Reckless Surrender :: Chapter Forty Two
Hope swallowed in an attempt to keep the bundle of nerves she felt in her stomach at bay. Salem was dark. The air was cool. She could feel her pulse race in her veins as she caressed the gun that was secured to her hip. Her biggest fear should have been getting shot again, but it wasn't. She feared she would shoot the wrong person at the wrong time. She shuddered at the thought.
"FancyFace," Bo's voice was a calm whisper as he watched her. He knew, "You have to trust yourself."
She nodded and exhaled slowly. She was thankful to be back on the job. This time, Rafe and Roman were on the scene with them. They weren't taking any chances.
"Roman, can you hear me?" Bo radioed across the park.
"Loud and clear," Roman replied.
"I've got two unidentified males entering the East side of the park now," Rafe announced, "Heads up."
Hope's eyes scanned the park. She didn't see anyone walking in the direction to meet these people.
"No way Dimera is out here doing the dirty work himself," Bo grunted. They hid in the bushes, taking great care to be still and quiet.
Hope stared out into the quiet park. Victor's words echoed in her mind. She knew Dimera was dirty. The last thing they needed were gun shipments regularly going through Salem. Violence on the streets would increase ten fold. Hope had a soft spot in her heart for her father-in-law. He may not be perfect, but he had enough of a moral compass to keep guns and drugs off the streets.
"There," Bo whispered, alerting the others of movement in the park, "Three people coming from the West."
"I've got a lone man in the South," Roman replied, "He's sitting on a bench."
Hope's eyebrows shot up, "Big meeting."
They waited patiently. The six unidentifiable men gathered not far from Bo and Hope's position in the bushes. Hope glanced at her watch. It was 2:30AM. Nothing good ever happened in the park after dark. She pressed record on her phone, in hopes of getting a record of their conversation.
Bo and Hope listened intently. They could hear the men talking clearly. The city was quiet. The night was calm.
"You got the money?" A tall man asked.
"Half of it," Another man replied.
"That wasn't the deal," The tall one replied, "My boss said you could pass through our waters if you pay in full. Otherwise, no dice."
"Well, my boss wants to make sure we get through to the other side before you take our money and run."
They stared at each other in challenging silence.
Bo took silent pictures with his phone, being sure to capture each man individually and as a group.
"Look," The tall man sighed, "I'll take this money, but I can't promise Stephano will have clear waters for you tomorrow."
"We'll deal with it tomorrow then," The other man replied, "I can promise there will be blood if he makes this difficult. Maybe you can convince him to just be patient for the other half eh? We wouldn't want to turn the river red now would we?"
Hope flinched when the tall man pulled a gun and shot his opponent point blank in the forehead.
"Everyone okay?" Roman questioned.
"Clear," Bo replied, "Stand down."
The tall man glanced at the dead man's side kick, "Tell your boss there's more where that came from. Dimera doesn't take any bullshit. Bring the rest of the money tomorrow."
The men glanced around the park and then stared at the body that lay at their feet, "Better clean that up. Wouldn't want the cops breathing down our necks would we?"
Bo snapped pictures of two men dragging the body away.
"Let's get this show on the road," The tall man sighed, "Boss is gonna be pissed."
Bo and Hope watched the men disperse casually throughout the park. Excitement brewed inside of her. This was a huge break in their case. She looked over at Bo when they were sure they were alone.
"Tomorrow is the big day," Bo grinned, "Looks like we'll be making one of the biggest busts in P.D. history."
Hope wanted to squeal, "These guys don't stand a chance."
"All clear," Rafe announced.
"Clear here," Roman replied.
"Clear." Bo added.
"Look's like we'll be closing this case tomorrow night," Roman replied, "Get some rest everybody."
Bo could almost hear his brother smiling through the radio. He couldn't blame him. He wanted more than anything to be done with this one. Dead end after dead end had discouraged him. Tomorrow would be the sweet reward he had been waiting for. He was just glad, Hope was finally back on the job to see it.
With Rafe and Roman on their way home, Bo and Hope packed up their own things. They all had a long eventful night ahead of them. Hope prayed it would go much smoother than the motel stake out. With more officers on the job and more knowledge at their finger tips, this time she felt more prepared. Now, all she had to do was wait.