by Aman Gupta
Her team of 5 shook their head.
“Good.”
Kate, Emma, and Joey arrived a few minutes later. Emily invited them to her office for a private conversation. Kate handed over the black bag containing the blueprints to Emily, who tossed it away. Joey and Emma were surprised, even though Kate had already told them that she hadn’t found anything remotely related to a secret warehouse in the blueprints.
Emily showed them the real blueprints but didn’t hand them over. She told them that Vik suspected Kate was working with Joey and Emma and might try to ‘steal his thunder.’
“If he thinks he can’t trust me anymore, why am I here?” asked Kate, with a straight face.
“He’s giving you a second chance. Are you in, or are you out?” asked Emily.
“I’m in,” said Kate.
“And your pets?” asked Emily as she looked at Joey and Emma.
They nodded.
“So, where is the warehouse?” asked Kate.
“West Gate. Somewhere inside the mayor’s mansion,” said Emily. “We’re planning a heist. You with me so far?”
They nodded, though they were a bit surprised at learning about the location.
“We went there today and saw the Sera Crime Family has set up camp at the compound. Unofficially, of course,” said Emily.
“How are we planning to take out the entire family?” asked Joey as he got up from the chair.
“We will, honey. Aww..you scared of another manicure, are you, honey? Don’t worry, we’ll protect you. You just sit there and look pretty, for now, sandwiched between the two ladies,” said Emily.
Joey sat back down.
“I don’t trust you,” said Emma.
“Your friend, Vik, does. He recovered from a gunshot wound right here in this room on that bed behind the curtain,” said Emily. “A shot that you fired if memory serves me well.”
“What do we have to do?” asked Emma, after a pause, looking a little embarrassed.
Emily scribbled some instructions on a piece of paper and handed over to Emma.
“Make sure you follow them to the letter. The timing has to be precise,” said Emily.
They looked at the instructions carefully.
“Hang on. This one says I have to keep Bruno Sera’s eyes on me while I swim naked in the pool,” said Emma.
Emily sighed. “Fine, you can swim with your clothes on. Any other questions?”
“Lots,” said Joey.
“And you know what to do, don’t you?” asked Emily.
“Yeah, sit and look pretty,” said Joey as he looked at Kate and Emma.
They couldn’t help but smile. He looked like an innocuous puppy suffering in a discipline training exercise being conducted by his mom.
“Keep me posted about the developments. Now, stop polluting my air,” said Emily.
They left a minute later.
Two hours later, as expected, a couple of thugs that occupied a high position in the Sera Crime Family came to have dinner at a busy Emily’s, as per their habit. Being regulars, the entire staff knew about their habits, especially what makes them go berserk, which was what Emily was counting on.
Sandy led the entire team on Emily’s instructions. Chad Gable and Port Lane, Bruno Sera’s most trusted confidants, ordered pizza for their families and kids, as they occupied the center table in the restaurant. Sporting black leather jackets with denims, they caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant, which was completely booked. The news of discounted main course and free delicacies had spread throughout the town, like wildfire. The guest list was long, with tens of people waiting to get in, during the happy hour.
Sandy looked at the chef and marked Chad and Port’s order slips with a blue marker. When the chef saw it, she knew she had to delay the order as much as possible. Chad and Port hated waiting.
Ten minutes into the order, Chad called Sandy to ask about the status. Sandy deflected, saying that the kitchen was swamped due to the sudden rush. While the rest of the diners were being served promptly, Chad and the party were waiting. Their kids were not only driving the parents’ crazy but also fellow diners. Sandy and her team made sure they discussed the complaints a little loudly so Chad and Port could hear. Sandy’s aim was simple – they needed to break Chad and Port’s patience. The Sera Crime Family maintained a low profile in Morrow, only targeting the business owners outside the town as well as merchants and black-market dealers who offered their products to the local shops. State Tax was the official term for it.
Soon, Chad and Port started losing their patience. They had been waiting for over forty five minutes and counting. The wives had almost given up on their husbands. They were almost taunting them, as Chad and Port often bragged about being one of the most influential families in the town, to keep their trophy wives in check.
Sandy delivered an identical order to a nearby table, which made Chad furious, as he knew he had placed an order before them. He marched over to the check counter and asked to see Emily when Sandy didn’t pay heed to his threats.
Emily came out of her office and took Chad outside in the parking lot. Port followed him outside too.
Vik was hiding nearby in his car, reading to click some pictures. Karen was sitting next to him.
“Your turn,” said Vik.
Karen smiled and got out of the car.
Emily explained to Chad and Port that her staff was handling the pressure well, and nobody was out to get them. Emily offered Chad and Port free dinner for the entire month if they could just relax and head back to the table. Chad and Port were livid, as Emily’s tone suggested she thought they were raising their voice to earn a free dinner. Karen walked by, and Emily stopped her.
“Hey,” said Emily.
“Hey, everything alright?” asked Karen.
“Yeah, these are my friends, Chad and Port,” said Emily.
Karen offered to shake their hands. Chad and Port couldn’t decline. She was far more beautiful than their wives, a trait that they cared about the most. Chad and Port smiled and shook hands. Vik started clicking pictures. He made sure that that the angle suggested they were having a conversation.
Karen gave them a card with her number on it after Chad asked for it. She almost posed for a picture as she handed a card to Chad.
Karen waved seductively and left. Chad and Port were now in a much better mood and headed back to their seats. Emily smiled as she looked at Vik.
He sent the pictures to Eric. Eric’s job was to approach Bruno Sera and tell them that the US Marshals were building a case against top members of the Sera Crime Family. Eric had to sell that he wanted to help Bruno. He had to plant an idea in Bruno’s mind that they would exploit the next morning.
Back at the restaurant, Chad and Port waited for another five minutes before their food was delivered. Sandy delivered the pizza when Port was in the bathroom. Their kids were ecstatic. Chad couldn’t stop looking at Karen, who had been given a table directly opposite to them. Karen was given the same pizza as the one that Chad had received.
When Chad picked up a slice of his pizza, he noticed a note under it. He looked around and picked it up. He started reading it.
‘7 PM. Mansion. Bring Sera’s papers. Lane is in.’
Once Sandy saw that Chad had read the note, she approached him and told him that she had switched the plates by mistake. She picked up the plate and gave it to Karen, while taking Karen’s plate and giving it to Chad. Sandy offered to get a new pizza, even though Karen hadn’t touched hers, but Chad didn’t want to wait another hour to get his pizza.
He kept the note in his pocket. He was still looking at Karen, but now for a completely different reason. He tried to chat up one of the waitress, and asked about Karen. She revealed that Karen was a US Marshal, and had arrived recently in town. It was enough to spook Chad.
He ordered his family to finish their dinner quickly. Port arrived from the restroom and began eating his pizza, when Chad got up and walked out of the restau
rant with his family, not before knocking a glass of water on Port’s pants.
Port was furious, though calmed down, as Karen offered to help with a cloth. Chad returned and saw Karen sitting on his seat and having a conversation with Port. Chad was livid.
He went to meet Bruno at his residence on 23rd street. He wanted to tell him that Port might have turned an informant for the US Marshals, who were chasing the Sera Crime Family in the entire country. He saw sheriff’s car parked outside Bruno’s house. He inquired with a couple of men stationed outside the house and learnt that Bruno was having a private conversation with the sheriff. Chad changed his mind, as he realized that Sera, in the note, might be Bruno himself. Bruno had regularly expressed his disdain for the police. At one instance, he had mentioned to Chad that he would kill any cop that showed up at his house, post the incident involving Joey.
Chad returned to his house. He called a few thugs loyal to him and told them to meet him tomorrow morning at his house.
***************************************************************
After dropping Emily at her restaurant in the evening, Vik went to the precinct to rope in Karen and Eric for his plan. He ran into Bill, who had just come back after taking a personal leave.
“I see your wife got bored of you,” said Vik as Bill passed him in the hallway. “You left in a hurry. I hope things are alright at home.”
“I didn’t go to see her,” said Bill. “But yes, things are quite fine at home.”
“I didn’t think you had another mistress outside town. We can’t really know people, can we?” said Vik as he smiled.
“I see you’re back too, from your trip outside the town, which I recently learnt. I hope you found what you were looking for,” said Bill. “It would be a shame if you came back empty-handed again.”
Bill smiled as Vik’s expressions turned grave.
Vik faked a smile and said, “Yeah, I found her, but she wasn’t that good. Maybe your wife’s second husband satisfies her while you’re away. Can’t imagine why a wife would insist on spending so much time away from her significantly older husband otherwise.”
“I’m her third husband,” said Bill. “Her second husband died.”
“Suicide or murder?” chided Vik.
“1/1,” said Bill.
“So both,” murmured Vik.
“What’s that?” said Bill.
“Nothing. So, how goes the investigation? Karen told me that you guys had hit a dead end,” said Vik.
“Did she? She didn’t tell me that. She hasn’t been the same ever since she got in this case. The visits to Orange Town really took a toll on her. But then again, I hardly knew her before,” said Bill.
“She looks fine to me,” said Vik.
“Makes you wonder why,” said Bill.
Vik thought Bill was adding fuel to the rumors floating in the precinct that Karen and Vik were romantically involved, though Bill’s mind was thinking of other instances. He had noticed a change in Karen’s behavior over time, almost as if she had found her stride with time.
“Anyways, good talking to you. Say hi to your wife from me when you see her,” said Vik. “Tell her that sometimes the third time is the charm.”
“Of course,” said Bill. “Where’s everybody? Kate, Joey, Emma?”
“They’re helping me with something,” said Vik.
“Can I help?” asked Bill. “The case is pretty much done, and the US Marshal Department is running short on solvable cases. I’m actually thinking of taking a sabbatical.”
“Seriously?” asked Vik.
“Yeah. This place is good as any,” said Bill. “Plus, the wife is thinking of moving here.”
“In that case, how about one final case as a US Marshal?” asked Vik.
“Okay,” said Bill.
“Karen will bring up to speed soon,” said Vik.
“Looking forward to it,” said Bill.
They shook hands, and Vik left.
He went to Eric’s office, where Vik explained his plan to Eric. When Eric asked, Vik told him that he was planning to trade the fuel belts to acquire weapons and other resources, to put a final stand to save his daughter. Eric acceded. Vik told him that the mayor and Sera were working together on something and that they planned to exploit that. He told Eric to confront Bruno Sera and tell him that the US Marshals were investigating them, and found some informers on 23rd street.
“Why?” asked Eric.
“We need Sera divided. A divided house is a confused house. A confused house is an easier mark to hit,” said Vik. “Bill would help. I will bring in Karen too.”
“How do I convince Bruno to trust me? I haven’t met him,” said Eric.
“Yeah, you have. When they took Joey,” said Vik.
Eric touched his forehead and massaged it with his fingers. “Oh yeah.”
Vik squinted a little, confused.
“What then?” asked Eric.
“Tell Bruno that the US Marshals would be hitting the mayor’s mansion tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, Karen and Bill would visit the mayor for an enquiry regarding his involvement with the family, and tell him that a crew is planning a heist. Being the county sheriff, you would accompany them. Bruno would start trusting you,” said Vik. “Give any reason that you hate the marshals to sell your allegiance to Bruno for this case. We need Bruno at the mansion at any cost.”
“You want to tell the mayor about the heist?” said Eric. “Wouldn’t that spook him and Sera?”
“We want them to think that the heist is an inside job,” said Vik.
“Okay,” said Eric.
“I will tell Karen about her part and Bill’s,” said Vik. “I’ll send you some pictures to help sell the idea that Bruno’s crew is cooperating with the US Marshals.”
Eric nodded.
Vik ran into Karen as she was leaving the lab. He asked her to come with him, and she agreed. En route to Emily’s restaurant, Vik explained his plan to Karen.
“Okay. I will help but under one condition,” said Karen.
“What?” asked Vik.
“You turn over your friend’s research to me,” said Karen. “Olivia’s.”
“I don’t have it,” said Vik.
“You can’t lie to me. I can read you like an open book,” said Karen.
Vik thought about it. He needed Karen’s help.
“Fine,” said Vik. “I will give you access to those files if we’re successful.”
“That’s all I ask,” said Karen, smiling.
He parked his car on the backside of Emily’s restaurant near the parking lot and waited for Emily to come outside with Sera’s men.
**************************************************************
In the morning, Eric, Bill, and Karen left for West Gate to meet the mayor. Eric had ensured last night that Bruno had deployed a tail on Eric, to check for his allegations. He hadn’t paid much heed to Eric’s claims that Chad and Port were working against the family when Eric showed the photographs. Eric had told Bruno that he wished for the town to go back to normal, and didn’t want Morrow to turn into a war zone. Once Eric left, Bruno had put a tail on Chad, Port, and Eric. He had trust issues, which Vik and Emily knew about.
Chad had spotted a tail put by Bruno on him, and felt that Bruno suspected that Chad knew about Bruno being turned by US Marshals. He felt he had lost Port as well.
Once, Eric, Bill, and Karen reached the mayor’s compound around 12 PM; their men separately informed Chad and Bruno that US Marshals and the Sheriff had arrived to talk to the mayor.
Mayor Pete was forced to talk to Eric and the rest, in spite of the security.
“We have an informer that is ready to give up Sera Crime Family. Can we expect your cooperation?” asked Karen.
She made sure that a couple of staff members, who were Sera’s men in disguise, overheard her question before she ordered them to step outside the house. As expected by Emily, the men told Bruno that the mayor was being questioned. Bruno had li
ttle faith in the mayor, who was soft as butter in his own words. Bruno ordered his men to get ready for transport. Bruno had taken the bait and was leaving for the mayor’s house within the next hour. He also ordered them to take Chad and Port into custody.
Men loyal to Chad informed him that Bruno had ordered a hit on him. Chad managed to escape just as Bruno’s men arrived to pick him up. Port also managed to escape and tried to get Chad to meet him. He told him that Bruno suspects that both Port and Chad were now informers for the US Marshals. Chad, however, felt Port was lying to him and lured him to a meeting at a remote location alone.
An hour later, Chad and Port arrived near the 43rd street, which was largely inhabited due to its proximity to TS – 19, even though a strong fence separated the two.
“You sold me out,” said Chad as he pointed a gun at Port.
“What are you talking about?” asked Port as he pointed his gun at Chad.
“You and Bruno are working to take us all down,” said Chad.
“No, I’m not. Bruno has ordered a hit. He’s working with the cops, man,” said Port.
“So are you,” said Chad.
“I’m not. I swear on my family and yours,” said Port.
Chad fired a shot at Port, which hit his chest. “Don’t talk about my family.”
Port fired back, but Chad managed to escape. Port died a minute later.
Unknown to both of them, Joey and Emma were following them. They shot the entire video on their phone and sent it to Bruno, after removing the voices. Bruno was furious. He felt Chad had turned on him, and that Eric was right.
He called Eric, who told him that the mayor had agreed to cooperate. Bruno left immediately for West Gate when he received a call from his guy that the US Marshals had left a few minutes ago after having a conversation that lasted for an hour.
Chapter 30: Decoy
Emily left early morning with Vik, as they went to West Gate to meet the mayor, and carry out the next step of their plan before Karen and the rest scared the mayor. They reached around 9 AM. Vik waited outside while Emily walked inside the compound. She was wearing a hat, an overcoat, and goggles, to hide her appearance. She mentioned that she had a business proposal for the mayor to be let inside the mansion.
