Bank robbery!AU - Jensen/Jared - Money makes the world go round - Part 1
Title: Money makes the world go round
Author: benitle
Pairing; Characters: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki with Michael Rosenbaum, Chris Kane, Steve Carlson, Sandra McCoy, Chad Michael Murray, Jerrod Niemann, Jason Manns and a few others
Rating: NC-17 for crime-themed content and sex
Warnings: AU, slash
Summary: Jensen robs a bank in Manhattan. Jared works as a Special Agent at the FBI and tries to stop him.
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction, it never happened. The places are real though.
Word count: 18,573
Notes: Many thanks to estel_willow for hand-holding and beta. ♥ I blame it on this picture of Jensen. Split into two parts because of LJ's size limit for entries, parts are self-linked.
Washington, DC: apartment Jared Padalecki - 11.43 a. m.
Jared groans, slowly waking up to the sound of his mobile vibrating on the nightstand. He rubs his eyes sleepily, desperately trying to cling to the pleasant dream he just had, but the penetrating buzz makes it nearly impossible. When he switches on the bedside lamp, his dogs - Sadie and Harley - barely pay him any attention at all. They lift their heads briefly only to lie back down at the foot of the bed as if to tell Jared that no one has nearly had enough sleep.
Jared sighs as he reaches for his phone. After killing it with his brain is a gift he still has to develop, he has no other choice but answer it. Jared doesn't even bother check the caller ID before he hits the connect button.
"Yeah?" he yawns into the phone.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," the caller laughs and it only takes Jared a few seconds to recognize the voice.
"Mike, how's it going, man? What's up with you?" Jared asks. He knows that calls from Michael Rosenbaum usually mean there's work to do. Still, that doesn't mean he doesn't love hearing from his friend. Stretching a few times before he swings his legs out of bed, Jared turns once more to the bedside table to search his watch.
"Good, Jay. Listen, I got a case for you. You need to fly to New York. Immediately," Mike says, his voice deadly serious. Usually, Mike's more the joking type of guy, despite the fact that his life took a dramatic change for the worse a year back. Mike never lost his humor and that's definitely something Jared always admired about his friend and mentor.
Mike and Jared are good friends, considering the short time they've known each other. They first met when Jared finished his six months training at the FBI Academy in Virginia. Back then, he was assigned to shadow Mike to learn and gain experience as a Special Agent. At that time Mike was said to be one of the best negotiators at the Critical Incident Response Group. Thinking back to their first encounter, Jared remembers that he had so much respect for him that he nearly froze on the spot when Mike shook his hand for the first time.
But then something went wrong with their case and Mike was shot during a gunfight, tied to the wheelchair ever since. That's where Jared's admiration comes back in. Even though Mike had to move from actively negotiating at crime scenes, he never lost the passion for his job and the desire to fight evil and save the innocent. Now, his job's based more around coordination, he leads a small group of Special Agents, assigning them to specific cases and that's pretty much why he called Jared.
Jared asked him once whether he wasn't bored with his desk job, but Mike laughed at it and said that at least this gave him plenty of opportunities to search for free porn during working hours. That's Mike for you.
"Jay," Mike says and only then Jared realizes that he still hasn't said anything about the prospect of a new case.
"Yeah, sorry. New York you said? Why can't you send Tom? I mean, I got back from Chicago less than, what, two, three hours ago? What time is it anyway? I barely slept, Mike," Jared explains.
He'd hate to leave Mike hanging but it's true. He returned from Chicago earlier today after solving - successfully, he might add - a kidnapping at an elementary school. If Jared is honest, he's exhausted and feels like he's just been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. He's pretty sure he's in no condition - both physically and mentally - to take another case.
"Listen, I know, Jay. And I'm sorry but this is important. It's," Mike hesitates, something he barely does, "It's a bank robbery of a Citibank branch. I don't think the local police and FBI can handle it. It's huge. We think it's, uh, Jay, we think it's Ackles. Please? For me?"
There's a moment of silence and Jared can practically hear the blood rushing in his ears. Ackles…did Mike just say Ackles?
"You wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to catch our special friend, right? You're the best guy for this case," Mike pleads.
However, there is no need because Jared already made his decision. Rushing out of bed quicker than he's ever done before, all Jared asks is, "When's the next flight I can take?"
New York, NY: House of Eric Kripke - 08.37 a. m.
"So, what d'you think? Do I look good?" Jensen asks, pulling the end of his black tie through the loop. There's a big smirk on his face and Jensen has to try really hard to remain at least a little bit serious.
Steve's standing next to him, looking at their reflections in the mirror, the expression of seriousness on his face comparable to Jensen's. He does a half-turn, pretending to check out his own ass. When Jensen pokes him lightly in the ribs, they both lose it and burst out laughing.
"So? What d'you think?" Jensen asks again, suddenly he's back to being serious, removing lint from his suit and straightening his jacket.
"You sure do look like an important banker, Jen, with your expensive Armani," Steve jokes, but Jensen has known his friend long enough now to get exactly what Steve means. He doesn't miss the teasing either.
Jensen doesn't even try to hide the broad grin that's spreading across his face again. "Can't help it if I got an exquisite taste, man" Jensen answers and they both know it's true. Only the best is good enough for Jensen and his upper class taste; a fast car, expensive clothes, nice homes. He certainly knows how to enjoy himself.
When the door to the bedroom opens, both Steve and Jensen turn around to see who's coming in. Chris enters the room, dressed in a black suit and a white dress shirt, just like them. Chris looks up and down Jensen's lean form, clearly checking him out. And when he finally speaks, it's exactly what Jensen wants to hear, "Looking good there, Jen. All grown up and serious."
He pats Jensen's shoulder and they share a deep and honest laugh. Now that the big day is finally here, Jensen's surprised at how calm he is. This is going to be big, he knows it, but it's also brilliant and thoroughly prepared. Thinking about the months it took to prepare everything, Jensen smiles to himself; he's not only calm, but he's also in a damn good mood. Yeah, nothing can go wrong.
"Jensen," Steve asks and when Jensen turns to look at him, he goes on, "D'you think Jerrod and Jason will be fine here with the wife? I mean, with the three of us gone?"
Jensen takes a moment before he answers. He's got to admit that he had wondered about them too, even though Jerrod and Jason are good strong guys, physical, they're somewhat new, to this kind of business. But then, Jensen prepared everything to the last detail and that also means how he selected the men. He's never been a guy to doubt his own decisions, that's something that's simply not in the nature of Jensen Ackles.
"Yeah, they're gonna be fine. All they have to do is look after a tied down and gagged woman. There's not that much that can go wrong," Jensen tries to reassure his friend. "And besides, I don't think Kripke's gonna try and pull any shit when he knows we've got his Missus."
Steve cracks a grin, apparently convinced that Jensen's right.
As they enter the kitchen from the bedroom, they are greeted by the sight of Mrs. Kripke tied to a chair, Jason and Jerrod standing beside her, .45s in their hands. Upon seeing Jensen, Steve and Chris, she struggles against her bounds, trying to break free. Her cries are muffled by the gag. There's a look of fear on her face, her eyes wide in shock. Her hair's a mess and her flowery dressing gown is crinkled.
Eric Kripke, a small man with receding hair, dressed in a fine three-piece suit stands by the chair. As soon as he sees Jensen, he takes a step towards him, stretching his hand out.
"Please, don't hurt my wife," he begs. His voice is shaking, so are his hands.
Jensen can hear the fear in his voice, the true concern. Calmly, he answers, "Listen, Mr. Kripke. No one's hurting you or your wife unless you force us to, alright? As long as you stick to the plan and do as you're told, everyone's gonna be fine. All you gotta do is come with us, open the vault and come back with us. And no calling the cops. Do I make myself clear?"
Once Kripke nods, signaling that he understands, they leave the house. Jensen heads to the black Mercedes GL-class that's parked in Kripke's driveway, with Steve, Chris and Kripke following. Chris and Jensen ride in the front while Steve's in the back with Kripke.
Starting the ignition, Chris grins at Jensen, "On to Manhattan! Let's earn some money, boys."
New York, NY: LaGuardia Airport - 1.35 p. m.
Usually, Jared shakes his head at people who can't wait to leave the plane and practically jump up from their seats even before the 'fasten your seatbelt' signs go off. But this time it's not different for Jared as he storms out of the FBI's private jet as soon as they arrive at LaGuardia Airport in New York. He concludes that working on a job this important is more than a valid excuse for his behavior.
He doesn't get very far until he's greeted by a young woman, wearing a dark windbreaker with the letters F. B. I. printed over her left breast in a bright yellow.
"Special Agent Padalecki?" she asks and Jared's surprised that she doesn't stumble over his last name. That doesn't happen too often. When he nods, she holds out her hand, "I'm Special Agent Sandra McCoy. I'm working for the FBI bureau here in New York and I'll bring you to the crime scene. On the way, I'll try to fill you in as much as possible."
Jared flashes a quick smile and by the time she tells him that she's very pleased to meet him and that she's heard he's one of the best negotiators the FBI has to offer at the moment, they've already reached the car. Jared smiles at her again, though he feels a little bit uneasy. He's used to people telling him that he's good, really, but he's pretty sure he'll never feel entirely comfortable with hearing it. As he climbs into the passenger seat, he's more than happy to lead the conversation from talking about himself to the case.
"So, do we know anything about the number of robbers and hostages?" Jared asks.
Special Agent McCoy doesn't take her eyes from the road as she answers, "Well, we have no idea about the hostages, but it's a busy Monday morning in downtown New York. We're expecting the worst. As for the bank robbers, a witness gave us the information that it's three white males. That's all we have so far."
Jared gives himself a moment to study her profile. She's definitely an attractive woman with soft, even features and he has to force himself to look back at the street so that he doesn't stare.
"Okay then," he eventually says, "You said there was a witness? Did she see when the criminals entered the bank? When did the NYPD arrive?"
Special Agent McCoy smiles as if she expected the questions, but well, she probably did. "The witness, she works at a small coffee shop across the street of the bank, she said that they arrived at roughly half past nine. She remembers because she saw Eric Kripke, that's the bank director, walk in with three men later than usual; she says Kripke's usually in by nine at the latest. So that's why she thought it was suspicious."
"Did she call the police?" Jared interrupts, checking his watch. If they arrived around nine thirty, then they've been inside the bank for roughly four hours already. Secretly, he hopes that everyone's still calm and no one's freaking out yet. Things could get pretty nasty if someone wasn't sensible enough.
"No, actually," Special Agent McCoy continues, "Someone from the bank did at a few minutes to ten. It was a female employee who only could speak for a few minutes so that she didn't draw the bank robbers' attention to what she was doing." And then she curses loudly at some other driver in a way that would make any virgin blush. Jared snorts a laugh and she quickly excuses herself. He really starts to like that woman.
"Never mind," Jared says, shaking his head slightly, "So, the NYPD arrived then. Did anyone already speak to the robbers? Who?"
Jared's prepared for the worst. Not that he was arrogant or anything, it's not that he didn't value the police's work either, but most of those guys simply aren't trained to deal with criminals of this caliber. They often lack training in the fine art of negotiating with a criminal. He's seen it in the past - either from his own cases or from those of his colleagues - that a police officer can fuck up things badly. Negotiating with agitated criminals is never a bed of roses anyway, it's always worse after a police officer's been in and made a mess.
"Exactly," Special Agent McCoy confirms, "The NYPD arrived shortly after. It's lead by Officer Chad Michael Murray. He handled the first negotiations. But as far as I know, it didn't last very long; Ackles wasn't in the mood for talking."
Jared shakes his head in amusement. She looks at him with a clear expression of confusion on her face. "Sorry," Jared says, "But you know, I do that on a daily basis, talk to people who are criminals, or crazy, sometimes both. I'm just not at all surprised that Ackles wasn't in the mood to talk."
Special Agent McCoy flashes a big grin at him and tells him that he's right. Jared has to admit to himself that he finds her cute and that maybe, in a different situation, under different circumstances, he would have flirted with her and definitely would have invited her for a drink. But now he's professional enough to know that his work and those people in danger come first. Ackles is not a small fish and he's certainly not a no-name criminal, but he's dangerous and the fact that he has God only knows how many people's lives in his hands scares Jared a little. If Jared were the praying kind of person, then he'd pray now.
To Jared it seems like an age until they finally arrive, but when he checks his watch again, it's only been about half an hour. The crime scene is spaciously secured. The area's filled with cars, most of those belonging to the New York Police Department, judging from their labeling. There are six squad cars, Chevy Impalas and Ford Crowns and also an SUV. Jared guesses it to be some Ford model; not that it really matters anyway. Then there are also a few other cars parked that are plain black. Immediately, Jared assumes that those belong to the local FBI agents. But what catches his attention most is the huge radio car that is standing practically in the middle of the street.
Together with Special Agent McCoy, he quickly walks over to the radio car. He expects it to be the center of command and hopes to find the officer in charge there. In all the excitement, Jared had forgotten his name. What was it again…Officer Michael something?
On their way, they have to show their FBI badges a few times so that they can pass. The street is busy with all kinds of police and FBI officials. Most of them are armed and Jared is more than relieved to see members of a SWAT team walk around. He actually has different plans, but a SWAT team is better than nothing. It's reassuring to have one to hand in case he needs to react quickly.
All eyes immediately focus on Jared as soon as he enters the van. There are a few people inside: some of them checking technical equipment such as the monitors, radars or microphones. Others are hanging up information on a large board, marking things or studying maps of the area. All of them are wearing a police uniform. Only one of them didn't turn to look at Jared, since he's too busy talking to someone on the phone. He seems agitated and under extreme stress. In fact, he's speaking so fast, that Jared gets only half of what he's saying. But then he understands that the man on the phone is asking for more men, asking for reinforcement.
Jared concludes that this is the officer he's been looking for. That's why Jared clears his throat loudly to draw the guy's attention to him. As soon as he looks at Jared, Jared speaks, "Hello, my name is Special Agent Jared Padalecki."
The guy takes Jared's hand and mumbles something about "Chad Michael Murray." Once he stands fully upright, Jared notices that he's rather tall, more or less his own height. If Jared had to guess, he'd say the guy is about six feet tall, maybe a little more. He doesn't really look like he's that much older than Jared. And he's definitely pissed.
Murray glares at Jared and to both of them it's clear what's going to happen now and that they're not here to make new friends. Jared feels a little sorry for him that the FBI is taking away Murray's case, but then again Jared doesn't have any time to explain why this is for everyone's best. If they are dealing with Ackles, then there's no room for mistakes and a simple police officer, no matter how competent, won't be nearly enough - Ackles isn't a FBI-wanted criminal for no reason.
The air in the van is so thick that you could easily slice it with a knife, but it doesn't bother Jared, it's something that you get used to as a Special Agent.
"Okay Murray," Jared says, breaking the awkward silence between them, "You can either go home now, or stick around and actually learn something, whatever you want to do, just stay out of my way. The guy in this bank is not an amateur, he's actually dangerous. I've dealt with him before and that's why I'm taking over from this point forwards. Just remember that I'm in charge now. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of my way and let me do my job so we can end this as soon as possible. Any questions?"
Everyone's staring at Jared and he knows that if looks could kill, Murray would have killed him at least twice over already. Murray grumbles something and Jared really doesn't care what it was.
"I'll have to make a phone call to Washington and when I'm done I want a detailed report on everything we know so far. Then we can get started. Excuse me."
When Jared leaves the radio car, the early afternoon New York sun hits his face. It's surprisingly mild for early spring. The fresh air feels good and he takes the few deep breaths he definitely needs. He might be trained to be a tough guy and keep his emotions under control, but underneath all that training, a Special Agent is still just a person, and even the best trained people get ruffled if they haven't slept properly for days.
Quickly, Jared flips his mobile open and dials Mike's number. It rings a few times before Mike answers it.
"Hey, it's me," Jared says. "I arrived at the crime scene and took over. Man, that Murray guy sure is a rat."
Mike laughs into the phone, "You got everything under control up there?"
"Yeah, definitely," Jared reassures him, "There's a SWAT team but I'm worried that's not gonna be enough. Send me the HRT, Mike."
And then Mike's silent for a moment. They both know that Hostage Rescue Teams are only sent out when they are dealing with a high priority case.
"You'll get it. I'm sending one up from Virginia. I promise that you'll have it in less than two hours," Mike finally promises. After a short pause, Mike goes on, "Listen Jay, I know you'll do a fab job up there, alright? Just stay calm and think about all the things you learned."
A small smile spreads across Jared's face. Checking his watch once more, he sees that it's nearly twenty past two. Definitely time to talk to their special friend.
"Hey Mike," Jared says calmly, "I haven't spoken to him yet, but I promise that I'll get the bastard for you. On a silver plate."
"I know, Jay," is all Mike says before the line goes dead.
Jared looks at his phone for a minute before he walks back to the radio car. "Alright, Murray, tell me what you got."
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 09.32 a. m.
Jensen taps his index finger against his thigh. It's not something he does out of nervousness, but rather a random gesture of excitement. Chris parks the black SUV only a few meters away form the bank, quickly killing the engine. Jensen can feel everybody's eyes on him and when he turns around to look at Kripke, he's not surprised to see him staring.
"Listen," Jensen warns, "We're going in now and you're coming with us. As I said, you better not try to fool us if you want your wife to survive our little adventure. If you keep to your bit of the plan, I'll keep to mine. No one's gonna hurt her. But if you try and pull any shit, there's no reason for me to keep my promise. Got it?"
Kripke only nods his head as he fiddles nervously with his nails. There's a coat of sweat on his forehead and Jensen almost - only almost - feels sorry for the man.
"Alright, everyone out!!" Jensen commands then. They've got work to do.
Walking to the back of the SUV, they grab the black bullet proof vests, pulling them on over the top of their suits seconds later. Jensen leads them towards the bank building, Eric trapped in the middle. They carry aluminum suitcases with them; after all, you can't just keep that much stolen money in your pocket.
The short-distance walk to the bank feels like a marathon to Jensen. He knows that this comes from being nervous, his nerves having finally gotten to him, now that it's time to prove whether or not his plan is going to work. He also knows that he'll have to pull himself together and act as normal for the plan to work and so that they don't look suspicious.
"Steve, stay here at the entrance. Just in case. Secure it should anything go wrong," Jensen orders as soon as they enter the bank. When Steve subtly checks his .45 and then nods at him, they walk further into the branch.
Escorting Kripke through the bank, Jensen notices how Kripke exhales deeply a few times. Jensen assumes that he does it to relax, all in order to make the plan more authentic. When they reach the first security guards, Kripke comes to a standstill and for a moment Jensen worries that he'll try and run. But just as Jensen tightens his grip on his gun, Kripke says, "Good morning, Michael, good morning, Seth. These gentlemen were sent by headquarters. They'll need to transfer money to a different branch that's currently running low. I'll accompany them to the vault personally."
The two security guards - Michael and Seth - only nod a brief "Of course, Mr. Kripke," before they step aside and let the three men pass. Jensen releases a breath he wasn't aware of holding as he follows Kripke through the bank. It all seems too easy.
Jensen's surprised that Kripke greets each and every employee personally with their first name. He always thought that important people never even bothered memorize the names of their workforce, let alone try so hard to be friendly to them. As they pass other security guards and random employees, Kripke repeats his story. When he comes to a stand abruptly in front of a woman in maybe her late forties, he smiles at her, "Thanks for the recipe Gloria, my wife made the best stuffed turkey last weekend."
For a split second, Jensen believes her eyes to narrow, but then she smiles and tells Kripke that she has another delicious recipe for homemade apple pie that she'll bring in a few days. Then she nods at Jensen and Chris, a friendly smile on her face, "Gentlemen."
"Excuse us," Jensen eventually says, slowly but firmly shoving Kripke towards their final destination. Once they reach the vault, both Kripke's eyes need to be scanned and his finger prints taken, before the heavy door can be unlocked. It only takes mere seconds until the door's open for them to enter. Jensen can't suppress the broad grin that spreads across his face as he sees the insides: all three sides of the vault hold safe deposit boxes, but what really calls his attention are the various cash boxes placed on a table, surrounded by chairs in the middle of the room.
Quickly, Jensen nods at Kripke who immediately walks over to the cash boxes to open them with his key. Jensen knows that they'll have to be fast but not too fast to raise any suspicion among the security guys. He also knows that they can't afford not to watch Kripke while they pack the money from the cash boxes into the aluminum cases they brought with them. The decision is fairly simple. Walking over to Kripke, Jensen grabs a pair of handcuffs and 'cuffs him to one of the chairs.
Jensen grins briefly at Chris who winks at him in a way that is so typically Chris that it makes him smile again. It's something that never fails to relax Jensen, a simple gesture that never fails to ease his mind.
"See, all's good, Jen. Well done," Chris congratulates and Jensen has to admit to himself that he never would have thought that it would be so easy; never thought that it would work so well. Later, he thought, he should allow himself a short moment to admire his own genius.
"What you're gonna do with your new fortune, Chris?" Jensen asks as he places a bundle of one hundred dollar bills in the suitcase.
"Ah, I think I'll get a bar somewhere, ya know? A real bar and not that run-down piece o' shit we have at the moment," Chris laughs.
Jensen nods at him. He always knew that Chris dreamed of his own bar, selling cheap liquor to college students and having country bands perform. Maybe even sing once in a while himself with Steve. Thinking about his own dreams, Jensen sees a fast car, expensive jewelry and a pretty house somewhere where it's warm all year.
He's still lost in his thoughts about Sex on the Beach (and maybe having some) when his mobile rings. When he checks the caller ID, Jensen sees that it's Steve. He doesn't lose any time in picking up.
"What's up?" he asks.
Steve seems troubled on the other end of the line, "Listen, man. I don't know how he did it, but Kripke tricked us. There're cops outside. Loads of 'em. And it's getting more and more. I had to secure the doors and I'll be in the main hall in a few seconds. I'll meet you guys there."
Steve speaks so fast that Jensen barely understands him. And then it takes another moment - during which Chris nearly yells at him to spill what's wrong - until Jensen registers what's happening. Kripke managed to get the police. Kripke did not stick to the plan. Kripke might have just killed his wife.
There's an indescribable rage that spreads from Jensen's belly through his whole body. He's a calm person who hardly gets angry, but right now he's fuming. Faster than Chris could stop him, Jensen stalks over to where Kripke is sitting and punches him. He hits him harder than he's ever hit anyone before. The chair falls to the side, connecting with the floor with a loud crack. Then with Kripke's struggling it flips over which results in Kripke on the floor, fidgeting like a beetle on its back. When Jensen yanks him up to give him another blow, Chris catches his arm.
"Stop it, man, you'd better tell me what's wrong," Chris insists.
There's blood running from Kripke's nose. It drips on his fine suit and from Jensen's knuckles, but Jensen doesn't care as he stands in the middle of the room, breathing heavily.
"He tricked us. There're cops out there," Jensen snarls and when Chris doesn't say anything, he goes on, "We need to be quick now. Steve's gonna meet us in the main hall. Let's go."
Turning back to Kripke, Jensen hisses, "That was real stupid, man. I wouldn't have done that if I were you." Before Jensen and Chris leave the vault, they look at Kripke, noticing the fear in his eyes. Jensen knows it doesn't come from the blows he just took.
On their way to the main hall, Chris and Jensen overpower the security guards, catching them by surprise. After they rid them off their weapons, they're forcing everyone they can find to come with them. First, they need to focus and order their thoughts to bring the situation under their control again. Jensen knows that the worst thing that could happen now is for them to panic and let the cops take advantage of the chaos.
His rage is still very much present but he can't let it control his actions now. Okay, so his genius plan didn't work precisely how he wanted it to, however, it doesn't mean this has to end. They still have a chance if they stay cool, Jensen reminds himself. When he and Chris enter the main hall and bringing with them several hostages, they are greeted with the sight of Steve with more hostages seated on the floor.
"Get over there," Jensen barks and the bank employees and customers comply.
There's a group of maybe thirty-five to forty people, sitting in a circle in the middle of the bank now. They keep murmuring nervously, some women are whining and crying, and when Jensen yells for them to shut up, they immediately do.
"What now?" Chris asks in a low voice, leaning close to Jensen. There's an expression of trust on his face when Chris looks at him.
Jensen runs a hand over his face before he answers, "We'll bring them into the back. There should be offices. This way, we can keep an eye on them better."
They act quickly. As soon as everyone is secured in the largest office they could find, Steve stays with the hostages while Jensen and Chris go back to the vault to finish where they left off. Jensen paces up and down the small room. His palms are sweaty and his hands are shaking slightly. He knows that these are the first signs of nervousness, but he forces himself to stay as calm as possible.
"D'you want me to call Jason?" Chris asks, pointing his gun at Kripke. They both know what Chris's implying. He's asking whether he should call the others to kill the wife. Judging from Kripke's expression, he gets it too. He shakes his head frenetically, begging them not to.
Jensen's this close to doing it himself, call them and end her life, but eventually he says, "No. At least not yet. We'll have to figure out what to do next and maybe she'll come in handy again. We oughta call them though to warn them."
Chris nods and excuses himself to make the call, while Jensen continues to pack the money. Jensen's not giving up just because he's been interrupted. He's better than that. Kripke doesn't say anything, probably knowing that it's better this way because pissing Jensen off even more will only lead to extra trouble.
Jensen's still busy with filling the suitcases when the bank's telephone rings. He's not the least surprised that some cop would call and try to talk him into giving up. He hopes they'll make it quick.
"Yeah," Jensen says as he picks up the receiver.
The voice on the other end of the line surprises Jensen a bit at first. The guy he's talking to sounds more like a kid than a grown man. "I'm Officer Chad Michael Murray," he says, introducing himself. "I'm asking you to give up, Ackles without harming any hostages. Yes, we know who you are."
Jensen nearly bursts out laughing. It's not too hard to find him in police and FBI databases and that's why he can't help the snarky remark, "Listen, kid. It's nice that you think to know my name…"
But Jensen doesn't have the chance to finish his sentence as the police guy interrupts him, "You didn't exactly wear a mask. The owner of the coffee shop gave a detailed description about three men that looked suspicious. You weren't subtle. And we'll figure out who's with you soon enough."
He pauses a moment, waiting whether Jensen wants to say anything to that. When Jensen keeps quiet, Molly or whatever his name was, goes on, "You're surrounded Ackles. There's no way for you to get out and it's in your hands now. You can end it without anyone being hurt."
That's the moment Jensen finally bursts out laughing. There's a little "huh?" on the other end of the line and if the situation weren't so serious, Jensen would laugh even harder. The guy's actually asking him to just walk out and right into prison. Jensen doesn't really think the kid's going to be any trouble.
"Okay, kid. Here's the deal. My buddies and I, we're still busy in here. We got money to pack. But I'll call you later when I need to get out of here and you can organize me a car or something, alright?" Jensen says sharply. He's trying really hard not to laugh any more. He really is.
"What?" the cop seems confused, "Wait, no, no! Uh, how many hostages do you have? Are there any children in there?"
From the way the cop speaks, fast and desperate sounding, Jensen assumes that the kid officer's trying to keep him on the phone, for whatever reason. He's probably trying to buy time and Jensen knows the less time the police has, the better. He won't let them play any games, unless they play by his rules.
"To get to the point, Officer, you don't have to worry about the hostages because you can rest assured that I have enough bullets to shoot each and every one if I have to, do I make myself clear? So, excuse me now while I finish my job here," Jensen says, voice ice cold. The officer doesn't reply to that and Jensen quickly disconnects the call.
He didn't mention Kripke's wife and the number of hostages on purpose. The less the cops know, the bigger advantage he has. Still, he can't stop his hands from shaking violently as he clutches the receiver in a mixture of nervousness and anger. Jensen exhales deeply a few times and only when he feels a familiar hand on his shoulder does he calm down a little.
"Everything alright, Jen?" Chris drawls, in a soft and smooth tequila voice.
Jensen nods, knowing that he needs to keep a clear head. "Yeah, let's finish this before the Feds arrive. My last encounter with them wasn't exactly pretty and I don't really want to see any of those fuckers again," he reminds Chris before they go back to packing money.
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 02.25 p. m.
"Is your SWAT team ready to go in any time, Murray?" Jared asks, taking a gulp from the water bottle in his hand.
Officer Murray seems surprised as he answers, "Yeah, it is but you haven't even spoken to Ackles yet. Don't you wanna do that first?"
Jared has to admit that this is a valid point before he explains, "I just need to be sure that I can count on them, alright? We might have to interfere quickly and I don't wanna jeopardize anyone's life."
Officer Murray nods then, signaling that he can relate.
"Okay, what we're gonna do next is the following: you inform me as soon as we know who those other two guys are who went in with Ackles. The more we know about them, the better. We'll also have to check up upon Eric Kripke's family. Criminals of this caliber usually don't operate alone and we're better safe than sorry. That's why we we're gonna check out his house," Jared orders calmly. Officer Murray looks at him with big eyes, obviously impressed with the way Jared handles the situation. But in the end, he chooses not to say anything.
When Jared turns around, he sees Special Agent McCoy standing behind him. She had followed him into the radio car and looks as if she were searching for something to do, for a way to help. She smiles when Jared speaks to her.
"I called Washington and they're going to send a Hostage Rescue Team up here. I need you to inform me as soon as they arrived, okay? Every minute counts."
Special Agent McCoy tells him that she'll do it as soon as they're at the crime scene.
Jared watches her go and licks his lips nervously, muttering to himself, "Onto the tough part of the job then." He's fine with organizing everything, with ordering people around and telling them what to do, but no matter how often he does it, he'll always feel nervous when he has to speak to a criminal for the first time. It's the pressure of knowing that people's lives are in his hands now, well at least partly and that a lot will depend on how well - or how badly -he does; that it all depends on his negotiation skills now.
He's been trained in the Academy, he's done well during past cases but still his hands are shaking and his breath is ragged. Maybe, it's because this particular case is more important than any other he had before. Not only in a sorely work-related way.
Jared tells himself to get a grip and behave like the professional that he is. After exhaling deeply a few times, he grabs the phone receiver. He nods at the technical guy to dial and establish the connection. The phone rings exactly six times until someone picks up.
"So soon again, kid? D'you miss me already?" the voice says and Jared immediately recognizes it, recognizes him. During the last year, working on the Ackles case, he listened to the few tapes they had of him over and over again. There's no doubt; Jared memorized every nuance, every timbre and every bit of Texas accent in Ackles' voice that there is absolutely no room for misinterpretation.
So it's him. It's really him. Jared doesn't know whether he wants to run away and hide, because this job's too big for him, or whether he wants to stay and fight and finally give the bastard what he deserves.
"Alright, I'm ready to talk to you now," Ackles then says and Jared remembers that he spoke to Officer Murray before and that he's probably mixing them up now.
"Hi, my name's Special Agent Jared Padalecki," Jared clarifies only to be interrupted by Ackles before he can say anything else.
"Oh, thank God the Feds are here! I'm safe now," he says sarcastically and for a moment Jared fears that he's going to hang up any minute now because he doesn't want to talk to the FBI. He knows that he needs to come to the point quickly without making Ackles shy away.
"Let's talk about this, Jensen Ackles. We want to end this without anyone being harmed, alright? I'm sure we can come to terms if you're willing to cooperate. We can talk about mitigating circumstances then," Jared says as calm as he possibly can, even though he can feel his heart beating in his throat. This is the easy part, some kind of standard sentence you say at the beginning of each conversation.
Ackles is silent for a moment until he says, just as calmly, "I'm glad you did your homework, finding out my name, Special Agent -"
This time it's Jared's turn to interrupt, "No, Ackles. My homework is done when you give up and those people are safe." But he doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence.
"As I was going to say, Special Agent," Jensen spits, "I already told your friend Officer Molly that I have no intention to stop now and that we'll have to do this on my terms, otherwise it's going to get nasty."
Jared knows that Ackles is the kind of guy you really shouldn't piss off, so he stays quiet and listens, letting him finish what he is trying to say. And it doesn't take Ackles long to come up with a request.
"I want a helicopter with a full tank on the top of this building by 4 p.m. That gives you roughly an hour and a half from now," Ackles says and just as Jared is taking a breath before answering he hears a gun shot, quickly followed by someone yelling in pain and people screaming and whimpering in fear. In the background Jared hears footsteps and more voices that sound hysterical, well, until there's another male voice ordering them to shut up. Then, the background noises vanish almost completely.
"See," Ackles warns, "That was a kneecap. Next time, I'm aiming for a head. Don't think I won't do it, okay?"
This really isn't going how Jared wanted it to go. Ackles is not supposed to be the one asking for things, Jared should be one setting the rules and pace of the negotiations. Quickly, he realizes that he has no other option at the moment than to agree and play it Ackles' way. He heard several hostages and knows now that there's someone inside who's injured; he has no other choice. One of the FBI principles is to save lives and that's what he's going to do.
"Alright," Jared agrees, "You'll get your helicopter by 4, just don't hurt anyone else alright?"
"Good," Ackles purrs into the phone, his voice smooth and low. Jared notices how the voice causes his belly to tingle. He pushes the thought away as fast as he can because it's not an appropriate thought for any time, let alone for now.
"Just don't make me ask again," is the last thing Ackles says before he disconnects the call.
After Jared hangs up himself, both Special Agent McCoy and Officer Murray stare at him. Of course they both heard the whole conversation. The tech guy informs Jared that everything is securely on tape and Jared briefly nods at him.
"So, what's happening next?" Special Agent McCoy asks.
Jared takes a short moment to think about that before he answers, "We organize that helicopter. Ackles is capable of killing people and I don't want to press anyone's luck. And then we hope that the HRT arrives in time."
He hates the feeling of knowing that's all he can do for now.
New York, NY: inside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 02.55 p. m.
Jensen's shaking a bit as he puts the receiver back into the cradle. Only when Chris puts his hand back on Jensen's shoulder and squeezes briefly but firmly, does he snap back from his numbness. If he had to admit it, Jensen's impressed by the Fed he just talked to. The guy seemed self-confident and a tough counterpart; unlike that douchebag of an officer that he talked to earlier. He didn't talk long to the Fed, but from the way the conversation went, he seems a lot more professional than the cop.
Jensen catches himself thinking back to the Special Agent's deep, manly voice. He can't ignore the fact that he was pretty turned on by it, he blames that on the fact that he hadn't been laid in a while, and a while in the world of Jensen Ackles feels like forever. In a different situation and if the Fed was hot, he'd definitely have hit on him. But right now, he can't have any of that.
Turning back to Steve and Chris, he asks quietly, for their ears only, "You did call Jason and Jerrod, didn't ya, Chris?" When Chris nods at him, Jensen goes on, "Good. I'm sure the Feds are gonna stop by and they better get lost with her. The kid I just talked to isn't stupid at all. But so far, everything's under control. I demanded a helicopter and it'll all be over sooner than we think."
Steve excuses himself to try and call Jason and Jerrod again. Jensen takes one last look at the hostages sitting in Kripke's office before he heads over to the vault to get Kripke and the money. What he sees is a bunch of scared people that look at him with pleading eyes. He had never wanted it to be like this. It's not like he's a mean or sadistic person. He's not like that.
There's a young woman, roughly his age, blonde and pretty by all standards. Jensen remembers how she tried to flirt with him when they first entered the bank, but since women really aren't his thing, he didn't give her a second glance to not give her any false hopes. She's scared now, her eyes filled with tears, and when he takes a step towards her, she flinches and the tears spill, rolling down her cheeks.
"Why…why are you doing this? We didn't hurt you," she says.
Jensen releases a deep breath and looks at her for a long time, not saying anything at all. He then shifts his focus on the whimpering figure next to him. It's the guy he just shot in the leg when he talked to the Fed. Only then does Jensen realize that he's still clutching his gun tightly.
He quickly waves it at the guy while looking at Chris. They guy on the floor flinches, squeezing his eyes shut, but when Chris squats next to him, studying the wound, he visibly relaxes. Next Chris pulls off a sleeve from the guy's shirt and uses it to bind it around his leg. It's supposed to work as a tourniquet, stopping the bloodstream.
When Jensen looks at the blonde woman again, he just says, colder than he meant to, "I have my reasons. And the whole thing with the Feds is my personal business."
There's an awkward silence afterwards. There's barely any sound, no one says anything, until Chris finally speaks, "I'm gonna go and check out the building a bit more. I'll look for the quickest and easiest way to the roof."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Jensen agrees.
Before Jensen turns to finally leave, Steve comes up to him, frowning.
"What is it?" Jensen asks.
"I tried to call Jason and Jerrod again but I can't reach them. Either the Feds were faster than us or they're on the run," Steve explains.
"Alright," Jensen says after a moment of thought, "We don't know what's up with them. But this doesn't change our situation here and now. We gotta stay cool and not make any mistakes. The guy I talked to was pretty young, I'd say, but that only means that we shouldn't underestimate him. If he's like that Fed some time back, then he means big trouble."
Jensen takes a moment to think back about his last encounter with the Feds, but when Steve asks him about it he only shakes his head and shrugs, saying that that's another story for another time. What Jensen focuses on is the bleeding guy instead.
After a while Chris comes back and announces cheerfully that he found an emergency exit that leads straight to the roof and that it seems like best escape route.
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 03.05 p. m.
"Special Agent Padalecki," a young Agent says, a little out of breath as he rushes into the radio car. When Jared nods at him to go on, he informs him excitedly, "We identified the two other guys who're inside the bank with Ackles."
Jared's head snaps up as he fights hard to conceal his excitement. The more they know about these guys, the bigger the advantages on the FBI's side. "Tell me," Jared demands, getting up and walking over to the young Agent.
"The lady of the coffee shop gave us a detailed description of the men and later she confirmed it once we showed her pictures. Their names are Steve Carlson and Christian Kane," the young man says, then he pauses.
Jared scratches the back of his head before shrugs, "Never heard of them before. What do we know about them?"
"Well," the guy goes on, clearly proud of what he has to report, "They're not in the FBI databases but they're known to the LA police. It's been nothing big, only things such as bar brawls with aggravated assault. We found out that they own a bar together in LA and that's where they worked."
"Okay, good work," Jared says, ready to turn away but then the guy clears his throat.
"There's more," he waits again for Jared to tell him to continue, "We did a bit of research into their background. They seem like your average guys, well, if you don't include the bar fights. High school, military service, college and then to bar owners. Nothing special. We also did check up on Kripke's wife and she wasn't at home. A neighbor said that she left all harum-scarum this morning with two guys in a black Mercedes SUV. We're still searching for the car."
"Right," Jared says, "As I said. Good work. Keep me informed on news on the SUV, alright?"
The guy nods quickly and happily, glad that he could help. He's younger than Jared, he could still be described as 'baby-faced', maybe even 'cute' in his enthusiasm, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been a great help so far. Jared makes a note to comment him when this is all over.
Jared's currently lost in his thoughts, rubbing his eyes absent-mindedly when he hears a soft and already familiar voice behind him, "Hey."
When he turns around, he sees Special Agent McCoy behind him, a plastic cup of coffee in each hand. She holds one up and Jared takes it gratefully. Even though it's only mid-afternoon, it's been an awfully long day and 'tired' and 'exhausted' don't even begin to cover how he feels. He feels like that eighteen-wheeler came back for seconds, maybe even thirds, he's so beat. He asks her to leave the radio car with him because he needs a bit of fresh air.
"Why did the FBI officials insist you take the case?" she asks, sipping her coffee, "I mean, I've heard rumors that you're one of the best, but I still don't get why they'd have to fly you out of Washington when there's an FBI bureau here. No offence, of course."
Jared's not in the least offended. The sad thing is that the reasons he has to take this case are reasons he really wishes that he didn't have. He takes a deep breath before he smiles sadly at her, "It's a long story, I've got a bit of history with Ackles, unfortunately."
She doesn't say anything for a while but then she smiles, "You know, I'm a woman and therefore I'm naturally nosey. But it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Jared sighs and decides to tell her. "When I left the Academy, in early 2006, I was assigned to work with Michael Rosenbaum so that I could learn from him. I studied psychology, which is why they wanted me to become a negotiator at the CIRG. Mike was one of the best at that time and apparently the FBI thought I had potential. My first case a bank robbery case, similar to this one, only smaller. There were fewer hostages and also less money involved. It was an unimportant branch in a small town, I still don't know why they picked that one. Maybe to practice or whatever. I was there to be prepared for future cases, so that I could work them on my own shortly after. So back then, I mostly just stood and listened. It actually went pretty well when I think back on it now. At least until one of our men misinterpreted an order and opened the fire. Everything happened so fast…"
Jared pauses to pull himself together. He had never really told the story to anyone before, well at least not in actual words. It's something entirely different from the written report he had to hand in after the incident. He had never imagined that telling it someone like this, face to face, was that hard.
"It lead to a shooting," Jared continues, "Mike was hit three times, his wounds were really serious. The bullets hit his spine and he…he's been tied to the wheelchair ever since."
Jared has to stop again and when he looks at Special Agent McCoy, he can see honest sympathy written across her face. That's the moment Jared chooses to go on, after swallowing the lump in his throat, "Some of the FBI guys didn't make it that day; we also lost some hostages. All but one criminal were arrested. He escaped and we've played cat and mouse with him ever since. This guy was Jensen Ackles."
At the revelation, Special Agent McCoy's eyes become wide. She's clearly moved by the whole story. Jared thinks it might be a sign of weakness, so he tries hard to suppress the tears. He never really spoke to anyone about his traumatic first case.
"I've been working on Jensen's case for roughly a year now and I'm desperate to get him where he belongs," Jared pauses, his voice going down, "Prison. Mike and I are close friends and I kinda feel like I owe it to him to catch this guy. It's personal, you know?"
Then, there's a soft hand on top of his and when Jared looks up, Special Agent McCoy says to him, "I'm very sorry, Special Agent Padalecki -"
"Jared," he insists.
She smiles at him before she goes on, "Sandra. And as I said, Jared, I'm very sorry about what happened but I'm confident you're the right guy, and that you'll get him this time." Sandra squeezes his hand quickly before she gives him a flirty smile.
"I sure hope so. I've been working so obsessively on the case that I know Ackles better than I knew my last boyfriend," Jared confesses with a wink.
When she laughs lightly at the comment, Jared doesn't feel uncomfortable at all, even though he just outed himself to a stranger. The thing that worries him more though is that he has to remind himself to refer to Jensen by his last name and not his first name whenever he's talking about him to someone else. In his head, it's a slip that happens more often than not.
Throughout the months Jared has been working on the case, he has developed some weird kind of obsession. Of course, Jared's aware that Jensen's ridiculously attractive, that you could even go so far and call him pretty. Jared also knows that he's gay, that he's smart and that he has good, if not expensive, taste. Whenever he thinks about Jensen his knees go a bit weak and his belly tickles and he just can't help it.
Jared knows that this is unprofessional behavior and it's dangerous to get emotionally or romantically involved. It's something he hasn't told anyone - not even Mike - and he never will. In a worst case scenario, it could cost him his job because of his loss of objectivity, and even if he doesn't lose his job, he'd definitely be pulled from Jensen's- Ackles'- case.
That's why Jared has to remind himself over and over again that Jensen is a FBI-wanted criminal who needs to be locked away in prison. Developing any kind of sympathy or anything more is an absolute taboo that Jared is trying very hard not to break.
Suddenly, his train of thoughts is interrupted by the tech guy storming out of the radio car and yelling for him that there's a call and that it's the bank's number.
On to Part 2.
Author: benitle
Pairing; Characters: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki with Michael Rosenbaum, Chris Kane, Steve Carlson, Sandra McCoy, Chad Michael Murray, Jerrod Niemann, Jason Manns and a few others
Rating: NC-17 for crime-themed content and sex
Warnings: AU, slash
Summary: Jensen robs a bank in Manhattan. Jared works as a Special Agent at the FBI and tries to stop him.
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction, it never happened. The places are real though.
Word count: 18,573
Notes: Many thanks to estel_willow for hand-holding and beta. ♥ I blame it on this picture of Jensen. Split into two parts because of LJ's size limit for entries, parts are self-linked.
Washington, DC: apartment Jared Padalecki - 11.43 a. m.
Jared groans, slowly waking up to the sound of his mobile vibrating on the nightstand. He rubs his eyes sleepily, desperately trying to cling to the pleasant dream he just had, but the penetrating buzz makes it nearly impossible. When he switches on the bedside lamp, his dogs - Sadie and Harley - barely pay him any attention at all. They lift their heads briefly only to lie back down at the foot of the bed as if to tell Jared that no one has nearly had enough sleep.
Jared sighs as he reaches for his phone. After killing it with his brain is a gift he still has to develop, he has no other choice but answer it. Jared doesn't even bother check the caller ID before he hits the connect button.
"Yeah?" he yawns into the phone.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," the caller laughs and it only takes Jared a few seconds to recognize the voice.
"Mike, how's it going, man? What's up with you?" Jared asks. He knows that calls from Michael Rosenbaum usually mean there's work to do. Still, that doesn't mean he doesn't love hearing from his friend. Stretching a few times before he swings his legs out of bed, Jared turns once more to the bedside table to search his watch.
"Good, Jay. Listen, I got a case for you. You need to fly to New York. Immediately," Mike says, his voice deadly serious. Usually, Mike's more the joking type of guy, despite the fact that his life took a dramatic change for the worse a year back. Mike never lost his humor and that's definitely something Jared always admired about his friend and mentor.
Mike and Jared are good friends, considering the short time they've known each other. They first met when Jared finished his six months training at the FBI Academy in Virginia. Back then, he was assigned to shadow Mike to learn and gain experience as a Special Agent. At that time Mike was said to be one of the best negotiators at the Critical Incident Response Group. Thinking back to their first encounter, Jared remembers that he had so much respect for him that he nearly froze on the spot when Mike shook his hand for the first time.
But then something went wrong with their case and Mike was shot during a gunfight, tied to the wheelchair ever since. That's where Jared's admiration comes back in. Even though Mike had to move from actively negotiating at crime scenes, he never lost the passion for his job and the desire to fight evil and save the innocent. Now, his job's based more around coordination, he leads a small group of Special Agents, assigning them to specific cases and that's pretty much why he called Jared.
Jared asked him once whether he wasn't bored with his desk job, but Mike laughed at it and said that at least this gave him plenty of opportunities to search for free porn during working hours. That's Mike for you.
"Jay," Mike says and only then Jared realizes that he still hasn't said anything about the prospect of a new case.
"Yeah, sorry. New York you said? Why can't you send Tom? I mean, I got back from Chicago less than, what, two, three hours ago? What time is it anyway? I barely slept, Mike," Jared explains.
He'd hate to leave Mike hanging but it's true. He returned from Chicago earlier today after solving - successfully, he might add - a kidnapping at an elementary school. If Jared is honest, he's exhausted and feels like he's just been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. He's pretty sure he's in no condition - both physically and mentally - to take another case.
"Listen, I know, Jay. And I'm sorry but this is important. It's," Mike hesitates, something he barely does, "It's a bank robbery of a Citibank branch. I don't think the local police and FBI can handle it. It's huge. We think it's, uh, Jay, we think it's Ackles. Please? For me?"
There's a moment of silence and Jared can practically hear the blood rushing in his ears. Ackles…did Mike just say Ackles?
"You wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to catch our special friend, right? You're the best guy for this case," Mike pleads.
However, there is no need because Jared already made his decision. Rushing out of bed quicker than he's ever done before, all Jared asks is, "When's the next flight I can take?"
New York, NY: House of Eric Kripke - 08.37 a. m.
"So, what d'you think? Do I look good?" Jensen asks, pulling the end of his black tie through the loop. There's a big smirk on his face and Jensen has to try really hard to remain at least a little bit serious.
Steve's standing next to him, looking at their reflections in the mirror, the expression of seriousness on his face comparable to Jensen's. He does a half-turn, pretending to check out his own ass. When Jensen pokes him lightly in the ribs, they both lose it and burst out laughing.
"So? What d'you think?" Jensen asks again, suddenly he's back to being serious, removing lint from his suit and straightening his jacket.
"You sure do look like an important banker, Jen, with your expensive Armani," Steve jokes, but Jensen has known his friend long enough now to get exactly what Steve means. He doesn't miss the teasing either.
Jensen doesn't even try to hide the broad grin that's spreading across his face again. "Can't help it if I got an exquisite taste, man" Jensen answers and they both know it's true. Only the best is good enough for Jensen and his upper class taste; a fast car, expensive clothes, nice homes. He certainly knows how to enjoy himself.
When the door to the bedroom opens, both Steve and Jensen turn around to see who's coming in. Chris enters the room, dressed in a black suit and a white dress shirt, just like them. Chris looks up and down Jensen's lean form, clearly checking him out. And when he finally speaks, it's exactly what Jensen wants to hear, "Looking good there, Jen. All grown up and serious."
He pats Jensen's shoulder and they share a deep and honest laugh. Now that the big day is finally here, Jensen's surprised at how calm he is. This is going to be big, he knows it, but it's also brilliant and thoroughly prepared. Thinking about the months it took to prepare everything, Jensen smiles to himself; he's not only calm, but he's also in a damn good mood. Yeah, nothing can go wrong.
"Jensen," Steve asks and when Jensen turns to look at him, he goes on, "D'you think Jerrod and Jason will be fine here with the wife? I mean, with the three of us gone?"
Jensen takes a moment before he answers. He's got to admit that he had wondered about them too, even though Jerrod and Jason are good strong guys, physical, they're somewhat new, to this kind of business. But then, Jensen prepared everything to the last detail and that also means how he selected the men. He's never been a guy to doubt his own decisions, that's something that's simply not in the nature of Jensen Ackles.
"Yeah, they're gonna be fine. All they have to do is look after a tied down and gagged woman. There's not that much that can go wrong," Jensen tries to reassure his friend. "And besides, I don't think Kripke's gonna try and pull any shit when he knows we've got his Missus."
Steve cracks a grin, apparently convinced that Jensen's right.
As they enter the kitchen from the bedroom, they are greeted by the sight of Mrs. Kripke tied to a chair, Jason and Jerrod standing beside her, .45s in their hands. Upon seeing Jensen, Steve and Chris, she struggles against her bounds, trying to break free. Her cries are muffled by the gag. There's a look of fear on her face, her eyes wide in shock. Her hair's a mess and her flowery dressing gown is crinkled.
Eric Kripke, a small man with receding hair, dressed in a fine three-piece suit stands by the chair. As soon as he sees Jensen, he takes a step towards him, stretching his hand out.
"Please, don't hurt my wife," he begs. His voice is shaking, so are his hands.
Jensen can hear the fear in his voice, the true concern. Calmly, he answers, "Listen, Mr. Kripke. No one's hurting you or your wife unless you force us to, alright? As long as you stick to the plan and do as you're told, everyone's gonna be fine. All you gotta do is come with us, open the vault and come back with us. And no calling the cops. Do I make myself clear?"
Once Kripke nods, signaling that he understands, they leave the house. Jensen heads to the black Mercedes GL-class that's parked in Kripke's driveway, with Steve, Chris and Kripke following. Chris and Jensen ride in the front while Steve's in the back with Kripke.
Starting the ignition, Chris grins at Jensen, "On to Manhattan! Let's earn some money, boys."
New York, NY: LaGuardia Airport - 1.35 p. m.
Usually, Jared shakes his head at people who can't wait to leave the plane and practically jump up from their seats even before the 'fasten your seatbelt' signs go off. But this time it's not different for Jared as he storms out of the FBI's private jet as soon as they arrive at LaGuardia Airport in New York. He concludes that working on a job this important is more than a valid excuse for his behavior.
He doesn't get very far until he's greeted by a young woman, wearing a dark windbreaker with the letters F. B. I. printed over her left breast in a bright yellow.
"Special Agent Padalecki?" she asks and Jared's surprised that she doesn't stumble over his last name. That doesn't happen too often. When he nods, she holds out her hand, "I'm Special Agent Sandra McCoy. I'm working for the FBI bureau here in New York and I'll bring you to the crime scene. On the way, I'll try to fill you in as much as possible."
Jared flashes a quick smile and by the time she tells him that she's very pleased to meet him and that she's heard he's one of the best negotiators the FBI has to offer at the moment, they've already reached the car. Jared smiles at her again, though he feels a little bit uneasy. He's used to people telling him that he's good, really, but he's pretty sure he'll never feel entirely comfortable with hearing it. As he climbs into the passenger seat, he's more than happy to lead the conversation from talking about himself to the case.
"So, do we know anything about the number of robbers and hostages?" Jared asks.
Special Agent McCoy doesn't take her eyes from the road as she answers, "Well, we have no idea about the hostages, but it's a busy Monday morning in downtown New York. We're expecting the worst. As for the bank robbers, a witness gave us the information that it's three white males. That's all we have so far."
Jared gives himself a moment to study her profile. She's definitely an attractive woman with soft, even features and he has to force himself to look back at the street so that he doesn't stare.
"Okay then," he eventually says, "You said there was a witness? Did she see when the criminals entered the bank? When did the NYPD arrive?"
Special Agent McCoy smiles as if she expected the questions, but well, she probably did. "The witness, she works at a small coffee shop across the street of the bank, she said that they arrived at roughly half past nine. She remembers because she saw Eric Kripke, that's the bank director, walk in with three men later than usual; she says Kripke's usually in by nine at the latest. So that's why she thought it was suspicious."
"Did she call the police?" Jared interrupts, checking his watch. If they arrived around nine thirty, then they've been inside the bank for roughly four hours already. Secretly, he hopes that everyone's still calm and no one's freaking out yet. Things could get pretty nasty if someone wasn't sensible enough.
"No, actually," Special Agent McCoy continues, "Someone from the bank did at a few minutes to ten. It was a female employee who only could speak for a few minutes so that she didn't draw the bank robbers' attention to what she was doing." And then she curses loudly at some other driver in a way that would make any virgin blush. Jared snorts a laugh and she quickly excuses herself. He really starts to like that woman.
"Never mind," Jared says, shaking his head slightly, "So, the NYPD arrived then. Did anyone already speak to the robbers? Who?"
Jared's prepared for the worst. Not that he was arrogant or anything, it's not that he didn't value the police's work either, but most of those guys simply aren't trained to deal with criminals of this caliber. They often lack training in the fine art of negotiating with a criminal. He's seen it in the past - either from his own cases or from those of his colleagues - that a police officer can fuck up things badly. Negotiating with agitated criminals is never a bed of roses anyway, it's always worse after a police officer's been in and made a mess.
"Exactly," Special Agent McCoy confirms, "The NYPD arrived shortly after. It's lead by Officer Chad Michael Murray. He handled the first negotiations. But as far as I know, it didn't last very long; Ackles wasn't in the mood for talking."
Jared shakes his head in amusement. She looks at him with a clear expression of confusion on her face. "Sorry," Jared says, "But you know, I do that on a daily basis, talk to people who are criminals, or crazy, sometimes both. I'm just not at all surprised that Ackles wasn't in the mood to talk."
Special Agent McCoy flashes a big grin at him and tells him that he's right. Jared has to admit to himself that he finds her cute and that maybe, in a different situation, under different circumstances, he would have flirted with her and definitely would have invited her for a drink. But now he's professional enough to know that his work and those people in danger come first. Ackles is not a small fish and he's certainly not a no-name criminal, but he's dangerous and the fact that he has God only knows how many people's lives in his hands scares Jared a little. If Jared were the praying kind of person, then he'd pray now.
To Jared it seems like an age until they finally arrive, but when he checks his watch again, it's only been about half an hour. The crime scene is spaciously secured. The area's filled with cars, most of those belonging to the New York Police Department, judging from their labeling. There are six squad cars, Chevy Impalas and Ford Crowns and also an SUV. Jared guesses it to be some Ford model; not that it really matters anyway. Then there are also a few other cars parked that are plain black. Immediately, Jared assumes that those belong to the local FBI agents. But what catches his attention most is the huge radio car that is standing practically in the middle of the street.
Together with Special Agent McCoy, he quickly walks over to the radio car. He expects it to be the center of command and hopes to find the officer in charge there. In all the excitement, Jared had forgotten his name. What was it again…Officer Michael something?
On their way, they have to show their FBI badges a few times so that they can pass. The street is busy with all kinds of police and FBI officials. Most of them are armed and Jared is more than relieved to see members of a SWAT team walk around. He actually has different plans, but a SWAT team is better than nothing. It's reassuring to have one to hand in case he needs to react quickly.
All eyes immediately focus on Jared as soon as he enters the van. There are a few people inside: some of them checking technical equipment such as the monitors, radars or microphones. Others are hanging up information on a large board, marking things or studying maps of the area. All of them are wearing a police uniform. Only one of them didn't turn to look at Jared, since he's too busy talking to someone on the phone. He seems agitated and under extreme stress. In fact, he's speaking so fast, that Jared gets only half of what he's saying. But then he understands that the man on the phone is asking for more men, asking for reinforcement.
Jared concludes that this is the officer he's been looking for. That's why Jared clears his throat loudly to draw the guy's attention to him. As soon as he looks at Jared, Jared speaks, "Hello, my name is Special Agent Jared Padalecki."
The guy takes Jared's hand and mumbles something about "Chad Michael Murray." Once he stands fully upright, Jared notices that he's rather tall, more or less his own height. If Jared had to guess, he'd say the guy is about six feet tall, maybe a little more. He doesn't really look like he's that much older than Jared. And he's definitely pissed.
Murray glares at Jared and to both of them it's clear what's going to happen now and that they're not here to make new friends. Jared feels a little sorry for him that the FBI is taking away Murray's case, but then again Jared doesn't have any time to explain why this is for everyone's best. If they are dealing with Ackles, then there's no room for mistakes and a simple police officer, no matter how competent, won't be nearly enough - Ackles isn't a FBI-wanted criminal for no reason.
The air in the van is so thick that you could easily slice it with a knife, but it doesn't bother Jared, it's something that you get used to as a Special Agent.
"Okay Murray," Jared says, breaking the awkward silence between them, "You can either go home now, or stick around and actually learn something, whatever you want to do, just stay out of my way. The guy in this bank is not an amateur, he's actually dangerous. I've dealt with him before and that's why I'm taking over from this point forwards. Just remember that I'm in charge now. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of my way and let me do my job so we can end this as soon as possible. Any questions?"
Everyone's staring at Jared and he knows that if looks could kill, Murray would have killed him at least twice over already. Murray grumbles something and Jared really doesn't care what it was.
"I'll have to make a phone call to Washington and when I'm done I want a detailed report on everything we know so far. Then we can get started. Excuse me."
When Jared leaves the radio car, the early afternoon New York sun hits his face. It's surprisingly mild for early spring. The fresh air feels good and he takes the few deep breaths he definitely needs. He might be trained to be a tough guy and keep his emotions under control, but underneath all that training, a Special Agent is still just a person, and even the best trained people get ruffled if they haven't slept properly for days.
Quickly, Jared flips his mobile open and dials Mike's number. It rings a few times before Mike answers it.
"Hey, it's me," Jared says. "I arrived at the crime scene and took over. Man, that Murray guy sure is a rat."
Mike laughs into the phone, "You got everything under control up there?"
"Yeah, definitely," Jared reassures him, "There's a SWAT team but I'm worried that's not gonna be enough. Send me the HRT, Mike."
And then Mike's silent for a moment. They both know that Hostage Rescue Teams are only sent out when they are dealing with a high priority case.
"You'll get it. I'm sending one up from Virginia. I promise that you'll have it in less than two hours," Mike finally promises. After a short pause, Mike goes on, "Listen Jay, I know you'll do a fab job up there, alright? Just stay calm and think about all the things you learned."
A small smile spreads across Jared's face. Checking his watch once more, he sees that it's nearly twenty past two. Definitely time to talk to their special friend.
"Hey Mike," Jared says calmly, "I haven't spoken to him yet, but I promise that I'll get the bastard for you. On a silver plate."
"I know, Jay," is all Mike says before the line goes dead.
Jared looks at his phone for a minute before he walks back to the radio car. "Alright, Murray, tell me what you got."
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 09.32 a. m.
Jensen taps his index finger against his thigh. It's not something he does out of nervousness, but rather a random gesture of excitement. Chris parks the black SUV only a few meters away form the bank, quickly killing the engine. Jensen can feel everybody's eyes on him and when he turns around to look at Kripke, he's not surprised to see him staring.
"Listen," Jensen warns, "We're going in now and you're coming with us. As I said, you better not try to fool us if you want your wife to survive our little adventure. If you keep to your bit of the plan, I'll keep to mine. No one's gonna hurt her. But if you try and pull any shit, there's no reason for me to keep my promise. Got it?"
Kripke only nods his head as he fiddles nervously with his nails. There's a coat of sweat on his forehead and Jensen almost - only almost - feels sorry for the man.
"Alright, everyone out!!" Jensen commands then. They've got work to do.
Walking to the back of the SUV, they grab the black bullet proof vests, pulling them on over the top of their suits seconds later. Jensen leads them towards the bank building, Eric trapped in the middle. They carry aluminum suitcases with them; after all, you can't just keep that much stolen money in your pocket.
The short-distance walk to the bank feels like a marathon to Jensen. He knows that this comes from being nervous, his nerves having finally gotten to him, now that it's time to prove whether or not his plan is going to work. He also knows that he'll have to pull himself together and act as normal for the plan to work and so that they don't look suspicious.
"Steve, stay here at the entrance. Just in case. Secure it should anything go wrong," Jensen orders as soon as they enter the bank. When Steve subtly checks his .45 and then nods at him, they walk further into the branch.
Escorting Kripke through the bank, Jensen notices how Kripke exhales deeply a few times. Jensen assumes that he does it to relax, all in order to make the plan more authentic. When they reach the first security guards, Kripke comes to a standstill and for a moment Jensen worries that he'll try and run. But just as Jensen tightens his grip on his gun, Kripke says, "Good morning, Michael, good morning, Seth. These gentlemen were sent by headquarters. They'll need to transfer money to a different branch that's currently running low. I'll accompany them to the vault personally."
The two security guards - Michael and Seth - only nod a brief "Of course, Mr. Kripke," before they step aside and let the three men pass. Jensen releases a breath he wasn't aware of holding as he follows Kripke through the bank. It all seems too easy.
Jensen's surprised that Kripke greets each and every employee personally with their first name. He always thought that important people never even bothered memorize the names of their workforce, let alone try so hard to be friendly to them. As they pass other security guards and random employees, Kripke repeats his story. When he comes to a stand abruptly in front of a woman in maybe her late forties, he smiles at her, "Thanks for the recipe Gloria, my wife made the best stuffed turkey last weekend."
For a split second, Jensen believes her eyes to narrow, but then she smiles and tells Kripke that she has another delicious recipe for homemade apple pie that she'll bring in a few days. Then she nods at Jensen and Chris, a friendly smile on her face, "Gentlemen."
"Excuse us," Jensen eventually says, slowly but firmly shoving Kripke towards their final destination. Once they reach the vault, both Kripke's eyes need to be scanned and his finger prints taken, before the heavy door can be unlocked. It only takes mere seconds until the door's open for them to enter. Jensen can't suppress the broad grin that spreads across his face as he sees the insides: all three sides of the vault hold safe deposit boxes, but what really calls his attention are the various cash boxes placed on a table, surrounded by chairs in the middle of the room.
Quickly, Jensen nods at Kripke who immediately walks over to the cash boxes to open them with his key. Jensen knows that they'll have to be fast but not too fast to raise any suspicion among the security guys. He also knows that they can't afford not to watch Kripke while they pack the money from the cash boxes into the aluminum cases they brought with them. The decision is fairly simple. Walking over to Kripke, Jensen grabs a pair of handcuffs and 'cuffs him to one of the chairs.
Jensen grins briefly at Chris who winks at him in a way that is so typically Chris that it makes him smile again. It's something that never fails to relax Jensen, a simple gesture that never fails to ease his mind.
"See, all's good, Jen. Well done," Chris congratulates and Jensen has to admit to himself that he never would have thought that it would be so easy; never thought that it would work so well. Later, he thought, he should allow himself a short moment to admire his own genius.
"What you're gonna do with your new fortune, Chris?" Jensen asks as he places a bundle of one hundred dollar bills in the suitcase.
"Ah, I think I'll get a bar somewhere, ya know? A real bar and not that run-down piece o' shit we have at the moment," Chris laughs.
Jensen nods at him. He always knew that Chris dreamed of his own bar, selling cheap liquor to college students and having country bands perform. Maybe even sing once in a while himself with Steve. Thinking about his own dreams, Jensen sees a fast car, expensive jewelry and a pretty house somewhere where it's warm all year.
He's still lost in his thoughts about Sex on the Beach (and maybe having some) when his mobile rings. When he checks the caller ID, Jensen sees that it's Steve. He doesn't lose any time in picking up.
"What's up?" he asks.
Steve seems troubled on the other end of the line, "Listen, man. I don't know how he did it, but Kripke tricked us. There're cops outside. Loads of 'em. And it's getting more and more. I had to secure the doors and I'll be in the main hall in a few seconds. I'll meet you guys there."
Steve speaks so fast that Jensen barely understands him. And then it takes another moment - during which Chris nearly yells at him to spill what's wrong - until Jensen registers what's happening. Kripke managed to get the police. Kripke did not stick to the plan. Kripke might have just killed his wife.
There's an indescribable rage that spreads from Jensen's belly through his whole body. He's a calm person who hardly gets angry, but right now he's fuming. Faster than Chris could stop him, Jensen stalks over to where Kripke is sitting and punches him. He hits him harder than he's ever hit anyone before. The chair falls to the side, connecting with the floor with a loud crack. Then with Kripke's struggling it flips over which results in Kripke on the floor, fidgeting like a beetle on its back. When Jensen yanks him up to give him another blow, Chris catches his arm.
"Stop it, man, you'd better tell me what's wrong," Chris insists.
There's blood running from Kripke's nose. It drips on his fine suit and from Jensen's knuckles, but Jensen doesn't care as he stands in the middle of the room, breathing heavily.
"He tricked us. There're cops out there," Jensen snarls and when Chris doesn't say anything, he goes on, "We need to be quick now. Steve's gonna meet us in the main hall. Let's go."
Turning back to Kripke, Jensen hisses, "That was real stupid, man. I wouldn't have done that if I were you." Before Jensen and Chris leave the vault, they look at Kripke, noticing the fear in his eyes. Jensen knows it doesn't come from the blows he just took.
On their way to the main hall, Chris and Jensen overpower the security guards, catching them by surprise. After they rid them off their weapons, they're forcing everyone they can find to come with them. First, they need to focus and order their thoughts to bring the situation under their control again. Jensen knows that the worst thing that could happen now is for them to panic and let the cops take advantage of the chaos.
His rage is still very much present but he can't let it control his actions now. Okay, so his genius plan didn't work precisely how he wanted it to, however, it doesn't mean this has to end. They still have a chance if they stay cool, Jensen reminds himself. When he and Chris enter the main hall and bringing with them several hostages, they are greeted with the sight of Steve with more hostages seated on the floor.
"Get over there," Jensen barks and the bank employees and customers comply.
There's a group of maybe thirty-five to forty people, sitting in a circle in the middle of the bank now. They keep murmuring nervously, some women are whining and crying, and when Jensen yells for them to shut up, they immediately do.
"What now?" Chris asks in a low voice, leaning close to Jensen. There's an expression of trust on his face when Chris looks at him.
Jensen runs a hand over his face before he answers, "We'll bring them into the back. There should be offices. This way, we can keep an eye on them better."
They act quickly. As soon as everyone is secured in the largest office they could find, Steve stays with the hostages while Jensen and Chris go back to the vault to finish where they left off. Jensen paces up and down the small room. His palms are sweaty and his hands are shaking slightly. He knows that these are the first signs of nervousness, but he forces himself to stay as calm as possible.
"D'you want me to call Jason?" Chris asks, pointing his gun at Kripke. They both know what Chris's implying. He's asking whether he should call the others to kill the wife. Judging from Kripke's expression, he gets it too. He shakes his head frenetically, begging them not to.
Jensen's this close to doing it himself, call them and end her life, but eventually he says, "No. At least not yet. We'll have to figure out what to do next and maybe she'll come in handy again. We oughta call them though to warn them."
Chris nods and excuses himself to make the call, while Jensen continues to pack the money. Jensen's not giving up just because he's been interrupted. He's better than that. Kripke doesn't say anything, probably knowing that it's better this way because pissing Jensen off even more will only lead to extra trouble.
Jensen's still busy with filling the suitcases when the bank's telephone rings. He's not the least surprised that some cop would call and try to talk him into giving up. He hopes they'll make it quick.
"Yeah," Jensen says as he picks up the receiver.
The voice on the other end of the line surprises Jensen a bit at first. The guy he's talking to sounds more like a kid than a grown man. "I'm Officer Chad Michael Murray," he says, introducing himself. "I'm asking you to give up, Ackles without harming any hostages. Yes, we know who you are."
Jensen nearly bursts out laughing. It's not too hard to find him in police and FBI databases and that's why he can't help the snarky remark, "Listen, kid. It's nice that you think to know my name…"
But Jensen doesn't have the chance to finish his sentence as the police guy interrupts him, "You didn't exactly wear a mask. The owner of the coffee shop gave a detailed description about three men that looked suspicious. You weren't subtle. And we'll figure out who's with you soon enough."
He pauses a moment, waiting whether Jensen wants to say anything to that. When Jensen keeps quiet, Molly or whatever his name was, goes on, "You're surrounded Ackles. There's no way for you to get out and it's in your hands now. You can end it without anyone being hurt."
That's the moment Jensen finally bursts out laughing. There's a little "huh?" on the other end of the line and if the situation weren't so serious, Jensen would laugh even harder. The guy's actually asking him to just walk out and right into prison. Jensen doesn't really think the kid's going to be any trouble.
"Okay, kid. Here's the deal. My buddies and I, we're still busy in here. We got money to pack. But I'll call you later when I need to get out of here and you can organize me a car or something, alright?" Jensen says sharply. He's trying really hard not to laugh any more. He really is.
"What?" the cop seems confused, "Wait, no, no! Uh, how many hostages do you have? Are there any children in there?"
From the way the cop speaks, fast and desperate sounding, Jensen assumes that the kid officer's trying to keep him on the phone, for whatever reason. He's probably trying to buy time and Jensen knows the less time the police has, the better. He won't let them play any games, unless they play by his rules.
"To get to the point, Officer, you don't have to worry about the hostages because you can rest assured that I have enough bullets to shoot each and every one if I have to, do I make myself clear? So, excuse me now while I finish my job here," Jensen says, voice ice cold. The officer doesn't reply to that and Jensen quickly disconnects the call.
He didn't mention Kripke's wife and the number of hostages on purpose. The less the cops know, the bigger advantage he has. Still, he can't stop his hands from shaking violently as he clutches the receiver in a mixture of nervousness and anger. Jensen exhales deeply a few times and only when he feels a familiar hand on his shoulder does he calm down a little.
"Everything alright, Jen?" Chris drawls, in a soft and smooth tequila voice.
Jensen nods, knowing that he needs to keep a clear head. "Yeah, let's finish this before the Feds arrive. My last encounter with them wasn't exactly pretty and I don't really want to see any of those fuckers again," he reminds Chris before they go back to packing money.
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 02.25 p. m.
"Is your SWAT team ready to go in any time, Murray?" Jared asks, taking a gulp from the water bottle in his hand.
Officer Murray seems surprised as he answers, "Yeah, it is but you haven't even spoken to Ackles yet. Don't you wanna do that first?"
Jared has to admit that this is a valid point before he explains, "I just need to be sure that I can count on them, alright? We might have to interfere quickly and I don't wanna jeopardize anyone's life."
Officer Murray nods then, signaling that he can relate.
"Okay, what we're gonna do next is the following: you inform me as soon as we know who those other two guys are who went in with Ackles. The more we know about them, the better. We'll also have to check up upon Eric Kripke's family. Criminals of this caliber usually don't operate alone and we're better safe than sorry. That's why we we're gonna check out his house," Jared orders calmly. Officer Murray looks at him with big eyes, obviously impressed with the way Jared handles the situation. But in the end, he chooses not to say anything.
When Jared turns around, he sees Special Agent McCoy standing behind him. She had followed him into the radio car and looks as if she were searching for something to do, for a way to help. She smiles when Jared speaks to her.
"I called Washington and they're going to send a Hostage Rescue Team up here. I need you to inform me as soon as they arrived, okay? Every minute counts."
Special Agent McCoy tells him that she'll do it as soon as they're at the crime scene.
Jared watches her go and licks his lips nervously, muttering to himself, "Onto the tough part of the job then." He's fine with organizing everything, with ordering people around and telling them what to do, but no matter how often he does it, he'll always feel nervous when he has to speak to a criminal for the first time. It's the pressure of knowing that people's lives are in his hands now, well at least partly and that a lot will depend on how well - or how badly -he does; that it all depends on his negotiation skills now.
He's been trained in the Academy, he's done well during past cases but still his hands are shaking and his breath is ragged. Maybe, it's because this particular case is more important than any other he had before. Not only in a sorely work-related way.
Jared tells himself to get a grip and behave like the professional that he is. After exhaling deeply a few times, he grabs the phone receiver. He nods at the technical guy to dial and establish the connection. The phone rings exactly six times until someone picks up.
"So soon again, kid? D'you miss me already?" the voice says and Jared immediately recognizes it, recognizes him. During the last year, working on the Ackles case, he listened to the few tapes they had of him over and over again. There's no doubt; Jared memorized every nuance, every timbre and every bit of Texas accent in Ackles' voice that there is absolutely no room for misinterpretation.
So it's him. It's really him. Jared doesn't know whether he wants to run away and hide, because this job's too big for him, or whether he wants to stay and fight and finally give the bastard what he deserves.
"Alright, I'm ready to talk to you now," Ackles then says and Jared remembers that he spoke to Officer Murray before and that he's probably mixing them up now.
"Hi, my name's Special Agent Jared Padalecki," Jared clarifies only to be interrupted by Ackles before he can say anything else.
"Oh, thank God the Feds are here! I'm safe now," he says sarcastically and for a moment Jared fears that he's going to hang up any minute now because he doesn't want to talk to the FBI. He knows that he needs to come to the point quickly without making Ackles shy away.
"Let's talk about this, Jensen Ackles. We want to end this without anyone being harmed, alright? I'm sure we can come to terms if you're willing to cooperate. We can talk about mitigating circumstances then," Jared says as calm as he possibly can, even though he can feel his heart beating in his throat. This is the easy part, some kind of standard sentence you say at the beginning of each conversation.
Ackles is silent for a moment until he says, just as calmly, "I'm glad you did your homework, finding out my name, Special Agent -"
This time it's Jared's turn to interrupt, "No, Ackles. My homework is done when you give up and those people are safe." But he doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence.
"As I was going to say, Special Agent," Jensen spits, "I already told your friend Officer Molly that I have no intention to stop now and that we'll have to do this on my terms, otherwise it's going to get nasty."
Jared knows that Ackles is the kind of guy you really shouldn't piss off, so he stays quiet and listens, letting him finish what he is trying to say. And it doesn't take Ackles long to come up with a request.
"I want a helicopter with a full tank on the top of this building by 4 p.m. That gives you roughly an hour and a half from now," Ackles says and just as Jared is taking a breath before answering he hears a gun shot, quickly followed by someone yelling in pain and people screaming and whimpering in fear. In the background Jared hears footsteps and more voices that sound hysterical, well, until there's another male voice ordering them to shut up. Then, the background noises vanish almost completely.
"See," Ackles warns, "That was a kneecap. Next time, I'm aiming for a head. Don't think I won't do it, okay?"
This really isn't going how Jared wanted it to go. Ackles is not supposed to be the one asking for things, Jared should be one setting the rules and pace of the negotiations. Quickly, he realizes that he has no other option at the moment than to agree and play it Ackles' way. He heard several hostages and knows now that there's someone inside who's injured; he has no other choice. One of the FBI principles is to save lives and that's what he's going to do.
"Alright," Jared agrees, "You'll get your helicopter by 4, just don't hurt anyone else alright?"
"Good," Ackles purrs into the phone, his voice smooth and low. Jared notices how the voice causes his belly to tingle. He pushes the thought away as fast as he can because it's not an appropriate thought for any time, let alone for now.
"Just don't make me ask again," is the last thing Ackles says before he disconnects the call.
After Jared hangs up himself, both Special Agent McCoy and Officer Murray stare at him. Of course they both heard the whole conversation. The tech guy informs Jared that everything is securely on tape and Jared briefly nods at him.
"So, what's happening next?" Special Agent McCoy asks.
Jared takes a short moment to think about that before he answers, "We organize that helicopter. Ackles is capable of killing people and I don't want to press anyone's luck. And then we hope that the HRT arrives in time."
He hates the feeling of knowing that's all he can do for now.
New York, NY: inside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 02.55 p. m.
Jensen's shaking a bit as he puts the receiver back into the cradle. Only when Chris puts his hand back on Jensen's shoulder and squeezes briefly but firmly, does he snap back from his numbness. If he had to admit it, Jensen's impressed by the Fed he just talked to. The guy seemed self-confident and a tough counterpart; unlike that douchebag of an officer that he talked to earlier. He didn't talk long to the Fed, but from the way the conversation went, he seems a lot more professional than the cop.
Jensen catches himself thinking back to the Special Agent's deep, manly voice. He can't ignore the fact that he was pretty turned on by it, he blames that on the fact that he hadn't been laid in a while, and a while in the world of Jensen Ackles feels like forever. In a different situation and if the Fed was hot, he'd definitely have hit on him. But right now, he can't have any of that.
Turning back to Steve and Chris, he asks quietly, for their ears only, "You did call Jason and Jerrod, didn't ya, Chris?" When Chris nods at him, Jensen goes on, "Good. I'm sure the Feds are gonna stop by and they better get lost with her. The kid I just talked to isn't stupid at all. But so far, everything's under control. I demanded a helicopter and it'll all be over sooner than we think."
Steve excuses himself to try and call Jason and Jerrod again. Jensen takes one last look at the hostages sitting in Kripke's office before he heads over to the vault to get Kripke and the money. What he sees is a bunch of scared people that look at him with pleading eyes. He had never wanted it to be like this. It's not like he's a mean or sadistic person. He's not like that.
There's a young woman, roughly his age, blonde and pretty by all standards. Jensen remembers how she tried to flirt with him when they first entered the bank, but since women really aren't his thing, he didn't give her a second glance to not give her any false hopes. She's scared now, her eyes filled with tears, and when he takes a step towards her, she flinches and the tears spill, rolling down her cheeks.
"Why…why are you doing this? We didn't hurt you," she says.
Jensen releases a deep breath and looks at her for a long time, not saying anything at all. He then shifts his focus on the whimpering figure next to him. It's the guy he just shot in the leg when he talked to the Fed. Only then does Jensen realize that he's still clutching his gun tightly.
He quickly waves it at the guy while looking at Chris. They guy on the floor flinches, squeezing his eyes shut, but when Chris squats next to him, studying the wound, he visibly relaxes. Next Chris pulls off a sleeve from the guy's shirt and uses it to bind it around his leg. It's supposed to work as a tourniquet, stopping the bloodstream.
When Jensen looks at the blonde woman again, he just says, colder than he meant to, "I have my reasons. And the whole thing with the Feds is my personal business."
There's an awkward silence afterwards. There's barely any sound, no one says anything, until Chris finally speaks, "I'm gonna go and check out the building a bit more. I'll look for the quickest and easiest way to the roof."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Jensen agrees.
Before Jensen turns to finally leave, Steve comes up to him, frowning.
"What is it?" Jensen asks.
"I tried to call Jason and Jerrod again but I can't reach them. Either the Feds were faster than us or they're on the run," Steve explains.
"Alright," Jensen says after a moment of thought, "We don't know what's up with them. But this doesn't change our situation here and now. We gotta stay cool and not make any mistakes. The guy I talked to was pretty young, I'd say, but that only means that we shouldn't underestimate him. If he's like that Fed some time back, then he means big trouble."
Jensen takes a moment to think back about his last encounter with the Feds, but when Steve asks him about it he only shakes his head and shrugs, saying that that's another story for another time. What Jensen focuses on is the bleeding guy instead.
After a while Chris comes back and announces cheerfully that he found an emergency exit that leads straight to the roof and that it seems like best escape route.
New York, NY: outside Branch of Citibank, 1 Broadway - 03.05 p. m.
"Special Agent Padalecki," a young Agent says, a little out of breath as he rushes into the radio car. When Jared nods at him to go on, he informs him excitedly, "We identified the two other guys who're inside the bank with Ackles."
Jared's head snaps up as he fights hard to conceal his excitement. The more they know about these guys, the bigger the advantages on the FBI's side. "Tell me," Jared demands, getting up and walking over to the young Agent.
"The lady of the coffee shop gave us a detailed description of the men and later she confirmed it once we showed her pictures. Their names are Steve Carlson and Christian Kane," the young man says, then he pauses.
Jared scratches the back of his head before shrugs, "Never heard of them before. What do we know about them?"
"Well," the guy goes on, clearly proud of what he has to report, "They're not in the FBI databases but they're known to the LA police. It's been nothing big, only things such as bar brawls with aggravated assault. We found out that they own a bar together in LA and that's where they worked."
"Okay, good work," Jared says, ready to turn away but then the guy clears his throat.
"There's more," he waits again for Jared to tell him to continue, "We did a bit of research into their background. They seem like your average guys, well, if you don't include the bar fights. High school, military service, college and then to bar owners. Nothing special. We also did check up on Kripke's wife and she wasn't at home. A neighbor said that she left all harum-scarum this morning with two guys in a black Mercedes SUV. We're still searching for the car."
"Right," Jared says, "As I said. Good work. Keep me informed on news on the SUV, alright?"
The guy nods quickly and happily, glad that he could help. He's younger than Jared, he could still be described as 'baby-faced', maybe even 'cute' in his enthusiasm, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been a great help so far. Jared makes a note to comment him when this is all over.
Jared's currently lost in his thoughts, rubbing his eyes absent-mindedly when he hears a soft and already familiar voice behind him, "Hey."
When he turns around, he sees Special Agent McCoy behind him, a plastic cup of coffee in each hand. She holds one up and Jared takes it gratefully. Even though it's only mid-afternoon, it's been an awfully long day and 'tired' and 'exhausted' don't even begin to cover how he feels. He feels like that eighteen-wheeler came back for seconds, maybe even thirds, he's so beat. He asks her to leave the radio car with him because he needs a bit of fresh air.
"Why did the FBI officials insist you take the case?" she asks, sipping her coffee, "I mean, I've heard rumors that you're one of the best, but I still don't get why they'd have to fly you out of Washington when there's an FBI bureau here. No offence, of course."
Jared's not in the least offended. The sad thing is that the reasons he has to take this case are reasons he really wishes that he didn't have. He takes a deep breath before he smiles sadly at her, "It's a long story, I've got a bit of history with Ackles, unfortunately."
She doesn't say anything for a while but then she smiles, "You know, I'm a woman and therefore I'm naturally nosey. But it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Jared sighs and decides to tell her. "When I left the Academy, in early 2006, I was assigned to work with Michael Rosenbaum so that I could learn from him. I studied psychology, which is why they wanted me to become a negotiator at the CIRG. Mike was one of the best at that time and apparently the FBI thought I had potential. My first case a bank robbery case, similar to this one, only smaller. There were fewer hostages and also less money involved. It was an unimportant branch in a small town, I still don't know why they picked that one. Maybe to practice or whatever. I was there to be prepared for future cases, so that I could work them on my own shortly after. So back then, I mostly just stood and listened. It actually went pretty well when I think back on it now. At least until one of our men misinterpreted an order and opened the fire. Everything happened so fast…"
Jared pauses to pull himself together. He had never really told the story to anyone before, well at least not in actual words. It's something entirely different from the written report he had to hand in after the incident. He had never imagined that telling it someone like this, face to face, was that hard.
"It lead to a shooting," Jared continues, "Mike was hit three times, his wounds were really serious. The bullets hit his spine and he…he's been tied to the wheelchair ever since."
Jared has to stop again and when he looks at Special Agent McCoy, he can see honest sympathy written across her face. That's the moment Jared chooses to go on, after swallowing the lump in his throat, "Some of the FBI guys didn't make it that day; we also lost some hostages. All but one criminal were arrested. He escaped and we've played cat and mouse with him ever since. This guy was Jensen Ackles."
At the revelation, Special Agent McCoy's eyes become wide. She's clearly moved by the whole story. Jared thinks it might be a sign of weakness, so he tries hard to suppress the tears. He never really spoke to anyone about his traumatic first case.
"I've been working on Jensen's case for roughly a year now and I'm desperate to get him where he belongs," Jared pauses, his voice going down, "Prison. Mike and I are close friends and I kinda feel like I owe it to him to catch this guy. It's personal, you know?"
Then, there's a soft hand on top of his and when Jared looks up, Special Agent McCoy says to him, "I'm very sorry, Special Agent Padalecki -"
"Jared," he insists.
She smiles at him before she goes on, "Sandra. And as I said, Jared, I'm very sorry about what happened but I'm confident you're the right guy, and that you'll get him this time." Sandra squeezes his hand quickly before she gives him a flirty smile.
"I sure hope so. I've been working so obsessively on the case that I know Ackles better than I knew my last boyfriend," Jared confesses with a wink.
When she laughs lightly at the comment, Jared doesn't feel uncomfortable at all, even though he just outed himself to a stranger. The thing that worries him more though is that he has to remind himself to refer to Jensen by his last name and not his first name whenever he's talking about him to someone else. In his head, it's a slip that happens more often than not.
Throughout the months Jared has been working on the case, he has developed some weird kind of obsession. Of course, Jared's aware that Jensen's ridiculously attractive, that you could even go so far and call him pretty. Jared also knows that he's gay, that he's smart and that he has good, if not expensive, taste. Whenever he thinks about Jensen his knees go a bit weak and his belly tickles and he just can't help it.
Jared knows that this is unprofessional behavior and it's dangerous to get emotionally or romantically involved. It's something he hasn't told anyone - not even Mike - and he never will. In a worst case scenario, it could cost him his job because of his loss of objectivity, and even if he doesn't lose his job, he'd definitely be pulled from Jensen's- Ackles'- case.
That's why Jared has to remind himself over and over again that Jensen is a FBI-wanted criminal who needs to be locked away in prison. Developing any kind of sympathy or anything more is an absolute taboo that Jared is trying very hard not to break.
Suddenly, his train of thoughts is interrupted by the tech guy storming out of the radio car and yelling for him that there's a call and that it's the bank's number.
On to Part 2.