The first thing Woody noticed was the gravel digging into his cheek instead
of the softness of his pillow. He kept his eyes close trying to get his
bearings. The smell of cold concrete and something only too definable
forced him to crack open his eyes. He could just make out the curb in the
front of his building. He knew he would regret it but he sat up, biting
back the momentary nausea.
It took him a few seconds to finds his keys. While he was searching he felt the tiny cable running up the inside of his shirt. He let out a sigh of relief and stood. With a few choice words for his listening audience he made his way inside. Why did Tillman and his team leave him laying there? Hopefully there was a good explanation.
All he wanted to do was take the world's longest shower and next he wanted was take the second longest. He settled for ten minute rinse and dash. His night was far from over.
By two AM Hoyt was sitting in the booth at the diner he had been visiting almost daily for the last few weeks, drinking the worst coffee he had ever tasted.
It all started after Malden had first contacted him a life time ago. He that sick gut feeling about Malden's involvement in the Jeffers case and dropped a dime to a friend with the FBI. Before he knew it the Feds were asking him to try and infiltrate Malden's inner circle. His first thought was to say no.
A familiar face walked in the front door and took the bench across from him in the booth. Woody only knew his name was Tillman and he was with the FBI. He never asked more because the guy frankly scared the bejesus out of him. His head was the size of one of the ham's his mother would cook for Christmas dinner and was just about as good looking. Tillman waited until the waitress poured him a cup of coffee. She went behind the corner before Woody spoke.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Your building was being discreetly watched. There was nothing we could do without breaking your cover. You're tail didn't take off until after you made your own way into the building."
"I don't understand. Why did he have me jumped when all I have been doing is kissing his ass?"
"They are moving quickly. I think this was the fastest way for them to tell if you are on the level and working alone."
"Well, I certainly felt alone." Woody said sarcastically rubbing his sore jaw.
"We're damn lucky they didn't get a chance to search you. It was close."
"I wonder why they didn't."
"They didn't have time." Tillman said with a smile.
"Fate would have it your resident wino needed to find a place to take a piss. They ditched you quickly and took off."
Woody wondered how much of the fate was in the hands of the man sitting across from him.
"I do have some good news. We got everything said in the car. You did a good job."
"Good for you maybe, but my head feels like it's going to split open. What do we do now?"
Tillman blew the stream off the surface of his cup. Hoyt could almost feel his mind working. Without taking a sip Tillman set the cup back down on the table.
"You show up at Police Plaza at eight AM with a shine on your shoes."
Woody rubbed the tops of his shoes off on his pant legs under the table. He had been thinking about this day since the Jeffers case and his first meeting with Captain Malden. It was that day he was put in contact with Tillman and his team.
At his first sit down with the FBI about Malden, Woody found out they had been investigating him and others for months. The Bureau was having trouble finding connections to the inside. He offered to help. They jumped on his eagerness.
Together they came up with a plan to make Woody more appealing; a bid for an early promotion, a disgruntled word here, another there. The Bureau had groomed him in to the perfect cop on the fence.
From the very beginning Tillman plotted everything out in black and white. There were risks. Woody knew that there would be no going back once the operation was in place. He only felt a moment of pause, but he knew he had a responsibility to follow it through.
Unfortunately, Malden was dead. With Woody's involvement in the case, it looked like FBI would have to pull the plug. The task force decided to keep on track when it became very evident that Cahill was setting up yet another of his people in Worthington. Tillman's team just set their sights on a new fish and Woody redirected his efforts.
"It looks like everything's on track at this point but Worthington is still a little unpredictable. We don't know his total agenda yet. It's time to tie up some loose ends. You need to start separating yourself from your old life. You need to show them you are going to loyal only to the organization."
"I packed my desk out yesterday from the nineteenth."
"I'm not talking about your professional ties. I'm talking your personal ties. You need to separate yourself from your any friends or family that may become a liability."
This was the part of the plan Woody hated. From the beginning Tillman told him to start alienating his circle. It was all to show that he was ready for change.
"I have been."
"I'm talking about the Cavanaugh family. Mr. Cavanaugh's record is far from sterling. Your relationship with Dr. Cavanaugh is not purely professional, which can by very dangerous. You're association with them has taken you into some legal grey zones that apparently got you noticed in the first place, which is why we're here. But we can't run the risk of your cover being blown by them."
"I don't think...."
"Don't think Hoyt. It could get you all killed. You need to severe the ties and make it quick."
He reluctantly agreed.
By eight o'clock in the morning Woody walked in to Police Plaza with a polish on his shoes and a smile on his face. He felt like he was going to be sick.
It took him a few seconds to finds his keys. While he was searching he felt the tiny cable running up the inside of his shirt. He let out a sigh of relief and stood. With a few choice words for his listening audience he made his way inside. Why did Tillman and his team leave him laying there? Hopefully there was a good explanation.
All he wanted to do was take the world's longest shower and next he wanted was take the second longest. He settled for ten minute rinse and dash. His night was far from over.
By two AM Hoyt was sitting in the booth at the diner he had been visiting almost daily for the last few weeks, drinking the worst coffee he had ever tasted.
It all started after Malden had first contacted him a life time ago. He that sick gut feeling about Malden's involvement in the Jeffers case and dropped a dime to a friend with the FBI. Before he knew it the Feds were asking him to try and infiltrate Malden's inner circle. His first thought was to say no.
A familiar face walked in the front door and took the bench across from him in the booth. Woody only knew his name was Tillman and he was with the FBI. He never asked more because the guy frankly scared the bejesus out of him. His head was the size of one of the ham's his mother would cook for Christmas dinner and was just about as good looking. Tillman waited until the waitress poured him a cup of coffee. She went behind the corner before Woody spoke.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Your building was being discreetly watched. There was nothing we could do without breaking your cover. You're tail didn't take off until after you made your own way into the building."
"I don't understand. Why did he have me jumped when all I have been doing is kissing his ass?"
"They are moving quickly. I think this was the fastest way for them to tell if you are on the level and working alone."
"Well, I certainly felt alone." Woody said sarcastically rubbing his sore jaw.
"We're damn lucky they didn't get a chance to search you. It was close."
"I wonder why they didn't."
"They didn't have time." Tillman said with a smile.
"Fate would have it your resident wino needed to find a place to take a piss. They ditched you quickly and took off."
Woody wondered how much of the fate was in the hands of the man sitting across from him.
"I do have some good news. We got everything said in the car. You did a good job."
"Good for you maybe, but my head feels like it's going to split open. What do we do now?"
Tillman blew the stream off the surface of his cup. Hoyt could almost feel his mind working. Without taking a sip Tillman set the cup back down on the table.
"You show up at Police Plaza at eight AM with a shine on your shoes."
Woody rubbed the tops of his shoes off on his pant legs under the table. He had been thinking about this day since the Jeffers case and his first meeting with Captain Malden. It was that day he was put in contact with Tillman and his team.
At his first sit down with the FBI about Malden, Woody found out they had been investigating him and others for months. The Bureau was having trouble finding connections to the inside. He offered to help. They jumped on his eagerness.
Together they came up with a plan to make Woody more appealing; a bid for an early promotion, a disgruntled word here, another there. The Bureau had groomed him in to the perfect cop on the fence.
From the very beginning Tillman plotted everything out in black and white. There were risks. Woody knew that there would be no going back once the operation was in place. He only felt a moment of pause, but he knew he had a responsibility to follow it through.
Unfortunately, Malden was dead. With Woody's involvement in the case, it looked like FBI would have to pull the plug. The task force decided to keep on track when it became very evident that Cahill was setting up yet another of his people in Worthington. Tillman's team just set their sights on a new fish and Woody redirected his efforts.
"It looks like everything's on track at this point but Worthington is still a little unpredictable. We don't know his total agenda yet. It's time to tie up some loose ends. You need to start separating yourself from your old life. You need to show them you are going to loyal only to the organization."
"I packed my desk out yesterday from the nineteenth."
"I'm not talking about your professional ties. I'm talking your personal ties. You need to separate yourself from your any friends or family that may become a liability."
This was the part of the plan Woody hated. From the beginning Tillman told him to start alienating his circle. It was all to show that he was ready for change.
"I have been."
"I'm talking about the Cavanaugh family. Mr. Cavanaugh's record is far from sterling. Your relationship with Dr. Cavanaugh is not purely professional, which can by very dangerous. You're association with them has taken you into some legal grey zones that apparently got you noticed in the first place, which is why we're here. But we can't run the risk of your cover being blown by them."
"I don't think...."
"Don't think Hoyt. It could get you all killed. You need to severe the ties and make it quick."
He reluctantly agreed.
By eight o'clock in the morning Woody walked in to Police Plaza with a polish on his shoes and a smile on his face. He felt like he was going to be sick.