Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 785 : The Fed

*Elio*

I knew the moment I lied to Cat that it would blow up in my face and sure enough, as soon as I told her about going to meet Franky, I had seen that look in her eyes. The one she gave any time she had caught a scent and like a bloodhound, would never stop investigating til she found the cause.

But it really hadn’t been my intention to hide it from her. I knew the information given to me could be worrying, especially when we were on a vacation to get away from all that stress and anxiety.

I just didn’t want to tell her without knowing the whole story myself. Or that’s what I told myself as I left the cold bedroom we shared, feeling like I was standing on the edge of the cliff and she was ready to just watch me fall.

Despite how much I wanted to run in there and explain myself, I knew it wouldn’t do any good. Not while she was giving me the silent treatment and I still only knew half of what I should about the current situation.

I sighed as I got into the car, brushing my hair from my eyes as I glanced at the tired face in the mirror.

One step forward and two steps back.

Every time we solved a problem, it felt like another two popped up somewhere and there was no end in sight. That was how I found myself driving on the near-empty streets of LA at midnight, wishing I could go home and be with my daughter and future wife.

I was regretting my life decisions right about now.

Once I arrived, Leo and Franky were already waiting for me, hanging around outside by the black SUV with blank plates.

“And the boss finally appears!” Leo declared as soon as I stepped out of my car.

We were the only ones there besides a few guards standing by the warehouse, and I knew probably a few more hidden around we couldn’t see.

Franky gave a curt nod as I approached but I wasn’t in the mood, to be honest.

“Explain. In detail,” I said firmly, heading inside without a second look at them.

I spotted them exchanging a look before following me and as we headed inside to the surveillance area we set up, Leo began to explain.

“Just like Franky said, MS13’s guys in the big house snitched out on us. Told the Feds and cops everything about the firefight, except weirdly enough, any of our names. We got lucky there, but the sentences on our guys just got doubled overnight. Seems like the MS13 guys got a lucky break too cause most of them were released on ‘good behavior.’”

“Snitches,” I sneered. It was one thing to do so in regular crimes, but snitches in high crime syndicates like ours got dealt with immediately and painfully. There was no way they would snitch without some kind of assurance their lives and those of their families would be safe. “What about the ones who didn’t get out?”

“Reduced sentences,” Leo snorted. “Though, a few we don’t have to worry about anymore and some are on life-support. Those still awake with all functioning limbs aren’t going to have a good time. Nobody in jail likes a snitch.”

As we entered the surveillance area, we took a seat around the cameras and Franky slid me a report.

“I told you but I talked to Ignacio and he denied being the one to give the order, but I doubt they would’ve done so without some kind of message from him. He did call them traitors however so it looks like they might’ve snitched on their own boss as well. We’re just lucky they didn’t throw your name or we’d be in real hot water.”

“Ignacio was the culprit,” I decided already as I flipped through the papers. “Just the fact that they snitched but my name never came out of their mouths is enough of a message. He’s keeping his end of the deal but we’re also not friends–he put his guys’ safety above our truce. He won’t let his guys rot, but he also isn’t planning on breaking his truce.”

“Clever,” Leo snorted, “Jackass always wants the last word it seems. Is there no loophole we can get to get back at them?”

“He technically didn’t break the treaty, which is an oversight on my part,” Franky scowled unhappily. He hated others getting the upper hand on his work, especially people like Ignacio who were arrogant enough to think themselves above everyone else. “Plus we have no evidence that he even sent the order nor what the Feds now know about us. They’re already putting pressure on us. We had to shut down seven routes in the past few days alone. I don’t know what he gets from all this, though.”

“It’s a power move. Puts me in his debt that they didn’t say my name or any of you guys while also getting his own guys out, even at the expense of our men still inside there. We’re lucky that the ones we let out are already out of the country and back with Al, right?”

“He confirmed last week,” Franky assured. “Their families have been moved back as well so there’s no leverage they can use in that route. The families of those still inside are a cause for concern but luckily we have them under protection. I’ve doubled the security on them just in case, while a few even volunteered to head out of the country for the time being. I disguised it as a cruise or vacation raffle they surprisingly won.”

“Nice,” Leo nodded. “Raffles are the best disguise. Do you think you can hook me up with a couple of those cruise tickets? I’d love to–”

“Focus,” I slapped the report shut, giving Leo a glare before I turned back to Franky. “And what about the Fed we found? Will he work for us you think?”

Franky nodded.

“Oh, definitely,” Leo answered with a large grin. “We’d been watching him for a while and nothing shady came up so I snooped into his records a bit. I found seven checks submitted to his three different bank accounts in the past few years, all large sums with signatures from people who don’t exist. One surprisingly with the name ‘Danil Rostova.’ Sound familiar?”

“The Russians?” I asked, surprised. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

It was hard not to know that name when we received checks every so often from imports from Russia signed with that name as well. Most often the transport was for presumed glass cleaner and carpet cleaner powder that usually we distribute for them.

Of course, it wasn’t glass cleaner in the first place, but the TSA didn’t know that.

Danil Rostova was their go-to name for shady business dealings, often the signature on the bottom of checks so the banks wouldn’t take notice. Of course, Mr. Rostova didn’t exist in real life but that was the point.

“What was he working with the Russians for?” I asked.

“I already spoke to Alessandro for more information. They were quite forthcoming about the incident since we have a business relationship with them,” Franky explained, then slid over another file. “Turns out our Fed accepted a bribe for keeping a certain few reports from being submitted properly. Files do tend to get lost all the time, you know.”

A wicked smirk spread across my lips as I held the information right in my hands. Now that we had this guy’s weakness, we could finally snag ourselves an insider.

“And good news, seems like that isn’t the only person he’s been dealing with. He’s in a meeting with a local gang leader right now.” Leo grinned. “We can probably catch him on the way and get him to join our side.”

“Let’s go then,” I got up from my seat, heading out to the SUV.

Leo’s mouth dropped open and I was halfway down the stairs when I heard him loudly shout, “Then what was the point of bringing us up here in the first place?”

I smirked but didn’t answer, letting them follow at their own pace. Once we got into the SUV with Franky in the back with the equipment, and Leo taking the shotgun as always. It didn’t take long to head into town where we knew where the local gang often met up for their meetings.

We’d bought them after all.

We waited outside the area, as Franky got set up to listen in on their conversation. I didn’t even pretend to know half of what it took to bug them out but Franky soon got the audio on the headsets, passing one to each of us.

Seems they were talking about another set of reports getting lost “accidentally,” along with a few hefty payments, which were just bribes to look the other way on any information from investigations they may come up with–all disguised as favors.

Each paycheck the slimy Fed took with a precocious, “Nice working with you.” I shook my head. All government systems were the same. Whether the local police to the federal agents working for the top dogs, each one was just as greedy as the last.

They weren’t there to keep the peace and fight for justice, they were only there for a show of power for those who were really in charge.

Luckily for us, we knew exactly how to play that game.

As the meeting ended, we decided it was best to have Franky talk instead of us. Leo could be a bit too much and I often threw people off with my cold demeanor. Besides, Franky was the person he would be working with most often. Best they get acquainted now.

Once we saw our target come out of the building, hands tucked into his long wool designer-brand jacket, Franky slipped out of the car, following him behind for only a minute before the man halted in his tracks.

“Who are you?” the Fed, Max, said with a suspicious look.

He was quite an older man, maybe in his late forties with greying hair and a prominent limp on his right foot. From his report, it had been an injury he gained during the field, one that benched him for the rest of his career.

We overheard their conversation through the earpieces, listening intently as Franky slyly danced around the question, masterfully cornering him with just his words and ice-cold stare as he presented the information they knew.

We tensed when Max reached for his gun on his hip, a scowl on his features but I could see the pros and cons running through his head. Would it be worth it?

“Offer him a twenty percent increase,” I said through the earpiece, realizing what would catch his attention, and sure enough, as soon as Franky brought out the money, Max relaxed, eyes gleaming with greed as we offered him more than he’d seen from any of his other deals.

“This is the one those miscreants just snitched on, right?” Max asked, probing for a reaction with a low smirk. “We knew you had a lot of money but definitely not this much just to shovel out. Either you’re really worried about what we know or you treat your clients very well.”

“Maybe it could be both,” Franky shrugged nonchalantly. “Are you in or not?”

Max hesitated for all of two seconds before grabbing Franky’s hand, the check we prepared slipping between their hands discreetly.

“Nice working with you,” Max said with a grin.

I smirked. We had our Fed now.