Chapter 652
Operation!
“Not for now,” Lynn shook his head. “We don’t know their exact situation yet, how many of them there are, or if they have weapons. If we notify the department rashly, it will make too much noise and might alert them, allowing them to escape. Let’s quietly follow them, find out the situation, and then notify them for backup once we’ve determined their location and the scale of their transactions.”
“Okay, no problem.” Jason nodded. Years of working together made him immediately understand Lynn’s thoughts. The two slowed down, pretending to stroll around, occasionally stopping to glance at the roadside vendors, but their eyes never left the group of black men.
By this time, the group of black men had dispersed. Two of them headed toward Madison Avenue, while the other three headed toward Eighth Avenue. They maintained a certain distance from each other, but their eyes were constantly scanning each other, clearly alert to any movement around them.
“Shall we split up?” Jason asked in a low voice. “I’ll follow the two heading towards Madison Avenue, and you’ll follow the three heading towards Eighth Avenue?”
“No, that’s too dangerous.” Lynn immediately rejected the idea. “We don’t know if they have weapons or if they have any other accomplices. If we split up to follow them, we won’t be able to support each other if we encounter danger. Let’s follow one of their groups together, specifically the three heading towards Eighth Avenue. They have more people, making it easier to find their hideout and trading location.”
“Okay, I’ll do as you say.” Jason nodded, and the two adjusted their pace, keeping about fifty meters behind the three black men.
As darkness fell, the streetlights along the streets gradually came on, their warm yellow glow illuminating the streets and casting long shadows of pedestrians. Eighth Avenue remained bustling with people: office workers heading home, couples strolling, and parents walking with their children. This provided Lynn and Jason with perfect cover; they blended into the crowd, pretending to wander casually, and followed closely behind the three black men.
The three Black men walked slowly, frequently glancing up to scan their surroundings, highly vigilant. The tallest of them, the leader, walked in front, occasionally glancing back at the two behind him with sharp, wary eyes. The other two followed behind, pretending to look at their phones while actually observing their surroundings.
“Look at that leader,” Jason whispered to Lynn, “He has a fierce look in his eyes, he’s definitely not a good guy, probably a small leader. The other two look like henchmen, they’re also very vigilant, we need to be careful not to get spotted by them.”
“Hmm,” Lynn nodded, his eyes fixed on the black leader. “They’re walking slowly, obviously checking that there’s nothing unusual around them. We should slow down too and not follow too closely to avoid arousing their suspicion. Also, keep an eye on our surroundings and see if any of their accomplices are secretly waiting for us.”
The two continued following, weaving through the bustling crowd, heading deeper into Eighth Avenue. The further they went, the fewer pedestrians there were, and the streets became narrower. Most of the buildings on both sides were old apartment buildings, their walls covered in graffiti. The streetlights were dim, their light flickering, adding a touch of eeriness to the street.
The evening wind grew stronger, rustling the leaves on the leaves lining the streets, and occasionally the faint, indistinct sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance. The three black men continued to walk slowly, the leader stopping every now and then, pretending to tie his shoelaces, glancing back at his surroundings to make sure everything was alright before continuing on.
“Something’s not right,” Lynn said to Jason in a low voice. “The road they’re taking is getting more and more secluded, with fewer and fewer pedestrians. They’re obviously deliberately avoiding crowds. It seems like their hideout is somewhere nearby. Let’s follow them a little closer, but be careful not to get spotted.”
“Okay.” Jason nodded, and the two slowed down, adjusted their positions, and hid behind the corner of an old apartment building to continue observing the movements of the three black men.
The three Black men walked to an even older-looking apartment building and stopped. The building's exterior was peeling and crumbling, some windows were broken and boarded up, and the entrance was cluttered with junk, giving it a dilapidated and eerie atmosphere. The leader of the group glanced around to make sure everything was alright, then pulled a key from his pocket, opened the apartment door, and gestured to the two men behind him.
The two black men nodded and quickly slipped into the apartment building. The leader took one last look around before following them in and quietly closed the door.
Lynn and Jason cautiously approached the apartment building entrance, hiding behind some clutter to carefully observe their surroundings. The apartment building had four floors, each with several windows. Most of the windows were closed, except for one window on the third floor, which had a faint light shining through the cracks, casting a long, thin shadow on the floor.
“They’re inside,” Jason said to Lynn in a low voice. “Looks like this is their base. Should we call the department for backup now?”
“Wait a little longer,” Lynn shook his head, his eyes fixed on the apartment building. “We’re not sure how many people are inside, what they’re trading, or if they have weapons. If we call for backup now, it’ll be too loud and the people inside might notice. If they destroy the evidence or put up a fight, we’ll be in trouble. Let’s observe from the outside for a while, see if any other accomplices come in or out, find out what’s going on inside, and then call for backup.”
“Okay, whatever you say.” Jason nodded, and the two of them squatted behind the clutter by the door, holding their breath and carefully observing the activity in the apartment building.
Night deepened, and the streets were deserted, save for the dim streetlights and the occasional evening breeze. The apartment building was quiet, devoid of any sound, except for the light still on the third floor, its faint glow standing out starkly in the darkness.
About ten minutes later, the apartment building door opened again, and a Black man came out, carrying a small white plastic bag, identical to the one used in the previous transaction. He glanced around to make sure everything was alright, then quickly walked towards the other end of the street, his pace hurried, clearly heading to the next transaction.
“Look,” Lynn lowered his voice, pointing to the departing black man, “he’s probably off to make his next deal. It seems this isn’t just their hideout, it’s their trading base, and the transactions are still going on.” “So what do we do now?” Jason asked. “Should we follow this departing black man to see where he’s going? Or should we stay here and observe what’s happening in the apartment building?”
“We’ll divide the work,” Lynn said quickly. “You follow the black guy who left, see where he goes to make the deal, who he makes the deal with, and record the location and people involved. Be careful and don’t get discovered. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the apartment building to see if any other accomplices come in or out, and find out who’s inside and what’s going on. If anything seems amiss, call me immediately.”
“Okay, no problem.” Jason nodded, quickly straightened his clothes, and pretended to be strolling around, following behind the black man until they slowly disappeared at the end of the street.
Lynn remained crouched behind the clutter by the door, his eyes fixed on the apartment building's main entrance and the third-floor window. The evening breeze grew increasingly chilly, making him feel cold all over, but he dared not let his guard down for a moment, his attention remaining highly focused, afraid of missing any unusual detail.
About fifteen minutes later, the apartment building door opened again, and two Black men came out, each carrying several small white plastic bags. They separated and walked in different directions, clearly also heading to make a transaction. Lynn carefully observed their appearance and clothing, memorizing their features, while keeping an eye on where they went.
Just then, Lynn's phone vibrated. It was a text message from Jason: "Target tracked down. He made a transaction at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and 42nd Street. The other party was a white man in a brown jacket. The transaction amount was not small. I have taken a picture. Continue to follow and report back to you at any time."
After reading the text message, Lynn replied, "Be careful and don't alert them. Record all the transaction details. I'll observe for a while longer and then notify the bureau for backup."
After replying to the text message, Lynn took out her phone and dialed Mike's number. The call was quickly answered, and Mike's voice came through the receiver: "Lynn? What's wrong? Is there some news from Solovyov?"
“No,” Lynn said in a low voice, “Mike, I’m at the entrance of an old apartment building on Eighth Avenue. There’s a contraband trading den there, and a few black men are selling contraband. We’re not sure what it is yet, but it’s probably drugs or illegal weapons. Jason has already followed one of the traders to the intersection of Ninth Avenue and 42nd Street. I’m staying here to observe. There should be quite a few people inside, and more people are coming out to trade.”
"What? A contraband trafficking ring?" Mike's voice immediately turned serious. "Are you safe? Have they found you?"
“I’m safe and they haven’t found me,” Lynn said. “I need backup now. Contact the emergency response team at the New York branch immediately and have them come over as soon as possible. The address is 178 Eighth Avenue, an old apartment building. Be discreet and don’t make too much noise so as not to alert them. Also, have them bring weapons and evidence sealing equipment. Once the scene is under control, immediately seal off all contraband and transaction records.”
“Okay, I’ll contact them right away,” Mike said. “The emergency team will arrive in about twenty minutes. Be careful and don’t act rashly. Wait for the team to arrive before we act together.”
“I know,” Lynn nodded. “Also, contact Jason again and tell him that the emergency team will arrive in twenty minutes. Tell him to continue tracking and not to expose himself easily. Once the team arrives, he should cooperate with the team to control the transaction site.”
"Understood, I'll contact Jason right away."
After hanging up the phone, Lynn continued to crouch behind the clutter, observing the apartment building. He glanced up at the third-floor window; the light was still on, and he could occasionally see figures moving inside, indicating that people were still active. He then looked at both ends of the street but found nothing unusual, nor did he see any other accomplices going in or out.
Just then, the apartment building door opened again, and the tall, black man who was leading the group stepped out, carrying a heavy-looking black backpack. He glanced around, his eyes more wary than before, as if he had sensed something amiss. Lynn immediately held her breath, lowered her head even further, and hid behind some clutter, afraid to make a sound.
The tall Black man stood at the doorway for about a minute, carefully observing his surroundings. After confirming there was nothing amiss, he turned and walked towards the other end of the street. Lynn watched his retreating figure, a hint of doubt creeping into his mind: Where was he going? Was he going to meet up with other traders, or to handle something else?
Lynn hesitated for a moment, but decided to stay put. He knew that his primary task was to hold the hideout and wait for the emergency team to arrive. If he left, and the people inside noticed something was wrong, destroyed the evidence, or escaped, all their efforts would be in vain.
About ten minutes later, the faint sound of a car engine came from afar. The sound was very soft, indicating that the emergency response team had arrived. Lynn looked up and saw three black SUVs silently parked at the end of the street. The doors opened, and more than a dozen emergency response team members in tactical gear quickly got out. Their movements were agile and swift, and under the captain's command, they quietly approached the apartment building.
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the emergency response team. He slowly emerged from behind the clutter and waved in their direction. The team leader, seeing Lynn, quickly approached and asked in a low voice, "Detective Carter? What's the situation inside? How many people are there? Do they have weapons?"
“There are about five or six people inside,” Lynn said quickly in a low voice. “Three have already gone out to make the deal, and Jason is following one of them at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and 42nd Street. There are two or three more inside. There’s a light on on the third floor, and there are figures moving around inside. They’re very alert and may have weapons, but we’re not sure what they are. The apartment building has a front door and a back door. The back door should be at the back of the building. You need to send someone to seal off the back door to prevent the people inside from escaping.”
“Understood,” the squad leader nodded and immediately gave orders to his team members, “Group one, follow me into the main entrance and take control of the people inside; Group two, go around to the back of the building and seal off the back door, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving; Group three, go to the intersection of Ninth Avenue and 42nd Street, cooperate with Inspector Jason to control the transaction scene, and seal off the transaction evidence. Action!” (End of this chapter)