“Change of plan, gentlemen,” Hector said, loud enough for all his men to hear. “Once we’re done here, we’ll head directly to the airport. We’ll figure out what to do once we’re in the air. Understood?”
His men nodded. They were ready for action. They were outnumbered six to four, but there was no way the police officers were prepared for the tremendous amount of firepower his men were about to lay down upon them. And even if the officers were prepared, his men were much better trained than the highway cops.
“Pull the van over at the next off-ramp,” Hector said to the driver. “Let’s go to work.”
The Ford panel van’s driver tapped the brakes numerous times to indicate he was about to pull over—at least, that was Steck’s interpretation. The driver then activated his right turn signal. Steck followed the van as it pulled onto the shoulder of the off-ramp. The panel van stopped four hundred feet later at the end of the ramp. Steck stopped his cruiser about three or four car lengths behind it. Trooper Eiderzen turned on the cruiser’s powerful spotlight and shined it on the van.
“You see anything?” Steck asked.
The panel van’s windows were heavily tinted, and there were no windows in the back. It was hard to tell how many occupants were inside the vehicle save for the driver and at least one passenger. The driver’s door opened, and a man climbed out. He wore a pair of black jeans and a dark-colored T-shirt and appeared to be holding a cigarette in his right hand. The man waved at the police car before shielding his eyes. With the beam of the spotlight shining in his eyes, there was no way he could see Steck or the rest of his team. A small burning circle of tobacco glowed orange as the driver drew on his cigarette. Steck looked away from the driver, his eyes searching for anything suspicious. The shocks on the van were somewhat compressed, but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe they were carrying a heavy load? But Steck had to put everything in perspective. There were almost no vehicles on the road. It was late at night—or very early in the morning. The panel van was owned by a holding company belonging to a notorious attorney. One of the properties within the same holding company had been the scene of a crime that same night. These were all things that Steck kept in mind as he disembarked from his vehicle.
“Call it in,” he instructed Eiderzen, placing his hand over his holster. “And please, Erica, keep the spotlight’s beam on the van.”
Eiderzen nodded.
Steck keyed his radio and said to his team, “Linda, get behind me. Jack and Ricardo, take the passenger side, and watch out for oncoming traffic.”
He got a series of acknowledgments. He then added, “Erica will operate the spotlight, and Carrie will stay in reserve and keep an eye on the back of the panel van.”
Steck started his approach. His gut told him he was missing something. The panel van’s driver turned his head toward the van and said something. Steck didn’t hear what it was, and it made him nervous. He had an unsettled feeling in his chest. Steck’s right hand casually released the strap on his holster.
Hector thought his driver was playing his role perfectly. It was even money the cops would ask him to get back in the van, but they ended up allowing him to stay outside.
“They’re all there,” his man told him hastily. “Two approaching on my side, two more on your side, one manning the spotlight, and the last officer is staying back. Light body armor and pistols only.”
Hector nodded his thanks and said to his team, “Wait till they get to the back of the van, then be precise, fast, and deadly. I want us on our way in thirty seconds.”
Five seconds later, Hector gave the order to execute.
Even with the mighty beam of the spotlight, Steck had difficulty seeing inside the van. And he didn’t like it. The back of his neck tingled. He knew the feeling well. He’d had it many times since joining the Florida Highway Patrol, and he had learned to listen to his sixth sense. Steck was still two steps away from the vehicle when he stopped. Farrell, who’d been following a little too closely, bumped into him. For a fraction of a second, the angle was just right, and Steck saw there were at least two more occupants in the panel van.
And they were on the move.
“What’s going on?” Farrell asked, immediately alert.