Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 43 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

When she was settled once more, she stared at a black cord with a yellow light bulb that hung from above, swinging with the movement of the ship. The dim light did not hide the fear she saw in some of the faces around her. She wished Ngoc Bích had not slapped the crew member. She felt exhausted. Maybe later they would be allowed to be together ...

Hang suddenly awakened to the sound of someone vomiting beside her. She felt nauseous, too, and moaned, grabbing her head as a piercing pain reduced her vision to flashes of light. The smell of diesel was overwhelming and water had leaked in, turning much of the cardboard mattresses into soggy masses.

The woman who vomited faced a string of obscenities from another neighbour, which only brought more angry voices and commotion from others. Another woman climbed to the top of the ladder and yelled and pounded on the cargo door. From somewhere in the ship, Hang heard Ngoc Bích yelling and the pounding clang of metal being struck with a pipe.

The cargo doors were opened and the women rushed to stand beneath as fresh air and rain came in from above. The crew member took only the first few steps down the ladder before cursing and going back up. He returned a few minutes later and tossed down a mop while ordering another woman to bring up the plastic pail so that it could be dumped overboard.

Three weeks passed and, despite the promise to be allowed on deck at night, had that luxury rescinded because of severe storms. The ship rocked and creaked as it was blasted by the wind and heavy waves. During this time, the cargo doors were closed again to prevent flooding. It was also the time when most people were sick.

On this night, the storm was worse than usual and Hang was one of the few who had managed to keep her food down. She waited until most of the others were asleep before deciding to take the opportunity to squat over the plastic pail.

She balanced her steps on the rollicking floor of the ship as she headed for the pail, only to see that it was overflowing. She wondered what to do just as the ship gave another violent heave, sending the pail sliding across the floor and tipping over. She decided to wait.

On the following night, the storms abated. It was January 29^th, this year’s official beginning of the celebration of Tet Nguyê;n Dán, or “TET,” as it is commonly called, marking the lunar New Year. This year was the Year of the Dog. Today, their daily rations of rice, noodles, and fish soup was replaced with ample quantities of chicken, pork, and vegetables.

As soon as darkness came, everyone was allowed on deck. It didn’t take Hang and Ngoc Bích long to find each other. They decided to speak Vietnamese to each other. Tonight would be a night to relax. Even if they couldn’t be together on the ship, they promised each other they would remain friends when they got off. Then there would be plenty of time to practise English.

They watched as a couple of the crew members waved bottles of wine and invited some of the women back to their rooms with them. Some of the women went and Hang caught the look of disapproval from Ngoc Bích as she stared after them.

“The crew ... their rooms will be warm,” said Hang. “Is it wrong to drink wine?”

Ngoc Bích turned to Hang and smiled and said, “You are a child, my new sister. It is not just wine that these men want to put in the women.”

Hang felt embarrassed but said, “The women, maybe they will just enjoy the warmth and then say no, and leave.”

Ngoc Bích shook her head and said, “That is why the men will share the wine. These young women will be too drunk to say no ... and if they do, the men may not listen. Never dishonour your family by such behaviour.”

Hang was appalled that Ngoc Bích would even feel the need to convey that to her. “I never would. Yuk! Never!”

“Good. No man would ever want you for his wife then,” said Ngoc Bích seriously.

“I will never dishonour my family,” replied Hang solemnly. “My father has told me about such women. Greedy women, who give their bodies to men.”

Ngoc Bích nodded. “Always respect what you do and respect yourself. In America I am going to be trained to give massages and work at a hotel where the very rich go,” said Ngoc Bích. “I will make lots of money and then,” Ngoc Bích paused as her eyes twinkled, “when a man with a bottle of wine invites me to his room ... I will go.”

“You will go?” exclaimed Hang.

“Yes. Because that man will be my husband.”

Hang laughed and Ngoc Bích joined in. Hang could not remember the last time she had laughed. Ngoc Bích’s comments made her realize how lucky she was ... or would be in three weeks when they arrived. She was told that the home of Mister Pops was so large that she would have her own bedroom. He was even so rich that when Linh came, she would also have her own bedroom.

Pops turned the radio on to maximum volume before flushing the toilet and crouching down to hurry through the short passageway that led to the television room in his basement. Once free of the passageway, he pushed the square doorway shut behind him.

He stood panting for a moment. Not that he was out of shape. He was a big man with a narcissistic drive that compelled him to maintain a daily routine of bodybuilding. His panting was not from physical exertion. It was from excitement.

Pops’s house was a four-level split built over the side of a hill. In the basement of the home, he had discovered a small trap door leading to a dead space in the earth behind his foundation. The trap door was intended to gain access to some plumbing pipes that led from the upper levels down to the run-off pipes in the earth below.

When Pops first stuck his head in the hole and shone a flashlight around, he saw a space that ran the width of his house and was several metres wide. It was partially back-filled with dirt and debris from when his house was built. The area was completely sealed off by cement foundations that supported the upper levels of his house farther back on the hill.

For many months, Pops lay awake and fantasized about what special use he could make of this newfound space. His fantasies were about to become real.

Now Pops stood and held his breath and listened. Not a sound! He placed his ear to the wall and could hear a slight sound from the radio, but if he had not known better, he might have deduced it came from some other home in his neighbourhood.

“Yes!” he shouted with elation, while punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. The heavy thickness of soundproofing worked! He opened the passageway door and ducked back inside to retrieve the radio.

The room he had built was basically a smaller room within the space. It was like a huge rectangular plywood box with an igloo-style passageway that led into it. There was a drain on the floor, along with a foam mattress, a toilet, and a set of shackles and chains fastened to the floor at each end of the room.

chapter two

Corporal Jack Taggart glanced at Constable Laura Secord as she patiently sat at her desk while flipping through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette. Her desk butted up to his and space was at a premium.

The Intelligence Unit targeted organized crime, which meant gathering information on secretive societies. Investigations often fanned out like inverted pyramids. One criminal would lead to others and these others would lead to others and so on, as investigators tried to determine who were involved in criminal enterprises and who were just associates.

Jack and Laura’s office slowly collected more and more file cabinets that in themselves became like Pandora’s boxes for those who would look inside to try to grasp the nature of the beast.

It was late Friday afternoon and their shift should be just about over. Should be, but wouldn’t, grimaced Jack, while waiting to receive a text message on his BlackBerry. He knew Laura wouldn’t complain. Personal life often took a back seat as they adjusted their hours to match the hours of people who worked without schedules. At least it did if you were to be effective. Effective in your work. Not effective in your personal life.

His thoughts went back to the person he was waiting to hear from. Why? Why would Damien make such an obvious faux pas? The National President of Satans Wrath .... You didn’t end up in charge of the top organized crime family in Canada by being stupid. So why?

Satans Wrath had chapters in dozens of countries. They operated like an international corporation with paramilitary discipline. In many countries, including Canada, they were at the top of the list when it came to organized crime. Each chapter had its own president and each country had one national president. In Canada, that was Damien.

Jack felt a vibration on his belt. Finally ...

Laura saw Jack grab for his BlackBerry. She studied his face as he read the text message. Jack was more than her boss. Next to her husband, Jack was her closest friend.

He glanced up and said, “It’s him. Montrose Park in forty-five minutes.”

“I don’t know it,” replied Laura.

“Near Second Narrow Bridge.”

“I’ll call Elvis,” said Laura. “You mind dropping me off at home later? We rode in together this morning.”

“Hopefully he’s not already waiting outside to follow us,” said Jack.

Laura pursed her lips to hide her grin. Her husband worked on the Anti-Corruption Unit, which handled the more serious investigations directed to Internal Affairs. Jack’s name was familiar to everyone in her husband’s unit. He had been the subject of more than one investigation.

Not that it did them any good, mused Laura. Jack does operate under his own set of rules and his methods are unorthodox—okay, illegal—but never corrupt.

It sometimes left Laura in an awkward position with Elvis, but he trusted her own moral judgement ... and she trusted Jack’s. Her marriage was something of a balancing act, not just for her, but for Elvis, too. They had elected not to discuss work at home.

Since being transferred to work with Jack on the Intelligence Unit last year, Laura really appreciated just how necessary it was to have an Anti-Corruption Unit. Organized crime specialized in turning what were once good cops into dirty cops. Elvis did not have an easy job. Something that made her love him all the more.

“Sure I’ll drop you off,” said Jack, continuing their conversation. “I’ll give Natasha a call, too.”

Laura dialled Elvis, who put her on hold. She watched as Jack called his wife. Natasha was a doctor who worked in an emergency clinic on the downtown east side. Not an easy job, either.

Laura heard the first few words of Jack’s conversation to Natasha. “Hey honey, I’m going to be a little late. Maybe around seven. Laura and I have to go meet a friend ....”

Laura’s thoughts went to who they were really meeting. Meeting a friend meant meeting a confidential source. Real names were never used. Jack was extremely protective of any of his sources. Their friend in this case was Damien. Not actually an informant, but as a top criminal, Damien and the police sometimes had common enemies. Laura knew that only too well.

Last year a Colombian drug lord by the name of Carlos planned to murder Damien and had tried to kill Jack. The biker’s rules stated they would never phone the police or cooperate with them. Last year was different. Damien was scared for his own family and reluctantly agreed to go along with Jack’s plan to neutralize Carlos. Can’t believe my mind thought the word neutralize —Jack’s influence no doubt. I should have thought murder.

Jack convinced the brass to let them travel to Colombia on the pretext of arranging an undercover purchase of a shipment of cocaine by using Damien as an informant. His real plan had Damien introduce them to a rival Colombian drug lord by the name of Diego Ramirez and convincing Ramirez to kill Carlos. The plan worked. Ramirez never did find out that Jack and Laura were undercover police officers.

Ramirez used a string of shoe stores and leather factories to launder his money and aid in his exportation of tonnes of cocaine. When they all met last year in Colombia, it was obvious that he was attracted to Laura.

At Christmas, Ramirez sent a box full of expensive shoes to Damien to pass on to Laura. Damien held on to them for over a month before sending them to her house. Laura thought Damien should have known better. Gifts from Damien or a Colombian drug lord would definitely attract the attention of the Anti-Corruption Unit. She was glad that Elvis was not home when they arrived and did not see her take them out to the trunk of the car.

This resulted in another secret that she kept from him. Keeping secrets from her husband bothered her immensely. Elvis always knew when she was up to something ... but was kind enough not to probe too deep when it came to the job.

When Laura finished talking to Elvis, Jack said, “Come on.

We’d better tell Quaile something.”

Moments later, Jack walked into Staff Sergeant Quaile’s office with Laura at his heels. Quaile was in charge of their particular Intelligence Unit, having arrived from a Commercial Crime Section in the fall.

Quaile was pegged as a high flyer. Someone who was rapidly climbing the corporate ladder. Jack knew that Quaile obviously had the backing of some high-ranking officer from somewhere in his career. His transfer to the Intelligence Unit was just another step in balancing his experience. Which means he won’t be here long.

Jack waited until Quaile looked up and said, “Laura and I are heading out to meet a source. We’ll be gone for the day.”

Quaile glanced at his watch and said, “Thirty minutes before your shift ends? Is that what you are really doing—or are you just skipping out early?”

Jack felt his jaw clench, and replied, “We are meeting a source.” There was a noticeable edge to his voice.

“Really? What source?” Quaile’s tone now matched Jack’s.

Damn it, why antagonize a snake? Jack thought. I’ll only be bitten. Jack’s voice returned to normal and he replied, “Fred Farkle. He’s a dope dealer.”

“Oh,” replied Quaile. He stared at his own hand for a moment while drumming his fingers on his desk. Reaching a decision, he abruptly looked up and said, “Okay, but you’re not claiming overtime for this. You should have rescheduled to a more appropriate time.”

“We won’t claim overtime.”

Quaile nodded and returned to reading the policy manual.

Upon entering the parking garage Laura snickered and said, “Fred Farkle? Couldn’t you come up with a better name than that?”

“If Quaile was smarter, I would have,” replied Jack, opening the car trunk and passing Laura her bag of clothes.

“And this is another thing,” replied Laura. “Having to change clothes so we don’t look like two J. Edgar Hoover FBI agents—doesn’t he appreciate the type of work we do?”

“Apparently not. Just remember to change back when we return.”

“What the hell are you up to?” said Jack, while throwing the box of shoes down on the path at Damien’s feet.

“What?” replied Damien, looking first at the shoes sprawled out of the box before gazing at Laura. “Wrong size?”

“This is bullshit,” said Jack. “You know better. What’s going on?”

Damien glanced around the park, nodded and said, “Let’s keep moving.”

They left the discarded shoes on the ground and strolled down a path together. “Sorry,” said Damien. “I got inebriated the other night and decided it would be funny. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s all there is to it?” said Jack heatedly. “Making it look like Laura could be getting a bribe—speaking of which, did you know her husband works in Internal Affairs?”

“Internal? I heard he was in the Anti-Corruption Unit,” said Damien, before quickly adding, “Oh, I guess it’s the same thing. Besides, he wasn’t home at the time.”

Laura felt her spine tingle. Damien knows a lot about us ... too much!

As if reading her mind, Damien looked at her and said, “Don’t worry. Just routine survival stuff. You know, keep your friends close, your enemies ...”

“So, you’re telling us you did it because you were pissed the other night?” said Jack.

Damien studied Jack’s face momentarily before answering, “No, I said I was inebriated. There you go again. Typical cop, thinking you have to lard on the tough talk.”

“So inebriated,” said Jack, “that you decided to advertise that you were back in the cocaine import business again?” Jack looked at Laura and added, “What am I saying? Why did I think he was ever out of it?”

Damien shook his head and said, “No, I am not importing cocaine from Ramirez. After what we went through with him last year? Give your head a shake!”

“New supplier?” asked Jack.

“It’s not us you should be wasting your time on,” said Damien.

“I’ve never found working on Satans Wrath to be a waste of time,” said Jack.

Damien eyed Jack briefly and said, “Maybe in this new day and age you should set your sights higher. Start thinking outside the box. The world doesn’t end at the Vancouver city limits.”

“What are you saying?” asked Jack.

“I’m just saying that your time could be better spent than hassling a few of my boys who might have crossed the line once in a while.”

“May have crossed the line once in a while?” said Laura, sarcastically.

Jack gave a slight shake of his head to Laura, signalling for her to be quiet. Damien sent the shoes because he wants us to know something ... but what? Jack looked at Damien and said, “Set our sights higher? On who?”

“I don’t know. I’m not a rat, but—just for example—I did hear of a couple of Russians who were asking a lot of questions about how to bypass something through the Port of Vancouver. Maybe you should be looking at them.”

“And what do they intend to smuggle?” asked Jack.

Damien stared intently at Jack for a moment, and said, really don’t know. I’m not having anything to do with them. Neither is anyone in the club.”

Jack sensed a look of fear in Damien’s eyes. What is he afraid of?

“Russian mafia?” asked Laura.

“Probably connected,” shrugged Damien.

Jack watched Damien nervously look around as he spoke.

“You talk to them personally?” asked Jack.

Damien nodded and said, “For some reason they seemed to think that we had a connection at the Port.”

“You do,” said Jack.

Damien flashed an irritated glance at Jack and said, “We met briefly. It was real brief. I did all the talking. I told them we would have nothing to do with them. If you guys, or whoever, were watching—I’m just telling you that we are not involved with anything they might be up to.”

“And you don’t know what they are up to?” asked Jack.

“That’s right! I don’t!”

“Who are they?” asked Jack. “What do they look like?”

“I don’t remember. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

“I thought so,” said Jack. “You are involved with them and are protecting them while trying to cover yourself.”

“I’m not a liar!” said Damien, before clenching his jaw.

“Then quit playing games. You didn’t call us here for nothing. What is it? Something is eating away at you.”

Damien glared at Jack for a moment. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Okay, okay. I know I owe you for what you both did in Colombia last year,” he said, lowering his voice. “So I’ll tell you a little something about them. This is just between us, right?”

“You’ve got my word on that,” replied Jack, glancing at Laura, who nodded her head.

Damien stared at Jack, nodded in return and said, “They’re both about my age.”

“And you turned fifty-three last April,” said Jack.

Damien frowned and Jack added, “It’s like you said, know your enemies.”

“Yeah,” replied Damien gruffly. “Early fifties. One guy is tall, thin, short grey hair, grey moustache, and a prominent nose that sticks out like a beak. The other is short, fat, and bald with hairy arms. Looks like an orangutan. They mentioned they used to be schoolteachers in Russia.”

“Schoolteachers!” exclaimed Laura.

“They’re lying,” said Damien. “These guys are different.”

“How so?” asked Jack.

“I know authority types. The tall one for sure has government written all over him. Maybe military ... maybe police ... something. They’re sure as hell not schoolteachers.”

“So, what are you suggesting?” asked Jack.

“I’m suggesting that you should be working on them rather than bothering a bunch of working stiffs who occasionally like to get together and ride bikes.”

Jack started to laugh but Damien interrupted and said, “No, seriously. Whatever they’re up to, I’m not interested. And neither is anyone in the club. Understood?”

“I understand what you’re telling me,” said Jack.

“Damn it, Jack! I’m telling you the truth. We are not involved with them!”

“How do I find them?”

Damien glanced around and after not seeing anyone, he handed Jack a slip of paper. The names Petya and Styopa were on the paper, along with a cellphone number and an apartment address.

“There are only three guys on this planet that make me ... uncomfortable,” said Damien. “You,” he said, pointing a finger at Jack, “and these two.”

Jack studied Damien’s face as he spoke. He is nervous ... so what the hell is going on?

Damien gestured to the slip of paper in Jack’s hand and said, “They think the cell number is cool so it could prove interesting to you. They also don’t know I know their address. It’s a penthouse suite backing onto Stanley Park. Fairly lavish. Two bedrooms, mini-bar, plasma television, one desk with a laptop computer and ... a bunch of textbooks.”

“And they don’t know you know their address?” commented Laura, with a bemused look on her face.

Damien ignored the comment.

Textbooks? wondered Jack. Odd comment. “What type of textbooks?” he asked.

“They were in Russian.” Damien stared at Jack and said, “So I don’t know for sure.”

Jack sensed that there was more to this than Damien was letting on. Or is he uncomfortable admitting that he had his guys break into the Russians’ apartment?

“You might be interested in who visits them there,” Damien suggested.

“And who would that be?” asked Jack.

“How the hell should I know?” Damien pointed to the paper in Jack’s hand and said, “Don’t lose that. I didn’t make a copy and will have nothing further to do with these guys. That’s all I’ve got to say on the matter.”

Damien turned away and took a step, but stopped and added, “Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. The shoes didn’t arrive how you might think. But I guess if you had toxicology check them for powder you probably already know that.” He handed Laura another piece of paper and walked away.

“Customs declaration,” said Laura. “The shoes were mailed to him directly. No cargo ship involved.” She stared after Damien. “So, what was that all about? Do you think he’s trying to sidetrack us into working on someone else instead of them?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Maybe he wants us to get rid of the competition for him.”

“He has his own surveillance team and hit squad for dealing with the competition.”

“Complete with locksmith,” added Laura.

“Probably the one they call Sparks, from the east-side chapter. He does bugging as well.”

“Figure he’s bugged the Russians?”

“I don’t think so. Not after telling us. He’d be afraid we’d find out. No, I think he’s telling the truth when he says he doesn’t want anything to do with them.”

“So what do you think? That these guys are with the Russian mafia and have got him rattled?”

Jack shook his head. “Satans Wrath had a problem with the Russian mafia a few years ago. Four Russian brothers were the ringleaders. It took a year or so, but when the bullets stopped, there were three dead Russians and the fourth fled back to Moscow. This is what’s so strange. Stuff like that doesn’t scare him. He said that these two guys make him uncomfortable. For him to admit that—I just never would have believed it possible.”

“Why doesn’t he just kill them?”

“That’s just it. I don’t understand.” Jack spoke his thoughts aloud. “There’s something he isn’t telling us. Some potential consequence that scares the hell out of him.”

“So what should we do?”

“I think we better do as he says. Check these guys out.”

It was late afternoon as Assistant Commissioner Isaac sat at his desk and gazed at the picture that stood upright on his desk next to his Bible. It was a picture of Sarah and Norah. His wife and daughter. Norah was only seventeen when an impaired driver raced through a red light, striking the side of the car that she was in. She died at the scene. Her friend, who was driving, was also seventeen and Isaac knew that she still blamed herself.

It was not her fault ... I pray that some day she realizes that. The impaired driver was convicted and lost his licence. Little compensation for losing our daughter.

“Staff Sergeant Quaile here to see you,” announced his secretary.

Moments later, Quaile was seated in an overstuffed leather chair facing Isaac’s desk while nervously wondering why he had been summoned.

For management purposes, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was broken down into four nationwide regions: the Atlantic, Central, NorthWest, and Pacific Regions. Isaac was the Criminal Operations Officer who oversaw all the operational investigations in the Pacific Region. It made Quaile feel like he had just been invited into the inner sanctum of power.

“You’ve been in charge of the Intelligence Unit for three months now,” observed Isaac.

“Yes, sir,” replied Quaile. “Three months today, actually.”

Isaac nodded. It was a date he had already noted in his Day-timer from when Quaile first arrived to the section. His piercing eyes examined Quaile closely and he said, “I wanted to wait until you had ... a feel ... for the office before having this conversation with you. A conversation that for now will remain between the two of us.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I want to talk with you about Corporal Taggart.”

“Sir?”

“Are you familiar with the more unusual aspects of some of his past investigations?”

“I heard he was in a shootout with some bikers two years ago. Also that someone tried to kill him last year.”

Isaac nodded knowingly and said, “He’s had a rather lively career. Outstanding in some aspects. But ...” Isaac paused and glanced down at his desk before continuing, “I’m not exactly sure how I should word this. There’s never been any proof,” he muttered, more to himself than to Quaile.

“Proof, sir? Of what?”

“Of any wrongdoing on the part of Corporal Taggart. This is the dilemma. He could be completely innocent. Incredibly lucky, perhaps. His predictions in his reports about organized crime families have been remarkably accurate.”

“That concerns you, sir?”

“No,” said Isaac, brusquely. “That is not what concerns me. What concerns me is that key people he works on end up dead! That is what concerns me!”

“Dead?” said Quaile, sounding dumbfounded. “You mean like—I don’t understand.”

“I’ll give you a quick history lesson. Three years ago, Corporal Taggart worked on a notorious French bank robber who was the ringleader in a gang that robbed banks across Canada. They were responsible for wounding and paralyzing a female officer in Quebec. Two months after Taggart starts to work on them, suddenly the gang believes their boss is an informant and kills him.”

“Was he Taggart’s informant?”

“No.”

“Oh, I see,” said Quaile, wondering what Isaac meant.

“That investigation followed another where a corrupt prosecutor working for Satans Wrath had ...”

“Had the bikers go after Taggart’s niece and nephew. I heard about that,” said Quaile.

“And did you hear that this prosecutor was later found dead in his swimming pool?”

“Yes, sir. An accidental drowning, I was told.”

“Maybe it was—but it happened in Mexico at the same time Taggart was in Mexico.”

Quaile swallowed nervously when he realized the implication.

“Perhaps that was just a coincidence,” continued Isaac. “Then, last year, a Colombian drug lord tried to kill Taggart and terrorized the family of Constable Danny O’Reilly, who was Taggart’s partner. A short time later, Taggart went to Colombia, allegedly to work on an unrelated investigation. Within a day of his arrival the drug lord and thirty of his men were murdered.”

“Taggart did that?” asked Quaile, his eyes wide and his mouth dropping open.

“No, I’m not saying that he did. It’s just that ... well, quite frankly, it has crossed my mind if he wasn’t somehow responsible. All this might simply be the suspicious brooding of an old man who has been on the job too long.”

“I don’t think you’re old, sir.” Quaile caught the frown that passed over Isaac’s face. Smart old fart. I’ll have to be more tactful ...

“What I’m asking,” continued Isaac, “is that you keep an eye on him and report anything suspicious to me. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. You may be pleased to know that I’m already on top of it. I’ve sensed he was a bad apple ever since I first arrived.”

“You have?”

“I’ve found him to be contemptuous in nature and he is not someone I feel is properly groomed for the duties he is now responsible for. I’m surprised that his predecessor did not identify this.”

“I’ve noticed that your office seems ... well, more spruced up since your arrival.”

“Thank you, sir. Shoddiness, tardiness, insubordination ... are all things I will not permit under my command. Unfortunately, Corporal Taggart has required discipline in all these areas. I also suspect he is a bad influence on the more junior members in the office. Now, realizing his history, perhaps Taggart is someone who should be given a less significant position?”

Isaac let out a sigh and said, “I hope you haven’t misunderstood me on this matter. Taggart has done excellent work in the past. He is a particularly gifted undercover operative, exceptionally astute, and if I were a criminal, quite honestly, he is the last person I would ever want on my trail. All I’m asking you to do is to keep close tabs on him. Treat him fairly, but at the same time, I will not tolerate any deviations from policy. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Quaile. The first real test of my leadership! Thank you for the opportunity, Corporal Taggart!