When foreman Ray Cress and his assistant Gerry Jones discover the arrival of a suspicious crate at the customs warehouse where they both work, they are curious enough to investigate on their own. They discover a shipment of illegal guns-but their snooping almost leads to their demise when they are snatched by the thugs. Cress and Jones manage to escape and report their discovery to the authorities, who recruit the two muscle-bound civilians to work undercover to help bust what appears to be an international scheme tied to both gun running and the drug trade. Their job is to flush out the bosses of both operations. The operation becomes more complicated when the cartel enlists Cress and Jones to speed their goods through the warehouse. The cartel leaders are not afraid to get rid any members who don't follow the rules or orders. These two ordinary guys must stay one step ahead if they and their families want to survive this conspiracy.
The Infiltrators
By Howard Reede-PellingTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2011 Howard Reede-Pelling
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4269-5227-2Contents
Chapter One...........................1Chapter Two...........................13Chapter Three.........................24Chapter Four..........................35Chapter Five..........................43Chapter Six...........................54Chapter Seven.........................67Chapter Eight.........................79Chapter Nine..........................90Chapter Ten...........................101Chapter Eleven........................110Chapter Twelve........................119Chapter Thirteen......................129Chapter Fourteen......................139Chapter Fifteen.......................149Chapter Sixteen.......................159Chapter Seventeen.....................168Chapter Eighteen......................177
Chapter One
As the light branch snapped, Ray overbalanced and fell through the tiles of the garage roof. His strong legs protruded between the runners which held the tiles in place. Ray supported himself by firmly grasping the runners and remained quite still, listening and watching for the lights of the nearby house, to illuminate. They did not, all became quiet again.
"You okay?" Gerry queried in a whisper from the bole of the tree above Ray.
"Yeah — hang on 'til I clear these loose tiles!" Ray cautiously did so, making very little noise.
"You climb down, I'll open the door." Ray ordered in a whisper. Ray lightly stepped onto the roof of the vehicle in the garage, dropped to the floor, and then unlocked the side door of the garage to admit his accomplice.
"Can't be anyone home." Gerry whispered.
"They would have to be woken by that racket!" Ray shook his head. "There's a car here, they may be heavy sleepers."
Both moved about with torches flashing cautiously, not wishing to reflect light through the one window, or the cracks of the doors.
"Here!" Ray exalted. "Let's get it open quietly!" The two eased screwdrivers under the nailed lid of the top wooden crate, which was one of three stacked in a corner. They had been covered by a tarpaulin.
"Yep." Ray whispered. "These are the ones they picked up today — the serial numbers tally — and I was right, illegal guns; very well packed!"
The garage light was switched on. The garage illuminated brightly.
"Not the slightest move or you both get it!" Joe Ratt snarled, thin moustache bristling above his tapered goatee. His beady eyes glistened as a slimy smile quirked his weedy features. Bert Luntz, his side-kick, quickly manoeuvred behind the two garage-breakers.
"They's clean." Bert declared. Joe waved the pistol he aimed at Gerry and Ray, motioning for the two to move away from the three crates of contraband.
"I'll put a hole in the first one to move!" Joe threatened, then to Bert. "Tie them up - good n' tight — separate!"
When both intruders were securely bound hand and foot, they were left sitting by the main garage door upon the concrete floor; Bert being given the pistol and ordered to guard the two men. Joe climbed into the vehicle and used the portable telephone always left within.
"Dermutt, its Joe, me an' Bert just caught two blokes that got in to the merchandise - ? No. I got 'em tied up. No, I dunno either of 'em but I think the heavy one works at the warehouse. I'm sure he's the one I got the delivery from!" There was a long pause as Joe listened to instructions; with an occasional; 'Yeah!' Of acknowledgement. Joe said.
"We'll find something there, don't want anything from here recognised, should be car parts or something at the tip there — okay?" Joe hung up the receiver in its cradle; then ordered.
"Help me lift 'em in the car; we're going on a little trip!" The sleek black automobile purred along the highway. A seemingly endless queue of overhead lights slipped by monotonously, as the two bound captives struggled with their bonds, whilst laying most awkwardly on the back seat and floor of the vehicle; where they were unceremoniously dumped.
"That there is the wrecker's yard!" Joe told Bert, who was driving. "Use the lane at the other end — won't have to carry them so far!"
"Ugh — huh!" Bert agreed.
This little back road was rarely used and it was well pot-holed, due to the muddy nature of its structure. It was a most uncomfortable journey for the trussed pair who were attempting to undo each other's knotted bonds. Each jolt tore fingers away from the ropes of which they were attempting to rid themselves. The car turned a corner at the extreme end of the car-wrecker's yard.
"As I remember, the dam is over there behind those bushes where the gum trees are, we'll have to stop here and drag them through the fence." Bert allowed.
"Scout around for something heavy to hold them down!" Joe ordered. He peeked in to be sure their victims were still secure, then, satisfied, searched in a different direction to that taken by his underling; for a couple of heavy objects.
"Ain't nothin 'about. There's a log, but that might float." Bert worried, when their search brought the gun-runners together again.
"The bolt cutters are in the boot. Let's get through the fence and find an axle or an engine block. An engine block will hold them both down!" Joe ordered
He sent Bert to collect the bolt cutters. While Joe and Bert were searching, Ray had managed to extricate himself from beneath Gerry. Kneeling, he had lifted the button that kept the car door locked, with his strong teeth. He remained quite still when he observed Bert returning to the car, shushing Gerry to remain still also. When Bert went back to Joe, having acquired the bolt cutters, Ray opened the car door and both managed to roll out; still securely bound. Now able to move about better, Ray began to tug at the knots securing Gerry's hands. Their two kidnappers were struggling with an engine block from the wrecker's yard, and had managed to get it through an opening cut in the fence; when Gerry's hands were freed. Quickly he untied his feet, looked in to see that the keys were in the ignition switch, then took the driver's seat as Ray bundled himself back into the open rear door. The engine burst into life and amid a cloud of dust and a screeching of tortured tyres, the sleek black automobile careened away. Two very disgruntled no-goods were left stranded hurling the heavy engine block to the ground in disgust. By the time Joe had clawed the pistol from his pocket, their vehicle was well along the lane and hidden from view by the huge volume of dust, the speedy exit afforded. Two kilometres away from the wrecker's yard, Gerry stopped the vehicle and untied his immediate boss.
"Just a little hairy there for a bit." Ray grinned, as both settled in to the comfort of the front seats.
"Yes, I thought we had bought it." Gerry admitted.
"A bullet to the head and sunk in an abandoned dam as feed for the yabbies, does not appeal to me much!" Ray laughed. "Those two won't be very popular with this 'Dermutt'; whoever he is." Gerry also laughed.
"And to top it off, they have a long hike home — in the dark — hope the cops pick them up and pinch them for unlicensed pistols!"
The lucky escapees remained silent as they drove their hijacked automobile back.
"Can you recall the big bloke's name?" Ray asked.
"I remember him telling this Dermutt, 'it's Joe — I think — me and Mert' - !!!?"
"No — no, he said 'me and Bert', Bert with a...
