by Matt Lincoln
“Well, I tell you what,” she asserted. She watched as Ethan chose an end piece this time, starting the chain of events that would lead to a very unstable tower. “I do want to do what I can to help you move forward with this. Once things calm down a bit, I’d like to dig a little deeper for you.”
“That’s not necessary,” he assured her as she looked over the tower for her next choice.
“I know,” she assured him, “but I want to do it, anyway. You deserve it.”
She saw the grateful smile he sent her way, which was enough to solidify her decision to help him learn more about his ancestor’s ship. She loved the story behind it and loved the fact that she was even present for some of his discoveries. Tessa allowed herself to imagine how great it would be to be there at the end of his journey, when he finally found his ship. She shut those thoughts down after a moment, though. As she watched Ethan ponder his next Jenga move, she reminded herself that his life was in Miami while hers was in New York. It worked out great for both of them, but chances were, she would not be the one beside him when he finally did find what he was looking for.
The rest of the Jenga game went similarly, with the two of them making small talk over the increasingly unstable block tower. Eventually, Tessa became a little too brave, pulling a block that sent the tower crashing down to the ground. The two of them laughed and began picking up the pieces together. Every once in a while, Ethan’s hand would brush against hers, sending a slight shiver through her spine that put a smile on her face.
“Again?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
“Again,” she confirmed. Before she knew it, several hours had passed, and she felt closer to Ethan than she had in a long time.
“Now what?” Ethan asked once they put all the pieces of the most recent game away. “I’m kind of done playing this game.”
“Honestly?” she replied innocently. “I hadn’t thought this far ahead.”
Ethan laughed, seeming in much better spirits. “Let’s take a walk. I think some fresh air would do us both some good.” He looked over at his friend. “Warner, you’re welcome to join.”
TJ looked up with a bemused smirk. “No, thanks,” he replied, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Ignoring the third-wheel aspect, I’m kind of in the zone here.”
“Alright,” Ethan replied as he stood up and stretched. “Be careful, Warner. Don’t get in too deep. Remember, we’re not attached to MBLIS on this one. We don’t have their protections.”
“I know,” TJ nodded, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Ethan sighed, looking a bit frustrated. “I’m serious, Warner. Header and Farr can only do so much, and what they can do will be after the fact.”
TJ peeled his eyes from the screen and locked onto Ethan. “I know. I promise I am being as careful as I can.”
That seemed to reassure Ethan because he thanked him before holding out his hand for Tessa. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” She took his hand, appreciating the warmth of his skin against her palm, and let him lead her toward the door. When they got to the door, what awaited them on the other side of it surprised her.
“Great timing!” Jake announced, a couple of bakery boxes in his hands. “We come bearing gifts from Mellen bakery. This is the most delicious mission I’ve ever been on.”
As Jake pushed past them into the house, their hands broke free from each other. As much as Tessa was looking forward to their walk, what Jake had to offer intrigued her, and she knew it would be a whole lot more than just some pastries.
Chapter 11: Ethan
Header barged in through the front door with all the grace of a linebacker, heading toward the dining room to find a home for the baked goods. Bonnie followed closely behind him, although her entrance was a lot calmer than his had been.
“We got your damn mini pies, Ethan,” she announced as she walked by. I looked over at Tessa, who looked disappointed that our time together had been cut short.
“We can’t say no to mini pies,” she chimed in cheerily. I loved how willing she was to go with the flow. I smiled back at her and grasped her hand again, leading her into the dining room.
Warner had joined us as well, and now the five of us stood over three boxes piled high with sweets. One box was dedicated entirely to seven-layer cookies.
“You have to try these,” Bonnie announced, reaching in to grab one of the cookies from the box. She bit into it and groaned with pleasure. I couldn’t help but laugh as I followed suit. The cookies were a perfect combination of cake, fruit, and chocolate. I wanted to keep eating them, but I also wanted to ensure there was enough to go around.
The second box was full of an assortment of other pastries, but the last box was what caught my eyes. Four mini pies sat on the bottom of the box, calling my name from across the room.
“They had a few different kinds,” Header informed me as he stepped up beside me. “I couldn’t make a decision, so I just got one of everything.”
“Good call,” I assured him. “Shall we sit and debrief?”
Header nodded before turning to the group. He addressed them with his usual booming voice.
“Gather around for a debrief,” he announced. It didn’t take long for everyone to pile some pastries on their plates and find their seats. I bit into my mini pie excitedly and was pleasantly surprised to find that not much had changed since my last visit. Yeah, it was still as delicious as ever.
“Bonnie and I hit up all three locations,” Header announced to the table once we had all settled. “The one in midtown Manhattan is definitely the largest, but as far as we can tell, it’s just a tourist attraction. Warner was right. The one in Coney Island seems to be where the most activity is, especially compared to the back-of-house activity in the other two locations.”
“Yeah,” Bonnie added, “I got this weird vibe there, too. The other two spots seem very laid-back, but in Coney Island, the employees looked…”
“Scared,” Header finished. “They looked terrified, actually. It was quite a shift from the other two places. It was almost as if they were being watched.”
“Something strange is going on there,” Bonnie asserted, “and we need to dig deeper to figure out what that is.”
“Oh, and I got you something else, Marston,” Header announced, reaching into a plastic bag as he abruptly changed the subject. He pulled out a white t-shirt and tossed it at me. I had just wiped my hands off, thankfully, so I caught it with ease and shook it out to get a better look.
I couldn’t have rolled my eyes harder if I tried. “Be careful what you tell this guy,” I muttered, looking disdainfully up at Header. “He won’t ever let you forget it.”
“What is it?” Tessa asked, and I held up the t-shirt to show her. The I Love New York logo was plastered across the chest, complete with the bright red heart. Warner burst into laughter while Bonnie snickered behind her hand. Header stood proudly with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face.
Warner leaned forward toward me, still laughing. “Ahh, they told me they would buy it for you, but seeing your reaction makes it so much better!”
Tessa looked a bit confused, so after shooting Header a venomous stare, I filled Tessa in on the conversation Header and I had right after we landed at JFK.
“So, wait,” she chuckled, looking over at Header for confirmation, “Ethan tells you he doesn’t like something, so you go and buy the t-shirt?”
“Yup!” Header boasted loudly. “If it annoyed him that much, I had to seize the opportunity to drive him a bit crazy.”
Tessa looked like she wanted to say something to come to my defense, but she ended up giggling instead.
“See?” Header laughed, gesturing toward Tessa. “Even your girlfriend thinks it’s funny.”
I looked over at Tessa, who blushed awkwardly. “I’m not… we’re not…”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I interjected, trying to spare her from her awkward explanation.
“Well, wha
tever she is to you, my point still stands.” Header waved off the misunderstanding and charged forward with the conversation. “I better see you wearing that, by the way. Don’t be ashamed of my gift.”
I rolled my eyes and made a show of wiping at the corners of my lips with the stiff cotton fabric. Header feigned offense, clutching his chest for a moment before Bonnie piped up.
“Anyway, back to the case,” she said loudly. Her smile was still in place, but she was right. We had more important things to discuss than an ugly t-shirt.
“Yes,” Header boomed. “The employees in Coney Island look scared. There wasn’t much we could do with the daylight crowds, so we just bought some pastries and left.”
“So, we need to go at night,” I concluded, leaning forward. I could see the plan forming before my eyes. “We break in and see what we can find.”
“We?” Header piped up, looking over at me. “I’m a bit hesitant to bring Bonnie out into the field with me on a pastry run. I sure as hell am not breaking into a Mezzanotte building with her!” He looked down at Bonnie. “No offense.”
Bonnie threw her hands up. “None taken! I don’t want to go, either! That’s a bit too much for me.”
“Not Bonnie,” I amended, “me. Header and I will break in. With Tessa’s phone confiscated by Farr, and all of us wiped clean by Warner, we can’t be tracked. The Mezzanottes may know I’m in New York, but they have no idea where I’m hiding out. They won’t be expecting me to break in.”
As I spoke, everyone’s eyes widened, and Header was ready with a rebuttal before I had even finished.
“No,” he snapped, his arms crossed over his chest. “Hell no. Absolutely not. Are you nuts?”
“Yes!” I snapped back, pushing myself up to standing. “Or I will be if I keep sitting around this place. Why the hell am I even up here, if I can’t be out there playing an active role in this case? Besides, if we get caught, will it really matter whether they recognize me or are surprised by you? What difference would that make?”
I could tell that Header didn’t have a ready answer because his eyes narrowed at me as he remained silent.
“He does have a point,” Bonnie offered, shooting me a sympathetic look. I mouthed my thanks to her before returning my glare to Header.
“Fine,” he spat, “but I’m taking point.”
“Fine by me,” I shrugged. “When are we doing this?”
“It has to be tonight,” he confirmed, just as I had suspected.
“I’ll send you guys out with some sample collection kits,” Bonnie added. “I’m here for forensics, after all. Give me something to work on.”
“We’ll do our best,” I assured her, looking over at Header. “I’m ready to go as soon as he is.”
“Yeah, but Jake and I spoke in the car,” Bonnie added, “and we’re both starving. These pastries won’t do the trick on their own. I say we order some food while we work out the details of the plan. You two can’t leave until after dark, anyway.”
Warner nodded enthusiastically, and after a brief back-and-forth about our dinner options, Bonnie declared that we needed to order some New York pizza. It would be a quick and easy, yet filling, dinner, which was perfect considering the night that Header and I had before us.
Tessa jumped at the opportunity to order dinner.
“Please,” she begged, speaking up for the first time since our conversation had shifted back to the case. “I feel useless here, but I know good pizza. This is the one area where I can shine and make a difference for you all. Do you trust me?”
Of course, I trusted her completely, but I knew that question wasn’t directed at me. Header studied her for a moment before answering affirmatively, but Bonnie and Warner gave their blessing pretty much immediately.
“Work your magic,” I nodded, giving her our final stamp of approval. She beamed and pulled out a burner phone of her own. She dialed a number that she apparently had memorized and then stood up and walked into the living room to avoid having to talk over us.
“She’s a good person to have around,” Header admitted. As I was all too familiar with Header’s trust issues through the years, I took that statement to heart.
“She is,” I smiled softly. “I might be biased, though.”
Header chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you definitely are.”
Tessa came over a few minutes later with an accomplished grin on her face.
“Order has been placed,” she announced. “We just need to meet the delivery driver at the front entrance.”
“Oh, that’s annoying,” Warner muttered. “I’ll go get it, though. I’ve spent all damn day on my laptop. Some fresh air would do me some good.”
“I forget what you look like lately,” I teased him. “You’ve been hiding behind that screen a lot lately.”
“Yeah, I know,” he shrugged. “A tech geek’s work is never done.”
I snorted my laughter. “Is that how the saying goes?”
“I mean, I think so,” Warner chuckled, sitting back in his seat.
With the details of tonight’s task ironed out, and warm food on the way, the environment became much more relaxed. Header and Bonnie described some of the sights they’d seen in their travels earlier, and Tessa interjected on occasion to offer more details about what they’d seen. As for myself, I was less interested in the actual conversation and more interested in tonight’s venture. Getting in and out undetected was of utmost importance, especially since we were operating outside of the law.
Although Header was always much more laid back about his missions, I wasn’t built that way. It was why he did so well as a freelancer, and I did better within a law enforcement agency. I tried to allow myself to relax and trust the process, but I was having a hard time with it. When Warner returned to the house with the pizzas, I ate with as much enthusiasm as the rest of my team, but I barely registered the taste of the pizza at all.
I just hoped tonight would go as planned, because I felt out of my element, and it was a feeling I hated.
Chapter 12: Ethan
Darkness fell quickly, and as Header and I got prepped for our late-night task, Warner readied our earpieces.
“This will be helpful if you need to communicate with us,” he informed us as he handed a small device to each of us. “Just talk to us. We will be listening the entire time.”
“You and Bonnie?” I asked. I wanted to hear confirmation that Tessa was being left out of this.
“Yes,” Warner assured me. “The two of us. We will be in the second car nearby. Also, these are the sample kits from Bonnie.”
I took the small vials and bags from Warner and found a spare pocket for them. The only time I wore any type of cargo pants was on missions like these, and thanks to Bonnie’s request, I was glad for the extra pockets.
“We’ll be fine, Marston.” Header eyed me warily. “You’ve been protected by law enforcement for too long. You need to loosen up and trust the process.”
I shot him a disdainful look. He was right, but I’d never admit it to him. As the newest shirt in my wardrobe proved, he would never let me live it down.
Header drove, and I took in my surroundings as I saw Brooklyn illuminated by streetlights. I didn’t see anything too exciting. It was mostly residential neighborhoods interspersed with small strip malls and storefronts. Everything looked like it was crammed too close together, and there wasn’t much in the way of parking lots or designated parking.
When we got to Coney Island, that’s when my attention was diverted from the case. A tall, metal frame of a structure towered high above everything else, multicolored lights dancing up and down the length of it.
“What the hell is that?” I asked, leaning forward to peer out the front windshield as we drew closer.
“That is the Parachute Jump,” he stated matter-of-factly. When I raised an eyebrow at him, he continued. “Bonnie looked it up when we were here earlier. Apparently, it was an old ride. It hasn’t been a functioning ride since the
1960s, but it’s a landmark now, and a symbol of Coney Island, apparently.”
“Well, it certainly leaves an impression,” I admitted.
“Yeah, no kidding,” he replied as he approached Surf Avenue and turned left, driving away from the structure. “I said that during the day time, but now seeing it lit up, it’s even more impressive.”
We drove slowly down the wide street, and I took in my surroundings as we went. This wasn’t the same Brooklyn we had driven through before. There were bright colors and neon lights, throngs of happy people milling about and going up and down the alleys toward the boardwalk, and plenty of amusement park rides and candy and music. One corner boasted an older, hand-painted sign that announced the Coney Island Freak Show.
“A Freak Show?” I shuddered. “I didn’t even know that was a thing anymore.”
Header shrugged and slowed even more, pointing at a storefront across the street. “That’s it,” he announced as we rolled past it. “We need to go around the corner and find the rear access to the building.”
“I hope they have one,” I added. “There are way too many people out here right now to be able to go through the front.”
“They have to have one,” he assured me. “Plus, the crowd will be our friend if this doesn’t go according to plan.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Do you always fly by the seat of your pants like this?” I asked, adjusting in my seat.
“Yep,” he confirmed confidently. “If you go in with expectations, they can get crushed. I’ve also gone in with lofty goals, became too fixated, and ended up botching the entire mission because I couldn’t see the end goal clearly. So yes. I just make it up as I go.”
I stared at Header dumbfounded for a minute until he caught me. “Don’t give me that look, Marston. You know damn well that we are both more than capable of pulling this off.”
“You’re right,” I admitted. “Our execution style is just wildly different. Remember, it’s been a while since we’ve worked on the front lines together. Belize doesn’t count.”
