Surprise, i'm baaack!
I've been on hiatus for a while, but that's because I've been brain-dead for a little while. However, I'm back!
Now a few house-keeping rules:
- All characters belong to dear and wonderful Cassandra Clare
- I am sorry if I get my geography wrong. I don't know New York so I'm making up a few of these places (which you can obviously do in fan fiction, I mean hello. But some people are a bit sensitive so i apologise to that)
- To those who sent me requests, i will be getting to those in the future. I just gotta get myself on track before I begin to incorporate those fantastic suggestions of yours.
Chapter 21: Follow the Paper Trail
The Lightwoods and their brother were currently seated in a seminar room full of the top officers within the police force, each and every one of them currently waiting patiently for the Commissioner. An amber alert had been issued amongst those who'd passed the trials and everyone was curious as to why their presence was needed at this hour. It wasn't unusual for officers to be working the pre-dawn zombie shifts, but having this many officers at five a.m. was unorthodox.
Jace and Alec were seated near the back, with Isabelle sitting between them in the back row. The trio were worse for wear, having spent the last night writing up reports for the number of arrests they'd done up the past week. Paperwork was the universal word for hell in all jobs, and unfortunately no one was exempt from it in the Institute.
"What do you think we're in here for?" Someone mumbled in front of Jace.
"Another test?" A brunette replied.
"Nah, not urgent enough," they replied.
Everybody straightened up as Commissioner Penhallow entered the room, followed close behind by her assistant and Agent Hodge Starkweather from the C.I.A department. It was surprising to everyone how erratic their body language was – Commissioner Penhallow was generally more graceful in her strides; today she was the epitome of stress
"Officers, I'm sorry to call you out this early in the morning," Jia stated in a stressed out tone, "But we have an urgent situation." She extended one hand out to the grey-haired agent to her right. "I'd like to introduce to you Agent Hodge Starkweather from the C.I.A department – yes, the real one. Agent Starkweather will be explaining to you why each of us within this room is gathered at such an hour."
"Damn right he'd better," Isabelle mumbled behind Jace, slumping down and pressing her forehead against his back. "I have sleep to catch up on."
"It's only five a.m., Izzy," Alec mumbled towards her. "You get up a lot earlier than this just to fix your hair."
"Shut up Alexander," Isabelle groaned beneath her breath, punching him squarely between his shoulder blades.
Agent Starkweather had a sour look on his face as he stared out amongst the group gathered before him. He didn't exactly have the trust-worthiest features, and his aura was anything but caring or grateful. "Recently, a man named Malachi Dieudonne was brought into the Institute not too long ago by a few of your fellow officers. We began to interrogate Mr. Dieudonne and successfully received a confession about all his dealings regarding known mafia boss, Valentine Morgenstern."
The projector screen lit up behind him on the wall and displayed an image of the middle-aged white-blonde man wearing a somber expression, dressed to the nines in an expensive suit. Jace studied the haughty expression on Valentine's face, feeling a surge of annoyance for this lowlife rise within him.
"Unfortunately, Malachi died before we could gather anymore information from him."
"Cause of death?" Jace inquired.
"Bullet to the head," Hodge replied lifelessly. "The convoy unit escorting Mr. Dieudonne to a off-shore black site encountered a few hiccups along the journey. It wasn't until after they arrived that they found his brain splattered all over the walls, along with the guards inside the compartment with him. From our investigation of the crime scene, we believe that one of Valentine's personal agents infiltrated the vehicle and ended his life to prevent further information from being spilled."
"Must've been someone with a military background," Alec whispered under his breath. "no ordinary guy can just get in and out of an armored truck without rousing suspicion."Jace couldn't help but agree with his brother's thoughts.
"Regardless of Mr. Dieudonne's death, my department managed to grab ahold of Malachi's possessions, included a ledger and a logbook of all the shipments Valentine has been making within the last month. Valentine has scheduled a shipment of stolen cargo to enter the dockyards in Brooklyn at eleven a.m. today, and our plan is to at the very least, set a trap for Valentine and his men. His workers will begin assembling the cargo in a near-by warehouse for pick-up, and Valentine will be visiting to ensure that everything is according to plan. The minute he comes in, all of you will the secure the area while my men go in and take Valentine under custody."
Jace's blood began to boil. Finally, they were getting somehow. The blonde had been starving for real life action; car chases could only satisfy one for so long until you remembered the adrenaline one gets from dodging bullets in the air.
"This is where you lot come in," Commissioner Penhallow intervened. "While it is important that we retrieve the blacklist items, and the mafia boss, today's mission will serve another purpose. This will be the final test for the Honor Squad."
Instantaneously the entirety of the officers within the room sat up to full attention as the severity of her words sunk into their brains. Commissioner Penhallow's eyes sharpened like an eagles as she looked throughout the room. "As of this moment onwards, Agent Starkweather will be taking full of this operation. I expect each of you to perform at the peak of your abilities. I don't want anybody slacken about on this job. Do so, and you'll find an empty desk the minute this unit arrives back. I will be watching your teamwork skills from here at the Institute. Critical judgment is a necessity at this point, and if you falter for even a second in this mission, and teamwork is of the utmost importance in this job of ours. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Ma'am," the room chorused loudly, respect resonating through their voices.
The commissioner looked over at Hodge with a slightly bemused face. "My officers are under your command now," she said forwardly. "Do with them what you will, but rest assured that if the C.I.A screws up in my jurisdiction, I'll be bringing this up with your boss. This is the last time I let you guys waltz in without introduction and take over my job."
"Be grateful that we're even considering letting you guys help out," Hodge said smarmily. "You guys need to be taken down a notch." Hodge looked across the individuals within the room and huffed. "This unit will be mobilizing at eight-hundred hours. Be ready by the time that hour comes."
"Yes sir!"
Thursday morning came and the weather was quite foggy in Brooklyn harbor. A thick shroud of mist hung over the dockyards like a silver curtain, and there was a certain chill in the air that no one could clearly identify.
All the officers were spread throughout the area, waiting in various sectors of the dockyards as workers moved to and fro from a freight ship docked in the harbor, shifting large crates on land via cranes, and using the fork-lifters to carry them all into the big warehouse. They were persistent in their jobs, and quite specific in the fine details. From observation alone, Jace could tell that these guys were use to doing dealings with Morgenstern's lot throughout the past. Not a single man loitered about, and everyone kept up a constant pace, never faltering for a moment.
Jace, Isabelle, and Alec were based around the loading bay, waiting for the arrival of their target. They were dressed in typical jackets and jeans, with Isabelle wearing a beanie to hide her mass of silk black locks and a warm puffer jacket over the top. Even now and then, the earpieces clipped in their ears would buzz to life as the other team leaders radio-checked their zones, reporting back to Hodge who was up in a Tech-BUS. The vehicle itself was an armored truck filled with all the necessary electronics needed for a covert operation; from cameras' and live feeds across national television, to a weapons cache stored onboard for emergency purposes. Earlier on the CIA agents that were apart of this mission had bugged all the corners of the warehouse both inside and out, ensuring that they had eyes and ears in all the right places.
Jace stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and sighed. Jace's patience had a short lifespan, and the one thing he absolutely loathed was waiting in the field for things to get going. He looked out and watched a few boats drift across the top of the water, causing the river to spray behind them and create rainbow's.
"How are things going with you and that Fray girl?" Alec asked, breaking the silence in the air.
Jace turned to face Alec, who was leaning against one of the shipping crates. His mind went fuzzy as he pictured Clary back at Java Jones. He'd seen how completely relaxed she was in that place, as if it were a second home to her. When he first saw her with Simon, how easy-going and careless she'd been with him, he'd felt a tinge of envy. But when she saw him, the green-eyed monster disappeared into oblivion, because she'd gifted him with a secret smile reserved only for him – one that reached right up to her eyes and displayed the most of her emotions.
"Interesting," Jace replied honestly. "Clary's quite an interesting individual to talk to. She's quite mature for her age."
"Something that you're not," Isabelle snorted.
Jace glared at the dark-haired girl but continued his musings aloud. "There's a playful side that comes out every now and then from her. And I don't know why, but… I don't want to let her go. There's just something about her that keeps drawing me in."
"My, my, if I didn't know any better I'd say that someone's in love," Alec teased. "I still need to have a proper meeting with her – I didn't get to talk to her so much that night at Pandemonium."
"That's because you were too busy canoodling with the big man himself," Isabelle said shrewdly, her eyes sparking up.
Jace's own interest sparked up as he looked at the now blushing man. "That's right – getting a little cozy with old Magnus Bane, were we?"
The older of the Lightwood siblings began to blush bashfully at their words. Thankfully, the radio crackled to life and saved Alec from further interrogation from his siblings. He checked in on the com-link before nodding and looking back at the grinning duo before him. "There are three cars coming in the east entrance. Standard SUV vehicles, but knowing Valentine he would have refurbished them with a few extra gadgets. Guys up top are warning us to steer clear and be on guard."
"Got it," His siblings replied in unison.
They moved behind the large metal shipping crates and watched as the cars swerved in around the corner, parking up in V formation. All the occupants of the vehicles vacated the cars, each of them carrying a loaded automatic rifle in their hands. The last to come out of the vehicle was a man with silver-blonde hair, dressed in elegant dress pants, a grey blazer and dark aviators over his eyes, partially obscuring his features from those around him.
"I'm a little star-struck," Jace said sarcastically. "I mean look at it – Valentine Morgenstern, infamous underworld black market trafficker and arms dealer, standing a few metres away from us.
"Can't complain there," Alec agreed. "Feel quite honored being able to take him out."
Jace spared a glance over at his brother and grinned maniacally. "If it turns into a full-on fight, I dibs on taking out Valentine."
Alec smirked darkly at the golden blonde. "Sure, you can put the cuffs on him – after I cripple the man for you."
"You boys," Isabelle groaned. "Must it always be a competition between you two?"
"Of course," Alec replied. "Need to give Jace a chance to catch up on the scoreboard, you know. He's quite far behind too, if memory serves."
"I believe it's actually thirty-six: thirty-one in my favor," Jace corrected. "Getting a little bit senile there, brother."
"Both of you – shut up," Isabelle interrupted. She wrenched the radio out of Alec's pocket and reported back to Hodge. "Target is on the move and is making his way towards the warehouse."
"All officers converge on the target. I want Valentine trapped like a cornered rabbit. Make sure none of the workers get away with any of the shipments either."
"Yes sir," the officers echoed on the radio link.
Jace, Isabelle, and Alec nodded at one another before sprinting off towards the docks. The three individuals knew the strengths and weaknesses of one another, and had an understanding of how each one moved. The Lightwood siblings moved with all the grace and stealth of a pair of panthers on the prowl, but it was Jace who lead onwards with stealth of a lion on the prowl. Jace pulled the gun from his jacket and held it carefully in both hands as he maneuvered himself around the shipping containers, calculating every step to ensure that not a single movement was wasted.
The officers split themselves into three groups and made their way towards three different points of access to the warehouse. Alec went with a group up the stairwell along the side of the building, taking point from up top to ensure they had a bird's eye view from above. Isabelle tarried behind the back of the second group that headed around to the back entrance, effectively blocking off any chances of escape. Finally, Jace lead the frontal assault and headed towards the front of the warehouse, followed closely behind by the rest of the officers. Their job was to incapacitate and take hold of Valentine before he could grasp control of the situation and issue commands for retaliation.
"Squad one in position," an officer radioed in.
"Squad two has the green mark."
A fellow officer stood against the wall of the warehouse and held the walkie-talkie up to his lips. "On my mark – ready… GO!"
Chaos ensued as the police officers invaded the warehouse, guns raised up to eye level as they began to shout out in the open-spaced building. The hired workers dropped the crates in surprise, struck dumbfounded by surprise and fear.
Jace focused on the guards who surrounded Valentine and trained his gun on the silver-blonde as he neared him.
The workers were in a state of panic and were herded about like cattle into a corner by Isabelle's group. Valentine's bodyguards began to shoot wildly but stopped shortly after they started. Red laser beams were pinpointed on each of them, with a vast majority aimed at the silver-blonde's back.
"Move and we shoot," Alec vowed publicly.
Jace watched from the corner of his eye as Isabelle elbowed a frisky worker in the mouth, wiping away his blood off her arm. The man got the message through and through and slumped back down with the rest of the lot, glaring miserably at the guards around them. The blonde looked back over towards Valentine and kept his gun steady as he made his way towards him. The man may have a few years on him and thugs to his dirty work, but he wasn't one to be trifled with. He could do some serious damage all by himself, regardless of whether he had a knife or not. Jace moved around the man and face him head on, studying his face.
"Hello there, Mr. Morgenstern," Jace goaded. "How are we today?"
The man before him snickered. "So the C.I.A sends in their rookies to do the hard job. What poor judgment on the their part. " Valentine's voice was strong, commanding like a king's. "Do they think that they can capture me with just a bunch of newbies?"
Jace smirked. "Actually they came crawling to the door of the NYPD's best and brightest to bring your ass in. And guess what? We've got you cornered like a thieving rat in a trap."
The man grinned maniacally and his lower lip trembled. "You're quite entertaining you know that? But you've got this whole thing wrong."
Alarm bells rang inside Jace's head but he remained calm, leaving no opportunities for the mafia boss to get inside of his head.
"Herondale," Hodge called in. "Just cuff the man and bring him in. Stop tap-dancing with the bastard and do your job."
Jace ignored his superior's orders, pushing them to the back of his brain. He moved closer to the suspect before him. "Why am I wrong exactly?"
The man tilted his head and raised both hands before him high in the air. His lower jaw moved in a chewing motion before he stopped. "Let's just say that I'm just the middle-man here."
A tremor ran through the man's body and his mouth began to foam wildly. His body crumpled down on the ground and Jace rushed in towards him, cussing under his breath. He looked around and his eyes widened as he saw the bodyguards begin to convulse in unison, there eyes rolling in the back of there heads as they slammed their bodies onto the ground in a mangled heap.
Cyanide pill, he registered as he ran to Valentine. He tried to keep the man awake as he held him up, forcing him to spit the remnants of the pill out of his system. The convulsions ran simultaneously for a further few seconds before they stopped altogether. Jace kept his body still as he felt the body loosen in his arms
Shit.
"Someone call the ambulance!"
Goddammit.
"—Hodge down here now! Suspects are down—"
Why the hell would he end his life just like that?
Jace let the body roll down onto the ground, watching the glasses roll off his face. His entire mind raged against the scenery around him, refusing to believe what had just transpired. The blonde was in a state of shock, unaware of the other individuals that came to search the body.
Why the hell would he do that?
Jace stared back at the face, looking at the man's wide-eyed expression. The frothy foam had dried up around his mouth, tinged by a slight pink residue, and his dark grey-black eyes were frozen in perpetual fear of the unknown that waited beyond the gates of death.
Jonathan placed the binoculars back on the dashboard and revved the motor up, whisking the polluted river below. He felt pleased at the outcome that had occurred today – albeit a little disappointed with the lack of bloodshed. He'd hoped to see a bit more ferociousness in the hired help, but alas they weren't ordered to put on theatrics for the cops.
Before he ripped the life out of Malachi, he'd found out just how much the man had spilt to the NYPD and had carried a contingency plan to through those filthy bluebloods off his father's trail. All he had to do was make a few calls to the original freight boat, ask them to dock in earlier outside of New York and remove majority of the valuables to a separate facilities before continuing it's way back to Lady Liberty's home. It wasn't hard to find loyal men working under Valentine's reign, so those men weren't exactly a loss. There were always many more soldiers who were eager to replenish the ranks of Morgenstern's Empire. The look-alike was a bit harder to persuade – Jonathan had found the man after getting the blonde from the Seelie Court to search up doppelgangers for his plan, and he was the closest by far. Initially he'd been stubborn and refused Jonathan's generous offer of payment, but after a few words of 'encouragement' from his family members, he'd finally agreed to throw his life away. It was wonderful how far blackmail could go - the results themselves were always more effective than if they volunteered of their own accord.
Jonathan threaded a hand through his white-blonde hair and twisted the boat towards another harbor. The young bachelor allowed himself a moment to indulge in his victories and proceeded to ring up his father to tell him the good news.
"Yes."
"The problem has been remedied," Jonathan said. "I cleaned up the mess that your accountant caused for us. Neither the police nor the C.I.A will be searching for us anytime soon, father. I assure that everything will be on schedule."
"How much cargo was lost to this plan of yours?" His father questioned on the other end.
"Not much – I had some acquaintance's of ours bring in a few replica's to make it look more authentic, and I left in some of the less pricey artifacts to ensure that they wouldn't look to closely."
His father remained silent on the end before giving a calculated reply. "Do you think you did good business my son? Throwing in a number of blacklist art pieces and priceless artifacts – which has taken me month's to refine and prepare for this upcoming auction of ours, mind you – into the gaping mouth's of those pathetic, so-called 'righteous' defenders of the law? Do you believe it was worth it Jonathan?"
Jonathan gripped his phone tightly and let the boat lull to a slow stop along the water. His father was enraged, that alone was obvious. But Valentine should've known to be prepared for loss of stock the moment his stupid accountant went into the station. No one keeps quiet for very long - not even those who claim to be the most loyal. The only way to prevent secrets from spilling was to send them to their grave before the very seeds of doubt grew within their mind.
"Yes, I do," he challenged. Jonathan was tired of his father's stand-over tactics; every-time he went to go remedy a problem, there was always something lost in the process to ensure complete success. Jonathan knew that sacrifices were necessary, but Valentine believed that the sacrifices should come from the pockets of others, not that Jonathan minded. However, it was infuriating how high the bar Valentine had set for his children, when he himself couldn't even achieve these aspirations.
"We'll see. The aftermath of this plan of yours will indicate how successful you've been."
Jonathan ended the call and proceeded to drive along the Hudson river, speeding up to a fair one-hundred and eighty miles per hour. There was a nice barista girl that he knew that worked at a diner down by the harbor. Maybe she might be able to help alleviate his anger issues with a bit of personal one-on-one time.
There you go guys, that's your next chapter up and running.
First off, I'd like to thank all those who've been following this story, and to those who have recently started following - you guys are great :D Don't forget to review my work.
Second of all, I have a query for all of you guys: What are your thoughts on the book-to-series adaptation of TMI to 'Shadowhunters' on ABC. And also, what do you think of the casting for the characters? Are you:
a)Like
b)only seen the movie so you have no idea whatsoever
c)'no, that is not what _ is suppose to look like! Do it again u stupid directors!
I'm aware that this could probably start a fandom war, but it's fine - i can just go back to the books if ABC break my heart and screw up TMI.
REVIEW PLEASE! THAT'S WHAT FUELS MY CREATIVITY FIRE!