A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.
Les’s POV—Two weeks ago
I’m listening to everything Hec’s passing back.
Damian is a pissed man. Good.
Didn’t take me long to figure out which member of MS-13 was the set captain. Damian is trying to make a name for himself. He was a rising member in Oakland, a tough area to make your bones, and he’s garnered attention inside and outside the organization. Our former Mexican Mafia members worked their contacts to get me a name.
I might have to buy Emilio a drink. He’s at RMSA, in research, and he kept at it until he got the name.
I’ve been watching Damian for a month and I’m impressed. Piman’s not.
“He’s striking at my men. They want to strike back.” Piman’s staring at me, cold. “I don’t believe in collateral damage, Les. This shit’s pissing me off.”
I nod. I know. He’s ready to blow some shit up and protect his men but not yet. They have to accept this with patience.
A week later, Piman acknowledges that waiting was the right method to use. They made a mistake. The FBI followed them and arrested 106 in a raid.
I fought not to allow the grin. I knew they would.
Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
Johanssen and I are now friends. These next strikes, in Charlotte and Miami simultaneously, will cement Marsden.
I’m rolling up the carpet now. Time to bring this op to a close.
Ranger informed the AG three weeks ago that the counter-intel portion of the op was about to go active, meaning less false information, more arrests. He was passing authority for the counter-intel op over to Gabriel Levy, one of my aliases with the government, while he concentrated on bringing down the remaining men.
Me? I get to fuck with people’s heads!
The AG is thrilled. He doesn’t give a damn as long as he can stand before Congress and show that the FBI is doing something about the gang problem. He quickly authorized FBI agents under him to work with Gabriel Levy, take his information, follow his orders, and do what he says.
They’re pissed and wondering what in the hell is going on. I’m gathering intel before I start and I’m grateful we have a RangeMan office in every major hotspot on the East Coast. Between the company and Piman, I’ve never pulled info this fast. I decided to start with the Miami stronghold. Johanssen should be the easiest to work with.
Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy’s plans;
the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces
the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field
and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
As long as the link between Damian and White is tight, Damian will keep throwing his men at Piman in order to take him down. He loses nothing here. He gets to institute a reign of terror to take down Piman and his men while trying to flush out Ranger and establishing MS-13’s power in the South. This is a fucking field day for him and he’s relying on official cover from White to do it.
I’m going to make his reliance on White seem like a costly mistake. In the meantime, I think it’s time to restart my game with Javi.
My first phone call with Johanssen, a week after Steph’s kidnapping, didn’t start so well.
“This is Gabriel Levy.”
“Great. I’m Pete Johanssen, Supervisory Special Agent for Major Crimes here in Miami.”
“Lovely. Now, let’s talk about what I have planned. What—”
“Wait a minute. Who the fuck are you? What’s your background? What—”
“Really?” My voice is ice-cold and he stops. “Do you really think I’m about to waste time and energy establishing my bona-fides for you?”
“You will if you want me to work with you.”
“I won’t because your job is to take orders. You got the order to listen to me, work with me, and follow my instructions from a few levels higher up, right?”
Silence. I can sense him grinding his teeth.
“Then don’t question me. I’ve been brought in to help.” I let that settle in his brain for a moment before saying, “If this goes right, and well, which it will because I can’t remember the last time I failed, you’ll end up looking like a fucking hero and I’ll go back to my quiet life solving crossword puzzles. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. I’m here to help. I’m not in this for the glory and I don’t want credit. I’m only interested in the paycheck. You’ll get all the glory. Now, from what I understand it’s assumed that RangeMan is involved in the sting against the federal agents. Is that your information?”
“Assumed? Please. Around here it’s considered a damn certainty.”
“Well, I talked to the head of RangeMan—”
“Mañoso?”
“No. Stephanie Plum.”
“She doesn’t know anything.”
“She’s the Managing Director. She should know.”
“Please. She won’t have a fucking clue.”
“How much do you tell your wife?”
“About my job? Not a fucking thing.”
“Uh huh.” I let that hang in the air for a moment. I hear a sigh.
“OK, so I tell her some stuff.” Silence. “Wait, how do you know I’m married?”
“My job. Anyway, you really think that she wouldn’t know if Mañoso was domestic or overseas, at a minimum?”
The line is silent for a very long time. “Right. Good point.”
“Exactly. Now, it’s possible for people to lie to me over the phone but not in person and, from everything I know about this woman, she’s a bad liar. Is that agreed?”
“Yeah, that’s the gossip about her.”
“So when I met with her, she was jumpy about Mañoso’s op and clearly didn’t want to talk about it, but she was firm on the fact that he’s overseas. No indications she was lying.”
Again, the line is quiet. “Yeah. We had two agents go on a fishing expedition to talk to her. They said the same thing. Jumpy, didn’t want to talk about it, but clear that he was overseas. That part they said she was certain about.”
I exhale silently and wonder who taught Steph to hide her feelings better.
“So I’m going with the understanding that he’s overseas. In any case, RangeMan, specifically Ms. Plum, agreed to help. First—”
“Wait! Why? That makes no sense.”
“She was abducted her first night in Miami.” I hear a low whistle and I smile. “She’s pissed and she’s tired of being a target. She wants this to end so she’s willing to work with the FBI on this. Plus, and she doesn’t know this, using her as bait will establish whether or not Mañoso’s really here or overseas.”
“You plan to use the woman as bait?”
“Yeah. After all, Mañoso’s MO is that he comes back to rescue her if she’s in danger, right?”
“Right . . . ” The voice is clearly thinking this through.
“Even when all his men are on the case, he always shows up in the nick of time to save her, right?”
“That’s the gossip.”
“OK. So let’s test it. She’s agreed to help because she’s tired of being a target, but I want to know if Mañoso’s really here or not. This tests them both.”
“I’m in.” The voice is resolute.
He’s taken the bait. Bobby drops me off at the airport and reminds me to keep my head firmly attached as I prepare to drive a wedge between White and Damian.
The first two planning meetings took place at RangeMan. I was on by phone and I told both MDPD and the FBI that the first two strikes, Ms. Plum and RangeMan would handle on their own. We needed to attract attention and it would be ‘helpful’ if MDPD had a slower than usual response.
That pissed them off. It was going to throw off their metrics but they finally agreed. By the time we met to plan the Port sting, they were reporting that their street officers were reporting that the gossip was high that la Tigresa was running around undefended.
Good.
Steph was extremely nervous about this one. “So, Gabriel, you’re saying that the idea is for me to run in the opposite direction of my bodyguards?”
“Yes. All of you will scatter in opposite directions. If you stay bunched up, you’ll take fire.” I’m looking at my maps of the Miami port and trying to decide which warehouse to use. I know Steph will go for this because she won’t want anyone to get hurt. My only job is to make sure she doesn’t get hurt. “You’ll run for the next warehouse and immediately run out of the side door at the end. It’s about a 200 yd. sprint. There will be an armored vehicle waiting for you.”
“Do we have an armored vehicle?” I hear Steph ask.
“Yes. Urban assault vehicle. SWAT style,” Diego answers.
“Nice,” she says, and I nod approvingly.
“Now, Johanssen, your men need to set up out of sight of the gangbangers. I expect them to cover the warehouse pretty thick once they get word she’s there. Keep an eye on them, set up where you think is best, but stay out of sight. That’s crucial. If they spot you, this sting is over.”
“Right. Got it.”
“Start ten warehouses away and watch through telescopes,” Mack says quietly. We had to bring him in, since he’s serving as Steph’s partner right now, but he doesn’t know about Ranger’s op. Just that I’m working under an alias. “Gabriel, man, they’re gonna post five deep, son. She’s a high value target. They’re not letting her get away.”
I consider this. “OK, then tell us, how would you modify?”
Mack is quiet for a long time. Finally, he says, “Boss Lady’s gonna be captured.”
We’re quiet. I put the maps down. “Why?”
“If we’re not covering her, they’ll be on the lookout to separate us. If this is going to work out, homie, then you really gotta use your old tricks, Boss. You’ll have to be taken.”
Ranger is also on the line and is now texting me. NO FUCKING WAY! DON’T EVEN CONSIDER IT!
“What do you suggest, Mack?” Steph says quietly.
Ranger is losing his mind. NO! NO NO NO! STOP THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW!
“Honestly? You’re gonna have to do some Flo-Jo shit.” I smile. “You’re gonna need to run five warehouses if you expect to get away. Wear flats. Otherwise, we need another plan.”
I AGREE. GET ANOTHER PLAN GOING LES! DO NOT PUT HER LIFE IN DANGER!
I’ve never known Ranger to use so many exclamation points. Do you believe in her or not, primo?
I believe in her. I trust her. I just don’t want her injured in one of your loco schemes, Les.
Do you trust me?
You’re pushing it right now.
I flip a finger at the phone and grin. Besides, she loves you. She has enough danger in her life. Silence on Ranger’s end. I’m prepared for the concussion.
As long as you know it’s coming.
“I’m going with this plan,” I announce. “It has the best chance of success. Ms. Plum, be prepared to run.”
We disconnect and I immediately call Mack. “When is Thomas scheduled to land?” He tells me. An hour before this plan kicks off.
I’m considering this. This is the Plum Curve in action. We’ll go with the plan because it has the best chance of success. I don’t expect Steph to be taken but Thomas is my ace in the hole.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
I seriously consider the Plum Curve and all its possibilities. I send Steph an email approving Mack’s rise to the strategist position when ready.
Sigh. Thomas will have to rescue her. Mack’s right. There’s a 50-50 chance she won’t make the armored vehicle. Not in heels.
The port sting went off beautifully. Plum Curve in action: They had her and lost her. Damian’s furious. The machete swung viciously on his own men. MDPD just found the bodies.
Ranger’s promised that the concussion will hurt. I’m not worried; he won’t deliver on it. I reminded him that this is the difference between me and him. I make a plan, account for variables, and keep my personal feelings out of it. Sometimes he can’t, which is why I edge him out.
Ranger and I look at a solider and see skills, training, and abilities. I see a soldier and I expect the soldier to do his duty. If it’s personal, Ranger sees a man and it’s harder for him to ask the soldier to fight and die without wanting to lead him personally. That’s why I’ve always been the strategist and he’s the leader. I create the plan and he executes.
Hence, the port sting. I look at Steph and see another RangeMan, who has been trained to have the same skills and abilities as all of us. She should be able to complete her part of the objective with minimal fuss. I’m not saying Steph is expendable, because she’s not. No soldier is expendable. I’m saying that there’s no point of training Steph to our levels if we refuse to treat her like everyone else.
Ranger is incapable of seeing that. He sees his woman, who he loves, and feels she has to be protected at all costs. I wonder if I should point out that his attitude is loving but sexist.
Then again, Steph is a target. It’s a thin line.
While Ranger and Steph make kissy noises at each other (my other op is working!), it’s time to for me call my new buddy.
“Johanssen? Good job with the raid at the port.” I’m reexamining the information that I have.
“Thanks. Man, I’m considered brilliant at headquarters, but I have a new problem.” I can hear him chew some more antacids. He’s reminding me of Morelli.
“What is it?”
“My mentor, in Baltimore, is the man we all call before we kick off stuff like the port capture and he’s pissed.”
White. Good. I’m partying inside. “Why?”
“Because normally I run plans like that by him and he tells me if there are any holes. This time I didn’t and he’s pissed because he said it was a piss-poor plan. He wants to know why he wasn’t informed, why no one cleared it through him.” He sighs. “My only answer to him is that I was told top-secret, but that’s only pissing him off.”
Of course it is. He didn’t have a chance to tell his boys it was a set-up. “Arresting 106 gangbangers is piss poor?”
“He said if I’d run it by him, we would have gotten all of them.”
“Did you make any obvious mistakes?”
“No.”
“Did you make any errors that you could see?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “No.”
“Then he can shut the fuck up. The point of being a mentor is that you train someone to be able to do the job on their own without your constant interference. At some point, you get to do the job without asking him to check and make sure you wiped all the shit off your ass.”
Johanssen laughs.
“Are your bosses happy?”
“Thrilled. They want to know when I’m executing that again.”
“Soon. I’m setting up the next one now. I’ll let you know so you can plan your end of it.”
“Great. I’m in.” Click.
I kick back. Excellent! I call Piman and tell him that his men are about to be my new bait. He’s not happy but Steph’s about to leave Miami. They’re the next best option.
I decide now is a good time to cross the Hudson. Time for my semi-annual visit.
I make good time and locate the target. I do a little surveillance, gather and plant my evidence, and return to RangeMan NYC all within four hours.
At some point tomorrow, Tomas will wake up, check his phone and wonder who is taking pictures of him spending time with his lover while his wife and children go about their day in total ignorance.
Worse? Why doesn’t this person ever have any demands?
I’m ready to be onsite to run this counter-intel op. I just don’t want to be in Miami while Steph’s there. I told everyone that an important part of what I’m doing is making it look as if she’s running around alone.
If I were in Miami everyone would know something’s up. Hector’s there now and that’s enough chatter.
Ranger’s losing it nightly. I knew Hector had stripped him of his ability to look into the company (HAHAHA!) but Ranger finally admitted he no longer has access to watch Steph’s trackers either. I thought that was odd, so I asked Hec.
“She can’t track him. Why should he be allowed to track her all the damn time?” Hector growled. Good point. I sat back in the chair and nodded. “They need equality between them,” Hec said. “He says he trusts her and her decisions but he doesn’t when he’s spying on her all the time. Time for him to put his money where his mouth is. If he trusts us to protect her and trusts her to stay safe, then he shouldn’t need to watch her trackers all the time, right?”
No arguments there. I can see mi primo hasn’t thought of it like that and I realize for Ranger that’s his “wallet picture”.
Every man keeps a picture of the ones he loves most in his wallet, but working in the field like we do, we don’t. That’s a memento that could spell injury or death for our loved ones. Right now, for Ranger, it’s proof he’s stateside. So watching Steph’s trackers is his way of staring at a wallet picture and assuring himself that she’s fine.
Maudlin. They’re both right.
Javi pokes his head in. “Need anything from me?”
“Nope. I’m good.” I wave for him to come in and shut the door. I’m standing at the window looking out into the late fall afternoon. This is my favorite time of year in NYC and I’ve made a promise to myself to come enjoy this at least four times a year. I like watching the seasons change.
Javi steps over to me and we stare out of the window for a few minutes. I turn to him, smiling. “I like what I see here. The men are determined to take Trenton down, huh?”
Javi grins. “Jorge is regretting allowing them to poach in our territory.” I laugh. “Mack promised to rip his men a new one if they ever drop productivity like they did. If they’d kept it up, we might have tipped Trenton this month. I expect we’ll come close but we won’t surpass them. I was watching the numbers, but Mack had given them a ‘reach’ target and he expected them to ‘reach’ for it.”
“How much did they drop?”
“Two percent, but for Mack that might as well be 200%.” I crack up. “Doobie is his second and he’s not looking forward to Mack’s return. He knows he’s gonna get his asshole chewed. Jorge pulled ahead this week and he’s talking shit to Mack. The only thing keeping the ‘active’ guys alive is the fact that Mack’s work in Miami is being counted up here. I can’t wait for Diego to realize it.” Javi is wiping his eyes and shaking his head.
I laugh. I told Ranger about the Trenton-NYC-Atlanta rivalry and he wanted every bit of news I could give him. Hector’s asked us not to give him much, to allow Beautiful to pass him news about the company. Again, I was confused, but I figured that one out. It gives them something neutral to talk about, it gives Ranger a way to help her if needed, and it allows Steph to brag on what she’s doing. Tank, Bobby and I agreed, but I had to brag on Trenton a little.
The fact that two of the three leading branches are under my review had Ranger laughing his ass off. I’ve renamed Trenton and NYC “The Comeback Boys”.
“The lawsuit with CombinedSecurities is going well,” I tell him. Javi grins. “They’re desperate to settle but I intend to break them. I expect you to have 50 new men in January. Is Jorge ready to be cleared?”
“Yes, sir. Very ready. The baby six-pack gets displayed whenever possible.”
I shake my head. Javi, Jorge, Drake and Mack are an excellent combination. Putting Mack in Miami will hurt NYC but help Miami. They’ll need someone like Mack down there. Steph’s right; it’s a good move. “Good. Send him to Trenton. They’ll clear him. Send any men you think are ready to Trenton or Boston to be cleared. Anything else I need to know?”
We stare out of the windows watching the street traffic. Halal vendors, little kids walking home from school, joggers headed to Prospect Park. Fall in NYC is beautiful and inspires you to go outside. I’ve been out every day, running in Prospect Park with Javi and Jorge. I grinned and told Jorge that pimping your boss, both of them, was an excellent move. I was proud. Javi laughed his ass off and Jorge blushed before admitting that he wished I’d worn my PT shorts.
I wondered, for half a second, if Jorge were gay before realizing that he wasn’t. He’s mercenary in a business sense. Anything that will press the advantage or make a dollar and I love it. Ranger will love him.
We signed seven bodyguard contracts for new clients during my two weeks here. Women damn near beat down the doors trying to sign up for our services. Stuff like that pisses Ranger off but I’m always amused. And Steph calls me a man whore.
Javi finally shakes his head. “No, I think we’re clear. We’re just ready to take Trenton down.”
“Jorge? Drake?”
I turn. Jorge and Drake had stepped into the room while Javi was thinking and they both shake their heads. “Trying not to overhire and really trying to select the right man to head this cross-company group,” Jorge says.
I nod. We’ve discussed it in San Antonio. The best man would be Ram, but he’s instrumental in Trenton and I think Bobby has other plans for him.
“I’m thinking about someone from Trenton, actually. Junior,” Javi says.
Hmm . . . not a bad option. Junior’s military, trusted and has experience at a high level. He could do the job from Trenton. “Not bad. Hal?”
Javi smirks. “Will blow a fuse if he thinks I’m trying to poach his partner.” We all laugh. Hal’s determination to hang on to his men has become the company punch line. Hal keeps losing men to everything–this op, Steph, other branches–and he’s still leading the company.
Tank was right. Hal simply needed encouragement. He’s a great leader in Trenton. Tank’s always watching Hal and I know he stays in contact with him. He’s proud of him.
I look at Javi, all joking aside. “I’m proud. You’ve done a great job bringing this branch back. Tank says you’re quick to email him when you need something.” Javi nods, a small smile on his face. “Good. Keep that up. Keep the lines of communication open. We’re listening.”
“Thank you, sir,” he says quietly.
The guys leave and I make a quick decision. I pack my things, buy a train ticket, make a quick stop in Javi’s office, and get the guys to drop me off at Penn Station.
I take the train to Boston, where I’m greeted by Vic and Mark.
“Sir.” Mark looks pale and worried. When I drop into Boston, it’s never good for him and I realize, for the first time, that’s a problem. Mark should fear me but not dread me.
OK, ok, so it took Tank to help me figure that one out. The office is under my review and, although Mark irritates the shit outta me, I have to drop the hostility to him.
I shake my head. “Not a review.” He’s still tense. “Here to see Juan and his wife.” He relaxes slightly and nods. He reaches for my second bag and I nod at Vic. “Not chasing a skip?”
He smiles. “Not at the moment.” We head to the SUV and climb in. I lean my head back and close my eyes. “Well?”
Mark is quiet. “Rebuilding, sir.”
“And?”
“Discussions with law enforcement in Maine and Vermont are going well,” Vic says. “They want and need help.”
“Real estate?”
“I think it might be easier to build, sir.”
“Why?”
“Retro-fitting an existing building will be almost as expensive as building one. We found a parcel of land currently for sale in South Boston—”
“I’d like to keep my arms and legs.”
Victor laughs. “Agreed, sir, but it’s one-third acre near the convention center.”
My eyes open. “Bidding war?”
“Not yet. You want to see it?”
I shrug. “A drive by wouldn’t hurt.” Mark changes direction and we head to the parcel for sale. I look at it. It’s near the airport, near the port, and I can see the convention center a mere block away. The state house and the financial district are on the other side of the channel. “What’s the price?”
Mark tells me and I wince. Tank’s gonna shit kittens but the location is perfect. No way we get something this good anywhere else in Boston. I call Tank and tell him.
“It’s zoned Industrial.”
“And?”
“We’ll go through hell trying to get it rezoned to commercial. Plus, there’s a railroad easement that cuts through the property.”
“Are you looking at a map of the location?”
“Yeah.”
I wait. I finally sense Tank mentally sigh. “OK, the location is fucking perfect but it has drawbacks. Expensive, not zoned for what we need and we’re not likely to get it rezoned, and a railroad cutting through.”
“Location.”
Tank is quiet. “I found an office condo for sale/lease.” He gives me the address. “Go check that out.”
We head over and I see why he’s more interested in this. Marina access, room for about 10-15 men, and in the heart of the wharf. Walking distance to the financial district. You could launch an immediate strike team from this location and wait for reinforcements from another.
“I agree. This is better.”
“Call the realtor. We’ll move on it.” Click.
I look at Mark. “You like it?”
“Yes, sir. I can see getting 15 men in here, especially if we remove the file cabinets upstairs. Maybe even twenty. And if we get a Marina slip or two, we can have a boat.” Mark looks excited by the possibility. I look at Vic, who smiles and shrugs.
“Well, back to home base.”
I see what Tank means.
This place is crowded. We need new satellite offices sooner rather than later. I’m honestly astonished that we manage to get anyone in here. It’s a sardine tin.
When’s the last time I spent any significant time in Boston? Time to change that, I think.
The men nod to me, nervous about what I’m up to, but I look for Manny and find him in Rod’s office, his new temporary home. “Yo!”
He looks up. “Sir!”
I step in and close the door. I take a moment to stare out of the window. This area of Boston was not my first choice when we set up this office but Ranger and Mark were right. It’s in a great area. Problem is, we need something downtown, as I pointed out at the time. We need at least one main office closer to the financial district. I’m finally going to get my way on that.
Oh well. Done and over. I turn to Manny, who is smiling faintly. “SitRep.”
“Improved.” I raise an eyebrow. “He’s serious about getting this place into shape. The men are being told to trust and believe in chain of command, but he’s also allowing more discussion of issues, more criticism from the men. It’s good. It’s reestablishing respect.”
“CO?”
“Definite 180 here. Meeting her did the trick. The men see she’s not stupid. They called Trenton, asked for the scoop on some of those stories. Got the details the newspapers never reported. They asked me for stories once I arrived.” Manny grins. “I heard ‘stupid’, ‘frickin’ braindead’, and some other shit I don’t understand.” I snort. “Boston English is an entirely different language.”
I laugh. I know. I still don’t understand sometimes. “Vic?”
“He’s trying, but Vic . . .” Manny trails off, thinking. “Vic’s angry. He’s held it in for a long time. They had it out in the gym one morning. Damn near pummeled each other black and blue. I had to tape both their ribs.”
“I didn’t get a whiff of that when they picked me up.”
“You won’t. Vic’s good at hiding his anger and irritation. He’s done it for a long time. I watched, closed the gym off to the rest of the men before Vic asked me to leave. Whatever went down in there was good for them. They walked out better. Mark’s leaning on his partner again, the way he should, but Vic still second-guesses him sometimes. He hasn’t quite forgiven him yet.”
I sit in the chair and stretch my legs. Manny stares at me.
“Mark’s trying with everyone. He’s having some success with Danny and Javi. Hal has no love and Diego’s holding him at arm’s length. Mando?” Manny shrugs. “He and Mando are there. They’re supporting each other. They get on the phone and talk shit unrelated to RangeMan. It’s good for him, for both of them. Chase says Mando gets off calls with Mark laughing his ass off.”
Interesting.
“He signed up for flight time, he’s taking a yoga class, he’s trying to get out of the office.” I raise an eyebrow. Yoga? “From what I gather from Chase, Mando told him to get some balance in his life again. Mando’s in therapy to get some balance in his life so he told Mark to get his ass back in the air and work it out like he used to.”
Wow. Good job, Mando. “Business?”
There’s a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Susan sticks her head in. “Hello, Lester. Mark just told me you were here. Wanted to know if you needed anything before Steven and I retire for the evening.”
I stand and head to the door. Susan’s not exactly the ‘hug all the time’ type, but I try to at least squeeze her hands whenever I visit. Today, however, she must be in a huggable mood because I get a very warm one. “I’m fine, Susan. Thank you. I’ll eat whatever’s in the break room. Have a good evening.” She pats my face before closing the door behind her. I walk over to the window and stare out. It’s dark.
Manny sighs and kicks back in his chair. “Improving.” Manny stares at me. “Active work needed expansion here. It’s half what it could be.”
“Please tell me you are joking.” Un-fucking-believable. I need to see Steph’s report. Tank’s holding on to it for some reason.
“Nope. Vic’s been dying to expand for years but since Mark’s shit with skips, he wouldn’t let Vic do it.”
Yeah, if I were Vic, I’d be pissed too. Mark essentially cut his partner off at the knees instead of trusting him. “And?”
Manny grins. “I’m handling the office, reorganizing the men and structure, and ensuring rules and regs are handled while Vic goes after the contracts he’s always wanted. Mark’s given him carte blanche.”
“Mike?”
“In training with Mark to be an XO. Mark plans to send him to Trenton soon to train under Hal for a while.”
I snort. “Hal?”
“Potential spy.”
I laugh. That sounds like Hal.
“By the way, I had a text from Jorge.” I look over. Manny is rubbing his hands, grinning gleefully. “Where’s the Alex Rodriguez baseball? Javi’s shitting himself that you stole it!”
I laugh. The baseball is sitting on my dining room table in my apartment at RangeMan NYC. It’s a game Javi and I have always played with each other. I steal the ball, he improves security around it.
I decided to start playing again. Just to make sure he’s keeping his edge. He’s the head of my home branch. He has to learn to outwit his opponent and never let his guard down.
“Johanssen?”
“Levy?”
“What info do you have?”
“Possible strike in Little Havana and another in Atlanta. Same time, same date but I’m also hearing Charlotte.”
“Strike will be in Charlotte. Atlanta was compromised.”
“Oh. OK. How do you get your info?” He sounds genuinely perplexed.
“I’m on the ground here.” Not true, but I will be by tomorrow if that nor’easter holds off.
“Oh. So, I’m ready for the Little Havana strike. Charlotte is different. The man there is definitely going to call Baltimore to run the plan by him.”
“Explain why that’s a bad idea.” Click.
I head upstairs and knock on the door to apartment 2. Juana Sanchez Baez answers. “Am I interrupting the honeymoon?”
She laughs and moves back to let me in. Juana Sanchez is currently on sick leave. After she and Manny arrived in Boston, she proposed. She told him she never wanted to live another day without him. Manny asked for three days leave to marry his wife in Maine and take a short vacation and I granted it.
Steph’s thrilled, although she’s teasing Manny about cheating on her. Manny laughed and said he couldn’t wait for her to meet his wife.
Juana is moving stiffly but pretty well. Manny’s been taking her for treatment at Mass General, one of the best hospitals in the entire country, and she’s healing well. It will take about six months for her to fully recover from the gunshots, but her mind is still sharp.
I want that mind working for us. Rodriguez is in Trenton rubbing his hands in excitement. He knows about her and he wants her working on his team. She’s already told me she intends to resign from the FBI but I asked her to wait. Use her sick leave. I have a plan in mind.
I had to promise Manny she wouldn’t be hurt at all in it.
“Mrs. Sanchez.” I put the heavy box down, take her hands and kiss both cheeks. She blushes and I watch Manny roll his eyes.
“Sir, that’s personal. I might not win, but I will inflict injury.”
I laugh and escort Juana to the sofa. Juana kisses her husband and tugs him down on the couch to sit next to her.
“My apologies, Sanchez. Anyway, I bring you congratulations on behalf of the entire Leadership Core Team and a gift.”
I push the box over to the sofa and sit in the chair opposite. Juana smiles. “Thank you.” She opens the box and gasps. “‘A friendship that, like love, is warm; A love like friendship, steady. Congratulations on marrying your best friend.’ Aww … that’s so sweet.” Manny takes the note and smiles. It’s signed by everyone except Ranger (obviously).
Bobby has a thing about linens, so he sent a large cashmere throw in a pale blue. I purchased fluffy bath robes and had them monogrammed. Tank purchased stemless wine glasses on Ranger’s behalf, but Tank’s gift is the one that causes her to raise an eyebrow.
“A molcajete?” She frowns. “Is this some veiled reminder to get in the kitchen?”
I laugh. “Nope. Let me explain that one. Tank had to explain it to me.” I grin and take the molcajete from her. “At the moment, Tank is planning his wedding to Lula, so he’s all into symbolic and meaningful wedding gifts.” She nods, mollified but eyeing the mortar and pestle. I take out my notes from Tank.
“Now, this molcajete. Each one is carved of a single piece of volcanic rock. Tank chose this for a few reasons. One, you can’t use it without both parts, a reminder that both of you are in this marriage together and both of you are required for it to work. However, the two of you are part of a whole, just as these two pieces are carved from one piece of rock. Two become one.”
Her mouth opens in a silent “Oh!” and Manny nods thoughtfully.
“Two, you cannot wear down a molcajete. The more you use it, the more it breaks down, revealing new indentations and constantly retexturing itself. It’s kinda like a cast iron skillet in that regard. Use only seasons it.” I smile. “Like marriage, time will wear away the newness but you’ll always be in the process of learning something new about each other. There will be familiarity but newness at the same time.”
Both are nodding now. Juana reaches for the molcajete and runs a finger along the rim.
“Three. A good marriage, a seasoned marriage, endures. These things are prized in Mexico to the point that if you inherit a good one, that’s like getting a good cast iron skillet in the South.” Manny smiles. “A good marriage serves as an example to everyone around. Someday, if you have kids, your marriage is what they’ll see. A good marriage, a good relationship, is prized and envied by all who see it.”
Manny swallows hard and reaches for Juana’s hand. They smile at each other and I sit back in my seat.
“Four.” I grin impishly. “That thing is made of volcanic rock! Heavy as hell. You heat it up and it’ll stay hot for a long time. You heat each other up and you better make sure you can handle it!”
Manny falls back into the couch cushions laughing. Juana blushes beet red all over.
I laugh. “Dirty minds! I meant in anger.”
“Of course you did, sir,” Manny says, deadpan. Juana starts laughing.
“Finally, it’s a kitchen thing. Who doesn’t like kitchen stuff?”
“Johanssen, you’re asking me to trust some asshole I’ve never met versus a man who’s saved my life? Fuck you!”
“Wonderful.” The line goes silent. “Now that we’ve all confirmed the relative positions of our elbows and assholes, let’s move forward.”
I’m staring at a map of Charlotte. Mando’s IM’ing me possible strike locations based on the information the Charlotte men are getting. Hector was thrilled to roll out IM. He’s ready to move to VOIP phones and really lock our communications down.
“Look, I don’t know who the hell you are—”
“Gabriel Levy. You’re Jack Marsden. Head of Major Crimes for the Charlotte branch of the FBI, divorced, no kids, parents live in Knoxville, graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, busted your ass on the ice at 11 trying to show off, which is why three of your teeth are capped—”
“Thank you. That’s enough.”
“Pity. I was looking forward to talking about your teenage years.” I hear Johanssen snicker in the background. “As I told Johanssen weeks ago, my job is not to establish bona fides with you. My job is to make you look like a fucking hero. Johanssen listened and now he looks brilliant—”
“And the man who trained us is pissed!”
“Damn. Didn’t know you had a hard on for the man. My bad. I’ll stop trying to advance your career. You can go.”
Johanssen has his phone on mute, I’m sure. I’m smiling and drawing out strike locations. Manny is flipping me a finger and Mando is laughing his ass off over IM.
“Fine.” The word is said quietly and grudgingly. “I’m listening.”
“Look Jack, as Levy told me, at some point you have to stop asking the man to check and see if you thoroughly wiped your ass. It’s time to prove you were trained well. Otherwise, they’ll get someone else to do your job. They’ve brought in a consultant who knows more than him. He’s working with us one at a time. He gives us the info he’s getting, we create the plan, we refine it with him, we execute and accept the praise. I don’t know about you, but I like that kind of setup. Just accept it.”
Marsden is silent for a while. “Fine. What’s the plan?”
I outline the information I got from our guys and ask them to verify what they’re hearing. It’s all the same, so I move forward.
“Now, the idea is to capture all men in the area. Everyone standing. Drug charges, RICO, CCE, you name it, throw everything at them. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Plans are not to be shared. Marsden, let’s see how well you wipe your ass.”
The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer:
let such a one be retained in command!
The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:
let such a one be dismissed!
“Not thrilled by this, Les.” Piman is quiet. He’s watching Charlotte’s men cower under fire. He convinced the Inca here to work my plan and his name is on the line for this. I unwrap the granola bar and pass him half. I bite into the other half. “This makes us look dickless.”
“Understood.”
“Do you?”
I turn to him. “‘It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.‘” He stares at me. “Caesar,” I tell him.
“Caesar had the legion. This fucker, Damian, has Tec 9s, AKs, and Uzis.”
“The concept is still the same—”
“This shit is ridiculous!” Piman’s getting to the end of his tether. I text a quick message and wait for my phone to ring.
RINGG.
“Yo.” I put the phone on speaker.
“I look dickless,” Piman growls into the phone. “My name, my word, my fucking honor is attached to this! Arturo is texting me threats.”
I look at him. “You’re taking them seriously?” Piman glares at me. “You trained him. He’s loyal to you, right?” Piman nods slowly.
Ranger is quiet. “Les has never failed me.”
Piman sighs and I disconnect the call. We continue to watch.
I check my watch. Three, two, one . . .
The flood lights illuminate the area and the bangers stop firing to run.
Right into the FBI/ATF perimeter. Piman stares then slowly starts smiling.
When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
It’s not just FBI. It’s FBI, ICE, ATF, DEA, CMPD, NCSP and every other alphabet agency in the state of North Carolina. His phone starts beeping. All the Reyes got away. I left one hole in the perimeter, just enough for them to slide through, and they followed the plan exactly.
Arturo’s men were loyal. Even when they don’t understand, they obey his orders. Arturo was once a Don under Piman, so he knew to trust him. Piman’s watching the text messages come through.
Piman’s phone starts beeping again. Miami.
“Yo!”
“Yo. Clean.” Danilo was the bait in Miami. Piman wasn’t jittery about that. He knows his second is deadly. “Sureños? Not so much.” He snickers. “Rats ran right for the cheese.”
“Result?”
“Not sure. At least 50 men.”
“My men?”
“Think you’re fucking brilliant, as usual, sir.”
Piman is laughing. “Peace.” Click. He looks at me. “Quote?”
“‘It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.'”
He nods. “I’ll remember that one.”
I get the update later.
Piman’s losses? Zero men. No guns, no drugs.
Damian’s losses? Thirty-two men. Over a hundred guns, including automatics, sawed-off shotguns, and assault rifles. Every man had some kind of gang paraphernalia on, clearly identifying him in the CCE.
Best of all? One car got away, right through the hole in the perimeter. Good. I anticipated that and advised Marsden to follow discreetly. They went directly to the “hideout”, staked it out, and called for backup. Another ten men lost, fifty more guns and over $1 million in drugs. Also, trafficked women, around 12 of them, serving as prostitutes. Ages from 14 to 40, frightened, hungry, and tired.
Marsden’s thrilled. He’s cataloguing his finds and he can’t wait for the press conference.
Johanssen and Marsden are in. Fryer is next.
“Fryer, Levy,” Johanssen says.
“Cool. I’ve heard about you from Marsden and Johanssen. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Same here. Question.”
“Yes?”
“Who’s the other person in your office?”
“There isn’t—”
“I’m looking in your window.” I take a bite of my apple and watch Fryer walk over to his window and scan. He looks shocked. “Exactly. You never know where the fuck I am. You were told the parameters to participate. You violated. Disconnect.”
“Wait!” I watch him order the person out. I peer through my binoculars. My phone beeps. Manny. That was White. Juana says Fryer is untrustworthy. Did Sam put him on the case? My binoculars can transmit pictures to someone else simultaneously through the personal WiFi signal on my sat phone.
I’m wondering where and how Hector finds this stuff. I thought only the military had this. I haven’t had a pair of these since Afghanistan. I wonder what other goodies Hector has in his office in Trenton that I’m unaware of.
Yes.
Don’t trust. Drop him.
“Look, I’m alone—”
“Doesn’t matter. You violated the terms. Drop.”
The silence stretches before I hear the ping that signals that he’s dropped. “Gentlemen, I need to make other arrangements for Baltimore. Talk amongst yourselves. I’ll send you a new connection time later.”
“Levy?”
“Marsden?”
“If you need someone out of Baltimore, it’s not going to happen. They’re all too intensely loyal to him there.”
“I already have someone in mind.” Click.
My phone pings.
I’ve put a full alarm system on the baseball now. Please try again.—Javier.
Well, if you insist.
“Patricia!”
“Hey, Johanssen. How’s it going?”
“Good. You ready?”
“Yeah. What do I need to do?” I’m listening as I pretend to read the Post and sip my Starbucks. Graham is nervous. She was Juana’s choice and Juana assures me that she despises White. Graham transferred to the Washington Field Office to get away from him. She’s three tables away, sipping on a Starbucks and also pretending to read the Post.
White put a stopper in her career. Juana’s still trying to find out why. I found out.
Graham wouldn’t sleep with White. Juana doesn’t know yet but her career at the FBI is in the toilet for that very reason. White’s sunk her as much as he could because she dumped him and, two nights later, was fucking Manny for all he was worth.
Vindictive little man.
A successful woman scares him and I can see why Graham scares him. Everything about her says ‘no-nonsense’ but she also has a vibe that’s giving me some ‘Bobby’ thoughts. Class and money. Riding boots, scuffed, thoroughly broken in, and expensive. Tan . . . I’m not sure. Jodhpurs? They look like riding pants but she doesn’t have the butt necessary to make them look good. Squats, Graham. Add that to your workout. Lunges too. Navy blazer and a crisp silk shirt underneath. And pearls. I don’t remember the last time I saw a woman under 40 wearing pearls. Thick blond hair tied in a bun and heavy mascara. The mascara is reminding me of Steph’s ‘battle layers’.
She looks like a Polo Ad. A salute to the horsey set.
“Your contact with Baltimore PD—”
“Oh god.”
I smile. She’s not stupid.
“I know. I’m asking you to trust Baltimore PD but it’s true. Our contact made contact with the right person there,” Johanssen says.
“Are you sure? Did you watch The Wire?”
“Great show. Made us look dickless. Anyway—”
“I lack a dick, Johanssen.”
“But you kept the balls, Trish.” I’m glad my phone is on mute. I chuckle into my Starbucks and turn the page. “Anyway, the men are coming out of the Academy. Fresh agents. No allegiances.”
“Amateurs! Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. Fresh recruits. More balls than brains and eager to show they can follow orders and do what’s right,” Marsden says. He sighs. “Look, is there any possibility you can get any agents in the DC area without alerting our mentor to what’s up?”
“No.”
“Then trust us. Trust Levy.”
“Where is Levy? Who is Levy?”
“We’re not sure, on both questions. It’s definitely an alias. That we know. He probably has eyes on you at this very moment.” I smile. They’re learning. “Doesn’t matter. You got the plan? Execute it.”
“Why does he have to be kept in the dark?” she asks, suspicious.
They’re quiet for a moment. “My guess?” Marsden says.
“Yeah.”
“I’m starting to hear rumbles that the sting we’ve all heard about?”
“Yeah?” Both Graham and Johanssen.
“I’m thinking he might be a target.”
“Then why are we in this?” Graham asks.
“Because they’re testing our asses too. We got these orders from the Deputy Director and we were told to keep our mouths shut. So, are we gonna talk and alert him? Are we possibly dirty? Can we follow orders? That’s my guess.”
I smile. Good job, Marsden. That’s exactly why you and Johanssen were picked. Ranger was happy to cross you two off his list.
“Yo!”
“Yo!”
“I’m thinking Christmas.”
I smile. Eight months. I miss mi primo and I expect he’ll be happy with the San Antonio branch. I’m also glad we didn’t waste any time with Steph. If we had, we would have been screwed.
In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
“Why?”
“Steph went offline to the mall. I can’t have her running around on her own.”
I’m furious. Not pissed. I’ve moved far beyond that. I know she thinks of herself as independent, but this is the kinda shit that drives me crazy. She knows that she and Hector are targets in this but she’s still running around alone?
FUCK! I thought she understood that her life matters!
Does she not understand how that will impact Ranger and Joe? Does she not understand how that will impact me? I didn’t appreciate Ranger’s reasons for taking this one until I started working the counter-op. Now I do. This is about getting justice for the state and local cops who died in the line of duty trying to battle this country’s overwhelming gang problem. This is about making sure that when those state task forces are reassembled they aren’t sold out by a network of dirty Feds and state agents.
I now understand why Ranger took this one. This is about making things right. We’re moving slowly and steadily to make sure everyone who is guilty is caught with iron-clad evidence, the entire fucking reason the government wanted Ranger instead of someone else, and Ranger wants to move faster to accommodate her shit decisions?!
NO FUCKING WAY!
“Primo, I’m going to say this once and only once. If you change your plans to accommodate your woman’s lack of responsible decision making and forethought, I will lose a great deal of respect for you. This entire fucking sting is bigger than her selfish need to go shopping.”
The other end of the line is silent. I know Ranger’s probably looking at his phone.
“You want to go on record with that?”
“Yes,” I reply, firmly. “Does she not understand how many lives are at stake here? Does she not get it?” I blow out a frustrated breath. “This is the price of being in a relationship with any one of us. When the threat level is high, we all give up some freedom until the threat is contained. Now, if she wants to continue to run around like she used to, fine. I’m sure, in the long run, Hector’s going to leave her to it because you and I both know that if he’s forced to choose between his son and Steph, he’ll choose his son.”
“I know,” Ranger says quietly.
“Then you better make sure she understands.”
“Yo!”
“Yo!”
“I’m still thinking Christmas.”
I look at my phone. It’s been 12 hours since we had it out about Steph. “Why?”
“I sent Manny to review. Everyone else has been caught or is under surveillance. Everything Sharon and Morelli are passing back indicates the rest are clean. Maybe one or two bribery charges and Manny agrees. Knox and White are the only ones left.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Texas?”
“He didn’t have anyone out there. His power was on the east coast. Texas has its own specialist, Dominguez, and they hate each other. The guy in LA, Thomas, doesn’t trust him. Remembers his rep from Oakland. He steers clear of him.”
We’re both silent.
“I’m sorry for blowing up at you.”
“You were right.” I smile. Ranger admitting he was about to make a stupid move is rare. “Thanks for the snap back to reality.”
“Does she get it now?”
“Yeah. She got it but she really needs some offline time. We’re trying to make it happen.”
I raise an eyebrow. “OK, good. Plans?”
“Up to her. I just want peace and quiet.”
“I found something.”
“What?”
“Syria. Two months starting in January.”
Sigh from Ranger. “When do they need confirmation?”
“A week.”
“Shit.” Quiet on the line. “Let me tell her.”
I choke on my water. “Whaaaa?”
Hector said he was making changes. This is the biggest one I’ve seen yet. I wipe my mouth and consider the cosmic implications of Ranger discussing ops beforehand.
“Yeah. Don’t want her blindsided and angry.”
“OK.” Holy shit. I check around me. Nope. World still tilted on its axis as normal.
“How much?”
“Three five.” Why the brass keeps thinking we’ll do this shit for free, I’ll never know.
“What do they want?”
“Intelligence. Start growing your beard now.”
“Fuck.” I hear him chuckle. “Hope Babe likes ‘Hairy Carlos’,” he mutters.
“The potential for a joke there—”
“Needs to remain unrealized.” Click.
Te amo también, primo. I toss my water bottle, pull my coat tighter, and walk toward RM-NYC.
I wonder how good the alarm system on the baseball is.
Got a little lost for a second, but caught up quick. Best story I’ve read in a long time. Please keep up the great work!