Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Joe is definitely not in my grasp and neither is Frank (sigh!)
Frank leaned back in the chair and assessed the sheaf of papers he had been handed. They were the ID's on the fingerprints that Joe had turned in and finally Frank could put a name and face to the voice of the 'boss'. The 'boss' was a thirty five year old with a rap sheet as long as his arm. He was a juvenile delinquent who had started early for fraud in school and had spent considerable time in juvenile delinquency centers through his youth. Unfortunately the experience had not reformed him and instead had given him more ammunition in a variety of illegal activities.
He seemed to have developed much of his gang contacts at these centers and somewhere along the way he had shed his given name of Alex Conklin and adopted the nickname "the biker" which went with his appearance. With a finger in every illegal pie he now seemed to be a local conduit for shifting the drugs from the ship to the ultimate distribution of the same. Whether he was affiliated to be terrorist outfit directly was not clear and remained to be seen.
Frank on his part had deputed two agents to shadow the man and give him a report of his schedule and movements so they could plan their next move. Besides, any information on the man would be a valuable weapon and Frank dearly hoped that he would be the one to put the man behind bars. Now that would be job satisfaction.
The other prints had belonged to three youths one of them being Christopher Reece namely Joe's contact "Chris" and the fourth one was of Joe himself. Frank held onto the page tightly wishing that it was Joe sitting there rather than his fingerprint report. But right now even the sheet of paper was slightly comforting as at least he knew that Joe was safe thus far.
He turned to Agent Paul Rickman who sat with him and listened to what was happening at Joe's end. Rickman was also a young man almost the same age as Frank and was easy going and very professional. Frank was glad that the man was good to work with especially when his emotions were all over the place on this case.
"What do you think about all this?" he asked wanting to take the other man's opinion also into account. The man held his gaze and thought for a minute before speaking "your brother is doing a good job. I really didn't expect anything to happen so soon but he has moved fast I should say. Now that we know who this 'boss' is let's plan an operation. We should be able to see where this guy distributes the dope in the next couple of days. What if we can cause him to lose some operatives?" he replied while also turning the question back to Frank.
Frank thought for a moment and a smile made its way to his face "you might have something there buddy…yeah, let's have a raid preferably not by us and make sure that some of his operatives are taken out of the equation. The boss cannot definitely leave the stuff in the garage any longer than he has and I am hoping he will need every one of his men to bring it out. Seeing that he would be short staffed by the raid…yeah it might help Joe to bring in Mike."
His partner had a similar smile on his face "bingo, you read my mind pal and as for the agency moving in let it be the good old NYPD. The anonymous tip bit works best with them" he said and added "and you better give your brother a heads up. Keep him in the loop". Frank nodded with a "you are right, I will call him now".
Armed with the new knowledge he dialed Joe to update him and also to feel out the state of his brother. Joe had always been physically tougher than Frank but working the hours that he was would wear out anyone. He only hoped that Joe had taken his advice and napped a bit at the garage.
A few seconds later he was however not vindicated as Joe picked up the call with a bright "Frank!". "Did you rest at least a bit at the garage?" Frank's voice echoed on the line as Joe grinned on his side. Score one for way too protective big brothers he thought "Good morning to you too. And yes I did take a small nap here. Happy? Frank, relax Agent smith is a good guy, he takes care of me too…which is not surprising considering how irresistible I am" he paused to hear Frank's snort over the line. "Now tell me what's happening? Noel told me that he has passed on the prints to you."
"Nice to see that your ego is still over inflated" Frank quipped dryly as he quickly updated Joe on the information that he had gained and outlined his plan further. "Joe, I have put two agents on his tail, ok?. We assume that we can zero in on his distribution areas in a couple of days. Now this is our plan. In a couple of days I am going to ask the local police of that area to conduct a small raid based on an anonymous tip and preferably bust up the distribution a bit. Hopefully, a couple of the gang members will be conveniently arrested which might create a shortage of men and an opening for you to bring Mike in. He is not making any headway on his own and it looks like you have to bring him in. What do you think?"
Joe did not reply immediately and instead went over his brother's plan in his mind. "It sounds alright" he acceded finally before adding "and in the meantime if something else happens I will let you know and you can change the plans accordingly. By the way how did you get the blankets and the supplies into my room? Thanks, it really helps".
"Oh! You are so bad at maintaining your place. You didn't know that the plumbing needed to be looked at?" Frank kidded as Joe laughed aloud. "I hope the plumber was not you. I don't want anyone to even know you exist Frank. You are my trump card, stay that way please" Joe said with a grin still in place. "Nope" Frank replied "I stayed away although I am toying with the idea of paying a visit to the garage as a customer. I want to see you" he said his voice becoming serious at the end.
Joe ran a hand over his face and fought to keep his voice neutral "I want to see you too Frank and please stop saying these tempting things. I mean it, I am just terrified that someone will link you to me and all this would be for nothing" he pleaded. "Fine" Frank grudgingly accepted before adding "this case is making you way too serious. If I didn't know better I would think our personalities got switched somewhere. This is so very un fun" he said waspishly.
"Un- fun? Really Frank? You? The next thing to Webster's dictionary has come up with un-fun? Truly hilarious" Joe grinned before adding "by the way have you spoken to Van?". "Yeah I did" Frank replied "she misses you and she loves you...the usual and she is happy that that you are ok. So stay that way alright?"He added.
Joe nodded absent mindedly "tell her that I miss her a lot too and ask her not to worry…with all the heavy lifting I am doing I might come back as an improved version" he said with a laugh. "So ask her to stay safe and not to worry. Now I better go, will talk to you later" he said his farewell as Frank did the same.
That evening was more "heavy lifting" as Joe had said but this time the 'boss' was not around making it easier for him to talk to the other kids. Over the course of the evening he found himself working with some of the other kids also and not just Chris which suited him just fine.
Surprisingly there were also a couple of girls which helped matters as one of them definitely was giving Joe the 'looks'. She was tall and lean with rather pretty features and looked like she was in her late teens. Moreover she had a nose ring on and had dyed her hair red looking every inch the punk and seemed very interested in him. Joe knew an opportunity when he saw one and unobtrusively made sure that at some point he was the one helping her handle a rather heavy crate.
"Hi, I am Alan..you can call me Al" he introduced himself as the girl flashed him a smile and huffed out "Hi Al, I am Sam". Joe put more muscle into the lifting and tried to take more of the weight "gosh! This is heavy even for me, must be pretty hard for you" he quipped with a blinding grin in her direction. "Hey! Watch who you are calling weak" the girl called back although it was not in an angry tone.
"Nah! Not at all... Not calling you weak, I dare not. I am just being considerate and trying to get in your good graces" he said with a quirky grin. "And why would you want to get in my good graces huh?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile tugging at the corners of her lips before adding "let us put this down for a moment ok? You have a point. It is rather heavy".
They placed the crate on the floor and straightened with a huff as Joe quipped "why would I not want to get in the good graces of a beautiful girl?" causing the girl to laugh out loud. "Fine, you are good I give you that" the girl conceded before speaking "So the buzz around is that you work in a garage during the day and signed up for this for some extra dough. Seems like a lot of work for one guy".
Joe shrugged "As tough as it would be for you I guess, I mean I could ask you the same thing. Tons of non physical jobs out there and yet here you are. Why?"he asked genuinely curious. Now it was the girl's turn to shrug "There are some perks believe me" she said and Joe gave a small smile. "I understand" he replied mysteriously thinking in his head about the drugs and asked "So how long have you been here?" while the real question in his head was "are you an user?"
"Not very long...about six months" she replied before exhaling noisily "Well let's get this inside shall we?". Joe nodded and silently hoisted the crate again and led the way to the godown. Once the crate was placed in it's spot he turned to her "So, do you know everyone here?" he asked as he walked beside her to make his way back to the ship to hoist yet another crate. The girl turned and looked at him "not all but most" she answered before asking "what about you? You haven't really given me an answer you know. How come you are here?".
Joe proceeded to give his cover story and over the next one hour the both of them wound up talking easily while shifting yet another crate. As the shift wound down Joe had one last question to ask "so does this thing really pay well? I asked Chris and he gave me some vague answers which I am just too tired to puzzle out. I would appreciate a straight answer for once. It would be a shame for me to be busting my ass so much for just a few pennies you know".
The girl looked at him intently "you know what? You are new here, give yourself some time. There are other things here for you to do and that pays really well". Joe nodded absent mindedly and decided to go in for the plunge "you know if it is something on the fence you can tell me like how it is. Everyone has been hinting at it but not saying outright, I mean after what they put me through yesterday I think I deserve a little info".
The girl gave him a serious look "you are jumping in too deep too early darling. But tell you what…meet me for lunch and we can talk more. Here this is my number" she said rattling off one "I will text you the time and place tomorrow morning" she promised and bid good night. Joe looked at her retreating figure and sighed heavily. Things were moving yes; just not fast enough for him. But now it was time to collect his pay for the day and perhaps try to bond with other guys too. It paid to have multiple contacts; you never knew when one could become an ally.
It turned out that the 'boss' came in at the end of the shift to hand out the pay everyday and this evening was no exception. When he handed over Joe's pay it was with an assessing look "word has it that you want to know how to make more money than this. That true?" he asked.
Joe shrugged casually "look, it's bloody difficult trying to do two physical jobs and I honestly don't know how long I can do it. I want to make it count for the time that I do it that's all" he offered by way of an answer. The 'boss' looked at him intently and gestured for him to walk with him. Once they were out of the hearing range of the others the man addressed Joe "ok, since you are so hung up on money, let's say that there is a way for you to get paid more. But that involves a lot more than just lifting and stacking crates. And that would also depend on how much you can shut your gob".
Joe looked at the man straight in the eye, his way in was staring at him in the face and he was not going to lose it. "I can keep secrets especially if they will give me what I want even if it means working on less honorable things...you know what I mean. I am ready for it, in fact I was hoping for it" he said. The boss who Joe knew to be Alex quirked an eyebrow "and what would have led you to that conclusion?" he asked his voice a mix of a threat and a warning.
Joe smiled thinly, cocky was the way to go "One hears whispers and I heard them too. So are you going to tell me what I have to do?". The 'boss' grinned with a sly smile "you Al have guts, I give you that and perhaps that is why I am going to give you a chance. Quit your job at the garage and report here at three in the afternoon tomorrow. I already know about your lunch appointment and if I were you I would keep the conversation strictly romantic. I would not like my employees discussing certain aspects of work behind my back and she is not the one you are going to be working for. So scram now and get back tomorrow" he ordered.
Joe grinned before becoming serious "okay, I will be here at three but there is a problem with quitting my job. I have to give him a month's notice or I will get into legal trouble. What do I do? I don't want to grab any unnecessary attention now" he said looking worriedly at the man before him. The man shrugged not in the least bit concerned. "That is not my problem, this job will require more of your time. How you balance it is your headache and if you are so keen on making the dough you better work out the kink yourself" he said in an offhand manner.
Joe nodded as if in thought "okay, I will find a way to get around it. I will see you around tomorrow then" he said and walked away from the pier towards his apartment. Things were moving and he wondered briefly if he was moving too fast and creating suspicion but then the lives of two agents were hanging by a thread. He had no time to go slow and build the scenario, he had no choice but to take risks and move fast. He only hoped that he had not tipped his hand too early.
Frank would help in that regard, he hoped that the tails Frank had put on the man would know if Alex suspected his cover and he made a mental note to talk to Frank about it. But knowing his brother he would have already made the arrangement, that's what would tip the case in their favor. He did not have to spell things out; Frank would already be on it.
As it turned out he was right when he spoke to Frank the next morning. Frank had asked the agency men to keep track of Alex's behavior and actions as well. After the usual banter he once again assured Frank that he was alright and made his way to the diner for his breakfast even if had supplies now. He needed to make it known that Mike was his good friend if he had to be the one to bring him in on the case. So after making a public 'hanging out' at the diner he made his way to the garage where he explained the situation to Agent Smith and they made out a cover story for Joe's soon to be erratic working hours. No boss would be so accommodating and they needed a story in case the gang decided to investigate Joe.
The morning flew by and he laughed out loud at Sam's choice of diner when she texted. It was an incredible stroke of luck that she had chosen the Fisherman's wharf and he soon he found himself at the diner waiting for the redhead. This would make bringing in Mike even easier and he felt extremely grateful for this stroke of luck. Soon he was seated with Sam in Mike's serving zone and he had introduced the both of them as they placed their orders.
Sam turned out to be quite pleasant as they chatted about random likes and dislikes. She shared some of her background as did he and Joe was surprised to find that she and her mother and brother lived together and that her brother who was a year older than her had got hooked to the drugs. "As much as we tried he has not been able to shake off the addiction and I work at the pier just so I can get him the drugs" she confessed.
Joe was a bit shaken on the inside on hearing the reason but outwardly he remained calm "You are not doing him a favor by keeping him addicted" he offered. The girl simply shrugged "I am trying to make some money so that I can properly get him admitted to a de addiction center but until then I would rather keep him alive and trouble free. This way I know what he is up to and he will not do anything else or go anywhere else to get his hands on the dope".
Joe shook his head sadly "this must be a terrible burden for you to carry, I am sorry. If I can help in any way I will" he said but Sam simply smiled. "Ryan is a terrific brother. You know he is just a year older and he has looked out for me for eighteen years. Now it is simply my turn" she explained and Joe felt a pang. He understood the sentiment a tad too well.
But he still could not accept this as the right way "but aren't you angry considering that you are associated with the same people who made your brother this way?" he had to ask. A myriad of emotions played on the young girl's face as she answered "I was…I was furious and hurting and scared too. My brilliant funny and brave brother had been reduced to a shaking mess and I could not accept it. Our peaceful life had turned upside down almost overnight and it was very scary."
"That was in the beginning however…we spent all our savings on his treatment and at one point we had nothing else to go on. I gave up my college admission and tried taking up jobs but the pay was not enough for meeting our expenses and treatment. We do need to eat and dress you know. Finally, I found myself here where I thought I would never be and at least I am able to keep my brother and my mother in comfort for a little while".
"Does the boss know your story?" he asked wondering at the girl's naiveté and was flabbergasted when she nodded in the affirmative. He gulped down the water and choked out a response "you do know that he would consider you a risk.." and she butted in with "you can be blunt. You mean why would he trust me if I am not in it fully?". This time Joe nodded mutely and she answered "all I want is to live in peace and I know very well what will happen if I even consider going to the police. None of us would be spared so once I make some money I will probably go to some other city or even country and start over".
Joe shook his head violently, god the girl was nuts if she thought she could get away with what she knew. "you really think they will let you go after what you know?" he asked her and she smiled thinly "I am not as naïve as you think me to be. I am very aware that I might be killed but at least my brother and mother have a chance. Let's see" she huffed before adding "you know I was not planning to talk about any of this, the 'boss' would not like it" she said with a shudder.
Joe kept silent for a moment and then asked the burning question in his mind "Sorry, but you can trust me. I know that you hardly know me but I am not here to get anyone in trouble. But there's one other thing bothering me and I am not sure If I can ask " he said in an unsure tone knowing that the girl would not really mind and continued when she gave him permission to do so.
"Correct me if I am wrong but the way I understand is that you would have to be actively distributing the drugs for you to be making the extra money. But how is it right to be making addicts out of others just so you can save your brother? I can't help but be curious" he said knowing that he was going out on a limb totally. At this point coming across as a good guy might go either way…put him in a good light or if she decided to rat him out destroy his chances altogether. But if he played it right she might prove to be a valuable ally and he had to take the chance.
"No, I made it very clear that I would not be distributing any drugs, I am simply involved in the transport of it. There I have said it in the open but if you breathe a word of this to anyone I will do anything to keep myself safe. I will deny it and make sure you are mincemeat" she said heatedly before asking "you know you talk like you are a saint…why are you up to this?" she asked in a defiant tone.
Joe smiled ruefully "touché…guess I walked into that one" he commented sheepishly before saying "when you are all alone in the world money is the only thing that gets you anywhere. I don't want to be stuck working in a garage or a diner for the rest of my life. I need money to go to the next level and right now I am not looking beyond that" he confessed softly.
By this time their food had come and they dug into it with gusto. The talk became light hearted again as they discussed tastes in music and films before Joe turned the direction of the conversation. "Hey can I ask you another question about our common workplace?" he asked.
Sam sighed in mock annoyance "this is so not what I had planned on a date" she said but with a mischievous smile. Joe smiled sheepishly "sorry, it's just no one else tells me anything and I swear I will make it up to you" he promised. "Okay, shoot" Sam gave permission and Joe spoke "you must have heard what they did to me...I really hope you did not see them doing it to me. But do they do it to everyone or was it just me?" he asked and let himself color a bit as if embarrassed.
"Well….I wish that I had been there, I heard that you look very good without clothes on" she teased as Joe colored further. "But no they never used to do this earlier…not until a couple of feds managed to get in posing as pushers. It just made everyone wary and now they want to make sure that no one is carrying anything on them and they do check out people coming in" she explained.
"Shit! That must have freaked everyone out, I can understand where they are coming from now" Joe said before reaching out on a limb again. "So what happened to the feds?" he asked in a casual tone. Sam just shrugged a puzzled expression on her pretty face "I have no idea what they did but I do feel sorry for the poor souls…the 'boss' can be extremely vicious. Everyone is quite scared of him" she volunteered the information as they finished their dessert and Joe gallantly asked for the bill.
Sam protested saying "hey I can pitch in…I am not the useless girl types" but Joe grinned and took the bill. "Treat this as payback for all the boring questions I asked when I have a gorgeous girl in front of me. I should have really just asked if you have a boyfriend and which movie would you like to go with me. Besides, for the first time I do have some money to spend on a beautiful girl so let me okay?" he said with his inimitable charm.
"You are quite alright Al" Sam conceded as she grinned at him back and they made their way out of the diner. "So where are you going now?" she asked and Joe shrugged "the boss asked me to come to the pier at three which is where I am headed now as it's just half an hour away. What about you?" he asked her. "Oh! I am just going to head home for a while before coming in to work. I will see you then. Ciao" she said leaning forward to give him a hug.
Joe reciprocated the hug and then she was off leaving him heading in the direction of the pier. Joe briefly contemplated calling Frank to ask what he thought of Sam but decided against it finally thinking that some things would need a longer talk time. Instead, he decided to scout the pier for more clues before the boss came and his day would get crowded again.
Author notes: First of all sorry for the delay…I really wanted to get this chapter up last week but I was not feeling so hot coming back from the vacation. Yes I was on a small trip to the beachside and it was such a welcome break. However I am back and hopefully you liked the chapter. Needless to say your reviews are super precious to me so do R and R. Thanks to those of you who are following and favoriting the story; hopefully you will drop in a line as well. And one more cultural help…please give me some American names!
