by Mike Ryan
Lawson reciprocated the handshake and her team left the commissioner’s office, ready to embark on their mission. After getting a copy of Smith’s folder, their first move was to check into a hotel and set up their operations and begin to go over plans. Based on the information in the folder, Lawson wanted to map out every location they believed Smith had ever been. They hoped, once they had done it, maybe they could discern some type of pattern leading to a consensus on his base of operations, or where he was likely to be.
It was late afternoon and Recker walked into the office with a box of pizza for dinner. It’d been a relatively quiet couple of days since the police department’s release of his picture. For his part, Recker didn’t really change his behavior much. He didn’t go into hiding or only go out at night time. He didn’t cling to the sides of buildings or wear a hat down over his eyes. He walked around much the same as he usually did. The only difference was they had no cases to work on. Jones kept telling him things were on the horizon, he just had to flesh out the details a little more, but Recker started to get the feeling he was stalling. He had the idea Jones was flustered by the increased activity surrounding them, both with the police and the CIA, and he was putting cases off they should’ve been working. Once Recker put the pizza on the table and the two men began eating, he started quizzing his friend on his suspicions.
“Seems awful strange we haven’t had any cases in the last couple days,” Recker said.
“Yes, well, it happens. We’ve had lulls before.”
“Just seems a little coincidental when it happens right after a major police news conference where they release my picture.”
“Indeed,” Jones said.
“Or right after we learn the CIA has put me back on their radar.”
“Quite a coincidence indeed.”
“David, you wouldn’t be intentionally hiding cases from me, would you?”
Jones laughed, though Recker could tell a disingenuous laugh from him every time. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“When things seem to get a little hot for us, you have a tendency to shut the door for a while and try to hide away,” Recker said.
“Well it’s a good thing one of us does. Maybe I worry too much, but you don’t seem to worry enough.”
“It’s not that I don’t worry or I’m not concerned. But I know you can’t change how you act. You could hide away for a month, then the very first day you step outside, they nab you. Then what good was the month of hiding?”
“I’m not sure your analogy is valid,” Jones said.
“Sure it is. You can be as careful as humanly possible and do everything you can to avoid what’s coming, but it doesn’t mean you can.”
“So, what do you suggest? Do nothing.”
“No. I suggest we do what we’ve been doing. Act normal. We go about our day just like always and do what you signed me up for. It doesn’t mean we ignore any dangers. We’ll keep monitoring them, and if something comes up which makes us have to deviate from our plans, we act accordingly. But no mass hysteria,” Recker said calmly.
Jones sighed deeply, knowing his friend was probably right. He was overreacting. Jones tended to overcompensate when it looked like trouble was brewing. He was just very cautious and always preferred to err in that direction. After they finished eating, Jones finally admitted he had been intentionally pushing cases off to the side they could have been working on. It was nothing extremely urgent, such as an impending murder, or someone’s life in jeopardy. If that was the case, then Jones surely would have acted upon it more swiftly.
“Well so long as it’s settled, how about we look and see what’s on the agenda?” Recker asked.
“Very well.”
Jones walked around the desk, sat at his computer and began typing away to bring up the necessary information for Recker’s next assignment. Pictures of four men came up on the screen.
“Who are these clowns?” Recker asked sarcastically.
“These clowns as you put it, appear to be a very dangerous crew.”
“Crew? You mean literally?”
“Yes. It would appear they are a crew in every essence of the word,” Jones said. “They’ve all got lengthy records and each of them are considered violent. Their last arrest was six years ago for an armed robbery of a restaurant. They were apprehended and arrested a few minutes after the event.”
“So, what are they planning this time?”
“Looks like a jewelry heist,” Jones said.
“Where and when?”
“David’s Jewelry Store.”
“Oh. Have another business you been hiding from me?” Recker cracked a joke.
Jones didn’t crack a smile.“Don’t be silly.”
“Where is this place at?”
“On seventeenth street.”
“When are they hitting?”
“The store closes at nine. The crew indicated they’d hit tonight close to closing time when there’s not so many people,” Jones said, checking his notes.
“How’d you get wind of it?”
“My software program picked up a set of text messages from a couple members of the group where they were talking about “robbing them blind”, as they put it. I started digging up the background info on the phone numbers, then everything just fell into place from there.”
“How long ago?” Recker said.
“A few days.”
“What were you gonna do if I didn’t press you on this? Just let the place get robbed?”
“Of course not. I was planning on doing something,” Jones said. “I just hadn’t figured out what yet. Maybe send an anonymous tip to the police or something.”
“Yeah, ‘cause we haven’t done that too much,” Recker said, rolling his eyes. “You know, can they trace all those anonymous emails back to you somehow?”
“Seriously? Bite your tongue.” Jones smiled. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course they can’t trace them back to me. Do you think this is the first time I’ve done this or something?”
“Well I just figured I’d ask. It’s a cinch the CIA will be checking into it.”
“No. Every anonymous email is automatically assigned a different IP address. If they check into it, they’ll come up as various places throughout the city. And some outside the city I might add.”
“Just thought I’d ask.”
With some time to kill before the jewelry store heist, Recker and Jones went back to work for a little while. But after a few minutes, Recker remembered something he’d been meaning to bring up with his coworker. It wasn’t a big deal, and with the other things on their plate the last couple of days, it didn’t rate high on the priority list, but Recker did wonder about it.
“You know, it’s kind of funny,” Recker said.
“What is?”
“I had lunch with Mia the other day and you didn’t ask anything about it.”
“What’s to ask? People have lunch every day,” Jones said plainly, though he knew what his friend was insinuating.
“I don’t.”
“Well you’re not normal.”
“I also don’t meet new boyfriends every day either.”
Jones stopped typing away at the computer and pushed his seat away as he started coughing, at first forcing it before it actually became necessary.
“You all right there?” Recker asked.
“Oh yes. Just a…you know, something caught in the old pipe there.”
“Shame you couldn’t have been there.”
“Yeah, well, you know.”
“So how long were you keeping that secret from me?” Recker said.
“I wasn’t keeping secrets from you.”
“So, you didn’t know she had a boyfriend?”
“Well, I, uhh, might have heard something to that effect. But I was not keeping a secret.”
“Then what would you call it?”
“I was just not sharing...news which wasn’t mine to tell,” Jones said, stumbling over the words.
“Umm, possibly.”
“Uh huh.”
“She merely wanted to ask my advice on how best to approach the subject with you.”
“Because you’re such a relationship expert?”
Jones shrugged. “When it comes to matters of the heart, I’m purely Switzerland. I’m neutral and not getting involved.”
“Since when?”
“Since always.”
“Yeah, OK.”
“So, are you saying you actually met Mia’s new boyfriend?” Jones asked.
“I did.”
“Well it’s a surprise she introduced you already.”
Recker smiled. “Yeah, came as a surprise to her too,” he said with a laugh.
“Wait, you met him by accident?”
“Apparently the guy canceled lunch, then Mia called me. Then the guy freed himself up and came over to surprise her.”
“And she was surprised?”
“You have no idea.”
“And though I have my own guess as to how the luncheon went, how was it according to you?” Jones said.
“I thought it went fine.”
“And for them?”
“Well, I think I was a lot to take in the first time meeting me.”
“You are a bit of an acquired taste,” Jones said. “You have a certain disposition that may be off putting to some people.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“And Mia was fine?”
“No, she was terrified,” Recker said truthfully.
“I can imagine. I’m sure you did your best to make it as awkward as possible.”
“I did not.”
“Maybe one day I’ll get Mia’s version of the events.”
“I think she’s trying to burn the memory of them.”
“I bet. Anyway, what did you think of her boyfriend? What was your impression of him?” Jones asked.
“I didn’t like him.”
“Why doesn’t it surprise me?”
“No, it’s not what you think. It’s not because I don’t want to see her with anyone else or I’m jealous or anything,” Recker said
“Then what was it?”
“I just plain didn’t like the guy.”
“Why?”
Recker grimaced, trying to think of the reasons behind his dislike for Mia’s new boyfriend and properly explain them without sounding like a jealous ex-boyfriend. And it truly was just a general dislike for the guy. In his profession, he usually had to make quick decisions about trusting people in tight spots or high-pressure situations, and he considered himself to be a pretty good judge of character. Sometimes, first impressions were all he got from people. So, he was an experienced hand at sizing people up at first glance.
“I dunno. He just doesn’t seem right for her,” Recker said.
“Very astute observation,” Jones said sarcastically.
“I’m not jealous. I don’t have the right to be.”
“Well I agree there.”
“No, it’s just...something seems off about him. Just personality wise.”
“Does he seem shady?”
“Well, he is a lawyer,” Recker said, laughing. “No, joking aside, it’s not that. He might very well be a decent guy.”
“I’m sure we’ll find out in time.”
“I think I got it,” Recker said, continuing to think about it. “You know what it is? They didn’t seem like they gelled. They didn’t seem like they had any chemistry together.”
“Well I’m sure it was awkward with having you there in the picture.”
“Maybe.”
“You’re enough to spoil anyone’s chemistry.”
10
Recker had stationed himself a little way down the street from the jewelry store, just sitting in his car and watching the place for a while. He got there around seven, wanting to make sure he was there in plenty of time so he could stake the area out before the impending robbers arrived. Recker thought for a while as to how he wanted to handle the situation. He and Jones debated it for close to an hour before Recker left the office, not coming to a definite conclusion on the best way to diffuse the dangerous situation. No matter what he did, there were pluses and minuses to it. Recker figured he had two options, and both had a set of difficulties. The first option, was to let them do the job and try to pick the gang off as they came out of the store. The problem with that would be if the shooting started early, and the gang got split off or separated, some of them might get away. It would mean Recker would likely have to deal with them again soon. His first choice was to eliminate them all at one time. The other problem with a shootout outside the store was that some of the gang might retreat inside if they couldn’t reach their getaway car in time. It might lead to a hostage situation with whoever was working inside the store or any customers who were still left shopping.
The second option they considered was, Recker would go inside the store sometime before closing. In that scenario, he’d already be in there waiting for the crew. The danger there would be that everyone who was inside the store would be put in harm’s way. Now, he could’ve handled it as he had in other instances, and walk inside and let the workers know what was about to go down, and take their place and wait himself. But he also figured it wasn’t likely all four men would go inside to do the job. It wasn’t a huge jewelry store and didn’t need all four men of the crew going inside. Recker assumed at least two would go in, maybe three. Maybe the fourth would stand outside the door and be a lookout. Or if two went in, maybe one would be outside as the lookout and one would stay in their car, ready to squeal out of there in a hurry.
There was no easy answer. In every scenario Recker dreamed up, there was just as good a reason he could think of as to why he should go in a different direction. If it was just some inexperienced run-of-the-mill gang that wasn’t dangerous, Recker might not have put as much thought into it as he was. He could’ve handled it no matter which way he chose to go. But these guys, this crew was experienced in this type of work. They’d done it before and done it well. Plus, they were known to be violent. These weren’t some young kids Recker could intimidate or get the drop on because they didn’t know what they were doing. This crew would likely shoot first at the earliest sign of trouble or if something didn’t appear to be right or going according to plan.
After giving it ample thought and going over every different scenario he could think of, Recker finally came to a conclusion as to how to handle the situation. With how experienced this crew was, he thought it was best to wait outside for them. If he could be sure all four men would make their way inside the store, then Recker would’ve preferred to already be in there waiting. He could get everyone to safety first, then take his chances with the gang. But he just didn’t believe more than three would walk in. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he believed only two would go in. He tried to think of how he would handle it if he was the one robbing the store. In that case, since it wasn’t a big store, and it was near closing so they wouldn’t have to handle a ton of customers, Recker would only take one other person in. He’d leave one man at the door to prevent anyone from coming in, or take the chance someone would walk by and see what was going on, and he’d leave one man in the car as the driver so they could fly out of the area in a jiffy. Another problem was, Recker couldn’t identify them before they actually walked into the store. They weren’t likely to use any of their own vehicles, and whatever car they did use, would most likely be stolen, so he wouldn’t be able to see them in advance.
It was situations like these where he wondered if it was time for a partner in the field, someone else who could handle themselves the way he could. If there was, one of them could’ve waited inside and dealt with whichever crew members came inside, while the other could take care of the ones on the outside. It was never something he seriously contemplated or something he even put a lot of thought into when it
did cross his mind, but now he was, he wondered if it was something he should bring up with Jones. Especially with the CIA hot on their trail or more specifically, his trail. Jones really had nothing to fear himself from them. They didn’t have anything on him. Recker was the one they were after. And though he always tried to put on a brave face and pretend he wasn’t worried, he was concerned, partly about himself and partly about Jones. He worried about what would happen to him if Recker was gone. Though he suspected Jones would eventually carry on without him, it would take him some time to get things right again. With them being together the past several years, they had everything down to a science. They knew each other well and knew what each other was thinking, what they would do, in virtually every situation. If Recker was no longer there, Jones would have to find a replacement, then slowly integrate them into the business, then develop a trusting relationship, just to get back to the point they were at now. That would take years. And though it could be done, there would be a lot of people in the meantime who wouldn’t get the help they could’ve and should’ve gotten.
After a few more minutes of contemplating, Recker shrugged those thoughts from his mind and got back to his current problem. If he was going to take out the entire gang after they robbed the store, he had to figure out how to take out the first two without alerting the members inside. He wasn’t sure it could be done discreetly. Unless he could take them all out before going inside. That would present a whole distinct set of problems. Instead of dividing them to make the numbers smaller, he’d be taking them all on at once. But if he did it that way, it wouldn’t endanger any innocent people on the inside and they certainly wouldn’t be expecting it. Recker looked at the time and knew he had to stop waffling on a decision and stick to a plan. To pull this off, he was going to have to be fully committed to whatever it was he decided. Knowing time was running short, he finally decided to stick to his original plan. He’d take out whoever was left on the outside, then get the others as they came out the door. He’d have to make it work. From his vantage point, he had a good view of the front of the store, so he’d be able to easily see when the crew arrived.