This quite literally came to me as a dream, and I had to write it, even though I had some doubts. Definitely a variation on some of the pre-ATF history, but I don't think it is too far out of character - at least not for the Seven. Hope you like the spin.
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He walked down the hall to the common area of the cafeteria, picking up a ginger ale and apple in an effort to look like he had come there for that reason, and that alone. Making his way to a table in the corner he casually took a route leading him past the recycling spot, where he dropped the paper he'd been carrying into the paper receptacle. He sat down and opened his drink, nearly spilling it when Vin spoke from behind.
"Most people bring the paper to the table with them Ezra. Leave it to you to do things different."
"I realized there was nothing left of interest in the edition, so there seemed no purpose in holding on to it. Had I known you would be interested, I certainly would have passed it along to you."
"Nah, the glimpse I got of it was enough to know it wouldn't be much use to me. Still working on mastering reading in English. I think German might be a bit of a stretch. That did say Berlin on the top, right?"
The fact he had been unaware of being watched was almost as disturbing as the fact Vin had noted so many details. "I find it advantageous to continue to hone my linguistic skills by, on occasion, picking up the appropriate publication. That little shop on Blake St. carries several foreign editions." He sipped at his drink, trying to determine if Vin was merely curious, or if there was more to his observation.
"I guess that makes sense. Wish I had your gift for that. Picking up languages like you do. Weren't you looking at a French paper a couple months ago?"
Ezra could feel the tension headache he'd been developing begin to fade. He opted to ignore the question and focus on the other comment. "You have your own impressive and unique skill sets. Few people could hope to read a trail the way you do. Or hit a target with such precision."
A small shrug both acknowledged and dismissed the compliment. "Neither of which is a talent that comes up casually in social conversation."
"True, they are not the ideal subjects for opening comments at a cocktail party, but as that is a situation you make a concerted effort to avoid, I fail to see the problem."
"No problem Ezra. Just conversation." Vin took a closer look at his friend, noticing just the faintest hint of tension around his eyes. "You feeling ok? You look like you're getting one of those headaches of yours."
That was a perfect opening to redirect the conversation, and Ezra leapt on it. "I have been reviewing the undercover profile prepared by our colleagues at the DEA for our upcoming joint venture. I cannot say I am impressed with the character they have created for me."
"Well, he lacks the usual class and flare you try to put into the roles, but I'm pretty sure they know the case Ez. Been working it for a while now, so they have the background in place. Don't stress on it. If there is so much as a missing cross on a "T" Chris won't sign off on it."
"Yes, I am sure there is nothing I need concern myself with. Shall we proceed to the briefing."
The two men stood, making their way to the elevator and back to work. Ezra watched out of the corner of his eye as the cleaning staff emptied the recycling bins, removing any further chance the newspaper would be discovered.
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"We've been on this guy for seven months. Seven months! And 3 weeks after we bring in your team, the case gets blown out of the water."
DEA deputy chief Nesmith was pacing at an alarming rate in Judge Travis's office. The retired court officer sat calmly in his chair, allowing the rant to continue. He knew there was nothing his team had done wrong, and more importantly, he knew Nesmith was fully aware of that as well. He also knew that sometimes there was nothing better than a good rant to get out frustration and eventually allow someone to calm down enough to view things rationally again. So, he sipped away at his coffee, letting the performance go on for a few more minutes. When it finally seemed to be coming to an end, he leaned forward to reenter the conversation.
"While I admit it wasn't the conclusion anyone was hoping for, you can't say it was the worst way things could have happened. Your drug kingpin is dead, along with some of his top men, and the organization appears to be in shambles."
"They'll regroup, and we'll have to start this all over again."
Travis recognized that frustration. He'd heard and experienced it himself all to often. One operation, be it guns, drugs, prostitution or any other criminal venture, brought down, only to have the territory taken over by the next gang of hoods. It seemed the treated the symptoms without ever getting at the cause.
"You know that would have happened regardless. But Devlin was a royal son-of-a-bitch, so anything that takes him out of play has got to be a step up."
"Wish I could agree with you on that. Think about it. What kind of sociopath kills a man like Devlin? And does it in such an overpowering manner? That's just begging for trouble."
It was a reasonable concern. Taking out a drug lord in any circumstance was a risky move. Doing so with a car bomb during a buy was certifiably insane.
"We were just damn lucky none of our men were on the scene."
Travis nodded. He'd had the same thought, and the accompanying overwhelming sense of gratitude, several times since this all happened. "Are you investigating rival dealers to see if one of them gave our guys the phony lead?"
Ezra and Vin, along with two DEA men were supposed to have been part of that buy. The DEA handlers, along Chris and the rest of the team were set to be nearby, hoping this was going to the be deal that would seal the case for them. There should have been enough contraband on the scene to collapse not just Devlin's operation, but the gun dealers who were swapping weapons and cash for the shipment. Barely an hour before, Standish was called to say the location had been changed because they'd had word the cops were onto them. The irony of the warning had amused them all, until word came to them of the explosion that not only blew up Devlin's car, but ignited the ammo in the nearby truck. Six suspects dead, six more injured, and the case blown into has many pieces as the vehicle had been.
"It's one possibility we are looking at, amongst others."
"Ezra said he thought it was Devlin himself, although that seems unlikely."
"And the call wasn't recorded because of the possibility of monitoring devices. Damned convenient."
Travis sighed. "Don't start again. We both know Ezra had nothing to do with this. I don't know where the leak was and to be honest, I am finding it a little difficult to care. Whoever faked that call saved us both a lot of grief, in every sense of the phrase."
Nesmith nodded, picking up his coat and briefcase. "Send me their reports as soon as you can, will you? We're gonna have a lot of questions to answer on this, and the more prepared we are, the better."
Standing to see the man out Travis gave him a long stare. "You do know Ezra had nothing to do with it, don't you?"
"As much as it would be a helluva lot easy to go that route, yeah, I know it."
Closing the door Travis let out a grateful sigh. One less battle to fight was always a relief, and when Team Seven was involved, it was even more welcomed. He reached over to make a call, then decided this was a message he'd prefer to deliver in person and headed down to Larabee's office.
All conversation stopped the moment he walked in, and knowing how anxious they were, he cut to the chase.
"Nesmith just left my office." He could see the tension on six of the faces watching him. The seventh, the one with the most on the line, looked as calm and cool as ever. What he wouldn't give to have that solid a poker face. "They have no idea who sent you guys on a wild goose chase and doubt they can figure it out. Best guess has it as outside interests trying to muddy the waters. Nobody, at any level, in any agency, believes it to be a leak or an inside job."
"You sure? He's not playing you, is he?" Buck hoped this was over.
"I've known Dennis for a long time. He wasn't lying to me. As happy as he'd be to have an answer, he wants the honest one, not the easy one."
"What a wonderfully refreshing concept." Ezra's voice didn't betray the emotions churning within. It would not have been the first time he'd been made to take the fall, although it had been some time since most people voiced their belief in the less than complimentary stories that had circulated in the past.
"Well, they still want to have statements from all of you, so get those reports on my desk before you head out of here." He turned to leave and was surprised to find his path blocked by Chris.
"We know you went to bat for us up there, Judge. Wanted to say thanks."
"I believe that is a speech I should be giving. I have no doubt my honesty and reputation were called into question, and I am equally certain that a man of your character would have been quick to come to my defense."
Travis looked back, surprised to see the poker face gone and that genuine gratitude had taken its place. "Would have, but I didn't need to. The days that people assume the worst of you are pretty much passed Standish. You really need to start believing that." He closed the door as he left.
Ezra went back to his seat and back to the report he was finishing. He was grateful for the words that had been spoken and knew how quickly the would be retracted if anyone had heard the phone call he had made the night before.
"While I appreciate the warning that was given, I would be greatly obliged if in the future you refrained from using someone whose voice I recognize, so that I was not required to lie to my friends and colleagues. Better yet, I would suggest that you limit your projects to situations that do not involve me at all."
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tbc