Organized Crime: Unorganized

Chapter 89

"What have you got?" James asked, marching into the conference room.
"A search of Elias Rigby shows a stand up citizen with a huge bank account" Sadie told them.
"Robert Peters is being transferred over to interrogation now. We might have to find some leverage or get him something to talk" Marco told them.
"And the address O'Reilly got us?" He asked.
"It's a day care centre on the outside but the kids range in ages, only the younger ones are seen outside in the yard. I'm guessing the older ones are kept under tighter lock and key" Simon added.
"Can we make a move on the kids?" Lorenzo asked.
"No, they'll use the kids as shields. We should stakeout the place" Lilly suggested.
"We should" James nodded "I'll take the first watch"
"I'll go with you" Grace said quickly.
"Gracie-"
"We're getting the people that killed your wife, I'm not going anywhere except by your side" she told him sternly.
"Okay" he nodded.
"Let's get to work" Aneesa nodded, everyone copying before they headed off to do their individual tasks.

Grace sat in the passenger seat of the SUV as James sat in the driver's seat next to her, both of their eyes focused on the house up the street from them.
"Are you okay?" Grace almost whispered.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"You're quiet. Something's up with you, you can tell me" she encouraged with a small smile, her hand going to his thigh to reassure him.
"I've been thinking about Molly" he sighed deeply "This is...hard. She's Abi's mother and my first love and we're hunting the guy that had her killed. It's..." James trailed off as he searched for a word.
"Rough?"
"Yeah" he sighed and nodded, taking her hand off his thigh he squeezed it lightly.
"Close your eyes" she ordered and he gave her a questioning look in response "Trust me" she smiled, watching as he leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes "Think back to her. Can you see her? What are you doing?"
"We err..." James trailed off, not wanting to admit to her that he was imagining himself in bed with his ex-wife.
"It's okay. Tell me your memory" she assured him.
"We were laughing and kissing in bed. Abi came running into the room with a huge smile on her face. She jumped on the bed and on top of me, begging for pancakes. We had a perfect morning, full of laughter and happiness" He told her, sighing loudly before he opened his eyes to look at her again "The day she died started out the same. Except Abi knocked on the door and asked for pancakes before school" he smiled slightly.
"That sounds perfect" she smiled back, taking his hand again "Remember that, remember how happy you were together and remember all that pain when we get the guys that did this"
"And remember that despite all the pain, despite loosing her, it all led me to you" he smiled, placing a kiss to the back of her hand.
"Come on, it should be about time to switch" she encouraged, slipping her hand from his.
"I love you, Gracie" he smiled.
"I love you too, James" she smiled before he started the engine.

"The boys are fast asleep" Grace told James as she closed the bedroom door and leant against it with a sigh.
"Good" he offered a small smile. Grace crossed the room, slipping off her leggings leaving her in just an oversized sleep shirt, she slipped into bed. James rolled to lie on his back, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her to his chest. Grace leaned up and pressed a kiss to his jaw.
"I love you" she muttered against his skin before she moved her mouth higher "I'm here, my love" she bit his ear lobe as her hand moved down his chest, slipping into his boxers.
"No, Gracie" he pulled her hand away "Not tonight" he said gentler, placing a kiss to the top of her head "Not tonight" he repeated, pulling her as close to him as he could. Grace's leg rested against his crotch, feeling his softness under her. Usually a bite to his ear and her hand drifting along his body was enough to make him half hard but tonight it did nothing.
"Not tonight" she agreed, nuzzling her head against his chest, surrounding herself in the smell of him.

The next morning James headed into the conference room, Grace right behind him.
"Have we found a weak spot yet?" James asked.
"From the footage everyone collected and what I could hack in to, around mid day is the best time to hit" Sadie told them.
"The youngest kids are in the yard with one armed guard. I can take him out from the roof of the house behind" Lorenzo told them.
"What about the older kids?" James asked.
"They're mainly in the house, but from the laptop footage it looks like the older ones are kept in the basement, especially when the younger kids are in the yard" Sadie told them.
"Tomorrow, mid day. Can we make that work, Simon?" James asked him.
"Sure. You'll have SWAT back you up but I've got some agents that owe me a favor, we can get the kids out faster" He told him.
"Simon's guys can take the back with Lilly and Marco. The rest of us can take the front. When you guys enter I can climb the drainpipe to the second floor" Grace told them.
"That's not safe" James argued.
"It'll make everything faster. The kids are downstairs anyway, all I will be doing is checking so you guys don't have anything else to worry about" she assured him "Besides, the amount of times I used to sneak into my mother's house like that, and I was drunk. This'll be a step up" She smirked, only earning a frown from him "I can handle it" she assured him.
"We don't take any risks with this, I can't-" James stopping himself from saying it "We go in through the front door" he told her sternly, earning a nod in response.