Chapter Ten
Sam and Jacob waited outside of the apartment building for their ride to the FBI headquarters. The rain had completely stopped a few minutes ago, so everything was still dripping from the shower. The sky was still gray. Sam wore her jacket and pants with the cheap shirt Jacob's friend had loaned them. All it took was one look at her blood-soaked blouse to make her accept the offer. She took another swig from the water bottle.
"Feeling anything?" Jacob asked.
"My side still hurts, but the nausea's gone."
"It'll take a few weeks to completely recover from that gunshot, so try to avoid irritating it until then."
"Will there be a scar?"
Jacob pursed his lips. "I'm not sure. He said it was a clean wound, and he patched it up good, so it should be minimal. Then again, I've had worse wounds leave no scars, and lesser ones leave some."
"Great." Sam didn't like the idea of having a permanent reminder on her body of this incident, and she sure as heck didn't like the idea of explaining it to her parents. Or anyone at school for that matter.
She looked down the road and saw a sedan slowing down as it approached the apartments. "Is that our ride?"
Jacob looked at it closely. "Yeah, I think so." Sam took another swig from her bottle.
The car slowed to a halt in front of them. A man in his mid-thirties stepped out of the driver's seat and walked around to them.
"Mr. Ravask, Miss Simpson?"
"That's us."
"Agent Elsing. I've been sent to drive you to the FBI headquarters, sir."
"Let's go, then."
Sam and Jacob got into the back seat and they started down the rain-soaked street. The car went down the road a few blocks before merging onto the highway and they headed back downtown. The roads were still wet, causing the cars to kick up a trail of mist behind them as they all went on their busy ways. Sam found it curious that all these people were totally oblivious of the danger they were in.
"Hey Elsing," said Jacob. "Any idea why they want me at the FBI?"
"No idea, sir. All I know is that I was taking a coffee break when my boss told me to go get you."
"Thank you, agent."
"Sir, if I may ask, why is she coming with us?"
"She's been injured. I thought it best she come with me before returning to WOOHP."
"Oh, I see."
They drove in silence for several minutes. Sam stared out the window at the approaching skyscrapers. One of those buildings is hiding the bomb, but which one? She looked across at Jacob as she tried to think. Jacob was also staring out his window, but she couldn't see his face. He looked like he was thinking about something.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"Nothing in particular."
"At a time like this?"
He stretched his arms. "I've been going like a machine for the past week. I'm going to take any downtime I can get."
A thought crossed her mind. "After you had me stabilized, did you call Jerry or anyone?"
"Yeah, I did. He thought it best we lay low after a screw-up like that. We were still in Ramirez's territory after all."
Sam recalled the pitiful conditions of the buildings in that area. "Hard to believe such nice people choose to keep living there."
"Well, if they moved away, then there won't be any nice people left, right?"
"That's one way of putting it."
The highway snaked around the mass of buildings at the heart of the city. Sam could see the WOOHP building, grayed by the mist still hanging in the air. The car left the highway and descended into the maze of monolithic structures.
"You know, you're a pretty nice guy under all that military toughness."
Jacob looked at her quizzically. "You think so?"
"Of course. We just don't get much of a chance to see it because we've been so occupied with the mission."
Jacob snorted. "Well, that description certainly goes against my name."
"What?"
"You know how names have meanings?"
"Yeah."
"In Hebrew, Jacob means 'He grasps by the heel.' It's the name for a sneak and a cheater."
"Oh, come on. You're just trying to keep me at arm's length."
"I'm serious! The Hebrew patriarch Jacob was born grasping his twin brother Esau's ankle. Jacob would go on to trick Esau into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew and tricking their father into giving him the blessing."
"Really? That's pretty wild. What did Esau do?"
"He threatened to kill Jacob, so Jacob ran for his life. When he returned years later with a family in tow, he was terrified of what Esau might do."
"What did he do?"
"He ran out of the camp with tears in his eyes and gave his brother a big hug."
"Crazy family."
"Almost as bad as mine."
They laughed a little. "Now that I think of it, the name does suit you. You act like a tough guy, but you're just a big softie on the inside!"
"Har har, very funny."
The car stopped in front of a building. "Here we are, sir," said Elsing.
They both said, "thanks," and stepped out. The car drove away to the garage and Sam took another swig.
"Shall we go in?" asked Jacob.
"Not like I have anything better to do, besides finding you-know-who."
They entered the building lobby. Jacob and Sam handed their weapons over to the security guards and retrieved them after stepping through the metal detector. The lobby consisted of a hallway lined with columns on either side, and a cafeteria and waiting rooms were on either side of the corridor. A pair of men in suits stood at the end of the lobby in front of the elevators as though expecting them.
"I think that's the director on the right," Jacob whispered to Sam.
"Who's the other guy?"
"No idea. Never seen him before."
They were halfway to the elevators when Sam spotted movement off to her right. She was about to say something when eight SWAT members stepped out of their hiding places on either side and aimed their submachine guns at them, and the leader yelled "Freeze!" Sam and Jacob stopped. "Place your weapons slowly on the ground and put your hands in the air!"
"What's going on?" asked Sam.
"Not sure, but do what they say!"
They placed their guns on the floor and kicked them across the marble floor before raising their hands up. The SWAT team stepped into the corridor and formed a circle around them, their guns always pointed at the two of them.
Jacob looked around and then at the director. "Am I in trouble again? Usually I only need three guards, so did I do something really bad this time?"
The director said nothing, but the man next to him spoke up. "By order of the Secretary of Defense, you are hereby placed under arrest until Operation Shooting Star is resolved." He turned to Sam. "As an accomplice, you will be placed under arrest as well."
"What the hell is going on!?" said Jacob.
The man didn't smile, but the look on his face said that he was enjoying this. "You heard me. The Secretary of Defense has placed you both under arrest."
"What for?" asked Sam.
"He has decided that agent Jacob and the WOOHP operatives have endangered this operation enough. Your little SNAFU at the museum was the last straw."
"But that wasn't our fault! The FBI-"
"Was conducting a simple sting operation to apprehend a major criminal figure." The man's slick voice and calm demeanor were grinding on Sam's nerves. It was all she could do not to clobber him right there.
Jacob looked at him closely. "Now I remember you. You're the one who tried to get rid of me after –" he remembered that Sam was standing there along with eight unauthorized personnel – "'The incident.'"
"Yes, and now I work for the Secretary of Defense. Funny how things work out."
"Where is he?"
"He's a very busy man, and couldn't be here personally. He sends his apologies."
Sam looked around in confusion. The director looked powerless against this man from the White House. She looked around at the guards. They were all focused and trained their weapons on them. Then Sam noticed none of them were looking at her. They were all focused on Jacob, and so were their guns.
Sam protested. "Wait, I thought Jerry and MacDonald had control of this operation!"
"Not anymore, they don't. MacDonald has been placed under house arrest, and Jerry would be wise not to leave his building."
"What? You're lying!" Jacob tried to motion her to be quiet.
"I assure you, I'm not lying. Why don't you call MacDonald and see? I think his line's still open."
Sam opened her Compowder and called MacDonald. The screen showed a stressed-out old man in a uniform.
"MacDonald, what's going on?"
"As you can already guess, the Secretary of Defense has assumed operational control of this mission. I am no longer in control of the operation."
Jacob leaned close so he could see. "MacDonald, since when?"
"Since about noon yesterday. After you two disappeared, someone must have assumed the situation has been leaked somehow. The Secretary decided to take a worst-case scenario approach and took control. When you contacted the FBI, he decided to place you under arrest."
"Well that's just great!"
Sam looked up at the man from the White House. "How could you do this? The museum incident wasn't even our fault!"
"True, but the fact that there was a gunfight right in the city over this matter is. If the police found you, you would have been captured and questioned. You know we can't even let the police know!"
"And what about the FBI?" asked Jacob.
"You were not to contact anyone outside of WOOHP or the Department of Defense. That little deal you and Jerry made is a blatant and dangerous breach of protocol." He faced Sam. "And you! You accepted an invitation to meet the terrorist alone and unarmed? You're worse than he is! You had a chance to apprehend him and never took it! That alone is treasonous behavior!" Sam desperately fought the urge to strike him. She was a lot of things, but a traitor definitely wasn't one of them. "I've said enough on this matter. Take them away."
Jacob held out his hands for the SWAT team to cuff him, and Sam did the same. She looked to him for some sort of encouragement, but he avoided her eyes and stared straight at the White House man.
"This is a big mistake, Carl. We're very close to discovering the bomb's location and finding the terrorist. You're placing both the operation and this city in jeopardy. And you know how far-reaching the effects of a nuclear attack will be."
Carl turned around and looked at Jacob smugly. "I'm well aware of the consequences. If you'll excuse me, I have a job to do, and you have a cell waiting for you on the fourteenth floor." With that, he boarded an elevator and was gone.
As the guards escorted them to the elevator, they passed the FBI director. He looked at them and said, "I'm sorry" before walking away.
Two of the guards followed them into the elevator and stood behind them. The one behind Jacob pushed the muzzle of his gun into Jacob's back and said, "You! Press the button! Fourteenth floor!"
Jacob complied and pressed the button. The guards relaxed their weapons and watched the floor indicator. Sam knew this elevator would be fast, and she looked around for an escape route. Her eyes found Jacob's. His eyes said, "wanna bust out?" and hers replied, "you bet."
Jacob took a deep breath, and with one fluid motion turned around, snatched the gun out of the guard's hands, and then did a second revolution and smashed the butt into the guard's head and slammed him against the wall. The second guard started to move, but froze when he saw Jacob pointing the gun right at him with his finger on the trigger. He still had the unconscious guard pinned against the wall with his elbow and he was holding the gun upside-down.
"Alright, buddy. Let's not-" Sam cut him off with a vicious foot to the jaw. Jacob hit the emergency stop button and searched the guards for the cuff keys.
"Now what?" she asked after unlocking his handcuffs.
"We're on the thirteenth floor. Guards are waiting for us on the fourteenth." He unlocked her handcuffs.
"So we climb up?"
"At least to the fifteenth, and then hopefully take the stairs down to the basement garage."
"Sounds like our chances are slim as ever." She grinned. "Let's go!"
Jacob removed the grating above them and opened the emergency hatch. He cupped his hands to give Sam a boost out of the elevator. As soon as she placed her hands on the edge of the hatch, a pair of hands reached down and pulled her up.
"Sam!"
He heard her say, "Jerry!"
Jacob looked up and saw Jerry and another agent standing over the hatch. "Well, it seems I'm right on time. I hope you two were comfortable."
"Jerry! What are you doing here?"
"I heard they were going to arrest you when you got here, so I decided to pay a little unannounced visit. Are you coming along?"
"No, I'd rather stay right here and let them arrest me. Of course I'm coming you old coot!"
The other agent reached down and helped Jacob out of the elevator. He, Jerry, and now Sam were attached to the elevator cables via tethers and a device that clamped onto the cable. Jerry handed one to Jacob and he attached it to a cable.
"Shall we take our leave of this place?" Jerry asked.
"Let's get out of here." Said Sam.
"Ladies first."
Sam pressed a button on the clamp and she began rising up the shaft.
"Up you go, Jacob."
"Age before beauty, Jerry."
"Righto!" Jerry ascended the shaft.
Jacob nodded to the agent, and they both started up. As they ascended the shaft, Jacob heard the elevator door open followed by a volley of angry curses.
Sam reached the top first. A pair of WOOHP agents stood by the open door and helped her out of the shaft. Another agent immediately took her by the arm and told her to follow him. They hurried down the hallway towards the stairs. Sam looked back to see Jerry climbing out of the shaft, and also noticed the other elevators had been sealed shut.
The agent led her to the stairwell, and they started going up. Sam could hear the sound of people running up the stairs from far below.
"Please hurry Miss Sam," said the agent.
Sam picked up the pace and felt her side hurting again. She ignored it and hurried up the stairs. The stairs ended at a heavy steel door, which the agent opened and led her onto the roof. A WOOHP helicopter was waiting with the blades spinning and a couple of agents scattered around the rooftop. He led her onto the helicopter and then returned to the door. Sam sat in one of the rigid seats and watched the door. Soon Jacob and Jerry emerged, followed by other WOOHP agents. An agent sealed the door behind them and they all boarded the helicopter. Jerry signaled the pilot to take off, and the engines revved up and the blades sped up until the helicopter gently lifted off the FBI roof and banked for the WOOHP headquarters.
Sam jumped on Jerry and gave him a squeeze. "You came! You came! You're the greatest, Jerr!"
Jerry rolled his eyes and pried her off. He straightened his tie and said, "You're both lucky the FBI director and I are on such good terms. Without him, you'd be sitting in a cell."
"And without him, we would never have had that chance with Ramirez," Jacob added.
"It's unfortunate that things have gone this way, but that's not stopping us from doing our jobs."
"What are we going to do now?" asked Sam.
"Let's leave that for when we get back. You need medical attention and Jacob needs to rest and all of us need to come up with a plan."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Sam reclined as best she could in the stiff seat, and decided to deal with their current problems later, when she had time to think straight.
WOOHP Cafeteria – 6:00 pm
Sam hobbled into the cafeteria to find Alex and Clover sitting at a table. The doctor had given her wounds a more proper treatment, but had irritated them as well, causing considerable discomfort. The girls saw her at the doorway and leaped from their seats.
"Sammie!"
They raced over to her and crushed her in their embrace. Sam's wounds sent shockwaves through her, and she told them through her teeth to let go.
"What's wrong, Sammie?" asked Alex.
"I'm still hurt. Ow, that was unpleasant."
"Oops! I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay. It's not serious. Not anymore."
Clover looked her over, noticing the bad shirt. "What happened?"
Sam noticed a bandage wrapped around Clover's right arm. "I got shot," she said plainly.
"Yeah, we heard. Was it serious?"
"Jacob said I almost bled to death, but I'm a lot better now."
Alex took her by the arm. "Come on and sit down, we just finished dinner, I'm afraid."
"That's okay, I'm not hungry."
They sat down at the table and Alex went to get some drinks.
Sam looked at Clover's bandage. "What happened there?"
"Stray bullet grazed my arm. It's not bad. I hope it doesn't scar."
"Me either."
"So tell me, why on earth is the government against us all of a sudden? Weren't we just working for them?"
"Apparently, they think we've screwed the whole thing up and decided to take over."
Alex returned with some lemonade for Sam. "Those idiots up there are going to get us all killed! We were doing just fine until we got the government involved!"
"That was our mistake." The girls turned around to see Jacob walking towards them. "Carl was right about one thing, we did go out of line by involving the Department of Justice."
Clover leaned across the table. "But that doesn't mean he can just shut us down when we're so close!"
"That's his problem now. We, on the other hand, are going to keep going."
"But Jerry said they don't want WOOHP involved anymore." Said Alex. "What does that mean?"
"I guess it makes us vigilantes!"
Alex sat back in her chair. "Wait, don't the cops usually like, hate vigilantes?"
"Always, Clover. Always."
Sam took a big gulp from her lemonade. "So this means we're now a bunch of renegades?"
"Exactly."
"Which means we'd better hurry before the Secretary of Defense figures out what's going on."
They turned and saw Jerry walking over. "Everything's still in chaos over there, and I've implemented measures to make sure it stays that way for some time."
"Jerry!" the girls chimed in unison.
"So you've bought us some time?" asked Sam.
"Yes. I don't know how much, but if it's only enough to let you get some beauty rest, then it'll just have to do."
"What if they try to come here and arrest us?" asked Alex.
Jerry smirked "I'll turn myself in if they manage to get past the first floor."
"Is that a bet?" asked Jacob.
"Never underestimate the power of red tape."
They all laughed, except for Clover, who didn't quite get it.
Sam finished her lemonade. "So what's the plan now, Jerr?"
"Now, we're all going to get some rest. Even you look like fifty kilometers of bad road, Jacob."
"I'm just fatigued. I'll sleep it off."
"We'll devise a strategy first thing tomorrow. I suggest you all turn in early tonight. Good evening, ladies!"
"Bye!" The waved as he left.
Clover turned to Jacob. "So, what's gonna happen from here?"
"I can't say. Don't expect this to get any easier. We still don't know Stephen's whereabouts or that of the bomb, so that'll probably be the first order of business."
"You know it's funny," said Alex, "in the blink of an eye we've gone from the free world's best chance to a bunch of renegades."
Clover sighed. "Man, why can't things stay simple? I'm good at being the heroine, but I can't be the villain as well!"
"Just think of yourself as an anti-hero," said Sam.
Clover pouted. "But I don't wanna be anti-anything!"
Alex patted her on the back. "Don't worry, it'll all turn out for the better, right, Jacob?"
Jacob hesitated. "I can't say yes and I can't say no, Alex. There's just too many variables right now." He got up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to turn in."
"Already?" They asked.
"I've been awake for over forty-eight hours taking care of your friend, here. I'm going to bed." With that he left the cafeteria.
After he left, Clover leaned across the table towards Sam. "So, did you get his number?"
"Clover!"