Swimming to Catalina

62

In the garage, Rick Grant and Dino listened to their radio as the elevator doors opened and closed, as people got on and off. Then they heard Stone say, “I’m here.”

“Jesus,” Dino said, “that’s some wire. I want some of those for my people.”

“Shhh,” Rick said. “He’s in the reception room.”

They could hear Stone begin to announce himself to the receptionist, then stop. They heard the receptionist tell Sturmack to go into Ippolito’s office, then heard Stone speak again to the receptionist. There were some soft footsteps, then nothing but low-level static.

“They found the wire,” Dino said, opening the car door. “Let’s go.”

“No, wait. Nobody has searched him; we’d have heard that. He’s just in a place that’s blocking the transmission. Wait and listen.”

They began to hear snatches of words, nothing intelligible, just a word or two at a time.

“At least he’s got them talking,” Rick said. “We’ve still got the tape to fall back on.”

They continued to listen to the static, with an occasional word coming through. “Maybe the problem is between us and the van,” Rick said. “Let’s get out there.” He got out of the car and started out of the garage, with Dino right behind him.

Rick crossed the street, walked around the van, and rapped sharply on its sliding door. The door opened a crack. “It’s Grant and Bacchetti,” Rick said. “Let us in.”

The door slid back, Rick and Dino crowded in and the door closed behind them.

“Are you getting anything from Barrington?” Rick asked.

“No, just a word now and then. Something’s screwing up the transmission.”

“I don’t like this,” Dino said. “I think we ought to go in.”

“Not yet,” Rick replied. “At least we know they’re talking. If we hear anything that sounds like trouble, I’ll give the word, but not until then.”

The static continued for a couple of more minutes, then suddenly stopped.

“I can hear them now,” the radio operator said.

“Turn that thing up,” Rick commanded.

They could hear footsteps on a hard floor, then the sound of people climbing steps, then Stone’s voice, loud and clear. “Have thepolice ever gotten wind of what you’re up to?”

Rick grabbed his handheld radio. “This is Grant,” he said, “it’s a go! Everybody move!”

Dino grabbed his arm. “Wait, listen.”

Stone’s voice came again. “Where are we going in thishelicopter?” Then the sound of the rotor, spinning faster and faster.

“Oh, shit!” Grant hissed. He threw open the door of the van, stepped out, and looked up. A large black helicopter was rifting off the roof of the Safe Harbor Bank building. He stepped back into the van. “Put me on the command channel,” he ordered the operator. The man turned a knob and nodded.

“This is Lieutenant Richard Grant,” Rick said. “Patch me through to aviation.”

A moment later a woman’s voice came on. “LAPD aviation.”

“This is Lieutenant Richard Grant. Let me speak to your watch commandernow. ”

“Yes sir, putting you through to the watch commander.”

“Aviation watch commander,” a man’s voice said.

“This is Lieutenant Richard Grant; I’m speaking for the chief of detectives. A large black helicopter has just taken off from the Safe Harbor Bank building in downtown L.A., heading in a south-southwesterly direction. I want you to put everything you’ve got in the air and intercept that helicopter. Do not, repeat donot fire on it; one of our people is aboard. I want it forced down, and if it’s heading toward Mexico, underno circumstances is it to be allowed to cross the border.”

“Roger, I read you, Lieutenant,” the watch commander said.

“How many aircraft can you muster on this?”

“I’ve got two choppers on the pad, fueled and ready to go, and four others in the air in various places. I’ve also got two fixed-wing aircraft flying traffic.”

“Put them all on it. I want a maximum effort.”

“Roger, sir.”

“Remember, don’t let them cross the border; alert air traffic control not to issue any clearances to a chopper headed south, you read me?”

“Loud and clear, sir; we’re on it.”

“Hey, while you’re at it, have me picked up downtown. Where can your man land?”

“How many people, sir?”

“As many as it will hold.”

“I’ve got one in the air near MacArthur Park right now; it can take two besides the pilots.”

“We’re on the way.” Rick turned to a cop. “Crank this thing up and get me to MacArthur Park! And keep monitoring Barrington’s wire!”

Somebody slammed the door, and the van made a U-turn. Somebody put a flashing light on top and turned on a siren.

“I knew he shouldn’t have gone up there alone,” Dino said.