Mending Fences – Chapter 20: "Showtime"
Five years ago…..
The Captain listen to the arguments in the room after he told the other officers what Rick had told them. Most of them were in agreement that it was a trap.
"Bring Grimes home." One officer shouted loudly. "We will find another way to take down Murray and Jarrett.
Several officers nodded their heads in agreement with the officer's sentiments. The others who were in favour of pursuing the lead also voice their concerns.
"I hear you guys but still we cannot ignore that this tip could be legit." One officer argued.
"Rick has been undercover for almost a year and he got nothing! Don't you think that it's odd and awfully convenient that a lead this big all of a sudden just drops in this lap?!" The officer paused for dramatic effect. "This is a set up! I will bet my pension on it!"
Some of the officers look at him like he was crazy.
"I am not dismissing that it could be a trap…the same way you cannot ignore that this could be a good lead. However, we shouldn't be arguing about this anymore. Ultimately…it is up for the Captain to authorize a sting operation and Rick to accept and lead it."
All eyes turned to the Captain. He swallowed hard before speaking.
"All these arguments have merit."
"What does Grimes think?"
"He is aware that it could be a trap. He also aware that it could be the lead we have been waiting for for so long."
"What does he really think Captain?"
"Rick has five children. If Lady X comes to this city, he has more to worry about than any of us. That is his whole motivation for going undercover. He doesn't want his kids swallowing this poison...or anyone else's kids for that matter."
"Well we know which way Grimes leaning."
"What do you think Captain?"
"I'm with the majority of you. I think it's more like a trap than a good lead…but…"
"But what? There shouldn't be a but."
"But it Rick wants to stay the extra week to see this thing through knowing full well the risk then I'll assemble a team to support him."
Some of the officers looked at the Captain in utter disbelief as others began filing out of the room.
"This is a mistake!" One of them shouted.
"Noted." The Captain shouted back.
"For what it's worth…I think you are making the right call." Another officer whispered to him.
The Captain nodded for the support. Soon he was alone in his office. He couldn't tell Rick's colleagues that Rick had already made up his mind in following this lead. When Rick had called him, he expressed his concerns to him but Rick was adamant.
He couldn't exactly forcefully remove Rick from undercover and risk Jarrett and company finding out that he was a cop. So the next best thing was to provide Rick with the necessary equipment and manpower needed mostly for just in case it goes south. The Captain picked up his phone to tell a soon to be very pissed off wife that her husband is not coming home…atleast not just yet.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"IS HE CRAZY!" Michonne screamed angrily into the phone receiver.
The Captain pulled the speaker away from his ear briefly. He wasn't surprised by her reaction. He cautiously put the phone back to his ear.
"Captain! Are you telling me my husband had gone crazy?! Because no sane person would do this!"
"I'm sorry Mrs Grimes but I expressed my concerns to him about the validity of this lead and he was insisting on following this through."
"You're the Captain! Pull his ass out!"
"I could but it could do more harm than good. We both know your husband. When he has an idea in his head, he doesn't let it go."
"So what are we going to do?! We can't let him do this!"
"We aren't going to do anything. I am not going to get you involved in this."
"I am already involved! He is my husband and father of my children!"
"I know that. That is why I am putting together a support team…the best...to help him get through this."
"Oh my God! You're as crazy as he is!"
The Captain said nothing.
"I want to speak to Rick…now! If no-one else is going to point out the lunacy of this move, then I will!"
"You know we can't contact him. He is the one who contacts us."
"Captain…please don't lie to me. I know of the one time emergency pager number you can use to contact Rick if something happened to me or the kids or both."
The Captain was silent…and slightly pissed off. Clearly Rick tells his wife everything.
"Page…him." Michonne demanded.
"Fine. I'll page him but he will only contact us when he is cleared to call us back."
"I'm on my way to your office now. I'll have Morgan pick up the kids from school."
"What about the two little ones?"
"Don't worry about them. Carol will take them. I don't want them to see or hear me ripping their father to shreds."~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Rick felt the pager silently went off in his pocket, his heart dropped. The only reason to be contacting like this is if something happened to Michonne or the kids or both. He needed to find a safe place to call his family.~*~*~*~*~*~
When Michonne marched into the station and into the Captain's office, everyone knew that the shit is about to go down. Some of the officers pretended to shuffle around some papers to observe their meeting subtly while other officers stood up and watched openly.
"That is one unhappy wife." One officer murmured.
"My grandmother always used to say…happy wife…happy life. Unhappy wife…crappy life."~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two hours later…
Rick was finally able to find a nice safe spot to call home. The phone was answered on the first ring. Rick spoke first.
"Captain! What's wrong? Is Michonne ok?! Are the kids ok?"
"It's not the Captain Rick. Its' me…your wife."
"Michonne?!"
"Yes Michonne. Your long suffering wife! Remember me?!"
"Of course I remember you! What's wrong baby?! Are you ok? Are the kids ok?"
"Your Captain told me everything so no Rick! I'm not ok! And the kids wouldn't be okay too. Not until you stop this madness and come home to us!"
"Michonne I'm so close to this!"
"Why are you doing this to me?! To our children?! They want you home! I want you home!"
"Just one more week!"
"Why does it always have to be you to solve everyone's problems?! It doesn't have to be you all the time!"
"Michonne…"
"Please Rick….just come home!" Michonne pleaded.
Before Rick could answer he heard voices behind him. He began whispering to her.
"I love you but it have to go now. I promise that when I come home within a week's time…I will never leave you again."
"I love you too." was all she could murmur back. She put down the receiver and looked at the Captain. She had tears in her eyes. The Captain stood up.
"I promise you…I will bring Rick home to you and your family safely."
Michonne merely nodded through the now silently falling tears. She opened the door and walked out of the office.~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michonne wiped her tears as she walked pass several officers desk in the charge-room. Everyone was quiet and Michonne knew all eyes were on her. She left the station as silently as she walked in.
"Grimes you damn fool…" One officer muttered under his breath.~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michonne cried in the car from the station's parking lot, to the supermarket, when she bought herself her favourite comfort food…ice-cream and all the way home. Once home she went straight to their bed, with red puffy eyes. Then she began binge eating the ice-cream until she fell asleep in one of Rick's favourite shirts.
It was the sound of the children that woke her up two hours later. She slowly opened her eyes to see Carol sitting down opposite her finishing off the rest of her ice-cream. Carol noticed how distressed she was.
"Let me guess. A lead dropped into Rick's lap and he wants to see it through instead of letting someone else do it so he could come home to you and the kids."
Michonne nodded.
"He's so damn stubborn and pig headed!" She half-heartedly cried. "And you know what is the worst part? That is one of the reasons why I love him so much! I love that he sticks to what he believes in no matter what! It was sexy…a turn on."
"It's not so sexy right now."
"No. This stubbornness could get him killed! How could he not see that?! I don't understand!"
"Oh. He sees it. He just thinks that he could beat the odds."
"Nothing is wrong with taking risk carol…but not when the stakes are this high. He is gambling with his family."
"Rick has always been this way as a child and he will never change. Just trust him. If Rick think that he could really get these people then trust him and pray for him. I know he is praying to come home to you and children after this."
"He promised that he will never leave me after this assignment."
"Then hold on to that. I know Captain Fletcher will do everything in his power to bring him home safely or else he will have our newspapers readers to deal with.'
Michonne smiled.
"Thanks. I really need that cheering up."
Carol smiled. Quickly, the bedroom door open and Judith and Logan came racing in. They jumped on the bed and kissed her…on each cheek then ran back out of the room.
"Soon babies…very soon. Daddy will be here soon."
Three days later….
Captain Fletcher assembled the best team he could in the limited timeframe he had. Some of the officers who leaned on the side of the lead being a trap offered to be part of the team to ensure a clean drug bust and to bring Rick safely home only to just kill him themselves.
Rick had called yesterday with the exact place and time of the drop which is in two days. If they were to be successful, they needed to leave today to reach the drop zone tomorrow to set up themselves before the drug parties arrived. On hour later, they were loading themselves unto buses on their way to their destination.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They arrived at their base of operation safely and began setting up. There were still strong reservations among the officers but they were there to support one of their own. It took them the rest of the evening to set up and by night fall they were done.
A 360 degree surveillance was set up to cover the street leading to and from the drop zone. They tested their communication equipment several times to be sure of their functionality. It was tedious work but it was done. Captain Fletcher ordered the men to get some rest. He went into another room and sent Rick a page.
'Everything is ready…awaiting your signals.'
Seconds later the Captain received a reply.
'Scratch of my left cheek means to hold positions….scratch of my right cheek means go."
The Captain retired to bed.~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The big day arrived and all the men were in their places. The drop was supposed to be taking place at 10am and it was now 9:25am. They had seen when Rick and the other foot soldiers had arrived several hours earlier to secure the place. Now it was just a waiting game. At 9:42 am the first limousine arrived. Exactly 10 minutes later the second limousine arrived. Some of the henchmen were standing out front keeping guard. Rick was inside the building but had positioned himself by the one of the windows as one of the many look-outs.
"Look sharp everyone! This is it." The Captain announced. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~