Operation Bayou Angel

by Margaret Kay

  “Cooper, Madison, glad you made it on,” Shepherd said. “You’ve gotten the site secured?”

  “Yes, we took over a private area within a Coast Guard facility here at Port Fourchon. They have been most hospitable. They even have a fully stocked private galley for us, and they provided us access to rooms within their sleeping quarters. The coffee from the machine sucks. That’s the only downside,” Cooper reported.

  “The oil companies ferry their workers on and off their rigs from the heliport here and over a hundred boats come and go from this port daily, loading and unloading supplies as well as oil. There’s a lot of activity,” Madison added. “We’ll be able to come and go from this location with no one paying us any attention. Everything here is constantly in motion.”

  “Good. Glad you suggested that location, Sherman,” Shepherd said. “You’ve all had the opportunity to read the briefing. Garcia and Jackson will support you from Ops. The digital team is still looking into the people involved. There are quite a few inconsistencies that we need to take a deeper dive into.”

  “So far, there is nothing suspicious in Sheriff Henderson or Dwayne Stuart, Galliano’s Mayor’s financials. If they’ve taken any bribes to open and protect that plant, the cash didn’t go through their private U.S. based accounts. I’m still looking,” Garcia said. “As far as the Chinese in those trailers, we don’t have a single hit from facial recognition yet and we were able to capture some good pictures of at least a dozen of them from that surveillance camera you set up, Brielle. The satellite has just moved into place, we’ll see what we can get from it.”

  Brielle was shocked that they had a satellite watching the area. Who were these people that they could make that happen? Brian was with the ATF. The ATF had satellites?

  “Has the digital unit dug up anything on blonde-boy, who was taking pictures of Sherman, his brother, and Brielle out in front of the hotel? He didn’t follow them when they left for the airport. I found that odd,” Sloan asked, his eyes on Garcia.

  “Not yet. We will though. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “When you come down, you need to bring me some field Ops equipment so I can dial in,” Madison said. “I want to be able to tap into that satellite feed on a bigger monitor than my tablet.”

  “Garcia send down some motion sensitive cameras too. I want to get some planted in the trees in the bayou surrounding the back of the plant. Since nothing has come or gone from the front of the building except what appears to be supplies for the Chinese living on-site, we need to watch the back of the facility. I’d bet you anything that is their means of transport,” Cooper added. “I wasn’t aware how wide that waterway is in spots. They could bring a damn big boat right up to the back of that plant.”

  “I’ve reached out to the appropriate governmental agencies. No one knows about any bio-identical cancer research. Bio-identicals are used in hormone replacement therapy. It sounds catchy and high tech, but isn’t applicable to cancer care, is what I’ve been told,” Shepherd added. “So, let’s figure out what it is they are really doing.”

  “What involvement will the regular FBI, CIA, and Homeland have?” Cooper asked.

  “We are running anything regarding the Chinese on-site through them and I will keep them updated. Otherwise, it’s our show. We’re sanctioned to continue as we see fit,” Shepherd said. “Somehow, we need to get eyes inside that facility. Now that Garcia is back in Ops, we’ll try to break past their firewall, but I’m not confident we’ll breach their network from outside.”

  Garcia stared intently at Brielle while Shepherd spoke, unnerving her greatly. “Brielle, you have a friend that works there, Tina Landry,” he said, looking down at his computer tablet’s screen for a second, reading her name. “All we need is someone to insert this flash drive into any computer on their network and we’re in.” He held up a small flash drive. “Can you get her to do it for us?”

  “I don’t know. She’s scared, won’t even talk to me about BioDynamix, says she signed an NDA and will get fired.”

  “We might be able to change her mind on that,” Sherman said. “If she knows the authorities are looking into that place, maybe she’ll help us in exchange for protection.”

  “I’ll try,” Brielle said. “Anything you want me to do.”

  “Do you know anyone else who works at that plant?” Sherman asked.

  “I know about five more well enough. I know where they live and what bar they spend their off hours in, but I wouldn’t call any of them friends like I do Tina.”

  “Start with Tina. We’ll go to others if needed, but I don’t want too many people to know that place is being investigated,” Shepherd said. He tossed a pad of paper and a pen to her. “Give us any and all info on those others who work there from the Parish. Our digital team will investigate them before we greenlight talking with any of them.”

  “Sure,” Brielle said. She started to list names and addresses, anything she knew about them.

  “And Brielle, this should go without saying, but your cover is that you are up here near where Bobby Sherman is in rehab, so no posts about BioDynamix. After we get to the bottom of this, you can report on it, but we get to review the piece first. You cannot mention us to anyone. We don’t exist,” Shepherd added.

  “I’ll be monitoring your digital footprint,” Garcia said. “If you mention us in any way, you will be arrested.”

  Brielle stopped writing. She gazed up at Garcia. His face held warning. Her eyes shifted to Shepherd. He too wore a serious expression. “That’s called censorship and harassment, you know.”

  “It’s the terms. If you want to continue to follow this story and get rights to report on it, you follow our rules. There are certain things that the public is better off not knowing about. Our unit is one of those things. It has to be this way for us to be effective,” Shepherd said.

  “Agree to it, Brielle,” Sherman whispered in her ear. “I’ll explain it more to you later and answer any questions you have.”

  “You will get to solely report on it once this mission is concluded, as long as you follow our rules. You get the exclusive. I’m sure you will be able to sell the story to all the major news outlets. This story can be a big break for you if it turns out to be something,” Shepherd said.

  “Okay,” Brielle agreed, but she didn’t like it. And these guys and this organization was as much the story as what was going on at the BioDynamix facility. She’d have to figure out a way around this.

  Shepherd handed a document across the table. It was a legal agreement to abide by what they’d laid out.

  Brielle glanced through it. It was short, to the point, and written in plain English. “I don’t sign anything that my attorney hasn’t reviewed.”

  The corner of Shepherd’s lips tipped up. “Ms. Jarboe, you either sign the agreement and abide by it or you do not accompany my team to Port Fourchon. Your continued involvement is at my discretion.”

  Her eyes went to Brian.

  “This is how it has to be, Brielle. Agree to the terms. It’s your story. Certainly, you want to be there to see it through and get the credit for the investigative reporting on it,” Sherman said.

  She thought about it for a few seconds. Brian was right about that. And if it turned out to be something big, this could catapult her career as a journalist. But she just really didn’t like that they had the final say on what she could report. “Fine,” she agreed and signed the form. She handed it back to Shepherd.

  “Thank you, Ms. Jarboe,” Shepherd said. “Okay, pack up your gear. You fly back out as soon as you’re ready. You’ll fly into Pensacola. A Coast Guard chopper will shuttle you into Port Fourchon. Let’s get eyes in that facility and figure out what the hell they’re up to. Be safe, people.”

  The men around the table stood. Brielle came to her feet a few seconds later. Garcia moved around to their side of the table. He handed the flash drive to Sherman. “Give me about a half hour with her phone and I’ll have the agency phone ready f
or you to pick up. I’ll be in my workroom.”

  Sherman nodded. “I’ll be up to get it before we head out.” Then he led her from the room, following the others. They took the stairs up two flights to Sherman’s office.

  She glanced around as he packed his computer tablet up. He had two pictures of the bayou in frames on each of the walls. A New Orleans Saints blanket was draped over the couch. “Just who are you guys? You’re not an ATF agent, are you?”

  “The short answer is not exactly, but I do carry ATF creds and authority. We are a multi-agency task force with ties to the government and our military. As Shepherd said, we don’t exist.”

  “Black Ops,” Brielle said as though it was a dirty word.

  “Something like that,” Sherman agreed, but Brielle knew that was exactly who they were. And Sherman knew she knew.

  “When this is over who gets the credit for exposing what’s going on?”

  “That depends on what it’s about. If it is drug related, the DEA will take the credit for the investigation and the bust. If its terrorism related, Homeland and NSA will most likely take it. Anything cyber and the FBI or CIA will take point. Once we figure it out, we’ll call the appropriate agency in to help with the takedown. They get us warrants and provide us cover.”

  “So, you don’t ever get the credit for the work you do?”

  Sherman faced her with a serious expression on his face. “If anyone ever hears about us, then we haven’t done our jobs, or something’s gotten really fucked up. We don’t exist and we operate outside of regular channels. It’s how we are able to get things done that other units can’t.”

  “Doesn’t it make you mad that you never get the credit for what you do?”

  “We do with the people who matter. It’s not about the public knowing who really raided a drug house or who really rescued a hostage from terrorists. It’s about protecting people and the U.S.’ interests and getting the job done.”

  Brielle stared at him with wide eyes, having a small idea of the enormity of what these people did. “Does Bobby know what you really do?”

  “No.”

  “What would have happened if I didn’t agree to sign that NDA?”

  “You would have been taken into custody by the NSA and kept locked away until this is over. Our names, this facility, our Lear you flew on. No one can ever know about any of those things. We won’t be able to do our job the way we do if word got out about us. And believe me, if that was to happen, a lot of people would die.”

  Brielle stood wide-eyed. She didn’t think he was being dramatic or stretching the importance of what his group did for her benefit. If anything, she thought he was being modest. “I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll never tell anyone about your group.”

  Sherman’s lips cracked a smile. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you.”

  He turned away, and she watched him pack up more equipment. Then he led her to the elevator, and he pushed ‘sub-two rear’ on the elevator panel. He led her into a locker room that was bustling with activity. Many of the others who’d been in the meeting were there, packing up weapons, bullet-proof vests, and other articles of clothing.

  “Sit here. Touch nothing and don’t move,” he said to her, placing her on the bench, a locker down from his. They were enormous lockers, more like the size of a large chest of drawers.

  She watched with fascination. He pulled a bag from his locker loaded with clothing, a bullet-proof vest that had the letters ATF on it, and a helmet. He checked the gear over and repacked it. Then he tossed the bag to the floor behind him. She noticed the others were making piles behind themselves with bags too. He pulled a rifle case from his locker next. He unzipped it, revealing an assault rifle. He checked it over and then rezipped the case. Several handguns came out of his locker next.

  She glanced around at the others. They were all equally armed. There was more fire power in this room than the entire Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Department had, she was sure. They looked like they were packing up to go to war.

  “Toss your bag with the others,” he said, pointing to her backpack. “That way it’ll get loaded with the rest of our gear.”

  She noticed his backpack was with the items he’d removed from his locker too. She sat her bag next to the rest.

  “Lambchop, my gear is ready,” Sherman yelled over to him. “I’m going to take Brielle with me to get her phone from Garcia.”

  “We’ve got it,” Lambchop assured him. “Try to make it fast. Ryan’s loading our ammo into the vehicles now. I want to be out of here ASAP.”

  Sherman led her back to the elevator. She was quiet and looked almost shell-shocked. “You okay?” He asked her with a squeeze to her hand.

  “Yes,” she said nervously with a forced smile. “I don’t think I’ve seen that many guns in one room before, not to mention the SWAT clothing.”

  “It’s all necessary, the body armor, the weapons. The people we are usually going after are armed to the teeth. We need to be too.”

  “It’s just a little unnerving,” she confessed. And she had to admit to herself that it changed how she felt about him. He did a dangerous job, protected people, went after criminals and terrorists. Brian Sherman was a hero.

  Sherman smiled. “I guess it would be.”

  She glanced away. Not what he expected.

  “What’s the matter?” Sherman asked.

  Brielle wouldn’t admit to him how unsettled all this made her feel or how insecure she felt due to the presence of the others. When it was just her and Brian on the boat, she was okay. Even when Madison and Cooper came onto the boat, she was okay with that too. But now, after sitting in that meeting and knowing that all those men would be going back down to the bayou with them, well, it intimidated the hell out of her.

  “Thank God you’re the good guys,” she finally said.

  The elevator opened on eight and they stepped off. He halted her in the hallway. “We are, the good guys. You’re not doubting that, are you?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Then what is it?” His eyes stared a hole through hers. She didn’t answer. “I can see something is wrong. Now what is it?”

  “Nothing,” she lied.

  “Brielle, you need to trust me.”

  “I do.”

  “Then tell me what’s wrong.”

  She sighed out loud. “It’s just all those men that will be going back down with us. It’s not what I expected. I don’t know them. I know I can trust you.”

  “Brielle you can trust them too. They’re my teammates. Lambchop, Mother, and the Undertaker are my brothers. I trust them with my life.”

  “The Undertaker?”

  Sherman laughed. “Sloan, Gary. That’s his callsign.”

  “Okay, yeah, that name instills trust,” she remarked sarcastically.

  “Look, I know this isn’t what you’re used to, but we are. We operate in teams and we’re really tight. I can tell you at any given time what any of those men are thinking. And every single one of those men are highly effective Operators, the best of the best or they wouldn’t be on this team. You can trust them.”

  “That doesn’t help put me at ease,” she moaned. “If anything, it makes it worse.”

  “How so?”

  “Brian, when I look at you, not only do I see the man I know you are now, but I see the teenager who dated Dahlia, so you don’t intimidate the hell out of me.”

  “But the rest of them, they do, intimidate you,” he concluded.

  She nodded. “Yeah, the guns openly worn by everyone. The physical conditioning of each man. Hell, even your boss in the wheelchair is built like a brick shithouse. And this guy we’re going to get my phone from. He threatened to have me arrested. Do you have any idea what sitting in that room was like for someone who isn’t one of you?”

  Sherman wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. “I’m sorry, Brielle, I would never know how you felt. What I can tell you is that they are all good
guys. Even Garcia. I know he can be a little intense, but it’s only because he does such a good job. He’s so dedicated he can be scary, but he’d also lay down his life for you in a heartbeat.”

  “Most people aren’t like you guys, you know.”

  Sherman chuckled. “Believe me. I know. But we will figure out what the hell is going on down there, get proof, and bust them if it’s illegal. And we’ll keep you protected while we’re doing it. My team are just people that do a difficult job, that’s all, human beings. Try to see them as just people when you look at them.”

  Brielle nodded. She took a step back, pulling away from him. “Thank you. You know, I’ve never felt intimidated like that around anyone.”

  “It can be overwhelming,” Sherman agreed. “You’re not the first person to be in the position you’re in, that we’re helping the way we are.” He remembered how belligerent Kaylee was when she first encountered the team. In hindsight, and with Brielle’s admission, he now figured that how she acted was probably due to how afraid or intimidated she felt by being confronted by all four of them. He wondered if Angel or Sienna had felt that way.