IMBERADO

                                           Chapter XX

The next morning Travis and his three friends made good byes and appreciation to those that had helped them before boarding the Barge with Bob Franks for the trip to the refinery on Aruba. It would be midafternoon before they docked there. Partly because of the stop for Customs in Maracaibo. They did not expect this stop to have any problems since everything that would was already at the Refinery under the watchful eyes of Matias.

Rick stood at the starboard section watching the dock disappear behind them as Dave came up beside his long time close friend.

“Gonna miss this place, Goomba?”

“Not for very long, nope not for very long, I don’t think.”

“Me either. Think I’ll just hang out for a while after this. Maybe wait a couple of weeks before thinking about the next gig to take. You?”

“Already got a gig. I’ve got some stuff to set up back home, then I’ll be busy for a little while.”

“Wow, didn’t know you were working on one already. Anyplace special?”

“Yep. Bachaquero.”

“Huh, you thinking about coming back?”

“Yep, just as soon as I can. I talked to Franks last night, told him what I was thinking. He said he could get me hired onto his crew as head of security. This time under my own name.”

“Why?”

“That’s why.”

Dave looked in the direction Rick was, back at the dock. He saw Luciana still standing there, watching the barge slowly move up the lake. Then he looked back at Rick. “Anything happen between you two? Does she know you’re coming back?”

“Not yet. But, yes she knows I’m coming back, I told her this morning.”

Dave clasped his hand on Rick’s shoulder. “Damn right, you go my brother.”

The docking and check by government officials at Maracaibo went off without any surprises or delays. The trip from Maracaibo to Aruba was uneventful the sea was choppy, but not unusually so for this time of year. By midafternoon the barge was docked and everyone disembarked at the refinery. Dave made contact with the airport and set up an early morning check in and take off.

Later as they all went back to the Deli for dinner with Bob Franks and Chuck Nichols, they made a stop long enough at the airport for Dave to file his flight plan through Puerto Rico and continuing to Florida. There he had it planned as an overnight stop this time. Dinner was as welcome as it had been on their trip down from the States.

Back at the refinery Bob and Chuck left the four men to conduct their usual business. Chuck had agreed to let Matias be the one taking them to the airport the following morning. So Travis and his friends said their goodbyes and thanked both Bob and Chuck for their help. Bob told John to not let it be so long next time in between visits or calls; to keep in contact and John told him he wouldn’t.

Once Bob and Chuck had left for Chuck’s office, Travis and the others could discuss tomorrow’s plan in detail.

“Matias, I am sure you are curious about the extra man we saddled you with.”

“Si, but I understand that it might be better if I do not know too much.”

“No, that is not the real issue. It was just one of those spur of the moment changes I made when I saw an opportunity. I do know it will be a little more complicated and have more risk for us as we travel from here to Florida. But when we get there it will enhance our objective greatly.”

“Okay, so what’s the change in the plan?” Rick asked first.

“John’s been busy over the last few days when we weren’t all involved in getting to this point. He made some contacts on the deep web after I told him my new thoughts. All of this would be for naught if we got Correro to Miami and there wasn’t solid charges that could be filed and him be convicted. We don’t want Correro to get off with some light sentence or found not guilty. Even though we have done well so far in setting him up with the Medellin as the fall guy. So here is what occurred to me.” Travis paused for just a moment and then continued. “We got the drugs to plant on him. We knew there was a large boat docked in Miami that belongs to the Cali cartel’s drug boss there and planned to use that as the stage where Correro gets arrested. Well, now we are going to make it even worse.”

“I’m game for that. If we can better guarantee he goes down for more. Otherwise we could have just killed him in Venezuela.” Rick added.

“Right. So here’s what John has set up. He found a man through one of his trusted hacker contacts in Florida, he is going to get us a van and leave it for us in an old hangar at a small abandoned air strip south of Miami. Nothing works there anymore so it will be an eyes only landing and we will have to be quick. Dave, you can get the details from John, hopefully it’s far enough south that you won’t be calling for landing okay until we’re back in the air. If we’re lucky the Miami Tower will not see our blip disappear, if they do you’ll have to apologize and say we dropped to see something up close like tourists might do. We’ll put Correro, the guard and the drugs in the van and lock it after we give them another dose of drugs.”

“Sounds okay so far, I’ll know better when I see the distance, if it’s too close I’ll come up with a usable alternate.”

“Good. So then we land go get a rental and drive to the van. The other new wrinkle is when we steal the boat we put both of them on the boat. When we get to where we’re going to abandon it we leave it looking like Correro and his man got into a fight, the guard dead and Correro wounded. Now DEA will be able to charge him for drugs, murder and grand larceny all three. He should go up for a long time. And since he will now be wanted by not only the Medellin, but the Cali as well, he probably won’t live to see the light of day again. Since we have now been drugging him up, he’ll also be addicted to heroin.”

“I like where you have taken this. But what about tomorrow morning here in Aruba before we take off and then in Puerto Rico, there we have Customs?” Rick asked first.

“Late tonight when the airport here is most deserted, Matias, you Dave and I are taking a drive to the airport. We’ll be checking on the plane, if anyone asks. We’ll be putting Correro, the guard and the drugs onboard then. Matias, you I need to stay with them until we get there tomorrow morning. Just to guard them. Then after we check in through the terminal you can drive the vehicle back here. Tonight Dave and I will bring it back. Are you okay with that?”

“Si, anything I can do to help, Senor Travis.”

“Thank you. I thought you would be okay with that.”

“And Puerto Rico? Where we have to go through Customs?”

“That’s where I think our greatest risk is. I am hoping that Aero Puerto Mercedita is more relaxed with less staff, like we saw coming down and we get lucky.”

“Lucky is there will be six of us not four like coming down or the five we planned on going back that sixth man will be on the floor or better with the luggage. And we may have to lose some of that if we want to be sure we have no weight problems during take-off, Flight or landing. I’ll work on that as soon as we are done here to be sure.”

“Thanks Dave I knew you would. But you can see why I made the changes.”

“I do and I agree with your reasoning. I’ll just work the math out before I go to sleep and be ready before we head to the airport to dump Correro and his guard.”

“I’m still looking at Puerto Rico, Travis. The problem is four of us need to land at the airport, go through Customs and then take off from the airport to be in perfect shape with no issues. I found no contacts there for help. Besides we would have to drop off radar twice, once before we land and again after we take off. We don’t have that fifth body to guard them during the time at the airport there either.”

“May I ask some questions, Senor Travis? I may thinking too simply but I would like to ask anyway if you are okay with that?”

“Of course, Matias. And you can call us by just our first names, we will not be offended.”

“Thank you. It is that I think your problem is mostly two extra men and when I look at the guard, what I see is that if we cut his hair some and trimmed his beard and mustache back to what would be just a few days whisker stubble. I think he might pass for Senor John. They are about the same size, there skin color is close enough, no offense meant and if you was say he is too sick to get off the plane and the Customs man only sent one man to look at him there, he might not notice the difference.”

Travis and his friends all looked at the guard more closely, then looked at each other and then back to Matias. It was John who spoke first. “No offense taken Matias, I probably would have never seen that, you are right. If we said he was very ill, and considering the situation at that airport did seem much more relaxed, that just might work. But we still have to get me and Correro and the drugs off before we land.”

“Si. But I have heard a lot about Puerto Rico from men who have been there. If what they have said is true , then I have two other questions. One, is it not true that much of it is rural and very poor. Only the tourist areas are nice. And that most of the poorest areas are in the mountains where most of the tourist’s don’t go much?”

“Yes, that is what I have heard and seen myself. Quite a bit of the more mountainous areas are the most remote and visited the least.”

“I see where you are going, Matias, and if I guess at your next question. Then yes I might be able to land on a remote road, all I need is just enough straight stretch of dirt road to land and take off. I could do that like sightseeing if the tower again wasn’t watching their screen too intently. Might be a risk. But less of one than trying to get all six of us through the airport.”

“Say, let me find something to look into better. If that would work then someone give that man a haircut and cheap beard trim. I could get off with Correro and the drugs until the rest of you cleared the airport and picked us up again. Now you see, Matias, those were not bad questions at all, none of us would probably have thought about that.”

“Thank you. I am so glad I said what I was thinking might be stupid.”

“Not stupid at all Matias, you came up with that just listening. Thank you again.”

Rick added after Travis’s comment.

“In theory this sounds like it would solve our problem. But what if there is no straight enough stretch of road to land on, then what?”

“Trust me old friend. If that is our only problem, I will find a stretch I can put my bird down on. I may need help getting her turned around for takeoff, but we will get down and back up. We just need to do it real quick, I doubt that we will be low enough to be below radar.” Dave answered.

 “Understood. Let’s do this.”

By now it was close to midnight. Dave, Travis and Matias got in one of the refinery’s utility vehicles and drove over to the building where Matias had Correro and the bodyguard. The three of them carried the two limp men to the vehicle and placed them on the floors between the rows of seats, draped them with dark canvas tarps and put the drugs under the back seat. Then they got back into the vehicle themselves and drove out of the refinery gate.

Fifteen minutes later they were at the gate to the private aircraft hangar. Matias had gotten under the tarp covering Correro.

“What can I do for you gentlemen this late tonight?” the guard asked after Travis rolled down his window.

“We were just heading back to the refinery from the Casino and hoped we could check our plane, to make sure it had been refueled and serviced. We’re taking off early in the morning.” Travis answered him. Then handed the man there flight plan and passports. He looked at them briefly, saw nothing as he scanned the dark interior and waved them through the gate.

Once at the plane Dave was out first and opened the planes doors quickly. Travis and Matias were out right after him and getting Correro out from between the seats first. They carried him to the plane and laid him on the floor between the back seats. Then Dave and Matias picked up the bodyguard and put him in the storage compartment. Next they injected both with more sedatives. Matias brought the drugs and put them with the bodyguard. As soon as that was all done Dave closed the doors. Matias got into the first rear seat of the plane.

“We will be here early, Matias. Are you okay for the night?”

“Si, Mister Travis. Do not worry.”

Matias closed the plane’s door as Dave and Travis stepped back into the vehicle and headed back to the gate. When they got there the gate guard waved them through without stopping them.

The next morning as the sun was clearing the eastern horizon, Travis and his friends had thanked Bob Franks and Chuck Nichols for all their help and drove to the airport. The Customs check at the private sector of the airport was uneventful and once they had loaded their gear into the storage compartment putting it over the bodyguard and drugs, then they moved Correro to a seated position in the fifth seat just before they started getting into the plane as they all thanked Matias.

Matias got back into the refinery vehicle and headed for the gate. Dave radioed the tower and got permission to taxi out onto the runway. Then as soon as he was given clearance he revved his motors up to speed and they lifted off, banking to the northeast for Puerto Rico.

“That went too easy.” Dave said to Travis.

“Sometimes you just have to get lucky.” Travis replied just before Rick chimed in.

“Well, let’s just hope we stay lucky today. Like maybe there will be a road where we want a road in the mountains and a Customs Agent with some compassion for a sick traveler.”

“Yeah and a one who doesn’t look to close at that sick traveler.” John added.

“We’ll just play the cards we get, once they are dealt. That’s all we have now.” Dave added, in his most matter of fact tone.

The weather gods were still with them as the skies were crystal blue with only wisps of sporadic clouds and no turbulence. Three hours later the first shorelines and mountains of Puerto Rico were in view. Dave banked the plane to approach the island from the direction where they could fly over the more remote mountainous areas first. The plane descended to a thousand feet as they approached the mountains. Dirt roads could now be seen clearly. During the first run Dave saw an area that looked possible and banked around for a closer look finally he told the others to look out the left side of the plane.

“There see it, just up ahead on the right? That is what we are looking for.”

“I see it. Can you set her down there? Doesn’t look very long to me.” Rick said with apprehension in his tone.

“Well, it’s long enough and what’s better there’s enough width for me to turn her around so we can get back in the air quickly. Is everybody game.”

“We are if you are, you’re the one in charge of this.”

“Okay, buckle up and hold on here we go.” Dave banked one more time, lined up with the road and started his approach. It was a rough touch down. But everything was still intact when he slowed to a stop. Then he revved up and turn her nose around and lined up again. Now he throttled down to an idle.

“Alright let’s get the bodyguard and drugs out just as fast as we can.” Travis said quickly.

Everyone but Dave opened their doors and disembarked like it was a race. John opened the storage compartment door and with Travis and Rick’s help pulled out Correro and the drugs. They placed both near the edge of the wide part of the road, John waved both of the others back into the plane.

“Go on get out of here. I’m going to pull him and the stash into the brush until I hear the plane’s engine and can see you coming back. If you’re not back by dark, I’ll go to a plan B until I do.”

Rick and Travis got back to the plane putting the body guard in the seat, slumped over and still unconscious and Dave started revving the engine for takeoff. Less than seven minutes after the touchdown the plane was airborne and banking in the direction of the airport again. As soon as they were at altitude Dave radioed the airport for landing instructions. They had him circle one time and then gave him the runway and clearance to land.

After he had taxied close to the designated gate he shut down his engines. He, Rick and Travis got out and walked to the terminal. Dave stopped at the ground crew desk and set up for servicing and refueling. Then they proceeded to the Customs booth. Once there and when their passports had been stamped, Travis talked to the agent about the supposed sick John and still in the plane.

“If you have a wheel chair available there is our other man still in the plane. He became very sick last night and we are trying to get him to Miami to a doctor. He is asleep or unconscious still in the plane. So I will need to go out and get him in a wheel chair to get him in here to go through Customs, unless you have an easier way to check him through?”

 The agent was a little dubious at first but suggested to have a guard take the passport, go out with Travis and confirm it was him instead. This was what Travis had hoped would happen and agreed, telling the agent he was very appreciative of the help.

About twenty minutes later the guard with Travis returned telling the agent it was the man in the passport and that he looked really ill, to the point of being definitely alive but unconscious or at least in deep sleep. The agent accepted the guards account, in part because no one made any attempt to convince the agent of the man not coming inside. He also told the agent he looked at everything in the plane and found nothing amiss. A few minutes later the agent cleared them to continue on to Miami. Travis thanked him for his kindness, again and the three left to walk back to the plane. After several minutes more the service crew was done and Dave paid the bill.

Back in the plane Dave radioed the tower and got approval to move out on the tarmac and wait for takeoff clearance. Once he was given the clearance he revved his engines again and they were back in the air.

Within forty-five minutes they had land again on the road, reloaded John, Correro and the drugs and were now on their way to Miami.

“If you had told me that was going to work, much less without more drama than that, I would have wanted to know what you were smoking.” Rick commented.

“Every now and then you find a guy who is more interested in doing the right thing, than the exact letter of his job. We just found that guy. The guard not seeing it wasn’t John, now that I could believe. The resemblance was close enough, giving the situation, I doubted he was going to get close enough to risk catching some disease.”

“Just saying.”

As they headed northward over the next five hours the men discussed the plan when they actually landed at Opa Locka airport in Florida. By then they would have made their first landing at the abandoned one put Correro, the bodyguard and drugs in the van, John had arrangements for and would be then picking up a rental that Dave had reserved.

A couple of times they flew through some weather, the first time it was only rain and Dave had climbed altitude to avoid most of it. Then a while later there had been turbulence for about fifteen minutes, which then calmed down. Such was the experience occasionally when you were not flying commercial aircraft. But by late afternoon they had landed at the abandoned Miami Glider Port airstrip, found the van waiting with the keys in the glove box. Then put Correro, the bodyguard and drugs in the van: parked the now locked van in an old hangar with its doors pulled back together and taken off and now landed at Opa Locka airport, gone through the terminal and picked up the rental car, Dave had reserved and were leaving the airport by the time the skies were graying with dusk.

Dave drove them back to the hangar and after John opened the doors, Dave drove the rental inside. The four of them unloaded their gear into the van, locked the rental and then pulled the van out of the hangar closing it back up again. Dave drove them toward the eastern coast of Miami as dark settled in over the city. It took an hour to find Locura Marina where the small yacht was anchored, the Marina was on the Atlantic Ocean side of Miami Beach. The Peruvian Restaurant was open and people were going in and out having dinner or drinks and then leaving. Dave parked in the parking area for the marina.

“I am hoping we find that there are no cameras on the docks close to the Yacht we are taking. Otherwise we will need to disable the cameras before we go onboard.” Travis said as they sat in the van. “I have no doubt that there will be at least one guard on the boat. It belongs to the head Cali Drug Lord here in Miami. So there could even be more than one.”

“What kind of Yacht is it?” Rick asked.

John spoke up first. “It’s a 4207 Carver 42 footer. It’s a party boat, not a wave runner. According to my contact it has a 340 horse mercury motor and will do 22 knots. It’s supposed to have a Zodiac 533 with it, probably tied to either the port or starboard side.”

“I assume that is our way back to here, once we are done? What’s the plan for the Zodiac?”

“I say we sink it somewhere up or down the coast.” Dave butted in before the others could speak.

“I agree.” Travis answered quickly.

“Me too.” Rick added. “But where?”

John pulled out a map he had picked up in the airport and they looked it over. Then they agreed on a location a couple of miles north. They decided to come back to the Marina, but not to the slip where the Yacht was at. Dave, Rick and John would get off, get the van and drive two miles up the coast. Travis would pilot the Zodiac up the coast and scuttle it about a quarter of mile offshore and the swim to the beach. They would pick him up there.

“I can radio the Coast Guard from the Zodiac with our story about the Yacht before I sink her.”

Everyone got out and started walking the parking lot bordering the pier, but no one started down the stairs to walk the main pier itself, then John made the first verbal observation. “There you can see cameras mounted along the main pier, but none on the ones to the slips themselves.”

“I see that.” Travis answered as everyone came to a stop. “So I think the way to go about this is, we go back to the van and drive down to an area before the Marina. Two of us will get out go down to the water with our guns in a water tight bag. Then those two will swim around to the Yacht. Once there they will get on board and take out any guards. Then they can maneuver the Yacht up to that spot we found. One of them will take the Zodiac and drive it to the beach.”

Dave interrupted. “Okay we can see where this goes and I agree. I’ll be one of the two.”

“Fine, then you are with me. Rick, once we are in the water don’t wait around, drive to that spot up the coast. Dave will find you with the Zodiac.”

“You got it, Trav.”

Over the next few minutes Dave and Travis changed their clothes and then hung dive bags over their shoulders with Correro and the body guards guns inside, Travis had Correro’s and Dave had the body guard’s that they had taken from them in Venezuela. Once ready they turned and walked down to the ocean’s edge and disappeared into the crashing waves. Once Rick and John could not see them, Rick backed the van out turned into the street and drove north.

Half an hour later Travis and Dave were alongside the yacht. Quietly dog paddling in place.

“There’s the Zodiac. On the port side.” Travis whispered just above the gentle lapping of low waves against the sides of boats.

“I see it. But I haven’t spotted a guard yet.”

“Me either, but we can’t wait too long. I’ll sidle up the bow, and if he’s not there, I sidle up and over onto the deck. Why don’t you come up and over the starboard side the same way? Be sure the body guard’s gun is ready with the silencer on. Whichever one of us sees him first, take him out before he sees you.”

“Got it.”

Dave swam around to the starboard side, Travis waited until he was there then both men eased themselves up the boat until they could see across the deck from their positions. Neither one saw anyone from their vantage points and slowly pulled themselves over and onto the deck. Travis could see into the cabin and pilot ladder entry, while Dave could see the starboard and prow decks. Dave maneuvered around to where Travis waited and then both men moved slowly into the enclosed areas. No one was there so Dave crept up the ladder and found no one at the pilots chair either and came back down the ladder to stand by his friend. Now they moved to the door that led to the below deck rooms.

Travis opened the door very cautiously and it made no noise. The short hall led to the Galley and main room, Dave moved in front of Travis and within a few feet saw a burly man lounging back on a cushioned sofa apparently watching a soccer match on the television. As he inched his way forward the man started to turn around and Dave pulled the trigger on the body guard’s pistol hitting the man square in the side of his skull. Blood splattered across the cabin and the guard slumped forward onto the couch blood gushing from his skull.

Now the two men moved furtively to each door to the two staterooms and head. There was only one guard apparently. Dave went back to the pilot area and found no key to start the boat. Both men searched everywhere they could but found no key. Now they returned to the pilot house. Finally Dave was able to hot wire the ignition and fire up the engines. Travis went back on the deck and untied the dock lines before pushing the boat away from the dock and jumping back on board. Dave started to pull away and move the Yacht out into the waters of the marina and then out toward the ocean.

Just under an hour later Dave slowed to a stop just out from where the van was parked near the beach. The two men lowered the Zodiac into the water and Travis got into the boat and headed to the beach. Thirty minutes later he was back with John, Rick and their cargo. Once Correro, his body guard and the drugs were on board with the Zodiac tied to the stern, Dave headed the Yacht out into the ocean.

Once they were about 20 miles off shore Dave throttled down and then cut the engine. By then the other three had placed Correro where they wanted his body to be found. Rick carried the bodyguard out and up to the pilot’s seat. They used his hands to leave his prints all around the seat, wheel and railings. Then Rick carried him back to the lounge. John had done the same with Correro in the lounge and hallway. Rick used Correro’s gun to shoot the body guard in the heart and shoulder. John had placed the drug bags scattered around the cabin, but with a stack on the table. Travis used the body guard’s gun to shoot Correro in the high shoulder and a graze on his side so there would be blood but neither was a lethal wound. They pressed both Correro and the body guards hands onto the grips of the two pistols and left the guns close by the bodies. Now that they had staged the scene the way they wanted the four men climbed into the Zodiac and headed back to the beach. Travis stayed on the Zodiac and ran it back past the surf into deeper water. The he made the distress call to the Coast Guard. He used Correro’s pilots name as the person calling in. Once he ended the call he used his Glock to destroy the Zodiac’s radio before he scuttled the boat. He swam far enough away and then dog paddled until he was sure the boat had sank below the surface. There was a good chance the Zodiac wouldn’t be found here for a long time. Then he swam for the beach and joined his friends.

Once they were back at the hangar they cleaned the van thoroughly, left it in the hangar and drove their rental back to Opa Locka Airport. It was just breaking dawn as they finished at the car rental desk and walked to the terminal so Dave could complete his pre-flight check in. The four men had breakfast in the terminal and watched the local news on the airport monitor in the restraint café. There was breaking news of the Coast Guard on a distress call about twenty miles off the coast at the scene of a double murder on a Yacht that was adrift. More details were to follow. Both John and Travis had called their wives and told them they would be flying out of Opa Locka that morning and be back in Virginia later that day.

                                                         Epilogue

“Levi, what’s your twenty? This is Julie.” Julie Dinsmore called out over the department radio.

“I’m out on route 50 Julie. Ten four.”

“The Sheriff called in and said to remind you that you have an appointment at 1600 today.”

“Thanks, Julie. Helen already reminded about an hour ago. Does everyone think I’ve gone senile or something. Geez.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger, Lieutenant.”

 “Sorry, Julie. I’ll be there. Thank you. Ten four.”

It had been a little over five years since Travis, John, Dave and Rick had returned from Venezuela. Life here in and around Leesburg was back to normal, or at least a semblance of a new normal.

Juan Correro had been convicted of a double murder and drug charges a year afterwards. He had been sentenced to two consecutive life terms on all charges. He did not live out his first year in prison as he was shived during a fight with another convict in the prison yard and died in the prison infirmary.

Antonio Davis had cut a deal to testify against Correro for reduced charges in the deaths of James and Susanna Whiteside. And the CIA had done some backroom dealings to keep any links to them squelched from trial records and any news reporting. Davis, however, was convicted of the first degree murder of his former high school principle, Mr. Wilson in San Antonio, Texas. He was still serving a twenty year sentence in Huntsville prison. His wife Donna Gustafson and daughter Maria had been granted witness protection in the Federal Marshall program by the FBI for her help in the capturing of Correro, although that was not the officially stated reason. She and Maria had new identities and were living in an undisclosed new location. Donna was allowed no contact with Davis and monitored to have no computer access.

Travis and Andy were married six months after Travis’s return and Levi had been his best man, Helen Grey was Andy’s Matron of honor. Helen and Levi had married the following year with their friends as best man and matron of honor at their wedding. Andy had just given birth to her first child a few weeks before Levi and Helen’s wedding and they were the god parents of little Susan Cody, who was the delight of everyone who knew her.

Helen had given birth to their son Joshua a year and half ago and Joshua was just approaching the terrible twos. Travis and Andy were his god parents. The six of them were more family than friends, including their children. Andy was currently pregnant with her and Travis’s second child.

Levi had been promoted to Detective Lieutenant two years ago. Helen had retired from working and was a stay at home mother and wife. The Mueller’s lived on the west side of Leesburg.

At just before four PM Levi pulled through the open gate of Travis and Andy’s driveway and up to their home, the same one Travis had built years ago. There were several cars already there and everyone was mingling about the back deck and yard. Banners and streamers adorned the deck with festive Happy Birthday greetings for Susan.

Levi got out of his patrol car and walked to the party.

“Hello, Sheriff.” Levi said as he neared William Dexter standing beside Travis.

“Levi, I would think after almost four years you would remember I am retired. You can just call me Bill now.” Dexter said with a huge smile crossing his face.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Bill. I know you have been on your well-deserved retirement for quite a while now. Does everyone think my memory is totally gone.” Levi answered with full humor in his voice.

“Not everyone Levi, just those that know and love you.” Travis answered him before chuckling towards his friend.

William Dexter had retired four years before and at the insistence of Dexter, Levi, Andy, as well as others; Travis had ran and been elected as the Sheriff of Loudon County and Dexter’s replacement. While the three men were joking with one another Rick Chesterton walked up.

“Can anyone get in on this, or is it just Cop Humor?”

“You’re pretty close yourself, Rick. How is Venezuela treating you?” Levi asked his friend of a few years now. “And where is that wife of yours”

 “Good, Luciana’s over with the girls and babies.”

“Great, I know Susan was looking forward to playing with Sofia again. You two ever going to move back to the states.”

“Thinking about it, someday maybe.”

“That would be great. All our kids could grow up together. Well I’m going to say Happy Birthday to my god daughter and get a beer. See you guys later.” On his way to where Andy, Helen and Luciana were standing, Susan saw him and all three children ran Levi’s direction, tackling him around the knees with boisterous laughter. He picked up Susan first and gave her a birthday kiss then kneeled down to give hugs to all three just before they all rushed off in a hurry for their next adventure.

Levi hugged his wife and kissed her forehead, said hello to Andy and Luciana before excusing himself to go retrieve a beer on the deck. Dave Askew was standing there close by. Many other friends and neighbors were wandering around talking, joking and enjoying the day. Children were playing all about the yard.

Travis looked around few minutes later, saw Andy and waved, found sight of his young daughter and smiled, then turned back to see Andy blow her husband a kiss. He placed his fingers to his lips and blew one back.