At 4.55pm, Chapelle was talking to Michelle. He had a thick wad of papers
in his hand, which represented all the intelligence they had so far on the
group Jack was selling to. They were interrupted by a phone call which
Michelle answered.
"Chase", she explained as she passed the receiver to her boss
"Yes Chase. Go ahead"
"They've got some heavies standing around the west door – maybe just support if their guy needs it – not necessarily suspicious. East door is clear."
"Thanks Chase. Hold your position. We'll keep the line open. Don't move without my order."
Tony was standing with his hands resting on the top of the computer. He bent over and studied the images on the monitor, his nose just a few inches from the screen. The screen was split into three. In two of the sections Jack was visible standing in the centre of a deserted warehouse. But Tony was studying a tiny blur in the top right of the screen. He clicked to enlarge the image and immediately spoke to Jack,
"You've got company, Jack", he said, tension evident in his voice, "Up a level, at one o'clock."
Jack's head tilted up slightly as he squinted into the shadows in the direction Tony had indicated,
"Can't see anything Tony", Jack spoke very quietly, chin down. His right hand slid inside his brown leather jacket to retrieve his gun from its holster.
Tony looked at the bottom of the screen where Jack's miniature camera was recording. No movement was visible from that angle.
"Believe me, you're not alone. Your man's here.," Tony spoke quietly as he watched the black figure in the top of the screen creep towards Jack's position. Then he saw more blurry movement – another figure advancing from behind Jack.
"OK Jack. I'm counting two now. It's a set up. The second is directly behind you - maybe 400 yards. Drop the wire and go for the door to your right – the East door. The other door is guarded"
Chapelle, overhearing the words 'set up', joined Tony at the screen and Tony pointed at the advancing figures
"Get him out of there now", Chapelle demanded
Tony looked at him and raised his eyebrows, making it quite clear without speaking that he had already given those orders. On the screen, they could see that Jack hadn't moved. Tony wondered if Jack was considering how Tony could know which door was guarded, so he spoke again.
"Jack, are you reading me? Get out of there now. There's more than one. Ditch the wire and run"
"Chapelle's orders" he added, trying to make Jack move
"Negative Tony. We get more if they catch me. Keep watching and listening. See what you can pick up."
Tony could immediately see the logic of Jack's argument. This group clearly didn't trust him so the original plan was blown. But they did need to find out who Jack was. Logical – but dangerous. Tony looked at Chapelle, who was frowning and didn't appear about to speak. Tony made a decision, looking at Chapelle as he spoke,
"OK Jack we're here - but ditch the wire. They'll kill you if they find you're wired."
Chapelle nodded his agreement and alerted Chase.
"Chase. Listen carefully. The sale is aborted. They have more than one man in there. Jack wants to stay – He'll let them capture him. Let it happen. Repeat. Let it happen. Wait for instructions" There was a short silence on the end of the line before Chase confirmed the orders – another man like Jack, Chapelle thought to himself - A man who couldn't just follow the rules – wanted to live and die by his own decisions. Nevertheless, he had confirmed the orders. This time he would wait.
Meanwhile Jack stood still in the warehouse, still wired, trying to look as if all was going to plan.
"I'm gonna stay wired, Tony. They won't kill me." Jack whispered into the mike, "They need to know who I am. Keep watching and listening, Tony"
Jack was aware of the movement around him now. Unfortunately, he could hear footsteps behind him too and realised he was surrounded. His body tensed. He aimed to be caught, but he couldn't give in without a fight. No one would just give themselves up.
"OK – this is it", he said to himself as much as to the mike as he swung round into a karate kick, catching the man behind him in the stomach. The man fell backwards taken by surprise and the miniature camera continued to record as Jack ran across the warehouse, firing his gun at two figures who were approaching from the right. Jumpy images filled the bottom half of the screen.
"We can sort through the images later", Tony said to Chappelle. We might be able to identify one or two of them.
Jack crouched behind some packing cases, just visible on the top screen of Tony's computer. Three figures spread out in front of him, one walking directly towards his position, the other two circling around behind him.
Jack swung out from behind the packing case and took out the man in front of him with one shot to the chest. He sprinted towards the door to his left, which Tony had assured him was guarded. He was firing as he ran. The fire from Jack's gun and the return fire were visible as flashes on the computer screen.
Jack made it to the door and swung it open. He was greeted by two quick punches to the stomach and one to the face as one of the guards entered the room. The other two shooters surrounded him before he could get up.
'Shit' said Tony and he pursed his lips and shook his head. Chappelle folded his arms and looked at the screen grimly, exhaling.
Pull up a seat Tony. We're doing it Jack's way now. We'll try and make out the faces. Make sure Michelle is ready. We'll need any images we get identified quickly. And until they find the wire, we can listen – see if they give anything away. - maybe get a lead or two.
"Chase", she explained as she passed the receiver to her boss
"Yes Chase. Go ahead"
"They've got some heavies standing around the west door – maybe just support if their guy needs it – not necessarily suspicious. East door is clear."
"Thanks Chase. Hold your position. We'll keep the line open. Don't move without my order."
Tony was standing with his hands resting on the top of the computer. He bent over and studied the images on the monitor, his nose just a few inches from the screen. The screen was split into three. In two of the sections Jack was visible standing in the centre of a deserted warehouse. But Tony was studying a tiny blur in the top right of the screen. He clicked to enlarge the image and immediately spoke to Jack,
"You've got company, Jack", he said, tension evident in his voice, "Up a level, at one o'clock."
Jack's head tilted up slightly as he squinted into the shadows in the direction Tony had indicated,
"Can't see anything Tony", Jack spoke very quietly, chin down. His right hand slid inside his brown leather jacket to retrieve his gun from its holster.
Tony looked at the bottom of the screen where Jack's miniature camera was recording. No movement was visible from that angle.
"Believe me, you're not alone. Your man's here.," Tony spoke quietly as he watched the black figure in the top of the screen creep towards Jack's position. Then he saw more blurry movement – another figure advancing from behind Jack.
"OK Jack. I'm counting two now. It's a set up. The second is directly behind you - maybe 400 yards. Drop the wire and go for the door to your right – the East door. The other door is guarded"
Chapelle, overhearing the words 'set up', joined Tony at the screen and Tony pointed at the advancing figures
"Get him out of there now", Chapelle demanded
Tony looked at him and raised his eyebrows, making it quite clear without speaking that he had already given those orders. On the screen, they could see that Jack hadn't moved. Tony wondered if Jack was considering how Tony could know which door was guarded, so he spoke again.
"Jack, are you reading me? Get out of there now. There's more than one. Ditch the wire and run"
"Chapelle's orders" he added, trying to make Jack move
"Negative Tony. We get more if they catch me. Keep watching and listening. See what you can pick up."
Tony could immediately see the logic of Jack's argument. This group clearly didn't trust him so the original plan was blown. But they did need to find out who Jack was. Logical – but dangerous. Tony looked at Chapelle, who was frowning and didn't appear about to speak. Tony made a decision, looking at Chapelle as he spoke,
"OK Jack we're here - but ditch the wire. They'll kill you if they find you're wired."
Chapelle nodded his agreement and alerted Chase.
"Chase. Listen carefully. The sale is aborted. They have more than one man in there. Jack wants to stay – He'll let them capture him. Let it happen. Repeat. Let it happen. Wait for instructions" There was a short silence on the end of the line before Chase confirmed the orders – another man like Jack, Chapelle thought to himself - A man who couldn't just follow the rules – wanted to live and die by his own decisions. Nevertheless, he had confirmed the orders. This time he would wait.
Meanwhile Jack stood still in the warehouse, still wired, trying to look as if all was going to plan.
"I'm gonna stay wired, Tony. They won't kill me." Jack whispered into the mike, "They need to know who I am. Keep watching and listening, Tony"
Jack was aware of the movement around him now. Unfortunately, he could hear footsteps behind him too and realised he was surrounded. His body tensed. He aimed to be caught, but he couldn't give in without a fight. No one would just give themselves up.
"OK – this is it", he said to himself as much as to the mike as he swung round into a karate kick, catching the man behind him in the stomach. The man fell backwards taken by surprise and the miniature camera continued to record as Jack ran across the warehouse, firing his gun at two figures who were approaching from the right. Jumpy images filled the bottom half of the screen.
"We can sort through the images later", Tony said to Chappelle. We might be able to identify one or two of them.
Jack crouched behind some packing cases, just visible on the top screen of Tony's computer. Three figures spread out in front of him, one walking directly towards his position, the other two circling around behind him.
Jack swung out from behind the packing case and took out the man in front of him with one shot to the chest. He sprinted towards the door to his left, which Tony had assured him was guarded. He was firing as he ran. The fire from Jack's gun and the return fire were visible as flashes on the computer screen.
Jack made it to the door and swung it open. He was greeted by two quick punches to the stomach and one to the face as one of the guards entered the room. The other two shooters surrounded him before he could get up.
'Shit' said Tony and he pursed his lips and shook his head. Chappelle folded his arms and looked at the screen grimly, exhaling.
Pull up a seat Tony. We're doing it Jack's way now. We'll try and make out the faces. Make sure Michelle is ready. We'll need any images we get identified quickly. And until they find the wire, we can listen – see if they give anything away. - maybe get a lead or two.