((Set in the past.))

He’d called Archer. He’d left a message for Wong. The group with him was large. Several members were there, both from MRC, and from without. The way it had played out had made jurisdiction a nightmare. Children were involved. And smuggling. And drugs. Several different precincts and departments had taken interest, and when he’d brought people in for the big operation, they had insisted. There had to have been at least forty people in the staging area several blocks from the warehouse district. With jurisdiction such a problem, the fact that he’d brought in outside contractors would most likely have been a sticking point, if they’d known. But he hadn’t told them about Archer, now had he?

People could see one familiar face in a crowd, and a lot of them knew her. But cops can be protective of their own, when it comes down to it. Nobody had said a word. Some cops are asses. They’re out for their ego and their standing in the force. But in this scenario, they were temporarily blind to what they didn’t want to see. And even if they hadn’t been, HE would have insisted. She’d put in just as much of the hard work as him, or anyone else. Quin deserved to be part of the operation. If they objected, they could shove it up their collective ass.

People were dressed in various styles of gear. Some wore Kevlar vests with multiple attachment points, some wore heavier fare, complete with shields. Some went light. He was one of them. Suit and vest, sidearm holster.

The assortment of guns present would have made a gun lover’s heart sing. Ultimately, the operation was supposed to catch the smugglers in the act. Tact, however, had taken the day off. Their tactic for this was to catch the bad guys with their pants down, and not leave any room for doubt about who was the bigger threat.

Yup. It truly was a sight to see. And anyone seeing it would know for certain what was coming to bash in their doors. Hence, the need for a caravan of disguised vans, and a primary entry team taking point. Someone to coordinate, scout, and sneak before the goon brigade came in, guns blazing. Someone to secure the kids.

They could not risk children being caught in the inevitable crossfire. Point would lead and remove as many children from the playing field as possible. It was his responsibility, his operation, and he had his teleportation power to aid him.

Ashton caught sight of Archer, amid the other people on the scene. He stepped away pulled her aside. Ashton briefly ran down the summation of the situation, and finished on a high note.

”And I want you on my team! To sneak in, take in the scene, and help me secure the kids!” She was good in a fight and he trusted her to watch his back for him while he coordinated. The question was, had he worked hard enough to get her to trust him to watch her’s.

After all was said and done, the operation was a bust. Freaking figured.

Wong had never showed up. Anyone present had been collared, but they’d said nothing. And nobody could have gotten anything from any connections at the scene.

No kids. He’d thought there’d be kids. The whole thing was a mess.

He’d been taken off the case, and been lucky that was all that had happened. It HAD been a lead, but someone else could continue it. He was making too many mistakes and taking too long.

The child kidnappings continued. God, help us.