The next morning from their stake-out position along Route 17, Anita and Jack picked up surveillance of Norma and Stanley Jones as they left Citrus Drive at 11:00 with Stanley driving. Anita called Kathy and told her the coast was clear. After shopping in Fernandina Beach, Stanley and Norma stopped for lunch at the Palace Bar in downtown Fernandina. On the way home they stopped at the Radio Shack for 40 minutes. Anita could not see what they bought, but they came out with a number of plastic bags. Later at the Loews Store on A1A, they were observed buying 500 pounds of fertilizer in bags. After that stop they went directly to their trailer.
Jack used his cell to tell Kathy to go back to his house. The pickup truck was headed back to the trailer park. Kathy replied she had had a good look at the trailer and general area and, while casing the trailer, noted a number of red two-gallon cans marked with a yellow K in a lean-to on the end of the trailer. An old white Ford Panel truck without plates, sat in the back of the lot under some trees. The truck looked to be in running shape. Tire marks looked fairly new. There were no obvious signs of occupancy in more than half of the trailers.
Jack said, “Okay, we have enough. Meet you back at the house.”
Sitting around the small table in the study, surrounded by maps and computer prints of Kathy’s pictures, Jack said, “Anita, you’re our bomb expert. What’s going on in the trailer park?”
“You know damn well what’s going on. Our two senior citizen terrorists are making a fertilizer bomb or two.”
Jack asked, “What about the timing?”
“I don’t think they want all that fertilizer and kerosene sitting around. Too many people may notice it. I guess they will mix it today or tomorrow. The items from Radio Shack may be for some sort of a timing or remote detonation device. So we don’t have much time. I think these might be the ones who killed the Secretary of Commerce.”
Jack said, “We go tonight.”
After a late lunch of curried soup and grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches, Anita and Kathy arranged images of the trailer park into a panorama of the target. The panorama clearly showed the trailer park area, the surrounding marsh and wood stands, primarily of loblolly pine. The panorama when coordinated with the map gave them all they needed to plan the mission.
Jack looked at Anita and said, “Kathy will drop us along Route 17 South near Citrus Drive. We’ll move cross-country to the trailer park.” Jack pointed to a small tidal stream running fifty yards east of the trailer park.
“I’m sure we can follow the edge of the marsh to within striking distance of the trailer park.”
Anita said, “I don’t know about you two, but I would like to have something other than my knife.”
Jack laughed and said, “My father always kept a small stock of explosives, communications equipment and weapons hidden in his house. Come with me. I’ll see if I can remember my dad’s directions.”
Jack led them over to a bookcase in the living room and said, “Watch this.”
Pressing a section of the center section, he swung the section out, exposing a door flush with the wall. Opening the door, he led Kathy and Anita into a four-foot deep space the entire length of the bookcase.
Anita said, “This is like a warrior’s toy shop. Look at this stuff.”
Jack said, “It’s a free store. Take what you’ll need.”
After inspecting the weapons and supplies, Anita selected four ounces of C4, night vision glasses, two compasses, flashlights and canteens. She liked the greater fire power of the Glocks but selected a .22 High Standard fitted with a noise suppressor. She said, “If you can shoot a handgun with accuracy, a hollow point .22 long rifle cartridge has enough stopping power. No need to carry a canon.”
Jack and Kathy picked .357 Dan Wesson revolvers, a revolver was much less likely to jam up if exposed to water and sand. Just after dusk Kathy dropped Jack and Anita along Route 17 South one hundred yards south of Citrus Drive. They pushed quickly through the palmettos, being careful not to get cut by the palmetto thorns or to leave any evidence of their passing.
The mosquitoes were out in full force. The repellant Jack smeared on his face, neck and hands seemed to attract every mosquito in the marsh. Anita used no repellant. She told Jack to suck it up, the mosquitoes here weren’t bad, and repellent always had a giveaway smell.
From time to time a blue heron or a giant egret would take off with its scolding, honking cry. For a time they were waist deep in the tidal creek. Moving in the water was much easier and quieter than dealing with high marsh grass and palmettos. Anita, in the point, slowed and angled sharply into the marsh grass. For the next ten minutes, it was heavy going through the high grass and knee deep water. Jack was good at orienteering but knew he was not in the same league with Anita. She seemed to have an uncanny sense of carrying a map in her head and knowing exactly where she was along the route. The water was cool with a strong marsh smell. The bottom, soft in places, still provided good footing.
Anita was slowing, picking her way through the marsh with Jack five paces behind her. Jack hissed to get her attention and pointed to a six-foot alligator less than 20 feet from them. Anita paled and stopped, breathing rapidly. Jack told her to relax. Let alone, alligators will avoid man unless some dumb tourists have been feeding them. He told her a story where a gator was so used to being fed that it knocked down a kitchen door when no dinner came out.
Anita said, “For Christ’s sake, shut up and let’s get out of here. I hate crawly reptile things.”
“Don’t worry, if he attacks, you can use the pop gun you’re carrying.”
Anita whispered, “I’ll use it on you, if I hear any more of your sick humor about reptiles.”
***
Facts and Fictions 