A Family Affair
Disclaimer: I don't own the Witchblade characters, although I wish I did and that the TV show hadn't been canceled. Sigh. Anyway, enjoy!
Author's Note: In a quest for authenticity, I've decided to go back and change all mention of the vice squad to the narcotics task force after viewing "Law & Order: SVU" the other night.
Chapter 31.
After showering, Sara returned to the homicide department to find Captain Bruno Dante's office crowded with several men, including Jake McCartey and Frank Orlinsky. Her heart sank as she also recognized Mike Morgan among them. As soon as Dante spotted her, he beckoned her into his office.
"Detective Sara Pezzini, this is Captain Sheldon Phillips, commanding officer of the 11th's narcotics task force," Dante said, indicating a handsome African-American man who looked to be somewhere in his mid- to late 40s. "And this is Agent Tim Atherton of the Drug Enforcement Agency, who's heading up the DEA's task force that's partnering with narcotics to take down the Medina brothers. I understand you already know Detective Mike Morgan."
Sara shook hands with the men. "Yeah, Mike's a friend of my partner, Danny Woo, from their academy days," she said. "What's going on?"
"We've just heard from Detective Tommy Fuller, our undercover man, and he told us something that I'm afraid you're not going to like," Captain Phillips told her, "but we're going to need you to cooperate with us on this if we're to catch the Medina brothers, Detective Pezzini."
"Sure, anything I can do to help," Sara said, a feeling of foreboding filling her.
"To prove his loyalty to Angel, Joaquin wants Detective Fuller to kill the kid that shook down one of Angel's dealers the other night, your nephew, Joseph Siri, Jr.," the narcotics task force's C.O. told her bluntly.
Sara gasped. "Oh my God! We've got to get Joey into protective custody right away! Joaquin must know where he is!"
"He does know where Joey goes to school, but Tommy says Joaquin wants him to kill the boy later this afternoon, at the rehab facility where his girlfriend is currently undergoing treatment for heroin addiction," Mike Morgan told her.
"But how did Joaquin find out that Joey will be there this afternoon?" Sara asked.
"We think someone who works at the facility tipped him off, and we're pretty sure we know who it was," the DEA agent whose name Sara had already forgotten said. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Detective Pezzini, but we can't take your nephew into protective custody without tipping off Joaquin that we're onto him and his brother."
"So, what, you're just gonna let Joey be a sitting duck? No, I can't let that happen," Sara said, shaking her head. "I've already told him to wait for me after school lets out. I'm gonna go pick him up and take him to visit his girlfriend. I can take an unmarked car. Nobody would know I'm a cop."
"Joaquin most likely has somebody watching Joey's school who could possibly make you as a police officer, Detective," Captain Phillips said. "He and his brother will disappear if they even suspect that we're onto them, and Detective Fuller's life would be gravely endangered. I'm sorry, but the boy can't be picked up by anyone. Nor can we risk alerting school officials. Your nephew could become spooked and panic."
"Oh, so it's okay for a 16-year-old boy's life to be 'gravely endangered,' but not an undercover cop's?" Sara snapped. "If you think I'm a hard sell, try telling that to his parents."
"Hear me out, Detective," the narcotics squad's captain said soothingly. "Our plan is to have an undercover agent shadow the boy when he heads to the rehab facility. Once he gets there, we'll have another agent who's similar in size and body type exchange clothes with Joey. That person will be wearing a bulletproof vest when he leaves the facility."
"However, now that Joaquin is at the ice factory, it's too risky for Detective Fuller to use his walky-talky again," the DEA agent said. "We need a female officer to call him on his cell phone in two hours, pretending to be his girlfriend. She must let him know in code that the decoy has been set up. We figure you'd be perfect for this job, seeing as you've already met Detective Fuller, and he'd recognize your voice."
Sara blinked. 'Oh shit!' she thought. 'He won't know my voice. What the hell am I gonna do? I need to talk to Nottingham!' Out loud, she said. "Sure, no problem. Just brief me on the code, and I'll do it. But first I need to call Joey's parents and let them know their son is going to be used as bait. They're not gonna like this plan of yours one bit, that's for sure, but I'll make sure they know what's at stake here. I'm also gonna promise them nothing bad will happen to their son, and you guys better not make me out to be a liar."
"Okay, Detective. Agent Atherton will coach you on the code that we're going to use with Detective Fuller. It's vitally important that you stick to the code because Medina has a device that can pick up cell phone conversations, and it's a good bet your call will be monitored," Captain Phillips said. "That's the reason we haven't tried this before. It's risky to do this at this juncture, but we're pretty sure Detective Fuller will be killed unless he pretends to go along with what Joaquin wants him to do. If there was some way we could do this without putting your nephew in danger, we would do it, but time is of the essence here, and the clock is running."
"Gotcha. I'm gonna need a few minutes," Sara said, rising. She crossed the hall to her and Danny's office and closed the door behind her. Then she dialed Robert Siri's number and briefed him on the latest developments. As she expected, he seriously freaked out about the danger his son was in, and it was all she could do to assure him that Joey's safety was the first priority, especially since she herself wasn't entirely convinced of this fact. Next, she dialed Ian Nottingham.
"Sara," he answered on the first ring.
From the roof of the building across from the precinct, Ian had watched the Wielder speak to the men that had entered her captain's office just before she had returned from lunch. Whatever they told her made her visibly upset, and her rising anxiety had been clearly communicated to him through his bond with her. Five minutes after she left Bruno Dante's office, his phone had rung.
"Nottingham, we've got big trouble," Sara said, and hurriedly explained the situation to him.
"Not to panic, my Lady," Ian said calmly, after only a slight pause. "Detective Fuller must have been given your name, as, ostensibly, he has you to thank for putting him back in touch with his surveillance unit. It did not seem important at the time, but last night Detective Fuller gave me his wedding band and asked me to give it to his wife, Janine, if anything happened to him. Here's what you must do, Sara: Start the call by telling Detective Fuller that it is Janine calling. He will, of course, instantly know that you are not her, but he will also realize that you know who she is. Then contrive to mention my name to him. That will clue him in to the fact that you are the contact I told him I was working closely with at the 11th Precinct. From then on, follow the code that the DEA agent gives you. Everything will work out, my Lady. Joey will not come to any harm, I promise you."
"But what if something goes wrong? What if Joaquin decides to shoot Joey at his school? He's gonna be waiting there all by himself for me to pick him up. He doesn't have a cell phone so I can't call him and tell him I'm not coming, and the task force doesn't want the school officials to tell him anything. Or what if Joaquin suddenly decides to kill him when he comes out of the subway instead of waiting for him to leave the rehab facility? Nottingham, could you pick Joey up from school and take him there? I'd feel so much better if I knew he was with you," Sara told him, ignoring the fact that Captain Phillips had stipulated that no one could pick the boy up from his school. Joey's vulnerability absolutely terrified her and she just didn't trust Joaquin Medina not to deviate from his plan.
"Although my vehicle and appearance stand little chance of being mistaken for those of a member of law enforcement, there is a chance that an escort to the rehab facility would tip off Joaquin, who, like his brother, is extremely paranoid," Nottingham frustrated her by immediately saying. "Plus, you said an undercover agent would be shadowing young Joseph. My showing up unexpectedly to take him to the rehab facility could prompt that agent to take action, which would definitely have the effect of alerting Joaquin to the surveillance. So, much as I regret it, I must decline, my Lady."
"Well, I can't just let Joey walk into a possible ambush between his school and the subway or between the subway and Amanda's rehab facility. There must be a way to warn him about what's gonna go down without tipping off Joaquin."
"I have an idea about how to do that," Ian said.
"Thank God for your brain, Nottingham," Sara said. "I'm so freaked out by this latest turn of events that I can't think straight. The vision we saw last night didn't warn us about this."
"Ah, but the events we saw in the vision obviously occurred after Joaquin Medina returned to the drug den and suggested that Detective Fuller murder Joseph. Out of desperation, the detective might have agreed to do it, but when it came down to it, he may have tried to back out, and I have no doubt that Joaquin killed him for it."
"So, you're saying that Tommy Fuller was already dead by the time Joaquin went gunning for Joey. But because we tracked Tommy down at the drug den last night and put him back in touch with his surveillance unit, he was able to alert the DEA and his squad to this gang-style murder plot."
"Precisely. The Witchblade only showed us Joseph's killing because it was his picture you and I touched. I believe that if we had handled Detective Fuller's wedding band, we would have been sent a vision that showed his fate had he been forced to refuse to murder young Joseph this afternoon."
"Boy, this prophetic stuff really gives me a headache," Sara groaned. "I guess I have more of this sort of thing to look forward to, hunh? Seeing as I'm the Wielder for the next 50 years or so. We don't have much time, Nottingham. I've got to get started memorizing that code. Quickly, tell me your plan to alert Joey to the danger he's in," Sara urged him.
"I suggest we enlist the aid of Mr. Bowman, who is youthful enough to pass for a high school student. He could meet Joey at his school and let him know about the murder plot and the decoy plan to prevent it without tipping anyone off."
"But Gabriel doesn't even know what Joey looks like. They've never met."
"I can supply him with a recent photo of young Joseph. In addition, I will instruct Mr. Bowman to call you on his cell phone once he makes contact with the boy. That way, you can tell Joseph yourself about the decoy operation and that he should use extreme caution when leaving the subway."
"I guess that will work. I don't have time to call and ask Gabriel if he'll do this for me. Will you call him?" Sara requested.
"Yes. You will hear from Gabriel and Joseph after school lets out. Oh, and Sara, I think I should give you Detective Fuller's wedding band, so that you can give it to him after Angel and Joaquin are taken into custody. Do you think you can you meet me in the alley next to the precinct in an hour?"
"Yeah, I'll just say I'm running out to get some coffee. And thanks a lot for everything, Nottingham. You've been a big help. See you in an hour. Bye." Sara said.
"Goodbye, Sara," Ian said.
The moment she hung up, he dialed Gabriel Bowman's number.
"Talismaniac. You want it, I got it, or I know somebody who does."
"Mr. Bowman, there's been a slight change in plans," Ian told him.
"Please tell me that the psycho drug lord and his gun-crazy brother have been caught," Gabriel said hopefully.
"I am afraid not, but you will be relieved to hear that you no longer must pretend to be Joseph Siri, Jr. this afternoon."
"You can say that again. I definitely was not looking forward to eating hot lead. What changed?"
Ian swiftly updated him on the latest twist of fate.
"I don't know, Nottingham, getting shot in the chest is almost preferable to going back to high school," Gabriel joked.
"I will have to take your word for that, Mr. Bowman."
"I guess you didn't go to high school, hunh?"
"No. I was . . . home schooled."
"Lucky you. My high school years are not my fondest memories. You honestly think I look young enough to still be in high school?"
"From a distance, yes. At the very least, a senior."
"Gee, thanks a lot. Um, how are you feeling, Nottingham?"
"I am fine."
"No, you're not. Sara doesn't know you didn't get the antidote, does she?"
"No, and if at all possible, I would like to keep it that way until after the Medina brothers are apprehended. I do not want her worrying about me, especially now when so much is at stake. It is vital that she remain focused on the task at hand."
"She won't find out from me. But she does have eyes in her head. Sharp eyes. All she'll have to do is take one good look at you and she'll figure out that you're still sick," Gabriel pointed out. "Forgive me for saying so, but you looked pretty crappy earlier, Nottingham."
"Then perhaps you would be so kind as do me another favor, Mr. Bowman?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"I have arranged to meet Sara in the alley next to the 11th Precinct in one hour to give her the wedding band that the undercover detective gave me for safekeeping last night. Could you meet me there in 40 minutes? I will give you the ring, and you can give it to her for me."
"That will only make her suspicious, but sure, I'll be there."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Bowman. I will see you shortly." Ian hung up. Opening his thermos of peppermint tea, he poured himself another cup of the still-hot beverage. He sipped it while his gaze restlessly scanned the street below. The vague sense of uneasiness that had plagued him before had intensified, and he could not shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm -- literally and figuratively.
****
Sara glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that nearly 40 minutes had passed since she'd begun going over the code that would be used when she spoke to undercover narcotics detective Tommy Fuller in a little more than an hour. Mindful of Nottingham's recent bout with ill health, she decided not to keep him waiting out in the cold for her any longer than necessary.
"I need a coffee break, Agent Atherton," she said, rising from her desk. "Do you want some, partner?"
Danny glanced up from the magazine he'd been perusing. "I could use some fresh air myself. Why don't I come along with you?" he said, getting up.
'Oh shit.' Sara thought. Reluctantly, she sat back down. "Well, if you're gonna go, I'm not braving the cold. Thanks, you know how I likes it."
Danny shrugged, grabbing his coat. "Sure. Can I offer to pick up a cup of java for you, Agent Atherton?"
"I'd appreciate it. Light, no sugar," the other man said, glad that he was going to have some time alone with Sara Pezzini. She was definitely the best looking female detective he'd ever had the pleasure of working with.
Two minutes after Danny left their office, Sara stood up. "Come to think of it, I need to stretch my legs a bit. I'll be back in ten minutes," she told the dark-haired man, grabbing her coat and hurrying out of the office before he could respond.
Sara headed outside, zipping up her coat and pulling on her hat and scarf as the cold air hit her. She was just in time to see Gabriel Bowman walk into the alley that was her own destination. Frowning, she hurried after him. The Witchblade swirled warmly on her wrist, signaling her Protector's proximity.
"Hey, Gabriel, what are you doing here?" Sara said, noticing the young man's guilty start at the sound of her voice. She saw that he was wearing the same red, cream, and blue hand-knit wool hat with tassels on the peaked top and earflaps and matching scarf that he'd offered to loan Nottingham yesterday evening.
"Oh, hey, Sara, I, um, well, you see -- "
"I asked Mr. Bowman to come here so I could give him the photograph of Joseph Siri, Jr., and so we could go over our plan again," Ian Nottingham said from where he was standing in the shadows. "I also thought it might not be a bad idea if I supplied young Joseph with a bulletproof vest. Just in case." He handed a plain brown shopping bag to Gabriel.
Sara saw that Nottingham was hatless, and that his long, dark hair was loose, effectively hiding his expression. She glanced suspiciously from one man to the other. "I guess standing outside and freezing in a dark alley is better than walking four blocks and meeting indoors where it's warm," she murmured. "Good thinking about the chest protection, though. And thanks for offering to do this, Gabriel. I'll feel much better knowing Joey is aware of what's gonna go down. Forewarned is forearmed, right, Nottingham?"
"Yes, my Lady," Ian replied, keeping his head down and his gaze averted.
"I'm glad I could help out, Chief," Gabriel said.
"Let me have that ring, Nottingham," Sara said, holding out her right hand.
He took it from the inside pocket of his overcoat and gave it to her, careful to drop it into her palm, rather than risk them both touching it and being shown another vision.
Suddenly, Sara reached up with her other hand and started to push the hair away from his face. But before she could touch him, Ian grabbed her wrist. Her green eyes widened in surprise.
"Let go of me, Nottingham," she growled, futilely trying to pull her arm from his steely grasp. "What's the matter with you?"
"Police! Let her go and keep your hands where I can see them!" a voice shouted.
Sara, Ian, and Gabriel looked toward the mouth of the alley to see Danny Woo advancing toward them, his gun drawn.
More to come. Thanks for all of the feedback for the previous chapters. It's always welcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Witchblade characters, although I wish I did and that the TV show hadn't been canceled. Sigh. Anyway, enjoy!
Author's Note: In a quest for authenticity, I've decided to go back and change all mention of the vice squad to the narcotics task force after viewing "Law & Order: SVU" the other night.
Chapter 31.
After showering, Sara returned to the homicide department to find Captain Bruno Dante's office crowded with several men, including Jake McCartey and Frank Orlinsky. Her heart sank as she also recognized Mike Morgan among them. As soon as Dante spotted her, he beckoned her into his office.
"Detective Sara Pezzini, this is Captain Sheldon Phillips, commanding officer of the 11th's narcotics task force," Dante said, indicating a handsome African-American man who looked to be somewhere in his mid- to late 40s. "And this is Agent Tim Atherton of the Drug Enforcement Agency, who's heading up the DEA's task force that's partnering with narcotics to take down the Medina brothers. I understand you already know Detective Mike Morgan."
Sara shook hands with the men. "Yeah, Mike's a friend of my partner, Danny Woo, from their academy days," she said. "What's going on?"
"We've just heard from Detective Tommy Fuller, our undercover man, and he told us something that I'm afraid you're not going to like," Captain Phillips told her, "but we're going to need you to cooperate with us on this if we're to catch the Medina brothers, Detective Pezzini."
"Sure, anything I can do to help," Sara said, a feeling of foreboding filling her.
"To prove his loyalty to Angel, Joaquin wants Detective Fuller to kill the kid that shook down one of Angel's dealers the other night, your nephew, Joseph Siri, Jr.," the narcotics task force's C.O. told her bluntly.
Sara gasped. "Oh my God! We've got to get Joey into protective custody right away! Joaquin must know where he is!"
"He does know where Joey goes to school, but Tommy says Joaquin wants him to kill the boy later this afternoon, at the rehab facility where his girlfriend is currently undergoing treatment for heroin addiction," Mike Morgan told her.
"But how did Joaquin find out that Joey will be there this afternoon?" Sara asked.
"We think someone who works at the facility tipped him off, and we're pretty sure we know who it was," the DEA agent whose name Sara had already forgotten said. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Detective Pezzini, but we can't take your nephew into protective custody without tipping off Joaquin that we're onto him and his brother."
"So, what, you're just gonna let Joey be a sitting duck? No, I can't let that happen," Sara said, shaking her head. "I've already told him to wait for me after school lets out. I'm gonna go pick him up and take him to visit his girlfriend. I can take an unmarked car. Nobody would know I'm a cop."
"Joaquin most likely has somebody watching Joey's school who could possibly make you as a police officer, Detective," Captain Phillips said. "He and his brother will disappear if they even suspect that we're onto them, and Detective Fuller's life would be gravely endangered. I'm sorry, but the boy can't be picked up by anyone. Nor can we risk alerting school officials. Your nephew could become spooked and panic."
"Oh, so it's okay for a 16-year-old boy's life to be 'gravely endangered,' but not an undercover cop's?" Sara snapped. "If you think I'm a hard sell, try telling that to his parents."
"Hear me out, Detective," the narcotics squad's captain said soothingly. "Our plan is to have an undercover agent shadow the boy when he heads to the rehab facility. Once he gets there, we'll have another agent who's similar in size and body type exchange clothes with Joey. That person will be wearing a bulletproof vest when he leaves the facility."
"However, now that Joaquin is at the ice factory, it's too risky for Detective Fuller to use his walky-talky again," the DEA agent said. "We need a female officer to call him on his cell phone in two hours, pretending to be his girlfriend. She must let him know in code that the decoy has been set up. We figure you'd be perfect for this job, seeing as you've already met Detective Fuller, and he'd recognize your voice."
Sara blinked. 'Oh shit!' she thought. 'He won't know my voice. What the hell am I gonna do? I need to talk to Nottingham!' Out loud, she said. "Sure, no problem. Just brief me on the code, and I'll do it. But first I need to call Joey's parents and let them know their son is going to be used as bait. They're not gonna like this plan of yours one bit, that's for sure, but I'll make sure they know what's at stake here. I'm also gonna promise them nothing bad will happen to their son, and you guys better not make me out to be a liar."
"Okay, Detective. Agent Atherton will coach you on the code that we're going to use with Detective Fuller. It's vitally important that you stick to the code because Medina has a device that can pick up cell phone conversations, and it's a good bet your call will be monitored," Captain Phillips said. "That's the reason we haven't tried this before. It's risky to do this at this juncture, but we're pretty sure Detective Fuller will be killed unless he pretends to go along with what Joaquin wants him to do. If there was some way we could do this without putting your nephew in danger, we would do it, but time is of the essence here, and the clock is running."
"Gotcha. I'm gonna need a few minutes," Sara said, rising. She crossed the hall to her and Danny's office and closed the door behind her. Then she dialed Robert Siri's number and briefed him on the latest developments. As she expected, he seriously freaked out about the danger his son was in, and it was all she could do to assure him that Joey's safety was the first priority, especially since she herself wasn't entirely convinced of this fact. Next, she dialed Ian Nottingham.
"Sara," he answered on the first ring.
From the roof of the building across from the precinct, Ian had watched the Wielder speak to the men that had entered her captain's office just before she had returned from lunch. Whatever they told her made her visibly upset, and her rising anxiety had been clearly communicated to him through his bond with her. Five minutes after she left Bruno Dante's office, his phone had rung.
"Nottingham, we've got big trouble," Sara said, and hurriedly explained the situation to him.
"Not to panic, my Lady," Ian said calmly, after only a slight pause. "Detective Fuller must have been given your name, as, ostensibly, he has you to thank for putting him back in touch with his surveillance unit. It did not seem important at the time, but last night Detective Fuller gave me his wedding band and asked me to give it to his wife, Janine, if anything happened to him. Here's what you must do, Sara: Start the call by telling Detective Fuller that it is Janine calling. He will, of course, instantly know that you are not her, but he will also realize that you know who she is. Then contrive to mention my name to him. That will clue him in to the fact that you are the contact I told him I was working closely with at the 11th Precinct. From then on, follow the code that the DEA agent gives you. Everything will work out, my Lady. Joey will not come to any harm, I promise you."
"But what if something goes wrong? What if Joaquin decides to shoot Joey at his school? He's gonna be waiting there all by himself for me to pick him up. He doesn't have a cell phone so I can't call him and tell him I'm not coming, and the task force doesn't want the school officials to tell him anything. Or what if Joaquin suddenly decides to kill him when he comes out of the subway instead of waiting for him to leave the rehab facility? Nottingham, could you pick Joey up from school and take him there? I'd feel so much better if I knew he was with you," Sara told him, ignoring the fact that Captain Phillips had stipulated that no one could pick the boy up from his school. Joey's vulnerability absolutely terrified her and she just didn't trust Joaquin Medina not to deviate from his plan.
"Although my vehicle and appearance stand little chance of being mistaken for those of a member of law enforcement, there is a chance that an escort to the rehab facility would tip off Joaquin, who, like his brother, is extremely paranoid," Nottingham frustrated her by immediately saying. "Plus, you said an undercover agent would be shadowing young Joseph. My showing up unexpectedly to take him to the rehab facility could prompt that agent to take action, which would definitely have the effect of alerting Joaquin to the surveillance. So, much as I regret it, I must decline, my Lady."
"Well, I can't just let Joey walk into a possible ambush between his school and the subway or between the subway and Amanda's rehab facility. There must be a way to warn him about what's gonna go down without tipping off Joaquin."
"I have an idea about how to do that," Ian said.
"Thank God for your brain, Nottingham," Sara said. "I'm so freaked out by this latest turn of events that I can't think straight. The vision we saw last night didn't warn us about this."
"Ah, but the events we saw in the vision obviously occurred after Joaquin Medina returned to the drug den and suggested that Detective Fuller murder Joseph. Out of desperation, the detective might have agreed to do it, but when it came down to it, he may have tried to back out, and I have no doubt that Joaquin killed him for it."
"So, you're saying that Tommy Fuller was already dead by the time Joaquin went gunning for Joey. But because we tracked Tommy down at the drug den last night and put him back in touch with his surveillance unit, he was able to alert the DEA and his squad to this gang-style murder plot."
"Precisely. The Witchblade only showed us Joseph's killing because it was his picture you and I touched. I believe that if we had handled Detective Fuller's wedding band, we would have been sent a vision that showed his fate had he been forced to refuse to murder young Joseph this afternoon."
"Boy, this prophetic stuff really gives me a headache," Sara groaned. "I guess I have more of this sort of thing to look forward to, hunh? Seeing as I'm the Wielder for the next 50 years or so. We don't have much time, Nottingham. I've got to get started memorizing that code. Quickly, tell me your plan to alert Joey to the danger he's in," Sara urged him.
"I suggest we enlist the aid of Mr. Bowman, who is youthful enough to pass for a high school student. He could meet Joey at his school and let him know about the murder plot and the decoy plan to prevent it without tipping anyone off."
"But Gabriel doesn't even know what Joey looks like. They've never met."
"I can supply him with a recent photo of young Joseph. In addition, I will instruct Mr. Bowman to call you on his cell phone once he makes contact with the boy. That way, you can tell Joseph yourself about the decoy operation and that he should use extreme caution when leaving the subway."
"I guess that will work. I don't have time to call and ask Gabriel if he'll do this for me. Will you call him?" Sara requested.
"Yes. You will hear from Gabriel and Joseph after school lets out. Oh, and Sara, I think I should give you Detective Fuller's wedding band, so that you can give it to him after Angel and Joaquin are taken into custody. Do you think you can you meet me in the alley next to the precinct in an hour?"
"Yeah, I'll just say I'm running out to get some coffee. And thanks a lot for everything, Nottingham. You've been a big help. See you in an hour. Bye." Sara said.
"Goodbye, Sara," Ian said.
The moment she hung up, he dialed Gabriel Bowman's number.
"Talismaniac. You want it, I got it, or I know somebody who does."
"Mr. Bowman, there's been a slight change in plans," Ian told him.
"Please tell me that the psycho drug lord and his gun-crazy brother have been caught," Gabriel said hopefully.
"I am afraid not, but you will be relieved to hear that you no longer must pretend to be Joseph Siri, Jr. this afternoon."
"You can say that again. I definitely was not looking forward to eating hot lead. What changed?"
Ian swiftly updated him on the latest twist of fate.
"I don't know, Nottingham, getting shot in the chest is almost preferable to going back to high school," Gabriel joked.
"I will have to take your word for that, Mr. Bowman."
"I guess you didn't go to high school, hunh?"
"No. I was . . . home schooled."
"Lucky you. My high school years are not my fondest memories. You honestly think I look young enough to still be in high school?"
"From a distance, yes. At the very least, a senior."
"Gee, thanks a lot. Um, how are you feeling, Nottingham?"
"I am fine."
"No, you're not. Sara doesn't know you didn't get the antidote, does she?"
"No, and if at all possible, I would like to keep it that way until after the Medina brothers are apprehended. I do not want her worrying about me, especially now when so much is at stake. It is vital that she remain focused on the task at hand."
"She won't find out from me. But she does have eyes in her head. Sharp eyes. All she'll have to do is take one good look at you and she'll figure out that you're still sick," Gabriel pointed out. "Forgive me for saying so, but you looked pretty crappy earlier, Nottingham."
"Then perhaps you would be so kind as do me another favor, Mr. Bowman?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"I have arranged to meet Sara in the alley next to the 11th Precinct in one hour to give her the wedding band that the undercover detective gave me for safekeeping last night. Could you meet me there in 40 minutes? I will give you the ring, and you can give it to her for me."
"That will only make her suspicious, but sure, I'll be there."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Bowman. I will see you shortly." Ian hung up. Opening his thermos of peppermint tea, he poured himself another cup of the still-hot beverage. He sipped it while his gaze restlessly scanned the street below. The vague sense of uneasiness that had plagued him before had intensified, and he could not shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm -- literally and figuratively.
****
Sara glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that nearly 40 minutes had passed since she'd begun going over the code that would be used when she spoke to undercover narcotics detective Tommy Fuller in a little more than an hour. Mindful of Nottingham's recent bout with ill health, she decided not to keep him waiting out in the cold for her any longer than necessary.
"I need a coffee break, Agent Atherton," she said, rising from her desk. "Do you want some, partner?"
Danny glanced up from the magazine he'd been perusing. "I could use some fresh air myself. Why don't I come along with you?" he said, getting up.
'Oh shit.' Sara thought. Reluctantly, she sat back down. "Well, if you're gonna go, I'm not braving the cold. Thanks, you know how I likes it."
Danny shrugged, grabbing his coat. "Sure. Can I offer to pick up a cup of java for you, Agent Atherton?"
"I'd appreciate it. Light, no sugar," the other man said, glad that he was going to have some time alone with Sara Pezzini. She was definitely the best looking female detective he'd ever had the pleasure of working with.
Two minutes after Danny left their office, Sara stood up. "Come to think of it, I need to stretch my legs a bit. I'll be back in ten minutes," she told the dark-haired man, grabbing her coat and hurrying out of the office before he could respond.
Sara headed outside, zipping up her coat and pulling on her hat and scarf as the cold air hit her. She was just in time to see Gabriel Bowman walk into the alley that was her own destination. Frowning, she hurried after him. The Witchblade swirled warmly on her wrist, signaling her Protector's proximity.
"Hey, Gabriel, what are you doing here?" Sara said, noticing the young man's guilty start at the sound of her voice. She saw that he was wearing the same red, cream, and blue hand-knit wool hat with tassels on the peaked top and earflaps and matching scarf that he'd offered to loan Nottingham yesterday evening.
"Oh, hey, Sara, I, um, well, you see -- "
"I asked Mr. Bowman to come here so I could give him the photograph of Joseph Siri, Jr., and so we could go over our plan again," Ian Nottingham said from where he was standing in the shadows. "I also thought it might not be a bad idea if I supplied young Joseph with a bulletproof vest. Just in case." He handed a plain brown shopping bag to Gabriel.
Sara saw that Nottingham was hatless, and that his long, dark hair was loose, effectively hiding his expression. She glanced suspiciously from one man to the other. "I guess standing outside and freezing in a dark alley is better than walking four blocks and meeting indoors where it's warm," she murmured. "Good thinking about the chest protection, though. And thanks for offering to do this, Gabriel. I'll feel much better knowing Joey is aware of what's gonna go down. Forewarned is forearmed, right, Nottingham?"
"Yes, my Lady," Ian replied, keeping his head down and his gaze averted.
"I'm glad I could help out, Chief," Gabriel said.
"Let me have that ring, Nottingham," Sara said, holding out her right hand.
He took it from the inside pocket of his overcoat and gave it to her, careful to drop it into her palm, rather than risk them both touching it and being shown another vision.
Suddenly, Sara reached up with her other hand and started to push the hair away from his face. But before she could touch him, Ian grabbed her wrist. Her green eyes widened in surprise.
"Let go of me, Nottingham," she growled, futilely trying to pull her arm from his steely grasp. "What's the matter with you?"
"Police! Let her go and keep your hands where I can see them!" a voice shouted.
Sara, Ian, and Gabriel looked toward the mouth of the alley to see Danny Woo advancing toward them, his gun drawn.
More to come. Thanks for all of the feedback for the previous chapters. It's always welcome.