"Buck, I swear to you it's true."

"JD, you have got to stop watching all those poltergeist and ghost story shows. You're starting to sound crazy!"

"Starting?"

JD scowled at Nathan. "Don't tell me you don't believe either? But they've got scientific proof of this stuff. Scans and reading and such."

Buck Wilmington laughed. "And you're supposed to be our computer expert? You know better than any of us how that crap can be manipulated. You told me yourself you could set up programs to fake out anybody. Like you do when Ezra goes undercover."

"Yeah, but that's different." Dunne was starting to lose a bit of his enthusiasm. He hadn't expected such a negative reaction when he told his fellow ATF agents about the haunted house outside of town. There had been a full feature on it the previous night on TV, and he was trying to convince them to go check it out themselves.

"JD, even if we did to out there, the place is likely going to be overrun with other folk who saw the show. Likely to scare of any ghosts that might be there."

"That mean you believe there are ghost there Vin?" At least Tanner was on his side!

"Didn't say that. Just saying, IF there is anything there, it won't want to play tour guide to a bunch of ghost hunters."

"You guys have no sense of adventure," their youngest agent pouted. "Ezra's go with me if he was here."

"Ezra would tell you to stop thinking such foolishness." Nathan corrected.

"No – he believes. Told me himself about all the ghost that haunt a lot of the old plantation homes in the south. Says he heard more than a few of them growing up around there."

"Sure he wasn't just pulling your leg a little?"

"Ah Vin, he wouldn't do that." He paused, looking a bit puzzled. "Would he?"

They all laughed at the slightly wounded look on the young man's face, but the laughter died quickly when Chris entered the room. The look on his face said trouble, in no uncertain terms. The fact he was followed by Judge Travis, retired court officer and currently District supervisor for the ATF, and a man in what could only be seen as an FBI issue suit only confirmed that interpretation.

Larabee looked around the room at his men, and when he was sure he had everyone's attention he nodded to the Judge, who spoke.

"Gentlemen, this is Agent Carlson – FBI. He's ranking officer on a task force working in the region on smuggling issues. Specifically, his operation deals with human smuggling. He came to me about an hour ago to update me on the case they are working in the area. Seems we have been at cross purposes without knowing it. They've got a man inside a local operation, as do we."

Every eye in the room snapped to the Bureau agent. Ezra was their man on the inside on a local smuggling operation, and suddenly the air in the room got very still.

"Before I go into details I want to make two things absolutely clear." Carlson could feel the anxiety from each of the agents in front of him, and he didn't blame them. He was well aware of the history between Standish and the bureau, and the fact he was undercover on an operation they were now involved in could easily have been cause for concern.

"First, the FBI and ATF were both unaware of the other's involvement in this case Neither party knew that we were both going after Anderson and his operation. It shouldn't have happened. Somewhere along the way the communication liaisons broke down, and I assure you we will find out why.

Second. I have worked with Ezra Standish in the past. I believe him to be one of, if not the best undercover operative I've encountered. I also believe him to be above reproach. Always did. I told anyone who would listen to me at the time that the accusations against him were absurd. He was far too honourable a man to be corrupted, and far too smart to have been so careless as to be caught if he had been so inclined. I think the FBI was short-sighted and just stupid to let him leave."

He was fairly certain he could actually feel the lessening of the pressure in the room when he finished his introduction. He hated like hell that that was about to change. He looked over to Chris, who gave him a small nod of encouragement.

"I received a call from our man in the operation a couple of hours ago. He wanted an emergency meeting and it was arranged. He informed me of Standish's presence in the organization, and that he had spoken with him."

"This guy work with Ezra in the past? Ya trust him?" When Carlson stared at him for a moment, Buck took the cue to introduce himself, and the others.

"No, he didn't work with him, and yes I trust him implicitly. He found out about Standish when Anderson informed him late last night that there was a Fed in their operation. At first he assumed his own cover had been blown, until he was told his assignment was to kill your man."

"Shit."

"Indeed Mr. Dunne. I would say that covers it quite well."

"You said they talked – how and about what?" Vin demanded.

"My man implied that he thought he could find out what Standish had reported on, so he was given a few minutes to – interrogate him. Let Standish know he'd volunteer to be the one to take him away for further questioning, and they'd fix his escape.'

"So you need us to co-ordinate that. Arrest them both or something?" Nathan questioned.

"No, Mr. Jackson. Your colleague did not agree to that course of action."

"Course not." Josiah mumbled. "Never do anything the easy way. Or God forbid, by the book."

"He didn't want to compromise the lives of the young women Anderson is currently holding hostage. He told my man he believed had found their location. If anything were to go wrong, such as his escape, he feared the women – girls – would be killed. He indicated he'd known earlier in the day his cover might have been compromised, but wouldn't risk their safety. He felt as long as Anderson knew where he was, the girls remained safe."

"Wait – back up. Young girls? Anderson is smuggling weapons." Ezra had gone into the operation to as a go-between for a foreign cartel interested in American guns. This was the first any of them had heard about human smuggling being involved.

"Anderson traffics in anything he can find a market for, including kids. In this case, young girls. Runaways he grabs off the street. They end up in foreign countries, sold to the highest bidder. Some of them are no more that 11 or 12."

"Bastard."

"Again, an understatement Mr. Dunne. And apparently Standish felt the same way. Until he could assure the safety of these children, he would not agree to an escape."

"OK – so Anderson has Ezra. Why are we just sitting here Chris?" Nathan demanded of their leader.

Travis answered instead. "Because the report isn't over."

Carlson took control of the room back. "Thanks to Standish's information my man was able to provide us with the details of the girls' location, and I passed them along to our tactical team. A rescue operation is underway as we speak. I expect to hear shortly of the outcome.

My man reported to Anderson he'd had little success, and suggested taking Standish elsewhere for further questioning. Apparently, Anderson didn't feel that was necessary." He paused, swallowing hard. Unable to look at any of them, he focused on a notice on the back wall bulletin board instead. "Anderson had your agent brought back into the room, pulled his weapon and shot him. Killed him."

"NO!" Buck jumped to his feet. The others were still – tableau still. They stared at Carlson, waiting for a punch line, waiting for a 'but we broke in on time' or 'my man got him to the hospital' but there was nothing. Buck took a menacing step toward the FBI agent but the Judge stepped in between.

"Wilmington – Buck. It's not his fault." Buck turned and walked to stand beside JD, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. He looked up, eyes damp. "What are we gonna do Buck? What do we do without him?" The older man just shook his head.

Nathan was the next to find his voice. "Is he sure? Is your man sure?"

"It was a head shot. One of Anderson's lackeys has already – disposed of…" he found he couldn't finish the thought.

"Where?" There was no response. "Damn it Carlson. Find out where. We are not leaving Ezra dumped in the middle of nowhere or in some unmarked grave. We are bringing him home so you get in touch with your man and have him find out where or so help me…" Chris left the threat unfinished, but there was no doubt as to its sincerity.

"As soon as the rescue operation is completed I intend to do just that. I am not doing anything to compromise that. Ezra died protecting those girls Larabee, and I for one intend to do everything in my power to make sure that action was not for nothing. He was my friend to, back in the day."

Chris took a deep breath, and turned away. "OK then."

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