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Parasite is the third part of The Underground series

Chapter 21 of 29

Contingency Plan

Dark, cold, and wet.

If anyone were to ask him what he would think of when his mind went to that night, that's exactly what he would tell them. His shoes squished against the damp concrete of the port, slipping slightly as the cold air was slowly turning the small puddles of water to ice crystals. Wind like sharp knives blew off the cold sea, and even his warm wool coat couldn't protect him. It blew in gusts like knives bringing a stinging mist of the sea soaking his fur.

The winter months in Arcadia could be miserable sometimes.

However, the freezing temperatures only hastened the mink's effort to the warehouse a "friend" in port authority helped him secure. Pushing the door open, Mick quickly noted how much warmer simply being out of the wind's draft made things. Standing next to a large semi-truck, the shipping container with the bomb on the trailer, two dark figures stood, turning around to greet him.

"Isis picked a hell of a night!" Mick said aloud. "Jesus Christ! It's freezing outside!"

As he approached and his eyes adjusted to the low lighting, he soon made out the distinguishable figures of a trenchcoated Alias, and a cigarette smoking Jim Trilby.

"Who else would want to be out in this shitty weather unless they had to be?" Alias replied in his dark tone. "Where do we stand?"

"Isis is gearing up her team. I told her I needed to make sure everything was in place." His focus went to Trilby. "I didn't want her knowing where the bomb was until it was time to move it."

Trilby held still for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Smart."

"How long until they'll be here?" Alias asked.

"She's waiting to hear from me. As soon as you want, I'll let her know." Mick replied.

"Do it." Trilby nodded. "I got in touch with OCB, they're standing by until the buy is official."

Alias nodded. "As long as they can move within the next few hours. I'll be aboard arming the bomb. Make sure your OCB team is aware you have insiders!"

Mick mentally agreed. He'd rather not get shot by some rookie SWAT member who got a little too excited.

"They're aware of help from the inside." Trilby replied. "If you do happen to run into them; surrender, let them take you into custody."

Alias folded his arms, eyebrow raised. "I hope there's more to that plan..."

"If you start shooting federal agents you're going to bring down heat on yourself that even I can't get you out of." Trilby explained, emphasizing his words. "They'll take you into custody, don't say a word, and you'll be out within an hour of the bust. No prints; no pictures."

"Just keep them out of the way." Alias replied, in a firm but quiet tone.

"Stallard, what about the card?" Trilby changed subject, focusing on Mick.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key Jenna had cracked. Jenna under credited herself when it came to her skill. The young girl was talented, but he'd never admit it. She'd never let him live it down.

"Good to go." Mick said, offering the card to either of them.

Alias's black paw quickly took it. "She'll want this..."

"It." Trilby corrected hotly. "It... will want this. Not she."

"Look," Alias said, turning to Trilby, "after we light the fuse on this, things are going to get crazy. OCB's going to be asking a lot of questions, and I don't want to be around for it. I brought you this far Trilby. If you've ever had a chance of bringing your wife in, that time is now." Jaw set firmly, shaggy raven hair covering his eyes slightly, Alias spoke to the veteran Agent like he would any business client. For Alias, distinctions like that must be that simple. Mick wasn't so lucky.

Trilby's patched eye intimidated the fuck out of Mick.

"I was thinking back to our agreement..." Alias finished slowly.

"Think I've forgotten?" Trilby asked, shaking his head. "I haven't forgotten." Nodding, he looked from Alias to Mick, then back. "Your names will never appear on any official report, like we agreed. Also..." Trilby paused, "once we have Isis in custody, I'll give you Openshaw, like we agreed."

"How about you give me Openshaw now?" Alias more demanded and asked less.

"You know I can't." Trilby replied, shaking his head slowly. "And you know why. If you were in my position, you'd do the same."

Mick watched as Alias's expression didn't change, only his eyes narrowed. However, Mick couldn't say that Trilby wasn't right. That piece of information was what Alias had been hooked on. He'd found a way to get every job done because Trilby had something Alias wanted.

"Let Isis know you're ready..." Alias spoke in his dark tone. "And your OCB will want to know too."

"Right..." Mick replied, looking for his phone. "Hold on a second, I'll probably have to talk with that dumbass rabbit; that Terwilli-fucker." He said, rolling his eyes.

Patting down his sea-soaked jacket, his paws failed to meet the expected lump of his phone.

"Jim, you need to get going, Isis may have people scouting the docks." Alias said, unveiling a pistol from his jacket, and pulled the slide back; letting the metallic plink cut through the freezing air. "Hook up with OCB and we'll see you on the docks. Mick?" He said, turning around, as Mick still searched other pockets for his phone.

"Yeah?" He replied, mind primarily focused on his phone hunt.

"Hold a light for me while I hook up the detonator." He requested.

"Shit..." Mick thought, remembering he had been talking on it in his car earlier. He must have set it down in there.

"What?" Alias asked, concern about the sting operation on his mind.

Mick shook his head. "Oh, nothing. I forgot my Goddamn phone in the car..." He vented slowly, feeling stupid.

Alias sighed, shaking his head. "You and phones..." He muttered. "Go get it, call the bitch. Trilby?" He asked. "Mind holding the light?"

"Sure." He nodded as Mick began to walk away.

Mick hurried this time through the wind, mostly because he wanted to get back to shelter that was dry and kept the rain off him. His car, unfortunately, was parked on the opposite end of the harbor. He wasn't about to let his new car's paint-job get ruined by a clumsy dockworker on a fork-truck. He'd parked in an actual parking lot. Unlike Alias, Mick enjoyed the finer things his money could afford. And why not? You only lived once, right?

Jogging over to his small, two-seater, he pulled out his keys. The headlights flashed as the doors unlocked on the black sports car. As anticipated, Mick immediately saw his phone resting near the radio and recovered it.

Grabbing and activating it, Mick quickly composed a message from his phone to Isis's contact number. It said nothing special, simply stated that everything was a green light, but phrased in a way that it's direct reference could apply to anything. After saving it to his drafts, he put his phone away, and trekked back across the labyrinth of industrial shipping containers which littered the harbor. He'd make sure Alias and Trilby were ready before he alerted Isis. Wintery weather still ripping at him, Mick saw the warehouse in the distance and quickly made for it. As he rounded a corner, he was able to see the front of the building for the first time. At first it didn't register, as large dark SUV's are commonly used by agencies like the OCB. But as he got closer, he noticed who was standing next to them...

Motherfucker... Mick thought, monologue forming in his mind. Terwilliger?

Ducking behind some random cargo on the dock, Mick looked onward, seeing Isis's alpha brute climbing into one of the SUV's and driving away. And if he was here at the warehouse, there was a good chance Isis was too. Could this mean...

Lump forming in his throat, and general unease coming over his sense, Mick quickly sprung into action, moving stealthily from behind the cargo to more cover, keeping out of sight. Moving to an alternate entrance on the side of the warehouse, Mick quietly opened the door and slipped inside. He had become very familiar with this warehouse; its ins and outs. Now his familiarity paid off as Isis had no idea how many entrances there were. Not right offhand. Why was she here, now? A flash of shock snapped through his body.

Had Trilby gotten away?

The side entrance opened into a small office. Moving quietly to the door that led to the main floor, Mick opened it, risking a peek outside.

His worst fears were soon confirmed as he looked out onto the warehouse floor. Standing in the back of the shipping container, Alias and Agent Trilby stood with their paws raised in surrender. On the floor behind the semi-truck trailer stood several thugs with assault rifles that Mick recognized as being associates of Isis's.

The bitch herself standing in the middle.

Quickly, Mick backed inside. There were at least twelve of Isis's people, and one of him. Mick's pistol held nine rounds, and they already had guns on Trilby and Alias. High powered, fully automatic weapons to be exact. No doubt Isis knew who Trilby was, so there was nothing Alias could say to talk him out of this. Stomach cramping uncomfortably inward, Mick's mind accepted his reality.

They were busted; plain and simple.

Contingency.

A sudden realization flashed through Mick's mind. He had to act fast, but they still could come out on top. As he pushed off the dusty concrete floor, Mick realized the chances of Isis keeping Alias and Trilby alive for any reason were very shallow. But in the end, the one thing everyone agreed on was that the dirty bomb wasn't going off. That was the main objective. That's what Mick had to focus on at this point. Had Trilby or Alias been in his place, they would be doing the same. Swallowing hard, Mick knew they would just have to hold out somehow. Even though what he had to do shouldn't take long, there were no guarantees they wouldn't be dead by the time Mick got back.

Charging through the relentless wind, Mick had a feeling things on the freezing docks were about to heat up.