Chapter 4: Rat Trap
"Ryan are you sure that you didn't lock yourself out of the system?" Kate asked as she logged into her computer. She brought up the program that the NYPD uses to pull information on people. She logged herself in and tried to run a search for Illyana Volkov, but in turn found herself locked out in the system. "Espso try to run…."
"Already did Beckett, I am locked out too." Esposito replied to the statement as he got up from the computer. He looked over at Hunt. "How is that McCord can come in here, grab our prisoner, and walk out, and lock us out of the system?"
"We may be point, but she still has the authority to run her own investigation, so she can come and grab any prisoner that she feels may help her investigation. She doesn't have to notify anyone she doing it either." Hunt told them from where he was standing. He walked on over to Kate's computer and looked at the code that was displayed. "By the way, you guys really need a refresher course on your codes for search blockages. That's not a federal code."
"What?" Ryan asked as he looked at his screen where the information that told him of his of his search to look up Illyana Volkov was not authorized.
"All federal case codes, even in the CIA use a lettering system when identifying cases." Hunt replied as he pointed at the screen as Ryan and Esposito came around and looked at the screen. Hunt stood straight up. "But I can find out who did put the block on."
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Although they couldn't hear the other end, the other person must have asked Hunt to identify himself. "Identification number 115185-Alpah."
"Beckett?" Ryan asked as he turned around.
"Don't look at me, all I ever got was my Federal Identification." Beckett replied with the same curiosity.
"I need an identity of who issued a system lock code with the identifier of 56080N." Hunt said into his phone. He listened for a moment and then gave the IP address for Kate's computer. After a couple of minutes he received his answer. "Thank you. The code came from One Police Plaza, Information technology department but order came from the Deputy Chief of Investigations."
"Chief Jameson? One of the most decorated cops in the city." Esposito said with a look on disbelief on his face. He looked at everyone. "I can't believe it."
"No way could it be him." Ryan also interjected into the conversation. He looked at Beckett. "He is rumored to be the next commissioner."
"Great men often have been seduced by great power and money." Hunt told the group who looked at him. He looked at Kate. "This has to be handled by someone with tact and diplomacy."
Kate smiled as she nodded and printed out a screen shot of the computer. She, Ryan, Esposito and Hunt moved to the elevator as Kate placed a call to Chief's office. In the twenty minutes it took them to get to One Police Plaza, Kate, Esposito and Ryan knew this was going to be a fine line that they were going to be walking. As the got off the elevator, Hunt hung back a little bit as he let Kate take the lead to talk to the Deputy Chief, as he texted a number. A female sitting in the outer office opened the door to allow them into the Chief's office.
"Detective Beckett, Deputy Chief Jameson." Chief Jameson said getting up from behind the desk to go and shake the hands of Kate, Esposito and Ryan. He then motioned them to a table in the center of his office. "How's your husband doing Detective?"
"He'll make a full recovery sir. Thank you for asking." Kate replied to the question as she took a seat. She waved off the coffee. "Sir, in the course of our investigation as part of our duties with Homeland Security, we tried to run a search for potential subject and this code came up on our computers."
"Well that shouldn't be, since you are temporarily assigned to Homeland security." Chief Jameson answered looking at the printout. He handed it back. "I was with the commissioner when he took the call from the White House. I don't know how this order came about to lock you out of the system."
Kate's phone buzzed with a message from Hunt who had a picture message. She opened it, studied it for a moment and passed it over to the Deputy Chief. "This comes from our temporary assignment sir, the order came from your office about an hour and half ago."
"What?" Chief Jameson answered with surprise as he took the phone. He looked at the picture. "That's impossible Detective, I wasn't here an hour and half ago. I was in a briefing conducted by an agent who is investigating Gates's hit."
"Who sir, could have done it then?" Ryan asked making notes in his notepad.
"Well my assistant Detective Julie Baker was here." Chief Jameson answered as he passed back the phone to Kate. "She was the lady who was in the outer office when you walked in."
Kate, Ryan and Esposito jumped to their feet to go to the outer office when Hunt walked in escorting the young lady by the arm. "I think she was trying to leave a little early."
"Julie?" Chief Jameson asked in shock as Hunt led her to a couch and sat her down.
"Detectives, Chief, I swear I never meant for anything like this to happen." She stated as she started to breakdown.
"Why don't you tell us first how they got to you?" Kate asked coming over and taking the seat opposite of the now fallen detective.
"They have pictures of me cheating on my husband." Julie replied as the tears flowed from her eyes. "It was with a Detective I knew from my time in 6-5 down in Brighton Beach."
"How did they find out about your husband?" Esposito asked her.
"My husband works for the committee of redevelopment." Julie replied as she was handed a tissue by her former boss. "So he was in the paper a lot for new property openings or fundraisers."
"Where did they catch you with your boyfriend?" Ryan asked her as they made notes on what they were being told.
"A restaurant near Brighton and the Best Western in the same area as well." Julie answered the question as a new wave of tears began. She dabbed at her eyes. "The affair last only a couple months, but I received the first photos a within a week of the first time we met."
"How did they know about your job here?" Hunt asked.
"Any time she appeared in the paper, it's generally saying working in my office, but not the actual job description." Chief Jameson told them. "Julie what did you give them?"
"Patrol assignments for all tours and precinct's especially in the Brooklyn area during certain dates, raid information. Yet I don't know how they found out about Detective Johnston." Julie replied to the question.
"Probably had Captain Gates under surveillance." Hunt remarked getting a few nods from everybody. "How did you contact them?"
"Phone number and email, I can give them to you." Julie answered. Ryan handed her a notepad to write it down. "Sir, what's going to happen to me?"
"As of now you are immediately relieved of duties. I have to inform the commissioner." Chief Jameson replied. He then looked at Kate. "Detective, it's your call?"
Kate thought about it for a moment. "I want you to make contact with whoever this is, and let them know that you need to see them, because you have information that you can only deliver in person."
"Detective that will put her at tremendous risk." Chief Jameson told her.
"I know, but maybe we can break this open." Kate told the Chief. She then thought of another thing. "I want only units from the 12th assigned to back us up. NO ESU and no putting this over the airwaves."
"McCord?" Ryan asked with a laugh, then quickly suppressed it.
"I don't want her jumping in and taking this suspect away before I get a chance to get some solid information." Kate replied, and then looked at Chief Jameson. "If that is alright with you sir?"
"I'll delay as long as possible, but can't promise anything." Chief Jameson told Kate who got up and shook his head.
It took roughly two hours for everything to be setup for the operation, but it was in place by 5pm. Julie Baker sent the message that she needed to meet in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Everyone that could have been spared from the 12th was there trying to look inconspicuous. Ryan and Kate played chess at one of the benches on the park while Esposito and a few of the male officers were playing football. Julie waited by the pathway near the river. Kate could tell she was nervous.
"Relax Julie, as soon as you give the signal we'll move in." Kate said into the microphone as she made a move on the checkboard. The signal would be that Julie would remove her hands from the railing and wipe them on the hankerchief in her pockets. "Check."
"Tango approaching Julie from her 9 o'clock. He could our guy." Hunt reported over the air. He took up position as a fisherman within a few meters of Julie.
The man walked up next to Julie who was looking across the river at the island of Manhattan. "We told you not to meet us in person unless it was important."
"I have to shut down the information flow for the next few days." Julie told her contact. She put her hands on the railing. "The feds are going to look into everyone's email, phone, download, and finaical history."
"If you were careful like we instructed you too, you'll pass easily." The man told her as he looked across the river at the city as well. "Yet you try to save your own skin, we'll give your husband the photos before we kill him."
"Easy Julie, remember the plan." Kate said into the microphone trying to reassure the nervous Julie.
"I should be one of the first ones that they look into since I work in an important part of headquarters." Julie told the man. She looked at him. "Why is what I do so important to you anyway?"
"All you need to know is that your work has allowed our products to flow uninterrupted out of the country." The man said to her as he continued to look out across the river to the city. Julie took the hankerchief out of her pocket and wiped her hands.
"That's the signal go, go." Hunt said as the signal was given. About 20 people converged on the area.
"NYPD don't move." They all screamed.
"You little bitch. Your dead, your husband's dead." The man scream as Hunt tackled the man to the ground as Kate gathered up Julie and passed her over to an officer who took her away from the area.
"Put her with her husband in protective custody." Kate ordered as the man was brought to his feet. Kate recognized him. "It's the passenger from…"
"The surveillance footage." Esposito replied as the cuffs were slapped on the man.
"How's your husband doing detective? He may not be lucky next time." The man said with a smirk on his face.
"You son of a bitch." Kate replied but it took Ryan, Esposito and a couple of other officers to hold her back from attacking the man.
Hunt took the man's wallet out of the back pocket and opened it up to pull out the id. "Say hello Anton Rusev out of Brighton Beach."
"Bring him back to the 12th." Kate ordered as she walked away to gather her composure.
"Anton Rusev you have the right to remain silence…" Esposito started to say as the lead him from the area.
================================Hopefully this answers some peoples questions about the reasons McCord can interject herself in to the investigation, as well as answering the mole question. Please keep the reviews coming folks. Thank you.===============================