Silent Night

THIRTY

Less than an hour later a whole host of people had gathered inside Briefing Room 5 at the Counter Terrorism Bureau. Rach was at her terminal, same as before. Beside her were the two doctors, Maddy Flood and Kruger. On the left side of the room were Archer, Josh, Jorgensen and Marquez. Sergeant Hendricks and his four-man team were on the other. Archer looked over at Hendricks and felt reassured by his presence. Dark-featured and with a face that rarely broke into a smile, Hendricks was as tough as nails, one of the hardest cops Archer had ever seen. He was a burgeoning legend within the NYPD. Before he came to the Counter Terrorism Bureau, Hendricks had run his own team out of the 75 in Brooklyn which was regarded as the most dangerous precinct in all of New York. The surrounding area was plagued by violence, bombed-out buildings, barbed wire and almost a daily murder count. But the scary thing was that Hendricks had requested a transfer to the precinct.

He’d wanted to go there.

There were all sorts of rumours about stuff he’d done and most of them were true. His team was gathered beside him, standing in silence. Hendricks had handpicked them himself and they were like a damn wolf-pack, all as gritty and stern-faced as he was. They were the perfect team to work with tonight. Faison and Peterson were also on the other side of the table, sitting and talking quietly between themselves. With his shaved head and hate tattoos Peterson looked incongruous amongst everyone else in the room, but he was arguably the most important person there. He was going to be their eyes and ears at the New Jersey camp tonight.

They all suddenly quietened as Shepherd walked in. He closed the door behind him and walked to the front of the room, standing beside the screen.

By the time he got there, the room was silent.

‘Everyone here?’

He looked around, met with a series of nods.

‘Right. Listen up. I’ll summarise so we’re all on the same page. Late last night, five vials of a lethal pneumonic virus were stolen from a lab complex on the Upper West Side called Flood Microbiology. We’ve accounted for four of these vials and taken down those responsible. Our goal tonight is to secure the fifth and arrest the people in possession of it.’

He pointed at the screen. Rach had pulled up Jacobs’ DMV licence.

‘This man, Alistair Jacobs, was intending to purchase the remaining vial at 2200 tonight. He’s downstairs in one of the interrogation cells. The deal will proceed as planned and we’re going to apprehend the sellers at the trade.’

‘Where, Shep?’ Hendricks asked.

‘A bar stroke nightclub called Tonic East. It’s on the corner of 29 and 3. My team and I will be there. When the sellers show up, we’ll take them in and secure the virus.’

Rach pulled up Sway and Rourke’s prison mug shots.

‘These are the two men we’re looking for. Bobby Rourke and Finn Sway, both twenty nine years old, both born in Roller, Texas. They are known leaders of the Texan Chapter of a neo-Nazi group called The Stuttgart Soldiers, a group in which Special Agent Peterson is currently embedded.’

Rach then changed the shot to Wicks and Drexler.

‘These two may also be involved or at the scene.’

The room was silent as everyone examined the mug-shots. After a moment, Rach flicked the shots back to Rourke and Sway.

‘How’s the trade proceeding?’ Faison asked.

‘Sway told him the meet happens on the third floor. Jacobs will call his secondary who’ll begin the transaction into Sway’s offshore bank account. When the transfer’s been confirmed, Sway will hand over the vial containing the virus.’ He turned to his detail. ‘But that call is coming through to Rach here. My team will be dispersed in the crowd undercover. Jacobs will be wearing a wire so we’ll hear everything he’s saying.’

‘How do we know he won’t give Sway a signal?’ one of Hendricks’ team asked.

‘Leverage. Jacobs knows he’s in deep shit. He told us he owes over seven million dollars to a gang who work off the books in the Financial District. Without us, he and his son will be dead by Tuesday night.’

‘But what about when the money doesn’t show up in the account?’

‘By that point, it won’t matter. Jacobs is going to ask to see the vial first. All we need is visual confirmation that Sway has it. Then we take him before he has a chance to move or react.’

He pointed at the screen.

‘We’d move in and take these sons of bitches right now, but nobody knows where the hell they are or where this last vial is. We’ll have to wait for the trade to flush them out. But we do know where their back-up is. And that’s where the rest of you come in.’

Rach clicked a button, and it changed to a map of an industrial estate in New Jersey.

‘The ATF have a man undercover in the group, Special Agent Peterson here. He informed us that Sway and Rourke’s entire Chapter has set up camp on this estate.’

Shepherd looked over at Hendricks.

‘Jake, I need you and your team to stake out the camp, working with Agent-in-Charge Faison and under the ATF’s orders. The virus may show up here if the trade is cancelled or Sway and Rourke have a change of heart. If we can confirm it is at this location, we’re moving in and taking down the whole campsite.’

Hendricks and his team nodded. ‘You got it.’

‘Agent Peterson is going back undercover. He’ll be wearing a mic so you’ll hear everything that’s going on down there. This will be two operations working at the same time. I’ll lead the group at the club. Agent-in-Charge Faison will take charge at the campsite.’

‘What if they plan to release the virus at the club, sir?’ Josh asked. ‘It could be a trap.’

‘That’s highly unlikely. There are two million dollars on the table here, and neither Rourke nor Sway is wealthy. We all know the way criminals think. They won’t pass it up. Questions?’

There were none.

‘My team, stay here. We’ll go into detail about the arrangement at the club. Sergeant Hendricks, you and your squad liaise with Agent Faison and sort out your own arrangements. We’re under their jurisdiction tonight. And remember people, our objective is to secure this last vial of the virus.’

Pause.

‘That’s it.’

The room stirred. As Faison, Peterson and Hendricks’ team walked out, taking the opportunity to introduce themselves, Shepherd moved towards Kruger and Maddy Flood. They had sat through the briefing in silence.

‘I know you’ve both been to hell and back today,’ he said. ‘But if possible, I’d like to keep you around on advisory roles.’

They looked at each other. Neither was convinced.

Maddy turned to Shepherd. ‘To be honest, I just want to go home.’

‘It might be dangerous.’

‘I don’t care.’

Shepherd nodded. ‘OK. I understand.’

He looked at Kruger, who nodded. ‘Me too. I just want a shower and to put an icepack on my face.’

‘Very well. But some detectives go with each of you for the time being. Until this is over, you both have protection.’



Outside Kearny Medical Wicks, Drexler and another man listened in silence as Finn finished outlining his plan. They were standing just outside the entrance, their arms folded against the cold. The newcomer had arrived fifteen minutes ago. Wicks and Drexler had met him before. They were happy to see him and also knew without a doubt that they could trust him.

Finn finished his explanation, then turned to the newcomer.

‘What do you think?’ he asked.

‘Shit, Finn,' the man said. 'Where’s this side of you been hiding? You’re cleverer than I thought.’

Sway grinned.

‘This ties up all the loose ends,’ he said. ‘When this is done, and Bobby’s loaded up the canisters, we’re out of here. There’s plenty of room for you if you want to hitch a ride. Bob’s got some buyers interested in Juarez. We’ll sell the virus then be out of Roller before the end of the week.’

‘That sounds good. I’m sick of this place.’

‘So you’ll do it?’

‘Of course.’

Sway looked at Drexler.

‘You?’

She hawked and spat, nodding. ‘I’m in.’

He turned to Wicks, who nodded, taking a drag on a cigarette. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘Great. Now listen close. I’ll outline it one more time.’