Miles
I take a quick glance around me—keeping an eye on my surroundings. I notice that I had a tail, I sigh. That’s the second in not even 3 days, I can’t deal with this the way I had with the last one. It would look to suspicious, and I do not need anything that could make Owen doubt my intentions. He was already a very flighty and unpredictable suspect as is, I do not need to make my job harder for myself than it already is. I take another small glance of my surroundings to see if there was anywhere that I could lose my tail pretty quick without him realizing that I knew he was following me. There was a couple of restaurants around and a coffee shop, looking at my options I chose the coffee shop. It wasn’t lunch time yet and coffee shops are walked into at all times of the day. I walked into the shop and immediately went into line, I looked over the menu board making it look like I was deciding on what I wanted to get.I already knew I was just getting a coffee—black—and a croissant, it’s what I always get, if possible, at any coffee shop. I heard the doorbell ring from someone walking in and knew that it was my tail walking into the shop. I was slightly surprised that he came inside and didn’t just wait for me to walk out of the shop to follow again. Hmmm.... Owen must be suspicious. I could handle this one of two ways, I can always go the bathroom and sneak out through the back, or I can just pretend he isn’t there and sit for a while in the coffee shop and pretend this was my destination all along. I have no problem just staying in the coffee shop, the only problem is that I was on my way to meeting with my superior to update him on the situation of the case.Once I had my coffee and croissant I chose a table in the corner of the room, I would be able to see the whole shop from my spot. It was a perfect place to keep an eye on my tail without him noticing that anything was wrong. I sat down and pulled out my phone, I opened the messaging app and sent a text message.Sorry bro, I won’t be able to make it to football Sunday. I had a last-minute problem come up. I hope that I can make it next Sunday.I waited for a response. I wasn’t sure how tech savvy Owens group is so me and my superior have to speak like we’re two buds wanting to watch the football game or go drinking, anything that wouldn’t make it stand out that I was up to no good. Sometimes, I worry that just texting anything would tip him off and anytime I contact him I think that this will be it that we will be caught this time. I waited for a couple minutes before I finally received a reply.5
Everything ok? Is it your truck again? You really need to take that to a mechanic instead of trying to fix it yourself.
Reading over the message I knew that he was asking what happened, he knew about the last tail and how the man needed to be taken care. He also knew I was in the same situation and couldn’t make our meet. I was thinking about how I was going to answer, sometimes I had to word things a certain way so he understood but it can be hard sometimes interpreting what we were saying. Most of the time we got it just fine but there are those few messages that both of us sit there looking at it for an hour before it clicks.
Yeah, it’s just the same issue as last time. I thought I had managed to get it fixed and wasn’t going to have any more issues with it. I think I might need a mechanics help, but they just always
overcharge for the labor.
Hopefully that didn’t come off to vague. I confirmed his suspicions over what the issue is and how I was unsure about how to handle the situation this time without a repeat performance. If this was a real situation, I would not need a mechanic. I spent time when I was 18 in a mechanic shop as one of my first jobs. I knew my way around a car and knew had to fix any issues I had. I took a sip of my coffee will still looking at my phone pretending that my attention was affixed to my phone, when in reality my entire attention is on my tail. He was sitting over by the door; he didn’t even bother getting anything. He wasn’t tall I would say he was actually under the average height for guys. He had black hair and looked to have either Chinese or Asian descent. He wore all black—which stands out already since its 60 degrees outside and the sun is out and shinning. My phone alerts me that I have another message and I open the messaging app once again.
You need a professional’s opinion before you do anything else to that poor truck. How about I give you the contact info for my mechanic?
Reading over his message, it could have two meanings. It could be that he wanted me to contact another agent and ask for help on this one or he really does have a contact in town that could help me out a little. Especially, with the shithead following me around town. I make a quick decision and sent back a message and I got a quick reply back.
Awesome! Here’s his info, I’ll call and let him know you’re coming. That way maybe he can fix it right away and you be able to come to Sunday Football.
Douglas Smith’s Mechanics (503)-654-7898
Ok, now I’m not sure who he’ll be contacting but all I know is that I’m finally gonna be getting some help with this. Now, I had to figure out if I should stay here for a while or try to go out and lose the tail. Before, I could decide my phone lets me know I have another message.
Hey man! It’s been a while, what are ya up to?
It was from an unknown number; I knew that it must be from whoever my superior contacted. I looked at the last text I got and realized that it must be Dan Sleet. He was another agent that was great at undercover jobs—he knows the game.
Hey Ollie, it’s been a couple months. I’m just stopping for coffee. How’ve ya been? You still playing games at the pool house every weekend?
For a few minutes we text back and forth trying to lay down a game plan. He was gonna come over to the coffee shop and I’ll act like I’ve been waiting for him the whole time. He’s gonna help me lose the tail and I’ll be able to make it to that rendezvous with the boss. I waited for 10 more minutes before I saw him walk into the shop. He stopped at the door and glanced around before his gaze stopped on me. He smiled and walked over. When he got to my table he spoke, “Hey cuz! It’s been a while. How have you been? Sorry I was late, the bus got stuck in traffic and it took forever to get to my bus stop, ya know how it is.” I pretended to nod sympathetically. We talked nothing about fake family members before we finally got up to leave with the lie of heading to a movie.
We left the coffee shop and walked down the street to an actual movie theater. We waited in line for tickets and when we finally got them, we waited inside the doors of the theaters waiting for my tail to walk in. I nodded to Dan, and I walked back out the theater. Dan would walk around the theater for a while, pretending to grab snacks while I went to go save us seats. I finally was able to get away from the tail and now I had to hurry to the meeting spot. I walked a few blocks before I came to a business building. It had a sign on it that advertised that there was this was a doctor’s office. In all reality it was just a front for undercover agents and a safehouse. I walked in and closed the door behind me locking it so no one could follow me in.
I walked past the front desk and went towards the rooms in the back. In one of them was an office, in there sat my superior. Donovan Rodriguez. He was darker skinned, he had black hair that was buzzed short, and he had a goatee and mustache that was kept cleaned. When he stood up, he was 5’7 ft tall and he was built like a marine. He kept himself in shape just in case he ever needed to go back out to the field he wouldn’t be a risk. Currently, he was on the phone. From the sounds of it, it was Dan. “You were able to ditch the ghost?” Donovan nodded and listened for a few more seconds before ending the call. I walk to the front of the desk and sit down in one of the chairs waiting there. “So, he was finally able to ditch the trail?” Donovan nodded and leaned back in his chair.
“So Miles what were you able to find out?” I tell him about where Owen keeps his base of operations for his main supply. I think he has a couple more places throughout Portland just in case theirs a snitch. He is not very trusting and always thinks that someone is going to rat him out. So, he installs a lot of fear into his crew members, if they even though about betraying him he would shoot them without blinking.
“I think this is going to take longer than we thought. It might even take some finesse. Owen doesn’t trust anyone, not even his secondhand man.” Donovan ran his hand over his face. He was hoping to be able to move in on Owen by now. He wanted to get rid of the king of the Portland’s drug underground. “He’s getting bolder now. We need to get this under control and knock him down. Do you have anything that would be a solid case no questions asked?” I shrugged. “Yes and no. But it’s something that I think he would be able to wiggle out of no problem. He would get in trouble initially, but I think he has some good lawyers in his pocket. I believe that it’s best to wait so we don’t ruin this opportunity.”
It was hard to get in contact with one of Owens crew members and it was even harder to evens get in. Owen likes to ask a lot of desperate people from off the streets to deal so his members aren’t caught dealing. It was like a needle in a haystack trying to find a member. It took a year to get where we are and even then, it’s obvious that Owen doesn’t trust me due to the trail he sent. Donavan hesitates, “I can give you maybe another month. I don’t want to leave you in there for too long. I think Owen is getting suspicious and he will make his move. I don’t want it to come to that.” I nod in agreement. It will be getting harder to contact with him and other agents and if I need any sort of back up, I will be shit out of luck.
With that decided to get up from my seat and start walking towards the door. Before I get out of the room Donavan says,” Be careful, you’re one of my best. I don’t need to lose you to this trigger- happy asshole.” I nod at him and leave the building heading for the place I was staying during the last year while I was undercover.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to find something that will stick to Owen because I don’t know how much longer I can keep hiding who I am. The longest someone has lasted in Owens crew was maybe 2 years, then he gets suspicious and finds something that makes him distrust them and kills them after. The only person to avoid it is his secondhand man, but I have a feeling that will only last so long. As for me I’m counting down the days.