The Ghostbird Job

12 - The Two Horse Job Part 3

"Go ahead. I know you're itching to say something," Eliot said looking to Sophie. Sang was sitting with them waiting for the others to show up. They were meeting in the conference room to settle the final details of the plan.

"I like Aimee. I do. I mean it. I like you both. I just -- you know, I don't know what comes of chasing the past, you know, Eliot?" Sophie told him. Eliot rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Yeah, well, Sophie, sweetie, I don't think you and Nate get to serve me that particular meal." Sang's eyes widened at that but couldn't disagree.

"Ouch," she muttered under her breath but noticed Sophie give her a look that said she heard her. Sang smiled at her sheepishly and thankfully was saved by the others joining them.

"We're using Baltimore as the lost heir," Nate told the team.

"I hacked into the IFHA website, that's the database with all the horses' bloodlines. Now, all that information is linked on numbers to microchips in the horse's neck. Now, we'll link Baltimore's microchip number to a fake horse with a great bloodline, then we'll disguise the white stripe on his face with some paint," Hardison stated. It seemed like a solid plan to Sang but Eliot was shaking his head.

"No, no, it's not gonna work. His lungs are still messed up from the fire," Eliot said.

"Well, he can still run," Nate stated like it obvious.

"He can run," Eliot agreed. "But Foss is gonna see how slow he is. That paint thing, that's not gonna hold up if he gets close enough to scan the chip."

"Uh... Ahh. Well, we need to find a horse that can run like a champion," Nate observed. That sounded harder to accomplish.

"What about that horse from the other day? Kentucky Fried Chicken?" Hardison asked. Eliot sighed and looked up like he was trying to ask God for patience.

"Kentucky Thunder?" Eliot asked.

"That's what I said." Eliot looked like he was one second away from going at Hardison so thankfully Nate interrupted them.

"Oh, we steal an actual championship racehorse in order to fake another championship racehorse. Ooh, I like it."

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It was show time. Sophie was in charge of keeping Kentucky Thunder's actual trainer busy. Sang and Parker were stationed at various places around the racetrack on Sterling watch. So far there hadn't been any sign of him. Hardison had gone to the airport and picked up a couple of Asian tourists in order to complete the scheme.

"Any sign of Sterling?" Nate asked over the comms.

"Nope," Parker responded. Sang replied the same glancing around. The racetrack was pretty much abandoned right now. Sang was blending in with some of the other workers who were cleaning up. She took her time picking up random bits of trash and following their lead.

"What about these guys? Any trouble getting them here?" Nate asked Hardison who shook his head.

"Well, the little one has a bladder the size of peanut. She had to go to the bathroom three times on the way here and once when we got here." Sophie met up with them and began talking to the Asian tourists. Sang listened as Eliot got to Foss and began setting the bait.

"You ever hear of the Beijing Jockey Club?" Eliot asked Foss as he drove them on a small cart.

"Yeah, flew out there a few years back with a couple of buddies. We met with the founder, J.P. Chang. He, uh, was trying to start this horse hedge fund. Right idea, wrong investment."