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“Yo, dude.” Mason responded. “Stake out. Not picnic.”
“Yeah, fine,” Paul said, his voice disappointed. “I could really go for a candy bar right about now.”
A groan came over the comlink. “Man, now I’m thinking about a Snickers,” Tai complained.
“Snickers? What kind of jarhead are you?” Fenn added. “I thought you Marines went straight for the pure chocolate. For me it’s Hershey’s all the way.”
Mason sighed, and Avery could practically see him rolling his eyes. “Can you please focus on the mission? We’re kind of in the middle of something here.”
“Right, sorry,” Paul said, his voice sheepish. “I’ll keep my mouth zipped from now on.”
Mason spoke again. “No worries, bro. I was talking to the supposed professionals.”
Avery felt a warmth spreading through her chest, a fondness for the two brothers. It was nice to see them starting to thaw out, shedding some of the tension and resentment that had built up over the years.
She only wished she could be there to see how things progressed between them. But for her, the winding down of this mission was bittersweet.
On the one hand, there was the familiar jolt of energy that came with being on the cusp of closing a case. From getting ordered to abandon the investigation to being within minutes of taking down a counterfeit drug ring, it was heady stuff. The kind of thing that kept her in the Bureau, despite all the long hours and sleepless nights.
On the other hand, there was a sense of melancholy, a wistfulness for what might have been. She couldn’t help but think of her father, wondering if he’d felt the same way at the end of a case. Was he up there somewhere, watching over her, proud of the agent she’d become?
She blinked back tears, trying to focus on the task at hand.
Tai’s voice crackled over the comlink. “Heads up, guys. Our boy Lars is in the house.”
Avery snapped to attention, her eyes glued to the parking area. A shiny black Mercedes rolled into the lot, picking its way slowly between the machinery littering the dock in front of the huge ship. The vehicle stopped at the base of the steel gangway. Stenberg climbed out of the vehicle and hustled up the walk, head on a swivel.
“Nervous much?” Kate’s rhetorical question made Avery want to laugh.
A slender man in a ship’s overalls met the owner at the top of the gangway.
She and Mason watched as Lars followed the first mate around the deck, weaving between cargo containers until they reached one that they opened and went inside. Tai’s tiny drones would take the surveillance from there.
The ship’s officer was silent, following Stenberg’s directions to open the container, then the pallet. Lars appeared nervous, shifting from foot to foot.
The team listened as Stenberg inspected the merchandise, his voice impatient and demanding. He was particularly picky about the fake prescription labels and barcodes on the packages, examining each one with a critical eye.
Finally, he seemed satisfied. “Load it up,” he ordered the man. “I’ll transfer the funds now.” While the crewman re-secured the container’s doors, he pulled out a cell phone.
“I’m loving this,” Tai said. “Getting some nice screen captures here. Bank website. Accounts. Transfer amounts.”
“Copy that.” Mason sounded fully satisfied.
As was she. They had Stenberg now.
How stupid to get caught exchanging funds for counterfeit meds in public. Tai’s drone footage would be completely admissible in court. Add that to her eyewitness account and she could now tie Stenberg directly to the purchase of counterfeit meds. Plenty of evidence to arrest him, certainly. Tying him to the four murders would easily follow. Even if he hadn’t known about them, or ordered them himself, they were committed in the service of hiding his criminal activity. In the eyes of the law, he’d be just as guilty as the actual murderer.
For the first time in weeks, she tasted victory.
“It’s done.” Stenberg told the first mate.
Without a word, the man led him back toward the gangplank.
“How do you want to play this?” Mason asked her.
“We’ve got enough for an arrest,” she said.
“Tell me you brought your badge?” Mason teased.