Adam had barely finished explaining that the bag contained $100,000 in operational cash when Kevin Atwater, who was fastening his ballistic vest nearby, looked over with sudden curiosity.
“Hey, Adam.
How come I haven’t gotten an invitation to your bachelor party yet?” Bachelor parties were a familiar pre-wedding tradition, usually giving the groom and his friends one last celebration before the ceremony.
Kevin apparently considered that part of the engagement far more important than the actual wedding planning.
Hearing him bring it up, Adrian Knight realized something he hadn’t known about his new coworker.
“Wait, Adam,” Adrian said.
“You’re getting married?” Adam Ruzek gave him a helpless look.
“Burgess and I haven’t even set a date yet.” Kevin rolled his eyes while adjusting his vest.
“Exactly.
That’s why you need the party.
You’ve got your priorities backward.” Adam’s expression became awkward as he looked toward Adrian.
“Her name’s Kim Burgess.
She’s a patrol officer here at the 21st.” Adrian nodded in understanding.
“Congratulations.” He was curious about his coworkers, but he wasn’t interested in digging into Adam’s personal life.
He had only met the man that morning, and there were far more urgent matters waiting for them.
Before the conversation could continue, Antonio Dawson and Sergeant Hank Voight walked into the room.
“All right,” Hank said.
“Here’s where we’re at.” Everyone immediately turned toward him.
“Benji gave us the meeting location,” Hank continued.
“He’s going to introduce Adrian to Derek as a potential buyer.
The story is that Adrian has money and connections that can help Derek expand his business into the North Side.” Antonio stepped forward.
“Once we get the transaction recorded, we move in and take Derek.” He glanced around the room before adding, “The meeting is at Chicago Midway International Airport.
That creates problems because there are crowds, traffic, restricted areas, and plenty of ways for things to get complicated.” Hank nodded.
“Which means nobody improvises unless they have to.” He looked directly at Adrian.
“Let’s move.” As the others started gathering their equipment, Hank walked closer and looked Adrian over from head to toe.
The expensive clothing and Adrian’s naturally wealthy background already worked in their favor.
“Remember your cover.
Act like a spoiled rich playboy.” Hank’s expression remained serious.
“Derek needs to believe you’ve got money and you’re reckless enough to spend it.
That’s safer than trying to look like some hardened street dealer.” Adrian normally preferred keeping a low profile, but undercover work wasn’t about personal preference.
He gave Hank a simple nod.
“No problem.” That afternoon, a black sedan slowly entered a parking area near Midway International Airport.
Benji sat inside beside Adrian, who now wore a perfectly tailored suit that made him look far more like a wealthy businessman than a rookie Chicago police officer.
The bag containing the operation money rested within Adrian’s reach.
Both men had been fitted with hidden audio and surveillance equipment before leaving the 21st District.
Their feeds were being transmitted to the Intelligence Unit members positioned outside the immediate meeting area.
Every word and movement that could be captured was being recorded.
The sedan stopped.
Adrian picked up the bag and opened the door.
“Your brother better show.” Benji climbed out after him.
“He will.” Standing beside the vehicle, Adrian looked toward the terminal entrance and motioned with his chin.
“All right.
Let’s go.” Benji gave him a quick glance before walking ahead.
Adrian followed him into the airport while the Intelligence Unit continued monitoring them remotely.
Neither man acknowledged the hidden cameras or microphones.
“Camera’s good.” “Recording is live.” “Everybody stay sharp.” The radio traffic remained short and controlled as Adrian and Benji disappeared into the crowded terminal.
Travelers moved in every direction around them, dragging luggage and watching departure boards while airport employees passed between gates.
Adrian quietly studied the environment as he walked.
At first, he assumed Benji had chosen the crowded airport because Derek wanted the transaction hidden among hundreds of ordinary travelers.
A public location could make surveillance difficult while discouraging an obvious police move.
But Adrian soon realized the actual plan was different.
A man approached from the opposite direction.
He never stopped beside Benji.
As the stranger passed him, one hand moved briefly between them.
A second later, Benji was holding two identification cards that hadn’t been there before.
Adrian noticed immediately but didn’t turn around to look at the man.
Drawing attention to him would only reveal that Adrian was watching too carefully.
“Who was that?” Benji kept moving and examined the cards.
“Nobody important.” Outside, the surveillance team had seen the exchange as well.
“Sergeant, you want somebody following him?” Hank answered immediately.
“Negative.
Keep eyes on Adrian.” “Copy.” Hank wasn’t willing to divide attention from the rookie while the operation was already changing around them.
Whoever had delivered the cards might matter later, but Adrian was currently walking toward Derek Keyes with a hundred thousand dollars and no immediate backup beside him.
Losing visual contact with him was the greater risk.
Benji continued through the terminal until they approached a controlled access point.
A line of passengers waited nearby while airport security processed people moving farther into the facility.
Instead of joining them, Benji took out the two cards he had just received.
He displayed them to the employee controlling a side access route.
After a brief look, they were allowed through.
Adrian said nothing as he followed Benji into the restricted passage.
Whatever kind of employee or contractor credentials Derek’s people had arranged, the passes were enough to get them away from the ordinary passenger route.
That detail had never been mentioned during the briefing.
They continued deeper into the service area.
The crowds quickly disappeared behind them.
Benji reached another door and pushed through it without hesitation.
Adrian followed him into a long corridor and immediately noticed how empty it was compared with the terminal they had just left.
His expression hardened.
“Hey.
Stop.” Benji turned around.
Adrian stared at him.
“This wasn’t the plan.” The farther they went into the restricted sections of the airport, the more isolated Adrian became from the rest of Intelligence.
The original operation had been built around surveillance and backup, not blindly following Benji into areas nobody had discussed beforehand.
Adrian had no intention of treating his own life as expendable just because he was working a case.
There would always be another criminal in Chicago.
Adrian only had one life.
Benji let out a frustrated breath and spread his hands.
“Listen.” “You want to meet Derek or not?” Adrian said nothing.
“This is the only chance you’re getting,” Benji continued.
“You walk away now, Derek disappears.
After that, don’t expect me to magically find him for you again.” Adrian frowned and looked down the long service corridor ahead.
Everything about the situation told him the risk had increased, but they were already deep into the operation.
Pulling out now could destroy their only opportunity to reach Derek.
For several seconds, Adrian weighed the danger.
Then he made his decision.
“Fine,” he said.
“I’ll play along.” Benji nodded.
“Let’s go.” They continued down the corridor and passed through several service sections before eventually reaching a large maintenance hangar.
The enormous interior was quiet compared with the crowded terminal they had left behind.
Two private aircraft were parked inside.
Benji continued forward without slowing down.
Adrian followed him around the side of one of the planes.
That was when he saw the black SUV.
Four men stepped out of the vehicle almost immediately.
The man walking in front needed no introduction.
Derek Keyes.
The target of the entire operation had finally appeared.
Derek approached his brother with a relaxed expression.
He and Benji exchanged a fist bump before pulling each other into a brief hug.
Adrian remained a short distance away, holding the bag of money and carefully maintaining his cover.
Then one of Derek’s men reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a handheld metal detector.