Chapter 53
First responders swarmed. EMTs and paramedics triaged Catalina. They got her stabilized, then transferred her to a gurney and wheeled her out of the warehouse. She was stuffed into the back of an ambulance and taken to the Pineapple Bay Hospital.
The local medical examiner arrived.
Hordes of media gathered in the parking lot outside the warehouse.
The PBPD arrived, along with their Internal Affairs Division. There was quite a bit of tension between departments.
Sheriff Daniels drove up from Coconut Key. It took him about a half hour driving full out.
Of course, the Pineapple Bay Police Department tried to spin this as Diego Navarro shooting innocent cops. But I wasn't about to let anybody paint these guys as innocent cops. That didn't make me popular among the PBPD. I didn't keep my mouth shut when it came time to talk to the press.
At the county substation, I filled out an after-action report and surrendered my duty weapon to the sheriff. I was put on administrative leave once again. This time, I figured I'd take a few days for myself to regroup.
I got the sheriff to give me a ride back to where I left my sportbike. Before I climbed out of his patrol car, he said, "You alright?”
"I'm good."
"I mean, are you alright?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah. I will be."
"You want to ride with me back to Coconut Key?”
"No. I'll take the bike. I don't feel like coming back up here to get it, and I need to make a stop before I go."
"She got under your skin, didn't she?”
"A little bit.”
"It happens.”
I chuckled. "Yeah, it does."
I told him I'd catch up with him in Coconut Key, then I climbed out of the squad car and straddled the bike. I headed to the Pineapple Bay Hospital to check on Catalina.
I pushed into the emergency room and flashed my badge to the receptionist at the front desk. "I need to know the status of Catalina Navarro."
She hesitated for a moment, tapped the keys, and surveyed the screen. Her face tightened. "Can you hang on for just a moment?"
She pushed away from the desk, stood up, and disappeared into the back. I waited a few minutes.
A doctor approached with a grim look on his face. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. "I'm sorry, but Catalina Navarro is deceased.”
It hit like a punch to the gut. That heavy sensation tugged my heart. "Can you give me specifics?”
The doctor hesitated for a moment, glanced around, then said in a hushed tone, "The bullet ruptured her spleen. We couldn’t stop the bleeding."
I gave a grim nod and thanked him for the information.
I left the emergency room and stepped outside. The moon still glowed overhead. My throat grew tight, and my eyes burned. I had grown quite fond of Catalina, and in the end, she had saved my life. I hoped she was in a better place. But I wasn't sure.
It was late, and I was tired and sad. But I made the drive back to Coconut Key. There was hardly anyone on the road. I ignored posted speed limits.
By the time I got back to the Avventura, the sun was cresting the horizon.
Buddy greeted me at the salon door, and he knew exactly what I needed. The little Jack Russell gave me a lot of attention. I hugged him tight. I grabbed his leash and took him out for a walk.
Special Agents Jennings and Beckett greeted me in the parking lot.
I stifled a groan.
“Looks like Diego Navarro and his organization are no more.”
“Looks that way,” I replied.
“Nice work.”
I shrugged. “I didn’t kill him.”
“I heard about Catalina,” Jennings said. “I’m sorry.”
I think he meant it. “Live by the sword, die by the sword, right?”
It was easier to frame it that way.
He responded with a grim frown. “See you around, Deputy.”
They walked back to their SUV and climbed in.
I let Buddy do his business, then returned to the boat and settled in.
The ship was quiet. Jack was still on his adventure with Cinnamon and Ginger. I was sure they were doing a good job of making him forget about the outside world.
My phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. I hesitated for a moment, then swiped the screen. “This is Deputy Wild.”
“Tyson, it’s Eric Stahl. Long time.”
“Indeed. I’d ask how you are, but I already know. Seems you’re in a bit of a spot.”
"That's one way of putting it. News travels fast.”
"It sure does. What can I do for you?”
"Are you still working as a deputy in Coconut County?”
"Chasing bad guys.”
“No more CIA? No black ops?”
“Circumstances have changed.”
"Zach said you still have intel resources."
"What do you need?”
He told me the full story and gave me a description of the assailant’s vehicle.
"You’re chasing the wrong thing," I said. "The white SUV is a dead end. It's probably stolen. If the cops find it, and the kidnappers are smart, they’ll have torched it. No trace DNA. From what you describe, these guys sound like pros.”
"So what do I do? I'm not a cop. I've watched a lot of cop shows, but I've never investigated a kidnapping."
"Leave it to the authorities.”
"They're not exactly on my side. They’re fixated on me, and they're not looking for anybody else. If this girl turns up dead somewhere, they’re gonna come looking for me. They’ve got enough circumstantial evidence to make my life miserable.”
“Have the kidnappers made any ransom demands? Have they given proof of life?”
“I’m out of the loop,” Eric said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but as far as I know, there hasn’t been a peep from the kidnappers.”
I exhaled and said, “Look, I need you to be straight with me. Did you have any involvement?”
“No. I swear.”
“If I help you, and it comes back to bite me...”
“It won’t.”
“Do you have the missing girl’s cellphone number?”
“No.”
“What about her old man’s?”
“No.”
“Tell me her name, and I’ll figure it out. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and stay out of trouble.”
“I’m trying, brother. I’m trying.”
I took the next few days to rest, recover, and clear my head. I looked into Eric’s dilemma and provided some intel.
Jack returned from his adventure, and we traded stories. His stories were better than mine.
The IT guys recovered the data from Stephanie’s laptop. Someone leaked it to the press, and Paris broke the story. The FDA launched a full investigation.
It was a few days later when the sheriff called. "Are you two nitwits feeling ready for duty?"
"Always," I said.
"Good. You’re not gonna believe what happened now.”