It starts in the middle of the night, about eight or nine years ago.  He and I are partners sitting in a little kitchen area, me doing as I’m supposed to be doing, which was attentively staring at a red “Bat” phone with my hand hovering over the receiver, eagerly awaiting the call from Commissioner Gordon for help in Gotham City.

Larry, on the other hand, is demonstrating his customary inability to cope with inactivity, and has a personal project of his spread out all over the table, rendering it unusable for anything else, like maybe eating.

The “Bat” phone does ring.  It’s not Commissioner Gordon but dispatch requesting air support for the Haines City Police Department.  Not Gotham City, but kind of close.  Seems some local officers went in pursuit of two people in a stolen car and they opened fire on the officers with unknown type and caliber firearms.

Like the Top Flight Crew that we actually were for a string of years, we bolted for the door and in as short a time as you can get the turbine lit on a jet helicopter and a few essential systems online, we were screaming through the black Florida sky.

Top Flight Crew PCSO

Always a day late and a dollar short, before we could arrive, the bad guys had wrecked the car and after backing the pursuing cops off with gunfire, had escaped on foot.

Shortly after arriving on scene, Larry located one of the suspects using a thermal imager running through an orange grove, feeling safe in the protection of the darkness and probably making plans for later that night when he got back to town.  Quietly directing ground units into position, the suspect turned a corner in the rows of orange trees and almost ran right into a police car and into the awaiting arms of some officers who probably weren’t in  the most sunny of dispositions.  The capture was text book and would have made a great training tape.  That one was not the reason that I told this story.

With that one in custody, Larry located the other one, also with the thermal imager as it was a black night.  This one though, was in a large marshy swampy part of Lake Lowery making remarkably good time away from the ground troops in waist to chest deep water and muck with sawgrass higher than his head.  An assessment of the situation determined that it would take hours to get a ground or marine asset to this area, and we didn’t have that much fuel.  Rather than let this armed violent person get away Larry said “Get me down there!”

Being obligated to comply, I set the helicopter up to do a low, slow pass over the guy while checking for helicopter snags (poles, cables, lines, dead trees, etc).  Then I would roll into a sharp left descending turn and roll out into a hover just five feet over the target.  Did I mention that Larry and I often have a problem communicating with one another?  As I made my low pass, intently scanning for obstacles and danger, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and the helicopter lurched violently as Larry bailed out.

I watched in horror as Larry fell,,,, and fell,,,, and fell,,, and splashed down right next to the bad guy like a Mercury space capsule splashing down in the Atlantic, only without the chute.  Rolling into my planned maneuver, I kept my eyes riveted on the point of splashdown as I came to a complete stop.  After what seemed like a long time and much to the surprise of the bad guy as well as myself, Larry popped up from the black water and muck and grabbed the guy by the throat, and the fight was on.

Alone in the helicopter, I helplessly took on the roll of a three quarter million dollar street light, illuminating the bizarre scene below. It only lasted a few minutes.  I don’t think Larry actually won the fight, I think the guy just decided that Larry was soooooooo insane that nothing good could come from further resistance, and allowed Larry to drag him the quarter mile to shore to the awaiting officers bristling with questions as well as weapons.

“Air 1, did you misplace a flight officer?  I think we may have one down here!”

Are you beginning to get a clear picture of what kind of nut Larry is?  The above narrative is a prelude to telling you that I landed and picked him up dripping and smelling like a sewer and flew him back to the airbase.  As we walked back into the ready room there, still spread out all over the table in about ten pieces, was Larry’s gun in the process of being cleaned.

I would like to welcome you to my blog, Southern Crosses, which just happens to be the name of my newly released novel. Southern Crosses was several years in the making, and was quite a project of mine. I wanted to take you on a sailing adventure along the western coast of present day Florida, one with a few twists and turns along the way.

For the reader familiar with the area, some locations will be easily recognized. It was my intent to give you a sense of reality while referencing known landmarks and local hot spots. The story itself is purely fictional, but very believable. I’ve taken my background as a Deputy Sheriff and live aboard sailor and transformed some bits and pieces of my experiences into an adventure novel.

I invite you to go along for a great story and then join me here on my new blog. I’ll be sharing some of my sailing stories and photos along the way combined with newsworthy events along the beaches.

Please feel free to let me know what you would like to see added to this blog, or even in my next novel.

Thanks for stopping by,

Larry

Key Largo dive

The Captain and Admiral

I retired from law enforcement in 2000 after an extensive career with a central Florida sheriff’s office. While there I worked everything from patrol deputy, undercover narcotics agent, detective, and helicopter pilot. I’m now employed with an international security company working worldwide. I’ve had the great opportunity to visit many countries and meet lots of truly great folks along the way. During my travels I penned Southern Crosses, my first novel of a planned series.

My wife Sheree, and Admiral of the vessel, is also retired from the sheriff’s office. Sheree has been a great sailing companion along the way. I may be the Captain, but she is the Admiral. Life at sea has many of the same rules as a shore based marriage. When the Admiral makes a suggestion, well, the Captain jumps! Sheree has been a wonderful companion along the way and is always willing to try a new adventure.

And now for the vessel’s first mate, Abby, who is a 12 year old Umbrella Cockatoo and sailing enthusiast. She is quite a talker and stays involved in every aspect of boat life. She is also a fantastic watch bird while at anchor. Abby is a big part of our lives and travels everywhere with us offering unlimited advice along the way. When the weather is bad, sailing is rough, and we are all tired, Abby brings a little extra sunshine into our lives.

First-Mate Abby

Thanks again for visiting and I do welcome your comments. Please feel free to browse the cruising logs, stories and book review sections. I look forward to hearing from everyone, thanks again.

From the decks of the s/v AbbyGale

Larry and crew