“Alright. Let’s go over it once more before we had out.” He ignored the snickers, ordered them all to gather around and they went through plan for the third time.
They obtained three warrants. One that allowed them to search the Malibu Colony residence of Carlos Vargas. A second would allow them to search his office at Arcano Imports, including the servers and all his electronics. The last was the actual warrant for Carlos Vargas’ arrest based on suspicion of drug trafficking. They had sent in an officer posing as a flower delivery person earlier and determined that Vargas was still at the office but he was heading home for the day within the hour. This had made it easy for Vinny to decide which team would execute the warrants at the office and which would deal with Vargas at his home. No way in hell he was letting Rochelle and Barnes’ team get a crack at Vargas first. That was going to be left to him and Lou, and Dillon, of course.
When the plan was crystal clear to everyone, they headed out. Barnes and Rochelle’s team consisted of a six man Tactical Response Unit and five deputies. It was mid-day on a Friday, in a very public and very busy location so any major confrontations on that end were highly unlikely. Especially since Carlos Vargas wouldn’t even be there. Vinny’s team, on the other hand, had a full Tactical unit of ten and a dozen deputies at the ready. Half of which were in plain clothes and would be positioned at various locations around the block. The other half would be standing by, ready to swarm in when they got the go. The van where Lou would be safely tucked away was a combination surveillance and Tactical Response Vehicle. It was a plain, unmarked, white Ford transit van large enough to comfortably house the mass of tech toys as well as the small arsenal and gear TRU required. Because of it’s lack of markings, they could slap magnetic signs on the side for various covers depending on the circumstance. Today, the van would be posing as a carpet cleaning company, complete with two deputies in associated uniforms. Hopefully, the deputies would be able to gain access to the neighbor across from Arcano’s house for additional staging and surveillance. The plan was solid but they all knew everything was different on paper than it was in execution. All they could do now was pray.
Having timed it to the minute, Rochelle and Barnes’ team arrived at the parking structure of the Arcano building the same time the carpet cleaning van containing the disguised deputies along with Parks and Lou, came to a stop on Colony Road. Vinny and Dillon drove a fake electric company vehicle and parked in a driveway two doors up from the Vargas residence. Dillon pulled on a baseball cap with the electric company logo, grabbed a clip board and sat waiting until Vinny gave him the signal to head in. No one would question a meter reader. They were much like postal workers or sanitation guys, an everyday essential that became invisible after a while. Just a normal part of every day life blending into the background. Deputies secured the gate once they provided the ever vigilant guards a copy of the warrant. They were also making sure the rest of the team got in as quickly and quietly as possible while no one else got out. They waited for their carpet cleaners to gain access to the neighbors while other deputies were getting into position on the beach behind the Vargas’ home. It was going to take a few more minutes, but soon they’d give Rochelle and Barnes the go and all the wheels would be in full motion.
Carlos Vargas’ Audi was sitting in the driveway of the French Colonial villa, confirming he was at home. They had gone over the floor plan carefully so that they had some idea of what to expect and where to proceed once they went in. Parks, the tech-brain of the Tactical Response Unit, began working her magic in the back of the van running infrared to see if she could get a fix on how many warm bodies were actually inside. It wasn’t one-hundred percent accurate but it gave them a clue. They new they had eight rooms to clear, including a basement, and everyone knew which direction and what rooms they were responsible for clearing. The most important thing was securing Vargas and anyone else inside immediately.
“OK, go read a meter.” Vinny gave Dillon the go then proceeded to inform all units they were initiating step two of the plan. Dillon casually got out of the car and headed to the back of Vargas’ neighbor to the North. A stubby looking Latin woman appeared out of nowhere and began berating him in Spanish. Dillon hadn’t seen the woman approaching, given she barely made it to his hip. He spoke politely and asked her to show him where the meter was. She was clearly annoyed, ranting about the electric company having been there just last week. Nonetheless, she turned and led him around the side of the house while continuing to berate him, flailing her arms for apparent added emphasis to her displeasure. When they reached the back end, he carefully showed her his badge and whispered to her what was going on and that he required her cooperation. She was stunned at first, her dramatic rant coming to an abrupt halt. An undercover Deputy dressed in surf trunks and a hoodie appeared, smiling and talking in Spanish, as if he knew her. She quickly fell into line and went along with the ruse, offering the man a glass of lemonade and inviting him in. The undercover Deputy took control of the situation seamlessly and stepped inside with the housekeeper while Dillon got back to business.
“All good, Sport?” Vinny asked through the earpiece.
“Close call but under control.” Dillon informed him.
“Bogey handled.” Another voice came through the comm, the undercover Deputy confirming the housekeeper had been secured and out of the way.
“OK, proceed as planned.” Vinny instructed, a distinct tone of relief in his voice.
Dillon walked to the back edge of the neighbor’s yard to get a look at the lay of the land. He faked marking things on his clipboard and scanned the area to see how many civilians they had to worry about. He noted the two undercovers playing Frisbee and another two who appeared to be playing with their dogs. They were from the K-9 unit and not just any dogs. These two were highly trained drug detectors and it would be their job to sweep through the residence and search for any hidden drugs. As Dillon noted the other Deputies now in place he counted four civilians they would need to get clear once they made the rush in. After a closer look, however, Dillon recognized two of the civilians as not being civilians at all. It was actually Niko and Yuri. Niko was waxing his surfboard while Yuri appeared to be sitting on the sand, sketching something. They had fooled Dillon, if only for a moment, so they certainly would not be taken as anything more than civilians by the others. He grinned to himself and continued with the plan, reporting his observation of the civilians within range.
“Alright, that’s manageable.” Vinny answered. “Frisbee boys, keep them at a safe distance once we go in. Just while we secure the location.”
“Roger that.” A voice acknowledged.
“Stand by for my go.” Vinny informed them then called Rochelle and Barnes to coordinate their movements. They were ready and in place, waiting for Vinny’s go. He needed as much intel as possible before he could give Barnes and the rest of them the green light. “Parks, what’s up?” He asked over the comm.
“I got a solid read on one body only in the house.” She informed him. “We have confirmation the kids are at school and the wife is shopping on Melrose. Looks like it’s just Carlos Vargas in there. We are a go.”
“Roger that.” Vinny responded then looked at his watch. “All units, on my mark...” He took a deep breath and watched the second hand tick down to time things precisely. “..Go! I repeat, all units go!” As was part of the plan, he counted ten seconds for the Tactical Response Unit to pull up and charge the property before the rest of the team followed suit. Lou watched it unfold on the monitors that were transmitting live from the cameras affixed to the TRU helmets.
“Wish I had popcorn.” Parks joked.
“I should be with them.” Lou was unfazed by Parks’ joke.
They stormed through the first gate without incident given it was unlocked. After making their way to the main door, the small battering ram made short work of it and they were in the house in under fifteen seconds. All units converged on the residence at the same time and compl
etely caught Carlos Vargas by surprise. They found him making a sandwich in the kitchen, stunned by the swarm of Deputies that were charging into his home.
“Hands in the air, Vargas!” Vinny shouted as the other units moved to clear the rest of the house. “Let me see those hands!”
“What the hell?!” Carlos Vargas gawked, not comprehending what was taking place.
“Drop the mustard bottle and get your hands in the air!” Dillon instructed as he moved toward him.
Vargas dropped the bottle as instructed and stretched his arms up as high as he could. “I didn’t do it!” He began to cry right there on the spot. “I had nothing to do with it! It was my brother! I swear!”
“You have the right to remain silent...” Dillon began Mirandizing him while he hooked the handcuffs on his wrists. He then moved him out of the kitchen and on to the sofa in the main sitting area.
“Clear.” Numerous voices began ringing out as they finished clearing the rest of the house.
“Bring in K-9.” Vinny instructed over the comm as he holstered his weapon and took a seat across from Vargas.
“I swear to God you have to believe me!” Vargas pleaded.
“Do you understand your rights as read to you by my partner?” Vinny asked. “You’re a lawyer, be really sure before you answer.”
“Yes! Yes! I understand my rights but you need to understand!” Vargas was panicked and stammering. “I had no choice! They threatened to kill me! Torture my family if I didn’t do what they wanted!” He was sobbing now. “I just handled books! I had nothing to do with Casius’ murder, I swear to God!”
“Lieutenant.” A voice came over the comm. “We got a hit in the basement.”
“Just sit there and shut up while we take care of business here.” Vinny scowled at Carlos.
“On my way.” Vinny responded to the voice on the comm then instructed one of the other Deputies to keep an eye on Vargas while he and Dillon headed to the basement.
Lou had been watching the different streams on the monitor and couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Carlos Vargas start blubbering. She watched as the K-9 units swept through the house saw the dog hit on a wine rack in the basement. Her heart was in her throat that they were going to find something that would lead back to the blood operation or the Sanguinostri. She must have said at least a dozen silent prayers that they would be lucky or at least that Dillon would be able to get in first to cover it up. Fortunately there was nothing so far. Just two bricks of heroin the dog found hiding underneath the bottom shelf of the wine rack. Lou recognized the bricks right away. They were the same as the ones they found at the warehouse the night before and Lou was sure they were planted. Carlos Vargas was not stupid enough to keep heroin in the same house as his wife and kids so Lou figured this was a little gift from Ernesto to make sure his brother went down with him if they were found out. She said another prayer that was all Ernest had in his little surprise package.
“Lou.” Vinny’s voice over the comm got her attention.
“I’m here.” She responded.
“Things look secure here so you can come in now if ya want.” Vinny looked at Dillon and without a word he sprinted to go get her. “Dillon is coming for you.”
“I can make it on my own!” Lou protested as she struggled to find her crutch and make her way to the back doors of the van.
“Eventually.” Parks snorted as she watched Lou flailing.
“I thought you were on my side!” Lou barked.
“I am!” Parks insisted. “But you gotta admit you have had more agile days!”
Lou grunted as she finally made it to the doors but when she reached for the handle they flew open and Dillon was already there. “This sucks!” She announced.
“It’s just a small set-back.” Dillon insisted as he lifted her out of the van and righted her on her crutch. “Good?”
“Yeah.” She pouted and began hobbling towards the house.
“He has an elevator so we can get you down to the basement without a hassle.” Dillon informed her, seemingly excited about the prospect.
“Oh goodie.” She mocked. “Maybe that means I’ll get there before Vinny retires.”
Back on the beach, behind the perimeter line established by the deputies, Niko and Yuri looked at each other and laughed. They were listening in on everything via Dillon’s watch and the medallion Niko had given Lou earlier. Niko was relieved as hell Vinny had made Lou stay in the van and he had to admit everything had gone pretty damn smoothly. They only had one hurdle to jump before he could breathe easy. All he and Yuri could do now is wait and hope.
Lou decided she liked Carlos Vargas’ beach house more than his niece’s. She wondered if the house would be seized due to the drugs and if so, for how long? That surely would drop the asking price on a fifteen million dollar beach house.
“Nice digs, Carlos.” She said as she passed him, sagging and whimpering on the sofa. “I bet your wife is gonna be pissed when she’s forced to move your kids to a double wide in Arleta after all your assets are frozen.” As Dillon closed the elevator door, Lou could hear Carlos sobbing audibly once more. She couldn’t help but grin.
They made their way to the basement where Vinny was rifling through papers on Carlos’ desk and the techs were wrapping up the last of the electronics.
“I had them wait to bag it until you got a look.” Vinny gestured to the two bricks of heroin sitting on a chair next to the wine rack.
“Well those are a couple of hefty felonies.” Lou recognized the loaf of bread sized bricks immediately. “The same as the one’s recovered from the warehouse.”
“He’s gonna spill his guts.” Vinny had no doubt. “I gotta stay here while we get things wrapped up.” He informed them. “You two take the car and bring Vargas in.”
“You sure?” Lou asked. “I can supervise here if you rather?”
“Nah. I got this. We need to make sure everything is by the book here. We don’t need his defense attorney saying you missed something because you were medicated or some shit like that. No offense or anything.”
“None taken.” Lou was offended but he was right. “Want us to stall the interview until you get there?”
“Nah. Take him to Lost Hills though.” Vinny instructed. “I don’t want him having the time it takes to get to the Bureau to rethink lawyering up.”
“Yes sir.” Dillon acknowledged then headed for the elevator.
“Thanks Vinny.” Lou said before she turned to leave. “Thanks for keeping me in on this.”
“No problemo, kiddo.” He smiled at her. “Now go crack that asshat.”
“You got it!.” She chuckled and hobbled her way to the elevator.
Back on the beach Niko and Yuri were high fiving each other. That was the last hurdle they needed to jump. Yuri walked away from the perimeter and called Frank.
“Get into position.” Yuri told him when he answered.
“Roger that.” Frank acknowledged as he sat at a bus stop on Pacific Coast Highway, about fifty yards from the entrance to the Colony. After hanging up, Frank headed across the street to the other corner and waited.
To Lou’s chagrin, it had taken them fifteen minutes to get upstairs, get Vargas up and out to the car and finally got out of there. Lou hated that she was moving at a snail’s pace and hated even more that her soundtrack for this portion of the day was Carlos Vargas’ sniveling. With Dillon at the wheel, Lou in the passenger seat and Vargas in the back, blubbering, they made their way out of the Colony, off of Malibu Road and on to Pacific Coast Highway. Instead of speeding up once they hit the highway, Dillon slowed and came to a stop. The back door opened and Frank got in next to Vargas.
“Going my way?” He joked as he shut the door and Dillon began driving again.
“Did I forget this part of the plan?” Lou inquired.
“Plausible deniability.” Dillon told her. “Also, Niko thought it best to leave you out of this part so you had less to worry about.”
“Re
mind me to thank him for that.” Lou chuckled.
“Don’t mind me. Nothing to see here.” Frank told them as he placed his palm on Carlos Vargas forehead.
“What are you doing?” Lou asked.
“Oh, hey. I should probably tell you so you guys don’t screw it up.” Frank laughed. “So, I am going to wipe blood from his memory. The plan is to leave only his recollection of the heroin operation.”
“But I don’t know anything about that!” Vargas stopped sobbing long enough to resume pleading with them. “I told them I didn’t want to know one single thing about that! I will not tell a soul, I swear to God!”
“As if.” Lou snorted and struggled to turn to face him, at least so she could look him in the eye before she continued. “I am going to ask you two questions and you have one shot at answering them truthfully. If you lie to us, I’ll make sure Frankie here wipes every happy memory you’ve ever had in your life completely from your mind. You understand what I am saying here?”
“Yes, yes I understand.” It took Carlos Vargas a brief moment for her words to sink in.
“You said you just did the books.” Lou needed to make sure their techs were not going to stumble upon that part of the operation, exposing the Sanguinostri to the public. “Where is everything on the black blood operation?”
“No, no!” Vargas protested. “I only kept books on the heroin! I had nothing to do with the blood! Even if I would have wanted in on that, Ernesto would never have allowed it. I facilitated the heroin shipments through Arcano channels, made sure the amount of heroin to be shipped matched with what arrived in the containers, nothing more! Ernesto’s people did the actual inventory once it got here though! I never ever personally saw any of the drugs ever!” Vargas gasped for a breath before he continued. “Your people won’t find anything on my computers either! I kept everything on a secure cloud, completely separate from anything else. I will give you the information so you can access it yourselves!”
Carlos Vargas gave them the URL and login information for the secure cloud that would most certainly seal the deal on his serving twenty to life in Federal prison. Frank quickly verified the information which left him and Lou satisfied that he was telling them the truth and had no information to give them on the black blood trade.
Shadows of Deceit (A Series of Shadows) Page 44