by Carsen Taite
Or had it? She looked down at their naked bodies, loosely covered with a thin sheet. Maybe what they were sharing now wasn’t closure, but a chance at a new beginning.
“Besides, that’s all in the past.” Tanner patted her leg. “If this plan works out, you’ll be going back to DC soon, but I’d like to stay in touch, if that’s okay with you.” Tanner’s brow scrunched up like she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to say next. “We can be friends, right?”
Friends. That didn’t bode well for a new beginning, but if that’s all Tanner had to offer, Syd wasn’t about to say no. Friends who had occasional, incredible sex was better than nothing. She stuck out her hand. “Friends for sure.” Suddenly feeling vulnerable, she pulled the sheet up over her breasts. “Okay, friend, explain this plan of yours in full detail one more time.”
Tanner’s eyes brightened and she sat up in bed with her legs crossed. “The goal is to create a perfect storm with Gellar as the eye.”
“That sounds way more poetic than it should. Details, please. Everyone was talking over each other last night.”
“Our aim is to take down Aguilar, Gellar, and as a special bonus, flush out Sergio Vargas. The plan rests on the assumption that somehow Aguilar has bribed, cajoled, or blackmailed Gellar into helping him and his Barrio Azteca pals take over the drug trade in this area.”
“Big assumption, but let’s go with it.”
“We will put three things into motion. First, we start a rumor that Jade is stepping in to take over her uncle’s business.”
“You kind of lost me on that one. Isn’t that what her uncles wanted?”
“Not exactly. They wanted her to do their bidding, but we’re going to make them and everyone else think that she’s going to run the empire and push them out. After all, Arturo is in custody and Sergio is on the run. Jade has decided they are ineffectual and it’s the perfect opportunity for her to jump in and take over the reins.”
“And this is supposed to flush Sergio out of hiding?”
“Oh, it will. He won’t be able to contain his anger at the idea of being betrayed, and he’ll want to put her in her place.”
“And how is he going to find out about her takeover bid if he’s on the run?”
“We know for a fact that Arturo has been communicating with him through channels. Lindsey is going to pay him a visit under the guise of producing a report for her show, and ask him to comment about Jade taking over the family business, but we also need Gellar to find out about this, and that’s where you come in to help with the second part of the plan.”
“I told you last night I’m not sure I want to do this.”
“It’s one lie for the greater good.”
Syd groaned. “You want me to tell Gellar that I’ve suspended Bianca from any involvement in the case because her girlfriend is taking over her family’s drug business, and I’m supposed to say that with a straight face?”
“You won’t have to try very hard. He already thinks most of the task force is up to no good.”
“Fine. But I’m not clear on how this all culminates into a bonanza of arrests.”
“If Aguilar is focused on moving in on the Vargases’ territory, he’s probably pretty confident right now because his buddy Gellar has got Arturo and Sergio and their money laundering man on the ropes. The third thing is to secure Cyrus’s release. He was moved last night. Before you fake suspend Bianca, she and I are going to see Judge Casey this morning to talk to him about the motion to revoke and get him to let Cyrus back out on bond pending trial.”
“Assuming you’re able to get him released, how does that help?”
“When Aguilar finds out Cyrus is back out on bond, he’s going to question Gellar’s loyalty. Couple that with the information that one of Gellar’s subordinates is in bed with the new local head of the Zetas Cartel, and he’s going to have to act, and that’s when we get Jade to request a meeting with him to discuss their mutual interests. He’ll know Jade is way more like him than her uncles are. Both of them went to fancy business schools and know the value of having a legitimate cover for their more nefarious enterprises. Jade will send him a message inviting him to the ranch for a meeting. Lindsey will make sure Arturo knows about the meeting. She’ll tell Arturo she heard about it from a source, and I bet he doesn’t waste any time getting word to Sergio. If Sergio shows up at the ranch, then we’ll have them all in one place.”
“And then what? Do you really think they’re all going to sit down and confess? And what’s Jade supposed to do while all this is going on?”
Tanner shifted on the bed. “It’s not a perfect plan, but that’s kind of hard to come by. Even if we only manage to arrest Sergio as a result, it will be a success, but if Aguilar and/or Gellar show up, that very act implicates them. How else are they going to explain their presence except they were invited to talk business with a self-proclaimed drug lord? Or is it drug lady?”
“Don’t joke. Jade could get hurt. For all you know this storm you’re creating could devolve into a shoot-out.”
“It’s not the O.K. Corral. None of these people have any interest in leaving a trail of bodies over what is simply a conversation. Besides…”
Syd’s ears perked at the wary tone. “What?”
“Last night when we were leaving and you were talking to Lily about her wedding plans, Dale and Peyton and I decided that I should pose as Jade for the meeting at the ranch. We’re about the same height, and our hair color is close. If someone is keeping an eye on the place, from a distance, they won’t be able to tell I’m not Jade.”
Syd’s heart pounded. “Until they actually see you face-to-face. Fuck, Tanner, it’s a meeting. They’re going to know you’re not Jade the minute you come out with your hand outstretched, and then what? And if Sergio shows up, he’s going to be expecting to see his niece. You think these people are going to handle being double-crossed?”
“We’ve got a plan. Dale and Mary will be at the ranch and they’re getting some other agents, people Gellar doesn’t know, to pose as Jade’s inner circle. They’ll handle the preliminaries, and I’ll only have to show my face if necessary.”
“Don’t do this.” Syd shook her head. “You haven’t thought this through. We need a plan. A real plan takes time to get the pieces in place. This is too thrown together. It’s never going to work.” She reached for her phone on the nightstand. “I’m going to talk to Peyton and call this off. We’ll meet again and work out something better.”
Tanner gently put her hand on the phone. “Syd, listen to me. This is my specialty, and I’ve been doing this a while. There are times when all the pieces are in play and you have to strike right away or lose the opportunity. Any minute now, Aguilar could discover that card you found is missing. Gellar could find out Cyrus has been transferred, suspect something’s up, and press the grand jury for an indictment. Sergio Vargas could disappear. We have to act now or risk everything we’ve worked for being undone.”
“But why do you have to be at risk?”
“It’s my job. This is what I do. You have to trust that I know how to do it well.”
Syd knew she was right, but that knowledge didn’t change her overwhelming sense of dread at the prospect of Tanner in the eye of this so-called perfect storm—way more concern than a friend would feel, but she shoved that thought aside. She had to put some serious distance between her feelings for Tanner and her focus on the case if she was going to get through this.
* * *
Just after noon the next day, Tanner held the door from Judge Casey’s chambers open for Bianca and followed her into the hall. “That went well,” she whispered.
“Easy for you to say,” Bianca whispered back. “You’re not the one about to be suspended.”
Tanner held back a grin. She and Bianca had just put the first piece of their plan in place. Judge Casey had listened to their spiel about how yes, the US attorney’s office had filed the motion to revoke Cyrus’s bond, but they’d had a change of heart a
nd Cyrus was going to be a key witness and they needed him out of jail to fully utilize his contacts. Tanner had known Judge Casey for a long time and considered him a man of unimpeachable integrity that she could trust to be discreet. He wouldn’t tell anyone about their conversation, not even Gellar, mostly because he would assume Gellar knew and he didn’t much care for the sitting US attorney.
They had to move fast now because once Gellar found out Cyrus’s attorney hadn’t requested a hearing on the bond, he would suspect something was up. “You better get back to the office. Syd’s with Gellar now, and she’s going to be looking for you after.”
“When’s Lindsey going to Seagoville?”
“She’s probably on her way there now.”
“And you’ve got the meeting set up for tonight?”
Tanner nodded. “Dale and Mary are already at the ranch. Later this afternoon, I’ll be at your mom’s. You and Jade will come by, and I’ll take Jade’s car and drive out to the ranch.”
“You know, we don’t usually drive to my mom’s. She’s literally a block away.”
“Be creative. Load some boxes, a piece of furniture. Anything that would make it look like you had to drive instead of walk.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“Yes, a couple of hours before we meet, text me a picture of what Jade’s wearing. Tell her to stick to something simple—ranch-type clothes would be best and solid colors to make it easier for me to duplicate the look. Pretty sure I won’t look as good as she does, but I’ll do my best.”
Bianca punched her in the shoulder. “You sell yourself short, pal. You’re a catch, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who thinks so.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve seen the way Syd looks at you, and Dale and Mary filled me in on your past. Such a romantic story. Two lovers reunited as they join forces to take down a criminal empire.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you have a flair for the dramatic?”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re good at trying to change the subject? Key word trying. I’m a woman in love, and when you’re in love, everything is rosy and full of possibility. You should try it sometime.”
Tanner sighed. When Bianca got in one of her “fully focused on one thing” moods, it was easiest just to play along. Besides, she didn’t want to be the one to tell Bianca that love wasn’t all it was cracked up to be once you got past the initial fluff. Bianca and Jade were in for a lot of sacrifice and pain, if they even survived past the initial blush of new love.
“Hey,” Bianca said, waving her hand in front of Tanner’s eyes. “You zoning out on me?”
Tanner’s mind snapped back into focus. “Just running through the details in my head. Are you ready for your meeting with Syd?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’ve never been part of a super-secret sting before. Should I be scared?”
Syd’s voice played in Tanner’s head, reminding her how many moving pieces there were to this plan and how it could all go wrong. “It’s all good. Don’t try and win an Academy Award or anything.”
“Roger that.” Bianca started to walk away but paused and turned back. “Hey, be careful, okay?”
“Always.” Tanner watched her go and wondered how she was going to kill the next few hours before it was time for her role in the sting to begin. She was a quick elevator ride from the US attorney’s office where Syd was right now, but dropping by to see her would probably mess with Syd’s head, not to mention her own. Despite what she’d told Syd this morning, there were risks, and all the training in the world couldn’t prepare her for what might happen if things got out of hand.
She wasn’t normally skittish before a big operation, but she hadn’t been able to shake a nervous edge today. She was probably just internalizing Syd’s concern. Better to spend the next few hours alone so she could tune out any distractions. She walked to the elevator and rode down to the lobby, away from Syd and whatever was brewing between them.
Chapter Twenty
Gellar sat forward in his chair. “You want to suspend Bianca Cruz?”
“Yes,” Syd said, noting his barely perceptible surprise. “Effective immediately. I’ve uncovered information that her girlfriend, Jade Vargas, has plans to take over her uncles’ drug business. I don’t know yet if Bianca is involved, but this puts her in direct conflict with the work of your office.”
He slapped his hand on the desk and his smile was gloating. “I knew it. The task force is tainted, and I’ve been saying it for some time now.”
Syd feigned nonchalance, not wanting to feed into his response with a reaction of her own. “I’m still looking into the rest of the team members. I should have a full report to you soon.”
“Excellent,” Gellar said. “I have no doubt you’ll find plenty of issues.” He shifted slightly in his seat. “How do you think Jade Vargas will react at the news her girlfriend no longer has the inside track?”
“I have no idea,” Syd replied, trying to gauge if nerves drove him to ask the question.
“I guess it doesn’t matter.” He placed his hand on the desk phone. “Was there anything else?”
“No, that’s it for now.” Syd stood, choosing not to react to the blatant dismissal, and left the room. Frankly, she’d expected him to be a bit more worried than he appeared to be about the news that the Vargas empire would have a new leader. Was it possible Tanner’s theory was completely off base? Or maybe he was a better actor than they’d given him credit for, and he was calling Aguilar now to give him the news. Either way, Syd hoped Tanner’s plan didn’t backfire.
Later that evening, Syd stood at the back door of Bianca’s mother’s house and knocked a second time, hoping she was at the right place since it was hard to tell from the alley. She’d about decided to give up when the blinds popped open and a woman the spitting image of Bianca, or how Bianca would look twenty years from now, was staring back at her. As quickly as they opened, the blinds shut again and Syd heard an exaggerated whisper before the blinds opened again and Bianca grinned at her and the door swung open.
“Come in quick,” Bianca said. She peered out the door. “This is a nice surprise. Did anyone see you?”
Syd ignored the surprise comment. “I was careful. I did exactly what Tanner had planned. I took an Uber and had them drop me off on the street behind and came in through the alley.”
“She left already.”
Syd forced a smile but decided not to feign ignorance. “I figured she’d be gone.”
“But you kinda hoped she’d be here.”
Did she? If something happened to Tanner tonight, would she rather have the memory of being naked in bed with her or would she prefer saying her good-byes in front of other people, knowing her words weren’t enough to keep Tanner from going off and doing something crazy? The echoes of the past were impossible to deny. She didn’t have any sway over Tanner’s thoughts and desires, and as much as she understood the call to duty, she hated that Tanner would choose it over her every single time.
Overcome with embarrassment that she’d shown up here chasing a fantasy, Syd mumbled that she was only checking in and should go now. She turned to leave, but Bianca reached out and gently tugged on her arm.
“Stay. You should be with friends. We’ll keep each other sane.”
Syd wasn’t sure that was possible, but if she went back to the hotel to wait, she’d be bombarded with memories of Tanner, and sanity would be hard fought.
“We’re having homemade tamales for dinner.”
“You probably should’ve led with that. I love tamales.” Syd didn’t think she’d be able to eat anything, but pushing food around a plate with these people, her people, was better than worrying alone.
She followed Bianca into the kitchen where Jade was on the phone and the Bianca look-alike was pulling plates from the cabinet. Bianca introduced her to her mother, Lourdes Cruz, who examined Syd from head to toe and quickly pronounced her in need of a good meal.
Syd offered to help and was put to work putting ice in glasses and pouring tea. While she handled the simple task, she eavesdropped on Jade’s conversation and determined she was talking to Lily.
“Do you know where he is now?” Jade asked. Long pause. “I’m sure he’s safe. Do you want me to ask Syd? She just showed up.” Jade placed a hand over the phone and turned to Syd. “It’s Lily. She’s worried about Cyrus. Do you have any information about where he’s been moved?”
“No, but it’s best that way. The marshals are trained to keep him safe, and if none of us knows where he is, nothing can make us divulge the information. We’ll see what goes down tonight and then make a decision about whether it’s safe for him to come out of hiding.”
What she didn’t say was that Tanner told her this morning the marshals had offered her the information, but she had declined. Tanner didn’t say why, but Syd figured it was because whatever did go down tonight, Tanner didn’t want to be in the position of having to choose between her own safety and Peyton’s soon-to-be father-in-law if it came down to a choice. She shuddered to think about any situation that would leave Tanner in desperate straits. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a distraction. Mrs. Cruz, those tamales smell amazing. I hear they are a ton of trouble to prepare. Do you make them often?”
“It’s an intense process, but everything good is worth doing, yes?” Lourdes rubbed her hands on her apron. “When you girls are not in the middle of a big case, you can come back and I’ll teach you how it’s done.”
“Mama, we’re not girls,” Bianca said. “We’re women.”
Lourdes raised her hands in the air. “Women who talk back to their mamas. That’s a fine thing.” She patted Syd on the arm. “She usually has much better manners. Now, go set the table for four. It’s just us girls tonight.”
“That’s too bad, I was hoping to meet Bianca’s daughter.”
“Papa took Emma to her favorite pizza place and then they are going to the library for a reading. I didn’t want her to be here in case, you know.”
