Notes: A BIG thank you to CytheraofNaxen for betaing the story for me!
I also wanted to thank everyone for reading this, and all the feedback, alerts and PMs.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rookie Blue.
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Slow and Obscene
Tuesday - 2 Weeks later
"It's confirmed" Boyd stated as let himself fall into the now usual booth at the back of the diner. "The girls will be dropped off in the same location as before at three tomorrow afternoon. We're gonna be able to wrap-up the last of the smuggling operation."
"How is this going to work?"
"We're gonna let them deliver the girls to you and once you're clear, immigration will grab them and you can continue on to the drop point."
"Once Ryan's taken delivery you move in?" It seemed to Sam that the way Boyd had set this up he could be out in just a few days. Maybe even home by Friday, if that was the case he would owe Boyd an apology for wrapping this up quicker than he thought it ever would.
"Depends."
And with that one work he lost all sight of an end to this. "Depends?" Sam knew his voice rose a little higher then it should have in the tight public surroundings. "Depends, on what?" He repeated with his voice lowered.
"You don't know what TrevorRyan is going to do. All he's said at this point is he wants to oversee the delivery." Boyd paused long enough to scan the room before he continued. "If all he does is show up, sit in a car and watch some girls walk into a building we've got nothing."
"What'll happen to the girls if Ryan stays on the side lines?" Sam didn't need Boyd to answer, he just watched the expression on his face harden. "You cannot leave them there."
"Well, it's not like I will have a lot of options."
"Options?" Sam could only think of one option, the right option.
"What do you want me to do, burst into the building shouting police and hope that Ryan carries on his operation?"
"How long?"
"What?"
"How long will you leave them in there? If we don't get enough on Ryan, how long before we can get them out?"
"I don't know, a month at least."
"Do you have any idea what it's like for these girls?" Sam paused and clenched his firsts . "It might as well be a year and if he moves them around? How do you know you can even get them back in a month?"
"We've got the whole operation under surveillance, if they move them we'll pick them up on a routine traffic stop." Boyd paused and leaned closer to Sam, "Don't forget we're trying to shut him down for good! So before you get all high and mighty on me you might like to have a think about the next group, and the group after that because that's what it'll be if we go in before we have an air tight case."
"I guess I had better make your case airtightthen." Sam started to push himself up from the table, he thought it would be better if he left. For both of them.
"I have a message from Sarah."
It was all it ever took for him to clear everything else from his mind and focus, it was also all it took to tense every muscle in his body. Sam was waiting for the bad news, it seemed he was always waiting for bad things to happen to the ones he loved. 'SomethinghappenedtoSarah.' The words that had been spoken by his father, the words that brought a sadness to his childhood that never seemed to leave.
"She said the first Sunday of the month is the first day you're back." Boyd continued. "I don't know what that means."
"We have lunch on the first Sunday of the month." Sam directed his answer more to the table than Boyd. "What about …" He hoped that Boyd would just offer the information with being asked; after a few minutes it became clear that wasn't going to happen. "Is Andy okay?"
"Yeah she's fine. Back in uniform and running around with Shaw."
"Did you pass on … did you talk to her?"
"I tried."
"What's that mean?" Not understanding Boyd seemed to be coming an all too common problem for Sam. He also didn't understand why he wasn't just answering his question.
"I don't want you to do anything stupid."
"Why would I do anything stupid?"
"Because the last time I gave you news you didn't like about your rookie you ran off and she almost ended the whole operation. Again." Boyd put on a show of letting all the energy drain out of him with his last word.
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened to her she just … she just-"
"She just what?" Sam pushed growing impatient for information.
"She said she couldn't wait, and moved back in with the rookie that's hocked up with Jerry."
"Nash?"
"Yeah, the hot bla-"
Sam cut him off again. "Are you sure?" His tone was a mix of disbelief and uncertainly.
"Listen man I didn't want to say anything. I know you were kinda hoping things would work out."
Sam shook his head slowly as he pushed himself up again. "No. Just lookin' out for her is all."
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It took him a minute to even realize he was sitting in his car, the keys still rested in his right hand. Boyd's words were replaying in his head, shecouldn'twait. It had only been a month and she couldn't wait. Nothing he knew about Andy matched that statement. It hit him all at once, he'd always known that Boyd would do anything, walkover anyone to get what he wanted. Lying to him about Andy, making sure that he didn't try to see her really wouldn't be a stretch for him.
With a renewed sense of determination Sam decided all Boyd was about to achieve was the opposite of what he wanted. The good thing about the expressway was that you were never very far from anywhere, well not at this time of night anyway.
Even with the short 20-minute drive he was still nervously tapping the steering wheel as he pulled the car to a crawl, checking again to make sure no one was following him as he pulled into his street. It amazed him how normal everything felt, lights flickered in every house, every house but his.
He parked his truck silently and stared at the darkened house. He could have argued that she was simply out, maybe at the Penny or working late. He could have come up with a hundred reasons why she wasn't home, but the papers were piled on the front step, junk mail stuck out of his front door. So it was back to someone from Guns & Gangs showing up once a week to clear everything.
She was gone.
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"You ready?" Traci called from the kitchen, growing more than a little impatient she started to push some of the papers around on the counter. "What's this?" She held up the brochure as Andy returned to the living room.
"I was thinking about taking a holiday. Y'know get away from everything for a while."
"I thought you put your leave off …" Traci lowered her voice and slowed her words, as if each one was a careful step. "I thought you were going to wait until Swarek was back?"
"I was … I am … I'm not sure that's what he wants."
There was an edge of nervousness that Traci hadn't heard in her voice since she returned. "Have you spoken to Swarek?"
"No." Andy's response was quick and sharp.
"Andy?"
"Can we just go, we're going to be late?"
Traci waited as long as she thought she could, it wasn't even a long walk from Andy's to the barn. "Has something happened?" From the corner of her eye, it didn't even seem like she her question had registered. With no response she decided to push, she'd wanted answers for weeks and for weeks Andy had put her off or simply just changed the subject. She wasn't coming out after work with them, every night Traci dropped Andy back at her apartment and if this morning was anything to go by unpacking wasn't what she was spending her nights doing.
"Are you sure you haven't seen or spoken to Sam?"
"Yeah I think I'd remember if I had."
"How do you know what he's thinking? How do you know anything has changed?"
"Boyd."
"Boyd? What's he got to do with this?"
"He passed on a message." Andy turned away from Traci.
Traci guessed that Andy was trying to end the conversation, "Is that why you moved out of his place?" Traci waited but Andy didn't move. "I mean one minute you were saying how much you'd miss the place and the next you were back on my couch." Traci took a beat. "It's just not making any sense."
"It was silly I just …" Andy stopped talking mid sentence, her voice trailing to a whisper.
Traci pulled the car to a stop and flicked her eyes from the road to Andy and followed her attention to the rear door of the barn, standing just to the left in huddle was Jerry and Donavan Boyd. "What do you think-" Traci was cut off with the sound of her door and turned her head to see Andy out of the car and heading toward them. "Andy wait." All she could do as call out to her as she jogged to catch up to her as she watched Boyd as he pointed at Andy and then walked away from Jerry.
"McNally." Boyd's only words as she walked passed them.
Traci grabbed Andy's arm and pulled her away from Boyd and back toward the barn, "Leave it. I'll talk to Jerry." As the words left her mouth Jerry ducked his head and disappeared back in to the barn.
"What's he been saying?" Andy's focus now moved to Traci.
"Nothing he doesn't really talk about work."
"Does he seem worried?"
"More nervous, he seems a little nervous."
"Nervous!"
"Not nervous, maybe a little on edge."
"You're not making it any better."
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"Rookies!" Best said as he entered the almost empty parade, his tone offered little despite the smile that flashed across his face. "You may have noticed your TOs are missing, so that means you are on your own today."
"Where are they?" Dov leant towards Andy and asked under his breath, while using one hand to cover his mouth.
Not wanting to attract attention to herself Andy just shrugged shoulders and glanced over to Traci, raising an eyebrow.
"Question McNally?" Best stopped himself mid sentence and focused on her.
"No Sir."
"Good. As I was saying Nash, Epstein, Peck and Diaz you will being doing speed traps and safety checks. McNally." Best paused and again focused on her. "Today your on desk."
"But." Andy sat straight up looking from side to side, normally someone would be around for help or to offer and explanation but not today.
"Yes?" Best inquired.
"Nothing."
"Go. Serve, protect and don't disappoint me."
Andy let her eyes followed Best out of the room before she grabbed Traci's arm, "What did Jerry say?"
"Nothing really."
"Nothing really! What does that mean?" Andy let the word run together as they came out in a rush.
"Andy."
"Please just tell me."
"All he said was they're moving in on another group and that the TOs were helping with cover and surveillance. That's why Boyd was here, to ask for help."
"He didn't want me anywhere near it."
"He didn't want any rookies."
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Sam slammed the door to the van shut and gave a wave that wouldn't have meant anything to anyone but was in-fact his signal that everything was fine on his end. 'Fine' the word rang in his ear, he didn't see how anything was possibly going to be fine. He was about to willingly handing them over and despite all of Boyd's assurances there was no way of knowing if they could get them all back. If fact Sam was sure that they wouldn't get them all back.
He felt a little better when he made out one of the tail cars, they were doing a good job. He knew they would be there and it had still taken him almost an hour to pick the first one, the next two were easy once he knew the pattern of the tail. This did manage to distract him but it didn't make the sick feeling that has settled into the pit of his stomach go away. However he did know what would make it go away.
It only took a few minutes for Sam to work out the plan, this was ending today. Trevor wasn't going to have the opportunity to move the girls anywhere; he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself. So it was simple he thought, he would just have to make sure Trevor was involved.
Sam's wish came together a little too easily. Trevor was waiting for them when they arrived at the drop off point, more concerning is that Otto seemed to know that he would be there.
"Nate." Trevor extended his hand but turned his attention to Otto, "What're they like?"
"Few nice ones." Otto's reply was blunt and didn't give anything away.
"Good, get them ready ... Nate and I will met you at TheTenGrand."
It wasn't the name of any club or business that they knew about, nothing in Trevor's many companies had a name that was even remotely close to Ten Grand. Reluctantly Sam gave the wave to say everything was fine and started to walk with Trevor toward his car.
"Where's he taking them?" Sam asked as he watched Otto split three of the girls from the group.
"They'll catch up with us." Trevor said simply and Sam cocked his head slightly to the side as he waited for more details. "They're tonight's entertainment."
Sam didn't realize he was tapping the armrest impatiently, his eyes were trained on the side mirror and the car trailing them. 'SurelythewirehadpickeduptheconversationandBoydwouldhavemovedtheteamintopickuptheothergirls.' He thought and that meant all he had to do was keep track of these three, if these three were with him than he would get them all out.
"You never sample the merchandise?"
Trevor's question caused him to stop tapping, but he kept the car in sight. "I like to pick up and drop off … simple and quick." Sam turned to Trevor for a just a moment. "Not really an opportunity to sample."
"Don't worry the Ten Grand is very decrease and that gives us a lot of opportunity."
Sam turned back to watching the mirror and tried to work out if it was the short low laugh that Trevor gave at the end of that statement or the smile that unnerved him the most.
"I think we'll work well together." Trevor continued as he pulled the car up to large set of security gate, using a remote they waited for them to slowly open. "You'll enjoy the new girls, I like the fight … they don't have that vacant stare."
Sam focused on the untouched drink in-front of him, the sick feeling he'd managed to expel on the way to drop the girls off had returned the moment he had waved the cover team away. The plan had been simple, make the signal that he was in trouble and Boyd would have to move in. The girls would have been taken in and right now they would be safe and they would get whatever they could on Trevor Ryan.
With a smart interrogation and using Sam as leverage they really should have been able to get him for the lot. What had happened instead was the opposite to what he wanted. The girls were split; he didn't know if Boyd had moved in and he was starting to doubt he could keep these three safe. His last thought was confirmed when Otto entered the room with just one girl almost dragging behind him.
"Don't cry little one." Trevor sneered as he took the girls hand. "Your parents wanted a better life for you, that is why they sent you to me ... isn't that what you want?"
Sam watched, his fists clenched into tight balls as the girls eyes widened with fear and her head bobbed slightly.
"Good, working for me you'll be able to send more money home to them in
a month than you could ever earn in a year back home." Trevor paused and that smile returned to his face. "Once you've paid me back for the cost of getting you here." With that Trevor stood and held the girls hand out to Sam. "Now the first thing I want you to do is go with Nate. He'll take very good care of you... Do you understand?"
"Here" Sam took her hand and hoped his voice would calm her a little. What he really wanted was Boyd, he should have had a team in by now. The wire would've picked up more than enough.
"Last room on the left will be hers." Trevor said as he to moved toward the long hall.
"Why Ten Grand?" Sam asked as Trevor reached for the handle of the first door on the right.
"That's what it costs to be a member." And with that Trevor was gone.
"It's going to be okay" Sam said once they were to behind the closed door. "Boyd you need to get in here now. "The next problem Sam had was the terrified girl that was flinching every time he moved. He didn't know how much she understood, or how much he was going to be able to get her to understand. The one thing he did know she knew she was in trouble. "It's going to be okay." He tried again only to see the moment of relief disappear from her face when sharp screams carried up the hall.
Another scream echoed only this time it came from the girl in-front of him, "Shhh." He tried again to calm her as he realized that her screams were buying him both time and cover. "Please, I am going to help you. My friends are on their way here but I need to go help your friends." Sam scanned the room and his eyes fixed on a door to his left.
Opening the door it lead to what he was hoping for, a bathroom and more importantly, a bath. "I need to you to stay here," he pointed into the bath. "You have to stay down." With a few quick movements and another sharp scream he lifted her into the bath and covered her with a towel. "You'll be safe here and no matter what happens, no matter what you hear I don't want you to move." He didn't think she was taking in much of what he was saying but he was convinced that at least now she understood that he was trying to help. "You do not leave here until I come back for you." He paused a moment and fixed his eyes on hers, "Do you understand?" Once he started to nod she copied the gestured and he guessed that was as good as it was going to get.
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This is number 13, so everyone is about to find out that I am a little odd. I will update again tomorrow because I just cannot have 13 chapters up (it's not lucky).