Chaz shoved his hands into his pockets and spoke in a carefully controlled voice.
“I don’t know whether you’re reporting to Watkins or Granger, and I don’t care. But I promise you this, if anything happens to those undercover officers, you’re complicit; and I will personally make sure that no one even thinks about being lenient on you.” He watched as one of the agents cuffed Brian and tossed a jacket over the chain so that no hotel guests noticed while he was being put into the back of dark SUV.
While all of that was going on, Jesse brought in a small cooler from the back of the vehicle. He pulled out a beer and handed it to his friend.
“How did you know?” Jesse asked as he brought the bottle to his mouth.
“Chris Jenkins has been designing and installing that surveillance system for months, hardwiring most of it during the renovations but also making sure the wireless feed was tested every time a system change was made. It didn’t make sense that he couldn’t get his own program back online. With what happened last night, there’s no way Granger would allow himself to be without cameras for too long.” He popped the cap off his beer and took a long swallow.
“I didn’t catch whatever Brian did because we turned the monitors off last night. I was busy reading reports when he arrived this morning, so I didn’t pay him any attention. But after I was done, I watched the feed that recorded to my laptop from a camera I hid on top of that cabinet.” He nodded his head toward the area behind the bank of monitors. “I’ve watched him before; what he was doing today seemed different. I already had a bad feeling about him, so I asked Roy to send you down. He didn’t hesitate because he’d already done some checking and found out that Brian is very ambitious without the patience to wait his turn. He’s been saying how he might leave the Bureau if he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Roy told me today that, apparently, Brian has also been crawling around in my personnel file.”
“Your instincts are always impressive.” Jesse took another sip of beer. “So, tell me what we’re doing. Are you using your real name or an alias? No one had time to brief me.” He set the bottle on the counter and slid into a chair behind the monitors that were once again displaying the interior of the renovated office building.
While they watched the monitors, Chaz filled him in on the mission, his decision to use the last name Bryson for this assignment, the undercover team members, and the target. Then, he explained about Special Agent Vanessa Long being in deep, Granger’s legitimate feelings for her, and the previous night’s move by Watkins.
“What about your other tech?”
“She’s good. Plus, she has a personal reason to keep Vanessa safe and this mission on track.” When Jesse raised his eyebrows, Chaz smiled and said, “She also has feelings for Agent Long. It seems like they have some sort of history that goes back to the academy.”
“Interesting.”
“I feel good about this team now. Let’s hope we’re able to get everything completed before Watkins makes his next move.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jesse Robertson made sure he understood where each camera was focused so that he could follow movement from top to bottom and room to room within the building. The place was busy on a Saturday afternoon: liquor delivery, some sort of meeting in the club with the women who would work the rooms and the body guards who would keep them safe, a housekeeper going from room to room on the second floor, a janitor mopping the hallway that led to the business offices at the back of the building.
“That must be the lovely Vanessa.” Jesse’s eyes were glued to the monitor a few hours later as a couple arrived outside of the building and were then seen inside the foyer.
“Yes, it is.” Chaz studied her face for any indication of stress or discomfort. She seemed all right, so he turned his attention to Damien Granger who was the complete opposite when he was approached by Austin. “That’s Officer Austin Marks a.k.a. Parker. He runs the building for Granger, so I’m pretty sure he’s providing an update on increased security and preparations for the night. It looks like everyone is armed.” The two men headed toward the offices while Vanessa entered the club’s main room.
Chaz watched her greet the women before standing in front of the group and beginning a talk that had them nodding along with whatever she was saying. She was smiling and seemed at ease. Good.
A while later, Chris appeared outside of the room that housed the electronic equipment. They watched him take the elevator to the first floor. Apparently, he’d been summoned to the meeting with Austin and Damien. So much time passed that Chaz kept checking his watch. Eventually, all three men left and went separate directions. It was nearly 6:30.
In the foyer, someone was arranging plants and bamboo screens to shield the short hall to the elevator area from view. It would do two things, protect the identities of men headed to the private rooms and hide the guards who would be stationed outside of the elevator in a grouping of plush chairs. Obviously, this was a new idea. It might be a reaction to the previous night’s trouble.
The FBI’s plan, in conjunction with the Kentucky State Police, was to allow the brothel to function for one week before raiding it on next Saturday. The original plan to observe the club for a month to see what other shady characters visited it had hastily been shortened in light of the possibility that Paul Watkins might soon make a violent takeover attempt. No one wanted the law enforcement officers to get caught in the middle. Chaz was just about to explain the set-up to Jesse when he received a text message from Stephanie.
Stephanie: Off
Chaz: Will call you in 10 minutes
He completed his conversation with Jesse before leaving the suite under the pretext of going to get dinner. Once in his car, he drove to a nearby fast food restaurant and called his wife.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey. What’s wrong, Chaz? You sound tired.”
“Other than our conversation this morning, it’s been a rough day.”
“Then, I’m sorry to add to your problems.” She paused only for a second. “Something isn’t right wherever your team is. There’s an intense feeling of unease and suspicion, and I get the impression that a lot of it is directed at the scruffy guy I saw in my dream. By a lot of people. I don’t feel like his life is in danger, but maybe he’s being watched very closely. I feel really tense and shaky and a little scared. Maybe angry, too.”
It wasn’t what Chaz wanted to hear. Now, he had to decide whether Austin was in enough trouble to warrant aborting the mission. A captured agent could be worse than a dead one, simply because torture was such an awful thing. He didn’t want to think that such an extreme situation would happen in this particular scenario, but he also didn’t want to underestimate Paul Watkins.
“Thanks. I’m not sure how the rest of the day is going to go because things are pretty unstable right now. If you don’t hear from me until late tomorrow, don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay.” She sounded a bit hesitant.
“Stephanie, I’m not where they are, and I won’t be going in because we’re not set up for that right now. Don’t worry, okay?”
“I believe you, Chaz.” The strength and clarity in her voice convinced him.
“All right, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”
When Chaz ended the phone call, he ordered a combo meal that he didn’t feel like eating and headed back to the safe house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Can you locate Austin?”
“He’s at the bar in the club.”
Chaz tossed the bag with a half-eaten burger and cold fries onto the counter and pulled a chair up to the table. His eyes focused in on the undercover police officer. Clenched jaw. Rigid posture. Fingers drumming on the table. Yep—Stephanie was right. He was pissed. His eyes weren’t scanning the room, as one might expect he’d be doing if he was trying to make sure everyone was happy and the club was operating as anticipated. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the entrance. Chaz looked for another camera angle that mig
ht give him a clue as to what was going on.
Just inside the doorway was a blonde woman, about 5’4”, dressed provocatively but not indecently. She was flirting with one of the body guards. After a few minutes, Austin got up and headed toward her. They exchanged words. The body guard took a step toward Austin. He took a step closer to the man and said something that made him frown at the woman. Then, still scowling, Austin’s hand clenched around her upper arm and he practically dragged her to the front entrance. Chaz watched another camera that showed them step outside and disappear down the sidewalk.
“What the hell was that about?” Jesse asked.
“I have no idea.” Chaz stood and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a glass and pushed it against the ice and water dispensers in the refrigerator door. After a few long swallows, he leaned his butt against the counter. Five minutes passed.
“Everyone is on edge,” he mused. “Security is tighter than it would be because of Watkins. It’s the first night of illegal activity that Austin was in charge of setting up, so he’s probably under a lot of scrutiny. Maybe he’s feeling the pressure.” Chaz was finding ways to weave in what his wife had revealed. “She could be a decoy to give him an excuse to get out of there. But, if that was the case and the situation was unbearably tense, why hasn’t he used his run code?”
Chaz and Jesse watched as Austin re-entered the building, said something to the doorman, who nodded his agreement, and returned to his table inside the club. The team leader continued to study his operative’s posture: jaw still clenched, body less rigid, fingers still drumming on the table. Was he trying to decide whether or not to run? Who was this woman? Had she compromised him?
Tomorrow was their rescheduled meet. Chaz expected the officer would explain then. He squeezed his tired eyes.
“You’ve been here all day; you should take a break,” he told Jesse. “It’s going to be a long night for me, but Sydney will relieve you soon.”
Chaz thought about Austin. It wasn’t even 7:30 yet and drama was already starting.
Without saying a word, Jesse stood, stretched, and left the suite. Chaz leaned his elbows on the table and let his gaze travel across all of the screens. His eyes locked on the doorman when the next couple arrived. He was checking each I.D. They did look pretty young. Was that what the trouble had been about? Had Austin known the woman was underage? Who was she to him?
Jesse returned about fifteen minutes later and resumed watching the monitors.
The two men passed time talking about their careers and their private lives. They’d known each other a long time and often showed up at the same tailgating party or wound up on the same intramural baseball team. Chaz hadn’t played in a couple of years because of his assignments. Jesse was newly divorced from his second wife. Chaz was in a new committed relationship. He didn’t say anything about actually being married or about the pregnancy. They both had recently moved into new homes, albeit for very different reasons.
“I’ll be back in the morning,” Jesse announced after meeting the female agent who was his relief. “Nine o’clock, right?”
“Yeah.” Chaz extended a hand for his friend to shake. “Thanks for joining us on such short notice.”
“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t busy.” He turned to Sydney and said, “Nice meeting you; see ya in the morning.” She nodded and offered a slight wave without completely turning her attention away from the monitors.
“Chris left the floor, again,” she said a little while later. “Has he been doing that all day?”
“I hadn’t noticed, but he’s never done that any other day. Start a log for me, please.” Chaz had to admit to himself that he had been more interested in watching the club instead of the upper floors so he could understand how the flow of clientele was supposed to work.
A gentleman takes a seat and orders a drink. He gives the server a gold coin. A few minutes later, a woman returns with his drink and asks him to dance. Presumably, that’s when his intent is confirmed. The couple then returns to the table, the server comes to take the credit card, and the couple leaves. They disappear behind the newly-positioned screens and take the elevator to the second floor. A guard is there to use his key to call the elevator. More guards are upstairs, sending a clear message that the men are expected to be careful with the merchandise. When the couple returns, the server brings a printed receipt and the gold coin.
The question is: how and when are the clients given the coin? It’s not happening after they enter the building. Chaz wondered whether there was some type of membership list. If it existed, it was computerized and probably password protected. Maybe they could access it.
“How hard would it be to hack into their servers?”
“That depends on how complex Chris’ security is.” Sydney shrugged. “If he gives me a back door, I could get into emails and personal files in a matter of minutes. If he doesn’t, there’s no telling. Why?” She looked at Chaz with an expression that said she would love to do something other than babysit computer screens.
“We need to find the membership list. Those coins mean these customers are here by special invitation.”
“But, if Granger is from Louisville, how is he soliciting local clients ahead of time?”
“Good question. I’ll ask Austin tomorrow and tell him to get you access to the system.”
They both turned their attention back to the monitors.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Damien and Vanessa keep that information to themselves. The only way you’ll find any list is to access the computer,” Austin informed Chaz as they sat in the booth that was closest to the rear exit of a small diner. Each man could clearly see an entrance.
“Okay. Have Chris either text me a user ID and password or instructions on how to hack the system, whichever is less traceable.” Chaz took a drink from his Pepsi. “Now, explain what was going on with that blonde last night.” He watched Austin’s jaw immediately clench.
“She’s a police officer.”
“What!” Chaz was careful not to raise his voice even though he was sure his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
“Yeah. My superior sent her in to check on me, like I can’t decide for myself how to get out if I need to.” The slight flaring of his nostrils indicated how irritated he was. “It’s a good thing she’s young looking. I pretended she was my underage niece, dragged her out of there, and told the doorman to start checking driver’s licenses.”
“Is she local?”
“No. I’m pretty sure she from the south western edge of the state. We worked a case together near Bowling Green, but we weren’t undercover at the time. I don’t know what she’s doing up here. All I know is that I’m gonna bite someone’s head off when this is over for risking my ass. Shit!”
Chaz sat back against the vinyl cushion of the booth and processed this new information. The Kentucky State Police didn’t trust the FBI. Maybe that’s where those inconsistencies were coming from that he and Steve McDaniels had noticed several weeks ago. The reports did pass through KSP first.
Again, he felt that something about this case wasn’t adding up.
“Why would they do that?” he asked almost to himself.
“Maybe because of the brouhaha the night before?” Austin shrugged.
“How would they know about that?” He could see the wheels turning behind Austin’s eyes before they narrowed in pure rage. “They have another officer planted.” His hands balled into fists. “What the hell is going on, Bryson? I’ve been doing this shit for too long to get hung out like this.”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Don’t change anything you’re doing. Someone obviously doesn’t want us to know they’re involved.”
Someone had set up a double-blind operation where neither of the participants knew the full story, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Even before Chaz’s car left the parking lot, he was on the phone with his supervisor explaining the situation.
“So, someone else could
be contaminating our investigation?” Roy’s tense voice gave away his irritation. “We get to risk our asses and spend time chasing down criminals for them—whoever they are—while they hide in the shadows and watch over our shoulders?”
“If it’s not FBI or KSP, ‘they’ could only be one agency.”
Roy was silent for a moment before he caught on to what his team leader was saying.
“Shit!” He let out a frustrated breath. “Let me get back to you.” The phone went dead.
Chaz took a deep breath and let it out slowly before calling Sydney to make sure everything was quiet at the club. Thankfully, the building was fairly deserted on a Sunday morning. Jesse should be there soon to relieve her.
With that taken care of, Chaz drove across the bridge to downtown Cincinnati to visit Fountain Square. It was one of his favorite places to sit and think; the area was beautiful even though the weather was still too cool for flowers to bloom or people to loiter. That’s where he was more than an hour later when Roy Gifford called him back.
“It’s taken care of. You’re to continue as planned through next weekend.”
“What was the Attorney General looking for?”
“He wanted to know whether this project involved corrupt government officials. We told him to stop stepping on our toes and figure it out in his own investigation. If we find something, we’ll pass it along, but his problem is not our objective.”
It was odd for the Attorney General to have the Kentucky Bureau of Investigations not work with the State Police. Apparently no one in the state trusted anyone else. This mess couldn’t be over soon enough for Chaz.
As an afterthought, he told Roy about his theory that there might be a membership list.
“If you can get it without risking your team or the current mission, do it. If not, stick to the plan. We were called in to reduce the expansion of prostitution and thwart a known major criminal trying to extend his territory. We don’t care whether a city council member is on the client list. If all goes well, this time next week you’ll be wrapping up the arrests and headed back here to tackle a boatload of paperwork.”
Loving Night: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 2 Page 9