Bayou Pierre: Contents

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27

Bayou Pierre Book II New
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14

San Juan Bautista: Contents
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29

Louisiana Hurricane, Mississippi Storm: Contents
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27

Telegraph: Contents
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25

Runners: Contents
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22

Longhorn: Contents
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24

Notes:

Entire books are published here, except for Bayou Pierre Book II, which is a work in progress. May I print a copy? Yes. There are simple instructions in the note at the end of each chapter.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 14

Patty wanted to comfort Joyce, but suspected there was too much of an age barrier. She walked into the reception area and made a quick call. In less than thirty minutes, Angie had arrived. With extensive experience helping the families of missing or wounded airmen and dealing with the new widows of those killed in action, Angie knew exactly what to do.

When the primary surgeon came to the conference room at seven-thirty, Angie stood on Joyce's left as Phil stood on her right.

"I'm sorry it took us so long," the doctor began, "but there is an excellent chance your husband will make a complete recovery."

"Thank God!" Joyce exclaimed, then her knees buckled and she began to fall.

Angie and Phil helped to support her until Mo was able to slide a chair in behind her.

"Relax for just a moment," the doctor told Joyce.

"The explanation is gong to take a little while," he added as Mo provided a second chair for the surgeon, who sat in it.

Phil and Angie continued standing beside Joyce, one of each side and Angie cupped the woman's left hand in both of her own.

"We spent most of our time reconnecting the blood vessels that were large enough to repair and we cauterized as many of capillaries as we could. We wanted to make sure we had cut off all of the flowing blood before we closed the leg up.

"We also thoroughly cleaned the kneecap and the area around it, picking out all the fragments of bone and cartilage we could find. For much of that, we had to use a magnifying glass. Much of the debris had the properties of extremely fine sand. There were probably three thimbles full of that material and of course a significant quantity of bigger pieces as well.

"We covered the kneecap area with a temporary metal plate, but that area is going to need specialized attention in a few weeks, reconstruction and a significant amount of plastic surgery. With some more good luck, your husband will have substantial everyday use of his right leg. He won't be able to play tennis or run, things of that nature, but it's entirely possible that he will have something very close to normal mobility when he walks."

The surgeon paused for breath and to allow Joyce time to process the information he had already presented, then resumed.

"We're going to watch him very closely for infection for the next twenty-four hours and tomorrow the neurologist wants to do some more substantial tests. But everything he saw this afternoon was encouraging. There's no sign of brain damage at this point and no obvious signs of nerve damage. But as I said, he wants to take a more thorough look when your husband has recovered from some of his immediate trauma.

"If every thing goes all right for the next thirty-six hours, we'll move him over to Shumpert where we can make him and you a little more comfortable. But for the time being, your husband is in exactly the right place. The intensive care unit here is the best in the city," the doctor said.

"When can I see him?" Joyce asked.

"I want you to get something to eat, and in a couple of hours I'll be back to get you. At that point, your husband should be alert enough for a few words and he might be able to squeeze your hand," the surgeon said.

As if on cue, there was a gentle tapping at the partially open door to the conference room and Giuseppe Cangelosi stuck his head into the room.

"Is this a good time?" Giuseppe whispered to Phil.

"Perfect," Phil answered.

"We've just had the most wonderful news. Mac is going to be all right and the doctor has just ordered his wife to eat," Phil said with a relieved smile on his face.

Giuseppe and two of his people began setting up the conference table for a full meal.

"I brought enough for the doctors and everyone in the operating room as well," the chef said to the surgeon.

"As soon as we're all set here, I'll find out where the hospital administration wants me to set up for your meal. We have wonderful veal, shrimp, chicken, several kinds of pasta, appetizers and two kinds of cheese cake," Giuseppe announced to everyone.

"That's Giuseppe Cangelosi, one of our finest chefs and owner of Ramone's, a great place to eat," Angie whispered to Joyce.

Phil couldn't wait for the meal to start before making his phone call to Washington. In seconds, he was on a telephone in the reception area passing the great news about Mac on to John Brinker.

A few moments after Phil had begun eating, Danny showed up.

"Anything urgent?" Phil called to his friend and got a shake of the head in response.

"Then sit down and eat. Can we talk after supper?" Phil requested.

Phil, Danny, Mo and Captain Porter moved into a corner of the reception area when the four had finished their meals.

"We didn't expect to find any local matches on the prints of those two thugs who were dead at the scene," Danny said, keeping his voice at a low volume so he wouldn't be overheard.

"We've flown the prints to Washington, but there's no realistic hope of an ID there, either. Their jackets and shirts had Italian labels, so they're both likely to remain John Does."

"What about the ones who got away?" Phil asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"We've got various counts on them from two to four. Some of the guys thought some of the suspects might have been wounded. Nobody saw a car. With all that shooting, there is almost nothing to go on. Both the dead perps used shotguns. They were the closest to our cars. At least some of the other shooters had pistols. But, there was just too much chaos.

"We haven't found any stolen cars or abandoned rental cars in the area, so that’s another dead end. We've canvassed four blocks in all directions and found no one who saw a group of men walk up to the ambush site.

"The cars that were used to block the road were traced back to two separate used car lots in Texarkana. Purchasers paid two-hundred dollars each for those cars. They were average looking men with local accents, didn't look Italian to either one of the car salesmen.

"There's no description on the car that rammed the rear car in our convoy. One of the deputies said the driver left the scene when the shooting started. He said he didn't get a good look at the driver. Might have been wearing a hat.

"We're checking airports in Dallas, Houston, Monroe, Little Rock and Memphis," Danny said.

"Bus," Captain Porter said.

"That would be the easiest way to go unnoticed, leave from a bus station in a big city. Memphis or Dallas would be good bets. From there they get to Cleveland or Milwaukee, then maybe fly back to Europe from Toronto or Montreal."

"Yeah," Danny agreed.

"That would make good sense. Maybe we could get the RCMPs to start watching flights to Rome from Toronto and Montreal. But even that would be a long shot. Once they get into one of those big airports, they'll blend in. Plus, they could fly to Amsterdam or Frankfort.

"Fact is, unless we get something from an informant or unless these guys run into some local law enforcement before they get out of the region, we're not likely to turn up much," Danny admitted.

Phil shook his head.

"I can't get over it. These guys just show up, start a war and melt away again. And once more, there's nothing we can do about it," he said.

"Don't look at it that way," Captain Porter cautioned.

"Less than two miles from here, you've got half a jail full of Morello's soldiers. And after the shootout this morning, no one made bail and they're not likely to. It's a good bet most of them will do serious prison time. And no one else has ever done anything like that before," the state police officer said.

"He's right, Phil," Danny agreed, "and for the first time ever we've got good evidence against Sorrento and Morello. We've also got a place where juries are not afraid to lock them up and judges who won't turn them loose when they're convicted."

A man tapped Danny on the shoulder as soon as he finished talking.

"Are you Special Agent Hodge?" the man in the tan Palm Beach suit asked.

"Yes," Danny replied extending his right hand.

"I'm Deputy Marshal Ben Rheinhardt from Phoenix," he said as he shook Danny's hand.

"They sent me in to take over the security detail until Inspector MacGregor is back on his feet. He is going to be all right, isn't he?" Ben asked.

"I'm Phil Adley," Phil said moving to shake hands.

"The doctor told us less than an hour ago that Mac would recover. But from what he said, that could be some time.

"Thank you for coming. I hope you're prepared to stay awhile," Phil said, smiling.

Phil introduced Mo, then Captain Porter.

"There is a wonderful catered dinner in here, Ben," Phil said to the new head of his security detail as he led him into the conference room.

"Everyone," Phil announced to those who were just finishing their desserts, "this is Ben Rheinhardt. He comes to us from the marshals service in Phoenix and he'll be coordinating security until Mac is back in action.

"Sit down, eat," Phil said to Ben just as the phone at the other end of the table rang.

Mo moved quickly to answer it.

"It's Vinny," he told Phil from across the room.

"You want to pick it up on one of the desks in the reception area?" the trooper asked Phil.

Phil headed back into the reception area, punched the blinking line and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Vinny," he answered, then listened to a question from the mobster.

"I'm fine. Thanks to your advice, they hit the decoy convoy instead of the one I was riding in. Mac was very seriously wounded in the shootout, but we just heard from the surgeon that he's likely to make a complete recovery."

Phil paused to listen to another question from Vinny.

"No, all we've got is two dead shooters. They carried shotguns and their clothes had labels that lead our people to believe they came from Italy," Phil answered, deciding not to give Vinny any information about what was being done to find the thugs who had escaped alive.

"Witnesses are pretty scarce, Vinny," Phil responded to Vinny Gennuso's follow up question.

"Thanks for your concern. I'll see you in a couple of days. Can I talk to Sam for a minute?" Phil asked.

Sam covered most of the same ground during his part of the conversation, but Phil answered differently when Sam asked about the suspects still at large.

"Let me talk to you about that when Vinny is out of earshot, okay?" Phil responded to Sam.

"Yeah, witnesses have a bad habit of melting away in things like this," Sam said, understanding what Phil wanted.

"Look, there's another very important thing," Sam continued.

"Vinny is really worried about your safety and he wants you up here with us," the detective said.

"What do you think?" Phil asked after a moment of silent deliberation.

"Vinny was right this time, so I suppose he could be again," Sam replied.

"We just got a new security guy in from Arizona a few minutes ago, so let us talk about it here. Then, if we are inclined to agree, I'll call the assistant attorney general. And I guess I would also need to go see Judge Hawkins. After all, he summoned me to his chambers and I never showed up. He's really not the kind of person to be ignored," Phil said, giving in to laughter at the mention of the crusty federal jurist.

"You've got a point," Sam agreed, also laughing a little as well.

"Call us back, would you?" Sam finished.

The contact with Judge Hawkins was made through the marshals service. And as unlikely as it seemed, the federal judge showed up at the hospital a little more than an hour after Vinny first expressed his concern. The judge went first to Joyce MacGregor, sat down beside her and took her hand.

"I am so glad to hear your husband is going to be all right," he told her.

He turned his attention to Phil, who was surprised when the judge appeared to recognize him.

"You, young man," he said, "need to be on a plane to wherever it is you've got that protected witness stashed and I'll be happy to order the marshals to take you there if I need to."

"No, Your Honor. That won't be necessary. I'll go voluntarily," Phil replied, struggling to keep laughter from erupting.

"Fine," the judge said.

Then, Judge Hawkins looked first at Patty and next at Ben Rheinhardt.

"And this beautiful young lady needs to be on that plane as well, Marshal," he said.

"We've had enough shooting around here to last for awhile," the judge pronounced.

Patty spoke quickly and without thinking of the circumstances.

"But Judge, I've got to work. I can't just fly off to some unknown place like that," she protested.

"You can and you will," the judge answered as if he were talking to one of his granddaughters.

"I'll tell the Shreveport Police Department what I've just ordered. As a matter of fact, I'll put it in writing to the commissioner first thing in the morning. I'm not about to have your precious life on my old conscious. Do we understand one another?" the judge asked her, casting a stern stare at Patty.

"Yes, Your Honor," Patty answered.

"Whatever we need to say to one another, we can say over the phone," Judge Hawkins said, turning his gaze back to Phil.

"This whole business is outrageous. And if that Morello fellow thinks he can send a bunch punks into my town and shoot it up like this, he'd better think again," the judge said.

"Mrs. MacGregor," he said, turning his attention back to Mac's wife, "again, you have my deepest sympathy. And if there is anything you need at all, and I mean anything, you call and it will be taken care of."

With those words, Judge Hawkins walked over to Joyce, gently touched her shoulder, then turned and left the room.

"I'll come with you," Angie whispered to Patty after the judge had gone.

"Joyce," Angie said aloud, "I know you'll want to stay at the hospital tonight, so I'm going to call one of the ladies in our support group at the base to come and stay with you after we leave.

"We may be flying out tonight. This is actually the busiest time of the work day for the Strategic Air Command," Angie explained.

"I'm also going to arrange for you to stay in your husband's room at our guest house on base. But I'm sure you won't want to go there for a couple of days after he's had a chance to heal a little."

Mrs. Angelelli's prediction was accurate. A little after eleven-thirty that night, a KC-135 with Phil's party onboard lifted off the runway headed for Idaho.

"Ben, I certainly have some warmer clothes than that suit you're wearing," the colonel's wife teased.

"This is exciting," Patty whispered to Phil as the big tanker jet climbed out over Bossier Parish.

"Mamma and Daddy's house is probably under us," she added as she squeezed Phil's hand.

Phil looked at Mo. They missed us again, good friend, Phil thought. Then he squeezed Patty's hand in a delayed response. It was good to be alive and it was also good not to be in Mac's shoes. That was enough. Phil needed to change the focus of his thoughts.

"How cold will it be up there?" Phil asked Angie.

"And don't tell me it's a dry cold," he teased.

"Well, it is," Angie protested with a little laugh, "and the sun shines most of the time. So when you're out in the sunlight, it's pretty nice. On balance, it's not all that much different than Altus, maybe ten or fifteen degrees colder and the mountains in the background are much bigger and covered with snow."

Patty's face lit up.

"We're going to see snow?" she asked in disbelief.

"Can we play in it? Can we build a snowman?"

Everyone laughed.

"I'm afraid that's not my department," Angie responded.

"You'll have to take that up with the man in the Palm Beach suit," she added, looking at Ben.

"Please?" Patty begged, looking directly at the new security chief.

"I'll try," he answered, forcing a smile onto his face and attempting to mask the overwhelming sense of perplexity and pressure he actually felt.

"But let's get up there first and get the lay of the land. Give me a chance to talk with some of the Air Force people. I don't even know how far the mountains are from the base."

Mo was trying to become invisible, fearing that Patty would turn her irresistible charm on him. Patty looked at her favorite trooper for a moment, but let him off the hook.

"Do you know where we're going to stay?" she asked Angie.

"Do they have a guest house like you do?"

"I don't know. Barksdale's not unique in the Air Force that way, but it is known as kind of a country club," her friend answered.

"One thing I'm sure of, you'll turn it into an adventure for all of us."

Angie's answer brought laughter to all the passengers.

Despite all the excitement, five minutes after the plane reached cruising altitude, Patty was sound asleep.

"Stress," Angie whispered to Phil.

"She was sure you were dead this time."

Phil's expression said everything. It was a request for a promise from Angie to take care of Patty if anything did happen. Angie's knowing smile was all the answer Phil needed and her presence on this trip to safety was the reassurance that sealed the silent communication between the two. Phil nodded to the other men and Ann Marie. The four of them moved a few feet away where they could talk in whispers loudly enough for them to hear one another, but quietly enough that Angie and Patty would not be able to hear over the engine noise.

"I'm frustrated," Phil began, addressing his remark mostly to Ben.

"Mac almost gave his life to protect me today, but it seems like there is nothing we can do. We just have to wait, hide and watch until they come after us again.

"I kind of got thrown into this," Ben said, using the same type whisper as Phil, "but it's a pretty familiar pattern in my assignments in Arizona. We have a witness and his family that can put some unknown thug in New York or Connecticut away. We hide and we move and we do everything we can not to draw attention to ourselves, but sooner or later we're located.

"Usually there's no attempt, and I must tell you that I've never seen anything as dramatic as what happened today, but they've gotten close enough to one of my protected witnesses to take a shot. Another time, we had a bomb blow up a car when one of our agents keyed the starter.

"I'm afraid it's just part of what we have to deal with."

"I am very tempted to have Morello busted for attempting to murder a federal agent. But the last time we arrested him, we couldn't even keep him in jail overnight," Phil said.

"Let's say the judge plays ball with you. And from what I saw a couple of hours ago, there's a pretty good chance that he would and that he would probably order this guy held without bond for as long as he could. But even if we got those things done, would that stop the family from coming after you?" Ben asked.

"I know you're right. I know that if we busted Morello and Sorrento, it wouldn't stop the attempts. I know that just like I know that we're not going to be at Mountain Home for over two days before they know we're there. So, we'll be off somewhere else," Phil agreed.

A big smile crossed Phil's face.

"You know what I'd like to do?" Phil asked looking directly at Mo.

"I'd like to fly to Chicago tomorrow. We'd get Danny to tell us where to go and the three of us would walk right in on whatever Sam Giancana happened to be doing. Mo would put the cuffs on him and we'd tell him straight to his face that he had two choices. Either he could butt out of our business in Louisiana or we'd fly him to Shreveport right then and there."

"Would it do any good?" Ben asked.

"Probably not," Phil answered with a muffled laugh, "it would probably only add to our problems.

"But this is something Mo and I have talked about over and over, something we talked about with Aubrey. There is just this feeling of futility about what we're doing most of the time," Phil said.

"Did the feeling go away when you arrested Morello before?" Ben asked.

"For a few hours, until the judge released him on bail," Phil answered, laughing softly.

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 13

"We have never had a time like that," Patty told Angie when the two were having lunch Monday at Ramone's, "and your friend Denise is exactly like your sister, just the way you had said."

Patty had landed just a few minutes earlier and Angie had sent word through the marshals service that she wanted to meet Patty and Ann Marie for lunch before Patty had to get ready for work.

"Denise treated me just as if I were your daughter," Patty continued.

"She fixed a wonderful dinner for Phil and I last night that was just the perfect ending to a exquisite trip."

"I'm sorry you didn't get to meet Raymond," Angie said.

"He and Harry are just like brothers."

"Me too," Patty said, "but the way Denise put it, 'he was off bombing someplace.'"

Angie laughed along with Patty.

"Yes, that does sound more exciting than 'he's on a training mission,'" Angie said.

"And the kids," Patty resumed, "it was just like spending time with my nieces and nephews, except Jenny's children are a little older.

"And Jenny could have been my cousin or a young aunt. I keep finding myself wondering whether she could actually be married to someone in the Mafia. And for that matter, I just couldn't get it into my head that Vinny was really a mobster. He's so funny. He kept us laughing all the time and he's a completely wonderful father. He loves his kids so much and they completely adore him."

Angie was having the best time listening to her new 'daughter' go on and on. The young woman was so excited that her complexion just seemed to glow.

"And we got to go to mass in the base chapel," Patty said, making it sound like she had just visited the moon.

Angie realized that for a Baptist girl from Plain Dealing, a Catholic mass probably was as exotic as space travel.

"It [the mass] was so beautiful and they had incense and the priest wore amazing garments. I want to go again and next time I want to go again and next time I want to go to the cathedral. Will you take me?" Patty asked her friend.

Angie reached across the table and took Patty's hand.

"Of course I will, Dear," she said.

"Now I want you to promise me something," Angie added.

"Of course," Patty agreed with complete trust.

"The next time you know in advance that Phil's going to be stuck with his witness on some faraway airbase for the weekend you will tell me. Will you do that?" Angie asked.

Patty was puzzled, but nodded her head that she would comply.

"I know that Phil has important friends in Washington who can do all sorts of things, but Harry is the commander of a Strategic Air Command base. And inside the United States Air Force that means there is absolutely nothing he can't get done," Angie said.

"Does that mean I might be able to go on some more trips?" Patty asked, excitedly.

"That's exactly what it means," Angie answered as she stole a glance at Ann Marie.

Angie was looking for some hint of disapproval, but saw none.


The US Marshals Service had been given the task of relocating the Gennuso family as a unit, including Vinny, for the next week. John Brinker had insisted that something be done to get Phil back to Shreveport for the week. State and federal grand juries in at least two jurisdictions were expected to hand down a large number of indictments and the assistant attorney general wanted Phil in Louisiana to oversee the process. And, he wanted Phil free of the possibility of emergency calls to baby sit Vinny. Brinker had laid down the law to the marshals service and the marshals responded by flying the Gennusos to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho with three intermediate stops in the west. There might not be anywhere in the world to hide completely from the Mafia, but this was as close as anyone in the justice department or Air Force could think of.

When the two Mafioso arrested in Flagstaff were brought to Shreveport, Judge Hawkins had ordered them held without bail. But when his bailiff reported the courthouse rumor that the Western District of Louisiana courts were about to face a flood of organized crime suspects, the judge hit the overhead.

"We're not equipped for this kind of circus," he screamed at the bailiff.

"Get the US attorney in here, now."

Branford Stanfield was used to getting tongue-lashings from Judge Hawkins. That was true for everyone who practiced law in Shreveport. Indeed, the judge sometimes called new attorneys just admitted to the bar into open court and made them stand in front of the bench while he harangued them mercilessly on how they were expected to conduct themselves in his court. US Attorney Stanfield ducked some of the verbal beating he was given by telling a partial truth to the raging judge.

"But judge, I've only got two people in this district that we're going to seek indictments against. Most of the rest of the charges that I have any direct knowledge of are supposed to be brought in state court," the US attorney pleaded.

On Wednesday when the judge learned that fourteen suspects were about to appear before the US magistrate to face arraignment, the jurist was so mad he couldn't speak.

"Get that damned Banfield [Judge Hawkins often got names confused] in here and the US attorney for the eastern district, that fella from New Orleans and that young cowboy from Texas who thinks he's taken over this courthouse. I want all of 'em in here right now," Judge Hawkins boiled.

Phil was working from a makeshift office he had set up in the guesthouse at Barksdale when Danny called to report on the judge's explosion of temper. Mac hadn't planned on taking Phil to his office at the federal building until just before the arraignments were scheduled at two o'clock. Mo had been unnerved for several days because he thought this whole roundup and the subsequent arraignments were being forced into too narrow of a timeframe. The whole process had become chaotic. And just like during the last days of a political campaign, the kind of turmoil surrounding the arrests and court appearances made for a huge security nightmare. Mo insisted that there be a decoy motorcade in addition to the one Phil would ride in and Mac agreed.

The first group of three cars from the marshals service turned right on Barksdale Boulevard about twenty minutes after Danny's call. The two cars in the second group passed through the west gate of the base four minutes later. Those cars were just crossing the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge over the Red River when the urgent call came over the two-way radio. The first group of cars was under attack at the bottom of the Texas Street Bridge on the Shreveport side of the river. Numerous shots had been fired at the first motorcade.

The two cars in the second group accelerated dramatically. In less than two minutes, those cars had made the turn onto Youree Drive and were flying north toward downtown. Tires squealed when those cars burst into the parking lot of Shreveport's federal building. The two deputy marshals opened the front doors of the car to join the other two deputies who were already out of the lead car and surveilling the area.

"Clear," one of the deputy marshals called out loudly.

"Okay, I'm going to let you up and we want to move into the building very quickly," Mo told Phil.

As soon as the first report of shots came over the radio, the trooper had pushed his friend to the floorboard between the front and rear seats and shielded Phil with his body. They had ridden all the way from the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge to the parking lot in that fashion.

"Are you all right?" Mo asked Phil as they entered the building.

Phil, far from a fastidious dresser was smoothing his clothes.

"Yeah," Phil answered after a moment.

"Was anybody hit?" he asked.

"We'll find out when we get you in the office," Mo answered.

By the time Mo and Phil reached the elevator, they heard the tires on the two cars in their group peeling out as the deputy marshals raced to the scene of the shooting to assist Mac's group.

"One of our guys was seriously wounded," Mo reported to Phil a few minutes later after a call to the dispatcher at state police Troop G.

Mo's car was parked at the house on Barksdale Air Force Base where it mostly stayed these days. After a quick check around the building, Phil and Mo found only one extremely busy FBI agent, so they arrived at Confederate Memorial Hospital about ten minutes later by cab. The wounded deputy marshal had been taken there because the public hospital had North Louisiana's finest and by far most experienced trauma unit.

Phil was barely inside the first double door of the emergency room when he spotted Patty running toward him at full speed. By the time he had passed through the second set of doors, she had leapt at Phil, who caught her in his arms as she began kissing him all over his face.

"Thank God you're all right," she gasped.

"It was the decoy group that was attacked," Phil explained, then quickly followed with a question.

"Where's Ann Marie?" he asked.

That question intensified Mo's concentration. The state policeman had already begun scanning the faces in the crowded waiting area, searching for someone who might be there to finish the job that had been botched at the Texas Street Bridge.

"She's in the back checking on the wounded deputy marshal," Patty answered.

"They broke in on television and said that a convoy of cars occupied by federal law enforcement officials had been attacked by gunmen in downtown Shreveport and that the wounded were being taken here. I just knew it was you.

"Thank God, it wasn't," she gasped.

The three of them moved cautiously into the waiting room. In less than five minutes, Ann Marie emerged from the big double doors with 'No Admittance' painted on them in big red letters.

"Who was it?" Patty blurted out, when the deputy marshal was still ten feet away.

"Mac," Ann Marie answered.

"He's lost a lot of blood, but he's alive."

"Is he going to make it?" Phil asked.

"Too soon to tell," Ann Marie answered.

There was quiet among them for almost a full minute.

"You left her alone," Phil said quietly, but very sternly.

"I told her to go," Patty responded at once.

"They wouldn't let me through the doors," Patty explained.

But Phil's words of rebuke still hung in the air and might just as well have been written on Mo's face.

Remembering his days as a journalist, Phil ushered the group of four across the waiting room to what appeared to be a closet. The door was cracked and Phil looked in to see the extremely small room was empty. They all squeezed in and Mo closed the door behind them. There was one chair, a small countertop attached to the wall and a red telephone. On the wall behind the phone was a rectangular piece of poster paper with a single word written in black marker ink. 'Press' the sign said. Phil picked up the phone and placed a call.

"Thank God you're all right," Phil heard Maria say into the phone.

"Just a minute, the assistant attorney general is right here," she added before turning over the phone to their boss.

"God am I glad to hear your voice," John Brinker said after both men had said hello.

"How many of our people were shot?" the assistant attorney general asked.

"The only one I know about is Special Inspector Preston MacGregor. He was badly wounded and we don't know whether he will live," Phil answered.

"What about the shooters?" John Brinker asked.

Phil repeated the question out loud and Ann Marie answered.

"Two dead and at least four at large. Some of them might be wounded," the deputy marshal answered.

"Did you hear that?" Phil asked, then paused to listen to another question.

"Mac led the decoy cars and they left the base before we did. Our group took another route four minutes after the first cars pulled out. We heard the report of the shooting on the two-way just after we left the base," Phil answered.

"I guess we owe your life to Gennuso," the assistant attorney general suggested.

Phil agreed.

"He certainly warned us what they would do," Phil said.

"We need more people here," Phil told John Brinker after a momentary pause.

"Most of the Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies are out looking for these suspects along with every federal law enforcement officer in North Louisiana. We've got fourteen suspects set for arraignment in federal court and fifteen in state court. We also have the most arrogant and senile US district judge in America running completely amok.

"As a matter of fact, if Judge Hawkins hadn't ordered me into court, this ambush would probably have never happened," Phil said, then paused and fell silent for a moment.

"Let me take that last part back," Phil said after the silence.

"Judge Hawkins could just as easily have saved my life. If he hadn't called me to court early, Morello's people might have had more time to set up their people for the assault. The change in timing might have caught them off guard," Phil said.

"I suppose we'll never know," Phil's boss said.

"I'm just grateful you're all right and I hope MacGregor recovers.

"As to the manpower, we've gotten a plane from the Air Force and we're rounding up people to send now. We're hoping to be wheels up from Andrews in no more than two hours. Maria's also calling Houston, Dallas and Oklahoma City looking for more manpower.

"Good luck with your judge. I'll make a call and offer to pay expenses to bring in a judge to help with the hearings and offer to send some more clerks to help with the motions, but ultimately it will be up to Judge Hawkins to decide whether he'll accept the assistance," John Brinker finished.

"I'll call you back as soon as we know more," Phil said.

"We've got to get out of here," Phil said to the other three when the phone call was finished.

"The television cameras will be here any minute and that's the last thing I need right now."

Seconds later, Mo thrust the door open and the four burst back into the waiting room. Mo spotted a janitor, flashed his badge in his face and ordered him to lead the way to the hospital director's office. The first TV camera entered the waiting room just as Ann Marie passed through the door on her way out of the emergency area.

In a few minutes, Phil's group was set up in the director's conference room and the director's secretary had been designated to assist the visitors.

"Could you go down to the emergency room and get us an update on the condition of Special Inspector Preston MacGregor of the US Marshals Service?" Phil asked the secretary.

Next Phil called Nita to report that he was okay and had not been attacked.

"Is Patty there?" Nita asked after she became convinced that Phil had not been hurt and seemed to be safe.

"Yes," Phil answered hesitantly.

"May I talk with her, please?" Nita asked and Phil handed the telephone receiver to Patty.

Phil was puzzled by what his life had become; but he had too much to do to continue dwelling on those thoughts. Phil called Maria to check in and report his new location and temporary phone number.

"Judge wants to talk with you," Maria said after Phil had passed on his information.

"Who?" Phil asked.

"The assistant attorney general," Maria said, pausing for a laugh.

"The girls in the office call him Judge. He was a state supreme court judge in Pennsylvania before he came to Washington," Maria explained.

"Anything new on MacGregor?" John Brinker asked when he picked up the phone.

"We're waiting to hear," Phil answered.

"I just sent someone down to check."

"I just got off the phone with the attorney general," Phil's boss said.

"It seemed he had just hung up from talking with your Judge Hawkins. The way he told it, the judge did the talking and he mostly listened."

Phil couldn't contain his laughter.

"He said the man kept getting people confused, including you and Reilly and his own US attorney. One minute, the judge would complain about cases from the eastern district being assigned to his court. Then the next, he would swear and vow that he was going to lock up every last one of those gangsters.

"What the attorney general wants to know is can we count on this judge to conduct trials that are likely to stand up on appeal? And can we rely on him to try the New Orleans cases and not bump them back to the eastern district? Do we need to get a special judge assigned down there?" John Brinker asked.

"As crazy as he sounds, his trials are rock solid. He may be senile and crazy acting in his dealings with lawyers and others around the courthouse, but I've covered a number of trials in his court and he's as good as I've seen.

"My guess is that shootout on Texas Street probably hit him pretty hard. It's my firm opinion that if we bring good cases into his court we'll get convictions and maximum sentences. That said, I can't promise you he won't become a thorn in the attorney general's side. Judge Hawkins has been around so long that he has convinced himself he invented the law," Phil said.

"I'll pass it along. He doesn't seem too much worse than a lot of other federal judges I've known," the assistant attorney general said.

"Hold on just a minute. We're getting an update on Mac. Do you want me to call you back?" Phil asked.

"No, I want to wait," his boss answered.

Phil listened to the secretary's report, then repeated the information into the telephone.

"The doctors have him stable enough for surgery. There's a slight chance he could lose a leg and he's still listed as critical, primarily based on the amount of blood he lost. The operation could take as long as three hours," Phil said.

"We're going to stay here until the surgery's finished at least," Phil added.

"How much security do you have?" John Brinker asked.

"We've got Ann Marie, the deputy marshal assigned to Patty and Mo," Phil answered.

"I want you to call the state police and get two more troopers over there to secure the area where you are working. And if it's possible, we'd like to have two armed men guarding the operating room where MacGregor is.

"Will you do that right now, please?" Phil's boss asked.

"Yes," Phil responded.

"Tell the state police we'll replace their men with the first federal officers who reach Shreveport, okay?"

After he hung up, Phil called Captain Porter.

"I'll be right over," the state police captain said, "and I'll bring three men with me."

The troopers were replaced by deputies from the US Marshals Service around four in the afternoon, but Captain Porter stayed. An hour later, two more deputies from the marshals service arrived with Mrs. MacGregor.

"Is he still alive?" Joyce MacGregor asked Phil as soon as they were introduced.

"He is and I was told about ten minutes ago that his vital signs were still good, but I must tell you that the surgery has lasted much longer than we were initially told that it would. We were told that the surgery was late getting started because they wanted the two best surgeons in Shreveport. It took a few minutes to get them here," Phil explained.

Joyce was quiet for a moment, but Phil sensed there was something she wasn't saying.

"What is it you want to ask me?" Phil coaxed.

"I'm sorry, but is this the best place for Preston to be? I'm sorry to ask its just …,"

"I understand," Phil answered.

"This hospital has the best trauma center in North Louisiana. Officers don't get shot around here very often. But when they do, they're always brought here because it's the place that gives them the best chance of survival," Phil continued.

"But the name, Confederate? I'm sorry I didn't see all the name, but that word just sent a chill through my spine," Joyce said.

"I apologize," Phil offered.

"Confederate Memorial Hospital is part of the Louisiana charity hospital system. Public hospitals here are run by the state, not by the county as they are in most places. The name is unfortunate and I know that walking through the emergency room area doesn't inspire confidence, but believe me Mac is getting the absolute best care available around here.

"And just to make sure nothing is missed, Governor McClellan has his official plane on the ground in Houston and ready to fly in case any specialist available there is needed up here. I owe Mac my life and he's going to get the best available. I promise," Phil said.

Joyce fell into Phil's arms and was immediately overcome by her own sobs.

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 12

Phil couldn't risk making a phone call from the borrowed home. So about an hour before sunset, Mac drove him to a payphone at a convenience store approximately three miles away.

"Hello," Jean said into the phone.

Phil could tell right away that Patty wasn't back from shopping. The usual sounds of chaos could not be heard at the other end of the call.

"Hi Jean, it's Phil," he said, a smile coming to his face as he pictured Patty's beautiful sister standing at the wall phone in her kitchen.

"Hello, Brother-in-Law. Changed your mind and decided you want to move in with us?" she teased.

Phil felt homesick, homesick and happy at the same time. He supposed he was happy to be talking about something that had nothing to do with the Mafia.

"I take it from the quiet in the background that the kids aren't back from shopping, yet," Phil suggested.

"Why, do you want to come by for a beer?" Jean asked.

"I'm thinking of taking up drinking. Tonight might be a good time to start."

Phil laughed at Patty's sister, wondering if she had ever tasted alcohol. Jean was more adventurous than her little sister.

"I'm not really that close," Phil answered.

"Yeah, I heard, another mystery location," Jean said.

"I know you're worried," she continued, "but Patty's doing fine. She loves Mrs. Angelelli and the kids were almost as happy to see her this morning as she was to see them.

"Patty's strong. She'll be fine. I'm the one you should be worried about. Not only has my sister abandoned me with these hellions, but now we have a police car permanently parked outside the house. And I'll never know if the Mafia shows up, because there's always a cop in my back yard with a flashlight. Your friends from New Orleans could come for us. And so long as they use flashlights, we'd never know it wasn't the police," Jean teased.

"Jean, I'm so sorry I dragged you and the children into this mess," Phil began only to be interrupted.

"Stop," she said.

"No one could have had any idea all these things were going to happen. The way I look at it, the way the whole family sees it, you and Mo are keeping all of us safe from these monsters."

Phil chuckled.

"I'm serious," Jean scolded.

"I know you are. I wasn't laughing at what you said," Phil told her.

"What then? What's so funny?" Jean asked.

"The word monsters," Phil answered.

"I'm with one of these monsters right now and his whole family. And you know what? We've had a wonderful day. We cooked hamburgers. We played softball. The kids played hide-n-seek. I watched him hold hands with his wife, put his arm around her shoulder, kiss her just like any other husband would.

"It's surreal," Phil said.

"Is he the one who killed Aubrey?" Jean challenged.

Phil felt immediately cold as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water.

"No," Phil said softly.

"Maybe not, but he could be. If not him, couldn't it be someone just like him?" Jean asked.

"They're not like us, Phil, no matter how cute their kids may be," Jean said, a tone of sympathy and understanding in her voice.

"They kill people. They ruin lives."

Phil knew she was right. Jean was smart and perceptive.

"I probably won't get to call back tonight, so tell her I called. Tell her I love her, please," Phil said.

"She understands and she loves you. So do I and so do the children. So you keep yourself safe, okay?" Jean urged.

"I will," Phil promised.

It was only a short ride back to the borrowed house, but Phil thought of a million things as they drove into the darkening skies.

"Roman soldiers," he spat out, not realizing he was talking aloud until he heard Mac's voice.

"What's that?" Mac asked.

"Vinny told me Zip calls his men Roman soldiers. Can you believe that?" Phil asked.

Well, from what I've read, some of those guys weren't all that much better than these animals," Mac answered, causing Phil to laugh.

"I suppose that's true," Phil mused.

In it for life, Phil thought again.


The next stop on the base-hopping tour was Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert. Vinny's family was moved out of Arizona just in time.

Danny had news at breakfast, but first he had to get Phil away from Vinny.

"I need you to make a call," Danny said to Phil as Phil and Mo walked up to the table.

Danny rose to lead Phil out of the room as Mo took a seat at the table with Vinny. Danny waited until they got to the room with the phones to speak so no one would overhear.

"We've got two guys from Chicago in the brig at Luke Air Force Base," Danny reported.

"Mafia?" Phil asked.

"Big time. They were showing a picture of Vinny around a bar where airmen hang out. One of the guys who had been on the flight line when your plane landed Saturday put Vinny with the picture and became suspicious that something was wrong. He had made you and Mac for cops on Saturday. When he saw two thugs showing the picture around the bar, he pieced things together, decided that Vinny must be somebody in need of protection.

"He lured the two Chicagoans over to the NCO Club at Luke, claiming that he had heard somebody talking about a guy who might look like the fella in the picture. When they got to the bar at the NCO Club, this sergeant said that he would call his friend and ask him to come to the club.

"Instead, he called a buddy in Security Police. Five minutes later, the cavalry shows up and the hoods are busted," Danny said.

"Any money change hands?" Phil asked.

"You betcha," Danny answered.

"One of the mobsters gave the sarge a C-note for his trouble before they left the bar off base.

"I was going to phone Ken and get him to call Phoenix and get some guys from the taskforce there up to Flagstaff," Danny said.

"I've got a better idea. I'll call Ken. You call the US attorney in Flagstaff, tell him who you are and what we've been doing with a protected witness in his jurisdiction. Have him send some deputy marshals over to the base to pick up these guys. Ask the US attorney to loan our task force one of his assistants to take these guys before a federal magistrate for a quickie arraignment.

"I'll get on the horn with Maria and have her work some of her magic with the Air Force. With a little luck, we'll have them in federal custody in Shreveport in time for supper. How does that sound?"

"Too good to be true," Danny said.

"What if the magistrate won't play ball?"

"I can arrange for a very persuasive Assistant United States Attorney General to give him a call. Worst case, we've got these guys locked up in the custody of the US marshals in Flagstaff. But I'm willing to wager we do way better than worst case," Phil said, his eyes twinkling with confidence.

"I think I remember why I wanted you in this job," Danny teased.

During the morning interview session with Vinny, Phil and Danny briefed their witness about the arrest in Arizona.

"And you haven't spotted anyone sneaking around my family?" Vinny asked.

"Not a soul," Mac answered, "but we decided to move them anyway, just in case."

Maria's call came just before the lunch break and Phil decided to take it in Vinny's presence.

"That's great," Phil said into the phone, then turned to the others in the room.

"Our visitors from Chicago are in the air headed for Barksdale," Phil announced.

Vinny appeared puzzled.

"That's the airbase in Shreveport," Danny explained softly.

A big smile appeared on Vinny's face. After Phil finished the call with Maria, he placed a second one to Eb.

"I think I kind of remember you," the special prosecutor teased.

"The word I get," Eb continued, "is that US magistrate in Tucson is not a big fan of the Supreme Court. He immediately took charge, told the suspects they had waived their right to an attorney and that they would have an attorney present later in the day at their bail hearing. The guy signed an order turning the thugs over to the US Marshal Service, tapped his gavel and left the room.

"The US attorney here has a bail hearing set at four-thirty this afternoon. Johnny Pisanti's been screaming his head off all over the courthouse and Judge Hawkins sent his bailiff to find out how he heard the guys were headed for Shreveport. The judge told his bailiff to warn Pisanti that if he didn't shut up, he was going to get himself locked up for contempt before his clients arrived."

Phil laughed.

"Has anybody checked warrants on these guys?" Phil asked.

"I was just getting to that. One of 'em has seven outstanding felony warrants in Cook County alone. He's never even been arraigned on any of those charges in Chicago. But it gets better. The other one is an escapee from a state prison in Missouri. There is no way on earth these guys are going to make bail," Eb declared.


Patty had never flown on a plane before and she had never spent so much money at one time as her ticket to Los Angeles cost. It was hard to describe her emotional state, but excited was not nearly an adequate word.

"Angie this is all so wonderful, but I'm afraid I'm butting in. I can't believe your friend would just take me into her home like this," Patty protested.

"Don't be silly. She's looking forward to it. I've told her how much fun we have and what a great guy Phil is. We were young mothers together. Our children were born within two weeks of one another. In Japan, we did everything together because our husbands were always off in Korea flying missions. Denise and I are closer than sisters," Angie said.

Patty's trip had actually been Angie's idea, but it took encouragement from both Jean and Phil to put things over the top. Thursday, everyone but Phil and Sam from the Louisiana group were gathering in New Orleans to meet with the lawyers and investigators from Washington and Shreveport.

At first, John Brinker had insisted that Phil be there. But Ken and Phil had prevailed. Things were just too tenuous with Vinny for Phil to be away from him for four days. When the meetings were over, there would be an initial list of people who would be presented to federal and state grand juries for indictment. Vinny would be the key witness against several of these suspects and involved in the prosecution of a number of others. It was just too critical a moment to risk triggering Vinny's mercurial states of mind.

Vinny's family, staying nearby in Southern California, would be brought to Edwards Air Force Base for a long weekend, so Phil wouldn't be going back to Louisiana. Patty cried when she got the news. But in less than half an hour, Angie had stepped in and suggested that Patty be part of the family weekend at Edwards. Phil agreed. Ann Marie got approval from Washington and the planning began.

After the weekend, Vinny and his family would move to other locations and the long process of putting Vinny's testimony on film would begin.

The on base home of one of Edwards' senior noncoms was borrowed for Vinny's family. It was picked because of its spaciousness and because it was at the end of a street and could be easily sealed off. The lucky family being moved out of their home would get to spend the weekend at Disneyland on the tab of the United States Department of Justice. But Patty had been warned more than once not to mention that. Since there was no way the marshals service could look out for the safety of Vinny's kids at a place like Disneyland, Mac wanted to make sure the thought wasn't put in the Gennuso children's heads.

Southern California might seem warm to visitors from Iowa. But for folks from Louisiana, it seemed chilly, particularly in the early evening when Patty and Phil arrived for the Gennuso family cookout. Patty was captured by how beautiful Vinny's children were, and shocked by the giant hug Phil got from Vinny as soon as their party walked into the backyard of the borrowed home. But Vinny wasn't finished. As soon as he released Phil, he immediately put his arms around Patty.

"I'm Vinny," he said.

"I can't tell you how much I love Phil and how honored my family is to have you as a guest."

Phil was no help. He just laughed. Ann Marie was clearly nervous, but she avoided reaching for her gun.

"Aren't you going to hug Ann Marie, too?" Phil teased.

"She'll shoot you."

Everyone laughed, even the deputy marshals from Arizona who were providing protection for Vinny's wife and children. Patty moved on quickly, introducing herself to the children, learning their names and telling them about her nieces and nephews, who were very close in age.

"I was surprised how quickly I became comfortable with the Gennusos. I had a great time and the kids are adorable," Patty said as Mac drove back to the base commander's house.

"I'm not," Phil answered.

"Except for Vinny's chosen field of endeavor, they're a great family. What's so sad is that the kids have no idea why they're having to hide out and move around. Ginny hasn't been able to explain it to them. The only thing she's come up with so far that they can grasp is that some bad people killed their uncle.

"They think their father sells insurance for a living and they call Morello Uncle Carlos."

Patty squeezed Phil's hand very tightly.

"That's so sad," she said.

"I hope they never find out. But I guess things are not going to be like that for them, are they?" Patty asked.

"I'm afraid not," Phil admitted.

Saturday morning, Patty, Phil, Ann Marie and Mac picked up the Gennuso children at their borrowed home so Vincent and Ginny could have a day together on their own. All the kids wanted to ride in the car with Patty, so Phil and Mac followed behind in the second car.

"I am so glad I got to come," Patty said, taking Phil's hand as they walked through the zoo in Bakersfield.

"And I'm glad Mo got to go home. This is the first time he's spent more than an hour or two with his own family since this whole thing began."

"It wasn't easy," Phil said.

"I thought I was going to have to call Colonel Robichaux and get him to order Mo to go home. He has obsessed over my safety, particularly since Aubrey was killed."

Patty nearly crushed Phil's hand in both hers at the mention of Aubrey's death.

Phil assumed that two hours of junk food at the zoo would have the kids never wanting to eat again. But when the group walked into Shakey's Pizza around one o'clock, the hyper-wound up children had locust-like appetites. Toward the end of the sing along, the kids began clamoring for a visit to the beach, preferably Malibu. Eventually, they were able to accept that it was too far to go in the time they had left and they settled for a wild afternoon in a local playground.

"There are no apples in Apple Valley," the waitress explained as Patty and Phil watched the setting sun paint the mountains of California's high desert.

"Nobody knows where the name came from."

Phil and Patty didn't care. The kids had been parked at the theatre on base enjoying movie night with Air Force children and watched by two of the deputy marshals from Arizona. Mac and Ann Marie, posing as a couple, were seated several tables away. And for once, Phil and Patty were having dinner together in a restaurant that was not on an Air Force base.

"Angie took me to a luncheon the other day and I think I want to join the group. Would that be okay?" Patty asked, the question drawing a slight laugh from Phil before he answered.

"Well, I suppose, but why would you need my permission?" he asked.

"These are wives of men who get together to support one another because their husbands are on temporary assignment to Guam or the Philippines. From there, the husbands fly regular bombing missions over Vietnam. They rotate over for two weeks to a month, then come back to Barksdale until their next rotation," Patty answered.

"So they flip back and forth from being at home and being at war?" Phil asked.

"And that's really hard on everybody," Patty said.

"I guess I can see that, yes. But why do you think you need my permission to join the group?" Phil continued.

"Well they asked me to join, but we're not married for one thing. And for another, I don't want to run the risk of telling one of the members something that could endanger someone's life," Patty explained.

"I see," Phil said, a little light popping on in his head.

"I'll take it you're not suggesting we get married just so you can join this group," Phil teased, leading to a little pause while they both laughed.

"And I don't know of anything I tell you these days that would endanger you or anyone else. So, I don't see that as a problem. By all means, join if you think it will help you feel better about your life under your new protection routine.

"Did the women figure out who Ann Marie was and why she was there?" Phil asked.

"Yeah, they seemed to get that right away without being told. She's kind of all business," Patty answered, then looked to see if Ann Marie could hear that they were talking about her.

Phil guessed what Patty was doing, took a quick look for himself and became convinced the two security people couldn't hear the conversation Phil and Patty were having.

"And that bother's you, Ann Marie being so serious and businesslike?" Phil asked quietly, just to make sure he wasn't heard.

"No," Patty said.

"It's just that Mo is so much fun and I'm used to being around him and teasing. She's just different. Even when Angie and I are talking, she doesn't seem to feel comfortable joining in."

"Even if you ask her a question?" Phil asked.

"No, she's always polite and when we ask her questions she always answers. It's just," Patty paused, perhaps searching for words.

"She's not your buddy?" Phil suggested, causing Patty to laugh slightly.

"I guess that's it. You know how the guys at the station are, how they always tease me?" Patty offered.

"So you think everyone should be in love with you, just like the entire Shreveport Police Department," Phil quipped.

"That's not true," Patty protested.

"It absolutely is," Phil responded.

"I'm surprised you find time for me at all."

"Stop," Patty answered, unable to hide her smile.

The couple ate quietly for a moment, then Phil offered a question.

"And you felt better after having lunch with some of these wives?" he asked.

"I knew that I wasn't alone when I worried because your life is in constant danger. I knew these women were going through much the same thing and they seemed to sense the same about me. I guess Angie knew all of this before she invited me, because she went through this when her husband was flying missions over Korea during that war.

"And of course all of them, even Harry, fly missions that are called training missions, but could turn serious at a moment's notice. They carry what Angie calls live weapons and could be ordered to proceed to a target in Russia at any time. That part's too scary for me even to think about," Patty said.

"Just wait until the first time you are awakened in the middle of the night by a scramble, when ten or fifteen of those B-52s roar into the sky one right after another. I've only heard it twice. But both times, I was convinced that nuclear war had begun.

"It's just readiness training, but the real thing would sound exactly the same way. There's no way to tell the difference," Phil said.

Patty looked across the table and saw that most of the color had drained from Phil's face as he spoke those last words.

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 11

The big security meeting convened two days later in the commander's office at Barksdale.

John Brinker's major concern had been taken care of in advance.

"I'll be coming down for the meeting. I want to make sure there are no political issues between the marshals service and the Louisiana State Police," the assistant attorney general had told Phil,

Phil had proposed a compromise.

"Let me have the first crack at the man from the witness security program. If I run into a problem, I promise I'll back away and call you before it blows up. Danny's an old hand. Other feds respect him. I'll take him to the meeting with me. I'll talk to Mo first and reassure him, so he doesn't get his nose out of joint," Phil had countered.

When the meeting at Barksdale began in Colonel Harry Angelelli's office, Preston MacGregor, the detail supervisor in charge of the new federal security detail, was seated next to Mo. Phil sat on the other side of Mo holding Patty's hand hoping to calm her nerves. All Patty knew for sure was that her life and Phil's were about to change very significantly.

"We're there mostly to listen to the experts," Phil had told her.

He hadn't gone into detail, because he didn't know the specifics of the changes, only that they would be major. That point was emphasized by the fact that Colonel Angelelli had devoted a significant amount of his time and of his staff's resources to this problem smack in the middle of a war.

"Patty," the colonel said, turning his attention to a young lady he obviously admired very much, "I want to apologize for keeping you in suspense, but I understand the marshals service only finalized their plans just before this meeting."

"That's all right, Colonel," Patty answered with a tense smile.

"That's the first thing we need to change. I expect you to call me Harry from now on, please?" the colonel asked.

"I'll try," she answered, producing laughter around the table.

"Angela, my wife, I believe you two met once. Anyway, Angela and I talked for a long while last night and I got clear orders about this, so please don't argue or you'll get me in real trouble. All right?" the colonel asked again.

"Okay," Patty agreed with no idea where this conversation was headed, since she knew that the biggest concern was keeping Phil from being killed and could not imagine why the colonel was paying so much attention to her.

"Angela and I want to invite you to come live with us on base in our home. In fact, we insist and you've already promised not to get me in trouble," Colonel Angelelli asserted.

Patty dug her fingernails into the palm of Phil's hand. She was completely shocked by the announcement but managed a slight nod signifying something, perhaps her assent. There was too much to deal with and Patty was speechless for once.

"The marshals service has made it clear that they can't protect Phil without protecting you, particularly in light of the information coming from their chief witness that the Mafia might well try to harm you as a way of getting to Phil.

"Phil, I know this is news to you, too, and I apologize for springing this on you like this. But just as Angela would not hear of Patty living at the BOQ, she pointed out to me that it was time to get you out of there, too.

"So I want you and Mo to move into the guest house next to our home where the general stays when he visits and where other specialty officers spend time on occasion. Can you agree to that?" the colonel asked.

"Yes, sir," Phil answered.

Certainly, Phil could not argue in light of what had already transpired with Patty.

"Thank you," Harry said to Phil.

"I'm afraid there's more news for you, Patty. I think it best that Mr. MacGregor explains the rest," the colonel said, relieved that everything had gone well to that point.

"Thank you, Colonel," Preston MacGregor began.

"First, let me confirm what the colonel stated a moment ago. We have no chance of keeping Phil safe without enhancing the protection you have been getting and Trooper Melancon agrees."

Patty immediately looked intensely at Mo, who nodded his head, then agreed aloud in a firm voice.

"Just as Mo is going to continue to protect Phil twenty-four hours a day," the special inspector resumed, "we can't adequately protect you, Patty, without having someone with you at all times. Phil's boss, the assistant attorney general, insisted and we agreed that your protector should be a woman.

"So if I may, I'd like to introduce Deputy United States Marshal for the District of Columbia Ann Marie Sterling," Inspector MacGregor said.

The only other woman in the meeting stood and walked over to Patty and shook her hand. The Air Force officer who had been sitting next to Patty stood and moved to the chair previously occupied by the deputy marshal, so Ann Marie could sit next to Patty.

"Like all deputy marshals, Ann Marie has completed rigorous training in martial arts and the use of firearms. She's completed the executive security training offered by the US Secret Service and we consider her to be one of our best and best trained deputies.

"It took the personal intervention of the attorney general to get her assigned to you, Miss Phelps, and she will protect you with her life. And thanks to the hospitality of Colonel and Mrs. Angelelli, she'll be sharing a room with you in their home."

Preston MacGregor paused briefly to let some of this information sink in.

Colonel Angelelli used the pause to excuse himself so he could get on to other duties. He walked to where Patty sat and gave her a fatherly hug.

"Sorry I can't join you for lunch, but I'll see you tonight, okay?" he said in a comforting tone.

"Welcome to our family," he added.

"Thank you," Patty managed as her eyes teared over.

"Thank you so much, Colonel," Phil said as he rose to shake Harry's hand.

"I am very grateful for everything you have done and are doing," Phil added.

"It's the very least we can do. But everyone in the state of Louisiana is grateful for what you are doing, the risks you are taking, the sacrifices you make. That goes for you, too, Mo," the colonel said and Mo quickly rose to shake the colonel's hand.

"Thank you, sir," the trooper added.

The plan that Inspector MacGregor outlined was very thorough and Patty knew as she listened that her life was not going to be the same again for a long, long time. Patty struggled against tears as she rode with Phil in the back of the marshals service car. Mo rode in the front passenger seat.

"So Miss Patty, I guess I won't have to listen to you complain about me driving too fast so much for awhile," the state policeman teased.

Everyone laughed and the laughter helped break the tension. Deputy Marshal Sterling drove behind in the new marshal service car she would chauffeur Patty in. As soon as the cars pulled to a stop in front of the Angelleli house, Angela Angelleli appeared out of the front door and walked directly to Patty's car door, arriving just as Ann Marie Sterling was opening the door for Patty.

"I'm Angie," the colonel's wife told Patty, ignoring the young lady's outstretched hand and pulling Patty into a protective, motherly hug.

"We're so glad you're going to be with us. We just can't wait to meet your nieces and nephews. Tell me their names," Angela said.

"Jeanie, Willie, Horace and Darla," Patty said with a slight smile, pulling back from Angela's hug and looking into her face for the first time.

Angela Angelleli was even more beautiful than her husband, the colonel, was handsome. Patty glanced at the house, huge and somewhat colonial in appearance. It reminded Patty of houses she had seen in movies set in Hawaii or the Philippines perhaps.

"I want you to bring your nephews and nieces over very soon," Angie told Patty.

"I know you will miss them terribly and I don't want you to ever be shy about having them visit. There's so much for children to do on base, swimming, ballgames, dancing lessons, tennis. The list is endless and they're welcome to participate in all of it.

"I hear they're beautiful and delightful," Angie said, pausing.

"They may be beautiful, but they're absolutely wild," Patty responded.

"That's the way children should be. They grow up too fast and life becomes serious business before we know it," Angie said.

"Your house is stunning and so big," Patty said.

"Wait till you see the inside. These houses," Angie said, gesturing at the long row of beautiful homes for officers and their families, "are a big part of what makes duty at Barksdale one of the plum assignments in the Air Force."

"I know you've probably had enough coffee and tea in that interminable Air Force meeting this morning, but I have refreshments ready just in case," Angie offered once everyone was inside, standing in the foyer.

Introductions had taken place on the sidewalk in front of the house.

"I thought you'd like a tour of the house before lunch. And Patty and Ann Marie, I suspect you would like to start with the room you two will share. Follow me up the stairs," she directed.

Patty couldn't place Angie's accent. She just knew it wasn't southern.

"May I ask where you're from Mrs. Angelleli?" Patty asked.

"I was born in the base hospital at Fort Dix, New Jersey," she said, "but I've lived all over the world, first with my father and now with my husband. I'm not sure I can even name how many places I've lived anymore."

By the time she finished her answer, Angie was opening the door to Patty's new room. Patty couldn't help but gasp. The house was a mansion and her new room was something out of a movie.

"Am I really going to stay here?" she asked, bringing laughter to everyone in the room.

"You are. And Phil, just so you won't be completely left out, your room in the guesthouse next door is almost as nice. But I'm afraid it's done up in Air Force blue instead of pink. We did the pink and lace in here to match our daughter's room, which is just on the other side of that bathroom.

"Jenna is away at school at the University of Virginia," Angie announced.

"I've been mostly alone in this huge house ever since she left. As you'll soon see, Harry is almost never here. He comes in lots of mornings at one a.m. And most of the time, he's at the office before seven, except when he's flying. Those mornings he often gets up at four.

"I understand you work nights, Patty, so you might see him when you get home," Angie said.

Patty felt immediately comforted, which had been Angie's intention. Angie knew how upsetting all the changes Patty had learned about that morning were likely to be to the young woman.

The group had been seated at lunch for only about ten minutes when the cook came to the head of the table and whispered into Angie's ear.

"Phil, I'm afraid you have a phone call," the hostess said, unable to conceal her concern.

Patty squeezed Phil's hand very tightly, then he rose silently to follow the cook into the kitchen and the waiting telephone summons.

Phil was gone for just over twenty minutes. His facial expression was serious and perhaps a bit sad when he returned to the table.

"I am very sorry for the intrusion, Mrs. Angelleli," Phil apologized without returning to his chair, "but gentlemen, we have a plane to catch."

Phil looked first at Mo, then Danny and finally at Mac. The three rose quickly and offered apologies to Angie, Patty and Ann Marie as Phil walked to Patty, who now standing by then. There were tears in the corners of her eyes and Phil kissed each eye before embracing her.

"I'll call you tonight at work," he said before turning to the deputy marshal.

"Ann Marie, thank you for taking care of Patty," he said.

By the time the group reached the flight line, a KC-135 from Little Rock Air Force Base, which had been operating along the Louisiana-Arkansas state line, touched down on the big runway at Barksdale. In minutes, Phil's group was settled on board. Soon they were airborne, bound for Little Rock.

"We'll catch up with Vinny and Sam there," Phil told his colleagues.

"What happened?" Danny had asked in the car ride across the base.

"Vinny had to go to the bathroom in the middle of lunch, so Sam and the deputy marshal went with him. When the got back to the table, there was a copy of yesterday morning's Picayune sitting on top of Vinny's unfinished lunch. The paper was opened to a story about Jack Gennuso's funeral. A picture centered on Carlos Morelo at the gravesite was circled and the words 'You're next' were written above the photo," Phil had explained.

As the group settled in for the quick flight, Phil finished repeating the report he had gotten from Sam during the phone call.

"When he saw the paper, Vinny lost it. He started screaming and crying. Said 'they're going to kill my family.'

"The whole dining area was disrupted. The deputy marshal got the Air Force to lock down the bunker and start an investigation into how the paper was delivered," Phil said.

"It had to be someone in the Air Force," Danny said.

"Yeah, I called Ken. He's got people headed to Keesler Air Force Base to see if they can turn up anything there," Phil said.

"Yeah, the family's got lots of contacts with airmen there," Danny agreed.

Vinny was still a mess when he and Sam landed in Arkansas about two hours later and were taken to the secure area on base where Phil, Mo, Danny and Mac were waiting.

"You're family is fine," Phil said as Vinny literally fell into his arms upon entering the room.

"We have a number and we'll get them on the phone for you as soon as you get yourself together," Phil said after Vinny released him from a death grip.

"Morello found me inside the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command," Vinny announced in disbelief.

"I'm not safe anywhere."

"Where's my family?" Vinny asked after a quiet moment.

"They are in a safe house about two hours from Phoenix. Are you ready to talk to them?" Phil asked.

Vinny shook his head.

"Can I get a beer?" he asked, managing a slight smile.

Mo stood up and went to talk to the Air Force security policeman who was assigned to them.

"It'll take a few minutes. They've got to get permission from the base commander. Alcohol is not usually allowed in this area," Mo explained.

The beer arrived in about fifteen minutes as Vinny was poring over the basketball box scores in that morning's Arkansas Gazette.

"That's how he relaxes," Phil whispered to Mac.

"Guy's a bookie, through and through."

Vinny finished his beer and then asked to make the phone call. In moments the mobster's face was transformed as he laughed and teased with his children.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Phil said loudly enough for Vinny to hear him.

But the crisis was over. Gennuso was back in harmony with the cosmos. He paid little attention as Phil went to find a phone.

"You must call me Angie," Mrs. Angelelli said to Phil over the phone.

"I'll go check. Patty was in the shower getting ready for work just a minute ago, but I know she wants to talk with you. She was quite upset after you left, but she calmed down and we've had a good afternoon together."

"Thank you so much for taking care of her. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it," Phil responded.

"As you know, she is an absolute delight. And with Jenna away at school, Patty's coming here is just what I needed. Ah, just a minute.

"It's for you. It's Phil," Phil overheard Angie tell Patty.

"My hair's wet and Angie is so wonderful," Patty said, her mood clearly much improved from the teary separation the two had experienced a couple of hours earlier.

"You're going to be late for work," Phil teased.

"That happens too much these days, but don't worry. I always blame it on you," she teased back.

"Is everything all right?" Patty asked, her voice continuing in a light-hearted tone.

"Pretty much. Vinny had a bad scare, but things are better now," Phil answered.

"I don't suppose I should ask where you are?" she tried.

"No, that probably is something you're better off not knowing until we can get the security situation settled down a little," Phil said casually.

"Ann Marie showed me her gun. She's even going to take me to the target range and teach me how to shoot it," Patty challenged.

"I hope you do better than I did," Phil laughed.

"By the way, that reminds me. I need to find that shotgun Colonel Robichaux gave me. I'm responsible for that thing and I don't have the slightest idea where it is.

"I'm glad you're better and I love you very much," Phil said, indicating that the call was just about over.

"I love you and I'm sorry for the tears. I'm better now and I just know I'm going to love staying here. Angie and I are going to take the kids shopping Saturday," Patty said, an excited anticipation in her voice.

"Call me tonight?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Phil agreed before ending the phone call.

"Hope Patty's all right," Vinny offered with genuine concern in his voice as Phil came back into the room.

"I'm sorry I spoiled lunch," he added.

"She's doing much better and thanks for waking us up about her security. I can live through just about anything Morello's got up his sleeve. But I would never forgive myself if something happened to Patty," Phil said.

"Danny says we're going to see my family this weekend. I can't wait for you to meet them. They'll be really impressed," Vinny announced, apparently carefree.

Phil tried hard not to look stunned and gave a quick glance to Danny, whose expression seemed to be saying that he would explain later.

"That's great news, huh Vinny?" Phil asked, but Vinny had returned his attention to the box scores.

"I feel like a goat responsible for soothing the anxieties of a race horse," Phil told Sam a few minutes later as the two walked to an area where they could make phone calls.

Sam laughed.

"I would have never thought to put it in those words, but that's about the way it's been working out. When you're gone for more than a few hours, Vinny changes completely. Then, all you need to do is walk in the room and he's back to the guy we just left.

"I can't explain it, but the pattern is clear," Sam said.

"Can we keep him here until the family reunion this weekend?" the detective asked.

"I certainly hope so, unless Morello finds him again. I've got to talk to Washington, but it looks like we're going to have to move him every two or three days to stay a step ahead of the Morello family," Phil said.

"Surely, they couldn't get anyone inside one of these facilities who could actually execute him," Sam asserted.

"I don't think so, either, but they got that newspaper into one of the most secure spots on the planet. I think we're better off moving him around until we figure things out. Good thing SAC has so many bases to choose from," Phil quipped.

Sam laughed.

"I'm so glad we met," the detective teased.

Saturday morning, Sam and Danny went home. Phil, Vinny, Mo and Mac were up early to ride along on a training mission for some Air Force reservists to Luke Air Force Base in Flagstaff, Arizona. Just before one in the afternoon Mountain Time, the four pulled into the driveway of a beautiful mountain home outside Sedona. Vinny was immediately mobbed by his wife and children. The marshals service had thought of everything. They even had started a charcoal fire in the barbecue.

"This is what I've been missing," Vinny said, swigging on a beer as he turned over the dozen or so hamburgers sizzling on the grill.

"When you 'n Patty gettin' married?" Vinny asked Phil.

"See what you're missin'?" he asked in obvious reference to all the domestic bliss currently surrounding him.

"Not until this is over," Phil answered, beginning to relax a little and taking a sip from his own beer.

"This ain't never over. It's for life. That's what they tell us when we come in," Vinny said.

"And like it or not, you're in," the bookie said with a friendly grin on his face.

"You sound like Zip," Phil teased.

Vinny laughed.

"You know, Zip wanted you with us, wanted you to be a soldier. That's what he calls us, Roman soldiers. Anyway, he said you was the kind of guy who could lead us into the next era, more professional, big time stuff. Instead, you joined the other side.

"That's right. One side or the other, it doesn't matter. You're in this thing for life," Vinny said.

Phil took another sip of beer, smiled and gazed into the mountains.

God, I hope Vinny's wrong, Phil thought. This is not how I want to spend the rest of my life.

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 10

"Flying on Air Force planes is not my favorite thing to do," Phil told Patty as they were seated for dinner in the Officers Club back at Barksdale Air Force Base.

"This last one wasn't too bad. It was pretty much like a small airliner, except the seats were turned facing the tail of the plane."

Patty knew that Phil didn't like flying, no matter what it was on, but that's not what she wanted to talk about. She had been worried about Phil's safety to the point that she had actually thrown up.

"I called Nita," Patty said, "and she told me how Morello tracked you to Dallas. You could have been killed right there in the airport."

"Mo and Sam were with me. They had guns," Phil said.

"Besides, they didn't track us to kill us. They were hoping we would lead them to Vinny Gennuso. They want to shut him up," Phil explained.

Phil could see how worried Patty was and this was the point where he feared she might ask a question like: "This is never going to end, is it?"

Then, Phil would have to admit that it probably wouldn't and he would have to ask if Patty wanted out.

Patty took Phil's hands in hers.

"I know I say this too much, but it's what I feel so strongly. I am so proud of you and I admire you so much for what you are doing. And I pray all the time that nothing terrible will happen to you, but if it ever should, I will have no regrets. I wouldn't change a single thing," she said, smiling broadly.

"But you've given up so much," Phil protested, fighting back tears of joy.

"Don't take my word for it. Just call Nita and ask her if she wouldn't change places with me," Patty teased, lightening the mood at once.

"Oh, that reminds me. Nita tells me you have a new girlfriend in Washington, a mysterious older woman named Maria. Sounds exotic. Is she Spanish?" Patty asked tauntingly.

"Italian," Phil answered, laughing, "and you should be grateful. Because she was the one who had the Air Force bring us home and that got us here tonight instead of next year."

"Nice try, Quimo Sabe, but Nita already told me that the governor was sending his plane to get you, before her highness in Washington butted in," Patty answered and punctuated her jibe with a pinch on Phil's forearm.

"Anyway, it looks like Nita and I are the only two people in your life who aren't Italian. So I don't think that's such a big deal."

They both laughed and Phil relished how good the laughter felt, how good life could feel when he wasn't wallowing in the filth that Carlos Morello made.

Except for the occasional meals at the Officers Club, Phil had given up trying to eat anywhere except in his office. It was too much of a hassle. The next morning, Phil and Eb were sitting at the conference table he had borrowed from the FBI having takeout breakfast.

"I had a good talk with Sam late last night, while you were out partying," the special prosecutor teased his friend.

"Apparently your talk made a big impression on our protected witness. Vinny agreed to tell us everything he knows about the Morello family, except for things that may implicate his cousins in specific crimes.

"The first thing the FBI wants to do is build a timeline, starting with Vinny's original contact with the organization. His connection was an uncle, not his father. There has been a special team put together in Washington to match his information with known crimes and to reconcile what Vinny tells us with what has been learned from wiretaps, surveillance and informants.

"Sam's staying for the long haul and will flag us with tips and material he develops related to violations of state law," Eb explained.

"This sounds almost too good to be true," Phil said, clearly pleased by what he had heard.

"That's because it is. Vinny told Sam he'd never killed anyone and had never been an eyewitness to any killings," Eb answered.

"So he's not a made man," Phil interrupted.

"I'm not sure that term has the same meaning in New Orleans that it would have in New York or Chicago. Vinny's certainly part of the family, but he's a jovial and personable guy. That's a lot of what made him such a great earner. He had the biggest book in the family, working the Quarter and Mid-City.

"The way Vinny tells it, there was virtually no enforcement activity in his area. People paid him before they paid the rent. That doesn't sound like the Mafia I've heard about around here, but Sam believes it could be true. Sam says it's impossible not to like the guy."

"So, this is going to take a long time to work through?" Phil suggested.

"Unquestionably, but we may pick up some stuff we can use to help with cases we're already working. And another thing, they're compiling a much more accurate organization chart than we've had in the past. That could be useful in working these tax cases. What the Jefferson DA gave us is all abbreviations and partial initials. We're bogged down with that stuff," Eb said.

Phil looked relieved and was about to say so when the phone rang.

"Good morning, Maria," Phil said, answering as another smile formed on his face.

"I'm just learning that we're making some real progress with our witness. And by the way, thanks for everything you did to get me back home," he said, then paused to listen.

"That's why I'm calling," Maria said.

"The boss wants you and Eb and Ken up here this afternoon to guide the people who are setting up the system to correlate the information we're developing. Tell me when you've got a pencil, I've got your flight information for you."

Phil began writing.

"Good thing we're having breakfast already. Looks like we've just got time to head for the airport," Phil teased.

Maria laughed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't worry. It's what I signed up for.

"Is that it?" he asked before saying goodbye.

"Not quite," Maria answered,

"Danny and Sam want you back where they are when we get through with you up here. I'll have to work that out with our friends in the blue suits."

Eb could see Phil cringe, but Phil said nothing into the phone to match the expression Eb observed on his friend's face. Everyone was careful not to use the words Altus or Oklahoma, especially over the telephone.

What Phil had suspected before they left for the airport turned out to be true once they were working in Washington. There was little or nothing he could contribute to setting up a system to organize the information being generated by the Vinny interviews. In stark contrast, Eb's skills made all the difference in how the project would be structured, but Eb would never have been invited without Phil. Someone, probably Maria, had put that together before the trip was set up.

"Eb's doing all the work," Phil admitted candidly to Sam that night when the two spoke by phone.
"Then why aren't you on your way down here?" Sam asked.

"Maria's working that out through channels, but I don't understand why you need me," Phil replied.

"I don't, but Vinny does. It's hard to explain, but we're not the kind of cops he's used to. I'm afraid neither Danny nor me would do well at NOPD," Sam said.

"Well, the interviews look great. I've been reading over them during the meetings," Phil offered.

"We need you to make sure that keeps happening. Vinny knows we're not politicians, that we don't have any juice. He knows you're close to McClellan and thinks you're a big wig at the justice department," Sam explained.

"So it's a question of respect? He thinks I can do something for him that you can't. Is that it?" Phil asked.

"Maybe. I can't put my finger on it exactly. It all seems to trace back to the build up Zip gave you to all the members of the organization.

"I'm not sure what the explanation is, but he keeps asking about you. And he was very much impressed when he heard you were in Washington this afternoon," Sam finished.

Phil laughed.

"Well, tell him I was with the attorney general today and handed him a folder containing some of Vinny's interview material. Maybe it will give his ego a boost," Phil said.

"Is it true?" Sam asked, a little disbelief revealed in the tone of his voice.

"Sure," Phil answered, pausing to laugh, "but I wouldn't put too much stock in it. It seems like they're working another protected witness up in New England. And I think the attorney general has our case confused with that one. You know, New England, New Orleans. They're both far outside the Washington sphere of importance."

Sam laughed.

"Well, I won't tell him that part. That's one thing about Vinny I'm truly convinced of. He believes he's giving up a whole lot to help us, so he needs a lot of reinforcement to keep himself convinced that other people feel the same way.

"Don't misunderstand me, things go well between us when we are talking. But I'm not sure he could find Shreveport on a map. The outer limits of his known world seem to be the Mississippi Gulf Coast and maybe Baton Rouge," Sam said.

Phil laughed.

"Maybe I should run out to a souvenir stand and get him a little brass paperweight of the Lincoln Memorial or something like that," Phil joked.

"Might as well bring him a moon rock. He wouldn't know the difference," Sam countered.

The next morning, Phil and Sam met for breakfast.

"There is not a hint of morality in that man," Phil said of Vinny.

Sam agreed.

"Psychologists would say he is an amoral personality, literally has no concept of right and wrong. It's a common trait in criminals, particularly so for professional killers."

"So are you saying we should doubt him when he tells us he's never killed anyone?" Phil asked.

"I can't say for sure, but I tend to believe him when he says that. It's probably not very important to us whether he did or didn't. It's pretty clear the Morello family has a lot of respect for him one way or the other. Danny says word is that bets are way down on the book he ran. He's a thoroughly likeable guy," Sam said.

Phil agreed. He'd spent about ninety minutes talking and drinking beer with Vinny the night before after arriving back in Altus.

When breakfast was finished, Danny showed up. Sam excused himself so he could go to the makeshift office they'd set up and make phone calls to Shreveport. Phil and Danny took coffee out to a little patio area near the club's swimming pool.

"This may be the first time since we got here the wind isn't blowing forty miles per hour," Danny said of the nearly perfect day they were sitting in, bright sun and a temperature of about fifty-five.

"Yeah, the winds were kicking pretty good when we landed at Tinker late yesterday on that KC-135. But by the time we took off in the Cessna 150 to fly out here, the sun had gone down and the winds were completely calm, just like now. It was like riding on glass up there," Phil said.

"You rode all the way from Maryland on a KC-135?" Danny asked.

"No, I rode to Omaha on a JetStar with a group of colonels from the Pentagon. The 135 from Tinker was up there training. They made a quick stop for some fuel and I rode with them back to Oklahoma," Phil replied.

"So, do you still think Vinny doesn't know anything?" Phil asked.

"Clearly, we believe now that he has a lot of knowledge about how the Morello family operates, a whole lot. But we're a very long way from turning any of that knowledge into direct evidence we can use in criminal trials," the treasury agent answered.

Phil silently marveled at how impatient people are, not just his friend Danny, but people in general. Danny didn't need chiding for his impatience, so Phil quickly turned the conversation back to his original point.

"What do you think I need to be doing here to help with Vinny?" he asked.

Danny sensed that Phil was eager to leave and also that Phil didn't realize that he really had special skills with witnesses in criminal cases, probably because Danny's young friend just couldn't think of himself as a cop. It was only a role he was filling reluctantly to catch the killer of his friend Aubrey Braud.

"Be Vinny's friend. He needs you and he's not someone we can count on to just do the right thing. This guy doesn't know what right is outside the concept of loyalty to supporting his family at home and being loyal to his family in organized crime," Danny explained.

"Vinny does get that you're a politician and an important one. People in his world are used to dealing with politicians. Sam and I are cops. And in Vinny's world, cops who aren't on the take are people to be avoided at all costs, mistrusted. They're the enemy.

"In short, there's no way Vinny can ever like Sam and me, but he likes you. I know I've said it before, but Zip told Vinny and the others often that you're a man to be respected," Danny added.

"But what about the notion that people cooperate with the police out of fear?" Phil asked.

Danny couldn't tell whether Phil wasn't buying his argument or just needed more convincing.

"Good people, law abiding people, might fall into that category, but Vinny's not afraid of us. He's afraid of Morello. We just remind Vinny that he's a rat, one who's gone over to the feds. And that's the worst thing a person can do in Vinny's world.

"Plus, Vinny is a man who lives on respect. Every time he walked into a bar in the Quarter, he could feel that respect. He knew he was important," Danny said.

"So he feels important having me around because I know John McClellan, because I shook hands with the attorney general, yesterday?" Phil asked.

"And because a full colonel flew you onto this airbase last night, which gets me to the most important point. When we checked the wiretaps this morning, we picked up a conversation between one of the other bookies and Zip. An airman at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi asked if information about Vinny's whereabouts was worth something to him.

"The bookie took a hundred dollars off the airman's tab and was told that Vinny was staying at Altus Air Force Base. We've got to get Vinny out of here. Do you think your lady in Washington can help us with that?" Danny asked.

"Okay," Phil agreed, standing to leave, "I'll make the call right now. Does Sam know?"

"No, I just found out before I came to join you. You think we need to get him out of here right now, don't you?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to the base commander and see where he can give us a ride to right away. When we get there, I'll call Maria and see what she can come up with. I just hope it's not some place with three feet of snow on the ground," Phil said, trying to lighten up an extremely bad situation.

Within the hour, a C-130 on a training mission for the Texas Air National Guard taxied right up to the open door of a hangar. Five minutes later, the whole task force crew was in the air. The C-130 did a series of touch and gos at Sheppard Air Force Base, then at Carswell Air Force Base and finally landed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene. Phil got extremely sick, but never threw up. The expression on Vinny's face was of deep concern as Phil headed off to find a phone. Phil looked a little less pale when he came back to the group.

"The Air Force is sending some lunch over to us," Phil announced.

"Geez, do you feel well enough to eat?" Vinny asked.

"Thanks. Yeah, I'll probably eat something. Maybe Maria will find a better ride out of here for us than the one I came up with on my own," Phil teased.

Phil headed back to the bathroom to wash his face again.

"Where we going, now?" Vinny asked a few minutes after the big KC-135 lifted off from Dyess.

"Offutt Air Force Base," Phil answered.

He was still a little shaky from the morning's airsickness, but feeling better. Lunch had helped and he knew that riding on the big tanker was likelier to agree with his stomach.

"I flew through there yesterday," he added.

"Is it cold there?" Vinny answered.

"I'm afraid, so," Phil answered, laughing, "but we're not going to be outside much, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"I'll bet Zip finds us in less than forty-eight hours. Whatcha say? Hundred bucks?" Vinny responded with a laugh.

"Dollar," Phil answered.

"I never bet more than a dollar. But it doesn't make any difference how long it takes him to find where we are. Offutt's the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command, the home of the guys with the B-52s and hydrogen bombs. We'll be in the area where access is controlled by armed guards.

"Of course, if nuclear war breaks out, we'll have to give up our bunks so the command staff can move in," Phil teased.

"That could be a challenge even for Zip," Vinny agreed.

Everyone laughed and Phil's face began to relax. The plane had climbed through the low clouds and the ride was smoothing out. Vinny turned serious.

"You know, you guys are spending too much time worrying about keeping me alive. They'll pick their spot and time and they'll hit me before I get in a courtroom to testify, but you've got bigger things to worry about," he said.

Phil looked at his new best friend and could tell that Vinny was genuinely concerned. He wondered if he should tell him that they would tape any testimony in advance just in case, but decided against it.

"What you should be doing is providing better protection for yourself. Just because nothing has happened yet, doesn't mean a thing. Morello will find a way to get to you," Vinny said.

He wasn't smiling and Phil turned serious as well.

"If you know something specific about a contract or anything else, now might be a good time for you to tell me what you know," Phil said.

"I don't know much. I know they've been following you and they know your routines. I know they've decided not to try anything on the airbase or in the federal building unless they have to. I haven't heard any specific plan, but I know they'll take Mo out first," Vinny said, looking at the trooper.

Phil looked quickly at the state policeman. His expression had turned cold, even deadly.

"What do you mean when you say that they wouldn't try anything on the airbase or in the federal building unless they have to?" Danny asked.

"Why would they have to and why would they possibly think they could pull off something on federal property without getting caught?"

Vinny's expression hadn't changed. It was serious, but not overly so, more like matter-of-fact.

"Oh, they know if they do it in one of those two places, the guy gets caught. They would never say so out loud, but they hope he gets killed in the process, cleaner that way, no loose ends.

"Again, I've never heard any specific talk about this, just me and some of the other guys sittin' around shootin' the breeze. But what we figure is they bring in somebody from Italy. He gets caught. He doesn't know anything, right? So he can't tell anybody what he doesn't know. He gets his orders in Naples or someplace like that. He never meets Zip or anybody, probably flies into Chicago or something."

Vinny looked directly at Danny.

"Anyway, you got to get serious about Phil's security. You need to get some decoy cars. You need to get Mo more help. Everybody agrees he's good, but he's just one guy.

"You thought about a sniper hit in the parking lot at the federal building? Cause, I guarantee you Zip's thought about it. Maybe the easiest way to get him is in Washington? I don't know. I'm not an expert, but believe me Zip is and he knows lots of guys in Chicago and other places. These guys have lots of experience takin' out federal witnesses and so on. Look how close they came to gettin' Sam," Vinny said.

When the group settled in at the airbase in Nebraska, Danny called Ken in New Orleans and reported the conversation with Vinny in detail.

"Gennuso's right," Ken answered, "things have been moving so fast that we've kind of lost track of the obvious. We're just making it too easy. I'll get on this and get back to you."

Ken Reilly made a call to John Brinker and relayed the information he had received from Danny.

"You're right," the assistant attorney general agreed, "we've taken our eye off the ball. I'm going to the director of the US Marshals Service and the commander at Barksdale Air Force Base. This investigation already has too many martyrs.

"There's one thing you didn't mention. We've got to get a safe place for Phil's girlfriend Patty to live and we've got to get her round the clock protection. You know what my biggest hurdle is going to be?"

"Phil," Ken answered.

John Brinker laughed.

"No, he's actually been pretty cooperative about the security. My biggest challenge is going to be to get marshals service to work with that trooper, Mo, because I know that Phil won't give him up."

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.

Bayou Pierre Book II: Chapter 9

"I don't know whether this guy knows anything worthwhile," Danny admitted candidly in a phone call from Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.

"I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case," Phil responded, "but one way or another, we had to get him out of New Orleans for good. The only thing for him there was certain death."

"That's true. I just hope we didn't ruin his life for nothing," Danny said.

"Gennuso ruined his own life forever the day he decided the Mafia was an acceptable way of making a living," Phil countered.

"You're right," Danny admitted.

"Look I think you and Sam and Mo should come over here. Maybe you guys can get something out of Gennuso. We're not getting anywhere the way things are now," Danny suggested.

"Don't tell me you're going to start treating me like a cop, too," Phil replied.

"I can see why Sam might be useful, but what could I contribute?" Phil asked.

Danny laughed.

"The guy admires you. He thought you showed a lot of courage, a macho thing, maybe. I don't know. And oh, Sorrento apparently talked about you a lot. Told the guys that the feds were mostly a bunch of bumbling bureaucrats. But you, on the other hand, were someone to watch out for, a man worthy of respect," Danny said.

Phil laughed.

"The next time we get Sorrento in custody, remind me to ask him why he's decided to give me such a prominent place in his life," Phil teased, drawing more laughter from his friend the treasury agent.

"And he really trusts Mo. He knows he owes him his life. And in the screwed up code these guys say they live by, to Gennuso, that means he's obligated to Mo.

"Anyway, we need you. One of the Air Force guys said you should talk to your man at Barksdale, that the Air Force may be able to give you a ride over here. They brought us over here from Phoenix and set us up," Danny explained.

"Okay," Phil answered.

"I'll make the arrangements and get back to you."

Twenty minutes later, Phil, Mo and Sam were on their way to Love Field in Mo's state police cruiser.

"We're about to wear this thing out, aren't we?" Sam asked, referring to Mo's state car.

"We could have taken your car," Phil teased back.

"The Air Force didn't have anything going directly to Albuquerque. The best they could have done was fly us to North Dakota, where we would ride back down with some general. We wouldn't get to Kirtland until ten o'clock tonight," Phil explained.

"So how does that explain why we're driving to Dallas. Didn't we just drive past a perfectly good airport?" Sam asked.

"Last plane of the morning for Love Field left ten minutes ago. Next one's not until two this afternoon," Phil answered.

"You know, Mo, it wouldn't hurt if you were to jump in somewhere and help me out. I seem to be taking a lot of abuse here over travel arrangements you made," Phil teased.

"I'm sorry. I think maybe I was still stuck back there on the part where Zip Sorrento thinks you're a man worthy of respect. Is that what Danny said?" the trooper teased.

The jibes about Phil's closeness to the Louisiana Mafia continued for some time. When the trio stopped to pick up hamburgers, Phil called Danny to tell him about their pending arrival in Albuquerque.

"Someone from the Albuquerque office will pick you up, probably from the marshal service. Whoever they send, you won't have any trouble picking them out of the crowd," Danny said, the remark producing laughter on both ends of the phone.

"Look, the Air Force people have moved us to a base house that was just vacated by an officer who was transferred. We're hoping that the more relaxed atmosphere will help us settle Gennuso down," Danny said.

All three men wore worried expressions as they took their seats on the plane at Love Field.

"I'd bet my pension on it," Sam said in response to Mo's question.

"Those guys in the terminal had mob written all over them."

Two short men with slicked black hair, olive complexions and shiny suits had paid way too much attention to the three men from Shreveport as they boarded the plane. Sam stood up and walked over to the gate agent near the front door of the plane and quietly showed him his badge and told him he was travelling with two other law enforcement officers.

"I'm pretty sure we were watched by two suspicious characters when we got on the airplane," Sam whispered to the agent.

"Without attracting too much attention, could you go to the ticket counter and see if they asked anyone about us after we came out to board?" Sam whispered.

The gate agent looked nervously at his watch as Sam described the two thugs.

"All right," the man agreed.

"Wait here and I'll be back."

Looking at his own watch, Sam guessed correctly that the agent was anxious to get his flight in the air.

"Is something wrong?" a stewardess asked Sam.

He quickly and secretively showed her his badge and credentials.

"I needed the agent to check on something for me. He'll be right back with the information," Sam explained.

"Well take your seat as quickly as you can. We're a little late and we're flying into strong head winds," she said, then turned to go help with the other passengers.

She paused and turned around again.

"Is there some kind of danger?" she asked the detective.

"No, there's no danger to the flight. I'll tell you the details about my request to the gate agent when we get in the air," Sam said, smiling to reassure her.

The gate agent confirmed to Sam that a man dressed as Sam had described had checked to see if his friend Phil Adley made the flight. He was concerned about his colleague being late for an important meeting in Albuquerque. After the obliging agent at the counter assured the concerned man that his friend was on the plane, the man walked quickly to a payphone close to the gate.

"We've gotta get Gennuso out of Albuquerque," Sam told Mo and Phil when he returned to his seat.

"Okay. What else?" Phil asked as Sam buckled his seatbelt.

"Maybe we should check and see where this plane's going after Albuquerque and just fly to the next stop. If someone watched us get on the plane in Dallas, there's a pretty good chance someone else could be watching and following in Albuquerque," Sam answered.

The door had been closed and the plane started to move.

"Too late," Phil remarked.

"I guess I can call Danny as soon as we land."

"Maybe we don't have to wait," Mo suggested.

As the no smoking light went off, Mo pushed his call button. When the stewardess appeared, Mo returned her smile and indicated she should look at the open commission identifying him as a Louisiana State Police officer.

"Could I talk to the stewardess Sam talked with earlier? I need to get up so I can speak with her in private," he said.

"Is there some kind of problem?" the stewardess asked, smiling to conceal her concern, just as she had been trained to do.

"We need some special assistance," Mo answered and the attendant led the trooper into the galley area near the front of the plane where the other stewardesses were busy preparing to serve snacks and drinks.

As soon as the plane reached cruising altitude, the stewardess Sam and Mo had talked with appeared at the row of seats occupied by the group from Shreveport.

"Mr. Adley," she said with a warm smile, "we are going to be able to help with your request. If you'll just come with me, please?"

When they were in the front galley, the stewardess closed the curtain behind them, then opened the door to the flight deck.

"Captain, this is Assistant Inspector General Adley of the justice department," she said, introducing Phil to the pilot.

Phil shook hands with the three flight crew members. The second officer handed Phil a headset.

"Put these on your ears," he instructed pointing to the bulky headphones, "and when you want to talk, press this button," the officer added, demonstrating how to operate the push to talk switch on the headset.

The second officer then put his own headset back on and began communicating with the airline's operation center in Tulsa. Phil could hear everything that was being said at both ends of the conversation. Next he heard the ringing sound of a telephone. After two rings, Phil heard Maria's familiar voice.

"Assistant Attorney General Brinker's office," she said.

Phil looked at the officer who initiated the phone patch.

"Just push the button he said," indicating that Phil should press the push to talk switch.

"And let it up to hear the response," he added.

"Maria, it's Phil Adley and I'm talking to you from the radio of an airliner. I'm on the flight deck and we're on our way to Albuquerque. I need help with an urgent matter he said," he said, then released the button so he could hear Maria.

"Okay. Mr. Brinker is in a committee hearing over on the Hill, but I can reach him. Just tell me what you need and I'll call him right away," Maria said, sounding very much as if this were the kind of situation she dealt with every day.

"Well do call him, of course. But I think you need to do some other things first. We have an important subject in our care at Kirtland Air Force Base and his safety has been seriously jeopardized. I'm going to give you a number for Special Agent Dan Hodge of the task force in New Orleans. Please tell Danny that he needs to get our subject off that air base right away and I need you to help arrange that in the most expeditious way possible.

"Can you do that for me?" Phil asked.

"Absolutely," Maria responded, when Phil released the push to talk switch.

"Good. Here's the number," Phil said, then called it out to her.

"After you've made whatever arrangements are needed, then please call the assistant attorney general and tell him what's going on. I'm about to ask the captain of the plane if we can stay on in Albuquerque and ride to the next stop, which is Las Vegas."

Phil looked over to see the pilot was nodding his head to affirm that the three could remain on board in Albuquerque.

"The captain is nodding, which I think means that we can go on to Las Vegas. I hope that our doing that will help draw attention away for the subject at Kirtland. So when you've gotten the arrangements made to get Danny and his person out of New Mexico, could you then make a plan to get us to wherever you arrange to send them?" Phil asked.

When the plane rolled to a stop in Las Vegas, their stewardess came to their seats before the door was opened.

"There's a car waiting for you at the foot of the ramp. We've been told to get you into it before the rest of the passengers get off the plane," she said, her professional smile firmly in place.

The door to the flight deck was open as the three walked past.

"Thank you, Captain," Phil called in as they moved by.

"Glad we could help," the pilot said in response.

In a few minutes, a car driven by a plainclothes airport security officer was driving the trio around the runways to an unmarked hanger perhaps a mile from the main terminal building. As they got out of the car, the three spotted a C-130 transport taxiing toward them.

"I think that's your ride," the security man said.

Phil knew Maria was really good at what she did, but this was amazing.

"Mr. Adley?" he added.

"That's me," Phil answered.

"You're supposed to call your office in Washington. There's a phone in the office inside the hanger you can use. There are bathrooms in there, too," he said.

"You ready to go to Oklahoma?" the major smiled when the trio walked out of the hanger and in toward the transport plane.

"Willis Draper," the major said as he reached to shake hands with each of the three, who responded by giving their names along with their handshakes.

"Where we going?" Mo asked of no one in particular.

"Altus Air Force Base," Phil answered.

"Looks like that's our new rendezvous point with our friends from New Orleans," he explained.

"Sorry our seats are not quite as comfortable as that 707, but you'll have lots more room to spread out," Major Draper teased.

The flight was just under three hours and there was a staff car waiting on the flight line when Major Draper pulled his ship to a halt.

"That was not the most fun I've ever had," Phil told the other two as they rode to the Officer's Club.

Sam had spent some time during the flight explaining how much worse the air transport he had experienced during the Korean War had been. He let Phil's remark pass without further rebuttal.

"Any idea what we're walking into?" he asked.

"All Maria told me was that she had arranged transport on a flight to Altus with a general who was returning to Washington. She said that Danny and the other two agents and Gennuso would be dropped off here. I don't know whether they're here or not," Phil answered.

After a quick bathroom stop, the three from Shreveport were led to a private room off from the main dining area of the club.

Vinny Gennuso sat with three empty Budweiser cans in front of him looking very upset.

"Thank God you're here, Mo," he said when the three walked into the room.

"I'm worried sick about my family."

Mo walked over to the distraught bookie and father. He put a hand on his shoulder, but said nothing.

"Give me a minute, Vinny," Phil said, walking past Gennuso.

Phil picked a can of beer out of the ice, popped it open and began walking to the far corner of the room with Danny. The conversation lasted for about three minutes and Phil walked back over to the table.

"Your family's okay," Phil told Vinny.

"They've been moved to another location in the Phoenix area just as a precaution, but we have no reason to believe that any of Morello's people even know what part of the country they are. The best we can find out, someone spotted us leaving the federal building in Shreveport this morning and somehow figured we were catching a plane to Albuquerque in Dallas.

"But the three of us stayed on the plane in Albuquerque and flew to Vegas hoping we could draw attention away from Albuquerque. A couple of suspicious guys driving a car with Nevada tags were waiting at the gate in the airport in Albuquerque. They made a brief call to a phone number in Las Vegas from a payphone near the gate, then drove off toward Vegas. The marshals service in Albuquerque followed them for a hundred miles, but the two guys never gave any indication that they were going anywhere but Las Vegas.

"We're pretty sure they never knew where you were. We believe they were just tracking us trying to find you. You're family's perfectly all right.

"I'm going to step out for just a minute and find somebody to bring a phone in here so we can get your family on the line, okay?" Phil concluded.

Vinny seemed calmer after he talked with his family and the whole group enjoyed a nice dinner served in the private dining area. After the meal, Mo and one of the agents from New Orleans staked out a corner table in the club's rec room where Gennuso, Danny, Mo and Phil shot pool for a little over an hour.

"You and I have at least one big thing in common," Phil said to Vinny as the two sat the next morning at a table with Mo in the private dining area of the club.

"Carlos Morello murdered your brother and murdered my best friend."

Phil allowed that thought to settle in with Vinny for at least a full minute.

"Also, you need to realize that your life in the Mafia is over forever, gone. That leads to the question of how are you going to begin to right Morello's wrongs as well as your own wrongs."

Again, Phil let Vinny digest this information.

"I told Mo when our best friend Aubrey Braud was murdered that I was prepared to spend the rest of my life seeing to it that Morello went to prison. What are you going to do to this man who's ruined your life?

"I suspect you still feel loyalty to him and your former friends in the organization, but you're already dead to Morello and to the others. You knew that the moment Mo showed up on your front porch or you wouldn't have come up with the scheme to make it look like you were being arrested when you in fact were not.

"Agent Hodge doubts you know very much that we would find useful. You and I both know that's not true. You know plenty that will help us lock up Morello. You just have to make the decision to do what's right for you and your murdered brother," Phil said.

Phil wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin, stood, picked up his half-drunk cup of coffee, turned and walked quickly toward the door. Mo was right behind.

"How'd it go?" Danny asked after Phil and Mo had walked over to the table where the rest of the cops were finishing breakfast.

"Message delivered," Phil answered.

"I'd give him at least five minutes to think about our conversation. You know more about this than I do. But it's my feeling that when you do go into the room, it should be just you and Sam to start. Maybe he was overwhelmed by too many feds the first time," Phil suggested.

There were biscuits and bacon in a big platter at the center of the table.

"Mind if I steal a couple of these?" Phil asked.

"I only got one bite of my omelet. Shame, it was good, too," Phil teased.

"Why don't we sit down and you order another one?" Mo suggested to his friend.

"No, I'd better just take a couple of these. We need to get over to headquarters and a phone," Phil answered.

Phil glanced at Danny and saw agreement written on his face.

"Maria and Nita have called. That was about twenty minutes ago," Danny confirmed.

"I've already talked to Reilly and brought him up to speed," he finished.

Phil was pleasantly surprised when an observant waiter walked over. He brought a paper sack for the biscuits and bacon, some paper napkins and a cardboard cup for Phil's coffee. Phil ate in the car as the airman drove them the few blocks to headquarters.

"I needed to hear your voice," Phil said when Nita picked up her phone on the first ring.

"Thank God, you're all right," Governor McClellan's assistant said when she heard his voice.

"We didn't know what to think when we heard that Morello's people had tracked you to Dallas," Nita said, the worry retreating from her tone of voice.

Phil thought for a moment about what he had said to Mo the night before.

"You know, if these guys would try and blend in a little better, we wouldn't have known they were at Love Field."

"And we would both be dead," Mo had agreed.

Phil didn't repeat those words to Nita.

"We're fine," he said instead.

"How did you find me?" Phil asked, remembering that was one of the prime reasons he had decided to call Nita first, to let her know where he was.

"Maria," she answered.

"She and I have become fast friends."

"She's pretty amazing," Phil said.

"Watch yourself, Bub. The last thing I need is another rival," Nita teased.

"Relax, she's a grandmother," Phil replied.

"A divorced, young grandmother and I'll bet sexy as all get-out," Nita countered.

"I suppose in a Washington power sort of way," Phil admitted.

"That's just great. First it's a young beauty who looks like a child and now it's a grandmother. I'm doomed," Nita said.

"I don't know what I see in you, anyway."

"Someone who has almost as little social life as you," Phil suggested.

They both enjoyed a laugh, happy that Phil and Mo were still alive.

"The governor wants to send his plane up there to get you. Do you know when you're coming home?" Nita asked.

"The when part is up in the air, but I'm not sure we want to fly to Shreveport. I think we need to go to Dallas to get Mo's car. And I'm real sure we don't want to fly in on a plane that someone could find a flight plan for and track us back up here.

"Well the car part's already been taken care of. Colonel Robichaux's already sent people from Shreveport to get it. They checked it for bombs and bugs and parked it on the lot of the federal building.

"As for tracking the plane's trip through the tail number, maybe we could just drop you guys off in Natchitoches or something. Surely, nobody would be looking for you there," Nita said.

"Yeah, maybe something like that could work, but I'd better check with Maria before you send the plane all the way up here," Phil replied.

As it turned out, Maria was one step ahead. Working with the Air Force, she had a Texas Air National Guard crew's training mission amended. They would fly their C-131 from Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth to Altus, then drop Phil and Mo at Navy Dallas. An FBI plane would take them from Dallas' Red Bird Airport back to Shreveport Regional. Sam would stay in Oklahoma with Gennuso.

Nita was disappointed.

"What do I tell the governor?" she asked.

"Tell him thank you very much," Phil answered.

There is no charge for reading this novel. If you like it, please refer your friends. Feel free to highlight, paste and print one copy for your private use. This novel is protected under U.S. Copyright and all rights are reserved. My email address is oakley.phil@gmail.com.