raid... says Johnson. Hell, it was excellent. Only problem is I got one agent shot and you let a dozen of ‘em go. Was that wise?

I could see there was three in charge. You got one in a body bag and two more in the cage. Sounds right to me.

Logan, we need to make an example to those workers.

Yea, that’s really working, Chief. You got what... two... three hundred examples in jail right now. It’s really making a difference.

Agency guidelines...

... and what do guidelines say about when they get out? Interrupted Logan. You think they go back up in those mountains and fill out employment applications? Where? All they want to do is feed their families and be left alone. To them, coke’s just another cash crop.

They gotta' know the crap kills people?

They got coca, we got tobacco. We’re still growing it, they’re still growing it. They both kill, what's the difference?

I know what you’re saying, Major, but that secret Rameros...

Secret? Secret to who, Sir? In those hills, the Rameros lab was better known than K-Mart is in Indianapolis. The people worked at it, they got their money from it. Hell Sir, every morning they send busses around picking up people to work there. To them, it’s just another day at the shop. Like this morning, the largest lab we know of blew sky high. But I’ll guarantee you the busses’ll go out tomorrow morning picking up people to work in some other lab. We didn’t accomplish a damn thing.

Okay, Logan. It was a good bust, but let’s forget about that for a minute. You got something else. I been stalling it until this Rameros thing played out. You ready to get out of this cesspool for a while?

What? You got another cesspool needs me?

I don’t, but you got a deputy director wants you to lead up an investigation.

Investigation? questioned Logan.

Yea, something’s going on where you grew up. North Carolina. Brandywine Bay or someplace.

Sorry, Chief, I am from North Carolina but I never heard of Brandywine Bay. Your deputy’s got the wrong boy.

Ain’t my deputy. You’re supposed to have grown up there. It’s supposed to be your hometown. All I know is somebody’s pulling his chain, hard. Johnson hands Logan a piece of paper. Deputy’s name is Reynolds. He’s in D.C. Discuss it with him.

Later, Logan calls Reynolds. All I can tell you, Major Logan, is a man named Jackie Raintree talked to me and says there’s something going on. He sounds convincing. Said Brandywine Bay. Said he knows you. I think you need to look into it.

Sir, with all respect. I know a Jackie Raintree. He was my best friend when I was young, but I never heard of Brandywine Bay. I grew up in a backwater swamp called Whiskey Creek. I don’t see where I can help.

I don’t know either, Logan, but get hold of this Raintree fella and find out what he’s talking about.

Logan didn’t know what was going on but he knew when a deputy director makes a request it’s really an order. Logan looked toward a Secretary. What time is it right now on the east coast?

They’re two hours behind us, she looked at her watch. About 7:30.

Good. He picked up the phone and called on a secure line to Washington D.C. There he requested transfer to Directory Assistance for Whisky Creek, North Carolina.

I’m sorry, Sir said the Operator. I cannot find any listings for a Whisky Creek.

There’s got to be a Whiskey Creek, lady. I grew up there. I should know. Are you sure you’re checking in North Carolina?

I’m certain, Sir. Just a second, there is another place I can check. Yes sir, I found it. All the listings in Whiskey Creek have been changed to Brandywine Bay would you like to make note of that for future reference?

Logan was totally confused. What listing would you be needing in Brandywine Bay, sir?

I guess a listing for a Jackie Raintree.

Yes sir, that number is Area Code 910-555-8440.

Thank you, Operator.

Brandywine Bay? What in the hell is a Brandywine Bay? He thought. He dialed the number he had been given.

Hello.

Jackie, David Logan. How’ya doing? I heard you. . .

David, I’m glad you called. I’ve got some terrible news. You know my father died don’t you? Yea, Mama’s a widow now.

What are you talking about Redskin? Your mama....

Yea, Dad died and left mama a widow. It sure would be nice to see you again, but I guess you’re spending all your time at the shoe shop.

Shoe shop...?

And David, Judy would want me to say hello. She’s back here now. Thought you’d like to know. Without taking a breath Jackie rushed out the words, It’s been nice talking to you David. I hate to be rude, but I’ve really got to get to work. I hope to see you real soon. The line went dead.

It’s been almost fifteen years since I saw that damn Indian. What’s up with him? I know for a fact his mama died long before we finished school. I went to the funeral. And what is a Brandywine Bay? And what was this stuff about a shoe store? He obviously knows I work for the government. How? Above all, why did he have mention Judy?

David really didn’t want to think about Judy. Knowing that Jackie was no more than a mile or two away from her while they were talking rushed back memories he didn’t want to rekindle. He loved the girl, he had always loved her. He loved her touch. He even loved the way she smelled. He still loved everything about her. Why did Jackie have to bring it up? Jackie had said, she was back. Was he in trouble? Was Judy? What did it mean? Was David reading too much into it? Jackie supposedly had a problem. Just knowing that he was on the phone talking to someone who was so close to Judy made more and more memories resurface, especially the memory of how he had walked away from someone who was the dream of any man’s life.

Logan had been an agent long enough to know that if there was trouble, the worst thing he could do was to rush in without a plan. Plan? He didn’t even know what was the problem. Yet, he did sense there was a problem.

Logan needed to see Jackie, would it be better to do it in Whiskey Creek... or worse?

Johnson stood next to Logan’s desk. Problems?

When I was a kid only two people would give me the time of day. Jackie Raintree was one of them. It’s been a long time, but I guess I owe him.

And the other one?

The other one?

You said there were two.

Yea, the other was a girl. God, I loved her. Still do. Is Reynolds okay? I don’t know him, asked Logan.

Oh, he’s better than just okay. He and my father were in the FBI together. Dad thought the world of him.

FBI ?

Oh yea, he was one of Hoover’s chosen boys.

You mean J. Edgar?

None other. He was on his way right to the top.

What happened?