The outer room was quiet. The team had mostly completed the chores of the week and were putting finishing touches on their assignments. Vin and Buck were meeting with Chris, and Nathan had lost the heated rounds of coin toss to determine who had to go to the file room. That left Ezra, JD and Josiah to head to the evidence locker to verify the inventories before signing off on the chain of evidence.
It had been the kind of week that left everyone a bit short. Tension always ran high when they were on a case. Monitoring actions, reviewing evidence, following up leads. Actions all imbued with a life and death urgency. Enough to make even the best of men crack under the pressure. These seven never succumbed to that. On the contrary, they thrived on it. The hunt, the chase, and the ultimate capture. This was what made them feel alive, and they relished every moment of each case.
Until it was completed. That high came crashing down, drowning in a morass of paperwork, review and all of the other tools of government bureaucracy. Gun men, killers, the dregs of society – that they could handle. Debriefings and forms in triplicate were an entirely different matter. And a matter that had occupied almost every working moment of the past week.
As bad as the routine usually was, this week it was magnified by unexpected third-party involvement. In addition to the reports, written and verbal, to the state attorney's office and to the higher ups at ATF, questions were being asked by another source. And they all knew when Internal Affairs took any kind of interest, trouble followed.
"Who is accusing him, and what did they lie about?" Chris was challenging the order from the moment the two idiots in suits had walked into his office to begin what he expected would be a witch hunt. He was wondering if he should ask Buck and Vin to step out, when the one of the idiots ordered them to. Naturally, they stayed in their seats. Chris glared at the intruders to get on with this, not paying much attention to the introductions. He figured Thing One and Thing Two would suffice.
"You seem pretty well informed already as to why we are here. You obviously have your own suspicions." Thing One spoke smugly.
"You're here because one of the jackasses from our last bust decided to muddy the waters by saying one of us took a bribe or was their inside man."
Thing Two chuckled. "Sounds like something you're familiar with."
Standing slowly and with very deliberate movements, Chris placed his fist clenched hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Familiar with because folks keep lying about it. Not once has anybody ever made it work, 'cause there ain't a shred of truth in it. Surely you men have something better to do with your time."
"For the record, Agent Larabee, our current investigation in no way involves your most recent activities."
Vin got in on the conversation. "So, old news you're dragging up again. Seriously guys, have you ever thought about getting a real job?"
"Agent Standish has been spotted on repeated Thursday evenings in an area of town where he has no business being."
Buck snarled. "What the hell right have you got to tell him where he can or can't go? Last I checked this was still a free country."
Ignoring the truth of Buck's concerns, Chris had a different issue that worried him. "Who gave you the authority to be tailing one of my men?" Someone was going to pay for that violation.
"As part of an ongoing investigation, we are not about to share that kind of information with you. We simply want to know if you can tell us if Agent Standish is involved in an kind of official operation in the Mavenhurst District."
"What operations we have underway is none of your damned business. You want information, you come at us through channels, and with the proper authorizations."
Thing Two tried to sooth the tempers. "Now Agent Larabee, we were hoping to keep your boss out of this. No need for him to know Standish is in trouble if it doesn't amount to anything significant."
"It isn't going to amount to anything at all." Vin retorted.
"Unless you don't get out of here, in which case the report you'll be writing us might just involve us kicking your ass."
"Is that a threat Agent Wilmington?"
"No. A promise. Get out."
There was silence as the waited to hear the door close before anyone spoke. "How long is Ezra gonna have to keep proving himself before these morons catch a clue?"
"Until the day he retired Buck, and even beyond." Chris sighed as he sat down, resting is head in his hands for a minute as he tried to rein in the anger and frustration. "Where is he anyway?"
"Down in evidence, with JD and Josiah, on the Bleeker case. We're all supposed to meet up later I think."
"No, not all. Ezra said he had somewhere else to be tonight."
Today was Thursday. Chris looked at his watch, then out toward the bullpen. The trio wasn't back from evidence yet. "He say where?"
"Don't Chris. Don't let those bastards get inside your head. He has a right to his privacy." Vin knew it was still way to easy to slip into the mindset that said where there is smoke, there is fire. And Ezra always seemed to find himself smack dab in the middle of a big pile of kindling.
"I'm not worried about what he's doing. I'm worried about what those jackasses think he's doing. Won't take much for them to come down on him like a house of bricks."
Josiah knew when he walked in that something was wrong. The mood was too tense for anything else. "Come down on who?" Based on what he had heard, he had a feeling he wasn't going to be surprised by the answer
"You have any idea what Ezra is up to on Thursday nights?" Chris' question served to answer Josiah's.
"Which group of idiots wants to know?" Frustration was evident in JD's voice. He was sick and tired of having to defend Ezra to the assorted fools who continued to doubt him based solely on ancient, unfounded rumours. True, he had a history of playing fast and loose with the rule book, and an even more interesting past before distancing himself from the dark side. But he had never done the sorts of things that he was constantly being accused of. More importantly, he was a member of Team 7 now. A member of their family. And if there was one thing these guys knew how to do, it was how to protect family.
"IA was here asking questions. Someone doing some king of stakeout spotted Ezra in the area and jumped to the standard stupid conclusions." The look that came to his face stilled the others. When Chris was in plotting mode, silence was your smartest options.
"JD, I want you to find out what kind of surveillance operations are going on in the Mavenhurst District, and for how long."
"Piece of cake."
Chris grabbed him gently by the arm as the young agent headed for his computer. "Legally JD."
"Oh. That might take a bit longer." He grinned as he headed to his desk, nodding to Nathan as he returned and joined the others.
Shaking his head, Chris turned back to the Josiah. "Ezra didn't come back with you?"
"Said he had somewhere to be. Didn't say where, and I didn't ask."
"No reason you should. Ok, I want you guys to start calling in favors and see –"
"Found it!" JD's call out interrupted him.
They headed to his desk. "Do I want to know how you got it that fast?"
"You do know there is a database for these things, don't you? All you need is right password to be able to see any basic investigation. Some things are classified, but most of the stuff is there."
Buck looked at him in confusion. "And you have this password?"
"Well, not exactly. But Travis does, and I –"
Vin silenced him. "Never mind JD. That's the stuff Chris doesn't want to know."
"Fine. But what he does want to know is what's going on. There is an ongoing FBI sting based out of pawn shop up the way. Long term deal."
"Which apparently Ezra has walked in on somehow." Chris couldn't believe the luck.
"You think he went in to pawn something?" Buck was having trouble picturing that. Ezra and pawnshop should not be in the same sentence, unless it was for work. And then he wouldn't be going in as Ezra.
Nathan wasn't as quick to dismiss the notion. "It can't be easy to keep up the lifestyle he so enjoys on this salary. I can see him selling off some of the so-called valuables Maude has given him over the years."
"The way he wins at poker I'd guess that's a more likely source." JD came to the conclusion based on a few of their recent poker nights.
"You all realize there is a painfully obvious and simple way to find out."
Chris was quick to veto what he knew Josiah was about to suggest. "No way to ask him without explaining why. You know him. He'll either start worrying about getting us in trouble or coming to the conclusion we don't trust him."
"Or both." Buck agreed.
Vin was concerned that there had been a hint of hesitation. "You do, though, right? Trust him, I mean."
"You really have to ask?"
Vin shrugged with an apologetic look. "Then we just leave it be. He's not doing anything wrong, so there can't be trouble"
"If only that was true." Nathan offered with a sad sort of smile. "He attracts trouble in ways no one else could ever dream of."
"Especially this kind." JD agreed.
As far as Chris could see there was one solution. "Tonight we drive down to the Mavenhurst neighbourhood and see if we can spot him. Once we know what he's doing, we can figure out how to respond."
"And how do we handle the explosion if we get spotted?" Vin asked.
"I can handle the FBI."
"I meant when Ezra sees us?"
7-7-7-7-7-7-7
Pulling into a parking spot he would never have expected to be lucky enough to find, Chris cast a trained eye up and down the block looking for promising venues. When nothing leapt out at him, he posed the question to the others. "OK, so where around here do you figure Ezra might be spending his time?" When no one answered he twisted in the driver's seat to looked back at his team and was greeted by angry glares.
"Look, I am not trying to stalk him, I am trying to make sure he hasn't put his foot into a trap that he didn't know was there."
Vin wasn't buying it. "Ezra coming down here to have dinner or play cards or meet up with a lady isn't anybody's business."
"No argument. But when the Fibbers are running surveillance in the area, I want to make sure he isn't in the middle of it - even by mistake."
"Ain't right." JD mumbled, resigning himself to the task at hand. He looked around the neighbourhood. "He could be anywhere Chris. Restaurants, homes. There's a movie theatre around the corner."
Josiah chuckled. "Somehow, I don't see our boy attending this week's screening of the latest comic book hero adventure - do you?"
JD grinned back. "No. He turned me down when I invited him last weekend."
A loud growling came from the back row. "That your stomach or some kind of animal Buck? When was the last time you ate?"
"Been a few hours. How 'bout we figure all this out over some dinner?"
Chris did a bit of grumbling of his own. He didn't like this any better than they did, and obviously he wasn't doing much of a job convincing them. "Fine. We get supper in here, but that doesn't change anything." He was the first out. The anger he felt was aimed at several sources, including himself, his team and the undercover agent with an uncanny knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mostly, it was aimed at the bureaucrats who elected to keep Ezra under a microscope, making nights like these necessary. Tamping down the frustration, he opened the door of the first restaurant he came to, not caring too much about the name, or the menu.
"This is nice." Nathan was taking in the atmosphere. A descent size, but still an intimate feeling. Warm wood panelling made the place seem more like a home than a business. He could see into the main seating area enough to note it was a mixed arrangement of dining tables and lounging clusters. The buzz of conversation was not quite enough to completely drown out the gentle sound of piano music in the background, and he was betting it was live entertainment. Noting the less than inviting glare that remained in Chris's face, he decided it might be in their best interest to avoid ticking off the hostess, so he quickly made his way to the front of their group.
"Any chance we could get a table for 6?" He smiled warmly. She looked down at her list, shaking her head. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, she noted a change on the reservation list.
"This must be your lucky day. We've had a cancellation, so we can fit you in. If you will just give me a moment to check on the table for you."
She was back thirty seconds later. "This way, please."
As they wound their way toward the back, Josiah allowed his curiosity to get the best of him. "Full house for this time on a Thursday. Are you always this busy?"
"We have been for the last few weeks. I think our customers are enjoying the new live entertainment, and Thursday is definitely becoming a hot ticket. Your waitress will be here for your drink order in just a minute."
All eyes went to the menus quickly, and a round of debate began on what looked promising. Vin was about to argue the merits of prime rib over steak when the instrumental background was joined by vocals and he lost all interest in dinner. He knew that voice. He had to be wrong, but he knew he wasn't. He lowered the menu and looked off to the corner for the first time.
"Uh, guys. We just found Ezra."
7-7-7-7-7-7-7
Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by…
A smooth baritone voice filled the room. Conversation didn't stop, but the intensity and volume lessened, allowing the words to be clearly heard. 'one for my baby lyrics'
They sat stone still, taking in every word. None of them had noticed the waitress, who stood patiently by the table. It wasn't the first time people had gotten drawn into his entrancing performance. There was a smattering of appreciative applause when he finished and returned his focus to the keyboard.
"He has that effect on a lot of people. You gentlemen ready for something from the bar?" She was about to ask again when Josiah found his voice.
"Think just a round of whatever you have on draft will do to start- thanks."
"Excuse me." Chris stopped her retreat. "How long has he been playing here?"
"Mr. Sullivan? I think about a half dozen times, maybe more. Comes in most Thursdays. He usually sticks to the standards, but every now and then a few newer tunes sneak through. And somebody always asks for Piano Man. We've kind of reserved the spot for him. Unofficially, at his insistence. I'll be back with the beer in a moment."
"So - none of you had a clue?" Chris finally spoke.
"What, that he was here? That he was doing something like this?" The incredulity in Nathan's voice reflected how they all felt.
JD was enthused. "Hell, I didn't even know he could do something like that. He's pretty good."
"Pretty good doesn't really cover it." Josiah sounded almost overcome. "I've heard a lot of soft jazz and ballads in my day, and he'd measure up against most of the folks I've heard. Better than a lot of them in fact."
Vin dared to give Chris a side glance. "So, you think maybe this is some kind of a message drop? Maybe he's sending coded communications in his song choices." The sarcasm dripped from his voice.
In the vain hope of diffusing the impending argument, Josiah interceded. "I don't think he'd be too pleased with us for sharing this revelation with the FBI. I very much doubt he wants anyone to know he's here."
"Which is why he goes by Sullivan."
Comment on JD's observation was tabled as they waited for the drinks to be put down. Reading the group correctly, the waitress left without asking for any further orders.
"Likely is trying to keep a low profile. He rarely promotes his name in any public forum." Josiah agreed with the young agent.
"He's rarely seen in a public forum." Conversation stopped again as the music changed. Ezra was moving to a more modern tempo.
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you
Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Knowing what they would see, they turned their attention to the piano, finding themselves, as expected, under the steely glare Ezra sent their way.
The song ended, and Ezra gave a quick full run of the keyboard flourish. "Enjoy your meals ladies and gentlemen. I hope to be back at the keyboard shortly." Smiling broadly, he crossed the room, accepting handshakes and comments along the way. His admirers were appropriately impressed by his charm and smile, but the six men in the corner could see the ice in his eyes, even from a distance.
"So, do you gentlemen have any requests for my second set? Someone To Watch Over Me comes to mind. Or perhaps A Matter of Trust. Personally, I am in the mood to hear What Kind of Fool Am I?.
"Well," Buck hoped a joke could settle the mood. "At least you're not suggesting Take This Job and Shove It."
"I don't do country."
Josiah stood and pulled a chair from a nearby table. "Ezra. Please. Sit. We can explain."
Without lessening his glare, Ezra sat, keeping himself back from the table.
"I know you won't believe me -"
"I have no reason to assume you will be lying to me Mr. Larabee. I trust you."
Damn. "We didn't know you were here. Sure as hell didn't know you were performing."
"So it was mere happenstance that brought you to a restaurant that none of you frequent, in a part of town none of you live, on an evening that you virtually never go out to dine together. Perhaps I should be singing What a Fool Believes."
Seeing Chris struggling to control his own temper, Vin took over. "Truth of the matter is, we were looking for you Ezra. But no, we weren't following you. Nobody is. Seems the FBI is doing surveillance on a store up the block and spotted you in the area a couple of times. You know how stupid they can be."
"And they requested you investigate my involvement in whatever nefarious activities are underway."
"No, they wanted to know if we had an operation going on. We wanted to make sure you didn't stumble into some kind of mess, so we figured on finding out what was going on."
"The concept of asking me didn't occur to you?"
Chris had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I didn't want to look like we were prying."
"Yes, this approach worked out much better." Given how they were all feeling at the moment, it took a few seconds before they registered the lighter tone that accompanied the smirk. There was still some simmering anger there, but at least there was a chance at civility now.
"Don't suppose we can buy you a drink?" Nathan asked.
Ezra caught the eye of the bartender, who nodded and quickly fixed a drink, bringing it over himself. "Tips are good tonight Mr. Sullivan. Figure part of that is on you."
"Relaxed customers are happy customers Mr. Taylor. Thanks for this." He raised the mug in salute.
They stared at his steaming beverage of choice. "Tea with lemon and honey. My voice needs all the assistance I can provide."
"Well, that must work, 'cause you sound damned good to me Ezra."
"Thank you, Vin."
"He's not just saying that. I'm impressed by that talent." Josiah felt a strange sense of pride in the younger agent's accomplishment.
Sipping slowly, Ezra took note of the reaction of the men, particularly entertained by the obvious desire Chris had to ask a question, tempered by his desire to not push his luck any further.
"You might as well ask your question. I doubt at this point I can be shocked, surprised or offended by it."
"Why keep this a secret Ezra?"
He considered fleeting fabricating a more dignified explanation, but the truth, while uncomfortable, was easier. "It has been a considerable period since I performed. The thought of humiliating myself in front of strangers was daunting enough. To do so in front of my colleagues would have been paralyzing."
"Colleagues?" The was a hint of hurt in JD's question.
Letting go of his irritation at seeing them earlier, Ezra conceded the point. "Friends."
"But we never had a clue. Why didn't you tell us you could sing?" Buck knew if he sounded half that good, he'd be belting out Brooks and Dunn tunes all day.
After debating for a moment, Ezra decided against a clever answer, opting instead for the truth. "Music has been my refuge. My escape when needed. For much of my life, my friend. I suppose I feared that if this talent, such as it is, became known within our ranks, it would be only a matter of time until I was called upon to use it for an assignment. I wanted - needed - to keep it away from that world. Saying it aloud, it sounds foolish."
"Nope. Makes perfect sense to me. Everybody needs to keep a little bit of himself for himself."
"Well said Vin." Ezra cleared his throat. "The problem remains gentlemen, what will you tell our brethren at the FBI? As they have no doubt seen you all here tonight, there are bound to be further questions."
"I expect you want to be able to keep doing this?" Chris knew the answer but needed to let Ezra be in control of the plan.
"For now, yes. I find it - satisfying."
Buck polished off his beer. "Well, I for one think we should tell them all to simply go fu-"
"Buck, that is not going to be productive." Josiah cut him off. "You might as well wave a red flag at a bull."
"From the grin on our young friend's face, I daresay he has already fabricated the necessary cover story."
"Not for this exactly, but I do have some stuff I can activate that will make it look like you've been monitoring something here for a while. It isn't an ongoing deal at the moment, so Chris wouldn't have seen the need to inform Things One and Two about it."
Needing clarification, Ezra raised an eyebrow in that manner Chris found infuriating. "Never paid attention to the names, so Thing worked." He turned his attention to JD. "This will hold up?"
"Sure. Backdate a few reports and it will look like we've been following up on informants in the area. Can easily keep in vague enough that they'll have no interest in this place. After all, six ATF agents wouldn't have come in here for dinner if this was the target - right?"
Chris grinned for the first time since this all started. "The kid has been spending too much time with you Standish. He's getting downright sneaky."
"I shall assume you intended that as a compliment and will therefore accept it as such." He leaned back, sipping as his tea, watching them over the rim of his cup. Despite the apparent resolution, there was still a bit of unease in the group.
"Well, gentlemen. Any requests? I cannot guarantee your selections will be in my repertoire, but I will make an effort to comply."
Buck snorted, grinning widely. "Well I know you said you don't do country, but what about Crazy?"
"No one does crazy better than you do sir, but I am familiar with the classic song. Anyone else?"
"Sara and I danced to At Last at our wedding. Any chance you know that one?"
Ezra smiled warmly at the almost shy request. "I would be honoured to perform that for you, although I fear I cannot possibly do it justice."
"Been thinking," Josiah weighed in, "since I heard you that I would bet you'd do a great version of One For My Baby."
"I will admit I do like performing the Sinatra classics, and that in particular is a favourite of mine." He turned his attention to the others. "And you three? Any preferences?"
Vin answered for them. "Don't doubt we'll like anything you care to sing Ezra." JD and Nathan merely nodded in agreement.
He stood, ready to get back to his night job.
"Please let Cassie know your next round goes on my tab. Of course, I do expect you gentlemen to all be generous with your gratuities to the entertainer."
There was a collective sigh of relief as Ezra offered a broad smile and simple salute before making his way across the room.
"Good evening again folks. I don't have to ask if you are enjoying your meals. I know the chef. I have a few requests here that I will get to in just a moment, but there is a piece I need - want - to perform for some special people, although it more accurately seems to be their message to me"
When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer, or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there,
You've got a friend
M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7
Music credits:
Smile - Charlie Chaplin
Every Breath You Take – Sting
You've Got A Friend – Carly Simon