Chapter 14

"Hey Sergeant! Sergeant Mackey! Here's that report you wanted," called the pert, little red headed Corporal as she came toward him in the corridor.

"Man! Is she sweet or what? Redheads are the best!" thought the Sergeant.

"Thanks," he said with a Groucho grin that verged on the lecherous side, eyebrow wiggle and all, as the young officer walked up to him.

"You better read this before you thank me," she said.

He took the proffered papers and then read them. He looked up, perplexed.

"It isn't all here. It only goes back twenty years. This woman is fifty if she's a day."

"That's all there is, I've used every bit of my prodigious skills, and yet, that's as far back as I can go."

With a chill he asked, "Witness protection? Do you think she's in witness protection?"

The Sergeant's ulcer was beginning to make its presence known. The realization that there might be a serious problem caused the release of unneeded acid and bile. He could already feel the pain in his gut and taste that nasty metallic taste in the back of his mouth.

The young Corporal was shaking her head as she answered thoughtfully, "No ... Each agency has a sort of style to their work. You know ... little things that eventually make a pattern. This doesn't feel like law enforcement. No, it feels more like federal stuff, like NSA, CIA or some other covert ops group. It's a deeper kind of thing.

"Anyway that's the best you're going to get. I'm surprised that I was able to go back that far. Most of those types change identities like we change socks. Unless ... Hmm..."

"What? What?"

"I bet she's retired! I didn't think of that before."

"How does that help us here?"

"It doesn't, really, but I have a hunch," she said thoughtfully. Looking up she continued, "Give me a little more time and I'll get back to you. Ok?"

"Yeah, sure kid. But I'm running out of time, so please be as quick as possible."

"Sure thing, Sergeant, but no promises. Hey! Are you ok? You look a little green around the gills?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine kid."

"Ok then. I'll get back to you as soon as I can," she said with a bright smile as she walked off.

In spite of his worries the Sergeant could not suppress his hormones.

"The Techies get younger and prettier every day, I could really go for that one. Too bad! She'd never go for an old fart like me, though," he thought with a sigh as he watched the young woman retreat down the corridor.

Then the seriousness of his predicament reregistered in his mind.

"Shit! I hope she's wrong. If she isn't the Cap will have me whacked for sure," he thought.

The Sergeant went to his desk and got out his big bottle of MALOX and took a huge swig.

Later that afternoon the little Corporal called back, "Sorry, Sergeant, but my hunch didn't pan out. What you have, is all you're gonna get."

"Ok. Thanks anyway, kid."

"Anytime, bye."

"Bye," he said dejectedly.

Amelia sat at the table with the photographs of the seven remaining members of the dirty DEA team in front of her. Beside the photos was a legal pad filled with the pertinent information on each member of the team.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" asked Flint when he saw the troubled expression on the young woman's face.

"All of these men have families, Gramps. Wives and kids. The families have no idea that these men are dirty. Honestly, I don't know if I can do this?"

"Exactly what are you worried about?"

"What's going to happen to the families? Look at what I ... we ... had to go through."

"There are insurance and educational plans in place for the dependants of agents. If these men die on the job their families will be cared for, Honey.

"How about we work it this way, Sweetheart? No one else has to know that these bastards are dirty."

"Are you sure, Gramps?"

"Of course I'm sure, Honey. I used to work for the Government, remember?"

Amelia sat quietly for some time, then nodded. "Ok, Gramps, but how do we do it?"

"We have a raid go bad. That would take several of them out at once. That way their kids would have a hero for a Dad."

Amelia brightened at that thought. "Good! I don't want ... What do they call it? 'Collateral damage'."

"Fine, sweetheart."

Amelia went back to work.

Flint, Jackie and Mathew had all of the gear pulled out of the Helio Stallion for inventory and servicing. Weapons were cleaned and loaded, silencers mounted, and new batteries were installed in all of the electronic equipment. The night vision and communications equipment were then checked. All the gear that would be needed for the operation was stacked to one side while the rest was replaced in the little plane.

Amelia did not find any raids planed by the unit. However, she did pick up on a scheduled meet with some local dealers. It was the best that she could get, and she hoped that her Grandfather could make it work for their purposes.

The young woman went to where the others were working and explained what she had found.

"This is good, Amelia, but I need more. Let me ask you this? Who is selling and who is buying?"

"Oh, sorry!" said Amelia embarrassed at her mistake.

She continued, "The DEA guys are doing the selling. This is the first time that these two groups have dealt with each other and the DEA team is really nervous."

"Why are they so nervous? Haven't they done this sort of thing before?"

"Sure, but with smaller dealers. This is the first time with the big boys."

Flint smiled like a shark, "Really? That's perfect!"

"Is that what you needed, Gramps?"

"It sure is! We can manipulate nervous people into doing stupid things."

"Oh. Ok," said Amelia even though she really had no idea what her Grandfather was talking about.

Jackie did though and said, "Good! Maybe we can get them to finish each other off."

The malevolent look in Jackie's eyes gave Amelia the shivers.

"Twenty years? Only twenty years? YOU FUCKING IDIOT!

"But Cap..."

"Don't 'But Cap' me! You stupid, lazy FUCK! YOU'VE GOT US MIXED UP WITH SOME COVERT OPS PEOPLE!" screamed the Captain.

Sergeant Mackey, never a patient person, lost it and yelled back at his Captain, "None of this is my fault! You're the one that wanted me to lean on Jimmy, so that we could get ahold of that bunch of planes!"

The door burst open and Jack Clancey said, "GUYS, GUYS? They can hear you out in the hall! If you don't keep it down, we'll all end up in an IA (Internal Affairs) investigation!"

The two men were so wrapped up in the altercation that they didn't take notice of Jack calling to them from the doorway.

"HEY! SHUT UP!" yelled Clancey, a little more to the point.

The Captain was about to blast Clancey, but noticed not only his unit members, but also people from other areas looking in from the corridor.

Once the spectators realized that the Captain was glaring at them, they backed out the door, knowing full well the fury of the Captain's famous temper.

The spectators 'broke the back' of the argument and the two men just glared at each other.

"Get the rest of the guys in here," the Captain said as he resumed his seat.

Clancey leaned out the door and motioned the rest of the crew into the office. The men filed in and found places to sit. The Captain didn't like desks and used a conference table, providing plenty of room for the group.

Glaring at Mackey, Douglas said, "I'll deal with you and your problem later! Now where do we stand on the meet?"

"Just like you wanted Cap. It's at ten tonight, in the old shipyard. The van is loaded and ready to go. Mackey, here, is to make the call, fifteen minutes before we go in. Final directions. Which building and such."

Captain Douglas nodded, thought for a minute then said, "I want all of you to go. Wear vests, and go loaded for bear. This is the biggest score yet! But I really don't trust these skells. Run it like a sting. Ok?"

Calmed somewhat, Douglas looked at Mackey and said, "Do this right and I might let you off the hook for the other thing. Now get out of here, and get back to work. All of you. We have to look good around here. Plan a raid or something."

The men filed out of the office and the Captain sat, thinking.

Suddenly his face went slack, and his eyes went blank. Slowly he withdrew a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked the bottom drawer of his credenza. He slowly took out the folder containing all of the false charges against Jackie and the boys, and ran it through the shredder.