Playing His Game

March 21,2007

The night was eerily quiet, the fog had rolled in hours before leaving the dock with a ghost like complection. To the right, the sound of arguing could vaguely be heard if one strained their hearing enough. Easing closer to the loading dock Special Agent Eli Lane tried to get a better look at the gathering inside. Gun drawn, he eased his way around the corner crouching behind some crates just inside the door. " You said you had my money, now where is it?" Demanded a gruff, older sounding man. " I do, did. I did have it but that chick that Max brought around must've snatched it when I wasn't lookin'. I just need a few more days and I'll have it again." Another man added his voice that of someone young and inexperianced. " A few more days, you've already had an extension. Now either I get my money now or this is the end for you." The older man demanded. The younger guy struggled for words, studdering, then the sound of two gunshots followed by a thud. " Find the boy's family, I want my money one way or another." The mans say, silence following. " I don't care what you have to do, I want my money." He asserts. Taking a chance on the man's defence being down Eli motions to his team to go in and take the man down. " Bradford Sanderson, drop your weapon and put your heads behind your head." Eli yelled his gun aimed at the suspect. The man smileed a sinister smile, "Now why would I want to do that detective. I believe that would give you an unfair advantage." Bradford replied aiming his gun back. " Bradford, you can make this easier on you and not add to the list of charges you already have." Eli countered, his eyes never moving from the other other man. " And those charges being?" Bradford asked seemingly clueless. " Drug possession, intention to distribute, murder, espionage, there are a few more but you get the gist of it." Eli informs him playing along. " I think I'll take my chances, detective." Bradford added calmly before pulling the trigger firing off the remaining bullets in his gun. Jumping in the car he began a high speed chase out of the docking groumds and out onto the streets. Dodging cars, knocking down trash bins and street signs, Bradford led them down the main roads before taking a sharp left into oncoming traffic. The chase went on for half an hour before Bradford lost control of his vehicle causing him the drive into a tree. After coming to a stop behind his car, Eli ran up to the other man's car, jerking the door open, his gun aimed, ready to defend himself.
After cuffing Bradford and loading him into the back of his partner's car, Eli heads back to the precinct to do paperwork and speak to the director.
"Agent Lane! My office, now!!!" Director Vince Larson commanded stalking past him. " Yes sir. Right behind you." Eli answered following behimd his boss. Pushing the door behimd him Eli waited for what his boss had to say. " You deliberately went behind my back to catch one of our most dangerous criminals." Director Vince stated. " Yes sir. I had it on good authority that a meeting was going down tonight and I believed this was our chance to finally catch the guy. I didn't believe there was enough time to alert anyone else without losing him. So I took Derek Abrams and Logan Grindle." Eli responds. " You do know I could suspend every last one of you indefinitely for defying orders. But because you managed to capture this man I'll only make it two weeks. I want your reports on my desks before you leave tonight and then I don't want to see any of you until April forth. From there I will decide what to do." Vince added dismissing him.

After turing in his report Eli met up Derek and Logan at a bar and grill located between their apartments. " To capturing one of the most wanted criminals in the area." Derek announce tilting his bottle of beer towards his friends. " To one less crime to clean up." Logan adds adding his to the middle. " To capturing the bad guys and solving another case." Eli finishes joining his in the mix.
" I can't believe we finally caught that guy, and the thanks we get is a suspension. But hey, now I can have a little time to take out the wife and kids. We haven't had any time lately with all of this overtime we've been pulling with this case. Wht are you guys going to do?" Derek asked taking a drink. " My sister and her fiance are in town, she wants to meet up before they head out. They live out of state so we only see each other a couple times a year. Eli?" Logan asked. " I thought about getting some work do e on the house. Doing some more work on a few projects I have going on." Eli replies taking in his surroundings. " You still making furniture by hand?" Logan asked raising his brow. " Some, not as much as before but I do it whenever I get some motivation or a new client. Why do you ask?" Eli counters. " You remember my sister Elena and her fiance Xander?" Logan's inquires. " If it's the sister that decked me at your twenty-first birthday and the tall Asian guy she was with them yes. I remember them surprisingly well. Nice people once they learn you're the friend and not a random stranger breaking into her brother's apartment." Eli jokes. " As a marriage gift I wanted to get them something for their new home. He's an editor with some publishing company and she writes books on the side so I thought what better gift than a handmade desk or bookcase. Think you can help me out?" Logan asked him. " I don't see why not. I like them and respect them both. Ill just need a little time. And you need to get me the measurements and style they would like." Eli replied surveying the room.