Apple Spies (Ordinary Heroes)

Apple Spies - Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 : Checkmate

The ambulance arrived along with the NYPD cars and the FBI CSU. They placed Carla inside the ambulance, checked her pulse, and put her on a drip for the pain.
« Will she be okey ? », Swift asked to the doctor.
« Seems the burns are just superficial and only on her hands, she's gonna be fine. We need to take her to the hospital now. Is anyone coming with her ? », the young doctor replied.
« I'll go with her. Swift go back to the office and take Vanessa home. She must be pretty shaken up. », Peter said. « I want this whole area sealed and the CSU to look for any evidence on what kind of bomb we're dealing with and how to find the bastard who put that on Swift's car !!! Guys, work along NYPD, nobody is getting close to the car or even the street, block it for now. Okey ?! I'll let you know how Carla is. Join me later at the Hospital if you can. I'll stay with her, don't worry buddy. », Peter added, determined.
« Alright, thanks Peter. », He walked towards the ambulance and bent on Carla. « Okey, you let them take care of you. You're in good hands, I'll come see you soon. », he took her hand and held it for a while. «You're safe now. » She smiled back at him. « I'll be fine...Thank you Alex... »
« Sorry we gotta take her now. », the doctor said to Swift.
« Okey, I'll see you soon Carla. Peter I'm going upstairs to take V home. See ya later. »
He walked to the main entrance and took the elevator. He knew exactly who put that bomb in his car. Vanessa's abduction was just a warning. Now he needed to figure out how they knew he would be parked here but he could already think of something. Right now, he needed to take care of Vanessa, she was his top priority.
He stepped out of the elevator and found her sitting in front of the window. Staring outside.
« Oh my god Alex !! Is Carla okey ? Are you okey ? », she said, tearing up and hugging him.
« She's fine sweetie. Only superficial burns, she heard a weird noise and jumped quickly on the sidewalk. She was really lucky. Stop crying, look I'm fine too. », he replied holding her hands.
« I'm so happy she is okey. This could have been you. They want you dead Alex. We need to find these bastards ASAP. We can't let them hurt anyone else ! », Vanessa sounded really pissed off.
« Calm down now. You're still in shock. I'm gonna get you home. We'll take a cab. Let's go V. You need to rest. Did you text the others ? »
« Yes, I just sent them a group message. They couldn't believe it. Theys end their love to you and Carla. », she replied, wiping the tears on her face.
« I need to call Shawn. I think I know how they tracked me down.  Let's go V. I got you. », she grabbed her arm and held him as they walked out of the elevator to call a cab.
« Shawn, hi. I might need your help. Let me take V home and I'll drop by your dorm in an hour. Is that okey ? », he said on the phone.
« Oh hi Professor. I'm so happy Carla and You are okey. Sure. I'm in my room studying and my roomie is out. I'll wait for you. See ya soon. »
« Can you tell me what you're thinking of Alex ? », Vanessa asked, curious.
« I think he or she hacked my GPS thanks to my phone. I want Shawn to look into it. If we find a trace of hack in my phone we could track them down too. », he replied, confident.
« I bet it's Dimitri. He's the hacker. I want them behind bars Alex ! They can't get away from us anymore ! », she replied, angrily.
«Same here. Trust me, this time we'll catch them. The game will be soon over. »
« I trust you. There's no place they can hide from you. You're the best. », she caressed his forearm and he smiled at her.
« Your unconditional love and trust is what keeps me going V. I won't let anyone else hurt you. », he kissed her and felt her warmth.
« I love you more Swifty. », she replied, kissing him back.
After 10 minutes, she was finally home. « Okey, stay safe. Don't go anywhere and get some rest. I'll keep you posted on what Shawn and I find out. », he walked her to the porch and she opened the door. « I'll see you soon Alex. »
He went back on the cab. « NYU please. », he said to the driver.
« Excuse me to ask you that, but are you Alexander Swift ? The Alexander Swift ? », the driver asked, politely.
« Yep. The one and only. Do I know you ? »
« No , we've never met but I've seen you on TV solve all those murders back in the days you were still the best profiler in the country. I'm proud to drive you in my cab. »
« Oh thanks, that's really kind of you. Now I need to get to campus ASAP. So eyes on the road Mr... ? »
« Kalashi. Praveen Kalashi. I'm from Pakistan. No problem. I'll get you there in no time. », he replied, smiling.
Swift indeed arrived at NYU in 10 minutes. He thanked Praveen and gave him a good tip. « Keep catching bad guys ! », he said, with his sweet accent. « I promise ! bye ! »
Swift walked to Shawn's dorm and bumped into one of his colleagues. « Hey, Swift, are you free for a coffee later ? », the guy said.
« I gotta take care of something first. Let's catch up this week, okey Trevor ? », he said, in a hurry.
« Sure, later Swift. »
He had no time to waste. The clock was ticking before Irina and his bro would strike at him or his team again. He was inside Shawn's dorm and headed towards his room. He knocked but saw that the door was open. He stepped in. « Hey anyone ??? »
Shawn appeared at the door behind him. « Hey Professor, sorry I was getting myself something from the machine. I'm glad you are okey. »
« Hello Shawn. Your room is...actually exactly how i pictured it !! haha. »
« Yeah, sorry about the mess though. I'm not the tidying type. Have a seat. », he said, laughing.
« Look. I'm here cause I think you might help me figure out if Dimitri could have hacked my GPS to locate my car and if he could have used my phone app to do that. », he said, handing him his cell phone.
« It's possible indeed Professor. If your GPS is linked to your phone, I can actually trace him back through your app. Let me take a look and plug it to my laptop. »
Watching Shawn work was like an episode of CSI Cyber. That guy surely knew what he was doing. His confidence surely got Swift's attention at the seminar's interview.
« So It might take a while. I've launched a programme to find if anyone got access to your phone app and tricked your GPS. Do you know how the bomb was triggered ? Was it from a distance ? »
« No, Carla clicked on the car key and heard a noise. I don't think someone was using a trigger or a phone detonator. »
« Alright, so give me a few minutes. I will be able to track the hacker down. I don't think he's smart enough to have wiped the meta data on your app. But anyway I can still track the signal and tell you in which area the guy hacked your GPS. »
« You're a genius dude. », Swift said, looking at the laptop triangulating different areas.
« He's definitely not in NYC. Wait...Damn . This is taking too long. Seems he put a backfire to lure anyone who would want to see where he set the hack. I can defo break the firewall. », he said typing really fast on his laptop some codes only he and a few of Swift's FBI colleagues could understand.
« Where is he Shawn ? Tell me !! », Swift said, impatient.
« It seems the signal places him at the Hamptons. Southampton. Beach house. I can't give a precise address but I can look into it. It will take longer. »
« Wait, V said something about that. She heard them talk about the Hamptons. It's gotta be that. I'll call Peter ASAP. We need to look into it. Though I doubt they would stay in the same place too long. Worth a try. Thanks a lot Shawn. »
« Your phone was defo hacked. I'll reinstall all your apps and I advise you to change your number too if you can. », Shawn said, confident.
« Okey, thanks. Will do. I gotta rush now. I want to drop by Bellevue hospital to see Carla and talk to Peter. Thank you for your help. See you soon. »
« No problem Professor. Send my love to Carla and say hi to Peter. I'll catch up later. Be careful. »
Swift took a cab and headed for the hospital. Peter was outside the ER on the phone. He waved at Swift and told him to hold on. « Listen, I gotta go now. I'll be at the Bureau soon. Keep me posted ok. », Peter said.
« Hey buddy. »
« Hey, how is she doing ? », Swift asked, worried.

« She's doing fine. Nothing really serious the doctors said. They put bandages and treated the burns. It should be healed in a few days. Her vitals are ok too. They're gonna keep her maybe for a week to make sure she doesn't scratch the burns when it heals. She got lucky. I'm so happy she's gonna be okey. » Peter replied, smiling.
« Can i see her now or do I need to wait ? »
« You can go inside and ask the doctors and as you are here, I need to drop by the bureau. Seems my team found something on all the details Vanessa gave us. We have a lead. Can you join me later ? »
« Sure. I'll stay with Carla for a little while but I'm sure she needs to rest. I'll drop by in an hour.  See you later Peter. »
Swift went inside and asked a nurse what room Carla was in. «Can I see her ? »
« Sure, but not long though. Room 345. 3rd floor. The elevator is over there. »
« Okey thanks. »
He walked in the corridor to her room. It was full of patients walking, people buying stuff from the machine, doctors holding files and rushing in the corridors. He knocked at her door.
« Come in. », she answered.
«Hey Carla. »
« Swift, hello. Thanks for dropping by. »
« How are you feeling ? You scared me there. », he said sitting on the chair next to her bed.
« I'm fine Alex. I'm glad it's nothing serious. They gave me painkillers and put oil on my arms. It's gonna heal fast. One question remains though, who did this ? Who wants you dead ? »
« I know who it is Carla. I dropped by Shawn's and he noticed that my cell phone was hacked, so was my GPS. So whoever planted the bomb also tracked my every movement and also knew I didn't park inside the FBI car park. It's gotta be Dimitri. I'm gonna find that bastard and his sister who did that to you ! I promise you Carla ! », he said, angrily.
« I know you will. Calm down. I'm fine. And yes we're gonna find them even if I'm stuck here for a few days, I'll help you all. », she replied, touching his arm.
« Would you like me to bring you something from the cafeteria, or some books, magazines ? »
« That's sweet yeah maybe later. Stay with me for a while. But then I think I'm gonna take a nap. I'm tired. »
Looking at her on this hospital bed gave Swift another motivation to catch those bastards. The game isn't over. You can't hurt his friends and not get payback. He will put those two behind bars.
« I think you should go check on that sweet girl. She's surely scared that bomb was meant for you. », she said, smiling at him.
« Right now, I'm with you a little. Yes I'll check on her. I also need to go back to the Bureau. Peter said they have a new lead. I'll keep you posted. », he replied standing up and looking through the window. His phone suddenly rang. It was Vanessa. He showed the phone to Carla and she said « Take it. »
He left the room and walked in the corridor. « Hey Alex. », Vanessa said sweetly. « Hey Vanessa. »
« How is she ? »
« She's fine. Thanks for asking. Only superficial burns. She'll be here a week. Are you okey ? »
« Yes I'm fine. Lana and I wanted to know how she was. Ian knows too. He sends his love. »
« Thanks sweetie. I need to go back to the Bureau. Seems Peter's guys found something and I asked Shawn to look into my phone, I'm a hundred percent sure Dimitri hacked my phone and GPS. »
«We're gonna catch them Alex. You're still the best profiler in the country. There's no way they can play us anymore. »
« I know and thanks for saying that but they got to you and now Carla. I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. »
« It won't happen. And i'm not hurt. When you're done with the Bureau, could we see eachother for a while ? I miss being with you and to be honest, I could use a hug. »
« I'll take a cab from the Bureau and we could go have a coffee somewhere if you want. I miss you too my princess. »
« Perfect. Tell me when you are done with Peter and I'll get ready. I love you so much. »
« I love you too. See you soon baby. », he hung up with a smile on his face. She was the only person in this world who could actually make him smile in the darkest hours of his life. The sound of her sweet voice filled his heart with warmth and love. He was so grateful to have met her, and no matter what happens in the future, she will be a part of it. That girl was the funniest, sweetest, most caring, adorable and beautiful he'd ever seen. Today, he could actually say that even though he had many years of happiness with his wife, he was able to love again. Loving her made his life count. She was his person, the most important one. Nobody would ever separate them. Thinking about her made him forge the hadn't said goodbye to Carla. He went back in the room and explained to her he was going to meet Peter then go see Vanessa.
« Swift ? », Carla asked before he left.
« Yeah ? »
« Take care of her. », she said, winking at him.
« I will Carla. You focus on getting better. Now get some rest. See you soon. »
« Thanks for coming. See you soon. »

Back at the Bureau, Peter was surrounded by his team around two computers and a bunch of coffee mugs. « Swift, here you are. So this is what we could find thanks to what V told us. Entering all the elements in this software, it seems there's only one place she could have been held. A closed corn factory in the suburbs next to a church. And guess who owned this ? »
« Enlighten me. »

« The Russian mob. Seems this was actually a hide out for a drug dealing business a few years back. So there is only one way those two could have know the location. They were working for them or they were related to one of them. My guess is on the second one. You know who I'm talking about right ? »
« Their father. The bastard I put behind bars and who died in jail. This all makes sense now. »
« Wait, there's something else. Vanessa mentioned the Hamptons and you said your phone hacker was probably over there. The bastard owned a beach house over there. I guess they still have the keys to that place. Wanna go for a Russian hunt with us Swift ? »
« Hell yeah, I'm in. When will the team be operational ? »
« We're setting a team for tomorrow 7 am.  SWAT, bomb squad, a few of my special ops agents and you and I. »
« You think they're still over there ? »
« I don't know but even they aren't we can canvass the place, look for evidence and hunt them down. They can't escape Swift. They won't. », Peter replied, determined.
« I agree. It's time for checkmate. Do I need to stay here now ? », he asked Peter.
« Not right now. We got it covered. Be here at 6 am. We'll give you a jacket and weapon. Thanks for coming.  See you tomorrow. »
« Okey Peter. I'll see you. Work well and keep me informed If you learn anything new.  Bye. »

The beach house was situated in Westhampton dunes, but wasn't one of those stilt houses you could
find along the shore. It was a nice property with a backyard, a garage and two floors. There were
balconies all around each room, painted in white, which contrasted with the pale yellow of the house
walls. The beach was just a few minutes away. The wind which was usually bringing sand all
over people's properties was stopped by some brick walls and the fact that the house was not facing
the beach. It had very nice and modern furniture combined with different high-priced antiques, a
charming fireplace, a huge kitchen, 4 bedrooms and one bathroom on each floor.

« Can you still track him ?? », Irina yelled to Dimitri.
« Stop yelling at me ! I'm trying !!! Seems he did something to his phone. It's protected now. », he replied, typing on his laptop nervously.
« Look, he's smart and he's got a great team to back him up. He got lucky this time. Maybe we won't get another shot. I think we should get the hell outta here before they come after us ! »
« I thought you wanted him dead. If we run or disappear it's over sis ! If they are after us, then let them come, I'm gonna take care of it. We have to avenge Dad and go back to Russia when it's done. »
« Alright, tell me if you find out anything. I'm gonna go run an errand in town. », Irina took her purse, the car keys and left.

Swift arrived at the Bureau. His car was still outside the building. The CSI were still working on it. He walked to the main entrance and Peter was downstairs waiting for him.
« Swift, We've got intel. I think we can actually affirm that they are in their father's beach house. I got my team look into the traffic CCTV and we located a car parked outside the property. It is surely theirs. What do you say we get ready to nail their asses for good ? », Peter said, smiling. »
« Let's do this Peter. Show me what you found. We need a plan. », Swift replied, impatient.

Vanessa and Lana were back at their apartment. « Fancy some icecream V ? I think we could use a little treat ! »
« Excellent idea, let's watch a romantic comedy and eat icecream. I surely can use a quiet evening. I thought about that explosion all day...We will never be safe unless we catch those bastards. »
« Try to cool down now V. Alex is safe. Carla is in good hands and you are at home with me. Let's have some girl fun for once. »
« You're right Lana. I'm sorry. Choose a movie, I'll get the icecream ! »
They both sat on the couch and relaxed. Vanessa couldn't stop thinking about Swift. She knew being with him woud be challenging, but she had skipped the part where she gets kindapped and a bomb blows up his car.
« V ? Are you ok ? You seem thoughtful ? »
« I'm sorry Lana. I've got a lot on my mind. What happened to Carla could have happened to Swift. I know he's a former FBI agent, but I'm worried about what could happen to him. They're going to raid the Hamptons and arrest them, i know they are well trained, but I'm scared Lana. I don't wanna lose him. »
« I understand V. Though you know you shouldn't really worry about him. He's got all the FBI agents with him. He's a pro. You really love him, huh ? »
« Yes, I do. I know it's forbidden and all but I don't see my life without him in it now. Our paths crossed for a reason Lana, I'm sure of it now. We're made for eachother. », she started tearing up when she finished the sentence.
« Vanessa, awwwe, come here. » Lana hugged her and she felt better. « Now, no more tears, let's watch a movie. It's girl's night sweetie. »

While the girls were comfy at home, Shawn and Ian decided to go for a pool game in a pub close to campus. Ian was not really into it. He still felt something for Vanessa. He was still scared for her safety. Being overprotective was his thing. He behaved like that with his siblings and his close friends back there in Chicago. He had never thought of finding new friends so quiclky when he left for NYC. He missed home but somehow he liked it here.
« Ian, are you gonna play or what, you've been staring at the table for 10 minutes !  haha ! », Shawn said, laughing.
« Sorry buddy, I was not focused ! »
« V ???? »
« Yeah, you know me well. I care for her. I hope she's gonna be safe now. That nobody will come after her. »
« She will be dude. Don't worry about her. She's tougher than she looks. But to be honest, you need to start moving on my friend. I don't want to be blunt, but she's into someone else now, there's nothing you can do. It's time for you to start looking around you. There are lots of other pretty and smart girls here. », Shawn added, putting his hand on his shoulder.
« Yeah, you're right, I know you're right. I'm sorry I haven't been a really good buddy to you. I'm gonna make it up to you. Let me buy you another drink ok ? », Ian winked at him and walked towards the bar.
« Can I have a vodka tonic and a beer please ? », Ian said to the bartender.
« Sure ! oh...I like your shirt ! », a lovely blonde girl smiled at him and stared at his t-shirt.
He was wearing a shirt from Northwestern fraternity Kappa Delta. « Hey, have you been to Northwestern too ? », he asked, curious.
« Nope, but my sister studies there and she brought me a shirt from her sorority too. They are cool shirts. I'm Karen by the way, nice to meet you. », she had the cutest smile and freckles.
« Wow, that's awesome. I'm Ian. Nice to meet you too. I'm in NYU now, criminal law but I'm from Chicago. », he shook her hand and it kinda felt nice. For the first time, he could actually be happy to talk to another girl. « So are you at NYU too Karen ? »
« Yeah, as a matter of fact I am. I'm studying archeology, I'm in my first year of doctoral studies. »
« This is sooooo cool. So you're like female version of Indiana Jones, right ?  haha. », he said, laughing.
« You're the first one to tell me that, but indeed, I like to dig ancient sites and discover tombs ! Not sure you woud actually look at me in my work clothes, I look like a dirty CSI ! »
« So you are pretty and really smart. Nice to meet you Karen. Hope to see you at NYU. I'm gonna go back to my friend now. »
« See you around Chicago ! », she smiled at him and went back to serving cocktails.
« Soooooo ???? What did I tell you buddy ??? », Shawn said, smirking.
« Whaaaat ? Don't say anything haha, let's go play ! »
« Feels good to be back on the saddle huh ? »
« Can you please shut up and play dude !!! haha », Ian smiled and winked at him looking towards the bar. Karen was looking towards him too.
« Excellent choice by the way ! »
« I can't get hold of his phone now, maybe I should try hacking hers. The girl's. » Dimitri looked up as he was trying to upload a software.
« Can you ? », Irina replied, pulling her hair back and looking bored.
« Sis ! Trust me on that, if I say i can then it means I CAN. Gimme a few hours. »
« I was not doubting you Bro. I just thought they might have protected hers too after we abducted her. »
« I thought so too. I'll figure it out. Just go do whatever you gotta do and come back later ok ? »
« Okey, I'll be back in two hours. » Irina took her coat, the car keys and drove dowtown to buy food. Then she headed to a warehouse behind the supermarket. She knocked and a tall brown haired guy, with a long beard and covered in tattoos opened the door.
« Hey. Dimitri sent me. Do you have what we ordered ? »
« Glad he sent you, you look way hotter than him. Haha ! Yeah, all the stuff is ready. You guys gotta be extremely careful with this stuff alright ? Its highly unstable. »
« We're not stupid dude ! what about the guns ? the amo ? »
He walked towards a safe hidden in his office wall. « Follow me. »
He opened the safe and took out shotguns, handguns, rifles of all sorts, Russian stuff mostly.
« Now we're talking. I'll take two of each. Put all that and the nitro in my trunk. Your money's been transferred. »
« Please be careful and tell your bro to stay out of trouble too when the job's done. »
« We gotta finish this and you know why Piotr. Our father would have wanted us to do it. »
« Da. Take care Irina. See ya. »

Swift dropped by campus to hand over exam papers to Mike and prepare a few lesson plans for the next weeks. It was already mid October, soon the campus will be full of students looking for their Halloween costumes and running around in the middle of the night like vamps or ghosts or pale versions of Frankestein's creature. He loved the fall. He used to walk on Husdon's banks with his wife and run in Central Park. They would sit on the benches and try to change the world, thinking of their future kids going to kindergarten. All those things he couldn't do because she was gone too soon and he sometimes had no time for her because of his job. They were happy though. She was such a kind and beautiful soul. He sat in his office and looked at his frame, smiling. Then, he closed his eyes for a minute. He thought of Vanessa, of how close he was to her and the guilt of replacing his wife disappeared. He knew she would want him to move on, to fall in love again.
The door squeaked and Mike appeared. « Did I wake you Alex ? haha »
« Shut up ! I was focused on my work and I was actually gonna head towards your office in a while ! »
« There's something you really suck at buddy : lying ! you're a terrible liar ! »
« Let me find the papers and I'll drop by your office. I think I can even type the lesson plans till Christmas break...So what do you have to say about that ? »
« You never fail to amaze me Swifty !  Can I buy you a coffee ? «
« Yeah , let's grab one. Then I'll head home. Gotta get a good night sleep for tomorrow. »
« What's up tomorrow ? »
« Big raid to catch the Russian bastards in the Hamptons. »
« Damn, you have such an exciting life ! Lucky you ! haha Don't forget that you're a full time Professor now ! »
« How could I forget when you constantly harass me and fill my inbox with mails ?! »
« Haha, right I plead guilty. Let's go to the cafeteria. It's on me. »
« How generous of you !!! »
« So how are the students doing this year ? »
« They're a great bunch. Shawn, Ian, Lana and Vanessa. I have high hopes for them. They are not afraid to step away from the books and think, discover, analyse, deduce. Remember Adam, two yeard ago ? »
« Yeah, think so. The dude who registered at the last minute. So what about him ? »
« He works for Interpol. He's a cryptologist. One of the best. He works on all major international cases. I think Vanessa is even better. The girl not only has potential, she has the instinct for it. She could even be better than I was back then when the FBI recruited me ! »
« You're impressed, huh ?! I get it. I'm glad you are proud of your students. I never doubted your ability to inspire careers. You're an amazing teacher Swift. Keep up the good work ! »
« I'm glad you finally realized that ! haha. Okey let's order coffee then I'll head home. »

At the FBI headquarters, Peter was briefing the whole team, preparing the guns, the bullet proof jackets, the surveillance equipments, the maps of the area. Everything was pinned to the wall and also on everyone's phone or tablet.
« What do we know about the house ? Any back door or basement exit ? a garage ? », Peter asked one of his IT gyus.
« Yeah, we checked all that thanks to the satellite. They got one garage close to the house. A backdoor exit which leads to the beach, a basement but no exit, well apparently. We can only be sure when we'll be inside. »
« Neighbours check ? Do we need to evacuate them ? »
« We can't do that without alerting the Russians, it would be too obvious. »
« We need to make sure we have a team ready to secure the neighbours if they're into something nasty, i mean like blowing the house down. Dimitri seems to like exploding stuff. I want one SWAT team in the street. I want 4 agents with Swift and I, we're gonna try to get inside, I need a negotiator on the spot ready to talk to them, a russian translator, the bomb squad, an ambulance.
Everyone will wait far from the house until you get our signal. I hope that Swift and I can get them to surrender without being forced to shoot. The bastards are gonna go to court. I want them both alive if possible, is that clear for everyone ? », Peter said, firmly.
They all  nodded and gathered their stuff.
« Alright, you all get a good night sleep, see you all tomorrow 5 am sharp. »
Vanessa couldn't sleep. She was concerned about Swift having to go on the raid. She rolled over again and again and finally took her phone to text him. « Please promise me you'll be careful Alex. »
« Hey Princess. Why aren't you sleeping ? I promise don't worry. »
« I couldn't sleep. I'm worried about you. »
« I have done this for 10 years love. Everything will be fine. But I was thinking about you too. Wishing we could be together tonight. »
« I know. Me too. I'm glad I talked to you. I feel better now. I'm gonna try to sleep. »
« Goodnight Princess. Sweet dreams. Love you. »
« Goodnight. Love you too. »

Tuesday 20th October. 5 am. At the FBI headquarters, the SUVs were loaded, Peter and his team were getting ready, checking every detail one last time. Swift came out of the elevator. The look he had on his face reminded Peter how fun it was when they worked together back in the old days.
« Hey Swifty ! You look determined. »
« Damn right I am ! This has been going on for too long. Let's go nail them dude ! »
« Here's the itinerary, your bullet-proof vest and your gun. You're in the car with me. We have four other SUVs, the SWAT and a negociator just in case. »
« Let's go then Peter ! »
They all left the parking lot, drove to Brooklyn Bridge, towards Eastport/Montauk. It was an approximately 2 hour drive depending on traffic. Peter had put his traffic alert on his phone and the GPS indicated around 1 hour and 50 minutes to get there. It was a stormy autumn day, very damp, with heavy showers even hailstones from time to time.
« Have you ever been theree Alex ? », Peter inquired.
« As a matter of fact, I have. Ten years ago, I took my wife on a mini-break weekend in May. The weather was so lovely she even had a swim in the ocean. She was so happy and relaxed and I was too. » Swift's eyes looked outside the car, wandering about, as he tried not to tear up.
« Sorry dude, didn't want you to go down memory lane, I know how much you miss her. »
« It's ok Peter, don't worry about it. »
The closer they drove to the highway, the darker the sky was becoming.
« We're gonna have a thunderstorm Swifty ! »
« Not the first time with you buddy ! Remember the second year i worked with you, we chased down an armed robber up to Brooklyn. We could barely drive with the amount of water covering the road ! »
« Yeah, I surely do remember how you actually took a dangerous U-turn and nearly got us killed ! »
« Good old days ! haha !
« True that ! », Peter replied, smiling.

At the beach house, Dimitri was in the basement on his laptop trying to figure out how to hack Peter or Swift's phone.
« Are you done bro ? », a voice came out of nowhere. It was Irina at the top of the staircase who had just got back.
« I'm trying. Surely can't get access to Swift's phone. I might actually be able to access Peter's through his GPS app. Did you get what I asked for ? »
« Yeah, everything is upstairs. We surely won't be short of amo and damn Dimitri with your big guns, we're not going on a guerilla ! »
« You never were a fan of guns sis. You truly ain't like Dad and I. »
« Mom wasn't either. We are more subtle you know ! »
« I'm gonna go set the explosives and load the guns. I think the welcome committee is gonna be here soon sis. It's checkmate time ! »
After nearly two hours drive, the FBI team arrived on location. Peter spotted the street on his GPS.
« Okey, falcon 1 and 2, you go park on the paralell street and wait for my signal. Falcon 3 park the SUV at the crossroad and walk to the house. Stay hidden until I say to move. Swift and I are gonna have a sneak peak at the house exits and check if they are in. I need infrared cameras, falcon 4 is with us for back-up. Alright everyone let's do this ! »
Swift and Peter opened the trunk, took out the guns and cameras, put on their vests and walked towards the beach house. The neighbourhood seemed to be very quiet as it was early morning. They passed close to another house, saw someone taking out his trash, they waved at him and asked him to go back inside. The team walked slowly trying to hide behind bushes or trees. Peter ordered the rest of the team to stay put.
« Swift, you and I go closer and check if they're inside. Let's take the back door it's gonna be easier for us to hide. »
« Alright, I'm right behind you buddy. »
They ran behind the beach house and stayed hidden. Peter took out the infrared camera.
« Ground floor. Clear. First floor. Clear. Nobody's home Swift. I think we should break in. »
« Let's use the back door and have a look. If they aren't here, they surely aren't too far. We could surprise them and catch them when they get back. »
Swift opened the back door with his knife, looked inside and told Peter he could come in too.
« All units stay put. Falcon 1 and 2. Bring the SUVs closer to the street and wait for my orders. »
They both walked slowly inside the house. It was clean and tidy with a modern touch. No computers. No phones. No guns. Seemed like a ghost house. Swift and Peter walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge, the cupboards. Empty.
«You sure it's the right house Peter ? »
« Yeah, it's the one. Hold on, there's a door here. Probably the basement. »
As Peter crossed the living room and walked next to the door, Swift heard a noise upstairs. « What was that Peter ? There's somebody upstairs ! »
« I checked with the infrared camera there was nobody. How on earth... ? »
« Let's have a look behind that door first. »
Peter touched the door knob and started to turn it on the right. There was a weird sound. Peter started opening the door. Swift jumped on him and yelled at him : « Peter !!! Ruuuuuuun !!! »
The door knob was tied to a string which triggered a firegun shooting at them as they opened it.
Peter and Swift nearly got time to jump sideways and land on the wooden floor.
« Holy shit Peter, this house is trapped ! Are you okey ? Are you hurt ? »
Peter checked his vest, his arms, his legs. He was okey.
« Thank god you still got your dog's ears Swifty ! I didn't hear anything ! »
There was some movement upstairs, like someone running from one room to another. « You heard that ?! »
At the same time, the kitchen back door squeaked too. « Peter, stay here go check the kitchen I'm going upstairs, call the teams ! »
Peter ran to the kitchen and as he tried to open the door, someone fired straight towards him. He took shelter behind the fridge. « FBI !!! Drop your gun !!!! I repeat drop your gun or I'll shoot you ! »
It was Dimitri with his rifle. He shot towards the fridge again, not scared of dying, but willing to kill one or two FBI agents before going down. « You bastard ! I'm gonna kill all of you. I ain't scared ! I'll never surrender ! »
« Listen to me, stop shooting and drop your weapon. Nobody needs to get hurt. »
« Come and get me moron ! »
Dimitri opened the kitchen door and started running towards the wood. Peter chased him down for over half a mile but the guy was really fast. Breathless, Peter stopped behind a tree and called his team. « Falcon 1 and 2, suspect is on the loose. Male, 6 feet tall, wearing blue jeans and a red hoody. Do not shoot but catch him alive. I'm going after him in the woods.
In the meantime, Swift was climbing the wooden stairs very slowly, his gun in his right hand, ready to shoot. He opened the first door, checked inside the bedroom, clear. The second bedroom was empty too, he opened all the closets and checked under the bed. The next room was an office, on the table was a laptop, a map, ammunition, several handguns. Now he was sure the Russians lived here. He carried on in the corridor, walking quietly.
The last door was probably the bathroom. He tried to open it but it was locked. « FBI !!! Open this door ! If you are armed, drop your weapon, I'm gonna kick this door in ! »
On the other side of the door, Irina was trying to open the bathroom's window and get out in the balcony. Swift yelled once more and kicked the door in. As he entered, he heard someone down the house. « Stop right there ! FBI ! Do not move ! »
Irina took her gun and took a shot in Switf's direction. Swift nearly got the time to jump in the bathroom window. Irina had managed to get down and was running towards the pier.
Swift ran down the stairs, across the backyard, and climbed the wooden wall.

Peter was still behind a tree waiting for his team to come for back-up. « Swift ! I'm chasing down Dimitri. Please be careful. »
« I'm going after Irina, stay safe Peter ! »
Peter started walking closer to where he last saw Dimitri. « Dimitri, I advise you to drop your weapon and surrender ! » He heard some leaves moving and ran towards the bush. As he started looking around the bush, he felt a cold metal touch on his neck. « Drop your gun or I shoot you ! » Dimitri was right behind him, with a proud look on his face. « So you actually thought we would let you win ? Now you'll know how it feels to be near your own death and be helpless. Get on your knees, hands behind your head. Now !!! »
« Listen to me Dimitri, you don't wanna do that. We both know you're not the one who killed all those girls. It was your sister, right ? You just followed orders. Don't do anything stupid, you'll be in jail for the rest of your life if you kill a FBI agent, you do know that right ? »
« I do not have to listen to you ! Because of you and Swift our father died in jail. We promised we would avenge him and that's what we're gonna do. Now start praying. Nobody can save you now. »
« I have teams coming Dimitri. They will shoot you down in no time. Start thinking. You don't want this. The judge will consider your testimony against Irina. You might do less than 15 years. You don't wanna be like her. She's a murderer. You aren't. Listen to me I'm begging you. »
« Shut up ! Stop talking ! Just shut the fuck up ! » Dimitri's hands were shaking and he was sweating. He knew they were gonna shoot him. He didn't want to die. For once, he knew they went too far.
He came closer to Peter and pointed the gun in his direction, looking at him angrily. « You deserve to die bastard ! »
« Dimitri, don't do that. You don't wanna do that. »
As he started pulling the trigger, someone yelled « Freeze ! Drop your weapon ! FBI ! »
He didn't have time to press the trigger, he got shot in the arm and fell down next to Peter.
Peter looked up and saw Carla. « Yeah Peter, you really thought I could stay in a hospital bed as you and Swift went on a man hunt ! »
« Oh my god Carla ! Didn't see that coming ! You saved my life ! » Carla took her cuffs out and put them on Dimitri's hands. « Now you Mister are going down for accessory to murder and trying to shoot a FBI agent. Welcome to America ! » She had that determined and badass look Peter and Swift liked.
« You're my savior ! Come here ! », Peter hugged her. They both took one of Dimitri's arms as they saw the rest of the team walk in their direction. « Take him in.  We're done here. »
« How on earth did you know we were here by the way ? », Peter inquired.
« Haha, I have resources too my friend. I called Shawn, he hacked your GPS. Swift is working with geniuses indeed ! »
« You were supposed to rest. But I'm so glad you disobeyed the doctor's orders. Thank you really. »
« Guess my job here is done. Going back to DC tomorrow. I'm needed at the White House. »
They took Dimitri to the SUV and as they were about to put him the car, he mumbled something.
« I'm sorry what did you say ? », Peter asked.
« It ain't over. Checkmate. »
« What does that mean ? »
As Peter put him firmly in the car, a loud blast was heard from across the road. The house was blown away in a second. The flames started coming out from the roof and an awful smell came out of it.
« Oh my god Peter !! Is Swift still in the house ? »
Peter was so shocked he couldn't say a word.
« Peter ! Answer me bloody hell !!! is Alex still inside ??? », Carla yelled at him.
«I have no idea. Oh god carla ! » They both ran towards the house but couldn't get closer, the flames were too hot and the house was starting to fall apart.
« Call the firefighters and the SWAT and the CSU to collect evidence if theres some left after this. Please keep an eye on Dimitri. I'm sure Swift wasn't inside Carla. I'm gonna go have a look behind the house. »

Swift had reached the pier and was running after Irina. She was standing at the bottom of it, she looked like she wanted to jump in the sea. The weather got really dark and threatening. The waves were starting to get high, so high that behind Irina it seemed to be a wall of water. It started raining heavily. Swift walked slowly towards her, his gun in his hand.
« Irina, I'm gonna say this once. Drop your weapon and come towards me hands on your head. There's nowhere to run now. It's over. Surrender ! »
« I'm not gonna go to jail Swift. My dad died inside it and because of you. I ain't gonna rot in a joint waiting for someone to stab me ! This ain't what I want. »
« Irina, please stop this nonsense ! You're a murderer now you're gonna pay for that and go to trial. I'm not responsible for your dad's death. He was. He made his own decisions. He paid for them. Now do not make another step and come towards me slowly. »
Behind Irina, a huge wave was forming and when it hit the pier it dragged her into it. She slid and fell at the bottom of the pier, she only had time to reach the edge of it before falling down in the ocean. Swift ran towards her and jumped just in time to catch one of her arms.
« Let me go Swift ! I'm not going to jail. Let me die ! »
« I won't let go. You deserve to go to court for what you did and explain the jury and the parents why you took their daughter's lives. You won't get away that easily. ! »
Swift couldn't hold her anymore and a massive wave hit him too. He was sliding on the wooden pier which was covered in water. But he didn't want to let her fall. She and Dimitri were gonna go to trial.
Swift was exhausted of holding her as she was nearly falling and he was losing her grasp. The thunder was heard and the rain poured even more on them, it seemed like they were facing the apocalypse. « Let me go Swift or you're gonna die with me ! »
He was so tired but didn't want to let her go. Suddenly he felt something pulling him. He turned around and saw Peter with a rope tied to its waist. « I got you buddy. I got you. »
He pulled him and Irina back on the pier. Swift was lying there with his arms on the wooden floor, breathless. Peter tied the rope to Irina's hands and asked her to kneel.
« Close call dude. But thanks so much. You saved my life. »
« Anytime Swifty ! Now just so you know that bastard of her brother is in the SUV. We got them both. It's over Swift, it's finally over. », He walked towards Alex and gave him his hand to help him get up. Swift hugged him, nearly tearing up.
« Now let's go put those two behind bars where they belong. »
« At the other end of the pier, Carla was standing looking at them and smiling. »
« What the hell ? How ? How Did Carla get here ? »
« Long story dude, long story. I'll buy drinks tonight and tell you all about it. We solved another case together my friend. Like old times. Come on, let's go home. »
Swift hugged Carla and they all walked back to the SUVs. The firefighters started throwing water on the house. There was not much chance of finding any evidence after that blast. But they didn't really need any, they got them both.
« Alright guys, we're going back home. Let's leave CSU here to collect evidence and SWAT experts to find traces of explosives. Great job everyone. » Peter walked with Swift and Carla with a sense of pride and accomplishement on his face.
« Glad you weren't still inside when it blew away Swift ! », Carla said, smiling at him.
« You thought you could get rid of me that easily Moretti ! haha. Now before you go back to DC, come have drinks with us tonight. »
« Wouldn't miss it for the world guys ! »

They all drove back to NYC. Irina and Dimitri were sitting in the same SUV. They didn't say a word. On their faces, a sense of failure and despair.
Back at the FBI headquarters, the two Russians were taken into custody. Peter and carla went back to the office to fill the paperwork. Swift had only one thing in mind.
To go see Vanessa, to tell her he was okey, to hug her, to kiss her. He was alive and for the first time after his wife died, he wanted to be cherished again, to be loved. The guilt of letting his wife go disappeared at the thought he could have died and never have seen Vanessa again.
« Peter If you don't need me anymore, there's someone I gotta see right now. »
« Alright Swift, great job, get some rest. You deserved it. Let's go for a drink later in the day. »
« Great ! i'll see you and Carla later at the pub. Take care guys. »
« Oh and Alex ! You can't leave the vest here haha. »
« Dear lord I didn't even notice I still had it ! haha ! »
« See you guys later. Bye. », Swift took out his vest and put it on Peter's desk as well as his gun. He walked to the elevator with a huge smile on his face. Something important was going to happen to him. He had made up his mind.
He ran outside and called a cab. He was excited to see Vanessa again. When he looked at his phone, he had several text messages from her asking if he was alright. The cab arrived in front of her apartment, he stepped out of it quickly and walked to the porch. He rang the bell and Lana opened the door. « Professor Swift ! Oh my god ! you're back ! »
« Hi Lana, we did it. We caught them. They're going to jail. »
« Wow congrats ! i'm so glad you are okey. »
« Where is she ? », Swift looked around and didn't see Vanessa anywhere.
« She went out for a run, she'll be back shortly. Would you like anything to drink ? I'm sorry but as you can see I was about to go shower, so if you don't mind waiting for her here . I'm gonna go wash, ok ? »
« Sure Lana, no problem. »
As Lana went to the bathroom, he took a glass of iced tea and decided to sit on the porch stairs to take some air. He was exhausted. He checked his phone texts and mails and looked up in the sky realising he was still alive and that the world was beautiful. He had so many awful years when he was on his own, blaming the whole world for his wife's death, not being able to share more happy moments with her. Today, he knew. The day he met Vanessa brought him back to life. He started hoping and trusting people again. He looked away and around the corner he saw her. There she was, running like she was chased by a panther, wearing black shorts and a blue tank top, with her headset on. Even sweaty, she looked like an angel. Her hair was moving at each of her steps. From the bottom of the street, she recognized him. She started running even faster. He stood up and ran towards her. The smiles on their faces was priceless. As she got close to him she jumped in his arms and put her legs around him. « Alex, oh my god Alex ! »
She was crying. Tears were rolling on her red cheeks and she could barely breathe. « Thank god you're alive, you're not hurt. I'm so happy. »
« I never stopped thinking of you. You were with me all along. » He caressed her hair and her face.
« Sorry i'm so sweaty haha. »
« I love you V. I love you so much. »
« I love you too. I was really worried. I'm so glad you're okey. »
« We got the bastards V . It's over. We won. » She grabbed the back of his head and hugged him. They kissed endlessly, in the middle of the street. Time seemed to have stopped. At this moment, they merged. They were one. They were meant to be. Forever.
« I'm gonna marry you one day you know ! »
« Shut up and kiss me Swift. One step at a time. One day at a time. »
They walked together holding hands towards the aparment. The bliss they felt was beyond comparison. Happiness was on Alex's doorstep again. He will never let her go.