“How did you even plan on getting out of that bank alive?” Captain Murphy asked, finally addressing Bethany for the first time during the meeting. She looked up, surprised, and put an end to her woolgathering. “Explosives, sir. I’m sure you found the C-4 in some of the duffel bags that were still in the bank. That building was built over a crawl space, which easily accessed the laundry room of the apartment building to the north, which led to the parking garage directly northwest of that location. We had a van ready and waiting to go on the bottom level of the parking deck. I’m sure it’s been moved by now by others from the group, but we figured it would take us approximately twelve minutes to get from the bank to the van through access tunnels that we’d completed over the last few weeks. It was going to be a bit tricky to ferry the money over there because of the weight, but the operation was certainly doable for a group of motivated bank robbers.”
“What about the hostages?”
“What about them?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What were your plans for them?” he asked, leaning forward. His stance was aggressive, but instead of taking offense at his behavior, she decided to lean back and speak softer, hoping not to engage the man and make matters even worse. She had already listened to the yelling for an hour. Her ears hurt. All of the bravado and posturing was giving her a headache. With each new argument, she was beginning to appreciate her undercover assignment more and more. It had been good to be away from the politics and office maneuvering that was apparently required in order to succeed.
“We never wanted anyone to get injured, sir. That was the plan from the beginning and, of course, the FBI would never have signed off on the robbery if the hostages had been at risk. Once the vault was breeched, our plan was to lock the hostages in the back of the bank in the conference room and leave them there during the explosion and the escape. They wouldn’t have been impacted by the detonation.”
Captain Murphy stood quickly, put up his hands and took a couple of steps in her direction. “Now hold on just a minute. You don’t call firing high-powered weapons near innocent people putting them at risk?” he yelled.
“No, sir,” she responded calmly. “I was constantly with the hostages, and I had a high-powered weapon myself so I could stop any trouble before it started. I kept them where I could see them at all times for exactly that reason.”
Captain Murphy pointed toward Daniel. “What about my detective’s nose?”
She’d had enough. What did the man expect? A perfect operation? A golden guarantee? If he wanted to find fault, he needed to point that finger back at himself and his own operation. After all, she was the one who had almost been killed. “What about it, Captain? I am sorry about Detective Morley’s nose, I truly am, but he’s alive, isn’t he? That’s more than I could have said if he hadn’t been there when your team came storming into that bank. They would have killed me if he hadn’t knocked me to the ground in the nick of time. Detective Morley saved my life. That’s something I won’t soon forget, but it sure would be nice if you remembered that it was your men who killed the rest of the suspects and tried to take me out, as well.”
Captain Murphy’s face turned red. “I’ve never heard such insolence! You just hold it right there, Special Agent—”
Daniel stood and held up his hands. “Captain, please. I know I’m outranked by most of the people at this table, and until now I’ve been quietly sitting here listening to everyone’s point of view, but I was there, in the bank, and I can tell you what happened from my firsthand experience. Since we’ve finally gotten around to my injury and my role in the operation, I think I’ve earned a chance to speak.” His voice was soft yet in control, and Bethany admired the way he showed a quiet strength. He didn’t need the bluster that the captain showed to get his point across or the threats and anger that her handler kept throwing around. His tone was matter-of-fact and to the point. “We seem to keep talking about this in the past tense, but to my way of thinking, this operation isn’t over, not by a long shot. I don’t know all of the details or the background information, but I do know Special Agent Walker. I know her level of commitment and I know this is an important undercover operation that has high stakes. We may have lost a golden opportunity by killing Jackson Smith and his cohorts, and I don’t know the ins and outs of the organization that Agent Walker is infiltrating, but I do know that we aren’t out of options, at least not yet. I suggest we move forward as a team. We can’t forget that J.P., the robber that got shot, is still in the hospital. As far as he knows, three of the robbers were shot and killed. He doesn’t know that Bethany survived, or why. We can use that fact to our advantage.”
Bethany nodded, her excitement starting to grow as she began to understand the idea that Daniel seemed to be suggesting. “You’re right. We can tell him that when the police stormed in, I was in the bathroom cleaning you up. I pulled off my mask and blended in with the other hostages...”
Captain Murphy snapped his fingers, apparently also grasping Daniel’s train of thought. “And that’s why you weren’t arrested,” he finished. “You were able to escape detection because you hid your mask and rifle and got lost in the general confusion that occurred when the bank got raided.”
“But what about you?” Justin asked, motioning toward Daniel, his tone skeptical. “J.P. knows that you know she was a robber. He knows that you would have identified her to law enforcement when they came in. She couldn’t have changed her clothes...”
“No,” Daniel agreed, “but she could have let her hair down out of the ponytail, and without the mask she would have looked quite different. She also removed the hoodie when she was tending J.P.’s wounds. When people are stressed and in a difficult situation, they have trouble remembering details and might not have remembered what she was wearing underneath. The robbers were identified by their hoodies and masks.”
“Are you willing to bet her life on that?” Justin said, his tone sharp. “I’m not. And I’m not sending her back into a dangerous situation without more. We need a stronger story. I know J.P. I helped compile the background on him. He’s a hothead, but he’s not an idiot. He’ll see holes in any story that isn’t a really good one, and that will put my agent in jeopardy. We can’t give him some half-baked tale and hope he’ll swallow it.”
Daniel sat back down. Instead of looking discouraged, he seemed thoughtful. Didn’t this guy ever give up? At least he was trying to help her make lemonade from a bowl of lemons. She had to appreciate his efforts. “I’m definitely not suggesting we put Special Agent Walker in danger either,” he said. “If we need to come up with a better story, then we come up with a better story. We’re an intelligent group of professionals here, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can solve this problem. All I’m suggesting is that we move forward with the operation. We suffered a setback, yes, but we still can make this right.”
“I have the solution.”
All heads turned toward Captain Murphy, some with skeptical looks on their faces. His tone was more moderate, which Bethany appreciated, but when he spoke, his words shocked her. “The answer is simple. We send in Detective Morley undercover with her.”
“What?” This time she stood. “Are you nuts?”
His head snapped toward her, and she instantly regretted her impetuous words. He was a captain after all, even if his idea was completely ludicrous.
“No, Agent, I’m not. Detective Morley is one of my best. He can be brought up to speed on your case, and we can say he decided to join your group of robbers. Anti-government, aren’t they?”
* * *
Daniel turned and looked at Bethany’s expression. She was obviously not pleased that Captain Murphy had been so flippant with his comment about the group she had infiltrated. His captain was a good man, even if he was a little unpolished at times. He got the job done, and his superiors rewarded him for it, but he had never been known for his tact.<
br />
Bethany slowly retook her seat. “I meant no disrespect, sir. I agree that Detective Morley is outstanding at his job. My surprise was based upon your suggestion that he join my undercover operation. It took me over a year to gain their trust, and they are much more than an anti-government organization. It’s a complicated belief system that goes back several generations and stretches into the members’ livelihoods, even into how they raise their children. You don’t just join the group. You live it.”
“Believe it or not, agent, my people know a thing or two about police work. We may not have your FBI funding, but we do have the grit and determination it takes to do the job correctly.”
“Sir...” she started to protest again and Daniel smiled inwardly. She wasn’t going to be able to dig herself out of this hole, no matter how hard she tried. The captain had been offended, and there would be no soothing his pride, at least not today after all of the yelling and blame that had already been passed around.
“It makes a good legend, Agent,” he said gruffly. He had enough rank that he could interrupt her with impunity. “He helped you escape because he believes in the cause. If both of you go in, you’ll be less vulnerable because you can watch each other’s backs.”
Daniel shook his head. “That may not fly after what J.P. witnessed at the bank between us, sir, but we can figure something out. Give us some time to come up with some background scenarios, and we’ll create a story that works.” He glanced at Bethany. He could tell by her expression that she wasn’t happy, but he was looking for any opportunity he could find to spend time with her, and if it took accepting an undercover operation to do it, then so be it. He had never wanted to do this type of job in the past, but he would do it now if it meant working with Bethany and getting a second chance to figure out what had gone wrong between them.
The group hashed out a few more details about the joint mission and then slowly started to break up and separate.
Max Westfield stopped Bethany as she was leaving the room and blocked her by the door. “I really admire you and the work you are doing. It’s incredibly dangerous, but very worthwhile.”
“Thank you, Mr. Westfield.” She forced a smile at him but tried to push by. Daniel noticed this from across the conference room but was waylaid by the deputy attorney general, and although he could hear their conversation, he couldn’t intervene.
She gave Max Westfield a tentative smile. “I appreciate your comments, Mr. Westfield, and your support. It is dangerous but if we are successful, it will all be worth it. Please excuse me.” He moved a little closer and made it impossible for her to get by him. She actually took a step back and looked slightly uncomfortable.
“Please, call me Max. I might have some ideas for your backstory, if you want some help—”
She cut him off. “Thank you so much, but we have a team for that. I do appreciate the offer.” She tried a second time to walk past him, but once again he blocked her path.
“I have a background in undercover work. I know I’m just an assistant right now, but I came from the New York field office where I did that kind of work, and I’m up for promotion.”
She nodded. “I’m sure you did, but that’s not the way we do things here. Like I said, I do appreciate the offer. Special Agent Harper is the boss, and we do things his way. You’ll have to take this up with him.”
Daniel finally excused himself from the attorney general and moved over to Westfield’s side. “Agent Walker, I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you before you leave, if you have time,” he said softly. “We need to get some details straight about this undercover operation.”
“That would be fine. We can talk on my way out.” She nodded at Westfield. “Thanks again.” Westfield looked disappointed, but he finally stepped aside, glaring at Daniel as he did so.
“You know he was flirting with you,” Daniel said for her ears only once they were well away from the group.
“Of course,” Bethany said, frowning a bit. “But he’s not my type at all. He looks like he just graduated high school, and honestly, I think he’s a bit too pushy.” She smiled, but this time it was genuine. “Thankfully, I rarely have to deal with that guy.”
Daniel didn’t like that someone was flirting with her, but he did like the way that Bethany smiled. It lit up her entire face and brought out a small dimple on her cheek that was simply adorable. It was the first time he had seen her smile in quite some time. He wished she smiled more. “So what do you think about this undercover idea?”
Suddenly, the smile disappeared completely. She was obviously not pleased. “I think it’s a mistake, just like I said during the meeting. It puts you in unnecessary danger, and me too if I have to babysit you.”
Babysit? She felt like she had to babysit him? “Now hold on—”
“Look, don’t let your male pride take a hit. That’s not what I meant. You’re a good cop. All I’m trying to say is that being undercover is hard enough when I have to watch out for myself. Everything I say and do is constantly being scrutinized. If you’re there too, it’s double the work and double the danger. You’ve also never done an assignment like this before. That makes it even more risky.”
“Is the mission important?”
She frowned. “You know it is. I wouldn’t have gone so far as participating in a bank robbery otherwise.”
“Then let’s do it. Together. Bring me up to speed, and let me do my job.”
She paused as if considering his words, but it wasn’t as if they had a choice. Their orders had already been decided. Still, he wanted her buy-in. “Look, I know I haven’t done undercover before, but I’m not a rookie, Bethany. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you’re good, Daniel. I’ve never doubted that. I’m just used to working alone.”
He wanted to ask her if she had personal reasons for hesitating too, but now wasn’t the time or place for that discussion. She hadn’t wanted to talk about their past at the bank, and he knew intuitively that it was going to take time and effort to pry the answers out of her. One thing he did know though—she was worth the effort.
She met his eye. “Thanks for saving my life at the bank. I owe you one.”
It was his turn to smile. “You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”
She winked at him, then turned. “See you at the rendezvous location tomorrow at 9:00 a.m,” she said with a wave.
He watched her leave, then left the building separately through a different side door.
Unfortunately, neither one of them noticed the people tailing them.
EIGHT
“You’re going to have to pretend to be a dirty cop.” Bethany sat back, running her hands through her hair and pulling it back from her face. “I just don’t see another way around it.” They were at a small diner in St. Elmo, a small neighborhood at the foot of Lookout Mountain, seated near the back where they had a good view of everyone in the restaurant, as well as everyone coming and going in the parking lot through the large picture window at the front. They had just spent the last two hours going over every detail, no matter how small, of the bank robbery and what the other hostages had witnessed during the various exchanges. They had also discussed what they thought J.P. had seen and heard, and how they could use him as the key to moving forward. He was the only real link left to the organization that Bethany still had, so she would have to use her relationship with J.P. to get back into the group. They were all hoping that bond was strong enough to allow her not only to get reconnected but also to bring Daniel into the fold.
“Being labeled as dirty really stinks, but I don’t see any other option,” Daniel agreed. “Too many of the other hostages know I was a cop or could find out by asking a few simple questions. They would all start to wonder how you escaped without me looking the other way.”
Justin Harper, the third party at the table, nodded. “We just don’t have time to put ano
ther cover story in place in time. You’ll also have to use your own name. We can’t come up with a believable legend for you after what happened at the bank.” He took a drink of coffee. “Don’t worry though. We’ll be sure to restore your name and reputation once this mission is completed. For the time being, you’ve been temporarily assigned to the FBI task force. Captain Murphy knows, but no one else. Everyone else at the Chattanooga Police Department has been told that you’ve been assigned to a special detail and that’s it. Keep the FBI connection to yourself.”
“Bringing you on board might be easier than I originally thought,” Bethany said as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. “We’ll be offering them something—someone in law enforcement with an excellent reputation that they think they can manipulate. That’s a big carrot. It also took them a year to trust me, but in their eyes, I’m Hailey Weber, a criminal with a spotty past. I had to prove myself. You, on, the other hand, already proved yourself by saving me at the bank.”
“Do you think J.P. can get you the introductions you need?” Justin asked.
“That’s the crux of the entire problem.” She looked to Daniel, who was hearing most of this information for the first time. “The organization is set up in cells. Jackson Smith was the head of our cell, but he was really the only one who had contact with the other cells. I was just getting to the point where I was trusted enough to know a couple of the other players, but I don’t know many, and I don’t know how to get in touch with them. With Jackson dead, I’ll have to try to make contact with a man named Bishop Jacobs. He was the man Jackson reported to. If J.P. will vouch for me and for you, Daniel, it will go a long way with Bishop and might just ease our transition into a new cell. If he doesn’t, well, that could spell the end of this undercover assignment.” She took another drink of her hot chocolate. “Let me start at the beginning. The group I’ve infiltrated is called the Heritage Guard. It started back in the 1980s up in Virginia and was basically formed as an anti-government group that created its own regional militia and recruited local families. The members thrive on conspiracy theories, and believe they are fighting to save America from a government that is too big, mismanaged and destroying the freedom of the common citizen. They’re violent extremists, and they set out a plan to gradually gain strength and money so they could pursue political power and take their ideals to a larger audience. Members have to take an oath of allegiance, and there are different levels of membership.”
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