The Partners in Crime Collection, page 57
The man was pale, with a messy tangle of short white-blonde hair, shaved up on the sides and back. “Naw, I’m Snake. That one back there, is Boom-Boom. I bet you can guess why he’s called that.”
Jamie shrugged and looked at the driver. “Well? I don’t do business with sidekicks. I came to meet with Jono. If you’re not him, I’m leaving.”
The driver got out and nearly seven feet of solid Black male with a shaved head and trimmed goatee stood next to the driver’s door. “You’re a smart man. I’m Jono. I like doing business with smart men. Pleasure to meet you, Jimmy.”
“Pleasure to finally meet you too, Jono. I’ve got the twenty k you said I’d need. I hit a button on my phone and it’ll transfer into your account. You wanted Ethereum, correct?”
Jono gave a nod and gestured to Snake to get the case. Snake reached into the back seat and pulled out a metal briefcase and opened it on the hood of the Mercedes.
Jamie walked over and looked into the case. He pulled a small kit bag out of his pocket and unzipped it, then laid it out on the hood next to the case. He picked a random package and peeled the bag open, swirled a long cotton swab into the bag, then pulled out the swab and stuck it into a vial of liquid. The brilliant color proclaimed it to be pure cocaine. Jamie closed it all up and tucked his kit bag away, then pulled out his phone. He turned the screen towards Jono, and Jono gave a nod, then Jamie turned the screen back to himself and tapped it a couple of times.
A chirp from Jono’s pocket had him pulling out his own phone and verifying the transfer. “It’s all yours, Jimmy. Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Two weeks and we’ll meet again,” Jamie said.
“Call me to make sure,” Jono said. “I don’t think you’re gonna move all of that in two weeks.”
“I’m going to move all of this in four days,” Jamie said. “Three yacht parties and one anniversary celebration. It’s easy to move this volume when your clients are rich and away from the shore.”
Jono laughed. “Two weeks then. Have a good evening, my new friend.”
Jono got into the driver’s seat, then Snake got in, followed by Boom-Boom. Jamie held the case in one hand and took a couple of steps back towards his truck as he waited for them to leave. He would not turn his back on them. When the car finally pulled away, Jamie got into the truck and put the case on the floor.
“It’s done. I hope you got that all stored and locked down. Send to Aidan and to Joey’s cloud. I’m going to wait until you tell me that their car is out of the garage, then I’m going to drive up to the upper level and catch the private elevator to the Comish’s office and drop this off,” Jamie said.
“I hear you. Avery’s sending files now and we’ll keep a watch until you drive out of here,” Jack said. “Give the Comish my best.”
They watched on the screens as Jamie got out of the truck with the case in hand, then punched a code into the panel beside the elevator and got inside once it was open. The elevator disrupted the signal, so Jack watched the garage to see if anyone else showed up.
“Mom, you said you had tapped into the cameras across from the garage too, right?” Avery asked.
“Yeah, they’re the ones on the screens at the upper left,” Jack said as she turned to look. “Why?”
“Look,” Avery said and pointed to where Jono’s Mercedes had pulled into an alley between two buildings and was idling there.
“Shit,” Jack hissed. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Jamie. Voicemail.
“Call Tremont,” Avery said.
“Get in the driver’s seat,” Jack told Avery. “We may have to move fast.”
Avery climbed through the curtain and got into the driver’s seat while Jack called Commissioner Tremont.
“Sir, this is Jack. Jamie’s on his way up to you with the case, but Jono’s crew is parked in an alley, probably watching to see how long he takes to leave. He needs to get out of there now.”
“I hear you, Jack. I’ll go meet him and take the case and send him right back out. Stay safe.”
The call disconnected and Jack watched the screens as she fidgeted in her seat. The button camera gave them a little static, then nothing until Jack saw it clear up as Jamie slid back into the driver’s seat of the pickup.
“Got your message, Jack. Heading out now. Will have my cell phone to my ear as I pull out, so they’ll just think I’ve been on a call. Thanks for giving me the heads up,” Jamie said. “Meet you at Resolute in fifteen.”
“Stay safe, Jamie. I’ll take the van to the garage, then let you know when we’re leaving there. Meet you at the diner. Don’t go to Resolute. If they’re watching you, we don’t want to lead them back there,” Jack said.
“Got it. See you at the diner,” Jamie said.
Jack finished forwarding the files to their secure cloud, then shut down the monitors and slid into the passenger seat. “Take it slow and stay about a block behind Jamie so we can see if those assholes follow him. When he gets near the diner, he’ll go left, we’ll go right and leave this in the garage, swap to my car, and go meet him for food. Just stay steady and calm and we’ll be fine.”
“I’ve taken a defensive driving class, Mom. You gave it to me for Christmas last year, remember?” Avery said. “I’ve got this. Just keep your eyes open so I can focus on driving.”
Jack pointed out when the Mercedes pulled into traffic two cars behind Jamie, and Avery grinned. “I’ve got this, Mom.”
“This is a van, not your little Fiat, or my old Beemer. It doesn’t have the kind of pick-up you’re used to, so no running yellow lights,” Jack warned.
“Mother,” Avery sighed. “Shush. I’m watching Jamie. You watch the Mercedes.”
Jamie drove towards the diner, his phone glued to his ear for about two blocks before he tucked it away and focused more on the traffic. It was late at night, but Harbor was a busy city.
“I bet he’s wishing he had his motorcycle right now,” Avery said.
“Who, Jamie?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. But he told me he never rides it after Halloween. The roads get too nasty, so he puts it into storage. He said he’d take me up to his brother’s cabin up in Maine this summer when school’s out so we can fish and hang out for a few days,” Avery said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“That sounds like something you’ll both enjoy,” Jack said with a smile. “And there goes Jamie towards the diner. The Mercedes is following. Go right and we’ll put this away.”
Avery turned towards the garage and a few minutes later they had the van stored and locked away, and Jack was behind the wheel of her little SUV. They pulled into the diner and found a spot two cars down from Jamie’s pickup. In the far corner of the lot, where the light was out, they could see the Mercedes idling, the exhaust pluming in the cold air.
“Not very stealthy, are they?” Avery asked as they stepped inside.
“Nope, but they don’t expect anyone to be watching, either,” Jack replied as they pulled off their jackets and slid into a booth in back with Jamie.
“They still out there?” Jamie asked.
“Yeah, back corner with the car running. Did you order already?” Jack asked.
“No, just coffee. Waiting on you two,” Jamie replied.
“Anything left in the truck?” Avery asked.
“Nothing. Even took the insurance paperwork out. Only thing they’ll find is a package of bleach wipes that I used to wipe my prints off of everything. I'll go into the bathroom, change my jacket around and pull on that wig and glasses, and go out with you two. If they follow us, then I suck – but I don’t think they will. I put the truck keys in an envelope with Frank’s name on it, left it with Missy at the counter, and Frank will come pick them up and drive the truck back to impound tomorrow.”
“They’re gonna be so confused. I love it,” Avery said.
“Either they’ll be impressed, or pissed off, so it’s a crap shoot either way, kid,” Jamie said.
They ordered their food and Jack went to get a refill of Jamie’s coffee at the counter so she could check the far corner of the lot again. The plume of exhaust could still be seen, but with the inside lights and the tinting of the windows, it was hard to tell if it was the same vehicle. She was pretty sure it was them, but a solid confirmation would be too risky.
“We’re just going to have to hope this works,” Jack said. “There’s still exhaust floating up in that corner, but it’s too hard to tell if it’s the same vehicle. I’m going to trust my gut and assume it is, just for safety’s sake.”
“I haven’t seen them leave, and from where I’m sitting, the mirror at the corner of the door catches the parking lot exit perfectly,” Jamie said. “So you’re probably right.”
Their food arrived and the three of them focused on eating and watching. Avery got to his feet and blocked Jamie from view as he slid out and headed to the men’s room. Avery then slid into Jamie’s seat and chuckled. “He’s right, there’s a perfect angle with that mirror. I wondered why he always liked this seat.”
A blond wig, a red baseball cap, and the plain gray quilted jacket now a loud red and black checked thing had changed Jamie’s look so much that Avery startled when he slid back into the booth.
“That’s…woah,” Avery said.
“You look ridiculous, but in a good way. Ready to go?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, I paid the bill already, so let’s get home. I want to call the Comish on the way, then I’m going to shower for about two days,” Jamie said.
“Why?” Avery asked.
“Because I hate wigs and this thing itches from where I had to stick it to my head,” Jamie grumbled.
They got out to Jack’s SUV and climbed in, then backed out and pulled away. The Mercedes stayed where it was – and they were in for a long night if they were waiting for that pickup truck to move.
“What will they think when they figure out you slipped their watch?” Avery asked.
“They’ll think I’m fucking awesome,” Jamie said. “And they’ll either be more or less cautious when we meet up again. I’m going to arrange a meet in a week instead of two and get a team to take them down then. I’ll get arrested too, to keep my cover – because I promised your Mom she wouldn’t have to go to jail.”
“And I appreciate that,” Jack said.
“Have you ever been to jail, Mom?” Avery asked.
“When I worked under cover, yes. The last time, I got stabbed and was in the hospital for two weeks, so I’m not a fan of repeating that experience.”
“You got stabbed? How come I don’t know about that?” Avery asked.
“Do you know about when I got shot?” Jack asked.
“No,” Avery said, his tone speaking volumes. He wanted to know, and now.
“It was just after your Dad and I separated. I just had him keep you, both times, so you wouldn’t be scared by my weakness. But the shooting happened about a month after the separation,” Jack said.
“I remember not being able to come home, and Dad took me to Uncle Anson’s and I went camping with him instead,” Avery said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you, Mom.”
“I’m glad you weren’t there, Avery. It’s rough when a child sees their parent as vulnerable, and I didn’t want you to be afraid of my job, or of me doing my job. You were still young. You’re an adult now, so I’m hoping you have a bit more clarity on things.”
Jamie stayed silent and listened. This was between Avery and Jack.
“Was it because of the separation? You were distracted?” Avery asked.
“I’ve often wondered that myself,” Jack said after a moment. “I wasn’t my best during that time, so it may have contributed to the situation. I just got caught in a bad position during a take-down and I caught a stray bullet that went into my arm. Another hit my vest. It took a bit for my arm to regain strength because the bullet chipped the bone, but otherwise, I barely even have a scar. Honestly, I was in more pain from the cracked ribs where the vest stopped the bullet than from the broken arm.”
“And now you know why we wear our vests when we’re working,” Jamie said as they pulled into his driveway. “Just let me out here. No need to go into the garage.”
“I’m still waiting until you’re inside,” Jack said.
“Yes, Mom,” Jamie teased as he slid out and headed up to the door. Once he was inside, he flicked the outside light off and on once, to signal he was okay.
Only then did Jack back out of the driveway to take herself and Avery home.
“I’m glad I know now,” Avery said after a few minutes of silence. “I like that I’m getting to know more about your life, Mom. I’m glad you’re willing to share it with me, now that I’m older.”
“I’m glad you’re willing to share your life with me, Avery,” Jack said. “I’m so very lucky.”
Dead Reckoning: Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Jack was at Resolute when Stevie, one of Joey’s old CIs, reached out to her. Seems he heard there was a big gathering coming up at the Cove Harbor Yacht Club for the Orlov family. They were throwing some kind of holiday extravaganza and Stevie would be on the catering crew.
“You said you wanted anything on any Russians or street gangs, and these guys are both, right?” Stevie said.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Jack replied.
“And they’re behind the Festival attack?” Stevie said.
“That’s what we think, yeah.”
“Then I’ll wear a wire, a camera, whatever you want. My sister’s partner was killed in that attack and my sister got all fucked up. She’ll never be the same. What can I do to help?” Stevie asked.
“Do you know where Resolute Investigations is located?”
“Yeah, they’ve got that big magnifying glass painted on the window. Looks like something from the 1930’s film noir stuff.”
“That’s it. Can you swing by today or tomorrow?”
“I’ve got a job tonight, but I can come by in about an hour?”
“That’d be perfect. I’ll see you then. Thanks, Stevie.”
“Hey, helpin’ out my sister and getting paid to do it? That’s a bonus.”
The call disconnected and Jack slapped the table. “That’s how it’s done.”
“How what’s done?” Mari said.
“Jaysusmary’n…” Jack yelped.
“Don’t finish that one, young lady,” Mari chided. “Now, what are you cheering about?”
“Got a CI that’ll wear a wire into the Orlov’s holiday gathering at the yacht club.”
“Well, that is something to cheer about. Mama always said the biggest deals got handled at parties like that.”
Jack got to her feet and went to a cabinet to pull out the case that held the button cam and earbud, so she could explain to Stevie how it would all work.
“Stevie’s going to be working catering. What do you suggest?” Jack asked Mari.
“Make sure they’ve got the tray service job. Either that, or a bar assistant. With the tray service, they can stand anywhere with a plate of food and no one will give them a second look. Working the bar as an assistant means they can be cleaning glasses or pouring wine and not be the direct focus like the bartender would be, and yet be in a great position to hear whole conversations. These people don’t look at staff as anything more than set decorations or furniture.”
“And Stevie is motivated because his sister was hurt and her partner killed in the bombing,” Jack said. “I just have to make sure they don’t do anything stupid and get caught.”
“Explain to Stevie that these people are paranoid and will snap at the smallest thing out of place. Tell them to just do their job and let you gather the information,” Mari suggested.
“All good points. Now, tell me what’s going on with you? Have you been spending time with Lucian?”
A small smile flickered and faded. “It’s been good to reconnect with him. Luc and I seem to have similar outlooks and viewpoints, which has made working together easier than it could’ve been.”
“And what’s going on with Father Creegan?”
“If Luc ever catches up with him again, he’s going back to Rome. His orders have come through, but he’s not answering his phone, or responding to texts or emails. Lucian wants to have law enforcement put him on a plane back to Vatican city and let the Vatican officials deal with him. He doesn’t want to make a scene, though, so he’s stalling. Against my better judgement.”
“You just stay away from him. He took out four of Mike’s minions at Babushka’s, laughing the whole time. One got away, but it took him a long time to recharge enough to report on what happened. Which law enforcement would Lucian use?”
“Oh, I’m staying far away from Creegan. As for which ones? Probably the FBI, since they’re around and the Para unit has a contingent in town.”
“Will Stanhope is one. He’s a friend of Doc’s, and he’s rapidly becoming one of our friends here at Resolute.”
“I’ve seen him around, but didn’t get too close, just in case. Glad to hear he’s one of the good ones. Now, is there anything I can do to help you folks with your investigation?”
“Maybe. What can you tell us about Tatiana Orlov Tchakova? I mean, you told us she’s the worst of the bunch, but would she be behind this bombing, do you think?”
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, it’s not impossible, but it’s not her style. She’s more up close and personal if you get what I’m saying. Like with her brother, she shot him from about three feet away. Any kills she’s ordered, she’s had them videotape it so she can watch it later. Proof that it was done properly, is what she calls it. Her father is getting up in years, and if he retires, Tatiana will be the one that takes over the Organization.”
“Well, if Tatiana didn’t coordinate the bombing, and we’re being told it was the Russians – who did?”
“I don’t know. Maybe your Stevie can hear something at the party that will clear things up? I won’t be there, but I’m betting Father Creegan will be. Lucian is hoping that he can corner Creegan at the party and convince him to get on a plane. I think Lucian is hallucinating, but that’s just me.”
