Now Available:
Coming Soon:
Island Bound
Pirate's Fall
j
Things are easy for Eddie Gilbert these days, and that's just the way he hates it: a former firefighter/paramedic from Chicago, Eddie recently gave up his calling to work for Mr. Klein, a wealthy former politician whose path crossed Eddie's when a kidnapping scheme went bad, and Eddie went above and beyond the call of duty to set things right.
Eddie has been spending some time off with Marci, the former Boston Red Sox ball girl he met during the kidnapping adventure, and things are getting serious for them. But now, Klein has Eddie in Tampa transporting packages back and forth, and Eddie is chafing. It's fine to stay out of danger, but the lack of action and the need for a challenge are making him, let's say, a little cranky.
That all changes when Elaine Keller is abducted on a remote island.
Elaine, a doctor working with Caribbean Relief, an organization that is low on money but long on good intentions, has inadvertently become involved in the complex and dangerous politics of Capersdeed, the near-lawless banana republic whose residents she's been treating. But an organization called the Plantation, run by a shadowy figured who calls himself The Caretaker, is planning a coup, and has been hiring mercenaries and purchasing military equipment with that end in mind.
Unfortunately, one of the crew working for the Plantation is lured by cash, not ideology, and he replaces a shipment of weapons with cheap fakes. He doesn't manage to get away, because The Caretaker discovers the betrayal, and in the ensuing battle, the cash goes missing and one survivor winds up at the aid station where Elaine is working.
But the Caretaker's forces are not far behind, and there is a large assault on the station. Many of the locals being treated and members of the station staff are taken by The Caretaker's men, and Elaine is among them, taken to treat a mercenary injured during the fight. Elaine has no proper equipment to treat the man, and he dies despite her best efforts. The Caretaker doesn't take this well, but decides a doctor will be useful, and begins to drug Elaine to keep her compliant.
Eddie becomes involved when Elaine's father, a former associate of Mr. Klien, asks for some help in locating his missing daughter. Klien pairs Eddie with Mario Marino, a cigar-smoking muscle type, against Eddie's wishes, and sends them to Capersdeed to track Elaine and determine what has happened to her.
What they don't know is that Lester Crow, a crime boss whose father was killed during Eddie's involvement in the Klein kidnapping affair, has taken an interest in the doctor. Blackwell Crow, Lester's father, began his crime syndicate on an island near Capersdeed, and is in touch with The Caretaker, supplying weapons and other supplies. When Lester falls for Elaine during a visit to The Plantation, he buys her from the Caretaker for a million dollars, and takes Elaine back to his base of operations, Crow Island.
Eddie and Mario trace Elaine to the site of the aid station, and find it deserted and clearly destroyed, with enough evidence to indicate the kind of battle—and the kind of massacre—that took place there. Some local people they encounter explain what has happened, and tell the two about The Plantation and The Caretaker.
When Eddie makes it to The Plantation, he finds out he's too late to help Elaine, who has been taken against her will to Crow Island by the infatuated Lester Crow. Eddie knows Lester's involvement—and his grudge against Eddie personally—will make this operation that much more difficult, and that much more dangerous for all involved.
Under a flag of truce at The Plantation, Eddie discovers a nemesis from a previous encounter—in fact, he runs into The Baron, a playground enemy of Eddie's from his earliest school days. The Baron, named for his ability to ram other kids and their bikes with his big wheel, agrees to bury the hatchet with his childhood antagonist and not to interfere with Eddie's necessary assault on Crow Island.
That operation, which consists only of Eddie and Mario, is cut short as they head from Capersdeed for Crow Island. Eddie and Mario are intercepted by island paramilitary forces, and are almost overwhelmed. When it seems they will be caught or killed, The Baron appears to join them in the assault, and rescues his old playground nemesis. Many long-standing hatchets are buried.
The attack on Crow Island, now, is carried out by Eddie, Mario and The Baron, and after a fierce battle, is successful. Elaine is rescued from Lester Crow, and while Eddie is injured, he's still mobile and capable.
He spends his recuperation thinking about moving in with Marci, and maybe staying on with Klien, as long as the job involves more than delivering packages. But firefighters are notoriously loyal to their calling, and Eddie Gilbert is no exception. One day at the Schooner Wharf Bar, he notices an ad for help at the Key West Fire Department.
Eddie asks the bartender if knows whether he needs any help in the saloon. After all, it'll take a while to get through the FD's testing process.
j
“Caribbean Calling is classic escapist fiction, filled with adventure, colorful characters and exotic locales. If you like pina coladas and getting caught up in a good story, Caribbean Calling is the perfect escape for you. ~ Book review from Chicago Writers Association, Randy Richardson, President.