Poachers

Episode 304 (038) - Oct 1 1997

While enjoying a rare break at a fly-fishing reserve, Jim, Blair and Simon are disturbed by automatic weapons fire. Racing to the source of the sound, they find a large grizzly standing over a badly mauled body. The gun lying nearby is a high-powered automatic, and Jim recognizes that they are dealing with poachers. The dead man's partner escapes in his truck, and although a chase ensues, Jim is unable to catch him.

The dead man's records show him to be a Jake Marshall, part of an illegal trophy hunting and poaching operation and Jim decides to pay a visit on his partner Sid Polk's hunting lodge. Simon comments that they should notify Fish and Wildlife as it falls under their jurisdiction, but as automatic weapons are involved Jim would rather question the offenders first, assuring Simon that he will take the responsibility.

On stakeout operation at the hunting lodge, which is littered with dead animal carcasses and illegal weapons, Jim busts an apparent poaching deal in progress between Polk, a woman and her male accomplice. The woman is furious at being arrested and demands Jim's name and badge number. When Jim and Blair are later called into Simon's office, they discover that the woman, Elaine Walters and her partner Frank Rafferty, are game wardens with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and were actually part of an ongoing undercover operation which has been ruined by Jim's bust.

Elaine is angry at not being notified. She explains that after drugs and arms smuggling, poaching is the most profitable crime on Earth. They have been after a high level racketeer, Ho Ng, who is involved in the smuggling as a way of supplying his penchant for traditional medicines made from illegal animal parts. Simon suggests they pool resources and Jim and Elaine reluctantly agree to team up to continue the operation.

Following their separate leads, Jim and Blair return to the hunting lodge, come under fire and Jim is forced to kill Polk. A diary on the body reveals frequent calls to a Chinese Herb store which appears to be the source of the contraband. Elaine and her partner have tracked down the same address, so they organize a sting operation, offering to supply the rare and expensive "Narwhal" tusk (an arctic whale), to the proprietor of the store. Elaine and Frank secure a sample of the tusk and all meet and Jim's loft for dinner and to await the phone call.

Blair has been teasing Jim about the sparks he senses between Jim and Elaine, telling Jim they are too alike not to feel attracted to each other. While Jim and Elaine argue over seasonings for the spaghetti sauce, Blair discovers that Frank is actually a reformed Poacher. The crooks call to take the bait and Jim and Elaine go in undercover to meet Tommy Wu, an exporter suspected of involvement in illegal trade. Blair and Frank act as backup, trusting the surveillance to Frank's homing device. When the device fails, Blair is angry that Jim and Elaine are driven away unprotected and alone.

When Wu finds the transmitter on Elaine, Jim needs to do some fast double talk about protecting their investment to convince him they are genuine. He and Wu share an interest in philosophy and military stratagem and an uneasy bond forms. Elaine says that she and Jim are married, to protect her own stake in the setup and further provides Wu with the contact name of a poacher in Tacoma who will vouch for them. Wu says he'll get back to them.

Wu meets with his boss Ho Ng and confirms that Jim and Elaine's contact checked out, but Ng is angry because he has already lost a man and suspects a police set-up. Ng slashes Wu across the ear with a knife and tells him to watch for sharks.

In the meantime Elaine invites Jim to dinner to try and patch up their working relationship. She confesses that she thinks they are both used to being in control and Jim admits that Blair said the same thing. They agree to be friends. Just then Jim receives another call to organize a rendezvous with Wu at the docks.

Simon wants a full scale operation but Jim and Elaine advocate holding off for the big fish, Ho Ng. They meet Wu on his trawler with Blair and Frank loading the merchandise on the docks and Simon and his team out of sight. But Wu orders that they cast off and do business away from land. Wu phones Blair later and tells Blair and Frank to follow in a speedboat, head north and wait for further instructions. Against Simon's better judgment, Blair and Frank have no choice but to play along with Wu's plan and head off in the boat stocked with the contraband goods.

On board Wu's trawler, Jim and Elaine are treated to a sumptuous and leisurely meal and share more discussions on philosophy and then both are shown to a cabin for the night where they toss for the only bed and Elaine loses.

On board the speedboat with the contraband goods, Blair receives a call from Wu's boat and heads for the given rendezvous. At that moment, Frank pulls a gun on Blair, revealing his plan to take the contraband goods, kill Blair and leave Jim and Elaine to Ng's men, supposing the authorities will just assume the bust went wrong and he will be free.

At the bow of the boat, Blair gives the wheel a violent twist and when Frank falls Blair is able to retrieve the gun. He deposits Frank on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the water and goes on to the rendezvous alone.

Back at the trawler, a fire in the engine room forces Jim to save one of Wu's men, and Wu is very grateful, cementing their respect for each other. The next morning, they meet Blair on the boat alone and Ng arrives immediately after.

Ng takes possession of the merchandise and then reports that a man they found on a rock tried to cut a deal with him, revealing the real identities of Jim, Blair and Elaine. Ng instructs Wu to kill them but Wu resists. Along with Wu, they are all tied-up below deck. Elaine is able to retrieve the knife in Jim's boot and they escape. While Jim heads off in pursuit of Ng, the others attempt to locate the explosives planted on board.

 Credits:

  • Written by Tony Westman
  • Directed by Tony Westman

Main Cast:

  • Detective Jim Ellison: Richard Burgi
  • Blair Sandburg: Garett Maggart
  • Captain Simon Banks: Bruce A. Young

Semi regular Cast:

  • Detective Rafe: Ryf van Rij

Guest Roles:

  • Elaine Walters: Marjorie Monaghan
  • Frank Rafferty: Richard Tyson
  • Tommy Wu: Byron Mann
  • Ho Ng: Johnny Mah
  • Jake Marshall: Mike Mitchell
  • Sid Polk: Gerry Rousseau

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