The Last to Break

The Bait

At exactly 22:00, Luca knocked on the door. Jay grabbed the rucksack with all the necessary equipment. Once outside, they started to jog. Four blocks away, Jay stopped next to a black SUV. He gave three taps. The door opened. He ushered Luca inside and followed.

Once Luca's eyes had adjusted to the darkness in the back of the SUV, he looked at the driver. Jay was watching Luca closely.

When Luca opened his mouth, Jay put a finger to his lips and shook his head.

When they neared the auction location, the driver stopped. Jay jumped out. Luca wanted to follow.

Jay turned and handed Luca an earpiece. "You stay here and ensure that I do not get caught off guard."

Before Luca could say anything, Jay became one with the darkness.

Luca looked at the driver. The big man turned around and smiled at Luca, then said, "Lift the lids on your left and right. I was told you would know what to do."

Luca lifted the lids of the side panels and was surprised by the high-level technology hidden behind them. He immediately switched it on and started punching in codes and algorithms. The big man wasn't even looking his way. He was playing a game on his phone.

"Are you functional?" Jay's voice came through on the earpiece.

Luca felt the adrenaline rushing through his body.

"Yes, Master, I am."

"Good. When on missions, we don't use names. Master is fine. I'm at the back of the building and have passed two guards. I want to enter through the third window. Is it clear?"

Luca's finger brushed over the keyboard.

"Yes, it is clear, but there are four warm bodies approximately 15 metres from where you will enter."

"Great. I'm using this mission as a learning curve for you as well. Next time, you just have to say: Four at 15 right."

"Will do."

Jay smiled. Luca was a fast learner.

He jumped up. Balancing himself on the windowsill, he forced the window open and slid through. He jumped down and landed softly.

Jay checked the passages and doors, disabling any guards he encountered. Once he reached the main room, he said, "I'm entering the main room. Check for alarms and surveillance. Kill immediately if triggered."

"Alarms already dealt with. Two guards, 5 to the left. Can't see any other surprises."

Jay opened the door. Locked. He quickly took off his rucksack, found what he needed, and opened the door. Once inside, he immediately ran to the left. Before the guards knew what had happened, they were knocked out.

He looked around, then saw the man in a cell. He walked up to the cell, looked at the man carefully, then said, "I will be back in five minutes. Be ready."

The man nodded.

Jay left the same way he had come, but instead of turning left towards the window, he carried on straight to the door.

He didn't have to ask Luca if there were guards. There were always guards at an entrance.

Once close, he jumped onto some of the boxes standing around, raised himself up to the beams, and slowly made his way towards the door. He jumped down, catching the guards by surprise. They fought.

One guard reached for his gun and was about to shoot when someone opened the door. That drew the shooter's attention and gave Jay the time he needed. In one swift motion, he apprehended the guard, then quickly moved towards the person who had entered and kicked him. The man fell. Jay struck him behind the neck, knocking him unconscious.

Jay quickly stepped outside and sent a message. Within two minutes, a car approached. A man got out. The car left.

They walked inside to the room at the back. When they reached the room, Jay unlocked the cell. The man inside walked out, and the other man walked in. They both got undressed and swapped clothes.

Jay nodded at the man who had been in the cell.

They left.

Once outside, Jay took the man to a white Honda parked 100 metres away. He handed the keys and an envelope to the man.

"You know what to do?"

"Yes, I have been informed. Thank you. If I can ever repay you, please say the word."

"I am already paid. Just keep yourself in check and stay out of the limelight."

With that, the man got into the car and left.

Jay jogged to the SUV and jumped in.

The big man started the SUV and drove off.

Four blocks from The Annex, the SUV stopped. Jay and Luca got out and jogged back to The Annex.

When they reached the entrance, Tam was returning from who knows where.

He looked at Jay and Luca suspiciously.

"Where are you coming from?"

"This young man's adrenaline is pumping. He is very excited about tomorrow. He couldn't sleep, so I told him to go for a run. It normally works for me, so I hope it will work for him."

As if on cue, Luca yawned widely.

With a grin, he said, "Yes, Master, it seems that run helped. I can't keep my eyes open. Goodnight."

Jay and Tam both smiled as Luca walked away.

Tam said, "Seems like a nice little fellow."

Jay just smiled.

In his room, Jay opened his laptop, opened an encrypted file, added the information, closed it, and named it number 76.

The team was up early the next morning. It seemed to be the case with every mission they had over the past ten years. They would meet at the breakfast table. Eat in silence. Each going about their own business until it was time to leave. Without anyone telling Luca, he was at the breakfast table as well.

The day passed in a blur. Tam, Azea and Luca would leave at 18:00. Jay had already left.

At the auction, Jay was stationed strategically, laptop on his lap. He watched every single person entering the auction, as well as the cars stopping outside. He went further than that. He had placed cameras around the auction building, as far as 200 metres away.

At 18:00, he noticed activity on one of the surveillance cameras placed approximately 150 metres away. He saw the S.W.A.T. jackets. He smiled. He thought the encrypted message had to be from someone in the secret service.

The last person to leave the van was a man in his thirties. Even from the video, he noticed that the suit was expensive. He held a cane. Not that he needed it. Jay couldn't see the handle, but he knew it would be a lion.

A Bentley stopped behind the van. The man got in. They made their way to the auction entrance.

Luca got up. Everything was set. He got into a rented Aston Martin and drove the hundred metres to the auction.

Once inside, Jay looked at all the items on display. One particular item drew his attention. He would like to acquire it personally. When he was done looking through the display items, he went to sit in his allocated booth. Pretending to look at the programme, Jay looked at his watch. Right on cue, the man from the Secret Service was at the designated place.

Jay smiled.

He had passed that man twice in the last hour, once slightly bumping the man's hand holding the cane. He apologised, then moved on. The man didn't recognise him. He knew their email was a bluff. They wanted to lure him out.

The auction started. The item Jay was interested in was third. After the fourth raise from the initial price, the hammer fell, confirming Jay's winning bid. The next item went on display. Jay noticed that the man with the cane was alone in his booth.

Without a sound, Jay left his booth. As he walked to the man's booth, he quickly knocked the guard in front of the door unconscious. He stepped into the booth and sat behind the man.

"Don't look back. Why are you looking for my boss?"

The man didn't seem to be nervous at all.

"I know your boss is involved in many illegal operations. We are also aware that he is doing it against his will. I want to offer him a way out."