by G. K. Parks
“Whatcha wanna see?” He smiled through heavy lids. With one hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dime bag, and with the other, he grabbed himself.
“Impressive,” I scanned the area, but there were no signs of Jakov or Lucca yet, “you just tried to solicit sex and sell narcotics to a federal agent. Now sit your ass back down there.” I shoved him backward. There weren’t that many steps, and he fell back, making an oomph sound when his body hit against the brick wall at the bottom. “I have a couple of questions. As long as you answer them, I’m willing to forget this ever happened.”
“But you said you weren’t a cop,” the girl said. “You lied.”
“Lady, I hate to break it to you, but it’s not raining either,” I replied, going down the steps. Doing a quick frisk, I took a revolver out of his ankle holster, and I found a knife beneath the blanket they were using for things I didn’t want to think about. Other than that, they were clean. On closer inspection, they were probably in their late teens. Runaways most likely trying to eke out a living through whatever means they had available to them. “So you remember the SUV and the weird foreigners that abandoned it. Do you remember if they had anything with them, like a package or a gun?”
“I’m not telling you shit,” he said. “This is extortion and entrapment.”
“Those are big words. Do you even know what they mean?”
“They mean I’m not telling you shit,” he repeated.
“Those guys are dangerous. Have you seen the news lately? They keep mentioning terrorists and a reward for any information that could help the police find them.”
“They’re terrorists?” the girl asked, her mouth dropping open. “OMG, he stuck something big into that dumpster across the street. Is it a bomb? Oh my god, I don’t wanna die.”
“Babe, you’re not gonna die. This is bullshit. This bitch is just trying to shake us down. I bet she’s not even a cop. She probably works for Sal and was hoping to find out where my dealer keeps his stash. I’ve seen him use his girls to get that information out of other guys before.” He was growing increasingly more brazen. “I can take her.”
He stood up again, bent over like a bull, and charged. In the narrow staircase, I didn’t have much room to maneuver, barely managing to turn sideways to keep from taking the full brunt of his momentum in the stomach. He knocked me backward into the rail and hit me hard in the side. He tried to race up the stairs to escape, but I grabbed his pants leg with my good hand, tripping him.
Once he was down, I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. The girl let out a scream, and Lucca appeared at the top of the stairs with his gun pointed at us. Ignoring my partner, I tightened my grip, wishing that I had my other hand free to secure the guy’s other wrist.
“Federal agents,” Lucca announced, slowly coming down the stairs. “Stay on the ground. My partner is going to let go of you, and when she does, I want you to slowly put your hands on top of your head. Do it now.”
“Thanks,” I said, stepping back, so he could cuff the guy. “I’ll call for the police to pick them up.”
“Didn’t I tell you to find somewhere quiet to hide?” Lucca asked.
“You did, but there aren’t many options, and the one I found was occupied.” I looked back at the girl. “Look, if you tell us everything you remember, we’ll let you scram before the cops get here. What else do you remember about the two men and what they were carrying?”
“I don’t know,” she hesitated. “It was dark that night, and they were arguing about some girl that got away. The one in charge blamed the other one, or I think there were two. They looked exactly alike. Maybe it was one guy talking to himself.” She shook her head. “Anyway, he had this like duffel bag thing. It had wheels like the stuff people use at the airport, but he carried it.”
“How big was it?” Lucca asked. “Like the size of a backpack?”
“No, it was more like a refrigerator.”
“A refrigerator,” Lucca repeated, giving me a skeptical look. “That’s really helpful. How could some guy carry a refrigerator?”
“It wasn’t a fridge. It was the size of a fridge. Y’know, those little ones. I had one in my dorm before I dropped out.” She sniffed, either from the cocaine or because she was growing nostalgic. “He tossed it in that trash thing.” She pointed toward the top of the stairs. “I saw him come by again to check on it. He took something out and left.” She sniffed again. “I got curious, so me and Xander went to check it out, but it was locked tight. We was gonna crack it open, but that seemed like too much trouble.”
“And this is Xander?” Lucca asked, nudging the cuffed guy.
“What’s it to you?” Xander growled. “We didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t tell us she was a cop. She has to do that. If not, it doesn’t count.”
“Did you hear that, Parker?” Lucca smiled. “It doesn’t count.”
“When’s the last time you spotted the terrorist guy?” I asked, trying to keep the questions simple.
“Two days ago, I think. He hasn’t been back since,” she said.
“What about you, Xander? When did you see the guy last?” Lucca asked.
“Two days ago. We were down here when he came by. We heard the dumpster lid slam, which is why we noticed him,” Xander said, struggling against the cuffs. “C’mon, man, this is bogus, and we all know it. Just cut me free.”
“If I do, the two of you need to clear out of here,” Lucca said. “Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the girl said. “I don’t want to stick around and get blown up by a big bomb.”
“Did you see a bomb?” I asked, distracting them while Lucca sent word to the police department to send someone to pick up our eyewitnesses.
“No, just the duffle thing with the wheels. It was the size of those little fridges.” She gasped suddenly. “Could that be a bomb?”
“We’ll check it out, but you should clear out. I’ll tell you what, we’ll have someone come and make sure you weren’t exposed to any harmful materials before you go,” I promised.
As soon as the undercover officers arrived, I stepped out of the alcove and briefed them on the situation. Quietly, they went down the stairs and removed the two runaways. Lucca looked at me and shook his head. He then sent another few text messages, stowed his phone, and sighed heavily.
“That stunt could have cost us,” he said.
“I know, but they were here. I had to find out if they knew anything. What if they knew what he was planning or where he hid it? We couldn’t let that opportunity pass us by.”
“It was a gamble.” He glanced at his phone again. “Do you think we need to call the bomb squad or hazmat to check it out? That would be protocol.”
“It won’t be quiet, and if Jakov spots them, he’ll definitely go to ground. We can’t risk it. Do you concur?”
“Yeah, I’ll go check it out. You stay here.”
“No, we both go.”
After several tense minutes of carefully assessing the entire dumpster, removing the lock, and slowly lifting the lid, we found the large crate that was bungee-corded to a luggage cart. The crate was opened, so we had no way of knowing what might be missing. Lucca slipped on a pair of gloves and slowly sifted the contents around. Inside were dozens of photos, maps, and schematics for something.
“We’ll need the lab to verify, but I think I know his next target,” Lucca said, holding up a photograph.
Thirty-nine
“This better not go sideways,” Lt. Tinsley said. “What’s happened to my precinct is bad enough. The entire city’s practically on lockdown. We’re afraid, and everyone else is too. I can’t imagine how much worse it’ll get if you fuck this up.”
“We won’t,” Jablonsky said. “Behr’s verified our intel as accurate. Everything we have points to total dissolution of the hired mercenaries. Our cybercrime team has been monitoring the communications, and everything’s quiet. Jakov’s on his own, and there are a lot more of us.”
“There better not be any surprises,” Tinsley warned. She blew out a breath. “I’ll pass word along about our radio communication. We’re on cell phones until Jakov’s been taken down.” She walked to the conference room door, turned, took two steps back, opened her mouth as if to say something, shook her head, and went back out the door.
“You heard the lady,” Jablonsky said. “We can’t screw up. All eyes are on us. If the news outlets get a whiff of a memorial, they’ll come out in droves. The commissioner and a stand-in for the mayor will be there. This is a huge event. It’s precisely what Jakov wants, so we’re giving it to him. Just remember what the stakes are.”
He took a moment to look at each of us. Every available agent and team was tasked with monitoring a specific area. HRT would be stationed at various points, prepared to deliver a death shot if the situation warranted it. Jakov brought the fight to us, and by god, we were going to win.
“Who else is in play?” the HRT commander asked.
“Homeland’s coordinating the rest, but there will be a lot of federal agencies on-site. Everyone’s in plainclothes. We aren’t showing off our Kevlar. Vests underneath your jackets, people. And keep your eyes peeled. I want everyone going home tonight, understood?” A round of ayes and affirmatives went through the room. “All right, let’s stop this asshole.”
I gave the maps another glance. I felt just as able-bodied as my fellow agents, but Jablonsky wanted me benched inside. The last time I’d been left to coordinate, things had gone horribly wrong. I didn’t want to be here, and I nudged Lucca with my elbow.
“Parker, we found what he was hiding. We have the photographs and maps. Jakov Horvat knew precisely what the PD would do to honor one of their fallen. He plans to make a mockery of the funeral procession, so we’re throwing him off his game by blowing it way out of proportion.”
“Wouldn’t someone inside Shade have assumed that there would be a city-wide memorial service after they decimated the largest precinct we have?” I asked.
“Contingencies,” Lucca surmised. “They didn’t count on you and Donaldson showing up at Pepper and wrecking the plan. The Horvats must have figured that their plan was wrecked, so they moved on to plan B. Step one, kill the bitch that escaped. Step two, make a large show with disposable soldiers. And step three, convince the cops they won, wait for the funeral, and blow them all to kingdom come.”
“There’s no indication Jakov has a bomb. Hazmat checked that dumpster, so did the bomb squad and the dogs. We even checked the three restaurants and the trucks. No bomb-making materials to report,” I argued.
“Parker, I wasn’t being literal.” He patted my shoulder. “I get it. We’re all on edge. The intel suggests heavy artillery. It goes along with what we already know, and the CIA located the weapons dealer and has him detained. So far, the only weapon unaccounted for is a PKM and plenty of extra rounds. It stands to reason that is Jakov’s intended method of delivery.”
“And a shooting spree in a densely populated area by a lunatic with a machine gun is supposed to make me feel better?” I asked. “Why in the world did we encourage this memorial service?”
“We have to lure him out. This is new. It’s happening too fast, and he’ll be unprepared. That’s how we’ll stop him,” Lucca said.
It wasn’t the actual memorial service. It was a ploy that the police department planned in order to trap Jakov in a secluded area. A number of brave men and women volunteered to be decoys while the rest of us diligently worked to locate and apprehend Jakov Horvat. Since this was such a grandiose gesture, the police commissioner agreed to partake. He wasn’t one to hide in his ivory tower while his people were massacred, and Assistant Director Behr had found a lookalike for the mayor.
As part of the plan, we hoped to get Niko talking by showing him some doctored news coverage of a massacre at a police funeral. Unfortunately, the bastard did nothing but smile and cheer. Agents were working around the clock to break him for information on how Shade planned the massacre, but Niko wouldn’t talk. I suspected that our phony footage didn’t convince him of anything since the psychological profile indicated that he’d take the opportunity to gloat. Behr should have thought about that before sending Mark and me to convince Niko that Shade’s prior attempt at the precinct had failed. Shame on us for attempting to fool him twice.
“I’m going,” Jablonsky declared. “Keep your eyes peeled. The second you spot him, I want a team surrounding his location.”
“Yes, sir,” Lucca and I said simultaneously.
As the calls came in, Lucca marked the location of our teams. The fake ceremony would be a procession from the precinct to the cemetery. The photos we’d found inside the dumpster were of other police memorials and the location of the gravestones and vantage points behind trees. Based on the data we had, Jakov would slip into the cemetery once the procession arrived and open fire. He was smart enough to know that the area would be scouted ahead of time, so he wouldn’t be able to lie in wait.
The road leading from the precinct to the cemetery could be used to target the cops, but without the help of his hired team of assassins, it wasn’t feasible for a single gunman to do vast amounts of damage to speeding vehicles. He would have to wait for the cops to be left unprotected. Just in case, we had agents on foot and in vehicles on both sides of the street, on the side roads, and around the cemetery. This time, Jakov wouldn’t catch us unprepared.
“Bravo team’s checked in,” Lucca announced, lighting up another patch of ground that we were covering. “Charlie and Echo are go. Did you field a call from Delta team?”
“No, Tango and Foxtrot,” I said. “Should there be this many unaccounted for?” I looked at the screen. Nearly a quarter of the map hadn’t had any reported check-ins. “Something’s up. What team was Cooper assigned?”
“Alpha,” Lucca replied. “He and Jablonsky both.” Picking up the phone, he dialed Agent Cooper. “Let me see what’s taking them so long.” After almost two minutes, Lucca put the phone down. “That’s odd.”
“I’ll see if I can raise Mark.” Using my cell phone instead of the office phone, just in case we had a circuit jam, I hit my speed dial and waited.
After three rings, he answered, “I’m on my way. Anything to report, Parker?”
“I don’t know.” I squinted at the computer screen. “We’re waiting on quite a few teams to verify their locations. Do you have eyes on the area?”
“Not yet. I’m about five minutes out from the rendezvous point. Our agents along the way are in place. No signs of Jakov or a shooter. Everything appears normal,” Jablonsky continued. “Have you tried calling them?”
“Lucca tried raising Alpha team, but we had no love,” I said.
“Contact the closest sniper team and see if they have a visual,” Jablonsky ordered.
I passed word along to Lucca who started dialing while Mark waited patiently on the other end of the line. Once the call was answered, Lucca asked the question. Turning, he gave me a thumbs up, and I relayed the news to Jablonsky.
“It could be a communication problem,” Jablonsky said. “I’m almost there. I’ll see what’s wha—” The line crackled and cut out. Glancing at the dropped call message on my screen, I double-checked the map. A second later, my phone rang. “Sorry, I must have hit a dead zone. Breathe, Parker. You haven’t even said a word, but I can tell you’re panicking.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s probably all this damn granite and tree cover interfering with the cell signals. I’m going to check in with each team, and then I’ll check back with you. If anything happens, contact HRT. They’re our eye in the sky.” Mark disconnected, but that annoying itch was scratching at the corners of my mind.
“What is it?” Lucca asked.
“We’re having communication trouble.” I narrowed my eyes. “How’d you know they were using a cell jammer on the off-ramp?”
“My GPS cut out, and I had no signal on my phone.” Lucca looked worried. “I’ll get HRT to
investigate.”
“It’ll blow our cover. We can’t have them move out of position.”
“So you want our people to be sitting ducks instead? What choice do we have?” Lucca picked up the phone and began dialing. Reaching over, I put my finger on the hook. “Move your hand, or your casts will be symmetrical.”
“Jablonsky said it might be a dead zone. He’s going to check in with the teams. If we start moving too many people around, Jakov will know something’s wrong. Since we haven’t spotted our terrorist yet, we can’t spook him before he arrives, or he’ll give us the slip again. I’ll go check it out.”
“You have orders to stay here.”
“I don’t care. I’m going. Give me ten minutes. If you don’t hear from me or Jablonsky when time’s up, call HRT.” I checked the clip in my side arm, struggling to make sure a round was chambered. “Ten minutes.”
“How the hell are you going to get there in ten minutes? It took the rest of our teams nearly three times that long.”
“I’ll take a shortcut. Seriously, Lucca, ten minutes.”
He sighed. “Go. The clock’s ticking, but I don’t support this decision. And you damn well better come back because I’m documenting this in my report.”
Racing down the stairs, I burst out the front door of the federal building and hailed a cab. I’d been forced to navigate this city in the pouring rain while barred from normal methods of transportation, so I’d picked up a trick or two. Telling the driver to get me as close to the park as possible, I impatiently waited in the back until the car came to a stop.
Without bothering to pay the man, I opened the back door and ran through the streets, into the park, dodging the strollers and dogwalkers while I beelined away from the path. Checking the GPS on my phone which had a point amidst a large beige blob, I kept moving. Eventually, I hit street again, crossing quickly, until I found more wooded areas. By the time I made it to the iron fence, I was too winded to speak.
Placing my palms against my thighs, I bent over, hoping oxygen would make it to my brain before I passed out. Thankfully, the black bubbles cleared from my vision, and I dialed Lucca.