Friday – 1:10 a.m.
Bobby still wanted to blow off some steam after his meeting with Deakins and the Feds. It was just past 1:00 a.m. and, comfortable with the fact that his old buddies, White and Friedland, could handle the stakeout, he decided to stop by Carucci's for a quick beer to readjust his attitude. The usually packed bar was dim and quiet, with but a few patrons scattered about the barstools, none of whom he recognized.
He was annoyed at having the Feds butt in but had to face the fact that there was nothing he could do about it. Happy that he at least got in one parting shot, Bobby decided to turn his thoughts to more productive things: like figuring out DeMarco's next step; what the big shipment on Saturday could be and, most important, making sure that Lewis, Alex and Dave were kept out of harm's way during all of it. Gulping the last couple of ounces left in his bottle, he swung off the stool, laid a tip on the bar and headed back to the stakeout location to fill his new partners in on the events of the evening.
2:00 a.m.
Greg White sat near the window of the dark attic space, binoculars at the ready, looking for any signs of activity on the block, while Marc Friedland was sprawled on an air mattress, reading up, by flashlight, on the recent history of the Masucci family. Bobby had parked more than a block away and White, who was at first startled by the approaching figure, relaxed when he recognized it was Bobby. He turned to his partner and announced, "Goren's back."
" 'Bout time. I was startin' to wonder if he sneaked off to spend the night with his lady friend," Friedland chuckled.
The door swung open and, after giving himself a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, Bobby stepped over Friedland, tossed his keys on the table and flopped down on the air mattress with an exasperated sigh.
White and Friedland looked on, waiting for the explanation for Bobby's "down" mood.
"We're having company tomorrow," Bobby said.
"Who? We've got enough guys from the Task Force on this," Friedland objected.
Bobby rubbed a hand through his hair, then both hands over his face, letting out another sigh. "Not the Task Force – the Feds."
The three men exchanged a glance, but White and Friedland remained silent, waiting for Bobby to continue.
"Captain Deakins got called in from home tonight – I had to meet him at the office. It seems the Feds have been keepin' an eye on the Masucci's too – among others. Two guys from the F.B.I. just met with us. They got word from one of their sources that Carmine DeMarco made some calls to the Morelli family up in Providence…"
"That's interstate – that's why," White interjected.
Bobby nodded. "The Morelli people are bringing a shipment to DeMarco on Saturday—it's gonna' be delivered to Lewis' garage."
"So the bust is goin' down on Saturday?" Friedland asked.
"It doesn't seem so from the way they spoke. The one guy – Agent Warren – he plans on having Alex or Dave install audio and video surveillance on the inside before Saturday.
Friedland looked at Bobby, eyebrows raised.
"I already told 'em that our people aren't wearin' wires – it's too dangerous. They'll probably just want mini-cameras and microphones around Lewis' office and the bay.
White grabbed a Coke from the fridge and returned to his seat by the window. "If they're just installing surveillance, they must still be trying to build their case – they're after a bigger fish."
Bobby nodded in concurrence. "Let's just keep on our toes around these guys – I wanna' be a step ahead of 'em."
"Uh-oh," White groaned. "I know what that means," he said with a smirk towards Bobby.
Friedland smiled and nodded, "Look guys, I don't like it any more than you do – the Feds are gonna' piss on our turf and there's nothing we can do about it."
Bobby, head cocked to one side, shot him a mischievous grin and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we can at least try to have some fun with 'em."
"Look, Bobby," Friedland warned, holding his hands up, "I don't know how much free rein Captain Deakins gives you at Major Case, but Greg and I are in a different position now – the Mayor's office and our boss at the Task Force aren't gonna' take any crap from us. We gotta' walk the straight and narrow or we'll be out on our asses."
"You got that right," Greg said with a huff. "The good old days of the Narco squad are long gone, my friend."
"Yeah, and just remember Bobby," Friedland warned, "When you're a step ahead of somebody, you've gotta' watch your back."
"That's what you guys are here for, right?" Bobby grinned.
Simultaneously 2:00 a.m.
Vincenzo's Restaurant, Brooklyn
Half a dozen men surrounded Carmine DeMarco around the private table. DeMarco emptied his wine glass and, displaying his typical rudeness and impatience, snapped his fingers, summoning a hulking bodyguard from the darkness of the corner where he was standing. The guard removed an envelope from the breast pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to DeMarco. As the guard retreated, DeMarco snapped again – he needed a light for his cigar.
The men seated at the table didn't dare show their displeasure at the overpowering aroma, as DeMarco puffed and spewed a billowing cloud of smoke, which lazily swirled and drifted around their heads.
"The shipment is scheduled to arrive at midnight on Saturday. You're positive that everything will go as planned?"
"Yes, sir. It's all been arranged."
"Good," DeMarco said. That's what he verbalized, anyway. As he stared at the man across the table in the dark blue suit, the message conveyed by his black, cold eyes was something different. His eyes were saying, "It damned well better, or else."
DeMarco extended his arm, handing the envelope to the blue-suited man. A sarcastic smile washed over his lips. "It's been a pleasure dealing with you, Agent Warren."
END Chapter Ten
A/N: Sincere apologies for the long delay between updates. The past couple of months have been horrendous--- professionally and personally (except for one happy event: I got engaged on New Year's Eve!). Things are getting back to normal, so I once again have time for my hobbies. Thanks to all the readers/reviewers who have stuck w/ this story. It's greatly appreciated.