Chpt. 24 CPOV:
"We believe they're in Seattle," Welch announces.
"When?" Taylor asks.
"Less than 10 minutes ago confirmation was sent to Junior."
"Do we know where exactly?" I ask.
"A hotel only a few blocks from Escala-"
"Fuck," I hiss. Even though we knew this was coming, knowing that right now they're minutes away from Ana and Teddy still has my blood boiling.
"We have eyes on the hotel," Taylor surprises me by saying.
"How? I thought we didn't know who these guys were?"
"We have eyes on the hotel, not yet on them. My guys have a picture of what the FBI believes John looks like today; they're keeping an eye out for him. It's a big hotel with lots of people, however we have several guys watching the entrances and a few more inside the hotel itself."
"You have guys downstairs and outside here?" I ask.
"Yes sir, all entrances are covered and I have someone stationed at the main desk downstairs along with Escala's main staff. All security codes were changed this morning and at this time no one outside of this apartment knows the current codes. Even your family's codes were deactivated."
"Good…any movement on Junior?"
"He's been talking with his buddies, making vague plans but nothing concrete. Another email came in requesting Ana meet with him to discuss a visitation schedule with Teddy-"
"He's never going to see that little boy," I say through gritted teeth.
"Agreed sir," Welch says. "But he doesn't need to know that. We play his game for now, we set up the meeting with the premise that Ana wants Junior to be able to see Teddy. Of course when the meeting occurs, Teddy won't be anywhere near either of them."
"Where are we with a location for the meeting?" I ask.
"Still looking into several options," Taylor answers. "Ideally we want to have complete access to the location prior to the meeting so we can determine the best locations for the snipers as well as possible at risk areas. While we want the meeting to occur somewhere in public, we need to ensure that no one is put at risk should this bastard decide to try something."
"What about the space that SIP used to occupy?" I suggest.
"I assumed it was occupied already?" Taylor asks.
"No, we moved the company to GEH but the building hasn't yet sold. To my knowledge it's still unoccupied; we'd have to verify with real estate-"
"It's currently unoccupied," Welch confirms.
"Do we have the blue prints?" Taylor asks.
"Yes," Welch confirms.
"So it's been what over a year since we were there, but from what I remember it was a smaller building….what about three or four floors-"
"Three," I correct.
"All the floors were occupied by SIP at that time which means we won't have other companies or workers to worry about it if we used the space. There was one main entrance in front of the building and an emergency exit in the back. No other access points," Taylor recalls.
"I think you're right, but I'll send you over the blue prints when we end the call so you can confirm," Welch says.
"I can send over a couple guys to check it out tomorrow but that might be our best bet."
"I'd suggest we use GEH's space, but I'm concerned because of the size of the building and the different access points," I explain. "It would be suspicious if I told all the employees we were closing the building and they wouldn't be permitted back into the building beyond a certain time. Even then, I'd worry that someone might stay late or come back into the building because they forgot something."
"I considered that as well, but didn't think it was a viable option," Taylor agrees.
"The SIP space might be the best option," Welch adds. "It eliminates the risk of bystanders being involved."
"Let's wait a day before having Ana respond to Junior's email, it'll give my men a chance to scope out the place."
"If he gets desperate, we can have her respond vaguely without setting up the actual meeting yet."
"Junior is still in Atlanta?" I confirm.
"For now, but he's getting antsy," Welch answers. "The emails and calls between him and his buddies is increasing. I'd be surprised if he waited more than 24 hours to get on a flight out here."
"What else do we need? More men? Have we contacted the FBI yet?"
"I've consulted with a buddy of mine who is a special agent with the FBI, he is aware of what we're trying to do and while he doesn't condone it he has agreed to be on standby. He sent me over several recording devices that we can hide on Ana for the meeting. These will transmit directly to their guys who will be parked a few blocks away in an unmarked van. If Ana can get Junior to confess to his role in…in Kate's death, they will arrest him on the spot."
"Isn't he going to suspect she might be wired?" I asked.
"Probably, but these devices are so small he won't be able to detect them. She'll have multiple on her so even if he did force her to remove one of them the others would then take over."
"They'll be hidden that well?"
"Hidden in plain sight. One would be in her hair, another hidden in a necklace, two hidden in buttons and a third on a pair of glasses."
"What about trackers? What if he somehow manages….to take Ana again? How can we track her-"
"He won't," Taylor hisses at me. "But, each recording device is outfitted with a GPS tracking feature so that if something happened, which it won't, we would be able to track her. They have also provided us with a device that they want Ana to try to plant on him-"
"No."
"Only if she can't get him to confess, that way they can keep track of him."
"No."
"I don't like it either sir, but if he doesn't confess this will give us a guarantee on his location while we come up with a plan b."
"There won't be a plan b, we have to find a way to get him to confess," I say firmly. "I'm not going to let Ana risk her life again; I hate like hell she's doing this as it is."
"Me too sir."
"We all do sir," Welch agrees.
"He's going to insist she come alone to the meeting point," Taylor points out.
"I figured as much," Welch says.
"So we have everyone set up at the SIP building hours before; she's not walking into that building unless we're there," I state. "Someone will need to drive her there, walk her to the front door even…"
"Then we take over from the inside," Taylor says. "We'll have guys strategically placed throughout the building-"
"If we're going to use the space, I want to get in there tonight with Barney. I want to install surveillance cameras in the entry way, the hallways and ultimately in the room we're going to use. Maybe in a few of the rooms nearby just in case."
"Agreed, this will allow us to have eyes on him the moment he enters the building."
"What about guys outside the building?" I ask. "You know he'll have his people nearby."
"I'll meet Welch and Barney there tonight and see what our options are. Rooftops of nearby office buildings are an obvious choice but I'd like to see if there's a vacant office space nearby that I can get someone in as well."
"All entrances and exits need to be covered; he may insist that she come alone to the meeting but that doesn't mean we're going to give his guys free access to the space."
"Agreed, we'll have guys hidden near all the entrances and as soon as he's in the building they will move in to place."
"And we're confident the FBI is on board? If we need to make a donation to ensure their cooperation-"
"It's not going to come to that," Welch chuckles. "My buddy who processed the knife that Ana…provided to us is very eager to accommodate us in any way possible. He pulled some strings and will be in the van with Taylor's buddy listening into the meeting. He's very invested in bringing down the guy she stabbed; if Anna can get Baxter to confess to kidnapping her then they believe they can get Baxter to flip on the other guy."
"What about local PD? Do we need their assistance?"
"The FBI has them on standby," Taylor answers.
"So for now we have everything covered?"
"For now, we'll know more once we're at the building tonight," Taylor nods.
"Let's reconvene first thing in the morning; I'd like Ana and Mr. Steele present for the call so we can bring them up to speed. Have the blueprints ready to present as well."
"I'll see that Barney is on the call."
I disconnect the call and sit back, hating like hell what we're planning but at the same time eager to put the nightmares behind Ana. I want her to fall asleep peacefully at night, knowing that she won't wake up only a few hours later with a nightmare. I want to be able to take her out to dinner without having to be constantly looking over our shoulders. I want us to be able to take Teddy to a park, to push him on a swing for the first time…
It still amazes me how easily the two of them have weaved their way into my life. I never thought I would see the day when I would have a child living in my apartment, sharing my bedroom even. Especially a child that was not my own, but with Teddy….hell I can't wait to help Ana decorate a nursery upstairs for him. Or to go shopping for more toys and whatever other stuff he's going to need.
"I'm going to go grab something to eat before heading out," Taylor pulls me from my thoughts.
"You still think this is our best option? That this is better than sending them to Aspen or hell to another country?"
"If you want this to end, this is our best option," he says firmly. "Ana, Teddy and the General could spend the rest of their lives on the run, always looking over their shoulders and hoping they've covered their tracks well but even then I think Junior would eventually find them. He's not going to stop, not until he's forced to."
"If at any point things don't seem right, even if it's just in gut, we pull out and figure out something out later."
"Agreed sir."
Without another word, Taylor leaves my office and I'm left staring at my computer screen desperately wishing I could come up with another option that would guarantee Ana and Teddy's safety while nailing Junior for the bastard that he is. Despite everything, all the resources available to me, I can't fucking figure out another way to end this once and for all without putting Ana at risk.
Knock knock
"Enter."
"Are you busy?" Ana asks quietly.
"No, come in," I immediately stand up from my desk and meet her halfway. Immediately she walks into my arms, my arms surround her, holding her close to me.
"I can't…I don't know how to thank you," she whispers.
"For what baby?"
"My dad…for finding a way to get him here," she practically sobs against my chest.
"Baby," I lift her into my arms causing her to gasp and walk over to the small loveseat against the hall. Sitting down I turn her so she's straddling my legs, allowing me to look at her.
"You don't understand Christian how much having him here means to me. We….Him and Kate, they were all I had…for so long. The last two months, not being able to talk to him every day, to call him whenever I wanted, to…."
"Shhhh, I know," I hold her against my chest loving how she feels in my arms. "And when this is all over, you can use the jet to fly back and forth to visit him whenever you want. The jet can be ready with just an hour notice, so anytime you want-"
"He's moving here when this is over," she cuts me off. "Well not here, in Seattle, but he wants to find some place like what we had in North Carolina somewhere in Washington. He hopes to be within a couple hour drive from here."
"There's lots of options within a few hours of the city for something like that. He could probably rent out his house if he's not sure-"
"There isn't a house any longer."
"What happened?"
"They…set fire to it and all the other buildings on the property-"
"When? Does Taylor know?"
"Apparently it all happened the day I met up with Taylor in Ohio."
"Shit Ana…I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry for my dad, it was his dream to have a place like that. He loved being so far away from everything and having all that space to do whatever he wanted with," she shrugs. "But he says he's going to find a place like that again but here in Washington. He wants to be close to me and Teddy."
"When he's ready, I have a real estate office that I've worked with over the years that can help him."
"Thank you and thank you so much for bringing him here. I can't thank you enough."
"You don't need to thank me Ana, seeing your face when you saw him was all the thanks that's needed. I'm just glad it all worked out and the plan came together."
"Me too."
We sit like that for several minutes, neither of us saying a word. Before she sits back up and tells me the reason she came in here to start with was to let me know that dinner would be ready in ten minutes. Reluctantly she slides off my lap before offering me her hand; we walk out to the dining room where Mr. Steele is sitting at the table with Teddy on his lap.
"Did you get settled in your room?" I ask.
"Yes, thank you again for putting me up here. Under different circumstances I'd insist on staying at a hotel, but…"
"It's not a problem," it really isn't. There's five bedrooms upstairs that sit practically empty because I have very little need for any of them. My hope is still to convert one into an office for Ana so she can work from here when she finally accepts my offer to come work for GEH. Eventually one will also become a nursery for Teddy, but I'm fine with that being down the road whenever Ana is ready for that to happen.
"Ana told me about your home, I'm sorry sir."
"It was just a house," he shakes his head.
"They're going to pay for what they did Daddy," Ana says with more confidence than I've heard from her before.
"They will," I agree.
"I'll be glad when this nightmare is behind us," he sighs. "But until then I'm incredible thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with my daughter and grandson. These last few months have been hell, but not being able to see them and talk to Annie every day…"
I don't know what to say to that; I can't imagine what he's been through the last few months. From losing his daughter to finding out that her ex was responsible for having her killed to having his other daughter kidnapped to having to send them across the country in the care of someone you haven't seen in years. I see so much of Ana in him; so much of how she first was when she arrived here. There's the caution, the constant worry at every sound, the constant waiting for the other shoe to drop and the uncertainty. I forgot how scared Ana was in those first few weeks here; I forgot how cautious she used to be with everyone. Except right after a nightmare, I haven't seen that side of her in sometime.
"If there's anything you need while you're here, just let Taylor or Gail know," I tell him. "There's several members of my security team working throughout the building, one of them will be able to get whatever it is you need."
"I have everything I need," he smiles looking over at Ana and puts his hand on Teddy's chest. "Thank you though, for everything. You didn't have to get so involved with this…mess."
"Sir, I-"
"You could have let Taylor put them up in the hotel he had planned. You didn't have to allow him the use of your staff to track down the bastard. You didn't have to do any of this, but I will owe you a debt until my dying day for keeping my family safe."
"I…."
Well, fuck what the hell do I say now. The moment I laid eyes on Ana and Teddy I knew there was no way in hell that they were going to a hotel. Once I heard what happened, I couldn't not help them; it wasn't an option. I did for Teddy what Grace did for me all those years ago; I had the means to protect him so I did. I did for Ana what I wish someone would have done for my mother before she started her path on drugs. I gave her a hand; I had the means to protect her and I did.
"I can't believe how big this little guy has gotten," Mr. Steele says.
"He's still such a good baby Daddy," Ana gushes, her entire face lighting up when she talks about Teddy. "He sleeps through the night but even when he wakes up he usually just lays in his crib playing for a few minutes. He rarely fusses, except when he's hungry."
"You're doing an amazing job with him Annie; such an amazing job. Kate would be so proud of you; you've become a great mom to Teddy."
"Daddy," Ana gasps her eyes filling with tears.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her into me; I know how much his words mean to her. I know how much she has doubted her ability to be a parent to Teddy and how she was would compare herself to Kate. We finish the rest of dinner in a comfortable silence after which Mr. Steele announces that he's going to go to bed. Ana and Teddy walk him upstairs, no doubt to make sure he has everything. Gail made sure the guest bathroom attached to the bedroom was fully stocked so there shouldn't be anything he needs.
"Did he get settled in okay?" I ask when Ana and Teddy come back down the stairs.
"Yeah, I think he's going to be asleep before this little guy is though," she giggles.
"I…I don't know how….do you need help getting him ready for bed?" I realize that I have no idea what she does to get him ready for bed.
"I usually just give him a bath and then a final bottle. Do you want to come in while I get him ready?"
"I can take him while you get everything ready," I put my arms out and Teddy immediately reaches for me causing both me and Ana to laugh. I follow her into the bathroom and watch as she gets everything set out before putting a little water in the bathtub.
"Are you sure he'll be okay in there? It looks like….he looks so tiny in there," I say as she lowers him into tub. "Don't they have smaller tubs or something for babies?"
"They do," she giggles. "They have tubs that sit in regular size ones for babies, but he'll be fine in here."
"Why don't you have one?"
"Didn't bring Kate's; we left in such a hurry….it wasn't a necessity."
"You could have had Sawyer pick one up for you."
"It wasn't important," she shrugs.
Can you pick Teddy up a bathtub on your way back? Ana said something about ones they make for babies that will fit in my bathtub? –C
I know what she's talking about and will get it. Leaving the building now. –T
Will it work? –C
Yes. Welch and Barney are already installing their cameras –T
Good –C
"Everything okay?" Ana asks.
"It's fine," I slip my phone back into my pocket and watch as Teddy splashes around in the water. "He seems to enjoy the water."
"He does," she smiles. "In one of those books Taylor picked up for me, it talked about creating a bedtime routine for babies. That it would help them realize that it was getting close to bedtime and a bath was a suggestion. He's just recently started playing in here."
And toys for the tub…stuff he can play with in there –C
On it. –T