Chapter Two
Back at the station Castillo, Rico, and Sonny are in the meeting room talking.
Sonny says "We found out who Shaw's boss is, the bigger man. It's Ross Barton. But we're trying to figure out who he is because he sounds so familiar."
"He should because he was part of a case that Gina and Trudy were working on. They put him in jail for a prostitution ring, but he was released when all the evidence disappeared. He was charged, but never convicted," says Castillo.
"So what now Marty?" asks Sonny.
"I vote we get to Ross Barton and then go through him to get to the buyer. It might work, but if it doesn't then we can still get Ross Barton. We can then charge, convict, and sentence him for drug running," says Rico.
"I'm with him. It may work," says Sonny.
"Try it and keep me posted," orders Castillo.
Rico gets up and leaves the room. Sonny get up to follow him out and is stopped by Castillo.
"Sonny, please be careful. I don't feel too good about this."
"I will Marty and I don't either. Hopefully we're wrong, but I doubt it."
Sonny goes to sit down at his desk when Rico walks up with a question in his head.
"What now?"
"Now we go to Fiddle Street Pier. See if we can speak to Mr. Ross Barton."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the Fiddle Street Pier is a large yacht named the Saint's Widow. A man in a black suit is stepping aboard to speak with the owner. He is carrying two black briefcases. He walks into the lounge area and sees the owner.
He says "I have some news for you."
The owner says "What?"
"Your small time man is dead. He was shot earlier this morning by an unknown assailant. I did recover your briefcase of cocaine," says the man with the briefcases.
He hands the briefcase with the drugs to the owner. The owner takes the briefcase and opens it.
"Are all fourteen bags here?" he asks.
"Yes," replies the man.
"Good, if I need further assistance from you I know where to find you."
The man picks up the other briefcase he brought and walks out onto the pier. As he is speeding away a black convertible pulls up to the same pier. Two men get out and walk toward the Saint's Widow. One of the men asks the man at the door if he could speak to the owner of the boat. And that it is about some business. The watchman goes inside and the two men outside could hear some whispering. The watchman comes back and shows them to the lounge area where the owner is.
Sonny says "You must be the owner, Mr. Ross Barton?"
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"We heard that you were out one drug runner and thought you could use some help," says Rico.
"Yes I am. But why would I need two of you when one can do the job?" Barton replies.
"Because the last guy was killed for doing it alone. If you had two, one could do the business and the other could be the backup and lookout," says Rico.
"Wow! You guys are right. When can you two start and I presume that you two are working together?" says Barton with a slight hint of sarcasm.
"Right now and yes we will," answers Rico.
"You may go now and I will notify you when you will be needed," Barton says.
Sonny reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a card. "You can call us at that number whenever you need us or you can send someone to my boat, the Saint Vida's Dance," informs Sonny.
"By the way, what are your names?" asks Barton.
"My name is Rico Cooper and my partner's name is Sonny Burnett. And if you ever want information on us just look up anybody, they'll tell you we're worth it!" Rico says as they start walking out the door to the car.
Once in the car they just sit there staring at each other. Sonny says "He seemed a lot more calmer about us than I would have thought. Almost like he knows something. Something only one other person would know."
"You know I have that same feeling too. Like something bad is going to happen or something is going to go wrong. So where to now?" replies Rico.
"Back to the boat. To wait and see if he calls sometime soon," says Sonny. He starts the car and goes speeding off as the sun begins to fall lower in the sky.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at Sonny's boat, Sonny and Rico begin pacing on the deck with the both of them thinking. Rico thinking about how they were going to pull this off and Sonny thinking about Castillo's and his concern. He thinks they may have just gotten them into bigger trouble then they deserve. That they may have just signed their own death warrants.
"I don't feel too right about this," states Sonny.
"Oh come on man! It's just the jitters that you and I get all the time in jobs like this. You're just a little excited. You'll be fine…we both will!" replies Rico.
"I'm not so sure this time. And you know it can't be just me if Castillo is feeling the same thing. I just feel like something is going to happen to one of us. Something terrible."
"Hey man nothing is going to happen and I promise you that, okay?" asks Rico.
"Okay and I promise you that if anything does, to you or to me, I'm going to get you!" answers Sonny. They both start laughing as a car pulls up next to Sonny's.
Out steps Gina and Trudy, coming to check in with Rico and Sonny. They board the Saint Vida's Dance to hear Rico and Sonny laughing.
"What's so funny?" asks Gina.
"Nothing, Sonny's just threatening me again!" says Rico gasping for air from laughing so hard.
"Sonny Crockett, threatening people! I just don't believe it!" says Gina.
Everybody starts laughing again and then Gina and Sonny stop. They just stand there, staring at each other. Into each other's eyes with a look of mixed feelings. They both start to smile. All of a sudden Sonny starts to make this weary look on his face. Gina notices and starts to head over to Sonny.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Let's go below and talk," he says.
They head below while Rico and Trudy begin their own conversation. Once below deck Gina asks again "What's wrong? Is it something I did or said?"
"No, it's not anything you did. I just don't feel too good about this operation. And it's not just me either, Castillo feels it too. I just think something is going to happen. Something like one of us may not come out of it," says Sonny.
"Don't talk like that. All of us will make it through this, no matter what. Have you told Rico about this yet?" she asks.
"Yes, that's what we were laughing at when you and Trudy showed up. It's not really that I'm afraid that this deal isn't going to go down right, it's that I may lose something else," says Sonny as he gives Gina a guilty smile.
She smiles back and takes his hand in hers as a gesture of comfort. By now they were sitting so close that one wrong move could result in a collision, but they manage to turn their heads toward each other. As they lean towards each other they stop to hear a scream coming from the deck.
Sonny runs up to the deck to see Trudy laughing and Rico crouching in a corner with Elvis, Sonny's pet alligator, in his way. Sonny starts to laugh as he says "What did you this time?"
"I didn't do a thing. Your 'lap dog' decided to try and take a bite out of me. Did you forget to feed him or something?" asks Rico.
"No, I didn't forget to feed him. But I did tell you to stay away from him or else you could end up his dinner!" answers Sonny.
Everyone starts to laugh as Gina and Sonny look onto each other's faces with the thought of what might have happened below deck. For the time being they won't know, but can only hope for later.
"Okay, back to where we were before Elvis wanted a snack. Do you two have anything for us?" asks Sonny.
Trudy starts to pull something out of her purse as she says "This is the number and address of Ross Barton's girlfriend. We accidentally met her in the restroom at a very exclusive lounge. We asked her if she knew who he was and that's when she told us that she was with him. We told her that we wanted to but some coke from him and she gave us her number. She told us to call her when we had $15,000 ready for the payment and that she would tell Barton that he had some new buyers."
"We think that it's a good shot to get you selling for and then us buying from the same guy. Figuring that he can't put two and two together," says Gina.
"I say we let them. It would be helpful to have them help just in case we get into trouble," Rico states.
"Yeah, I agree with you. But we should ask Castillo because he'll want to know first," adds Sonny.
"So when are we going to ask him?" asks Rico.
"Right now," says Sonny.
"But we can't leave the boat until we get contact from Barton."
"Duh! That's why I'm going to call Castillo," adds Sonny. He goes below deck and picks up the phone.
Back outside he dials Castillo's number at work. Castillo picks up the phone. "Castillo speaking."
"Hey, it's Sonny. Gina and Trudy have just come up with an interesting question. They found Barton's girlfriend and offered her a payment. Gina and Trudy think they can help in infiltrating his business. Rico and I think it's a good idea, just in case we get into trouble we will still have another group on the inside. What do you say?" asks Sonny.
"Do it and keep me posted. Any word from Barton?" asks Castillo.
"No, but we're waiting for his call. I'm thinking that something may come up tonight."
"Tell me when something does. Have Trudy and Gina gotten the money for the drugs yet?" asks Castillo.
"Yeah, they said they called the office and that they can pick it up whenever they're ready," answers Sonny.
"Okay, thanks for letting me know. And Sonny…"
"Yeah?"
"…make sure that everyone is careful, please."
"I will Marty. And I'll let you know if anything happens. Bye."
"Bye."
Sonny hangs up the phone and tells everyone that they can go ahead with their plan, but to make sure to be careful.
With that everyone got off the boat to walk the girls back to their car. Sonny lightly grabs Gina by the arm to slow her down. Mainly to keep them out of earshot from Trudy and Rico. As they are still walking Sonny asks Gina "Would you like to go to dinner tonight if nothing comes up? Or if something does, after all this is over?"
"I would love to," she answers.
Just then both their faces lit up, full of joy. Maybe then they can finish what could have happened in the cabin.
"I'll call you and let you know if anything does or doesn't happen," says Sonny.
Gina adds "That will be fine. I'll either be back at the station or at home. Just try both numbers."
Just then they look up to see Trudy and Rico staring at both of them. Sonny and Gina try to hide their guilty look. As Sonny helps Gina into the car he lightly touches Gina's hand. A touch that sent chills up Gina's spine. "See you later!" he adds as he shuts her door.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you have a nice conversation with Gina or what?" Rico asks.
"None of you damn business!" answers Sonny as he gives Rico a guilty humor look.
Right then Rico knew what he was talking about to Gina and didn't speak of it anymore. Mainly because he knew Sonny's temper in matter like this. Rico thought it was a long time coming and thought it would be good for Sonny to find someone who knew what the job was really like. He knew that Sonny's first marriage was torn apart because of the job. And Rico had had his own problems with relationships because of being a cop. He did have a girlfriend up in the Bronx, but that ended before he came to Miami. So he's glad that at least one of them can have a life besides being a Miami Vice detective. And he's glad that it's those two.
When he comes back to focus on where he's at he sees Sonny staring at him with this goofy look on his face. "What?" asks Rico.
"Nothing, just got really quiet all of a sudden. Are you okay?" asks Sonny.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."
"What?" asks Sonny.
"You!" he answers.
"Oh really. Anything good?" he jokes.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to say anything until I'm absolutely sure. And I don't think that it will take that long," adds Rico.
"What do you mean 'I don't think it will take that long'?" asks Sonny.
"Nothing, trust me. It's nothing bad."
Sonny believed him. He knows Rico would never lie to him unless he had a really good reason. And sonny knows that because they have been partners for the past two years and have come to know each other fairly well. Not to mention depend on each other for support whenever either one of them needed it. Which didn't happen often. Thinking about it now makes Sonny laugh on the inside because when they first met, Rico lied to him and said that he was his brother. But he knows now that the only reason he did lie was to get his brother's and Sonny's partner's killer.
Sonny has a pretty good idea what Rico was talking about, but he just can't tell. He thinks that it is about him and Gina and about later that night. He doesn't really care if Rico finds out because he won't say anything.
Sonny trusts Rico with everything and his life. And Rico feels the same.
"Hey, Sonny, are you at home or taking a vacation?" asks Rico jokingly.
"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" Sonny asks.
"I'm going to go home, take a shower, and get something to eat. Okay? I'll be back in about three or four hours. Is that fine?" asks Rico.
"Yeah you can go home. I'll call you if I need you. See ya later man," answers Sonny.
"Yeah. See ya later."
As Rico is leaving Sonny starts to think about the wrong possibilities again. He knows he shouldn't but he can't help it. It's like he knows something is going to happen. Like someone getting hurt. He's afraid that it's going to be one of the ones on the inside. He's hoping that his assumption is wrong and that all this will be over soon. So he can put his mind at rest, not permanently he hopes. He hopes he's wrong that no one has to get hurt. But it all comes with the job and he knows it. They all do.