maneuver three times.
I'd just rented the Mustang, so I knew both the car and my clothes were clean.
Twenty minutes later I was on the Coast Highway driving through Santa Monica. I turned into the parking lot by the Santa Monica Pier, looking for the LAPD eight-wheel truck that we used for clandestine meetings with undercover operatives. Because Switzerland was neutral territory, we had nicknamed the truck Little Swiss. Some smartass in vehicle maintenance had gone to the Swiss chocolate company for the decals that now decorated both sides of the cargo box.
I quickly spotted the truck looming above the other cars and pulled into an empty spot nearby. As soon as I got out of the Mustang, the back doors of Little Swiss opened and I was let inside. Seated in back were Alexa and Ophelia, two very tense-looking women.
I wanted to hug my wife and kiss her, but I could see from both their faces that they were in battle mode, so I just sat on the wooden bench opposite them. There were three television monitors on the front wall of the interior, which displayed surveillance views of the parking lot, being recorded by three roof cameras.
'Thank God you sent me that 911' Ophelia said without preamble. 'Those guys were about to commit a mass execution.'
'That's exactly what they were up to,' I confirmed.
'This is supposed to be a country of laws,' she stated vehemently.
'I'm running out of options,' I said to get her off the 'country of laws' party line. 'Alonzo Bell is all over me. He suspects I'm a plant. They even put a tracking device in my leather belt. I found it and left it in my room.'
'Then we're pulling you out now, Shane,' Alexa declared.
'I haven't gotten close to the real corruption yet. I haven't even met Mayor Bratano. If you pull me out now, we'll have accomplished nothing.'
We sat silently on the hard wooden benches looking at each other across two feet of open space while the TV screens showed infrared panning shots of the parking lot.
'What about Rocky Chacon?' I asked Ophelia. 'The way I see it, they're getting set to take him out.'
Alexa said, 'Maybe Ophelia can find a way to put more FBI security on him. But if you get involved, they're gonna know you're a plant.'
Ophelia nodded. 'I think Alexa's right. You're probably already compromised. Talbot Jones didn't believe my story about being there because of a street tip. He suspects somebody on the inside of leaking the ambush.'
'I need a few more days.'
Both women sat trying to decide what to do. I must have been frowning, because Alexa leaned forward.
'What?' she asked.
'Sergeant Bell knows I went to Manhattan Beach. He knows Deputy Chief Arnett has a condo in that building.'
'Then you're definitely out of there,' Alexa said, rising as if the meeting were over.
'Hold on,' I said. 'I told him I went to that condo to meet Tiffany-that we were using one of the furnished models. I told him Tiffany has a girlfriend at Century 21 who opened it up for us. He looked like he bought it, but he's going to check it out. We need to put a female FBI agent in at that real estate management company, somebody who can swear she opened the apartment for her movie star friend. If you guys can set that up, then my story will check out and I can give this a little more time.' I didn't tell them that I'd lost my cell phone with the text message to Ophelia on it.
'They're bound to suspect you just because you're the new guy,' Alexa rightly pointed out. 'That's why they put a sattrack on you.'
'I have some other action working. I put my street creds on display. I'm hoping to get an offer that will incriminate Mayor Bratano.'
'What the hell does that mean?' Alexa said.
I waved this off. 'I'm beginning to get a read on these guys. They think they have the game so rigged nobody can get to them. That' s why they pulled this bullshit tonight. They think they can't lose. It's making them careless.'
'I don't think there's even a furnished model in that condo building,' Alexa said.
'So what? Just put up a sign that says there is. I saw the Century 21 vacancy ads when I went there. All Ophelia's phony real estate agent has to do is say she let us use one.'
'What happened to your face?' Alexa was staring at my swollen nose and the beginnings of two black shiners, slightly visible in the dim light in the truck.
'Slipped getting out of the shower.'
'Shane, damn it!' Alexa was losing patience.
We all sat in silence for a minute.
'What's this work in progress you were talking about?' Ophelia finally asked.
'Can't tell. Sorry. It compromises one of my street contacts.'
'That's such bullshit!' Alexa was now flat-out angry.
'Look, I think if this happens, it's gonna go down soon,' I told them. 'Give me two more days. After that, I'll fold up and get out.'
'One day,' Alexa said.
'Come on — '
'One,' she said, firmly. 'I'm not kidding, Shane.'
She looked over at Ophelia, who, after a moment, nodded her agreement and said, 'Listen, Shane. Put the belt back on. I can use that tracking signal just as well as they can. Til get the satcom guys at Quantico to dial in the frequency for me.'
'What about Rick Ross?' I asked. 'You just gonna leave him down there to sweat it out?'
'I'll talk to Tony,' Alexa said. 'We'll figure something out for him. You've got one day.'
Chapter 26
'Leave your car here. We're gonna take a short trip,' Alexa said, after Ophelia left. 'We've got to go see someone.'
'I can't be seen with you.'
'Shut up,' she said, and kissed me on the mouth. Then she stepped out of the truck and slammed the back door.
I heard her climb into the front seat and a minute later Little Swiss started up and we were rolling. As I sat there, it was very clear to me that I was betting my life on what Agent Love could set up overnight with Century 21. But I needed enough time for my Sammy from Miami ploy to pay off. I doubted if one day was enough. My strategy with Alexa was to take the one day she'd given me, then try to come away with enough good stuff to extend the time frame another one or two days after that.
But Alexa and Ophelia were right. I'd made mistakes in order to save lives. I'd compromised my cover to save Rocky and those twelve Crips. Both women knew I was skidding around on bullshit.
My best choice was to stay the course and see where I was when the clock ran out.
We drove for another twenty minutes and then the truck stopped and the engine shut off. Alexa opened the back door and said, 'Follow me.'
When I climbed out of the truck, I realized immediately we were at the beautiful Malibu Beach Inn, a swank contemporary luxury hotel located on a strip of beach known as 'Billionaire's Beach.' Because it was situated in an exclusive enclave, the hotel afforded its guests a good deal of privacy.
I followed Alexa to Room 26. She opened the door with a key from her purse and led me inside. The suite was gorgeous and had a private balcony with expansive ocean views.
Then I saw him. Chooch was standing in the room, leaning against the wall, looking very tall, handsome and uncomfortable.
'Tell him,' Alexa said.
'The chief-'
