Peng and Rina had come to terms after a long while. Rina had later informed Pearl of her departure that evening with Peng to his apartment. They both reached the house, pulled out of the vehicle and started planning hard in the sitting room after a fresh bath under the heavily pouring shower, "it will be a quick snap in and out situation,"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll be behind the wheel while I go pick it guys from the garage,"
"Ok, let's just say you manage to get past almost four or five armed men with Tancredi on the team. How will we get out,"
"Well, we will drive out,"
"Haha hahaha, what a foolish idea," Rina said, "so, you just think you'll go there get IC and Lobos and TBC and head out, untouched,"
"Nobody, it will be an easy task, I'll need extra hands of course, that's why you're here. But no one is getting hurt trust me,"
"Trust you, that's what you want me to bet my life on, the trusting you,"
"Don't make this look like my plan is a total blunders, if you have some add on you can actually add on," Peng said "it's late already we need to get together and rest for the big game tomorrow,"
"Believe me when I say, I'll look forward to that. Right now I've completely left my train of thought, I'll be heading back to you tomorrow. I've had a rough day and I could use some free time,"
"All the opposing like you had any idea in your damn mind,"
"Don't insult my mind like that, you caused this bad day remember,"
"You brought all this on yourself. I came home since yesterday and you were blabbing about some stupid education. Now, I've given you an offer to make money and go to school," Pengman said, " guess what, after all no idea,"
"I said I'll see you tomorrow," Rina said picking her purse and walking out the door, "geez"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You've been stalling since," Tancredi had been invited few hours since and it was already getting late, "this is getting towards past eight and you haven't said a word,"
"First of all I've said something, but you don't wanna pay attention to it," Lobos said,
"You said you knew how the normally communicate through the white paper stocked in the envelope, tell me how," Tancredi inquired
"The answer is really big we need to know what we are getting and the results of where this is heading to," Lobos said
"The results is heading you to prison," Tancredi turns and orders Ria and Kayden, "ask them the fuckin questions about the money and let them fuck off,"
"Yes sir," Kayden and Ria chorused,
"Get on with the last deal, our sweet hearts here don't want out," Tancredi said and Kross was already leaning entirely at the door with a folded palms and a ferocious driven mindset just incase they boys had behaved funny, "I definitely second that boss, this folks have just wasted our time and that of boss,"
"Let the rat stay in his hole," IC said looking at Kross, "no distractions please,"
Kross turned in anger and sighed, "uhh uhh I don't get to handle you the way I want to,"
"Like you can," T sneaked in his reply,
"Just say the word and keep it going water bag," Kross shouted,
"Ok, everyone, let's get back to our old deal, you tell us everything you know about the money and you get a cut of half the time you'll spend in the prison. While the lifer gets a jail time of fifty years," Ria said opening the file and placing them on the table
"How about that?" Tancredi says looking at Lobos for any funny body movement. Then Lobos bursted out laugh, "hahaha hahaha,"
"Is he seriously laughing?" Kayden said, "he kept us all this long just to laugh annoyingly at the end,"
"First he is a jerk, second he's a loser, why wouldn't he," Kross said,
"You're seriously not laughing cuz, I can cancel all of your deal and find the money the hard way," Tancredi said in annoyance
"Like there's another way," L said
"Pretty sure you know the guy called Willy, we tracked him down to Mateo street, and from what a faithful friend, Pengman, told me, that's where the water bag territory resides,"
"It's IC, for correction,"IC said
"IC, don't tell me you played dumb all this while knowing how to get my money," Lobos said,
"Trust me, I didn't know man," IC stayed quiet then continued in a low tone, "I didn't know a thing,"
"That's just an inkling of what I'm gonna do, and how I'm gonna achieve my goal if you fail to tell me how," Tancredi says
"Ok, just promise us a clean slate if the information is legit," IC said
"Wooo, so you're looking for a clean slate for a fifty years old time in prison," Ria said
"Well, you can step his down to five and give I and TBC a clean slate," Lobos added
"Well, it's not in my power to give such clean slate," Tancredi says
"I guess we'll be going back to scratch then," Lobos pretended to turn his seat far the other side ready for questioning, "IC and T, I'm sorry but I can't sell such information for free,"
"No one is saying you'll be selling anything for free, you'll be given a five percent cut out of the supposed time you're to serve in prison,"
"That looks too cheap for me considering I know where to find them and how to get them,"
"Someone is playing chess with my feelings," Kayden says, "I have a twelve year old in the house alone, you all should respect my time and get things over with,"
"I don't think you really understand what I have here,"
"Clean slate, and five years for IC, agreed," Tancredi said, "now what do you know? Let's hear it, everything.
"The white paper is just a symbol," Lobos said immediately
"But you said, they normally communicate with it,"
"They do, but not how you think," L said, "you must've assumed deeping the white paper in milk and all those science stuff,"
"Foolish me," Tancredi said, "how then did they communicate," he asked,
"Don't be too harsh on yourself," T said, "those guys are really smart,"
"Yeah they are secret service," Tancredi says,
"Ok, let's say everyone of us in this room belongs to de Desperados and I bring the white paper," Lobos walks up to Tancredi and says, "I give it to you, and leave,"
"That's doesn't sound like communication to me," Kross said,
"Shut your mouth Kross," Tancredi says,
"The white paper represents its own symbol that I'm a member of the royal desperados and I've just sent you something on your burner phone,"
"Oohh, no way anyone could have found out about that," Ria said,
"That's not all,"
"Ok, there's more," Tancredi says,
"After the message, you go get your burner phone check out the information that has been sent and take that same white paper to another agent until it reaches the target customer,"
"The idea is very helpful," Tancredi says, "so you're saying each member of de Desperados has a burner phone,"
"And they carry it along where ever the went," T added
"How come you guys know alot about this stuff, I mean, there's no way you had any thing to do with a secret service agent," Kayden said,
"Good question," IC said, "just that when they're off from work they're no more secret service agents. They're mere drug dealers like me and the rest of my team,"
"Two faces behind the mask," Tancredi says,
"That's all the information I have," Lobos says and wents back to his seat,
"You told me you'll tell me everything you know plus where they are hiding,"
"Well, I don't know that part," Lobos said,
"Neither do I," T said, "I mean they're secret service. If you want to know where they are hiding, you have to join them,"
"By joining them you mean," Ria said,
"Well, by joining them I mean joining them de Desperados," T said
"How do we join them then," Kayden kinda interrupted, "if you know a way maybe we could sneak some of our agents in,"
"Well, you don't go to them, they come to you," Lobos says, "if you have what they want, they'll come knocking with an irresistible offer,"
"Good thing I can resist an irresistible offer," T said, "I've turned down so many,"
"The offer may not be as welcoming as you think, because you'll have to accept it whether the terms favors you or not,"
"Well, that's not a good option for me," Kayden said,
"That's not a good option for all of us. And remember no more rat," T turns and looks all his fellow agents in the face, "I'm serious, we need have each other's back in time like this,"
"Let me cut you in right there," IC said, "this is of course a knotty situation for you but I have a way of catching de Desperados. I cut five of them when I was back on the streets and from the interview I had with them…,"
"He sneaked in interview like it wasn't messy," T said, "I'm lawks that you're speaking English and that you're…"
Lobos cutted in mid sentence, "allow him T, if he has something to say let him say it,"
"I'll show you where they are" IC said,
"I'll tell you where they are," T said, "that's the correct English,"
"Alright, I'll tell you where the are but I won't tell you how to catch them," IC said, holding his lips, "because that part can't be given for free,"
Kross finally spoke after being shout out by Tancredi, "look freak, if you're thinking of a way to ditch your five years allocation in prison," he continued, "believe me when I say, you're getting zero time out of this,"
"Leave him to say it," Tancredi says, "if he's looking for a free like this other folks they last thing we want is to waste our time knowing he won't talk,"
"Is this what it is now? Huh, siding with a terrorist," Kross says, "I'm not gonna stand here and see the system get broken more than the way it already has. I'm going home,"
"Or you simply want to go drop your burner phone at your office and stick around for the final results so you can send it to your boss,"
"What's this murder fucker saying now, aye," Kross says, "so I'm the snitch now aiit, first it was Jace now it's me, who's gonna be next,"
"IC," Tancredi says, "I know you want to prove yourself but accusing a senior agent is a very big case. One that could throw all the deal that you have with us away,"
"IC, I hate you but c'mon, random accusations is not why we're here," Lobos says,
"Let's make a new deal," IC said, "you'll search him thoroughly and if he has the burner phone then he's among the royal desperados, if not you extend my time to ten years," IC laughed a bit, "I won't argue after the search is completed. That of course is if he'll allow us search his back suit pocket,"
"This is an embarrassment," Kross says, breathing heavily, "I won't let anyone touch me. I can't let a mere drug dealer take hold of me,"
"I know, but we gotta get this over with," Tancredi says, "if you're really not holding anything and not working with de Desperados, there's nothing to hide. We'll just search your back suit pocket and then we'll give him ten years,"
"Ohh, something tells me he won't let you do that," IC said, "he'll run out through the hallway and try to find his way out,"
"What makes you say that?" Ria said, "de Desperados has the money and the power and the authority to lift him out by one snap of their fingers, why won't they,"
"Ouz, you don't know, I'm gonna tell them, Kross," IC said,
"Like it's any of my business," Kross heart ran double pace throughout the conversation,
"Ok, so de Desperados has this character of dumping their workers. Not like me that will risk my ass to save you,"
"You mean us," T said,
"Eww, why would they be so harsh on their payroll," Ria said
"Let's just say they don't want attention of any sort. After all, it's a family business in the first place. If you get caught they can easily find someone who can replace you in a matter of…" before IC could complete his statement and say "seconds", anxiety kicked in and Kross had already stamped his boots on the hallway and tried the quick move.
Unfortunately T had foreseen the circumferences and had earlier informed the guard to keep him bound just in case. After a split of seconds he's brought back to the cell room hands strapped behind his back for questioning. Tancredi chuckles.