Safe & Sound 2/2
Jensen was sitting in his office waiting for Christian to get back with their lunch when his phone rang. He figured it was probably Chris calling to confirm his order because half the time he couldn't remember it by the time he actually got to a restaurant. And it was Monday, so there was no doubt in his mind that he was probably still hungover. Jensen didn't even bother checking the display for the number before he answered.
"Hello, Jensen." A familiar voice answered sending ice down Jensen's spine. He knew that this day would come, but he still wasn't prepared for it. The sudden intrusion left him reeling and without words.
"Nothing to say to me? I don't know that I've ever seen you speechless, Jensen. It's quite the event."
"What do you want?" He gritted out, anger and hatred infused into every word.
"I have a proposal I thought you might be interested in."
"Whatever it is, no. I want nothing to do with you, Jeff."
"I'm fairly certain you'll change your mind after you hear my offer."
"I don't ever want to see you again, let alone work with you. There's nothing you could possibly say that would change my mind."
JD Chuckled. "You sure about that?"
"Yes."
"That's a shame, I think you'd really enjoy it."
"Goodbye Jeff. Don't call me again."
"Jensen, wait. I need your help."
Jensen laughed, long and hard before he got himself under control. "Sorry, I could've sworn you just asked for my help. You got a lot of nerve old man. This has to be good because you know there's no way in hell that's gonna happen. "
"I didn't want to make this ugly Jensen, but you've left me no choice. Check your e-mail."
Jensen rolled his eyes, but he opened his laptop, more out of curiosity than anything else. He logged into his account and saw an anonymous e-mail at the top of his screen. He clicked on it and saw a video begin to load.
JD began speaking while he waited. "See, I was pretty sure this would happen, so I needed a contingency plan, something compelling enough to make you understand."
If JD said anything else, Jensen didn't hear it because when the image loaded and he pressed play, Jensen saw himself running through the security on the Taglieri job. What he didn't understand, was why.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's an insurance policy, if you will."
"For what? There's nothing illegal here, nothing that you could use against me. I run a legitimate business now; this is one of my client's homes." He sat staring at the video as it continued to play, completely and utterly confused as to what the hell JD was implying.
"Ah, but therein lies the rub. That home actually belongs to Marcus and Janet Eidelman, who are currently vacationing in Bali or some such place. It doesn't matter, but the fact that you bypassed their security, broke in and opened their safe, does. The police are currently investigating a burglary that occurred there yesterday where the Eidelman's lost all of their gorgeous possessions and the entire contents of their safe."
"I didn't steal anything, it was a job. I have all the signed paperwork to indicate that."
"That may be true, but it isn't going to do you any good. I mean, it's not like Alex, or Katie as you may remember her, actually owns that home or any of those items that came up missing."
Jensen sat staring at the screen, stunned.
"Now that I have your attention, are you willing to hear my proposal?" He paused for a moment to give Jensen time to respond, but he couldn't. "I'll take your silence as a yes. If you're still unwilling to cooperate, this video will find its way to the authorities. With your past and reputation, I don't think they'll have any problem believing its veracity."
Jensen tried to respond, his mouth opened and closed several times, but he couldn't seem to form words. Everything he'd worked his ass off for for the past three years was slowly slipping away.
"Now, here's what you're going to do."
:::
Jensen heard the bell at the front indicating someone had come in, but he couldn't make himself move. There was no way that just happened. At least that's what he wanted to believe.
" Jensen! You here, man? Food's here. I got you those cookies you like for dessert." He yelled through the store. "Jensen? Hey, you sleepin' back there?" He heard Chris talking, but it wasn't really registering that he was supposed to answer until he walked into the back office.
"Hey, what're you - What's wrong? You're white as a sheet man."
" I. We. " Jensen needed a little bit of help to get his mind working again. So instead of saying anything else, he simply turned his laptop around so that Chris could see the screen. Perhaps if he asked Jensen a question, he'd be able to answer.
"Jensen, you're scaring me man. What is this?"
"Play it." His voice scratched out.
Chris did, he gave it a few moments, registering what it was exactly before he spoke again.
"Okay, why are you watching a video of the Taglieri job. Why do you even have a video?"
"JD."
"What the hell does he have to do with this?" Chris never really had any dealings with JD, but they had crossed paths on occasion. He knew exactly who he was, and what he was capable of.
"It was a set up. All of it. Alex Taglieri doesn't own that home. She doesn't even exist. It's Katie. She'd just started dating JD back then; I'd never even met her before." Jensen was quiet for a moment, thinking over what he'd just said. "Everything's gone, Chris."
Jensen went on to tell Chris everything else JD had told him, what he planned to do if Jensen refused the job he wanted him for and what it actually entailed.
"Jesus Christ." Chris whispered when he was done.
They both sat there in silence with matching expressions. He couldn't speak for Christian, but Jensen's mind was racing with a thousand what-if scenarios fighting to combat this siege he'd been placed under. He got up suddenly and began to leave.
"I'm going to run down and get some coffee. I need to think."
"Jensen, we need to - "
"Not now, Christian. I know you mean well, but I just can't. I need some time to wrap my head around this if I'm going to get my life back. I'll be back in a little bit."
"Just…be careful." He said softly as Jensen left the room. "And don't do anything stupid." He yelled at the last minute as Jensen walked out the door.
:::
Jensen stared sightlessly out the window of the coffee shop with his head propped up on his hand resting on the table. He sat and watched the hundreds of people that passed by, some without a care in the world, others hurrying about their day, their lives. Just yesterday, Jensen was one of them.
He'd only had a few sips of his favorite coffee. It sat flavorless in front of him, getting colder by the minute. Even those cherished shavings had no hope of working their magic today.
"This seat taken?"
Jensen was just about to answer with some biting remark when he looked up to see Jared. Perfect. Everything else was crashing down at record speed; Jensen figured it was only fair for Jared to be in the damage path too.
"Sure, why not." He said caustically, gesturing to the chair. He looked back out the window; he wasn't in the mood to be sociable. Jensen wanted to feel guilty for his behavior because Jared didn't deserve his wrath, but he wasn't really firing on all cylinders at the moment.
If it was going to end, and it would given where Jensen was heading, he was going to do it as his own pace.
"How are you doing?" He asked, voice full of concern. It made Jensen cringe to even think about answering because he knew the inevitable was coming.
"I've been better." He didn't look at him, but instead focused on a child across the street with her parents. She was smiling, playing with a stuffed animal as they walked together out of the toy store. He sometimes wondered what his life would have been like had he grown up differently. He allowed the distraction for a moment before he let his eyes wander somewhere else. A pity party was the last thing he needed. He didn't have a bad life really, just not an ideal one.
"Jensen? Look at me, please?" Jensen could see him move, trying to get his attention. When he didn't, Jared took a deep breath and continued anyway.
"I know what happened, what JD wants you to do."
Jensen looked up sharply at that. "How -"
in the hell? His mind added when his mouth couldn't finish.
"Chris called me." He smiled sadly waiting for a moment before he continued. "We've had JD in our sights for a long time, Jen. We've been trying to nail him since he came back from that job he did in Paris a few years back."
"The museum." Jensen supplied.
"Yes. He's been trying to move those paintings. He's patient, but we think he must be running low on money."
"We tapped his phone when he resurfaced not too long ago, figuring something was in the works. It wouldn't have been as quickly, but I'd have found out eventually. You know that, right?"
"I…What am I supposed to do?"
"Let me help you. There are other ways, Jensen, but you have to choose them. You know I can't let you do this."
Jared reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out a card and placed it in front of him. Jared Padalecki in bold, black letters over his title: Special Agent. It had never mattered to Jensen what Jared was before. But now, seeing his name along the Agency's crest, it did. Of course, before, he never dreamed he'd return to his old life either. Jensen had never felt so lost.
Jared got up from the table, reached into his pants pocket and took out a few bills, enough to cover the coffees they'd ordered and tossed them on the table. He stepped up to Jensen and placed his hand on Jensen's shoulder, "Please think about it. I can help you, Jensen."
With that, he gave one final squeeze to Jensen's shoulder and walked away; leaving Jensen alone with his cold, tasteless coffee and entirely too many thoughts for a Monday morning.
:::
Jensen never went back to the store. He needed to call Chris, who had probably worked himself up into his own nervous breakdown by now.
Instead, he went home.
Jensen had been out on his patio for a couple hours, the warm afternoon sun blanketing him as he laid on the recliner. His legs were bent so that his feet rested flat on the cushions and he took a long pull from his beer. It probably wasn't the greatest answer to his problems right now, but he definitely needed something stronger than coffee if he was going to find a way out of this mess.
He held Jared's business card in his hand; funny how something so small could pose both a threat and a solution. He didn't want to go back to his old life, but he couldn't see how Jared could really help him either. That video was just too damning, and admitting his knowledge about JD's past seemed equally so. He decided to take the chance and trust Jared. He really didn't see that he had any other option available to him. He really hoped Jared wasn't lying when he said he could help.
The phone only rang once before Jared answered.
"Jensen?"
He wasn't in the mood for small talk, even for Jared. "If you can really help me, I'll do whatever you need me to do. He took my father from me, I'm taking this."
"Okay."
:::
"Are you sure this is gonna work?"
Jared and Jensen had spent a good portion of last night on the phone talking and going over their options. When Jared had called back this morning, there was a plan in place and his team had already set things in motion. Jensen just hoped it worked. He'd already spoken with Chris earlier, and while he was told under no uncertain terms was he to share what he was doing, he let him know that he was okay and he'd see him later. To say he wasn't pleased with the new turn of events was an understatement, but it wasn't like he could really do anything to help either.
Jensen buttoned his shirt back up and looked to Jared. He was a bundle of nerves, not only had he been out of the game for years but his targets were never people. Safes and locks never killed anyone. JD hadn't specifically threatened his life in that sense, but given their history, Jensen didn't really know what to expect from him anymore. Everyone that knew him was dead.
"Trust me. I'm very good at my job, Jensen."
Jared went back to fiddling with some equipment set up in his office while Jensen continued to straighten his clothes making sure nothing seemed out of place or obvious.
"It's not really you I'm worried about." He muttered.
"You're going to be fine. I'll be right there with you. Just follow the plan and get him to talk. We'll do the rest."
"That won't be a problem; he's in love with the sound of his own voice."
Jared chuckled and made a couple of final adjustments and stood up from his desk. He put an ear bud in place, and motioned to it. "Remember, you won't be able to hear me, but I'll still be able to see and hear everything you do." He powered down his laptop and put it into a case with a few other items and looked back up meeting Jensen's eyes. "You ready? It's almost time."
Jensen nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's do this."
:::
Jensen pulled into the parking area a block away from the target like Jared had told him to and pulled out his phone to dial the number JD had given him yesterday. He was in no way prepared for this. Safes, vaults, galleries, those were Jensen's thing, not government buildings. This was a special brand of crazy that Jensen never signed up for. Hell, it was even out of JD's league if he were honest. That, or he had really stepped up his game since they parted ways.
He keyed in the number to his phone, pressed send and took a deep breath.
"I was beginning to wonder about you, Jensen. Thought you might stand me up."
"I'm here aren't I?"
"Where is here exactly?"
"I'm about a block away."
"Head to the church at Worth and Broadway, go inside and sit in the last pew on the right. Call me when you get there."
Jensen did as he was told. He walked up the steps to the church and pulled open the heavy wooden doors. It was dark inside compared to walking out in the midday sun; it took him a minute for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings before he moved. Heading for the pew, he dropped to his knee beside it before sitting down and made the sign of the cross across his body with his hand. He wasn't sure if anyone was watching him and he tried to look as normal as possible.
He took a minute for himself before redialing JD's number.
"Good. Now there's a small rack in front of you holding the hymnals, grab the green one and thumb through it."
As he did, a small shiny card fell out into his lap. When he picked it up he saw his name, his company's name and the agency's crest on it just above a thick red line that labeled him as a visitor.
"Got it."
"Now turn around."
Jensen heard both voices, the one in his ear and the one behind him. He dropped the phone from his ear and turned slowly.
"Sorry, had to make sure you weren't followed."
If it were possible, Jensen thought he could actually feel his skin crawling now that JD was standing near him.
"I followed your directions. Now what are we doing here?"
"Well, we can't exactly break in can we? The building's too secure for that. And you're company is already on the payroll, so it gives us credibility that you would be the one to install their new security measures."
"How in the hell did you pull that off?"
"I have my ways. While they're physical security is outstanding, a friend was able to find a small window in the digital world." He made a motion with his hand to head back outside before he continued. Jensen followed, but kept his distance. He stood as close to him as he could physically handle without raising suspicion, which ended up being about five feet or so.
"I gotta say Jensen," he started as they rounded the corner of the block. "I'm surprised you never put it all together. You're so much smarter than that. I even left you clues: the name, the painting. Hell, you were the one who picked up those aliases. We haven't used those in years. Seems the master planner is getting lax is his old age, huh? I'm a bit disappointed. This wasn't the way I pictured it going down. You didn't even make it challenging."
Jensen knew that painting was real. No one was that good. He should've trusted his gut on that at least. JD was right, he probably has gotten a little lazy with the details. The old Jensen wouldn't have missed them.
"Fuck you. I had never even met Katie, remember?"
"Yes, that's right. Unfortunate little detail for you, huh? You did know the alias, though."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Simple. One, you're the only one left. The only one who can tie me to the Chicago job. I would've gotten you that night, but see, Katie was rather impatient. So, we were going to come back for you. Don't worry though, after you've served your purpose I'll finish what I started back then. The one thing I never saw coming was your disappearance. Nice touch. I didn't think you had it in you. You've set yourself up real nice here. Dad would be proud."
"Shut the fuck up! You don't get to talk about him, ever. Not even his name." He seethed through clenched teeth, barely able to keep himself from swinging.
"Fair enough."
Jensen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Losing it now would ruin everything and he was determined to make this bastard pay. For everything. He had to keep him talking though.
"You said, one. I assume there's more."
JD smiled. "Think about it, Jensen. For every person who pays taxes, there is a social security number. For every social security number, there are at least a fourth of those where payments are made. Last year, there was almost 900 billion dollars paid out in social security, even more collected. All that data is housed on the Social Security Administration Servers and those servers are inside that building." JD pointed behind him, indicating the federal building across the street.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Jensen knew ahead of time where they were going, but he had no idea the full scope of JD's plan so Jared could only prepare him for so much. He figured they were getting evidence or something; never in his wildest dreams would Jensen have come up with this.
"Getting in is the hardest part. They use all their energy on keeping people out, but once you're inside, there's very few deterrents in place until we get to that room. They operate on the assumption that once you're inside, you're supposed to be there."
"You're insane."
"Hardly. I'd say determined, motivated, ambitious or even inspired maybe, but not insane. See, at the beginning of every month, all that money is transferred here through these servers when the checks for both security and disability are cut. This month, all the money collected from income taxes in April comes in as well. Now, my buddy wrote a worm that I'm going to drop on one of the servers, it will lie dormant until those payments are generated, then syphon small amounts from each check. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be all at my fingertips. By the time it's noticed, I'll be gone."
JD looked rather pleased with himself at that.
"There's no way you're going to pull this off, you do know that don't you?"
"Ye of little faith." He smiled. "What do you say we get this show on the road, huh? You ready to be a part of the largest heist in history?"
"God, don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?"
JD Chuckled. "Easy, Jen," He said holding up the phone still in his hand. "I still have that video. It'd be no problem for me to slip and hit send."
:::
Jensen and JD made their way down the block to JD's car parked at a café. He'd been going over everything in his head as they walked back. It was all so much more than he bargained for and he couldn't wait for the night to be over. He just wanted to turn around and go home.
"So, you've told me your evil plan, but what am I doing? You wouldn't have gone through all this just to have me get you into the building. I mean, you pulled off that Paris job without me, it's clear that you are able to handle yourself just fine. You could've just used my company and had the same results. Why exactly am I here?"
JD reached over him to open the glove compartment and pulled out large manila envelope. He dropped it into Jensen's lap.
"Open that and then tell me why you're here."
Jensen flipped open the flap and pulled out its contents. Several eight by ten inch photos fell into his lap. They showed images of a long hallway leading to a vault door. He flipped through them eventually getting to an enlarged photo of the door. When he picked it up to look closer, he understood immediately. The Soco. Of course Soco would also make vaults. His head whipped around and he glared at JD.
"I can't get into this!" He yelled. "I haven't even gotten the safe mock up yet, I don't know anything about it. They're not even supposed to be on the market!"
"That's unfortunate, but not really of my concern. You wanted to know why you're here, that's why. There are very few people who have the skill to get into that vault. You just happened to be one of them."
:::
Jensen was nervous as hell. They'd just barely made it through the close scrutiny of the guards at the entrance and they were heading toward the server room. At least he knew that JD wasn't armed. There was no way he could make it through the metal detectors otherwise, so that helped a little.
He'd kept his cool and played the part of the skilled vault technician. JD had been right; Jensen's business had been the key. He wasn't sure whether to be flattered, or frightened at how simple it was in the grand scheme of things. Either Jared worked his magic or all of Jensen's own illusions about security had just been shattered. He hoped it was the former.
They had woven through the maze of hallways, each taking a different turn through different divisions until they reached the stairway that led to the lower floor. JD came to a stop just inside the door.
"Okay, this is it. Outside this stairwell and down the corridor is the vault entrance. There are two more guards stationed at the entrance to the vault, so keep it together." He whispered quickly just before opening the exit door.
They showed their badges to the guard, he studied them against their faces and against a clipboard he picked up from the counter. He picked up two more badges, made some notation in the computer, slid them through a card reader and handed one to each of them.
"Keep these visible at all times. If you have to leave this area for any reason, turn them back in here and we'll reissue them when you return."
"Okay." Their voices said in unison, slipping the lanyards around their necks.
The guard turned around and led them to a large steel door where he punched in a key code and activated a retinal scanner. "Follow this hallway to the end, the vault will be on your right. Use these keycards to activate the lock. It's a rotating code, they will only work once. One to get in, one to get out. Understand?"
"Yes."
:::
" Now get busy, you have one hour until I have to be on those servers."
JD knew damn well that a vault like this could take more than an hour, and that was if everything went smoothly. If Jensen hit any of the unknown deterrents, or cracked that glass, there was no telling how long it'd take. And to top it off, he was hovering.
"Get away from me."
"That's not going to happen, Jen."
Jensen stiffened at the use of his nickname. Fucker lost that right a long time ago.
"Look, you want this open? I can't do it with you in my face. I need to concentrate, so," Jensen looked around the room and made a shooing motion to the far wall, "move over there or something."
JD looked skeptical.
"What the fuck am I gonna do, man? You'll be right here the whole time. Christ, when did you become so paranoid?"
"I'm going to be right there, if you try anything-"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Move."
JD hesitated for a moment, but conceded.
"Asshole," he muttered.
Jensen studied the door for the first time since they entered. There was no way in god's green earth that he was going to be able to get into this vault. Not only were all the deterrents he read about in place, but there was customizations added as well, like and electronic keypad.
And the hits just kept on coming.
Jensen bent down and looked through his bag. It was probably best to start with the electronic lock first as it was probably the most time consuming. He picked up the autodialer, and set it to the side. He had no idea how many numbers to search for or how many combinations the safe held. The only bright spot in this whole thing was that the keypad was on the side, not in the door, so it could be pulled. Why they went with a Soco if they didn't use it to its fullest capacity, Jensen would never know. Whatever the reason, he was pretty thankful right about now. He dismantled the panel and hooked up the dialer. It started cycling through numbers immediately.
Next up was drilling. He knew it was probably a better idea to go the traditional route, but that just wasn't his style. He was stronger with his tools. Placing the bit against the dial, Jensen lined it up as level as he could make it. If he were a more religious man, it would probably be a good idea for a prayer or two as well.
Finally, he pressed tightly against the face and tried to steady his nerves. At the last moment, he pulled the drill away and stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't drill it."
"Why not?"
"It's a glass re-lock system. If I break it you'll never get inside. I can't even get my scope inside, there's too much risk. I'll have to do it by touch."
Jensen wiped his hands on his jeans, closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He stepped back up to the door, picked up a pencil from his bag and placed his fingers on the dial. It spun slowly, with each twist of his hand, soft shallow clicks at each number to hide the slop in the settings. Most allowed for a margin of error of plus or minus two digits, but not this one. It took fifteen minutes to find the first drop. "24" He wrote it on the door, with a "1" over it.
Forty-seven minutes later, the autodialer had found all six numbers of its combination. Jensen had found three of four. There were several others with strikes through them on the door above the dial. He was approaching the "57" again; Jensen swore that it was the last number, but it didn't hit last time. He turned another inch and there it was, click.
He did it.
"Holy Shit." He whispered, more to himself than anything.
He reached over, grabbed the wheel and turned. The mechanisms inside made a loud noise as the bolts slid home. He stepped back from the vault, pulling the door open with him. "There, it's all yours."
That was the cue.
He only had a few moments to relish in his victory before everything went to hell. And it got there so quickly that Jensen couldn’t tell you how it happened. He heard Jared's voice only moments before JD moved behind him and pressed a blade to his throat. Jensen could've sworn they both went through the metal detectors, didn't they?
Jared moved further into the room, gun drawn. "Ceramic blade, nice one."
"Thank you. It's alarming how easy your security really is. Disgraceful really."
"I'll be sure to pass that on." Jared sidestepped around to his right, one leg crossing in front of the other, gun still trained on both of them. "You alright, Jen?"
He tried to speak or nod, but the blade tightened and blood slipped slowly down his neck. "Jen? You don't let anyone call you that. Not unless…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Jensen could tell he was putting it together.
Jensen swallowed and leaned his head back just enough to give himself room. He reached under his shirt, ripped off the wire and held it up in the air. "Not so slow now, am I?" He grinned. It was finally over. One way or another, JD was finished.
"Put the gun down or he's dead."
"You're really not in any position to be making demands, JD. You do know you'll never make it out of here."
It was almost like they were engaged in some perverse dance. As Jared inched forward, JD moved back further against the vault door holding Jensen tightly in front of him as a shield. With about ten feet between them now, Jensen really hoped Jared was as good as he said he was.
"Come any closer and I swear to god I'll kill him!"
Jensen felt the blade slide against his throat at the same time he heard Jared yell and his gun fire. After that, everything went black.
:::
"Oh my god! Did you see that shot?!"
Jensen cringed every time Jared moved. He was lounging on the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table, his shoulder was wrapped and his arm was held in a sling to limit his movements. He spent the rest of the day and night in the ER, but it was a clean shot. No major damage was done, fortunately. And he had slept for a while after they had sewn him back up. Jared brought him home early this morning and had been taking care of him ever since. Jensen had forgotten about the game though. Now, if he could just strap him down Jensen thought he might just make it. Thank god for painkillers.
That last burst of energy was especially brutal. Jensen's pretty sure the whole sofa moved. "Ow."
"Oh, sorry." Jared looked back briefly to Jensen from his place at the edge of the cushion and quickly went back to the game. "Court side seats, man. I can't believe we're missing this game right now."
"I can't believe you shot me."
"I said I was sorry." Jared leaned back and turned toward him looking genuinely apologetic.
"You also said you were good at your job too, but the bullet hole in my shoulder begs to differ. What kind of scenario teaches you to shoot your hostage?" He smirked.
"Hey, you're still alive aren't you? I didn't hit anything vital. You should be glad I took you out of the equation before JD could do any more damage with that knife."
"I don't know, I think I might have been willing to take my chances."
"Ouch."
"I'm glad about one thing."
"What's that?"
Jensen leaned his head forward just enough to press his lips to Jared's softly before he pulled way. "That you're here." He smirked. "Now go get me some food. I'm hungry. I would do it myself, but I'm not supposed to move around much for a couple days."
"You're going to milk this for all it's worth aren't you?"
"Absofuckinlutely." Jensen grinned.
Thank you for reading. :)
More Notes.
* The information about the art theft in Paris is true. The paintings were stolen in 2010 and have never been recovered.
* The information about the amount of money paid out in Social Security is also true. The data was from SSA.org, for this year.
"Hello, Jensen." A familiar voice answered sending ice down Jensen's spine. He knew that this day would come, but he still wasn't prepared for it. The sudden intrusion left him reeling and without words.
"Nothing to say to me? I don't know that I've ever seen you speechless, Jensen. It's quite the event."
"What do you want?" He gritted out, anger and hatred infused into every word.
"I have a proposal I thought you might be interested in."
"Whatever it is, no. I want nothing to do with you, Jeff."
"I'm fairly certain you'll change your mind after you hear my offer."
"I don't ever want to see you again, let alone work with you. There's nothing you could possibly say that would change my mind."
JD Chuckled. "You sure about that?"
"Yes."
"That's a shame, I think you'd really enjoy it."
"Goodbye Jeff. Don't call me again."
"Jensen, wait. I need your help."
Jensen laughed, long and hard before he got himself under control. "Sorry, I could've sworn you just asked for my help. You got a lot of nerve old man. This has to be good because you know there's no way in hell that's gonna happen. "
"I didn't want to make this ugly Jensen, but you've left me no choice. Check your e-mail."
Jensen rolled his eyes, but he opened his laptop, more out of curiosity than anything else. He logged into his account and saw an anonymous e-mail at the top of his screen. He clicked on it and saw a video begin to load.
JD began speaking while he waited. "See, I was pretty sure this would happen, so I needed a contingency plan, something compelling enough to make you understand."
If JD said anything else, Jensen didn't hear it because when the image loaded and he pressed play, Jensen saw himself running through the security on the Taglieri job. What he didn't understand, was why.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's an insurance policy, if you will."
"For what? There's nothing illegal here, nothing that you could use against me. I run a legitimate business now; this is one of my client's homes." He sat staring at the video as it continued to play, completely and utterly confused as to what the hell JD was implying.
"Ah, but therein lies the rub. That home actually belongs to Marcus and Janet Eidelman, who are currently vacationing in Bali or some such place. It doesn't matter, but the fact that you bypassed their security, broke in and opened their safe, does. The police are currently investigating a burglary that occurred there yesterday where the Eidelman's lost all of their gorgeous possessions and the entire contents of their safe."
"I didn't steal anything, it was a job. I have all the signed paperwork to indicate that."
"That may be true, but it isn't going to do you any good. I mean, it's not like Alex, or Katie as you may remember her, actually owns that home or any of those items that came up missing."
Jensen sat staring at the screen, stunned.
"Now that I have your attention, are you willing to hear my proposal?" He paused for a moment to give Jensen time to respond, but he couldn't. "I'll take your silence as a yes. If you're still unwilling to cooperate, this video will find its way to the authorities. With your past and reputation, I don't think they'll have any problem believing its veracity."
Jensen tried to respond, his mouth opened and closed several times, but he couldn't seem to form words. Everything he'd worked his ass off for for the past three years was slowly slipping away.
"Now, here's what you're going to do."
:::
Jensen heard the bell at the front indicating someone had come in, but he couldn't make himself move. There was no way that just happened. At least that's what he wanted to believe.
" Jensen! You here, man? Food's here. I got you those cookies you like for dessert." He yelled through the store. "Jensen? Hey, you sleepin' back there?" He heard Chris talking, but it wasn't really registering that he was supposed to answer until he walked into the back office.
"Hey, what're you - What's wrong? You're white as a sheet man."
" I. We. " Jensen needed a little bit of help to get his mind working again. So instead of saying anything else, he simply turned his laptop around so that Chris could see the screen. Perhaps if he asked Jensen a question, he'd be able to answer.
"Jensen, you're scaring me man. What is this?"
"Play it." His voice scratched out.
Chris did, he gave it a few moments, registering what it was exactly before he spoke again.
"Okay, why are you watching a video of the Taglieri job. Why do you even have a video?"
"JD."
"What the hell does he have to do with this?" Chris never really had any dealings with JD, but they had crossed paths on occasion. He knew exactly who he was, and what he was capable of.
"It was a set up. All of it. Alex Taglieri doesn't own that home. She doesn't even exist. It's Katie. She'd just started dating JD back then; I'd never even met her before." Jensen was quiet for a moment, thinking over what he'd just said. "Everything's gone, Chris."
Jensen went on to tell Chris everything else JD had told him, what he planned to do if Jensen refused the job he wanted him for and what it actually entailed.
"Jesus Christ." Chris whispered when he was done.
They both sat there in silence with matching expressions. He couldn't speak for Christian, but Jensen's mind was racing with a thousand what-if scenarios fighting to combat this siege he'd been placed under. He got up suddenly and began to leave.
"I'm going to run down and get some coffee. I need to think."
"Jensen, we need to - "
"Not now, Christian. I know you mean well, but I just can't. I need some time to wrap my head around this if I'm going to get my life back. I'll be back in a little bit."
"Just…be careful." He said softly as Jensen left the room. "And don't do anything stupid." He yelled at the last minute as Jensen walked out the door.
:::
Jensen stared sightlessly out the window of the coffee shop with his head propped up on his hand resting on the table. He sat and watched the hundreds of people that passed by, some without a care in the world, others hurrying about their day, their lives. Just yesterday, Jensen was one of them.
He'd only had a few sips of his favorite coffee. It sat flavorless in front of him, getting colder by the minute. Even those cherished shavings had no hope of working their magic today.
"This seat taken?"
Jensen was just about to answer with some biting remark when he looked up to see Jared. Perfect. Everything else was crashing down at record speed; Jensen figured it was only fair for Jared to be in the damage path too.
"Sure, why not." He said caustically, gesturing to the chair. He looked back out the window; he wasn't in the mood to be sociable. Jensen wanted to feel guilty for his behavior because Jared didn't deserve his wrath, but he wasn't really firing on all cylinders at the moment.
If it was going to end, and it would given where Jensen was heading, he was going to do it as his own pace.
"How are you doing?" He asked, voice full of concern. It made Jensen cringe to even think about answering because he knew the inevitable was coming.
"I've been better." He didn't look at him, but instead focused on a child across the street with her parents. She was smiling, playing with a stuffed animal as they walked together out of the toy store. He sometimes wondered what his life would have been like had he grown up differently. He allowed the distraction for a moment before he let his eyes wander somewhere else. A pity party was the last thing he needed. He didn't have a bad life really, just not an ideal one.
"Jensen? Look at me, please?" Jensen could see him move, trying to get his attention. When he didn't, Jared took a deep breath and continued anyway.
"I know what happened, what JD wants you to do."
Jensen looked up sharply at that. "How -"
in the hell? His mind added when his mouth couldn't finish.
"Chris called me." He smiled sadly waiting for a moment before he continued. "We've had JD in our sights for a long time, Jen. We've been trying to nail him since he came back from that job he did in Paris a few years back."
"The museum." Jensen supplied.
"Yes. He's been trying to move those paintings. He's patient, but we think he must be running low on money."
"We tapped his phone when he resurfaced not too long ago, figuring something was in the works. It wouldn't have been as quickly, but I'd have found out eventually. You know that, right?"
"I…What am I supposed to do?"
"Let me help you. There are other ways, Jensen, but you have to choose them. You know I can't let you do this."
Jared reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out a card and placed it in front of him. Jared Padalecki in bold, black letters over his title: Special Agent. It had never mattered to Jensen what Jared was before. But now, seeing his name along the Agency's crest, it did. Of course, before, he never dreamed he'd return to his old life either. Jensen had never felt so lost.
Jared got up from the table, reached into his pants pocket and took out a few bills, enough to cover the coffees they'd ordered and tossed them on the table. He stepped up to Jensen and placed his hand on Jensen's shoulder, "Please think about it. I can help you, Jensen."
With that, he gave one final squeeze to Jensen's shoulder and walked away; leaving Jensen alone with his cold, tasteless coffee and entirely too many thoughts for a Monday morning.
:::
Jensen never went back to the store. He needed to call Chris, who had probably worked himself up into his own nervous breakdown by now.
Instead, he went home.
Jensen had been out on his patio for a couple hours, the warm afternoon sun blanketing him as he laid on the recliner. His legs were bent so that his feet rested flat on the cushions and he took a long pull from his beer. It probably wasn't the greatest answer to his problems right now, but he definitely needed something stronger than coffee if he was going to find a way out of this mess.
He held Jared's business card in his hand; funny how something so small could pose both a threat and a solution. He didn't want to go back to his old life, but he couldn't see how Jared could really help him either. That video was just too damning, and admitting his knowledge about JD's past seemed equally so. He decided to take the chance and trust Jared. He really didn't see that he had any other option available to him. He really hoped Jared wasn't lying when he said he could help.
The phone only rang once before Jared answered.
"Jensen?"
He wasn't in the mood for small talk, even for Jared. "If you can really help me, I'll do whatever you need me to do. He took my father from me, I'm taking this."
"Okay."
:::
"Are you sure this is gonna work?"
Jared and Jensen had spent a good portion of last night on the phone talking and going over their options. When Jared had called back this morning, there was a plan in place and his team had already set things in motion. Jensen just hoped it worked. He'd already spoken with Chris earlier, and while he was told under no uncertain terms was he to share what he was doing, he let him know that he was okay and he'd see him later. To say he wasn't pleased with the new turn of events was an understatement, but it wasn't like he could really do anything to help either.
Jensen buttoned his shirt back up and looked to Jared. He was a bundle of nerves, not only had he been out of the game for years but his targets were never people. Safes and locks never killed anyone. JD hadn't specifically threatened his life in that sense, but given their history, Jensen didn't really know what to expect from him anymore. Everyone that knew him was dead.
"Trust me. I'm very good at my job, Jensen."
Jared went back to fiddling with some equipment set up in his office while Jensen continued to straighten his clothes making sure nothing seemed out of place or obvious.
"It's not really you I'm worried about." He muttered.
"You're going to be fine. I'll be right there with you. Just follow the plan and get him to talk. We'll do the rest."
"That won't be a problem; he's in love with the sound of his own voice."
Jared chuckled and made a couple of final adjustments and stood up from his desk. He put an ear bud in place, and motioned to it. "Remember, you won't be able to hear me, but I'll still be able to see and hear everything you do." He powered down his laptop and put it into a case with a few other items and looked back up meeting Jensen's eyes. "You ready? It's almost time."
Jensen nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's do this."
:::
Jensen pulled into the parking area a block away from the target like Jared had told him to and pulled out his phone to dial the number JD had given him yesterday. He was in no way prepared for this. Safes, vaults, galleries, those were Jensen's thing, not government buildings. This was a special brand of crazy that Jensen never signed up for. Hell, it was even out of JD's league if he were honest. That, or he had really stepped up his game since they parted ways.
He keyed in the number to his phone, pressed send and took a deep breath.
"I was beginning to wonder about you, Jensen. Thought you might stand me up."
"I'm here aren't I?"
"Where is here exactly?"
"I'm about a block away."
"Head to the church at Worth and Broadway, go inside and sit in the last pew on the right. Call me when you get there."
Jensen did as he was told. He walked up the steps to the church and pulled open the heavy wooden doors. It was dark inside compared to walking out in the midday sun; it took him a minute for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings before he moved. Heading for the pew, he dropped to his knee beside it before sitting down and made the sign of the cross across his body with his hand. He wasn't sure if anyone was watching him and he tried to look as normal as possible.
He took a minute for himself before redialing JD's number.
"Good. Now there's a small rack in front of you holding the hymnals, grab the green one and thumb through it."
As he did, a small shiny card fell out into his lap. When he picked it up he saw his name, his company's name and the agency's crest on it just above a thick red line that labeled him as a visitor.
"Got it."
"Now turn around."
Jensen heard both voices, the one in his ear and the one behind him. He dropped the phone from his ear and turned slowly.
"Sorry, had to make sure you weren't followed."
If it were possible, Jensen thought he could actually feel his skin crawling now that JD was standing near him.
"I followed your directions. Now what are we doing here?"
"Well, we can't exactly break in can we? The building's too secure for that. And you're company is already on the payroll, so it gives us credibility that you would be the one to install their new security measures."
"How in the hell did you pull that off?"
"I have my ways. While they're physical security is outstanding, a friend was able to find a small window in the digital world." He made a motion with his hand to head back outside before he continued. Jensen followed, but kept his distance. He stood as close to him as he could physically handle without raising suspicion, which ended up being about five feet or so.
"I gotta say Jensen," he started as they rounded the corner of the block. "I'm surprised you never put it all together. You're so much smarter than that. I even left you clues: the name, the painting. Hell, you were the one who picked up those aliases. We haven't used those in years. Seems the master planner is getting lax is his old age, huh? I'm a bit disappointed. This wasn't the way I pictured it going down. You didn't even make it challenging."
Jensen knew that painting was real. No one was that good. He should've trusted his gut on that at least. JD was right, he probably has gotten a little lazy with the details. The old Jensen wouldn't have missed them.
"Fuck you. I had never even met Katie, remember?"
"Yes, that's right. Unfortunate little detail for you, huh? You did know the alias, though."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Simple. One, you're the only one left. The only one who can tie me to the Chicago job. I would've gotten you that night, but see, Katie was rather impatient. So, we were going to come back for you. Don't worry though, after you've served your purpose I'll finish what I started back then. The one thing I never saw coming was your disappearance. Nice touch. I didn't think you had it in you. You've set yourself up real nice here. Dad would be proud."
"Shut the fuck up! You don't get to talk about him, ever. Not even his name." He seethed through clenched teeth, barely able to keep himself from swinging.
"Fair enough."
Jensen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Losing it now would ruin everything and he was determined to make this bastard pay. For everything. He had to keep him talking though.
"You said, one. I assume there's more."
JD smiled. "Think about it, Jensen. For every person who pays taxes, there is a social security number. For every social security number, there are at least a fourth of those where payments are made. Last year, there was almost 900 billion dollars paid out in social security, even more collected. All that data is housed on the Social Security Administration Servers and those servers are inside that building." JD pointed behind him, indicating the federal building across the street.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Jensen knew ahead of time where they were going, but he had no idea the full scope of JD's plan so Jared could only prepare him for so much. He figured they were getting evidence or something; never in his wildest dreams would Jensen have come up with this.
"Getting in is the hardest part. They use all their energy on keeping people out, but once you're inside, there's very few deterrents in place until we get to that room. They operate on the assumption that once you're inside, you're supposed to be there."
"You're insane."
"Hardly. I'd say determined, motivated, ambitious or even inspired maybe, but not insane. See, at the beginning of every month, all that money is transferred here through these servers when the checks for both security and disability are cut. This month, all the money collected from income taxes in April comes in as well. Now, my buddy wrote a worm that I'm going to drop on one of the servers, it will lie dormant until those payments are generated, then syphon small amounts from each check. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be all at my fingertips. By the time it's noticed, I'll be gone."
JD looked rather pleased with himself at that.
"There's no way you're going to pull this off, you do know that don't you?"
"Ye of little faith." He smiled. "What do you say we get this show on the road, huh? You ready to be a part of the largest heist in history?"
"God, don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?"
JD Chuckled. "Easy, Jen," He said holding up the phone still in his hand. "I still have that video. It'd be no problem for me to slip and hit send."
:::
Jensen and JD made their way down the block to JD's car parked at a café. He'd been going over everything in his head as they walked back. It was all so much more than he bargained for and he couldn't wait for the night to be over. He just wanted to turn around and go home.
"So, you've told me your evil plan, but what am I doing? You wouldn't have gone through all this just to have me get you into the building. I mean, you pulled off that Paris job without me, it's clear that you are able to handle yourself just fine. You could've just used my company and had the same results. Why exactly am I here?"
JD reached over him to open the glove compartment and pulled out large manila envelope. He dropped it into Jensen's lap.
"Open that and then tell me why you're here."
Jensen flipped open the flap and pulled out its contents. Several eight by ten inch photos fell into his lap. They showed images of a long hallway leading to a vault door. He flipped through them eventually getting to an enlarged photo of the door. When he picked it up to look closer, he understood immediately. The Soco. Of course Soco would also make vaults. His head whipped around and he glared at JD.
"I can't get into this!" He yelled. "I haven't even gotten the safe mock up yet, I don't know anything about it. They're not even supposed to be on the market!"
"That's unfortunate, but not really of my concern. You wanted to know why you're here, that's why. There are very few people who have the skill to get into that vault. You just happened to be one of them."
:::
Jensen was nervous as hell. They'd just barely made it through the close scrutiny of the guards at the entrance and they were heading toward the server room. At least he knew that JD wasn't armed. There was no way he could make it through the metal detectors otherwise, so that helped a little.
He'd kept his cool and played the part of the skilled vault technician. JD had been right; Jensen's business had been the key. He wasn't sure whether to be flattered, or frightened at how simple it was in the grand scheme of things. Either Jared worked his magic or all of Jensen's own illusions about security had just been shattered. He hoped it was the former.
They had woven through the maze of hallways, each taking a different turn through different divisions until they reached the stairway that led to the lower floor. JD came to a stop just inside the door.
"Okay, this is it. Outside this stairwell and down the corridor is the vault entrance. There are two more guards stationed at the entrance to the vault, so keep it together." He whispered quickly just before opening the exit door.
They showed their badges to the guard, he studied them against their faces and against a clipboard he picked up from the counter. He picked up two more badges, made some notation in the computer, slid them through a card reader and handed one to each of them.
"Keep these visible at all times. If you have to leave this area for any reason, turn them back in here and we'll reissue them when you return."
"Okay." Their voices said in unison, slipping the lanyards around their necks.
The guard turned around and led them to a large steel door where he punched in a key code and activated a retinal scanner. "Follow this hallway to the end, the vault will be on your right. Use these keycards to activate the lock. It's a rotating code, they will only work once. One to get in, one to get out. Understand?"
"Yes."
:::
" Now get busy, you have one hour until I have to be on those servers."
JD knew damn well that a vault like this could take more than an hour, and that was if everything went smoothly. If Jensen hit any of the unknown deterrents, or cracked that glass, there was no telling how long it'd take. And to top it off, he was hovering.
"Get away from me."
"That's not going to happen, Jen."
Jensen stiffened at the use of his nickname. Fucker lost that right a long time ago.
"Look, you want this open? I can't do it with you in my face. I need to concentrate, so," Jensen looked around the room and made a shooing motion to the far wall, "move over there or something."
JD looked skeptical.
"What the fuck am I gonna do, man? You'll be right here the whole time. Christ, when did you become so paranoid?"
"I'm going to be right there, if you try anything-"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Move."
JD hesitated for a moment, but conceded.
"Asshole," he muttered.
Jensen studied the door for the first time since they entered. There was no way in god's green earth that he was going to be able to get into this vault. Not only were all the deterrents he read about in place, but there was customizations added as well, like and electronic keypad.
And the hits just kept on coming.
Jensen bent down and looked through his bag. It was probably best to start with the electronic lock first as it was probably the most time consuming. He picked up the autodialer, and set it to the side. He had no idea how many numbers to search for or how many combinations the safe held. The only bright spot in this whole thing was that the keypad was on the side, not in the door, so it could be pulled. Why they went with a Soco if they didn't use it to its fullest capacity, Jensen would never know. Whatever the reason, he was pretty thankful right about now. He dismantled the panel and hooked up the dialer. It started cycling through numbers immediately.
Next up was drilling. He knew it was probably a better idea to go the traditional route, but that just wasn't his style. He was stronger with his tools. Placing the bit against the dial, Jensen lined it up as level as he could make it. If he were a more religious man, it would probably be a good idea for a prayer or two as well.
Finally, he pressed tightly against the face and tried to steady his nerves. At the last moment, he pulled the drill away and stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't drill it."
"Why not?"
"It's a glass re-lock system. If I break it you'll never get inside. I can't even get my scope inside, there's too much risk. I'll have to do it by touch."
Jensen wiped his hands on his jeans, closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He stepped back up to the door, picked up a pencil from his bag and placed his fingers on the dial. It spun slowly, with each twist of his hand, soft shallow clicks at each number to hide the slop in the settings. Most allowed for a margin of error of plus or minus two digits, but not this one. It took fifteen minutes to find the first drop. "24" He wrote it on the door, with a "1" over it.
Forty-seven minutes later, the autodialer had found all six numbers of its combination. Jensen had found three of four. There were several others with strikes through them on the door above the dial. He was approaching the "57" again; Jensen swore that it was the last number, but it didn't hit last time. He turned another inch and there it was, click.
He did it.
"Holy Shit." He whispered, more to himself than anything.
He reached over, grabbed the wheel and turned. The mechanisms inside made a loud noise as the bolts slid home. He stepped back from the vault, pulling the door open with him. "There, it's all yours."
That was the cue.
He only had a few moments to relish in his victory before everything went to hell. And it got there so quickly that Jensen couldn’t tell you how it happened. He heard Jared's voice only moments before JD moved behind him and pressed a blade to his throat. Jensen could've sworn they both went through the metal detectors, didn't they?
Jared moved further into the room, gun drawn. "Ceramic blade, nice one."
"Thank you. It's alarming how easy your security really is. Disgraceful really."
"I'll be sure to pass that on." Jared sidestepped around to his right, one leg crossing in front of the other, gun still trained on both of them. "You alright, Jen?"
He tried to speak or nod, but the blade tightened and blood slipped slowly down his neck. "Jen? You don't let anyone call you that. Not unless…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Jensen could tell he was putting it together.
Jensen swallowed and leaned his head back just enough to give himself room. He reached under his shirt, ripped off the wire and held it up in the air. "Not so slow now, am I?" He grinned. It was finally over. One way or another, JD was finished.
"Put the gun down or he's dead."
"You're really not in any position to be making demands, JD. You do know you'll never make it out of here."
It was almost like they were engaged in some perverse dance. As Jared inched forward, JD moved back further against the vault door holding Jensen tightly in front of him as a shield. With about ten feet between them now, Jensen really hoped Jared was as good as he said he was.
"Come any closer and I swear to god I'll kill him!"
Jensen felt the blade slide against his throat at the same time he heard Jared yell and his gun fire. After that, everything went black.
:::
"Oh my god! Did you see that shot?!"
Jensen cringed every time Jared moved. He was lounging on the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table, his shoulder was wrapped and his arm was held in a sling to limit his movements. He spent the rest of the day and night in the ER, but it was a clean shot. No major damage was done, fortunately. And he had slept for a while after they had sewn him back up. Jared brought him home early this morning and had been taking care of him ever since. Jensen had forgotten about the game though. Now, if he could just strap him down Jensen thought he might just make it. Thank god for painkillers.
That last burst of energy was especially brutal. Jensen's pretty sure the whole sofa moved. "Ow."
"Oh, sorry." Jared looked back briefly to Jensen from his place at the edge of the cushion and quickly went back to the game. "Court side seats, man. I can't believe we're missing this game right now."
"I can't believe you shot me."
"I said I was sorry." Jared leaned back and turned toward him looking genuinely apologetic.
"You also said you were good at your job too, but the bullet hole in my shoulder begs to differ. What kind of scenario teaches you to shoot your hostage?" He smirked.
"Hey, you're still alive aren't you? I didn't hit anything vital. You should be glad I took you out of the equation before JD could do any more damage with that knife."
"I don't know, I think I might have been willing to take my chances."
"Ouch."
"I'm glad about one thing."
"What's that?"
Jensen leaned his head forward just enough to press his lips to Jared's softly before he pulled way. "That you're here." He smirked. "Now go get me some food. I'm hungry. I would do it myself, but I'm not supposed to move around much for a couple days."
"You're going to milk this for all it's worth aren't you?"
"Absofuckinlutely." Jensen grinned.
Thank you for reading. :)
More Notes.
* The information about the art theft in Paris is true. The paintings were stolen in 2010 and have never been recovered.
* The information about the amount of money paid out in Social Security is also true. The data was from SSA.org, for this year.