24 hours before Jordan meets with Kate and Rick…
Victoria Gates had no idea why Jordan Shaw wanted to meet with her. She had been friends with the Deputy Director of the FBI for the past ten years. But when she came to her office unannounced and asked if she could take control of the case that her detectives had been working on she was skeptical, to say the least. She would listen to what she had to say.
She had heard about FBI agent Sorenson who was blown away in his own car and while it was sad, she couldn't believe that he could be so unaware as not to check his immediate surroundings. She can only assume that he was shocked because of what happened to his wife and daughter. Since then the FBI has been performing an all-out manhunt to find out who killed one of their agents.
Jordan Shaw had come to her office and asked if she could talk with her about the case she had assigned Detective Beckett's team to. She wanted to explain to her how the case she was investigating about Sorensen was intertwined with the case that her lead detective was investigating. She outlined everything that needed to be done and then asked if she could talk to her detective who was still in the hospital. Right now she had another task for her if she would accept it. Jordan Shaw hated corrupt cops. She knew that Captain Gates was an ex-internal affairs boss and this would put the icing on the cake she was about to serve her.
Both women sit across from each other in the captain's office.
"Is it alright if I call you Victoria, captain?" Jordan asks.
"As long as I can call you Jordan, director."
Jordan eyed the captain knowing that she knew that she was considering taking the soon-to-be-vacant job as director of the FBI.
"I'd like that Victoria. I will get right to what needs to be done. I am coming to you first before I talk with the commissioner. Just know that I'm not going over your head but I wanted to take your temperature so to speak. There's going to be a shake-up of epic proportions within the NYPD. I need to know that I can count on you to keep what we say between us private until I have time to brief the commissioner which should be in about 2 hours from now."
"There are corrupt members within the NYPD and I need your help taking them out of commission. We have been compiling evidence and information in the form of wiretaps, video images, and eyewitness accounts. As it stands we have more than enough to arrest some of the Deputy commissioners and chiefs. Now if you decide to run with this there will be an advance in title and a very large pay raise within the NYPD."
Victoria looked at her friend and studied her face for any signs of doubt. What she saw was sheer determination staring right back at her.
"Jordan if I do this I would want to select certain trustworthy people I know to carry this out."
"That's acceptable. However, I need to approve anyone you want to include. If they are clean, I don't see an issue."
Jordan continues on.
"Now for the second phase of this investigation. Detective Beckett's team is the team I want to use to take down Vales and Simmons. They will not go quietly which I can guarantee. I have been in contact with the hospital, the doctors taking care of her, and her PT staff, and I am assured that Kate will be able to be a part of this."
"Jordan I am pretty sure that tomorrow is her last PT session and knowing Kate, she won't be missing it. The entire team is emotionally invested in this case. Especially Mr. Castle."
Jordan looked at her not quite understanding what she meant. When Victoria noticed the look on the director's face she had to explain further.
"Jordan I'm not sure if you're aware, but the mayor and Rick go way back. They both served together in the Army. They both played in the sandbox. Bob and Rick were both captains. Bob was a supply officer and Rick was an infantry officer. Once they met they were just about inseparable. Bob is Alexis' godfather and Rick is the godfather to Bob's daughter Janaell. Or should I say he was her godfather."
"Victoria this just became a lot more complicated. I have known Rick for quite some time. Are you sure he can be impartial?"
"You know Jordan, that was the first question that I asked him when I gave the case to Kate and her team. I wanted to make sure that he could get through this case without going back on his word. And it looks like he has."
Knowing now that Rick can be impartial Jordan continues.
"Janelle's murder was carried out on the orders of Vales. This is where we are going to have to make sure we get justice for her murder. Vales is going to try to deny it and we know that he won't get away with it. And this is why."
"I'm sure you're going to tell me Jordan." Victoria challenged.
"For the past year and a half, we have had someone in Vales' organization feeding us vital information about what was going on within it. What shocked us the most was the fact that our informant told us that Vales was joining forces with Simmons. This information just moved up our timetable at warp speed."
"Jordan, is this person that you have in Vales organization an agent?" Victoria asks.
"Victoria due to the confidentiality of this operation I'm not at liberty to disclose who this person is employed by at this time. But when it's all over I will let you know exactly who gave us the intel we could act on. The intel is accurate and has been verified. So I trust the information that we're getting."
Jordan took a breath and decided that they needed a break before moving forward.
"Victoria how about we take a short break and get ourselves some coffee," Jordan suggested.
"Now that's a great idea."
Both women rise from the chairs they are sitting in and make their way out of the captain's office. Once they arrive in the break room Jordan marvels at the very expensive cappuccino machine sitting on the counter.
"You must have a good budget here at the 12th precinct Victoria," Jordan says as she eyes the expensive machine.
"Jordan, that fancy coffee machine was a gift from Rick Castle. It was years ago and I had not been assigned here yet as captain. He decided that the homicide detectives needed more than the sludge that was called coffee running through their veins and he had this machine installed. Every three months a technician comes out from the manufacturer since it's been installed to change the water filter and maintain the machine to keep it running smoothly."
Once their coffee is made to their liking they each take a sip relishing the way the coffee hits their taste buds.
"Victoria this coffee is amazing!" Jordan tells her.
"According to Mr. Castle, this brand of coffee is called the Kona blend. He has it flown in directly from Maui once a week. We must go through about ten pounds during that time."
"Well, it is a very good blend."
"Are you ready to continue with our discussion?" Victoria asks her friend.
"Yes, I have to tell you the outline of what will happen when we put this attack in motion. And that's exactly what this is. It's going to be an all out attack on the people who are crippling the city with their drugs. "
The ladies take a very slow walk back to Victoria's office enjoying the coffee they just made. Once they get back into her office they retake the seats they were in before they left. It's then when Jordan lays down the timeline they need to follow.
"Now the timing for this has to be perfect. We will carry out three different phases of this plan all at the same time. The first will be trying to nail down Simmons when his next drug shipment is delivered, then the next phase will be trying to take down Vales when he is least expecting it, and the third phase will be when all the higher-ups are at One PP. We plan to make a spectacle of them for abusing their power in front of the press because they will be on hand right outside the front door."
"Jordan, if you're okay with it I would like to read my sister in on our little plan. I think she can be instrumental in getting these charges to stick and maybe help if need be with additional manpower."
Again Jordan looked at Victoria like she knew what she was talking about when in reality she didn't. Victoria could see it all over her face.
"I'm sorry Victoria I'm at a loss. Just who is your sister and how can she help us?"
The grin that came across her face was priceless. She decided to draw out the drama just for an extra minute because she had something that she could hold over the deputy director of the FBI even if it was only for a couple of seconds.
"Jordan I'm surprised you don't know that my sister is the United States Attorney for the southern district of New York. Her name is Elizabeth Preston."
"Damn, I really do need to do my homework. I forgot all about her only because the two of you have different last names. I never associated you with being related to her. My bad. And yes you should give her a call because I'm pretty sure that with her expertise, especially within the realms of the RICO statute, she will come in very handy. That and I'll bet she won't have an issue setting the pace if we give her the opportunity."
"So that's about it Victoria now my question to you is are you on board?"
"Wild Horses couldn't keep me away from something like this!"
"Great. I will be in touch with our next move. Thanks, Victoria. And I will also let the commissioner know that your sister will be a part of this right from the start"
Victoria watches as her friend rises from her chair, turns, and leaves her office.
Before Jordan made it on the elevator, Victoria had her cell phone out, already dialing her sister at her office.
"Liz it's Vicky. You'll never guess who just left my office."
"Knowing your detectives, probably the chief of Detectives."
It was starting already and she knew it. Gates did not know if her sister was kidding or was being serious and she wasn't going to take it anymore.
"Elizabeth I will not have you demeaning any of my detectives that way! They are some of the best detectives on the force. And they are not the topic of this discussion. I know how to do my job. You need to stop with this petty BS disagreement we had years ago because something big is on the horizon and I don't want what we have between us to get in the way of what is happening next. Agreed?"
She knew her sister and she never used her given name only when she was being serious. So she heeded her warning and responded.
"Agreed. I'm sorry Victoria. All right you've got my attention. Who was it who came to see you?"
"The assistant director of the FBI, Jordan Shaw. "
"Why on earth would she come to New York?"
"Right now all I can give you is the basics. She's putting together three different teams to take down some very bad people. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind becoming part of the team that goes after these people. There will be a lot of moving parts and it will only further your career. So what do you say?"
"Do you have a time frame of when this is going to go down? Right now I'm in the middle of a case that could be very messy if I were to leave it hanging."
"Soon. I know that she has to speak with Detective Beckett and her team so I would assume that she's going to set up a meeting tomorrow. From there, things will move very quickly."
"Well then Vicky depending on the time frame I guess I'll make myself available. Depending on how long this goes for, I'll have to get my assistant to take over that case."
"I'll keep you in the loop with the deputy director. This is going to give us so much clout once we nail all these people. I'll talk to you soon Liz."
Elizabeth hung up the phone wondering What bad guys could warrant this much attention. But the fact that the deputy director of the FBI was pulling the strings made her think that her sister was right. This would define anyone's career who was working on this case.