ATF Alternate Universe
ONE
"So what Buck?" the sharpshooter said casually laughing it out, humored by Bucks concern."So what?! Vin, for the last three weekends he's goin' out not coming back till 3 in the mornin'!" the ladies man stated like he was conveying a parents concern over a teen who had broken curfew.
"Maybe he's got a girlfriend Buck," Josiah offered.
"Then why haven't I met her?" he pointed out.
"Well, if I found a girlfriend, the last person I'd want her to meet would be you," Nathan offered an explanation.
"You think he's afraid she might like me better Nate? I wouldn't do that, there's just certain lines you don't cross," he animatedly said.
"Assuming that is the cause for his late night activities, maybe he's afraid you would find fault in his choice of a companion, have you thought of that?" Ezra asked, taping his pen on the table as he looked to the man with a raised eyebrow.
"Or scare her," Vin said leaning to Chris who smiled, who appeared to agree.
"Very funny. Why wouldn't I like her Ezra?"
"‘Cause JD's ‘type' isn't exactly your ‘type', I've met some of those girls you've tried to fix him up with Buck," Chris stated what everyone knew to be true.
"They were all classy ladies Chris!" Buck defended his choice in women.
"Classy yes, but I'm afraid young JD would be more inclined towards the ‘ripped jeans and flannel shirt type'," Ezra said, scrunching his nose like he had a fowl smell invading him.
"I don't care what ‘type' she is or not, I just want to meet her," Buck said, a little hurt that he hadn't met the girl.
"Maybe he's just found something to do Buck," Chris reasoned.
"Yeah, spending time with someone I ain't even met," tapping his fingers on the table.
"Assuming he has a girlfriend," Ezra pointed out, not wanting the others to jump to any conclusions.
"Who's got a girlfriend?" The young ATF agent in question asked as he walked into the meeting room.
The room grew quiet as all eyes looked to JD. The smile on his face disappeared as he realized that he had been the topic of discussion...again.
"Me?"
"Well, you been gone almost every night till late, and you don't come home until 3 on the weekends, sometimes later," Buck stated.
"Gee ‘Dad', you gonna ground me?" JD asked sarcastically, walking to the table.
"I was just wonderin' where you been that's all, and stop callin' me that," Buck said back just as sarcastically.
"I been out," JD shrugged, as he sat across from the man who was giving him the third degree on his social habits.
"Doin what?" Buck asked, like no one else was there.
"Stuff," JD answered, knowing everyone was looking and none to happy about it.
"What kinda ‘stuff'," Buck continued, never looking away from his roommate.
"Just stuff! Can we drop this now?" JD asked, looking to the teams leader, who was listening to the exchange.
"I think that would be a good idea, we are on the clock here," Chris said, pointing out that personal business needed to be just that, but also knew that ‘everything' was personal business.
"Fine," Buck surrendered, giving JD a look that let JD know that the ‘discussion' wasn't over.
"Good. Ezra you two are all set for tonight?" Chris asked, the whole mood of the room getting serious.
"Yes, two trucks are scheduled to be delivered to the warehouse delivery platform just past midnight. As soon as the money is exchanged ‘Jake' will give the signal and we will hopefully be in a state of deep slumber no later than 2 a.m.," Ezra smiled.
"Vin?" Chris turned to the sharpshooter.
"These guys are strapped, they all have shoulder weapons. Stevens has an ankle gun, not sure about the caliber. Wilkins carry's a combat knife, he changes its location so keep your eyes open. Donnely is real quick with a draw, usually has it on his hip, the other five will show you what they got."
"You all set ‘Jake'?" Chris asked.
"Yup."
"Any questions?" Chris asked.
"You sure there's no way we can wire them?" Buck asked, he didn't like the idea of anyone not being wired in case something went wrong.
"They've scanned every buyer we've brought them Buck."
"I know that Nate. I just don't like the idea of Ezra and JD goin' in there with nothin."
"Buck, S.W.A.T.'s gonna be all over the place, plus we got DEA and some of the locals, I'll be up with S.W.A.T. and at the first sign of trouble we'll be on it," Vin assured.
"Well, I suggest you all go and get some rest, it's gonna be a late night, be back here at 10 and we'll head out no later than 11," Chris said, ending the meeting. Five men left the room leaving Buck and Chris in the room alone.
"I don't like this Chris."
"He'll be fine Buck."
"Why couldn't Vin go with Ezra, or someone else?"
"Buck. JD's the only one of us who passed as a High School kid , and you know that. He's done real good Buck, Ezra was skeptical at first; but he's panned out. He's made it this far..if we send Vin in now they're gonna either not deal or smell a set up. This is the way it has to go."
"I know. I just don't like it," Buck sighed. This had been JD's first major undercover assignment since he had been recruited a year ago, and Buck had a bad feeling it would all go sour quickly.
+ + + + + + +
Buck had finished the sandwich he'd picked up from the Deli when he heard JD's bedroom door open from behind him. He turned to see his roommate grab his keys and his helmet.
"Goin somewhere?"
"Geez Buck, you trying to give me a heart attack?" JD said, as he jumped and turned, causing him to lean his back on the door.
"Sorry. Where you goin?" Buck apologized, but reasked his previous question, as he stood and walked to the young man.
"Out,"JD answered the obvious answer.
"When you gonna be back?" Buck asked, his hands on his hips.
"Later," JD shrugged as he opened the door.
"Whoa there, you forget you gotta work tonight?" Buck pointed out grabbing JD by the arm.
"No I didn't forget. Chris wants us there at 10, it's 2 now, that gives me 7 hours to get back here and get ready and get to the meeting," JD said simply with a smile.
"You plan on sleepin' sometime between now and then?"
"I'll be fine..... ‘Dad'," and JD left shutting the door, he looked at his watch gonna be late he thought to himself.
TWO
Buck waited until 9:15 before he left for the office. He drove, hoping he'd see a familiar motorcycle on the way, when he didn't he became concerned. The closer he got to the building that held the ATF offices he had a mixture of anger and worry, not sure which to give into."Hey Buck," Vin asked, meeting Buck at the elevator door.
"Hi," he replied, very much like he was distracted.
"You okay? You and the kid get into it this afternoon?" Vin knew that Buck and JD had been having ‘disagreements', Buck hated to say they had an argument, and from the way he acted this morning Vin thought for sure they had ‘disagreed' again.
"Couldn't ‘get into it'..he left, I ain't seen him since," Buck stated as the elevator door opened.
"He's fine Buck," Vin smiled, joining him in the elevator as Buck pushed for their floor.
"I dunno if he's even here, how the hell am I gonna explain that to Chris?"
"It ain't your ass if he doesn't show," Vin reminded.
"No, but I gotta look at him every day."
"Buck, you're his friend and his roommate, he's 25 years old, time to let him grow up," Vin said seriously as the elevator door opened.
"What's that supp..," Buck began to ask.
"Good, everyone's here, I want to get this meeting over," Chris said as the two agents stepped off the elevator.
The three men walked through the pit and into the meeting room. The room was filled with men and women who would be in on the operation. Buck looked around the room and saw the familiar faces dressed in clothes that depicted their certain branch, DEA, S.W.A.T., DPD along with himself and four others showing ATF.
"Everyone's here. This is the way things are going to go. Vin."
"Okay," Vin made his way to the table and laid out a map, a hand came across to hold it and he looked up and smiled at the young man dressed in a gray T-shirt covered with a ripped flannel longsleeve shirt, 2 sizes too big and a red baseball cap he wore backwards.
"Thanks JD," Vin said.
"Sure," he smiled back.
"There's three roofs with good vantage points, you guys" addressing the members of the S.W.A.T. team, "are gonna be here, here, here and with me here. I need at least ten of you out here to cover the perimeter," pointing to the local PD ".. I want two teams of five in each building, DEA has that job and who ever's left out of all of you," Vin lifted his head, "are on back up..listen to the traffic and for the go signal. Any questions?"
There were heads shaking and mumbled no's, Vin nodded and handed the meeting back to Chris.
"Okay, this is what's going to happen..we hope," Chris began.
Vin made his way back towards Buck as Chris began filling in the law enforcement agencies on the plan.Vin could see the worry on Bucks face as he still scanned the room looking for JD, from where Buck was standing he would never see him surrounded by all the agents and officers.
"Relax Buck," Vin whispered.
"Chris doesn't even know he ain't here Vin, you tell me why I should relax!" he yelled in a whisper.
"He's sittin at the table, he's here," Vin whispered back with a smile.
"We'll be meeting up there in a half an hour, all set?" Chris said loudly, letting all know that the meeting was over. As all the agents and officers left the office and the building, Buck stood outside looking into the office through the glass window, joined by the other members of the team as they left the office.
Ezra, Chris and JD were left behind, as soon as the last agent left, Buck saw JD get up and start to pace.
"He's nervous," Buck stated the obvious to the men standing around him.
"Ya' think?" Vin responded.
"He's gonna get himself killed! This ain't a time to be jokin' around."
"I don't think that's what he's nervous about Buck."
"What do you think he ‘is' nervous about then?" Buck asked his voice tinted with sarcasm.
"More like getting Ezra or someone else killed."
"Well ain't you just Mr. Bright and Cheery," Buck spat back.
"You know JD ain't worried about himself, he's more worried that someone else is gonna get hurt or he's gonna disappoint Chris," Vin calmly stated what every man knew.
The four men watched as JD sat down heavily, his back to the window to the pit, putting his elbows on the table and his hands to his face, raking his hands through his hair but stopping as his fingers grabbed a handful of the dark scraggly hair.
Chris unfolded his arms and pushed himself off the desk and sat next to the kid, who no doubt had talked himself into a near panic, and placed his hand to his back. Ezra had also moved from his seat to get closer to the young agent for support and encouragement.
The elevator door opened and one of the many Lab Tech.'s, stepped off the elevator.
"Hey Doug, what are you doin here?" Buck asked, seeing the man was caring a black bag.
"Chris told me to come up," he smiled. "He in here?" Doug pointed to the meeting room.
"Yeah," Buck said, still a bit puzzled and looked for answers around the room.
"Thanks," Doug knocked, heard the response and walked in and closed the door behind him.
Words and nods were exchanged between the men and Ezra made his way to the door, he opened it and stepped out.
"Josiah, your assistance is needed," Josiah cocked his head in question but entered the room and closed the door, the men found their vision was cut off as the blinds were pulled shut on all sides.
"What the hell is Doug doing in there?" Buck asked Ezra, making it very clear he wanted answers.
"Mr. Warren is turning our angelic Mr. Dunne into ‘Jake the junkie'," Ezra smiled.
+ + + + + + +
"You wanted me?" Josiah asked Chris, who was standing by the table that JD was now sitting on, then looking to where Doug stood by the small desk.
"Yeah, I need you behind the chair while JD sits here," Chris pointed to a chair.
"And do what?" The mountain of a man asked as he stood behind the chair.
"Keep my mouth shut, JD smiled.
"Huh?" Josiah asked.
"We got to put these drops in JD's eyes," Chris began.
"Ah... ‘Jake the junkie' is going to yield his head for everyone to see," Josiah began to understand, a little. "But why am I here?" Josiah questioned.
"Cause them drops hurt like hell," JD offered, seriously.
"They've never bothered me," Josiah offered back.
"you're not allergic to them either Josiah," Doug stated as he made his way to the men.
"The reaction doesn't hurt his vision?" Josiah asked the Lab Tech.
"Nope, just makes things blurry for a bit, had my eyes checked the first time," JD said, still with a light tone.
"He nearly gave Ezra a heart attack, the minute he put them drops in he started screaming," Chris almost laughed out, remembering the phone call from Ezra in a panic.
"We're gonna run outta time we keep talking about it," JD said, looking at his watch.
"Ready Doug?"
"All set Chris."
"Okay kid, you ready?"
"Not really," JD sighed as he jumped off the table and sat down in the chair.
Josiah knelt down behind the chair, wrapping one arm around the chair, encircling JD's chest. Chris knelt down and grabbed JD hands, JD sighed heavily, nodded his head to Doug as the man stepped closer.
"Cover his mouth Josiah," Chris ordered as Doug got closer, Josiah did as he was told as the first drop went into JD's right eye and he heard the muffled cry, and Chris felt the kids grip tighten, Doug pried open JD's left eye and gave another drop, causing the cry to be louder, Chris saw the kids knuckles grow white as his grip got even tighter.
"Okay?" Chris asked, feeling the grip loosen, JD nodded his head, and Josiah let go as well.
"Thanks," JD relayed breathlessly, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Thanks Doug," Chris said, still kneeling in front of the kid, who was desperately trying to get his eyes to focus.
"No problem," Doug said, heading out of the room, Josiah right behind him.
"You okay?" Chris asked in a bit of a laugh. He knew it was painful, and it wouldn't be so funny seeing JD make the faces he was making if there was any danger.
"Yeah, where's my hat?" JD asked through blurry bloodshot eyes.
"Right in front of you on the table," Ezra said as he made his way to the two men.
"Oh," he blinked out a tear then sniffed. "Where's the table?" he shrugged out as he too laughed.
"As much as I'd like to wait around while you search for your hat," Ezra started as he handed the hat to JD, " we need to be leaving."
"Okay, well then lets go," JD smiled, as he stood.
"Gettin' any better yet?" Chris asked JD as he ‘escorted' him out the door.
"Yeah, there's only two of everything instead a dozen or so," he smiled as he walked to the door with Chris.
The four men who were outside of the office watched as the three made their way through the door.
"What the hell happened? You look like hell kid," Buck said, a bit concerned.
"You look wasted JD," Vin looked to the leader after seeing the dark circles under the blood shot glassy eyes.
"Thanks Vin," JD said with a smile.
"Shall we ‘Jake'?" Ezra asked.
"Sure thing ‘Max'," JD said, Ezra rolled his eyes at the shortened name he had chosen, Maxwell Saunders, and grabbed JD.
"Children," he sighed out.
"Let go of me Ezra I can see fine now," he scolded as he was tugged towards the elevator.
"He get them drops?" Buck figured as he watched the two agents enter the elevator and leave.
"Yup," Chris said, grabbing a few things from JD's desk.
"He looks worse than I ever did," Vin pointed out.
"The drops burn and it takes him a few minutes, but he's fine," Chris assured. "We ready? Good, let's ride boys."
The men left the building and entered a van, they drove off followed by several other vans holding the other departments and headed for the location of the warehouse to set up.
THREE
The men were all in position. The inside men had been alerted by the perimeter ‘homeless' agents that scattered the street, that the two trucks were on their way. Ezra and JD sat in the Jag as they watched the two trucks pull into the area, followed by a car.The car stopped and the driver, Watkins, held the door open for the man they were after. Sam Vangaurd. Vangaurd once belonged to one of the most prominent ‘families' in Chicago, but when the ‘family' was busted, the left overs split up to find there own fortune.
Vangaurd's way of making his fortune was selling weapons, using High School kids to find buyers and set up meetings in trade for supplying them with the drug of there choice. ‘Jake's' drug of choice just happened to be a combination of heroin and cocaine, which he found was very expensive; ‘Jake' had been recruited by Vangaurd's former ‘middle man' Lenny.
Vangaurd had found working with ‘Jake' easier. Lenny had a girlfriend that he shared his supply with and therefore would be in the middle of withdrawals when they'd meet with a prospective buyer. ‘Jake' had no such ties and appeared to be none to eager to share in his discovery, which made it easier. ‘Jake' had no idea about guns, he didn't know the difference between a pump action rifle to a toy gun, and that suited Vangaurd fine. The kid did his job and that's all he cared about. He laughed when ‘Jake' told him he was 17, the age everyone said JD looked more like. Sam had told ‘Jake' he didn't look over the age of 15, but that it didn't matter to him if he could get a buyer to deal.
‘Jake' made deals. He and Vangaurd had met on a regular basis to set up deals, introduce small prospective buyers, and sell the weapons and ‘pay' ‘Jake'.
Vangaurd questioned the validity of ‘Jake' more than once, he was too good to be true. He did what most men do to insure his investments, he ran a background check on the kid, and even had him followed.
‘Jake'was a ‘system' kid. He'd fallen threw so many cracks it made your head hurt. His father had been in and out of jail until he was killed, while serving time, over a pack of cigarettes. ‘Jake's' mother was a working girl, who only took time off to have three more kids from three different men. His mother got with a bad ‘client' and he beat her to death in a ‘game' he liked to play. ‘Jake' was 12 by then and for a year raised his brother and sisters on his own until his grandfather had been tracked down, and they moved in with the man.
From the time ‘Jake' had moved in with his grandfather he had been in and out of jail himself, and had found a better way to make him feel better, he'd been in two court ordered rehabs in the last three years.
Vangaurd had even witnessed the kid getting home late, and the mountain of a man that was his grandfather grabbed him by the color, talking about the devil and hell as he dragged the kid into the house. In essence, he was perfect for Vangaurd, and Vangaurd was perfect for ‘Jake'. Each getting what they wanted, and at a cheap price.
+ + + + + + +
Vangaurd and friends stepped out of the car. Vangaurd nodded his head giving ‘Jake' the signal to get out of the car.
Buck and Chris looked through night vision binoculars, Buck kept his trained on JD and let it be known he wasn't too pleased with the way he was acting.
"He's too damn nervous," Buck said quietly, he hadn't seen JD at all during his undercover stint, by orders of Chris.
"He'll be fine," Chris tried to calm.
"You might learn somethin about him Buck, just watch," he heard Vin say threw the ear phones.
"And listen," Nathan added.
"What! He's wired?" Buck was just about to lunge out and tell JD to get out of there.
"They haven't checked JD in the last four meetings, they trust him, they don't trust Ezra" Nathan relayed.
"But you said.." Buck turned to Chris.
"He doesn't know, I thought he'd be nervous," Chris revealed.
"Nervous..you thought he'd be ‘nervous'? Have you looked at him!!" Buck whispered his yell. The other agents listening in on the conversation having a hard time not to laugh.
"Yeah, I see him, he looks like he needs a fix...soon," Chris smiled wryly.
"A fix, I'll fix..," Buck mumbled.
"Okay, here we go, I'm letting you all listen in," Nathan said. They heard the static and then they could hear the conversation.
"Jake. And your friend is?" Vangaurd said.
"His name's Max...somethinorother," JD said shaking his head and moving his hand like he was shooing a fly away while the other hand raked through his hair nervously.
"Maxwell Saunders," Ezra said, very unsouthern and in a straight voice, and extended his hand. Sam totally ignoring the man.
"Something wrong Jake?"
"It's been a bad week okay, can we just get on with this so I can get my shit," JD said, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting from foot to foot.
"Jake, you had plenty to last you ti..," Sam began.
"Well, the old man was being a complete asshole, Sam."
"Did he just call me ‘old man'?" Josiah asked Nathan.
"Yeah, and an asshole," Buck added, beginning to enjoy watching the kid in action.
"How's that?" Sam asked, almost concerned for the kid.
"Jonah went through my jeans, he found a couple bags. The old man turned me in,"JD said; almost laughing, but not without letting the man know he was mad.
"How'd ya' make bail?" Sam asked. He had told the kid to call him if he found himself in trouble.
"I told the asshole,"nodding towards Ezra, "if he still wanted to meet tonight he had to post bail," JD smiled.
"Shit, he's blown it Chris," Buck said, as he saw the doubting look on the man's face.
"Where'd you pick him up Saunders?" Sam asked after stepping away from ‘Jake'.
"I had to bail Kurt Cobain outta jail, that's where I picked him up," Ezra said, rather aggravated.
"Kurt who?" Vin asked the S.W.A.T. members around him.
"Some grunge rocker , OD'd on coke or heroin..something like that," an agent offered.
"Grunge what?" Vin asked again.
"Never mind," the agent answered again.
"How'd ya know he was there?" Sam looked at the man suspiciously.
"He called me, and the little shit told ‘me' if I wanted to still meet I had to bail him out. I'd watch him if I were you, telling me what to do, telling me he's representing you," Ezra offered not only an explanation but his opinion as well.
"Hell, all he wants is a fix, he pisses me off and his gravy trains gone. Thanks for taking care of that problem," Sam said with a smile, extending his hand, Ezra returning the shake.
"Sam, can we do this, I really, really need to leave," JD pleaded.
"Well leave then!" Ezra yelled out.
"Was I talking to you!?" JD yelled back, getting into the man's face.
"Hold up Jake, lets get this over with Saunders. You got the cash?" Ezra nodded.
"I take it those are my trucks?"
"No, the trucks stay here, you find something to haul what's in them."
"Was this something the dropout was supposed to tell me?" Ezra snickered out.
"Jake, why don't you go get Mr. Saunders a sample."
"Yeah, whatever," JD said, walking to the truck and opening one, grabbed a semi-automatic rifle, turned and started to walk back to the two men.
"Jake, the door, shut the God damn door!" Sam yelled back.
"Shit, sorry Sam," JD yelled back, hoping he had left it open long enough that the agents got pictures.
"Ah, and what do you call this little toy Jake," Ezra asked, curious at what JD would say. Ezra was having fun being able to show a certain member of the team just how skilled JD was at undercover work.
"This?" JD held up the rifle. "It's a gun you idiot, with these funny things here," JD pointed out the ribs of the gun, "and it's black, Jesus Christ I got you here. You're the one who wants them, geez Sam, maybe you outta start checking who you're sellin' this stuff to. You figure he wants to buy some guns he'd know what one looked like!" JD laughed, knowing it wasn't funny...but he was supposed to be high.
"Hell, Chris, he's good," Buck whispered to Chris at the performance.
"He knows what he's buying Jake, I got four crates of the semi's, 6 crates of rue..." Sam trailed off as he and Ezra walked away from JD towards the trucks.
"Why ain't JD going with them, we ain't gonna hear them," Buck asked.
"He never goes with him when he discusses inventory, he's just the middle man, he's there for the drugs, remember?" Chris stated, letting Buck know JD wasn't doing anything unusual.
"........the cash and then I come back and hope the guns and trucks are still here? I don't think so," Ezra smiled and laughed out. JD fidgeted; this wasn't going as Sam had said it was going to go, but he tried to push back the panic that was trying to surface.
"Yeah, take it or leave it," Sam said, leaning back and spreading his arms apart, indicating the ‘ball was in his court'.
"I leave it. There's no way I'm going to give you that much cash for a promise."
"Fine with me," and Sam went towards his car, and Ezra walked towards his.
"Shit, dammit!" Buck let out frustrated.
"Hey..hey heyheyhey..Sam, wh.wh.what about me?..I mean..I brought him here..don't do this to me Sam. Come on Sam..please..it ain't my fault the asshole ain't buyin', right? Please Sam..please...I kept up my end..come on..Jesus Sam..I ain't let you down.. Come on Sam..." JD begged and pleaded.
"That's it JD," Chris smiled.
"Jesus Jake, don't give me that look. Stevens," Sam nodded to the man. "Don't worry Jake, the deal is you find them and bring them, they don't like the way I do business it's their tough shit.Try and keep yourself outta jail huh? And next time..call me."
"Glad the look works on the bad guys too," Vin said quietly again to the agent next to him.
"What look is that sir?"
"Never mind," Vin smiled back.
"Vangaurd," Ezra said, just as JD was about to give the signal.
"Saunders?"
"I'll give you half now, the rest when I pick up,"Ezra said, making his way towards Sam, standing slightly behind JD.
"Nope, everything now."
"No deal."
"Let Jake know when you're ready to deal," Sam said as he turned to his car again.
"Can you drop me off Maxwell?" JD asked looking at Vangaurd as he said it, saying the words that signaled the men to move.
"ATF!! LETS NOT DO THIS THE HARD WAY!!" Chris yelled out from the building he and Buck and several others had occupied.
"IT'S A SET UP!!" Sam yelled as he ran for his car, making it into the car before his men began the spray of bullets.
JD saw the guns pointing at them and tackled Ezra, the force strong enough to send them to some old boxes and to the ground for cover, just as all hell broke lose.
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