Hey everybody! I'm back! If you're a returning reader, welcome back! If you're new, stop right now, because this story cannot be read without first reading the following:
MURD 201: Syllabus by Haven126 and
MURD 201: Exam 1 by me
Other than that, good to have you here! I hope you enjoy this, and once again, I have to thank Haven126 for her invaluable help. This one is shaping up to be a lot shorter than the last one, but I get the feeling that the exam chapter will still be a beast of a thing. Anyway, on with the show!
Mac sat on the floor of Riley's bedroom, staring off out the window, a frown on his face. Almost everything around him had a thin layer of dust coating it; none of it had been touched in just over six weeks, since the night Matty was kidnapped and nearly drowned. He'd been coming here at least three times a week either before or after work, trying to figure out where in the hell he went wrong, how Murdoc managed to get around their defenses. For six weeks, he had no clue. Today, he finally figured it out.
"Hey," Mac looked up and saw Jack leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded and looking down at his partner.
"Hey," Mac sighed wearily. "How long have you been there?"
"Not long," Jack promised, looking out the window as the sun climbed over the horizon.
"Simmons and Ramirez still outside?" the blond agent questioned. In addition to moving them all to a safehouse, Matty had insisted on making absolutely certain that no one went anywhere alone, so different members of the tac teams had been shadowing them for six weeks. Mac absolutely appreciated the concern, and the feeling that so many people were looking out for him, but sometimes, he just wanted five minutes when he didn't feel like he was being watched.
"Of course they are," Jack scoffed. "And since I'm here, Carter and Wyatt are, too."
"Well, now it's a party," Mac shot a tired smirk in his partner's direction, and Jack chuckled.
"You find anything?" the older agent asked, expecting him to give the same answer he did every time.
"Actually, yes," Mac confirmed, and Jack's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I know how he got in."
"No kiddin'," Jack seemed impressed, and he was. They were quiet for a couple seconds before the former Delta let out an exasperated breath.
"Well, don't leave me in suspense!" he snapped good-naturedly. "How'd he do it?"
Mac chuckled slightly, then held out his hand, which Jack took, pulling him to his feet. The blond man led his partner over to Riley's open closet door.
"What do you see?" he asked.
"Man, if you're gonna try and make me guess..." Jack grumbled.
"Just..." Mac shook his head and rolled his eyes, then reached up and tugged on the string that turned on the light. "Tell me what you see."
Jack gave him a look, then turned his attention to the closet, examining it. Most of it had been cleared out since they all relocated; only a few pairs of shoes, a dress, and a couple jackets remained.
"Nothing," he reported finally. "Would you just tell me what it is you found?"
Mac sighed, then pulled out his Swiss Army knife, selected one of the thin blades, and knelt down, inserting the blade in between two panels of the hardwood floor. Jack's eyebrows went up again when he watched Mac pry up what turned out to be a panel of the floor, about three boards wide, held together by two wood blocks on the underside.
"That son of a..." Jack leaned forward and looked down at the hole below the panel. Where he expected to see the ceiling of the apartment below, he actually saw directly into the space, and also noted the ladder directly under the panel.
"He probably installed it while we were away on a mission or something," Mac sighed wearily.
"A literal monster in the closet?" Jack scoffed. "How poetic."
"He literally came up through the floor, Jack," Mac looked at his partner with that same stressed out, almost pleading expression that he'd had for the past two and a half months, as though he were begging for Jack to somehow make the madness stop. "How am I supposed to counter that?"
"No one's expecting you to, Mac," Jack's voice was gentle and ever-patient, although they'd had similar conversations regularly over the past six weeks. "There was no way you or anybody else could have seen this coming, and it hardly matters now; Riley's not here anymore. He can't touch her. At this rate, he's gonna have a damn near impossible time trying to get his hands on any of us."
"I guess," Mac grumbled. He was about to say more when both of their phones buzzed in their pockets. Neither had to look to see who it was, although they did, anyway.
"Alright, playtime's over," Jack beamed excitedly. He'd recently been cleared for the field again, and was itching to get back out there. "We got a case."
Mac gave a scoff of laughter, and the two of them made their way out of the apartment and down to the parking lot, noting their tails were still in position before each of them got into their cars and drove off in the direction of the Phoenix. All four cars arrived at just about the same time, and their occupants exited their vehicles, all six of them headed for the building.
"Morning, guys," Jack grinned at the four tac members. "You decide to get an early jump on things, too?"
"Not a whole lot of 'decision' involved, Jack," Simmons grumbled grouchily, though there was a teasing spark in his eyes. "You guys ever hear of this thing called 'sleep'?"
"Sleep?" Jack looked at Mac in mock confusion, and Mac played along seamlessly, giving an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders. "Nope, never heard of it."
"Yeah, sure," Simmons scoffed, yanking open the door and holding it for everyone. The other five laughed, and once inside, they went their separate ways, the tac agents headed for the locker rooms, and Mac and Jack headed for the war room. Bozer, Riley, and Matty were already waiting for them.
"Morning," the former Delta greeted them cheerfully, making Mac grin slightly. The others smiled as well, a bit confused as they glanced at each other.
"Morning," Matty raised an eyebrow at him. Looking at her, no one would ever guess that she'd nearly died just six weeks prior. She looked the same as she always did: calm, professional, and in control. "You seem chipper."
"Just excited to get back on the horse," Jack grinned. "Where're we going?"
"San Diego," Matty replied, pulling up the appropriate files on the big screen. "For the past several months, the Phoenix has been working to dismantle a human trafficking ring based there. This one is particularly brutal; at least twelve of their victims were found dead before anybody caught on. Funds from this operation help fund terrorists and help build and expand the human trafficking infrastructure. Their targets come in from all over the world and range in age from four all the way up through twenty-five, with the most common victim being between the ages of about ten and seventeen. The older end of the age range is almost exclusively composed of females, but pretty much under the age of fifteen, it's a fairly even split. We've been systematically shutting down their distribution points across the globe, making business very hard for them. Unfortunately, us putting pressure on them just seemed to make them more ruthless."
"I don't like the sound of that..." Mac mumbled, frowning.
"Lately, it has been nearly impossible for us to get close," Matty continued. "Every time we do, the body count keeps going up, and it's usually the victims we were trying to save that are adding to it. We haven't been able to get anyone on the inside thus far, but recently, we've had a bit of a break in the case."
An image came up on the screen, the surveillance shot of a man who was about thirty years old, with dark hair, a strong jaw, and an athletic build.
"This is Andrew Patton," their boss told them. "He has been a part of this organization for several years as a recruiter, and he has recently reached out to us, offering to help us take them down."
"Just like that?" Bozer raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"He claims to have had a change of heart," Matty shrugged. Her team looked less than convinced. "I understand your skepticism, guys. I feel the same way. That's why, the decision to move forward will ultimately fall to Mac and Jack after you meet with this guy today at three. If you think something is off, you get out. But if you think this guy might be telling the truth..."
"We could be saving hundreds of young women and kids," Mac concluded.
"Exactly."
"Well, sounds like a good time to me," Jack grinned. "When do we leave?"
"I want you all on the road in twenty minutes," Matty replied. She dismissed them, and Jack, Bozer, and Riley all filed out, but Mac stayed behind.
"I figured you should know," the blond agent sighed, sitting down in a chair facing her. "I figured out how Murdoc got into Riley's apartment. He came in through the floor."
"The floor?" Matty raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, he popped out a few floorboards in her closet and came up from the apartment below," Mac explained.
"Is that apartment vacant?" Matty asked.
"Nope," Mac shook his head, looking exhausted. "Supposedly, it's being rented by a Mr. Thomas Green, who's either dead or never existed in the first place. Rent has always been paid in cash, and the landlord has never seen his face. It's another dead end."
"But it's an answer," Matty argued. "It's a start. And it could lead to something more; I'll have Riley look into it when you get back. It'll also probably help Riley rest a little easier; at least now, he's not some ghost, materializing wherever he wants."
"That's true," he allowed. Riley hadn't been sleeping well since the incident, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. "And what about you? We haven't had the chance to really talk since..."
"Since they fished me out of the water?" Matty raised an eyebrow, and Mac couldn't help but laugh slightly as he nodded.
"Well, I'm fine, Mac," his boss assured him. "No lasting damage; I'll be alright."
"Right, I know, but..." Mac's eyes became searching, concern radiating off of him. "Are you okay?"
Matty hesitated, as if trying to decide whether she was going to tell the truth or not. Finally, she gave a little shrug. "I won't lie to you, Mac; he rattled me," she admitted, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table across from him. "I don't think I have to tell you that I panicked just a little bit in there. I mean...the bastard managed to make me feel small. Now, mind you, I am small; I know that. But I never feel small. I haven't felt small in a long, long time. When we were working on that generator, there, I thought that I was going to die because I physically could not save myself. I was going to die because I was too small."
Mac nodded, looking at her somewhat guiltily. "I'm sorry."
Matty blinked at him in confusion. "What on Earth for? Actually, no, don't answer that. Don't you dare be sorry, Mac. You saved my ass, and in the end, I didn't feel small. That's thanks to you, and don't you ever think otherwise. Got it?"
Mac felt a smile pull at his lips. "Got it."
"Good," Matty nodded in approval. "Now go on; you're needed down in San Diego."
"On it," Mac dipped his head dutifully, then stood up, heading out the door to find his team. They had work to do.
At four o'clock that evening, Mac and Jack were sitting outside the café they'd arranged to be their meeting location, blending in with the crowd. They'd already been there for an hour, with no sign of their contact. Jack was starting to get restless.
"I think we should call it, guys," he spoke up at last. "This guy's not coming."
"Maybe he's just stuck in traffic," Bozer offered. He and Riley were across the street in the car, watching them as Riley ran facial recognition using the nearby cameras.
"Or, maybe he's got cold feet and he's never gonna show," Jack shot back. "It's been an hour; if he was gonna show, he would have by now."
"Or, maybe he's just running late," Mac countered, giving an easy smile. "We have the opportunity to help a lot of innocent people, here, Jack; let's give him some more time."
Jack grumbled under his breath. They sat for another twenty minutes, sipping their drinks as Mac enjoyed a blueberry muffin. Just as Mac was going to call it, Riley spoke up from the car.
"Heads up; our guy's around the corner," she reported. "Dark gray shirt and jeans. Over Mac's shoulder; Jack, you should be able to see him right about...now."
Jack looked, and sure enough, there he was. He looked nervous and paranoid, glancing around him. Jack lifted his coffee mug slightly in Patton's direction, and the man swallowed hard, glancing around again before slowly making his way towards them, obviously trying to look casual. Jack rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.
"Andrew Patton?" Mac asked as the man came around and took the seat between him and Jack. He gave a quick nod, and Mac fixed him with a calming smile.
"You're late," Jack stated before Mac could continue, causing his partner to shoot him a look.
"Sorry," Patton's voice shook with the apology. "I couldn't get away."
"That's alright," Mac assured him. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?"
"Ahm, I..." Patton struggled to find his words, and the two Phoenix agents exchanged glances. Their contact took a breath to calm himself. "First, I want a guarantee that I won't be prosecuted for this; I'm trying to help. I'm trying to do the right thing."
"That can be arranged," Mac promised.
"If you give us something that's worth it," Jack added, taking a sip of his coffee. Patton nodded, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he placed his tightly-clasped hands on the tabletop.
"They're having an auction tomorrow night at eight," the man told them, his voice low. "Big black-tie event, lots of high rollers coming in. Security is tight, but only around the guests; it wouldn't be that hard for you to slip into the bosses' office. Everything you need to know would be right there; supply routes, store houses, contacts, inventory lists, buyer information, everything."
"Sounds too good to be true," Jack chuckled, and when Patton looked at him, he leaned forward. "So why now, Andrew? Our intel says you've been working for these guys for years; why come to us now?"
Patton dropped his eyes guiltily, his jaw tightening. It was a couple seconds before he spoke.
"I started out as a lure," he began quietly. "I'd just dropped out of college; I was up to my eyeballs in student debt and medical bills; my mom had just died of cancer; I'd lost my job because I'd had to spend all my time taking care of her...I was desperate. They offered me a way to make five grand a night; I'd go out, have some fun on their dime...and drop something in a girl's drink. Then I'd drive them out to a parking lot, leave them in the van, switch cars, and go home, and in the morning, I'd come back, and there would be five grand in cash in the back of the van. I'd convince myself that they'd just robbed her, was all, and she'd be okay."
Here, his voice caught, and he cleared his throat, refusing to look either agent in the eye. "But, recently, I started to gain trust in the organization. They gave me a look behind the curtain, and...God, that place...they're mostly just kids. Children. Like, little...little kids, and I, just...I can't be a part of that. I have to do something. I have to stop it. Please...you have to help me..."
Mac and Jack looked at each other, a conversation passing silently between them. Finally, Mac let out a breath and leaned forward.
"Okay, Andrew," he said quietly. "My partner and I are going to talk it over, figure out a plan. In the meantime, we need a couple things from you."
"Like what?" Patton asked, his voice both eager and uncertain.
"Well, first of all, you've gotta understand that this is an unusual situation," Mac explained. "Normally, there's an extensive vetting process before we even meet with a source. And you've gotta admit, you coming to us after being with these people for years is a bit suspicious. So we're gonna need a gesture of good faith, here."
"Okay," Patton let out a shaky breath. "What do you want?"
"Tell us who the boss is," Mac replied. "If that checks out, we're in business. And, obviously, we need the location of this..." he felt a twinge of discomfort and shifted, "auction."
"No, guys, you don't understand; they will kill me," Patton protested, fear in his eyes.
"Well, to be honest, dude," Jack sighed, taking off his sunglasses and leaning forward, "if they'll kill you for telling us a name, they'll kill you for having this meeting; you're already in. You might as well go all in."
"And, if we can't prove that you've got legitimate intel to offer, we can't authorize a mission," Mac added, giving a small shrug. "If you want to help, this is the only way."
Patton glanced back and forth between them, his expression conflicted. Finally, he deflated and nodded.
"Christian and Makayla Galloway," he told them quietly. "And the meet up is at these coordinates." The agents watched as he pulled a pen out of his pocket and quickly scribbled a set of numbers on Jack's napkin, followed by a string of ten digits. "The buyers drive out there, and then they're blindfolded and taken to another location where they keep the, um...merchandise."
"Well, that's gonna be a pain in the ass," Jack muttered. Andrew ignored him.
"That also has my phone number," he explained nervously, standing up as Jack looked at what he'd written before handing it to his partner. "Just...call me when you decide. I have to go."
With this, he quickly walked off, disappearing around the corner. When he was gone, Mac and Jack looked at each other.
"Well, he sure was nervous," Riley commented as both agents stood up and Mac left enough money on their table to cover their drinks, his muffin, and the tip.
"Yeah, but was he nervous because he's scared his bosses will find out, or was he nervous because he was playing us?" Jack challenged as he and his partner headed back towards the car.
"That is the all-important question," Mac sighed as he slipped his sunglasses back on. "Riley, start running down those names he gave us. In the meantime, let's head back to the hotel."
"No arguments from me," Bozer agreed as the other two agents resumed their places in the car, Jack behind the wheel and Mac in the passenger seat. "This car is getting cramped."
"You're telling me," Riley muttered, shooting him a sideways glance. Jack chuckled in amusement, then started the car and pulled out into the street, turning in the direction of their hotel.
Around seven that night, the Phoenix crew had gathered in Mac and Bozer's hotel room, with Matty conferenced in over the phone. After giving Riley some time to dig around, they were meeting to decide whether they were going undercover, or going back home.
"So," Matty sighed. "What did you find?"
"I'd like to first go on record and say that I'd really like more time to go over this," Riley began. "It's a lot of information to vet in less than twenty-eight hours."
"I understand that," Mac allowed, his arms crossed. They'd had this argument a few times already. "But if this is legit, we don't have that kind of time, Riley. Those people don't have that kind of time. We need to make a decision, one way or the other, tonight."
"And I get that, but I'm putting my vote in for 'this is a bad idea,'" Riley shot back.
"Noted," Matty broke in impatiently. "What did you find?"
"Well, everything he said about himself checks out," the analyst admitted. "In the years leading up to when we know he joined the operation, his mother battled advanced ovarian cancer. He dropped out of school and quit his job to take care of her, but she still died after three years, leaving him with over a hundred grand in combined debt. But, today, he's debt free, and there's no legal explanation for it.
"As for the names he gave us, they also seem legit," the words were said almost grudgingly. "Christian Galloway and his wife Makayla, on the surface, are successful restaurant owners, but that doesn't explain the millions they have in offshore accounts. They could easily be who Patton says they are. They could also be really, really well-crafted covers."
"What about the coordinates?" Matty pressed
"They lead to an abandoned diner out in the mountains," Riley told her. "It's secluded, and even if they won't check for bugs—which they absolutely will—trying to track a signal there is going to be hell."
"Someone's a Debbie Downer," Jack teased with a scoff.
"I'm just trying to tell you what you're up against," Riley snapped, stress in her tone. "I cannot keep you safe if I don't have all the information, and I don't right now, and there's no way I can get all the information before tomorrow night. If this turns out to be a trap, both of you could be killed before I even knew about it. Do you guys not get that?"
"Of course we do, Riley," Mac assured her gently. "And these are the kinds of risks we take every day in this line of work. You just do what you can; we can always pull out before tomorrow night if you find something."
"I take it you want to go in," Matty commented.
"I'm not sure," Mac admitted after a pause. "I agree with Riley that it feels a bit too convenient. And, if we're wrong, there's a huge personal risk to consider."
"But," prompted Bozer, sensing there was more that his roommate wanted to say.
"But," the blond agent sighed, "if this is the real deal, we may never get another chance to save these people." He looked over at Jack, as if asking for his thoughts, and the older man shrugged.
"Hey, you know I'm with you, Mac," he said with an easy grin. "If you're goin', I'm goin'. If you wanna hold off, I'll back your play, then, too."
Mac hesitated, looking over the case file in his hands. Admittedly, it was a longshot, and a dangerous one. Riley was right; there was no way to be certain that this wasn't some kind of trap. But if there was even a chance that Patton was telling the truth...
The blond man looked at the crime scene photos of the ring's known victims. All were thin, bruised, and bloody. Of the thirty images, twenty-one of them were of victims aged eighteen or younger. Of those, four were under the age of ten. Mac's stomach churned, and he quickly tore his eyes away.
"I say we go for it," he stated finally, much to Riley's apparent dismay. "At least for now. If Riley finds something before the auction tomorrow, we'll pull the plug, but until then, I think we have to assume this is legit."
"You don't have to do anything," Riley muttered. Mac glanced at her, but didn't say anything.
"Alright," Matty agreed as though Riley hadn't spoken. "Set it up with Patton. I'll send some tac backup your way. But Riley, if you find even the slightest indication that this is anything other than what Patton says it is, you call it. Everybody got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Jack nodded, and the others mumbled their agreement as well.
"Good," Matty approved. "I'll check back in tomorrow. Try to get some sleep."
The team said their goodbyes, and then Mac hung up his phone.
"I still don't like this," Riley spoke up, trying one more time to get her friend to change his mind.
"Well, Riley, if you find even the slightest contradiction to Patton's story, we'll call the whole thing off," Mac promised, picking up the napkin containing the coordinates and their contact's phone number. "Until then, if we can save those people, we've gotta try."
Riley didn't respond, just returning her attention to her screen and typing away. Mac shook his head slightly, then dialed the number on the napkin and brought it up to his ear as it rang. On the third ring, Patton answered with a nervous, "Hello?"
"Hey, Andrew," Mac's voice was disarmingly cheerful when he spoke. "We're in."
Early the next morning, before the sun even began to rise, Jack woke up and rolled over in his bed, trying to resettle, only to be met by a soft blue glow that penetrated his eyelids. The former Delta opened his eyes, and found Riley sitting up in bed, her expression that of intense focus. Jack blinked, then propped himself up on his forearm.
"Riles," his voice was quiet and husky with sleep, but it was enough to startle the young analyst, causing her body to jolt in the bed. Jack chuckled softly as she shot him a death glare.
"Don't do that," she hissed irritably.
"Sorry," Jack apologized quietly, though his tired eyes gleamed with mischief. He sat up in bed with a groan and turned to face her, his feet dangling off the edge of the bed. "What are you doing up?"
"Trying to find what I'm missing before you and Mac go and get yourselves killed," Riley replied, sounding more than a little frustrated. Jack blinked at her, then looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It was just after three in the morning, and the former Delta groaned.
"God, Riles, have you even slept?" he asked incredulously.
"Not yet," Riley shrugged, hardly glancing at him.
"Riley..." Jack let out a weary sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Put the computer down for just a minute, wouldja?"
"What?" Riley gave him a sideways glance before returning to her work. "No."
"Five minutes won't kill anybody," Jack's voice took on that tone it did before he suggested pizza and skee ball, and Riley suppressed a groan, her eyes rolling upwards for a moment before she reluctantly turned away from her screen.
"What's going on with you?" the older man demanded, his eyes searching her face.
"What do you mean?" the analyst asked almost irritably.
"You know exactly what I mean," Jack fixed her with a look. "You've been a little off for the past six weeks, but then earlier, you just went off the rails. I know that what happened with Murdoc scared you, Riles, but I think you might be letting the paranoia get to your head, here."
"Oh, my God, Jack," Riley shook her head and closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath to calm down.
"No, don't 'oh my God, Jack' me," the older agent frowned. "This isn't healthy, Riles. I know you're just trying to have our backs, but you need to sleep, kiddo. Honestly, if tomorrow turns out to be a trap, I'd much rather have you well-rested so you can think clear enough to help us out. Now, what exactly is making you freak out? Because I know it's not just this mission; we've done dumber things before and you've never reacted like this."
Riley didn't respond, shifting uncomfortably. Her expression reminded him of when she was a kid, and he'd cornered her over a slice of pizza. Jack looked at her sympathetically.
"Can I tell you what I think the problem is?" he asked. Riley hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"I think this is my first mission back since Murdoc made his comeback; I think you are a bit of a control freak; and I think that, since you found those pictures, you haven't felt an abundance of control, so now, what would usually be an expected risk suddenly seems like the end of the world."
Riley blinked at him in shock. "That was oddly insightful," she remarked after a moment.
"Yeah, well, I've been to a lot of mandatory shrinks," the older man shrugged with a sly smirk. Riley laughed in spite of herself.
"Listen, Riles, I know you're worried, and Mac and I both appreciate it," Jack rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. "But this is gonna work out, one way or another. We have the chance to do a lot of good for a lot of innocent people."
"Or, you could be walking right into a trap," Riley countered, pulling one of her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on it.
"Or we could be walking right into a trap," Jack shrugged. "And between the four of us and tac, we can probably figure a way out of that, too. That is, if you've got your head on right. And pulling an all-nighter right before a mission is not the best way to do that."
Riley let out a sigh, then nodded slowly. "You're right," she admitted somewhat grudgingly, rubbing her screen-fatigued eyes. "You're right, I just..."
"You can't sleep," Jack finished her thought for her. "I know. But he's not gonna be there if you close your eyes, Riles. He's not some kind of ghost; he can't just appear out of thin air. Mac figured out how he got into your apartment and past all our defenses; he couldn't possibly do that again, and he certainly couldn't do it here."
"How did he do it?" Riley asked. Jack opened his mouth to answer, but the analyst quickly stopped him. "No, wait...I don't wanna know. Not until this mission is over. Just...you're sure he couldn't do it here?"
"Positive," Jack assured her, and he was; the floor beneath their feet and the ceiling above them both had a concrete core. Short of a jackhammer, he couldn't dream of getting in.
Riley breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders releasing drastically. When she finally spoke, her voice was full of gratitude, "Thanks, Jack."
"No problem, kiddo," Jack grinned, then stood up. "Now close that screen and go to sleep; I'm gonna get some water."
Riley rolled her eyes, but gave a small half-smile and closed her laptop screen, setting the device off to the side on the nightstand, and by the time Jack returned from the bathroom, the analyst was fast asleep. The older man stood there, studying her for a moment with the slightest smile on his face, before he finally dragged himself back to bed, returning to his slumber.
Promptly at seven the night after their arrival, the Phoenix team arrived at a SWAT training facility in San Diego. Tac was already there and geared up, along with local SWAT. Matty had sent three teams for a total of eighteen agents: Carter's team, Cassidy Todd's team, and Simmons' team—which was back up to six members, since Jada Navarro was back from maternity leave. Gabriel Locke, who had been filling in for her, was now filling in for Kyser.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Jack teased, getting tac's attention. They were all gathered in a large, nearly empty, warehouse-like room, which SWAT used to create training scenarios. Jack's words were met by a chorus of greetings, and the former Delta—close friends or at least friendly with all of them—started making the rounds, giving handshakes and hugs. "Glad to see Matty cares enough to send us the scrap heap."
"You're one to talk, Dalton," Ramirez chuckled with a sly grin.
"I speak only the truth," Jack grinned in response. "And the lovely Jada is back! Good to see you; how's motherhood treatin' ya?"
"It's been great," Jada told him with a laugh, her brown eyes sparkling. "Tim's with her, now. It's good to be back. I hear I missed a lot."
"Oh, not much, really," Jack shrugged, offering a coy smile.
"Alright, you two gossip girls can catch up later," Cassidy interrupted with a smirk. "We've got work to do."
"Right," Simmons cleared his throat and stepped forward, digging through a small duffle bag and producing three boxes: one square, one that looked like a glasses case, and a smaller, rectangular one. He handed the square box and glasses case to Mac and the remaining box to Jack.
"Presents from Matty and Jill," he explained. "Mac, you have a watch that will provide Riley with audio and GPS. One press of the side button turns it off, another turns it back on, and three quick presses sends out an SOS. You also have a pair of glasses that will provide video. The watch is linked to the glasses, so if you turn off the watch, you turn off the glasses. Jack, you have a GPS flare disguised as a keychain. When you get to the auction site, you drop the flare, and we move in once you and the buyers are gone. Riley, Boze, and my team will be stationed in a cabin about halfway between here and the diner; the setup there should provide a bit more processing power than a laptop, and that way, if something goes wrong, you've got at least a few people nearby to save your sorry asses. Riley will tag the buyers, they will be quietly arrested before leaving the country, and a lot of innocent people get the help they need."
"And everyone lives happily ever after," Ramirez teased with a grin. Jada elbowed him in the ribs, trying not to smile.
"Right," Carter laughed. "Well, you guys should get going; the diner's about a forty-five minute drive from here."
The Phoenix team murmured in agreement, and after a few parting words, they were on their way. Mac and Jack led the way in their rental car, followed by Riley and Bozer, and finally Simmons and his team in an armored 'utility' van. Once they were on the road, Riley texted Mac, asking him to turn on his watch and glasses for a test.
"Oh, wait, hold on," Jack stopped his partner before he could activate his watch, turning up the radio with a grin before signaling him. Mac chuckled, then turned on his watch's audio.
"'Cause I'm a cowboy," the former Delta belted out along with the radio. "On a steel horse I ride! And I'm wanted—WANTED—dead or alive!"
Mac laughed out loud, especially when Riley snarkily suggested he audition for American Idol.
"I'm tellin' ya," Jack grinned when his partner relayed the message. "I got the voice of a damn angel."
The two of them laughed, settling in for the ride. About twenty minutes after their journey began, after they'd ventured into the mountains, the two rear vehicles of their convoy broke off, and Mac and Jack were on their own.
Another twenty-five minutes passed, the increasingly tense silence between the two partners broken only by the radio, before the diner came into view.
"Alright, Riley," Mac muttered, casting a slightly nervous glance in Jack's direction. "I hope you can hear us. We just arrived. Looks like we're some of the first."
There were six cars clustered in the diner's cracked front parking lot, and the two agents exchanged glances. This was it. Either they were gonna pull off one hell of a rescue mission, or they were walking right into a trap. Jack pulled their car into one of the empty spots and killed the engine. They sat there in silence for a minute or so, watching the place—there was hardly any light inside the structure, and they could make out several different silhouettes moving through what little light there was—until Jack popped open his door.
"Nothing's gonna get done by us just sittin' here," he said in response to Mac's questioning look, and the blond agent let out a sigh. He took just another moment to collect himself, then opened his door and stepped out onto the crumbling blacktop. Mac buttoned his suit jacket, and then he and Jack walked towards the diner's front door.
Jack made it there first and grabbed the door handle, glancing at Mac questioningly for a moment, and once his partner gave him a nod, he pulled the door open. A set of old jingle bells alerted those inside to their arrival. The two agents were met by about five armed men spread out amongst the run-down booths, all of them getting to their feet when they stepped inside. One of them walked over to them and grabbed a tablet resting on a half-wall framing the booth nearest the door, quickly unlocking it.
"Name?" he asked, barely glancing at them.
"Thomas McCormick," Mac replied easily, forcing himself to appear relaxed. According to Andrew, every buyer had to give a name—even if it was an alias—so that it could be matched with a personalized...
"And your verification word, Mr. McCormick?" the man asked after finding Mac's false name on the list.
"Sapphire," the word rolled off his tongue effortlessly. The security guard—a tall, formidable-looking man with a shaved head—nodded in acceptance, tapping a few times on the screen, then glanced at Jack.
"Name?"
"Jack Mercer," Jack replied without missing a beat. There was a pause as the guard found the name.
"Verification word?"
"Jellyfish."
"Good. And you're his security?"
"Yes I am."
"Perfect," the guard let out a breath and put the tablet back where he found it as another guard came up beside him. "Now, if you'll both follow me."
He started walking back towards the kitchen, and the Phoenix agents followed him, the second guard taking up the rear. In the kitchen area, Mac and Jack were met by a smiling, well-dressed man with dark hair, in his late thirties or early forties.
"Welcome," he greeted them cheerfully. "Mr. McCormick and his security, Mr. Mercer, correct?"
"Yes," Mac confirmed, and he and Jack both shook his outstretched hand, pretending as if doing so didn't make their skin crawl.
"Nice to meet you," the man said with a charming smile. "I'm Oliver Preston; I'm coordinating tonight's festivities. May I ask what it is you're shopping for tonight?"
"Whatever catches my eye," Mac replied with an easy smile and slight shrug, hiding how his stomach churned.
"Excellent," Preston chuckled. "Now, as you know, client safety and privacy are our top priorities, so our security team will be sweeping you for weapons and transmissions before we take you to join the rest of the guests at the party."
"Of course," Mac nodded, pretending to adjust his sleeve and in the process pressing the button on the side of the watch, turning both it and his glasses off. Behind them, the guard who'd checked them in picked up the metal detector wand that had been resting on the long-forgotten prep table, and the second guard picked up a device similar to the wand that scanned for transmissions. The check-in guard started with Jack, and the other guard started with Mac, and when they were done, they switched. Their cell phones were taken, and when Mac's Swiss Army knife was inevitably found, Preston raised an eyebrow at him. Mac gave a shrug.
"Sorry," he apologized casually. "Force of habit; been carrying that thing around since I was a kid."
"It's not a problem," Preston assured him. "Of course we can't allow you to take it—or your phones—to the party."
As he spoke, he reached over and grabbed a plastic bin from a wire shelving unit on his right. The two security guards placed their confiscated items in the bin, and then Preston returned it to its place on the shelf.
"You can pick those up when you get back," he promised as Mac quickly turned his watch and glasses back on. "Now, I'm sure you both would like to get on your way, but there's just one more bit of unpleasant business to take care of."
"Which would be?" Mac raised an eyebrow as Jack stiffened just slightly.
"Well, as I said before, client safety and privacy are our top priorities," Preston explained. "That's the reason we have all our guests meet out here before we take them to join the party. No one knows where the festivities take place, so no one can spill the beans. But, to ensure that..."
Preston reached into another, deeper plastic bin resting on the kitchen prep space and plucked out two black hoods and two sets of zip ties, and Mac blinked at him.
"I gotta be honest," he said after a moment, keeping his voice steady, "I expected the black hoods about halfway through that little speech, but...zip ties?"
"We've found that our guests have a tendency to get curious," Preston shrugged. "The ties eliminate the temptation to remove the hood prematurely."
Mac and Jack looked at each other, and they could immediately tell that they were thinking the same thing: they were in trouble. This was almost definitely a trap. Not even for security would the average buyer allow themselves to be restrained like this. Of course, that didn't mean the op couldn't be salvaged. If they played along, then maybe...
"Then by all means," Mac said at last, turning back to Preston with an easy grin. Preston smiled right back at him, handing one hood and one tie to each of the two guards behind them. Mac and Jack shared one more glance before each was blinded by the dark, heavy fabric, and their wrists were soon bound behind their backs.
"Good," Preston approved. "Collins and Rosen will take you to the car. I hope you have a wonderful time tonight, gentlemen."
Mac and Jack both felt a hand on their arms, guiding them through the kitchen and out the back door, into the night air. In just a few seconds, they were both sliding into the back seat of some kind of large vehicle.
Although expecting it, Mac couldn't help but jump when he felt a needle stab into his neck, injecting something that stung into his muscle, the sensation sending unpleasant memories of desolate roads, gravel shoulders, and gunshots flooding back. Judging by the sharp breath and small grunt from the other side of the car, Jack received the same treatment.
"What the hell?" the blond agent demanded with a trembling voice, trying to keep some semblance of a cover; he couldn't deny that he was an agent if he acted like one. He could hear Jack struggling beside him, clearly having the same idea.
"Just relax," it was Preston's voice again, full of amusement when he spoke. Mac didn't even hear him follow them out, and for a moment he wondered why he'd done so. The blond agent felt his muscles begin to relax, just as they had that night, making him panic and aiding in the show he was trying to put on.
"Is everyone clear?" Preston sounded as though he were far away, though Mac was sure he hadn't moved any farther away. Another voice responded, but Mac couldn't tell what was said, no matter how hard he tried to listen. Preston replied to whomever spoke, but Mac still couldn't pick out the words. The blond man felt himself get pulled by the arm closer to the door, and he gave a small grunt of discomfort, which in turn caused Jack to struggle harder, offering a few slurred threats. A hand closed around Mac's wrist, and then he heard Preston's voice one more time.
The explosion took both agents by surprise, the shockwave ripping through them as bright light faintly pierced the thick black fabric covering their faces. The heat of it warmed their skin through the open car doors, at odds with the cold adrenaline that dumped into their blood. Both agents felt their panic grow.
"Jack," his partner's name fell from Mac's lips almost against his will as his heart pounded against his ribcage. He heard Jack mutter a curse under his breath, and the younger agent let the sound comfort him. At least, this time, he knew Jack was alive.
Whomever had grabbed Mac released him and shoved him farther into the car, slamming the door shut behind him. Before long, warm numbness began to move through the blond agent's skull, and his struggles grew weaker and weaker until both he and Jack were pulled into unconsciousness.
Whoo! First chapter in the books. The review is up next, and then you guys are in for one hell of an exam. I hope you guys enjoyed this one; I definitely had fun writing it. Please let me know what you all thought, and I will see you next time.