by Kelly Shade
“Morse has a lot to hide. That’s why he made his home Fort Knox,” Ian said with a smile.
“So what should we do?” Ryan was shaking anxiously.
“The plan is easy. You, Gray, have to steal the cameras. There are, as you can see,” Jane pointed at the dots with her pen, “fifty-two high tech cams pretty much everywhere. You have to put them on loop. You can do it, right?”
“Yeah, so that’s all I have to do?” Ryan asked with a grin.
“No, you have the most responsible part of the plan,” Blake started explaining but was interrupted by Ian.
“Why do we need so many C4s? If we have to sneak, I don’t think a big boom will help us!”
“They are as a backup. I’m not sure if I can crack the safe. I’m sure he has the latest model, and I haven’t cracked anything since I started at the LAPD, so almost a year,” Jane said with an embarrassed tone as if she were ashamed she hadn’t stolen anything for that long.
“I can do it,” Nick whispered to everyone’s surprise. They looked at him waiting for a reasonable explanation. “My dad was a locksmith, and he had a shop for safes and all kinds of locks. I had a hobby to crack them when Dad was working, and I still do that. I rent the latest versions just to learn how to open them.”
“And you didn’t become a thief? That’s impressing!” Jane congratulated him with a pat on his back. Nick smiled.
“Not everyone with brains wants to break the law, Blake!” Ryan said trying to provoke her.
Jane ignored him again. She needed to stay calm and to present the plan. Blake knew it wouldn’t be easy for police officers to work against the law, but she needed to convince them that this job was for the greater good. It was like an undercover operation. For Jane it was revenge. She wanted to destroy Morse--everything he has worked for, his life--as he destroyed hers.
Ryan, Nick, Ian, Connor and Jane had a long night ahead. They had to prepare every step cautiously, to look at every angle, to be mentally ready. They all wanted to succeed.
Chapter 20
Game on . . .
It was five in the morning when Jane finished the details of the plan. Every one of the team looked ready but tired. Nick made coffee for the team to cheer them up. He was used to long nights and didn’t feel as exhausted as the others. Ryan’s mood was better now.
“I have to make a call. Excuse me.” Blake stood up and went to the other end of the garden so they couldn’t hear her conversation.
It was a quick call which ended well for Jane. She came back to the others with a twenty-four-carat smile.
“In an hour we will have the meds plus syringes, the contact lenses with a camera and the grappling hook ropes,” Jane said.
“You wanna share who gave those to you?” Hunt asked anxiously.
“Old friend. And nobody is giving me stuff. I’m buying them, Hunt!” Jane took her hot coffee and reached for her cigarettes.
“After this is over, you are quitting those,” Ian looked at her reproachfully.
Jane nodded in agreement.
“Hunt, you are sure you can get the other things from my list, right?” Blake turned to Connor and lighted a cigarette.
“Yes, I’m sure. Only one thing worries me. The mini transmitters you want.” Hunt reread the list.
“I have those.” Ryan spoke with his usual friendly tone for the first time that night. “I made one special kind. It’s kind of my invention. The transmitters have built-in mikes. Small enough. The down part is that when you put them in your ear, they only go out with special equipment. Untraceable, too. You can go through airport security with them if you need to,” explained Ryan and he took a sip from his cup. “I’ll get them before we all go to the station.”
“Awesome.” Nick was fascinated by new technology.
“The cars had to be under some name so . . . Two people have to volunteer for that,” Hunt spoke again.
“I’ll make one mine,” said Ryan “and Nick, do you mind?”
Nick Lee was okay with the fact that one of the get-away cars with a fake license plate would be under his name.
“Oh, about the guns with silencers . . . you can take just three more. I have two unregistered. We just need extra clips,” Blake reminded them about the weapons and went to get them.
“How exactly are we going to Mexico through the TSA officers?” Ian’s eyes widened when he saw the guns in Jane’s hands. “I’m not even mentioning the C4.”
“I have a guy who will smuggle all the stuff,” Blake smiled calmly and passed the firearms to Nick who was excited to see them closely.
Jane was about to sit back in her chair when her phone rang. The delivery guy was here. She asked the team to stay put and went out. Ten minutes later she was back with a plastic bag. They put on the contact lenses. Ryan connected them to his laptop to decide if everything was fine. They worked perfectly.
The team repeated every step of the plan once more, which took a while. It was time to go to the precinct. They all hoped for a quiet day with no murders.
Hunt went first as always, followed by Ian, Nick, Ryan and Jane was last. They agreed to keep it down and to act as usual so no one would know they had an ongoing investigation.
Everyone was settled at their desks pretending to work on open cases. Only Jane looked calm. The rest of the team was intense and anxious. After all, Blake was the only one experienced in break-ins and all kinds of illegal activities.
Hours crawled slowly that day. When lunchtime passed, the team gathered to review the details again. Ryan brought the transmitters, and Hunt went to get the other things from Jane’s list. The cars were ready and equipped with the new license plates under Gray’s and Lee’s names. Blake had called the smuggler, and they expected his arrival any minute.
Apparently, Nick and Ian were transparent to Abigail Wilson, the chief, because she came to the homicide office shortly after they entered the kitchen area.
“Do you want to share something with me?” the chief asked with suspicion in her voice.
Everyone but Jane looked at her with fear in their eyes. She stood up calmly and said quietly, “Maybe we should go in your office.”
Abigail glanced at the others and went to her office followed by Jane. Wilson sat in her chair waiting for an explanation. Blake sat down too. They stared at each other for a minute.
“Will you tell me why my homicide team is nervously whispering like school girls and why they instantly shut up when they saw me? And why they lied to me? They said it was nothing,” Abigail started angrily.
“Because we have an undercover operation,” Jane answered softly. “Michael Morse is our target. We are planning an ambush at his place in two days. As you may know, Rose Hunt investigated him with the FBI, but she was murdered, and the investigation closed.”
“And why don’t I know about it? Do you have any idea that I can fire all of you right now?” Wilson shouted.
“But you won’t.” Jane smiled.
“Why is that?” Abigail was shaking with anger.
“Because after we finish our job, this station will be the best in the country. Morse’s business is with drugs, human trafficking, firearms smuggling and I don’t know what else. He is a big fish, and when we catch him, you will be the hero. Of course, we will say you were in charge of the operation,” Blake said calmly.
“Yeah, yeah. This will be good for the department.” Abigail softened, “But I want you to keep me posted.”
“Will do, boss,” Jane said with slight sarcasm in her voice and went out.
She returned to the homicide office and told the others what happened with Wilson.
“Why did you lie?”
“Why did you tell her?”
“Damn, Blake!”
Not all of them were happy with Jane’s decision to lie to the chief.
“I had to. It is better this way. She thinks we will go to Morse in two days. So nobody will look for us tonight,” Jane said after the team finished complaining. “And I don
’t trust her.”
“The chief? You don’t trust the head of LAPD? Seriously?” Hunt was irritated.
“Yep. I bugged her office.” Jane was proud of her actions even though the others weren’t very supportive. She showed the Bluetooth in her ear. “Ryan, please, create a folder for Wilson’s conversations.”
He did it with a grumpy face. Gray, like the others, was against eavesdropping on the boss.
Blake went to meet the smuggler. Ryan insisted on accompanying her. They put everything in a black duffle bag. It was risky to trust this guy with all the equipment they needed for tonight, but they didn’t have a choice. Blake handed the pack to the skinny Mexican.
“Te esperaré en seis horas,”[1] said the smuggler “El pago?”[2]
“No llegues tarde!”[3] Jane said and handed an envelope with cash.
The Mexican nodded and counted the money. He was happy with the payment. He smiled and went to a battered Ciera.
“You speak Spanish?” Ryan asked with surprise.
“Yep. And two more languages,” said Blake.
“Which?”
“Secret!” she winked at him and went in the elevator.
Jane and Hunt were driving to Tijuana, Mexico, followed by Nick and Ian. Ryan came after them. He decided he wanted to be alone in the van. The trip went well, without any problems at the border. They all headed to the Rivera where the smuggler was waiting. Fortunately, he had all their stuff.
It was getting dark, and it was time for them to take their positions. Hunt, Jane, Ian and Nick left the two getaway cars near Morse’s mansion and headed to the van. All the monitors in the truck were ready. Ryan was waiting for his colleagues.
“We have to make the sedatives,” said Jane as she went in through the back door. She sat on the chair next to Ryan. “Wow, I like that van. It’s very comfy.”
“I owe Brown from narcotics for that!” said Hunt and frowned. “They do their operations with it. It’s equipped with everything we need, even more.”
“Great!” Nick was touching one of the sound controllers. Ryan slapped his arm.
“Let’s get to work! And stop touching!” Gray was anxious and irritated. He didn’t like it when someone was messing with his "toys," as he called them.
Ian helped Jane with the preparation of B-52. The syringes were filled with the sedative.
Ryan was typing fast on the laptop while the others were dressing in black clothes. Ian, Nick, and Hunt put bulletproof vests on. They even made Ryan wear one. He argued for some time, but he agreed. Jane was the only one without a vest.
“Come on, Blake, we all are wearing those!” Ian was treating her like a child.
“That’s because you are used to them. If I put one on, I won’t feel comfortable, which means I will be slower. We can’t have that.” Jane was pushing the vest into Ian’s hands. “After it’s over, you will train me on how to breathe and run like a normal person with that shit. Okay?”
There was no way to convince her, so Ian quit.
“Come here.” Ryan had the micro-transmitters ready.
Jane went to him, and Gray carefully put one of them in her ear. She felt it deep in her ear canal, and the sound of the surroundings faded. Blake grimaced.
“It’s weird at the beginning, I know.” Ryan noticed her grin. “Let’s try it!” he put on his headset and spoke clearly, “Blake, can you hear me good?”
Jane nodded. His voice was more than evident. It felt like he was talking directly to her brain.
The others were equipped with the transmitters, too. Now everyone was rubbing their ears and frowning at each other.
“The signal is good. The connection is between all of us, so whoever speaks, we all will hear,” Ryan explained, trying to hold his laughter. “The contacts?”
Jane reached into the duffle bag and handed the contact lenses to the others. They put them on, and Ryan turned on the monitor. It was working perfectly.
“These are for you.” Gray threw a black backpack at each person.
Connor, Jane, Nick and Ian prepared their backpack, and they were ready to go.
“The surveillance cameras will be on loop for thirty minutes. If something goes wrong, I could keep them for forty-five tops. So be quick.” Since Ryan was the guy in headquarters, he was acting like the boss of the operation. “It’s time, people!” he clapped and gestured to the exit.
Hunt, Ian, and Nick went out, but Jane stood behind.
“If something goes wrong, I want you to take all the records to Tyler Smith. This is his number. Make sure everything is recorded.” Jane wrote the number on a piece of paper and handed it to Ryan. “Promise me, you won’t try to save us!”
“I . . . I promise . . .” Ryan sounded confused. “Who is that Tyler Smith?”
“FBI agent, a dear friend of mine. You can trust him,” answered Jane and headed to the door.
Ryan grabbed her hand. Blake turned to him, and he kissed her. Jane hesitated for a moment, but she kissed him back.
“If something goes wrong . . .” Gray said as an excuse.
“Yeah . . .” Blake sighted.
They were interrupted by Nick’s voice shouting in their heads.
“You know we can all hear you, right!” and Hunt and Ian laughed.
Jane felt a little embarrassed and got out of the van immediately.
Ian and Nick headed to the east side wall; Hunt and Jane went to the south wall. Everyone was ready and waiting for Ryan to give the green light.
“Cameras are off!” Gray’s voice echoed in their heads.
“Game, on people!” Blake said happily and threw her rope and grappling hook over the wall.
Jane climbed up followed by Hunt. They both jumped quietly over the fence.
“We are in,” whispered Bake.
Ian and Nick also confirmed they were in the garden.
Jane and Hunt, hiding behind bushes and trees, got closer to the armed men at the front door. They were standing straight and looking around nervously.
“The perimeter is clear!” he said with a deep voice to the radio attached to his jacket.
“Did you get that?” Jane spoke quietly to Ryan.
“Yep,” he answered immediately.
Jane walked behind the guard. She grabbed him and shut his mouth with her hand. With a precise move, she stuck the syringe in his throat and quickly pushed the sedative into his system. The man gave a groan and collapsed in her hands.
“One is down,” Jane whispered.
“Mine is down too.” Hunt’s voice echoed in her ear and to her side.
“We are ready too,” Ian confirmed for himself and Nick. They had to get rid of the guards at the gate. “The night vision goggles did a perfect job,” he added.
“Okay, now quietly to the main entrance. Remember in six minutes the one who checks the perimeter will come. Don’t forget. We wait until he speaks!”
Nick, Ian, Jane and Connor headed to the front door.
“We are in position. Everything fine on your side?” asked Jane. She sounded worried.
“Yep,” Ryan answered. “Wait there. The patrolling one will come out in a minute. Take him down, and you can walk in.”
Lee and Valdez disappeared into the bushes beside the path. Jane and Connor waited at the front door for a while. The patrolling guard went out. Both Blake and Hunt jumped over him. Unfortunately for the man, Jane and Hunt together stuck a syringe into his neck. They gave him a double dose of the sedative.
“Dammit!” Hunt realized what happened. “Can we kill him with that?”
“No, I guess . . .” Jane was worried about something else “Fuck that! We forgot to wait for him to speak.”
“Blake, are you a hundred percent sure we didn’t just kill him?” Hunt checked for a pulse.
Jane also checked. The heartbeat was slow and almost impossible to catch, but it was there.
“He’ll live,” Jane said with irony in her voice. “Take the radio.”
Hunt took it. He
gazed at the guy on the ground one more time and went after Jane. Blake asked Ian and Nick to go after them quickly.
“Get those to Ryan and go to the getaway car.” Blake gave Valdez the radios.
Jane gestured for Nick and Connor to follow her in the mansion. They opened the door quietly. After several steps in the dark hallway, Nick spotted the surveillance room. Lee got close to the IT specialist and stuck him with the syringe. Jane headed to the office and climbed the stairs. There was a little corridor which separated her from the office and the two massive bodyguards up front. She looked carefully from the corner.
“There are two more in front of Morse’s office,” Jane muttered to Ryan.
“Do you have sedatives?” asked Gray.
“Yeah, but I don’t think we can use them,” Blake whispered.
“Be careful!” Ryan said anxiously.
Hunt and Lee came behind Jane. The two guards were leaning on the wall. It wouldn’t be easy for them to sneak behind. One of the guards picked up the radio and asked if everything was okay. With a second delay, a deep voice sounded as a response, “The perimeter is clear!” Jane sighed in relief. Ian gave the radios on time, and Ryan played the right voice. The plan was going good enough. But those two gorillas weren’t moving. Blake tried to create a diversion, but it didn’t work. Maybe they thought the sounds were from the guards downstairs and they didn’t move.
“You know what we have to do,” Jane whispered in Connor’s ear.
He nodded, but his face was showing he wasn’t okay with the thing they had to do. Blake put a silencer on her gun, and Hunt did the same. She looked at her colleagues and lifted her hand. Blake counted down with fingers to three and Hunt and Jane shot at the same time. The two gorillas were down. Nick helped Blake put one of the men aside. Hunt was checking the other one for a pulse.
“He’s alive,” Connor said quietly.
Jane went with the sedative ready in her hand, and Connor caught her arm.
“You will kill him if you use that!”
“This one is gone.” Nick also checked the man shot by Jane.
“I’ll use half just to be sure he stays down, okay?” Blake asked Hunt.