Patterns of Betrayal

(11) Strategy

~~

Nikolas and I are in the process of placing all the practice equipment in the garage when Mother opens the door to the building.

She looks at both of us before beckoning us inside. Puzzled, I look to Nikolas when she retreats into the building, but his eyes are hard and focused. He quickly throws the remaining cardboard cutouts into a box before heading for the door without hesitation. I follow closely behind.

«Adrian, join us in my office.»

Mother barely offers a perplexed Adrian on the living room couch a glance before heading for the office located at the far end of the building. We match her pace.

«Our partners have a lead on the group,» Mother states once the door to her office is closed behind Adrian. Mother takes a seat behind her desk, opening her laptop while the three of us remain standing. I cock my head at her words.

«We sent one of Tor's men to act as a supposed client of mine to get in contact with the group. Our initial plan was for the client to get in contact with the group through a meeting in their workspace so that we would be able to get an insight into where they are located. The group had refused to meet the client anywhere in private, but rather set up meetings in selected public areas where security cameras are present such as grocery stores, parks, gas stations. This made our interrogation plan difficult to pull off, so we opted for plan B.»

Mother pulls up a document on the screen, and turn the computer to face us. An unknown man's face and his details show on the screen.

«We needed to find more information about their location and business, but the group wasn't sharing anything other than what was necessary to get our undercover client a new identification and a way out of town. So, we needed to get this information from their partners.»

Mother points to the man in the picture on the screen.

«Through the group, our client managed to gather some information about the corporation that works with the group in altering identification. He managed to track down the owner of this corporation and eventually 'ran into him' at a bar. He gets the guy drunk enough to start spluttering on about the partnership and their 'brilliant' work in stealing clients from loanshark businesses, and so on. You know how it goes.» Mother waves a dismissive hand, not bothering to go into the details.

«Anyway, our client eventually gets the man to talk about their partner's whereabouts. They're hiding out in an abandoned warehouse just outside the city, with what the man referred to as a 'ridiculous' entrance below the ground next to a big oak tree. Our client kept pushing and the man eventually gave away the fact that the spy group is keeping the information on these different loanshark businesses and debt collectors in a room in the basement of the building. How much of this information we'll believe will vary to what seems logical, seeing as the man still hasn't been there, and never will. The leader of the group is secretive and doesn't trust anyone except his own shadow, apparently.»

Mother draws a long breath before removing the memory stick from the computer and holding up to us.

«It's all in here, the recordings taken of the conversation between our undercover client and the spy group's associate. I've sent it to our partners and we've set up a plan on how to go forward. I'll fill you guys in on the details on the way there, how we'll go about the confrontation and where I want you all to be positioned. Tor is coming with some of his men in an hour, and I have some last-minute calls I need to make,» she puts the memory stick back on the table before turning back to us. «Nikolas, get the firearms packed, you're loading the magazines in the car. Adrian, Alene, go eat something that will last you for the rest of the night. The ride will take us about two hours.»