A Waiting Game

Sturgis, South Dakota

Today was supposed to be our day off but Cragen had called us in. Both of us.

He had told us to drop whatever we were doing and come right away. We were at the park celebrating our niece Macie's second birthday so we walked into the precinct and got odd looks. Elliot was wearing khakis and white polo and I was wearing a pale blue halter top sundress with tan wedges.

We knocked on the door to Cragen's office and he yells for us to come in.

"You guys are going to South Dakota." He says, handing us a thick case file.

"What the hell..." Elliot mutters, open the file.

"Why?" I ask.

"The Sturgis motorcycle rally." He says, "A biker in the Sons Of Anarchy Redwood Originals, Juan Carlos Ortiz, better known as Juice, committed statutory rape in Manhattan 4 years ago. She was 15, he was 24. That statute of limitations is almost up."

"Why are we chasing this guy across state lines?" Elliot asks. "We don't even follow people to Jersey so why the hell are we going to South Dakota?"

"There's a RICO case building against the Sons, the FBI, ATF, and the CIA are involved." Cragen says.

"All the more reason we shouldn't go." Elliot says, "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to do time for the stat rape but if he's going to get picked up anyway, why should we go halfway across the country?"

"Because the FBI needs more information." Cragen says. "The motorcycle rally brings in gangs of bikers from across America. They trust each other, thy let their guard down, and they get drunk and let things slip. You guys are talented, and we needed someone to play the part of husband and wife believably."

"So we go there and what?" I ask, "Just hope we run into them?"

"This isn't a negotiation." He says, "We need you for this."

"We have six kids." I say. "We can't just drop everything at a moments notice."

"I'm aware that you have responsibilities." He says, "But we need you on this."

"There are plane tickets in the case file, all the information you need for the rally, everything you need to know so you won't stick out." He says, "I got a guy at the impound lot just outside of Sturgis who set aside a bike for Elliot. This has to happen."

"Fine." Elliot says, "But we're in and out, as soon as we make contact we make the arrest."

"No you won't." Cragen says, "As soon as you get him alone you make the arrest."

He tosses Elliot what looks like a leather jacket.

"That's your cut." He says, "We'll have a bunch of undercover cops planted wearing the same patches in case you need anything."

We both walk out of his office frustrated. We make plans for Elliot's sister Jess to come stay with the kids for at least a couple days to give Lucy a break, knowing that we could be gone upwards of a week.

•••••

A week later and we were ready to leave for South Dakota. Elliot was aloud to carry as many guns as he wanted but I wasn't so he had mine in addition to two of his. As soon as we landed in South Dakota there would be people going to the same motorcycle rally, so we had to get off the plane dressed in our undercover clothes.

As of now we were dressed and waiting for the kids to come downstairs to say goodbye. It was 6 in the morning but they had all made us promise not to leave without saying goodbye.