Sorry for the exceptionally long delay; just one more chapter after this one I think and then I'm back to more lighthearted fare. These case details were killer.

This chapter feels like a bit of filler. It's not as much fun as the last one, but hopefully it's got enough action to keep you interested and holding on to see it through. Thanks for sticking with me.

Thanks to Sairs J for giving this the once over and her suggestions on helping it move along better. (I was very tempted to include your trailer for the movie ;)

Oh yeah…did you wonder why Sammy scratched his ankle?

A radio crackled to life silencing every voice in the room. "Boss, you're going to want to hear this."

The summoned man picked up the radio quickly as all eyes fell upon him in anticipation. "What's up?"

"Swarek just activated the mike; I'm patching it through now. Hang on."

The entire war room remained frozen in place until voices from the warehouse filled the room. Sam's voice was quickly recognized intermixed with all the others. Boyd and his team listened in as the details Sam had previously given them were confirmed by each member of the gang, walking through the upcoming night each describing his part in full.

The takedown team had secured site plans from the city and missing information was frantically being scribbled directly onto them as each crew member spoke.

When the Boss asked what they had for firepower, Boyd could have kissed him. Swarek hadn't had a chance to brief them on specifics just that there would be mostly handguns of various calibers. The takedown team listened intently as the guns emerged and each man laid claim. One of Boyd's guys was furiously making notes trying to match up each man with his gun and position. He knew they would be recording this, and he had every intention of going over it again with their surveillance tech as soon as the show was over.

Once the guns appeared to be handed out and the individual responsibilities were confirmed, the Boss took over.

Boyd knew Swarek was good but he still couldn't believe he was pulling this off; they were hearing everything. The boss became Boyd's new favorite person as he outlined the rest of the details specific to timing. The dealer's boat was scheduled to arrive at two-thirty; he even gave the slip number and the man's name, bless his heart. He wanted everyone there at two setting up. By the time the cargo was unloaded and brought up, they would be dealing by three and out of there by three-thirty. They were not sticking around any longer than they had to.

Boyd nodded to one of his guys as soon as the dealer's name was mentioned; no one batted an eye when their teammate bolted from the room, no doubt searching for an open computer where he could dig up whatever intel was available on Ellyas.

Boyd's smile widened as each part of the plan was further documented; he was now certain this would work like a charm, and with McNally safely in the can, he was confident that he wouldn't have to worry about her bad luck getting in his way again. He reminded himself to thank Sammy for that one at the end of the night.

As quickly as the broadcast began, it was over and the voices in the war room picked up again. Undocumented details were gleaned from the recording until every item had been written down. The only thing to do now...was wait. And when the takedown team got back in at eleven thirty they would run down the newly acquired details and head out by twelve-thirty. They would be in for another delay at the site, but everyone had to be in place in plenty of time for this to go down without a hitch.

Boyd was feeling pretty good; Swarek had ensured that they were going in far from blind and the fact that the deal was going down in Fifteen even though this gang operated out of Twenty Seven was more than fine with him. He'd worked with the officers at Fifteen more often and always felt the most comfortable with them, plus he knew Sam would be happier with his own guys backing him up too.

And 'his guys' were obviously eager to do it as each one returned promptly by eleven thirty, ready and raring to go. At the words, "we heard from Sammy again," an anticipatory buzz filled the room and Boyd wasted no time in getting started, providing them with anything and everything one last time.

It was ten minutes after twelve when he concluded. "McNally and Jennings will be monitoring it all from the van in the east parking lot. As soon as the product is confirmed and Ellyas takes possession of the money, Jennings gives the signal and we move in. We'll already have the two gate keepers in custody so there shouldn't be anything standing in our way."

"Oh…and no one gets away people, no kid gloves, not even for Swarek. He gets treated just like everyone else."

There were a few grumbles mixed in with a few chuckles. Some thought it would be fun to give Swarek a run for his money and looked forward to taking him down; hey if McNally could do it…Friends just wanted Sam back on their side as quickly as possible and didn't relish treating him like a common criminal.

"We don't want anyone figuring out who he really is. It's for his protection and he knows it."

Boyd then reiterated where Sam would be and his plan for staying out of harm's way. Everyone needed to know exactly where he was at all times so they could "get Sammy back here" alive; it was imperative that any cover fire was directed as far away from him as possible.

With details and numbers confirmed (Sam's crew of thirteen and assumptions on the gun runner's team), it was time to head out and take their positions. After that, it was all over but the waiting.

Like clockwork, Sammy's crew arrived at two. One car was parked at the west gate and the two SUVs, complete with fake security decals, were driven right down to the meeting site. The Boss' preference would have been to deal within one of the warehouses, but Ellyas would never go for that. He always refused anytime it was suggested to go inside. Even if they were out in the open; he liked it much better that way. He didn't want anything in his way if he had to get out of there fast.

As they moved to take their designated positions, there was a nervous energy taking over the crew that was felt by every single one of them.

…And their audience.

In the surveillance van, Andy sat mesmerized by the various perspectives on display. It was like watching a movie after reading the book, as each detail Boyd had described earlier played out on the screens in front of her.

The 'location' mirrored the plans to a 'T'. After the two rows of buildings there was another lane, which led down to a boat launch at the east end. Bordering the south end of the road was a fence with two gates. Each gate led to a walkway down to a dock that edged the water.

Andy watched as Jimmy stepped out of one of the SUV's and walked through the east gate; he would be patrolling up and down the dock and would let the boss know when the boat arrived and the dealer's crew was headed up. He could also direct any night traffic up the east walkway if need be; they had studied the schedule though and this being the slowest night the probability of that happening was pretty slim. The gun runner, Ellyas, was set to anchor down at a slip on the west end of the dock and would come up the west walkway with the merchandise.

Jennings sat next to Andy and tried to make small talk but she couldn't take her eyes off of Sam who had just emerged from the other vehicle. He looked good; as usual way too much gel but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that in a few short hours he was done and they could finish what they started.

Next to each gate, and nestled close to the fence, sat two dumpsters. With no access to Sam, there was no way he could be equipped with a wire so Boyd's team had already outfitted each dumpster with a mike and camera to record the actual transaction and afford Andy her front row seat. Various cameras were also attached to the buildings lining the buy site and along the dock; she had every angle she could ever imagine.

She tore her eyes away from Sam as Ray and RJ opened the back doors and walked directly to the east dumpster; they were tasked with watching the backs of their team who would be setting up for the buy between the two bins.

She turned her attention back to Sam, who was now joined by Vic, the Boss and his two henchmen. They gathered around a transformer for the underground power supply which would serve as a makeshift table where the money could easily be counted. The Boss remained flanked by his two henchmen who would supervise the counting of the money while Sam and Vic inspected the merchandise.

Andy continued to analyze Sam's every move; he looked confident and without a care in the world. She knew he was good; she had witnessed it first hand as Edie. But watching him in action now gave her a newfound respect for just how good he was. No wonder Boyd always wanted him; she couldn't fault him for that but she could worry just how long it would be before Boyd came knocking again.

She was jolted from her thoughts when the calm on the screen was interrupted by the chaos over the wire. Although she couldn't see anything, Boyd's earlier briefing and the current soundtrack painted a clear picture in her head.

There were two entrances to the takedown site. She knew from the Intel Sam had gotten them there would be one guy stationed at each entrance posing as some type of security guard. Each of the men posted at the entrances was not a regular member of the crew; they were the paid help for the night, extra security for when they thought Vicero would be a threat. With their lack of experience, they probably didn't even bat an eyelid when they were approached by the two men. Likely had no idea something was off until they found themselves lying on their stomachs, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

As she listened to their rights recited in time with their footsteps, she knew they were being moved out into the street to the dark van that had pulled up against the curb. And as the van made its exit, she knew it would be replaced quickly by a number of marked and unmarked cruisers ready to go at a moment's notice.

And that moment wasn't far off as she heard the mike phone in the Boss' hand announce the arrival of Ellyas. She refocused onto the main screen and watched as the gang waited for the five men Jimmy had spotted coming up the dock, identified as the man in charge accompanied by four others carrying two crates. This movie was about to get interesting.

The rest of Sammy's crew caught sight of them as they made their way up the walkway to the gate. When they arrived, two crates were dropped off and left behind with Ellyas and two men studiously protecting his back. The other pair headed back to the boat returning shortly with another couple of men and two more crates. One duo then headed back to the boat while the others remained to surround Ellyas.

Handshakes were exchanged quickly with pleasantries not necessary and quickly abandoned for more pressing business. As Sam and Vic pried the lid off the first crate and began inspecting the merchandise, two of Ellyas' men accepted the bag of cash and began counting the money atop the transformer.

Although she would have preferred to keep her eyes on Sam at all times, Andy found her gaze periodically falling on each of the other monitors where she could observe the three guys patrolling the various paths between the buildings leading up to the road Sam was on. Her heart rate would speed up each time she noticed one of them approaching the parking lot on the east end. Although it housed a number of different vehicles, she hoped the one she was currently in did not stand out amongst the others and a sigh of relief always followed when they turned and walked away.

Jennings didn't bat an eye. He was seeing everything she saw but this wasn't his first time at the show, and he wasn't worried about what was going to happen next.

Out on the dock, Jimmy had watched the two men return to the boat and turned to see what he could of the deal. There were a pair of street lamps outside the gates but they were directed back in towards the water so although there was enough light for the guys up top to see, it was not like a spotlight and he had to strain to try and make out where things were at.

As he waited for the signal that the deal was done and he could return, he heard a scuffle towards the end of the dock. It appeared to be coming from near Ellyas' boat. The last thing they needed was trouble so he made his way over as quickly and as quietly as possible.

As he reached the end of the pier, he could see at least four people wrestling atop the runner's boat and he had just hit his call button to alert the boss of the trouble when he heard the click. It wasn't the sound that had stopped him cold though; it was the unmistakable feel of the barrel of a gun against the back of his neck.

Back at the road, everyone froze when they heard the mike phone come to life and a worried voice stutter out, "Boss?"

"This better be good." The big man grumbled, not happy with the interruption.

"Sorry, false alarm." Jimmy stuttered quickly as the boss shook his head and motioned for everyone to carry on. He expected this from Ray but not from Jimmy.

The arresting officer congratulated Jimmy on a job well done, cuffing him quickly before rejoining the backup team that had taken residence on the boat neighboring that of Ellyas. With Jimmy and Ellyas' two guys detained, they waited patiently for the final takedown.

Back at the van, Andy was getting more and more anxious. Sammy and Vic were now looking in the third crate and it appeared as if the other two were coming towards the end of their counting. It wouldn't be long now and Jennings would give the signal. She looked over at Boyd's guy, and he shook his head…not yet…not till the dealer and his men accepted the money.

The pivotal scene was about to unfold, and if the script was correct, once the product was confirmed and the dealer was satisfied with the money, the guns were to be loaded into the two vehicles and they would head out. The boss, his two henchmen and Sammy in one; Vic, RJ, Jimmy and Ray in the other. The other five had a vehicle waiting at the west gate and would take off as soon as they saw the other vehicles pass through. Of course they hadn't yet received Boyd's revisions.

Andy briefly wondered why they didn't wait till they were all in the vehicles and more easily contained, but dismissed that knowing that would give Ellyas more of a chance to get away.

She looked up briefly as Jennings leaned off his perch beside her clearly intending to grab his phone, but his headset got extended a little too far as he tried to maneuver around Andy. Two pairs of hands shot out as the headset reached its limit and forced itself from his head. Unfortunately, the only thing they felt was empty air and they watched helplessly as the equipment echoed off the side of the van. Jennings' eyes went wide and Andy gasped. It shouldn't have been overly loud outside the van, but if anyone was walking nearby…

But they couldn't dwell on it; they had a job to do. So they continued to watch the monitors with baited breath and Andy could feel the tension release from her body bit by bit as more time passed. She was just about to throw Jennings a small smile of relief when she felt movement at the side of the van. She exchanged a look of concern with her partner when she realized that he had indeed felt it too. Together they turned to the source of the motion and saw what looked like a face trying to peer into the driver's side window.

Of course, someone had heard; she was in the van and luck was never with her…well rarely good luck anyway.

Thankfully, the windows were tinted and nothing could be seen from the outside so they knew that wouldn't be an issue. They stayed completely still wondering why anyone might possibly be there. It couldn't be one of their own; they would have identified themselves or announced their arrival on the wire. That left only two options; it had to be someone from the gang or an innocent bystander.

When the face disappeared, they both let out relieved breaths but they were short lived as that someone began pounding on the back door. Shit!

"What do we do?" Andy said in a panic; she knew they weren't supposed to leave the van for any reason but they didn't really have much of a choice now did they. But how could they leave the van and still keep an eye on the deal?

Jennings kept his cool; someone had to. "Just keep your eyes peeled on those screens. If I'm not back before the deal is done, you need to call it. Okay?"

She looked more than a little panicked. "Okay?" He asked again.

"Yes."

"You remember when?"

That got her ire up; they'd only gone over it a hundred times."Yes, the minute the dealer takes the bag of cash, we call it."

"Good, now hopefully I can get rid of this guy quickly, but if not."

"I'm fine alright…go, before he gets any more ideas."

She watched as her partner crawled through the equipment to the front of the van and headed out of the driver's door, not wanting their visitor to get a good look into the back.

"Is there a problem?" Jennings asked innocently as he exited the vehicle.

"What are you doing here?" The guy demanded peering around the side of the van.

"Just hanging out. Why?"

"Do you always hang out in your van in a parking lot in the middle of the night?"

Jennings tried to look despondent. "For the last few months anyway…lost my job and well…I was hoping to find something around here…maybe one of the boats needed an extra hand…I don't know…" He let his words fall off hoping the guy would feel sorry for him and let them be.

But just as the guy was about to respond, hopefully with condolences, all hell broke loose. Andy had to have given the signal because the still of the night was broken by multiple sirens and flashing lights coming from what felt like every direction.

With the entrances secure, everyone had been sitting at the ready just waiting for Jennings' signal.

Oliver had been drumming his hands on the steering wheel for the last half hour; he couldn't wait to get this over with. He couldn't wait to get his friend back, sit at the Penny and exchange laughs, listen to him go on and on about McNally while completely denying anything between them.

If Shaw had his way, Swarek would finally man up after all this and stop staring at her across the bar and actually get up and make a move…start something.

When Oliver heard McNally's voice come on the radio and call the takedown, he simply rolled his eyes before he flipped the cruiser into gear and jumped into action with everyone else. Of course she ended up calling it.

And what the hell happened to Jennings?

Recognition came into the man's eyes as soon as he saw the squad cars and heard the sirens and he started wrestling with Jennings, who hadn't had a chance to pull his gun.

Andy could hear the struggle going on outside and she stood to back up her partner. She paused for a millisecond, still leery about leaving the van. She had made a promise, but surely that didn't matter now; her work was done and Jennings needed help.

She had one hand on her gun and the other hand on the release. She had just popped the latch and was about to open the door when it fell away in front of her. Her gun may have been in her hand but when she lost purchase on the door, she found herself off balance and it was quickly knocked away.

"Get back in." The man ordered, pushing her back with his own gun to her chest.

Unarmed, she had no choice but to comply. "Get in the driver's seat." He ordered as he followed her through the maze of electronics at the back.

"Where's Jennings?" She demanded.

"Your friend? He's taking a little nap right now, and you and I, we're going for a little drive."

Dammit! She hated leaving a movie before the credits rolled!