Chapter 10
Sunset Park was bordered by Main Street on the south, Shore Road on the east and Manhasset Bay to the north and west. There were parking areas on the south side. This is where Johnny Martin and his crew parked each morning. They stayed close to the parking area while Martin made his phone calls. The guards never more than 20 feet away.
There were business’ close by; an Ace hardware, an H&R Block Office and a Rite Aid Pharmacy but only the pharmacy would be open at 6am. There were also some bus stops nearby and they would be busy with people heading to work. The faster we moved the less anyone would see.
We positioned Wailer in the parking lot of the Harbor Delicatessen; across from the parks parking area. He would have a clear view of Martin and his crew from there. He was in position by 5am. Any earlier and he might start to look suspicious to any local police that were patrolling the area.
On Sunday; Pete had bought us older, dirty looking clothes so we could blend in with the parks homeless residents. When we arrived at 4am just about every park bench had someone sleeping on it. We knew that Martin used the same area of the park everyday to make his phone calls. He had not strayed from his routine at all during our surveillance. We were counting on him to keep that routine.
A couple of bottles of cheap wine secured us a place on the benches that were closest to where Martin would be. The benches residents went happily off to another part of the park with there wine prizes and did not ask any question. We were all in position. Now the awaiting began. Always the toughest part of any operation.
Martin arrived right on cue. Wailer signaled there arrival at the coffee shop with a flash of his head lights. Our bodies moved into high alert. I felt every muscle tighten as Martins car approached. I could see no one close to us. There was a good chance we would not be seen.
As per his routine; Martins car pulled up to within 40 feet of us. Both bodyguards got out of the car and surveyed the area. From their view only the parks usual residents were visible; sleeping under as assortment of old blankets and newspapers. Once they had there look around they signaled Martin out of the car. He headed straight toward the benches; pulling his phone out as he walked. The guards, 10 feet ahead of him, made straight for what they thought were two drunks sleeping off a hard night.
We had decided that putting the guards down was necessary for our success but killing them was not. Both Pete and I had worked personal security and knew that beyond knowing who you were protecting; any other knowledge of their business was not necessary. We had chosen to use taser guns; using a them as direct contact stun devices. It was necessary for us to be in close contact with the guards just in case something went wrong and we needed to control them in some other way. We had to prevent them from any use of their weapons.
Pete was closest to where Martin was headed. As we felt the guards shake our shoulders; both tasers hit their marks quickly. The guards went down in a heap; their muscles in spasms with the jolt of electricity. Martin turned to run back to the car but Pete had a gun on him before he could move 5 feet.
As soon as Wailer saw Martins car pulling to a stop he headed the van into the parks parking lot. He was pulling up as Pete was pushing Martin toward the approaching van. I gathered the guards weapons and cell phones and headed toward Pete. By the time I got to the van Pete had a mask over Martins face forcing him to breath in Halothane gas, an anesthetic. Pete’s experience with the use of knock out drugs had been legend in our unit back in the day. Wailer had finished shackling Martin in the back of the van.
We were all in for a very long day but all had gone according to plan. The operation was clean.
Martin belonged to us now!
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