An Absence of Light

Silence again as the disrupted surveillance team rearranged itself to accommodate Burtell’s maneuver. Within seconds he had made another choice.

MURRAY: “Okay, he’s mine. He’s on the access road heading north. We’re going up on the Loop.”

Everyone followed, each at his own pace, from three different directions.

MURRAY: “We’re heading into the interchange. Going east into… Son of a bitch! Heading west! Heading west! I lost him. I lost him… He’s… Son of a bitch!”

REMBERTO: “It’s okay, Murray. I’ve got him. No problem.” The Bolivian’s voice was calm, undisturbed. “We’re on 1-10 heading west Somebody let me know when you’re in line behind me in case he goes to the access roads again.”

LI: “I’m five cars behind you, Rem.”

CONNIE: “I’m three behind Li.”

REMBERTO: “He’s braking… No-no… He’s going on. He’s moving way over left. Oh, man, picking up speed.”

CONNIE: “I’m in the left lane, Rem, but I’m too far back to identify him.”

REMBERTO: “He’s behind an RV, alternating red and orange lights… braking… braking.”

CONNIE: “Okay… I see him.”

REMBERTO: “Li stay right. I have a feeling he’s going to whip across traffic and exit as soon… There he goes!… There he goes! Gessner! Gessner!”

LI: “I’ve got him. Gessner exit.”

Remberto continued down the expressway past the exit.

MURRAY: Remberto, stay on the expressway. He could shoot back up. Connie, steady with traffic, I’m coming up on you. Li, what’s he doing? Come on! Come on, kid, what’s he doing?”

LI: “We’re going through the Gessner light… not turning off… The light caught me… I’m stopped, I’m stop-There he goes… he’s going back up… he’s going back up on 1-10… Shit! He’s flying, he’s cooking.”

CONNIE: “I’ve got him.” Like Remberto her voice was laid back, conversational. “He’s coming up on your tail, Remberto.”

REMBERTO: “He’s not leaving the right lane… Holy God… he’s going to run right up my tailpipe!”

MURRAY: “Watch him! He’s going to take the interchange… He’s going…”

At the last possible moment, just before Burtell rammed into the back of Remberto’s car, they came to the interchange exit and Burtell rocketed off to the right, careening into the climbing turn and, as he banked off the expressway onto the Sam Houston Tollway, headed south. It was too late for Connie to turn off, but Murray and Li both easily followed him in the flow of traffic. It was a good move, perfect timing to do what he did, an expert maneuver. Remberto and Connie would have to pass up the next exit to avoid having to brake quickly and possibly give themselves away to any countersurveillance. They would have to continue on to the next one, signaling, keeping cars between them, let a traffic light separate them, and then circle back on the access road to the interchange and join the tollway traffic behind the rest of them.

From here on Burtell played another kind of game. The tollway was wide, long, and straight, and Burtell tried to isolate himself. This was the tactic that Murray found the most difficult to deal with. The traffic here was more sparse, strung out on the newly completed tollway. Burtell slowed down and waited until a traffic cluster bypassed him, and he was fairly isolated on the long stretch of roadway. He drifted along and then suddenly pulled to the shoulder right before one of the exits that came at regular intervals. Anyone following him very closely would have to continue on the tollway and from his vantage point he could easily see the next two exits to identify any car that pulled off. He wouldn’t forget the make of anything that did.

MURRAY: “He’s pulled to the shoulder just past Richmond. He’s getting out, raising the hood of his car. Li, we’ll keep going. Remberto? Connie?”

CONNIE: “Exiting at Rodgerdale.” That was the exit a mile before Burtell. He would never even see them pulling off.

REMBERTO: “I’m behind her, getting off at Briar Forest.”

CONNIE: “On Rodgerdale, coming up on Richmond. I can see him up there, hood’s up… He’s looking down the tollway toward Li and Murray. Remberto. Get off in one of the neighborhood streets here. He’s right at an exit. I’m pulling over to a gas station.”

There was dead air for a while as Burtell continued to look down the tollway, watching the next two exits. Finally he closed the hood.

CONNIE: “Okay, he’s satisfied, putting down the hood he’s moving. Remberto, he’s pulling off right in front of me. He’s ducking under the tollway, going back… Okay, he’s turning under again… No, wait, no he was signaling but he’s not turning… He’s staying on Parkway… Parkway all the way.”