Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jacob ended up not giving Sam the bite.
"It wouldn't have been worth it," Leah had told him, watching her husband's still form from the other side of the glass window. It had been days after Jacob had made the offer; he truly hadn't wanted to do it. At least, not personally. But Leah knew that if she had agreed to it, he would have done it in a drop of a dime. "The doctors say he'll recover eventually. We're just waiting for him to wake up."
Two weeks later, Sam was still in a coma and was still considered "stable".
Leah visited him when she could, usually after work, more to make sure he was still breathing. From time to time, she'd consider speaking to the man, but she could never voice the things she wanted to say. She didn't even know what she wanted to tell Sam— that could be left to his friends, his family, and Emily.
Whose baby was due in a matter of weeks.
The baby. She had thought by now; she would fully digest the whole thing. She would get over it and move on, but... a baby.
"She's expecting soon, isn't she?" Allison asked as she handed Leah a cup of tea. It was seven in the evening, about an hour since Jacob dropped Leah off at the hospital following the end of their workday.
Leah planned to say for a bit before heading home. She refused to spend the night over; she didn't think her emotions (and stress) could handle it. "Yeah," she said before taking a sip of her tea. "Thanks for this."
"You looked you needed it," Allison said before taking a sip of her tea. She glanced at her son and let out a sigh. "I hope he wakes up before then."
"Me, too," Leah admitted. It was hard seeing him like this. "There's hope. The doctors say that he's doing fine, relatively speaking and—"
"He loves you, you know."
Leah sighed, exasperatedly at her mother-in-law's words. "Allison."
"It's true," Allison insisted, but there was no fight behind her words. It was as if she, herself, wanted to believe that Sam was in love with his wife like he should be. "He just does stupid things."
Allison wasn't being malicious in pulling on Leah's heartstrings. She was trying to rationalize everything. Leah understood it; Sam was Allison's son. She loved him dearly despite everything.
But Leah didn't want to hear about Sam's supposed feelings towards her. If he loved her, really loved her, then he wouldn't have pulled all of this shit.
"It's over," Leah said with such finality that there was no room to suggest otherwise.
Allison was a bit disappointed, but not surprised. "I understand," she said. "Like I said before: didn't think much of you when Sam told me the news, but now, knowing the truth, I completely understand."
Leah stared at her mother-in-law. Ah, she now understood. She didn't want Leah to leave; she wanted the couple to work things out. But Leah was passed that point; she had been over it ever since she found out about Emily's pregnancy. It would have been just too much on her emotions, especially in her line of work.
She'd like to live a personal life without much drama, thank you.
"Of course, she wants you to stay," Aisha would tell her the following morning during an afternoon coffee-run. "She doesn't hate you, and her son is currently out of commission. A divorce is the last thing she wants to hear, not that she can make a decision."
Her friend was right, but, "He's in a coma."
Aisha eyed Leah. "Are you having second thoughts about your marriage?"
Absolutely not. Leah was going to charge right through this, come Hell or high water.
"I wanted to be done with everything by the end of the year," Leah said. "I just want it to be over. And now, with everything going on and— wouldn't pursuing this while Sam's like that make me a bitch?"
"Not, at all," Aisha insisted. "You'd be amazed how much marriages end after a serious accident or illness. It's the stress that screws everything up. No one would judge you… at least, not more than they already are. The marriage was done even before Sam went on that assignment."
Maria (and two of her bodyguards) was arrested early Wednesday morning.
The higher powers of the Chicago Police Department weren't too thrilled about the clear violation of the Deal, but as Paul had mentioned previously, "I can give two fucks about what those fucks think."
The fact that he hadn't been disciplined or censored was amazing to Leah, but she supposed his threat of resigning scared the higher powers enough to let him off the hook. And it wasn't like he was doing anything illegal; Maria and her people had been behind Sam's attempted murder. Of course, they should be apprehended.
"We may have to give this case to the feds," Martinez admitted to Leah, Jacob, Embry, and Aisha. "As how much as I hate it, it looks like we don't have any other choice."
"I get it," Aisha said. "We don't exactly have the facilities to hold two of the most dangerous vampires in the city." She snorted. "Imagine putting them in Cook County."
Everyone let out a dry laugh.
"Can we get them on trafficking charges?" Leah asked. "Paul was targeting them because of the UV's."
Martinez nodded. "Yeah, but like I said, Illinois, the state, can't hold them. They're going to have to get transferred to—"
"Alcatraz?" Jacob offered.
Martinez shook his head. "Word on the street there's a facility out West that goes beyond a supermax."
Everyone exchanged looks.
"How is that possible?" Leah asked. "It's a federal prison?"
"Apparently so, but like I said: word on the street."
"Did they give a reason?" Aisha asked. "Was it because of the purge?"
"No one is talking, as expected, but most likely. Here's the thing though, he didn't fuck up necessarily. They had no idea they were trying to off a cop. They're not dumb. They knew what the Deal said."
"The full moon's coming up," Leah informed Jacob one morning as they were finishing up their reports. "Next week."
Jacob glanced at Leah from behind the computer screen and let out a nervous chuckle. "Don't remind me."
"Oh, it's not going to be that bad," Leah insisted. At least, she hoped it wouldn't be. Paul had said the first time sucked, but then again, first time for anything usually sucked. That was nothing new. "If Paul can handle it, so can I."
"You'll be fine."
"So, where does it happen?" Leah asked. "Do we go to our usual running-place?"
Jacob nodded. "Can't do it at your place. Then we'll be on the news for sure." He stopped, probably feeling the nerves rolling off her Leah, and said, "After the first time, it gets easier. I promise. Trust me on this."
"I usually do," Leah said. Her thought process shifted gears when a particular unexpected scent of a person hit her nose. Jacob noticed as well.
Leah turned around. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened at the sight of one of the most fearless people she had ever known make a beeline to Paul's office. Without bodyguards.
"Shouldn't the Marshals be with her?" she asked, keeping on an eye on the U.S. Attorney, Carolina Barba, as she greeted Paul and Jenks. "I lost count on the number of hits on her head."
"Pretty sure she has, too," Jacob said. "Something must have come up if she's here. Hopefully, it's something good."
The detectives would be able to find out if they chose to eavesdrop. Leah had been working on tuning out conversations she was not a part of, but Carolina was here.
It wasn't her fault she was so curious.
Anyway, if Paul hadn't wanted her to hear anything, she reasoned, he wouldn't have chosen his office to have this meeting.
"I heard you caused a stir, captain," Carolina said as she sat down. Jenks sat down next to her, acknowledging the captain in front of him with a slight nod. "You've must be doing one hell of a job if the superintendent is shaking in his boots."
"Nothing's official," Paul said, being surprisingly humble.
He was never humble.
"Well, considering you're still the captain of this unit and therefore, haven't been disciplined for voicing her opinion to your superiors in a passionate manner, I think otherwise."
"Thanks, but—"
"I don't want to sound presumptuous," Jenks interjected. "But what happened now?"
Carolina let out a light laugh. "Calm your nerves, counselor. I actually have some good news for you. I wanted to tell you both at the same time."
"Define good," Paul said.
"Barring any extenuating circumstances, Sorio will be arrested today on federal charges relating to public corruption," Carolina said. "And his arraignment will be scheduled for the end of the week."
"Oh, fuck."
"I cannot believe—" Jenks paused, then continued his train of thought. "Not to sound ungrateful because trust me, I am far from it, but why wait for an arraignment? You could have him arraigned tomorrow if you wanted."
"I could, but I want to give Sorio a few days to think things over. I want to see if the man's willing to speak, then we can think of a reasonable plea bargain," Carolina explained. "I highly doubt that a decorated man such as himself would like to serve a full sentence. He may think he's all big and bad, but once he sees his very high chances of being put away for life without parole, he'll talk."
"Are you going to be the prosecutor for his case?" Paul asked.
"No, my focus, for the time being, is on organized crime. I'm sending Sorio's case to my colleagues in the Western Division. The attorney isn't a fan of Sorio and has jurisdiction, so I'm sure he will have no problem sticking it to him."
"What if Sorio pleads not guilty?" Jenks said.
"For his sake, he'd better not," Carolina bit back. "Oh! I cannot believe I forgot to tell you: you'll be happy to know that my court will be issuing an arrest warrant for Edward—I'm sorry, Edward Masen—for his role in Sorio's case. Carlisle is dead, so we can't go after him, but Edward—I think we can get something done."
"I'm glad you're going after the leader," Jenks said quickly. "Not to pry, but how did you—"
"I have my sources."
"You're not going to tell us who they are?" Paul asked.
"If I wanted to, I wouldn't refer to them as my sources," Carolina pointed out, and then, "Don't worry, Jenks. None of them are criminals. I don't harbor criminals."
"What makes you think this Edward Masen will comply?"
"Because he doesn't have a choice," Carolina said. "If an arrest warrant is issued, he will be arrested. No questions asked. Anyway, if he is as smart as I think he is, he will turn himself in. I can't nab him for any serious charges outside of bribery and possibly possession, so the sooner he turns himself in, the shorter his sentence will be."
"You want his sentence to be short?"
Carolina scoffed. "Of course not, but if there is one thing I've learned from working in this business, it's that long-term rewards are always so much sweeter than short-term ones."
"You want to destabilize the family..." Paul realized.
Carolina leaned over on her elbows. "I fully intend to retire with several big-time mob convictions under my belt. It's always easier to convict mobsters when their social system breaks down. That's when they become jaded and question the strength of their so-called family. Seeing their fortunes and reputation dwindle—that's when they start to weigh their options, wondering if maintaining their allegiance is worth the consequences. And we will be right here, waiting for them to come running straight into our open arms."
"These aren't your normal criminals, Barba," Jenks said. "They aren't humans; they are vampires."
"Tell me, counselor: what difference does that make?"
"Sorry for being MIA for the past couple of weeks. Shit's been hitting the fan lately. Couldn't reach out even if I wanted to," Benjamin said as he entered the back of Jacob's car. "I heard about what happened with Sam. That's messed up, but I guess at least, he's alive."
"Yeah," Leah said under her breath.
"I also heard Maria had something to do with it. Maria's an idiot. She knows my people are on her ass. We're the ATF. We investigate illegal arms, for goodness' sake. Why's she bringing more heat onto herself and the cartel?" Benjamin shook his head. "An idiot, I tell you. An idiot."
"She got spooked," Jacob said.
"Everyone knows you don't kill a cop when you're under investigation."
"Technically, Sam's not dead." Embry looked in Leah's direction. "Did she know about him being UC?"
"Rumor has it, no," Leah said. "He was almost shot execution-style, but his would-be assassins chickened out at the sight of a cop car not too far off. They didn't finish the job."
"How is he now?" Benjamin asked.
Leah glanced behind her. "Stable."
"When will he wake up?"
"Honestly, it depends all on him."
"Well, Godspeed to him. But um… anyway, I just want to provide my condolences, but I didn't come here for just that," Benjamin said. "I came here to give you some intel that may help you guys out more than my people. After all, our jurisdiction is limited." He paused to pull out a flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to Jacob. "Check it out," he advised.
"What is it?" Jacob asked, holding up the flash drive.
Leah and Embry waited for an answer.
"Let's just say you're not the only people running a tap on the Cullen's," Benjamin replied. "Everyone happened within the city lines, so you're covered."
"What is it?" Leah asked.
"Apparently, there's been a shift in power dynamics," Benjamin said, opening his door. "I wish I can sit and chat, but I gotta go. Like I said, shit's been going down. Can't afford to get caught."
"We understand," Leah said. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
"And still alive," Jacob said, and then, smirking, "You know what I mean."
Benjamin grinned. "Yeah, I do."
"I know Sam's shooting is a priority, but Benjamin has something for us," Leah told Paul, pulling out the flash drive, holding it up for captain to see. "He says it's important. Got something to do with power dynamics."
Paul stared at the device, raising an eyebrow. "Files?"
"Audio," Leah confirmed. "The ATF got a wire on the Olympic coven, as well."
"Let me know if anything of interest comes up."
"Miss Platt, Ms. Denali would like to speak to you."
"Let her in, Katrina."
"Of course."
The sound of the door opening and closing could be heard in the background by some heavy breathing. Mostly coming from Tanya who soon after exclaimed, "You have some nerve!"
"Good morning to you, too," Esme responded in a tone that dismissed Tanya's rage. "Katrina, leave us."
"Of course, Ms. Platt."
Jacob looked Leah's way. "Katrina?"
"Esme's PA," Leah explained. She had spent some time—well, the past few months—trying to understand the matriarch of the family and her inner circle. Some might call it a bit obsessive, but some, namely Paul, was perfectly okay with it just as long as there was legal backing. Which there was; she was the main suspect behind Carlisle's death. Which was technically ruled as "accidental", but not really. It was complicated. "Originally from Houston, turned back in the '90s."
She dug into her pocket and pulled out an old photo of Katrina and handed it to Jacob. Katrina was interesting because she didn't fit the profile associated with the members of the family, at least background-wise. As far as she knew, there wasn't an official rule that the family members had to be white, but it was heavily implied—it wasn't anything new. Organizations tended only to recruit their kind.
"POI?" Jacob asked, handing the photo to Embry.
Leah shook her head. She couldn't find much evidence that would justify marking Katrina as a "person of interest", but she had been Esme's assistant for over twenty years. That woman had to know something.
"That's interesting that Esme still wants to be called by her maiden name," Embry remarked. "I mean, it's not a big deal, but I don't think widows drop their maiden names like that. It seems that she really wants to be detached from Carlisle."
"I guess it's something of note," Leah said quietly but believed that the cop might be onto something. She exchanged a look with Jacob, shrugged and returned to listening.
The door opened and closed again, leaving only Esme and Tanya in the room.
"You, bitch," Tanya snarled.
Esme, still dismissive, snorted at the insult. "Is there you would like to discuss, Tanya?"
"Edward ended our engagement!"
"My condolences."
"I don't need your condolences," Tanya spat. "I need a goddamn explanation. Do you not care about the coven? How could you just tell Edward to end things between us like that? Everyone was going according to plan."
"Tanya." Esme took in a breath. "Edward is a grown man. He is the leader of the Cullen family for a reason. He is perfectly capable of making his own decisions without my input. I'm sorry about your engagement, but your anger misdirected."
"Misdirected?" Tanya let out a maniacal laugh. "Edward told me that his decision was about Irina. You know, the traitor I just killed?"
Esme didn't respond.
"How can you say that you have nothing to do with this situation? You told me to kill her!"
Leah nearly choked on the pretzels in her mouth and breathed out, "Well, damn."
Jacob pressed the pause button, "Holy shit," he breathed out, sliding back his chair a bit. He stared a look with his equally stunned teammates.
"Gotta love the mob," Embry said, shaking his head.
"Irina's dead," Leah said. She cleared throat (and the pretzels), trying to digest all of the audio. In all honesty, she wasn't surprised about Irina's fate; the photos obtained from Allister were damning as hell. But now, the merger between the Cullens and Denalis was null which meant that, "The Olympic coven's in trouble."
"The feds need to know about this," Embry said. "They'll have a field day. Caroline Barba practically has a slam dunk case."
"We're going to ask Paul for an arrest warrant. Two: one for Tanya for murder and other for Esme for conspiracy," Jacob said before pressing the play button. "Damn, Benjamin wasn't fucking around."
"No, I did not," Esme said. "You made that decision all by yourself, and thus, you have no one to blame but yourself. You should not have allowed yourself to be driven by anger—"
"I cannot believe this!"
"Quiet down," Esme suggested. "You don't want Edward to come here, do you?" and then, "I didn't think so. Now, let's have an intelligent, mature conversation with limited screaming. After all, it is five in the morning.
"First of all, I know that you are aware that for every single thing we do, there are going to be consequences. Irina betrayed the Denali's, so you killed her. You killed Irina, most likely without confiding in Edward, who was your soon-to-be husband, so Edward ended the engagement. Yelling at me isn't going to solve a thing."
"You—"
"Second of all, you have no right to accuse me of not thinking of the coven," Esme continued. "The coven is all I think about, and I can assure you that there is nothing in the world I want more than keeping the Denali's and the Cullen's together—"
"I can kill you for this," Tanya threatened through gritted teeth. "I should kill you for this."
"And jeopardize whatever is left of the alliance between your family and mine?" Esme let out a dramatic sigh. "Not even you would be so short-sighted. You would only be doing the same thing you've been accusing me of."
"I don't understand how you can act so arrogant. You don't have the power to influence any decisions regarding this alliance. You never have."
Esme scoffed. "If believing so makes you feel better... but as I mentioned previously, your anger is misdirected, and it's not going to get you anywhere. If you want to improve your position in the coven, then you would have to find a way to get back into Edward's good graces."
"And how do you expect me to do that, Mrs. Cullen?"
"Well, you can start by making decisions after having an in-depth deliberation with those on the board. I know you are upset about Irina and what she had done, but she is the last person you should have killed off," Esme told Tanya, and then, "Who knows, if you had given you decisions a second thought, then Edward wouldn't have had a reason to end your engagement."
Tanya was speechless.
"I highly advise you not to take this personally," Esme said after a few moments of tense silence. "After all, it's just business."
"Well, that was pretty damning," Paul remarked hours later when the wire's audio ended. He was inside his office with Jacob, Leah, Embry, and Jenks, who had been called in an hour earlier at the captain's earnest request. "What do you think, counselor? Should we be handing out arrest warrants like candy?"
"We should notify the feds," Jenks suggested, still staring at the laptop screen intently although the audio had stopped. He was deep in thought—Leah could practically hear the gears turning in his head, as cliché as it might be. The prosecutor eventually spoke up again, "What happened to Irina is their business. She was in the middle of a plea arrangement, remember?"
"And now, she's dead," Leah said.
"And now, she's dead," Jenks said, and then, "Let the feds handle the Denali's."
Jenks' suggestion didn't sit well with Paul who literally wanted everyone—human, vampire and other supernatural beings alike—involved in this mess tossed into Alcatraz by the end of the week. Jacob felt the same way, and it wasn't before long when the two men teamed up against Jenks in convincing the prosecutor to choose another way.
Embry stayed out of it. With her back against the chair and arms crossed, Leah did as well, but more to spend time mulling over the facts in her mind. Benjamin had mentioned to the team that there was a shift in dynamics in the Olympic Coven. Did he mean Tanya… or did he mean Esme? No, it was definitely the latter. The audio had proved it. Tanya was losing her grip on power while Esme was solidifying it—
"I think someone was trying to dismantle the Denali's," Leah suggested abruptly, causing her partner, her captain and the prosecutor to cease their squabbling. "Someone not named us. Or the feds, and I don't think it was an inside job."
All the men glanced at each other and then, turned their attention to Leah, waiting for further explanation.
"No, it couldn't have been an inside job," Leah carried on. "Because someone would have mentioned the photos already. Don't you find the timing of this revelation interesting? Right when Irina was in the process of accepting a plea."
"That could be motive for an inside job," Jenks argued. "Irina was going to talk, and someone wanted her silence."
"But they didn't need the photos to do that," Jacob pointed out. "Being a rat is justification for execution," and then, "Maybe, Leah's onto something. Whoever did this was trying to do more damage than letting Irina get killed."
"Just like what they did to Carlisle," Embry said. "I mean, people were starting to question his authority after the Jessica-debacle. No one likes working for a boss who makes very questionable decisions. Maybe the decision to kill Irina for that may result in people losing their trust in Tanya."
"Esme seems to be offering no help," Leah added.
"You think she knew about the photos?" Paul asked.
Leah shrugged.
"She knows more than she lets on," Jacob said. "But I highly doubt she had those photos in her possession, at least based on the evidence. We found out about the photos from Alistair, the man who never contacts us, and—"
"We need to speak to this Alistair," Jenks told Paul. "Preferably before the day ends."
"If we find out that Tanya murdered on Chicago's soil, the case is ours," Paul told the prosecutor. "With all due respect to our federal law enforcement partners, I'd like to have come convictions be the result of the Chicago Police Department's hard work."
Jenks gave the captain a look. "We'll see how it goes."
Later, Jenks gave the trio the green-light to launch another wire. Apparently, Sorio's replacement wanted to do everything in his power not to attract the attention of federal agents. So, if the task force wanted to eavesdrop on the Cullen's conversation? Just as long as it was within the city of Chicago's borders, he was fine with it.
Their focus was to gather more information on Tanya's involvement in Irina's death and the potential shift of power in the Cullen-Denali arrangement. They weren't planning on arresting anyone yet, but when they did, they wanted to make sure they had enough damning evidence. Enough for the perps to start talking.
"Alcatraz isn't a federal prison, right?" Leah asked. "So, anyone we arrest can be sent there, right?"
"It's complicated," Jacob said, handing both Leah and Embry the headsets. They were parked about a mile from the Cullen residence. "It's officially federal, but due to certain circumstances, we can send those convicted of state crimes over there."
"So, then why do we have to give Maria to the feds?" Embry asked.
"Because her drama goes beyond the city of Chicago," Jacob said. "Her crime spree has crossed state lines."
"Ah," Leah said, nodding. "That explains it."
"And plus, I don't think Alcatraz can handle her," Jacob carried on. "It's a max security prison for the supernatural, she needs more than that. I think Alcatraz is more suitable for newborns, honestly."
"Now what about Tanya?" Embry asked.
Leah waited for an answer.
"If everyone works out, Tanya's ours," Jacob said, adding a smirk. "As far as we know, most of her operations are within Chicago. Irina's death, from the sound of it, happened in Chicago."
"First major break," Embry remarked, grinning.
"Second," Leah corrected as she increased the volume on the computer. The wire was about to start. "Remember, Mike's still in Cook County."
"Thank you both for being here," Edward started, trying to sound like his usual self, only to sound exhausted.
"Of course," Jasper said.
"It's not a problem," Rosalie said with some hesitance before taking a loud sip of something, most likely blood, and then added, "Really."
"I know you're busy, Rosalie, but I wouldn't have called you in on such short notice if it wasn't an emergency," Edward said, and then declared, "
"I know."
"We have a major problem concerning the Denali's..."
"Irina is dead," Jasper finished.
Rosalie choked on the blood and stuttered out thanks after Jacob slapped her back. After placing the glass down and taking a series of deep, controlled breaths, she asked, "What?"
"Tanya killed her," Edward stated. "She killed her over allegations that Irina had betrayed her and the coven."
"You got that?"
Leah nodded as she noted the time displayed on the small laptop screen in front of her. This was big. Tanya would be arrested for murder. It was crazy, but not surprising. It had been implied that she wouldn't take Irina's betrayal well."
"I thought she'd wait it out," Embry said. "Until the dust clears. There's too much heat on the family right now."
"Betrayal is a bitch," Jacob remarked, stealing Leah a glance.
"Irina? Betrayed?" Rosalie said, stunned. "Holy shit."
"My sentiments exactly," Edward said, exasperated. "The issue isn't just that Irina was the subject of a federal investigation—it is a problem, but it's not as big as the potential of the Olympic alliance splitting…"
"Why would it split?"
"I ended my engagement with Tanya."
"You did what? Wait—Why?"
"Tanya has been... acting erratically of late," Jasper told Rosalie. "The boss can't afford to marry her. Not now. Not anytime soon."
"How did she react to the news?" Rosalie asked.
The question seed more rhetorical than anything.
Edward hesitated before responding. "She told me to go fuck myself."
"Sounds about right," Rosalie muttered. "Perhaps, you should have cut her some slack, Edward. She's been through hell."
"I did," Edward contended. "That's why I only ended our relationship. I'm not going to ostracize her or anything. I'm not going to ruin the relationship between the Cullen's and the Denali's."
"I suppose..." Rosalie said. "If you're no longer going to marry Tanya, how do you intend to solidify the alliance between you and the Denali's? That's what the marriage was for."
"That's why you're here."
"I'm not—"
"I just need advice."
Rosalie snorted "You shouldn't have broken up with her… How's your relationship with Carmen?"
"Decent," Edward replied, then added, "considering."
"Okay, and I assume Tanya isn't going to off her anytime soon?"
"I sure hope not."
"So… if you're not marrying Tanya and you still want to keep the families together... you're going to have to form a merger."
Jasper immediately jumped in with, "Tanya is not going to agree to that."
Edward let out a deep breath. "Jasper's right. Tanya loves her coven more than anything; she isn't going to give it up."
"Well, make her," Rosalie suggested. "You have leverage. I can't imagine the Denali's can continue to operate with Irina gone. I love Carmen, but she's not Irina. Convince her to talk Tanya into accepting the merger."
"What if Carmen can't?"
"Then use Irina's death against Tanya," Jasper suggested.
"Tanya killed the subject of a federal investigation," Rosalie pointed out. "I can't imagine Barba being too thrilled about that. Two suspects in two of her biggest organized crime cases are now dead. How do you think she's going to react if she discovers that Tanya killed her?"
"She'll go after Tanya," Jasper said. "If that happens, the Denali family is as good as gone. Rosalie's right. Carmen isn't Irina; she's not going to lead the family if Tanya's gone—that's your leverage, boss."
Rosalie nodded. "Tell Tanya that she either agrees to your terms or gets arrested for murder," she said. "Knowing Barba, she'll definitely pursue a first-degree murder conviction against Tanya. If Tanya cooperates with you, promise her that you will brush her involvement in Irina's death under the rug. No law enforcement agency will have to know."
"So, about that arrest warrant," Jacob said to Paul later that night. Sure, the case could technically be handled by the feds, but the murder happened on Chicago's soil. They could and should arrest Tanya. "We have reasonable suspicion."
"More than that," Embry added.
Leah remained silent. It sounded like a good idea. The rational idea, but something didn't sit right with her. Something told her that arresting Tanya at this moment would do more harm than good.
"We should wait," she eventually suggested. "If we take her now, then everyone will know we've been listening on to them."
Embry was confused. "So?"
"So," Leah sat up in her seat. She looked between Jacob and Paul; they didn't seem as dismissive as Embry. "We should wait. We should hear those words coming from Tanya—"
"She accused Esme of suggesting Tanya's murder," Embry contended.
"But that doesn't mean shit," Jacob argued. "Yeah, it's damning. We don't know the context of that statement; heck, Esme even denied it. Captain, what do you think?"
"We'll arrest her," Paul decided. "But not on suspicion of murder. If Rosalie doesn't want us to know about the murder, then we won't know. It should be a surprise, and I love surprises because that makes everyone lose their minds."
Leah found out the next morning that Benjamin al-Fadhil would longer be "Benjamin al-Fadhil" after this week.
The ATF was pulling him for the reason why Paul had wanted to pull Sam. The heat on the gangs wasn't disseminating, and the gang leaders were still instituting a purge. It was the right decision.
Leah would see the undercover agent again a couple of days later, during a pitstop at the station before heading out to Jenks' office. The prosecutor had requested a meeting with the team. Leah never minded seeing Jenks, but she couldn't understand why he was so concerned about Mike Newton. From the looks of it, the case was a slam-dunk: Mike had been the one who called 911 after shooting Lauren; Mike had been the one who confessed to the murder before requesting legal representation—But then again, this was Jenks. He wouldn't be worried about anything not deemed necessary.
Jacob had wanted to drop in on Paul before they met with the ADA, just to check up on him. If the rumors were true, numerous federal agents would be visiting the station for questioning and possibly arrests relating to the police corruption probe. Paul would be fine; despite his reputation, all the captain had done was follow orders, but the man hated the feds just as much as Jacob did.
From the moment Leah, Jacob, and Embry walked into the station, they knew the rumors were true. Paul, who was talking to a group of agents near his office, looked like he was moments away from exploding. After exchanging a cautious look with Leah, Jacob excused himself and headed straight to Paul's office to do some damage control. Leah followed close behind until a familiar, unexpected scent hit her. Curious and puzzled, she stopped, turned around, and headed straight to the holding cells.
Benjamin was still here.
"I was under the impression that you were supposed to be yesterday," Leah said the moment she reached her destination. She grimaced as she watched Benjamin finish the last of his lunch—two bags of vegetarian blood. She was glad she was the only person who had noticed what the man had ingested; she was sure that the other inmates wouldn't have appreciated the sight. It was a smart of Paul to place Benjamin in a cell that was isolated from the others. She couldn't even see any of the other inmates from where she was standing.
Benjamin looked up from behind bars, put aside the bag of blood and grinned. "Detective Uley, always a pleasure to see your face." He stood up and placed his hands on the cell bars. He might not be a prisoner, but he didn't want the others to know that. "Yeah, looks like my extradition got a little delayed."
Leah snorted at the obvious and shook her head. "Do I even want to know why?"
"It's nothing too crazy. Just bureaucracy being bureaucracy," Benjamin replied. He sighed; as much as he loved roaming around Paul's holding cell, it would be nice to return to where he belonged finally. "It's all the damn paperwork."
"Just to get you out of here?"
"You would be surprised," Benjamin grumbled. "But I did receive news that I will be set free this afternoon."
"Isn't that what they told you last time?"
"Yes, but I think they're serious this time," Benjamin said. He was choosing to remain optimistic. "I was told that once the paperwork's done, I'll be good to go."
"Are you going back to your office?"
Benjamin nodded. "Yeah, but I'm going to lay low for a while. Maybe request a much-needed transfer."
"Lay low?"
"It's standard for undercover assignments. I'm probably going to be stuck at the desk, writing never-ending reports, so, yeah... I'm laying low for a while."
Benjamin put his hands behind his head and leaned against the cell wall. "Luckily for me, it doesn't look like I'll have to be under witness protection. Felix's been arrested, so technically, the hit's off. The Volturi might not be too happy with me all the way from Europe, but they can't afford to knock off a federal agent. At least, not anytime soon."
"Good to hear," Leah said. "Look, Benjamin…"
"Yusuf."
Leah raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"My name," Benjamin clarified, smiling. "Yusuf Mansour. My real name." His focus shifted beyond Leah to the several federal agents who were following Paul around the station. "Looks like the feds won't be leaving you guys anytime soon."
Leah turned around and watched as Paul pointed things out to his guests, looking as annoyed as ever. She suspected that Jacob was only tagging along to make sure Paul didn't get himself arrested. "We're being investigated," she said. "For corruption and obstruction."
"Sounds exciting."
Leah appreciated Benjamin's sarcasm. She expected to hear news about subpoenas and arrest warrants from her captain in the near future— Her gaze dropped to the floor. She should be fine, right? She was just doing her job, right? Surely, she wouldn't be one of the unfortunate cops in trouble, right?
"Oh yes, I'm certainly looking forward to answering a long list of questions, and the possibility of getting disciplined or worse," Leah mumbled.
"I wouldn't worry about that," Benjamin said. "You'll be fine. You, Jacob, Samm, and even Paul will be fine. My people already know about the immense help you've all given me. They'll convince the FBI to leave you alone. They may question you guys, but charges and convictions?" He shook his head. "That's not going to happen. I'll make sure of it."
Leah let out a sigh in relief. "Thank you."
"No problem. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. Without your help, the raid and everything else wouldn't have happened," Benjamin said. "Now, I can't promise you that your coworkers will be treated the same. Making deals with covens usually isn't viewed in a positive light—oh, look. That man coming this way has keys." He clapped. "Maybe that means I'm free."
Leah nodded. She stepped aside when a cop approached them, waving around the cell keys. He greeted Leah before turning his attention to the man in the cell. "Mansour, we're ready to head out."
Benjamin grinned. "About time." He had enjoyed his stay with the Chicago Police Department, but he would rather not spend another night in a holding cell. "My people are here?"
"Waiting outside," the cop replied, and then dropped his voice. "To tell you the truth, I don't think the ATF wants to come inside with the FBI hanging around."
Benjamin nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. They're not the best of friends right now."
"Why not?" Leah asked.
"Long story," Benjamin quickly said, stretching out his arms as he walked out of the cell, and followed Leah and the cop to the lobby. An ATF agent was standing right outside, leaning against the stairs. Another agent was leaning against a car, arms crossed, looking both bored and annoyed. "Looks like my job here is done— Thanks, man."
The cop nodded and left, leaving Leah and Benjamin behind. "Your coworkers look happy," Leah said sarcastically.
"Yeah, extractions can be a bit of a pain in the ass." Benjamin grinned. "Tell Paul and everyone that I thank them for their hospitality and help. I wanted to let them know face to face, but it looks like they're occupied."
"I'll make sure to pass it on." Leah looked through the precinct window and the ATF near the car, pointing at his wristwatch. The other agent entered the building, and stood at the doorway, watching Benjamin expectantly. "I think your friends are getting impatient."
"Oh, they can wait a little bit," Benjamin said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "Here's my card. I wrote down my personal cell. If you need anything, and I mean, anything, hit me up."
Leah took the card and smiled. "Thank you. I think we're—Actually, there is one thing." She searched her pockets for the note Jacob had given her earlier about the possible existence of a second federal prison facility just for the supernatural. One that was a step beyond a supermax. Leah had to know if it was true or not. After looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, including the agent, who was now speaking to another officer, she handed Benjamin the piece of paper. "Do you have any information on this?"
Benjamin raised an eyebrow as he looked between Leah and the note. "How did you—"
Leah knew she didn't have time to explain. "Does it exist?"
Benjamin hesitated to answer. "Arizona Desert," he whispered. "Near Area 51."
Leah froze. ''What?"
"It's a quarter mile deep." Benjamin let out a humorless chuckle. "I told y'all they know about us."
"Agent Mansour, it's time to leave."
Benjamin acknowledged the agent. "One second!"
"Who knows?"
"Only a select few are supposed to."
"And yet you're telling me..."
"Think of it as unofficially classified info," Benjamin said as he started to head towards the entrance. "Looks like I gotta go before my friend over there has a hit. We'll catch up, 'kay?"
"Of course. Goodbye, Yusuf."
Benjamin turned around and grinned, "Goodbye, Leah."