Smoke and Shadow (19 page)

“
I like it
already.
”

“
I say we insert
through the roof. We can take the fire escape on this building
here,
”
Trent
reached over and pointed to the tenement next door, access the Red
Crane with a short jump and then pop the lock on the roof door.
From there we sweep the rooms and exit through the back
door.
”

Chu closed his
notebook without taking his eyes off the map.
“
This is a variation on the plan you
used uptown, isn
’
t
it?
”

Trent raised an
eyebrow.
“
The plan
doesn
’
t have to be
original. It just has to be good.
”

“
Ok, but
we
’
re after
several targets now, not just one. This plan sounds like
we
’
ll be pushing
them out into the street once they know we
’
re there.
”

Baker countered
before Trent could defend his proposal.
“
If you do this right, they
won
’
t know
you
’
re there.
Besides, they have a certain amount of incentive to keep things
indoors. Once they come outside, they risk exposing their whole
operation to public cell phone cameras. We can use their greed and
their need for secrecy to control the playing
field.
”

Chu suppressed
the urge to push back against Baker
’
s optimism, so he decided to focus
on his skill set.
“
OK, but how far is the jump from one building to another?
Trent knows parkour, I don
’
t. Even if I could make the jump, I
don
’
t think I
could do it quietly enough to maintain the element of
surprise.
”

Baker took the
opportunity to agree.
“
Can
’
t argue
with that point,
”
He rested his head in his hand as he looked to Trent.
“
Your
concept doesn
’
t
match the skill set of your team, but maybe we can cannibalize
these plans and come up with some viable
options.
”

“
Options like
what?
”

“
Why
don
’
t we consider
a pincer movement?
”
Baker held his hand out and parallel to each other over the
table.
“
You can
take a position on the roof and watch the back door. Smoke can stay
in across the street on his bike. When you see the busboys dump the
garbage, you can give the signal and Smoke can cover the distance
and get inside. When you see his entry, you can enter the building
through the roof. You two can take out the opposition
simultaneously from opposite sides of the structure, meet in the
middle and then go out the side window onto the fire escape.
It
’
s not the ideal
scenario but
…”

“
I
don
’
t see that
working
”
Trent
turned his laptop back to pull up another file. Based on our
estimates, we could have up to ten on the ground. It
doesn
’
t make sense
to split up our firepower if we have to sweep multiple rooms. If
we
’
re going to
take out this many targets, were going to have to watch each
other
’
s
back.
”

Baker stretched
out, folding his hands behind his head as if he was on a porch in
the summer time contemplating a nap.
“
Yeah, single room clearing is always
tricky. The tactical advantage you gain from attacking in both
directions comes at the cost of a diluted attack on both
ends.
”

“
Maybe our force
capabilities aren
’
t suited for the op
…”
Chu tried to project the most confident and
professional attitude he could muster because this was his best
chance. Now was the time to kill this op before it killed
them.

He
wouldn
’
t get a
better shot at changing Baker
’
s mind. The research was done. The
reconnaissance was recorded. They
’
d all developed potential plans and
couldn
’
t come up
with a viable solution. If they couldn
’
t get a bigger team or change the
mission parameters, what choice did Baker have but to
abort?

The look Baker
shot at Chu was half dismissive annoyance and half stubborn
determination.
“
Shadow, what parkour moves would you need to know if you
wanted to access the roof of the Red Crane?
”

“
Not much,
landing, rolling, a gap jump for sure and maybe a wall run just in
case the fire escape is hard to access.
”

“
And how long
would it take you to teach someone all those graceful
maneuvers?
”

“
For a beginner,
it would take a couple days. For an operator it would only take a
couple of hours, but we
’
d have to rule out using Dragon Skin. The armor is too heavy
for beginners to wear it and be effective.
”
Chu saw where this was going, but
he didn
’
t interrupt.

“
Well maybe we
can use the terrain to maximize our force
capability.
”
Baker
glanced over at Chu with a confrontational look in his eye.
“
Two men could gap jump
or whatever the hell you call it across the building onto the roof
of the Red Crane. You could access the building from the top, sweep
the rooms as you went down and exit from the rear alley.
You
’
ll attack from
an unexpected direction, you
’
ll keep the element of surprise and
the higher ground without diluting your forces and you
don
’
t have to go
back the way you came.
”

Trent leaned back
and folded his arms in a partial mirror of Baker
’
s posture.
“
It sounds good to me. You up for a
little added training, Smoke?
”

Chu locked eyes
with Baker as the question echoed through the room.
“
Yeah Smoke, how would
you like to learn to fly like your friend here?
”

The heat rising
to his face flared his nostrils. He felt his teeth grind as his jaw
locked. The smoldering flare of rage bubbled up in his stomach and
seeped into his limbs. Baker
’
s play was pure peer pressure. It
questioned Chu
’
s
commitment to the team as well as his manhood. Chu had experience
with the heavy handed tactic. His father used it to goad Chu into
submission when he tried to protect his mother from domestic abuse.
His superiors in the DSS used it to attack his sexual preference
without saying anything to his face. Chu spent long nights
imagining painful revenge on both those men, and a part of his mind
wanted to punish Baker too.

But Chu knew what
he should do. He knew nothing would make Baker abort this mission.
If Chu wanted out, he
’
d have to get up and walk out the door.

“
It
doesn
’
t sound like
the best option to me. The risk might not be worth
the
…”

“
Shadow, you
said this is the same maneuver you did when you took out Rafael
Ramon, right?
”

“
Basically
…”

“
And how many of
the Uptown Gods did you take out on your way to
Ramon?
”

“
Five or
six
…”

“
So in theory,
you could handle this solo, right?
”

Chu threw up his
hands.
“
That
doesn
’
t make any
fucking sense and you know it
…”

Trent ignored
Chu
’
s protest,
lacing his hands behind his head to fully adopt
Baker
’
s
form.
“
I guess so.
The only major snag would be separating the johns from the
opposition.
”

“
What if we
expanded the rules of engagement? What if I said all males not
readily identifiable as slaves could be acceptable
targets?
”

“
So now
you
’
re talking
about wiping out everyone in the building, cops as well as
johns?
”

Baker shrugged
his shoulders and gave Chu a blank look.
“
The cops are johns in the Red Crane.
That
’
s what the
intel says. If Shadow is going in alone we need to make certain
allowances
…”

“
What are you
trying to prove?
”

“
I
’
m not
trying to prove anything, Smoke. I
’
m trying to plan an op using the
resources I have available. If you don
’
t want the job,
don
’
t take it. But
this op is going to happen with or without you.
”

“
Even if it
means losing Trent?
”

“
Hey, don
’
t
drag me into the middle of your drama.
”
Trent got up from the table in one
fluid move.
“
You
two want to have a catfight, fine. Just let me know when
you
’
re finished
fucking around so I can go back to planning. This shit is going to
be twice as hard if I have to do it on my own.
”

Chu
didn
’
t take his
eyes off Baker as he spoke.
“
You don
’
t have to do it on your own, Shadow.
You don
’
t have to
do it at all.
”

Baker
’
s gaze
didn
’
t
flinch.
“
You
don
’
t get it.
Smoke. He wants to save those girls. He wants to do this op.
He
’
s in.
I
’
m in. What you
need to do is decide if you
’
re in. Don
’
t try to protect him from himself.
Don
’
t try to use
him to justify your refusal. None of that
’
s going to work. If you want to
watch his back, you
’
re going to go into the shit with him. If not, just walk
away.
”
The
ultimatum hung in the air like the stench of rotting corpses before
Baker finished his outburst.
“
So answer the call Smoke. Are you in
or out?
”

“
It must be
really easy for you to send your friends into a shit show,
huh?
”

Baker tapped his
shattered leg.
“
If
I could learn parkour, I
’
d go in for you. If you
don
’
t
go in, I
’
ll drive
the extraction vehicle myself and provide cover for
Shadow
’
s exit.
Just decide if you
’
re in or out so I can put the date in my
calendar.
”