Page 100 of Wild Fever
"I'll make sure you get a fair shake," I said. I meant it. He didn’t ask for a deal in writing. Maybe he wasn’t too bright. But I would hold to my word.
With his sworn affidavit and the video I had recorded, it was more than enough for a warrant to arrest Julian Ashby.
I logged the drive as evidence. The sheriff referred the financial crime to the DOJ, the FBI, and the DOD Inspector General. It was their problem now. But I wanted Julian for conspiracy to commit murder.
I called JD and put together a tactical team. We headed over to Sandpiper Point. Julian Ashby lived aboard a superyacht namedOcean Prime. It was a stunning 125-footer with a navyhull, white trim, and windswept lines. It had a luxurious salon, sprawling aft deck, a large bridge deck, and a sky deck with a Jacuzzi, wet bar, and helm station.
We boarded the boat, decked out in tactical gear with AR-15s shouldered.
Julian had done well for himself. He had a full crew and staff catering to his every need.
We stormed the boat and flooded through the compartments, searching for the dirtball.
We found him on the sky deck, lounging with a frozen margarita in hand. Two beautiful ladies sunned themselves on either side of him. Their slick skin glistened with oil, and the skimpy bikinis nearly revealed all. This guy wasn't any different than any other gunrunner. He just had the illusion of being legitimate.
The girls freaked out, but Julian remained calm as we surrounded him, the barrels of AR-15s staring him down.
He took another sip of his margarita, then set it on the end table. "Is there some kind of problem, gentlemen?"
"You're under arrest for attempted murder of a police officer, conspiracy to commit murder, and whatever else I can think of."
His brow wrinkled with confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about. There's obviously been some kind of mistake. Who did I allegedly conspire to kill?"
"Me!"
"That's odd. I don't even know you."
“Now that hurts my feelings,” I said, pretending to pout. “We met before in the lobby of STT-X.”
“Apparently, you were forgettable.”
"You’re not going to forget this. Move! Slowly. On the ground, now!"
"I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding," he said, but complied.
Dressed in a collared short-sleeve shirt and cream pants, Julian wore dark aviator sunglasses. A gold Rolex sparkled on his wrist.
I slapped the cuffs on him and may have inadvertently smashed the face of the Rolex. "You have the right to remain silent…"
I yanked the scumbag to his feet, and we escorted him from the boat. Feeling accomplished, we marched him down the dock to the lot where patrol cars waited. But they weren’t alone. Two black SUVs pulled alongside. Guys with sunglasses and dark navy suits hopped out and moved in our direction.
That sick feeling twisted my stomach. This couldn't be good.
65
“Special Agent Stratton and Special Agent Ward, FBI," Stratton said, displaying his credentials. "I believe we’ve met before on another case. Thank you, gentlemen, but we’ll take it from here. We appreciate your hard work, but we have a national security letter."
He handed it to me.
I took a cursory glance at the document that was signed by the U.S. Attorney General.
It read:
Pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2709, the Federal Bureau of Investigation declares that the information, materials, and persons held in your custody pertain to an ongoing national security investigation. You are hereby directed to immediately surrender physical custody of Julian Ashby to the undersigned agents and cease and desist all investigative activity and seal all derivative intelligence. You must surrender all case files, material evidence, and statements to the FBI. The attached nondisclosure directive prohibits youfrom discussing the existence of this letter, or the actions taken, to any third party, including the subject in question, members of the media, or members of your department. Failure to comply may constitute a violation of federal law.
"This is such bullshit," I said.
"Are we going to have a problem?" Special Agent Stratton asked.
