Chapter 36
Thanks once again to everyone who's sticking with this story. Please continue to read and review, let me know what you think! For all who asked, thank you, yes, my daughter is much better now. It stinks when the kids are sick! To those who are leaving reviews under "guest" I thank you for your time, but cannot respond personally to you. Thank you too, to all of those who are reading my older stories. Have a wonderful day everyone!
The days passed and Sue was once again caught up in the intricate details of bureau work. Tara was working with Sue on a surveillance video that had come in from a bank on the corner nearest a suspicious package that was found to contain bomb making materials. Sue was working to decipher any clues that were hidden by it not having any sound. The two had been working on the material for the better part of six hours. In that time, she had established that there were certainly good people left in this world as a teen helped a woman pick up her spilled bag of groceries, and a young woman ran after a mom and baby with a dropped toy. She also had seen a woman get mugged by two thugs who stole her pocket book. Tara immediately followed them to a getaway car, took down their plate and passed it along to the DC police. Sue witnessed a drug exchange and took notes on their next drop, which they also passed along to the local police force.
"Gees, we should get an accommodation for all of these crimes we're solving just by watching this video!" Tara said with a chuckle.
"Who knows, maybe we will!" agreed Sue.
The two ladies looked at each other and simultaneously said "Nah!" and laughed.
After almost 9 hours of video, a man was spotted pulling a laundry cart around the corner. He was knocked over by two teen age boys running, and horsing around, and the bomb making supplies spilled from his cart, and wound up under the bench outside the jewelry store where it was later noticed and secured.
"Tara, can you slow it down and blow it up for me? Rewind it a little?" Sue asked. Tara tweaked the keyboard in front of her, and the image got bigger and crept at a snail's pace.
"Better?" Tara asked. Sue nodded. Sue watched the man's mouth intensely as he talked on his phone just before the incident. The pair spoke about a meeting place but little else. Sue leaned toward the screen without thinking, and when she did, her necklace fell out of her blouse. On the end dangled a diamond ring. Tara's mouth dropped open as she reached forward and held it in her hand. Sue didn't notice Tara's reaction. She turned to Tara to ask her to adjust the camera angle or pull up the images from the other camera footage they have when she noticed the "O" shape her friend's mouth was forming. Sue looked at her curiously.
"What's wrong?" Sue asked looking back at the screen. It was then that Tara pulled the necklace enough for Sue to feel it move. Sue gasped and her cheeks turned crimson.
"What's this?" Tara asked shocked.
"Umm… nothing. It's just a necklace." Sue said quickly and tucked it inside her blouse once more.
"Oh, no! You can't hide a rock that big from me!" Tara gushed. "Oh, my God. Are you engaged?" She asked surprised. "You're engaged!" Tara said rather than asked. Sue bit her lip trying desperately to find a way out of answering that question without lying to her.
"It's just a ring." Sue said smiling, trying hard to hide her nervousness.
"No. That is a diamond. Diamonds are engagement rings." She said.
"Who ever made up a rule like that? I mean, really… that's like saying because I have blonde hair I can't drive a blue car… makes no sense." She said trying to steer the conversation.
"Oh, no you don't Sue Thomas!" Tara exclaimed. "Who?" She asked. There was silence between the friends. "It's Jack! It's Jack, isn't it?!" She said. Sue blushed a deep red and shushed her friend immediately.
"Shhh. Why don't you just yell it!?" Sue scolded.
"Oh. My. God. You and Jack got engaged? When did you start dating?" Tara said, a lot softer. "Wait, how did you know I was loud?" Tara asked.
"Your facial expression. I can tell when you're excited, and loud!" Sue explained.
"Interesting. So… is that an engagement ring? And did Jack, our Jack give it to you?" Tara asked.
"You're not going to leave this alone are you?" Sue asked. Tara shook her head. Sue cringed and took a deep breath. "You have to swear secrecy and you'll be quiet!" Tara nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. It's an engagement ring, and Jack Hudson gave it to me in Virginia when he asked me to marry him." Sue said. Tara squealed as quietly as she could manage.
"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you guys!" She paused. "Wait. What about work?" Tara asked.
"We haven't figured that out yet, that's why I'm wearing it on a necklace and why we haven't said anything yet." Sue explained. "Please don't tell anyone, please."
"Your secret is safe with me." She said as she zipped her mouth and tossed the 'key' over her shoulder. "When's the big day?" She asked.
"We haven't really made any plans yet. I think we're still trying to get used to it and find a way to break it to D…" Sue said with an unhappy look on her face. "I promise though, when I know something, I will let you guys know."
"I think we should bring our findings to the rest of the team." Tara said with a wink. Sue smirked, hoping that Tara could really keep the secret. She knew it was Lucy she really needed to worry about, but it still made her nervous that others were starting to find out.
Jack was on the phone with an informant when Sue approached him with a piece of paper that held an address. Jack looked up and noticed Sue had a promising look in her eyes.
"What ya got?" He asked as he hung up the phone.
"Not sure, but it's an address. A meeting place between our bomb supplies delivery boy and presumably the party waiting for the bomb." Sue answered.
"Awesome!" He said. "Let's go."
"Wait, shouldn't we get a team together?" Sue asked.
"We will, but I have a lead I need to follow." Jack said. "Bobby, follow up on this will you? Get DOT over there to sit on the place until something happens or we get back." He said handing him the address Sue had obtained.
"Will do." Bobby said grabbing his coat and Myles.
"Where are we going?" Sue asked.
"We might have found where the materials for the explosive device were purchased. We're going to go talk to a store owner." Jack answered.
"Store owner?" She asked.
"Yup. Tech is telling us the products are every day, over the counter products that can be found at your local mom and pop store. They tracked down a serial number to a place about a quarter of a mile from where we found the bag." Jack explained as he and Sue made their way to the garage.
"That's great." Sue said, but her comment didn't seem to have anything behind it. Once they got into the car, Jack turned to her.
"What wrong?" He asked. Sue looked at him, not sure if she should tell him. Nervous.
"Tara knows." She said, barely above a whisper with a look of horror on her face.
"Knows?" He asked.
"About us." Sue clarified.
"Uhh… how did she figure that out?" Jack asked, surprised.
"She saw my ring. I'm sorry Jack, it fell out of my shirt…" Sue said, feeling guilty.
"Oh." Jack said.
"Are you angry?" Sue asked, unable to read his expression.
"Angry?" Jack looked at her curiously. "No." He leaned toward her, grazing his hand across her cheek and lightly kissing her on the cheek.
"Honey, I'm not upset." He paused. "I'm not happy that someone found out, but I'm not happy that we can't shout it from the rooftop either." He said trying to reassure her. "Well, let's just hope she won't say anything."
"I don't think she will. I asked her not to." Sue said. He paused and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to ask D for a transfer. I've been thinking about it, and it seems like the only real option we have. It's not going to be long before others find out. We're either going to slip, or someone else will see the ring or..." Jack began.
"Jack, you can't quit!" Sue protested. "You love this job. You're good at this job."
"Sue, I'm not letting you leave your dream job that you've worked so hard for. I'm a lawyer, I can get another job." He said. "Let's just forget about this for now…"
"Jack you can't make a unilateral decision on something this big in our life." Sue protested.
"Sue…
"You know what, you're right. Let's talk about it later, ok?" Sue said.
"Sure." Jack agreed as they pulled up to the store on the paper.
XOXOX
Jack and Sue had secured details about the man who purchased the materials found. That was enough to secure a warrant to search the warehouse that DOT had been watching for the past 12 hours.
DOT had sat on the warehouse that was to be the meeting place for the drop all night, but no one had come or gone. Jack wanted to get out to the location with the team and serve the warrant they'd managed to secure.
D put Jack in charge of the team leading the search of the warehouse. The team members congregated just outside the perimeter of the warehouse lot. Sue and Tara took visual and com lead while Jack, Bobby, Myles, D and an entire SWAT team inched onto property. DOT had noted there was what seemed to be internal movement inside the warehouse they'd been sitting on. No one knew had entered, but no one knew for sure what they would encounter once they got inside. Jack ordered half of the swat team to go around the left side. The other half to go to the right. He and Bobby would take the rear loading docks while D and Myles would take the front office entrance.
Jack and Bobby indicated they'd gotten inside the warehouse and were making their way toward the front of the building. It was quiet, almost too quiet for a warehouse. Jack stopped Bobby, putting his finger to his lips, he pointed to his ear then made a circling motion. Bobby nodded and shrugged. Jack pointed to the side walls then the ceiling. He and Bobby both looked for security cameras, and once they were sure there weren't any, Bobby proceeded to the right. Jack straight up the middle of the 3000 square foot, completely empty concrete floor. Jack was hesitant but hid behind the large support pillars in the center as he inched his way forward.
Jack focused on the door on the far corner and indicated for the handsome Aussie agent to move forward. Bobby slipped up the wall at a gazelle's pace, ducking below a picture window that shown into a conference room. He peered along the side of the glass into the dark room before checking the door handle, only to find it locked. Bob crept toward the double doors which led to a dimly lit hall. The doors had 6 by 12 inch glass windows, but nothing could be seen from their location.
Bobby directed Jack to move onward. Jack heard the scuffing of a shoe and held steadfast against the pillar. Bobby was crammed into the corner created by the seam in the wall and the door, trying not to be seen. Jack dared a peak from the far side of his open air hiding place. He spotted two men, armed, standing at the swinging doors. The doors stood partially opened as the men had a smoke and talked about getting a beer when all this was done.
"A beer? You're thinking awful small time, aren't you there Jose?" The Asian man asked.
"Well, that's the first thing I'm doing. I figure I will need a brew to chill after this deal is done. I don't like the kind that Henderson is dealing with. Told him that from the beginning, but the money is good." He Hispanic partner answered.
"Yeah, real good." The other replied.
"Where do you think that joker is?" The second man asked.
"I don't know. This isn't my supply guy, it's Henderson's, remember? He probably got greedy- wants a bigger piece of the pie." He answered.
"Santana, you think he coulda' bailed?" Chang the fair skin man asked. His hair was very dark, with matching eyes. His look could freeze a Saint's heart. He sported a scar, no less than six inches long from his ear to his chin on his right cheek.
"Not if he knows what's good for him. Henderson will cut is tongue out. And that's before he begins to torture him. He likes that stuff." Chang answered.
They both stamped out their butts and headed back to the office, none the wiser of the two veteran FBI agents presence. Both of whom took a millisecond to breathe a sigh of relief for avoiding being seen and blowing the entire operation.
From Myles vantage point, he could see three men in an office talking. One, taller, older with greying hair seemed to be in charge, and angry. He was able to focus a thin pen camera on the ledge for the half of the team that was set up in the van a half a mile away.
Tara was furiously cataloging what she saw and began to run a computer analysis on the contents while Browne, a training agent, took notes as to what Sue could read.
Sue turned from camera to camera trying to find a better angle to read the lips of the motley crew. As Sue spun quickly, to look to her left, she strained her side, pulling something deep inside her surgical site. It was immediate white pain, so strong, so powerful that it took her breath away and brought tears to her eyes. Her face flushed as she tried to regain her composure and push down any physical pain and response to it. She gasped and winced in pain and took an extra second to look back at the screens. Tara noticed immediately, and watched her carefully.
"Sue?" Tara asked, reaching for her arm. Sue looked at her, in obvious pain. "You OK?" Sue nodded and turned her focus back to the screens.
"I'm OK." She said, not looking at her team mate again.
"Where the hell is this guy?!" The grey haired man yelled as he slammed his fist onto the desk top. He turned quickly toward a snarly looking, younger man with dirty blonde hair. "Henderson! This was your fu…" Sue blushed slightly.
"Wow. I think he earned a degree in profanity. He's definitely good at it." She remarked. Sue continued to watch as the older man grabbed Henderson by the front of the shirt, balling it in his fist. He reached for a fist full of hair and moved within millimeters from his nose. Spittle spewed from between his teeth and his face became a dark maroon as the expletives and threats gushed toward the now cowering wimp of a man barely standing before of him.
"Where is he?" He shouted letting go of his shirt and hair, throwing him to the floor of the office.
"I-I-I I don't know." Henderson answered, nearly wetting himself. "He'll be here! He'll be here." He said trying to calm his partner.
"You'd better hope so. I have no problem with killing you." He said.
"He will Mr. Houser, he will." Henderson said once more. He gave his cheek a wipe with the back of his hand and started looking on his cell phone. Mr. Houser nodded his head toward one of his goons to check out what Henderson was really doing on the phone.
"We'd better make our move soon." D whispered into his mouth piece. "This guy won't make it if he starts on another rant."
Jack and Bobby could hear the conversation from the van and other members of the team and decided it was now or never. Jack threw his hand, index finger pointing, toward the doors and he and Bobby took off stealth like through the double doors and down the hall toward what they presumed was the office. They approached the office door, which the first two hoods had left ajar.
Jack whispered. "D, it's on you." As quietly as he could.
"On my count." D said in a calm voice. "Jack, you've got one you can't see in your vicinity, eight o'clock." D's breath was audible. "One… two… GO!"
All hell broke loose. D, Myles and three SWAT stormed the front door of the office, dropping smoke bombs and holding high powered weapons on the group.
Henderson reached to the back of his pants for his gun, but decided against it. Houser lunged for the desk, wiping open the top drawer, managing to grab the weapon, but Myles got off a shot, hitting him in the upper shoulder, outer arm. A SWAT officer tackled him, pressing his automatic weapon to his chest. It was over for Houser, and he knew it.
Simultaneously, Jack and Bobby stormed in through the cracked warehouse entrance to the office. Within minutes, the entire crew was wearing silver bracelets.
"We've got trouble- company!" Tara exclaimed. Everyone took cover in the office. The SWAT team took the prisoners into the warehouse to keep them out of sight. The outer door flew open and a man entered, angry.
"Boss! I got knocked off!" He yelled, not noticing the path of destruction before him.
"Oh, come now. That's not exactly true, now, is it Pinocchio?" Bobby asked.
"Oh, no, let him weave this tale of his… I love a good comedy." Myles mocked as he held the late comer so D could cuff him. Jack smiled and called 'all clear'.