“Came to ask you a question.”

Holly took a seat in the booth across from him and said, “Go ahead.”

“Do you believe in capital punishment?”

It was a question Holly hadn’t expected, and the surprise registered on her face. “I never really thought about it before, but ... yes, I believe in it now. Why? It doesn’t really matter. Even if you catch the guys, it’s not done here.”

“People don’t always know what is done and what isn’t.” Jack reached in his pocket and took out a twenty-dollar bill and said, “Remember this?”

“That the same one?”

Jack nodded.

“I told you I wouldn’t accept it until you caught the guys.”

Jack nodded, stood up, tossed some coins on the table, and said, “This is for the coffee.” He then ripped the twenty-dollar bill in half and dropped one piece on the table. “I’m working on the second half. Appreciate it if you keep this between the two of us.”

Holly sat in a stunned silence as he walked away.

The following day, Isaac summoned both Jack and Laura into his office and gestured for them to take a seat.

Isaac smiled and said, “I’ve been apprised by ADP and I-HIT about the intelligence you two gathered this week. A lot of money and assets have already been frozen. It would appear that you’re responsible for destroying a major organized crime family before they could get too established. Well done!”

“Thank you, sir,” said Jack and Laura in unison.

“However,” said Isaac, “there are still a few loose ends. For one, that lawyer is still missing and presumed murdered. For another, when it comes to the Colombians, it is obvious that none of the main players have been apprehended.”

“I warned our units that they would likely flee for the border once the investigation started,” said Jack. “Unfortunate, but not really anyone’s fault. I think the Colombians took that precaution after Leitch was kidnapped.”

“Your informant in this matter, is it the same person you cultivated last year with O’Reilly?”

“No, sir. This one just came on board yesterday, but obviously his information is proving to be both valuable and accurate.”

“Obviously,” said Isaac. “Who is it?”

Jack paused to take a deep breath and slowly exhaled before saying, “It’s the national president of Satans Wrath.”

“What?” yelled Isaac.

“His name is Damien,” continued Jack.

“I know his name! Why ... how ... why is he talking to you? This is absurd! I don’t believe it. How did you ever convince him to cooperate?”

“I had approached him the other day, trying to find out if he would tell me anything about the Indos. He wasn’t all that cooperative, but it must have got him thinking. He contacted me and we set up a meeting with him yesterday morning. He said he wants to retire, but the club won’t let him.”

“He’s the national president. Can’t he quit when he wants? This has to be a trick!”

“He’s the boss for Canada,” said Jack, “but the club is international. There are still people above him. Some with grandiose ideas.”

“You expect me to believe that he would turn on his own club? After all these years?”

“No, and he made it clear that he won’t. He’s willing to cooperate to expedite his own interests, which would also benefit us.”

“How so?” asked Isaac, leaning forward in his chair and looking closely at the two faces in front of him.

“He’s been ordered to import tonnes of cocaine into Vancouver from Colombia.”

“Why him?”

“B.C. basically has the lowest sentencing rate in the world for drug traffickers. Not only is this the safest place to set up an international distribution centre, but cargo leaving here doesn’t get the same scrutiny it does in Third World countries.”

“That I understand, but why is Damien cooperating?”

“He simply wants out. He’s fifty-three years old and has a wife and three children. His values are changing and he doesn’t like to be pressured into doing anything. He’s also worried about the new anti-gang legislation.”

“Section 467.13 of the Criminal Code. That hasn’t even been tested here yet. I understand that won’t be before the courts until almost Christmas.”

“I know, but Damien is a visionary. He wants to retire now while things are still good. He thinks that if a major dope deal or two went sour here, then some other location would be selected instead and he would be free to retire.”

“Is that why he handed over the Colombians?”

“Yes. He wants to slowly extricate himself from everything. He’s been ordered to go down to Cali, Colombia, and order a tonne of cocaine. He is willing to take us along, providing we don’t burn him and seize the ship before his own people get involved.”

“From the Carlos cartel? The man we think is responsible for the lawyer’s disappearance?”

“Satans Wrath think they’re too hot now with how they mishandled this business with Leitch. He’s been instructed to meet with the Diego Ramirez cartel. Damien has met with him before but opted for Carlos because he received a better price at the time.”

“How do you know he’s not blowing smoke? Trying to set us up somehow?”

“He appears to have been straight with us about Leitch and the Colombians.”

Isaac nodded, then asked, “And is he willing to let us do what it takes to monitor him and make sure he’s on the level?”

“He said he would allow that, as long as we promise never to burn him. He’ll give us the ship, the dope, and all the bodies we can snag as long as we keep him out of it and promise to seize it before his guys unload it.”

Isaac shook his head and said, “I never would have believed he would turn.”

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Jack. “Won’t cost us that much, and if we take him to Colombia we’ll find out pretty quick if he is being straight with us.”

“Corruption among the Colombian police forces is rampant. We can’t risk that someone down there might tip off Ramirez that Damien is working for us, if, in fact, he actually is.”

“Sir, the Colombian government has formed an elite police squad that is proving to be trustworthy. To provide extra safety, we wouldn’t have to tell everyone down there what is going on. As long as the LO has a few people he can trust, we can make it look like we’re targeting Damien. If Ramirez is tipped off, it would still make Damien look legitimate.”

“If we don’t do this,” said Laura, “I suspect Damien will simply go ahead and import tonnes of cocaine without our knowledge.”

Isaac let out a deep breath, then said, “Okay, I’ll approve it.”

“Sir, I don’t anticipate his cooperation unless Laura and I go along as his handlers. We’ve built up a trust.”

“That goes without saying.” Isaac then pointed his finger at Jack and Laura and said, “But I want full electronic surveillance on him from the time he lands until he returns.”

“He won’t be able to wear a wire when he meets with Ramirez. They are bound to sweep for bugs.”

“Then how will we know he’s not deceiving us?”

“We’ve already discussed this with him. Laura and I are both operators. I could play the part of Damien’s financial consultant and Laura could play the part of his mistress.”

“He’ll agree to that?” said Isaac, sounding surprised.

Jack and Laura both nodded their heads.

“It would also provide the appropriate cover and protection for us to stay in the same hotel as Damien,” said Laura. “We could monitor him closely and pass on information to our people. As Jack said, it would be safer if not everyone knew who we really were.”

“I agree. Get on it, but I still want you to bring some equipment with you. If there is a chance to record any of this, it could later prove valuable. I’ll leave it up to your discretion if you think an opportunity arises where it is safe to use it. You’ll need to have Damien sign the waiver forms before you go, giving permission for electronic monitoring between the three of you. It will give you a chance to appraise his integrity, even if you decide not to use it. If he refuses to sign it, then I would look at it as a sign that he is trying to deceive us.”