Street Shadow Ch.1

"Think they’ll show up tonight, sir?" Sergeant Sed Corpor asked dully for the second time that night.1

Detective Bruce Jett glanced over at the younger man, frowning. "What makes you think they won’t Sergeant?"2

Corpor blinked and nervously tugged at his sleeve, realizing his mind had wandered off. "Er, no reason, sir. Sorry, sir."3

The other man grunted and turned his attention back to watching the tech store, supposedly ‘hidden’ gun shed, and new car warehouses across the street, his dark eyes set and hard. For three nights they had been staking the area out, waiting, watching, listening to talk on the streets. It only took a few days before for Jett’s team to learn that a gang heist was being planned, probably the biggest lift the Tracks had seen in several months. Cars, guns, computer chips and parts, and the works that any gang needed to make hundreds of money were the target, and the perfect place was on the corner of West Central Ave where all three met.4

Despite the fact that it was a heavily guarded area and each building had more than several guards and all the modern security systems money could buy, the talk said it was going to be hit, sometime near the beginning of June. Within a day, Jett had had observers positioned on every rooftop, street corner, and vacant window surrounding the hit area, and he himself had come out on two of the three stake out nights to wait.5

Usually, he wouldn’t bother. He had seen heists liked this before, been there, done that. Yet this one was particularly interesting to him. Mainly because talk said the Wraiths were making it.6

Ever since he came into the force, a good twenty or so years ago, he had been bent on exposing the elusive Wraiths. They were one gang that worked from underground. No one knew where their territory started or ended; no one knew who was in the gang or where their bases were. Like the shadows they were associated with, the only signs that showed they even existed were the white X painted where they struck and the reputation everyone from one side of the Western City to the other knew. Yet whenever and wherever they struck, there was never any sign of a break in, and not a single sign of force entry or leaving. It always seemed the things stolen just disappeared, no matter what the target was.7

Never once had the detective caught a Wraith or even found a single unidentifiable or identifiable fingerprint that would lead him to the Wraiths, and never once had he had any reliable leads to their hideouts and haunts. They were invisible, but Jett was determined they would not be for long.8

A dim light flashed in the skylight of one of the warehouses gone just as quickly as it had appeared, but Jett’s sharp eyes were not so easily fooled. He snatched up his hand link, causing Corpor to jump and eagerly scan the buildings, sensing that the excitement was about to begin.9

Quickly making sure the small, round device was on one of the only secure lines in the city, Jett clicked it on and held it up to his mouth, scanning the street and buildings for any sign of disturbance.10

"Attention all officers, flashes in warehouse B. Get ready to move. Over."11

Five clicks quickly sounded consecutively before the link fell silent. Jett nodded to himself and glanced back at the warehouse, his brow furrowed in concentration.12

"Keep an eye on that warehouse Sergeant," he breathed softly.13

"Yes, sir," Corpor said briskly.14

Several minutes passed away in silence and nothing happened. Then came another dim flash of light, this time on the other side of the warehouse, gone just as quickly as the last. Jett’s heart pace quickened. It was time to act.15

"Attention all officers, the shadows are lit. Creamer, I want you and your team to come into through the west gate. Boggs, take your team through the south. Christenson, take the east. We’ll take the north. Greener and Wakson, stay on alert and wait for my signal to move in. No mess-ups tonight people; I want this swift and clean. Keep quiet, move fast, and be careful. Let’s go!"16

The five clicks came rapidly this time, but Corpor did not posses the patience to wait long enough to hear them out. He cocked his pistol, and nodded at the Sergeant who nodded stiffly back, doing the same to his own gun. The detective almost smiled sadly at the eager glint in the young man’s eyes. This was his first heist, and most certainly not his last. Jett could barely remember his first, and at the moment, he could hardly care.17

The two men stepped out of the beat-up blue Chevy calmly, guns hidden beneath their jackets as they started off down the street, walking parallel to the targeted buildings, on their way to the north gate.18

As they entered the alleyway running between an old department store and the fences guarding the warehouses, a numb shiver crept up Jett’s right arm. Immediately, he slowed to a stop and pressed his back against the wall, signaling Corpor to do the same. He knew what the feeling meant just as well as he knew his name. They were waiting for them.19

Jett cursed darkly under his breath, ignoring the questioniny look from the sergeant. He whipped out his hand link hastily, his mind racing.20

"Creamer, Boggs, Christenson, watch out, it might be a trap, over!" he hissed.21

It was silent for a moment. Then Creamer’s no-nonsense voice came over the link, brisk and too the point. "Aye sir, understood. What do we do now?"22

The detective took a deep breath and scanned the warehouses and the lots next to them, thinking fast. "All units except for Wakson head in, focus on Warehouse B. I want all possible exits and entrances covered. No one gets out of there alive. Our cover’s blown, so don’t be depending on surprise. Now move!"23

~~~24

The Wraith’s number one sentry grinned crookedly and glanced down at those working below him from his perch on one of the many rafters that supported the warehouse roof. His scarred face shone blandly in the moonlight, dark eyes glinting with expectation. He signaled once and laughed, a sound that seemed more a dark hiss than anything happy.25

"They’re takin’ the bait!"26

Below him on the warehouse floor near a sleek sports car she was passing, a teenage girl grinned back and nodded. "Good. Keep watching; never know about old Jett. He’ll sense our trap soon enough."27

She glanced around at the other sentries she had posted at the doors and signaled to them before turning back to the rest of the gang. "Five minutes Wraiths, get moving!"28

Several called out to show they were listening and work picked up a notch. Word was sent to the other groups, and within minutes, the last of the effects they planned on taking were being lifted down into the gaping hole in a far corner of the warehouse floor. She made her way there, surveying the half-empty warehouse they were leaving behind with an exhilarated gaze.29

She smirked as she watched a light blue Mercedes Benz lowered into the brightly-lit entrance into the underground world she knew as home. Jett would certainly be in for a surprise when he discovered three warehouses, one shed, and one store half empty of goods gone without a single trace other than the singe white X painted on the main door of each building.30

He had not idea who she was, yet it seemed she knew more about him than anyone but Jett himself could know. He was her biggest threat in the law part of the world as she was his in the gang world, yet he had no idea of who he was hunting. No doubt he expected a power-hungry crimelord, at least thirty-five to forty years of age. Wouldn’t he be surprised if he found out he was dealing against a seventeen-year-old girl?31

A dark-haired young man, marked distinctly by his light yellow eyes, finished helping his companions lower the last car down into the tunnel before coming to her side, his face flushed and eyes glinting with the excitement of the heist.32

"This one’s gonna be a record for sure," he grinned.33

The girl nodded and laughed softly in return. "It certainly is. Jett’s going to be one stumped blue suit when he sees this."34

"Eh boss! We’re ready to go! All teams set and shafting. We’re the last," a voice called over her link.35

She unlatched it calmly from her belt and glanced around as she answered, a smile on her face. Things were going better than she planned. "Good, tell everyone to get back to the Alcazar on the double. Jett should be here any moment…"36

"Actually, he should be here right now," the sentry from the rafters panted as he came up next to her. "He sensed the trap. They’re moving in."37

She did not even bother to nod in response. She signaled to the rest of the guards and in less than a minute everyone was down in the tunnel, heading back to their headquarters, reveling over their victory.38

As usual, the trio were the last to leave. They checked the warehouse carefully as they slipped down into the hole. All signs of their passing had been carefully removed to ensure that the identities of the Wraiths were kept secret. Everything was set to go. The only thing they would leave behind would be five half-empty buildings and five white Xs.39

"Everything just as planned…" she breathed as she disappeared into the darkened tunnel.40

~~~41

Detective Jett and the rest of his squad burst into the warehouse, guns held at ready, each tensed and waiting for action. They were greeted by the empty silence of the cold warehouse, the bright white X, and nothing more.42

Jett kicked at the door and swore darkly, his temper raising in his throat. "I’ll get you one day Wraiths! Just you wait! Just you wait!"43

In the far corner where no one could see it, a part of the floor slid shut with a click.44