Chapter 20
I could barely hear him. I figured there was a good reason he was keeping his voice so low. I gave him a quick rundown on the errand that Panko had assigned me to.
“So what do you plan to do?”
“When he calls, Glen and I will be ready. There are two possibilities. You and your troops are waiting when they show up. You bust them while they are making the delivery or . . . I guess we could take the stuff to Baltimore and the bust can happen when they offload.”
“There are problems with the first one. I told you we have some bent cops. I don’t necessarily know who all of them are. There could be a leak, then the whole plan explodes in our faces and you and Glen are likely in serious danger. If you take the payload to Baltimore, you are crossing state lines. They’ve violated a host of federal laws and now the DEA is involved. I won’t say that the Feds are more reliable, but they have resources that I don’t. Snitches, manpower . . . just plain bigger guns. The chances of getting suppliers and the honchos in charge are much greater. Let me give you a name and a number. I know this guy. You can trust him. Give me twenty minutes.”
888-472 -6005. I walked the streets and pretended to window shop. Then I dialed.
“Dr. Fleming, agent Joseph Bellini, D.E.A. I spoke with Detective O’Mara. Seems as though you have gotten yourself in a volatile situation.”
“Yeah, I have . . . but I’m ready to get out before someone gets hurt. You can help me?”
“As a matter of fact, I can. We’ve had several unsavory individuals in your area on our radar for quite some time. It would be a pleasure to see them in prison orange. Buy a disposable cell phone and put my number on speed dial. I can and will answer at any time of the day or night. We’re going to call this Fells Point Takedown. When you call, identify yourself with that phrase and you will be put through to me immediately. Thank you for calling, but you must pardon me. I have some homework to do.”
I figured he’d check me out, have everything on Dr. T.K. Fleming except my underwear size . . . within the hour. Thirty-four, and I wear the tightie-whities, in case you’re interested. So, as Sherlock Holmes used to say, “The game is afoot.”
I stopped by the 7 Eleven and bought the phone. It had one hundred minutes. That would do it unless I ended up dead, then I wouldn’t need them anyway.
I checked in with Sunny and Glen. They were both catching up with business and academics. I didn’t tell Sunny everything. I didn’t want her to worry. I told Glen to be ready.
The call came earlier than I’d expected. Panko.
“Tomorrow night around midnight. You get the office supplies, you leave first thing in the morning, be on your way to Baltimore. On another note, Dr. Fleming . . . please do not be alarmed or offended, but we have a guest. She is blond, shapely and quite the scholar. She will be with us until the delivery is assured. Do not concern yourself. She is quite comfortable and ensconced safely away from prying eyes. She will be released unharmed when we are certain your mission has been completed without incident. Call it what you like, but it is merely a bit of insurance, my friend. Bon voyage.”
“My friend . . .” the vicious words stung in my ear.
The sonovabitch. They had Sunny. I called her cell . . . a recorded response. I left a message, but I didn’t expect a call back anytime soon. I’m supposed to be a professor . . . well-schooled, always sifting the facts, cool and calculating, but I was frantic. So what the hell did I do now?
I poured a shot of Jameson. I thought the burn in my gut might help. Would they hurt her? I didn’t think so as long as they believed I was following instructions. While I was an asset, albeit a small one, Panko would let me ride, get me in so deep I couldn’t escape, then dispose of me when it suited his convenience. But I had set up a sting. If they found out, Sunny could end up dead . . . or worse.
I felt I could count on Glen . . . and we had to find her. That much was clear, but the rest was a hellish miasma of options . . . all risky and some downright deadly. How I would deal with it if another man was hurt, or even killed, because of a decision I had made when I was barely rational? If I was confused, I could always count on Sunny to bring biting analysis and cold conclusions to the table. Now I had to do it myself or I could be without her permanently. But my brain was whirling at breakneck speed. I had to slow down . . . be logical . . . not let my fear and the flood of emotions render me helpless . . . or worse yet, just plain stupid.
Maybe I was a fool for thinking Glen and I could find her? We were as likely to screw up as to complete a rescue, especially without any information or any reasonable facsimile of a plan. It certainly made more sense to let the pros handle it. They had big guns and cool heads. But that was what scared me. What was their stake in Sunny’s safety? I figured they would operate as efficiently as possible . . . and they certainly had resources I didn’t. But what if they failed? What if I was responsible for her death and I had done nothing? I tried to imagine her state of mind, the fear, the longing. She was waiting for something . . . the cavalry, her knight in shining armor . . . and it was me.