Chapter 29 Undercover
While Tank and Stephanie were waiting, a Rangeman team from the New York office went to Eric Sherman's apartment building. Rangeman secured the property, so their team had access. They used the stairs, went to Eric's apartment, and heard him arguing with two people. Two men told Eric that their boss wanted him to sell the drugs."
"No, I have been clean for two years. I am not going back down that road. I can't," Eric said. The Rangeman team used that moment to enter the apartment. They restrained the two men within three seconds. Eric was on the floor with a bloody lip and two black eyes.
They helped him get up onto his feet. "Let's go. We will bring you to your brother," the Rangeman said.
Eric Sherman got loaded into the SUV, and they drove him to the Ritz. "Wow, my brother is here?" Eric asked.
'Yeah, we will take you up to him." The Rangeman team walked into the hotel and took the elevator to the second floor.
Tank checked the peephole when there was a knock at the door. He opened it when he saw his brother on the other side. "Hey there, I never thought I would have to use that code," Eric confessed to Tank.
"Yeah, I know, come on in," Tank said. Tank opened the door wide enough for the Rangeman team to assist Eric into the room.
"Thanks, guys. I will let you know when he is ready to go," Tank said to dismiss them.
"You got it Tank." The boys left.
Stephanie approached Tank as she expected an introduction to her brother-in-law. "Eric, this is my wife, Stephanie. Stephanie, my older brother Eric."
Eric and Stephanie exchanged pleasantries. She grabbed some juice for their guest. "Okay, Eric, what happened?" Tank asked. He gave Eric a drink of juice.
"I was in my apartment, and these two guys came up. They wanted me to start selling again. I told them no, and they did this to my face," Eric said. "When you came up to my building, I used the word. I never thought I would ever use that word."
"Yeah," Tank said, nodding. "Stephanie and I were just talking about it on the way to your apartment." Eric nodded.
"Hey, am I going to be an uncle?" Eric asked, pointing to Stephanie's belly.
"Oh, you are just so smart. What was your first guess, genius?" Tank looked at his big brother.
"Hey, Eric, quick question. Does anyone look familiar?" Stephanie asked as she showed Eric the pictures on Tank's phone.
"Yeah, him," Eric pointed to the third guy. Tank looked at him, the guy with sandy blond hair and blue eyes.
Before Tank could ask a follow-up question, there was a knock on the door. Stephanie checked the peephole. "It is Jen," she announced.
Tank nodded, and Stephanie opened it. "Hey, you are Detective Ben Summer's wife," Eric said when Jen entered the hotel room.
"Yeah, I was," Jen sadly said.
"You two know each other?" Tank asked. They say there are six degrees of separation, but this was way too close to home.
"I was one of Detective Ben Summers' confidential informants. I helped him take some bad guys off the street, Pierre. Your husband was a good man, Mrs. Summers. I am sorry for your loss. I want to help you get justice for him," Eric told her.
"Jen, he picked this guy out," Tank said as he showed her the picture.
"Damn," Jen said. She was getting more frustrated as the case began to unfold.
"What, Jen?" Tank asked.
"He is a retired FBI agent. He left a year ago. I took over the Sanders case. It was his case before mine," Jen said as she looked at everyone in the room.