Hit 'N' Run (Under Suspicion #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

followed nine months of tedious infiltration where they set up a dummy rival drug consortium. Their aim was to smuggle illicit street drugs via a local funeral home. Between caskets and cremation urns, using hearses as the main mode of transportation, they nailed some major players within the Fong clan with a list of serious crimes stretching as long as his arm.
    Prudent, Mitch downplayed his role. He had come too close to blowing the whole operation when he ran the stop sign. The crux of their success lay in how the squad had taken over a legit funeral operation to start their own small drug gang. At first, they merely intercepted drug runs across the Washington border. Then the crew wormed their way in to the main gang, wooing members of the Fong syndicate to cross over to their operation. This was the focus of their sting, as it allowed them to elicit confessions and material information from each member they recruited. Processing this information slowly through the prosecution team, they built a strong case, which the police hoped would do more than bruise the growing drug cartel.
    Back at his old desk, Mitch ran his fingers along the scarred surface and groaned at the mountain of paperwork spread in disarray, awaiting his attention. With an internal sigh, he lifted the lid of his laptop and logged onto the detachment database. He opened the first of his diaries and began typing, wishing he could just hand the pile over to a secretary, when his old partner, Luke, approached with two steaming cups of coffee in his hands.
    “Hey ol’ bud,” Luke said, handing Mitch a cardboard cup. “Good to see you back.”
    “Good to be back.” Mitch lifted his coffee cup in salute. “Thanks for the joe.”
    “Did they strip search you?”
    Mitch almost choked on his coffee. “Ah, no. Got away clean this time,” he sputtered, remembering the last operation when he was arrested with the rest of the ‘bad guys.’ The local police had been very thorough in their techniques. A bit too thorough, offering an experience Mitch had no desire to repeat.
    Luke perched on the edge of the desk, noisily slurping from the steaming mug. “That’s likely because Hank covered your skinny ass.”
    Mitch shrugged. At six-foot-three, one hundred and ninety pounds, Mitch was far from skinny. But then again, compared to Hank’s bulk, everyone appeared slight.
    “I see you’ve kept the beard and hair,” his friend continued. “Is this the new department look ?”
    Mitch ran his hand along the long beard hanging off his face. “Nah. I would have gotten rid of it already, but I haven’t received clearance yet. Soon as I do though, I’m off to the barber for a good grooming.”
    A young constable approached the two men and nodded. He pointed a finger at Mitch. “Chief wants you in his office.”
    Mitch tugged at his beard. “Maybe this afternoon,” he said, shutting down his laptop and patting his colleague on the shoulder.
     
    ***
     
    “This was a very serious infiltration, Morgan,” Chief Boulet began immediately when Mitch closed the door to stand before the large desk. The Chief laced his beefy hands on the ink-pad in front of him. “Even before the team made it to the field, there were months of planning that went into this.”
    “Yes, sir,” Mitch agreed with a stiff nod to his head. Where was this going?
    “We do what we can to prevent leaks.” The older man unlaced his fingers, laying his palms flat on the surface and stared at Mitch over the top of his rimless glasses. “One of the reasons you were picked to head up this op was your lack of connections to the area. No friends or relations—nothing to cause an accidental trace back to your being an undercover officer.”
    “Correct, sir,” Mitch replied, leaning back on his heels. His spine tingled, confused by the line of dialogue.
    “Part of nailing the Fongs isn’t just getting the drugs off the street, but finding out how deep their tentacles run. Get to the roots