Dino by Jaime Lewis
Chapter Two
Special Agent Chris Hurts stood in a room full of other agents as he spoke with his direct supervisor, Assistant Director Scarborough on the phone. It seemed that there had been a breakdown in communication regarding this evening’s run of the show.
Hurts and his team were in an abandoned warehouse approximately seven miles from the castle where Demitri Barros was due to arrive in less than one hour. He and the entire team had been anticipating his arrival in hopes of finally having the opportunity to get an agent on the inside of his European operation. A lot of agents had put their lives on hold for two years for this moment. They knew this night wasn’t going to end in an arrest, but it was the big break they had all been working towards. But now, it seemed as if that opportunity was in jeopardy.
“How did this happen?” Hurts asked Scarborough, clearly frustrated with the new developments in the operation.
For some apparent unknown reason, the order came from the top to temporarily halt the Barros operation because of new developments in the case. Special Agent Hurts’ team was being pulled back until further notice.
Hurts was beyond frustrated and upset with the lack of reasoning.
“I don’t know, but I’m trying to get to the bottom of it,” Scarborough replied, not sounding happy about the situation either.
“So what do we do?”
“Another team should be arriving at your location momentarily. They will be conducting a separate operation involving another target that is scheduled to attend this evening’s festivities.”
“Another target?” Hurts had been over the entire list of attendees three or four times and nobody on the list came to mind who could be more critical than Demitri Barros.
“Petro Shevchenko.”
“The Ukrainian?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t remember seeing his name on the attendee list.” He walked over to the table and opened the folder that held the list of attendees. He scanned it again.
“He’s not on the list.”
“Apparently, he was a late add.”
Hurts started to get a suspicious feeling. It was widely known that there was no love lost between Petro and Demitri. Both of them had accused the other of trying to destroy the other. Petro had been under investigation for a few months. Hurts was aware that the agency had been working closely with DEA to build a case on him. But even so, it still didn’t make sense to halt a two-year operation in exchange for this scenario, not to mention the amount of money that had been poured into the Barros operation to get to where they were.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” Hurts said, shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t care that his team saw his frustration. They felt the same. “And Demitri? What happens with him? Does he just get to walk away scot-free once again?”
“Not necessarily. They think that Petro will cooperate with investigators and make a deal to save his own ass.”
Hurts had to agree. Petro did have a big mouth and commented in the past to other undercover agents that he had evidence that could bury Demitri. But on the other hand, he had to play devil's advocate.
“If Petro wants to be top dog, why hasn’t he already provided it to the Feds?”
“Bribery. He was using it to pull Demitri’s strings.”
“And how has that worked for him?”
“Demitri is calling his bluff.”
“What’s your opinion?”
“I think the decision to pull in Petro is a mistake and will be a huge setback in the case against Barros, but as I’ve said, it wasn’t my call.”
Hurts sensed that Scarborough was leaving something out.
“What aren’t you telling me, Scarborough? We go way back, and I’ve always respected you because you’ve always been transparent with me.”
He heard Scarborough sigh. “The Special Agent in Charge that’s coming in is Travis Gabbert.”
Hurts thought he had misunderstood his friend and boss. But when Hurts heard the large bay door near the back of the warehouse open, he turned and watched as two vans pulled inside. Once they were parked, the front passenger side door opened, and no other than Special Agent Travis Gabbert stepped out. That prick was the most hated agent in the bureau.
“Your silence tells me he just arrived,” Scarborough stated through the phone.
“You would be correct.”
“I’m sorry about this, Chris. If it were up to me, you and your team would move forward with tonight's plan. I have my opinion on the matter, which I plan to take up with the Deputy Director.”
“Care to share?”
“We’ll get together when you return. In the meantime, have your team pull back and stay clear of Gabbert and his team. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”
That couldn’t have been a more accurate statement. Gabbert had a lousy reputation of screwing people over to climb the ladder. There were rumors that years ago he butted heads with his superiors and was almost fired from the bureau.
“What about my two agents inside? It’s too late to pull them back. Agent Roland wasn’t wearing her earpiece tonight because of the possible meeting with Demitri and Miles; that’s another story. I’ll try again, but I doubt she has her phone on.”
“I was told that Gabbert’s team would be conducting their operation on the second floor of the opposite side of the castle from where the party is taking place. She should be safe.”
“What happens if Demitri approaches her?”
“Then it happens. The worst that can happen is that he offers her a contract, and she says she’ll have her agent look it over.”
“God, this sucks! You know, once we pull her out, she won’t be able to go back in, right?”
“I know, Chris. Again, I’m not happy about this.”
“All right then. I’ll touch base with you when we arrive back stateside.”
“Take care, man.”
“Yeah.”
Hurts disconnected the call and walked over to meet his team. As he explained the new developments, he saw the disappointment and anger in their expressions. He felt the same, but he was the agent in charge, so he had to be the professional face for the team.
Moments later, Gabbert approached.
“I guess Assistant Director Scarborough contacted you.”
“Yeah, he did.”
“I got the orders right here in case you needed to see them physically,” Agent Gabbert stated, waving a file folder in front of him.
Agent Hurts snatched the folder out of the other agent’s hand. The bastard was practically beaming. Hurts took a quick glance at Gabbert’s team, and he noticed they were keeping their distance from their leader. Some even gave a quick nod as if letting them know they weren’t down for whatever was planned.
As he flipped through the pages, his temper rose to a boiling point. Angry couldn’t even describe how he felt. What was typed up in the report was complete bullshit. Someone had filed an ethics complaint against Agent Roland over her relationship with Enzo Makis. What the fuck was that all about? He wondered if Scarborough knew about that but withheld the information. He threw a folder on the table in front of Gabbert. Judging from the sarcastically condescending smirk on Gabbert’s face, he knew what Hurts was upset about.
“Looks like your wonder girl got caught trying to sink her claws into her own personal sugar daddy.”
Hurts did everything in his power not to take a swing at the bastard. That complaint was bogus and based on nothing but a bullshit lie. Anyone close to the Barros investigation would even say so. But it also made him wonder who had it out for Arianna. As far as he knew, she didn’t have any enemies within the agency, let alone any who knew what she had been up to for the last two years.
Hurts starred down Gabbert. “I don’t know what the hell you’re up to, Gabbert, but I’m telling you right now that you better not fuck this up and put my agent inside in danger.”
Special Agent Gabbert shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “She’s a big girl. She signed the agreement.”
Agent Hurts stood in place staring at Agent Gabbert. He was furious. What his superiors were planning was careless and dangerous on so many levels. He still had two agents inside the venue that could be put into the crosshairs of a hazardous situation without their knowledge.
“Yeah, well, if your team erroneously infiltrates at the wrong time or place, she could be placed in a bad situation.”
Agent Gabbert smirked. “If you don’t have the confidence in your contractor agent, maybe you should’ve picked a seasoned agent who actually earned the title.”
Agent Gabbert’s comment towards Arianna pissed Agent Hurts off. Arianna Roland may have been at one time just a Forensic Accountant who contracted with the bureau. Still, she had since earned the respect of being named an Agent considering what she took on when it was apparent that she wasn’t comfortable when she was first approached about going undercover. She went through the training that any “real” agent would endure and more. The only difference was her training was completed in less time than what typical recruits went through because of the assignment's timing. When the FBI had been given the opportunity to lay the groundwork to infiltrate Demitri’s organization, no other female agent had fit the part. Arianna not only had the beauty to pull off the disguise, but she had the brains and language skills.
Hurts pointed at him with a fierce expression. “So help me god, if she’s drawn into your shitshow of an operation that is all on you.”
Agent Gabbert shrugged his shoulders. “As you say and according to the agency’s records, she’s been trained. Although she should be worried about the questioning that’s waiting for her at home.”
Hurts didn’t miss the second comment that Gabbert had dropped concerning the complaint filed against Arianna. Coincidence, or was he behind it?
Agent Hurts ran his hand through his hair. “I want it on record that I disagree with the strategy change. This has disaster written all over it.”
“Duly noted Agent Hurts. Now, if you would kindly step aside, I have a team that needs to be updated.”
Hurts stared down the other agent. The guy had a reputation within the agency of being a prick. It was rumored that years ago, Agent Gabbert had been involved in a huge undercover assignment that went south under his leadership. Agent Hurts supposed that he was trying to redeem himself. He wasn’t about to let some washed-up agent looking for a big comeback ruin his career or put any of his agents in danger. No fucking way.
He wanted no part of the fiasco. His main concern was Arianna’s safety. She was going to be blindsided if he couldn’t get word to her.
He pulled out his phone and tried dialing her again, but it went to voicemail. He looked at his watch. If the event stayed on schedule, the afterparty should have started twenty minutes ago. He tried Miles's phone as well, but only got his voicemail, which wasn’t a big surprise. But there was one other person who could get a message to her. It was risky, but sometimes dire circumstances call for dangerous measures.
All he could do was pray she made it out alive.
