Story 22 - Part 2 - A Voice in the Wind

“Thanks a lot, Nero,” Agent Driver said. “And to you as well, Jordan. We can’t afford to put many agents in the club.”

“Dev,” Nero laughed. “I’m the last one you have to explain anything to. I know how it goes. Are you even putting any agents in there?”

“Just one,” Dev admitted. “We asked Carmine to be Agent Wilson’s date.”

“Good,” Jordan interrupted. “I hear from my wife quite often that he needs to start dating more.”

“We’ve actually already sent that group in,” Dev explained. “The Fabers were kind enough to agree to go with Carmine and Tiffany so it would look like some friends hanging out at a club.”

“None of those people drink,” Nero observed.

“Apparently the Fabers dance,” Agent Driver said with a shrug. “Really, they’re just there for show. Tiff is the only one who’s wired. They’ll be monitoring the dance floor and the area around it. I need you two to check out the tables where, deeper conversation happens.”

“I could be the fence,” Nero suggested.

“That would make me the thief,” Jordan complained. “I can pull off a lot of stuff as a one-handed man, but I think that requires two.”

“Wear a glove.”

The argument as to what they were actually going to do continued during the entire drive to the club. Nero had laughed when Agent Driver had specifically requested that they not use Jordan’s car. As much as he respected his friend, he sometimes could not understand how the man could just let people high-jack his vehicle and give it whatever paintjob they wanted.

They were able to get into the club, which seemed to be an impressive feat for several of the people in line. The reality was that Jordan and Nero could be more intimidating than any bouncer if they really wanted to. The two friends got themselves a relatively secluded table and began to hold some small talk. At first they discussed the couple that was dominating the dance floor, then they commented on the weather and a few other generic topics. When Jordan brought up a bank that had been boasting about its security system the conversation got very interesting.

Instead of having one person acting as the thief, they both ended up discussing the ‘theoretical’ possibilities of stealing from that bank. It was actually pretty fun. Nero had been through several brain storming sessions like this before he retired. The purpose was always to come up with all possible scenarios and to understand the suspects. It was a good way of catching a target.

“What is it?” Nero asked when Jordan stopped mid-sentence and turned around.

“I thought I heard someone,” came the reply.

“One of ours?”

“No,” Jordan admitted. “It sounded like one of my bomb squad buddies. But I really can’t be sure. We all lost contact with him several years ago.”

“I guess he has a pretty distinctive voice,” Nero said. “I can’t think of anyone but Tech who would be able to pick out one voice in the tornado of surround sound.”

“I don’t believe it,” Jordan said.

“Maybe I’m exaggerating,” Nero sighed. “But they probably could make a tornado if…”

“Not that,” Jordan interrupted. “It is him. And…I think we’ve found our troublemakers.”

“Where?”

“Behind you and a little to my left, so your right,” Jordan explained.

“Causing any trouble?” Nero asked.

“Not yet, but I know how to get close to the group,” Jordan said as he stood up.

“Wait.” Nero grabbed his friend’s jacket. “He might not be a buddy anymore.”

“I’m completely aware of that.”

“Do you want some backup?”

“Oh, I think you’ll know when I need it.”