Vice Cop Ch. 12

"You knew it was Dante?"

"I suspected it was him and I began to investigate. I taped some phone conversations he was having from his office with the man you just identified as Samadi, a prisoner in - uh- Alcatraz island I think it was. But I thought that while it was real fishy that it had nothing to do with something as dark as this. I thought Dante was just visiting an inmate."

"I'm afraid we can't know if the tapes were heard by NYPD, Hudson."

"I gave them to my partner Vince. I just hope he showed them to -"

"I hope so too. It could be a way out of here if they come to rescue us."

"By the way, where are we? What is this place?"

"It's their secret headquarters by the Yazoo river in Mississippi. They call it the "River of Death"...............

* * * *

She had told FBI and NYPD about her ideas regarding the location of the Black Panthers' headquarters. She was almost certain it was in rural Mississippi, by either the Tallahatchie or Yazoo rivers. This time they paid attention to her. They were running out of leads. The rescue party that had been sent to San Francisco and Oakland, California, had not found the Black Panthers anywhere. This time they would pay heed to Lexa's words and they would send a swarm of cops, SWAT and F.B.I. to Mississippi.

Lexa went with them.

Private planes and jets took them from New York to northern Mississippi country, where woods, rivers and sleep towns sprawled around them. The summer here was very hot, and the residents of Oxford, Holly Springs and surrounding cities were startled by the presence of cops and SWAT in their corner of the world. It made newspaper headlines. A real group of radical Panthers were hiding somewhere ready to create chaos. The rescue party brought dogs to help them track the Panthers by their ability to recognize human smells and detect human presence.

They all carried hand-held communication devices. Lexa was among a team of cops who were qualified for rescue missions. It was something she had not really done before but she had her taste of a similar thing when she had pursued the Arab terrorist trio that had plotted to blow up the Empire State Building. Her ability to do well under pressure and to handle such dangerous assignments led her to this kind of mission in Mississipi. Everyone was very sure of her abilities.

They were approaching some woods they had to cross to get to a small town which stood by the banks of the Yazoo river. It was one of three locations were the group had been sent to. Another team of SWAT and officers were sent to the towns by the Central Railroad and the Tallahatchie and even grander Mississippi River. Lexa was dressed in a body suit, tight and form-fitting, black, and it was for the sake of mobility.

The rest of the cops, all men, were dressed in similar black body suits, almost ninja-like in their attire, because they anticipated a physical altercation and they would need to be free to move about. In the Academy, they had been trained for this kind of thing, and they knew karate and fighting moves. Lexa had been taught this during her own training.

A faint breeze was blowing and Lexa felt an ominous chill in the air. It was summer and she knew it was not fitting that there should be chilliness. They were near a river and often the breeze passed under the foliage of trees in the wood but she knew that the South normally enjoyed warm climates.

She took it as a bad sign. She would have to be on her guard. She prayed with each step she took that Hudson, Mason and the Chief were alive and well, even if they had fallen into the clutches of the Panthers. She didn't want anything to happen to them. Her life wouldn't be the same if tragedy fell upon her loved ones.

The woods ahead of them were dark. Too many trees, canopying everything in shade. The thick woods had dirt paths and roads but they often appeared to lead to nowhere. The sound of the flowing Yazoo River was within range, but the multiple groves of trees concealed it and blocked out the sun and part of the skies.

The cops and SWAT stormed into the woods and took the road into the heart of the forest. Lexa was toward the front lines but when they had begun to run she had tripped over a branch and undergrowth that seemed to cling to her and bring her down to the ground.

She moaned and noticed that she felt a little pain. It was not much but it was enough to stop her in her tracks. When she looked up again, she noticed she was alone. The rest of the officers were nowhere in sight. They had already moved on ahead of her. Lexa gasped. Damn, she thought, what bad luck.

She picked up her communication device which had fallen on the ground.

"Hello, this is Lexa O'Neil," she said onto the device, "I don't know where I am but I fell down in the road and - "

She heard heavy static and waited for a response. But none came......

TWELVE

The afternoon wore on.

Lexa had been walking in the forest with a malfunctioning communication device. No one had replied to her repeated calls for help. She didn't expect this would happen to her. It was a challenge but one she did not really feel entirely prepared for.

She looked about her, as if expecting someone to appear. She had her machine gun, of course, but she hated not knowing whether anyone who sprung forth was friend or foe. She'd hate to cause an accident. Some officers she knew were killed by friendly fire; and she certainly did not want to be responsible for killing a fellow officer. That would make her as bad as Dante in her book, who, now that his secret was out, would have to stand trial and would have to be brought to justice for the murders he had committed and for going up against his own NYPD.

She was traversing a small path that cut through a thick grove. Here, a few rays of sunlight streamed through the trees, giving it an ethereal look and made her calm for a moment. She heard the river's babble from somewhere nearby.Perhaps, she thought, she should follow the sound of the river and walk along the bank. She could find the rest of the cops and SWAT that way. She strained to hear the river again.

She walked toward the grove of trees and noticed that a grassy knoll was in sight. Perhaps if she ascended this little hillock she would see the river. It made sense. She walked down the road under the branches of pines, and for a moment breathed in the air. It was lovely to be in such natural beauty and she thought briefly of her mother. She would have loved this sight. But she couldn't let her mind become distracted. Upon reaching the small hill, her eyes caught a most unusual sight.

The Yazoo River was not there but it was in view. It was flowing beneath a bridge and not far were railroad tracks. There, just a few yards away was a group of three cabins. Just outside each of them were black men in military wear and berets, wielding firearms. It was the Panthers.....

Lexa had reached their headquarters before the other officers.

This made her especially thrilled but she knew it was a life-threatening situation. She was completely alone and in the lion's den. These men would not respect the fact she was a woman. They would not care that she was also mulatto. They would only see a cop, the enemy. It was just too bad her communication device was not operational. She sighed. Was it possible Mason, Hudson and Captain Barry Hiller were in there, being held prisoner?

To confirm this, she moved closer, but she crawled through the grass and hid behind trees and rocks to avoid being seen. She was glad her outfit allowed her to be very mobile and also somewhat invisible.

She turned to see that the men were conversing and moving about. A few others were walking into the middle cabin, which was obviously headquarters. Lexa was turning a corner and realized that she was facing the back of the third cabin which was situated in the rear. Here was a tree which, if climbed, would allow her access to the windows of the cabin. She quickly climbed up the tree. Her body was lithe and slender so she found climbing the tree was not a problem.

She took a look through the glass of the window. Down there, on the floor, chained by their feet were Hudson, Mason and the Chief. This was the right place alright. But what to do next. Just how long would it take the rest of the cops to show up? They had taken an entirely different path into the forest then she had. She hoped they wouldn't be long. They had been running after all but perhaps the forest was dense and it would take a while for them to get out of the green labyrinth.

"Here goes," she said.

She took her machine gun and leapt from the tree towards the window in a kind of somersault. She broke through the window and landed on her feet on the floor of the cabin. This startled Hudson, Mason and the Chief who had just begun to slip into sleep. They could scarcely believe their eyes.

"That's quite an entrance," said Mason Holmes, smiling.

"Are you guys alright?" Lexa said to them.

"Lexa, just get out of this thing," Hudson said, "there's a saw right over there. Do you see it? By the stack of hay?"

"Hurry," the Chief said, "you've come just in time, Miss O'Neil. I'm sure they want to kill us by nightfall."

Lexa began to saw off the chains from their feet one by one until they were free. They sighed happily. Lexa embraced Mason, but she also embraced Hudson and the Chief.

"I would have never believed it," the Chief said, "how did you know we were here?"

"There's no time to tell the tale," Lexa said, "but it's thanks to the cassette tapes that Hudson had given to Vince."

Hudson smiled. So it did the trick after all!

Just then, a group of Panthers appeared. There were several of them, all in their uniform and wielding guns. Their eyes caught sight of Lexa O'Neil and their jaws dropped.

"A woman?" they said, "you're the intruder?"

"The NYPD and SWAT are on their way," Lexa said firmly, "and you better believe they'll put up a fight against you."

"But will you?" said one of the Panthers.

That was a cue for them to begin to attack. They rushed toward Lexa. Acting quickly, she leapt into the air as they had prepared to jump on her. They didn't fire. She was not an easy target. She was leaping into the air and using her fists and legs to fight them.

They fought back, trying to grab on to her legs, but she was so agile and fast they weren't able to do anything to her. In addition, Hudson Banach, Mason Holmes and Chief Barry Hiller had begun to fight against the Panthers.

A brawl ensued. Seizing the machine gun off one of the Panthers, Hudson began to throw punches and was engaged in a purely physical fight with one of them. The were in a part of the cabin that faced away from the door and directly beneath the window that Lexa had broken when she leapt into the cabin. The glass beneath their feet was cutting through the flesh of their feet. Hudson showed no pain and continued to fight for his life. He was glad he had been trained to fight and used the little karate he knew. Apparently the Panthers did this too.

Chief Barry Hiller and another Panther were wrestling on the floor. He had also successfully seized his gun and thrown it away. But the rest of the Panthers were firing at Lexa. She fired back and dodged their fire as best she could. Hudson would look at Lexa now and then and he was certain that she would be shot at. It was part of being a cop. Mason Holmes, angered to see the men fighting with Lexa, joined in and fought against them with her. He was preparing to do a karate move on them but Lexa knew that it would be no match against fire power.

"Grab this gun, Mason, hurry!" Lexa said throwing him a Panther's machine gun.

Mason caught the gun and began to fire, animal-like, at the Panthers. A rain of smoke and bullets filled the cabin. Groans and grunts, punches and physical attacks echoed in the air. Blood was spilled and bruises were made. Hudson's shirt was torn open and blood was spilled over his biceps and neck. Lexa and Mason too, were a bit bruised. Chief Barry Hiller didn't seem to have a weapon but he did his best to avoid being caught in the crossfire, continuing to fight using his body.

"Lexa, darling," said Mason, his voice shaking, his face smiling, "did- did you come all alone to Mississippi to save me?"

"This is no time for jokes," Lexa responded, "and of course I did not come alone. The SWAT officers and other cops should be arriving any minute."

"Is that them right there?"

By the two open doors came the rest of the officers, and salvation.......

* * * *

In New York City, Lexa was once again praised for her courage, skills and her commitment to finding Mason, Hudson and Chief Barry Hiller, who now owed their lives to her. A ceremony in her honor was held. It was held at the Plaza Hotel. Lexa had never been treated to such a beautiful ceremony. She relished in the attention. She wore a jade-green backless gown and her hair was down this time, but neatly grouped to one side of her shoulder. She was at peace and content.

At the ballroom, the entire NYPD had gathered to party. Chief Barry Hiller had announced that Isaiah Dante had been caught among the Black Panthers they had arrested in Mississippi, that he would stand trial and be sentenced to life in prison. Never before had anyone in the NYPD behaved as wickedly as he had. He had been safe in the guise of the good guy when in reality he had been forming a plan to fight the NYPD with the Panthers. Now, he and the rest of the Panthers who had followed the directions of an Alcatraz inmate were to serve lifetimes in jail. Dante was sent to prison with his mentor along with others but some were sentenced to prisons in New York.

Now that the nightmare was behind them, Lexa felt like she could relax. She was trying some salad and conversing with Mason and another fellow officer when someone in hotel uniform approached her.

"There's a call for you in the front desk," said he, "It's a Miss Katrina O'Neil."

Lexa went to the lobby as quickly as her feet could carry her, descending the long staircase. She hoped it wasn't bad news. It couldn't be. She knew it had something to do with her father. The lobby was filled with guest in evening wear and Vivaldi was playing faintly in the background. Lexa approached the front desk and took the call.

"Mother?"

"Child, your father's back," Katrina said, "but it was just as you had predicted. He's been looking into getting work with the NYPD again. I told him not to go through with it. He said he has unfinished business and that he needs to get the last of the Dinos. I told him to leave it alone. Other cops, other detectives, can handle it. But you know how stubborn he is -"

"Is he alright? Where is he?"

"He's here with me but he wanted me to tell you that you'll probably see him at the precinct where you work. You'll be seeing more of him now."

"I don't think there's any way I can talk him out of it, mother."

"Well try."

Lexa hung up. As she turned around to return up the stairs to the ballroom, she noticed Hudson Banach was directly in front of her. Truth be told, he looked very handsome in his tuxedo, even if his big body wasn't exactly made for a tuxedo.He smiled at her and looked at her in a way she had never seen before. He took her hand and kissed it, and held it lingeringly. It surprised Lexa. She had never seen Hudson like this. It had the effect of arousing her a bit.

"Hudson - wh-why arent you back at the party?"

"I can't thank you enough, Lexie," he said, "for saving my life. You're a wonderful cop. You've always been. As a way of thanking you, I'd like to invite you and Mason to Miami. I'm going there to visit my Uncle Vitto at the end of the month."

"I'm sorry but Mason and I will probably have a lot of work to do," Lexa said, "but I really do appreciate all this, Hudson. It's very sweet of you."

"Come on, let's get back to your party. It is your party after all."

Together they walked up the stairs and back to the party.

To Be Continued...