[Floor 6, Hotel Elisa | 1750 Central Time, Day 2]
Going past the SWAT officers guarding the perimeter, Mendez is now unsure if he is the one hauling Bishop or the if it is the other way around. Those two bullets pegged on his back caused him more pain than he initially thought.
The scene in the sixth floor was busy with police officers shuffling in and out of the suites, either securing evidence or dragging dead BP mercenaries out of the others' way. Whatever happened beforehand, McConley's team managed to conduct a successful operation--at least with better results and far less casualties than Mendez' team.
Mendez found McConley in one of the suites in the middle of the floor, wearing full tactical gear save for a helmet, rummaging through an assortment of documents and dossiers on a desk.
"Did you get what you need?" asked Mendez.
McConley looked up, and then dismissed the other officers in the room. "Smuggling routes, ground team to kidnap the victims, shipping routes, stash locations, this place is a gold mine," he stated. "Did you get what you need?"
Bishop handed her bodycam to Mendez. "All the recording's right here," said Mendez. "Puts Isaacs in the mud and you, my friend, in the clear. I was half-suspecting you to be in BP's pocket as well, but nope, he didn't drop your name or Bishop's."
"All this time? At least now we're no longer dragging our asses behind these BP bastards."
McConley reached out for the bodycam, but Mendez did not give it right away. "I suggest you keep it on the down low. Isaacs name-dropped a lot of people. Most of these names don't ring a bell in my head, but if I were to judge Bishop's reaction, I think you've got some real players on that list. People with the pull to shut down your entire operation and make your life real difficult if they find out what you're doing."
McConley threw a glance at Bishop, to which Bishop nodded as if to confirm Mendez' warning.
"What about Isaacs?"
Mendez shrugged. "I didn't drag him down here, what do you think?"
McConley threw his hands in disappointment. "Goddammit Mendez, we can't interrogate a dead suspect, you know that right?"
"He shot me and Bishop," retorted Mendez. "What, you'd rather me go good-cop and tell him to put his hands behind his head? Bishop tried, and she's lucky to get one on the chest, not on the head."
"But what about getting useful information out of him, huh?"
"Isn't that why Bishop brought a bodycam? Isaacs was too dangerous to be left alive, and he knows it. Crafty bastard kept this entire thing under your nose for months, who knows what else he'll pull when he's under your custody? Not to mention all those cops that are just as dirty as him."
"Pretty sure we can find out a lot more than what we--no, YOU have right now if he's still alive."
"And risk him escaping and setting your little investigation back a year, during which you're gonna need my help getting him since he's in the same league as BP as I was and all that? Don't get me wrong, I'd do it, but would you? With all that's going on?"
"You knew that this was going to end with him on the ground, did you?"
"No, but he played his card, and that forced me to play mine."
McConley sighed before turning to Bishop. "What say you, officer?"
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
Mendez smirked. This is going to be good.
"You've heard how Mendez talked to me. Granted."
"Fuck Isaacs. People like him give the force a bad name. If we can turn him in alive that's great, but we should not lose sleep over his death. He won't to us."
"Sounds like you have a personal vendetta to me," replied McConley.
"I suppose that happens when someone you look up to shot you on the chest, sir."
"Ah, I didn't know he was your inspiration. Let me guess, the Betty Deakins case?"
"No sir, it was the 'Ruff' Ricky Pantaglione case."
"Disgraced mobster-turned pimp who turned out to be a terrible employer. You know what, your involvement in this whole BP debacle might not be a coincidence after all."
Mendez cleared his throat. "I assume you're gonna build a case on all this?"
"No doubt about it."
"Becks--you know Becks, right? He apparently knows a lawyer, might be able to help you on this one. More than just 'knowing' matter of fact, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know him too. Draymond Becks."
Mendez nodded in slight astonishment. "Huh."
"Deputy District Attorney, handles human rights cases--domestic violence, sexual offences, assault, trafficking, you name it. You see a slimeball on trial, chances are he's gonna be the one pressing charges against him. Wouldn't be shocked if he's already started building a case against BP. Most if not all these intel are going up his desk later."
"How'd you know Becks is related to this guy?"
"When Becks told me his full name, I kind of put two and two together. Still had to confirm though, you wouldn't have guessed."
"Exactly," agreed Mendez. "Speaking of which, I'm gonna debrief with Becks and the rest of them. How'd they do?"
"Eh, not too shabby. Not exactly trained personnel, but they can definitely hold their own. Bottom line, not deadweight."
"What I told you, huh?" quipped Mendez as he shook hands with Bishop before leaving the room. "Hey, you did good."
"Thanks. I'd say you didn't do too bad yourself, but I've seen what you can do."
"Eh, I'm just decent," said Mendez before turning to McConley again. "You know where my crew is at, right?"
Moments later, Mendez caught the trio kicking back in one of the suites. Becks lied on one of the beds, Sui sat on the other bed tapping away on his phone, and Foy sat on one of the suite armchairs drinking bottled water.
"Shi~t man, you look like shit," said Becks, still lying on bed.
"Were you right?" asked Foy as he took another chug.
Mendez' response was him showing the two bullet pegs on the back of his rainjacket, dotting his blue fiery skull motif.
Sui put his phone away and adjusted his glasses. "He didn't try to go for the head?"
"Smaller target. Besides, Isaacs didn't know about the rainjacket. I made sure of that."
"So what now?" enquired Foy.
"We're gonna work with the PD, since we now know who's dirty and who's not. With what they get today, I think they're gonna go for the operations while we go for the names tied to BP. After all, Yakuza boy Serizawa is our top priority.
"We work up the ladder and get to him soon as we can, and if everything goes well, Cezaro's operation would've been taken down a notch by the time we're done with Serizawa."
"When's the last time everything went well, if I may ask?" prodded Sui.
"If I'm gonna be honest with you? Yesterday early in the morning, before I went to get some eggs for the cafe."
"That bad, huh?"
"Could be worse."
"Hold up," interrupted Foy as his phone rang. "Hello, Sanchez."
Mendez' ear perked up. Sanchez? As in the Sanchez that he beat up and shot at the same day? Interesting.
Soon after Foy finished the call, he got up from his seat.
"There is fire at the docks. Sanchez is torching the fight club."
Mendez looked around the room. "Well? What are we waiting for?"