Storm Warning

Episode 308 (042) - Nov 12 1997

Jim and Blair fly into "Storm Island" where Jim's cousin Rucker is stationed as a Coast Guard and lighthouse keeper. Jim greets his cousin warmly and wishes him a happy birthday and Rucker receives a present from the pilot.

Rucker mentions that he's worried about the approaching storm. While the lighthouse had a systems upgrade a couple of years before, the power in the Coast Guard station itself is way behind the times -- and much to Blair's frustration as the bad weather looks to threaten their fishing plans, there's no internet link for the computer and no cable TV.

Jim presents Rucker with a birthday present from him and Blair, an extendable mini fishing rod, the present from the pilot turns out to be several cassette volumes of "books on tape".

Just then, the radar reveals a speedboat travelling at 40 knots and on an erratic course, apparently out of control. They make chase in the Coast Guard launch, and as Rucker pulls the launch alongside the SeaRay Jim jumps aboard and stops the engine. There is an unconscious woman on the deck of the craft.

They question the frightened woman and she says her name is Monique. She explains that she was running away from her boyfriend, Enrique Mendez, a powerful but physically abusive investment banker. A sudden bolt of lightning cuts power to the station, with all but the radio link out of operation. Rucker heads outside to tie down the boats against the storm and finds an attaché case full of heroine on board the SeaRay.

In the meantime, Blair is establishing a rapport with Monique. Although she is wet and frightened, he loans her some of his dry clothes and some warm boots he got in Alaska. Monique is grateful and mentions that she would love to travel, but has only ever been to Mexico. Then Jim and Rucker walk in with the attaché case, and Jim informs a shocked Blair and Monique that she is under arrest for drug possession, while he slaps the cuffs on her.

Suspicious of Monique's story, Jim continues to interrogate her but she says that she is afraid for her life and won't reveal anything. Blair pleads privately with Jim to try another tack and give her the benefit of the doubt, and through a little more persuasive conversation Blair gets Monique to reveal that she is actually the mistress of Enrique Guzman, the Mexican heroine Czar, and she is afraid he'll find her. Jim decides to take a look at the SeaRay himself, and using his hearing, locates an activated homing beacon. Realizing that Guzman could be hot on their heels, they decide to take the launch and head for the mainland. But then Jim hears a chopper approaching and they look out the windows to see a heavily armed squad arriving on the island.

Jim and Rucker assemble what little arsenal they have preparing to hold off the attackers. Apart from Jim's handgun, Rucker produces two M-16 rifles and a flair gun. They board up the doors and a crawlspace beneath the shack, and prepare to hold off Guzman's men who detonate the comm-link, leaving them completely cut off.

By megaphone, Raoul, Guzman's chief henchman, demands Monique's release. Blair stops Monique as she attempts to give herself up and asks what their other options are. Rucker decides to escape through the crawlspace and make for the Coastguard launch but Guzman chooses that moment to detonate the explosives he has planted on board. With the phonelines down, Rucker decides to make for the lighthouse while Jim, Blair and Monique create a diversion.

While Rucker heads out through the crawlspace, Jim hands Blair one of the rifles and tells him he need only fire over their heads. Then, attaché case in hand, he heads outside to talk to Guzman. Jim offers the drugs in exchange for Monique's life, and Guzman is angered to hear that Monique has been intimating he beat her. He loves her and doesn't want the drugs, throwing the attaché case into the water to prove his point.

Guzman insists he wants his "book" and that Monique is a thief, a liar and a whore. When Jim returns to the hut, he angrily rifles through Monique's backpack, finding only her passport. Jim demands an explanation and Monique explains that Guzman keeps all his important records in books because he doesn't trust computers. She admits to seeing these books, but doesn't understand what was in it and she certainly doesn't have one. Nevertheless, they decide they might be able to use this information as a bargaining chip which may give them more time, while waiting for Rucker to bring assistance.

Rucker makes it safely to the lighthouse but while he attempts to make contact and send a mayday, Guzman's men storm the lighthouse and Rucker dives out the window to escape. At the same time, the coastguard hut comes under attack from a hail of bullets. Jim and Blair use up all their M-16 rounds giving return fire and wounding several of Guzman's men. When Guzman breaks into the shack, Jim, Blair and Monique are gone.

Out in the woods, Blair notices that Monique has been shot and Jim searches in her backpack for a bandana to tie her wound. He finds a walkman there and slips the cassette quietly into his jacket, then leaves Blair to administer first aid while he doubles back on their route. They head for the lighthouse and overpower Guzman's men, then are overpowered themselves, but Monique, armed with the flair gun, manages to gain the upper hand again. Jim scores a machine gun from the altercation.

They search the lighthouse for signs of Rucker, then Jim hears his labored breathing from the rock cliffs below the lighthouse. While Jim examines Ruck's leg wound, a flare gun erupts over their heads and Monique says she discharged it accidentally. Guzmen's men appear overhead in the helicopter and the group head off into more forested cover under strafing fire. Eventually Ruck's injury makes it too difficult for him to continue and he begs them to take off without him.

Monique protests and Jim reaches his limits with her whining. He asks why she's trying to slow them down then reveals that he got a look at the stamps in her passport -- Rome, Athens, Bangkok. Blair challenges her that she said she'd only ever been to Mexico. Jim further confronts her on all the other aspects of her story that don't quite make sense. When she insists again that she doesn't have Guzman's book Jim reveals the audio cassette that he stole from her walkman.