Surf's Up
/Chapter 21 /
"Problem…what kind of problem…?" the man on the other end asked impatiently.
"I have meet up with a group of NCIS agents…agents that are tracking a shipment of diamonds…your diamonds…" Ravielle stated bluntly.
"NCIS…what the hell is that, and how did they know about my diamonds…?" March asked indignantly.
"Naval Criminal Investigation Services…and apparently their case started in Las Angeles…a case of a murdered sailor. Somehow that lead them to a surf team in Hawaii and some-'as of yet identified' smugglers," Ravielle explained as his eyes skimmed over the file in front of him.
"Wait…did you say Las Angeles; did they have anyone else with them…say, a shaggy haired, smart ass of a cop …?" March questioned.
"No, no cop. But they did introduce a Commander McGarrett; some hotshot from Hawaii, leads some kind of task force…" Ravielle said and was taken aback by the sudden enraged cursing coming over the line from the old man.
"What…you know something about this…?" Ravielle finally interrupted the tirade.
"I knew he couldn't be trusted…knew he was playing us. Davenport is a dead man," March ground out angrily, "thinks just because I've been out of the game I don't know the score…can't spot a cop a mile away. That bastard thinks I'm going to lose a payday because he's a stupid ass…"
"Will you just tell me what the hell you're going on about…"Ravielle cut in impatiently, "I don't know how in the hell I'm supposed to meet up with your go-betweens when this NCIS agency has them under surveillance?"
"You won't," March said evenly. "Even if you could point this…NCIS, in another direction long enough to make the exchange it wouldn't matter…they have someone on the inside."
"What…?" Ravielle exclaimed. "How is that possible? There was nothing in the case notes to indicate they had someone undercover…"
"Hate to admit it, but the little prick is good. He's been playing Mallory and Davenport for months…stringing them along with his 'dirty cop' routine," March said, demanding, "I'm going to send you some manifests and the names of a few of Davenports buyers; I need you to find out if there were any arrests made in Brazil and Prague."
"What's that get us…?"
"The satisfaction of knowing I was right all along. If I'm right, 5-0 and this NCIS let those shipments get out to secure their man's cover. But I know cops, can't let an arrest slip totally through their fingers. I bet the arrests were made once the buyers hit their home ports…" March explained.
"Who is this guy…he some kind of agent?" Ravielle asked.
"No…" March snorted in disdain, "he's just a cop from LA. Find out how he ties in with this NCIS…"
"All that is going to take a while…don't want to draw any suspicion," Ravielle stated, asking, "in the meantime, what about the exchange?"
"The competition doesn't start for another day; lasts two more after that. Let's just let them stew for a while, chase their tails," March said.
"And the cop…?"
"Leave him be for now…we try to take him out, they'll know something's up and we'll blow the whole set up." March said, adding, "But, the price of the diamonds just went up…"
"What, you can't do that…we had a deal," the Inspector raged.
"I want that cop dead, and Davenport's flunkies buried so far under they'll never see the light of day," March dead panned through the Inspectors rage.
"Oh, in that case, the price is gladly accepted…" Ravielle said, malice in his voice.
…..NCIS LA….HAWAII 5-0….
Callen's phone rang as he and Sam were entering he hotel lobby, "Eric, talk to me…." The agent said as he and Sam boarded the elevator.
"I've been monitoring March and Davenports calls…March just made a 3 minute call to Italy…" Eric's voice came over the speaker phone.
"To Jensen…?"
"It wasn't to Jensen's number; looks like a burn phone, just activated…" Eric replied.
"Can you get a fix on the location…?"Callen asked, shooting a look towards his partner.
"Not enough time to triangulate on an international call…sorry guys …" Eric replied.
"What about all the other calls March has made…he had to have called his buyer multiple times to set up this meet…" Sam asked.
In seconds, Eric answered, "Each international call was to a different number…they must use a new burn phone for every call…"
"Thanks Eric…" Callen said, ending the call.
Callen then redialed Kensi's number, "Kensi…you got eyes on Jensen and Deeks. Any of them receive a phone call in the last fifteen minutes…didn't think so, keep eyes on them. March just make a call to Italy…so, if it wasn't to our guys then it might have been to his buyer; which means Jensen may be getting a call soon…"
…..NCIS LA….HAWAII 5-0…..
The exhibition went off without a hitch. And despite the strain of the undercover, Deeks made an excellent showing for the Coral Prince team.
"Your boys good…" Steve commented as he watched the surfer's.
"Spends every waking minute, not on a case, out there on the waves…" Kensi replied, nodding, "looks like they're coming in for the day."
Looking at his watch, Steve said, "yeah, exhibition is over…now it's the press conference and dinner party for all the contestants; the official competition begins tomorrow at 10 am."
"Jensen hasn't received a call all day…" Kensi said.
"Deeks said the buy was supposed to happen after the competition…" Steve reminded.
"Yeah, I know, I just want this all to be over…" she replied with a tired sigh.
"Hey, he's fine…" Steve said.
"I know…just too many near misses…"
"In another day or so, it will be over and we can all go home…" Steve said with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder.
Kensi nodded and gave a small smile at the support before standing and gathering their things, "teams are packing up; we better head back to the hotel."
…..NCIS LA…..HAWAII 5-0…..
Coming into the shared suite, Steve and Kensi saw Callen and Sam at the computer, logged into ops and talking to Eric.
"Hey, Kensi and Steve just showed up," Callen said, "start again with what you found out."
"I went back over all the calls March made and received in all his calls overseas, every one of them was a burn phone, used once or twice then discarded," Eric began his explanation.
"Maybe the old guy's not as clueless as we think…he knows we can't trace burn phones," Sam commented.
"Here's the map of the city and surrounding area to the surf competition…and here are the areas I have traced the incoming and outgoing calls…
" Eric continued.
"That's still a big area, can't narrow it down any more than that?" asked Steve, studying the overlay.
"No, sorry, their towers aren't set up like ours…" Eric apologized.
"Okay, try this…what's in these areas?" Callen asked.
"The area to the north is part of the downtown district. The area to the west is mostly residential," Eric supplied.
"So, whoever March's buyer is, lives and works right here in the city." Kensi said.
"Good guess, since these calls have been going back and forth for nearly four months, never leaving these two areas…" Sam agreed.
"So, any of the names on the new list Ravielle gave us live in that residential area?" Sam asked the tech.
"No, it's mostly moderate and middle class…a few affluent neighborhoods…" Eric replied.
"But not someplace a highly paid smuggler would live," Callen finished for him.
"Here are the villa's and known compounds of some of the more notorious families known for having a hand in the smuggling trade in Italy…" Eric said, keying up a new map, "and before you ask; yes, Nell and I have been monitoring incoming and outgoing calls best we can…and except for calls around the city…there hasn't been anything significant come out of any of them."
"Look at all these calls coming from this area…" Sam pointed out
"That would be around the Giaconna compound…" Eric supplied.
"And they all center all this part of the city…dozens of calls over the last two months alone…" Steve finished.
"What's there, Eric?" Kensi asked.
"That's about a four block area…mostly café's, clothing stores, a museum, a large park, and library…the police station…" Eric listed off what was popping up on his screen.
"Police station…?" Callen questioned. "The very same police station that Inspector Ravielle happens to work out of…?"
"Coincidence…?" Sam asked with a quirked brow.
"Don't know, Sam; the Inspector seem to be dragging his feet a little with helping out on this investigation?" Callen put forth with a knowing tone.
"He sure was reluctant to give us any Italian suspect names…keeps redirecting us to all the outsiders coming in for the competition," Sam replied with the Sam conversational, yet questioning tone.
Catching on to the two NCIS agents line of reasoning, Steve interjected, "Don't know about NCIS, but 5-0 would certainly be jumping at the chance to take out a major crime family…recover a million in stolen diamonds before they made it in the hands of terrorists…"
They traded nods before Callen asked, "Eric, get us everything you can on our liaison, Inspector Ravielle."
"Will do…get back with you when I find something…" Eric said, before signing off.
"Good thing Hetty left out the fact we have a man undercover…" Sam commented to the group in general.
Callen nodded, "If Ravielle is somehow involved; Deeks cover is still safe, but we've been made."
…..NCIS LA…..HAWAII 5-0…..
The next morning followed the same pattern as the day before. Kensi and Steve headed for the beach to keep an eye on Jensen and the team while Sam and Callen contacted ops for an update before going to see the Inspector.
"So what'd you find out?" Callen asked.
"Plenty…took some digging and some phone calls on Hetty's part, but we definitely found out some things about our Inspector Ravielle…" Eric began.
"First off…he's a third generation police officer; his father and grandfather both served, right there in the same precinct," Nell reported.
"Okay, that's not unusual to follow in parent's footsteps…" Sam commented with a shrug.
"What might be unusual is that all those calls to and from March's burn phones…half are in the district with the police station that Ravielle works and the other; in the residential area-where Ravielle lives," Eric reported.
"So we have phone calls from a known crime family going into the district where the police station is located…where Ravielle works," Callen said, looking at his partner.
"And phone calls from March going into the same district…again where our good Inspector works," Sam continued the line of thought.
"And some coming from the area Ravielle lives…" finished Nell.
"Strike three…" Sam said.
Shrugging, Callen then commented, "Still circumstantial…hundreds of people live and work in that downtown district and thousands more live in that residential area.
"So how are we gonna play this…Ravielle knows who we are?" Sam asked.
"Very carefully…" came Hetty's voice.
"Hetty, something else?" Callen asked.
"I've been on the phone with Interpol, getting their input on the current level of activity of the known crime families in Italy; see, it they have heard any chatter about a diamond shipment. One name came up several times in the conversation...Ravielle. It appears the family has been the center of an on-going investigation for some time now," Hetty said.
Callen and Sam exchange looks, before Callen asked casually, "…and?"
"Over the past forty years it seems the Italian authorities have been, forever, one or two steps behind their suspects during an investigation, especially when it had to do with certain well placed families…" the operation's manager continued.
"A mole…?" Sam questioned, adding. "It's not unusual for these families to actually groom family members to take jobs in law enforcement. It's cheaper and safer than extortion and doesn't leave such a big trail of bodies to be investigated."
"And let me guess, one of those families wouldn't happen to be the Giaconna's?" Callen asked as his eyes went back to the map of triangulated calls Eric had traced.
"Indeed, Mr. Callen." Hetty replied.
"So, we're thinking Ravielle is working or the Giaconna's?" Sam said.
"Not just working for them…" Nell interjected.
"Related then…? How?" Callen asked.
"His grandmother is an actual Giaconna…" Hetty answered. "And on a hunch I had Nell go back through case records from the two senior Ravielle's…"
"This just gets better and better…" Callen said.
"Lucky for us the Italian authorities are transferring and downloading their old case files to computer files…" Nell commented absently as she keyed in her data, "I put in a search of both the senior Ravielles' case files…narrowing the search specifically to smuggling cases…and on three different occasions, that I have found so far, I came across August March's name…."
"So, even thirty years ago the man was global…" Callen commented.
"Steve said he had contacts and fences all over the world…" Sam reminded his partner.
"He was always questioned but never held or charged…" Nell continued.
"You know this complicates matters. Ravielle knows who we are, and that we've followed these diamonds all the way from Hawaii; he can't risk being exposed as March's buyer," Callen said.
"He's a third generation mole for the Giaconna family, he's not going to risk his position for this buy…he can't control the case since it involves U.S. agents," Sam added.
"The buy is already set up…March himself said his buyer, most likely the Giaconna family, was just a middle man themselves; so, someone on their end has to take possession the diamonds," Callen mused.
"Let Ravielle take lead…he indeed knows who we are, but we have the one advantage that he is not aware we know who he really works for." Hetty instructed her agents, "He's going to have to arrange something quickly without compromising his family's position or bringing any scrutiny to himself or his position in the department…"
"Well, hopefully killing us is out then," Callen quipped.
"He'd have a hell of a time explaining the deaths of 4 American agents…" Sam commented.
"He was given most of the information we had, and we know the buy is going down sometime after the competition; Which means he'll have to let the buy go through…and an arrest of his own men to make it legit…" Callen commented.
"And Deeks…?" asked Sam.
"As far as Ravielle is concerned, Mr. Deeks is simply one of March's delivery men…and must be treated accordingly," Hetty said.
Sam smiled, "I get to cuff him this time…"
"Oh, kinky. Is that some kind of SEAL thing? Gonna tell him you said that," Callen teased.
…..NCIS LA….HAWAII 5-0…..
"Hetty, Ravielle moves in with the team to make the arrest…isn't that cutting off one of March's arms, so to speak. And how is that going to look if he arrests members of his own family. I thought his whole job working for the Giaconna's would be to keep them from being arrested?"
"Yes, Mr. Beale, that's true…" Hetty replied. "But, the family would have to look at the bigger picture…and on those occasions that Ravielle can't 'redirect' the eyes of the police away from his family's business, he has to be willing to sacrifice some pawns to the game."
"So, he has to sacrifice members of the family to save the rest of the family business…?" Eric commented, giving a whistle, "that's cold…"
"Firstly, you must remember what Ravielle has to appear to be to the outside…an officer of the Italian police force, so he must be seen as cooperating with the investigation to maintain his own cover. Because, without that cover, he cannot do his real job, which is protect the Giaconna family interests." Hetty explained, adding, "Also, it appears, Mr. March has a shared history with the Ravielle family; and somehow I don't think Mr. March, and by extension, Inspector Ravielle, are interested in any losses Mr. Davenport might experience; as I imaging by now, Ravielle has informed Mr. March that NCIS is in Italy. And besides, Mr. Davenport won't be left to suffer his loss for long…"
Shaking his head, Eric commented, "This is getting way too complicated. The good guys pretending to be bad guys, the bad guys pretending to be good guys. How are we supposed to keep it all straight…?"
Hetty just gave a small smile, "…what a tangled web we weave…"
Giving her own smile, Nell finished, "…when we practice to deceive."
Eric just continued to shake his head, muttering with exasperation, "don't know how reciting poetry is gonna help us here."
"We go forward and hope our deception is better than their deception…" Hetty said simply.
Trading a look with his partner, Eric said with a sigh, "that's not very encouraging."
…..NCIS LA….HAWAII 5-0…..
The next two days were filled with the surf competition.
"It's time," Jensen said after he made his way through the celebrating crowd in the lounge to Deeks and Richards, who were standing at the bar. "March just texted. Meet me out front in ten…"
"There goes the party," Deeks grumbled, shooting a look towards a red head across the bar.
"Night's still young, this drop shouldn't take anytime…" Richards said.
…..NCIS LA…..HAWAII 5-0…..
"They're on the move…" Callen said as he climbed into the backseat.
"We've got a problem G…" Sam said.
"Only one, that's refreshing…" Callen rejoined sarcastically.
"Eric was able to hack Jensen's phone…March texted him three different meet locations…" Sam informed his partner.
"Three…? Why…?" Callen exclaimed.
"Either March's buyer is one paranoid bastard, or…" Sam started to explain.
"Or…somehow we've been made," Callen finished. A knowing look exchanged with is partner.
The team had bandied about ideas of how they thought Ravielle would pull off the exchange with minimal damage to his cover and his family business, while still securing the diamond shipment. The consensus was that it would fall to whoever in the Giaconna family needed to earn their 'badge of honor' by taking the fall for the family, serving a 5-10 in some cushy country club prison. Then he would merely, as standard to the investigation, take the money and diamonds into 'police' possession…waiting then, until the investigation died down to redistribute the merchandise to its waiting owners.
This new twist, while not impossible, did pose new obstacles. So, who really had the diamonds? Who was going to make the exchange? Would it be that, Ravielle would follow one of the decoys, thus distancing himself from the actual exchange or was he more likely trying to take possession of the diamonds without the scrutiny of the American agents; perhaps even making substitutions with counterfeit diamonds…so as to appear to turn over evidence in a good faith gesture.
Callen's mind went round and round with the endless possibilities…in any case, the worst of it was the team has to split up; leaving them vulnerable to any double cross the Giaconna's may have in mind.
A quick look to his partner told him the ex-SEAL was sharing similar thoughts, and no doubt the information was producing the same debate with Steve and Kensi in the other vehicle.
Ravielle broke into their thoughts, "We will break off as each decoy is dropped at a location…a car will be dispatched with each of your teams…I will follow with whoever is last. No fear, we will make an arrest despite our quarries unorthodox approach to their exchange."
A quick call to Kensi and Steve, and the plan was a go.
.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,..,
Kensi and Steve peeled off first to follow Richards.
Surprising to the agents, it was Jensen who exited the vehicle at the next drop point.
Ravielle pulled the car over a block behind, turning to the agents, "an unmarked car is less than two blocks behind…they will pick you up here and you can move in on your suspect. I will follow the last. Before the night is over, we will have the diamonds and the money and another case well done."
Callen and Sam nodded, neither liking that Deeks would be without any of the team as back up, but not having a choice but to follow through with the plan, lest they arouse Ravielle's suspicion.
"We will meet back up at the station…the first round of drinks will be on me…" Ravielle said with a smile, before pulling out to follow Deeks.
"I don't like this G, something doesn't feel right…" Sam complained.
"Kensi, Steve…you following this…?" Callen asked, holding a finger to his ear.
"Yeah, something is definitely up…" Steve said.
"Callen, you don't think…with Ravielle's sources; do you think they made Deeks too," Kensi asked worriedly. "March didn't trust him back on the island…"
"Have Ravielle's lackey's move in for the arrest on Richards and Jensen…no matter who has them, Ravielle has to make sure they show up at the station…this arrest has to seem above board to his superiors…" Callen instructed, adding, "We're changing the game plan."