5 Chapter 5

Luis called the department and told them everything the captain had told him. He also told them that Mr Betsey  was Elliott's next target as they were on their way to the River's mansion.

   He introduced himself, and was taken into the mansion by the body guards. He had hired professional hitmen for safety since the killing started. He didn't rely much on the FBI for protection.

"Mr Rivers, FBI " Luis showed his card.

"I had been expecting you detective Luis; come on in" He smiled. They sat, as his wife served drinks.

"We are here for your safety, your life is in danger. "

"Safety? "He laughed. "Look around detective, I've got professional hitmen to protect me. "

"They know you have some solid evidence against them, and only you could help us track them down. " Scullard added.

"What do you like to know? " Mr Rivers asked.

Luis sat upright  "Tell us about ship 2257."

" Ship 2257, is one if the ships for importation of drugs and vaccines. "

"Why did you stoped the ships from sailing? "

"I believe smugglers and drug dealers are using those ships to smuggle drugs and contra band. Alexander had a clean evidence, but dropped the case. That I don't know why. "

"Where is ship 2257 now? " Luis asked.

"Probably at the bottom  of the Caribbean sea. Mr Alexander distroyed every evidence, after the death of his wife. "

"I heard ship 2257 was bought "

"Yeah"

"By whom? "

"I don't know, Mr Alexander never told any of us. " He shook his head. "Wait a minute, how did you guys know? "

"We were coming form the port. The captain of ship 2256 explained everything to us. "

"They aren't to be trusted. "

"Why? "

"They might be working for the drug dealers, or know something about that sanked ship. Once I get solid evidence, I'd deal with those traitors!. "

"Do you suspect anyone? " Luis said.

"Yeah. The captain of ship 2257, It's beyond the shadow of doubt, that he could be the only survivor over all the employees, medical staffs, and crew. He told us he was the only survivor, and all the goods, underneath the sea. I was mystefied. Silly right? " He looked at Luis, he nodded in agreement. " The next day, we found him dead in his house. I don't trust anyone, even the FBI, just because I know you very well I'm telling you this. "

"Thanks a lot sir, you've been of great help. " He stood up.

   "Scullard, come with me" They left the seating room.

"What now? " Scullard asked.

"We have to find out what's on that ship, we might find something, maybe samples to catch the drug dealers, probably strong evidence for the court. "

"You are right, but how are we gonna get below the Caribbean sea?"

"We'd ask the navy for help, we need some frog men, and nare officers. The nare officers would tell us about the drugs. "

"That's a great idea." They came back, into the seating room.

  "Sir, you have to come with us to somewhere safe, no one knows when the killers would strike. " Luis said.

"I'm safe here, no one can break In, without passing through my guards. Face your work, I'd be fine. "

"Sir, with all due respect, these are professional killers who deprive joy from killing. Don't put your life, and that of your wife's in jeopardy. We have to keep you safe, maybe fly you out of the country for time being.

   "What you are trying to imply is the FBI can't stop Elliott and his men?. A trained detective, is telling me to leave my country because of some destitute, jobless killers!?" 

     Luis was silent, he seems pretty ashamed for telling Mr Rivers to flee the country. Mr Rivers was right, he sounded like he was sacred of Elliott and his men. He taught.

"Honey, I think he's right ;" Mrs Rivers said, holding his left arm. She had been listening to their conversation form inside. "Let's move to Chicago, and stay with the children."

    They had two children, one a doctor at Chicago, and the other girl, still in her university education.

"No, Mr Rivers, you stay here, we need you. I'd arrange a flight ticket for your wife to Chicago" Luis raised serious objection to his proposal " Mr Rivers smiled, and nodded in agreement. He moved towards his wife, he held her by the hand

"You have to go  with some cops, to Chicago, please, for my sake. I can't afford to loose you. "

"You are sounding like you are gonna die, if you are staying, I'm staying too".

"It's not safe here, the guards and FBI are here to protect me, I'd be fine. They could use you to get to me, and I wouldn't want that. "

"Okay, " She said in a sobber tune. "Detective, take care of my husband ".

Luis nodded "I'd protect him with my life". He promised. He hooked his thumb on his trousers, as he watched the couple.

"Luis, she'd move to Chicago first thing tomorrow morning. "

"Sir, I promise I'd ensure maximum security for you and your wife. Before I leave, I'd assign professional police officers here for protection." Mr Rivers nodded. 

   "We must take our leave now." They shook hands, and was excorted out of the mansion.

"That man is really stubborn" Scullard said, as he starts the car.

"No, he was right. We shouldn't advice him to run away from the country, it sounds like we're  scared of Elliott and his men.

"You are right, " John said " I wanted to tell you, but I have no say I your decision.

Luis was quite. He looked outside the window, it was really cold, about to snow. He saw two men, they were on black anorak, and black gloves.

   He looked closely, he saw another one on a look out.

"Pull over! " He ordered. Came down from the car, and pointed at the three men.

"See those men?, they look dangerous. What are they doing around River's neighborhood? " He said.

"We might wanna move closer, and hear what they are saying " John said.

"Come on, let's go! ".  He hid behind the wall of the other end, john and Scullard took the other end.

They weren't speaking English, it was sort of Italian Mexican language. They weren't able to hear what they were saying. His eyes widened when he heard ship 2257. He paid close attention, as they spoke. He wandered what they we're saying about ship 2257. Were they among the drug dealers? Or are they responsible for the sanked ship?.

His first taught was to capture them, and force them to talk at the station, but he wasn't sure they we're actually drug dealers. So, he decided to keep listening. He heard Elliott's name. They were definitely part of Elliott gang, no wonder they were hanging around the River's neighborhood. What are they planning, do they wanna attack now?  He taught. Something went wrong, the man on the look out spotted John's shadow. He signaled his gang, and they went towards their direction with guns. Luis was quick to see them move on time.

" Freeze! " He shouted. The gang fired their guns towards him, he ran back behind the wall. The first bullet went to John's leg, as he came out from his hiding spot to shoot. Luis distracted them, as Scullard took John to safety. He called the department for back up.  Luis brought out his two pistols, he shot two dead, and one on the leg. He wanted to get him hand cuffed, two huge black van packed, as men in black came down with riffles. They opened fire, as Luis ran towards a parked car. He reloaded his two pistols, as they shot the car. Glasses clattering on the floor, civilians running for their lives as  they screamed. He bent down quickly as he released his own bullet, it went for the head. Two droped dead. Scullard and John were together. They were able  to kill some of the shooters. The ambulance came, Scullard backed John up, as he entered the van. Their attention was mostly on Luis. He got a chance to run out from the car he hid, before it exploded. The shooters ran after him, still firing at him.

He saw one of the shooters making a call, perhaps he was calling more men. He shot him down, and picked the phone.

"Ah! It's detective Luis, I suppose " Elliott said over the phone.

"Elliott stop this insanity, order your men to stand down! "

"Why should I? " He laughed. "Don't tell me a professional DCI is scared of bunch of amateurs. " He laughed again. Luis threw the phone in rage. The killers spotted him, he hid behind the wall, shot the three men down skillfully and ran again.

He hid behind a van, and got clean shots, before the shooters knew where the bullet was coming from. He ran out of amour, and the killers were getting close. Scullard shot them dead with a riffle, from the green lawn in the front of an antiquated building. He threw Luis his revolver, he reloaded one of his pistol, and threw the other on the head of a fast approaching gunner then fired twice on his chest while on the floor.

"Thanks" He said.

"Your welcome." Scullard replied. Immediately, the cops arrived.

"Are you alright? " Agent walked asked.

"Don't worry, we handled everything " His phone rang, it was an unknown number, He picked it up.

"I hope my men are doing a good work holding you up, as the professionals do the main operation." His mind flashed back to Mr and Mrs Rivers.

   "Elliott!  if you harm them, I swear to God_" Elliott cut the call. "Dammit! "

"He is at the River's mansion right?" Scullard asked.

"Yeah,  we have to hurry." They entered the car, followed by six flashy police cars, the siren could be heard form many miles away. They reached the Rivers mansion, as dozens of deputies spilled forth, covering every conner of the building. Mr Betsey guards were all  dead. They didn't had a chance against Elliott and his three best men. Other gang members were killed by the guards.  Luis went in with Scullard, and twelve other CEO'S. They were professional in the business. Mr and Mrs Rivers locked themself in their safety panic room, made of steel. Elliot and his three men couldn't break in. The used explosives, but couldn't destroy  the steel room. He descided to use corrosion. It was a trick he learnt from the military. He wore leather gloves, and a mask, along with his team. The gas from the chemical is deadly, a touch of the chemical in the skin is brutal. He applied the chemical on the door, it was working, but not as effective as it should. The panic room was made with heavy carbon steel, and couldn't rust easily. Luis and his team were approaching, he added more chemicals to make it rust quicker, but his effort was a flop.

    The door can only be opened from the inside, and the smell of the chemical did make the Rivers choke inside the room. The pungent smell of CO2, blocked the free flow of oxygen. The felt strong headaches, and dizziness. A little bit suffercated, deteriorating in health. Mrs Rivers wanted to open the door, but her husband stopped her.

"Open the door, I'll spear your lives" Elliott said nicely. Mrs Rivers tried to open the door again, he stopped her.

"We can't trust them"  Mr Rivers said weakly with a cough.

"We are dying here, those two men on the death list were killed by them, let's just pay them off, and be safe. "

"They aren't after money, but our lives!  If this door gets open, we are done for" She cried, and fell into her husband's arms, struggling to breathe.

"Elliott, the FBI are coming this way! " Kyle shouted.

"There is an escape route at the ceiling, open it! " Elliott ordered.

"How did you know? " Arc said

"No time for questions, open it let's get out of here! ". It wasn't visible, until he took a close glance.  It was the same color as the roof, but a little bit sloppy. Elliot had scanned the entire building before the operation. Everything was exactly as he planned. He packed his backpack, and they went off the roof. Luis and Scullard approached, looked around but didn't see them. He looked up, the little door at the ceiling wasn't properly closed. Mr Rivers opened the door quickly when he held Luis voice. His wife had fainted and unconscious, needed oxygen quickly. Luckily, two health workers from the ambulance followed the team. She began gasping for air in no time.

    He told Scullard to look after the Rivers why he went after Elliott and his gang.

He climbed, the little door that leds to the roof. Sarah lead Luis through the computer. All the exist were blocked, Mr Betsey and his wife was taken into an ambulance . Elliott and his men want on top of the building, waiting for their helicopter. With sarah's help, Luis knew where they were. He didn't know they had set a trap for him. Arc and klye hid behind the wall of the roof door. He opened the door, a stick was struck on his fore head, he fell. They raised him up, and stamped blows on his belly. He fell, and quickly brought out his pistol. Elliott kicked it off his hand, and gave an outrageous kick on the chin. He clasped his head on the wall. Sarah heard him groaning, as he tried getting up back at his feet and in pains. Through the device, She called for backup. Dozens of deputies rushed towards the roof, well armed, and with police vest, written boldly, FBI.

Luis tried to get up, he used his hands for support. Elliott strucked the stick on his hand, he fell back on the ground. The laughed and mocked, as he lay helplessly, with blood gushing out from his forehead.

"You are lucky I want you alive, you would've been dead by now!"

"The helicopter is here" Hudson said. Luis held Elliott's leg as he wanted to enter the helicopter. He was kicked at the chest twice, and he let go. He slide his hand down his vest pocket, he brought out the magnetic tracker. He knew that Elliott chance of escape would be on a helicopter, cause he had got everywhere crowded with police. He got up slowly, ran a little, and threw the tracker with the little energy he had. It stocked an the tail of the helicopter, as it took off. He fell back on ground, with his hands on the floor. The FBI entered, and shot at the helicopter, till it went out of range.

It was too late, Elliott had gone. They help Luis move to the ambulance...