"This is just like Doyle," Chris said. "He likes to think of himself of an upstanding member of the community. Making donations to the local university is his way of ingratiating himself with the upper crust. He makes friends with rich and powerful people who then sing his praises when he gets tied up in illegal dealings."
"Maybe we can use this to our advantage," Standish remarked.
"What do you mean, Ezra?"
"If Doyle attends this soiree I could, shall we say, re-acquaint myself with him at the same time. Pose as a fellow-philanthropist. Make it known that my organization is looking for some discreet, untraceable weapons."
"What kind of background are ya gonna use this time, Ezra?" Vin asked, putting a toothpick between his lips.
Deepening his southern accent, Standish answered. "Well, Mistah Tannah, I shall portend to be a true son of the south. And as a Child of the Confederacy, I am appalled at the way our once great country has disintegrated over the years, as the government was allowed to get bigger. Every since we lost the Civil War, things have just gone to Hades. Why, we must take our country back from these heathens who have usurped the true order of things. Just the fact that we have allowed inferior persons to take positions of authority has led to the destruction of society as it should be. No offense, Mr. Jackson."
"None taken, Mr. Standish, but only because I know you truly don't feel that way."
"Indeed, Mr. Jackson."
"That just might work with Doyle," Chris remarked thoughtfully. "He's been known to spout racist rhetoric in the past. You may actually appeal to his sense of 'whiteness'."
"Mr. Sandburg, what are the chances of procuring an invitation to this fundraiser?"
"Just so happens, as a teaching fellow, I have four invitations. I can probably get more if I need to."
"Excellent, my dear boy, excellent! I do believe that this little charade will prove successful in finally getting Mr. Doyle behind bars."
/
"There's Ezra," Jim said, his voice picked up by the earpieces that the others wore. Blair was with Ellison inside the main room at the ballroom. Both were dressed in tuxedos, as they were attending the fund-raiser as guests, not security. Chris and Vin were in the rafters of the room, wanting to get an overall view of the area and be able to keep an eye on Standish.
JD and Buck were in the van monitoring the video feed from cameras they'd set up earlier in the day. Josiah and Nathan were staked out with Rafe and Brown in a Cascade PD van in the rear of the building. No one expected trouble, but they'd all learned the hard way not to take chances. Especially when one of their own was putting himself on the firing line. They didn't know if Doyle would recognize Ezra in this disguise, but they wanted to be sure they were close enough to back him up if needed.
"I don't see him, Jim," Blair said, studying the people who had just walked in.
"He's right there, Chief, the guy that looks like Colonel Sanders' younger brother."
Sandburg saw a portly, well-dressed man, about fifty years old, with white hair and a mustache, a pair of gold rim glasses perched on his nose. The man carried an ebony colored cane with a silver handle. He walked with a slight limp as he moved further into the room.
"The guy with the cane? Oh, man, he looks great. I would bet his own mother wouldn't recognize him."
"Careful, Blair," Vin drawled. "Ezra would take that bet."
They all heard the soft chuckle coming from Standish's microphone, which was secreted in a small lapel pin shaped like a tiny Confederate flag. They knew that Doyle had been born in Georgia and hoped the flag would grab his interest. The southerner mingled with the other patrons and wandered toward his assigned table, which he knew was along the west wall, under the clock.
Chris had informed him that Doyle was already there. A little pre-event security check had given the team the opportunity to switch table assignments, allowing Ezra to be placed at Doyle's table. He knew his disguise was good and hoped it would fool the gunrunner.
He adjusted his glasses, which concealed an earpiece in the frame, then rubbed a finger over his mustache. Ezra approached the table and spotted Doyle, seated next to a large red headed man. Standish also spotted the telltale bulge of a weapon under the big man's left arm. They knew from past experience that Doyle habitually never went anywhere without two bodyguards. He glanced around and saw the other man, a muscular blonde Neanderthal-looking guy, about 20 feet away, keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Ezra stopped and glanced around, as if checking out his surroundings. He gave a quick gesture with his hand, which prompted Chris to dial his cellphone. When it rang, Ezra pulled it from his pocket and turned it on.
"Yes."
"What's up Ez?" Chris asked.
"Do you have them both?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah. Vin tagged both bodyguards right off. The huge blonde standing by the exit door?"
"Yes. Any others?"
"No. Doyle came in with "Red". And "Blondie" covered his back trail."
"Very good. Wish me luck."
"Break a leg, Ezra."
"It shall be my finest performance yet, Sir." He smiled as he closed the phone and slid it back into his pocket and moved closer to his target.
In the rafters, Chris settled back down next to Tanner, who lay on his stomach, rifle in hand, keeping a close watch on Doyle and his two henchmen through the scope. If either made a move to harm Ezra or any of the guests, Vin would take them down.
Ezra stepped up the table, searching for and finding the place card with "his" name on it, situated next to the redheaded behemoth. He pulled out his chair and lowered himself onto the padded seat, smiling and nodding at his table companions. The bodyguard ignored him, but Doyle returned the smile, his gaze falling to the pin on Ezra's lapel. But he made no comment.
As other guests joined them, the second bodyguard took his seat on the other side of Doyle. Over drinks, the tablemates exchanged names and talked a little business. Doyle periodically glanced at Ezra, who was going by the name of Edward Stanhope, the owner of an import-export business.
"Do you ship world-wide, Mr. Stanhope?" asked Marcus Clayborne, a local jewelry merchant.
"My company is slowly expanding opportunities. Although we do have customers now in certain European capitals, we hope to further extend our reach into Asia and Africa. We have made some in-roads into South Africa recently and have been received favorably. We have been mostly importing from Africa so far, but have also been in contact with several companies here in the states which are looking to expand their merchandise to a new market. I hope to open up some avenues in China and the Middle East."
Doyle listened closely as Ezra continued to elaborate on his business ventures as dinner was delivered to the table. Another of their table companions, a man who dealt in pre-fabricated housing, asked Ezra's opinion of the viability of his product being useful in other areas of the world. As they talked, Doyle leaned over to his blonde-headed bodyguard, who nodded and left the table.
"Mr. Stanhope, I would be interested in learning more about your company," Doyle told Ezra.
Standish smiled, two rows of pearly white teeth flashing at Doyle. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. …Doyle was it?"
"Red" stood up and moved out of his chair, gesturing for Standish to take the seat. Ezra nodded his gratitude and slid over next to Doyle, while the bodyguard sank into the seat just vacated by the southerner.
"Looks like Ezra has caught Doyle's interest," Buck remarked.
"That man is as smooth as a fish through water," Vin muttered.
The two entrepreneurs talked for the remainder of the night, exchanging business cards and making arrangements to make further contact. The number on the card that Ezra handed to Doyle went to a cellphone that JD now carried with him. Only that card had the number, so that any call coming into it would be coming from Doyle or one of his people.
At the end of the evening, the two men shook hands. Doyle told Ezra that he'd be in touch, then left with his two bodyguards. Ezra stayed for another 20 minutes, then he also left. He was careful driving back to the hotel, making sure he wasn't followed. He knew that Josiah and Nathan, along with Rafe and Brown, would be behind him, also looking for a tail. They had maintained visual contact on his vehicle during the dinner to ensure that no one attempted to put a tracker on the car.
After making sure he was safe, Ezra pulled into the underground garage. He made his way into the elevator and punched the button. Getting off on the seventh floor, he headed down the hall and knocked on a door. After several seconds, the door opened. Vin stepped aside and let him in. Chris, Buck, JD, Jim and Blair were also in the room.
As soon as he crossed the threshold and the door shut behind him, he removed his jacket and shirt, hanging both up in the closet. Vin stayed near in order to help him remove the body suit. As soon as the cumbersome piece of costuming had been removed, he took a deep sigh.
"My Lord, I never thought that suit would be so burdensome." Buck handed him a bottle of water and he took a large drink. Wearing the body suit had drained him and he sat heavily into the settee near the window. JD set a large case onto the table in front of him.
"Thank you, Mr. Dunne," he said, opening the case. He pulled out several jars and some soft towels. He began to remove the make-up that he'd applied to age him for this role. When he finished, he cleaned his hands, then reached into his mouth. Pulling on one of his teeth, he juggled back and forth, eventually removing the cap that had covered his gold-clad tooth.
He looked up at JD who was sitting across from him. "I wondered how you hid that gold tooth," the young man remarked.
"It often is the small things that make all the difference in a con. Camouflage is important in my position."
As Standish continued to lose his alter ego, the men in the room discussed the next steps in their investigation. It had been a long night and they were all tired. So once the major points had been covered they separated and headed off for some well-deserved rest.
/
Chris and Vin were in the surveillance van, listening as Doyle gave 'Mr Stanhope' a guided tour of his warehouse. Chris listened as Doyle tried to impress 'Stanhope' with his set up. Chris surmised that they must have entered another room when he could suddenly hear music. An oldies station was playing, and Chris could hear the lyrics clearly over Ezra's wire. He smirked as he listened to the lyrics, hoping that it was a good omen for this case. He saw Vin's fingers start tapping in time to the music.
Robbin' people with a six gun
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I miss my baby and the good fun
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
A shot suddenly rang out, bringing Vin's head up and stopping Chris' breath. Oh, god, Ezra. Had Doyle shot him? Had he seen through Ezra's disguise and recognized the undercover man? He and Vin waited as the few seconds of silence seemed to drag on forever. But they finally heard Ezra's voice, his evident amusement telling Chris that he wasn't injured. The team leader breathed a sigh of relief.
"Music not to your liking, Mr. Doyle?" he asked his host. It was then that Chris realized the song had abruptly ended with the gunshot.
"I hate that fucking song. Always have."
"Well, I would venture a guess that that particular radio will never offend your sensibilities again," Ezra said, letting his teammates know what had occurred. Doyle's dislike for that particular song had lead to the untimely demise of an innocent radio. Chris just shook his head. Why did his team always have to deal with the weird shit?
"Would you like a cigar, Mr Stanhope? A new potential partner of mine gave them to me. He got them from Austria. They're very nice." Chris and Vin exchanged a glance, both thinking about the cigar found near Harper's body.
"Don't mind if I do, sir. I always enjoy a good cigar with my nightcap before going to bed."
"Well, have two. I insist."
"Thank you."
Chris had to smile. Doyle may have just given them the piece they needed to tie him to Harper's murder. And they didn't even need a search warrant to get it.
After the meeting, Ezra returned to 'Stanhope's' hotel room. Chris and Vin followed, making sure that Doyle hadn't put a tail on their undercover man. Seeing no indication of anyone following Ezra, they met him back at the hotel. Ezra was already getting out of the body suit. He handed Chris an evidence bag. Inside was a cigar.
"I have every faith that the forensics expert will be able to match that with the cigar that was found by the body of the recently departed Mr Harper."
"Uh-huh," Chris said. "But what happened to the other one? Cuz I know you don't smoke."
"Neither does anyone else on our team, Mr Larabee. I thought that since we only need one to compare to the portion found at the murder scene, that I could give the other to Captain Banks. The man would probably appreciate a fine imported cigar."
Chris had to smile. "Yeah, you're probably right. Just tell him not to smoke it until after this case is closed. I don't want anyone coming down on him for 'tampering with evidence'."
"Indeed. I shall gift him with it when we say our good-byes at the end of a hopefully successful case."
/
Ellison and Sandburg were in the van waiting for Chris and Vin, who were running late. Larabee wanted to be on hand in the van when Ezra met with Doyle's international partner. After several meetings between Doyle and 'Stanhope', the gunrunner had finally set up a meeting with the elusive Gunter Heichler. They hoped to catch everyone on site. The judge had the warrant ready and they wanted to have it in hand in case they needed to go in today, so the two ATF agents were going to swing by and pick it up on their way.
Just five minutes earlier, a helicopter had landed on the roof of the warehouse and two men had emerged. They hadn't been able to get a good look at the men who'd exited, but since Doyle was already on scene, they figured it had to be Heichler. Moments later, that supposition was proven.
"Okay, Jim, you known the drill. You were able to focus on Doyle earlier, so let's try it again." The two Cascade men had arrived about an hour earlier and Jim had already been successful in hearing inside the building. They wanted to get as much as they could while they were alone. It would be too hard to focus once the others got there. Not to mention hard to explain.
Ellison closed his eyes and focused his hearing, feeling the touch of Blair's hand on his back helping to prevent a zone-out. Following Sandburg's quiet instructions, he filtered out he street noises and listened to the sounds from inside the warehouse. He finally found Doyle's voice.
/
"…will be just what we need. He already ships to Europe and Africa, so the routes that you need are already in place."
"I will want to check him out thoroughly," a second voice said, with a heavy German accent.
"I've already done that," Doyle insisted. "He's been running his company for over ten years. My information is that he's been suspected of illegal activities in the past, but never arrested. I've told him what you need and he's willing to work with us."
"In exchange?"
"He gets a discount on the weapons he needs for his organization. Although, I am tempted to give him the discount anyway, considering his cause."
"And that would be?"
"He plans to make the south powerful once again, a place where a true southerner can live in peace."
Heichler's snort of disgust was lost on Doyle. "Ah, here he is now." Doyle said.
Heichler turned to look at the monitor. Doyle had every inch of his warehouse, inside and out, covered by security cameras. The two men watched as a black Lexus pulled up outside and 'Edward Stanhope' exited. 'Stanhope' adjusted his glasses and looked around. Heichler's gaze intensified and he reached for the controls, zooming in on the man's face as he walked to his trunk and removed a briefcase.
"Shit. Bruno, get upstairs. Tell Michael we're leaving at once!" Heichler told his bodyguard.
"Gunter, what is it?" Doyle asked, following Heichler as he quickly moved to the steps that led to the roof.
"You imbecile! I can't believe you were trying to set me up!"
"Set you up?"
"That man is an FBI agent! At least he was when I knew him."
"FBI! No way! I checked him out personally."
"Well, Ezra Standish is very good at his job," Heichler said. As he ran toward the chopper, rotor blades slowly started to rotate overhead.
/
"Shit!" Jim exclaimed.
"Jim, what is it?" Before Ellison could answer, the door of the van opened and Chris and Vin climbed into the van.
"Ezra's been made! Stop him from going in."
"What?" Blair asked.
"How the hell…" Vin started, but Chris just reached for his radio.
"Ezra, get out of there. They know who you are."
Outside the warehouse, Standish heard the call over the earpiece in his glasses. He didn't question Chris' call, just walked quickly back to his vehicle and took off. Two men ran out the door, one taking a shot at the escaping Lexus, but missing. Ezra wasn't sure how Chris knew he'd been discovered, but he had learned long ago not to question the man. And as usual, his trust hadn't been misplaced.
"Everyone move in!" Chris called over the radio. "I repeat, move in." Chris, Vin and Jim ran from the van, Ellison ordering Blair to stay put. As they ran down the block, they could see the other teams moving in from other directions. As they got near, they saw the helicopter take off from the roof.
As they neared the side of the building, a Cadillac came screeching out of the large double doors. Inside the vehicle, Doyle yelled at his driver.
"Run them over! Damn it! Get us out of here!" The vehicle aimed directly for them. Vin lined up his weapon and took a shot at the left front tire. At the same time, Ellison's bullet took out the right front tire. The vehicle careened into the side of the building, then flipped over onto its side.
Tanner jumped up on the vehicle, the passenger door now facing skyward. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, propping his hip against it to keep it from falling shut again. He pointed his weapon at the two dazed men in the front seat.
"Toss the weapons in the back seat," he ordered. Both men lay tangled together, Doyle lying on top of his driver. Chris and Jim stood in the front of the car, pointing their weapons at the two men through the windshield, two Cascade police officers nearby.
Doyle looked up at Vin, then at the other two men, then slumped in defeat. He reached under his jacket and slowly pulled out his weapon, tossing it into the back seat. He began crawling off his bodyguard, who still appeared dazed.
"Chris, you got the other one covered?" Vin called down.
"We got him," Larabee replied.
Vin holstered his own weapon and nodded at the Cascade PD officer that had joined him up top, holding open the door. Tanner reached down and grabbed Doyle's hand, helping the man crawl out of the vehicle, then followed him down. He grabbed Doyle's arm and turned to the other Cascade officer. "Can you help your partner with the driver? He's a bit out of it, but he's still armed, so be careful."
"Right."
Vin dragged Doyle away as two more uniformed officers joined them and helped get the driver from the vehicle. Chris and Jim joined Tanner as the sharpshooter cheerfully read Doyle his rights and searched him for other weapons.
"Hey, Ellison, you got some cuffs?"
"Yep," Jim said, handing over his set.
"C'mon Doyle, you know the drill. Right hand." The gunrunner growled at Tanner, who just smiled back at him. "Aw, don't be so upset, Doyle. You know what they say." Tanner wrapped the cuff around Doyle's right hand, and began to sing. "I fought the law and the," click law reached for Doyle's left hand and put the other cuff on. "I fought the law and the," click "law won." Chris and Jim started laughing as Vin led Doyle to a waiting patrol car, still singing the song. Doyle was screaming at Tanner to shut up.
Ezra arrived just then and stood watching the activities, as Doyle's men were taken out in handcuffs.
"Doyle?"
"Over there," Larabee said, pointing to the patrol car and still laughing. The gunrunner was kicking at the door and screaming at Tanner, who was walking away from the car.
"He appears upset."
"He really doesn't like that song, Ezra." Chris commented.
"What song?"
Before Chris could answer, Vin joined them, still singing. "I fought the law and the law won." He smiled at the others. "Chris, I'm gonna head back with Doyle."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you Vin?"
Tanner just smiled. "Uh huh." He winked at Ezra. "We'll see you at the station."
"You got it."
Vin walked back over to the patrol car and climbed into the backseat with Doyle, still humming the song. The patrol officer driving was chuckling as he pulled out of the parking lot.
/
Chris, Jim and Ezra entered the warehouse to oversee the search of the large building. Chris had also sent in a request to the FAA for info on the helicopter, since Jim and Blair had gotten the registration number when it had taken off. The three men decided to head back to the station, leaving Josiah, Nathan, Rafe and Brown to do the on-scene follow-up. Buck and JD were walking toward their car when Chris stopped them.
"JD, I need you to do something for me when you back to the station."
"Sure, Chris. What do you need?"
Chris put his arm around the young man's shoulder and talked quietly to him. JD nodded, then joined Buck for the ride back to the station. Ezra followed a few moments later.
Jim was in the van, helping Blair shut things down. Rafe would be driving it back to the station. Jim and Blair would drive back with Chris. Ellison wasn't looking forward to the ride. He knew Larabee would have questions and wasn't sure what to tell him. He hoped Blair would come up with on of his obfuscations.
Sentinel and Guide turned around to exit the van only to stop short when they noticed Chris blocking the door, arms crossed in front of him and a stern look on his face. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He knew it and Jim knew it. Jim glanced at Blair, who just shrugged.
"I'm not sure how to explain this, Chris."
"The truth would be the way to go," Larabee said. "Did you bug this place without letting me know?"
"No."
"An informant?"
Jim hesitated, almost saying yes. But as he looked into Chris' eyes, he knew that wouldn't work.
"Look I need to talk to my Captain before I say any more. It's…complicated."
Chris took a deep breath, then let it out. "You know, Ellison, I don't trust easily. But when I first met you, your team, I felt I could work with you. Was that trust misplaced? Because if I find out that it was, you'll be cut out of the remainder of this investigation. You clear it with your Captain if you have to, but when we get back to the station, I expect an explanation."
Jim clenched his jaw, angry that this man was questioning his professionalism. He needed a chance to talk this over with Sandburg and maybe Simon. He answered Chris with a curt nod. Understanding each other now, Chris stalked out of the van.
"Jim?"
"Yeah, Chief?" Ellison answered, gritting his teeth.
"Are you going to tell him?"
"How can I? Do you really think he'd believe me?"
"So…what…?"
"I don't know, Sandburg!" Jim said, slamming his hand against the countertop where the equipment sat. After several seconds of silence, he sighed. "Sorry, Chief. Sometimes these senses are more trouble than they're worth."
"You really believe that, man?"
"Yes. No…no I don't," he said, turning to face Blair and giving him a small smile. "I used to, but I don't anymore. I just hate trying to explain what I do."
"I have one question for you, Jim."
"What's that?"
"Do you trust Chris?"
Jim didn't answer right away, thinking about how he felt about the blonde man. "I hardly know him, Chief."
"You know him well enough. Your gut feeling, Jim. Do you trust that man? Yes or No?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Let's go talk to Simon and ask his opinion." Blair started to walk away, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
"What about you, Chief. Do you trust him? I value your opinion over anyone else I know. As my friend, my guide and my shaman…do you trust Chris Larabee?"
Blair smiled. "Yes, I do."
Jim nodded and the two men locked up the van and joined Chris in his rented vehicle.
/
Chris walked into Simon's office and sat at the conference table, glaring at the three other men in the office.
Simon Banks cleared his throat. "Chris, my men tell me that there was a problem at the bust today."
"Not a problem so much as an omission, Simon."
"Jim and Blair have explained what they think you're upset about, but I'd like to hear it from you."
"Ellison was aware that Ezra had been compromised. He admits he didn't have the warehouse wired and he didn't get the info from a snitch. He was hesitant to explain just how he came upon that information. I'm grateful for the warning that saved Ezra's life, but I can't risk my men working with a team that withholds vital information."
"I understand the need to protect your team. I feel the same way. So I am going to have to insist that nothing said in this office is shared with anyone else."
Chris bristled. "My men…"
"Your men will not be harmed by not knowing this information. But Jim very well could be."
Larabee stared at Ellison and received the same intense scrutiny he was dishing out. "All right, as long as it doesn't endanger my team." Simon, Jim and Blair exchanged glances. Then Jim nodded to Sandburg.
"This is going to sound farfetched, I know. But bear with me here, okay?"
/
Vin walked into the bullpen with JD right behind him. He stopped halfway to the Captain's office. The meeting inside didn't look friendly. At that moment, Chris looked up and spotted Vin. He shook his head, silently telling Tanner not to disturb them. Vin nodded and placed a hand on JD's shoulder.
"C'mon kid, Chris is busy, but I think I know what he had planned. Let's see if Rhonda can help us." As they left, Vin took one last look into Banks' office. Chris was pissed about something and Vin had an idea what it was.
