Cassie Wells ducked down when she got to the corner of the building. She didn't want to be seen by anyone inside. She was here for information gathering only. When she had overheard Ellison and Larabee talking about trying to get more intel on the warehouse, she decided to see what she could find out. If she could get some valuable info about what was inside the place, that ATF agent would have to see that she could be an asset to the investigation.
She moved around to the backside of the building, which faced the water. Just as she reached the door, a hand clamped down over her mouth, as another arm wrapped around her waist. Her startled cry was muffled by the hand covering her mouth, as she felt herself being lifted. Two men, the second grabbing her legs, carried her away from the warehouse, while she struggled to break their grip. They dropped down behind a large metal dumpster just as the headlights from a vehicle flashed over their location.
Tanner kept his hand over her mouth as Josiah held her down against the pavement. A large black Cadillac pulled up and parked near the door that Cassie had been near. Three men exited the car and entered the building, leaving a fourth man standing outside. The guard lit a cigarette and leaned against the Cadi, staring out across the water.
Cassie continued to struggle. Vin peeked out and saw the man who had been left to stand watch. He cursed under his breath, taking a quick look around them. There was no where to go without being seen. Another muffled scream came from Wells. Tanner leaned over her prone body, and brought him mouth close to her right ear. "Stop moving and shut the fuck up!" he whispered, the anger apparent in his tone. Her eyes widened at the threat in his voice.
From the van, Sandburg watched the building through binoculars and saw the Cadillac drive up and pull to the rear of the building out of sight. From his location he couldn't see what was going on, but he'd managed to get the plate number as the vehicle drove by. He debated calling Jim, but decided to wait a few more minutes to see if Tanner and Sanchez returned.
Ten minutes later, Blair still hadn't seen either agent or any further movement from the warehouse. He picked up the cellphone and hit the speed dial button.
"Ellison."
"Jim, we may have a problem."
"What's up, Chief?"
"Vin saw somebody moving around the warehouse. He and Josiah went to check it out thirty minutes ago and haven't come back yet. And a car pulled up right after that and drove around to the back of the building. It's still there."
"Did you hear anything?"
"You mean like shots? No, no shots, no yelling, nothing. But I think Vin recognized the person. Before they left, he made a comment about what 'she' was doing here."
"Okay, look, I'm at the station now with Chris. We're on our way. Tell Vin to call if he gets back before we get there."
"Okay. I'm at the corner of Beach and Montrose, behind the old brewery."
"I know the place. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. And, Chief..."
"..stay in the truck."
"Just checking. Keep your head down."
"Can't see anything if I keep my head down, Jim."
"Sandburg..."
"Bye, Jim," Blair remarked as he hit the end button.
Picking up the binoculars again, Blair took another look around. "Come on, guys," he muttered to the absent agents. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and rolled down the window, listening for any sounds out of the ordinary. Five minutes later, the Cadi drove out from behind the building. He watched it drive away and got back on the phone.
"Jim, that car just left going southbound on Dockside Drive."
"Any sign of Tanner or Sanchez?'
"Nothing. Man, I'm getting worried here."
"We'll be there in about seven minutes, Chief."
"Do you think they got caught?"
"We'll check it out when we get there. Give me a description of the car."
"Oh, man, I got the plate, hang on!" Sandburg reached for the paper he jotted the number on. "It's a black Cadillac, four door, Washington license 442LIT."
"Great. I'll call H and have him run it."
"Okay. Jim, hurry up, man. I don't like this..." Blair yelped as both passenger doors opened up.
"Chief! Sandburg!" Ellison yelling into the phone. "Blair, talk to me!"
"Sorry, Jim, it's Vin and Josiah. Hold on, I think Vin wants to talk to Chris." Blair handed the phone to Tanner telling him that Ellison and Larabee were already on the way. As Tanner took the phone, Blair saw Cassie Wells being pushed into the back seat. It looked like she was wearing handcuffs. Blair's eyes widened and he glanced at Josiah, who just shrugged as he slid in next to Wells.
"Chris?"
"Hey, Cowboy, you okay?"
"Fine. We're coming back," Vin practically growled into the phone. His conversation was interrupted by Cassie's indignant whine.
"You have no right to arrest me! Get these cuffs off!"
"Miss, if I were you, I'd be quiet," Josiah advised.
"I will not be quiet! What are you charging me with?"
"Hold on, Chris," Tanner said. Pulling the phone from his ear, he turned around to face Cassie. His voice was low and direct. "Ms. Wells, I am going to say this just once. Shut up or I will gag you." He glared at her for several seconds, daring her to open her mouth.
Cassie thought about saying something, but she looked at Tanner and decided not to. She was angry though and planned on making this arrogant federal agent pay for putting her in cuffs. How dare he treat her like a common criminal. And threatening to gag her! Well, we'll just see about that. She knew how Banks and Ellison felt about feds. Once they found out about how she'd been treated, they'd put these men in their place. She tried to catch her breath. The scare that these men had given her was causing her to hyperventilate.
Blair saw the look on her face. "Vin, you might want to take the cuffs off her," he suggested. Tanner turned a cold eye to Sandburg. "Sorry, man, I know you're pissed. But Cassie is an asthmatic. It looks like she's starting to have an attack. She has medication with her."
Vin turned to look at his prisoner, then nodded at Josiah. The big man reached into his pocket for the keys and released Cassie. She immediately pulled her inhaler from her pocket and took a couple quick breaths.
"Do you need to go to the Emergency Room?" Josiah asked in his quiet voice.
Cassie shook her head no and leaned her head against the back of the seat. "I'll be fine, thank you."
When she didn't say anything more, Vin turned back around and put the phone back to his ear. "Chris, we're heading back to the station. Meet us in the Captain's office."
"You sound upset, Vin."
"I reckon I am." Vin didn't say any more and Chris didn't push. He knew he'd get the full story in a few minutes.
"Okay, we'll meet you back at the station. Do you want me to send your relief early?"
"No point in it now. They've been here and gone. I doubt they'll be back tonight."
"Okay, cowboy. We'll see you soon."
Vin ended the call and turned to Blair. "Can you take us back to the station, Blair?"
"Of course." The ride back was silent. Sandburg wanted badly to question the ATF agents, but years of dealing with Jim Ellison had taught him not to press his luck. He'd hear it all when Jim did and he'd just have to be patient enough to wait for answers. As he turned back to start the van, he caught Josiah's eyes in the rear view mirror. The big man glanced at Cassie, then back at Blair and just shook his head in disgust.
Jim and Chris were waiting with Banks when the three men arrived with Cassie. Having zeroed in on Blair's heartbeat as soon as he entered the building, Ellison followed their movement up the elevator from the parking garage. As they walked into the bullpen, he confirmed what the problem was. He'd heard Vin's end of the conversation, having turned his hearing up, wanted to be sure Blair was okay. He hadn't said anything to Larabee since he wouldn't have been able to explain how he'd heard it. So he wanted until he could see them coming down in the door before he said anything.
"Simon"
Chris and Simon both turned and saw Jim looking out into the bullpen. Following his gaze, Chris narrowed his eyes at the sight of the redhead and Simon groaned.
Propelling Cassie toward the office with a hand on her elbow, Josiah followed Tanner and Sandburg, then closed the door behind him.
"Vin, why is this woman with you?" Larabee asked, as Josiah helped her to a seat.
"We found her sneaking around the warehouse."
"What?!"
"Josiah and I followed her to the back of the building. She was trying doors, looking for a way inside. We almost got caught when a vehicle drove up and several guys got out and went into the warehouse."
Chris whirled and glared at Cassie, causing her to jump in her seat. "And you didn't arrest her!?" he snarled.
"Actually, we did. She had an asthma attack, so we took the cuffs off so she could take her medication."
Chris nodded and continued to glare at the woman, who refused to look him in the eye after that first glare scared her so bad. She reached for her inhaler again and took a quick hit from it.
"Has she been read her rights?"
"Yep."
"I was there in an official capacity!" Cassie screamed, jumping from the chair, only to be pushed back into the seat by Josiah.
"Cassie, don't dig the hole any deeper, " Ellison suggested.
"Chris, if you will permit me," Banks interrupted.
For several seconds, Chris didn't acknowledge the Captain, then he took a deep breath and turned to face him.
"Simon?"
"If it's alright with you, I'd like to handle disciplinary action in-house on this one. I guarantee that she won't interfere again." He looked over at Cassie. "And if she tries, I will recommend termination," he said, seeing the stunned looked on Wells' face when he said that.
Chris studied Simon's face then turned to his agents. "Vin, you and Josiah were the ones in the line of fire. How do you feel about this?"
"If we'd been thirty seconds later, we'd have been seen. One of the men there was Michael Stanley."
"Stanley? Isn't he one of Doyle's men?" Jim asked.
"Yes," Chris replied. "And he knows Vin, so it would have not only blown the operation, but probably would have gotten all three of them killed, maybe Blair, too." Chris turned to his other man. "Josiah?"
"Seems to me, she had no business being there. Even if she has an official capacity in the department, that capacity ended when the crime scene was cleared. And the building wasn't part of the crime scene."
"Simon, what do you suggest? 'Cuz I gotta tell ya, I'm tempted to just lock her up until we leave town."
"Forensics comes under our Support Bureau. Captain Hank Hanford is her immediate supervisor. I promise we will take your concerns to heart and she will not be allowed near this investigation. We'll make it an official written order if we need to. If she violates that order, it means immediate termination of employment."
"She could have gotten my men killed."
"I understand that and it will be taken into consideration. Let me talked to Hanford. I'll let you know what we come up with and if you're not satisfied, then you can proceed with your charges."
"Captain!" Cassie cried, again trying to get up, only to be forced back down again by Josiah. Banks and Larabee ignored her.
"Would it be possible for your men to write up a quick statement for me?" Banks asked.
"We can do that," Sanchez said. Vin waited until he got a nod from Chris before he motioned for Josiah to follow him out. Larabee walked over and stood next to Wells.
"Listen up and listen good. You were warned once to stay away from this case. You will not be warned again. If I see your face anywhere in the vicinity of this investigation, you will be arrested and charged with interfering with a federal investigation. You will be tried in a federal court, so your Cascade PD position will not help you." Chris lowered his face and bent over, putting his face only inches from Cassie's. "And if my men are put in danger because of that interference, I will shoot you. Do you understand me?"
Cassie raised her eyes to meet Larabee's, but found she couldn't hold his gaze. He had the coldest, deadliest eyes she'd ever seen. Unable to find her voice, she merely nodded. Chris slowly moved toward the door.
"Jim, I'll be in the conference room. I want to see what JD found on that vehicle that the boys saw." Ellison nodded. Chris closed the door behind him.
Nothing was said for a full minute, the tension thick in Larabee's wake. Finally, Simon took a deep breath and reached for his phone. Checking his Rolodex, he dialed Captain Hanford's pager number and left his number for the man to return his call. He set the phone back down. "Wells, I think you should return to your office. Gather up everything you have on this case and give it to Serena. She'll be taking over for you until I speak with Captain Hanford."
"Captain..."
Banks raised his hand. "Not a word, Wells. You screwed up. If I have my way, you'll be taking a bit of unpaid time off. Now get out of my office."
Cassie knew she wouldn't get any sympathy from Ellison, so she turned her gaze toward Sandburg. Blair just shook his head and looked away. She pushed up out of the chair and walked toward the door. Grabbing the knob, she pulled it open.
"I was only trying to help."
"Out. Now, Wells," Banks said reaching for his ringing phone as the forensics chief let the office. He looked at Jim and gestured for him and Blair to leave then answered the phone. "Banks. Yes, Hank, thanks for calling back so quickly. We need to talk about one of your people"
When Vin and Josiah walked into the conference room, the first thing they noticed was two large stocking feet propped up on the table.
"Damn it, Buck, get your stinkin' feet off the files," JD groused, smacking the other man on the leg.
"Really, Mr. Wilmington, I must protest your distinct lack of consideration regarding the air quality in this room," Ezra added.
"Hey, I had to sacrifice my brand new pair of shoes to that snitch," Buck snarled. "And we got some good information. So I am just gonna be comfortable and ignore the both of ya."
"Geez, Buck, did you drag a dead animal in here with you?" Tanner remarked, waving his hand in front of face. "Josiah, maybe you should call in a HazMat team."
"I don't think HazMat will be needed, but we'll probably have to fumigate when we leave. And Nathan may have to make sure everybody's tetanus shots are up-to-date." The others in the room laughed, except for Buck.
"Oh, hardy-har-har. You boys think you're so funny," he said. "At least Ellison and I didn't come back empty handed."
"Neither did we, Buck," Josiah said. "We even made an arrest."
"Actually, not an arrest yet," Chris interjected as he entered the room behind Josiah. "Banks want to handle the matter in house if possible, but is giving me final say-so after he talks to her supervisor. Buck, where the hell are your shoes?" Larabee stood over his oldest friend, a half-grin on his face. Ellison had already filled him in on what happened with the informant. Chris just wanted to see what type of embellishments Wilmington would add.
Buck lay a hand against his chest. "Alas, sacrificed for the good of the team, boss man."
"Buck," Chris said, disbelieving.
"I swear, Chris, that informant that Ellison and I went to see? Well, he won't take cash. He gets paid in shoes! I couldn't believe it when he started asking me what size they were."
"No wonder Blair refused to go," Josiah said.
"You got that right," Sandburg said as he and Jim joined the others. "I lost a brand new pair the first time I met him. I keep a pair of old, beat up tennies in Jim's locker now and change into them whenever we go see Sneaks."
"You coulda warned me kid," Buck growled.
"I tried, but you didn't want to hear it," Blair reminded him.
"Buck, you need to head back to the hotel and get another pair of shoes," Chris told him.
"I will, but first I want to hear Vin's story. Who got arrested?"
"No one, so far," Simon said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Turning to Chris he answered the Team Leader's unasked question. "Two week suspension, with written orders to stay away from the station, the case, any of the locations, and anyone involved in the case. Is that satisfactory?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Thanks for allowing me to handle it. She's obnoxious and interfering, but she does know her job...when she sticks to it and doesn't try to do the investigating herself."
"I don't want a repeat of what happened. She could have got my men killed. And herself," Chris reminded him.
"Whoa! What the hell happened?" Buck asked, pulling his feet down of the table. "Who almost got killed? Vin? Chris? What's going on?"
Larabee related the incident that had occurred at the warehouse. The story of Wells involvement was met with some anger, but all were satisfied with her punishment. JD silently apologized to his girlfriend, Casey Wells. Although the two women shared the same name, it was apparent that his girl was a lot sweeter than the one Ellison had to deal with. He nodded as Chris gave instructions to arrest her if she interfered again. She would not get another chance to compromise the case. Banks could only agree.
"Okay, now that that's settled Jim says you got some valuable info while you were out," Chris said as he turned to Buck
"That we did." Buck reached for some of the printouts that had been under his feet. "The man gave us a name that sounded familiar, so when I got back up here, I had JD run it." He flipped through the stack of pages before pulling several from the lot. "Remember, about six months ago, we got a memo from the New York office about an international player who suddenly surfaced?"
"Gunter Heichler, yeah," Chris nodded.
Buck looked at him. "How the hell do you remember that? Anyway, this Heichler guy is supposedly in Seattle looking to meet up with an arms dealer who just came in from Colorado."
"Heichler buys for overseas clients," Vin interjected. "He's suspected of supplying a majority of terrorist groups in the Middle East and North Africa. If Doyle is hooking up with him, he's moving into a whole new ballpark."
"Christ in a hand basket!" Buck spat. "How the hell do the two of you remember so much about a guy we only got one memo on?!"
"Actually, I don't remember the part about the terrorist groups," Chris said, turning to Tanner.
"It wasn't on the original memo," Vin admitted. "I did a little research one day while I was waiting for y'all to finish up some reports. I was curious, since he seemed to pop up outta nowhere."
"What did you find out, Vin?" Josiah asked from across the room where he was pouring himself a cup of coffee. He finished and joined the others as they took seats around the table.
"He's camera shy. No known photos of him and descriptions vary. He either uses disguises or alters his appearance in other ways on a pretty frequent basis. He's been described as blond, red headed, bald; with facial hair and without; stocky, thin; and anywhere from thirty to sixty years old. He reminds me a little of Ezra, the way he changes his appearance for each case. A regular master of disguise."
Ezra nodded at Vin to acknowledge the compliment.
"Did you get any ideas about how he works?" Josiah asked. As the team's profiler, Sanchez was the one who helped put together different scenarios about how their target would react in certain situations. Vin's instincts were good and he would probably have already formed some impressions about how the man worked.
"Well, he's careful; meticulous, well-organized, from everything I've read about him."
"Exactly like Doyle, in other words," Chris commented.
"Yeah. I reckon the two would probably get along well," Vin agreed. "Like two peas in a pod."
"Josiah, do you think we could get someone close to Heichler?" Chris asked.
"Might be tough," Sanchez said looking up from the pages in front of him. "According to this, he's kept the same folks around him since the New York office became aware of him. It could be hard to get someone new into his main circle close enough to get any useful information." Chris nodded than turned to his undercover agent.
"Ezra? What do you think?"
The debonair, sharp dressed agent took a sip of coffee before looking at their leader. "I would need to speak to the agent in New York before I could offer an informed decision, Mr. Larabee. The tidbits we have gathered are sufficient as far as they go, but I require much more detail before entertaining the notion of attempting to infiltrate such a closed circle."
"Okay. Contact New York and see what you can find out. Then you and Josiah put your heads together and see what you can work up on the guy. If he is the reason Doyle is here, and it's sounding more and more likely, I want to cut their new partnership off at the knees."
"You're forgetting something here, Chris," Buck stated.
"You mean the fact that Doyle knows Ezra?" Chris asked with a small smile, knowing what was on the medic's mind. "I'm not forgetting. But Vin is right. Ezra is a master of disguise. Of course, I would leave the decision up to Ezra."
"I would require some supplies if you want me to alter my appearance enough to fool Doyle, Mr. Larabee," Standish said, warming to the idea of heading undercover once again.
"I could probably help there," Blair spoke up.
"Indeed, Mr. Sandburg? Do you have access to theatrical makeup and costuming?"
"Actually, I do," he said. Jim and Simon just grinned at the look of surprise on Ezra's face. "I teach at Rainier University, which just happens to have a national reputation for having one of the top drama departments in the western United States."
Ezra grinned, light glinting off his gold tooth. "Fantastic, my boy!" he declared, rubbing his hands together. "Do you know if your theatrics department has a collection of prosthetics and body suits?"
"Body suits, yes. I'll have to check on the prosthetics. I'll go give Heather a call." Sandburg got up and walked over to one of the phones on a side table.
"Heather?" Buck leaned his elbows on the table and glanced at Blair, than grinned at Ezra. "Ah, a boy after my own heart. Say, Ezra, I'll volunteer to be your backup when you go visit this stage beauty, Heather."
"Mr. Wilmington, until such time as you attire your lower appendages in proper footwear, I shall keep you at a measurable distance of at least 5280 feet while in view of the general population."
"Huh?" JD sputtered.
"In other words, he wants Buck to find some shoes before he'll be seen within a mile of him in public," Josiah supplied the explanation as Blair returned.
"Okay. Heather has an 8:00 class in the morning. She can meet us a little after 9:00 backstage."
"Excellent, Mr. Sandburg. I'll call New York first thing in the morning and determine if it would be feasible to venture into the midst of these denizens of the criminal world."
"Blair," Josiah asked, "will this Heather understand the need for discretion in this matter?"
Blair nodded. "Heather's dad is a detective down in Vice. She understands the need for secrecy. She'll be cool."
"Great," Chris said. "In the meantime, JD, you and the others keep going over the research on Heichler and see if you can come up with alternative angles. Maybe we can get more than one agent inside. Jim, did you get anything else from Buck's new best friend?" Chris just smiled at the scowl Wilmington sent his way.
"Yeah. Sneaks also told us that Harper had a girlfriend. Rafe is following up on that, since he and Henri got the same info from their sources."
"Okay. JD, I want you to correlate the info. The usual--try and set up a different board on each person involved. Then we can cross reference everything from there. Jim, any chance Vin could get access to a range?"
"We have a small range in the basement here, but I'm guessing you need the full range at the academy."
"Yes. Vin's our sniper and always brings his own long gun."
"So you just need to zero the weapon?" Jim asked Vin.
"Yep. Turbulent flights sometimes knock the sights off," Vin explained, knowing from Ellison's background that he well understood the need to have the sight properly adjusted.
"Let me contact the range master and set it up. You want to go out there tonight?"
"Morning's soon enough. Shouldn't take more than an hour."
"I'll give him a call now. If you want, I'll pick you up in the morning and run you over there." Tanner just nodded his agreement.
"Alright. Sounds like that'll do it for tonight. Let's get these files under lock and key, and then eat. Jim, Blair, Simon, if you can point us in the direction of a decent restaurant the federal government will buy you dinner."
"Now there's an offer I won't refuse," Banks said.
"I hear that," Ellison agreed.
"I could eat," Blair added as they all walked out
"Heather," Blair said, walking up to the stage followed by Ezra and Buck. The pretty blonde girl on the stage turned at the call.
"Blair," she smiled at him. She gave him a hug. "How's it going, handsome?"
"Pretty good." He introduced Ezra and Buck to her. While she and Ezra talked about what the undercover agent would need, Blair laid a hand on Buck's arm.
"Look, man, while we're here, I'm gonna run to the office and check my mailbox. I'll be back in a few minutes." Buck nodded and Blair disappeared.
Ten minutes later he was back, and soon after the three men were ready to go. Ezra had the costume pieces he was borrowing in a box. Heather turned to Blair. "So, what's my reward for my letting you guys borrow this stuff, Blair," she asked mischievously.
Blair laughed and smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Hmmm, dinner with me Friday night? Venegoni's?" he offered, naming a moderately priced Italian restaurant that he knew Heather liked.
"Oh, I do like your style, Blair. Seven o'clock?"
"It's a date." He kissed her, then stepped back and released her. "Gotta go. See you Friday."
Once out the door and heading toward their car, Buck threw an arm casually over Blair's shoulder. "Oh-we, boy, you sure have a way with the ladies. We must be related."
Ezra snorted. "Please, Mr. Wilmington, there's no need to insult Mr. Sandburg. He is, after all, providing us with invaluable help during this case."
Buck leaned close to Blair and whispered theatrically, "He's just jealous cuz he doesn't have our 'animal magnetism.'"
Ezra rolled his eyes. "Well, at least the animal part is appropriate when one analyzes your dating habits, Mr. Wilmington. Those of a canine come to mind."
"Now that's just plain rude, Ezra. I always treat my women like real ladies."
Ezra raised an eyebrow at this. "Ladies of the evening, maybe."
"Just because you haven't had a date in months, Ez..."
Ezra sputtered, offended. "Excuse me? Just because I don't see the need to enlighten the entire contingent of the ATF with my romantic assignations, Mr. Wilmington, does not mean I don't have them." He shifted the box in his hands to a more comfortable position. "Simply, as a gentleman, I prefer to keep my private life private. I feel no need to discuss it like some uncouth adolescent in a locker room."
Buck leaned toward Blair again. "I think he's protesting a bit too much, don't you?" he asked. Blair laughed at the by-play between the two men, but kept silent as he climbed in the back seat of their car. He wasn't even about to admit to them Jim's penchant for referring to table legs in regards to Blair's love life.
Arriving back at the station, Blair detoured to Jim's desk while Ezra and Buck went into the conference room that the ATF agents were using as a command center. Finding his partner typing up a report, Blair sat down in a nearby chair. Jim looked up.
"Hey, Chief, did you guys get what you need from the theater department?"
"Yeah, Ezra seemed pleased with what he borrowed." Blair seemed a little distracted, and Jim stared at him.
"You okay, buddy?"
"Well, I stopped by to get my mail while we were there, and I had an invitation to the fundraising dinner on Saturday. Did you know that your dad and brother were both making sizable donations to the anthropology department?" He handed Jim a newsletter about the fundraiser and pointed to two names on the list of contributors.
"Yeah, they both told me they were going to. Why, is that a problem?"
"No," Blair said, surprised that Jim knew about it. He knew that Jim had started talking more with his father and brother over the last few months, having dinner together and such. But he didn't realize that they discussed things like this. "I just haven't seen their names on the list of contributors before, that's all."
Jim threw a smile at this partner. "That's because they never have before."
"Oh. Then why now?"
"Because of you, Chief," Jim said softly.
Blair's eyes widened. "Me? What do you mean, Jim?"
"Both Steve and Dad were impressed with you, Chief. Dad especially, because he knows why you're really riding with me."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Jim, your dad knows..."
"Yeah." Jim looked around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard. "Remember during that case when I met up with dad again, I told you that I had had my senses as a kid. After the case was over, I mentioned to Dad that they had come back. I told him about what you taught me about Sentinels. He asked if that's why you were riding with me. He and I have talked about you, Chief, about how much you help me. He wanted to do something to thank you, but I told him that you wouldn't accept it for yourself. So he asked if making a contribution to Rainier's anthropology department would be okay. I told him that I was sure you would appreciate something like that. When Steven found out, he decided to make a donation, too." Jim shrugged. "It's a good tax write-off."
Blair was speechless, utterly speechless. He couldn't believe that Jim's family would do something like this. Making a donation like this because of him. He just sat there and stared at Jim, totally stunned.
"Blair, are you okay with this?" Jim asked, a little worried at his friend's silence. Blair being quiet always worried him.
"Wow."
"What?"
"Wow. I mean, wow." Jim laughed.
"I guess that means you're pleased, huh, Junior?" Blair's grin was answer enough.
"Yeah, Jim, it's great. Cool."
"That's not all that's cool, Chief," Jim said staring at the contributor's list again. "We better go show this to Chris, Chief."
"This is just like Doyle," Chris said. "He likes to think of himself of an upstanding member of the community. Making donations to the local university is his way of ingratiating himself with the upper crust. He makes friends with rich and powerful people who then sing his praises when he gets tied up in illegal dealings."
"Maybe we can use this to our advantage," Standish remarked.
"What do you mean, Ezra?"
"If Doyle attends this soiree I could, shall we say, re-acquaint myself with him at the same time. Pose as a fellow-philanthropist. Make it known that my organization is looking for some discreet, untraceable weapons."
"What kind of background are ya gonna use this time, Ezra?" Vin asked, putting a toothpick between his lips.
Deepening his southern accent, Standish answered. "Well, Mistah Tannah, I shall portend to be a true son of the south. And as a Child of the Confederacy, I am appalled at the way our once great country has disintegrated over the years, as the government was allowed to get bigger. Every since we lost the Civil War, things have just gone to Hades. Why, we must take our country back from these heathens who have usurped the true order of things. Just the fact that we have allowed inferior persons to take positions of authority has led to the destruction of society as it should be. No offense, Mr. Jackson."
"None taken, Mr. Standish, but only because I know you truly don't feel that way."
"Indeed, Mr. Jackson."
"That just might work with Doyle," Chris remarked thoughtfully. "He's been known to spout racist rhetoric in the past. You may actually appeal to his sense of 'whiteness'."
"Mr. Sandburg, what are the chances of procuring an invitation to this fundraiser?"
"Just so happens, as a teaching fellow, I have four invitations. I can probably get more if I need to."
"Excellent, my dear boy, excellent! I do believe that this little charade will prove successful in finally getting Mr. Doyle behind bars."
"There's Ezra," Jim said, his voice picked up by the earpieces that the others wore. Blair was with Ellison inside the main room at the ballroom. Both were dressed in tuxedos, as they were attending the fund-raiser as guests, not security. Chris and Vin were in the rafters of the room, wanting to get an overall view of the area and be able to keep an eye on Standish.
JD and Buck were in the van monitoring the video feed from cameras they'd set up earlier in the day. Josiah and Nathan were staked out with Rafe and Brown in a Cascade PD van in the rear of the building. No one expected trouble, but they'd all learned the hard way not to take chances. Especially when one of their own was putting himself on the firing line. They didn't know if Doyle would recognize Ezra in this disguise, but they wanted to be sure they were close enough to back him up if needed.
"I don't see him, Jim," Blair said, studying the people who had just walked in.
"He's right there, Chief, the guy that looks like Colonel Sanders' younger brother."
Sandburg saw a portly, well-dressed man, about fifty years old, with white hair and a mustache, a pair of gold rim glasses perched on his nose. The man carried an ebony colored cane with a silver handle. He walked with a slight limp as he moved further into the room.
"The guy with the cane? Oh, man, he looks great. I would bet his own mother wouldn't recognize him."
"Careful, Blair," Vin drawled. "Ezra would take that bet."
They all heard the soft chuckle coming from Standish's microphone, which was secreted in a small lapel pin shaped like a tiny Confederate flag. They knew that Doyle had been born in Georgia and hoped the flag would grab his interest. The southerner mingled with the other patrons and wandered toward his assigned table, which he knew was along the west wall, under the clock.
Chris had informed him that Doyle was already there. A little pre-event security check had given the team the opportunity to switch table assignments, allowing Ezra to be placed at Doyle's table. He knew his disguise was good and hoped it would fool the gunrunner.
He adjusted his glasses, which concealed an earpiece in the frame, then rubbed a finger over his mustache. Ezra approached the table and spotted Doyle, seated next to a large red headed man. Standish also spotted the telltale bulge of a weapon under the big man's left arm. They knew from past experience that Doyle habitually never went anywhere without two bodyguards. He glanced around and saw the other man, a muscular blonde Neanderthal-looking guy, about 20 feet away, keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Ezra stopped and glanced around, as if checking out his surroundings. He gave a quick gesture with his hand, which prompted Chris to dial his cellphone. When it rang, Ezra pulled it from his pocket and turned it on.
"Yes."
"What's up Ez?" Chris asked.
"Do you have them both?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah. Vin tagged both bodyguards right off. The huge blonde standing by the exit door?"
"Yes. Any others?"
"No. Doyle came in with "Red". And "Blondie" covered his back trail."
"Very good. Wish me luck."
"Break a leg, Ezra."
"It shall be my finest performance yet, Sir." He smiled as he closed the phone and slid it back into his pocket and moved closer to his target.
In the rafters, Chris settled back down next to Tanner, who lay on his stomach, rifle in hand, keeping a close watch on Doyle and his two henchmen through the scope. If either made a move to harm Ezra or any of the guests, Vin would take them down.
Ezra stepped up the table, searching for and finding the place card with "his" name on it, situated next to the redheaded behemoth. He pulled out his chair and lowered himself onto the padded seat, smiling and nodding at his table companions. The bodyguard ignored him, but Doyle returned the smile, his gaze falling to the pin on Ezra's lapel. But he made no comment.
As other guests joined them, the second bodyguard took his seat on the other side of Doyle. Over drinks, the tablemates exchanged names and talked a little business. Doyle periodically glanced at Ezra, who was going by the name of Edward Stanhope, the owner of an import-export business.
"Do you ship world-wide, Mr. Stanhope?" asked Marcus Clayborne, a local jewelry merchant.
"My company is slowly expanding opportunities. Although we do have customers now in certain European capitals, we hope to further extend our reach into Asia and Africa. We have made some in-roads into South Africa recently and have been received favorably. We have been mostly importing from Africa so far, but have also been in contact with several companies here in the states which are looking to expand their merchandise to a new market. I hope to open up some avenues in China and the Middle East."
Doyle listened closely as Ezra continued to elaborate on his business ventures as dinner was delivered to the table. Another of their table companions, a man who dealt in pre-fabricated housing, asked Ezra's opinion of the viability of his product being useful in other areas of the world. As they talked, Doyle leaned over to his blonde-headed bodyguard, who nodded and left the table.
"Mr. Stanhope, I would be interested in learning more about your company," Doyle told Ezra.
Standish smiled, two rows of pearly white teeth flashing at Doyle. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. ...Doyle was it?"
"Red" stood up and moved out of his chair, gesturing for Standish to take the seat. Ezra nodded his gratitude and slid over next to Doyle, while the bodyguard sank into the seat just vacated by the southerner.
"Looks like Ezra has caught Doyle's interest," Buck remarked.
"That man is as smooth as a fish through water," Vin muttered.
The two entrepreneurs talked for the remainder of the night, exchanging business cards and making arrangements to make further contact. The number on the card that Ezra handed to Doyle went to a cellphone that JD now carried with him. Only that card had the number, so that any call coming into it would be coming from Doyle or one of his people.
At the end of the evening, the two men shook hands. Doyle told Ezra that he'd be in touch, then left with his two bodyguards. Ezra stayed for another 20 minutes, then he also left. He was careful driving back to the hotel, making sure he wasn't followed. He knew that Josiah and Nathan, along with Rafe and Brown, would be behind him, also looking for a tail. They had maintained visual contact on his vehicle during the dinner to ensure that no one attempted to put a tracker on the car.
After making sure he was safe, Ezra pulled into the underground garage. He made his way into the elevator and punched the button. Getting off on the seventh floor, he headed down the hall and knocked on a door. After several seconds, the door opened. Vin stepped aside and let him in. Chris, Buck, JD, Jim and Blair were also in the room.
As soon as he crossed the threshold and the door shut behind him, he removed his jacket and shirt, hanging both up in the closet. Vin stayed near in order to help him remove the body suit. As soon as the cumbersome piece of costuming had been removed, he took a deep sigh.
"My Lord, I never thought that suit would be so burdensome." Buck handed him a bottle of water and he took a large drink. Wearing the body suit had drained him and he sat heavily into the settee near the window. JD set a large case onto the table in front of him.
"Thank you, Mr. Dunne," he said, opening the case. He pulled out several jars and some soft towels. He began to remove the make-up that he'd applied to age him for this role. When he finished, he cleaned his hands, then reached into his mouth. Pulling on one of his teeth, he juggled back and forth, eventually removing the cap that had covered his gold-clad tooth.
He looked up at JD who was sitting across from him. "I wondered how you hid that gold tooth," the young man remarked.
"It often is the small things that make all the difference in a con. Camouflage is important in my position."
As Standish continued to lose his alter ego, the men in the room discussed the next steps in their investigation. It had been a long night and they were all tired. So once the major points had been covered they separated and headed off for some well-deserved rest.
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