by S. C. Stokes
"Not a problem. See you outside," Kasey said.
She took off through the bullpen. In her haste, she clipped the edge of a desk, smashing her thigh and spilling its contents all over the floor.
"You have to be kidding me," a voice declared.
Kasey turned to see Officer Morales staring at the paperwork that now lay scattered all over the floor.
"I'm so sorry." Kasey said as she bent down and began gathering the paperwork off the floor. “We got a lead on the shooters from last night and my feet got ahead of me."
Morales looked from the scattered paperwork to Kasey and back again. "Go on, get out of here."
“Thanks, Morales, I owe you one."
"And I'll collect. Next time we’re out, first round is on you."
"You got it," Kasey called over her shoulder as she ran for the stairs.
Bounding down them two at a time, she arrived at the morgue in no time.
"Whoa, slow down there, tiger. What's the hurry?" Vida called, looking up from his examination of a balding man in his late fifties.
“We've got a lead on the shooters from last night. Bishop is just gearing up the tactical team for us to go after them," Kasey replied, panting.
Vida rested both hands on the edge of the table. "I suppose this means you'll be shirking your duties in the morgue today then?"
"Not by choice," Kasey said. “I tried to get out of going with them, but Bishop insisted."
"Seems awfully convenient," Vida said. "You jam up my morgue with more work than we can do in a week, and all of a sudden, you get a lead that takes you out of the office."
“Don’t give me that. I'd rather be here than getting shot at. I’ve had more than enough excitement to last me a lifetime."
Vida gave an exaggerated nod. "I believe you, Kasey. Millions wouldn't but I do." His tone not the least bit convincing.
Kasey paused in the doorway.
"What is it, Kasey?"
"I see you skipped to number seventeen, when you are done with him, I was wondering if you could bump someone to the front of the line?"
Vida dropped his forceps in protest. "Unbelievable, Kasey. First you bail on me, and now you want to dictate how I do your job. You do understand what a boss is, right?"
"Of course," she replied. "You said we were taking it in turns. If I picked Mr. Mornington and you picked Mrs. Mornington and number seventeen, that would make the next pick mine, right? That's how taking turns works, correct?"
“Smart ass,” Vida replied. “Very well. Who's next?"
"I'm not sure what number he is, but his name is Cyrus Pillar. He took two rounds in the chest during the robbery."
"Sure. I'll bite. what's so special about this one?"
"You'll have to open him up to find out," she replied. "I saw something during the robbery, but I want you to tell me what you find. I don't want you to be influenced by what I think I saw."
"Well played, Kasey. You're using my curiosity against me."
"Not at all. I'm using it to get the best out of you." Kasey laughed. "I'll be back to help as soon as I can."
Vida mumbled something Kasey didn't catch as she headed back up the stairs.
In less than a minute, she had crossed the foyer of the precinct and had slipped through the lobby’s side door and out into the parking lot.
She found the lot swarming with activity. Bishop stood in the midst of the chaos, briefing a group of officers in tactical gear.
"The man we're going after is Wendell Samson. For those of you who don't know who he is, he is a former Navy Seal. He is an expert marksman and a tier-one operator.
“We believe he and his colleague are armed and dangerous, they are currently taking refuge in a warehouse in the meatpacking district.
“We are going in quiet to avoid spooking him. But rest assured, when we arrive it will be a tactical breach. Subduing an armed target in an entrenched location should always be done with extreme caution. We want Sampson alive but if he fires on us you will need to take him down.
"We have officers in the area forming a perimeter now. We'll be there in less than fifteen minutes. Keep your eyes open, and your weapons ready. If last night is any indicator, we will meet heavy resistance. Any questions?"
The assembled officers shook their head. This wasn't their first rodeo.
"Very well. Gear up, we are rolling out in sixty seconds. Anyone not in the van is staying here."
Bishop spotted Kasey and waved her over. "Kasey, you and I will ride in van one with Alpha team. Bravo will follow us. It could get hot in there. Where is your gun?"
Kasey shook her head. "Sorry, I haven’t got used to it yet, Bishop. I need some time to adjust before I feel comfortable wearing it around with me. Besides, I'm only here to ID them. You guys are handling the take down, right?"
Bishop nodded. "You better believe it, Kasey. Samson's second career is about to come to the same end as his first." She turned back to the assembled officers. "All right, boys and girls, we have a mass-murderer to catch and justice to serve. Let's roll out."
Kasey climbed into the back of the lead van, and Bishop slid into the seat beside her.
Thinking of the night before and those she had seen fall around her, Kasey’s temper began to flare. As it did, her mind focused on a single thought.
We'll see you soon, Khan.
Chapter Twelve
The convoy rolled through the Meatpacking District. Each block contained several immense structures, some were relatively new. Others were decades old with faded paint and cracked glass where windows should have been.
“This is it.” Kovacs shouted. “It’s the one on the left, seemed abandoned when I was there. His crew were operating out of the offices in the back.”
The vans screeched to a halt.
The rear doors burst open and the tactical teams dismounted. The team fanned out to cover the approach to the warehouse. Bishop disembarked behind them, with Kasey taking up the rear.
From the cover of a nearby storefront, a police officer appeared. “Are you going in, Bishop?”
“Hey, Georgiano. That’s the plan. Storm the place hard and fast. We don’t want to give these guys any time to react. Speaking of, have you seen the targets?”
“There was some movement in the window about ten minutes ago. Just saw the one. Not sure if he’s our guy but he certainly looks the part. Caucasian man in his late forties, built like a brick wall and he seems like he’s been well trained. He checks the perimeter every ten to twenty minutes, varies it every lap. Haven’t seen any sign of the second suspect yet.”
Bishop surveyed the warehouse. “A building this large has to have other exits. What are we looking at?”
Georgiano pointed to the warehouse’s large cargo bay doors. “Well, you can see the main loading dock. Off to the right is the personnel entry. There is another out back, closer to the office, near the toilets. Stevens is watching that one, has been since we got here.”
Bishop raised a radio to her mouth. “Stevens, how are things on your end?”
“No movement here, detective.” Stevens’ reply crackled through the radio. “All quiet out back.”
“Roger that, Stevens. We’ll send Bravo team around back for the breach. We don’t want to give them any avenue of escape.”
“No need, detective. I have it covered,” Stevens replied.
Kasey shook her head. Male bravado at its finest.
“Negative, Stevens. There is one, potentially two, ex-Navy Seals in there. We know they are armed and highly dangerous. Bravo team are on their way to support. Bishop out.” Bishop looked to the Tactical Team Leader, an officer by the name of Andrus Lucello.
Lucello took the lead. “Alpha Team, form up on the loading bay and front entrance. Bravo, circle around back and hold position until we breach. We’ll breach in three minutes. That should give you plenty of time to get into position.”
“Roger that, team leader. Bravo team, let’s move out.”
Bisho
p fell in behind Alpha team as they moved toward the loading bay. Kasey had to lift her pace just to keep up with her.
Lucello continued to prepare his team as they advanced. “Look alive, officers. While the vests we saw last night were duds, Samson toured in Afghanistan and is a demolitions expert. He is more than capable of rigging improvised explosives, so move carefully. Ensure your entry points haven’t been rigged or booby trapped.
“Affirmative, team leader.”
Alpha Team crossed the loading bay. Stacks of empty pallets littered the bay. There was also an abandoned forklift resting in the corner, from the look of it, it had been stripped of useful parts some time ago.
Gunshots split the morning air.
“Shot’s fired, take cover,” Lucello called.
Kasey and Bishop scurried behind the wooden pallets. The timber work was less than ideal, but the loading bay afforded few other choices.
Another round of gunshots rang out.
Lucello scanned the warehouse, searching for movement at any of its shattered windows. Like Kasey, the team leader was hunting for any sign of the shooter’s location.
From her hiding place, Kasey couldn’t see a thing.
“Bravo team, have you engaged the hostiles?” Lucello asked through the radio.
“Negative, team leader. We heard the gunfire and have sought cover. We have negative visual on the targets, but the shots started as soon as we tried to round the corner of the building. Shall we proceed?”
“Same here, Bravo team. We don’t appear to be taking direct fire. The gunshots were definitely from within the building, but we have not seen any movement yet. Hold position. It’s possible your movement was detected. We will breach the front entrance to draw their attention. Be ready to move on my signal.”
“Roger that, team leader.”
Lucello turned to Alpha Team. “Let’s move, Alpha Team.”
The tactical squad broke cover, darting across the loading bay. The team covered each other as they converged on the front entrance. One of the officers bent down and fed something underneath the front door.
Kasey’s look of confusion must have been apparent as Bishop leaned over to explain. “Tactical camera. He’s searching for tripwires or hidden explosives.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Kasey replied. There wasn’t much point going in blind when it could be avoided.
The officer withdrew the camera and signaled the door was clear. The squad member on the right side of the door tested the handle, but it was locked. A third squad member shouldered his submachine gun and swung something off his back as he stepped up to the door. It was a large steel cylindrical tube with two handles.
It’s a battering ram.
The officer was close to seven-feet-tall and hefted the battering ram like it was a toothpick. The steel ram struck the door near the handle and the lightweight door caved in. The tactical squad surged through the breach, Kasey and Bishop hot on their heels.
On the other side of the door, the warehouse opened into long rows of steel shelves packed with cardboard boxes and crates. Contrary to Kasey’s expectation, it wasn’t empty. At the far end of the building, the aisles gave way to a row of offices.
Alpha Team advanced.
Kasey spotted something moving. It was difficult to make out the shape through the shelves, but the blur drew her eye. Tapping Bishop on the shoulder, she pointed through the shelves.
Bishop got the hint. Raising her radio, Bishop called to the team leader. “Lucello, we’ve spotted movement to our right.”
Three members of Alpha squad peeled right while one maintained a lookout on the offices at the end of the corridor.
At the end of the steel aisle, a shape emerged.
“Drop your weapon and place your hands behind your head,” Lucello shouted.
“Easy guys, it’s just me,” a voice calmly replied. Officer Stevens stepped out into full view. “I heard the gunshots and came to help.”
“Stevens!” Bishop shouted. “You could have been shot. Who’s watching the door?”
“Um.” Stevens responded nervously. “I just came through it and there wasn’t any sign of anyone.”
Bishop shook her head, her brow creased with worry. “Get out front with Georgiano and wait for us to clear the building. The last thing we need is to lose a man to friendly fire.”
Stevens nodded and hurried out the front door.
Lucello signaled the advance. “Be advised, Bravo Team, your door is open. Stevens is inside. Advance and seal off the perimeter.”
“Roger, team leader. We’re advancing.”
Alpha Team swept forward, scanning the aisles and warehouse as they went. The gunshots had ceased, and the warehouse was eerily quiet but for the sound of the tactical squad’s boots as they struck the painted concrete.
The stillness of the situation bothered Kasey. After the commotion at the gala, she had expected more activity, particularly in light of the earlier gunfire.
Her pulse quickened as the tactical squad approached the offices. The blinds were drawn, and the offices remained dark. The only door that led to the offices, was closed.
“Alpha Team, let’s clear these offices. That door would be the perfect place for an ambush. Alvarez, ready a flash bang. We go on three.”
One of the tactical squad drew a small cylindrical grenade from a pouch on his belt.
Lucello held up his fingers as he counted.
One. Two. Three.
The squad member threw the flash bang through the glass pane of the office window. The glass shattered, and the grenade fell to the floor inside the office. The tactical squad turned away from the window. Kasey followed suit, facing away and blocking her ears with her palms. She squeezed her eyes shut.
The flash bang exploded with a deafening roar. A white flash rolled through the warehouse. Even with her eyes closed, Kasey could see the glare as it flared outward.
When Kasey regathered her senses, the tactical squad had already breached the offices. The last of the tactical team disappeared into the rooms beyond.
Lucello’s voice could be heard from bishop’s radio. “We have one down in here. Two shots. He’s already dead.” Moments later, Lucello’s voice continued. “Second office is clear. We have another suspect down in here. Repeat, we have two suspects down. It looks like someone beat us here. Their equipment matches the description from the heist last night, but we’ll need Kasey to confirm they are our guys. The room is clear. Come on in.”
Kasey and Bishop entered the offices. The smoke from the flashbang was still dissipating as they entered.
Bending over the first body, Kasey found it slumped face down on the office floor, blood pooling beneath it. The wounds were fresh, perhaps minutes old.
That must have been the shots we heard when we arrived.
He’d been shot once in the back and once in the back of the head.
“He certainly wasn’t expecting that,” Kasey stated.
“You think it was a double cross?” Bishop asked.
“Perhaps. Let’s get a better look at his friend.”
Kasey moved into the adjoining office. The second suspect was lying on his back. A partially open duffel bag lay beside him. Kasey stooped down to check the duffel. The bag was stuffed with rolls of cash wrapped in rubber bands.
“Wow,” Kasey exclaimed. “Bishop. I imagine you’ll want to get that into evidence. Must be close to half a million dollars in there.”
“I wonder where it came from?” Bishop asked standing over her. “I thought you said they left empty handed from the gala?”
“They sure did. Their bag man was gunned down in the middle of the hall,” Kasey said. “I have no idea where this came from.
“It could be a go bag,” Bishop replied, picking up the bag. “Sometimes thieves will stockpile some cash in case they need to leave in a hurry. Perhaps this was Samson’s.”
“Speaking of, I assume this is Samson,” Kasey said as she bent over the body.
He too had taken two rounds, though not nearly as cleanly as his colleague in the front office.
She reached for his throat to check his pulse.
Samson’s eyes opened, and he grabbed Kasey’s forearm.
“Traitor…” he groaned.
Kasey screamed in surprise as she tumbled backwards, landing flat on her butt.
Samson was struggling to maintain his strength. “The traitor… double crossed me…after all we’ve been through.”
“Is that why you shot him in the head?” Kasey asked.
Samson’s face contorted. “What? No, I didn’t even have time to draw my weapon. Two tours of Afghanistan and I get shot in the back.”
“I don’t understand,” Kasey replied. “The cash is still here, my partner has it. Your friend is dead in the front office.”
“Not… possible,” Samson wheezed. Then without warning Samson went still.
Kasey waited for him to move again, but he was quiet. She crept forward and checked his pulse. Nothing.
Turning to Bishop, she shook her head, “He thinks his friend killed him. But that’s not possible. Whoever shot our first suspect, did so from behind. If it wasn’t Samson, someone else must have got the drop on them both.”
Bishop began, “But we were right outside. No one else could have got in, except…”
“Stevens!” Kasey finished the thought. “He was already inside when we breached.”
Bishop raised the radio. “Georgiano, is Stevens with you?”
“Negative, detective. Stevens is watching the vans. He sent me to retrieve our squad car.”
The vans! Kovacs was still cuffed inside the van.
Bishop must have reached the same conclusion. She was back on the radio. “Return to the vans, Georgiano. You are to keep an eye on the prisoner. I repeat, return to the vans at once.”
“But…”
“No buts, Georgiano. Stevens has been compromised, he was in the warehouse when we entered. Both targets were found dead when we breached. It must have been him. You are to watch the prisoner until we relieve you, am I clear?”
